Grail War 0.5: The Harbinger Of Greed

The Wounded Veteran

It was a beautiful day in the country of Marley, as the inhabitants were currently recovering from the events of the great titan war. "Ma'am. The Reconstruction efforts have been very successful so far." A soldier said to the current ruler of Marley, Tanya Degurechaff, who was also known as the witch of war. "Good. Make sure that the Eldian refugees are treated like they are Marleyan citizens. I'm not going to allow our people to view them as lesser beings because they used to be our enemies." Tanya instructed, as the soldier nodded their head.

"Bring the Eldian refugee in. They have been waiting for a meeting with me." Tanya said as the soldier immediately brought the refugee in, before they excused themselves from the room.

"Please. Have a seat. I don't want you to be stuck standing up." Tanya offered, as the refugee sat down. "What's your name?" She asked the refugee, who remained silent for a second, before they responded. "Just call me Pendragon." The refugee said, obviously not wanting to reveal her real name to Tanya.

"I want you to know that you are safe in Marley. As long as I'm the ruler of this country, what happened during the great titan war will not govern how Eldians are treated in Marley." Tanya promised, as Pendragon smiled in response to this kind gesture for the Eldians.

Meanwhile...

Jackson was walking through Gensokyo during a cold winter morning, when he noticed a dangerously thin half elf freezing to death in an alleyway, and he immediately wrapped his coat around her. "Huh?..." The elf looked at Jackson, who immediately picked her up, and he took her to the Scarlet Mansion.

"Welcome back, Jackson. It pleases me to know that you are safe." Sakuya said, before she noticed the malnourished half elf in his arms. "Bring her into the infirmary." She instructed, before she took Jackson into the infirmary, where Jackson put her on one of the warm beds.

After a few hours, the girl woke up, as she looked at Jackson, who was very concerned for her safety. "Where am I?..." She asked, as Jackson smiled at her. "You're in a safe place. What is your name?" He asked her, as she shivered a little bit, because she was still very cold. "My name is Harmonia Swan..." She replied, as Jackson chuckled softly, before he gave Harmonia something to eat. "That is a wonderful name. My name is Jackson Scarlet. It is nice to meet you, Harmonia." He replied, as Harmonia ate the food greedily. She was obviously starving. Jackson could figure this out from the start.

Meanwhile...

Pendragon relaxed on a bench in Marley, as she took in the sights and sounds of the environment and the citizens of this wonderful country. She turned her head to see that a child was suddenly sitting next to her on the bench, and she smiled, obviously enjoying the company. "Hello, Miss Pendragon. Lady Degurechaff wanted me to check up on you." The child said, as Pendragon's eyes widened.

"Tanya is using kids to do her dirty work?" She asked, as the child shook her head. "I'm older than I look. Don't judge a book by its cover." The child replied, as she chuckled softly. "What's your name, kid?" Pendragon asked, smiling at the child, who sighed. "My name is Raphtalia. It's nice to meet you, Pendragon. Is that really your name?" Raphtalia asked, as Pendragon shook her head.

"Of course it isn't. I just don't want my identity to be public. Are you good at keeping secrets, Raphtalia?" Pendragon asked, and Raphtalia nodded her head. "Alright then. My real name is Jacqueline Pendragon. I'm the next heir to the Pendragon bloodline, sent from the future to participate in the great titan war. I am also the future sin archbishop of Greed. Please do not tell Tanya what I just told you." Pendragon instructed, as Raphtalia nodded her head. "I need to help with the reconstruction efforts, Pendragon. Take care of yourself." Raphtalia said, as Pendragon smiled.

"You too." She replied, as Raphtalia left Pendragon on the bench.

Meanwhile...

Tanya looked out of the window at Pendragon, feeling a small amount of suspicion for the wounded veteran. She felt like there was more to Pendragon than she let on. "I'm back, Lady Degurechaff." Raphtalia said, as Tanya smiled warmly at her. "What did you learn about Pendragon?" Tanya asked, as Raphtalia smiled. "She's a well respected military figure in the Eldian race." Raphtalia said, as Tanya sighed. "Very well. Continue to monitor Pendragon. I will be here when you return." Tanya instructed, as Raphtalia left, eager to have another meeting with Pendragon.

To be continued in Chapter 2: A Calm Before The Storm...