Having spent the remaining daylight hours ordering Akira and the nobles to finalize their preparations to march, which surprised him to know how ready and prepared they were, as if they were predicting the man's desire for battle, Asai retreated from the great hall and towards his penthouse to retire for the evening.
To enjoy the night, as his relatively peaceful lifestyle was about to change drastically, Asai set up a little BBQ pit upon the balcony that presented the city as his backdrop, with pounds upon pounds of fresh beef, venison, chicken and meat from a crab-like monster. The man endeavoured to enjoy his last peaceful evening with good food, alcohol, a penthouse-view and good-company.
As he had a princess hovering over one shoulder, expertly slicing the fresh-meat into equal-cuts, as she began to marinate and slather honey over the chicken-wings. His dearest Robin Sol upon the other shoulder, already pouring his drink like a bartender would, wasting not a single-drop, as she mixed the almond flavoured liqueur with orange-juice and ice.
Chloe Bedevere prepared the skewers, forks and plates, as she approached the BBQ no differently than an adventurer would to a camp-fire meal.
Violet, who was quite the glutton herself, had a basket of vegetables as she foresaw Asai's dietary-habits that only focused upon meat and proteins over healthy greens.
Sora Kaka tended to the kettle and the green-tea leaves, something to sate the throats of anyone who didn't desire alcohol, such as her kingdom's princess, Mizumi and herself.
As for the two humans who were simply there and enjoying the calm before the storm, Mel and Clam were throwing question after question at the servant Lucied, who was quite happy to speak highly of her lord and king, but was feeling increasingly overwhelmed by their combined energies.
Bethel and Olivia, the two knights of Trichia were the last to make their way up and into the penthouse as they were closely followed by Ken Kuro and Mary Kuro, the two servant-dhans that hailed from the same defensive-clan; Whilst Ken was brave enough to challenge Asai to a duel upon his first arrival to the island of Bahran, he was now entirely quiet as his gaze shifted from the beloved princess he was once obsessed with and his childhood friend, who once again kicked his shin to warn the young-man from any stupid ideas. With trays of mochi, dango, rain-drop cakes and even sakura-baked cookies, they entered the room to find Violet to be the most pleased upon noticing their contribution to their last meal before war.
..
An hour into the evening, after their taste buds were sated, their thirst drenched, and their minds calmed as the pink-atmosphere was quite the rarity, due to their self-imposed obligations towards a life of training and self-betterment. Asai rose out of the comforts of cushions and pillows, raising a glass in which he hit with a spoon, demanding the attention of his companions that had literally experienced and been through death and back alongside him.
Satisfied with the silence and total-attention the people gave him, as their merry-conversations died out in recognition of authority and respect.
"Knights, vassals, friends and companions.
As a fellow human who sees clearly the dark-clouds which encroaches upon us even at this very second. I regret to be the bearer of bad news, but we will once again raise our banners and march into supposed glorious battle. The orders I received from Her Majesty, Victoria Del Lagos, are to assault the enemy-army from behind.
A anvil and hammer tactic, whilst the collective-defence and the very stonewalls of Thrud Castle shall be the anvil, we were given the honour of being the hammer-"
Looking into Clam's eyes, he remembered the reports he received, describing how the man alongside Gary had thrown their very bodies into harms way to protect and shield Robin as her mana went rampant and over expended itself to the point of collapse. And whilst he had managed to repay Clam thus far, by gifting him an item so valuable, kingdoms, clans and households would without a doubt go to war for. Gary would have to continue being patient for now.
"Whilst on paper, this sounds like the perfect stratagem to utilize, as a tactic tested and perfected through time, that has proven itself to be highly effective. I am not so optimistic to believe it would play out as perfectly as we desire. Approaching our imminent future with a more rational mind, I've decided to split our army into three forces.
Robin Sol will be with me at all times, no matter the circumstances, no matter what internal or external factors occur, she will be with me. Consider the two of us to be the Flex force, as Robin is only capable of carrying a single other person during her flight, it only makes sense for her to be with me, so that I may react to any external-forces we may come across.
Bethel, as your lord and duke, I order you to take command over the offensive-force and lead the charge south through the deadlands. Use this war, perform your best whilst also learning from it. Clam, your orders are to ignore all else, and focus your efforts on keeping Bethel alive. Trust me when I say this, if she dies, it's game over for us." "As much as I'd like to utilize Clam's defensive abilities for myself, having him safe-guard the [Hero] is much better than allowing her to die before she accomplishes whatever her destiny is."
Feeling conflicted, Clam felt somewhat disappointed that he wasn't appointed to the grand duke himself. However, he couldn't help but wonder why Asai would place so much value upon the carefree and tomboyish pink-headed woman. Ignoring his heart that was upon his sleeve, Asai continued.
"Chloe Bedevere and Violet, the two of you shall take rear-guard. No matter if I'm there or not, act autonomously, and if you do find the collective-force in trouble, stall and buy time for me.
