Disclaimer: I don't own Gate or Nihonkoku Shoukan as it belongs to its rightful owners.

Arc 1: Lands of Rodenius:

Chapter 8: First Contact: Coda Village Part 2

It was the humid and cramped-up atmosphere that kept their awareness to a much high level the second they entered the small hall, where the meeting was to be held.

The long wooden table that stretched both sides all the way to the ends of the hall had greeted them. The wooden interiors and other simple but unique designs wowed the recon team members, who couldn't help but look around.

It was like stepping into a museum, or more appropriately, back in time, for a small two-story wooden town hall that resembled the ancestral buildings that belonged to one of Spain's colonies in the orient.

The scent of the place had a nostalgic vibe to it, but the furniture, vases, and other materials felt new or hadn't been abandoned by time.

It was a surreal moment as they explored the current area that they were in. Seeing the small meeting hall had amped up their minds as a reminder that they were here to explain themselves and their situation.

Yuji felt compelled to pull out his small camera along the way but instead chose to bring up his small notepad and pen for documentation. The Japanese-American man had found himself at one of the table's far ends, and he quickly placed his small bag just below and beside his seat.

Along with him were the recon team's two main leaders. Itami, Lieutenant Brian, and finally Daisuke, who volunteered in case they needed to decipher and translate vital information in the form of written documents.

Across from the table sat the Local Village Chief Eldar, a wise man in his early 60s with a long white beard known as Sage Cato, and a certain village official with a suspicious and serious expression.

The Leaders of the Recon Team were informed that the other two individuals had the major roles in terms of dealing with the day-to-day life of the village.

Furthermore, there was a pretty black-haired young lady in a simple village dress sitting on a wooden stool beside the entrance door. She had been observing the newcomers with a curious smile on her lips. Moment by moment her interest was growing.

She stood up when the village chief made eye contact and the girl gave a simple smile in return.

The rest of the recon team quickly took notice of the girl, and most of them were captivated by her mystery. She returned with a wooden tray containing cups of hot tea in the blink of an eye. The sweet scent and aroma of the tea had brought a sense of calm to the entire meeting hall.

Moreover, the presence of this young lady was just very different in a way that they couldn't comprehend. From a physical standpoint, she looked around between her mid to late teens but had retained that child-like persona.

"Tea, Gentlemen?" The young lady finally spoke, bringing forth her beautiful ruby eyes towards the guests. Her young voice having this mature and elegant sound that would calm any person from their worries.

It took a few seconds for them to return to their senses.

"Oh, Thank you very much Ms..." Itami trailed off, realizing that he had no knowledge of her name yet.

"Rory..." The young lady replied with a small smile." That is my name." She added, as she placed down the cup of tea in front of the Japanese Lieutenant, who secretly had a little blush on both of his cheeks, though managed to control himself.

Yuji kept his gaze on the girl, carefully observing her, in a puzzled manner as he could sense some familiarity in her overall facade, as she proceeded to serve the other teas to the rest of the everyone seating around the long table.

It wasn't too long after that he finally had the opportunity to meet her up close and personal, when he turned out to be the last person to be served by the tea.

As the young lady greeted him, he first noticed her smile. Not long after, his gaze was drawn upward to catch a glimpse of her ruby eyes, which briefly dazzled him.

If he had to describe her eyes and the way she looked at people, he would use the words hypnotic and eerie, and when he finally tried to interact with her, he felt a sense of calm wash over him.

"Oh, Thank you!" Yuji then said, thanking the young lady in return.

"Enjoy!" She simply said.

Not long after, he decided to take a little sip of the tea and it completely confirmed his doubts." Wow, this is something else!" He commented through his thoughts as he began to wonder what kind of tea was being served.

Based on the reactions of the others, there was a hint of surprise and amazement on their faces but quickly ended once the meeting had finally commenced.

His attention shifted back towards the girl, only to find her having returned back to her seat in a matter of seconds. He blinked for a couple of times, wondering how she got there so fast, yet the voice of the village chief had eventually broken his line of thoughts.

"So, Sir Itami, what is it that you came here for?" Eldar calmly asked, getting straight to the point. Even though, there was this small tension that remained in the air.

For the first time, the Japanese Lieutenant was placed on the frontlines of testimonies. Prior to this Itami had discussed with his American counterpart regarding the truth in their own situation. He kept his face intact as it was decided that keeping the integrity was the best way to do it.

There was a brief moment when he considered asking Daisuke to help him with the translation parts, but he reminded himself that whatever words came out of his mouth, everyone would understand them.

"Once again, there is no language barrier in this world." In his thoughts, he stated.

Everybody was waiting for the man's response.

Eldar could only hope that these men in green were not who they appeared to be. They certainly do not belong to the Empire or any of its divisions or Legions. The way they dressed was vastly different from what he had seen.

Cato, too, had been deafeningly quiet for the past hour. Clearly demonstrating that he had no idea who or what these men were. That solemn expression on his face at least answers some of the lingering questions.

Rory, who had taken a back seat, maintained her interest in these men. It was the first time her curiosity had been piqued since hearing about rumors of a fallen army that vanished overnight in the Alnus Fields. To add to the mystery, she had heard stories from travelers about these "Men in Green" riding in metallic chariots and metal forts that roared like the great mythical lions.

Most believe they were to blame for the defeat of the massive army that had attacked the hill. In the minds of the locals, this is a reason to be afraid of them.

"We've come in peace, Mr. Eldar." The words finally came out of the man's mouth.

Itami had mustered the courage to respond. Deep down, he knew it was a cliche of a phrase because he could see the others looking semi-surprised and puzzled at him. However, he believed that the words were simple enough for the locals to understand.

They had more formality than he had thought.

"To be honest, we are not a part of the Empire's army or groups." The Japanese Lieutenant explained, a small smile of assurance on his face. "Our goal here is to show the locals that we are not here to harm or raid them."

Fortunately, that erased the village chief's doubts and suspicions, and he was able to calm himself down with a sigh." Thank Heavens." He muttered, before taking a sip from his tea.

Cato, for his part, remained silent but nodded in agreement. He cast a quick glance at the young lady, who gave him a simple nod. So far, even Demi-Goddess could tell that this man was telling the truth.

Right now, the question was, "Who exactly are they?"

The same question was rephrased by Eldar as he continued to wonder.

Yuji noticed the tension returning and filling the entire hall. This was the moment when the much-awaited truth about their true identities would be revealed. So far, their only option has been to ensure that the rest of the would believe their story, even if it may seem far-fetched to them at first.

If anything was possible in this world, then it won't be surprised for them eventually.

Itami swallowed and cleared his throat. "Well, Mr. Eldar, you may or may not believe what I'm about to tell you, but hopefully you'll understand." He began by reminding the older man.

Eldar gave a simple nod, indicating that he was willing to listen to and hear their side of the story.

With that said, Itami took a deep breath as he finally dropped the most basic and direct statement, he could think of.

"Me and the rest of us here, are from another world."

