"So they're changing Merle's position, and splitting up his duties with three other people, then?" Adrian asked.
"That's only the half of it. They're introducing a ton of reforms that those old fools were too set in their ways to try before. It looks like we're looking forward to a new era in Gryvus." Johnny told Adrian.
"I honestly didn't think it'd end up going that far." Rosy muttered to herself.
"It makes sense, though. If they're compromising those useless old values on one thing, then it makes sense that they're changing the basis of the whole system. That's how pigheaded these guys are." Adrian reminded her.
"You're right about that!" Johnny laughed, "I've been trying to get those idiots to change their ways for years. Reese and me both, in fact, and it honestly feels like we've just been banging our heads against a wall for no reason. Then, you come in and everything gets updated. It's pretty incredible, you know."
"Thanks. Nice to know that my hard work wasn't in vain."
"Though it was really stupid." Rosy interjected, reminding him how stupid he'd been... again.
"Thank you, peanut gallery." Adrian joked.
"A-anyway, I actually came here for more than that. While Merle is incredibly grateful to you guys. In fact, I'm pretty sure that he wants to take your spot as the prince's future husband, princess..."
"SMACK!" In a speed impressively fast, even for Rosy, her hand landed on Johnny's cheek. The impact was so devastating that the poor gryphon literally flew out of his chair, a clear red handprint on his face that probably wasn't going to go anywhere any time soon. Adrian honestly couldn't get himself to feel any sympathy for the noble, though. He'd brought it on himself.
After a moment, he continued, opting to ignore his well-deserved slap. "Anyways, even though he's incredibly grateful, I didn't come here just because Merle told me to. I'm actually on an official errand from the Archgryphon Maximus himself. As it turns out, he sees this new era coming, too. He's planning on retiring, and appointing Reese to the position of Archgryphon." Johnny told them.
"Wait... seriously? He's going to appoint Reese as the new Archgryphon just because Adrian beat a couple goons in a sloppy fight?" Rosy asked, surprised.
"Hey!"
"You got shot. It was a stupid fight." Rosy told him with a voice that brooked no argument.
"It... wasn't... that bad... for a normal person..." Adrian muttered weakly, but naturally, Rosy ignored him, and Johnny really didn't want to say anything about it for fear of getting slapped or punched again.
"A-anyways, yeah. Maximus is really taking this seriously. It's actually surprising everyone. He's having a whole ceremony and everything to celebrate his stepping down as Archgryphon, with Reese taking his place. They're starting to call it the 'New Era of Gryvus.'" Johnny explained, trying his best to avoid annoying Rosy further.
"When's the ceremony happening?" Rosy asked.
"Next week."
"Adrian won't be there, then. He needs more bedrest." She immediately shot Johnny down cold.
"Oh, come on!"
...
"I know that I've always preached stability. That there was no point in change, and I've resisted any and all possible reforms in Gryvus for my entire term, just as my father did, and his father before him did, but recent events have caused me to rethink that. After this young man defeated two of my top generals despite their use of our superior weapon, guns, I realized how much of a fool I've been!" Maximus grabbed Adrian by the shoulder as he spoke, making the prince wince.
While Adrian, after five days of argument, had managed to get Rosy to drop her 'absolute bedrest' mommy routine, he hadn't been able to convince her to use her powers to fully heal him. Since he had vampirish regeneration powers, it was unlikely that the bullet would leave a scar, but he'd be hurting for the next week or so, according to Rosy. As a result, it hurt when Maximus grabbed his shoulder like that, but he put up as much of a show as he could, even though Rosy was still refusing to take any portion of the pain for him.
If her beaming smile beside him hadn't been so cute, Adrian would have felt the intense desire to shove his fist right down that vampire princess's throat.
"As a result of my self-reflection, I've begun to put into motion a number of reforms, especially among our, currently neglected, general home department, headed by Merle Evans. I'm splitting his current duties up among three people, including him. They will all be in charge of different parts of the duties that he currently carries out. But I will not be the one enacting these reforms. I do not deserve that. Instead, my son, who has been warning me all of this time to change my ways, will be taking my spot as the Archgryphon, and leading you into this new era! Give a round of applause to my son, Reese Chase!" Maximus shouted at the end of his little speech, really playing it up for the crowd.
Reese, decked out in expensive, ornate kingly robes, slowly walked through the streets of Gryvus towards where were standing, just as his father, and his father's father had done before in years past, according to what Adrian had learned of Gryvus culture. He accepted the Scepter of the Gryphon, with a green gem at the end of it that was roughly the same size as the ones on Rosy and my swords, and held it high into the air above his head. The gem was mostly for show, apparently. It enhanced light magic, but everything else was pretty much hot, magical garbage if you tried to activate it through the Scepter. It made for a pretty display, though.
"I swear to uphold my duties as the Archgryphon and pave the way for a better future for my people! For the Pride of Gryvus!" Reese shouted the lines that he'd been given, waving the staff into the air. In the next moment, he was a bird, flying high above the city, disappearing from sight.
"FOR THE PRIDE OF GRYVUS!" The crowd shouted as one, marking the beginning of a new Archgryphon's reign. And the first checkmark on Rosy and Adrian's road to getting back to Uriah.