Kanae was still feeling the beating Roshasha had given her hours later. Even receiving healing magic directly from Grand Eye Analise didn't abate the pain. She was able to cast those Singularities so effortlessly. One nearly knocked most of them out, yet the rhyleth remained on her feet after taking a couple to her own face.

However, all that trouble was worth it. They had succeeded in subduing Roshasha. At least for now. Now Lord Charron would hold up his end of the bargain and come to the table with Radevic in an alliance. Hopefully.

For the time being, Kanae rejuvenated herself with the heartwarming sight of Esta holding Feraline's hands and spinning in circles. After returning to the Amethyst Hall for some much needed rest, the Knight of Silver had caught wind since word traveled fast. She abandoned her post and raced over.

"I expected nothing less from my daughter! Well done, Feraline! Master— Your mother and I are proud of you!" Esta lavished praise on the drakeling toddler, whose contagious giggles brought smiles to the members of the Amethyst Hall.

"I'm glad things turned out well, but we're not doing this again." Kanae sighed.

"Why not? Feraline clearly had a lot of fun and will only grow stronger from here on out. Isn't that right?" she asked her daughter.

Feraline nodded and pumped both fists triumphantly.

Three pairs of footfalls approached from the hall entrance, followed by the tingle of a holy aura. Kanae and Esta turned their gaze to find Grand Eye Analise entering, flanked by Delayn and Vestrid.

"Amethyst, let us speak in private," Analise said. "I recall constructing your office with fine accommodations. Silver, you come as well. Feraline may accompany us."

They ascended the hall to the Knight-Commander's office. Delayn and Vestrid waited outside. Within the privacy of Kanae's personal bedchamber, the Grand Eye picked up Feraline and lifted her high to play upsy-daisy. The drakeling succubus' wings fluttered.

"Is this about Roshasha?" Kanae asked.

"That matter is passed now. We set our eyes on Lord Charron next. Amethyst, do you know why it was important that we subdue Roshasha?" Analise put Feraline down, who scampered back into Esta's arms.

"Er… So, Roshasha wouldn't wreak havoc in Aidenhall?"

"Yes, but not quite." She shook her head. "We don't know why Lord Charron wants his old master back, and he clearly neglected to tell you on purpose. We do know that Artaggon's forces become extremely more potent with Roshasha back in their ranks. Should our alliance crumble in the future, they would pose a significant threat to Radevic. Now, however, you have demonstrated that it is possible to defeat her. Further, you exceeded my expectations by weakening her with the Debilitating Band."

"I see. This also served as a show of force to Charron," Esta wondered aloud.

Come to think of it, there was no telling if Lord Charron really wanted this alliance. Whether genuine or not, he regained a powerful asset out of this. The Grand Eye was right. In this way, Kanae demonstrated that they had the strength to fight Roshasha. That might force him to rethink whatever he was up to.

Kanae heaved a sigh. Political chess was not her strong suit. Fortunately, that was what Analise was here for.

To everyone's surprise, Feraline trotted up to Kanae.

"We… strong!" Feraline grunted.

They gasped.

"Your first words are to reassure me? Coming from you, I really do feel a lot better now! Thank you, Feraline." Kanae smiled.

Just a little ways behind, Esta choked back a proud tear and nodded approvingly.

"Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. When Lord Charron arrives in that portal of yours, be sure to send for me. The last thing I need is for the demon lord of Artaggon to go sight-seeing in Radevic and cause mass panic," Analise said and got up to leave.

"I should also head back to the Silver Hall. There's still more work to be done with the vaults. Feraline, to me. It's time for you to learn how to command a unit." Esta beckoned to her daughter, and she climbed onto her back.

Alone at last, Kanae jumped into bed. She bounced all but once before coming to a rest on the firm mattress, then stared up at the ceiling. Her eyelids grew heavy. Only one more obstacle. The wedding was just over the horizon.

Kanae shut her eyes when someone kicked the door open so hard, it flew off the hinges.

"Petyr?!" Kanae gasped.

"Kanae!" Petyr stomped into the room, still savagely injured from their fight earlier. "You owe… a…"

The former Knight of Gold collapsed to the ground and started snoring. Kanae distinctly remembered the Grand Eye ordering priests to not heal Petyr. She must have dragged herself all the way back from the cathedral then.

