Hi guys! I bring to you all the SEQUEL to "A New Beginning". I recommend anyone who's never read "A New Beginning" to read that first before this. Obviously there are no reviews to respond to here, but there is one big announcement I'd like to make.

I'vet set up a page where if anyone is willing to support me, I'd totally appreciate it. The reason for this is because, att the moment, I'm currently job-searching but with little to no luck. So think of the page as something like a tip jar. A little helping hand will be of great help. BUT I'm not forcing any of you readers to donate, nor am I going to say "If you don't donate, I won't update". I enjoy writing and I'm glad most of you have enjoyed the stories I've contributed to the Xillia fanfic community. If anyone is willing, thank you. If not, never mind. It won't stop me from updating my stories!
The link has to be modified - patreo n. com(/)kingrpg

Also, not sure how many of you are aware, but I'm also currently writing a Tales of Berseria + Tales of Xillia crossover story. If you haven't read it, do check it out! This is assuming you have also completed ToB as there are spoilers in that story (obviously).
Anyway that's it for now. I hope you guys shall enjoy the sequel to "A New Beginning"!

CHAPTER 1: SETTLING DOWN

Two months. Two months have passed since Chancellor Marcia, King Gaius and King Nachtigal met at Kanbalar to discuss the fate of their three nations. While no official terms were made, it allowed the three leaders to gauge one another – more in particular for King Nachtigal and King Gaius to measure Chancellor Marcia, and vice versa.

After that first meeting, there were several more meetings that each nation sent official representatives to discuss about. Future cooperation, laws, jurisdiction, trade and other matters. Basically while it was still the beginning, it would seem that Auj Oule, Rashugal and Elympios could be looking towards a bright future together.

But not everything was rainbows and sunshine.

While the government of the three nations looked forward to a peaceful co-existence, not all of the people shared this view. After the people of Rieze Maxia learned the truth of Elympios's existence and discovered that they massacred the soldiers at Fezebel Marsh and later attack the city of Sharilton, not many were willing to forgive them for that. Chancellor Marcia had officially apologized for the Elympion military's past actions, but of course, it would not bring back the lives that were robbed by the Elympion army. It would be a slow process before the people of Auj Oule, Rashugal and Elympios could actually live in the same world.

Many things have begun to change in order to adapt to this new world – the cast that helped shaped this changing world was no different.

After things began to settle down, Jude Mathis returned to finish what he started at Talim medical school. Previously a wanted fugitive, that all changed after King Nachtigal and his advisor, Rowen Ilbert, erased his so-called crimes.

After submitting his thesis, Jude soon graduated but his journey didn't stop there. With the recommendation backed by the King himself and Rowen, Jude was employed and worked at the Laforte Research center. On the very first day, he suggested on a project to work on, which was accepted. He was thus assigned as the team leader on the development that he proposed – Allium Orbs.

At the current time, Jude was busy working at the Laforte Research center on the final phase on the development of the Allium orbs.

"Doctor Mathis, do we really have to run more tests? I believe the spyrix boosters we're currently using are sufficient enough in maintaining the Allium orbs." A female researcher by the name of Susan said.

Susan was referring to how Jude insisted on continuing the project to refine the machines used on Allium orbs.

Jude shook his head, "Not yet. It's still not perfect. We still need to run more tests."

"But Doctor Mathis, the boosters have already shown to be stable. Its success rate is around ninety-five percent!"

"I know, but a five percent chance of it failing means it's not yet perfect." Jude reasoned, "I understand your frustrations but please bear with me a little longer. We're very close. Once I'm sure the device is ready, then we've finally done it."

Susan sighed and relented, "I understand. It's frightening how Lilium orb failed us when the schism broke two months ago, but you so were able to come up with an alternative in such a short time. Everyone depended on Lilium orbs, so having a replacement so quickly is sure to help."

"That's… well, a friend was a big help."

Jude wasn't lying. Since Ludger came from the future, he possessed an Allium orb so Jude used that as a model. Besides Ludger already mentioned before that Allium orbs replaced Lilium orbs anyway in the original timeline. The only difference this time was that the development of Allium orbs started much earlier.

