I should be happy for Nora.

The thought continued to surface, battling the others in opposition as we ate dinner. I was taken aback by the unexpected celebration of Nora's newly acquired status, but the atmosphere was too lively and cheerful to voice my reservations. It felt like a surprise party I had accidentally stumbled into, unprepared and without a gift.

As the captain, shouldn't I have been the one to offer her a toast?

"If you try to cut that piece of meat any smaller, the halves will disappear entirely," Tetora advised from my left.

"Mmm." I gave up shaving off anymore and stuck the bite of venison in my mouth, pretending to savor it.

I've known her the longest. I should have been the one to endorse her.

Nora was chatting animatedly on my right, wiggling her fingers as she told Relias about when she had set a farmhouse on fire. He seemed impressed about the idea of sign language and its use as what he called the "release" of the spell.

"Silent casting," he mused with a tone of admiration. "A rare skill, indeed. Many attempt to achieve it through whispered incantations, yet this often drains the caster's resolve, as they split their focus between the spell's release and the necessity of remaining undetected."

I never heard of word from Volker until his final spell, so it's not all that rare.

That snarky thought brought me up short. Was I just... jealous?

This whole time... I had been sitting here, mulling through negative thoughts, because I was simply jealous of Nora! I must have been blaming others, too, not realizing I was the one with the problem.

What a terrible friend I've been.

"Hold up!" Nora exclaimed at one point, turning to face me. "How can there still be food on your plate?"

Everyone's eyes, mine included, glanced at the certainly touched but barely eaten food in front of me. "Ah..."

"Most unsettling," Aleph said in mock seriousness, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Check her for fever!" Vernie commanded.

Tetora, however, let out a large sigh. "It's obvious she's just waiting to see if there's dessert!"

Relias nodded sagely, folding his arms. "A most ingenious strategy..! As I have come to expect from our illustrious captain!"

"Haha, very funny..." My first words to him since our confrontation earlier left a sour taste in my mouth.

Relias tilted his head, seemingly startled. "Yet no jest was meant, I assure you. Knowing full well your aversion to drink, we took the liberty to arrange an alternative that we hoped would be more to your liking."

"Wait," I straightened, my angst evaporating to allow faint hope a chance. "There really is... dessert?"

Grins and laughter broke everywhere, and Nora pushed my plate away, depositing the dessert before me.

Sitting there was a small and perfectly round pastry, its edges slightly baked to a golden flakiness. It had a bright yellow center, with several holes artfully poked into the top, allowing a sweet honey coating to seep through. Poppy seeds had been sprinkled across its surface to add a final touch of decadent charm.

A lump formed in my throat. "Where could you have possibly gotten the ingredients for this..."

"A few local farms were amenable to trade," Captain Corwin explained.

Cheese, eggs, flour... honey was also baked in. It was soft, the first spoonful melting sweetly in my mouth. "This is..." I started sniffling, gingerly setting down the spoon. Their overwhelming outpouring of love and generosity washed over me. My emotions, no longer able to be restrained, broke through my paper-thin facade, and I was overcome with tears.

I don't deserve any of this.

"Perhaps I made a mistake by way of substitution..." Aleph whispered guiltily to Relias. "Her description of 'cheesecake' bore a resemblance to our traditional savillum. I hoped that it would suffice, however..."

"No," I blubbered forcefully between sobs. "It's... the best cheesecake... I've ever had...!"

It wasn't a lie if you considered that taste is only a tiny part of any food experience. Presentation, value, atmosphere, and finally, memorability should contribute to the overall score. The idea that they went out of their way to appease my selfish demands...

After watching me wordlessly at my worst for a moment, Nora tried her own serving of savillum. "Not bad," she remarked quietly.

As if the party were satisfied that nothing was truly wrong with the baked goods, they relaxed and began consuming their own. Captain Corwin, the first to finish, cleared his throat delicately. "Duty calls me to review several reports this evening," he stated quietly. "However, I encourage you all to remain here at your leisure for as long as you wish."

"We are thankful for your graciousness," Relias responded with a nod of respect.

Captain Corwin offered a bow first to Relias and then to me. With a final nod to everyone else, he excused himself.

Relias allowed a brief moment to pass after Captain Corwin's departure before he exhaled deeply, his sigh heavy and silencing. "In reflection, I must acknowledge several missteps in recent days. First and foremost was my delay in convening this gathering, allowing us to commune and deliberate together once again. Despite the numerous and distracting circumstances, I regret not initiating our reunification sooner." His voice faltered slightly, forcing him to pause momentarily as his hands clasped and unclasped in a display of unease. "In turning my gaze away from the world, I had neglected duties crucial to our cause and am only now finding out about the severe repercussions of my actions."

"You blame yourself too much, old friend," Aleph disagreed. "Conflict does not arise from one man alone."

Relias paused again, offering Aleph a remorseful look before collecting his thoughts. "And most importantly," his voice grew softer as his haunted gaze hit me full force. "I find myself grappling with profound emotions, leading to extreme responses that were far from appropriate. For this, I must extend my deepest apologies, Dear Rae."

A few confused murmurs rose into the air, but no one dared to ask for specifics. My gaze fixated on the intricate pattern of the wooden tabletop as I muttered, "I understand you have a lot on your mind..." I took a deep breath before continuing, "And so do I, so... I apologize for my reactions as well."

