Meanwhile, at the Royal Palace of Hoburns, it seemed a pair of individuals had arrived beforehand in advance.

Frowning as she stood beside a man clad in robed half-plate armor, Neia had her white wolf eared hood up, her eyes blacked out to those ahead of her by the metallic visor that covered the upper half of her face starting from her nose. Her black cloak was once more adorned on her shoulders, and the bow had been moved to her lower back. The scabbard to her previous sword had been replaced by a much smaller one, fit for a brilliant Mithril bladed turquoise green Tanto that had a solid black hilt decorated in True Silver notches along the grip.

Fenrir ran his hand through his short black hair, his two-toned eyes focused forward.

"Fenrir-sama, is it really necessary that we stand here? If we're standing here by the time the Captain enters the hall of the Royal Palace, she will surely fuss. Even if her sister told us to wait here..." She spoke in an overly hushed voice, composedly peering over the man, clearly seeing his impatience as he dragged the bottom of his foot along the Palace floors.

Smugly turning his gaze to look towards the girl, Fenrir raised a brow, "Don't you wish to see the woman squirm? The one who has only gotten her position through her talent alone?"

Neia blinked hearing the words that traveled out of his mouth and into her ears. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. This god, Fenrir, wanted to make someone squirm just because she didn't like them? Was he trying to curry favor with her? No one has ever done such a thing, let alone teleported them from several miles away and directly to the Royal Palace.

Her eyes shifted forward as she stood there, both as his Squire and as the Liaison between the Roble Holy Kingdom and Hel's Citadel. It was definitely awkward, that was for sure.

That's when it came to mind, the only person who would recognize Fenrir would be Gustav. If Remedios came, she wouldn't even know who she was looking at! Glancing over at Fenrir once more, she narrowed her eyes on the top of his head to see that the animalistic ears were gone.

A humble smile formed over her lips, now understanding a bit more why he chose to stand here of all places. The one thing that made her curious though was the reaction she might see, she felt anxious and even excited, but only a little bit.

He had been training her to the bone, revitalizing her and having her go at it again. While she enjoyed her meager breaks whenever he let her be, allowing her to savor peace, she couldn't help but see that he was following the oath in which she had given him. He was making her stronger, preparing her for her promise.

"You needn't appease me, Fenrir-sama, I... I implore you, If you spoil me too much, what will others have to say? This humble servant will faithfully serve you, with or without your gifts."

Fenrir's gaze rested emptily on the female who was standing there beside him in the center of the Grand Hall. "Hmmm... You assume I care that you're from common origins, or what other people think. Does a god choose between noble and commoner, peasant and slave? You are my personal squire, my devotee, my champion. I order you to drown in my affections. Any objections, Girl?"

"Uh..." Before Neia could even fathom a response to Fenrir's exchange, she stood there with her mouth agape as the doors of the Great Hall abruptly burst open.

Remedios came trudging in through the massive double doors, her armored boots attacking the floor with each step she made. One could only imagine how much harder she needed to bring down her feet before the world metaphorically cracked open beneath them to swallow her whole.

Gustav was close in tow, clearly keeping her from seething over like a boiling pot of water. "Captain! We're in the Royal Palace, we need to calm down... We can't see the Queen in such an unfit manner. Please, we have to..."

"Who are you!? Move to the wayside!" Remedios stopped several steps behind the armored man and the female wearing a wolf-themed hooded gambeson. It didn't quite register right away it seemed, and Fenrir also didn't move an inch. "We are on urgent business to see her Majesty the Holy Queen! Be out of our way, Sir Knight!"

"Eh?" Gustav stared at the two of them, not able to say a single word as in his free hand was the written details of the negotiations.

"Urgent business? Hm. Your Priestess said to wait here out in the hall, we are merely following decorum. Shouldn't you do the same?" Fenrir asked without turning his head completely to see the lady, resting his ice-blue eye on the woman.

His eye took in her short bobbed brown hair, every detail of her sharp chin and heart-shaped face. She looked very similar to the priestess he had just met, confirming their relations.

