Tatsuo Masanori's Story

"There was a fight, huh...?"
Tatsuo frowned as he looked on, out of his workshop. News of it spread like wildfire. Aside from the noise of weapons, apparently, a small portion of the place was on fire, and there were still ice shards- fired by a strange ice woman, he heard- around. He sighed again, remembering the time when he was still a Knight. Hearing of the news, he looked over at the Overbreak before hearing a man's voice.
"Did you hear about the fight?" "The news spread easily. How could I not?"
Tatsuo watched the man scratch at a sore on his cheek. "Well...of course, you of all people would know that there isn't a fight without casualties." "Of course. Unless it was a one-sided massacre, but every fight involves death in some way anyway." "Well...I heard that the 3rd Division of the Ashen Dragoon unit was wiped out except for one..."

Tatsuo looked over, eyes widening a little.
"3rd Division...? Wiped out?" "Yeah, the one led by that Knight that has red hair." Tatsuo grimaced a little, and soon, he found himself going back into his workshop to get another blade, sheathing it at his side. It was merely a habit- he had grown used to it. "I'm going around to listen and find out more about this..."

He looked at Flandre as she spoke further, calming his feral side and fears at the same time. Rasiel was alright, but needed rest. He nodded in undesstanding of that in his mind, as he then heard Flandre say her origins. "The Amaunet? Their homes were a day's distance from my clan! We could have been neighbors!!" he said slightly excited. Slowly he turned silent as he remembered she said something about finding suitable armor to not only match his sword, but he'd appraise said blade as well.

"I have forgotten my clan name, so I only still remember my family name. Grey. I think I'll go look for this Tatsuo now. Any help he could give about my sword would be invaluable. We'll meet up later at wherever they put Rasiel. I'll follow the scent." With that he gave Flandre a small wave before heading into town.

He walked for a bit, and sometimes asked people for directions only to point at the direction he needed to go at the mention of armor or Tatsuo's. Silently, the former recluse of the wilds was at the door of Tatsuo's shop, knocking on it before entering. "Are you the one they call Tatsuo the blacksmith? I am a friend of Rasiel's. And before you ask she's fine, but in shock from the loss of her unit. I was hoping you could help me though." As he said this he pulled out the red feather to show Tatsuo and then pull out his Katana, sheath and all. "I wish for Armor to match this blade I want you to look at for me, if that's no trouble."

After his stroll around the area, Tatsuo came back to find a strange-looking boy at the front of his workshop, kmocking. "Whenever I'm out, I always end up seeing someone at the workshop's door." He thought and sighed as he approached, listening in on what thr boy wanted him to do. He also saw him raise a red feather, and speak about Rasiel. He reached up to scratch at the back of his neck as he studied the sword the boy held up- but them he nearly did a double take. "That's an oriental katana...." Slowly, Tatsuo regained his composure, then slowly spoke.

"Armor, huh? Well, I'll require two days to forge it if that will be fine with you."

Robin only nodded at the blacksmith, putting his blade back where it was and smiled. "Very well. Two days it is. I hope to see you soon then blacksmith. Same time." he walked silently back towards the place he was sleeping at when he arrived at the city when he bumped into Flandre. She explained that there was something going on at a harbor and Rasiel was already there.

"Didn't know we had one of those." he said in a hurried manner as he went with Flandre towards the harbor. He picked up his pace a bit as he noticed a bunch of people around Rasiel and someone who.....didn't look like she was around here. But he noted the sword at her hip was almost strikingly similar to his own. Old Bron was there and he didn't seem to like her.

"What is this commotion about? Is this how you people welcome strangers beyond the undrinkable water? Or is this how the Peacock welcomes them?" Robin asked, with the peacock part aimed directly for Bron. As far as he cared he didn't care what Bron said to him, just as he didn't care what the Noble said about him. As far as he knew some of the people cared he was just a tribal savage.

Nevertheless, he approached where Rasiel was, and simply sniffed the air near the two women, to try and garner a scent from the woman. He backed up a bit for fear the woman might draw her katana, yet he kept his hand on the handle of his own. "Friend?" was all he asked of her, trying not to catch anyone's eyes as he kept his strange grey eyes on the woman and Rasiel.

"Geez! What was that for?!"

"Nothing, just wanted to see how you'll react." Rasiel laughed. Asuna calls out to Rasiel to help her in bringing down the weapons crate. As the two of them lowered it down, Asuna heard Robin ask what kind of weapons were in store.

"The usual stuff. Well, what makes them a rarity in this parts would be because they've been manufactured in different regions and continents. I haven't got a closer look yet so I'm not too privy to details--" When that was lowered, Asuna jumped off the ship and into the beach, dusting the sand off. "That's the last one for now. I don't want to bring out the other items yet since I may still need them if I get off this continent." She watched as Rasiel tries opening the weapons crate.

