---

 

...

...

...

*beeeeeeeeep*

"Recording log..."

"Week 2"
"Friday"
"0647 hrs."
"Pridel, Almeda Kingdom"

...

...

...

Meanwhile, as members of the king's Followers, Eclipse Corps, and revised Key Casters, investigate the treason of the Marquess Vertal, they made a startling discovery inside the basement of his mansion. 

With Troy and Wilma leading the investigation, they discovered piles and heaps of multiple cursed books. Some are scattered across tables, and some are properly arranged on the bookshelves.

"Oh my lord...." gasped a knight from one of the Eclipse Corps.

"Tsk. Fucking Vertal..." Wilma ticked her mouth in anger.

As they walk and observe the place, they notice a black book glowing in a black aura. Troy, Wilma, and their team prepare to approach it.

"Eclipse Knight Medara. Apply counter-curse barrier!" ordered Troy.

"Yes, sir." the knight eagerly replied as she place herself in front of them and cast a strong counter-curse barrier that envelop them immediately. They now carefully approach the black book when suddenly its black aura starts getting stronger. Thankfully, due to the counter-curse barrier, Troy and the rest are safe. 

After a couple of steps, they are now in front of the black book. 

"Caster Jode, can you check the book's attributes?" Troy ordered.

"Yes, sir. Give me a minute, sir." the Key Caster then places his both hands on the black book, summoning a blue magic circle in front of him which then projects the safety levels, magic attributes, and energy of the black book. 

"Safety is not that high...hmm. Energy levels are immense. This is.....wait.....WHAT?!" the Caster suddenly shouted. 

"Wh-What is it?!" Troy startled.

"Th-This is...."

...

...

...

After an hour, Troy, Wilma, and their team arrived at the king's office to announce their discovery inside Marquess Vertal's basement. King Galian is sitting by the table arranging official papers for the renewed and improved Key Casters and his Knight Army due to the events that happened three days earlier with the Marquess. 

Troy and his team bow for a moment to the king to greet him.

"Your majesty. We have finished conducting our investigation inside Marquess Vertal's mansion."

The king stops his work and looks at them with anticipation.

"R-Really? What did you find?"

Troy then nods at Eclipse Knight Medara. This prompts the knight to reveal to the king the prior black book that was now covered by her chanted counter-cursing spell to isolate the intense cursed aura of the book.

"I-IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS?!" gasped the king.

"Yes, your majesty. It is the Lesser Cache of Hollom...."

...

"I-I can't believe it! Why did he have that book? More importantly, how did he manage to find it?" the king continued to be surprised.

"It seems, your majesty, that he's been warding off the guardians protecting this book beneath the mountains of the Blaide Ridge. Here are their papers on how they found it, your majesty." Wilma replied as she gives out a bag containing numerous papers of the Marquess's plan to get the Lesser Cache.

As the king opens the bag and reads the papers, he is shocked. To be able to secretly obtain the Lesser Cache has left another problem on his hands. If the Marquess is able to do that without him knowing about it, what if the others like Vertal are also doing secret things as well?

"Oh no. This can't be..." complained the king.

"Y-Your majesty..." Troy worried about the king's reaction.

...

"Alright. That settles it. Prepare a disguised wagon for me. I need to directly speak with Mister Fox at the Cathedral!" the king stood up and walks out of his office. Troy and the others are surprised by this and followed the king.

"Y-Your majesty! Are you sure about this?" asked Troy while walking.

"Yes. Tell Desmond and the First Cavalry to meet me at the back of the castle and I want all of you with me. Understood?"

"Understood, your majesty." Troy instantly vanished, leaving Wilma, Eclipse Knight Medara, and Key Caster Jode, following the king to the outside of the castle.

...

...

After a couple more minutes, King Galian and the others arrived at an enclosed parking where Troy, Desmond, and some of the Followers from the First Cavalry are waiting with a prepared disguised wagon with two horses.

"Good. Troy, make yourself appear to be a simple merchant and drive the wagon. Desmond, you and the Followers will be our security."

The king then looks at Wilma, Eclipse Knight Medara, and Key Caster Jode.

"You three, with me inside the wagon."

"Yes, your majesty." all of them replied. The king and the three then go inside the wagon while Troy immediately changes his appearance and face to be an old man merchant with his magic and sits in the driver's seat. Desmond and the Followers then open the gates and disappeared quickly, hiding beneath the shadows for security. 

"Hayah!" the now disguised Troy whipped the ropes and the horses then march outside the closed parking room and the wagon made its way towards the Cathedral to meet with Harvey and Fruchiel.

