As Kojo walked into the room, the cold winter afternoon sunlight streaming through the windows cast a pale, icy glow on the space,the air was crisp and cool. Despite the chill in the air, the room was cozy and warm, with thick curtains and plush rugs helping to insulate the space.
However, Kojo's mind was not at ease, weighed down as it was by the current events.
As Kojo sat down beside the girl.She was covered up to her chin with blankets, her face pale and serene. His eyes fixed on her peaceful face, his mind began to wander to the tumultuous events that had been unfolding. He leaned forward and rested his chin on his interlocked fingers.
Thoughts swirled in his head like a maelstrom, each one vying for attention, weighing him down with their gravity. The room, despite its warmth and coziness, seemed to grow colder, as if the very chill of winter had seeped into Kojo's bones.He thought about the appearance of the Goblin King. He let out a deep sigh, thinking about the situation with Dona Crimson.
The Chaos Lord had returned to her realm and The elimination of three out of the 12 Apostles of Doom was bound to trigger an avalanche of events.
" Things are going to get more critical from now on."Kojo thought to himself, his eyes still fixed on the girl.
( Let's summarize what's happening now. Otherwise your brain will melt from overheating.)
Kojo smiled faintly.
" Yes ma'am."
( I honestly don't know what you'd do without me. In light of recent events,were going to fortify the city's defenses.
Our engineers under Ovid, Heinz and Glenn are working on reinforcing the city walls and gates.)Sysia replied.
(However, we need to take into account the possibility of another attack. Due to this we're also gonna establish a string of first from the northern border against attacks by the goblins and sending the rest of the forces to the eastern border until we divert the river chiam and settle the merfolk and Lizardmen there as a permanent solution. We can also take advantage of this to directly trade with The Elves at Tessaloni. But that's far ahead. Right now we should focus on how we're gonna go about this to prevent an uproar during the Council Of Rulers.)
Kojo's eyes narrowed.
"The hells that?" He Wondered.
(The Council of Rulers is scheduled to take place next week,) Sysia replied.
(Every year, leaders from all over the continent meet at a designated country to discuss matters affecting the continent. The recent attack on the Capitol and the goblin attack on our city are likely topics to be discussed at the gathering.)
Kojo's eyes snapped back into focus as he thought about the implications. He thought for a while. He made up his mind and used his mind to reach out into the city. Finding his target at he spoke directly into his mind.
"Eden, how's the work on the blueprints going?" Kojo asked, his mental voice linking with Eden's.
Eden was currently at Lloyds Lab helping him to draw blueprints . Lloyd leot in making changes and revisions to the slightest details.Hiera,the captive ogre on the other hand craned her neck t from behind the two men to look at what they were doing and occasionally pointed at various points on the sketches to ask questions. Even though his face didn't show it,Kojo could sense some exasperation from the Fay as the two continuously asked questions. Kojo sympathized. He'd probably have yelled at them if he was the one over there.
"I'm almost done, Master Kojo," Eden replied, his mental voice suddenly shifting from annoyance to enthusiasm. Lloyd and Heira looked at him with confused expressions but he ignored them.
" Is there anything you'd want me to do for you?" He asked.
" Yes" Kojo responded.
"I need you write a letter to King Gorges Listowell and Duke Mikael Listowell of the province of Carnelia informing them of our plans."
" Is this in regards to the Council Meeting to be held next week?" Eden asked.
" Yeah. Your pretty well informed." Kojo said.
" I make it my business to know about anything that concerns my master.The Council meetings are a regular occurrence. Almost everyone knows about them."
" Everyone except me" Kojo sulked silently.
"Also, invite Duke Mikael to discuss our plan to affect the lake. And inform King Gorges that I'll be borrowing his seal to invite an envoy from the Elven Kingdom Tessaloni and the Empire of Adonis. In regards to the expansion of the River Chaim." Kojo instructed.
"Very well. However, I have to ask, wouldn't it be faster to just go ahead with the plan using your authority as the Champion of Archadia?"
"That would be more problematic," Kojo said, his mental voice firm.
"We need to be careful not to antagonize any of the other nations. We can't afford to have them turn against us, not now."
(As it stands, there's a state of equilibrium among nations, especially the technologically advanced Empire of Adonis and the Kingdom of Archadia.) Sysia explaned.
(This was due to the existence of Sasha and the balance was tipped when you took over and didn't kill Sasha but took her as your subordinate. This means that the Kingdom has the edge in offense power.)
