Nara. A completely different kingdom in the vast world that was previously unknown to Leona. She read about it in books but seeing first hand was another experience entirely. The air felt different, the people were different, even the very ground she stood, felt different.
The bustling docks were proof that even after destruction of untold proportions, humanity is still able to thrive off with little joys in life.
"Interesting…" Leona muttered to herself. "It's incredible to think the capital city fell and people can still live on with their lives in somewhat peace."
As she wandered deeper into the docks, she noticed a group of men wearing tattered blue bandanas over their heads and when they noticed her looking at them, all three turned their heads to look at her.
One of them opened his mouth and said something that didn't seem to register with her.
'Hm? Did he say something?'
She thought to herself.
The man was definitely speaking but the language was so foreign she couldn't understand a word of it.
"Sorry I don't understand what you're saying." Her response made them look at each other and then to Leona with a grin on their faces. "I don't know what you three are planning but-" She reached for her sword's handle. "Do not get any closer."
She was ready to fight but she suddenly heard quickened footsteps approach from her right and just as she turned around, she noticed Charlotte dropkicking the man in front of the group in the chest.
The other two looked at her with shock in their eyes as the captain turned to them and started shouting what seemed to be insults in their language. The two that were standing bowed to Leona before grabbing the man that was knocked out cold on the ground and going towards the ship she came out of just now.
"Sorry Leona." Charlotte apologized. "I should've told you before you got out of the ship. We have to buy you a translating spell."
"Huh?"
"So you can understand what they are saying. Come on, let's go back."
They walked back to the ship where a woman of long straight black hair and brown eyes was standing by the plank with Krieg beside her. She was wearing a fine white robe with a long thick red skirt that went down almost to her ankles and was carrying an intricate looking staff that seemed to be made out of wood that formed some sort of talisman shape at the end of it.
Her somewhat pale complexion contrasted with her dark hair and eyes. The slightly pink lips wore a gentle smile that made her look like someone easy to talk to.
'Wow… she's beautiful…'
Leona thought before she was reprimanded by Krieg.
"What were you thinking, leaving all by yourself?"
"Ah, I'm sorry. I just couldn't help myself. It's an entire different kingdom and all."
The woman in robes covered her mouth with her left hand as she chuckled.
"I should introduce you to her." Charlotte cleared her throat. "This is Setsuna, she's a shrine maiden here at the port of Nara."
The woman slightly bowed with her left hand on her thigh but the right never let go of the staff.
"Ah, it is good to meet you." As try as she might, Leona still sounded somewhat robotic while trying to introduce herself—her nervousness getting the better of her. "My name is Leona Crossford. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Setsuna."
She bowed slightly as well while maintaining her eyes on her face as to gauge her reaction but the woman kept smiling nonetheless.
"She's able to cast a spell that allows you to communicate with anyone." Charlotte enthusiastically explained. "I don't know how it works but it's much better than having to learn the language."
Setsuna approached the tactician, standing a bit taller than her thanks to the wooden slippers that kept her feet just a few centimeters off the ground, maintaining the edges of her red skirt clean. She then raised the staff and started to chant with both of her eyes closed. Mana began to gather not only on her wrists but also her ankles as her shrine maiden clothes began to flutter ever so slightly.
A warmth sensation overcame Leona's senses as she was enveloped in a light purple aura. She felt her brain throb for a second, before she started to understand what Setsuna was saying.
"...grant respite to their mind and body." Not only her looks but her voice was also comforting as her gentle tone caressed Leona's ears as she finished chanting. "It is done. Lady Leona, once again I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Setsuna, I am a shrine maiden here in Nara. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Leona Crossford."
She then bowed again after finishing her sentence.
As she lifted her head up, a gentle scent of baked goods tickled her nose, it was akin to Arcadia's bakery for one reason or another.
"Ah, I can understand you clearly!" Leona was caught by surprise for a second before she looked at her knight. "Krieg did you hear it? I- what's wrong?" He had the expression of someone that just took a punch to the face, as he just stood there with a half open mouth. "Krieg?"
Her voice managed to snap him out of it as he quickly nodded twice.
"I'm sorry, where are my manners?" He bowed as well to the shrine maiden. "Thank you for your aid Lady Setsuna. My name is Krieg, I am Leona's personal knight."
"Oh my." She brought her left hand to the side of her face as she seemed mesmerized. "I heard about the knights of Arcadia but I never thought I'd see someone refer to themselves as someone's knight."
Leona raised her eyebrow ever so slightly before she turned to Krieg.
"We should hurry." She then looked at Setsuna one last time. "Thank you again. Ah, but do you happen to know a man named Miyamoto? I traveled all this way to meet him."
"You must mean the captain of the guards. He's usually by the front gate on the other side of the city." She pointed towards the mountain. "Just keep heading that direction and you'll eventually find the city walls, from there just ask anyone passing by where the eastern gate is."
"I see. Thank you very much Lady Setsuna." She glanced at Krieg and nodded. "There's no time to waste, let's go."
He nodded in turn and they both broke out of the group in a light jog. While watching them head off, Setsuna brought the left hand to her cheek as she smiled.
"My, my…"
Despite not knowing the layout of the city, it seemed straightforward enough that she could walk without worrying about getting lost. The streets were wide and there weren't as many people walking in the city as opposed to the bustling docks.
But none of that was really on Leona's mind at the time. Krieg began to talk after noticing they were far enough away so that no one could hear them.
