This chapter is brought to you by Suzume by RADWIMPS and Toaka.
Edited by: bafflinghaze
---
According to the official records that were written down during the premise of the Lesser Krieg War, specifically between the five years leading up to it, Auria Gwyneth Odum died twenty years ago on her journey back from the Polska Nation—where she spent two years working as a student diplomat representing the Rhine Empire.
How did her supposed death come about? Nobody knew the answer to it. Her carriage was attacked and then, like a spark, the war began.
The rest, as they say, was history.
---
In the late evening, the Northern Wing of the Odum Manor was filled with the sound of the heart-monitoring talismans pulsing steadily.
The first child of the Odum Family slept.
The dim glow of the lifestrand between the Duke of Odum and his firstborn shone with every breath they took.
Surrounding them were healing runes, drawn into the ground, protecting the child's body as he remained in stasis.
He was unchanging as he slept, oblivious to those who stood around his bed, monitoring him for any indication he would wake up again.
In the corner of the room, the Duchess of Elysium finished writing a letter. She handed it off to one of the healer apprentices.
"Please have someone deliver this to my husband. It is uncertain if I will be back within the week."
"Of course, Your Excellency."
The apprentice rushed off with the letter.
Laurel stood by the door and caught one of the servants passing through.
"Has Duchess Odum come back yet?"
"No, Your Excellency," the servant replied.
Laurel scrunched up her brow.
A few hours before, she had sent Vespera away with a long list of supplies.
The closest apothecary should have all the herbs she requested, so what was taking her so long?
"I'm back."
From behind one of the corners of the hall, Vespera appeared as if she was summoned, walking out of an entrance that was supposed to be a wall with a woven basket.
Laurel merely blinked as the wall sealed back up, leaving no evidence of a secret tunnel.
"Needed to do something. Sorry."
She shook her head. "It's fine. Did you get everything?"
Vespera nodded and handed her the basket.
Laurel took a peek.
"Perfect. Let's continue the treatment."
---
The head healer advised him to take a break, but Gareth was afraid that something would happen if he wasn't there, so he stubbornly stayed beside Nazareth.
Countless people were monitoring the situation, keeping a close eye on his son's heartbeat.
They were all eyeing the rise and fall of his chest, each breath he took—however small they were—and securing the room so that not even a ray of sunlight could enter.
The Manor had gone under lockdown for two weeks now.
Vespera was the only one allowed to enter and exit the gate, as she was investigating the reason for the incident.
Some of her personal servants had noticed a medicinal smell clinging to her coat when they were washing the laundry but dared not say anything about it.
The entire staff kept a close eye on the situation at hand. This was no time for accidents. They must be kept high-strung and tensed, in case another attack on the Young Master was made.
During this period of crisis, Ethel went missing.
---
Aurelion met Guinivere in the middle of the hall.
Both of their faces were cold and expressionless as they made their way to their mother's office.
She rarely summoned them, and when she did, it usually meant something urgent.
"Eldest Brother?" Guinivere suddenly asked.
Aurelion pressed a statue next to a wall and stairs appeared, leading into an underground passage.
"Asleep," he answered.
"Oh."
Guinivere plucked a lantern off the wall and they made their way through the passage and back out to another wing of the manor.
Without realizing it, the two siblings had reverted to their stoic nature.
The Manor was as quiet and cold as a mausoleum, and the cause of it was once again Nazareth.
For entirely different reasons, this time around.
Something was missing. The manor felt unbearable again.
They arrived in front of their mother's office.
"Mother," Aurelion greeted, opening the door.
Vespera stood in front of her children and gave them a letter.
"You leave at dawn," she said.
While their brother slept, they were being sent away?
"Please elaborate, Mother." It was not a question Aurelion was making, but rather a demand to know why.
She looked at him for a moment, her facial expression shifting slightly into a mix of endearing and calculating.
Guinivere wondered if she and their father had something planned.
The room felt like ice, the atmosphere unbearably stiff with tension.
"You two will go to the Church. There is someone there for you to meet. She has been made aware of the situation but cannot leave. Please bring her back as soon as you can."
