Chương 37: Chapter 36 - Kingdom Come

Rand laid down a single tile in the centre square near HQ right in front of what was to be the Path's SkyTower. After a few seconds, the tile activated and the temperature of a small area around it warmed up just slightly so that water wouldn't freeze. While the lower regions had yet to accumulate snow, light snow already fell onto the Hadstead mountain range. A dusting of snow covered the walkways on places not near the 'heated driveway' tiles.

Elador had reproduced it after a couple of weeks, and now it was mass produced by his own disciples. Rand did find the tile was named oddly. It should've been named something more befitting of its grand function. If it were up to him, he'd name it 'Heavenly Pathway Tiles', signifying that the tile made roads and walkways OSHA compliant. Elador and Aurora liked the name as well. Looking up at the SkyTower being built day and night by restless barbarians, he couldn't help but admire the Lady's name for it.

Truly, it was a tower that dared to reach for the skies to bring a challenge against the divine realm. Ring. Ring. Pulling out what the Lady called a 'mana communication device', on the front of it was text telling him of the upcoming OSHA Compliance meeting in 15 minutes. Whenever Grey was away, he'd be in charge of OSHA compliance within HQ. Rand smiled, as the Lady would also be attending this meeting. What a joyful winter's day it was.

Walking towards the tent by the square, he already saw a couple of safety inspectors entering. All of them looked a bit scared, but they really need not be scared of the Lady. In time, they would learn of her benevolence. Entering the tent, the Lady was already seated in the centremost seat at the round table. And yes, that was a paradox. A circle didn't have a centre seat, She was always the centre.

"Good afternoon, my Lady. A fine day today as light snow covers our HQ." Rand sat in the chair beside the Lady.

"Yes. Fine day. Sure," Lady Alex said.

"Why can't this meeting just be a scroll anyway?"

"Sir Grey has said this requires a meeting," Rand answered.

"Did he really?" Lady Alex asked.

"Yes, he did. Should I confirm with him if this meeting is necessary?"

"Nope. Don't do that," Alex said with a smile. As expected of the Lady. She didn't want to disturb Sir Grey's mission of bringing order to the fallen Stormbringer Royal Castle. Rand continued, "Today's meeting is about OSHA scripture compliance. There are two items: Greenie is getting too fat and is in need of a bigger facility, and Elador's modification on the Heavenly Path tiles to accommodate the barbarians throughout the winter construction."

"The heavenly what?" Lady Alex asked.

"It is the colloquial name of the dungeon artifact you've invented, the 'heated driveway tiles'."

"Sure. Sure." Lady Alex coughed.

"What about it?"

"Elador had modified the tile to be able to provide heat around their person, allowing workers to work through the winter," Rand said proudly. Lady Alex whistled.

"Are you serial?"

"Serial?"

"Nothing, so why is this in the meeting?"

"The issue now stems from the decreased range of the tiles. On higher levels of the tower being built, it won't melt the snow. If it does, it will make the surface wet and could cause a slip and fall accident." Lady Alex softly slammed her fist on the table while gritting her teeth. There it was. Rand's eyes widened as he saw a single tear roll down the corner of Her eyes. Her face slightly flushed, saddened by the safety of her loyal subjects. Everyone watched in awe as one more tear rolled down the other eye.

"And?" Lady Alex said with a high-pitched voice.

"Fear not, my Lady!" Rand shouted.

"The barbarians working on the SkyTower shall not fall and sadden you!"

"How?" Lady Alex sniffled, causing Rand great distress at how he was making the goddess feel.

"Rubber! Yes! Rubber! We have enough leftover rubber from the manufacturing of the hard hats to line the construction workers' boots! It will prevent slipping!"

"The barbarians are also mandated by OSHA to keep a rope on ledges at all times so they shan't fall! Please, do not cry, goddess!" A safety inspector shouted.

"Really?" Lady Alex asked in a weak voice.

"We do not lie! We shall also increase our safety inspections to every 2 days instead of every week during winter moons!" Another safety inspector shouted. Rand knelt down, lowering his head.

"We apologize for causing you distress for our safety. We shall accept any form of punishment!"

"It's fine. Raise your head, Randy." Rand looked up at her, and saw her wipe the tears off her face. To think their safety had made her cry. If Aurora found out, he'd be in big trouble. All he could think of now was how to make the construction site even safer. It was decided that he'd call Grey about the matter after this meeting.

"The next part of the meeting is... Greenie." Rand sat back up on his chair.

"He's gotten fat."