The Japanese Lieutenant explained, and then silence followed. The older man's and the others' reactions were a mix of curiosity, disbelief, and puzzlement.

Cato raised an eyebrow, a little skeptical about the man's claim.

Eldar quickly regain his senses and said." P-Pardon me sir Itami, but what do you mean that you're from another world?" He asked.

"Basically, we are literally not from this world or any of the places here. " The black-haired man was quick to reply." We are from a world called "Earth, where magic is non-existent." Itami explained, he could feel his cold sweat dropping already, He didn't want to repeat the same phrase over and over again.

His own nervousness materializing inside him.

Cato's eyes widened when he heard the man's statement."So they are from another world where magic doesn't exist?" He asked himself." How could their claims be true if the only way to open a passageway to other worlds is by-"

It was at this moment that Lieutenant Brian had entered the conversation.

"It's an unbelievable story, Mr. Village Chief, but several months ago, a massive gate or doorway appeared in one of our world's countries." The explanation came from the American Lieutenant. "To cut a long story short, an army of these Imperial Soldiers, accompanied by their dragons and monsters, appeared and began killing and abducting our own people."

Because of his statement, some of the memories from the Ginza Incident, mostly from Itami and Yuji, resurfaced.

The silence persisted in the room, allowing for more time for countless explanations. It was like putting together the right puzzle pieces to form a linear and cohesive story that would somehow make sense.

Lieutenant Brian tried to recall what had happened from his own point of view. He happened to be a part of the counterattack that pushed the remaining Imperial Army back to the other side of the Gate, as well as the subsequent power struggles.

"So our world's forces fought back, and by the time we got to the far end of the Gate, it turned out to be some kind of big hill in the middle of the fields."

"Alnus Hill," Cato said for the first time, drawing everyone's attention. "It's the largest hill in this region and the only hill surrounded by countryside." He elaborated.

Lieutenant Brian gave a nod. "Sir, yes." Confirming the older man's assertion. "The location is currently our base of operations in this world, and we are currently attempting to locate our people who have been kidnapped by these Imperial Soldiers." He went on to say.

Eldar's eyes widened in recognition at this point. His memory jogged and he remembered a story from a recent friend who had visited the village not long ago..

"Alnus Hill? That means the rumors about the Empire's expeditionary force's defeat are true!" As he tried to put the pieces together, the old man could feel a sense of fear creeping up on him.

It wasn't the first story he'd heard. Countless travelers from previous weeks had relayed the same news, albeit from a different perspective. The majority of them claim to have seen mysterious moving lights surrounding the hill at night.

And the so-called disappearance of many Imperial Scouts or small expeditionary forces had been tied to it.

Furthermore, their sudden appearance had fueled the conspiracy that these men were looking for people to recruit in their quest for vengeance.

The old man was shaken." Sir Itami, I apologize, but before you say anything, I would like to say that Coda Village has always been small in size and its people have always lived peacefully away from any ongoing or any wars. Even in these times of trouble, we have not aided the Empire or any of its allies. None of our young men had the capabilities to fight like them."

At this point, Eldar had released his pleas. Being Imperial Soldiers or not, it was often a very complicated issue when trusting strangers.

Cato showed some concern towards the village chief. He took another gaze at Rory, who was surprisingly still sitting and listening to the whole conversation. Normally, she would have done something or at least give her own views about it.

As for the Men In Green, their goal to reassure them was still not over yet.

In the midst of that, Itami smiled, even more, aware that the old man was even more nervous than he was; the chief was afraid of what the JSDF and American crew would do to his beloved village." Mr. Eldar, we assure you that we are not of any threat." He informed him yet again." We are actually exploring soldiers if that is familiar to you." He added.

The tension slowly faded once more.

"Tell me, Sir, What is your goal right now in this village?"

Silence followed after for a brief moment.

"We actually want to offer our assistance to whatever your village is going through right now." Lieutenant Brian spoke this time." Unless, if we may know the village current situation."

Eldar remained silent as he found himself in a slightly difficult situation. Should he tell them what was really happening? The fact that village's days were numbered.

The old man sighed as he looked at the Men in Green straight to the eye.

"I'm afraid, the current situation would be overwhelming for the rest of you."

Itami kept a straight a face." What do you mean sir?" He asked, and the old man glanced down in sorrow.

" We don't know if this village would last for the next days ahead."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yet another normal day as life and business in the village continued.

After the infamous entrance and introduction of the new and bizarre visitors, known as the Men in Green and their horseless metal carriages, the once anxious and semi-hostile villagers had eventually welcomed the group with open arms.

With the recent orders and instructions relayed by the two leaders, Sgt. Kuwahara taking the lead as second-in-command had begun instruct the rest of the team to assist whatever they can to those in need.

They hadn't expected their mission to suddenly shift to a more humanitarian effort, but they all took the opportunity to introduce themselves to the locals as regular people like them, despite the clothing and strong presence they had projected earlier. Despite the village's lively atmosphere and peaceful lifestyle, some things were considered a day-to-day struggle that might require some assistance after all.

"Thank you so much, young man! May the gods bless you!"

It was the first time Carl had heard that kind of compliment that would just make his day better. Like helping an old lady cross the street, but this time helping an old village lady carry multiple baskets of vegetables towards her home was new to the experience.

It was the tenth old lady he had helped, and he was almost drenched with sweat. Fortunately for him, the village houses were within walking distance of each other, so traveling back and forth wasn't a problem for the Californian.

"Man, this village sure does take care of their elderly." He reflected, taking note of the village's large elderly population, before returning to the Recon team's main station.

Walking along the small dirt path with the occasional muddy spots, wasn't a problem with him as he was more occupied with his current surroundings. He felt like a little tourist as he passed by the occasional village houses standing along his pathway.

As expected, it felt more European, but the fantasy aspect was noticeable. He could also have sworn he saw a couple of glowing little people with wings like butterflies fly past him. He quickly realized that the flying glowing objects he saw were fairies.

As for the village houses, He gave a disappointed look because he couldn't bring his own camera, but instead, he took notes on the descriptions of these houses, which eerily resembled colonial architecture with an Asian tropical flavor due to their triangular roofs.

Furthermore, these houses were all in good condition, and the entire area he had passed through would already be listed on UNESCO's World Heritage list if the organization learned of this village.

Besides the windy and humid scenery, It felt like being on a vacation. The sense of peace immediately captured him and led him to a smile of Admiration and Appreciation.

Adding to the nearly complete experience, He caught sight of some children playing just outside their homes, enjoying the time of their lives, seeing them triggered him to remember bits of his childhood memories when times were much simpler.

He wondered why a village like this deserved to suffer the same fate as the other villages.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"You mean this village is on brink of being invaded?"

Another startling revelation had come from the village chief's mouth.

The anguish and sorrow in his words could be felt, and Eldar felt a small relief that his wife wasn't here to see him like this. This was the first time he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, but he eventually managed to calm himself down.