"I see what you mean, Master Kojo. If we don't do things diplomatically and you go ahead with the plan, the other nations may react to this thinking that the Kingdom is flexing its power and this can create conflict that may lead to war in order to either have the lost advantageous position on the continent or maintain the balance, depending on the nations' intentions." Eden said in realization.
"Exactly." Kojo responded.
Eden's response was immediate.
" I apologize for doubting your plan, Master Kojo. I'll make sure to complete the task within three hours."
Kojo sighed.
"Don't rush it, Eden. Take your time and make sure everything is perfect."
"Serving you is my greatest pleasure, Master." Eden said with a bow. Heira glanced at Lloyd who just shrugged.
Kojo cut the mental link, his eyes returning to the girl on the bed. He turned to Sysia, "Do you think Eden would notice your voice?"
(What Eden heard was your master voice, Kojo. He wouldn't be able to distinguish between my voice and yours.) she responded.
While Kojo talked with Sysia,the girl's eyes fluttered open, and she looked around, taking in her surroundings. She was in a cozy room with sunlight coming from the windows. She saw the fall of snow outside and looked over at Kojo, who was sitting beside her, lost in thought.
"Kojo Atari," she said, her voice soft and melodious.
Kojo's eyes snapped back into focus, and he looked at her, a hint of surprise on his face. "Ah, you're awake," he said, smiling.
The girl smiled back, her eyes shining with happiness. "I made it," she said, her voice filled with joy. "I actually made it."
Kojo's smile wavered.
"Huh?" he said wondering what she meant by that.
The girl tried to sit up, but Kojo noticed the bare skin under her collarbone and the top of her breasts and instantly deduced that she was naked. He quickly stopped her. "Wait," he said. "You're...ah...not wearing any clothes."
The girl's eyes widened, and she looked down, pulling the blanket up to confirm. Her face turned bright red, and tears filled her eyes. She began to sob, her body shaking with emotion.
Kojo stood up, trying to calm her down. "Hey, it's okay," he said, waving his arms. "Nothing happened, I promise. Your clothes were torn, so we had to take them off. That's all."
The girl's wiped her face with her palms and she looked up at Kojo, her eyes still shining with tears.
"Its not because of that," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kojo's expression was confused.
"Eh?"
The girl's voice trailed off, and she looked away, her eyes welling up with tears again. "I'm happy that I...that I was able to meet you before..."
Kojo's confusion deepened. "Meet me before what? What's going on here?" He wondered.
( I'm just as confused as you are.) Sysia said.
The girl wiped her tears and looked up at Kojo, a small smile on her face.
"My name is Cassandra," she said. "And I've been looking for you for a while now."
Kojo's eyes narrowed. "Looking for me?" he repeated. "Why?"
Cassandra's smile grew wider, and she reached out, pulling Kojo down on top of her. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. Kojo's eyes widened,his face was pressed between her bare breasts, and he could feel her warmth and her heartbeat. He tried to push himself up, but Cassandra held him tight.
"I saw a lot of terrible things," she whispered." But now we have the chance to change them."
" What are you talking about. And could you let go of me?" Kojo said but his voice was muffled by her cleavage.
( Don't act like your not liking this.)
" I won't deny it. She's soft. But she could also be crazy. Besides what if someone comes and see us?" He thought.
( And you just raised a death flag.)
" How's that a death flag?"
( You'll see.)
Cassandra's grio tightened and he heard her sobbing again. He stopped struggling.
" Maybe I can give her this at least. I don't know what she's talking about but it seems she's been through a lot. Besides..... Soft...."
Just as Kojo was starting to feel uncomfortable, the door burst open, and Adriana walked in, accompanied by Keo, who was carrying a tray of soup.
Cassandra came to her senses, and she quickly pushed Kojo away, covering herself with the blanket. "I'm sorry," she said, her face flushed with embarrassment. "I was just...overwhelmed."
It's not what it looks like!" he exclaimed,raising his hands Infront of him.
Adriana's eyes flashed and she glared at him. Killing intent emanated from her, and Kojo could feel the air grow thick with tension.Kojo could feel the tension in the air, and he knew that things were about to get a lot more complicated. He glanced at Keo.
She looked completely uninterested, her expression bland as he set the tray of soup down on the bedside table.
" It's time for you to eat. I'll prepare some clothes for you." She told Cassandra and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her as Adriana took a step towards Kojo.