"What the hell? How's the stupid dragon getting fat?"

"We've been feeding him the kills from our pest control patrols. Which brings me to the OSHA scripture line that Sir Grey has mandated: due to the popularity of Fish-Fil-A, employees must take at least 1 hour exercise every day to avoid weight increase."

"What does that have to do with Greenie?" Lady Alex asked.

"Would Greenie be part of the Path as an employee?"

"Of course, he is. He's our head of sulfuric acid production."

"I regret to inform the Lady... Greenie has gotten fat since he stays indoors every day. As part of the Path, he must be taken to exercise for at least one hour everyday." Again, Lady Alex softly slammed her fist on the table while gritting her teeth. Another tear rolled down her eyes, but then she quickly recovered. Rand sighed as he thought she was about to be saddened at her employees' well-being again. As expected of the Lady.

She even saw a monster of destruction, the young orange dragon, as one of her precious subjects. At this point, so many feelings swelled up inside of Rand's chest that it felt like his heart would burst from joy.

"Where's the Witch?" Lady Alex asked.

"I believe she is currently doing a round of patrol in Aurora's garden."

"Bitch taking advantage of the free cafe mochas," Lady Alex mumbled.

"Excuse me, I didn't quite hear that, my Lady," Rand asked, as he couldn't hear clearly.

"Nothing. Just ramblings." Lady Alex smiled.

"Have the Witch take out Greenie with her dog."

"The General has named her Howler pet, Snowy."

"That makes no sense," Lady Alex mumbled inaudibly again.

"Anything else in this meeting? Can I get out now?"

"That is all for this meeting. Please enjoy your afternoon, my Lady." Rand bowed.

"Enjoy your afternoon, Chief Executive Officer!" The safety inspectors all shouted, also bowing.

"Ciao." The snap of Her fingers rang out in the tent, and the moment they all looked back at where She sat, She was gone.

"I shall handle Witch Raven myself. Safety Inspectors, you know your jobs. Increase inspection to every 2 days and every construction worker must meet safety standards. Understood?!" Rand shouted.

"Understood, Director of Security Rand!"

"Dismissed!" Rand stood up and exited the tent. He walked through the square and into the rear gate towards Aurora's divine garden. To his left was a small fur-covered tent with a bunch of Heavenly Path Tiles covering it. It was what the Chief Product Officer called a 'green house'. As he moved further into the divine garden, he saw the giant three-eyed howler sleeping at the bottom of the floating house. It opened its eyes momentarily before closing them again, completely ignoring him.

Rand slowly took the steps up to the house. When he arrived at the top, he knocked thrice and declared, "Chief Product Officer. It is I, Director of Security Rand. Is General Witch Raven with you?"

"Director of Security, you may come in." Aurora's voice came from behind the metal door. Opening the door and to his right, he saw Aurora and Witch Raven on the couch, sipping on cups of what smelled like cafe mocha.

"We were just having an afternoon cafe. Do you desire a cup?"

"Apologies for the intrusion, Chief Product Officer. I am under the orders of the Lady." Aurora got up from the plush sofa.

"Speak."

"The Lady has ordered General Witch Raven to exercise Greenie under the new OSHA scripture of employees needing 1 hour daily exercise." Immediately, Witch Raven groaned.

"Did she really say that?"

"Yes, she did. Shall I call her on the mana communication device?"

"Nope." Witch Raven smiled widely as she gritted her teeth.

"No need to do that."

"Be careful, General. Dragons are dangerous in our world," Aurora said. Witch Raven got up from her seat and walked towards the door.

"Thanks for the coffee, Aurora. I owe you one."

"There is no debt between employees. Do not mention it." Aurora giggled.

"Guess I have to go walk Greenie."

"May Her Grace light your path, General."

"Sure. Light your path or something." Witch Raven closed the door behind her as she exited.

"Did the OSHA meeting go well, Director of Security?" Aurora asked.

"Yes. It went quite well," Rand said.

"And?"

"I guess there's no use hiding it." Rand almost forgot. Ever since Aurora had attained her class, she could see everything within the Hadstead mountain range.

"I apologize for bringing the Lady to tears, Chief Product Officer."

"Why must you apologize for the tears she drips onto our land?" Aurora asked.

"What do you mean?" Rand's eyebrow rose.

"She sheds tears for our safety, Sir Rand. Is this not a joyous occasion?" Aurora smiled derangedly.

"I have not seen a legend cry for their subjects, let alone a goddess crying for subjects. Who would believe such events occur in our mountain?"

