"Do I have your word that you will heal my granddaughter once we leave?"

"Yes."

​​

"If you don't, I will destroy this little Resistance of yours and offer you up to the Circle myself, even if I hate them, they are at least sensible enough not to involve themselves with me or my family."

"Whatever this country's Circle has right now is an illusion."

"You would know that, won't you? After all, you are the Circle. You created them is what I heard. I wonder, how can someone as impressive as that become a bitch of a mother?"

Evangeline and Charlotte had been at each other's throats ever since Evangeline woke up. Van waited for her to wake up, expecting her to be the version of her before losing consciousness. But alas, the one that woke up only looked at him for a few seconds before floating away from bed… and asking Van why he was still here and not in another country.

"Oi, Van. Aren't you going to say goodbye to your mother?"

"No," Van, who was saying his farewell to his friends, only glanced back before returning back to them.

"Pft, hear that? Your only child doesn't even want to see you."

"It doesn't matter. Your only child isn't even here."

"What did you say!?"

Charlotte and Evangeline seemed to be stuck in a never-ending argument. Hans, who had been trying to stop them since they started, was not even being heard anymore-- if he was ever being heard at all.

"Are you sure you're going, Van?"

Beatrice adjusted her glasses, her eyes fidgeting as she still could not properly look at Van.

"It is not like I have any choice," Van shook his head, "...I wanted to see the other countries as well, so it all works out."

"But we just got our reunion, bro!" Harvey let out a long and deep sigh, "We met again just to say goodbye, that's not cool, bro!"

"At least we can say goodbye now, right?" Van breathed, "Just tell Victoria my goodbyes."

"It's not fair, bro!" Harvey stomped his foot a couple of times before looking at Edward, "Tell him. 2nd bro. Tell him it's unfair."

"It's okay," Edward nodded his head.

"Not 'It's okay'!" Harvey raised his voice, "Bea, tell your boyfriend it's not okay! I thought you had already taught him proper vocabulary!?"

"I have!" Beatrice rebuked, "And he's not my boy--"

"You two are together?"

Before Beatrice could finish her words, Van interrupted her, "I suppose you have me to thank for that?"

"What, no I--"

"Bahahaha!"

"It's not like that!"

And so, Beatrice's frustrated shouts thundered through the air; almost reaching the ends of the Pit. After a few hours, Evangeline and Charlotte's civilized conversation had finally reached its fruition, with Charlotte just shaking her head as she approached Van, who was already waiting on top of the Wall with Harvey and the others.

"Are you ready to go, boy?" She said, "Let's leave. Any more and I would go crazy talking to that useless mother of yours. She already told me all I need to know about our little adventure."

"...Sure."

"So, this is it, huh?" Harvey once again let out a small sigh as he stretched his arm towards Van, "We'll follow you as soon as we can, bro."

"If you can," Van let out a smirk as he reached for Harvey's arm, shaking it firmly.

Harvey then slightly sniffled, trying to stop the tears that have been wanting to fall from his eyes for a while now, "Real men only say a few words…

...Take care out there, bro."

"Hm."

"Van, I…" Beatrice slowly made his way in front of Van, her eyes still slightly downcasted, "I…"

"It's alright, Miss Beatrice," Van shook his head, letting out a small sigh as he did so, "I already said there's nothing to forgive."

"But you're still addressing me as Miss," Beatrice started raising her voice, before returning back to normal, "...You only do that for people you're not close with."

"..." Van was slightly taken aback by Beatrice's words. Was it really like that? Even he himself did not realize it.

"Someday…" Beatrice took in a deep breath as she closed her eyes. And after a few seconds, she let out her breath, looking at Van straight in the eyes,

"I will make it up to you."

"..."

With Beatrice's solemn words, Van could only nod his head before looking towards Edward. Despite him being the reason for Edward returning back to normal, they haven't really talked that much. So Van only nodded his head before walking towards Charlotte.

"Goodbye, master Van."

Edward, however, slightly bowed his head.

"Let's go, Miss Charlotte."

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to your sister?" Charlotte slightly squinted her eyes.

"...I already said my goodbyes," Van shook his head, "Besides, we'll be back as soon as we finished everything."

"She didn't take it well?"

"...Yeah."

"That's family for you," Charlotte let out a slight chuckle as she patted Van on the back. But before her palm could reach him, Van moved away.

This is dangerous, Van thought. Charlotte was getting a bit too comfortable in touching him. He even felt a slight breeze of wind hitting him on the shoulder. One could only imagine what would have happened if that was Charlotte's palm.

"A… anyway," Charlotte cleared her throat from realizing what she just did, "Family is always like that. I remember when I first became an Explorer. My parents almost locked me inside our house."

