[Seryanna’s point of view]

The Vazar Border Town was a settlement that was quite impressive in size, being one of the few places in the Ledmerra Kingdom where the population of both elves and el’doraw was almost the same. It was protected, or rather it was marked by an incredibly tall wall, almost twenty meters in height. This construction acted as the actual border but did not go all the way around the country, instead it stopped just before reaching the nearby forest. El’doraw guards could be seen marching on top of the wall and patrolling the area around it, stopping anyone who tried to pass the border without a permit.

In my eyes, this unnecessarily long and tall wall looked more like a simple attempt at imposing the concept of a border rather than defining it. If you wanted to go over it on the other side, you could simply head to the forest and then walk around it at a safe distance from the patrolling guards. Those who could fly could care even less about this whole construction because there were no anti-air weapons as far as I could see.

“Can that wall even stop anyone?” asked Kataryna when she looked out the window.

“If there was an invading force coming from either side, then no. The Vazar Border Town is no fortress and at best is used as a symbol and a place to trade criminals that slipped over to the other side. The Vazar Market is also one of the main locations along the border where merchants go to show off their wares, it spares them of the trading tax, but from what I heard, the prices might be a bit on the low side. Only beginner traders or those eager to get rid of their stock will trade within Vazar.” Callipso explained to us.

“Is that so?” Kataryna raised an eyebrow at her and then leaned back in her seat.

An hour later, we finally entered the town. Having a Royal Knight with us and a permit from a noble made it so that we did not need to have our luggage checked, not that I would ever allow them to see what was hidden within our [Purse] rings anyway.

“We’ll be meeting the representatives of Anui’Yahna in front of the Town Lord’s palace. My mission will also end there once I give my escort role to them. Your Highness Elleyzabelle Seyendraugher, Sir Seryanna, Sir Kataryna, Sir Tanarotte, it was a pleasure to travel alongside the four of you!” Callipso declared with a bright smile to us after she got out of our carriage and saddled herself on one of the horses.

“May the Gods watch over you, Sir Callipso.” said her Highness.

“Likewise.” I nodded.

“Don’t get yourself killed because of a noble’s lust.” Kataryna advised her.

“Train well and maybe we can spar again sometime!” Tanarotte waved her hand at her.

During our journey, the sneaky dragoness was the only one who wanted to spar with the el’doraw knight. She won ten out of ten battles, but they both said that it was incredibly fun for them and thus no bad blood was made between them. It was a good thing that Tanarotte wasn’t a Breakthrough-er, I didn’t believe either myself or Kataryna would have wanted to hold back.

“I will!” the knight declared and then went off ahead of us.

The other soldiers who travelled with us on this journey did not leave our side and remained stationed at their posts, leading us deeper into the town until we reached the Town Lord’s mansion.

In Ledmerra Kingdom, the nobles had two titles besides the usual ones we were all quite used to. The City Lord and Town Lord were some of the few to name. There was also Guild Lord, Merchant Lord, Port Lord, Forest Lord, Plains Lord, and so on and so forth. These titles not only gave them governance power but also signified that their noble titles could be passed on to the next generation. Just as it was in Albeyater, there were low ranking nobles who could only retain their title for the course of their own generation unless they managed to consolidate it somehow. Usually, temporary titles were given to those who achieved something important for the Kingdom.

Even if he did not marry me, given all of his past achievements so far, Alkelios would have received at least a Marquis title or Viscount if Duke was impossible. The value he held for the kingdom was far too great to let him go. When thinking about him from this point of view, I could sort of understand why Kataryna’s words had to be considered carefully.

“Callipso said she was engaged, right?” I asked while my mind wondered off to the past.

“Yes. She is in a political marriage with the son of a Viscount family from the North. He was a River Lord who gained recognition recently for establishing a trade route between two remote villages and the town he was residing in. Why do you ask?” her Highness inquired.

