After a few hours of tough travel across the seas, Von Sozou arrives at the sixth continent's arrival coast. From his knowledge and traveling experience, there is a famous port in the sixth continent, located at the other side of the continent. He is interested in the rare items and materials sold by wandering merchants at the port. Rumors said that there are a few raw materials that can be amalgamated together to create a new item with good efficiency.
"Ah, I should think about it later. I need to go to the castle and inform the King about our disaster. I guess I will be staying in the sixth continent now. Restia..." his mind is still filled with his lover's lifeless face. Her death is too much for him to handle, since he loves her very much. He also did not have the chance to tell her his true feelings, although they both already knew that they love each other for a long time.
Memories of their final night is stuck in his mind while he travels to the castle.
"Woah, hold still for a second. Are you Von Sozou from the Von Clan Kingdom?" an unknown female voice pierces his ears. He faces back to find the source of the voice.
Siren Hilia is standing not too far from his back. She questions about his torn clothes, bruises, and burnt hair. Von Sozou kindly greets her, since he loves females after all.
"Hello, fair lady. I am indeed the man you were asking about. How may I help you?" His gentle words are not really effective, since he is in a poor condition.
"Come, Lord Weigner and the Elite Forces are waiting for you in the Sun Empire Castle. I'll guide you to a clear path, so follow me. People will question you if you wander around town with your current condition." Siren Hilia smiles lightly, feeling a sense of sympathy towards Von Sozou.
Von Sozou remains silent as he follows Siren Hilia. He stares at her unusual body as they walk together. It is the first time he sees a woman like that, so he is quite surprised. Siren Hilia notices that she is being gazed from behind, but she do not mind it because she is used to weird stares.
They finally reached their destination, the Sun Empire Castle. The route Siren Hilia took Von Sozou is a secret shortcut. They arrived faster than Von Sozou had predicted if he took the normal path. The patrol guards notice their presence, but they hesitate to halt Von Sozou, since Siren Hilia is with him.
"You were staring at me the whole time, weren't you?" Siren Hilia lets out a playful smile. Von Sozou widens his eyes.
"How do you know? I am sure you didn't look at me one bit..." Von Sozou is quite shocked.
"Siren's specialty." Siren Hilia winks and leaves to enter the entrance door.
"Woah, I like her already." Von Sozou smiles and follows her to the door.
Lord Weigner is waiting for their return in the main hall, along with the other Elite Forces members. Siren Hilia enters the hall, followed by Von Sozou behind her.
"Hilia! You're here! I've been waiting for your return with the Von Clan member. Is he the one behind you?" Lord Weigner greets them. Von Sozou quickly bows and shows his respect.
"Your Majesty, I am the only survivor from Von Clan Kingdom. Solaris, the fifth invader, succeeded in destroying our army forces. There seems to be no sign of survivor from nearby kingdoms. Please, I need a place to stay. I need to avenge...my..." He is in the verge of tears. Lord Weigner pats his left shoulder and asks him to stand up, not minding the formal attitude.
"I understand. Clean yourself for now, and meet me in the meeting room later. The Elite Forces should have something to say to you. Please make yourself comfortable in the castle, Von Sozou." Lord Weigner smiles lightly, trying to relieve frustrated Von Sozou.
Von Sozou walks into a large bathroom, where a few maids are waiting for him.
"Ah, you must be Paladin Von Sozou from Von Clan Kingdom. Please, hand over your dirty clothes and take these bathing items. It must be hard for you, huh..." One of the two maids greets him. Von Sozou takes off his clothes and hands them over to her.
"Sorry for the trouble. Yeah, a destroyed home is damn hard...at least I feel better now after you beauties help me." Von Sozou flips his hair upwards using his left hand. The maids are slightly flustered as they stare at him.
"Well, we should be heading out now...please relax yourself, okay?" The other maid bows lightly, a polite sign that she cares for Von Sozou. The maids then leave the bathroom with a flustered look on their face.
"Restia...what future lies in my life after this...? I don't know what should I do for a living...but one thing for sure..." Von Sozou is currently in a golden bathtub, enjoying the steamy waters as he said those words.
"I will have my revenge..."
After a few minutes bath, Von Sozou feels a lot better. His traumatized mind is slightly refreshed, his numbness is cured, and his body is perfectly cleaned. He leaves the bathroom after wearing his prepared outfit in the changing room. The maids sure have a good taste in royal fashion. Von Sozou looks absolutely charming.
