The skyship descended through a veil of cloud, and the first sight of Mesnil stole the breath from every soul aboard.
They could see the capital stretch vast and unyielding beneath them with its walls of stone shining in the sun.
Towers of white and gold rose higher still, piercing the heavens with their banners trailing in the wind.
The architecture of the Northern Empire was shown proudly for all to see with bridges of marble and steel.
At its heart, dominating all, loomed the Castle Secace in the center of a vast bastion that was crowned in radiant spires, visible from miles away, where King Lancelot sat on his throne.
Thousands of voices drifted upward from the streets below; merchants crying wares, soldiers calling orders, children chasing one another in play.
"Everything is so livelu." Claimed Elizabeth.
"It looks like Lancelot actually listened to Grimhild and decided to help the poor for the sake of their duel." Claimed Zarutha.
Estrilda leaned upon the railing with her frost-blue eyes wide with wonder.
For a giant who once lived estranged from human civilization, and spent her time in Jotunheim, the sight of Mesnil was overwhelming.
"It is… beautiful." She whispered with awe.
Fhiron crossed his arms with his expression stern and unreadable.
"Aye. Beautiful indeed."
Jean's gaze lingered on the castle.
"And that's where the Lancelot likely sits…."
His tone was sharp with curiosity as he frowned, gazing over the vast capital of the northern empire.
The ship cut its way through the last drape of mist and slowed down to a stop outside the gates of the Kingdom, landing on the ground.
Already, a company of soldiers in silver and blue armor waited below with their halberds.
The Kingdom did not miss any arrivals from the sky or land.
A divine ramp extended down from Skidbladnir, anchoring itself into the ground.
Everyone slowly disembarked the massive ship confidently behind Grimhild who carried her staff.
Eyes followed them from every corner; the witch, the frost-giantess, the Ayleon, the Cyrodel, the Elf King himself, alongside a Golem, Delivery Owl, and Kaizamei.
She was accompanied by strange companions, needless to say.
But all eyes, in the end, fell to Grimhild.
Her stride did not falter as she stepped in front of the Kingdom's gates.
"Who are you? Present yourselves." Asked a guard.
"I am Grimhild Yorgana. King Lancelot is expecting me."
The captain of the guard widened his eyes.
"G-Grimhild Yorgana? So it's true, you will fight our Lord to a duel."
The captain raised his voice.
"By decree of His Majesty, King Lancelot, Grimhild Yorgana is granted audience. You shall be escorted to the duel immediately!"
Grimhild raised her hand.
"I'm afraid not. I've come here for two particular reasons; to duel Lancelot and to join the Magic Academy. Allow me to wander the streets and find a place for my friends to rest, if you do not mind."
Loud whispers echoed through the gathered crowd from behind the castle gates.
Some were in awe, while others were in dread at the massive ship they had flown in on.
To them, this day was no ordinary spectacle; it was a legend unfolding before their eyes.
Grimhild only tilted her head slightly with her lips curling in the smallest shadow of a smile.
"It's good to see these people healthy and happy. I would have been disappointed otherwise." She muttered.
"I could not agree more!" Said Zarutha, perched on Obsidia's shoulder.
"Very well." Said the captain. "You may enter the Kingdom of Secace. It is where the Magic Academy resides. But after that, you will have an audience with the King."
"Very well." Said Grimhild.
The gates of Secace swung open with a low groan, and they all stepped past the threshold into the heart of Mesnil itself.
The noise of the city washed over them with streets of carts creaking over stone, hawkers calling out fresh bread and fruit, and the clang of blacksmiths hammering steel from the forges.
Children ran past in laughter, weaving between cloaked scholars and armored knights.
It was life in its raw and vibrant form with all of it spilling into the wide boulevards of the Kingdom.
Elizabeth turned in slow circles as she walked with her eyes moving from stall to stall.
"Aaah! They have so many markets! Look at those fruits! My father has never let me into other Kingdoms!"
Sure enough, a merchant was selling crystalline apples that emanated mana.
He grinned as Elizabeth passed and waved one high, calling out that they kept illness away in winter.
Estrilda followed with more hesitation.
Though human-sized now, she still towered above most of the crowd, and the stares clung to her like burrs.
Yet her frost-blue eyes caught every detail; the marble fountains, the painted tiles, and the strange mechanical lifts that carried people up to higher tiers of the city.
