Rai's POV
We don't know where Russell went after saying that he'll be meeting with someone in an unknown location, so our search for him will be longer than we thought. Leon and Adrian looked bored but not at all. And then, after like forever, we heard some clashing and fighting noises from somewhere in the mountains of the Sapaq Region, and we went there, only to be shocked to see a duel between two people. These people are…
"Russell-kun?!"
"Woah, Aren-san?!"
And so, we went down, and Adrian and the other humans, alongside the elf Sierra, got off, and we all watched the duel between our friend and Aren of Batela. Their duel was fun, and both sides were having fun trying to out each out.
"What do those two?" Adrian asked while being astonished.
Ria then shrugged. "Don't know either…"
"It seemed that both of them are having fun," Leon commented.
Sierra then nodded. "Yeah, you're right…"
And then, after minutes of fighting, Russell and Aren fell to the ground while laughing at each other's skills and abilities in their fun duel and being exhausted by it. "Well, that was fun…" Aren said to him.
Russell then nodded. "Yup, it was, and we're now friends, right?"
Aren then nodded back. "Yes."
And as both got up and stood up, we went to them and asked questions about their doing in a place like this. Adrian drew out his sword just in case Aren would attack us. "You better explain about this, Aren-san!"
"Woah, woah, it's okay," replied Aren back while trying to calm everything down.
Ria and Mum readied their magic just in case, while Leon pulled out his battle axe.
"Please, I am a better and changed person now." Aren still tried to calm everything down. " You can have my word."
"Yeah, yeah, you bastard," Mum replied back with hostility.
"You'll deceive us in the same way you deceived the Elai party, aren't ya?" Azalea added as well.
"No, please, I am now good," Aren responded back with a calm and apologetic tone, "and I am sorry for what I did to you, guys back then…"
We were then stunned at his response, and most of us put down our weapons and abilities.
"Yes, please," Russell replied back interfering, "me and Aren-san had a talk last time, and Aren-san had reflected on his actions and became a good person now."
We were shocked, and Aren said to us, "Yes, and I am so sorry, again, for everything. I'll provide compensation to you and your country, as well as reforming my country, too!" We couldn't believe what we had heard from him. And so, we decided to accept it and were sure that Aren had changed for the better, much to the relief of Russell and Aren.
After all that, all of us left the place, and Aren, who rode in Russell's bus wanted to go to Rossley to apologize and make a peace treaty with the Passato family and the country as a whole. We accepted it and went there under Russell's directions. Not long after, we arrived there, and Aren showed up before the Passato family, much to their shock. Before any of the royal guards would respond to his potentially threatening presence, Aren kneeled before them and apologized to them for his past actions, asking for forgiveness and promising to provide war reparations for their country.
The Passato family, as you would expect, was taken aback by his change of character and heart.
"What is going on?" Nicholas asked.
"Big brother," Adrian responded after coming forward, "Aren-san had changed after his talk with Russell-kun."
"Wait, what?" George replied back, before looking at Russell. "Is that true, Mr. May?"
Russell then nodded back. "Yes, and Aren-san had sent a letter to me this morning, asking me to come to a place called the Western Sapaq Landmark Temple, and…we had a talk and reconciled after that."
"Yes, and we even had a duel after that to seal everything we talked about," added Aren while standing up and straightening his posture.
Because of all these and our eyewitness accounts at the Western Sapaq Landmark Temple, the Passato family eventually accepted it, and Aren signed the peace treaty with them. Thanks to Russell's efforts and values, Batela and the Southern Plains are now friends.
Seeing that made me like him even more.