Susan walked away and returned to her station. Jude knew it wasn't just Susan that felt this way but everyone on the research team felt this way too, which was understandable. By rights, the Allium orbs were more than ready to be revealed to the world but for Jude, it was rather personal.

Two months ago, after the party left Kanbalar, they encountered a group of monsters and found out first hand that they could not form links with one another. It almost cost them their lives but they managed to regain their composure and defeat the monsters. Alvin also experienced this when he and Wingul defended Chancellor Marcia from the Exodus attacks, but he forgot to pass this info to the party. So now that Jude was developing Allium orbs, he didn't want anyone to experience the feeling of something you depended your life on to suddenly fail. It was why he wanted the Allium orb to not have any faults.

"Doctor Mathis?" A voice said.

Jude jumped a little and turned to the voice. It was a young woman, which acted as the secretary of this research team, "Y-Yes? What is it?"

"An acquaintance of yours wishes to see you. He… is rather persistent about seeing you actually."

From the woman's brief description, Jude already knew who it was, "Right. I just need a minute. Can you tell him to wait for me outside?"

"Of course, Doctor Mathis."

Jude had been working for several hours now so it was time he called it a day. After informing the research team he was leaving, he made a quick trip to his office to grab his personal belongings. After he was done, he made his way towards the main entrance of the research center.

Once outside, Jude found his guest waiting for him – Alfred Vint Svent, or commonly known as Alvin.

Just like how Jude became a researcher, Alvin changed somewhat as well. He was still a mercenary but ever since the schism broke, the first thing he did was return to Elympios. Ports now included travelling to Elympios, so it wasn't difficult. After being gone for a week in Elympios, the mercenary returned to Rieze Maxia to take up odd jobs once again.

Alvin raised his hand in a casual wave, "Look at you, kid. You're beginning to look like a responsible adult. I hardly recognize you."

Jude no longer wore his usual outfit two months back and instead now sports a black top, an orange unbuttoned vest and red-brown jeans along with a lab coat.

"It's nice to see you too." Jude returned with a laugh, "So what is it you wanted to talk about?"

"What, who says this isn't just a social call?"

Jude glared at Alvin with a face that told the mercenary he didn't want to play guessing games.

Alvin laughed and grabbed Jude around the shoulder, ruffling with Jude's hair, "Guess you know me a little too well."

"H-Hey! Stop it!"

"Guess some things never change." Alvin said, releasing Jude with a laugh. "But you're right. I didn't come all the way just to see you. I wanted to introduce you to someone."

Alvin stepped aside and a figure stepped up. Jude didn't realize there was someone else because the person was standing behind Alvin, thus hiding from Jude's line of sight. The man had shoulder-length light brown hair and wore a pair of glasses.

"You're Doctor Mathis, the one in charge of the Allium orb development?" The person asked, offering his hand.

Jude reached out and accepted the handshake, "Yes, I'm Jude Mathis."

"Great, that's great! I've been meaning to meet you actually, but well, I didn't really know how to reach you without making it seem like a nuisance. So I was surprised when I found out that my cousin actually knows you!"

Jude was genuinely surprised, turning to Alvin, "So this is your cousin?"

"That's right." Alvin said with a grin before turning to his cousin, "Hey, you haven't introduced yourself."

"Oh, that's right, that's right! My name is Balan. I'm from Elympios and a researcher of spyrite at the Helioborg research facility."

Jude's ears perked up at the mention of spyrite, "You're researching spyrite?"

Balan gave a nod, "That's right. I take it you're aware about spyrite technology?"

"I have a basic understanding, I guess."

Jude recalled Gilland's words at their final encounter before his death on the Elympion ship. Gilland revealed to the party how spyrite functioned just like spyrix but unlike spyrix, spyrite technology does not harm the environment as it forcefully uses the spirits to perform artes for the user. Jude remembered how Gilland abused Celsius to fight for him, which was through a spyrite booster.