...

...

...

Meanwhile at the Cathedral...

Two units from the Able Company approach Harvey who was doing his daily checkup on the patients in the intensive care room. Harvey, together with some of the operators from his group - the FOXTROTS, are still conducting medical operations and checkups to the last patients in need, but because of the FOXTROTS' functions of Knowledge of Caduceus, all of the FOXTROTS excluding Harvey, are now able to perform medical magic and heal even the most uncurable diseases and surgery in any body form. 

"Sir Harvey."

"Sir." the two Able Units saluted Harvey.

Harvey looks behind him and puts his medical clipboard on a table and unmasks his medical mask.

"Hm? So, Isabella and her group alright now?"

"Erh. We don't have yet their sitrep."

"Able One-Thirteen will fill you up with their sitrep, Sir Harvey. We have another, uhm...urgent report from Lady Fruchiel."  

"That girl again? What does she want this time?"

"Erh. Sorry, sir. But she just ordered us to call for you inside the Main Hall."

"Is that so? *sigh* Alright. She won't stop annoying me if I don't get there. What does she doing there?"

"She is just praying in front of the big statue, sir."

Harvey then went to his operators for a brief moment.

"Hey, guys. I will be right back. All of the pentoxifylline and antibiotics are already spawned at the cabinet."

"Gotcha, sir."

"Thanks, Sir Harvey." the operators replied.

Harvey then wears back his green hoodie and puts on a cap as he walks out of the room with the two Able Units. 

After a brief walk towards the Main Hall, the two units salute back at Harvey and head back towards their respective duties. Harvey is now left alone in the hall and he sees the angel facing back and praying on her knees in front of her big statue at the far end of the hall.

"It's been a while. I have been busy with my operations and building construction. Something's wrong again?" Harvey's voice echoed throughout the empty big hall.

Fruchiel then stands up. Immediately, Harvey noticed that something has changed in her.

"Wait. Is that..you?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Oh? You didn't recognize me?..." her voice also echoed throughout the hall. She then faces Harvey with a confident pose.

(Thanks for this AI Renditon by Tamashini_Tapferkiet  :D)

"I will take that as your first compliment for me." she smugged. Her appearance became livelier than before and so as her aura.

"O-Oh? How in the tarnation did you make yourself like that?"

"Hm. I also don't know. When I woke up earlier to brush my hair in a mirror, I already found myself like this. Although I regained some height and looks, this isn't still my full-adult form."

"Huh. I see. So, you've also regained back your powers or magic or stuff like that?"

Fruchiel then scratches the back of her head.

"Hehe. Nope. I still haven't regained any magic....."

"I-I see. Good luck next time, I guess?" Harvey sighed.

"What? And how do I suppose to?"

"You'll think something about it. Now, if that's all, I have to go back. Congrats on your new look." Harvey waved and proceeded to exit the room. But before he steps out of the room, a blue hud popup appeared near his face.

*beeeeep!*

"Angel of Magic and Incantation - RAZHIEL..."
"DETECTED"

"Levels of Mana = 001 %"

"Wait, what? The hud didn't detect Fruchiel up to his point?" Harvey asked himself and looks back Fruchiel. 

The angel then walks towards Harvey.

"What is it?"

"It looks like you're still a stranger to my hud up until now. It said that you have now one percent of mana?" Harvey showed a profile hud to the angel. Fruchiel looks at his hud with confusion.

"Huh? That's odd. Yes, my magic hasn't regained a single bit of energy, but I'm somehow regained back some appearance and age."

As Harvey scrolls through his hud, he finds out that Fruchiel and the Greater Key Of Sollom are linked to each other. 

"Ahh! So that's why! Now I get it. The more Soul Level I gained, the more power or magic you will also regain. Makes sense I suppose. You're an angel and this hud or "book" is also made by Arcangels. But wait. How then you are able to case the Null-Casts before?"

"Didn't I already tell you? The Null-Casts only required a minuscule amount of magic mana to cast. I invented it as my very last card if I ever lose many or all of my magic mana. I thought that it was a very brilliant idea back then. But instead, I got snaked by that bastard Archbishop Lucio."

"Really? And here I thought that it was a very powerful chant."

"Well, yes. That's because I cast the Null-Casts in your bullets and can only be cast on physical objects. Not only that, the chant can only be cast on an uncast object, so that's why it can't be partnered with any magic on the same object. It will just erase the pre-existing chant. It is called a "Null" for a reason. But it gets the job done based on what I've seen from you." the angel pondered while looking through her status on Harvey's hud.