Mizumi, Olivia and Sora, you three will remain behind in Par'Talucca and defend the city whilst the army is away. Whilst I'm aware that I'm literally marching the majority of the military out with me, leaving you with only teenagers and young-men to man the walls. You will still have the Kaka and Kuro clans to defend you from the shadows." "Although I'm taking away all the samurais, swordsman and warriors, at least the city and people will have its assassins to protect them, since they're not the best military-force to march into open-warfare. In addition, the palace-servants who were all hovering around the level 50 mark would be remaining behind."
"If the city does come under siege from a military-force to much to handle, don't hesitate to abandon Par'Talucca, evacuate the people to the portal and take refuse in Aevraury. Duke Jeffrey de Lumix's soldiers, along with the elves there will assist you with accommodation and food. Whatever happens to the city afterwards, we can simply rebuild and repair.
Am I clear?"
Slowly scanning his eyes over everyone's face, as they nodded in confirmation, Asai sighed in satisfaction.
"Good, eat up, drink up and rest well. After tonight, it will be bedrolls and tents until the dekan-menace is no more...
Robin, come with me."
Although having been told to continue with the BBQ and drinks, no one moved a muscle as they watched Asai leap onto the balcony-railing before flipping upwards and upon the roof. Closely followed by Robin, who wasn't so flashy and just casually floated up there.
Bethel raised her glass to break the silence.
"To humanity." The pink-headed [Hero] declared.
"To victory." The princess spoke with conviction.
"To survival." Mel raised her glass, clinking it against the other two.
"To a better tomorrow" Clam raised two mugs, double the size of their glasses, and each filled with a different drink.
"To Trichia." Olivia randomly said, as her loyalty whilst on paper was towards the grand-duke, but in truth, it was to the people of Trichia which included her loved-ones.
""To Trichia~"" Chloe, Violet and Sora declared, but rather than the territory, the three were thinking about the human.
...
"Robin..." Asai pulled out the decree that was meant only for the eyes and ears mentioned upon it. "You and I, we have secret-orders to sneak into Armenes, to confirm whether the prince is alive or not. And if he is by chance alive, we are to extract him."
Robin's golden eyes flickered as she blinked a few times, trying to unwrap and unfurl the knots and puzzles.
"The defence and attack at Thrud Castle is a diversion? For us to slip in whilst they send more of their forces to try and catch your army?"
Asai nodded, confirming her theory.
These orders of theirs weren't rational or logical at all. It simply made better sense to utilize the sword and wings of humanity to annihilate the dekan-army. However, deep down, Asai could understand that under the guise and façade of a strong and unyielding queen, Victoria honestly just wanted her brother back.
Having spent the remaining daylight hours ordering Akira and the nobles to finalize their preparations to march, which surprised him to know how ready and prepared they were, as if they were predicting the man's desire for battle, Asai retreated from the great hall and towards his penthouse to retire for the evening.
To enjoy the night, as his relatively peaceful lifestyle was about to change drastically, Asai set up a little BBQ pit upon the balcony that presented the city as his backdrop, with pounds upon pounds of fresh beef, venison, chicken and meat from a crab-like monster. The man endeavoured to enjoy his last peaceful evening with good food, alcohol, a penthouse-view and good-company.
As he had a princess hovering over one shoulder, expertly slicing the fresh-meat into equal-cuts, as she began to marinate and slather honey over the chicken-wings. His dearest Robin Sol upon the other shoulder, already pouring his drink like a bartender would, wasting not a single-drop, as she mixed the almond flavoured liqueur with orange-juice and ice.
Chloe Bedevere prepared the skewers, forks and plates, as she approached the BBQ no differently than an adventurer would to a camp-fire meal.
Violet, who was quite the glutton herself, had a basket of vegetables as she foresaw Asai's dietary-habits that only focused upon meat and proteins over healthy greens.
Sora Kaka tended to the kettle and the green-tea leaves, something to sate the throats of anyone who didn't desire alcohol, such as her kingdom's princess, Mizumi and herself.
As for the two humans who were simply there and enjoying the calm before the storm, Mel and Clam were throwing question after question at the servant Lucied, who was quite happy to speak highly of her lord and king, but was feeling increasingly overwhelmed by their combined energies.
Bethel and Olivia, the two knights of Trichia were the last to make their way up and into the penthouse as they were closely followed by Ken Kuro and Mary Kuro, the two servant-dhans that hailed from the same defensive-clan; Whilst Ken was brave enough to challenge Asai to a duel upon his first arrival to the island of Bahran, he was now entirely quiet as his gaze shifted from the beloved princess he was once obsessed with and his childhood friend, who once again kicked his shin to warn the young-man from any stupid ideas. With trays of mochi, dango, rain-drop cakes and even sakura-baked cookies, they entered the room to find Violet to be the most pleased upon noticing their contribution to their last meal before war.
..
An hour into the evening, after their taste buds were sated, their thirst drenched, and their minds calmed as the pink-atmosphere was quite the rarity, due to their self-imposed obligations towards a life of training and self-betterment. Asai rose out of the comforts of cushions and pillows, raising a glass in which he hit with a spoon, demanding the attention of his companions that had literally experienced and been through death and back alongside him.