Nearly growling, "I am the Captain of the Paladin Order, it's Grand Master! I serve directly under her Majesty... I have not seen you before, but the Queen will not have a Knight serving her that does not recognize greater authority, no matter the quality of your armaments!" She pointed at him as if she was standing so much higher above him on the hierarchy of life and death. There was no fear in her eyes, even as she saw the singular eye rest its gaze upon her.

"Oh? So this is what passes as a Paladin these days? Hmph," Fenrir scoffed in her face as he turned to face her and just then the back of her armor-plated glove clashed with the side of his face. Letting his head move with the force she had struck him with, not even a single red flush appeared across his face as he turned to face her once more.

A sweatdrop formed over Gustav's brow.

Remedios who noted the hardness of the man's bone and overall density tensed as she looked to her sword hand. Pain surging from her wrist and up her arm, she tried to shake it off. "What... Are you made out of?"

"You would have to be over a particular level of ability to do any memorable damage to me... This only bolsters my inquiry... Are you even qualified for your position?" Fenrir's ran his tongue along his incisors, sucking on the back of his teeth. "How could a Grand Master such as you lose your cool so suddenly?"

"Wha-?! Do not patronize me!" Remedios painfully curled her sword hand into a fist, holding back from wanting to hit him for her own sake. So instead she pointed at him with her other hand, "How dare you speak to me like this!"

"Captain..." the Vice-Captain of the Paladin Order went to raise a hand to her shoulder.

Remedios shrugged off her second in command, "Not now Gustav!"

"But..." Gustav winced lightly as he rested his gaze on the back of Remedios's head before sharing a gaze with Fenrir for a couple of seconds as he was clutching his stomach.

"Not now!" Remedios barked towards him with a permeating frown across her lips.

"Your Commanding Officer seems... Emotionally compromised," Fenrir kept his gaze on Gustav now, turning around to fully face them both, revealing his two-toned eyes and most of his extraordinarily handsome sculpted features. His eyes then rested on Remedios alone, "How unprofessional. Controlled by your convictions and self-righteousness... to the point that you're blind. Don't strain yourself too much now."

"You're definitely doing this on purpose..." Remedios gnarred angrily wanting to attack him, but surely had no means other than the draw her sword. She couldn't do that here, not on the Palace grounds. "You dare to come to the Royal Palace and slander me! Such disrespect does not belong in this holy place!"

"Oh? So you're one of those 'Holier than thou are' types? I find your lack of faith disturbing..." Fenrir reached forward, his hand moving faster than the trained Paladin could react, and grasped her throat.

Hoisting her into the air with one hand, she watched as she squirmed a couple feet off the air. He wasn't choking her, but she was still kicking her feet about, bashing her gauntlet against his arm to no avail.

"Put me down! Now! Gustav do something!" Remedios coiled her legs around his arm, and yet she still couldn't break free. His fingers weren't budging no matter how much pressure she applied!

After a few minutes, she let her legs just dangle as she uncomfortably hung there.

Snickering, Fenrir raised a brow, "Are you finished having a tantrum?"

"What did you just say?" The woman's face darkened at his words as he was calling her an unbehaving child. Though it wasn't really all that far from the truth.

"Are you finished?" That was when Fenrir's ears perked up from the top of his head, revealing who he was almost immediately. His eyes seemed to let loose an ominous glow as she could feel his fingers slowly tightening, but not enough to break her.

As her airways were beginning to become constricted, she nodded, "Y-yes...!"

Fenrir released her throat after lowering her slightly and allowed her to harmlessly land upon her feet. Watching as she coughed and felt at her neck, he could see those hateful eyes on him.

"Aberrant Abomination... You dare set foot in our Royal Palace?! Let me cut those ears off, so you look less inhumane!" Her hand gripped the hilt of her sword, "Demi-humans are not permitted here!"

"...You compare me to such creatures... You're acting no different from them, go ahead and draw your sword, I'll smite your delusional ass!"

