Lydia

Yuzuki was quiet as she led us through another maze of hallways, and I kept looking at her nervously. I knew that Yamadian culture fostered a strict sense of unity. Even more so between family members, I had no doubt my insults to her brother struck her just as painfully, and I wanted to at least apologize for that, even if I didn't regret what I said.

"Yuzuki—" I started, but she looked over her shoulder and cut me off. "It's fine, Lady Lydia. Like I said, I understand why you would say those things... And honestly, there is definitely some truth in your words, even if it's hard for me to admit." Her face was eerily calm, and I fell silent. "I respect my brother, not just as family, but as the leader of our country. However, he is still human and capable of mistakes. As his sister, I shouldn't have let my adoration for him prevent me from actually challenging his decisions. I always backed down before things got too heated." It was small, but the corners of her lips turned upward. "Thank you for forcing him across that line."

"It was for my own sake; you shouldn't thank me. " I replied. "Still, I apologize for hurting you and your family with my words." I bowed my head toward her as I spoke, and she stopped to turn and fully look at me. I soon felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see a pained expression.

"You could insult us a thousand more times, and it still wouldn't make our families even." The statement left me speechless, and Yuzuki just gave me a sad look as I stared into her eyes before turning to lead the way once more. Audrey, Leah, and I followed silently behind her, the atmosphere strangling any conversation until we arrived at the guest room. After guiding us inside, Yuzuki bowed without another word, then left us alone, no doubt returning to her brother's council.

The guest room was spacious, with intricately carved cherry-wood furniture, and a large window framed the beautiful mountain range outside the city. The bed rivaled those that we had back in our own castle, and all I wanted to do was lie down. Letting gravity take over, I began to flop onto the soft mattress, only to hit a cushion of air that bounced me back to my feet instead.

Leah had vanished into a side room right as we entered, and I glared at her as she returned.

"I know you must be tired, my ladies, but I've prepared the bath. Please wash up first."

"A bath sounds wonderful!" Audrey said excitedly, clapping her hands together. Taking my hand, she pulled me into the adjoining bathroom, and when I saw myself in the mirror, my whole body flushed red with embarrassment.

"Oh, my goddess... Did we really meet the Daimyo like this?!" I had been in such a rush that I hadn't even noticed the state I was in. My equipment and exposed skin were smeared with soot and dirt from the barrage of attacks we had endured. My golden hair was a tangled mess of knots and salt from the ocean breeze. It's a miracle we weren't thrown out for disrespect! Mother would be so disappointed in me…

Looking at Audrey closer, I realized she wasn't any better than I was. Hurriedly, I moved to undress, but shadows rose from the ground, snaking up my legs until my whole body was enveloped. When they vanished, my soiled clothing went with them, and I stared at Audrey, who also stood bare now.

"You're getting too good at that," I said blandly.

"It has many uses," she replied with a smirk.

Looking around the Yamadian-style bathroom, I saw a large sunken tub and a shower station along one wall.

"Well, let's get to it. Then we can sleep a little before dinner." I said, taking the only stool in front of the facet that hung on the wall. Mana coursed through the metal piping, and I sensed the heating and water artifacts embedded inside the wall. Tentatively, I reached out to the handle and slowly twisted until a stream of steaming water cascaded over my body, eliciting a heavy sigh of relief.

"So we shower first before getting in?" Audrey asked as she knelt behind me, grabbing a nearby bucket that held soap and a scrubbing cloth.

"Yes, it's a little different than home. Bathing is more for relaxing here, so they shower to keep the water clean." I explained, my voice tensing a bit midsentence as my girlfriend began to use the rag gently on my back. Back home, the maids would scrub you clean in the bath itself, so I was certainly interested in trying it the Yamadian way for the first time.

"That makes sense to me." Audrey chirped, seemingly having a good time scrubbing me down. As she worked on me, I noticed bottles sitting on a shelf right at my eye level and reached out to inspect them. Realizing it was shampoo and conditioner for hair, I wasted no time lathering it through my tangled locks. It wasn't long before my whole body was covered in soapy bubbles, and Audrey filled the bucket with the hot water.

"Here it comes, close your eyes, little Lydia!" She teased.