Jude shook his head, "I wasn't aware that Elympios was currently working on spyrite technology."

"Oh, we are. As you know, spyrix use is a part of everyday life in Elympios but even we know our way of life is not sustainable. But we've recently discovered spyrite and considering how beneficial it is, research on spyrite technology has been underway for quite some time now. Unfortunately, it's progressing at a rather slow rate."

"I see. So what does spyrite technology have to do with me?"

Balan grinned, "I was waiting for you to ask that. Doctor Jude Mathis, I am officially requesting that you join our research team in developing spyrite – after you've completed developing Allium orbs, of course."

Alvin enjoyed seeing the stunned look on Jude's face. Jude was not expecting a formal request to participate in developing spyrite technology.

"W-What? But I don't… I don't even…" Jude stammered at a loss of words.

Alvin chuckled and wrapped his arm around Jude's shoulder, "Come on Jude, relax. Yo u should seriously consider Balan's offer."

"B-But…"

"There's a reason why I told Balan about you." Alvin added in a whisper, "You remember what Ludger told us? After we defeated my uncle?"

Jude looked confused at first but he finally recalled the specific memory that Alvin was referring to.

"That's why spyrite is a very important technology for Elympios." Ludger continued, "In the original timeline, Jude is the head of spyrite research and is trying to perfect spyrite technology. It is the only hope for Elympios to survive."

Although Jude didn't seem so sure of himself, he was already accustomed to Ludger telling the truth when it came to what happened in the original timeline. If he really was the head of spyrite research in the original timeline, he must try and do it in this world as well – especially considering how useful spyrite is.

Jude looked at Balan, "So spyrite technology is the future replacement to spyrix?"

"If we can actually make it work, sure." Balan answered, "Unfortunately we're still only at a fifty percent success rate, which isn't looking too great. You see, we don't have too much of a problem with making spyrite work with lesser spirits, but the more powerful a base spirit is, the harder it is for a successful tethering. If we want to replace spyrix, then we'll need to find a way for spyrite to work successfully with stronger spirits."

Jude recalled how Gilland managed to tether with Celsius, which was a Great Spirit of ice. This meant that despite his evil intentions, Alvin's uncle insight of spyrite technology was deep. Unfortunately no one knew if he kept any research notes.

"So, what do you think Jude? Are you interested on joining the spyrite research team?" Balan asked.

"Yes, definitely. Just let me finish developing the Allium orbs, and once I'm done, I'll be happy to join your research team."

"Splendid, splendid! Come, we still have much more to discuss. I've already reserved a place for us. We can have something to eat while we continue our talk."

Before Jude could refuse or even say anything, Balan wrapped one arm around Jude's shoulder and the other on Alvin and forcefully dragged them towards the central district of Fennmont. Jude could only sigh. He was bad with pushy people.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Please, Lady 'Milla'. I already said, you don't have to pay for these." The village's merchant said with respect.

"I already told you to stop calling me Lady 'Milla'. Just 'Milla' is fine. And I'm paying for these whether you like it or not!" Fractured Milla declared. She was trying to buy some ingredients for cooking from the Nia Khera merchant.

"I… I cannot accept payment from you, Lady 'Milla'. It's just too much."

"Well, I'm not taking your stuff until I pay for them with gald!"

After finally saving Rieze Maxia and dispelling the schism, fractured Milla ultimately had nowhere to go or a place to live. So it was natural that Milla suggested she returned to Nia Khera with her, which was her home in her own dimension of the original timeline. Since she didn't have much of a choice, she accepted.

After the two Milla settled in Nia Khera, Milla also revealed to the villagers about her true identity – that she was actually just a mere human created by Maxwell. They didn't disclose that Maxwell used her as bait so as not to destroy their complete faith on the Lord of Spirits. Despite learning the truth, the villagers considered it as Maxwell having chosen Milla for a reason and still treated her with respect. As for fractured Milla, while the villagers found it odd, they accepted the story that fractured Milla was Milla's twin sister that Maxwell kept hidden.

