After the accidental meeting with Ash, Kal'tsit and her entourage went to Yvangelista's office. They asked for an audience and were approved after their affiliation to Rhodes island has been confirmed.
Though they were left sitting in the waiting room for a couple of hours that grinded Kal'tsit's gears.
"Are they mocking us? We know they are busy, but if the pope is pre-occupied. They should have just rescheduled the meeting for tomorrow." Kal'tsit was normally patient, but she was anxious.
"Calm down Dr. Kal'tsit, maybe they are having meetings about the peace treaty too?" Amiya put a hand on her shoulders and smiled wryly.
Amiya might be a good hearted girl, but she was also getting annoyed.
The Dokutah was just snoozing around, using PRTS as a scouting tool on their travel to Laterano drained his sanity. So he was recuperating or he would eat raw cup noodles again and pour boiling water in his mouth.
"Rhodes island, his holiness is now free. He will meet with you, follow me." An apostolic knight appeared.
Both Amiya and Kal'tsit sighed and they carried the Dokutah.
"Fellows from Rhodes island, how may I help you? I am quite busy." Yvangelista took a potshot at them and Amiya fidgeted.
"Yes, your holiness. This actually pertains to what is bothering you." Kal'tsit went straight to the point.
"Is that so? Then please do pray tell." Yvangelista raised a brow.
"As you know, Rhodes island is a travelling landship. We are actually associates of Asmodeus." Kal'tsit started explaining and Yvangelista listened intently.
"It all started in Chernobog sir, there was a freak accident when we were retrieving an accolade there. Paradiso gave us some help and one of them was a casualty due to the botched mission." Amiya winced as she remembered Ace's retelling that Adele stood behind them like a shield.
Yvangelista squinted his eyes and gestured for them to go on.
"She was his sister. And after that, you know what happened next. They declared war on Yan and Ursus for their transgressions." Kal'tsit sighed. The pope went wide eyed.
"So are you saying that they are desiring more war?" He furrowed his brows and the two immediately shook their heads.
"No, he was in a heightened emotional state for sure. And Ash's aggression skyrocketed. Everybody knows that Paradiso is more of an economical mobile city." Kal'tsit clicked her tongue for Kaschey's arrogance.
"It most likely has calmed down now. Their goal is to help people. Millions of oripathy patients are living at Paradiso. They won't attack with extreme prejudice without a reason." Kal'tsit might be getting biased.
But people who help the infected who are shunned all over the world without any payments are good in their books.
"I see, then what is the purpose of you coming here then?" Yvangelista sighed and he rubbed his temples.
Federico then gave him a bar of chocolate so he could regain some strength.
"It's to check the treaty. I might be paranoid, but there is still a chance that it would be used for nefarious purposes." Kal'tsit frowned.
Ho'olheyak's little tidbit of information on Ash's subtype is extremely worrying for Kal'tsit. They were a warrior race that thrived in war and bloodshed. One of them is equal to several other ancient Feranmuts.
And he was still developing his powers. It made her shudder, remembering the battles from thousands of years past that she witnessed.
"Then please take a look." Federico gave them a copy of the Gelato Accords. Letting them see it won't affect it anyways.
"Thank you." Amiya grabbed it and they started reading it. Kal'tsit even woke up the Dokutah after his sanity recovering nap.
And after at least an hour of scrutinizing it, they weren't really able to gleam anything wrong.
"Dokutah, any thoughts?" Kal'tsit was stumped. "There are no flaws with it." Dokutah shook his head in defeat.
"I see, then we shall proceed with the signing. Our council has already checked it too. And I was only checking for the nth time." Yvangelista shrugged.
"Thank you for your time your holiness." The trio bowed and they left the room.
"Is there really nothing wrong with it?" Amiya couldn't help but ask.
"There isn't... And that's the problem. According to our Intel about him. They should have tons of benefits from it that are hidden." Kal'tsit remembered the debacle in Kjerag that led to Enciades and Ash meeting.