Aurelion and Guinivere looked at one another.
The Church was a week's journey by horse and carriage. It was not a simple trip they were making, but a mission.
A mission that would lead them through the Desertlands, where the Holy City was hidden within the dunes, tucked away safely at the edge of a grand oasis behind walls built by the magic of the First Saintess.
And they were expected to somehow sneak a person out of those same walls.
Just how important—
Aurelion's mind reached a sudden conclusion, but it was Guinivere who voiced it.
"Will this cure brother of his ailment?"
The expression on their mother's face softened into a dangerous smile.
Like an ax murderer escaping prison time due to an insubstantial amount of evidence.
"Pack light."
"Yes, Mother."
The two siblings bowed their heads.
'Pack light', as their mother ordered, was another term for dressing light.
Do not look like children of a Noble House.
This mission was of utmost importance, and could possibly save their brother's life.
Meticulous preparation was a must. Failure to accomplish their mission could mean the death of their brother.
---
At sunrise the very next day, Guinvivere and Aurelion stood in front of Nazareth's healing ward.
There was a faint trace of magic surrounding the door, only allowing healers, their father, and their mother inside.
Everyone else was not allowed entrance.
"Are you ready?"
Aurelion whispered to her.
"No. Are you?"
"..."
Guinivere thought it was weird seeing him with brown hair and grey eyes. Guinivere thought the same of herself when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Having red hair was strange.
The color-changing charm was an experimental product from the Magic Tower, and Nazareth got his hands on them to test out for someone named Quill. Once he confirmed they worked, he had given several to Guinivere to play with.
She hadn't had a chance to use them before, but now...
She was putting them to good use.
"How long do the charms last?"
"According to brother, it would take about twelve hours before the colors fade."
Guinivere played with the dagger tucked inside her pocket.
Rainier brought them the clothes they needed for the journey. They met in Nazareth's office and exchanged their noble garbs for tunics and leather.
Guinivere had tied her hair up and fastened a sword belt to her hip. Hidden weapons were tossed into every available fold in her clothes. She has chosen to cross-dress for this mission.
"Father, we are leaving," Aurelion called out to the door.
Silence met them. It stretched on for seconds.
Guinivere and Aurelion were about to turn away until they heard a muffled voice that distinctly sounded like their father's.
"... Return safely."
Neither answered.
They headed toward the gates.
---
Under the hot and humid early morning, a servant fully clothed in thick black robes sat on the driver seat of a small coach, waiting in front of the manor entrance for their riders.
What was even stranger regarding their appearance was the wide-veiled hat they wore on their head and the black porcelain mask covering their face.
Their gender appeared ambiguous, as they looked neither man nor woman.
The door of the manor opened as the sun gradually rose into the sky.
Out stepped the would-be passengers—two Odum children in disguise.
The coach driver jumped down from their seat and swept into a clean bow before their master's children.
"Young Master Aurelion, Lady Guinivere,"
Even their voices sounded neither male nor female. There was an artificial wobble to it that indicated they were using a voice charm.
Aurelion calmly nodded in greeting while Guinivere peered at the coach driver with a look of apprehension.
"Has Mother ordered you to escort us to the Church?"
"Yes," the driver replied. "Madam Vespera has indeed relayed the message. It is a pleasure to serve both of you, Young Master, Young Miss."
Aurelion nodded. He was satisfied by the coach driver's explanation.
"What shall we call you?"
The coach driver cocked their head to the side, appearing almost owlish.
"I go by Lethe, Young Master Aurelion."
"Alright, Lethe. Then we shall depart now."
"As you wish."
With another perfunctory bow, Lethe hopped onto the driver seat and held the reins.
Both Aurelion and Guinivere climbed their way aboard, needing no help to get on.
Within a few minutes, they left the gate.
---
"The Church takes five days if we obey traffic laws. If Lethe drives quickly enough and exchanges the carriage for fresh horses once we reach the outskirts of the Capitol, we can shorten the trek through the desert down to a three-day trip. We should be there before the sunset on the third day."