Looking back at her, I replied “I was just wondering about how important a political marriage was when compared to one out of love.”

“Are you thinking about Alkelios?” she asked me.

“Yes. Was it really necessary… for you to marry him?” I replied, a bit hesitant.

Her Highness closed her eyes for a moment.

“Yes. At this point, after all that we have achieved and went through…” she opened her eyes and looked at me, calm like the sea on a summer day, “our marriage is not only a necessity for you and him but also for myself and the Albeyater Kingdom. Unlike other political marriages, though, ours is not one that is meant to separate lovers but rather to help them stay together.”

“Even though I understand this, I can’t help but feel worried… and sometimes I wonder what am I going to do if someone were to demand that I divorce him?” I looked down at my hands and clenched them into fists. “I know that he will come back… I know it, but will I be able to keep him?” I wondered.

“Seryanna, this…” her Highness wanted to say something but then someone patted me on the head.

“Whelp, when draconians don’t have anything to worry about, they tend to search for something or even fabricate something that will keep them busy. So, it’s very easy for one to simply start seeing danger where there is none to be found.” Kataryna told me and then ruffled my hair “Don’t stress yourself with useless stuff for now! Think about it when that time comes not before! Otherwise, Alkelios will come back to a wrinkly ol’ dragoness stressed out and bald instead of a proud Breakthrough-er Knight like you!” she laughed out loud.

“I’m not going to go bald!” I retorted “But… thank you.”

“I guess we both tend to overthink sometimes...” her highness said in a whisper.

We arrived at the Town Lord’s gates after another twenty minutes or so of moving at a slow pace. The building where this el’doraw lived could be considered an actual palace given the sheer size of it. The walls were tall and sturdy, suitable for repelling attacks from the outside, but they looked old and patched up. In some parts, there were even old marks left there by either powerful monsters or magic siege attacks. Although easy to repair, they probably left them there for their historical value. In other words, the area around this palace was so peaceful that they did not need to consider consolidating their defenses against a potential enemy attack.

Noticing that I was looking at those marks, her Highness told me “Vazar was once a fortress which stood as a bastion against Anui’Yahna’s forces. When it was finally conquered, the el’doraw here were forced to commit suicide by the Mad God’s command, or at the very least that was what the legend says. Maybe it was their general’s order rather than their god’s.”

“So, it’s more of a symbol than a functional fortress?” I asked.

“Look at it carefully, Seryanna, do you think that a Palace surrounded by such tall walls and patrolled at regular intervals isn’t ready to face off an invading force if needed be?”

I looked out the window and my eyes followed the movements of the guards up there.

“No.... They are ready.” I replied.

“Indeed, they are. The question is... who do they think will do the invading? Akutan... or Anui’Yahna?” she wondered as she leaned back in her seat.

“Would the elves have a reason to attack them? And if that is so, why not repair the damages done during the previous battle?” I wondered.

“The original elves... no.” she shook her head “However, right now, Anui’Yahna has quite a large number of human heroes wondering about on their lands... We saw what they are capable of, and we already know that they used their knowledge and might to make significant changes in each and every country on the face of the map... Even our Albeyater was changed by two such individuals, one who is our ally and one who was our enemy. As for the marks on the walls, who knows? Maybe they are sturdier than they appear?” she closed her eyes at the end.

There was no way for me or anyone else to retort to this statement. It was the truth and nothing but the truth.

We didn’t know if we could trust the actions of the Human Heroes nor did we know if they held the best intent for our world. The knowledge they brought over from their original one was at times strange and at others absolutely genius. For them, it was a normality, while for us, it was gift that could very well be just a very cunning and dangerous trap packed up nicely to please those who glanced upon it.

What was a clear and at the same time an important fact we couldn’t allow ourselves to forget was that the Human Heroes by no means were united under the same flag. They were scattered and of loyalty first and foremost to themselves and only themselves. Only when they got to know the other denizens of this world did they allow themselves to form bonds with others. Until then, they could be both an ally and an enemy at the same time.