"Leona I must confess. Something felt off about that woman."
"You felt it too didn't you?" She frowned her brows. "Did you talk about Arcadia in front of her while I wasn't there?"
"No, not a single word as to where we came from.
"It bothered me when she mentioned specifically the knights of Arcadia. Londria and Akrapocalis also had knights for a couple of years and I'm sure word can't travel that fast to a continent so far away from home. And yet she chose to specifically mention Arcadia in front of us." She glanced at Krieg. He had an unusual look of distress on his face. "What's wrong?"
"I feel like I've seen her before. Or at least, she seems very familiar… I can't quite put my finger on it."
'I can't tell who might be plotting against us at this point…' She was trying to consider who would stand in their way at that point. 'The only true enemy I have here is Kaeli. Which I'll have to confront in due time. But both Eleonora and Miyamoto seem to be wild cards that I can't account for…'
As she was lost in thought, a carriage almost hit her left arm if it wasn't for Krieg to pull her out of harm's way.
"Ah!" She looked at the carriage being pulled past her which was full with hunted animals strewn on the back of the cart that was being led by a man in a straw hat. "Thank you Krieg."
"It's nothing. Just be careful to not injure yourself."
"You two sure seem to not want my company huh?"
A familiar female voice seemed to come from behind Leona but once she turned around there was no one there.
Phoebe suddenly dropped from the low roof right beside the tactician, which obviously startled her.
"AH!" She flinched and bumped against Krieg. "Goddess gracious Phoebe, don't just appear out of nowhere."
"I did give you a warning."
She patted her clothing and adjusted the inconspicuous kimono she was wearing. It was a plain dark green cloth with a darker green band strapped around her waist.
The kimono itself covered her entire body aside from her feet where she was wearing sandals made of hand-weaved straw.
She wore an undyed cotton cloth on her head as a bandana that kept all of her black hair hidden along her high elf ears.
"Besides, even if you do find him. I'm not sure you'll be able to talk to him."
She blended so perfectly with her environment that made both Leona and Krieg stand out even more because of their borrowed military uniform.
"Could you at least tell us what kind of person your master is? We only know he is responsible for Eleonora's disappearance and possibly training one of the deadliest assassins in history. But we scarcely know about the man in question."
"Hmm… if I could describe him in one word, it would be… unorthodox." She scratched her left cheek. "If anything, the way he does things goes beyond my ability to comprehend. But you'll find out either way when you meet him."
Leona frowned her brows without realizing as she pinched her nose ridge.
'An all powerful mage and swordmaster, what someone like him is doing here of all the places…?'
She felt a throbbing sensation inside her chest. Discomfort, uneasiness, and anxiety. Deep down she had a glimpse of confidence that if they were to fight, she could use the skills of the former swordmaster that lived in her soul but even then, there was a lingering sensation of dread that she just couldn't break away from.
"What a strange construction…"
Krieg's muttering caught Leona's attention as she shifted her eyes off the ground and followed his gaze towards a red gate a few meters ahead of them.
"That is called a torii gate." Phoebe explained. "It's related to spirits or something. Lady Setsuna would be more qualified to explain it."
The knight raised an eyebrow as he mentioned.
"You sound like you know her."
"Well, she is Miyamoto's eldest daughter." Both Krieg and Leona turned to her without believing what they just heard. "What?"
"You knew she was his daughter and you didn't say anything?!" Leona was almost shouting as she suddenly approached Phoebe. "Wait… that explains why she knows where we are from. Did you tell her?!"
"No, no." She raised her hand while tilting her face to the side as the tactician was uncomfortably close to her face. "Listen, Setsuna is a powerful mage. Even more powerful than you realize. If she or Miyamoto wanted you out of the picture, they would've done so a long time ago."
"Are you hiding any more information that we should know about?"
"Well… remember I mentioned she is the oldest daughter? There is her younger sibling, her name is Yuna. Though I never met her in person so I don't know what she looks like." She shifted her left hand and pointed to the torii gate. "Come on now. The guard's station is just beyond it."
"Phoebe I swear…" Leona clenched her hand but then decided to turn and continue walking. "Either way… Setsuna seemed normal, all things considered. How did you even know she is his daughter?"
"We grew up together. She brought me in to live with them after what happened to my mother."
"And he simply agreed to take care of you?"
She scoffed at the notion.
"As if he needed anything in return from a child. As I said, he is unorthodox. What matters to him is how much potential you have."
"Potential… huh?"
As they walked, more and more eyes from the locals were drawn to them. Apparently Leona's blonde hair and Krieg's tall stature were uncommon traits amongst the population as they seemed to be staring intently at them both.
After walking for a few more minutes, they reached the red gate. Aside from the walls that expanded to both sides of it, Leona couldn't see any building that stood out as a guard's post. She walked around and stopped by the gate with the only thing in sight being a dirt road that expanded into the wilderness from beyond the city wall's.
"Didn't you say we were close?"
She asked while touching the right side of the gate. Phoebe approached her while answering.
"Yeah, we are here."
"Here, whe-?"
Leona suddenly felt two hands on her back before she was pushed forward through the gate.
"Leona!"
Krieg shouted and as the tactician stumbled forward, she grabbed on a rock.
"What's the big idea?! Pushing me like… that…" As she turned around. She noticed she was looking out of a cave's entrance towards a city. "What the…"