"I see." Rand looked around Aurora's house, still amazed at how well constructed it was.

"You truly are too intelligent. I wish I was more useful to the Lady..."

"Do not fret, Sir Rand. Everyone has a seat in Her All-Seeing plan." Aurora walked back to the kitchen.

"Now, do not be a stranger. Have a cup of cafe mocha before you go." Rand softly smiled as he saw Aurora make a cup for him. She was warm, humble, and smart, and dare he even say she was the most competent of the C-Suite. If the Lady had asked him to handle the envoys from the Church of Frae, it might've turned out much more differently, with their heads on a plate for what they said. Somehow, the Chief Product Officer had smoothly negotiated the whole situation away. There was still one thing on his mind.

They had called her 'demon of benevolence'. Can a demon truly shed tears for her subjects? Such foolishness by the Church of Frae. No matter what, Rand would protect Her land at the cost of his life. Aurora walked over to him by the door.

"Why not have a seat while we chat about Her Grace?"

"I shall take you up on this offer." ☕︎ ☼ ☕︎ ☽ ☕︎ Bishop Owen stood frozen in disbelief after getting off the carriage after arriving at the main square of Villipente. Light snow fell onto the ground, yet the cobble stone paths of the city were in full display as snow failed to carpet where it landed. A slight feeling of mana, or an energy similar, radiated from certain tiles of the bricked roadway. Crouching over to one of the tiles, Owen brushed his hand against it.

He saw the intricate design and patterns of it that resembled that of a dungeon artifact. On the first touch, he felt the surface of the tile to be warmer than the surrounding air.

"Bishop Owen… this is…" Romano muttered behind him, standing with wide open eyes.

"I know, Bishop Roman. What is this?" Owen asked, not expecting an answer. Both of them were in clear shock. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. It wasn't the fact that a dungeon artifact was used merely for preventing snow to layer on the ground. What shocked both of them was… there were dozens of them. Maybe even hundreds if they covered the whole city of Villipente. The minimum price for a dungeon artifact was at least in the range of 2-5 gold.

From where he stood, he could see at least 20 tiles of such just in this street. That would cost an astronomical amount of 40 gold minimum. Out of 10 labyrinth dives, only one dive would usually be fortunate enough to retrieve a single dungeon artifact. Most of the time, retrieved artifacts were of a combative nature. Utility artifacts were even more rare. To use such artifacts for such frivolous purposes was unheard of. What kind of monstrous adventurer party ventured forth a labyrinth and earned this many?

The party would have spent their entire lives finding the same artifact over and over again. Or it could be the demon of benevolence at the mountain's peak. It was even more strange that people walked about, carrying on with their day as they stared at both of the bishops as they passed by. No one cared about the dungeon artifacts embedded at specific intervals on the bricked path.

"Shall we walk around?" Romano asked. Words failed to escape his mouth. Owen could only nod in response. The two bishops walked away from their carriage and moved through the streets of Villipente. They turned at the first left to walk towards the water. A plan wasn't in any of their minds as they randomly decided which turn to take.

"Do you smell anything?" Owen managed to utter.

"I do not." Romano's eyes instantly widened. He reached for the corner of the bricked path. Clear water flowed through the side as the melted snow dripped onto the sides. Owen could even see himself in the water. It was true that winter covered up the smells, but it could not hide the rot underneath. Not a hint of murkiness nor hint of any foul smell lingering along the streets. He compared it to the streets of the Church of Frae.

Over there, the foul smell lingered with the waste water flowing through the gutters of the paths and through the canals where the slimes live. For what reason would the demon of benevolence help such a small city? Owen chuckled at the thought. He no longer thought of adventurers as the culprit. By proximity alone, through the short road of what the bandits called I-5, the Path had something to do with the flourishing of this city.

"Bishop Owen! Bishop Romano!" A familiar voice shouted from behind him. Turning around, Owen saw Marine Fontaine with the widest smile he'd ever seen of her. Her blond hair swayed as she ran towards them. The sound of her armour clanging at each excited step somehow put a smile on his face.

"Marine." Owen opened up his arms.

"Long time no see." Marine fell into a hug with Owen.

"It has been truly a long time."

"Nice to see you too, Marine," Romano said. After finishing the hug with Owen, she moved onto Romano, giving him a nice painful hug as her white armour dug into their bodies. Owen didn't mind, though. A little pain wasn't such a bad thing.

"How have you been?" Owen asked. Turning her head to him, Marine's voice grew more excited.