"I am not a child—!" My words were cut off as she mercilessly dumped the water on me, washing away all the suds. Luckily, I managed to close everything in time. "Rude," I said once I cleared my face of water, only to find her kneeling in front of me with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Want me to scrub the front, as well?" Audrey asked cheekily, her hands already resting on my thighs. For a moment, I was mesmerized by the water flowing down her exposed body, but I managed to rein in my thoughts.

"Isn't it your turn now?" I deflected, standing up quickly and gesturing for her to sit on the stool next. She pouted cutely, but took the seat. With the soapy rag now in my hands, I began to scrub away at her back slowly.

"How does it feel?" I asked casually.

"It feels nice, Lydia." She said, obviously enjoying the sensation. As if I were testing her reactions, I slowly moved down her back, then inched around her waist until I suddenly wrapped my arms around her completely, pressing my breasts into her back.

"How about this?" I whispered into her ear.

"Luxurious," my girlfriend purred in return. Our eyes met over her shoulder, and our lips drew together slowly until a sudden knock on the door startled us.

"I've taken care of your diritied outfits, my ladies. Dinner will be here within the hour, so please don't get too handsy in there."

"Alright!" I shouted back in a panic, pulling away from Audrey before grumbling under my breath. "She has a sixth sense, I swear…" A specific term came to mind for this situation, but I wasn't sure if it applied since we were both girls.

With disappointment, Audrey and I finished washing ourselves beneath the shower, then lowered ourselves into the tub. Sitting between my girlfriend's legs and soaking in hot water was a state of relaxation I'd never grow tired of.

Half an hour later, we emerged from the steamy sanctuary, drying ourselves with fluffy towels Leah had found for us before changing into casual loungewear. Dinner was rolled in on a cart, and Leah quickly served it onto plates for us at the table in the middle of the room.

"You both look much better, my ladies," Leah said with a relieved smile.

"I hadn't realized how bad it was. Thank you for getting the bath ready immediately." I said gratefully.

"The Yamadian way of bathing is very nice. Maybe once everything calms down, we can replicate it back home?" Audrey mused aloud, and I nodded in agreement. After we enjoyed the grilled fish dinner, we headed to bed. As soon as my head hit the fluffy pillow, all the tension and strength drained from my body. My eyes fell heavy, and all I could do was pull Audrey into my arms before darkness enveloped my mind.

*** Yuzuki

I clenched my fist unconsciously as I walked back down the hallway, away from the room where Lady Audrey and Lady Lydia would be staying for the time being. Leah was a capable attendant, so I didn't need to worry about organizing too much for them. Still, I sent some servants to assist her as I passed by them.

Frustration and anger coursed through me as I made my way back to the council room. I knew my brothers would have moved there to discuss the situation, and it was time I actually voiced my opinion and defended it to the end. As the walk back dragged on, I found my thoughts slowly calming down, and I took a deep breath to prepare myself. I'm the first daughter of the glorious Hina clan! I will not be treated lightly anymore!

My brothers loved me; that much was true. But although Yamada didn't suffer from the sexism the rest of the world was still embroiled in, my family still saw me as their little girl. I was someone to be sheltered from the elements, even if I wanted to prove myself capable of weathering the same storms.

My legs stopped in front of a large door, and I paused for a moment before pushing it open and stepping into the council room. My two elder brothers were deep in discussion with our advisors, and I moved quickly to sit beside them at the head of the formation. Brother Masayori glanced at me as I sat on his left, with Brother Yuuichi already on his right. My entrance didn't stop the conversation as the heads of the four great families argued with one another.

"The words of foreigners should not sway us!" Lord Toriyama shouted, slamming his fist against the cushion he sat on. "For all we know, those girls are imperial spies sent to deceive us!" The Toriyama clan was the oldest family present, behind our own. Had Brother Masayori not been suitable for the position of Daimyo, their clan would have most likely taken power.

"How can we be sure this whole attack wasn't a ruse to begin with?" Lord Takemine mused calmly, seemingly in agreement with Lord Toriyama. The Takemine clan was in charge of our army and likely didn't appreciate my friends routing their troops so thoroughly.

"You saw the power the redhead put on display. Are we sure that's something we want to mess with?" Lady Namikado asked, a woman much younger than her peers, due to an unfortunate accident that claimed the life of the previous head a few years ago. "I, for one, do not doubt their intentions. I've received a thorough report of the attack on our blockade. Those girls saved many of our countrymen." The Namikados had also overseen the naval forces for generations, so she was particularly grateful for the aid.