The carriage stopped at the entrance to this ancient fortress disguised as a palace, which was the home of the Town Lord. Although we had no intention of actually staying within the walls of this town, I found it to be a bit rude that they weren’t welcoming her Highness in a fashion suited for someone of her status.

“I’m going to step out for a bit.” I announced as I opened the door.

Princess Elleyzabelle didn’t give me any order or spoke any advice, her gaze, however, was stern and firm, telling me that I shouldn’t forget either my status or my role in this mission. I replied with a nod and then walked over to one of the soldiers who escorted us all this time.

“What’s the hold up?” I asked as I looked forward at the two soldiers crossing their spears, forbidding our entrance into the palace to receive a cordial greeting just like any other noble should have.

“This... I apologize.” he bowed his head.

“Hm?” I turned my attention to the guards again and noticed that there was someone next to them. He looked like a young lord who wore a beautiful armor decorated with all sorts of gems, nothing more than a simple glimmering tin can meant to attract the attention of the blind and the pity of a valiant warrior who didn’t wish to prey upon the weak.

“You lot aren’t allowed to enter! Just who does this lord from the uncivilized part of Ledmerra thinks he is?” he declared with a puff as he tapped the tip of his decorated sword into the ground.

“I am Sir Seryanna, Royal Knight of her Highness Princess Elleyzabelle Seyendraugher. May I ask who it is and, on whose authority, dares to stop a foreign royal representative at the gates of the lord we wish to greet?” I asked with a raised eyebrow as I walked up to him.

“Hmph! I never heard of you! You could be lying!”  the el’doraw noble declared.

“You are not the lord of this town, are you?” I asked as I glanced at him and then at the soldiers next to him looked like they were going to die of embarrassment.

“Hmph! Listen here and be amazed, wretched fool! My name is Prostcodar Vazar the Second Son of the Town Lord Jubilius Vazar! A soon to be Royal Knight of his Majesty the King and the owner of the Trometerus Shops!” he declared proudly as he thumped on his gold plate.

I raised an eyebrow at him and then asked “Are you certain that you have the right and authority to lawfully stand before a foreign Royal Dignitary in this way?”

“Hmph! Yes! Why shouldn’t I? An old maid like you has no right to be concerned over my status or rights! Don’t you have some worthless husband to go take care off? You should go ahead and take your leave from my sight and tell that Offspray that...” I did not let him finish the words.

When he mentioned my husband, Alkelios, something snapped inside me. I released my pressure as a Breakthrough-er which washed over the soldiers around me, then my Magic Energy flowed into my body, fueling my bones and muscles. It then poured into my armor, causing it to light up with the power that could stand before the might of other Breakthrough-ers.

My might was enough to lay waste to this entire town, but my target was only this foolish el’doraw before me. With a kick to the ground, I was in front of him, then I grabbed him by the face and slammed him into the closed gates, causing the hinges to snap and then be shot back. I released his head that was bleeding and before he could fall to the ground, I kicked him right in the chest, sending him flying into the wall of the palace with enough power to cause the bricks to shatter and the proud armor he wore to break into pieces.

I did not kill him... yet.

Before the guards had the chance to launch an attack on me, I shouted with a guttural roar at the now unconscious el’doraw noble.

“Insult my husband and her Royal Highness again, and I’ll sever your head from your wretched body!”

Only after I said this did the soldiers react and surrounded me. I glared at them, but I didn’t act.

“W-Wait! S-Stop! Lay down your weapons!” shouted an el’doraw as he hurried over to the scene.

He was a bit heavy around the belly but judging by his clothes and expression of worry on his face, I had a feeling that he was either the father of that waste of a man on the ground or someone important around these parts. Just like the other el’doraw in this palace, his ears were long and pointed, with ashen skin and long hair tied behind in a bun. When compared to the soldiers, he was smaller by two heads and did not seem that strong when it came to arm strength.