Following that, there was a brief moment of silence, with Cato and the members of the Recon Team looking concerned at the old man's actions. Eldar, on the other hand, eventually continued his statement.

"I'd love to say no, but we've been getting reports of Imperial Soldiers and Wyvern scouts spying on our farms and fields." The elderly gentleman informed them. "The most recent encounter was when a small group attempted to ransack and loot the village's food storage, but if Sir Cato wasn't here, we wouldn't last for a few months." As he tried to catch his breath, Eldar finished his sentence.

Another sorrowful silence followed once more, though it didn't stop from there. The village chief continued to relay more information, besides the peaceful image, there were major struggles that the village was currently facing.

One of them was the plans for a possible migration in the near future.

"We are very sorry to hear that Mr. Eldar," Itami said. sharing his own sympathy with the old man." But you told us before that this area right now is just a temporary settlement?" He asked.

"Yes." The old man simply said." As much as we wanted to consider this place as our permanent home." He explained.

"Due to the countless disasters that plague it, Coda Village has been moving from place to place since its original land was long gone." The focus shifted to Cato, who provided additional information. "At the moment, we're debating whether to leave this region and move to another." He went on to say.

"If I may ask sir Cato, which place does the village plan on transferring to?"

From an unlikely fellow, Yuji who had been silent for the past several minutes but writing everything down opened his lips and asked followed up his own question.

There was a brief moment of quietness that passed, not long after the man's question was answered immediately.

"Qua Toyne Principality."

The name of a certain nation was mentioned and it brought some familiarity on the men in green.

"Pardon me sir, but isn't that one of the only remaining independent countries in this continent?" Yuji asked, wanting to get that double confirmation again.

Cato just nodded. "You're a correct young man." He gave a small grin. "It is the only nation left that is willing to accept villagers who have been displaced by the Empire's increasing invasions." He explained, then sighed as he couldn't get over the fact that he might become involved in one of the Empire's problems.

"I see, which place or area in this Qua-Toyne nation, the village is planning on moving to?" Itami asked this time.

Eldar wasn't sure how to respond; a slightly worried expression escaped his face, and he wanted to convey that they were in the midst of a difficult decision. "Well, we've sent messengers from here to the nearest city and town." He said this before naming the locations. "Ejei and Gim."

"What happened to the messengers Mr. Eldar?"

"We haven't received any news from them in weeks." The old man simply said He doesn't want to assume that all of them encountered something unexpected and met their demise.

"In fact, we are having a difficult time trying to reassure their families." He added." They're all fathers as well."

Itami gave a sympathetic look." We're very sorry to hear that sir." He said, before giving a look of concern. " But, are you sure these two places, you mentioned, can help sustain or provide what your village needs?" He then asked.

Eldar gave a small smile."I'm close friends with the mayor of Gim, and the town has provided the village help all throughout the recent years." He said." Though, however, for Ejei, it will be a bit difficult to convince its General." He explained.

Itami nodded." I understand sir, but from what we had learned, the Empire has been recently invading the lands of this Qua-Toyne nation, and it will be hard to assume that there will be a safe passage towards those places that you've mentioned." He added.

"And to also inform you that the villages outside of this area, well... most of them are burned to the ground." The man said it without any hesitation.

He was reminded of the previously destroyed and ransacked villages that the recon team had passed through.

"Wait, you mean the neighboring villages to the south are gone?" Cato inquired again, his puzzled gaze shifting briefly to Rory, who had displayed no emotions other than a semi-serious expression.

Silence befell the meeting hall once more.

"I'm afraid, it's true sir."

The only thing that the Japanese lieutenant could say.

Though, they needed at least evidence to his statement.

"It was when uncertainty decided to enter the village chief's mind." It was only then that he realized how few travelers and merchants had visited the village in the previous weeks.

"Uhmm, if you can excuse me Mr. Eldar, but my friend here can show you some proof of these villages," Itami added, beckoning Yuji to take the responsibility this time.

The writer took a deep breath, as he unzipped his bag and drew out a small laptop, and immediately turned it on, much to the fascination and curiousity of the rest.

"Hmm, that's an interesting device you've got there, young man." Cato slipped a remark out. It was the first time he'd seen such machinery capable of producing some kind of light magic.

"May I know what is the name of that silver box?" The older man asked.

These Men in Green were definitely different.

The writer could only force an awkward smile." Well, hmmm, it's called a "Laptop" sir." He replied." Basically, it can store information, images, and videos."

Cato raised an eyebrow." Videos?"

"It's basically a term for the moment you captured with this device," Yuji added, pulling out his small camera from the table. "And then, once you've finally recorded that moment, you save that information back to the laptop." He explained as much as he could.

"Fascinating!" Cato said as he began to examine the small device on his hands like it was some type of historic discovery." Its functions do resemble the wooden device from the Nothern Civilizations."

"Indeed!" For the first time, Rory made a remark, which drew the old man's attention. The young lady, like everyone else, had approached the table out of curiosity.

"So what moment did you capture using this device?" The old man asked.

At the same time, Yuji finally found the videos files of the countless villages the team has encountered before, with a single click the video began to play presenting the proof they have.

"That's the Alnus Highway!"

Eldar's eyes widened as he recognized a familiar stretch of wide dirt road on the screen of this strange device. He didn't have much time to consider whether this was powered by magic or mana, as the moving scenery had finally shifted towards the neighboring villages.

As expected from the video and these Men in Green's claims, all of the villages had suffered the same fate.

"I-It can be!?" The shocked and horrified old man stuttered for the first time, as the video began to show more of the state of the neighboring villages that he had seen and visited a lot of times.

Cato, on the other hand, had the same reaction but retreated into a more analytical state. He didn't want to believe their so-called evidence right away and wanted to investigate further, but a part of him was convinced that these men weren't fabricating their evidence and were telling the truth.

He turned his gaze to Rory, who was looking at him with sorrow in her eyes. He wondered if she was also aware of the situation.

Not long after, the video presentation had ended and silence returned once more to the meeting hall.

The only hope of having a safe journey towards the Principality had now been sent down the drain. For the first time, the question was brought up in Eldar's mind.

They have nowhere to go.

Now that the Recon Team had finally got to show their evidence thanks to Yuji's documentation, they were now hopeful that they would consider listening to their own proposal as well, at least for a certain Californian.

"Mr. Village chief." Lieutenant Brian called out to their attention." If you're willing to listen, maybe there is still hope for your village and we might have the place just for you and the villagers to settle down without having to worry about any dangers or problems." He explained, flashing a small smile for the first time.

Everybody was a bit surprised by his statement, especially Itami and the rest of the recon team.

Yuji noticed the sudden shift in the atmosphere. The American Ranger has an epiphany that could change the course of its mission.

Eldar simply nodded." Very well sir, to what kind of place is that you're referring to?"

"Our base at Alnus Hill."

The response was quick, enough to shock his Japanese counterpart, but did give the old man hope. In these dark times, who would really extend their help to a small and unknown village.