Aurelion listened as Guinivere planned out the itinerary
They didn't bring a lot besides an additional set of clothes, food and water, money, and some weapons.
There should be no need for a carriage with so little belongings.
"Then we can give up the carriage and horses and exchange them for desert stallions.
The ones they had were only suitable for mountains and forests. To get through the Desertlands more efficiently, desert stallions would do better.
Aurelion and Guinivere discussed it with Lethe and it was decided once they arrived at the outskirts of the Capitol, the carriage and horses should be exchanged.
"I am surprised that Father has any contact with the Church. He's never mentioned it before. It is highly unusual that he's even associated with people there."
Guinivere played with the hilt of a knife Nazareth had given her. "This Auria woman, do you think she's related?"
"... I suspected by her name."
The first child and heir of the Odum House were usually given names pertaining to the word "light."
How could they not connect the dots?
Their father, who was once the spare heir of the Odum Family, knew someone named Auria.
Both Aurelion and Guinivere were getting the picture. It was not hard to guess what was going on when they now had all the pieces before them.
Aurelion pulled out the letter their mother wanted them to deliver.
"Father never talked about a sibling."
Guinivere stared at the letter for a moment.
Then, she said, "There will always be two so there wouldn't be a fluke..."
Aurelion looked at her.
She raised a brow at him, urging him to say the next line.
"... It doesn't matter who is heir as long as one becomes duke."
"The light and the blade to prevent a coup," she finished.
They recited the lines from the Odum records their tutors made them memorize long, long ago.
The nursery rhyme was taught to them early on, but they never really understood its importance until... well... Nazareth came along.
The naming pattern of all Odum children came from this nursery rhyme.
The firstborns were named after a glowing dawn or a golden light. The second-born Odum children were named after swords.
Blades wielded by knights and mercenaries during the founding century of the Rhine Empire.
Symbolically, it was meant to say they would resist and be resilient if ever the firstborn fell.
It was all ancient superstitions and traditions that no one cared about after the first ten generations.
Traditions stopped mattering when Nazareth showed up at their doorsteps.
"The Church is supposed to stay out of worldly affairs. How did they get their hands on Auria?"
Aurelion frowned. "We all know they have their hands dipped in several pies. To be that powerful, yet remain neutral to the bitter end... they are great pretenders."
---
Desert Stallions were carnivorous.
"The one with the sharpest teeth, please."
Guinivere stood in front of the stable master and pointed at the beautiful black horse with the ugliest-looking mouth and the most vicious eyes Aurelion had ever seen.
The stable master looked at his sister for a long moment.
"Young man—"
"Sharpest teeth."
"..."
Aurelion rubbed his temple
"Just... give him that one."
The stable master stared at him like he was crazy.
"The boy can handle such a beast? We have gentler ones of the same breed if you would like to look a little more."
Guinivere threw a bag of coins on the table.
"I'll take it."
The stable master sighed. "Very well, lad. Nightmare is yours. Will you be providing your own feed?"
"We'll buy a few days' worth of food."
The stable master came out with several packages of raw meat and bone.
"Alright, you're all set. Three Desert Stallions and some feed. May your journey prove fruitful."
Aurelion paid for the stallions with the money they got from exchanging the carriage and their horses.
They were near the border of the Capitol. The Desertlands and the Holy City were both toward the east, so they needed to exit through the eastern gate.
Many horse traders have set up shop in this area since many people exchanged their mounts when heading toward the Holy City.
Lethe put the raw meat and bone into the cargo pack on his horse. The cold charm would help preserve the meat from going bad.
Guinivere took Nightmare's rein and ushered it out of the stable.
The stallion growled, its eyes flashing in warning.
She stared at it for a long moment.
"Be good."
Another growl, this time more begrudging and less stubborn.
Guinivere patted it on the head.
Aurelion made an unimpressed face as he watched his sister tame her mount.
"What?" she asked, looking at him with a hint of sarcasm. "It worked on you, didn't it?"
"Hah?"
She rolled her eyes. It wasn't really a roll, but it may as well have been by her standards.
"You know, that thing that Brother does when you're all pissy and stuff—"
"He does no such thing!"
