Midday, Asheria 17th 2200 MC

“You mean the Bargain with the Empire that you made? I heard from father but...Well, What happened?” Alonso was shocked.

"That...is something I cannot reveal here yet. But I'll be blunt: It's not good, and That's why I requested for everyone to come here as soon as possible to help me come to a conclusion." He took a deep breath and sat back down after making the clarifying statement. "That's why I want everyone on their best behavior. I'll choose you all because You piqued my interest. You 5 will work together with me, and ensure nothing goes wrong on the day they arrive. I will inform the rest of you three of the current situation right after this meeting. "

"Umm, My Lord," Cormac stood up from his seat to ask, "So, These VIPs are our allies with the United Nations of Odgard, am I correct?"

“Yes...We’ll explain later,” said Reinhardt.

Aeneas then proceeded. “ So Anyway… There's that, and Oh I almost forgot. Instead of Midgardius's Representative, her Crown Princess will personally see us regarding this matter-"

Suddenly Cormac’s mood changed drastically, catching everyone in the room off guard.

“Lady Mineva is coming??”

Aeneas's eyes now leaned forward at Cormac, now interested as to why he knows her.

“Wait...You know Who she is?”

Cormac remained silent for a minute before replying, leaving a tense aura in the room. “...Truth be told...I was a candidate to be her Right Hand Man nearly 15 years ago...But…It’s top secret. I don’t think It’s something I can tell you in front of everyone…”

Aeneas was surprised but puzzled at the idea. “Wait, But You're Calydonese...Did you obtain Midgardius Citizenship as well?” Aeneas was squinting at the man with the Eye-Patch. 

"Well, I was able to get it thanks to my mother. As for my reasons-" Cormac was going to reply, but then They were interrupted by a hard knock on the door.

Reinhardt spoke up. “What happened?”

“Bandits! There are reports of a large army of Bandits marching towards the 2nd largest city to the east of here from the mountains! They will arrive there in a day...The citizens are requesting help, They sighted a camp not so far from the city! They're probably planning to loot the city as we speak!” said the panicked Soldier.

“Corbia… Damn it. What do you suggest, Reinhardt? The Prince looked at his best friend for suggestions.

“It takes a day to get there by either horse or foot. But there would be no risk since by the time we dealt with the Bandits, We would be right on time to meet the royals. We should arrive back on the very day they arrive. I will inform the Royal Knights to put a strict defense while we’re gone. I will get several soldiers of the Aenida Order to come with us to take care of this problem. Still...A large-scale attack on Corbia...while it's only a day away from here...why now?"

“I don't know...It might just be a coincidence. In any case, you 5 five will come with me onto this fight. Let's counterattack as soon as possible.” Aeneas proceeded to fistbump with Reinhardt.

Aeneas then stood up to head straight to the door. “Sorry Men, but It looks like our first mission isn’t dealing with the royals...but with bandits instead. I need all of your strength right now. Demonstrate to me that you can kick their asses!”

Reinhardt, in the meanwhile, felt uneasy about the whole ordeal. 

The Empire declining our offer, having a mysterious reason for a comeback, and was able to push Calydon back in a corner instead...and now this was happening. Or could it might as well just be a coincidence, as Aeneas said. Somehow, I got a bad feeling about this.

After Preparing a large group of Soldiers from the Aenida Order, Aeneas's team sets off to the Town of Cordia. About 7 hours had passed since then… The Sun was about to set.

Aeneas, Sully, and Reinhardt were traveling on Horses. While Alonso was running, Oliver, Cormac, and Bruno were flying on a small cloud made by Oliver’s Wind Magic. In the meantime, Oliver, Sully, and Cormac were informed of the plan that Aeneas was doing during the meeting on the 1st of Asheria, and the situation with the Empire. While Cormac seemed to be unfazed, knowing that his suspicions were confirmed, Sully and Oliver were disgusted with the actions of the Empire. 

"Can't believe the Empire was doing such a thing," sighed a disappointed Sully.

"Still...Do you think that plan will work? My lord would need to think of a strategy in case it all goes to hell..." replied Oliver.

Aeneas sighed. So far, he had nothing in mind.