Gasping at his words, she nearly drew her weapon halfway from its scabbard, only for Gustav to halt her weapon from leaving its sheath. "Uwah!? WHY DO YOU MENTION MY BUTTOCKS?!"

Laughing, Fenrir shouted back at her in kind, "Because it should've remained snapped shut, the perky thing that it is! Respect your Gods before your fine form breaks down and crumbles!"

"You are no God! Saying otherwise is Heresy!" The shouting from Remedios echoed through the great hall. "...Wait... What?" She was completely thrown off by his last line, having only noticed it after she called his claim to godhood heresy. "Did you just..."

Turning her head to the side, Neia finally glanced over towards the red-faced Remedios, who was now at a loss for words. He had just been on a campaign of insults and degradation, only to compliment her looks in the middle of it. Trying not to smile at the occurrence she turned forward once more, not facing them at all as she fiddled with her Tanto on her belt.

"And you!" Suddenly Remedios turned her attention to Neia, now able to identify her due to the company she was kept by, "You dare betray the Kingdom in which you serve for this heretic!? I will have you-"

KAKAKACRACK!

Fenrir's fist was planted within the nearby wall, between Remedios's gaze and where Neia was standing. That ominous aura had begun to increase, his passive aura of fear instinctively activating.

Everyone seemed to be frozen in place by his action.

Neia could feel a tingling sensation running through the back of her head, but she was not being held in place by the aura of fear like it had once done before. Her eyes slowly shifted to the side.

"This is only the first taste of my aura... Do you wish to experience true horror?" A shadowy mist began to seep from his shoulders and dissipate about a foot into the air.

Remedios felt like a gimp, her legs wouldn't move on their own and they were like jello, her legs were shaking within the metal tins that were considered plate armor. Her lips parted, almost quivering, getting the feeling she would be devoured at any moment by the giant wolf that hid in human skin.

Gustav himself had been just like Neia when she first came across him, staring like a deer in headlights, unable to move even if their life depended on it.

Deactivating his passive, Remedios dropped to her knees, having since released her sword in favor of holding her head. Her breathing was somewhat labored, her body was covered in goosebumps and her gaze was matched with the floor only.

"Insult me as you wish. Do not threaten, do not bully and do not snub those who are MINE," Fenrir's jaw hastily snapped at her before he retracted his hand from the wall, his gaze shifting towards it for several seconds.

Gustav holding his stomach, sighed as his legs were subtly shaking still, he was struggling to stand. His eyes moved to look to Neia, rather surprised to see her relatively unaffected.

Remedios had lifted her head when he had declared that Neia was his, her eyes widened. To her, it sounded like Fenrir claimed ownership as if Neia was his slave or an object he held possession over. Demi-humans, beastmen, did the same and he had referred to her as the very same. Yet, if that came to reason, what did that make him in return?

"『Restoration』," cast a single spell upon the wall, a spell used to fix a broken object to their original unbroken forms using the divine spell school, a spell from YGGDRASIL for fixing low to mid-level items. Within seconds a sudden and abrupt flash of green light briefly engulfed the gash in the wall. The moment the lumination cleared away, the wall had been reverted to its previous state.

Yet on the floor, there were still fragments of the wall littering the ground at his feet.

"Nee-sama...?" Kelart's voice smoothly entered the hall as she was standing several paces ahead of the Holy Queen, Calca. Her eyes were fixated on her sister who seemed to be trapped on her knees, "When did you return from the Great Wall? We haven't been expecting you for days... Is something wrong?"

Remedios, using Gustav as support, forced herself noisily back onto her feet as her armored shifted around her legs. "I... I am fine," her words didn't sound convincing but her tone was most definitely stubborn. Drifting her gaze passed her sister, she stood straight, "Calca-sama!"

"Remedios!" A cheerful voice saturated the elongated room, "Welcome back. I assume matters have been handled along the..." The Holy Queen's talk faded out as her gaze was set upon the twitching wolf ears upon the top of Fenrir's head, his back to her. "...Great Wall?"