Cato was surprised with the man generously offering assistance even though they had just met him and his group. But, when he saw the disbelief of the latter's comrades, and the genuine look of his eyes, it eventually did manage to convince him that he was telling no lies.

Eldar was a bit lost for words at first." Sir, if I may ask, would we be accepted in your place?" He asked." Are we really going to be safe there?"

Silence briefly followed again, as the American Ranger kept his smile.

"Don't worry sir, we guarantee that you and the rest of the village will no longer be suffering under Empire's wrongdoings." He added." You all be living your lives uninterrupted there."

"Even if you refuse, we understand your decision," he stated. "But, please, allow us to assist your village in any way we can."

All he required from them was trust. He didn't want to sound like a savior or anything, but he had to give it his all. He knew things were changing the moment he said that.

In the midst of that bold move, a new voice had entered and broken the silence.

"We appreciate your offer, but I'm afraid you and your group are only endangering our people."

Everyone's attention was drawn to the other village official, who had remained silent throughout the meeting.

He was a man in his late to early 20s, had dark brown hair, and a semi-fierce and hostile facade.

"I beg your pardon, sir?" Lieutenant Brian said, a bit taken aback because of his statement.

"We don't need your help; we don't even know what your true intentions are, and we can all guess that your plan will only put many of us here in danger." The man stated his point once more.

"Without due respect sir, but we have no intention to lead the village into-" Itami spoke this time but was then suddenly cut by the man.

"It makes no difference! My top priority here is the safety of this village, and we don't trust outsiders like you." He went on to say.

"So we refuse to accept your help."

His presence increased the tension in the room. For the first time, the two Recon team leaders felt even more irritated than before. Cato, too, was turned off by the man's sudden outburst and attitude.

"Since when did you become the Village chief Marcus?"

Rory interfered, letting out her own sarcasm.

"Oh, if it isn't the little miss beauty herself." The man smirked. "You don't know anything, and you don't have to interfere with something that isn't your concern." He told the young lady.

She simply smiled. " Says the person who did nothing but brags about his irrelevant accomplishments." She replied. "While also being an inept official." The way she spoke surprised the three men.

The Village official's expression shifted from amusement to annoyance. "How dare you say that!" He exclaimed. "This village would not have survived the rest of the year if it hadn't been for me."

"Marcus! Enough!" Cato spoke this time, attempting to prevent the situation from escalating, however, the man just ignored his warnings and glared at him.

The village official known as Marcus stood up from his seat as he brought his eyes towards Eldar.

"Sir, I hope you would reconsider this decision." He told the older man before walking out of the meeting hall and headed straight for the door.

As he left, Rory continued to stare at him in disgust, rolling her eyes before focusing back on the main situation.

The Recon team was stunned because they couldn't believe what had just happened. Add to that the fact that they were able to understand what they were saying.

Eldar could only sigh." I apologized, for what had just happened, Marcus is just protective of the village." He explained as he didn't bother to even drink his tea.

"We understand sir, It's just that it was so sudden and he started throwing accusations at us out of nowhere," Itami said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Typical for a hooligan of a man that he is," Rory smirked, adding more mystery for the Recon Team.

Eldar cleared his throat as he looked towards the Men in Green." Well, we are very grateful to have you men in our village, and we thank you for the help that you could provide." He let out a small smile." But, please bear with us a little while, It's not going to be easy for the villagers to pack their things up in mere minutes."

As the meeting came to an end, the tension began to dissipate. The decision had been made, and the village will follow the Men in Green's lead en route to their so-called encampment near the hill.

Yuji could feel the mental exhaustion sets in, but he was relieved that the meeting had ended on a positive note. The only issue on his end is that he did not record the entire conversation on his phone or recorder as he was occupied with presenting all the necessary evidence that he had in the vault.

"Oh, by the way, you mentioned that you needed more information about this land and region?" Eldar inquired while the rest nodded.

"Yes sir."

"Then I guess Master Cato here would have that responsibility on providing what you need." The old man added before he finally stood up from his seat.

"Thank you for your time here, I appreciate what help you can bring in my home." The old man smiled, as he finally walked out of the room but not before eyeing the old bearded man and the young lady.

"I'll leave the rest to you." He said to them before finally leaving the area.

With the attention of the Men shifting towards them. Cato gave the young lady a look and vice versa.

Then after a few moments, Rory flashed a smile towards the three men.

"Shall we proceed to the next phase, Gentlemen?"

XXXXXXXXXXX

In all her life, she had never thought that things would go strange as the team dug deeper into their mission, at least in her perspective she was in a situation where she felt like low-key being mob for the first time.

"Would you like to buy these talismans miss? I guarantee you every single one of them has magic that will protect you from harm!"

"No thank you, sir."

"Please try a sample of this Elven bread, It won't make you hungry for a week!"

"It's alright, I'm full."

"Madam, would you like to know your future? 5 denari gold coins is enough!"

"It's alright ma'am, I pretty much know where my future is heading after this."

Questions like these were being bombarded on her face, Shino wasn't expecting to be overwhelmed by a lot of people as she tried to find her way back to a certain station. Not only that young RCT soldier was carrying a box of first aid kits to which she surprisingly found heavy to carry.

The tough JSDF lady could only force a smile like many of the village's market owners, vendors, and sellers continued in their attempt to persuade her into buying their products and services. The voices were everywhere that she tried speaking in her mother tongue all the way to which the locals could even understand.

While hurrying her way, she could spot some of the Recon members going about their usual business of interacting with them. Particularly, the big guys like Tomita, who were surprisingly playing along with the village children, as the little rascals had turned him into a human monkey bar.

Another scenario she saw was where Furuta is serving food aka. his own porridge recipe, towards a long line of exhausted villagers, who hadn't got a proper meal in hours, the elderly included.

It was one of those things that actually did bring warmth into her heart. Witnessing her team able to assist in any way that they can in this village was enough to calm her down from the noisy chaos that she was in now.

Although, fortunately, she was able to overcome much of it, finally reaching her destination as she could see her friend and fellow Recon member, Mari from a distance, who was currently treating several villagers and their various injuries and sicknesses, which weren't that of a major problem. 

The long line was disappearing fast.

"There you go, all patch up!"

The black-haired tall beauty smiled as she finished treating up a small cut on a boy's knee which he had sustained due to tripping and falling to the ground while playing with his friends.

The village boy opened his eyes as he finally stopped cringing as he could feel the pain slowly eroded away. He recalled seeing this pretty woman holding some kind of small green bottle before he felt soft cotton and a small white parchment being placed on his knee.

"It's amazing miss! The pain is gone!"

The boy's smile return, as he examined his now patched-up knee.

"Did you use some kind of magic healing potion?" He asked, his gaze fixed on the small green bottle on the table.

"Are you a healer from the Grand Temple?"

Mari just smiled." Uhmm, not really, and It's not exactly a magic potion, but a substance that can help your wound heal faster." She explained in the most simple way possible, much to the boy's small confusion." 

"Aww, that's amazing! Can't wait to tell my mother about this!" The village boy said, before deciding to bid his goodbye as proceeded to leave the small tent." Thank you miss!"