“My Lord, that woman attacked the young master!” one of the soldiers quickly said.

“Why didn’t you lock up that idiot like I asked you too!” the Town Lord shouted at the solider.

“B-But...” he wanted to defend himself, but he was silenced with a glare.

“Everyone knows that he’s a delusional man, the shame of my family! Can you even take responsibility for his actions if he did something ridiculous?” he shouted at the soldier.

“Like insulting the husband of what el’doraw call a Starscryer and even a foreign royal dignitary?” I asked raising an eyebrow.

The town lord swallowed the heavy knot in his throat and like a rusted door slowly turned to look me in the eyes.

“If you wish to save him, Town Lord, you should act fast, but bear in mind, if he dares to insult me again, crazy or not, I’ll take his life.” I declared as I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Duchess Seryanna Draketerus, I hope that it will not come to that.” said someone as they walked out of the palace and then headed towards us.

It was an elf with long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, with armor that was overflowing with Magic Energy, showing that unlike the piece of junk worn by the unconscious foolish noble, hers was meant to be used in actual combat. The design was one that favored scales and pointed parts to curved or mail ones. The colors preferred were of a silver gold with pale gold, showing not only the status of the individual who wore it but also the prestige and rank. You had to be an idiot not to notice the meticulous lines on the pauldrons and armguards. Similar ways of discerning between the ranks of regular soldiers were also used in the military of Albeyater.

Her blue eyes were calm, but they were overflowing with a strange confidence. There was no air of superiority about her, however, this did not mean that she would allow herself to be looked down upon by others. The other two who followed her appeared to be regular Knights, maybe from the same platoon? Their armors, unlike hers, were crafted with more rounded plates painted white and blue instead of gold.

“Please allow me to introduce myself, Duchess, I am Alve’Yahna Desterus. My noble title is that of Duchess, while my military one is of Battalion Commander of the High General Tes’Mera Palladius. The ones behind me are Cassius El’samar and Jovark Cas’ardar, Royal Knights under the service of her Majesty the Empress of Anui’Yahna. I presume that her Royal Highness of the Albeyater Kingdom is within the carriage outside?” she asked with a smile while casting a quick glance at the entrance to the palace.

She did not seem to be surprised by the fact that I destroyed the proud gates of this ancient fortress or by the fact that I had the courage to punch a foreign noble right in the stomach. Although my actions were something that my own pride as a noble dragoness allowed, attacking the son of a noble on his own territory could be seen as a crime for which they might demand some sort of compensation.

If this was Albeyater, then it would not have been such a big concern, however, this was a foreign land where my authority was guaranteed only as long as the nobles of this land willed it. Thus, this woman who claimed to be a duchess, in theory, had all the power to declare that I was in the wrong.

Knowing this, I remained still and just looked at her from afar, showing no intention of acting out in an aggressive way past what I had already did.

The elves were similar to the el’doraw to the point where you would indeed believe that they might have had the same original ancestor, the only difference, as far as I could tell was the skin which didn’t change colors depending on their emotions. They possessed a certain ephemeral elegance that made you think they were closer to faeries than they were to mortals and dressed to show it.

“Indeed, I am accompanying her Highness Elleyzabelle Seyendraugher, Princess of Albeyater Kingdom. As for the reason of my outburst, I don’t see a need to apologize for it. This fellow chose insults over a civilized conversation. If he had a problem with us, he should have addressed it first to the political representative in charge of this place or better yet pretend like we were never here in the first place and stay out of our way for the duration of our visit. After all, our business isn’t with them but rather the Empress of Anui’Yahna.” I told her with as much restraint as I could.

Whether the reason for my outburst was an insult addressed to my husband or the master I served, it didn’t matter as long as I made it clear that this man’s actions brought shame not only to the Ledmerra Kingdom but also the representatives of Anui’Yahna. However, I wasn’t a monster who didn’t take into consideration the fact that this individual was sick in the head.