Reassured, Relias spoke with increasing confidence. "Moreover, I intend to offer a much-needed respite this evening. I am pleased to share that I have devised a strategy that will enable us to collectively penetrate the very core of Chairo, united in our Purpose."

"What?" Multiple people asked simultaneously as I tore my gaze away from the table and stared at him. "Collectively, as in all of us? Aleph and Tetora included?"

A hint of a confident, almost boyish grin flickered across his face. "Indeed, the plan involves all of us entering the inner city undeterred."

"Out with it, already," Vernie demanded, her patience wearing thin. "You may remain young, but the rest of us age quickly!"

"Well," he hesitated. "It will require us to take a slight detour. I believe it worth it, however."

"You're still not getting to the point!" Vernie moaned theatrically before taking a long drink of wine. Should we be monitoring her for moderation..?

"I am of the conviction that assuming the roles of King Saulus's personal attendants will grant us the latitude to move freely within the city," Relias proposed. "Naturally, securing his explicit endorsement in advance would be the most prudent course of action."

"King Saulus?" Nora asked as the rest of the party exchanged furtive glances. "What does he rule?"

"All of Ecclesia," Aleph answered. "His palace lies in the capital city of Amantia."

Nora gave me a puzzled look, but I simply shrugged in response since nothing he said rang any bells.

"Approved envoys or not, what makes you think they won't stop us at the gates?" Tetora questioned with a half-scowl.

"Pravum always answers to a higher authority..." Relias sighed.

"He would bow to his majesty?" Nora asked.

"Only in the public practice of etiquette..." Relias shook his head. "I refer to a more influential force – wealth. Pravum would not act in any manner that might jeopardize his acquisition of such resources."

"Oh..." I found myself saying excitedly. "The king's annual donation to the church!" One thousand gold bars! "Wait... we're not going to have to haul all of that with us, are we?" I think gold is pretty heavy... traveling with such wealth would definitely cause commotion.

"No," Relias replied with a light chuckle. "We are approaching the summer season, and it is customary for King Saulus to embark on his yearly pilgrimage to the high temple... a journey of devotion with the affirmation of continued donation throughout the year. Should we serve as his escort, it would afford us diplomatic immunity, a shield under which we can operate freely."

"It would even place us directly at Pravum's feet," Aleph murmured. "He could not hide from us then."

"What say you, Captain Lightbringer?" Relias asked. "Do you approve of the plan?"

Nora held up a hand before I could respond. "Wait. I have several questions."

"I will do my best to answer them." Relias inclined his head slightly, hands folded.

"You believe King Saulus will go along with the plan?"

"I do," Relias confirmed.

Nora frowned. "Will all of the Order of Silver also serve as envoys? I believe that would be rather suspect."

"You are correct," Relias admitted. "It will be necessary for us to part ways with them at the border. They will proceed towards the southern gates of Chairo, while our path shall lead us to collect King Saulus before our final approach to the northern gates. We must synchronize our arrivals, utilizing messenger hawks for coordination."

"So you want to arrive at the same time... so Silver can draw the attention of Pravum's Army?" I asked.

"Yes. Employing such a tactic to distract Pravum will be crucial for our mission, particularly in securing your shield, which lies under his control."

Right. The shield. I suppose that would give me authority and authenticity... if it accepted me.

"Have you talked to Captain Corwin about this plan?" I continued. "He'll be taking on risk, too."

Relias's answers were getting shorter now. "He is aware of it and prepared for the possible outcomes."

Glancing at all those around the table, I cleared my throat. "How does everyone else feel about the plan? Feel free to ask questions, too."

"Rae Rae... as long as you agree, we agree too!" Vernie laughed, and the others nodded. Nora cocked an eyebrow, however.

"I don't... have any problems with it..." I hesitated. "It's better than what I came up with..." What if I'm missing something, though?

"Then our course is determined," Relias declared. "I shall dispatch a formal missive to His Majesty, informing him of my impending visit... with a few guests, of course."

"His Majesty will be in for quite the surprise, I am sure." Aleph chuckled.

---

Once we were alone in our wagon, Nora couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. "What was your plan?" she asked.

"It... wasn't the most well-thought-out plan," I admitted. "I hadn't gotten that far."

"Still, I want to know what you were planning," she pressed.

"I... was thinking of sneaking into Chairo with you and Vernie to get a better look around. But my attempt to obtain a map of Chairo's defenses from Captain Corwin didn't go over too well," I explained.

"He actually had such a map, but he refused to give it to you?"

"Not exactly," I mumbled before summarizing what had transpired with Ezer and Relias.

"Okay, so who has the map now?"

"Relias, I think," I said with a yawn. "But he might have given it back by now. Why do you ask?"

"We should still try to get a look at that map," Nora asserted confidently. "Vernie had to make a quick escape last time she was there, and history tends to repeat itself."

I dreaded having to ask for the map again. "Oh..."

"Don't worry about it. I'll handle it," Nora reassured me. "Let's just get ready for bed."

I glanced over at the teapot that was waiting for us. "Can we skip the bitter tea tonight? I'm not really in the mood for it."

"Consider it done," she replied, pouring the tea out the window instead.