"It has been a wonderful few months! Shall we head over to Andrea's home and talk?"

"If you don't mind having a few old fools, we'd love to," Owen said.

"I'm sure Andrea won't mind!" Marine said.

"Though it seems you're no longer just old. You've also gained a bit of weight." Romano laughed.

"Do not jest on him too much. A little bit of weight from stress shouldn't hurt his health."

"Right on. Still, do be careful and not eat too much." Marine chuckled. She led them through an alley and towards a narrow path, most likely to avoid the crowds that tried to talk. Usually, narrow paths were avoided as they stink of waste, but winter time covered the smell, but that wasn't the case here. She led them through all the narrow alleys as 'shortcuts' to get to Andrea's home as fast as possible. Once they got onto the main square near the fish market, she turned around with a smirk on her face.

"I'm sure you've noticed it too?"

"Yes… the narrow alleys are devoid of waste and foul smells." Owen pretended to cough. Marine laughed." Walking has become quite a popular leisure activity in Villipente. Have you noticed the many passersby we've avoided?"

"Have the Baroness' soldiers perhaps raided the Count's coffer?" Romano asked.

"As much as I would have loved to, that is not the case." Marine walked up the steps of the house, moved to the end of the raised platform and opened the door.

"Come in. Come in."

"No need to rush. We're not going anywhere." Owen took the steps up and saw her face. Him and Romano entered the Baroness' house and moved with haste up the steps while being ushered by an excited Marine. It has been such a long time since he's seen her sweet innocent smile. Ever since she was a paladin trainee at the church, she'd always show a smile with no hint of malice. She was a person that could not hide even a hint of her emotions.

A lot was on his mind about the city's dungeon artifacts and seemingly unknown method of managing its waste. However, Owen couldn't forget that it wasn't so bad to savour such a scene. After climbing up to the second floor and turning left, they moved to the left wing. Marine stopped at a door with an odd hand print on it. She knocked twice before opening it without waiting for an answer from the other side.

"Andrea!" Marine shouted.

"What is it now?" the woman, Andrea Lois, looked up from her desk. She put her tea cup down, setting it along the side of her desk as if trying to hide its presence.

"Bishops. Welcome. How may I be of assistance?"

"Baroness, we apologize for coming uninvited," Owen said. Marine coughed once and said, "She is now a Viscountess." Owen straightened his posture.

"Congratulations on the new title, Viscountess Andrea Lois."

"Congratulations," Romano parroted.

"A title is meaningless, all of us know that." Andrea gestured to the chairs.

"Have a seat."

"We shall take you up on your offer." Owen and Romano entered the room and sat on the two chairs in front of the new Viscountess' desk. Romano's nose flared, and so did Owen's. The smell of the Cafe Mocha wafted through the air, coming from the teapot on her desk.

"Are you familiar with Star Cubs, bishops?" Andrea asked.

"Seeking the stars one twinkle at a time," Marine muttered.

"It is very… hard to forget. The kids love the Cafe Mocha."" Marine." Andrea said sternly.

"You shan't stop me from treating the kids…" Marine pouted.

"Too much sweets can rot their teeth. Do not treat them too much or I'll manage your wallet myself."

"Foul lady of the Viscounty! Your evil knows no bounds…" Marine crossed her arms. Andrea chuckled.

"Have your lands made a deal with the dem—the Path?" Owen asked. For a couple of seconds, both women in the room held their voices back. He almost had a slip of tongue, but caught himself.

"I beg of you the bishops to throw away your prejudices whatever they may be," Andrea said with her eyes darkened at them.

"The Path is not what you think it may be."

"Then what is it?" Romano asked. Before she could answer the question, Owen spoke up first, saying, "We apologize for the intrusion, Viscountess. Our mission here was to investigate the newly formed power in the Hadstead mountain range. We've heard of the north, west, east, and south bandit camps all being unified under one banner as what we now call 'the Path'."

"You must've seen the roads they've built. I'm sure you've passed by what the common folk call interstate rest stop." Marine asked.

"Then has the church come to deny them of their existence?"

"Rest easy, Marine. We've come to do no such thing." Marine sighed.

"However," Owen continued, "We've come to confirm their goals and motivations."

"Have you found your answer?" Andrea asked.

"We have." Romano coughed as he looked away.

"I see…" Andrea muttered.

"Then I assume your quest to my Viscounty wasn't about the Path, now was it?"

"Truthfully, it was not."

"The birds then?"