“Please, forgive my son... he’s...” the father, the Town Lord tried to plead for his life, but the duchess raised her hand and stopped him from continuing.

“I understand your predicament Town Lord Vazar, however, this matter involves not only our own Empire but also a foreign nation whom I can most certainly assure that we are welcoming them with open arms and a smile on our face not with drawn swords and open insults.” she said as she showed us that smile, cold and rigid, political would be the best way to describe it.

Town Lord Vazar was drenched in sweat and constantly using a handkerchief to wipe it off with a trembling hand. The soldiers under his employ were, of course, worried about the current situation. They knew they could not act out in front of a Duchess of the Anui’Yahna Empire and also a political representative of Albeyater Kingdom. One wrong move could lead to a tragedy marked by treason against the nation or worse... a war.

Of course, we had no intention of starting a war with either the elves or the el’doraw. If it came down to this possibility, we would try our best to stop this from happening, and while my earlier actions could have been seen as acts of attack against the nation, the fact that we weren’t the ones who started this weighed more when it came down to it.

War? Maybe I am thinking too much about a rather ridiculous possibility when you take a moment to calmly analyze it... I thought as I closed my eyes.

“As long as this matter won’t repeat itself, we will be good.” I then opened my eyes and looked at the elf woman in front of me “I do hope that you don’t take my actions as those of my country, just those of a woman who was heavily insulted by someone who knew not whom he was insulting or how much his words could trigger another. I can also assure you that this won’t happen again, especially not in an official situation, although...” I then looked at the unconscious fool and added “If we’re talking about unofficial situations, then... I would calmly remind everyone present here that the Breakthrough-ers of the Dragon Continent are no weaker in power than the Starscryers you all sing praises about.” I returned my gaze to the Duchess and showed her a smile.

“Of course, we understand.” she nodded and then turned to look at the father of that failure “You have heard her, Town Lord Vazar, I hope you will take note and make sure such things won’t ever happen again or we might need to look into the way Ledmerra trains their political figures. As for our esteemed guests...” she looked back at me and smiled “If they wish to spend the night at this castle, we will most happily oblige to such a request. It is no problem either if you wish to depart right away.” she nodded.

“I understand, then please allow me to ask her Highness what she desires.” I nodded and then made my way to the carriage.

Once there, I saw Kataryna outside, leaning against the carriage. She was looking up at the sky.

“Is there a problem?” she asked.

“Not anymore.” I shook my head and then climbed inside. “Your Highness.” I bowed my head.

“Lift your head. Tell me what that was all about.” she ordered.

“Understood.” I nodded and then began to tell her everything that happened in the span of the few minutes that we were apart.

“Hm, then it’s just that Town Lord’s fault for not properly taking care of his own child. In my opinion, you did good, but next time...” she narrowed her eyes at me “Make sure they attack you first in a more... visible manner. The way you finished him off made me think that you were the one to start this minor argument in the first place.”

“I understand, I’ll make sure my mistake won’t ever happen again.” I bowed my head, but I felt neither shame nor guilt over my actions, how could I?

“Other than this... You miss him a lot, don’t you?” she asked, but this time with a soft tone in her voice.

I was a bit startled by this sudden change, but I raised my head to meet her eyes and then replied “There’s not a single day that goes by that I don’t think about him... where he is, what he is doing... when he is coming back to me.”

She closed her eyes “One day, I hope to hold such deep feeling for someone just as you do, Seryanna... That is why... I hope and pray, as your friend and not your master, that your prayers will not go unanswered and that you will get to meet him soon. Until then, however, please pay no heed to the fools who try to stir your peace because of their own foolishness...” she opened her eyes and then showed me a gentle smile.

“Thank you... Elleyzabelle.” I lowered my head and wiped offer a tear.