"It also appears they sat back and allowed it to happen in the first place!" Lord Toriyama argued.

"I would've done the same, had I been in their position." Lord Kazehara said with a nonchalant shrug, earning glares from Lords Toriyama and Takemine. The man didn't seem bothered in the least, as expected from our head mage.

As the debate continued, my brothers just sat quietly and listened. As Daimyo, it was important for Brother Masayori to weigh the options carefully. This meeting was much different than when they decided to go into isolation three years ago. All four of them had agreed then, but the recent developments made Lady Namikado and Lord Kazehara change their minds. Good, splitting the family heads means my opinion will carry even more weight.

My biggest obstacle would be Brother Yuuichi if he decides to oppose joining the war. It was apparent that my friends had shaken Brother Masayori's resolve to stay out of the conflict, so I needed to capitalize on the chance they gave me to make a real difference.

After what felt like an eternity, my brother finally raised his hand, silencing the arguing advisors.

"I've heard your thoughts on the matter. I wish to discuss it with my family. I'll call for you when I'm ready."

"But my lord!" Lord Toriyama protested, but fell silent as his Daimyo stared him down. Bowing his head, the older man corrected himself. "As you wish, esteemed Daimyo." The lord stood and made his way out of the council room, followed shortly by the other three family heads. When the door finally closed behind them, my brother's shoulders slumped, and he released an exhausted sigh.

"And what do you two make of this?" He asked, staring up at the ceiling with a troubled expression.

"You know my thoughts," I said simply. "My friend's lives are at stake. Of course, I want to help."

"We understand that, Yuzuki. But do you really expect us to throw our people into the flames of war just for that?" It was Brother Yuuichi who challenged me, and I frowned at him. His ability to switch between my affable older brother and a serious politician always frustrated me.

"Of course not. I believe it to be in Yamada's best interest to be proactive. Even discounting my friendship with Lady Lydia and Lady Audrey, I think it was a mistake to retreat and go into isolation."

"What?" Brother Masayori asked in disbelief. "Are you saying I was wrong?" I had never been so blunt about my disagreement, and the shock showed on both of their faces.

"I do, Brother," I said with a sad smile. "I've always followed and respected you, but I realize now… I have so many regrets." A particular boy came to mind as I spoke, and I briefly wondered how he was doing before pushing the thought away. "My personal feelings on the matter aside, I believe going into isolation has put us on the back foot. The empire now controls the entire mainland. That means they have the manpower and resources to overpower us at any time. Moreso, if we continue to sit idly by, we'll be handing them the thing they need most to beat us." I met my brother's gaze as I finished. "Time."

My eldest brother closed his eyes and frowned in thought, giving Brother Yuuichi time to speak again.

"The so-called resistance is already fighting an impossible battle; our joining will not change that. The imperials are indeed powerful, but as long as we control the sea, they will not breach our borders."

"They would've done just that had the resistance not stepped in!" I defended. "Like I said, they have the manpower. Even if our intelligence agents are never discovered, we'll never be able to match the Empire's magical research in the same time."

"You've never opposed us this much, Yuzuki," Yuuichi said with a sardonic smile. "Don't tell me meeting your friends again has confused your loyalties?"

"What… Did you just say?" I was in disbelief. Had my own brother really just questioned my pride as a Yamadian? Trembling, my eyes began to tear up, and I pointed accusingly at him. "These have always been my thoughts! My respect for both of you just blinded me. The only thing I'm questioning is whether I was mistaken in that regard!" I was heaving for breath after the outburst, tears streaking down my face despite my best effort to hold them back. The tension between my brother and me was palpable until Brother Masayori opened his eyes, raised his hand… And chopped Yuuichi on the head.

"What the hell are you doing, making our sister cry?"

"Ouch! That hurt!"

"You went too far."

"I was just making sure she really meant what she said!" The scene reminded me of our childhood, and I could only blink in shock. Masayori reached toward me and gently wiped at my tears with a finger.

"Don't cry, Yuzuki. Yuuichi didn't mean it." Our esteemed Daimyo was nowhere to be seen, and only my caring older brother remained. "The truth is… I have been questioning my choice as well. Even before those girls arrived, I was wavering."