"Wait a moment..." Asuna got down to opening it by inserting a key into some sort of lock on the chest. It only took her a few seconds before completely opening the crate.

"All your weapons are oriental?" Rasiel asks, picking up a naginata from the large crate.

"Not all of them. I've got some rune blades and other stuff in here that I don't know how to use and...hmmm?" Asuna spotted a bag and a case out of ox horn within the box. Rasiel picked up the bag and saw...balls? They seem to be made of metal though.

"I'm not sure I understand how these can be used as a weapon." Rasiel asked.

"They can. It's more effective than a sword in my opinion but, they're rather limited...Come to think of it..." Asuna takes the bag from Rasiel and transferred the metal balls to a wallet she kept at her waist. She took the horn case as well. "I think I better keep these to myself instead of using them as trade items--hey, what are you doing princess?"

"Can I have this?" Rasiel asked as she picked up a medium-length sword with a steeper curve than even Robin's katana. It was encrusted with some rubies on the handle and the blade itself was polished to a shine. Asuna suddenly burst into laughter.

"It's okay but, you'll have to give me something else in exchange. That scimitar was forged by a renown master so it fetches a rather high price. I'm not even sure that your claymore's cost can cover it." Asuna points to the Transient.

"Awww...please?"

"Sorry princess...international trade rules."

With the last of the crates having been loaded on the cart, Asuna asked Rasiel and Robin to board. "Okay sir with the katana, mind taking the reigns? I want to do some sightseeing as we go to the shop they supposedly prepared for me."

"Where are you setting up shop?"

"Hmmm..." Asuna re-read the letter she received from the castle. "Around an intersection by the main market close to...oh, a shop run by the oriental blacksmith Tatsuo."

Robin frowns at Rasiel's explanation but he then he simply shrugged, not wanting to dwell on it long. He then watched the two women look into the very large crate of weapons as Robin looked at the ship curiously for several minutes. He heard the woman call him and Robin frowned as he walked to the head of the cart and sat on it, looking around as he looked at the reins. He was pondering how they work when he saw another person on the cart do the same thing. He mimicked the action as he started the horse going and started to drive around town.

It was then Robin turned to face the woman again. "I'm not a Sir, I'm Robin. Rasiel is not a princess either. So why call her that??" Robin asked curiously. he then turned to face the road to make sure the horse wasn't doing anything too crazy. "Why do I get the more complicated jobs??" he thought as he sighed. Robin rubbed his head silently as he heard where the new shops was going to be situated and began to work his way toward there.

He came to a complete stop at the empty building when he was done driving around town. "We are here, Countess. Least you'll have a neighbor who's an expert in oriental stuff. I've got armor commissioned that Tatsuo is working on." he said to poke fun at Asuna's title, and be proper at the same time. He knew it was still too early to bug Tatsuo about his armor, so he just sat in the driver's seat, rubbing and cleaning his long tail of hair.

"I'm not a Sir, I'm Robin. Rasiel is not a princess either. So why call her that??"

"Those are common expressions used nowadays. My calling of Sir to you isn't particularly special; it's what I refer to the other male customers I have." Asuna explains to Robin. Turning to Rasiel, she continued. "You on the other hand, are much prettier than your own princess, Princess." Asuna once again takes Rasiel's hand in hers. "I wish to invite you to dinner, after I've set up shop."

"W-what?! Uhh...I mean, I do have my original job as a Knight to attend still." Rasiel was flustered by Asuna's gestures. She wasn't quite used to this kind of treatment. "A-are you probably courting me, Miss Recital?"

"Actually, I am." Rasiel initially thought it was just a joke but the look in Asuna's eyes showed her to be dead serious. "Don't worry. I won't force you into doing things you're uncomfortable with."

Rasiel was rather relieved by that statement. She wasn't quite used to Asuna's radical train of thought just yet. "I see. Much appreciates, Count Recital."

"Of course, as long as I believe I have a chance while you're still single, I won't stop pursuing you, haha!!!"

Their journey through town was rather uneventful. Asuna was still a bit unaccustomed to the other residents giving her the eye of sorts, staring at her like she was some kind of evil enchanter. The overall mood of the town was rather depressing as well. They passed by the graveyard, a sight that rarely crossed Asuna's path.

"This is probably the only kingdom I've seen where the graveyard is much larger than the town square." Asuna had a distant look in her eyes as she uttered the words.

"We've lost a lot of our soldiers and Knights in the battle against the Chrysalis. You haven't been to many battlefields have you Count?" Rasiel explains. Asuna merely sighed.

"In my battlefield, we do not have time to even properly bury our dead. When you die, you simply get thrown out into the waters." Asuna now turns to face Rasiel. "My battles are with other humans, all seeking leverage over each other, one way or another. The sea isn't a particularly great place to wage them. Out there, life is even cheaper than it is on land."