"I have never seen… so many people together, and not afraid." She whispered.
Kyto walked at the rear, his arms folded with his gaze sharp as ever.
"Don't get lost in the moment. Capitals like this are good at hiding their rot beneath gold."
Jean smirked and turned to face Grimhild.
"Hey, Grimhild, this may seem out of the blue, but I have to ask. When you casually give out your name, aren't you at least a little bit worried?"
"Hm?" Grimhild side-eyed him. "You mean because of my history?"
"Uhhh, yeah, pretty much." Responded Jean.
"People have tried to erase my name from Yggdrasil after the Age of Legends. It was one of the darkest times in history." She replied without hesitation. "There's only a handful of people who really know the origins around my name, but it's quite rare." She said, turning to face straight ahead. "And I was also the one who wiped the memories of me across all of Yggdrasil to hide like a coward, afraid to be face-to-face with those I wronged."
Everyone widened their eyes, staring at Grimhild.
"You… wiped away everyone's memories of you?" Asked Jean.
"Mm." Grimhild nodded, closing her eyes. "After Arthur changed me, I tried my best to remain hidden, and not face my past again. I was too hurt to look people in the eye whom I had maltreated. That is one of the reasons why Lancelot doesn't remember me."
Everyone seemed baffled by her claim.
"W-Wait, then how do the other heroes remember you then?" Asked Elizabeth. "They definitely knew who you were!"
"My memory wiping spell was resisted by those with strong wills, or those that I purposefully left out. Lancelot must've had a weak will during the time I used it. That's my only explanation. There is no other reason why he would forget who I am."
The group walked on with their steps echoing against the stone.
Elizabeth kept sneaking glances at Grimhild, still processing what she had confessed.
"I can't even imagine that." She muttered under her breath, falling in step beside her. "To wipe away the memories of an entire world… and live with that weight."
Grimhild's eyes remained forward with her face calm, though her grip on her staff tightened slightly.
"It was not bravery, Elizabeth. It was an escape. A child hiding behind curtains rather than facing the faces of those they harmed."
Estrilda tilted her head.
"And yet, here you are now. Walking openly, your name upon every tongue. That does not sound like hiding anymore. I never even knew you were responsible for the events of the past, but then again, it had nothing to do with my people. Jotunheim was mostly left out."
"The past doesn't vanish, lass." Said Fhiron. "It waits, patient as stone. The choice is whether you keep running, or meet it head-on. Looks to me Grimhild has chosen the latter."
Grimhild said nothing, but for the briefest moment her lips pressed into the faintest smile.
"I stopped hiding and decided to come out to try and redeem myself. And to do good for the sake of others. I want this world to thrive." She lowered her head. "If I'm ever to die, I want to do it while saving the people I once tried to destroy."
Jean gave a low chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Well, whatever the case, you've certainly dragged the rest of us into legend with you. Never thought I'd be walking beside you and so many interesting people."
Kyto snorted from the back with his eyes still sweeping every alley and rooftop.
"Never thought, or never wanted?"
Jean smirked.
"Maybe both."
The conversation dwindled as they eventually reached the center of the city.
At the heart, the noise of the markets fell away into a quieter district where scholars and apprentices passed in clusters.
As the company moved forward, heads turned and people began whispering to one another.
"Word of your duel spreads quickly." Zarutha remarked from Obsidia's shoulder. "By dusk, every tavern will talk about it."
Grimhild ignored the stares and pressed onward.
Finally, the street widened into a vast plaza.
At its center rose an archway of obsidian and gold, monumental in scale, carved with runes.
Beyond, glimpses of towers and bridges were shown, distant yet impossibly close.
Elizabeth gasped as her voice broke the silence.
"The Academy…"
Elizabeth's hand came to rest on her chest while her breath quickened.
"It's so magical"
Indeed, even those without mana could sense it; the pressure of layered enchantments, the feeling of wards older than elves.
Two guardians in silver robes stood flanking the arch.
When they saw Grimhild approach, they straightened and eyed the small witch.
"The Academy has awaited you, Grimhild Yorgana." One intoned with his voice muffled but resonant beneath the mask.
Jean blinked, evidently startled.
"They… knew you were coming?"
Grimhild's eyes narrowed.
"Of course they did. My brother is the one who owns Magic Academy."
"What?!?"