These past several days had redefined conflict for Xiahana La Louve.

  Stripped of her armor and accompanied by her new 'husband,' the former crusader mingled in the streets of a country she was supposed to destroy. Her eyes widened as she observed the bustling marketpce. A felicitous aroma wafted down the street, drawing her toward a food vendor.

  She watched, mesmerized, as stir-fried meat sizzled in a rich bck sauce, making delectable waves above a pan the size of a wagon wheel. A tan-complexioned cook squeezed fresh lime over the meat, enriching the fvor before spooning the steaming portions into soft buns. Xia's stomach protested loudly, but before she could step away, a certain Lord decided to come to her rescue.

  "Two packets, please," Ciel ordered, handing the vendor a couple of coins.

  Xia watched the transaction with great anticipation. Her heart beat a few octaves louder, and a glimmer of gratitude sparkled in her eyes. Unbidden, she remembered their first kiss and wondered how it would feel to experience such heavenly warmth upon her lips again.

  But as quickly as the image fshed through her mind, a sobering realization arose: it could all be psychological compulsion. She shivered at the thought, uncertain how to proceed until Ciel nudged her toward a quieter side street.

  Despite its status as the oldest nation in Acceltra, the Yulong Empire trended more toward derelict than majestic. Inequalities were commonpce. Corrupt officials ran amok. Life outside major cities like the one they currently inhabited was often brutal.

  As Xia bit into the aromatic bun, her mind wandered to the shanty town where they had fought Decimo, contrasting sharply with the vibrant city around her.

  Leaning against the wall beside Ciel, she couldn't help but compare the scene to Curtis' capital. Here the rich paraded the streets in fancy carriages drawn by horses, their colorful clothes a stark dispy of wealth. Countless stalls lined the thoroughfare while vibrant sashes draped the city. It should have been an image of beauty, but there were several cracks in the facade. Dirty beggars and starving children lined the streets, while lines were cut at opulent restaurants to welcome fat men in gaudy gold robes and sniveling mustaches. In the alleys, men and women picked through piles of garbage in search of food.

  Curtis wasn't exactly a model of fairness, but its people maintained at least a facade of honor. Nobles wouldn't dare cut lines or abuse peasants without consequence. Army officers showed more restraint, choosing to herd the poor into workhouses where they could contribute to overall productivity rather than parade their authority.

  Even Xia, Curtis' most prominent victim of political persecution, found these random inequalities wasteful. Her horror was only eclipsed by how the countryside went way worse, with svery and cannibalism being a thing as time truly went to hell.

  Ciel also made the same observation. “Typical Mandrake,” he muttered. “He should know this, but it is obvious he doesn't have the gall to do anything about it.

  Xia turned toward her, ‘boyfriend’, if she could swallow the word, and asked him a question she wanted to ask for a long time: "You said you were close to him, right? What kind of person is he?"

  “To his credit, he's not that bad of a guy," Ciel answered with an uncomfortable look. "He at least never fell for Balor's and Yume's kool-aid. However," he scowled, "that motherfucker still stabbed me in the back.

  Ciel then went on a triad. "Originally, there were five of us who tried to keep things together in the Void. But Aria suddenly did one-eighty when the rest of those morons voted the War of Lords. Knowing it was four against everyone else, every single one of those 'friends' of mine caved. To be fair, Romulus--"

  "Wait, Romulus?" Xia jerked up at the names. "That is Curtis' founding father. You knew him?"

  "So you are parented by the wolves," Ciel commented. "Lucky you." He then continued the story. "To be fair on your founder, he at least voted for the war as an excuse to go after Balor and Yume themselves; which is more than I could say for the two remaining morons. Mandrake and Nemo caved to the mob, and I am the only sane man left."

  She listened to the ancient story, feeling the urge to lean her tired neck on his shoulder. Xia's eyes widened at the romantic thought running through her brain, and knocked her head against the wall behind. She gritted her teeth as the sudden pain removed the damned compulsion of their contract.

  "I can't go on like this!" she whined.

  "Yes," Ciel agreed, also gritting his teeth. "At this rate, I will have to revise the timeline. You will likely go full domestic in two years max."