"Have fun!" She replied back, waving her hand as a familiar person had entered the tent.

"Hey, Mari! I found the first aid kit you're talking about."

Shino made her presence known as the young woman placed down the box on the table." It's in the back of the truck by the way."

"Damn, I never expected this to be heavier." She commented, wiping the sweat on her forehead." Just what the heck is inside that box?"

Her friend giggled." Oh, just the medical supplies I need." Bringing out all the medical mumbo jumbo that she won't bother naming each.

"Whatever, So how's everything so far?" Shino asked, confused that there weren't a lot of villagers in line anymore.

"And where did the rest of them go?"

"Oh, I just finish treating most of them all." Mari simply said, grabbing her small energy bar and took a bite.

Shino widened her eyes in surprise." Wait, that fast?" She asked, to which her friend replied with a nod.

"Yup and each of them keep asking me if this Antiseptic bottle is a magic potion." She explained, giving a little chuckle, recalling the amazed reactions of the villagers.

"I told them it was just regular medicine." She let out a long sigh. "However, once again, some of them do not believe what I told them."

An amused expression crept upon the JSDF Soldier's face." Really Huh?"

"So how's everything going so far outside? "Mari asked this time.

"You don't wanna know." The young lady sighed, knowing that there are still many tasks to do.

Mari figured it out quickly enough. The villagers' raucous cries were obvious indicators. "Oh, I see, they're still trying to persuade you to buy their stuff, huh?"

"You said it best, sister," Shino replied, taking the opportunity to sit down for a few moments. "They keep telling me about these Denari coins and prices that I have no idea about." She added, a little regretfully, that she didn't pay much attention in history class or whatever fantasy world anime or movie that her little brother would let her watch.

"I think it's their currency in this world." Mari guessed.

"Maybe or Maybe not, it's just that things right now are driving me crazy!" Shino exclaimed for a little bit." I thought we were supposed to be following our main objectives in this mission." She expressed her annoyance." The last time I check we were a Reconnaissance Team, not a humanitarian group."

Mari just shrugged." Well, this is all part of the experience, I guess?" She said." But, if you asked me, this is the best way that we can get to know these people personally." She added a smile.

"I mean look at the rest of the guys, they are having the time of their lives."

Shino could be shrugged in return. She wasn't sure either of the two opinions. In fact, she was confused about what role she was going to assume here.

In the midst of that moment, a familiar soldier entered the tent.

"Hey guys, is everything alright here? "

The Californian accent was a dead giveaway, as the individual turned out to be Lieutenant Carl Wilson, One of the Rangers from the American crew. The man greeted the two women, who were taken aback by his unexpected arrival.

"Yes, everything is going good so far Lieutenant." Mari smiled.

The Californian smiled back." That's great to hear! Just here to check up on things." He explained." And you can just call me Carl by the way." He added.

"Alright Carl-san, Thank you so much!"

It was the humbleness that impressed both women.

"Pleasure! Do you guys need any help as of now?" The Californian asked as silence took over for the first time.

Mari smiled before giving her friend a glance, to which the latter just rolled her eyes in return.

The American Ranger gave a semi-confused look, and as he was about to speak, the young Japanese lady beat him to it.

"Uhmm, my friend here needs a little help to load out some supplies," She said, before encouraging the short-haired young woman to finally go and finish the remainder of her task.

Carl blinked a couple of times before fixing his attention to the main person." Oh, your name is Shino, Am I right?" He asked, slightly gesturing to the air.

Although the young woman just forced a smile, before her face reverted back into a much more snarky deadpanned look, as she finally stood up and exited the tent.

A little awkward silence followed as Carl gave Mari an even more confused look." Is she alright?" He asked.

Mari simply smiled in return.

"Nah, she just needs someone to talk to."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So you are saying that we are riding that metal box towards the cabin?"

Of all the things in the world, Rory never felt this much excitement brewing inside her. The black-haired beauty couldn't help herself but giggle in excitement while shaking the old sage's arm non-stop.

"Uhmm, Yes Ms. Rory, since it would be a faster way to reach Mr. Cato's cabin."

It was Yuji, who replied to the young lady's question.

"Now, this is going to be interesting!."

The young lady couldn't stop grinning as she was the first one to step inside the Light armored vehicle, which had an adjustable roof that gives the rider a good view of whatever scenery in front of them.

Cato, on the other hand, couldn't decide whether he should be happy or nervous about this. In truth, he was a little nervous about riding in a horseless carriage. Only the Gods and his experience knew what could go wrong with that. He recalled a time in Rondel when a colleague attempted to infuse and a carriage that could run itself without the need for horses, and the result was disastrous.

"Are you alright Mr. Cato?" Yuji noticed the old man's semi-anxious expression and asked.

The old Sage was brought back to his senses as he tried to assure the Japanese-American man." I'm very much fine, Thank you for your concern." He slightly smiled before the Demi-Goddess called her out.

"Hurry up old man! You won't regret this!" The young lady called out, startling the man yet again.

"Does she often talk like this to you?" He asked.

Cato responded with a sigh and an embarrassed grin. "It's complicated, and you're probably not going to understand the entire story that easily." He responded before gathering his own strength to push himself into the vehicle.

Yuji was left with a more puzzled and confused expression. He wondered what the old sage had meant when he said "Complicated." Surely, Rory was just a teenage girl, who had that type of optimistic personality. The girl looked pretty much normal overall, though the way he reacted to it was far different.

The young writer sighed as shook his head afterward.

When he was about to head off towards the vehicle, He suddenly felt this extreme wave of heat that engulfed him. Moments later he could smell the scent of fire and burning wood everywhere. In just a blinked of an eye, his world had suddenly changed.

The once-blue sky had turned a deep red, and the peaceful village around him had been consumed by a massive fire. The villagers' agonizing screams began to echo in his ears, and for the first time, he felt fear take control of him.

Fortunately, it was all over soon as a familiar voice called out to his name.

"Yuji, are you alright man?"

He blinked a couple of times as he soon found himself staring at semi-co concerned Itami.

"You seemed to be in a shock or something." The Lieutenant added.

The Writer took a deep breath and gave little thumbs up at his friend." Yeah man, I'm fine, just one of those occasional headaches." He explained.

"Ahh I see, you got me worried there for a second." Itami said." We better go, We can't let them wait for long." The man said as he encouraged his friend to proceed to the vehicle.

Yuji simply nodded and smiled." Yeah, I'll catch up." He replied as the young man tried to regain back his composure.

The vision was still fresh in his mind. By the time he took another observation around his surroundings, everything was back as it was. He couldn't comprehend what he had just seen, and he could feel all the hair on his skin stood up at the same time.

"What was that all about?"

XXXXXXXXXXX

Heading back towards the main plaza, Lelei and Tuka were greeted by a very much livelier scene than before.

"What's happening here?"

Their confusion continued to grow as they found themselves in an unlikely scenario.

