After departing from Rictor and his troops, Alphonse and Ivanna decided to take the route from Vespa hills, the green grassy land where wild beasts appear at dusk.
"How long until we reach Vespa hills?" Alphonse said shielding his eyes from the evening sun rays.
" Not so far away, I can see the hill top, we are near."
They both walked across the grassy land the sun was already setting, making the tall trees and grasses shadow over them.
" What happen to the campaign funds? Did you hire your troops?" Ivanna asked.
Alphonse sighed," they won't lend a single soldier to Lodis like me, not even when the price was doubled."
Ivanna also gave a sigh.
" Guess, there grudge must be still strong."
The sun had already set and the shadows made it difficult to see. After walking for hours, they finally step foot on the hills of vespa. Ivanna rubbed sweat off her forehead and took a sip of water.
" We've reached Vespa hills,"
"Finally!!" Alphonse gave out a loud breathe " we should make a fire and rest the night here."
Ivanna placed down her rucksack on the ground." I'll go find some firewood."
"Ok"
Crickets were creaking, the night was cold and dark, Alphonse sat there alone gathering stones for making fire then he heard footsteps behind, he turned back
" Ivanna?"
" Who are you? And what are you doing here?" A girl creeped out of the shadow she was armed with a bow and arrow and she was holding a dead bird, which looked like her catch.
Alphonse stood up," Iam Alphonse, little girl what are you doing here?"
The girl walked towards him," Iam not a girl, Iam a hunter. What are you doing here alone at night?"
Alphonse scratched his head, " well, we're on a quest, you see and since it got dark we decided to rest here for the night."
The girl looked at Alphonse for a while
" What quest?" She asked as she pointed her arrow towards him.
"Woah!! Stop there, I mean no harm, it's just a quest to rescue our.....lord's.... daughter, you know like saving the princess"
" Such a stupid quest!" The girl said and lowered down her arrow," why do you need to save her, can't she save herself?"
" Well you see, that girl is not as strong as you so, she needs someone to rescue, so anyway do you live around here?"
"For a while yeah, we're nomads we move around.....why don't you stay the night with us, it's dangerous here, there are wild beasts at night."
"Are you sure?"
"Think so, I hope they won't mind."
Ivanna comes back with small twigs on her hand." Sorry, I could only find this."
"Forget about it, Ivanna today we are sleeping under the roof of tents."
...
All three of them arrived at the place , there were small tents and fire everywhere.
" Here we are,"
"Wow, this place is awesome" Alphonse said in awe
" Com'on let me take you to our leader,"
They went inside a larger tent and met with the leader, he welcomed them with kindness and allowed them to stay the night and also provided them with food and water.
" Don't they speak our language?" Alphonse asked
" No, they don't," the girl replied," actually I was also adopted by them, they raised me like I was thier own family and taught me how to hunt."
"What is your name?" Ivanna asked," we've been here for a while but we still don't know your name."
"Call me Cressida, That's what my mother used to call me, before she was killed by the Lodis army."
"Iam sorry" Alphonse said
"Well, I was weak that time, but if I see a Lodis soldier or anyone, Iam gonna kill them."
Alphonse and Ivanna both looked at each other.
"Look over there" Cressida said, pointing at a man covered in his cloak," he is also like you guys, he says he's looking for his daughter and has been staying here for 2 days, maybe you can talk to him."
" Is he also on some quest?"
"No idea, why don't you go talk to him, I heard he can use magic meanwhile let me go get some more cheese."
" Ok, thank you."
Alphonse walked towards the man, his face was half covers by his cloak and he sat there without moving.
"Hey, are you also here for some quest?" He asked
The man looked up at Alphonse, " What's a young man like you doing here?" He said.
" Well I have a quest to fulfill, it was an order." Alphonse replied
" Only you ?"
"Yeah..well." Alphonse scratched his head ."I tried to recruit some troops but they won't sell any, so Iam On my own."
"What about that lady over there?"
"Oh she, she was just here to show me the way to vespa hills, she's going back on her own after this."
The man stared at his eyes for a while
" Who sent you here, young man?"
"Well Anser had requested us to...."
Before he could finish a loud sound cut off the conversation.
"Anser....?" Cressida said after she dropped the plate of cheese on the floor, she stood their in horror," Did u say Anser?."
The man stood up, " Cressida what's wrong?"
"Are you from Lodis?" She asked trembling.
"Cressida, calm down what's wrong?." the man tried to hold her down.
"Yes, Iam" Alphonse replied, " I was sent here by Lodis at the request of Anser."
Cressida grit her teeth in anger and took out her bow and aimed it at Alphonse.
The man quickly stood in between Cressida and Alphonse, " Cressida , I don't know what's going on but please put your weapon down."
" I never expected to meet a knight of Lodis like this!!!! I will never forgive you for all that I lost fourteen years ago, you burnt my town and killed my parents, I was only a little girl but I will never forget what I saw that day." She said stretching her bow more.
