Heya it's me again, not gonna lie but this arc is so hard to write because i have no idea how to write kingdom building stuff.
In the game there is no mention about Orchis island ever again after they leave this place so this is basically just I'm thinking about what to do for her empire.
Gonna see next chapter if I'm gonna continue with the kingdom building stuff or just do time skip, if i can think of a chapter for Orchis empire rebuilding stuff I'm gonna write more if not I'm gonna do time skip.
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A week had passed since Orchis woke up.
During that time, Orchis and everyone had been working tirelessly to rebuild their kingdom.
The first step was gathering the remaining townspeople and announcing that Queen Orchis had returned and that they were going to change everything.
The people erupted in joy, some even crying at the sight of Orchis and Apollonia. They had known both of them since childhood and had long awaited their return.
Hearing that the kingdom would be restored, the people vowed to help. From that day on, everyone worked together—removing the sand that had buried the town and cleaning the Palace of Elijah Chelm.
Now, after a week, the town had changed drastically. The streets were no longer buried in sand, and no monsters roamed near the city anymore.
But many problems still remained. Food and water were scarce, clothing and shelter were still in poor condition, and many buildings remained damaged or in ruins.
The most pressing issue, however, was money.
Rackam suggested asking help from the Erste Empire. After all, they were responsible for the town's downfall in the first place. They could approach Pommern to request funds or supplies.
Additionally, they considered traveling to other islands to find Sierokarte, hoping she could establish a trade network for the island's future prosperity.
With so many urgent matters to handle, no one had even had time to take a proper break since they started.
"Hahhh..."
Inside a large room filled with shelves, chairs, tables, and stacks of documents, Orchis let out a deep sigh.
Before her lay countless papers containing information about the island and various suggestions for generating income.
But none of the ideas were viable—after all, the island had nothing valuable to sell.
The only significant asset was the Automaton Golems, but they couldn't just sell them. The golems were crucial for defending the town and demolishing buildings that were beyond repair.
Another reason for Orchis's frustration was her own lack of experience.
She had never truly learned how to be a queen.
She was still just a child when the tragedy struck, and the only lessons she had received were small ones from her mother.
Being thrust into this position so suddenly left her feeling unprepared.
"But for the people here... I need to hold myself together," Orchis murmured, steeling her resolve as she picked up another document and continued reading.
As Orchis focused on her work, a sudden knock echoed through the room.
"Come in."
The door opened, and Apollonia stepped inside, carrying yet another stack of documents.
Compared to a week ago, Apollonia looked completely different. She no longer wore her knight's armor or carried a sword. Instead, she was dressed in simple clothes, her current role being to assist Orchis.
"Another one?" Orchis asked with a tired sigh.
"Yes, more documents that need your attention. Also, Rackam, Katalina, and Rosetta have already left for Agastia to find Pommern," Apollonia said, setting the papers down on the table.
"Now I understand why there were days when I never saw Mother or Father at all... It was because of all this work," Orchis muttered, resting her head on her arms.
"You do realize this is just the beginning, right?" Apollonia remarked. "Once the town stabilizes and more people start coming in, you'll have even more responsibilities to handle."
Orchis fell silent. The more she thought about it, the more she started questioning whether becoming queen was a good idea in the first place.
"Hahhh..."
She let out a deep sigh, closing her eyes.
But there was another problem—one she hadn't told anyone.
With each passing day, she was becoming more and more acclimated to Orchid's memories from when she had been using her body.
And among those memories, there were moments—moments with Rei.
She could see them traveling together, walking side by side, the times he had looked at her with a soft gaze, moments where he had instinctively protected her, his hand reaching out as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Even though she hadn't experienced those moments herself, her body remembered them.
And the more she recalled them, the more her heart started beating in ways she couldn't understand.
In the end, Orchis decided to push those thoughts aside, focusing instead on the documents she needed to read.
Hours passed, the sun now high in the sky, when suddenly the door burst open with a loud bang, and someone came rushing in.
"Orchis! Rei and Orchid are back!" Djeeta blurted out quickly before dashing off again.
Orchis's eyes widened, and in that instant, her heart began to pound again. She almost ran after Djeeta without thinking, but she caught herself just in time, forcing her body to stay still.
"Seems like they're finally back. We can probably start the town's reconstruction now," Apollonia said. However, when she turned to look at Orchis, she noticed her trembling slightly, a rare sight that left her puzzled.
"What's wrong, Orchis?"
"N-No, it's nothing. Let's go meet them," Orchis quickly responded, clearly avoiding the subject. She then stood up and walked away without another word.
