By Royal Decree

**Date Started:** July 1, 2019
**Date Completed:** Ongoing
**Previous Role-Play:** N/A
**Users Involved:** User:EmperorSigma, User:Njalm2, User:Ninshū, User:Dragon Lord Erin, User:Great Achlus

**Setting**: Clover Kingdom
**Characters Involved:**
* **Magic Knights:** Zakai Draconus, August Draconus, Celestia Lucifuge, Astro Silva, Iolo Goch, Rosanne Vermillion, Elizabeth Roselei

## The King's Orders

The Exams had come to an end at last, and a number of promising new soldiers had joined his ranks as a result of these tests – although Zakai had chosen quality over quantity, which was somewhat unfortunate as every man or woman willing to die for his ambition ought to be put to excellent use. It mattered not in the end, he would simply found some Militia to put them to good use, all of this and more would be necessary if he was to usher the world into a new era with himself at the helm.

But his most loyal subject was not the only one who had misunderstood his intentions: the Kira Elders had long pestered him with various proposals from eligible princesses, queens and women of highborn nobility – demanding that he produce an heir – a pointless exertion of his part given that he could steal centuries of life from his enemies to sustain himself indefinitely. Unnecessary descendants would only work to weaken his ambition and split the Kingdom into different factions, no, Guthrie intended to unify the world personally however long that may take.

However, what had occurred during the exams troubled him, if he could not wholly trust the Captains then that would surely make future conquests more difficult, he needed to unify them once more by setting his plans into motion, the time had come to commence the first step.

Snapping his fingers, his personal retainer was summoned to his side instantaneously as he spoke firmly without turning around. «Assemble the Captains, tell them that their King requires their immediate presence.»

"This was indeed expected, wasn't it?" The gray-headed man started, his voice echoing through the halls of the castle as he and his companion walked the path to the throne's room. "With all the post-event chaos for us to deal with, now we have to attend a meeting to be scolded because one of us can't behave properly in front of an audience... No, let me correct myself. He can't behave properly in any situation."

Each one of his steps were followed by the sound of his wooden cane gently touching the stone ground. "But, I must say, if we are here to see that man be humiliated once again, then it is worth our time. Don't you feel the same, Alastor?" Astro said. Now, both the captain and vice-captain of the Silver Eagle squad faced the enormous door that separated them from their desired destination.

Dressed in his usual garbs of loose clothing and sandals, Alastor grinned at Astro as they strolled down the hall. "It's not ideal but I suppose Guthrie probably wants to drill it in. I'm not sure if you felt it yesterday but I think he almost lost it. At least I'm guessing that, I don't see him putting civilians in the crossfire of that kinda magic often." The younger man shrugged. "I'm hoping this'll be more than just another scolding though."

"Well, you are right. Good for us it was a disagreement between both of them and not an actual fight. Otherwise, I'm not sure if we would be here today in such a peaceful manner." The door in front of them slided, opening to the throne's room. Without further conversation, Astro took the first step, being followed by Alastor as both of them walked towards the throne were Guthrie awaited for their presence. The nobles stopped in his front, bowing down to his notorious presence.

"My king", Astro said, straightening his back. Noticing the absence of the other captains, he continued. "It seems we are the first ones to arrive."

At the front of the palace doors, a spatial portal opened up suddenly as the temporary captain of the Black Bulls Alana Merle stepped through followed by Korag's Vice Captain as they went to open the palace front doors. Alana had a furious pouting look on her face as she was walking. "Typical, he uses the opportunity of his so called "punishment" as another one of his typical ways to avoid his duties while we clean his mess. If he thinks he can treat this as a vacation oooooh just wait till i get back." She spoke to the Vice Captain while keeping her angry pouting face walking a head of him.

Edgar had been the "captain" of the Black Bulls for a couple years now, doing all the duties of a captain while Korag slacked off. Now with Korag actually getting suspended, Alana had been chosen as the stand in captain. Not him, never him. He hadn't even been able to attend the exams due to covering for Korag.

"It'd be atypical if he took initiative on anything formal, ever. I'd call for a doctor." Edgar replied, trotting behind Alana. Though it looked more like he was looming over her, standing at an usual 6'7". "I'm personally happy about this meeting. Cause for once I can just relax, exempt from any scolding this squad gets. I was making sure we can claim stars this year, since Korag refuses to do anything."