  Xia bit back a scream, knowing her powerlessness in changing her circumstance. She took a deep breath and turned toward Ciel, determined to make the most out of this situation before she inevitably lost her marble.

  "Okay," she huffed. "That is not important. We need to get to that friend of yours and ask for information about my father. It shouldn't be that hard."

  "Yes, it shouldn't," Ciel agreed, mentally ticking off his checklist. "We already complete the bartering for the currency and get our supply. The next step would be--" he stopped dead, eyes caught upon a certain poster that id beside the wall. "--what is that?"

  Xia snorted. She turned to the walls. "Yulong Empire's post hot news and announcements on the wall like this to inform the masses." She began reading. "Personally, I think addressing people like they are easily maniputable 'common folk' is--"

  She immediately stopped upon seeing the announcement written:

  ‘To the citizens and common folk of the Yulong Empire,

  We regret to inform you that General Nuan Yulong, a Dragon Scion, has been found guilty of sedition. For the crime of destroying our noble vilge and colborating with the vile terror group, the Bckwing, this enemy of the people is to be executed within three days.

  Not even a child of the Emperor can run amok against our fair citizens. Justice might be te, but it shall never be absent! The criminal is currently held at Fort Tianwu, the Crane Fortress, for her sentencing.

  She shall be ferried across the nation to remind those vilins what shall become of even the mighty who dare defy the will of the Emperor.

  Long Live the Yulong Empire!’

  Xia read the message decring the fairness and nobility of the Empire, while the raging yell of a corrupted patron beating a hapless beggar outside a dissentious furniture store echoed behind her with irony.

  "How?" she asked her companion.

  "Politicking," he bit his nail, trying to concentrate. "Some of Nuan's political enemies wouldn't let this go, not when there are witnesses to her battle with us."

  "But she was possessed!" Xia argued. "I am the one who defeated her. I know this." She looked aghast despite being her enemy. "They are going to parade her throughout the nation and execute her like a criminal for something she didn't do."

  "Your testimony doesn't matter, Xia," Ciel responded and turned around. "Even if you volunteer as her defense, nothing will change. I can assure you this court is rigged, and every witness has been bought. They are using Nuan Yulong as a political example."

  She then brought up a point. "I get that but don't tell me your friend got tricked by this bogus charge?"

  “I am not sure.” His face darkened in response. "Dammit, Mandrake should be able to see through this and the fact he didn't say anything would mean his hands are tied."

  Xia's voice dropped into a whisper, "Isn't he a god like you? He should have some control over his own court, right?"

  "Control and Mandrake are two words that shouldn't be in the same sentence," he replied with dead eyes. "You will understand what I mean when you actually meet him."

  He huffed. “Change of pn. We are no longer taking traditional transport.”

  Both of them turned their backs from the poster, their serene walk through the bustling crowd betraying their unanimous resolve for havoc. Expressions grim, both of them tried not to look into the innocent glimmers inside the eyes of passersby they might make enemies of tomorrow.

  "We can't let her die on us," Xia said.

  Ciel looked back at his 'wife.' "Wow, I didn't think you would come around so quickly. Weren't you trying to kill each other when we first met?"

  "That was on a battlefield," she argued. "Both of us knew what we were getting in for, but this is not it." She muttered, "It is one thing to die fighting in battle, but to be executed like this, I can't take it." She thought back to their first duel, particurly how Nuan gave her every chance to surrender. "She deserves better than this. I can't allow her to die, especially when we are part of the reason it happened."

  "Then we are in agreement," he said. "It appears we will be making a detour then."

  The Princess was still confused about a certain subject. "I am gd that we are going to rescue her, but what is the pn?"

  "Go to Fort Tianwu, get the yout, bust Nuan out in a big way and run to the capital," Ciel said as they approached the gate for another adventure.

  "Aren't we supposed to go out of the country after committing a massive crime like that?" his conversation partner balked.

  "Not when the guy in charge is Mandrake," he winked. "Trust me, you will understand where my endless confidence comes from when you actually know the guy behind the throne."