"...I see," Van nodded, "Should we go then?"

"I think you missed a couple of people to say goodbye to," Charlotte pointed towards a certain direction before Van could even take a step off New Wall.

"...What?" Van blinked a couple of times as he looked at Harvey and the others. He already said his farewells to everyone, as far as he can remember. Nisha, Gil, and Cynthia already approached him earlier, with Gil even wanting to give him his sword. Van was tempted to take it at first, but when he saw the reluctance in Gil's eyes, he just opted to refuse.

Van then looked in the direction where Charlotte was pointing to, only to see almost a thousand people gathered below the New Wall.

"...This is?"

"Your people."

"What?"

"Here, take this. It'll enhance the volume of your voice."

Charlotte then handed a donut-shaped object to Van, "Talk into the hole."

"..."

"It's a Portal artifact."

"...I see."

Van furrowed his eyebrows. He hasn't really interacted with the Locals that much besides his little speech back in the Pit's Main City, so why is it that their eyes seemed gleaming as they looked at him from below? Does being the President have some kind of innate trait of being naturally idolized by the people?

"Uhm…" Van scratched his chin as he looked at the Locals below.

And as soon as he did that, the people's voices started to whisper into Van's ears. But after a few seconds, it quickly died down as they all waited for their respectful President's speech.

"...I choose Nisha as the new President. You guys treat her well. Goodbye," Van said before backing off from the edge and disappearing from the people's sights.

"...That's it?" Charlotte stretched his hand as he gestured for Van to return her artifact. But before she could even reach the artifact, Van already placed it into his bag.

"That's--"

"Bahahaha! As expected, that was a very nice speech, bro!"

Once again, before Charlotte could even finish her words, Harvey's loud voice interrupted her. The only thing she could do was sigh as she followed Van towards the other edge of the New Wall.

Nisha, who was casually talking with Gil and the others, could not help but almost choke from hearing Van's words. Out of all the people here, why did he choose her? Was there some kind of bad blood between them that she didn't know?

If there was anyone that should have the responsibility of being the leader of these people, it should have been Latanya Boss. But then again, Latanya was currently decommissioned.

"...I guess we should treat you with respect now?" Gil said, a slightly mocking tone in his voice.

"N… no!" Nisha was about to rush and climb up to the Wall.

"!!!"

But before she could do so, a deafening thunder resounded from the top of the Wall, causing Nisha to stumble back down towards the ground. The thunderous noise was caused by Charlotte leaping from the Wall and towards the expanse of the Deadzone.

If it wasn't for them reinforcing the New Wall, then it would have already crumbled from her feet.

"Bro, she is leaving you behind!" Harvey said as he urged Van to run and chase her.

"...Want to see something cool?" Was Van's only response.

"What do you--"

Before Harvey could finish his words, he felt something slap his whole body, causing him to slightly back away. And as soon as he opened his eyes, Van was already gone.

And then, before Harvey could even say anything more, a song whispered into his ear.

"This is…?"

Harvey, as well as the others, quickly looked in the direction from where the song was coming from, only to see a colossal golden light in the shape of wings gliding away from afar.

"Is that… Van?"

"This brat," Charlotte, who was already far away from the Wall, could not help but let out a tiny scoff as Van passed by her. And if she wasn't mistaken, he was smirking at her, "Gloat while you still can!"

Another thunder echoed in the air as Charlotte clapped her hands, increasing her speed even further.

Angela, who was behind Evangeline, also let out a tiny smirk as she saw Van passing Charlotte.

"Follow them," Evangeline then turned towards Angela, "Make sure they don't get too distracted from the path they should take."

"...Okay," Angela nodded, but before she left, she turned towards Evangeline, "If you really wanted your son to follow his path, then you should have been the one to come with him, Master Evangeline…

...Just my thoughts." Angela said before floating into the air.

"That… she doesn't mean that, Master Evangeline," Hans quickly said. But it would seem that Evangeline didn't mind as she walked away, heading towards Andrea who seemed to have been waiting for her since earlier.

Although Andrea knew of Evangeline's power, she still stared at her straight in the eyes, not even the slightest hesitation in them. Seeing Andrea's eyes filled with a certain resolution, Evangeline could only let out a sigh as she stood in front of her.

"You…

...wished to talk to me?"

***

Back on the top of the Wall, Harvey, Beatrice, and Edward were now talking to Gerald and Xinyan.

"Shall we do it then?" Harvey whispered.

"It is up to you," Gerald let out a short sigh, "But I am not doing this for that beggar, but for you."

"It's decided then."

Harvey nodded towards the group,

"...It's time for me to become the head of Lauder Armaments."