Satisfied with the silence and total-attention the people gave him, as their merry-conversations died out in recognition of authority and respect.
"Knights, vassals, friends and companions.
As a fellow human who sees clearly the dark-clouds which encroaches upon us even at this very second. I regret to be the bearer of bad news, but we will once again raise our banners and march into supposed glorious battle. The orders I received from Her Majesty, Victoria Del Lagos, are to assault the enemy-army from behind.
A anvil and hammer tactic, whilst the collective-defence and the very stonewalls of Thrud Castle shall be the anvil, we were given the honour of being the hammer-"
Looking into Clam's eyes, he remembered the reports he received, describing how the man alongside Gary had thrown their very bodies into harms way to protect and shield Robin as her mana went rampant and over expended itself to the point of collapse. And whilst he had managed to repay Clam thus far, by gifting him an item so valuable, kingdoms, clans and households would without a doubt go to war for. Gary would have to continue being patient for now.
"Whilst on paper, this sounds like the perfect stratagem to utilize, as a tactic tested and perfected through time, that has proven itself to be highly effective. I am not so optimistic to believe it would play out as perfectly as we desire. Approaching our imminent future with a more rational mind, I've decided to split our army into three forces.
Robin Sol will be with me at all times, no matter the circumstances, no matter what internal or external factors occur, she will be with me. Consider the two of us to be the Flex force, as Robin is only capable of carrying a single other person during her flight, it only makes sense for her to be with me, so that I may react to any external-forces we may come across.
Bethel, as your lord and duke, I order you to take command over the offensive-force and lead the charge south through the deadlands. Use this war, perform your best whilst also learning from it. Clam, your orders are to ignore all else, and focus your efforts on keeping Bethel alive. Trust me when I say this, if she dies, it's game over for us." "As much as I'd like to utilize Clam's defensive abilities for myself, having him safe-guard the [Hero] is much better than allowing her to die before she accomplishes whatever her destiny is."
Feeling conflicted, Clam felt somewhat disappointed that he wasn't appointed to the grand duke himself. However, he couldn't help but wonder why Asai would place so much value upon the carefree and tomboyish pink-headed woman. Ignoring his heart that was upon his sleeve, Asai continued.
"Chloe Bedevere and Violet, the two of you shall take rear-guard. No matter if I'm there or not, act autonomously, and if you do find the collective-force in trouble, stall and buy time for me.
Mizumi, Olivia and Sora, you three will remain behind in Par'Talucca and defend the city whilst the army is away. Whilst I'm aware that I'm literally marching the majority of the military out with me, leaving you with only teenagers and young-men to man the walls. You will still have the Kaka and Kuro clans to defend you from the shadows." "Although I'm taking away all the samurais, swordsman and warriors, at least the city and people will have its assassins to protect them, since they're not the best military-force to march into open-warfare. In addition, the palace-servants who were all hovering around the level 50 mark would be remaining behind."
"If the city does come under siege from a military-force to much to handle, don't hesitate to abandon Par'Talucca, evacuate the people to the portal and take refuse in Aevraury. Duke Jeffrey de Lumix's soldiers, along with the elves there will assist you with accommodation and food. Whatever happens to the city afterwards, we can simply rebuild and repair.
Am I clear?"
Slowly scanning his eyes over everyone's face, as they nodded in confirmation, Asai sighed in satisfaction.
"Good, eat up, drink up and rest well. After tonight, it will be bedrolls and tents until the dekan-menace is no more...
Robin, come with me."
Although having been told to continue with the BBQ and drinks, no one moved a muscle as they watched Asai leap onto the balcony-railing before flipping upwards and upon the roof. Closely followed by Robin, who wasn't so flashy and just casually floated up there.
Bethel raised her glass to break the silence.
"To humanity." The pink-headed [Hero] declared.
"To victory." The princess spoke with conviction.
"To survival." Mel raised her glass, clinking it against the other two.
"To a better tomorrow" Clam raised two mugs, double the size of their glasses, and each filled with a different drink.
"To Trichia." Olivia randomly said, as her loyalty whilst on paper was towards the grand-duke, but in truth, it was to the people of Trichia which included her loved-ones.
""To Trichia~"" Chloe, Violet and Sora declared, but rather than the territory, the three were thinking about the human.
...
"Robin..." Asai pulled out the decree that was meant only for the eyes and ears mentioned upon it. "You and I, we have secret-orders to sneak into Armenes, to confirm whether the prince is alive or not. And if he is by chance alive, we are to extract him."
Robin's golden eyes flickered as she blinked a few times, trying to unwrap and unfurl the knots and puzzles.
"The defence and attack at Thrud Castle is a diversion? For us to slip in whilst they send more of their forces to try and catch your army?"
Asai nodded, confirming her theory.
These orders of theirs weren't rational or logical at all. It simply made better sense to utilize the sword and wings of humanity to annihilate the dekan-army. However, deep down, Asai could understand that under the guise and façade of a strong and unyielding queen, Victoria honestly just wanted her brother back.