"W-What?" I asked in surprise. "Then—"

"We both agree with you." Those simple words brought a smile to my face, and I grabbed his hand.

"Thank you, brother," I whispered. "Thank you for not making me abandon my friends once again." I soon found myself in their warm embrace, relief flooding my body. Once I had calmed down a little, they pulled away.

"It's not over yet. Our people have grown used to isolation. If we want to help the resistance, then we need morale to be high among our own troops."

"How will we convince them to fight for the foreigners they've grown to suspect?" I asked with a frown, only to be met with my brother's confident grin.

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"Don't worry, I have a plan for that."

***

Audrey

My legs dangled from the wooden walkway as I overlooked a beautiful garden full of flowers and cherry blossoms. There were a couple of petals I recognized, but I'd never seen most of the plants before. The air was fresh, and I took a slow breath to enjoy the garden's scents. The morning sun felt nice on my face, and the light blue yukata I was given turned out to be very comfortable against my skin.

Leaning back on my hands, I relaxed until I heard sandals on the wood floor behind me. I tilted my head backwards until I was staring up at Lydia, who stood just behind me with a smile on her face.

"How's the garden?" She asked.

"Peaceful," I replied. My girlfriend was also in a yukata, but hers was a soft pink. "You look amazing in that."

"You've said that a dozen times by now." She teased, moving to sit beside me. "Of course, yours suits you perfectly as well." I leaned my head onto her shoulder and giggled.

We'd been in Yamada for nearly a week now and had decided to blend in as best we could. My heart had almost stopped the first time I'd seen her in Yamadian clothing with her hair tied up.

"I just heard from Yuzuki." Lydia started, and I looked up at her with a raised brow. "Apparently, the Daimyo will be making a speech to the people tomorrow to win their support to join the war." We had only sat with Daimyo for a few meals since our first meeting, so it seemed that they had figured things out on their end without us.

"Do they want us to do anything?" I asked.

"Stay out of sight, mostly." She said with a bitter smile. "He plans to paint us as the helpless victims who need to be saved." I hummed in thought for a moment.

"Well, that's not entirely wrong." Lydia scoffed at my words, but didn't deny it. We sat together in silence for a long moment before she spoke again.

"I want to do something. Sitting around and letting other people handle it makes me anxious." That was just like my Lydia, and I reached out and poked at her cheek.

"What would you do? This isn't our country, and these aren't our people."

"I know that it isn't my place to interfere with their politics, but that doesn't change how I feel."

"Then let's think of something only we can do, and we'll run it by Yuzuki and her brothers."

As we brainstormed for the day, my goddess eventually spoke up, saying that she might have an idea to help. After her explanation, Lydia and I excitedly rushed to meet with Daimyo.

"Hm… That could work even better than my original plan." He contemplated with his eyes closed for a minute before meeting our gazes again. "Let's do a practice run and go from there."

"Yes, esteemed Daimyo," Lydia said respectfully despite the smile on her lips. "Thank you for allowing us to help." The tension between them had lessened dramatically thanks to the casual meetings and his decision to help in the end.

"No, thank you for giving me another option, rather than lying to my people."

They shook hands as a sign of mutual agreement, and we spent the rest of the evening practicing for tomorrow's announcement speech.

***

"Honorable citizens of Yamada! I stand before you today to make an important decision!" Daimyo Masayori started his speech from a balcony, his voice being amplified by wind magic so that the entire capital could hear him. Not that he needed to, considering the castle courtyard was packed to the brim with people, and the crowds flooded the nearby streets to get a glimpse of him. "The empire has come to threaten our borders, trampling beneath those they've already conquered in the process. I can no longer stand by and watch as the rest of the world falls to this evil!" Hushed murmurs filled the air as the Yamadian people exchanged concerned glances, but their Daimyo silenced them with a wave of his hand.

"I know that many of you do not think favorably of outsiders, and my decision three years ago to close our borders only reinforced that sentiment." He continued. "Things have changed. Now, the heavens themselves have requested our intervention, and it is time that we rise to defend the weak!" Yuzuki looked over at where Lydia and I stood out of sight just inside the balcony's door. When she nodded, I stretched my hand upward and circulated my mana. Slowly, dark clouds rolled in to cover the sky, causing shouts of alarm to ring through the gathered crowds outside. Still, those soon stopped when the threatening clouds broke, allowing for a single pillar of sunlight to illuminate their Daimyo, who stood glowing like an angel descended.

