It was a little past midnight, Leona was using the wooden railing of the pier to support her weight with both her elbows as she looked out to the dark ocean. The full moonlight reflected off the calm waves, giving off a serene yet beautiful sight. However just as the waves, dark clouds would come and go, often covering the light leaving an eerie shadowed lone pier.

“Can’t sleep either?”

The familiar male voice came from somewhere behind her but she didn’t even need to look to know who it was.

“Yeah. I can’t help but feel anxious.”

Krieg soon joined beside her, his left hand resting on the longsword’s hilt as his right brought the dwarven military green jacket to her shoulders.

“It’s rather chilly outside, best to not catch a cold right before a voyage.”

“Yes, thank you Krieg.” She grabbed the sides of the jacket and tuckered her body comfortably inside the rather oversized piece of clothing. “I was wondering…”

“Hm?”

“What were you talking to Phoebe after dinner? It is rare to see both of you talk to each other but what is even rarer is to see her serious.”

“I simply asked where her loyalty truly lies. How would she even know you were with me back in Karna village?”

She reached for her necklace, a prismatic star necklace that was a precious gift from her late mother. The only reason why she trusted Phoebe in the first place was the very existence of another necklace with an uncanny similarity to hers, but thinking about it more deeply it didn’t make sense. Even if Eleonora herself deemed her necessary for whatever plans she had in mind, how did she even know Krieg would be with her? It was a realization that made chills go down her spine.

“I… I can’t explain.” She reached for her chin as her left hand hugged the outer part of her right arm. “The thought just never crossed my mind.”

“I had my suspicions before Londria but choosing not to say anything was a gamble on my part.” He took a step back and bowed. “I’m so sorry, Leona.”

“No, it was better this way. If I had doubts plaguing my mind about her during that ordeal in Londria, we probably wouldn’t be even here today.” Her eyes glanced at him and then to the ocean. “Do you think she has ulterior motives?”

He lifted his head and for the first time in forever she saw doubt in his face.

“I can’t say… I fought with many kinds of people by my side but we had a clear goal in mind to defeat the demon king, even if they had their own agenda in the end.”

“But even if it wasn’t Eleonora, who would be so influential in a collapsed city to have someone so skilled such as her?”

“Miyamoto.”

The previous king of Nara, as per descriptions of history books, was the last king to mark the beginning of the end of a nation. The once sprawling city rich both in culture and wealth was brought down to its knees by the sudden appearance of death angels, a calamity brought by human hands that would soon turn the entire world into a battlefield.

“Him huh…” Her eyes locked onto his for a few seconds before she lowered her head, she knew it was the right thing to tell him about his father, but deep down she knew she couldn’t afford having him distracted at least until they reached Nara. “Does the name seem familiar to you?”

“Not at all. At least, not that I’ve heard it directly. Supposedly that man is one of the reasons why Eleonora left Arcadia and never came back.”

A chill ran through her entire body. The only obvious conclusion she could make out of those words was that he was an enemy. Someone that could manipulate powerful and influential people without even showing himself, a master puppeteer. But even then, she couldn’t think of another way. If she was to abandon the plan that she had been working on for almost two months, what else could she do? It wasn’t like she could just turn and head back to Arcadia, but she wasn’t about to let anyone control her fate any further.

“...I’d say we still go to Nara. Even if this is something that man planned himself-”

“Princess Leona.” He suddenly kneeled in front of her, his head hanging low which surprised her at first. “With all due respect, as your personal knight, I beg of you, reconsider this path that you are about to walk.”

“Krieg…?”

“Eleonora was my mentor, the one who taught me the way of the sword. If even she couldn’t defeat him… I’m afraid… I’m afraid my strength will fall short to protect you and I…” For the first time she ever knew him, his arms were trembling. Trembling from fear of the unknown. “...I could not bear to lose you. Not like this.”

It was frustrating for him. The knight second in command of one of the most prominent armies in the world, the knight who fought against demonkind toe to toe despite not being able to wield energy blade, the knight who would protect his liege even if it cost him his life, it all meant nothing if he had no chance of winning in the first place.

“Krieg. Look at me.” He lifted his head as the clouds parted and the moonlight came shinning upon them, his liege smiled more warmly than the sun. “You’re not alone. Even if he is an enemy that we must put down. We’ll do so together.” Her left hand reached for the silver longsword resting in its sheath as she lifted it a little. “I believe I improved a lot regarding my skills with not only magic but the blade as well.”