Kanae had half a mind to leave Petyr lying there and do other things, but Arenade's words came echoing back. Putting aside what happened during the war, Radevic owed her just as much as anyone for what happened today. She grabbed Meidina to help fly Petyr to the mansion in Brighton. When the two of them landed in the backyard, they startled Arenade, who was putting her magical green thumb to work growing a patch of flowers.

"Supreme One's ass, what happened to her?" Arenade asked.

"A big fight happened. Figured I'd let her rest here so the other succubi at the Amethyst Hall wouldn't bother her," Kanae said.

They hoisted Petyr up to a guest bedroom. Their children, Kanade and Suvee, were peeking in from the doorway.

"That's the bad person who kidnapped us." Suvee glared.

"Aww. Petyr isn't that bad. Gretchen was bad, too, but we gave her a shot. You two love her now, don't you?" Kanae asked.

"The difference being Gretchen was enthralled. Petyr isn't," Arenade whispered, only to get elbowed in the ribs.

The two kids cautiously entered the room, tiptoeing right up to Petyr's bedside. They had their toy weapons with them. Suvee, ever fearless, poked Petyr on the cheek with her toy sword.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Kanade warned.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Suvee continued poking until Petyr snapped one eye open and snatched the toy sword a little too hard, crushing it into wooden pieces.

"Ah—" Kanae and Arenade tensed up.

The only thing Suvee had left was the broken hilt. She stared at it for a few seconds as tears welled at the corners of her eyes.

"Auntie Edina gave me that…" Suvee sniffled, then ran out of the room crying.

"Suvee!" Kanade chased after her, stopped at the door, and turned around to give Petyr a dirty look before continuing out.

"Where am I? What just happened?" Petyr groaned.

"You're at my place, and you made my daughter cry is what happened." Kanae folded her arms.

Petyr glanced down at the broken pieces in her hand and frowned. Kanae wondered what she was thinking. The elf was unapologetically high elven. She rarely expressed gratitude, admitting wrong would probably inflict mental anguish, and would sooner get into a fight than make friends.

However, Arenade was able to change. So were Runald and Gretchen. Granted, it took some depraved acts to make those changes happen. Doubtful that Petyr was going to open herself up like that though.

Since Petyr wasn't healed earlier by the Grand Eye and her cohorts, Arenade stepped in to do it instead. Some of the wounds were already taken care of by Minor Health Regeneration, but its effects had long since worn off. It was a miracle she managed to drag herself all the way to Amethyst Hall from the Basilica. Eventually, she was able to sit upright. Both hands felt around her waist until one found purchase on Shifting Steel.

"Ah, don't blame yourself. Those two were basically asking for something to happen, poking a sleeping bear like that," Arenade said, giving Petyr a hard slap on the back after healing her to top shape.

"Did you call me a bear?" Petyr turned to her and sounded slightly offended.

"You're gods damn right, I did. You Stormclouds are all the same, all the way back to Steffard Stormcloud. Always acting on your temper, never facing consequences just because you're the biggest one in the room." She might as well be scolding a brick wall with how unaffected Petyr looked.

Or so Kanae had thought. Petyr rose from the bed and tested the range of motion in her arms. Arenade continued lambasting her until she left the room.

"Hey! I'm not done with you yet! I still have a bone to pick with your ancestors after Steffard stiffed my gala invitation!" Arenade yelled.

"You're still holding grudges a thousand years later?" Kanae shot a shaming gaze at her concubine before following after Petyr.

"It cost me a lot of money, and ignoring a duchess is punishable by lashings!" she tantrumed.

When they descended into the living room, Petyr was nowhere to be found. Nor were the kids. A small commotion outside sent them hurrying out into the backyard. Petyr was standing at the foot of the gazebo and looming over the kids. Suvee sat underneath the table, hugging her knees. Kanade placed herself between them on the steps, wooden sword in hand infused with a smite and ready to attack.

"Uh, oh…" Kanae and Arenade uttered at the same time.

"Kanade, you put that smite away this instant! We're not risking blowing up my azalea bushes!" Arenade shouted.

Kanade stood her ground until Petyr extended Shifting Steel to her by the hilt, taking everyone by surprise. Even Suvee looked up a little.

"Take it. Or don't," Petyr said curtly.

Slowly, Kanade lowered the wooden sword and grabbed Shifting Steel. While keeping her eyes on Petyr, she backed up to Suvee to hand over the enchanted item. The dark elven girl held it with two hands and sniffled.

"Hold it firmly and imagine the shape of the weapon you want to hold," Petyr instructed.

Suvee gasped when an exact replica of the wooden sword Edina had gifted her took form.