"I wouldn't put my hopes on that Edgar. I know you've been working hard for it and we appreciate all you've done, but It's a meeting with the king, captains, and most likely all their vice captains as well. So many important figures all put into one place. This will hardly be a relaxing visit and so many have such disdain towards our squad. Ugh if only he was here, he more reliable on things like these." She said as they reached the halls, making their way towards the throne room.

The sounds of heels flattering against the floor could be heard echoing throughout the expansive and majestic halls as Celsetia made her way towards the assembly location. Letting out a mental sigh as she wished she could of went straight back to her room to sleep off the fatigue of her last mission, after all going 72 hours without sleep wasn’t something one should do.

Pushing the doors open she entered the room and was immediately blasted by the bright aristocratic environment and sounds, something which she was vastly familiar with. Knowing full well that within a few moments the room would be flooded with others, she made her way towards the King to give him her greeting.

When the message was sent through, Zakai had already been fully aware of this upcoming meeting. Guthrie pulled him to the side just yesterday to express his frustration with the state of the Magic Knight Captains and while he did not voice it, Zakai believed they were sloppy as well. Not all of them, but most. Even he knew he had his flaws.

Luckily for him, his summoning happened right after his briefing of the Golden Dawn's new recruit and the mission details for Simon Lovelace. This calling was right on time. He stood from his chair and headed for the door and opened it only to be met by a waiting August Draconus. Both his younger brother and Vice-Captain of the squad who'd act at Zakai's beckoning call, even if he did not agree with said call.

A portal appeared at the duo's side, Spatial Magic at work ready to save the two the trouble of traveling to the King's meeting room as opposed to having to travel there via broom. Wasting no time, the duo step through the portal and on the other side was the King's Meeting Hall. Zakai looked around and to his surprise, for the first time in this short two years he'd been Captain, he was not the first present at a meeting.

Flinging his cape-like jacket over the group, like a woman with an attitude, Zakai turn to the seat of the table with the insignia of the Golden Dawn. Taking it, he looked to August who stationed himself behind his Captain, then turned his gaze to the center of the table while not locking eyes with anyone in specific. "Golden Dawn, present, your highness."

Ezekiel was actually glad that the king called this meeting, although he also feared how serious the situation might be for him to do such a thing. At least this granted him a chance to take a breather from training the rookie mages of his squad. Some were making more progress than others...But believed that each member possessed what it took for them to succeed as a Coral Peacock mage. Which meant that they would surpass the idea that support type mages were simple sidekicks!

Ezekiel sat on the shaft of his favored broom Étoile Filante as it zoomed through the sky. Although piercing through the air, he made sure that it flew at a reasonable speed for his Vice Captain, Mirei Seimei, to keep up. The broom soared elegantly over Clover Kingdom, crossing his home in a matter of minutes. It gracefully hovered above the ground as it guided him throughout the vast halls of the capital. And in a couple more minutes, both Ezekiel and his vice captain were standing among the other captains.

"Coral Peacock has arrived, your highness." Ezekiel voiced. He sent a hateful scorn towards Zakai before looking elsewhere. Ezekiel didn't mind the aristocratic air of the royal capital. He found the history interesting and the architecture absolutely magnificent. But he couldn't stand the stench of these royals stinking up the place while his men fought and died in the battlefield. But at least he would be able to meet his sister! His eyes scanned the area as he searched for her.

She couldn't help but be irritated as she soared through the sky on her eagle's back. The Blue Rose captain was absolutely certain Korag would be on the agenda, namely his actions at the Exam; that would more than likely would bleed over into the House Kira debacle. More importantly, Korag's actions would shine a spotlight on the leadership of other squads; a meeting to find who was loyal and who wasn't. Liz sighed; this wasn't the time to be having these conversations, not with new recruits to train, new missions to execute.

"How long do you think this meeting will last Osiria? Well, "meeting"/vetting process is probably a more apt way to describe it. Or maybe I should ask how long it will be productive..." Liz asked, turning to her vice-captain.

"Who knows? At the very least we know we're being called for a reason whether it is important or not will soon be revealed." The mature woman said coldly, sitting behind her captain as they soared through the air at high speeds, the wind blowing through her double-colored hair, this woman was clearly Osiria Roselei, Vice-Captain of the Blue Rose and legendary magic knight

"That it will; hopefully it doesn't devolve into madness." the eagle would break through the clouds as it dove, flying towards the land below, touching down in front of the palace in question. Elizabeth disembarked, waiting for Osiria to do the same before dissipating the eagle. She would stride through the hallways, her VC by her side, before they entered the meeting room. Her storm blue gaze would rake over all present before she took her seat at the table.