Of course, even if she said that, deep down she didn’t want to fight. Not only she didn’t know what her opponent was capable of, but there was also the fact that someone or something had been following her ever since near Londria where she almost died from mana overload while trying to save him.

“That you have my liege.” He lowered his head again with a smirk on his face as if realizing what he just had said was like a bad joke. “I’m sorry for my unsightly behavior. It is as you say. Your skills have undoubtedly improved, I can’t call myself a proper knight if I don’t trust my master’s abilities.”

“I told you before and I’ll tell you again Krieg.” She touched his right shoulder. “You’re not my servant, you are my precious knight, my protector and above all, my friend.”

However their bittersweet moment was cut short by someone calling them out.

“Aren’t you two supposed to be asleep?”

The familiar voice of a high elf came from above them. Promptly looking up, Leona noticed a figure cloaked in darkness to drop somewhat close behind Krieg.

“Phoebe?” The tactician looked at the dark blue glint from beneath the mask she wore. While she had grown accustomed to her appearance at this point, the lack of light along with what Krieg had just told her made the high elf look intimidating. “What are you doing out here? I thought you were supposed to be resting.”

“That elven lemon did almost knock me out cold, but I know a thing or two to help me get it out of my system.” She approached the two, which by that point Krieg was standing up with his left hand loosely hanging above the guard of the longsword on his belt. “I checked other inns and pubs to find rumors about Arcadia but nothing outside of the new king has been circulating around here.”

“Phoebe.”

For a very brief moment, she felt an ominous sensation coming off from Leona as she addressed her, as if a fight was about to break out.

“Yes?”

“Who do you truly work for? Piecing together the reasons for our meeting, it is not anything short of a miracle and yet you were sure I was with Krieg, not mention that necklace-”

She chuckled which made Leona stop her speech while also reaching for her longsword at the same time.

“Princess Leona, despite everything we went through together you still doubt my intentions? If I had to kill you-” In what seemed to be faster than the blink of an eye, she had her dagger drawn with the flat cold metal touching the side of Leona’s throat. “You would’ve been dead already.”

She didn’t even flinch, Krieg on the other hand had his longsword drawn into a horizontal swing ready to behead her, but before it could reach her she shouted.

“Krieg stop!” His blade stopped about half a palm off the high elf’s throat. Leona slowly grabbed Phoebe’s right wrist and lowered the weapon without facing any resistance from her. “Truly, I don’t think I can be surprised anymore. Tell me the truth Phoebe, who is it that you actually work for?”

“The former king of Nara. Or rather, someone impersonating him.” She sheathed her dagger. “I was told that I would be able to learn a technique that would allow me to kill my sister.”

“All I need you to tell me is if he is a friend or foe.”

“I can’t say. He has protected queen Eleonora for all these years so far which makes me think he won't do you any harm, but I also can’t guarantee your safety.”

“I should cut you down for your insolence-”

Despite Krieg showing great animosity she wasn’t even fazed and instead was Leona who had to raise her left arm and shake her head before he would sheathe his blade again. After lowering her arm and taking a shallow breath, she continued.

“Phoebe, without you I would most likely not be here today, this I admit. However, if you’re leading us to our deaths, I swear in my family's name, I will take you down no matter the cost.”

“You’ll just have to take my word for it Princess.” She turned around, seemingly disinterested in the conversation. “My job was strictly to bring you and Krieg to Astera safely. I must emphasize the wording, safely. Despite my training as an assassin, he still chose to prioritize protecting you two.”

“You make it sound like all that you have been doing up until now was your job.”

“It is.” She glanced over her shoulder, the deep blue eyes were unsurprisingly cold. “Because that is the only way I’ll have my revenge.”

As she was about to go away, Krieg raised his voice.

“Revenge will be your undoing, Phoebe.”

“We’ll see about that. Sir Krieg.”

She walked away, vanishing into the darkness as if blending in the shadows. However their parting wasn’t what Leona was expecting.

“Krieg.”

“Yes?”

“Her eyes, I couldn’t help but feel she was… lonely.” She bit the underside of her lips lightly before turning to him. “Sorry, I must have made you worry back there just now, but part of me still wants to believe in her. I know deep down she isn’t one to live only for revenge.”

She said that as memories of the smiling high elf came to her mind which made her chest feel at ease.