"Have the common folks not told you of the dark birds that landed in your territory?" Romano asked.

"All birds are dark from below, bishops."

"Birds do not migrate from east to west."

"But they do migrate from continent to continent. What's to say the flock took a break in my territory before going to Layos?"

"Do fish thrive when birds enter the lands? I think not." Romano said.

"And when a bigger predator leaves, compared to a measly flock of birds, fish do thrive."

"Pray tell what kind of predator you speak of."

"One that eats lots of fish."

"A non-answer. Then you claim no wrong doing yet all evidence points of foul play."

"Since when did I claim to answer? I merely claim that we are not involved in this flock of dark birds."

"And the Count launches his assault after the omen only to be brutally dismantled," Romano grunted.

"A coincidence."

"Romano, enough." Owen nudged the man beside him. Romano nodded.

"I apologize, Viscountess. I got heated in the debate."

"You always did love debating." Marine sighed audibly.

"Please do not scare me so much." Romano forced out a laugh.

"I apologize, Marine. Please do not take it to heart."

"Of course not," Andrea said.

"May we at least know what has caused the territory to survive against the Count's forces?" Owen asked.

"Is it not obvious?" Andrea asked. Owen and Romano leaned forward. She continued, "The Path. I shall tell you this just once, bishops, as I too am afraid. I cannot hold you to speak to no one of what we talked in this. But do know, my life is at stake for telling you of such knowledge." Owen nodded gravely.

"We shall hold back our words and speak no ill of this conversation. Do trust us." Andrea looked into both bishops eyes in turn before saying, "The Path holds multiple recluse legends. We fear the Lady's benevolence for we know not of her goals or intents." There it was again. This mysterious 'Lady' that Aurora also referred to. Owen shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

"Who is this… lady?"

"Hush, bishop. We speak not of Her name lest we incur her wrath," Andrea whispered.

"Have you knowledge of the recluse already?" Owen slowly nodded. The recluse were indeed creatures of… volatile and impulsive behaviour. Should this legend cast spells that recorded their conversation, they could very well be treading territory they should not. The highest recorded prowess of a native Nulfraean in history was 988, an archmage from Pandor. Yet stories told that he too feared the recluse.

"I understand now, Viscountess." Owen turned to his partner.

"Has her statements answered your curiosity?"

"It has." Romano relaxed his shoulders.

"The Church prays for your safety."

"I believe the city is not all that bad." Marine chimed in.

"The streets are clean. The roads do not accumulate snow, preventing our subjects from falling." Owen suddenly laughed along with Romano. For a while, they couldn't help but hold their stomachs as their laughter started to cramp their cores. After a few more seconds, both men wiped their eyes. Marine had tilted her head in response to the laughter, slightly prolonging Romano's joy.

"It's nothing, Marine. You speak of the dungeon artifact as though it was to prevent slips and injury. A great jest," Owen said, wiping more of his tears.

"It wasn't a jest…" Marine muttered.

"I believe the town will continue to flourish throughout the winter. The artifacts allow unimpeded travel within the city," Romano said.

"A water mage would not be needed to clear streets. One less pocket to pay."

"Correct," Andrea said.

"I assume you've also managed to observe the city's invisible waste system?"

"We have." Owen looked into her eyes.

"I assume that is also the Path's contribution?"

"It is." Andrea smiled.

"Then we shall not intrude any longer," Owen stood up.

"We shall head back to the Church before heavy winter fall."

"So soon?" Marine asked as she stepped forward.

"You could stay through the winter instead."

"Sorry, Marine. We'd love to, but I cannot let the Theocracy take advantage of my absence."

"Right. There was that." Marine's fist clenched.

"Let us pray their eyes be illuminated by Frae's light." Marine nodded.

"Let us depart." Owen tapped Romano on the shoulder, and the man also stood up.

"We shall visit again in next Ter, Viscountess."

"The bishops are always welcome. I'm sure Marine would also be happy."

"Farewell," Owen said. He patted Marine's shoulder as he exited the room. Romano did the same. … … … 9 days later, after taking a rest in the capital of Lyra, Bishop Owen and Romano were en route back to Church of Frae sovereign lands. Currently, they passed by Marchioness Sarrazin's territory, north of Lyra's capital, as light snow fell on the farm lands coating everything in a light blanket. Their journey had slowed down significantly after exiting the infamous I-15.

"Perhaps your mind has adjusted?" Bishop Romano asked.

"I apologize for my silence, Romano. A lot is on my mind is all."

