[Keeno POV]

After burning onto the scene, Freya and I’ve been dealing with all the Falheim mongrels in the fort while Pram healed the group of people that were with Sigurd and Emma.  Honestly, I was surprised to see Emma here, but I’d ask the reason later.

 

“Okami, are you sure we shouldn’t be taking prisoners?” (Freya)

 

“No, they’ll just stab us in the back when they get a chance. Surrender is not an option for them.” (Keeno)

 

“Alright.” (Freya)

 

After an hour, we were done with air route of the enemy. After doing a once over of the fort, I started a fire that I knew wouldn’t go out until the place was nothing but cinders. That way, if there were any stragglers we missed, they wouldn’t get out.

 

“You’re being very thorough.” (Freya)

 

“The land must be purified before any Life Ama decides should return can truly thrive.” (Keeno)

 

“…” (Freya)

 

{Oh, that’s a good one, Keeno.}

 

Freya looked a bit pensive about what I said but shrugged her shoulders after a moment. A few minutes later, Pram, followed by two people I recognized came up to us.

 

“Are you going to do the same to the other two?” (Pram)

 

“Please hold off from doing that. These are key positions and symbols, if all of them burn down, it will affect morale and plans going forward.” (Sigurd)

 

“Tch.” (Keeno)

 

“Told you she wouldn’t like that, Sigurd.” (Emma)

 

“Doesn’t make it any truer.” (Sigurd)

 

I turned to face the two and Emma immediately jumped at me and hugged me. Since she was now shorter than me, her head rested on my chest.  My hand unconsciously moved, and I started patting her head.

 

“Hehehe.  Oh, how the tables have turned, Young Miss.” (Emma)

 

“I’m glad you are alright and out of that pit of mongrels, Emma.  Same to you, Sigurd.” (Keeno)

 

“Us, along with a few others got out the same day you were sent away.” (Sigurd)

 

“That’s good…Ah, before we proceed with this little reunion of ours, introductions are in order. This is Pram, my best friend. This is Freya, my companion and Pram’s girlfriend. The two in my tails are Huginn and Muninn. As for myself, Keeno Okami. To those close to me it’s Keeno, everyone else it’s Okami, please remember that.” (Keeno)

 

“It’s nice to see you again, Lady Keeno, and it’s a pleasure, Lady Pram and Lady Freya.  I am Emma, formerly a maid in the service of the Young Miss, now a soldier fighting for the rebels to free our home from tyranny.” (Emma)

 

“And I am Sigurd, knight named by the Young Miss and soldier of the rebellion.” (Sigurd)

 

“You’re a general, not just a soldier.” (Emma)

 

“Heh.  Moving on up in the world, eh?  Good for you, Sigurd.” (Keeno)

 

“My Lady, please don’t.  If it wasn’t the commander that gave me the position, I’d be more than happy to just be a soldier and nothing more.” (Sigurd)

 

“…You are way to humble.” (Keeno)

 

“THANK YOU!  All of us tell him that all the time, and he just doesn’t get it!” (Emma)

 

“Sigurd, I’ll tell you this now, too much humility is not a good thing.  Accept when things like this happen to you, it’s fine to be humble about it, but being so humble to the point of denying you deserve it comes off as disrespectful.” (Keeno)

 

“…” (Sigurd)

 

“Sigurd’s problems aside, Emma, what made you join as a soldier?” (Keeno)

 

“Just kind of happened.  I escaped with Sigurd and a few other knights from the Fafnir house, we met up with some of the rebels, and one thing led to another, and I joined the rebellion.  Sure, I wasn’t great at fighting at first, but a few years of training later and I was on the battlefield, and honestly, I think I have a calling for fighting since I, for some reason, find it more fulfilling than maid duties.  Though, if you asked, I would happily join you as your maid again, My Lady.  Oh, and for the record, the day you left, I pushed that mongrel that birthed you down the stairs.  She, unfortunately, survived, but was still injured.  I don’t know what happened afterward though.” (Emma)

 

“Heh.  She deserved it.  Anyway, we should probably meet up with the rest of your companions and figure out where to go from here, and I probably need to meet this commander of yours.  I plan on working with the rebels for a while until my own goal is reached, so getting to know them is probably my best bet.” (Keeno)

 

We then moved to where the rest of Sigurd and Emma’s companions were.  When they saw me, several of them flinched back while a few others raised their guard.  A smaller group did a double take at me before awkwardly glancing away and one girl glared at me for some reason, though honestly it was a bit refreshing.  After a brief introduction, Sigurd stepped up and started to issue orders.