She had taken notice of the ambient Holy Aura which surrounded him, it seemed to highlight him in an almost supernatural vibrance. Kelart had noticed this before, but Remedios had blatantly ignored it.

Turning on a dime and in a bow, Fenrir was now bending in subservience, but merely formal respect. He then corrected his posture by raising himself perfectly. "Her Majesty," he addressed the Queen.

"...You must be the one named Fenrir, right? I couldn't help but hear the shouting, I am sorry if my subjects have been rude to you," Her voice was sweet as honey, matching the gold bangs that hung over her forehead, those long blonde locks decorating her back. She was dressed in a white and blue dress with a crown of royalty settled just above her forehead. "What brings you here in such urgency?"

Including his head briefly before straightening it out, he replied in earnest, "Yes, I am Fenrir, and I am here to announce my presence, as my dwelling has graced your wall, Fair Queen. I hail from YGGDRASIL, the Nine Warring Planes of the Gods. It is a pleasure to meet your Acquaintance."

Blinking at his proclamation, she wasn't quite sure how to take someone who was proclaiming themselves a god before her. Though there had been many gods in the past, the Four Great Gods were the ones primarily worshipped in her Kingdom.

Courtesying before him, "I am Calca Bessarez the Holy Queen of the Roble Holy Kingdom. Your dwelling I hear is masterfully great in comparison to our wall." It was clear she was trying to be forthcoming and polite, "accept my humblest apologies for the disturbance my Paladins may have caused within your home."

"In order to halt hostilities in their tracks before they could begin, the Vice-Captain, Gustav offered negotiations." He turned his head slightly seeing the man who he was speaking of rush passed him, bowing and presenting the written note to the Holy Queen in a formal demeanor.

Taking the parchment from the Paladin, she removed the letter from the envelope and rested her eyes on the contents. For reparations for intruding upon his homestead and being attacked, seemed relatively low. Nearly everything pertained to information gathering, rather than asking for materials or demanding a one-sided pact of any kind. Her eyes drifted from the note and to the proclaimed God from a place called YGGDRASIL. Considering the Tower appeared out of nowhere, it was hard for her to dismiss such a claim. Though even then, there was doubt, but if it were to bring peace, happiness, and prosperity to her people... Why not go along with it?

Her eyes then cast themselves upon the young female who stood beside him, wearing that visor that covered her eyes. She raised a brow slightly seeing her bow loyally and subserviently as she removed her hood; revealing her eyes.

"Your Majesty..."

"You are... The Daughter of Pavel the Black?" The Queen knew the Nine Colors as she had recognized them as elite Warriors of the Kingdom.

"Yes, Calca-sama!" Suddenly Remedios spoke up, "This is Neia Baraja, a Squire of the Paladin Order. She is currently acting as the Liaison between Hel's Citadel and our Kingdom." She was now reporting proudly, seemingly trying to save face despite the things she had said before.

Fenrir just gave her this expressionless gaze, clearly calling her out, only for the Queen to clear her throat. As she had known Remedios had been the one mostly shouting prior to her arrival, she wore a rather sheepish expression.

"I hereby approve of these conditions, preparations will be made shortly," she stuffed the parchment into her sleeve after folding it back up. "You don't have a deadline... Do you?"

"No, not at all..." Fenrir's head cocked to the side as he looked over the Queen's face. She seemed almost impossibly clear of blemishes as if she had been treating herself with beauty products. "Hm. Interesting..."

...

『Fourth Day of Transition to the New World』

Like an ominous omen, the Shadow of Death had arrived in Re-Estize two days ago and has been stalking the very inhabitants of the Ro Lente Castle that oversaw the City itself. Noble and Knights within the halls of the Royal Palace were ripe for the picking, a perfect host to satisfy Fenrir's qualifications, even members of the Royal Family showed themselves to be likely applications.

Black marble floors, royal blue carpets with bright yellow trim, white angelic walls with dark golden trim. The corridors were filled with decor exhuming the air of wealth and royalty. It boasted the former influence over the entire country that the family once held, not soiled by the corrupt nobles and politicians of the Re-Estize Kingdom.

