With Kloe and Emma clocking out for the night and getting dressed into their nightwear, I remained at my desk as I wanted to note down everything that took place today. Many characters of the Trailsverse made interactions here at Grandmother's birthday celebration in Grancel City. Interactions that shouldn't have taken place, but they did. Hell, even the Septian Church and the Bracer Guild shouldn't have met, but they did. Courtesy of me. I know my existence alone has already started to spiral the original story off its course, and I don't know where all of this will lead. I'm just here, trying to enjoy this second life of mine with my friends and family, all the while attempting to create a harem.
We'll see whether or not that harem plan bears any fruit. No pun intended, haha! I'm sure in these next couple of years before Sky officially kicks off, there will be interesting turns of events. I just didn't think one would be sent my way so soon. Like, right now!
Tap. Tap. Tap.
I heard a soft tap reach my ears. My orbal laptop softly hummed with a faint glow of its screen. Thankfully, I had finished and arrived at a good stopping point for the night. Stretching my arms out, I closed the vermillion-clad laptop. I saw a cross between a Phoenix and a White Falcon etched on its front plate. Stretching my arms, I saw Emma and Kloe now nestled in the giant, circular bed. Emma was about to take her glasses off for the night before she raised them, and saw me head toward the large, sliding window.
"The maids drew a bath earlier so it's ready for you, Naoto. Do you still have something to do?", Emma asked me.
"Yeah, I do. I won't be long. If you're tired from the food earlier, you can go ahead and rest early.", I said to Emma.
"Okay...I might go ahead and do that. Goodnight...", Emma said, and yawned. Reaching toward a night stand near her, she placed her glasses on top of it. Celine and Tamamo could now be seen nestled against each other, snoozing away.
"Don't be long, Naoto.", Kloe said, still reading a book. She was letting the memories of today still sink in her memories, I bet. I even saw the gift I had prepared for her on her personal night stand too. She was immediately attached to it, and I'm glad she likes it.
"I won't.", I replied, causing Kloe to gently nod her head. I slid the window open, and a breezy wintry air struck my face, which wiped away any previous drowsiness from typing. I could even see my breath. I didn't want the girls to get chilly, so I slid the door closed. Lake Valleria was now in full view. Sure enough, out on the veranda, I saw a hulking figure leading casually against the backside of the castle walls. I raised my eyebrows seeing this man. I haven't seen him in a good year or two. Not since Nemeth Island.
"...How'd you even get up here?", I blurted out, not expecting to see the Jaeger King just casually enjoying a night on my own veranda.
"Nice place. Those girlies you have with ya seem in good health too. That was a nice display you did out there.", Rutger said, greeting me with that nonchalant tone of his.
"Oh...", I replied, and scratched the backside of my head. "You saw the fighting, huh?"
"Sure did. Wish I could've joined myself, but that Party looked full, so I didn't come crashin' it down. So I just waited here until the time was right. Ya sure have a lot of interestin' people gathered at your side, prince. Or should I continue callin' ya Naoto like we did back on the Island?", Rutger asked.
"I prefer the latter, actually. You know how titles hold little meaning when we're on the battlefield.", I replied, and smiled.
"Heh. Nice answer. I like that about ya, kid. Ya know, Fie's missed you this last year or so. She's been trainin' hard back at camp in hopes to assist ya alongside what I'm about to give ya.", Rutger suddenly said, drawing my attention to him.
"A mission, I take it?", I softly answered.
"Yeah. It's a pretty big buyout too. Couple million mira. Everyone's on board. This will give us enough funds to last us a good while.", Rutger said with a nod of his head. It was the same year of the DG Cult Extermination, but I don't think this mission has any relationship to that.
A big Jaeger event set to take place in S1198...what was it?
As if the Jaeger King had sensed my realization, a wide grin appeared on his lips.
"How familiar are ya with the Northern Jaegers, Naoto?", Rutger asked the question of the day. Or night, in this case, haha!
The Northern Jaegers. This really does involve them. Now that I think about it, isn't this around the time a woman called Sara Valestein loses her grandfather in a nasty battle against another well-known Jaeger corp hired by some nobles to attempt and overthrow what little remains of North Ambria's government? They've been struggling to regain an era of peace ever since their land was devastated by what's now known as the tragedy of the Salt Pale.
Quite literally, a huge pillar of salt descended from the skies above, lodging itself into the earth. It salinized North Ambria's entire capital and its surrounding forests, leaving no one alive. You think Kevin shooting The Faceless with a Salt Pale-clad arrow was bad? No, this event was a thousand times worse. Many people died that day, and became salt statues.
And well, North Ambria has been trying to recover ever since. Its state truly is pitiful, and when Father tried to annex it during the Cold Steel saga, they couldn't do anything to fight back. They were left up to their inevitable fate. They even made an anime of it, which painted Rean as a villain. Or in Erebonia's eyes, a "War Hero".
To think this event was on the horizon...
