Here Descal stood on the borders of the now destroyed and inhospitable Ruhan Kingdom making sure the last of the refugees are keeping up with the main group. It was the least he could do for failing to protect the lands of the people he has sworn to protect. He looked over the ruined landscape of the dark miasma that permeated the ground sending wisps of polluted purple air into the sky and the sheer lack of any vegetation sent his homonculus heart into turmoil.

Very few citizens blame Descal for the loss of the Ruhan Kingdom. It was Descal who freed the country from the grasp of the treacherous Queen Cecilia. It was Descal who gifted vaccines into the public drastically reducing children's death from the feared polio and chicken pox. It was Descal who demolished serfdom so that more people could chase their dreams. It was Descal that introduced the ideas of capitalism and Laissez-faire with revisions to taxes that allowed both nobles and commoners to become richer. It was Descal who restored the monarchy that was thought to be lost with the deceased Cecilia. It was Descal who fought the combined invasion of the Crimean Empire and the Numean Empire with the approval of the Church of the Holy Light when they invaded after the discovery of adamantium in the mountains. It was Descal who fought the combined invasion of the Crimean Empire, the Numean Empire, and the dreaded invasion of the Forsaken One's army which marked the beginning of the Fourth Calamity War. It was Descal who now gave the people hope of a new land that the people could escape and settle in after the Numean Empire used a massive forbidden spell in a failed attempt to halt the Forsaken One's advance and instead reduced the once vibrant Ruhan Kingdom into a miasmic desert. At least, that was what went on the massive propaganda campaign launched by the royal family.

And yet, Descal couldn't help but feel that he has failed in his duty. It should have been obvious that no country would ever follow the treaty that banned the use of forbidden spells on other human countries. He had gotten complacent in his knowledge of human nature.

"Uncle. How is the rear group doing?"

Finally, there was Cecilia's grandson Phineas. A young 22-year-old King who obtained the throne after his father suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 58. Descal found himself being called Uncle to Phineas. It made sense because he was present for many of Phineas' childhood events such as his birthdays and influenced Phineas' love for the sciences particularly chemistry.

"Doing as best as they can." (Descal)

"Uncle. I hope you aren't blaming yourself over this. Nobody blames you for this. In fact, everyone is praising you as the best Guardian for this crisis. It was you who fought off three massive armies at the same time. Nobody blames you for not predicting the bastards using a Forbidden spell of this scale on us. Not only that, you have given everybody some hope in the midst of the Fourth Calamity War when you told us of a new land that we can settle in. So, you shouldn't blame yourself. You are practically a beacon of hope for this country at the time of darkness." (Phineas)

"*snort*. As if nobody blames me for this. It still didn't stop almost an entire half of our population ditching us to go to a different country, but don't worry. I don't blame myself. However, every time I look at this destruction, I can't help but feel that I have failed in my duty."

"The citizens of the Ruhan kingdom still exist, and they still love their country. As long as the people still exist, the country still exists. Also, the people leaving us isn't because of you. Well, some of them blame you, but not all. It's because they don't believe you when you told us that there is an island in the Bermuda Ocean and you know how to safely guide us there."

"Well, it will still be a dangerous journey, and it will be a one-way trip."

"But not to fear, we have the great Guardian with us who will be able to take us to the Promised Land."

"You've been reading too much of those "inspirational" speeches, haven't you?"

Phineas sadly glanced over at Descal. "It's better than the alternative. I need some positive thinking right now."

"Isn't it hope we need right now?"

"You are our hope."

"As if."

"It's true. You are the reason why the people aren't completely despairing right now. It's because of you that we have gotten a deal with the elves to the southwest to shelter us and provide us with ships to embark on our migration."

"It wasn't that hard. Nothing praiseworthy."

"You. It's really you!"

"Yes. It's me."

"How? You should be dead!"

"That is of no concern of yours"

"What do you want! You have killed my entire family. You have destroyed the Elven Empire reducing us to tiny splotches of forests."

"Don't exaggerate. Your current forest isn't tiny."

"It's far tinier than what it should have been!"

"Seriously? You should be glad that I even let any of you elves survive. I am surprised that you even managed to live this long despite that disease I spread."

The strength faded from the old elf as he collapsed back into his bed.