Dark and aged oil paintings dotted the walls, surrounded in embellishing silver frames of massive sizes. The walls and floors were spotless, to Archona's observation, the maids had done their job without fault.

It seemed the Royal House has yet to fall into full-on disrepair.

So much information existed here, especially the leaks of intelligence and state secrets. It took less than a day for Archona to figure out who could be of use and who wouldn't be. That and who would be a liability and those who could be utilized for the betterment of Fenrir-sama.

There was no one better than the Crown Prince as a host. For he not only had a large number of Nobles backing him but for the time being, was the first in line for the throne.

Not only that but he was quite the looker, with a neatly trimmed beard and a thin refined mustache. He even wore his blonde hair short upon his head. In a way, his appearance reminded her of Fenrir, except his hair color was the polar opposite.

Not only that but after following him for only a few hours, Archona learned of his ill-intent towards the King himself, along with his animosity towards those he preserved as threats. What his plans were for the future, for his half-sister the Golden Princess.

His demeanor though was what she had been watching, what she had been observing closely.

For those two days that the Shade known as Archona had arrived, it had followed many prominent members of the nobility. Simply from a glance, she could tell, the world to these nobles was far too small and their very foundation was corrupt at its very core.

It wouldn't take much to throw this entire country into a civil war, which would ultimately leave it in a state to be easily taken by an external force. These ideas were formulating within her mind, as she remained lurking in the Prince's own shadow.

What would Fenrir-sama want though, out of this? This new question came to her mind as the Crown Prince Barbro Andrean Ield Ryle Vaiself transverse through the winding corridors.

Information was something that came in abundance here, and Fenrir asked for someone with power, someone of use. Taking the Crown Prince wasn't all that much of a bad idea, if anything, he'd be easy to emulate. His arrogance towards commoners such as Climb, the Princess's bodyguard and even the outright disrespect towards the Head Warrior Captain. It was all too easy, and he surrounded himself with useful pawns.

While he in a way was intelligent when it came to governing, he was far from being fit for a King. Possessing him would give her access to everything he knows, and a soul to assimilate as a shade.

She didn't need his permission to enter his body either, she could just take it...

That was when he met with a rather wide fellow, who appeared middle-aged and had a scar over his eye. It was one of the Marqui in which followed the Prince and was the apparent leader of the Noble Faction. Otherwise, the man appeared to have served in many military engagements due to his scars, something that was surely boatable. It turns out he even married his daughter to the Crown Prince, which assured Archona that their relationship was far from just acquaintances.

"Marquis Boullope, why don't you come in so we can talk?" Barbro spoke fondly as he marched into the room, which appeared to be his reception chambers.

Nodding with a grin across his lips, "Prince Barbro, I don't see why not..." Without a second of hesitation, the Noble followed the man into the room.

Within his shadow, she watched as he sat down at a small brown wooden table and rested comfortably in his chair. "How much have you learned about the Royal Faction backing my father?" He asked as he crossed one leg over the other, his forearms sprawled over the armrests as he inclined his head whilst keeping his gaze on the man.

"Nothing, we haven't been able to learn which of the nobles in the King's faction truly leads them," Boullope sat down across from him on the otherwise of the table, his eyes immediately taken as a young maid came into the room from a side door with a tray of tea.

Barbro's eyes wandered over the girl as she placed the tray down and onto the table. A smirk forming over his lips as her upper lip seemed to quiver at the sight of him. It was clear something was off, that was for sure.

However, despite this Boullope didn't notice all that much about the girl's demeanor as he focused on the tea. Taking hold of a cup, he brought the fragrant liquid to his lips and smelled it, before taking a soft sip. It was hot, it burned its way down his throat, but he was used to it by now.

"From what I can tell, it isn't Marquis Blumrush, that man would sell his family for a measly copper coin," Boullope sneered in disgust at the fellow noble's corruption despite the amount of influence the individual held due to owning the majority of the Kingdom's mines.

