Despite an eerie silence and the darkness of night, the ocean route to Heim was a peaceful one. Krone could only hear the waves that crashed against the boat as El and Al swam alongside it. Even when she arrived at Port Roundheart, her surroundings had been oddly serene. There wasn’t a single person in sight within the ruined city. Regardless of the city’s current desolation, Krone recognized it quite well.
She’d only visited Roundheart a couple of times when she was a child, but it was still quite familiar to her. The clash between Ishtarica and the rampaging World Tree had indeed left its mark, but the city’s atmosphere had remained the same.
How shall I get off? Krone wondered. She didn’t know how to stow the ramp away, and it had been stolen by the waves as she sailed.
“Grar,” El squealed adorably as she stuck out her neck.
“Will you take me to shore?” Krone asked.
El happily opened and closed her mouth as Al let out a confident laugh, revealing his fangs.
“Thank you both,” Krone smiled. “I was only able to make it this far because of you guys.”
She petted the two dragons before she turned her gaze to Heim’s royal capital. She’d been born and raised there, and yet a titanic tree now towered over the entire city. It was unlike anything she’d ever seen. There was no doubt in her mind that she was looking at her Ein.
“Oh my,” a familiar voice called out. “I didn’t think that you’d come here alone.”
Krone spotted a black-haired beauty waiting for her amid the rubble. The woman removed her hood to reveal her identity.
“Lady Misty...” Krone muttered.
“I thought you’d come,” Misty replied. “Ah, and are these dearies your rumored children? Come now, I’ll feed you some of my unused magic stones.”
“Grar?”
“Rawr! Rar!”
The Ishtarican-raised dragons eagerly ate the stones without a second thought. El sucked on the stone like a piece of candy while Al crunched down and enjoyed the succulent flavor. Misty watched them eat as she recalled her past.
“Ramza used to be so small,” she said as she placed a hand by her hip. “He was around this tall, and was a tiny, skeleton child.”
Indeed, he was quite small.
“He looks so dignified now, but I suppose even he had a childhood,” Krone said.
“Quite right,” Misty replied. “He was always so adorable as he trotted after me. He gradually grew larger and eventually evolved. It took many centuries, but he finally transformed into a Dullahan. Perhaps these two will evolve into different sorts of dragons one day.”
Krone’s cheeks twitched as she worried whether the twins would still listen to any commands after they evolved.
“Don’t worry,” Misty said, picking up on the girl’s worries. “Their master is far, far stronger than them.” She walked along the main street. “I have a horse prepared right over there. Why don’t we head to Ein together?”
The telltale signs of a grisly war surrounded her, but Krone held herself strong and followed. The frightening number of corpses and the stench of blood that lingered in the air almost made her sick, but she didn’t have the time to be timid now.
Things got easier after she got on the horse. Once Misty gripped the reins, they slowly but surely approached the tree. When they arrived, they met up with Ramza, who was leaning up against a large boulder.
“Misty claimed to have sensed the presence of sea snakes, but I didn’t think you’d come here alone,” he said. “I would’ve wanted you to be more wary of being possibly toyed with by barbarians.”
“He’s right. Be more careful next time,” Misty added.
“Th-Thank you for worrying about me,” Krone replied.
The two were oddly kind and considerate; they were friendlier than they looked. Krone didn’t feel weirded out and felt peculiarly at ease with them. Just then, she heard some steady breathing from Ramza’s lap. When she glanced down, she spotted a little girl snoozing away with a little drool around her mouth. The girl was none other than the Demon Lord Arshay, the Nightmare of Envy. It was almost laughable to imagine that this innocent little girl was the very scourge who’d lost control and taken the lives of countless Ishtaricans all those years ago.
“It’s all thanks to her that we were able to stop Ein,” Misty said.
“Yeah. She’s helped us a ton,” Ramza agreed. “But she turned some of her life force into power, so she won’t be waking up for a while.”
“Lord Arshay...” Krone murmured anxiously.
“Don’t worry. She’s always been like this. Every time she finished some kind of job, she always yearned for bed. She just cleared away a big job this time around, so she’ll be sleeping a little longer. That’s all.”
Misty giggled. “That’s quite true.”
This only further proved that Arshay had a peaceful personality. Krone thanked the Demon Lord from the bottom of her heart, and prayed that the little girl would wake up soon.
“How does the royal capital look?” Krone asked.
“It’s quiet,” Ramza replied.
“Why don’t you go check it out for yourself?” Misty suggested. “But you can’t go all alone. You might know your way around the city, but I’ll still have someone to guard you. Why don’t you go with him?”
“Yeah, then you’ll have nothing to fear.”
The pair claimed that the young advisor’s guide was waiting for her beyond the castle’s gates. Krone thanked them before they parted ways and she made her way into the royal capital. Slowly but surely, the memories of her time there came rushing back, and the path to the capital was nostalgic. She’d passed through the castle gates countless times before, and though it was in ruins, it still held the vestiges of its former glory.
“I never thought that I’d return here,” Krone murmured.
And under these circumstances. Krone had once seen Heim Castle as a fantastic place, but all of that changed when she came face-to-face with Ishtarica’s seismic advancements. Now, the castle was completely destroyed, stripped of its former splendor. The aftermath of the war and Ein’s rampage had created a grim scene.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Lady Krone,” a suit of Living Armor said as he approached her. “I am Marco; I serve Sir Ein. And as you can see, I am a Living Armor.”
He clearly looked like a monster. Krone didn’t recall Ein having a monster knight as his subordinate, but she was familiar with the Living Armor’s name and species.
“Sir Marco, I’m pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Krone Agustos and I—”
“Ah, you mustn’t, Lady Krone!” Marco cried. “Please just call me Marco. I serve Sir Ein, and as such, you mustn’t provide me with any honorifics.”
He quickly led the way and guided Krone deeper inside the capital. She had no time to protest; he acted the perfect butler, making even her gaze at him in awe. Marco continued to make a few more requests, asking the young lady to be less polite. A confused Krone did her best to sound more casual, but the Living Armor shook his head with dissatisfaction. It was only when she’d given out the kind of stern orders she gave her own people that Marco finally nodded with joy.