Nazareth did not treat him like some kind of violent and dangerous abomination! Nor did he placate him like a child!
Just what in the world was Guinivere implying here?!
She hummed and climbed onto Nightmare.
"Let's go. We're wasting daylight."
"..."
---
They rode their way to the eastern gate and saw a long line of people waiting to leave. They got in line and waited with the rest of the common people.
The gate guards on duty looked exhausted. During this time of year, the nobles had their social seasons and the common people who believed in the Faith and Church had the pilgrimage.
Technically, the Odum Family and the rest of the aristocracy would also have to visit the Church officially at some point before the summer ended, but most sent representatives instead of making the trip themselves.
Both Aurelion and Guinivere went on the year of their coming of age to be baptized by the Pope and had to stay in the noble quarters the entire time. They were only allowed to go out for prayers and had no contact with anyone else besides the Pope and his Cardinals. They never went to the Holy City again, after that.
After fifteen minutes of waiting in line, Aurelion felt a tap on his shoulder.
When he turned around he saw...
"Benedick?" Aurelion blurted out.
"Hey."
The older boy was dressed in a colorful desert cloak covered in jeweled ornaments and decorative chains. His red hair was loosely wrapped with a patterned head scarf.
Benedick quietly handed him a small note.
Aurelion quickly took it and stared at the words written on it.
"Under the orders of Duchess Odum, the Benedick Pilgrimage will be joining you on this journey," Benedick explained.
Aurelion read the same exact thing on the note.
He looked behind Benedick and saw several people behind him discreetly lowering their heads in respect.
"... Why?"
"It's for Neo."
Aurelion suddenly met red eyes that reminded him of Nazareth. His lips curled downward at the mention of his brother's other name.
It seemed Benedick was aware of the time travel thing, too.
"You asshole!"
The sound of thundering footsteps interrupted what Aurelion was going to say next.
Dagon was charging over, wearing a similar outfit to Benedick's but less... ostentatious.
He was scowling as he got close, and once he was in front of Benedick, he jabbed his finger at him.
"I can't believe you left me alone to handle your damn cargo by myself! Do you know how much shit you have?!"
Benedick calmly patted Dagon on the shoulder. "Good work."
Dagon looked like he was about to blow another fuse and maybe punch the other boy in the face.
"You can put your things in the caravan. It's specially designed for the journey, so you won't have to worry," Benedick turned around and said, ignoring Dagon's heated glare.
A moment later, Dagon took a deep breath and met Aurelion's gaze. "Odum will skin us alive if something happens to either of you—"
"I can handle myself just fine—"
"—and I don't care. The point is, if you or your sister get hurt during this mission, he will not be happy."
Aurelion pursed his lips in displeasure. He was about to make his objections known, but Benedick quickly interjected.
"What Finneas means is that the Duchess ordered us to protect you during the journey. The Desertland is a dangerous place, and we have a caravan with more people. Numbers matter in a place like that. You can do whatever you want once we reach the Holy City, but until then, we will take care of things for you."
Aurelion knew what they were trying to do.
Playing good knight, bad knight was a tactic to make people more agreeable, and Benedick and Dagon sounded like seasoned interrogators.
Aurelion had no idea what it was exactly Nazareth did when he wasn't focused on his numerous projects, or even during the times before the whole time traveling regression thing, but seeing Dagon and Benedick working in sync as they tried to convince him without resorting to violence told him what he needed to know.
They weren't giving him and Guinivere a choice in this matter.
They could either join them without a fuss or do it the hard way.
And Aurelion didn't want to know what would happen if he pissed Benedick and Dagon off.
"... Fine," Aurelion begrudgingly agreed.
Benedick smiled as he hadn't just subtly threatened them to join him.
"Come. I'll show you around."
In the back of his mind, Aurelion wondered, was this really the same stupid Benedick who once talked about filling the treasury with corn?
His brother's followers were no longer mere followers, and it seemed they weren't as stupid and as submissive as they used to be.
Or pretended to be.
For the first time, Aurelion realized the people his brother associated with also had the potential of being just as terrifying as him.