Meanwhile, Bruno questioned his brother as he was sweating heavily from all the running. “Are you serious about running for a whole day??”

Alonso was running like a loose bull, filled with energy. He then replied,

“…. OF COURSE! It’s Only been 2 hours! I got plenty of Energy left! Besides, I’m bored!”

 “Don’t overdo it... We need your mana for the upcoming fight.”

Alonso then gave him a thumbs up.

Aeneas then looked bored, growing frustrated on not having an idea how to fight back against the Thabeans. “Hey Rein, How much till we reach Cordia…?”

“We’re not even halfway there. We crossed the river already, but in the next hour, We should arrive at Hei'dao, The Small Town that is in between the Capital and Cordia.”

“Ugh…... I’m so bored.”

Oliver then slides then next to Reinhardt.

“Umm...Sir….Is he always like this?”

Reinhardt chuckles. “Yes...Believe it or not, Lord Aeneas is not acting whatsoever. Everyone in the Capital calls him “The Laziest Prince in the World.”

“...”

Reinhardt then went serious. “But...He wasn’t always like this. He was once a very bright person. He was...the softest person I’ve known. Though, If I told anyone that, Nobody would believe me. Everything changed because of that day….”

“That day? Wait...Do you mean that Time when The Capital was….”

“Yes...Aeneas’s mother died on that day, in front of him and Lady Mineva. She died protecting the two. The event traumatized him...and he lost sight of himself. Ever since then... He felt responsible because he couldn’t save his mother. One day, He just stopped crying and left his home for many years. I, however, followed him and made sure he was safe no matter what. In the end, We learned many things about Calydon...both the good...and the bad. That's why I want my lord to open his eyes...and see that his mother would not approve of his behavior now. I know...he can do better. He can't keep running," said Reinhardt as he then sighed.

Aeneas was listening, however, He did not speak and only looked at the horizon with a sad expression.

“Heh, Though...Thanks to living life outside the Capital, He dislikes the Life of a Royal, and I...always hear his pleas that he wants to leave the capital once and become a commoner. But It's not that easy...I know deep inside, he cares about the people, knowing what many are going through, and wants to make a change here, as his mother did, and can't give up being Crown Prince now. Otherwise, If he didn't care, He would have abandoned House Arcadia a long time ago. That's why I am helping him get distracted by having things to do...Though, the idea of the tournament and the plan regarding the deal with the Empire was all his."

"Wow," said an astonished Oliver, "I never really heard of a Noble who...hates their status entirely. Sounds almost...silly. No offense."

"Heh, No, I understand what you mean. But, had I not convinced him to travel across the country to open his eyes, He probably would have never come back home..." Reinhardt then had a sad expression, clear for Oliver to see.

I can't imagine what would have happened had I decided not to go with him...In any case...I was correct in staying behind him at all times...Her Highness loved Aeneas...I just couldn't bear seeing her own son like this. It hurts me too, as someone with a loving mother. He had no one to guide him...and so I decided that I would chase after and help him when no one else did. I made sure that he remember what his mother stood for. To never forget.

"But I made sure he stood up with his chin up. We're like brothers, me and him. I recommended him the journey because...I wanted to make him see why his mother loved Calydon. By the end of our journey, He had a deep respect for Lady Aurelia...” Reinhardt then looked up and smiled as he looked at the sun setting down.

“Wow….So, You convince Aeneas to go on that journey that rendered him missing for so long. I remember many saying that Both of you were dead...I didn’t know." Oliver then smiled and praised the Knight, He's really fortunate to have someone like you. But Are you sure it was alright for you to tell me this..?”

“It’s alright, Aeneas doesn't mind. Believe it or not, Right now, He is thrilled to have you all. He trusts all of you and your strengths. But I apologize in advance for his quirkiness….Wait.” Reinhardt makes this really odd expression that puts Oliver in a worried state, as he stops his horse.

“W-What’s the matter, Lord Reinhardt?!”

Reinhardt then whispered to Oliver. “I completely forgot!! Aeneas loves Alcohol after a long day and we’re all screwed if he starts thinking about drinking once we arrive at Hei'dao…..”