"Schemes for monetary gain may be his favored pastime, but he is one of the most slippery patriots I've ever seen..." Recalling how the shrewd Maquis always disappeared quickly from mandatory meetings and hardly appeared if given a choice, he shook his head. "It makes me wonder why my father doesn't abdicate the throne, and it makes me worrisome that he doesn't dispatch those types of cowards from his inner-circle." Barbro seemed to growl lightly in disapproval of his father not giving him the throne as well as for the company he kept.

"In six months, there may be an annual war, my Prince," Boullope shook his head as he placed his cup of tea back onto the table. He hardly moved as he heard the door of the room close, the maid had exited the room in quite the hurry and remained silent about it too.

"Oh? And what about the annual war?" His eyes narrowed on his supporter, his primary sponsor other than the Eight Fingers Syndicate. "Do you plan on allowing my father to be struck dead by the Imperial Knights?" Though he spoke in a hushed tone, he could only chuckle to himself, amused by the Marquis words implied.

"If our faction pulls back to E-Rantel, while the King fends off the Imperials, we'd be able to effectively take over the Kingdom. But the Risk is too high..." His eyes wandered to the ceiling, "That commoner that stands beside our King is another obstacle all together."

"Yes... The Head Warrior," muttered the Prince as he plucked the fanciful cup from ahead of him and brought it to his lips. Dipping his lips into the small vessel, testing the temperature, he slowly sipped from it casually. "A commoner holding such a title... If our father gave him the title of Knight-Captain, it would show he is fairly unfit to rule... Giving such a dog power."

"You are not wrong my Prince!" Laughed Boullope, before resting his gaze on the surroundings of the room. "Once all of the Kingdom is yours, there will no longer be any worry, the nobles will be united behind you."

Barbro nodded with a subtle smirk across his lips, a smirk that held a very deep-seated secret. The nobles that support him, that will place him on the throne, he knew their true intentions.

They wanted to use him as a puppet ruler, but they had no idea what his plans were. Taking inspiration from the Emperor of the Bahamaruth Empire, he wanted to purge the noble faction.

That was when there was a dainty knock on the door and the two of them froze. Not expecting anyone, the Prince turned his head to look to the door. "Enter," his voice stern.

The white double doors were pushed open by a single petite female, wearing a blue dress and a circlet on her forehead. She had similar features to himself, blonde hair and blue eyes, but she was only partially related. It was his younger half-sister, a female he was planning on marrying off as nothing more than a mere decoration despite her political and governing genius.

Standing behind her was a young man in composite plate armor with blonde hair and blue eyes. His hair was short, similar to his own, but he didn't even have a patch of hair on his face. It was Climb, his sister's bodyguard.

"Ah... Princess Renner!" The Maquis stood up from his seat as he bowed his upper torso ever so slightly and not an ounce more than he had to, "If you're here to see your brother, I will be taking my leave."

"Maquis Boullope, you may go," Barbro spoke as he gestured towards the door, but didn't bother to rise to his feet for his sister. He saw no need, as his eyes locked with hers.

For the past couple days that Archona had been here, Renner seemed the most valuable as an ally rather than a host. She had influence, but if her personality changed radically, some individuals would notice.

On the other hand, the Crown Prince wanted to keep his position would allow her to mold the body into a fine specimen to reshape the Kingdom. To those ends, she had negotiated with the Princess an easy alliance. Knowing the Brother's plans along with many other items of interest, Archona had been able to make a deal with the woman.

"Brother," Renner spoke quietly as she stepped into the chamber, Climb remaining outside as the door closed right as Boullope left the room. "We have something to discuss..." A smile was covering her lips, one that gave the prince a shiver down his spine.

Just what was he seeing here? Her eyes seemed to almost inhuman, having discarded her facade of the Golden Princess simply for this moment. She planted herself in the chair Boullope had once seated himself upon, and grinned across the table at him.

Her fingers danced over the rim of the teacup.

"How unusual for you to leave your toy outside the room," huffed the Prince as he sipped at his tea once more, attempting to give a false face of amusement. "Is it something you don't want him to hear, hm?"