The thought made him glad that Nazareth had time-traveled.
---
The Benedicks didn't have to wait in line.
They'd already turned in their paperwork in advance and submitted it to the eastern gate guards three days before departure.
Their party left through the gate like a grand procession.
Lethe had opted to stay with the other servants in the back to guard the rear, leaving Aurelion and Guinivere to ride in front of the caravan with Benedick and Dagon, who also had Desert Stallions as their mounts.
Benedick tossed them both a headscarf and a desert cloak.
"It's better against the heat, trust me. The scarves are for the sand."
The temperature change wouldn't be noticeable until they reached the center of the Desertland, but the terrain would start to shift after ten miles. It was best to be prepared beforehand.
Aurelion and Guinivere put on the cloak and scarf without a fuss. Practicality was key for successful missions.
"The only thing we have to worry about are Giant Centipedes. They're very good at ambushing victims and crushing them with their weight, but you can tell when they're close by the patterns on the sand. They're also quite slow due to their weight, so really, taking them out should be easy enough."
Benedick was explaining to them about the dangers of the desert like he was a seasoned traveler.
Aurelion found that hard to believe, but he had noticed the chained weapon wrapped around Benedick's waist and the magic channeling stone discreetly worn on Dagon's wrists.
It was obvious they were ready for combat if the situation required it.
"Those fuckers are easy to blow up, and they'll die instantly if they take a blow to the head."
Benedick raised an eyebrow at Dagon. "How do you know that?"
"Pherb."
The answer, in itself, was an explanation that didn't need further questions.
To put it plainly, it was Magic Tower bullshit. No surprise there.
Benedick opened a map that showed the different checkpoints throughout the Desertland. They were currently traveling on a connecting road that would lead directly to the Holy City, and they would need to stop at different areas on the road during the journey.
"It's going to take us five days to get to the Holy City. I recommend stopping here and here to fuel up and exchange horses."
He pointed at two cities, one at the midpoint of the journey, and another at the end.
"For the first two days, we can camp out. The caravan brought tents and sleeping bags, and we have enough for you guys as well."
Aurelion looked at the map and saw that the cities they were stopping at were already circled.
"Porvada and Vesille?"
"Ancient cities. They're less desert towns and more... hidden in the mountains," Dagon explained. "They advertise themselves as tourist locations, so if you or your sister want a souvenir to bring back to your brother, those would be good times."
Aurelion noted that both Benedick and Dagon were oddly professional despite their initial attitude.
He shouldn't be surprised anymore, but he was.
It hit him how weird it was to travel with his brother's friends.
"Alright, we're close enough to get hit by a sandstorm. Cover your mouth and nose, everyone," Benedick warned.
Then, he leaned over, from his horse, and reached over to adjust Aurelion's scarf.
Dagon did the same for Guinivere.
Both siblings stared, unimpressed by the two of them.
"What?" Benedick smiled. "It's like babysitting duty. I get a favor from the Duchess if you make it back in one piece, you know?"
No, he did not know.
Aurelion rolled his eyes and proceeded to get hit in the face by bits of sand.
---
They rode until the moon was in the sky.
Time was difficult to tell in the Desertland.
Normal clocks didn't work out here, and portable sand clocks weren't conveniently available... yet.
"Magic Tower is still working on it," was the response from Finneas.
Royce didn't know why the development of sand clocks took so long when the Magic Tower could make a moving ladder and build communication mirrors on a whim.
But who was he to challenge the minds of the greatest thinkers of the Empire?
He was merely the humble heir to a Marquess family with several trade contracts, business assets, and more money than he could ever spend in a lifetime.
He would never dare to question—
"The sand clocks, who's in charge of researching it in the Magic Tower?"
"Magic engineering," Finneas answered. "Why?"
"I'll invest. Tell them to get it done before the winter solstice."
"... You want me to tell my brother to prioritize the sand clocks?"
"Yes."
Finneas pursed his lips. "Listen, Benedick, I know we're not exactly law-abiding citizens, but even that sounds like backdoor corruption."
"Five million gold—"
"Done."