Apollonia simply watched her back, sensing that Orchis was running away from the question. But in the end, she decided not to press the issue and followed her without overthinking it.
Both of them stepped out of the Palace of Elijah Chelm, making their way through the city of Mephorash.
"Good afternoon, Your Highness! And you too, Apollo! Where are you two heading?" Townspeople greeted them warmly, waving with bright smiles.
"We're just going to meet our friends," Orchis replied, returning their greetings with a soft smile of her own.
As they made their way through the town, countless people greeted them along the way. Eventually, they arrived at a large house where Djeeta and the others were staying.
With Grandcypher currently in use by Rackam, they had no choice but to reside here temporarily. The house was in bad shape, with cracks running along the walls, but the crew had deemed it sufficient.
Even though the palace had plenty of rooms, the reconstruction was still unfinished, leaving most of them dirty, covered in sand and debris. The crew had chosen the house instead, as it was easier to clean and maintain.
As Orchis pushed open the door, she was immediately met with the sound of murmuring voices from inside.
"Oh, Orchis, Apollo, welcome," Ferry greeted them while balancing a tray of drinks as she stood inside the house.
"Thank you, Ferry. Are Rei and Orchid already here?" Apollonia asked.
"Yes, both of them are here. They also brought someone with them," Ferry replied before walking off to deliver drinks to the others.
Orchis and Apollonia followed her, curiosity piqued about who Rei and Orchid had brought with them.
As they got closer, they could hear a familiar female voice, but they couldn't quite place it until they reached the living room.
Inside, almost everyone was gathered, seated around chairs and sofas, chatting. The only ones missing were Rackam, Katalina, and Rosetta.
"Orchis, welcome!" Lyria greeted, waving enthusiastically as she noticed them entering.
Apollonia gave a simple nod in acknowledgment, her eyes scanning the room to find the new arrival.
Orchis was also searching—but rather than looking for the newcomer, her gaze was locked onto one particular person.
"Enforcer Lecia?" Apollonia said in surprise upon spotting Lecia sitting in the middle of everyone.
Meanwhile, Orchis's body tensed, her heart racing wildly as she finally found Rei. Memories flooded back—memories of sitting on his lap, feeling the warmth of his presence. A deep longing stirred inside her, almost making her want to run straight to him and embrace him.
But, of course, she couldn't.
Because Orchid was already there, happily sitting on Rei's lap, her legs swinging as she contentedly munched on her food.
Taking a deep breath, Orchis forced herself to stay composed, trying to steady the pounding in her chest.
That was when Rei finally noticed them.
"Orchis, you're awake?" he said, shifting Orchid slightly so he could stand up before gently placing her back in the chair.
Orchid didn't seem to mind, too focused on her food to react. Meanwhile, Rei walked up to Orchis and Apollonia.
"And Apollo, you look different in this outfit. Nice one—it suits you," he added, giving her a thumbs-up.
"Thank you," Apollonia replied, accepting the compliment. If anyone looked closely, they would notice the faint red hue dusting her cheeks.
"Hmm? What's wrong, Orchis? Is there something wrong with you after I transferred your soul back into your body?" Rei asked, concern evident in his voice as he noticed her unusual silence.
"N-No… I'm fine. It's just…" Orchis stammered, her face turning completely red as she struggled with her words. "N-Never mind! I just wanted to say… thank you… for what you did for me."
Her voice wavered, flustered beyond control, as she avoided his gaze.
Rei didn't entirely believe Orchis's words, but for now, he decided to let it go. There was something more important he needed to focus on.
"Well, I heard from Djeeta that you already solved the problem with the monsters and the sand, right? Now the only thing left is fixing the ruined buildings?"
"Yes. Lyria said that with the power of the Primal Beast, we can restore the buildings easily. But you just got back, so we can handle it later or tomorrow," Orchis replied.
"No, we should do it now. I can't let the people keep sleeping in buildings that might collapse," Rei said firmly.
Without hesitation, he turned toward Lyria and called her over, knowing he would need her help to focus the power of the Primal Beast.
"Okay!" Lyria responded cheerfully, taking his right hand and holding it tightly.
Rei then turned his attention back to Orchis and Apollonia. "What about you two? Do you want to stay here or come with us?"
"I want to go too. I need to see the condition of the buildings myself, and we probably could use this opportunity to adjust the layout of the town," Orchis said.
Naturally, Apollonia would follow as well—after all, she was practically acting as Orchis's secretary now.
And so, the four of them set off toward the palace.