 

“With the conquest of the border forts, we have seized a means to get supplies and hopefully allies from the outside.  Those of you who are trained in riding should gather any supplies needed from the remaining two forts and head out to ask for help.  Lady Okami, you and your friends came from the outside, correct?” (Sigurd)

 

“We did.  The land just past the border is a no-man’s-land where no country occupies.  About a month’s travel as the kitsune walks is the country named Nidavellir.  When you get there, follow any road you find and you’ll likely come to a city or town, go to a place called the Guild, there you should be able to get information on most things you need.  If you are given trouble, tell them you have the backing of Okami the Cerulean Princess, Pram the Saintess of Life, or Freya the Dawnbreaker and you should at least get someone of decent power to listen to you.” (Keeno)

 

Someone wrote all that down before putting that in a bag.  That person and several other turned and moved to head to the other forts to fulfill their orders.

 

“The rest of us are to regroup at base and wait for the commander to return.  Let’s rest here for the night and head out before dawn tomorrow.” (Sigurd)

 

The soldiers saluted and moved away to prepare for camping.  Emma came up to me and my group.

 

“So, My Lady, I need all the details of what happened after we parted ways.  And I really want to know who gave you your name.”  (Emma)

 

“I’ll tell you all the things later, there are some things that I want to stay between us, and I don’t want to be overheard, especially by a certain someone who is still glaring at me.” (Keeno)

 

“Hmm?  Oh, that’s just Selkie, she’s completely harmless.  I’ll talk to her in a bit and clear up whatever absurd fantasy she’s currently thinking is the truth.” (Emma)

 

“Ah, she’s one of those people.” (Keeno)

 

“…She reminds me of my brother.” (Pram)

 

“I was thinking the same.” (Keeno)

 

“Why do I feel so left out?” (Freya)

 

“Because you haven’t met her brother yet.  When you do, though, you’ll get what we mean.” (Keeno)

 

“Alright.” (Freya)

 

“I’m sensing a very funny story or two from those words alone.” (Emma)

 

“Oh, there are way more than two.” (Keeno)

 

We continued to chat with Emma while we helped set up camp alongside the rebels.

 

Chaos Realm:

Luna: …Hey, isn’t that prince that’s one of the leaders of the rebels Keeno’s cousin?

I think he’s, her uncle.  Why?

Luna: I was just looking for clarification.

Tamamo: I keep forgetting that Keeno is, in some way, related to or technically is royalty.

Amaterasu: I mean, it’s not like it affects her personal life or her status since she has not real royal backing or political power, not that she’d want it anyway.

Luna: I completely understand that.  I was the same, after all.

Amaterasu: You were royalty?

Luna: No, I was the daughter of a Marquis, but aside from attending a royal wedding once, I never really did anything as the daughter of an important noble.

Tamamo: There was also the time you went to a noble gathering and attended the ceremony for naming a crown princess.  And also, the time you met with the Queen of the Elves.

Luna: That last one doesn’t count since I was there as an S-rank adventurer, not as a noble.

Tamamo: I always felt that that still counted.

Luna: Meh.  Doesn’t matter anymore, so let’s just leave it at that.

Tamamo: Sounds good to me.

Amaterasu: …

…

Amaterasu: We kind of just got left out of that whole thing, didn’t we?

I mean, it’s not like there was anything we could have said to really participate there, so I’m not bothered.

Amaterasu: That’s fair.