Based on their initial observations, it appeared that the majority of the area was in a state of commotion as if someone had organized a large festival or party at this time of day.

A large number of villagers flocked to and attempted to interact with these people dressed in green armor or clothing. The local village merchants of all kinds, as well as the ever-curious, were so intrigued that they eventually raised the possibility that these people were some kind of Knights or Nobles. The children, on the other hand, had that expression as if they had just seen the Heroes from all the legends told.

"I'm much clueless as you." The blue-haired teen replied as she was still in the process of figuring out what was happening.

The two girls continued to explore and investigate as they found themselves on the main path leading up the plaza, and upon closer inspection, these Men in Green, turned out to be just ordinary Humans than they had thought. to their surprise, they were actually providing assistance to whatever the village was lacking.

One of these Men in Green had apparently set up a small booth in a small open space, where a good number of villagers, children and elderly, were lining up to receive what appeared to be small bowls containing a type of porridge dish.

And from what Lelei could see, all of them seemed to enjoy the man's cooking.

"Smells really good Lelei!" Her blonde elf friend couldn't help but give her own thought." You wanna go and give it a try?" She then asked.

The blue-haired mage had to fulfill her task at the end of the day, it had been an hour since she was supposed to head to the market and buy the ingredients for today's lunch, something that increased her guilt but satisfied her because she was able to break the old routine for the first time. Her lips curved into a small smile.

"I'm sorry Tuka, but I think I have to -"

The teenage girl wasn't able to finish her sentence as a round soft leather-like object had it her on the right side of her head.

For a brief moment, her world shook as she almost her balance, if not for Tuka, who immediately went to help her recover." Lelei, are you alright!?" She worriedly asked.

Her blue-haired friend nodded after." Yes, I'm fine." She said, rubbing her head while trying to locate the source of that round object that hit her.

Eventually, the object turned out to be a small soft brown leather ball belonging to a certain person.

"Lelei!"

Moments later, a familiar voice called out.

Just from a few distances away, a group of teenage boys and girls arrived at the scene and approach her.

"Luke" Lelei said, giving a semi-annoyed yet surprised expression.

The teenage boy could only give an apologetic grin." Sorry about that, we were playing folk ball and Jonas kicked the ball too hard." He explained as the rest glared at the other boy.

"Hehe, sorry."

Lelei rolled her eyes in return." Why the heck are you playing folk ball in a crowded place like this?" She asked.

"Hey! we were originally playing at the small field when two from the Men in Green joined us." Luke then smiled." And I tell ya, they play good folk ball!"

"Men in Green?" Tuka asked as this was the first time she had heard such a moniker.

The boy grinned." Yeah, and they speak our language!" He added.

In the midst of that, two of the Men in Green finally made their presence known, and as they were able to catch up with the rest.

"Man, can't believe these kids run faster than us, Higashi!" One of the men said while trying to catch up to his breath.

"Exactly Takeo!" The other agreed.

The rest of the teenagers had their sweat drops due to the awkwardness that these men had brought.

"Anyways, these are the Men in Green that I'm telling you about." Luke continued to where he left off as he introduced the two to the girls.

"Kurata and Higashi, am I right?" He added.

By this time, the two men had finally recovered and slightly raised their hands to wave at them. But as for Kurata, the young soldier's Otaku instincts immediately took over when he laid his eyes upon the blonde, who had long pointy ears.

"Oh my God! I'm sure I'm dreaming! Is that an Elf girl?" He asked excitedly because he couldn't believe what he was seeing in front of him, and his hand then went to his pocket to reach for a specific device.

He wasn't going to let this slip up right away.

The rest had been taken aback by his sudden burst of reaction. Higashi, who had only recently realized that his fellow Recon member had succumbed to his Otaku tendencies, did not intervene immediately to stop him.

"Kurata, please not now!" He warned and exclaimed.

On the other hand, there was visible confusion on both Lelei and Tuka's faces as they observed this Man in Green approaching them in a subtle aggressive manner.

This also led to misinterpretation, particularly for the elf girl, who mistook the man's actions for malicious and strange intent.

As a result, when the man reached into his pocket and reached for Tuka, her instincts kicked in, and she grabbed the man's hand and flipped him over to the ground in seconds.

Lelei's eyes widened with surprise as she watched her friend perform a hand-to-hand combat maneuver on a much larger man than her. The other boys and girls were in awe of what the latter had just done.

Although for Tuka herself, she quickly realized what she has done and immediately attempted to redeem herself by helping the man out.

"Oh, I'm really sorry sir! I didn't know what had gotten into me." She apologized non-stop." I thought you were going to draw out your weapon and-"

"I-It's alright miss, He gets that a lot..."

Higashi rushed in and interfered as he let out an embarrassed grin." I'm sorry if he scared you, He just actually wants to take a selfie with you." He explained.

Tuka slowly nodded but blinked in confusion." I understand sir, but what is a selfie?" She asked as her gaze turns towards the man she just nearly injured.

As he lay on the grass, the excited grin on Kurata's face remained. He raised his right hand, which now held his smartphone, which was also in Camera mode." This."

"Oh, you mean that small box he is holding?" Lelei asked this time.

Higashi could only give out a sigh.

"It's complicated."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The mage's quarters were anything but what they had expected. It was always imagined a sorcerer or mage would be staying in a castle or at least a large manor, but the reality was a small cabin located a bit far away from the busy population of the village. Even though, it was just a simple cabin, the beautiful garden surrounding the structure had paid off their perception.

"Here we are, Gentlemen!"

Rory proudly announced to the rest as the light armored vehicle had halted its tracks, finally reaching the destination.

The young lady still couldn't forget the recent ride that she had taken a while ago in this moving green box. She simply enjoyed the ride and that was all she had to express. Not a second later that she finally went back into her main goal of giving the guests a little tour at her friend's lovely home.

Cato didn't say anything more, but he had to admit that this piece of mechanical innovation, which was actually not powered by magic, mana, or some type of long-lasting spell, according to the Men in Green. As a matter of fact that these moving boxes they called "Vehicles" travel faster than a normal horse carriage could do. Something that continued to clarify his doubts and to him nearly believing that they were really from another world.

It didn't take long for him to return to his house, bringing the keys with him and unlocking it.

The interior of the cabin was crammed with furniture and bookshelves, with barely enough space for a handful of people. Scrolls and parchments piled on top of one another in every corner of the room, organized in a way that perplexed the rest of the Recon Team. The rest of the area appeared to be more of an impromptu library than a living space for a person, though there was a kitchen area and two rooms to officially make this place a legitimate home.

"I apologized for the small mess, I didn't have enough time to clean up some things."

Cato informed as he let the others inside.

"It's very cozy here sir." Lieutenant Brian said, observing the interior of the cabin which turned out to be not bad at all.

Rory giggled." That's why I often visit this place for a cup of tea." She added her own comment much to her friend shaking her head." It never ceases to amaze me."