"Blue Rose present, Your Majesty."

Only a few seconds after Blue Rose entered, the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard echoing throughout the corridor, yet again alerting those in attendance to the arrival of another captain. However, although there were echoes of the footsteps of just two people, there were three. Iolo Goch entered the room, carrying on his back, Rosanne Vermillion, captain of the Crimson Lions while walking beside the former vice-captain of the Green Mantis, Cicero Fey.

These exploits weren’t uncommon form Iolo and Rosanne; they were virtually the same person, mischievous, but useful. He lifted his arm up casually, and gave a warm smile as he addressed the room, “Green Mantis, and I guess, Crimson Lion reporting for duty my liege.”

Rose grinned like a little child as she waved to everyone in the room. "Hi everyone! Hello, your Majesty!"

Trailing in shortly after Rossane would be Sapphira Diamante, Captain of the Azure Deers. She seemingly rode to the meeting on a diamond-clad horse, her personal and favorite mode of transport.

She would then greet those within the meeting before taking her seat, waiting for the meeting to both start and be adjourned.

King Guthrie Clover II waited patiently for each of them to arrive, seated upon a great throne of solid gold and sculpted with leonine imagery – a relic of the time where his incompetent father ruled the land of Clover. Still, it held a certain kind of charm to the ruler and so it was one of the few things left behind by the man that he treasured.

Standing at either ends of the room was six old men wearing long robes of gold-embroidered silk – they were the Council of Elders, personal advisors to the King and ruler of the six lesser branches of House Kira. At the moment they stood silent, vigilant, bearing witness to the events that were to transpire here tonight but not partaking in the discussion.

As the last of the Captains gathered, the King rose from his throne and addressed them firmly – hands clutching the royal sceptre as he moved till he stood at the top of the podium looking down at his most powerful subjects.

«I assume that most of you have suspicions about the nature of this meeting; perhaps some of you even hoped to see me further chide the Black Bulls Captain for his disgraceful behaviour – and to that end I will say this and no more. In these trying times where enemies lurk behind every shadow and spies are gradually worming their way into our society I refuse to tolerate insubordination of any sort. Should I detect such notions in any of you the penalty will be exile, or in particularly grevious cases, death.»

Guthrie’s voice carried neither mirth nor malice at the declaration, it was simply spoken with grim finality.

«Such a matter is hardly worth my notice at this point, as we have far better things to do – all of you are undoubtedly aware of the Diamond Kingdom, I called you here because I shall not suffer that blight to exist for much longer – the time has come to conquer our ancient enemy and bring their lands under our control.»

At last, the time had come for him to usher into the Guthrean Empire, a new era for his people and for the world at large, with these his lifelong ambition might be forged into reality. He turned to Zakai first, as one would expect.

«Zakai Draconus of the Golden Dawn, you are hereby declared General over our forces and you shall mobilize your Squad to crush the very symbol of our enemies’ power, the Eight Shining Generals – you are permitted to conscript a single individual from each squad to help you in that endeavour.»

His eyes then came to rest upon Astro Silva.

«Astro Silva of the Silver Eagles, your command is as follows – you shall be the shield that ensures our inner stability as a nation, many of our foes have already made the attempt to undermine us from within, you are to put an end to that through whichever methods you deem most suitable.»

Then there were the Crimson Lions.

«Rosanne Vermillion of the Crimson Lions, your Squad will need to protect our borders from invasion, as well as prevent a revolt from the towns and villages that we have already liberated from our hated foe! I want you to cooperate with the Silver Eagles in such a scenario.»

And the Coral Peacocks.

«Ezekiel of the Coral Peacocks, your role shall be simple but demanding – you are to lend aid to whichever division or squad requires it the most, work closely with the Violet Orca to understand the needs of each squad and fill them as required.»

The Violet Orca.

«Celestia Lucifuge of the Violet Orca, your priority shall be the gathering of enemy intelligence and information, I expect you to use your vast connections to form the crucial lifeline upon which this crusade will depend!»

The Blue Rose.

«Elizabeth Roselei of the Blue Rose, a nation as corrupt as the Diamond Kingdom would surely have a fragile infrastructure fraught with inner conflict, intrigues and chaos – I want you to find individuals who might be convinced to support our side in the war to come, and then the Blue Rose shall meet with them and sway them to our cause.»

The Green Mantis.