"He's a businessman if you're correct. Then I smell something fishy about this. Let's just hope it will be fine." The Dokutah sighed.
"We can only hope." Amiya slumped down, paranoia still shrouding their minds.
__Conference__
"Good morning everyone, it is a good day for our nations to stand united against such a cruel thing as war." Yvangelista stood up and was monologuing.
They all thought for him to get on with it, but they indulged the old man.
"I have already discussed the accords with my council. And Laterano has agreed to it." Yvangelista nodded at Federico.
He passed copies of the treaty to everyone and given pens. The meeting was being broadcasted to national television and Lemuen's eyes went wide seeing Ash.
"So Asmodeus is the emperor of Leithanien? Oh my..." Lemuen blinked and she thought that his name was familiar.
Everybody signed their copies and passed it around so all the nation's leader can put their signature on it.
"Such a joyous occasion. This day will be remembered in history." Yvangelista nodded with a smile and Sanktas brought some celebratory snacks and champagne.
'Yes, it will old man. Have fun dealing with politics against other nations. You should study up well.' Ash smirked inside his head.
They all shook hands and Laterano was in an uproar for such a joyous moment.
"Won't you stay for celebrations?" Yvangelista offered and they declined.
"We would like to, but Leithanien is without its rulers." Luna and Soleil shrugged.
"A knight never rests." Mlynar replied, chin high. Making the Kazimierz group chuckle at him.
"You heard the people Yvangelista, we have countries to run." Ash gave a wry smile.
"So it seems, no matter. We will celebrate this occasion and today is now a national holiday in Laterano. Thank you very much for your cooperation." Yvangelista bowed a little.
Ash and his entourage left, deciding to go on Paradiso's mobile city instead of riding the dragons again.
"Kukuku~ Shining, Margaret, Enciades, Gertrude. Propagate the news and show the video of the signing. Emphasize that Laterano agreed to it and it was done there." Ash ordered and they nodded.
"Rest in peace old man Yvangelista." Mlynar prayed for him.
"Hehehe~ That old man would have a stroke Ash. You have free reign to meddle in any country without repercussions now." Soleil chuckled.
"Poor old man, you're going to overwork him to death." Luna shook her head, but she had a smile on her face.
"Then, let the games begin." Ash waited for a country to slip up. It is time for the predator to hunt prey.
__Rhodes island__
After meeting up with Yvangelista, the trio went back to their nearby landship and the Dokutah was deep in thought.
"What's the matter Dokutah?" Amiya looked at him with concern.
"I don't know, there's just a bad feeling inside of me... Amiya, can you show me the accords once again? You took a picture for copies right?" Dokutah asked.
"Yes, I have sent it to PRTS. Review it at your leisure Dokutah." Amiya nodded at him.
He went back to his office and analyzed it to the maximum. The Dokutah might have amnesia, but his instincts as Babel's tactician is still there.
Checking out the clauses, he was squinting his eyes and even made a diagram to connect them all.
"Am I missing something? Hah, I should take a little break." The Dokutah sighed and he opened the television to unwind.
"The signing event?" The Dokutah watched it for now.
And when everything was done, he gasped. "PRTS! Who are the ones in the meeting?" The Dokutah shouted.
"Analyzing; according to our data. Three people are the wives of Asmodeus Naumann. There also a couple of possible lovers according to our limited observations." PRTS replied and the Dokutah went back to the accords.
"All nations will take a vote to make a decision... That means that Laterano would be vetoed everytime! Damn, how could we miss that!? Kal'tsit! Amiya! We have a major problem!" The Dokutah cried out as he called them.
But they were already too late. The foundation has been constructed and the pieces are ready to move. And all of it are in Ash's hands.
__Outside of Laterano__
"Aww, big sis was busy. I couldn't get a hold of her at all!" Exusiai was sulking because of her sister's job.
"What's the job of your sister anyways Exusiai? And we can visit her another time." Ash calmed her down.
