Might & Magic of Emotions - Nijisanji Fantasy

Chapter 22: Crisis in the East

- Eastern Plateaus, one month after the Felgardians left... -

The Kingdom of Helesta is in a crisis. Although the combined forces of the Helestan defenders and volunteers alongside the Felgardian cavalry have defeated the rebel army that Éleanor assembled, the kingdom is sent into disarray just as Éleanor truly intended. The authority of the royal family is now in question as smaller scale rebellions sprout across the Eastern Plateaus which tied up the other noble houses into raising a coherent defense of the realm.

The situation was worsened when the citizens discovered that Felgardians who entered their kingdom harbored the feared Dreadknights. Despite having already left, the Dreadknights left an impression that they are coming for the citizens next and may use the excuse of the rebellions to intervene.

If it weren't for King Garte finally recovering and reassuming his duties as the ruler of the kingdom, who knows how much longer Helesta had.

Lize has taken a much more active role in the decision making for the kingdom, even going as far as to command a brigade to quell a local uprising in certain times. The volunteers like Nui Sociere, Ars Armal, and Rindou Mikoto along with mercenaries have actually stayed behind to assist wherever they are needed. Ban Hada and Marek Mathesius have left to return to the port city where the Kaizokantai is anchored at to mobilize them to assist as well.

And despite everyone pitching in to help, the situation does not seem to improve just yet.

Fears of an invasion from the Western Valleys continue to grow. It wouldn't be long now, Lize implores. Helesta has been weakened and destabilized on the brink of collapse. An invasion will destroy the last supports keeping the kingdom in place. For that end, the bickering and debates in the throne rooms have been replaced by countless proposals to muster as many troops they could and as fast as possible in order to not only defeat the revolutionaries, but also Éleanor's likely invasion with actual Cheliot armies.

No matter how they put it, the situation is far too dire to turn back now.

Lize holds on to hope that (Falric) may return to help them, but as much as she wants to, she knows that they can't count on it.

It is afternoon. The royal council has just been dismissed with new orders from King Garte to carry out. It has been an exhausting month for all of them but there was no time to rest, not when the very foundations of the kingdom is being chipped away at every second they spend. Lize pulled aside the emissary of the Winged Highlords of Harold, Enna Alouette, to have a word with her about finally calling for the legendary gryphon riders to help.

"I'm sorry, Princess Lize, but even this isn't enough to recall the Winged Highlords-"

"We are in a state of civil war, Lady Alouette!" Lize cuts Enna off, her voice subtly filled with desperation and exhaustion. "Éleanor might cross our western borders any time now while revolutions continue to appear across the Eastern Plateaus and this is still not enough reason?" She says to Enna in a progressively angry tone.

"I am truly sorry, Princess." Enna murmurs.

"This is their kingdom! Their vows state that they must always answer the kingdom's call during crises!" Lize replies. "Lady Alouette, please, do whatever you can to bring Lord Sethos Harold into the fold! If they don't, then there won't be a kingdom for them to call their own..." She trails off, for she did not want to say those grim words of truth.

Enna stares at the Second Princess pitifully. She, too, feels the desperation in her and many others and it does not feel right to turn them down when she and the gryphon riders have a duty to the kingdom.

The mystic shapeshifter sighs and nods. "I... I'll do what I can."

"Thank you. Here." Lize hands her a hefty piece of cloth. When Enna unravelled it, she saw what looks like the same banner that they made together with the others.