Oliver was confused. “Oh...”

Reinhardt’s hands were on his face now. “Madness...”

Oliver was now nervous. “I hope this ain’t anything too serious…I mean what could go wrong?”

Aeneas then spoke up. “Hey Guys, Since We’re nearby Town in like half an hour, Why don’t we play at the Pub? Eh? What do y’all say?”

Alonso got excited and encouraged him. “Hell Yeah! Drinkin’ Time! It’s been a while!! Er….Sorry bro, You’re a little too young to be drinking….You’re gonna have to step out for this one.”

“Ugh...Thank the Gods I’m still young.”

Sully then spoke up. “Hey, Can Oliver and I explore town?!"

Reinhardt was getting annoyed. “Oh Lord Help me….. It’s just for an hour that we’ll be staying here, Guys. Then We have to go. Don’t do anything dumb while I take care of the Horses.”

Everyone seemed to be distracted in the light mood of excitement, thinking about what to do once they arrived in town.

Reinhardt sighed then smiled. “Sigh...Oh well. I guess I could let them relax for a while...I mean We’ve been out for half the day. Actually, Perhaps I should….”

“Ok fine, Change of plans! We’ve been out for nearly half the day….How about we spend the night in the Town? First, I’ll hire a scout to check out the outskirts of Cordia. If Things are in the green, We’ll do it. If things look bad, then we will proceed with the original plan…Sounds good?” Reinhardt then gave a thumbs up.

Everyone was paying attention and they all smiled.

Sully shouted, “Awesome!! Let’s do it! Isn’t this exciting, Oliver????”

“Yeah! Let’s do that!!”

Oliver then thought to himself, blushing.

“Hmm, I hope we could relax for the night….”

Reinhardt smiled, but then closed his eyes in deep thought. 

Well...I guess It's only bandits...But still...I think I'll stand by for tonight just to be safe. I need to prepare for the worst...I can't be too careless...My lord may be careless, but Me? I won't allow it...For Calydon...for everyone's safety.

After an Hour, Nightfall had arrived. The Aenida Order, with 3,000 Soldiers, had arrived in the Town of Hei'dao. Everyone waited at the town hall to await news from the scout that Reinhardt hired. After some time, They received good news: There was no activity from the bandits, meaning everyone could stay in the town overnight.

As a result, Aeneas, Alonso, and Cormac went drinking while everyone else went their own way. Reinhardt went to the Town Hall to inform the mayor that They would be staying overnight with 2000 soldiers. After getting approval, He joins Aeneas at the pub. At first, Reinhardt was pretty mad at him for being an irresponsible drinker, since Aeneas was already drunk. Everyone was enjoying themselves, happy and laughing in joy, talking about their social lives as the night went on. While the night did go on, It did not stop the men from having a good time.

Then, It was midnight. The 3 men walked to the inn, until….They fell sleeping on the floor sleeping. Sully and Oliver helped them up and sent each one of them to their rooms in the Inn. But Oliver noticed that Reinhardt was standing perfectly, all sober. "Oh, You didn't drink with everyone?"

"I can't...It's a little hard for me to relax...I'm making preparations just in case. I'll be sleeping by the bench at the park, near the town entrance. I'll have someone wake you all up if anything happens." Reinhardt had his arms crossed, with his eyes closed. He was serious about his choice, as a leader, he had that responsibility in his hands.

"Alright...I'll make sure these guys get to bed then to rest for the skirmish." Oliver then covered his nose as he was next to Alonso.

“Gods, They reek of alcohol...Just how much did they drink?”

Sully chuckled and tried not to laugh.

After some time, It was now Dylan’s turn to help Aeneas go to his room. He carried him straight to his room and dropped him off on his bed for the night.

“Good Night, Milord…” He then closed the door slowly, and quietly.

Aeneas then said something after Dylan left. 

“I had so much fun today, Mother…” 

Meanwhile, At Castle Argo...

The King drinking a cup of tea, before going to bed, thinks to himself:

"I hope that letter makes it in time...Thankfully, She is on her way...But as for the other one..."

To the King, This letter was to decide the fate of the country.