«Iolo Goch of the Green Mantis, our enemies will depend upon a number of isolated figures who are unlikely to ever step foot on a battlefield, chiefly strategists, merchants and investors. Those among them that the Blue Rose cannot turn to our cause through diplomacy are to be disposed of, so as to not interfere with our mission. In the event an opportunity presents itself where you might rid us of a more important target such as a Shining General, you are authorised to adjust your objective in accordance with your own expertise.»

The Azure Deer.

«Sapphira Diamante of the Azure Deer, I am certain that you are well-aquainted with the unique methods that certain institutions in the Diamond Kingdom practised upon their own people. It is your mission to find and study as many of these as possible, and then attempt to make them into something that might prove beneficial to our own forces provided that such a thing is possible without severe side-effects. I suspect this objective shall keep your Squad preoccupied for a long time to come, report your findings to Zakai, Rosanne or Astro if you require military assistance for whatever reason.»

And last and least, the Black Bulls.

«Alana Merle, convey these orders to Korag Gildamesh, for I have an important mission in mind for the Black Bulls – during the initial invasion spearheaded by the Golden Dawn, he shall mobilize his squad to invade from a different route and work to dismantle their supply lines and auxiliary forces to prevent them from sending soldiers to assist the Shining Generals.»

Eyes sparkling like the finest diamond, Zakai stationed both hands on his chin while his elbows rest atop the table. *"Redwood, what a monstrosity."* He thought to himself as he allowed his eyes to drift upon the other Captains. Zakai had a faint idea of what the King would have liked to talk about, but he had no idea this would be it. And, unlike any other time, he jumped straight into it. He assigned each of the Captain's duties for his plan to invade other lands--or in this case the Diamond Kingdom--and Zakai couldn't help but be dissatisfied with some of the King's decisions, but he trusted him wholeheartedly and would never question his judgment.

He couldn't help but have flashbacks to the events during the Magic Knights Exam. He always knew that the Black Bulls were a band of misfits, something seemingly haunting the squad and virtually bringing shame to the Magic Knights. But as uncanny as they were. They were always chess pieces on a battlefield that could be treated as pawns.

"Then," Zakai spoke first, "I'd like to suggest that we wait until we allow our new recruits to gain knowledge of the battlefield. After looking over the analytics with Vanessa, we've learned that these mages have shown unseen results among any entering group in the past years. If your decision overrides my suggestion, then I standby keeping them out of the battlefield in its entirety."

Ezekiel glared at the six elders which littered the sides of the king. He'd learn about their horrific workings from his time among the Vermillion. They were puppet masters. Manipulative, heartless shells of humans meant to further their own ambitions. Regardless, he listened to the king's words with a sense of importance. The thought of having to support *him* caused the Skeletal Captain great stress. But he understood the need of specialization. He existed as proof for his entire life of thaumaturgical pursuit revolved around a particular focus on two aspects. And for that reason, his magic often went unsurpassed in those fields. Regardless, he stood firm by his king's words and smiled as his broom hovered quietly above the ground.

"As much as I hate to agree with Zakai, we must raise our newest recruits into the focus of our squad. This means deducing their magic and finding ways to mould it into a specific classification. I hope the other captains have chosen their rookies with this idea. But it will take time, your majesty." Ezekiel said without an ounce of arrogance. His voice filled with a genuine care for the king's ambition. Not that he wanted Clover's prosperity. But a successful kingdom meant that his sister's family would continue living in happiness.

"Weak recruits become wasted resources. For this I suggest we build our advantages through smaller missions. This way, like a chessboard, we close our enemy into a corner with stronger pieces."

"With all due respect," Astro started, "your decision seems more impulsive than rational given the circumstances of the last exam." He, who had his arms crossed and eyes closed, now glared at the King and his counselors with the coldness of his blue eyes. In his two decades as a captain, invading surrounding territories had been a constant topic of discussion inside that room, but had not been put effectively in practice. Why Guthrie wanted to do it now, right after the exams, was something that lacked reasoning in Astro's opinion.

"As pointed by Zakai and Ezekiel, we have talented rookies amoung our ranks. Putting ourselves in war state would be detrimental for their growth as mages and an enormous waste of time and power if they ever stepped on the battlefield and died unprepared. Could you please tell us what you have in mind with such a sudden decision?"

Alastor grinned at Ezekiel, it was refreshing to see that fiery young mage he'd fought as one of the 9. "I hate to just say what's been said, but I don't think now is the time to press another nation. We're kinda surrounded on all sides, so we can't ever commit one way. Plus the aforementioned young mages. We've got a really successful batch of kids here, throwing them into a war seems like a bad plan."

