"Don't worry sis, no matter how cold, or how hot. How hungry or thirsty we are. We will be fine! You know why? Because we’ll keep walking. You and me, until the end." Sir John Maximilian

Seven people sat around a table in a dimly lit room, a different-colored candle burning a little light onto each of their faces. The room was tense as one of them stood from her chair. She had her whole body covered in black robes, her hood bearing a red eye - a symbol that seemed to take some shape or form on each of those attending.

"I have called this meeting to inform you the talisman made it into the hands of Leopold’s newest toy."

The silence permeated for a bit.

"In that light, I can assure you, she will soon snap and leave the side of the Empire to join our ranks."

"And just how can you be so certain, Camilla?" A short, lithe woman with messy ginger hair spoke up, raising an eyebrow.

"Because she just sent her subordinate to snoop around. Once he is caught and falsely executed, she will have no choice but to snap. And when she does, we need to be there and act swiftly."

"And just how do you know her man will get caught?" Another one, a rather soft-spoken beastman with bulging muscles leaned so hard against his chair it bent.

"Because I  will make sure of it."

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.

.

"Testing me again, Maria?" The young prince turned his back to the window, now facing his dutiful bodyguard.

"Someone has to keep you on your toes, my prince," Maria spoke, coming out from behind a colorful pillar.

Arthur let out a hearty laugh, nodding in affirmation.

"You have been gone for almost three weeks now, I assume you come with more than empty hands?"

Maria shook her head.

"After tracking our spy all the way to Beastmen-controlled territory, I am ashamed to report they narrowly escaped my grasp by boarding a ship."

"A ship? I assume you found out where it is headed?"

"Yes, after a bit of bribery I was told the ship was sailing to the Queendom of Oligarchia."

Arthur was more than confused, turning back around to face the balcony.

"What do you mean? I thought it had been engulfed by the plague like the rest of The Borderlands; hasn’t the church deemed it no-man’s-land?"

Maria walked closer, settling beside the prince and looking out of the window, over the balcony and toward the sandy hills and deserts beyond the vast city.

"I truly have no idea. I decided it best to report to you for counsel on how to proceed."

The prince rubbed his chin in thought, his white glove running across his smooth skin.

"I need you to find out more for me. If the Beastmen have contact with a civilization the church thinks is gone, we might not be as lost as I thought."

"Understood, my prince."

Maria turned to leave, as the prince held her by the wrist.

"Maria."

"Yes, my prince?" She turned her head slightly to see him.

"Your safety comes before the mission, understood?"

"Naturally."

She lied, disappearing once again behind the pillar she had first come out of.

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.

.

—So this is where all roads lead...

 Sir John thought to himself, skulking behind a pillar at the end of a long corridor, erected just before a grand door.

—Apparently Saria finally accepted the pope’s offer. In her office should be the official transfer documents; as long as Tom wasn’t bullcrapping me per usual...

"Psst. What are we doing behind the pillar?"

John’s heart sank as he slowly turned his gaze, only to release a sigh of relief. Before him squatted a short, skinny girl with brown hair and leather armor.

"Oh! It’s just you, Joan."

"Hey! What do you mean ‘just’ me?"

The girl puffed her cheeks in protest as Sir John let out a chuckle.

"Listen, I can’t share much, but I need to get into that office."

"The newcomer’s office?"

"Yeah. Think you could keep watch for me?"

"What, because I’m a squire I don’t have anything better to do?"

"C’mon, sis. I need you."

"Ugh, you know I can’t ignore your puppy face. Alright, fine, but do it quick or Sir High-and-Mighty will get all pissy about his squire being late, because frankly, I am running out of excuses to avoid him."

Sir John gave his sister a quick hug, breaking it and approaching the double doors.

Pausing for  a second before them, John looked back to his sister as she gave him a thumbs up, which prompted him to push them open slowly.

—Wow. This mess makes mine blush. Sheesh, woman, at least unpack a little.

Sir John stepped into the large room. It had boxes scattered all over the place, spilling their contents onto the floor. The only book in the library was The Book of Sommer, which was the only clean thing as far as he could tell.

Tip-toeing his way between boxes, Sir John approached the messy table by the window overlooking the yards below.

He started getting to work, lifting a paper, reading it, lifting another one.

One by one, John scrambled through all the documents as the minutes ticked by.

A sound outside the door snapped him out of his trance. The air seemed to stand still as Sir John’s heartbeat pumped loudly. He released a tight breath, his eyes wide as he looked straight at the door, not daring to even blink.

—I really need to stop reading horror stories...

John eventually conceded, assuming the noise was just his paranoia. 

He then picked up a fairly newer-looking document, his eyes scanning the page.

"W-wait, this isn’t... this isn’t right!" He scrunched his eyebrows, straining his eyes to read the page again.

"This isn’t a transfer - I-I gotta get this to the commander!"

"You will do no such thing."

Saria was suddenly there, standing on the window frame with it half open. In her arms, she held Joan, a knife to her throat.

"S-sorry, bro . . ." Joan attempted a weak smile, edging her chin away from the knife.

—Crap.