"Wow..." Siren Hilia is surprised when she sees him at the hallway. His image is totally different from the first time she saw him. Knight Sigrun, Warrior Pijanes, and Marksman Johnson come out from the meeting room. They are amazed by Von Sozou's outstanding appearance.
"Why, hello there! We were just about to summon you. Paladin Von Sozou, am I right? We heard about what happened. Please, come inside so we can talk more about what happened." Knight Sigrun offers a handshake. Von Sozou gladly shakes his hand and smiles, feeling slightly happy. They walk to the meeting room afterwards.
"I'm very shocked to know about the incident. I must say, the invaders sure spread their territory quickly these days. I heard it was the fifth invader who swarmed your kingdom." Knight Sigrun takes a seat, followed by everyone else. Von Sozou looks serious, since it is his kingdom they are talking about.
"Aye, her name is Solaris, a supreme fire wizard. She mowed down an entire army with her strong fire spells. There was nothing I could do aside from dealing small damage and distract her to make my escape. Fortunately, I survived her gigantic flaming ball she had thrown at me when I tried to make my run. It was a terrible experience. All the elder members, high ranked commanders, and army reinforcements are burned mercilessly." Von Sozou halts his words. It is painful to continue the explanation.
"From what I analyzed, Solaris is a female invader who has a mark on her left cheek. I heard from local travelers that she can summon unlimited magical flames, as she is a supreme fire wizard. One thing that has been bugging me is her chromatic eyes. I don't know the details, but I think those eyes of her must mean something. Just my thoughts..." Warrior Pijanes lets out a sigh, feeling unsure about Solaris's unique eyes.
"Let us talk about the details later. We have an important quest to fulfill now. Paladin Von Sozou, do you seek revenge towards the invaders? Not just Solaris, but the other invaders who wreck chaos throughout the world." Siren Hilia gazes at Von Sozou in the eyes. Von Sozou looks down, thinking about it.
"Yes. I only seek revenge now that I am alone. For justice and glory, I will defeat all the invaders, especially Solaris. I appreciate any supporting reinforcements from you guys. With my golden, light element spells, I can be useful in fighting dark spirits or minions." Von Sozou assures them that he can be a strong and reliable comrade. Knight Sigrun smiles after hearing his words.
"Join the Elite Forces. We need someone who is strong and unique like you, Paladin Von Sozou. What do you say? You and I can be the front line, which is going to be awesome. I am not forcing you though, so take my words as a suggestion. You can still travel alone if you like it that way. If you join us, we will hunt down the invaders one by one, starting from the seventh invader." Knight Sigrun waits for an answer. Von Sozou widens his eyes, probably shocked to hear the invitation.
"..." He is still thinking about it. The Elite Forces expect positive response from him. An extra member is always welcomed, especially a strong one like Von Sozou.
"What do you say, Paladin Von Sozou? We will head out to hunt Fiora, the seventh invader, by next month. Lord Weigner mentioned about her spreading dangerous pollen mists at the villages near Memorial Park. Might as well join us if you want to start your revenge quest." Knight Sigrun persuades him in a good manner. Von Sozou thinks again for a while.
"Alright, I'll join the Elite Forces. It's not like I have anything else to do by myself. From now on, I am a part of this alliance. I will join forces with you guys to defeat the invaders. Besides, I'm interested in traveling, since I am free from excess works in Von Clan Kingdom. This should be a good chance to explore different continents and their places." Von Sozou smiles after letting out a sigh of relief. Knight Sigrun is pleased to hear the answer. Warrior Pijanes smiles while closing his eyes. Siren Hilia stares and examines Von Sozou. She is somehow interested in knowing him better.
"Alas, Elite Forces gained a new member! Welcome, Paladin Von Sozou! We are very happy to have you with us!" Marksman Johnson speaks with his loud voice while shouldering Von Sozou.
"All right, it is set. Welcome to Elite Forces, Paladin Von Sozou. We will surely get to know with each other closer soon enough. For now, Lord Weigner is waiting for us in his throne. We should get going now." Knight Sigrun stands up, heads to the door, and leads the way. Everyone else including Paladin Von Sozou follow him afterwards.
Von Sozou finally meet his new destiny after suffering an unforgettable experience. With a motivated spirit and new comrades, Von Sozou is looking forward to their upcoming adventures.
End of Chapter 11