"Suvee, what do you say?" Kanae asked.

"But she didn't apologize…" Suvee pouted.

"And I never will. This isn't a gift. It's an exchange." Petyr spun around to leave.

"Suvee!" Arenade screamed and ran towards them. "Don't hold the sword like that, you're going to poke your eyes out!"

Kanae went after Petyr and caught up to her beyond the front courtyard, hailing a carriage. One rolled to a stop at the curb. She opened the door and was about to enter until Kanae got in the way.

"Are you really sure you want to give Shifting Steel away? I can just buy Suvee a new toy sword. It's no big deal!" Kanae exclaimed.

"After sinking DeSalle's Royale, I had half a mind to throw that thing into the sea. Ortesia put me through a lot to wield Shifting Steel. The irony now is that the very race they wanted me to use against now wields it. That's the biggest middle-finger I can give them right now. Also, I still want my pegasus and castle! You owe me a new weapon now, too!" Petyr lifted Kanae off the ground by her throat.

"I'll… get you a pegasus… soon… The castle… I need a little more time… and Rog can probably… make you something out of… felmetal…" she promised between gasps.

Petyr put Kanae down just as Arenade, Suvee, and Kanade came around from the backyard.

"Th… Thank you!" Suvee shouted at the top of her lungs. "I still don't like you, but I'll take good care of this! I promise!"

"Hmph. Leaving the drakeling girl aside, I expect you not to make the same mistake and raise a weapon like Ortesia did," Petyr said, climbing into the carriage.

Kanae waved back to Arenade and her children, then followed Petyr in. As the carriage pulled away from the mansion, she opened the window to get another look at them. Suvee was smiling again, waving the new weapon around while Arenade admonished her.

"You don't have to worry about that here," Kanae assured her.

When they returned to Aidenhall, the two paid a visit to Elizabeth Bedlam at her tower to collect a hefty chunk of felmetal. The sorceress didn't like them intruding into her private bathtime, but she had no other choice than to see to their needs.

At the climax of the war, Kanae had disarmed Petyr of Shifting Steel once. Enraged, she picked up numerous weapons to fight with, only for them to be destroyed because of her own gorilla-like strength. Regular steel and iron wouldn't work. Felmetal, however, just might do the trick.

Back at the hall, they brought the ore to Rog and Lina. Both of them were in the middle of working on something for Alicia. A new pair of knives since the two had broken in the fight against Roshasha. The couple was about to have another commission on their hands.

"This orc doesn't inspire confidence," Petyr said in the flattest tone.

"Hey, come on… Rog is one of the best blacksmiths on this continent," Kanae replied.

"Can work with strange rocks. Leave to me," Rog insisted while inspecting the felmetal ore.

"Oh! The ability to work with felmetal is quite impressive!" Lord Charron exclaimed.

Wait. Lord Charron?

Kanae turned to find Lord Charron peering over her shoulder to get a look at the felmetal in Rog's hands. He was also joined by Minestra Val'doun and Lady Dahlia from behind.

"When did you—" Kanae couldn't finish her sentence in time and witnessed a tragedy in slow motion.

"THE DEMON LORD!" Petyr grabbed the forge hammer straight from hot coals, infused it with a smite, and smashed the tool over Charron's head. He hit the ground hard enough to leave an imprint. The blow left behind a very big, painful bulge on the back of his head.

Kanae's jaw fell to the floor. Lord Charron's lieutenants, Minestra and Dahlia, seemed perfectly unfazed.

"Petyr, Lord Charron isn't an enemy! We released Roshasha to ally with him, remember?!" Kanae yelled.

"I know. I just acted on instinct. Don't expect me to apologize for it." Petyr tossed the wooden handle, which was all that remained of the forge hammer, over her shoulder.

"I…" Lord Charron lifted a finger while still face down on the ground. "I would like to posit… that I much prefer handshakes over… being attacked as a greeting… More importantly, why did my… lieutenants not move to… protect me?"

"Well, my lord, you didn't seem to mind it last time. I figured you're more than capable of taking it." Lady smirked.

Lord Charron pushed himself up. He left an imprint of his face behind on the stone floor, then dusted off his obsidian and purple raiments.

"Ahem! Kanae Toyomi, I have come to Radevic to pursue an alliance. Will you do the honors of showing me the way to your leaders? As well as to Roshasha." Charron smiled.

"Just… tone down your bombastic nature and follow me." Kanae sighed.