Yuji paused for a few moments to take in more of the surroundings inside the cabin, and his gaze was drawn to a large illustration on one of the walls. He was captivated by the painting the moment his eyes were drawn to it. The illustration depicted that of what seemed to be a very important event or at least a story to be told for generations, the four races of Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and Beastmen facing what appeared to be a force of great evil while the powerful rays of the sun had spread out all over the world.

He could feel all the hair on his skin standing as a chill went down his spine. By just staring at it for a minute, He felt that he had gone through this thousand-year odyssey that was just too great for any human being.

It didn't take long enough for him to break his own concentration. Shaking his head and as well as rubbing his eyes regain himself back again.

The three men were led into the small living room, and fortunately, there were enough spare wooden chairs for everyone and each took their own seats. When the young lady offered them another round of tea, they all politely decline.

"Suit yourselves, but please wait for Master Cato, he will be back soon." She informed the men. "He needs to retrieve a lot of his things from his workstation."

"Understood Ma'am." Lieutenant Brian nodded, as he decided to relax for the time being.

"By the way Rory, what does Mr. Cato do for a living?" Itami was the one to ask this time.

The girl raised both eyebrows." Oh, you mean to sustain his livelihood?" She asked, while slightly scratching her chin." Well...He is a teacher at his hometown in Rondel, although, he has "self-exiled" himself in this village due to some complex reasons." She explained with a smile.

"Self-Exile?"

"Oh, I assure you He did not commit a crime or whatsoever."Rory clarified, before slightly cringing in some kind of playful heartfelt pain." Oh, love is such a complicated topic to tackle." She said, giving a quick wink at the men, to which they understand.

"Oh, I see." A slightly amused Yuji muttered.

"At least, He's got a lot of people there for him." Itami gave a little chuckle." I mean there's always "Love" in all of us, whether you admit that you hated this person." He added." It's just a matter of prayer if the Goddess of Love answers it or something else."

Rory smiled as she closed her eyes for a moment, revisiting her main dream from the beginning. " True, always wanted to become the Goddess of Love, when the time comes for me to ascend."

Her statement unknowingly caused confusion amongst the trio.

And as Yuji was about to ask a question regarding her statement, He was beaten to it as the old sage finally came back, carrying what appeared to be three big scrolls on his hands and the other which appeared to be floating mid-air.

Itami nearly dropped his jaw in surprise. Everything he had been taught about the laws of physics had just been thrown out of the window before his very eyes. He glanced at his American counterpart, who also had a similar reaction, and Yuji, who somewhat was more astonished.

Cato gave the scrolls in his hands a brief inspection before picking one with a red seal. "This, Sir Itami," he said as with another snap of the finger he made the other scrolls flew to the table in a neat and smooth way, "is what you're most likely looking for. The most detailed map of the Alnus Region." He broke the seal with a seal-breaker and then unrolled the map across the surface of the table, placing paperweights on the edges.

"It's quite small than I expected," Brian commented, taking note of a small highlight of the region barely spreading out of the parchment.

"Yes sir, this region is one of the lands left unconquered by the Empire, though nowadays, there's a possibility of it being taken over." He explained.

Hiding his amazement, Yuji took a good look at the map. Besides the region itself, the outline of a vast continent was displayed, stretched from one end to the other. Ranges of mountains and forests were sketched in, and certain regions of land were colored in different shades, perhaps indicating the biomes. There were small square blocks with words written above them in tight handwriting and assumed that these represented the cities of the continent.

The overall illustration reminded him of a famous fantasy movie back in his world.

"Where are we?"

"We—" the mage pointed somewhere in the middle of the continent "—are here."

Itami nodded, and he recognized the strange wording that indicated Alnus. His eyes scanned the rest of the map. "I'm guessing that these markings are the borders of the Empire and the other two kingdoms? " He pointed to the dark lines fencing the three lands.

Cato simply nodded." Yes, sir, these two kingdoms are the Qua-Toyne Principality and Kingdom of Quila." He informed them." Both of them are allied nations, while the other neighboring kingdoms have been conquered by the Empire in recent years."

"Man, this is a lot to take in," Brian muttered, a bit overwhelmed by seeing every name of the places.

"Yes, it can be overwhelming." Cato agreed." But believe it or not, this whole map of the continent is one of the simplest and easiest maps to study." He explained.

"Wait, so you're saying there are more nations outside this continent?" Brian asked, a bit surprised to hear that information.

The old sage nodded." Yes, though I have to tell you that I don't possess enough knowledge of the outside world or the nations across the great oriental sea." He said." Though, during my younger years, I met a humble traveler hailing from the Nothern civilizations that visited my hometown."

"And from what I can recall, He owned a type of device that is similar to your "Cameras" He added.

"Pardon me sir Cato, but what does this device look like?" It was Yuji's turn to ask.

"My memory is vague on that one but it was made of black light marble or nylon and had a big round mirror in the middle." He said.

"Is he referring to a vest pocket camera?" Yuji thought to himself.

The new information was indeed a revelation at least for the three of them. There were other lands and continents, and possible countries besides the one that they are in currently.

The question now was that how far technologically advance these nations were?

"Mind if I ask, what exact information are you really searching for? " The old sage asked.

Quietness soon took over for a brief moment.

The Japanese Lieutenant had let out a sigh." Well, we are searching for a safe passageway that will lead us directly to this Principality." He said." According to what we know so far, most of the lands near it have been turned into battlefields and military camps.

"And many destroyed bridges as well," Rory added, getting everyone's attention.

It would be a hard time for any envoy or diplomatic team to visit the place for negotiations.

"You're correct sir." Cato nodded." But I'm afraid, in order to access the Principality nowadays, you'll need to head to its economic port city by the sea."

"So we're gonna have to take a boat and go around the continent to reach it." Brian clarified.

"And by doing so, it would prevent any conflict or encounter with whatever Army that this Empire can throw," Itami said this time.

It would be a bad idea for the coalition to just blast their way there.

"Something like that," Cato said as he slowly rubbed his forehead.

At that moment as well, a question came into his mind.

"Pardon me if I may ask, you said that your encampment was located in the middle of Alnus hill." The old mage said." How big is the scope of your encampment?"

Yuji immediately responded to the question." Well, it's about this big Mr. Cato." He placed his finger on the scroll and did a trace, marking the entirety of the hill.

"By the Gods! The whole of Alnus hill is a part of your territory!" Cato said in surprise.

Rory giggled at his statement." Well, that hill is no longer sacred after all." Yet another cryptic message from the young lady.

Cato then sighed." I supposed it is possible for your leaders or governing body to accommodate an entire village like Coda."

He wanted to believe in such a chance of survival. He'd had the impression since the day he arrived that the village's days were numbered. Not that the first signs were visible, but rather a seed of evil being planted in preparation for something greater to destroy and claim the place. It was a vision that was shared by traveling merchant months back.

"We will do our best to provide what we have." Lieutenant Brian assure." Although, that village official back in the meeting hall, is he really serious about what he said about us?" He wondered.