 "I-I see. Arrows are pretty slow compared to bullets. It is then useless to chant it with the Null-Cast. Heh, I somehow imagined you magic-less and fighting off with a mage with your Null-Casted spear or sword."

"That's exactly what was I planning back then!" Fruchiel looked at Harvey.

Suddenly, a unit from the Able Units approaches them with an announcement. The unit salutes firsts and so as Harvey and Fruchiel, being already taken accustomed to the salutations.

"Sir, ma'am. An eyes-only message from the Followers of Razhiel." the unit handed out a paper envelope. As Harvey grabs the envelope, the unit salutes again and exits the area.

"Eyes-only, huh? Heh. Even the king has some good standards." Harvey chuckled.

"Are you going to open the envelope or are you just going to continue to brag out?"

"Hahaha. Yeah yeah. Let's see." Harvey opened the envelope that contains a single piece of paper. 

"Hmm?"

"WHAT?!  REALLY?!" Fruchiel screamed.

"WHA-! HEY! Don't scream right next to me!"

"I-IS THIS...Quick! We got to prepare them a grand welcome!"

"What? Why do you get so panicky all of the sudden?"

"W-Well, I already got lectured by Rafael about the king just recently. If something happens to them in my care, I will get punished by her and Racquel! Do you know the punishment they will give me? THAT IS TO REGISTER ALL OF THE NEWLY-MADE PLANETS INTO THE WORLD REGISTRY UP IN THE HEAVENS!"

"Hm? That doesn't sound so bad."

" - BY HAND!"

"Hahaha! You don't like paperwork that much? Hahaha!"

"Hey, don't laugh! It isn't a laughing matter! I already got punished with that way back before and I've already gotten tired JUST by remembering about it!"

"Hahaha! I know! It is not - but you are."

"Tsk. Just shut up! Come on! Let's get this main hall prepped up!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll help. Standby for a moment."

Harvey then uses the radio attached to his vest.

*pssssh!*
"All callsigns, this is FOXTROT Actual. Be advised: We got a very, very, important VIP en route to this location. Break: All patrol-duty, you know what to do. Break: All perimeter-duty, you guys know your positions. Last Break: All home-duty, you know the best food recipes to cook. That is all. Out."

 "What is a VIP?" asked the angel.

"Oh. It means "Very Important Person".

"Then, why did you say "a very important VIP"?"

"Whooosh." Harvey formed his hand into a plane and flew it over the angel's head.

"What? What's that supposed to mean?" the angel covered her head with her right hand.

"Exactly."

"Arrgh, whatever! Let's get to work before I punch your stupid face!"

The two then proceed to clean the main hall and decorate it with flowers and colorful curtains and carpets, while all of the units and operators tighten up their security, and patrols, while some prepare the food inside the kitchen.

...

...

After an hour and a half plus a quarter, near the last checkpoint to the Cathedral, hidden inside bushes, are four ghillied operators from the HOTELS Group. As they continue to observe the surroundings with their binos and ghillied SOPMODs, one operator spots an approaching wagon from a distance. He then whispers through his ComTac.

"HOTEL Two-One, you seeing this?"

HOTEL 21 then adjusts his position to look through his scoped SOPMOD and sees the same wagon.

"Ah, yes. There's a wagon. Roger that." he whispered. The rest of the operators, also having heard the wagon, now prepare themselves.

As the wagon gradually closes by, the operators observe the driver of the wagon look up to them with a hand signal of some sort of brushing the face. The operators quickly recognize the hand signal and all of the operators appear out of the bushes. The wagon then closes near them and stops in front of the operators.

"Null?" one operator asked the driver. The driver of the wagon then smiles and puts a thumbs-up.

"Hehe. Our holliness - RAZHIEL!" 

"Confirmed callsign. That voice. Is that you, Sir Troy?" one of the operators asked the driver.

"Indeed. We've come here because our king is inside this wagon, and he requested an immediate audience with Sir Fox."

"The king?" another operator asked. 

Appearing out of the wagon's shadows, are Desmond and his six other Followers, who also greet the operators.

"We've already secured the surroundings. Hmph. It seems like you guys are already better than us, huh?" Desmond smirked and grabs a handshake.

"I appreciate the compliment, Sir Desmond. We're just doing our job." HOTEL 26 handshake Desmond.

"Heh. Aren't we all?" 

After the handshake, he and the Followers vanish out into the shadows once again for the security of the king and the operators let the wagon go through the checkpoint.

...

...