"I don't have much longer. Three years at most. To think you would be able to find a disease that managed to rob us of our youth so quickly."

"Wasn't that hard. It only limited elven lifespan to 500 years except for you."

"Have you come to simply mock me in my final years? How my last few years will not be one of peace but war and destruction. I have already received reports that the Forsaken Ones have restarted their invasion. Are you the one who STARTED THE FOURTH CALAMITY WAR???!!" The shout was too much for the weakened elf as he began violently coughing blood.

"No. It wasn't me. I have had no relations to any of the Calamity Wars after my banishment."

"Banishment?"

"Yes. I was sent to a different dimension or world. In addition, I have no intention of continuing with my past agenda. After all, I have been appointed the Guardian of the Ruhan Kingdom."

The elf began contemplating the words of the Shadow. It has said it in the Mortem Language so it was no lie; however, the fact that the Shadow of all things would bind itself to the Guardian ritual was a shocking development.

"Why?"

"Let's say that during my exile I "cooled" down a bit."

"How insane is the royalty of your kingdom? Appointing the Shadow as their Guardian?"

"Ehh. She was pretty insane, but it was a calculated move."

"Does your people know?"

"No. And I would prefer to keep it that way." Descal's eyes gleamed red as the old elf scrunched back from the overwhelming pressure radiating from the body.

"If it's you, you probably can do it. So why have you come to me and asked for this private conversation?"

"To think you literally threatened the First Primarch of the Elves. Aren't you worried that he would go blab this to the Church?" (Phineas)

"He saw my true powers. He knows it will be futile. However, once we move to that island, I'll probably break the news to my citizens about 40 years later. Secrets don't last forever, and I am positive that elf is going to tell his successor my true identity before he dies."

"Why 40?"

"First, it's going to be at least 100 years before we would develop the sonar and satellite technology to be able to safely negotiate the Bermuda Ocean without my help so everyone is going to be stuck with me for 60 more years. By that time, people would be able to get used to me. The reason why I chose 40 years is that there will be people who should still remember me leading them through this time period so I should be able to score a couple sympathy points with the older folks."

"And you tell me that politics doesn't fit you."

"It doesn't." Descal deadpanned at Phineas' comment.

"Well, you may not like it, but you are good at it."

"Because I had no choice but to get good at it. You should have seen me in my early years as a dictator. I was a mess."

"You know. I am kinda surprised on why you changed your mind about technology. When we get to the island, are you seriously going to introduce the steam engine?"

"Yup. There aren't going to be any spies because all the empires think that we are just going to go on mass suicide, and I am going to go on a manhunt for any potential spies as well. In addition, it will be harder for the other countries to steal our tech because we are going to be on an island. In addition, we will have a 100-year head start. Possibly even more because I am going to get my revenge on that empire and the church by releasing the Communist Manifesto into the populace so the human race is going to suffer from a two-front war. The Fourth Calamity War and a communist revolution that will result in a shit ton of intellectuals and innocents dead. It's going to be great because everyone but our country is going to regress while we progress. I am such a responsible person."

"And as the responsible person you are, you dumped responsibility back onto my father's back even though he explicitly told you that he would rather be a musician and not to give him the crown. He never forgave you for that."

"And he got his revenge two-fold by making me his prime minister and dumping all his fucking paperwork on me as he ran away on his what's the word... paid vacations. What type of asshole takes 50 paid vacations a year?"

"My father apparently."

"So... How are your older brothers doing? Will they be coming along or will they take refuge in some other country? I am sure they have gotten plenty of offers, especially Monty. If they choose to leave, they won't be able to come to the mainland very often."

"Well, both of them are going to come along. I received a letter from Monty that he rejected all of the University's offers to be an official professor in order to come along with us. As for Jaune, he said that he is resigning from his mercenary position and coming as soon as he can. They both gave similar reasons in that they would never abandon family."

"You know how lucky you are that you have good relations with your siblings despite being royalty?"

"Thanks to you."

"Which worries me a little bit because I won't be able to raise every single royal family in the future so..."

"Well, we should try experimenting with other forms of government then."

"You are probably the first king in this world that would willingly give up power."

"Let's just go to the island and stabilize our people there before we make any revolutionary decisions."

"Off to a new world."

"A whole new world."

"I regret teaching you that song."