"No, Dear Brother. You have always seen me as lesser and inferior, you wanted to take my love away from me." the Princess shook her head. "I just needed you alone."

"Love?" The Prince raised a brow at this, scoffing at the idea of someone loving his little half-sister. His eyes then narrowed forward though when she had said she just needed him alone.

It wasn't her that needed protection, it was him? This statement confused him up until he sensed movement in the room. Goosebumps ran up his arms, dotting his skin under his uniform. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as a cold draft seemed to wash over him.

"What kind of trick is this?" He grinned at the girl across from him, but that is when he noticed her eyes were no longer on him. In front of him, his sister was looking directly above his head. "What are you looking at...?" Creasing a brow he turned his head to see a massive collection of what appeared to be souls that took the form of a semi-solid black mist with demonic shining white eyes. The ability to scream was torn from his lungs as the monstrous form poured into his eyes and mouth, his body spasming and falling out of his chair with a soft thud upon the tiled ground.

"Hehehe..." Renner snickered seeing her brother hopelessly flopping about on the ground like a fish. It was as if he was drowning, or being strangled to death. He clawed at the ground with his filed fingertips. Drool poured out of his mouth as he soundlessly screamed in agony.

Veins seemed to be apparent as they become stressed all over his body after a short several seconds, only to calm down as the body of her brother went limp. The sound of his body being reworked subtly met the Princess's ears. Hearing it was like listening to the sound of pop-rocks. His body was mutating to sustain the creature that now inhabited it.

A few inches were added to his height, his blonde hair became slightly darker and his blue eyes did the same. It was hardly a notable change, but having watched this... It was as if his very soul had been devoured and another had taken its place.

Letting out a light groan, the Prince's eyes fluttered open and his body sat up.

"Now... That was a new experience..." Uttered Archona, now as Prince Barbro, stood up by planting a hand on their knee as they did so. "Such an interesting addition..."

A shade was a composition of multiple souls, so as Barbro had been replaced, his soul had essentially become a part of Archona. His consciousness no longer existed, his individualism was gone, but everything he was she was now him.

"Princess Renner, you have done this being a service that you will not regret," using the Prince's voice, they grinned to the young woman who nodded in return. "When the time comes, you will marry Climb." His eyes shifted to the door where Climb was before the door shutting, "I will inform you of my next contact with my Master... He will be pleased."

"I look forward to hearing from you big brother," Renner's demeanor had completely changed as she spoke with a heart-stealing tone, clearly she was an actress, adored by the people. "Today's talk has been extremely insightful for the future of the Kingdom. I... Only hope that your relationship with our brother can be mended as soon as possible..."

Her smile went from natural to the way it had been before, yet the personality hidden behind Renner's mask didn't at all faze Archona and the now reborn Barbro. "I look forward to your wedding to Climb when I have become King, don't forget to invite us." A domineering smile formed over Barbro's lips.

"Of course!" Renner nearly squealed as she grasped the skirt of her dress, returning to her feet as she moved to the center of the room. "The Blue Roses should be waiting for me..."

"Ah, the Blue Roses," Barbro chuckled, "the one in the red hood detected my presence earlier." Summoning a Ring of Life Status from their item box, they slipped the enchanted jewelry onto their ring finger. "Her name is Evileye, correct? Sounds... Unusual."

This particular ring was silver with a ring of dark onyx encrusted into its slender form. It was capable of hiding the user's contrarily undead status.

"Yes, what about her, brother?" Renner blinked as he was speaking of her current tools to reshape the Kingdom that would appease the smile of Climb. She loved the face he made when he recognized the good she was doing, even if the good didn't truly matter to her. "It might not be her true name, but it is the name her friends address her with."

"It is my understanding something is about to happen shortly... Their party may be needed for, but I assure you, I can make their absent worthwhile." Barbro folded his hands behind his back, walking over to Princess Renner, towering over him with his height alone. "You'll know what it is."