The deal was struck within moments.
"Excuse me, but we're still here."
"We know," Royce answered.
Neo's brother looked at them like they were crazy, which was valid.
His sister stood to the side and diligently fed her horse.
Desert Stallions weren't the cutest nor the noblest-looking mounts in the world, but they were sturdy and made the journey easier.
The scare factor was a bonus, though Royce had to knock down a few points when he saw Guinivere diligently feed her horse a large bone with scraps of red meat still on it.
The horse would eat them if they died. What a terrifying thought.
Royce started a fire for everyone to sit around while the rest of his people went to set up the tents.
'Tent' was an understatement for what they had.
It wasn't like modern camping tents with barely enough room to crawl out of.
His aunts and his father made sure to pack the ones specially used for the Autumn Hunt.
Those tents were large and could fit ten people inside... while standing.
"They're circus tents," Finneas deadpanned when he saw them.
"They're not—"
"They're circus tents."
"..."
Not much was said about the topic afterward.
"How's Neo?" Royce asked suddenly.
He was met with a sharp glare in response, which he promptly ignored.
He handed Finneas a cup of ginger tea.
The deserts became cold at night, and of course, they would bring tea.
Royce took a sip of his own cup and met Aurelion's gaze calmly.
"Well?"
Aurelion scowled and folded his arms.
"He's... recovering."
"That's good." Royce poured him a cup as well. "Drink up. It'll keep you warm."
The three of them sat in silence around the fire, with the sound of the Desert Stallions crunching into bone and raw meat as background noise.
"You know about my brother's secret."
Royce hummed. "That would have to depend on what you mean by secret. Neo has plenty of them."
Aurelion looked at him. "You know about Neo."
"I do."
"Did he tell you first?"
Royce blinked, thrown off by the question.
"Did he tell me first?" he repeated, an amused smile starting to form. "Oh, kid. Your brother wasn't the only one who came back."
"... What? Hold on, what do you mean by that?"
Royce held back the laugh bubbling in his throat as he set his cup down. "What do you think?"
Aurelion paused. His mouth was opening and closing as if he was trying to find the right words to say.
Finally, he said, "Are you two the only ones?"
Royce shrugged. "Maybe. Still, the more things we change, the more things we can't control. I reckon the butterfly effect is kicking our ass right about now."
Finneas rolled his eyes at him.
"Got something to say, Finny?" Royce leered.
"Oh, fuck you," Finneas grumbled under his breath but didn't say anything else.
Aurelion kept staring at them as if he didn't know what to make of them.
Royce pretended to be oblivious.
Neo once warned him about his brother's... dislike of him.
The former-him did some pretty stupid shit and was frankly downright irresponsible, so Royce didn't mind.
He remembered his idea about tax payments through corn...
Indeed, old Royce was a little confused, but he certainly had the spirit. A little too much spirit, perhaps, with a large helping of what-the-fuck-am-I-doing.
Ah, to be young and dumb again.
"I never liked you."
Royce raised an eyebrow at the sudden admission. He leaned forward and tilted his head to the side.
"Okay."
"... You're not going to ask why?"
"Do you want me to ask—"
"That would be nice."
Royce pinched the bridge of his nose. He glanced over at Finneas and saw that his shoulders were shaking.
"Traitor," he muttered.
The middle finger was presented to him gracefully while its owner took a sip of the tea.
"Okay," Royce sighed. "Please tell me why."
It was going to be a long night.
---
Step 46. Let your loved ones go on an adventure. This is an important adventure of utmost importance. On the way, they might meet with your friends. Hopefully, they'll get along well.
---
The author has something to say:
Thank you, Nihil_Est_Scriptor and Kaitou_Gay for the fabulous fanarts!
Alright, so TSCFIST kinda got most of my attention after Nanowrimo. I have to admit, being able to write without needing to go back and search for mistakes is very satisfying...
Porvada and Vesille are what used to be Vesna and Padova. They managed to survive the fall of the Tiber Empire, otherwise known as the Great Void.
Desert Stallions are the horses used by the Vesna agents in TSCFIST.