"You don't give last rites to your fallen? The Goddess doesn't approve of such things. None of the deities does."

"Oh right, you're still polytheistic. Out in my world, several continents have started adopting a more monotheistic ruling structure. Besides, I don't particularly believe in all of those things."

"Where does your faith lie then? How do you keep on living if you don't think there is a beautiful life that waits for you after you pass on?" Rasiel asks, intrigued by Asuna's different stand in life.

"I only have faith in myself. Unlike some, I live my own life on my own terms. This is the only world I'll ever live in and it makes me value my life even more. I'm not someone who'll throw it away at a simple command. Like how you've been handling your Chrysalis problem."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Princess, haven't any of your people thought of departing for other places? I've seen the continents and this is the only one that hosts these kind of beasts. You will only meet your destruction if you stay." Asuna spouted yet another radical train of thought.

"I-I don't know if any of us can do that..." Rasiel stuttered as she said so. "Yes. I think we're still too attached to this land. It's our home. As you said, we can't just leave it and throw it away at a single command."

The entourage finally arrived at the place where Asuna is to set up shop. It looked old and rather worn-out, with some pieces falling here and there. The interiors were rather dusty as well but most of the drawers and tables were left intact and in one piece.

"We are here, Countess. Least you'll have a neighbor who's an expert in oriental stuff. I've got armor commissioned that Tatsuo is working on."

"Place seems to be falling apart but other than that--" Asuna kicks the door, which immediately collapsed and fell useless to the floor. "It will do. You say my neighbor's oriental eh?" Asuna walks over to Tatsuo's workshop.

"Yes. Tatsuo's one of our more skilled blacksmiths out here. H-hey, what are you going to do?" Rasiel hurries over to follow Asuna.

"Hey! Blacksmith-san! Mind if I ask for some wood that I can use? I need to fix the door over at my place." Asuna shouted to the window. When there was no reply yet, she stepped even closer to the door and knocked frantically. "Oi! Get your ass out here! You have a customer for God, Goddess, whoever you believe in's sake!"

Tatsuo had just been working on the armor that man had wanted. Just as he was forming the pauldrons of the armor, he was suddenly interrupted by a loud and frantic knocking on the door, accompanied by a voice- just as frantic. He tried to focus on his work for a bit before finally, he set down the hammer, and stomped over to the storage. He could do without a few more blocks and planks of wood, and he needed to get rid of this...annoying voice somehow. With some of the planks tucked under the Overbreak, he stomped over to the door and fumbled around with the latch, emerging and narrowing orange eyes at the company of people.

There was Rasiel Seraphiel, and the man who asked him for armor, and-- slight confusion appeared. An odd woman was there, in equally as odd clothes, and he supposed that this was the one asking him for wood. Earlier, she had spoke in a different accent, as well. "She doesn't seem to be from around this place at all...could it--?"

Robin sat on the chair as he observed the woman called Count Recital and Rasiel. Whilst he didn't know what she was doing to fluster Rasiel so much, he felt very uncertain if the woman's intentions were as he thought. He actually didn't know what Rasiel meant by courting. He then saw Recital knock on the door of Tatsuo's as he silently decided to get the lighter boxes in the abandoned shop. The heavier box he and Rasiel would deal with at a later time. He gave a passing wave to Tatsuo when he answered the door.

In truth it was to help distract his thoughts. How Rasiel behaved to Count Recital's talking almost made him think on himself, a few months before meeting Rasiel. He remembered his one friend in the village who died in his arms. He smiled softly at those memories with her. "If I had more time with her..." he thought. But he shook his head, no. No need to get worked up about the past. Not yet, he had work to do. He positioned to prepare to move the larger of the boxes.

"Will one of you ladies help me please? Your third box needs to be moved in and I have a feeling I'm not strong enough to lift it by myself." Robin stated. He sighed, maybe after this assignment he would help Rasiel figure out what the fate of her getting new members of her unit would be.

Finally, after a series of knockings and a bit of yelling, the man in question emerged from his workshop, carrying a bunch of wooden planks tucked in what appears to be a substitute arm. Asuna found it quite interesting, and wondered what capabilities does it have. But for now--

"Ah! Much appreciated, thank you. In exchange--no, I think I better lay out everything in the shop first." Asuna mentions as she takes the wood. "I will be your new neighbor it seems, just until I can get the Leonora fixed up. My name is Count Asuna Recital, a traveling merchant from the Transcendence Isles. Nice to meet you."

"Will one of you ladies help me please? Your third box needs to be moved in and I have a feeling I'm not strong enough to lift it by myself."

"I'll do it!" Rasiel excuses herself as she heads over to the cart and assists Robin in unloading the larger box. As far as she can recall, the larger box contained the odd, black and white contraption she saw. "T-This is heavy..."