Alana was surprised to see the other captains stating these so boldly. She had considered the same thought but paused to say it in front of the king. Having been thrown into a discussion of war with 9 other great leaders of Clover immediately after taking responsibility of representing the Black Bulls, she was beginning to hesitate on her decisions. She observed these meetings hundreds of times when she served as Korags care taker and she can't imagine how he deals with this as calm as he does in front of them.

Edgar stared onwards, eyeing Alana as she didn't pipe up. He sighed, it was time to do his usual. "Knowing Korag he'd be saying something about how we were above this or whatever. I'm not him though." He sighed, adjusting some papers. "Even if we didn't care about the kids my big problem is how many forces we can reasonably send. I don't know if any of you know the state of Diamond but I know they have more land than us and if we assume these 8 generals to be equal to our own captains powers, it's even more problematic. If all 8 are there and we can't spare at least 8 captains it's going to be an uneven fight on their turf. Not to mention their Queen too. I just don't think we have the resources right now."

"There seems to be a handful of misinterpretation in my request. I am not requesting the full-fledge halting of this conquest, only the participation of those that have just been introduced to their squads." Zakai sat against his seat with a straight back, "I am not backing out of this conquest as the forces of the Golden Dawn are prepared and have been prepared since last week." He eyed the remaining eight Captains, "The slow and steady game has always been what we played in the past, Chess, as you put it, Captain of the Coral Peacocks? For what? Does this mean you are all believers in the 'slow and steady wins the race' saying? No, that race is only won by those who have no other option but to be slow."

The ebony paused and leaned back up against the table with his elbows, "If the King sets us out on our conquest tomorrow, then we will perform the duties onto us. That is what it means to be a Magic Knight. 'To deploy, engage, and destroy!'" She shouted that last sentence with emphasis and slammed his hand onto the table, "the enemies of the Clover Kingdom in close combat. That is what we are to do."

August cursed, "Tch," he began, turning his head away from the other Captains. "Are you all afraid? Are you all scared that your squads are simply not prepared for battle? War is around the corner every waking second and you mean to tell me your suggestion aside from allowing the new recruits to be nurtured, is "like a chessboard, we close our enemy into a corner with stronger pieces"?" August cursed once again, "You speak just like a support unit, Ezekial of the Coral Peacocks."

There was no immediate response from the King, as he turned to sit back down onto his throne before finally addressing the Captains calmly; albeit with an undercurrent of iron.

«Silva, I am appalled by this gross breach of etiquette – you claim to speak with all due respect yet you neglected to address me properly. I shall warn you this once, never speak to me in such a disrespectful manner again.»

Guthrie’s eyes held Astro’s glare briefly unflinchingly before he continued.

«Nevertheless, your fears are unfounded. Though I have given you your orders, it is up to each of you to individually decide how best to proceed and whether or not to involve the new recruits at all. Truth be told, I trust that you will only involve our new arrivals once they have mastered the necessary fundamentals required, it is hardly my desire to squander such potential.»

Turning to face Ezekiel, the King’s expression softened somewhat, evidently impressed by his manners and argument.

«I appreciate your input and I trust that you will train your recruits as suggested, less than two weeks in service and you already prove yourself dependable, good."

"Not everyone one is a war hawk like you August," Liz commented pointedly. "Preparation prevents piss-poor performance. Nonetheless, we are here to execute an objective. What matters is the destination: a conquered Diamond Kingdom. How you accomplish your part to play is up to you. Still, the Diamond won't fall overnight, regardless of how eager you are to raze it." Again, her stormy gaze fell on August. What she didn't add was the impractical nature of a scorched earth policy; all they would end up with was useless land, and a few dispirited or defiant people. It wasn't enough to win; no, hegemony and control of the Diamond's abundant resources was just as important as a final victory. One could say this was the final victory. Elizabeth was certain the King wanted to play more than conqueror.

Ezekiel smiled at the king. in all honesty, those words from the Golden Dawn bastards burned to the core of his bones. But this wasn't the place. No. There are games being played. His former mentor would say that every situation is nothing more than a game being played by a number of people. Zakai and Augustus just made their move. And now, it was time for Ezekiel to strike back. Just as he'd done against his rival during this exams. Alastor would recognize Ezekiel's stare as one continuously deducing the situation.

"I am proud to speak as a support unit, for that is what his majesty has bestowed upon me. And besides, when your mage's foolishly charge into enemy territory, who is it which provides healing? Who do you rely on to intercept enemy magic? To destroy their communication efforts and disable their spatial magic? I refuse to sacrifice any of my mage's because we have a bunch of muscle-heads leading the war effort." Ezekiel said with a slight grin. "At the end of the day, it is my unit that you rely on so that you can continue fighting. Unless the Golden Dawn has picked up sacrificing-I mean-wasting resources?"