"No need to apologize. I too am in deep thought…" Owen turned his eyes towards his partner's. A few new wrinkle lines appeared on the bishop's face. Perhaps he too aged faster during their stay at the new Viscounty, not because of its flourishing city, but because it was unlike anything they'd seen. The newly titled Viscountess had been more shrewd than they expected.

"If there is a chance in your heart, I believe we may not need to report this to the Cardinals," Romano said. Owen's eyes widened. The man in front of him had been one of the more inquisitive bishops, hence, he had asked the man to join him on this audit.

"Please speak your mind." Romano nodded.

"I've seen the common folk as we passed the I-15. The children, the common folk, and the 'employees' of the bandit establishments. They all smiled, unafraid of winter."

"And?"

"This… demon of benevolence does more now than we do as the corruption of the Theocracy gnaws at our sovereign state. Perhaps this is a sign from Frae Herself to look the other way."

"We cannot do that." Owen said in a low voice. Romano sighed as if relief washed over him.

"I see. Then please enlighten me." During the silence, Owen did think of all options on what to say when they got back to the Church. He looked out the window before saying, "It is simple. The Theocracy is the true demon in this world."

"That much is obvious."

"Should we tell them the truth of what we've seen and experienced, they shall condemn the Viscounty as all brainwashed by demons. The Cardinals will rally all nobles and Kingdoms under its banner to squash the heretics associated with the bandits of the Hadstead mountains, including us."" For what reason would they include us as heretics?"

"For merely being associated and speaking of the heretics in a good light, and both of us know we cannot deny their positive actions towards the subjects of Frae, correct?" Romano looked down at his fingers, fidgeting.

"Correct."

"If we lie and tell them it is merely just a bandit camp, hoping the Theocracy would ignore it, then they shall send donation collectors, more aggressive ones or worse. They may send subjugation tasks to guilds against the bandit camps."

"Why would that be a bad thing?"

"Kingdoms have survived by not poking a recluse legend's nest let alone multiple of them in one area, Romano."

"Right…."

"The last is we flee and defect to the demon of benevolence."

"I feel that might not be a bad choice, given they do acts that I too wish to do. I wish to be part of the people that heal and help those in need, Owen. Is that not such a bad thing?!" Romano almost yelled, standing up in the carriage.

"Then shall we leave our own people in the Church of Light to their own devices?" Owen asked. Romano sat back down and rested his head on the carriage's wall.

"I'm sorry for showing an unsightly appearance."

"Do not apologize, Romano. I too have the same wish as you. I would have defected already should I have no worries about our own people back in the church." Owen tapped on the carriage's wall.

"But if we do defect, it also poses problems within the Church. Our side loses two bishops, and the power swings to the Theocracy. Who's to say they shall not cast war against the Hadstead Mountain the moment they hear of the news of our defection?" Romano turned his head back at him.

"Then what shall we do?" In fact, there was only truly one correct choice to minimize death and war in this time against these legends at the mountain's peak. Rather than deciding with military force, it was better to shift the conflict through economy thereby allowing the Theocracy to get what it wants. Since the Hadstead Mountain was not a recognized sovereignty, the Church had no right to ask anything of it.

Levying border tariffs and having justified precedence to ask for donations would dismantle Aurora's arguments. Having trade deals with bandits was seen as unorthodox by the church and could pose issues by being branded as criminals. This decision would create a loophole for the common folk to continue to live in peace under their current true rulers, the bandits.

"Our win condition here is to minimize mortality on both sides while also placating the greed of the Theocracy," Owen said, then paused for a couple of seconds to remember what Aurora said. She had mentioned something about 'Her Grace' which might be referring to the leader of the recluse legends.

"Please, tell me, Bishop." Romano urged.

"We shall pronounce to the Cardinals that a new kingdom has been born." Owen smirked, not knowing anything else of the bandit's Lady, before pronouncing"The Kingdom of Grace." Suddenly, both men felt an awe striking fear within their core. The horse at the front of the carriage started to buck and scream.

"D-d-d-dragon!!" The coachman screamed and wheezed. Bishop Owen and Romano both looked outside the window. An orange scaled dragon flew just above ground. Its massive wings hurled snow up into the air as it passed by. Each of its flap sent tremors into their very core. Itzae. The direction she headed was south, towards the capital of Lyra. Or maybe further, towards the Viscounty or maybe even the Hadstead Mountain range.

"May Frae's Light give this land order." Owen muttered. Regardless of the reason, the sighting of a dragon in the mainland was always an omen.