"Lemuen is a cardinal of the church. She didn't even reply to my messages." Exusiai huffed.
"Hmm? Interesting." Ash raised a brow. "Does she have pink hair and eyes?"
"What!? How did you know that? Did you meet up and went to a love hotel? Getting lovey dovey all night!? Is that why you disappeared?" Exusiai was getting riled up.
"You can say so, we met accidentally and I worked my charms on her. She relieved a lot of my stress." Ash smirked.
"Nooo! Forgive me sister... I couldn't protect your chastity! It should've been me instead!" Exusiai did an orz.
"Stop being dramatic Exusiai. And you should know that Ash is most likely playing with you. Right?" Margaret raised a brow and he raised his hands in surrender.
"I met her in the shop we went to. Had a nice little chat is all. Lovely young lady she is." Ash smiled and Exusiai blinked.
"We'll definitely visit her again later." She huffed, both jealous of him and happy that her sister didn't change even though she got crippled.
"Yeah, yeah, she's nice to talk to as well. So maybe we could in the future." Ash patted her head and Exusiai nodded with a smug look.
"Who are you?" Ash squinted his eyes to the side. Right behind a piece of originium crystal.
"Ara? I got found quite quickly huh? Long time no see Lemuel. I hope you are well?" A blue haired Sankta greeted them. But there is something weird about her. (pic)
"A friend of yours Exusiai?" Ash raised a brow and he could feel something powerful on her. And he also never saw a Sankta with horns and a tail.
Her halo was a pure black and her wings were also jet black. They were actually absorbing the light that was hitting it. She looked like a cross breed of Sankta and Sarkaz.
"Mostima... You never tell me where you are! Why do you only show up every couple of years, huh!?" Exusiai glared at her.
"I'm busy? Going around the world I guess? I just heard there's something big going around here in Laterano. This is a happy little accident." Mostima shrugged.
"What happened to Lemuen, tell me." Exusiai narrowed her eyes and Mostima's lax expression fell.
"You shouldn't ask me that, it not my story to tell. Lemuen is the one you should ask." Mostima sighed.
"Don't you try to run away from me again." Exusiai was stubborn though. And she pointed her gun at her.
"It is goodbye for now Lemuel, take care~" Mostima raised her staves.
Ash suddenly felt like she was moving super fast. But he noticed that it was due to an arts that was used on him.
He dispelled the arts on his brain and he shook his head. The Feranmuts quickly snapped out of it too. But the normal people looked like they were going in slow motion.
"You can control brains and trick it huh? Giving the illusion that you can manipulate time?" Ash gave an amused expression.
Mostima went wide eyed and she was getting nervous. Her powers always worked, no matter the strength of those she used it on.
"How?" She was about to use a stronger version in preparation, but Ash snorted.
"Those staves of yours that have Feranmuts sealed inside. Who do you think you are talking to, brat?" Ling replied and Mostima gasped.
"That's right, you can't quite channel the full power of those you know?" Nian sighed.
"She's quite conceited isn't she?" Kjera chuckled and Ash crossed his arms. His energy started leaking and Mostima sweated bullets at his appearance.
"Run child, fragments of Sui are here... And there is even one of those monsters... A fiend who are at the zenith." A voice talked inside of Mostima's head.
"Wha?" But before she could run away. Ash smirked at her.
"This is how you bend time to your will." He put her in a bubble where time flows differently inside.
A time dilation was made as he bent space to his will. Manipulating the gravitational potentials.
"Damn, this is taking out a lot." Ash felt his energy flow like a broken dam. It needed an insane amount of energy.
After a few seconds, he lifted the time dilation and Mostima groveled. "I did not know what came to me, I am sorry."
Ash laughed. "You're shameless aren't you? How about you tell us your story?" Ash was interested as it seemed she was connected to Lemuen and how she got into her wheels.
__
Thanks for reading everyone. Just a bit of love, ahead of schedule.
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