As the light from the incandescent stones of Rubitrill lost its luster in every corner of the vast hideout region, Rudra came out to witness the bustling activity. People hurriedly carried countless boxes to the shelter, and his curiosity led him to vocalize his wonder at the origin of this influx.

"What's going on here? Why all these supplies?"

"These are supplies brought back from Arnold's recent mission."

A young girl, with light brown hair and crystal blue eyes, approached knight Rudra.

“…”

“Oh, I beg your pardon for introducing me to you in this way, knight.”

"My name is Phione di Ellid, I'm a resident of this bunker."

Rudra's surprise increased when she revealed herself as Phione of the Ellid family, nobles of Lisithea. Examining the silver and gold Ellid crest, adorned with an elaborate feather bedspread, Rudra questioned his presence in a bunker like theirs.

"Phione, from the Ellid family*? Nobility of Lisithea in a place like this? What brought you here?" Rudra asked.

Phione shared a harrowing story of her family's fate - victims of a bomb attack that killed her mother and left her father died before her eyes.

Her enslaved brothers succumbed to the burdens of captivity, leaving her the only survivor, discovered by Arnold and taken to the safety of the bunker. Rudra expressed condolences, and Phione, resilient, stated that she had moved beyond the tragedy.

"I faced the darkness and now I find the strength to help others. Arnold and his knights saved me."

As they talked, she spoke of the admiration the children had for FIDELIUS's expedition group, Leslie and Arnold, aspiring to follow in their footsteps.

In a touching moment, Phione revealed her role in the bunker, looking after the children and overseeing the kitchen. Rudra, intrigued, asked about the dark purple-haired girl who took care of him while he was unconscious.

Phione introduced Lonia, another war orphan, now responsible for the infirmary alongside novices and chapel sisters. Lonia, too, had been separated from her mother due to the ravages of war.

“...I will thank you for taking care of me another time…”

The distant applause of the celebrating soldiers echoed, marking the arrival of wine, drinks and bread, bringing a subtle smile to Rudra's face.

“Ha- you smiled, didn’t you?” – asked Phione, who noticed the subtlety in her reaction.

            “Y– yes..?” – Rudra replied, confused by what he felt.

“They are always happy when supplies from outside arrive, so it is normal to feel this way… Even if you are a retired Aleonia knight.”

However, while Rudra was talking to Phione, slight headaches began to attack him. Phione, worried, asked about his well-being, and Rudra assured him that he was fine.

The conversation ended when a child summoned Phione, pulling her to tend to the youth and kitchen chores. The golden-eyed knight saw Phione say goodbye, led by the child's hands.

As Phione said goodbye to Rudra, she felt the presence of a heavy hand approaching her left shoulder.

“!” – Rudra soon turns his body back.

“Whoa…”

Looking back, Rudra meets Arnold, who was about to catch his attention, and soon the knight lets his guard down.

“Sorry to scare you, Sir Rudra.”

“...So this is the special knight that Magnusson raised as a member of FIDELIUS…”

Rudra soon looks to the side and notices the large boxes that entered the bunker.

“Yeah… the boxes keep coming in, and that makes me very happy.”

“People will be able to support themselves for a long period of time.”

“Even though this season of the year is troubled, we still had a good harvest.”

Arnold introduced a warm conversation, even though he knew little about Rudra's nature.

"Do you want to take a walk while we talk or am I bothering you?" - Arnold asked.

“No… it’s okay, let’s go.”

Rudra and Arnold walked through the vast corners of the bunker, while discussing general everyday matters. Arnold was constantly greeted warmly by civilians and children, proving to be an influential and well-regarded figure in the eyes of the people, the opposite of Rudra.

"Yeah, I know. Everyone greets me and welcomes me, as if I were some kind of hero.” – declared Arnold.

“But… in the beginning, it wasn’t like that, our attitudes are what shape our image.”

“I have also received the disdain of the people, for the same reason as yours.”

“To be a knight.” – replied Rudra.

