She saw the train continue to the east. She pulled her bangs and took the luggage that she brought with her to a waiting shed. The sun was up high, the salty wind coming from the sea made her rub her cheek. She looked at the heat emitting out of the paved road, there was a heat haze.

“Grandmother,” she muttered.

She recalled rushing to Alician after hearing the situation from Nia. When she got into the palace, she was greeted by the sight of the Witch of Nether sitting on the throne, reading a thick tome with one hand, and a cup of tea on the other. Her eyes droopily turned towards Mia, from a serene to a joyous expression.

“Mia!” She called out to her. “You are here?”

“I am!” She said. “Where is Grandmother? I heard that there was someone causing trouble?”

Audrey hovered to Mia, her arms clinging around her neck. There was a sly smile on her face.

“Oh indeed there was, and this lady has been beaten.”

“What?” She trembled. “H-how could you lose, Auntie Audrey?”

“Well, the opponent was quite sturdy, and someone who had tricks on his sleeves. I got beaten you know? My face was bruised, and Ciara had to help me.”

“How could that be possible? The Witch of Nether? Being defeated so easily?”

“It happened.”

“So where is Grandmother?”

“She should be out of town, and probably with that person.”

“To think that that Grandmother is still chasing that guy, how strong could he be?”

“Well,” Audrey palmed her chin. “That person was able to survive the sword of Salvatore’s strike.”

Mia’s lower jaw trembled madly. Her irises dilated and shook. Her mouth was half-open as she stutters incomprehensibly. Both of her hands were trembling as well.

“The bolt that contained four elements, the bolt that killed the Overlords of Demons, the bolt that warned the Cascadian’s from attacking the City of Alician, the bolt that made Tania, the Heiress of Obsidian, the Pale Shine lady accept a parley? What kind of monster grandmother is facing right now?” She thought.

Mia Alician had been a proud member of the Alician Family. Although she didn’t carry the bloodline of the War Maiden herself, she was a descendant of the daughters of the War Maiden, who she adopted. Still, their family has a good standing with the Empire, and any sector of the Empire had a member of an Alician Family sitting on it. Even though the Empire has an Emperor, they know that they can only function in the current world because of the Alician Family having a long line of individuals acting as the bones of the Empire.

The current opinion of the masses still hasn’t changed ever since the day the darkness was defeated. Ciara Alician had unconditional support, and if she proclaims herself Empress, there would be no fight. How could they not support the woman blessed by the War Maidens and the God of War?

Still, the Alician family has stayed neutral, and unless it was about the monsters, then there was no way to mobilize the Alician family into action. The current Emperor had gained the support of some of the family, telling them to take care of the monsters while using them as a deterrent against the Cascadian’s who are fighting the war. But it should not be mistaken that the Alician family was a glass cannon without Ciara. They’ve been trained under the three women that have stood guard for years. How can they be so weak with such great teachers?

Their presence alone was enough of a deterrent and if they joined the war. The chances of the Empire winning the war would be astronomically high. The Alician family never fear their enemy and everyone who knew them would think long before doing something against the family

A man that does not fear the War Maiden herself, and was able to survive the light of Salvatore. How could Mia Alician not feel her heart beating loudly?

“I-I need to find grandmother!” she said.

“She should be fine,” Audrey said. “Still, she’s probably nervous.”

“Nervous,” she said with bated breath. “How could that be?”

Audrey had a smile that day. Mia Alician couldn’t hold her worries down. Her grandmother was nowhere to be found. She knew how easy it was for her grandmother to avoid surveillance. So she can only hope to use sightings and such to locate her grandmother. However, four days ago, she was called by her grandmother to bring the documents that she needs to the Town of Memoria. Mia was elated, if her grandmother was working then she must have defeated her enemy. Still, she could not help but clench her hold on her luggage. She was far too curious about what happened to the enemy.

She took a carriage and went to Crocus Street. She dismounted the carriage and followed the address where her grandmother’s home was to be found. Her steps were mild, and as she nears the two-story house of her grandmother. She stopped for a second, and look at herself. Adjusting her suit, and making sure that her saw-off and six-shooter was not that noticeable. She patted her chest and tottered to the house.

As she nears the house, she saw the ashen-hair of her grandmother. A smile bloomed on her face, her steps quickening. However, when she was ten feet away, she had noticed the young man sitting near the patio table alongside her grandmother. Blood-like eyes, deep gashes, and scars around his body, and the appearance of a man not past his thirties. Her eyes, however, was focused on his ashen hair as well.

“What the hell is happening?” She said.

Her stone-faced grandmother, who usually only smile kindly at her family, was now currently staring at a man with sparkling eyes, she has deep blushes on her cheeks, and her ears were red. The grandmother that was oozing beauty, charisma, and of maturity, was now acting like a girl who saw her crush.

Mia Alician felt her mind halted. Her mouth half-open as she looks at her giggling grandmother.