The show was thanks to Aurora and Azzy's help. My goddess had explained that clouds, even the white fluffy ones, had water inside them. I then spent several hours last night practicing moving the clouds without just extracting the water. It was a delicate technique, and I could only maintain it for about ten minutes, but that was more than enough time.

Lydia, for her part, was able to enhance and angle the light just right by using her barriers. The whole idea was to make the Yamadians believe the decision was made with the god's approval. It didn't take long before the people outside started to cheer and clap at the sight we had created.

"The gods have blessed us with a duty! We must fight!"

"We must avenge those we lost from the attack!"

"The imperials have chosen darkness!"

Again, Daimyo Masayori raised his hand to gather all their attention once more.

"We will no longer hide. Instead, we will work with the remaining warriors of the mainland to drive the imperials back to where they came, and free those being oppressed and exploited! And we will do it with the sun god's blessing, as our ancestors once had!"

As the speech wrapped up, I slowly dispersed the clouds, allowing the blue sky to reappear. Together, Lydia and I put on the finishing touch as a large rainbow appeared above the capital, surrounding the city with beautiful color.

"Glory to our honorable and holy Daimyo!" The crowds shouted reverently as the man in question slowly turned and walked back inside toward us. Lydia leaned over, scratching her cheek sheepishly.

"Oops, we may have just cemented the Hina clan into power…" She whispered.

"Well, nothing we can do about it now…" I whispered back. We ended up interfering with their politics after all, it seemed.

We followed Daimyo Masayori as he passed, and we ended up inside a private room.

"Thank you for your assistance. However, there is something that must happen to ensure our troops can land safely on the mainland." He said with a slight frown. I glanced at Lydia in confusion, but the look in her eyes meant she knew exactly what the man was getting at.

"Duke Rose must be defeated." She said, and I gasped softly. "And my kingdom must be reclaimed."

"Exactly." The Daimyo nodded. "We will prepare here, but it will be impossible to get a large force to you if the Duke controls the coastlines."

"I understand. We will head home immediately. Thank you for the generous hospitality you've shown us, despite our… first meeting." My girlfriend bowed, and I did the same.

"You are not the only ones to blame for that." Daimyo Masayori laughed. "I won't be sending you off empty-handed, though. There will not be a repeat of the last promise that was made to your country. To show that—" He locked eyes with Yuzuki, who looked surprised. "My sister will go with you to lead a small elite force of our best to aid in your effort. Once the kingdom is secure once more, they will send us communication, and we will send the full might of our army."

"Do you really mean that, Brother?" our friend asked in disbelief. "You would allow me to fight beside my friends?"

"Yes, but only on the promise that you return." Tears welled in Yuzuki's eyes, but she gave him a bright smile and thumped her chest with a fist.

"On my honor as the first daughter of the Hina clan, my Daimyo."

I was happy that Yuzuki would be coming with us and took her hand excitedly.

"We get to be together again! Once we defeat the Duke, the only person left would be Brandon, and we'd have the whole student council back together again!"

"W-Who even cares about that boy?!" Yuzuki stuttered, her face flushed red. How cute.

"Oh, you haven't missed him at all?" I asked innocently.

"Please stop teasing me, Lady Audrey!" She cried out, covering her face with her hands. Her brother looked put entirely off, but her sudden change of attitude, and Yuuichi eventually spoke.

"Wait, there's some boy after my sister?! Absolutely not!" He turned toward their eldest sibling, holding a hand over his heart.

"I will go as well!"

The Daimyo nodded thoughtfully, like he wasn't making a personal decision. "I think that's a splendid idea. You will go as well and protect Yuzuki— I mean, help to defeat the Duke."

"Brothers…" As their sister whimpered with embarrassment, Lydia and I just giggled.

***

We set out the next day, embarking upon a much smaller boat than the one we had arrived on. It still had enough room for everyone, but just barely. Leah was forced to share a room below deck with Lydia and me, but she was the only one complaining about it. Yuzuki and her brother also had a room, but the dozen Yamadian warriors slept on hammocks along with the crew of the ship.