" I understand that it's hard for you but that was a long time ago." Alphonse replied as he slowly tried to approach Cressida.
"Ha.." Cressida sneered " It's long forgotten for the victor but we still endure the painful memories, words can't describe it. Does everyone in Lodis think as you do? Knowing your ancestors merciless deeds, don't you feel any remorse? And to repeat the same mistakes again? The teachings of Lodis are said to be sacred but in the end they are simply the rationalisations of the subjugator."
Alphonse stopped and tried to hold off the bow away from Cressida but she tripped more backwards.
" I know it is hard for you and what my ancestors did was unforgiving but now time has pass and I promise that whatever our ancestors did we'll repay everything back."
"SHUT UP!!!! repay? Repay how!? Are you going to bring my parents back?"
" Not in that manner but there are other manners to deal with this, Cressida please put your weapon down."
Cressida burst out crying " You vile man..... crook. I will never forgive you!!! then what about saving the girl! was that all a lie too!?"
" I had no other choice." Alphonse said in a low tone.
Ivanna quickly grabbed Cressida from behind, " sweetheart, calm down this is not the way to deal with this, and your parents will not like it either." She slowly grabbed her bow from her hand and placed it on the table. Cressida kept weeping, " I'll take her to her tent."
"Are you okay?" The man asked Alphonse placing his hand on his shoulder." I know what the Lodis did to thier people and seeing their deeds it was unforgiving but it was not you who did it, stop blaming yourself, the girl got mad because she couldn't believe that you were a knight of Lodis, you stay here I'll go watch over her.' he then walked out of the tent. Alphonse slowly went toward the table and sat on the chair and he gave out a loud sigh.
It was already late at night and the people were all asleep in Thier tents.
Alphonse sat there near the fire warming himself. Ivanna came out from one of the tents, " not sleeping?" She asked
" Don't feel like" he replied, " how is Cressida?"
" She's asleep, she had a hard time."
" Yeah"
She came and sat down beside Alphonse, the fire crackled beneath their feet.
" Alphonse, I have something to tell you."
She said,
Alphonse looked at her.
" I told you that I used to be in the white fang troops. Their size doesn't compare to the troops of Lodis but they were the personal troops of the Lord of Rananculus." She said as she brushed he hair backwards. Alphonse darted his eyes towards the fire " I heard that the Batraal family gained their power during the early settlement of Ovis."
" Yes" Ivanna replied." Now they rule the northern region, they are descendants of the colonists who left Galicia 400 years ago and settled in Rananculus with other foreigners, the troops were formed to defend against wild beasts and demi-humans of the frontier, and to cultivate land."
"Why did you leave? Do you know anything about the current conflict?"
" I left to uncover the truth about my father's death...and to avenge him....."
They both stayed quite for sometime, only hearing the fire crackle before Ivanna spoke up " Iam Ivanna Batraal, daughter of the former Lord of Rananculus."
"Batraal?" Alphonse replied he sounded surprised.
Ivanna smiled at him " My uncle, Naris became Lord after my father died of illness fourteen years ago."
Alphonse snapped his fingers "Fourteen years ago ...the year of the reformation the island became territory of the holy Lodis Empire and was placed under the rule of Felis."
Ivanna nodded her head " That's correct the order of the sacred flame was sent to represent Felis, southern Ovis refused to accept Lodisism, so the military forced them to convert, but in Rananculus, my father signed a peace treaty with the leader and we were able to avoid conflict. My father died late that year, my mother told me it was heart attack, and I believed her at first. However, a few years later, I heard a rumour that he was killed by my uncle."
" Wait," Alphonse stopped her, he sounded confused." wasn't the leader of these troops at that time, Bernard Lasanti, current Duke of Felis? Does your uncle still have contact with Felis?"
Ivanna shook her head." I don't know, but my uncle was strongly against the treaty. He excelled in the use of both the pen and the sword. My father, however was quite and always ill, but he was the lord and heir....my uncle must have been jealous of my father, who stood to inherit everything."
"Alphonse." Ivanna continued," I want to know the truth of my father's death and to confront my uncle, please, may I accompany you? My uncle must be behind all this, pursuing some ulterior motive."
Alphonse smiled at her." Yes, let's go together, it's encouraging to have you fight and I needed some troops for my quest. I know little of this island your help would be greatly appreciated."
" If my uncle had found out that I suspected him,the lives of my mother and sister would've been in danger. So with the help of my sword instructor who had taken care of me since I was small, I left the troops and his here.....well it's getting late Alphonse let's get some eye shut we need to move early tomorrow."
"I will"
Ivanna scurried to her tent leaving Alphonse alone, it was already very late.
" Guess, I'll go to sleep too." Alphonse said before stretching his body ,he looked up at the stars above it was glittering .
" Will Lodis ever be forgiven?"