---

In the meantime, Flandre had gone on an excursion with her unit further North, going deeper into the forests. They planned on visiting the other tribes in order to continue the last of the evacuations, originally assigned to the Ashen Dragoon Units.

"My lady, this village is deserted as well." One of her soldiers informs her after performing a clean sweep of the place. "However, that isn't what's unusual."

"Oh? And what might it be?" Flandre walks over to one of the dead bodies and flips it over. She kind of expected it but still, she was rather taken aback by what she saw. The body didn't appear to have died because of a Chrysalis attack. Rather, it was burnt, almost beyond recognition. "This wasn't a battle. This is a massacre. We're dealing with a powerful mage here. A not so ordinary Spectral."

"What do you mean my lady?

"Think about it: How come most of the villages we've been trying to rescue all turn up dead while those we haven't considered somehow manages to survive until such time as our interference. The defensive outposts all fall in bizarre ways and, like what Rasiel found in one village--" Flandre inspects each of the surrounding bodies.

"L-Lady--we can't do that! That's a disservice to the dead!"

"It won't do him neither harm nor good now would it?" Flandre had just replied when she finally found what she was looking for. "One of our weapons always turn up in the most unexpected places."

"That's a Lucrezian long sword! What is it doing here?"

"Someone's selling us out. And from what I can guess, it's not someone who's frustrated with the trade network or someone who wants to exact vengeance either. An ordinary resident won't have the power to smuggle weapons out of the city much less commence an all-out attack with magic. Cross all that out and there's only a handful of other possibilities left. Moreover, we inspect a great deal of the items sent to Insalaum, meaning that the mastermind behind it has some influence over the guilds and the trade network, a power that Knights do not have."

"N-No...You mean--?"

"One of our Lords has been false. And I have a good idea who."

"AAAAAHHHHHH!!!" Their meeting was interrupted when they heard a loud scream of a woman somewhere in the innermost vicinity. They rode on inside and saw one of their soldiers dead on the ground. Standing over her corpse was a man clad in simple armor, wielding yet another Lucrezian weapon.

"Stay close--we're surrounded." Flandre rallies her force to her as other men emerge from the shadows, shooting intimidating glances at them.

"You know too much..." One of the men spoke in a manner that Flandre recognized.

"So it has come to this...All women of the Trojan Knights--Slaughter them! Show them the true meaning of hell!!!" Flandre gives out the order, prompting all of her warriors to start attacking the mercenaries who started fighting back as well. From atop his tower, Avicebron observed via his familiar.

"So--will the storm hit or break first? Lady Flandre, you're a huge hindrance to my plans for this city." One of the two Knights entered as Avicebron watched. "Keep an eye on Seraphiel. When the time comes, we'll have to get rid of her as well. I'll deal with the foreign count myself."

The Knight nodded and exited the tower. With that, Avicebron stood up and retreated back to his study, having already set his plans in motion.

Robin nodded in appreciation of the help, and used his legs to help with the lifting of the load, hopefully making it easier on Rasiel as he flashed a small smile. Carefully he lead the way into the shop and set it down on next to the other boxes as the warrior sighed in relief. He sat on a box and waited for Miss Recital to come inside and signal the two that they can return.

Then for some reason, he felt a chilling feeling of dread. He turned to look out a shabby window. It had been awhile since he heard from Flandre. Apart from himself and possibly other refugees, she was the only other tribal person he's met and is a good friend with. He tried to shrug it off. Flandre could take care of herself. Robin was just worried over possibly nothing. Besides if she were here and he said that, she'd probably rebuff him by saying something like keep watch over Rasiel.

Robin sighed. He unsheathed his sword to examine the blade and make sure it was in working order. "Rasiel...I'm sorry about your friends. The ones you worked with anyway. If there is anything you want or need, I'll try to help." He said with a small smile as he plucked a stray hair from his head and gently cut it with his blade. He nodded in approval and sheathed it. "Same goes for Flandre too. So far they've been nothing but kind and accepting to my presence. I'll do anything for them if they asked it of me." he thought. He shook his head to snap out of his reverie of his only two friends. He needed to keep his head focused on the task at hand.

----

Lady Begarde was resting in her chambers when a tribesman hurried in and whispered in her ear. "What? Knights, in a village? In a Melee with a mercenary group not in my employ? Hm, intriguingly suspicious. I wonder if another spectral is the cause of this. I must make contact soon. Leave, I will go to the lake to bathe." Serena stated firmly as she shooed the man away and gathered her bathing things before heading out on a trail only she knew by heart to go to the lake.

She passed by a strange corpse on her way over, and raised an eyebrow suspiciously at it before giving a small shrug. Several more steps later and she was at the shores of a lake. Smiling she prepared for her bath.