Suddenly the doors opened, Climb stumbling into the room, "It's an emergency! A messenger from the Roble Holy Kingdom has arrived, your father has asked all of us to report to the throne room."

"All of us?" Renner blinked at her obsession before looking up towards the inhabited body of her brother, as it smoothly marched out of the room. Raising her skirt slightly so she wouldn't step on it, the three of them made their way out into the hall, their destination being the throne room.

"Is this what you meant?" She was quick to be by her 'brother' which was rather strange for Climb to see, but at the same time, seeing them get along was for the better. A matter a factly, It was something he could shrug off. "The coincidence of your words was far too close to this occurrence."

"Yes, a messenger has been sent before my arrival here, you will soon learn of my master's identity," Barbros was speaking in a quiet tone, Climb and no one else being able to hear it.

Renner nodded at this after giving her accomplice a long look, then kept her gaze forward. It wasn't long before they entered the throne room from a door to the right of the throne. The two royal heirs were ushered into the room and they quickly took their seats by their father.

Before their four thrones, was a man on his knee, he appeared tired and restless.

"Your Royal Highnesses, Your Majesty, I hail from the Roble Holy Kingdom with the news! A massive construct has appeared between our border and Abelion Hills. It towers above our walls... This is our report, the Paladin Order is to be mobilized to investigate the possible threat."

Ramposa the Third stared down at the mere squire who was an acting messenger, hearing the words that came out of their mouth. It was clear things sounded dire. He brought his hand up to touch his chin, he had just sent his right-hand man off to the frontier zone to protect villages from an unknown threat. To him, this sounded rather convenient.

Renner blinked at the news, Zanac was outright confused, and Barbro was wearing a soft grin.

The Six Great Nobles who were standing near the thrones were looking to one another, speaking silently. It was clear they were trying to try and make use of this message. Time just wasn't on their side, however.

"Father forgive me for speaking out of turn, as our Warrior Troop has been halved, I do believe we should send a group of Adventurers to help our closest neighbors with their investigation." Barbro tapped his finger on the arm of his throne that was lesser than his father's.

"That may be a good idea, my son, it has some merit. Do you have any suggestions?" He looked fondly to his older son, as he cared for him dearly, and although some of his features had darkened...

The King his father hardly noticed the changes that had befallen his eldest.

Zanac quickly snapped his head to the side as he was seated directly beside Barbro, his polite tone had changed, but it seemed to be a smart decision as well. What happened next caught him off guard as he heard his sister begin to speak up.

"I have the perfect adventurer party for the job," she was well known for her use of the Blue Roses to combat things that her own nation's military refused to handle. The Eight Fingers being their primary adversary in the war against drugs and slavery. "The Blue Roses may be able to investigate the tower, it would help us gather knowledge on what is going on as well.

"Oh? That is an excellent strategy," looking over the young squire, the King nodded lightly. "I approve of this notion, there are only benefits if we learn that this is indeed a threat to our sovereignty and our people," Ramposa spoke wisely as he let his eyes flicker on over to his daughter, someone he wanted to live freely without being tied down politically. "Once you get in contact with the Blue Roses, I leave everything to you."

"Of course father, leave it to me." Renner giggled with her standard happy expression which many adored.

Even more strange than before however, as Zanac began to notice, was the way his brother was still smiling as he was facing Renner. It was as if they had created an alliance and he was in the center of it, that was something he was beginning to fear in the back of his mind.

In his mind, he couldn't even compute when they had ever been this close. Or even when this hypothetical alliance yet occurred. If these two were working together, then that would mean trouble, but at the same time, he saw it as something he could use.

Zanac wanted to compete for the throne, his brother-in-law supported him, so he could indeed become the next crown prince and take his other brother's place. However, his ambition was different and to the point that he may give up on the throne if the Kingdom itself may prosper for it. The idea of the entire family working together rather than working against one another, it was almost as if things could work.

Could they save the Kingdom this way? Or would it ultimately be destroyed? Was this alliance a fluke, a fake, or was it true and something that may endure the coming conflicts ahead?

He needed more information...