The goodbyes were said quickly from the dock, everyone having already prepared the night before they left their loved ones, and we were soon slicing through the ocean waves.

"Won't it take us even longer to get back since the ship is smaller?" I asked Yuzuki as we stood on the deck, watching the endless blue world pass by, and she nodded.

"Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about that."

"Isn't there?" I mused, then an idea came to mind.

"What if I—"

"No." It was Lydia who cut me off, folding her arms on top of the railing.

"Why not? Leah could also—"

"I said no, Audrey. Even you would exhaust yourself doing that the whole time."

"Do what?" Yuzuki asked, curious.

"You know I have water magic, I could just use that to speed us up. Leah could even add her wind magic to the sails!" I explained.

"Oh… That would probably save us a ton of time…" The Yamadian princess said, eyeing Lydia.

"You too?" My girlfriend sighed, then straightened herself. "Fine, but only if they don't strain themselves!"

"Understood!" I saluted.

"I'll go let the crew know, wait a few minutes." Yuzuki then left Lydia and me alone at the bow of the ship.

"Seriously, you…" Lydia shook her head with a exasperated smile.

"I just want to get back as soon as possible, and I know you do as well." I said with a shrug. "I'm worried about Sasha."

"I am too, of course. I just don't want you to push yourself…"

"It's fine, really! Now, let's get to it!" I clapped excitedly, and turned back to Yuzuki as she returned. Of course, i also want to see how fast we can go!

"Lydia can also help, my guardian." Aurora said, totally amused by my antics. "Azure will explain it to her right now." When I looked back at Lydia, I saw the gold cracking through her emerald eyes, and the exasperation on her face deepened.

"Ooh, this will be fun!" I chirped back, making her laugh.

Soon, Lydia stood at the bow, her hands raised as a golden light enveloped the hull of the ship. I stood next to the mast, my eyes closed as I felt the ocean currents with my water magic. Finally, Leah stood on the raised stern, just behind the captain at the steering wheel, wind whipping her maid uniform and hair.

"Is everyone ready?" I heard Yuzuki shout, and the three of us all answered affirmatively. "Ready… Go!" At her shout, a blast of wind hit the sails, and the boat shot forward like an arrow. Aside from the initial burst of speed, there were no other jolts, and I heard the ship's crew murmuring in amazement.

"Why can't we feel the waves?" One sailor asked.

"The water's not even splashing… incredible!" Another said.

Thanks to Lydia's barrier on the hull, the water flowed around the ship nearly frictionless, and I calmed the ocean waves before we hit them. I also raised the water against the back of the boat to increase our speed even more, though it wasn't much compared to the storm Leah sent into the sails. The result was a nearly bumpless ride across the ocean at speeds not even the imperial battleship had obtained. When I opened my eyes, I had to gasp against the wind that was making a mess of my hair.

When I glanced around, I saw the men enjoying the thrilling breeze while all the women desperately tried to tie their hair up. Sadly, Lydia and I couldn't do it on our own, since we need our hands free to help maintain the magic. Luckily, it wasn't long before Yuzuki appeared to do it for me with a laugh.

"We should've expected this!" She shouted over the howling wind.

"Probably! We're just so used to Leah protecting us when we move this fast!"

After she was done with my hair, she moved swiftly to help Lydia, who I just knew was grumbling about it, being right at the head of the ship. The thought made me laugh even more.

At our new speed, we arrived at the blockade before the sun set on our first day of travel. Once we cleared things up with the still on edge crews of the larger ships, we decided to anchor ourselves just behind the blockade line for the night. Usually, sailors would swap shifts to keep sailing continuously, but with our new method, everyone had a chance to rest before we set out again.

The night was peaceful, and the three of us who had been burning our mana all day slept like the dead, though Lydia and I were better off than Leah, since using our stella made it more efficient. In the morning, we were good as new, and our small ships were once again cutting through he water like butter. It had taken us a week of travel between the imperial battleship and the Yamadian flagship to get to the islands, but we made the return trip in just under three days. When the coast came into view, we stopped the magic method, allowing the crew to resume their jobs.

"We're already there…" Yuzuki mused in shock. "You three are incredible… I wonder if there's a way to use artifacts to do the same thing, even if it's not as efficient."