"Who?" August asked, asking the very same question that Ezekiel did. "Who runs to our aid?" He turned to Ezekiel, "The Golden Dawn has both preformed and been successful in every one of our invasions with minimal casualties. Why?" He then turned to Zakai, because we breed warriors who are taught to infiltrate the enemy and do so in an organized manner. We are nothing like that gueril-Bull force of Black." Breathing, August leaned against Zakai's chair.

It was true. Each and every word he spoke was true. Despite the Golden Dawn holding the overwhelming duty of invasion, they managed to somehow always leave the battlefield with the least amount of casualties. Why? Because of the man that was deemed the Captain of the Golden Dawn: Zakai. "I will not bicker with you here, Ezekiel." Zakai began, "We will settle this another time. Stand down, August."

"Its not bickering. Its a discussion between two units who must work together. Whether or not you suffer from minimal casualties matters little to me. There exist countless folklores and epics of men such of yourselves whose hubris lead to their downfall." Ezekiel smiled. "But we will settle this elsewhere, Zakai. I just hope your arrogance doesn't cost you the life of your little brother. A man who doesn't teach their young one's to understand their own weakness is cosigning their death warrant."

Every word Ezekiel spoke was true. From the ancient epics of the Clover Kingdom to the distant tales of the surrounding lands, there existed endless tragedies which ended in the suffering of loved ones from one's own hubris. While the Golden Dawn enjoyed wonderful numbers, **it is often when one thinks they are unbeatable that the heaven's above humbles them**. Even for those who lacked religious heart, there was also a very simple explanation. People who overestimate themselves tend to overlook their own weakness. To think that they are unbeatable even in the face of the unknown.

"But you can always count on us to bail you out of trouble. You might think ill of the support unit...But we tend to come in handy when arrogance brings one's downfall. After all, his majesty wouldn't waste his resources on such a squad if it wasn't necessary."

"these, as Zakai would say 'bickering' among each other is what's going to be the downfall of this operation. We might have our difference as opposing squads but the Shining Generals fight as one unit under a single leader. 9 separate squads with no faith in one another won't have a prayer in standing a chance, no mater how powerful, fighting all 8 generals at once is a suicide attempt. Relying solely on pride can only get you so far." Alana tried to settle the dispute between them as she glanced over to Zakai.

Liz watched as the Golden Dawn Vice Captain and the Coral Peacock Captain went back and forth, before Zakai jumped in. Truth be told, it was clear this went beyond pure logistics and past exploits. No, this was a personal spat; what Ezekiel directed towards Zakai said as much. It went beyond bickering; how many years this feud extended Liz didn't know; nor did she care given the task in front of them. The two Captains would figure it out, or they would fail together.

"Enough. What is the general time-table for this invasion, Your Majesty?" Elizabeth commented, focused on steering the conversation back to something more productive.

Guthrie remained silent as his Captain’s bickered amongst themselves, it was true that as far as the pinnacle of the Clover Kingdom was concerned that they left much to be desired but they were valuable pieces regardless and important to ensure proper functionality of the Magic Knights. Elizabeth proved herself a welcome ray of wisdom however as she stopped protesting and instead committed herself to the great task at hand.

Meeting her gaze. Guthrie bestowed upon her the great honour that it was to have his Majesty’s full undivided attention: «A reasonable inquiry. I am inclined to patience in this matter provided that I see constant progress, but if I were to offer a generous deadline I should say that I expect to have the head of the current Queen of Diamond in my lap in a year from now, as well as full control over all of its territories. Following that, we will focus on incorporating their lands and citizens into the Clover Kingdom slowly before we turn our attention elsewhere. I researched military conquests and invasions diligently as a child, so I am well aware that this will be an extended affair.»

A honor that wasn't lost on her. She would return this honor with respectful attention, carefully chronicling the information given. So a year from now, the invasion was expected to be complete, including a dead monarch. That was ample time to probe for weaknesses and discontent, before effectively exploiting them, expediting the takeover. "Understood your majesty." With the objective set, a timetable in hand, and a growing vision of how to achieve it, Liz refocused on her fellow Captains before addressing them.

"We have one year to do this, though preferably we finish it well before then. I assume all of us will do everything in our power to make sure it is accomplished in a timely manner, correct? Good."