"Oh, ignore that man's buggering." Rory said." Since the day he arrived here, He did nothing but to persuade everyone that the Empire would never harm a fly." She explained." And didn't I mentioned that he's formerly from Sadera?"

"What now?"

All of the three men's attention immediately went towards her, which startled her a bit.

Cato sighed once more." It's just our first impressions at first but, it did turn out to be true." He added.

"So is he some kind of higher general or official?" Yuji asked, sensing things were getting more interesting.

"Specifically a noble, a self-exiled one." Cato clarified.

"Now that's something you don't learn every day," Brian commented.

"But why he did chose this village specifically?" Itami asked.

A brief moment of quietness took over.

Cato just simply shook his head." Truthfully, I have no idea about that." He said, slowly glancing towards Rory." Nor even Rory here."

Rory smiled." But of course, we won't let our minds be reckless regarding his suspicious intentions." It was a promise that she had kept.

"But according to the village chief, without his help, this village would have been gone due to starvation," Yuji added.

Cato nodded." Yes, the village suffered a food shortage not long ago, and Marcus willingly offered his help as he claimed to have a connection from wealthy nobles who owned lots of vegetables, meat, and fish farms." He explained, trying to recall what happened after the problem was solved." Eldar accepted his help and the village was saved from the crisis until it could get back on its feet again."

"And not long after, He started to tell everyone on how the Empire was a victim of lies and devilish propaganda." Rory added, a bit disappointed that she wasn't able to witness the event as she was away from her own travels." And that they were this land's savior."

"Attempting to persuade everybody here that the Empire would take care all of them if only they should renounce their customs and beliefs."

The mystery began to thicken regarding this Marcus person. It was obvious that there was hidden agenda behind all of this and that there wasn't much time to investigate further.

"I swear in Emroy's name that if it's true, I'll take matters into my own hands and give him the "Honourable" death he deserves." Rory forced a sarcastic smile, all the signs of a sarcastic tone on her lips.

"Rory, please try not to go there." Cato simply said.

The young lady shifted into a calmer facade." Oh, I'm just bluffing, no need to worry, I'm not that hot-tempered."

The overall presence that the young lady was showing had installed a little bit of worry on the three members of the Recon team. Specifically, worry and curiosity.

Yuji took note of the girl's mannerisms, the way she moved, her actions, and the way she spoke. It doesn't show her as this normal teenage girl but something else entirely. He couldn't comprehend the mystery surrounding her.

"It's alright sir, if there will be conflict involving that matter, we'll try to not let it get out of hand." Lieutenant Brian spoke this time." Especially, let a young girl like Ms. Rory get into trouble."

The mentioned word slightly annoyed Rory as she was, even more, determined to convince the man to take back his words as she burst into soft laughter.

"I apologize for the rude interruption, but I believe you are mistaken, sir." She stated. "I'm not as young as you all thought I was."

Visible confusion ran across the American and Japanese Lieutenant's faces.

"What do you mean by that miss? " Brian asked." You looked like you're in your mid to late teens." He commented, trying not to sound offending in a way.

Cato could only sigh." You wouldn't believe me if I tell you." The old sage then glanced back at Rory." In fact, it's sacred to talk about her real identity." a little snicker came then followed.

"It's alright Mr. Cato, but at least could we a clue or a hint who Ms. Rory is really?' Itami asked.

All eyes then instinctively turn to the so-called young girl.

Rory smiled once more as she thought of the words to say if she will be giving them a hint of her true identity. But she took note to herself that she was going to introduce herself in the simplest way possible and so she stood up straight and gracefully took a small bow.

"As you may know, My full name is Rory Mercury, and I'm the Oracle of the God, Emroy."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Filius canis!"

To him, the entire situation was blasphemy. He slammed the door to his room shut, his teeth clenched in rage. The man's mind was jumbled because he couldn't believe the final decision.

"Irrumators! Why did they have to come into this village?" The man shrieked as he threw a scroll to the ground in rage." They have no right to interfere here!"

As a well-respected village official, Marcus knew his role ever since he was elected into the position. It was a small redemption for him to make up for what he was before in the past.

He did love this village.

He gave what he could to help the people here and he succeeded.

He created great relationships and even the village chief had treated him like family.

He was not a propagandist or spread out lies about his original home to the people here.

It was a fact that he was merely stating all the time, that a brighter future would be achieved if the village would just comply with the plan, His plan.

"None of them realize it yet." He muttered as silence took over.

In the middle of his own despair, there was a familiar sound that called him.

Marcus shifted his gaze to a specific table, where he came face to face with an ever-vigorous wonderful device that frequently assisted him in communicating with the people in his home. Specific people, whom he referred to as true friends, were not to lose faith in him.

"At this time of the day?" He bitterly said, before heading to investigate who was attempting to communicate with him.

By the time he reached the spot, the magical crystal tube came to life and the familiar symbol of the Empire flashed before his eyes. The image just remained there, trying to tell him that all his efforts were in vain and that they had taken him for granted.

The village official stared at it for a moment, remembering why he was here in the first place.

Aside from the crystal device, there was an unusual object that had never been used by any Imperial Elite Soldier or anyone on this continent. A magical weapon with the appearance of a golden smooth bore three-barrel, accompanied by a unique draconic design and a long, wooden grip ending in a knob.

The man reached for the weapon and gripped it as tight as he can.

As he slowly smirked, his mind shifted its focus to a certain person of great importance, the one he had been told to take.

"Some wise man you are."

CHAPTER END

AN: Hello, It's been a long while since the last update. I eventually took a long break from writing due to mental exhaustion, and the loss of motivation to write. I really didn't what know had happened but all the energy and passion just vanished one day and also found myself facing other struggles from real life. So basically, it's a combination of all. The only things that encourage me to continue writing are because of a humble writer that continues to give me encouragement and give me advice, and a reader that kept asking me when will be the next update, and I just wonder why how a reader could be this eager to read an unknown fic that has a not so good potential. Yet somehow, and because of that, I managed to push myself and finished the chapter for the story to continue. I guess that's something to be proud of I guess?

With those thoughts done, let's talk about a little bit of the chapter, There were are a lot of scenes that have been cut since I felt that it doesn't fit on the chapter's overall flow. Truthfully, the whole of the Coda Village arc, in my opinion, was abrupt in the Manga and Anime, they only had a few interactions and then they encounter the flame dragon.

So I took a reader's suggestion to expand the arc and give it more extra story and drama. I guess the flame dragon attacking the refugee's thing is rather repeated in a lot of fics so I'll be changing that at least in this story. As usual, the chapter focuses more on a small scale and follows the main character's perspectives. Nothing much special in terms of events but it's more of two groups meeting and getting to know each other. The last scene, however, is much different, the village official has a hidden agenda and I'm curious to see where this will go.

Hopefully, I like to get back this kind of motivation soon to write again.

That is the last of my thoughts regarding the chapter, I apologize for any grammar/spelling mistakes since English is not my main language. Thank you also for your support and time for reading the story, That means so much and I really appreciate it.