"Yes. The knights of Aleonia, whatever region they are from, are frowned upon by all the people.” – reintroduced Arnold

“Bloodthirsty men, without will of their own… created only to kill whatever stands in their way.”

“But like you, I too have found a new purpose here.”

“A much more vivid purpose than I had years ago, when I came here.”

“Since then, my new purpose has been based on saving lives, and providing escort for supplies in and out.”

“That girl, did you save her too?” – asks Rudra.

“Ah… you mean Phione?”

"She's an excellent person, always helping in any way she can here at the hideout."

“Her story was disturbing… when she came here, she was bloodied and traumatized.”

“We put her in our carriage and brought her here.”

“At first, she didn’t say an “ah” to put it roughly. This war was too much for her.”

“And look how she looks today.”

Both knights decided to stop at a place to rest after wandering around the surroundings for a while.

“Sir Rudra–”, Arnold is interrupted by the knight.

“You can just call me Rudra.” – replied Rudra.

“ *Huff*… It’s okay, Rudra.” – after a slight relaxed sigh, Arnold responds with a slight smile.

“Despite everything that has happened here, I never stopped thinking about what would happen if we stopped everything.”

“I mean, with our stealth advances.”

“I pray every day, as soon as I wake up, that this humble place will be discovered.”

Arnold turns to Rudra, and reintroduces his thoughts.

“When I saw him for the first time in Magni's room I thought: Maybe Magnusson has gone completely crazy to let someone like him into this place. ”

“But… after all this time, I admit I was wrong.”

“What I want to say is, I want you to give Magnusson, and this place, a chance.”

“I think Magni must have an excellent reason for taking you in.”

“...” – Rudra remains in contemplative silence.

Suddenly, a distant male voice catches Arnold's attention making him say goodbye to Rudra suddenly.

“Sir Rudra, my companions call me, so I will have to go for now.”

"Right." – replied Rudra.

“...” – Sitting on a wooden chair, in a wide area, Rudra remains thoughtful about Arnold’s recent statements.

“What I want to say is, I want you to give Magnusson, and this place, a chance.”

"A chance…"

“A chance is what I got, the day I was saved…”

Later, Rudra visited the blacksmith, Enkos, to inquire about the condition of his sword. Enkos candidly described the sorry state of the blade, comparing it to Rudra's condition upon arrival – handle out of alignment, blade blunted and completely rusted.

“Boy, I must tell you, this sword has been through a lot, hasn’t it?”

“...” – Rudra observes the deplorable state of his sword, bringing back memories of a bloody and violent past.

“Yes… I apologize for that.”

“Don’t apologize to me. A blade should never be disrespected in such a way as this one.”

“Look at this damage, rust everywhere. I’ll have a hell of a job restoring it.”

Suddenly, the knight found himself being scolded by the blacksmith Enkos on every aspect of his blade.

“*Huff* There’s no way around it, take it.”

The blacksmith threw Rudra a spare sword forged by Enkos himself.

“This is one of my most sophisticated works.”

“Steel blade, sturdy handle plated in Pinosa* tree wood, with a good grip.”

“It should be more than enough for your trip.”

“I hope it is good enough for you, knight.”

Enkos, skilled in his craft, produced his sharpening stone and handed the revitalized sword to Rudra. Testing its sharpness, Rudra expressed gratitude and inquired about the cost.

“How much do I owe you for this, Master?” Rudra asked, intending to pay for a job well done.

Enkos, appreciating the trust placed in him by Bonnofal, insisted on letting it be on the house, warning Rudra to use it wisely.

“Don’t worry about it, boy. This one is on the house.”

“Just don’t you dare damage it, this is some of my best work.”

“It will take time to repair its blade. These Aleonia swords are tricky to repair.”

Thanking Enkos, Rudra joined his FIDELIUS companions, led by Leslie Westellis, to engage in discussions about their impending mission.

"Knight, good to see you. Has Enkos provided you with a blade?"

“Yes. I will make good use of it.”

“Good. We need to plan our next move. The mission awaits.”