They ride on, unsure of where exactly they're going, but desperate to travel far from the forest.
"Nel, what do you suggest we do about Dunder?" Yuto asks. "We can't attempt reaching out to the military through radio right now, whoever betrayed us is still out there," they eye each other somberly. "Let's go to them then," Xiao says nonchalantly. "Yeah, that'll be easy, just break into a military facility for a private meeting with higher-ups, while Xiao most likely has a bounty on him for horse theft," Yuto huffs. "When will you ever let that go," she shakes her head at him.
"We don't need to break into a military facility, we can go straight to the house of an official."
"Oh yes! And how do you suppose we do that?"
"With the power of social standing," Nel states, twisting his head to show them his conflicted smirk. They nap for several hours in the calming grasslands of Zelisthia, resting in preparation for whatever plan Nel has concocted.
In the next town, they sell the horse to a shady figure who had no qualms with buying a quite obviously stolen horse for a low price. Xiao returns to her pickpocketing ways, procuring enough Brawn for the five of them to take a train west to Nels hometown. The train ride takes them to the upper center of the Zalisthia empire, not far from the capital.
Exiting the train, in their torn military garb, they call for a carriage with Xiao's stolen money. The carriage takes them inside the inner gates, to what Xiao assumed to be akin to the haughty Gatais of Bailekhwam. It seemed like they had ridden for hours in the stuffy carriage, and with passed time, the houses had become increasingly extravagant.
Finally, the air around Nel changes and he bellows, "stop, we're here," to the carriage man, in an unnecessarily cold tone.
"Young master! You're here!" a butler runs out from the gate with his perky mustache and teary eyes. "I'm here to speak with my mother," Nel straightens his back and exudes an intimidating demeanor. "Yes, young master, I will take you to her."
Xiao and Christopher are stunned by Nel's wealth but perhaps even more so by his mannerisms. The room they enter is elaborate and perhaps excessive. The decor seemed like more of a testament to their wealth as if Nel's mother arranged the room in such a way to brag about the nobility she had acquired with much difficulty. The woman they stare at is young, so young in fact that she must have had Nel around the age of sixteen. There were no wrinkles on her face, just her shining green eyes, and her long, silky blonde hair.
"My boy! Why have you returned? Have you been fired?" His mother questions, the disappointment thick in her voice. The butler serves some aromatic earl grey tea to the men in intricate china teacups; Smiling to the soldiers with all the warmth in the world and uncaring to the interrogation happening right beneath his mustache. "No, I have received a break from work and have decided to ask for your assistance in finding a wife." His teammates break from their resolute military persona to gawk at Nel. "You've never been interested in my matchmaking before," she cups her chin in thought, "but you know I can't refuse grandkids!" Xiao struggles to not spit out her tea, the cup clatters against her tea plate as a steady stream escapes down her chin.
"It is important to me that my future wife is of high social standing, someone such as me, a military man should be her father." Xiao wants to gag at Nel's pompous facade. She'd gotten past the contempt she felt for Nel's aristocracy but this display was an unforgivable sin.
"And why are your comrades here?"
"They've come to support me. We've grown close through countless battles mother, you mustn't even attempt to understand a man's comradery with fellow teammates." Chance whispers to Christopher, "Why is he making us sound like we're all in a relationship?"
"If we are, I'm breaking up with Nel," Christopher replies, giggling underneath his hand.
His mother rises from her french cushion, her long green dress trails behind her as she walks to a desk on the other side of the room. Opening the drawer, she pulls out several files. She tosses them all on the table between the men. The men begin to pick through the files. when one would find a woman with a father of military status, they'd pass it on to Nel. Nel picked a woman whose father was based in the city and would be able to access information as an official.
"Oh her! I always knew you'd like brunettes!" his mother said gleefully. Nel scratched his head, struggling to maintain his persona after escaping his mother for so long, "Guilty as charged."