"Maybe?" I shrugged. "I suppose getting wind and water artifacts wouldn't be too difficult, but the configuration might be. The hardest part would be gathering enough light magic for the barriers."

"That's true." Yuzuki nodded in thought. "Still, maybe I'll send a quick message home to have my brother look into it."

The ship stopped a ways off the coast, and Leah lifted me, Lydia, Yuzuki, and her brother into the air with magic. We needed to find a good place for the ship to dock so we could get everyone off, and we were also going to meet with Abel to discuss the next steps.

Once our feet were on dry land again, the two Yamadians disguised themselves with hooded cloaks before we made our way into the port city of Halvern. Leah led the way back to the Inn we had been staying at, where the rest of our team we had left behind had been waiting this whole time while keeping an eye on the Duke's movements. There was a possibility of another battleship, but it appeared it had yet to move, if it existed at all.

The second we entered the building, thundering footsteps echoed down the staircase, and a figure practically crashed into us, arms wrapping around our backs.

"You all are back. Thank the goddess you're alright." Lucia said, relief evident in her voice. We placated her with pats on the back, and when she finally let us go, Leah was her next target.

"And you. How dare you follow them on your own! You were supposed to stay with the resistance ships!" Leah just shrugged as the knight scolded her, but there was a slight hint of warmth in the lady-in-waiting's eyes.

After the knight, Abel descended the stairs with a smirk, followed by Hailey and Anthony.

"Welcome back, I knew you two would do it."

"What, no tear-filled reunion?" Lydia asked teasingly.

"Three years wasn't long enough, so I didn't mind," he shot back casually. Despite his words, his hands planted themselves on our heads, mussing our hair. His true feelings were plain to see, and Lydia and I both smiled up at him. After everyone greeted one another, with the two Yamadians waiting silently, still cloaked, we soon returned to the rooms on the second floor.

Once we were in a private space, Abel turned to the cloaked figures with a raised brow.

"And you two are?" Yuzuki and her brother lowered their hoods and bowed respectfully.

"We greet the second prince of Venyth." They said in unison.

"Ah, you're Lydia's friend from the academy, which means—" Abel said, his face darkened as he turned to the man.

"I am Yuuichi Hina, brother to the current Daimyo." I saw Abel's fist clench at his side, and I wasn't the only one as Lydia stepped between them.

***

Lydia

"Brother, I know how you feel, but I've already come to an understanding with Daimyo Masayori. Please don't do anything reckless." I said, and my brother took a deep breath before visibly relaxing.

"Of course, sorry. I let my emotions get the best of me, knowing he was the one who delivered their betrayal."

"It was a betrayal, and our esteemed Daimyo has come to regret the choice he made back then," Yuuichi said, bowing his body to a whole ninety-degree angle. "That is why we're here now, to make up for the past, even if it doesn't bring forgiveness."

"I see…" Abel said, but I couldn't read his expression. "Well, I've received the reports from Leah, but I'd like to hear a full explanation of the plan. Luke will also need to hear it, so we should pack up and head back to HQ today."

The knights in the room all saluted, and it wasn't long before we were checked out of the Inn.

"We need to pick up the rest of our reinforcements. Is there somewhere the ship can dock without being noticed?" I asked as we walked through he cobblestone streets of Halvern. My brother thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes, there's a fishing village up the coast a couple of miles." He then told Leah to go back to the ship and head north, and the rest of us left the city by carriage, the same way we had arrived. Leah would gather the Yamadian warriors we had left behind, then meet up with us on the road.

"Will they be alright?" I heard Audrey ask Yuzuki, who bit her lip.

"I'd like to say yes, but I was overconfident in myself…"

It seemed they worried about the warriors getting sick from Leah's reckless flying, and I smiled back at them.

"Oh, they are going to be a mess by the time we see them. I'm sure of it." My remark made Yuzuki rub her temple. If I'd learned anything after reuniting with my older sister, it was that unless you had my last name or were named Audrey, she did not give more than the minimum consideration. It was a bad habit of hers that was only exacerbated by our lost time together, but I had no desire to try to work it out of her.

They'll have plenty of time to recover in the carriage, at least. I thought to myself as I watched the trees pass by.

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