After a couple more minutes, the wagon finally arrives at the front gate of the Cathedral. The Able Units that were guarding the gate were already informed about the wagon and let them go through also.

Inside the wagon and looking out to the window, King Galian is utterly shocked and mesmerized by the surroundings of the Cathedral. The vehicles, constructions, and buildings, are very new to him.

"I-IS THIS - THE CATHEDRAL NOW? OH MY! WHAT ARE THOSE VEHICLES? AND WHAT BUILDINGS ARE THEY CONSTRUCTION?!" the king gasped in awe that he nearly opened the window.

"C-Calm down, your majesty!" Eclipse Knight Medara pleads to the king.

"Be careful, your majesty. I am detecting powerful levels of Anti-Magic embedded all over the area.

The king then sits down and laughs.

"Hahaha! So that means that our holiness Razhiel is truly alive and well! Hahahaha!" the king's laugh echoed inside the wagon.

...

As the wagon now stops in front of the Cathedral steps, two lines of soldiers facing one another from the Baker Units are standing in rigid attention, wearing their ceremonial brown uniforms and M14s. Troy then nods. This cues Desmond and his group of Followers to appear out of the shadows once again and surround the wagon, while Desmond opens the door to allow the King to exit. King Galian then steps out of the wagon with Eclipse Knight Medara and Key Caster Jode following behind the king. On his right side, a leading uniformed soldier with a sword salutes the king and faces toward the steps.

"ATTEN-TION!" the leading soldier shouted. 

The soldiers on both lines raise their M14s and formerly grab them by their chests in a fast and disciplined manner.

"A-Amazing..." the king in awe as he observes the soldiers.

With the red carpet leading up to the stairs, the king, along with his Followers and the other two contingents, walks slowly as the leading soldier follows them to the side. In the background, some of the peasants are surprised and they anxiously watch the king because as far as they know, King Galian is a mean and evil person.

"Hey! Why is the king here?!" a peasant whispered.

"I-I don't know! Maybe Sir Harvey invited them?" another peasant whispered.

"Shh! Keep quiet!" a female peasant also whispered at the two.

Then, a HOTELS Operator approaches them.

"Don't worry. They aren't gonna cause some trouble.

The peasants are surprised by the sudden approach of the operator, but nonetheless, continued to watch over the king.

...

Now at the top of the stairs, the leading soldier salutes the king for his departure and marches down back. While greeting the king and the others behind him, are Harvey and Fruchiel. Harvey is wearing his ceremonial blue military uniform while the angel is wearing a long white robe. Immediately, King Galian was moved into tears as he quickly recognizes the angel even though she was this small in figure compared to before.

"Oh. I thought that I will never see you again, your holiness." the king and his followers kneeled in front of the angel.

"I-Indeed, O'King Galian of the Almeda Kingdom."

Fruchiel then whispers at Harvey.

"Psst. Hey, Harvey! Why is the king seem so kind and humble? Isn't he like, bad and corrupt?"

The king then chuckles as he heard the angel whisper to Harvey. He then stands up along with his followers to present themselves.

"Oh haha. Fret not, your holiness. I'm not the bad person the rumors or news are telling about me. In fact, I'm using them as my decoy to lure out my enemies beneath my kingdom."

"Ahh. I see. My apologies, King Galian." 

"No need to apologize, your holiness. Haha. And -" the king then looks at Harvey.

"- you must be Sir Fox?"

"Yes, sir. That is my callsign. But you can call me Harvey - my true name." Harvey reached for a handshake. He and the king then both handshakes.

"You do not know how I am thankful for your help rescuing our holiness. You have our deepest gratitude." the king bowed and so as his followers behind him.

"Oh - it's nothing. I appreciate it." Harvey smiled.

"Now, let's go inside the hall. I'm sure you have many questions to ask about. Let's head inside. Follow us." Harvey and the angel lead the way inside the Cathedral while King Galian along with his followers, follow behind.

While walking, the king suddenly whispers to Key Caster Jode.

"You got it?"

"..yes." the Key Caster replied as she uncovers through his cloak the new "book" - 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- the Lesser Cache of Hollom.

...

...

...

---

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Soul Energy :

[ Level 2 ]

+ Lesser Key Of Sollom

 

Soul Count :

[ 103 ]

+ 12 bandits/thieves [ patrol skirmishes ]

 

Spawn Count:

[ 210 ]

= 1 Brigadier General

= 100 Infantry Units

= 109 Special Forces

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UPCOMING NEXT CHAPTER:

Chapter 23 - A Second Inclusion