I might be able to meet Sara Valestein for the first time, way before you first get to meet her in Cold Steel!
I know there are many characters in North Ambria that I can potentially meet here too. Around the time Reverie released and I got a chance to play through the entire game, its developers were creating a spin-off anime, which detailed the Northern Jaegers into the scene I just painted. The one where they meet Rean during the October War. Or the tail end of it, anyway. All under the disguise of Father wanting to take North Ambria for himself.
What's stopping me from taking it away from Father before he has a chance to even react? Not through his ways, of course. He's known as the Blood And Iron Chancellor for a reason. My ways are through...creating the bonds of friendship, as silly as that sounds. My Favorability list has grown exponentially, and what better way to get in touch with folks I haven't met before than to do it through that?
It's still a plan being formed, but I think I can add it as a whole to my whole Western Zemuria Unification Plan that has recently shone some light.
So I nodded my head. I very well knew who the Northern Jaegers are.
"I do. They're the primary Jaegers who operate out of North Ambria, correct?", I asked.
"They are. They've uncovered a ploy that's gonna disrupt several Septium mining facilities the government recently discovered. But that's just on the surface. Some bastard nobles are tryin' to cause a ruckus, and they're already hiring an opposin' Jaeger corp, Nidhoggr. I will not be surprised if Nidhoggr reaches out to secure an ally of their own. We're lookin' at a full-blown war here.", Rutger said, explaining the situation to me. Even though I know of this battle, I still sucked in a cold breath of air. A full-blown war between several Jaeger corps...
"Nidhoggr, huh? Sounds like a problem brewing already.", I responded. Not the most prominent Jaeger corp out there, but Nidhoggr is amongst the top five here in Western Erebonia. If Zephyr and the Northern Jaegers are teaming up, then who exactly?
One thought comes to mind.
And the Jaeger King's next works just confirmed my worst doubt.
"Right? We've already sent out some scouts to monitor their movements and color me surprised. It looks like they've gotten in contact with the Red Constellation.", Rutger said, dropping the ball on me. My eyes turned cold hearing that.
"The Red Constellation...I've got a bone to pick with them.", I uttered, keeping my voice low.
"I know. And you'll have a chance to get your revenge, should you want to go down that route. But let me tell you right now, it ain't pretty.", Rutger said.
"Yeah. Treading on the path of revenge never sits well on anyone. If someone gets it, then what? What comes next? Thankfully I'm not that type of person. I know they're hired hands, just like we are. But if there comes a chance we can fight as enemies, then I'm going to unleash hell.", I said, forming a smile on my lips.
Hearing that, the Jaeger King laughed.
"Hahaha! If you want to raise some hell, then hell we shall raise. Fie's lookin' forward to fightin' in real combat this time, and not just drills. And who knows, ya may come across your old enemy. Ya know, the Red Reaper. Seems he's been makin' a name for himself these last few years ever since he raided your home.", Rutger said, and laughed.
"The Red Reaper. Randolph Orlando...", I uttered. Unbeknownst to me, I even let out a little bit of bloodlust. Was it anger? No. I do not hate Randy for attacking my home. He too, was basically brainwashed by that uncle of his, the second in command, Sigmund Orlando. The Red Ogre. Down the line, Randy breaks free from the Red Constellation, and joins the Crossbell State military, the same line of work a girl named Noel Seeker is a part of, only to eventually find his own spot in the SSS. His past is quite bloody, to say the least.
And so is mine.
In a way, Randolph Orlando and I are two peas in a pod.
At the very least, it looks like I'm heading to North Ambria. I let my thoughts settle as a cold wind passed by.
"Anyway, be ready for a pickup when the mission starts. Ya still have some time, it won't be for a few months out. If ya have another place to be ya can head there first.", Rutger said. "And it was nice to have a small chat with ya again, Naoto. Take care."
"You too.", I said. Just like that, Rutger did a giant leap directly off the balcony. You know it's all water underneath us, right? But he knows how to move in ways I can't explain. He showed up here, so that meant he could make it down safely as well.
Still, the Jaeger King didn't say I have to join Zephyr's side right away. That's good, because I have someplace else to be. Recalling correctly, this battle doesn't take place until halfway down in the year, around summertime. So I still have some months ahead before I meet up with them. It will be my first time experiencing such a large-scale battle. Not against monsters, but other people.
And it may very well be the first time I experience my first blood. Taking the life of another. It's common on the battlefield, so I have to be ready for it. And so does Emma.
But I was quickly left to my own devices, so I made my way back inside our private quarters. I saw Kloe placed her book at her night stand and already could be seen placing peacefully next to Emma. It was well into the night now.
I remembered Emma saying our maids drew a bath, so it was still likely drawn. I proceeded toward our bathroom, and saw a fancy-looking tub. With a plop, I wiped myself down, and freshened up for bedtime.
Before I knew it, the sands of time began to churn once again, and I welcomed the new year. It was now S1198!
Some time later...