After Bard made his way to the optician shop and bought a monocle to cover the scar on his left eye, he headed to the hotel where Eve and Vulcan were staying. As he walked through the streets, memories of the past few days came to his mind. He thought about the battles they had fought, the injuries they had sustained, and the image of Mary being controlled like a puppet by the Forbidden. Each step felt heavier with the thought of those experiences. He knew that reuniting with Eve and Vulcan was crucial, not just for strategizing their next moves.
Suddenly, Bard received a call from Professor Juno. He was confused, as he hadn't heard from her in a while. Alvin hadn't visited him, and no one had informed him about the situation with Mary. As he pulled out his phone and saw Professor Juno's name on the screen, he wondered. What could she possibly want, after all this time? Taking a deep breath, he answered the call, preparing himself for whatever news she might have.
"I just received an update from the spy insect I left in your hospital room. It seems you've been discharged. There's quite a bit of news you need to hear," Professor Juno informed Bard over the phone.
"What's going on, Professor? Please make it brief," Bard said.
"Regarding your friend, I'll send a file detailing every piece of information that I extracted from the Forbidden I captured," Professor Juno informed Bard. "Additionally, once you've rescued your friend, you're expected to assist the White Crusader and Vaos. As for myself, I have matters to attend to in the Winterlands."
"Very well, thank you, Professor," Bard nodded, adjusting his monocle. "Although, if you're heading to the Winterlands, does that mean we won't be in contact for some time?"
"Don't be stupid, Bard. Of course, I'll maintain communication. Moreover, if the situation escalates beyond my expectations, I'll return immediately," Professor Juno replied.
"I see, is there anything else you need to inform me about, Professor?" Bard said as he was approaching the hotel.
"That's all for now, Bard," Professor Juno said. "I'll send the file to you through email." With that, she ended the call.
As Bard slid the phone into his pocket, he looked up to find Vulcan and Eve standing in front of him. Bard greeted them with a smile and approached, exchanging pleasantries and catching up on recent events before going into the pressing matters at hand.
"A monocle, huh? You look kind of funny like that," Eve teased with a smirk, her playful tone interrupting the seriousness of the moment. "Especially when you don't have the clothing or the 'look' to pull it off." She chuckled lightly, looking at Vulcan who chuckled along with her.
Bard laughed along with them, "Hey now, it's not just some fashion statement; it's to help with my vision. And besides, at least I stand out a bit with this monocle. Adds a touch of class, doesn't it?" He adjusted the monocle with a grin.
"By the way, you probably want to catch up with Lust, right? Come on, I'll show you where she is," Eve said as she was leading Bard through the corridors of the hotel.
Eve eventually arrived at her room, where Lust was resting inside. "Don't take too long, Bard. Vulcan and I will start training soon and you should join us. In the meantime, I'll go tell Vaos." With that, Eve and Vulcan left to speak with Vaos.
Bard nodded and stepped into the room. As he entered, Amara sprung to her feet, hugging him tightly. However, as she pulled away, her eyes caught sight of Bard's monocle, and she struggled to suppress her laughter building up inside her.
"I don't know if this is some phase, but that monocle isn't really working for you, Bard," Amara teased, her smirk widening. She tilted her head slightly, eyeing Bard's new accessory with amusement.
Bard chuckled softly, shaking his head as he looked at Amara. "You too, huh?" he remarked with a smile. "By the way, I heard about what you did. That was quite stupid, Amara."
"Ehh, I don't need another lecture; Vaos already covered that for you," Amara shrugged nonchalantly.
Bard sighed heavily, "I'm not here to lecture you. I'm more worried about how you're doing," he said.
"Well, I'm healing up quite quickly," Amara remarked with a smile. "But it's draining all my mana, so I'm pretty much defenseless for now. Once I'm fully healed, though, I'll be back in action!" She grinned.
"Hey Bard, I've actually got a few questions for you." Amara said.
"Hmm, what's on your mind, Amara?" Bard wondered.
"It's about your Ornament, how does it work exactly?" Amara asked as she leaned forward slightly.
Bard activated his Ornament, causing a portal to materialize above him. From within it, a bunch of swords fell onto the floor in a neat pile. "My Ornament is a miniature pocket dimension, it allows me to store objects and launch them with great speed. Swords are my preferred choice, but I can use other items like rocks or even bullets." Bard explained.
"We have our hands tied with everything going on, but I've got an idea, Bard," Amara suggested.
"Hmm, what's your idea?" Bard asked.
"Have you ever heard of the ten swords of the Elemental God?" Amara wondered.
"Those mythical swords? Yeah, what about them?" Bard scratched his head, clearly puzzled by Amara's mention of such artifacts.
"Well, they're not just some fairy tale; they're real, you know? And if you manage to gather all ten, you'd pose a serious threat, especially to my former boss," Amara explained.
"Just so you know, I'm taking everything you say with a grain of salt ," Bard sighed, crossing his arms. "But if what you're saying is true, and if all ten swords meet then that could potentially lead to the rebirth of the elemental god. That's a whole new level of chaos."
"That's true, but that's why you have to make sure none of the ten swords touch each other," Amara teased, playfully sticking out her tongue.
"Tell you what," Bard promised as he stood up, "if you manage to locate all ten swords, we'll team up and collect them together. It might be risky, but with both of us, we might just pull it off." He smiled at Amara.
"Hey, are you really leaving already? We've barely had a chance to spend time together," Amara pouted, she glanced around the room, almost as if searching for a reason to keep Bard from going.
"I don't really have much of a choice here. Eve and Vulcan are waiting for me to train with them," Bard explained, he paused, looking at Amara with a smile. "But I promise I'll come back to visit you later today, so don't you go anywhere." With those words, Bard gave his farewells and made his way out.
Amara sighed as she laid back down on the bed. "Well, I know that the boss has the Sword of Void," she muttered, staring at the ceiling. "So we already have quite the challenge ahead of us..."
Eve and Vulcan had already met with Vaos, telling him their plans to train outside in the Forest of Legis. Vaos, understood the necessity of their preparation, found little to argue with and gave them permission without hesitation. He trusted their judgment and knew their training was crucial. Meanwhile, he, the White Crusader, and Brian would focus their efforts on dealing with Alexander.
Bard eventually caught up with Eve and Vulcan, who were waiting for him just outside the hotel. After a bit of small talk, they set off for the Forest of Legis. Eve, however, was cautious about straying too far from the city. She insisted they stay within a reasonable distance, just in case they needed to return quickly to assist Vaos and the others if things went awry. As they made their way deeper into the forest, they looked for a suitable training spot, making sure it was secluded enough for their training session yet close enough for a quick return if needed.
Unbeknownst to them, Forbidden Illusion had been silently observing their every move. Using his powers to conceal his energy presence, he transformed himself to blend in with the surrounding trees. He wanted to torment Eve with his illusions. However, his primary task was more strategic: to make sure that Eve, Vulcan, and Bard remained oblivious to any threat. If his allies decided to attack The White Crusader, Brian, and Vaos, his role was to be their distraction, keeping them out of the conflict.
"Alright, let's see where we stand in terms of strength," Eve announced, a determined glint in her eye. "We're going to have ourselves a little free-for-all." She took a few steps back, creating some distance between them. Her movements were copied by Vulcan and Bard, who both readied themselves for the fight. Eve's muscles tensed, and the wind around her began to pick up. Vulcan cracked his knuckles, as he tightly gripped his sword, while Bard adjusted his monocle, his eyes focusing between them.
"Now let's begin..."