Of course fractured Milla just wanted the villagers to treat her like a normal person. It was how the villagers did in her dimension. That's why her arguing with the villager was rather normal now. Dealing with the merchant was one of them.

Also, Milla told others that previously didn't know about her identity as a human such as Driselle, Cline, Rowen Ilbert and Nachtigal.

"Why won't you accept any sort of payment?" Fractured Milla asked in disbelief, "You're a merchant, aren't you?"

"Lady 'Milla', it's just that… even if are the twin sister of Lady Milla, we still see her Lord Maxwell's chosen. So we see you both as revered beings."

Fractured Milla was fuming, "Well I don't see it that way, and neither should you. Now hurry up and take the gald so I can go."

The merchant sighed and finally accepted fractured Milla's gald while handing her the ingredients she purchased. As mentioned before, this argument happens regularly as fractured Milla refused to accept free goods.

Fractured Milla's mood brightened up, now that she now had the ingredients to try out something new for dinner. She was returning to her hut when she spotted Milla speaking with the village chief – with villagers surrounding the pair. This was the difference between Milla and fractured Milla. While fractured Milla insisted she wasn't given special treatment, Milla understood how much the villagers loved and respected Milla's identity, so she didn't order them to stop how they treated her. It was their choice, and if they chose to still serve her, then she will let them.

Milla noticed fractured Milla approaching and turned towards her with a smile. The villagers and the village chief saw fractured Milla and respectfully stepped back to return to their daily activites.

"Another disagreement with the village's merchant, sister?" Milla asked with an amused grin.

Fractured Milla rolled her eyes, "Everyday I go to buy things from him, and he always insists on not charging me. I can't believe I'm actually quarreling with a merchant to actually charge me."

"The villagers do not wish to burden us, that's all. For twenty years, they have worshipped me, and it's only been two months since I told them about who I am and who you are. It's going to take some time before they treat us normally."

"And maybe never." Fractured Milla pointed out.

Milla nodded at that. It wasn't that much of a problem for her since she was used to the villagers treatment.

Milla then switched topic and gestured at the bags her mirror-image was carrying, "So what did you get today?"

"Managed to get some seaweed, tofu and some poranges. I guess I could make some miso soup, but I'm not sure what to do for a main dish."

"I'll be looking forward to your soup."

Fractured Milla looked at Milla and sweat dropped, "…You're drooling again."

Milla grew flustered and swiped her drool away, "Sorry. It's just that the soups you make are always so delicious."

"You're just spoiled from eating either mine or Ludger's cooking almost every day." Fractured Milla said with a sigh.

Milla and fractured Milla shared a short laugh and continued making small talk while walking towards fractured Milla's hut. After dispelling the schism two months ago and with fractured Milla living in Nia Khera after things settled down, the two have bonded over the short period and have become very close. For Milla, it was like experiencing a life with a sister she never had. And fractured Milla was also slowly coming to accept Milla as a sister of her own.

The two Milla passed by one particular hut and when Milla looked at it, she stopped walking and stared at it. Fractured Milla noticed Milla had stopped and when she saw what Milla was looking at, she understood why – Ivar.

Milla was looking at Ivar's hut and was probably feeling guilty about what became of him. Not too long after the schism was dispelled, she returned to Nia Khera and told Ivar that she was actually human and not the Lord of Spirits. Ivar at first didn't believe her, thinking it was a joke but when Milla insisted she was serious, Ivar's world crumbled before him. He lived his entire life thinking he served the Lord of Spirits and while he personally loved Milla, he kept it to himself because to him, serving Maxwell was more important to him. In his despair, Ivar said he needed to leave the village as he felt he needed to search for his 'purpose'. Milla of course accepted it. Milla didn't blame him if he hated her.

"Do you think I shouldn't have told him?" Milla asked her twin.

Fractured Milla took a moment before she answered, "You said it before, didn't you? Ivar deserved to know the truth. I think it would have hurt him more if you kept it from him and he found out on his own. You had to tell him. You owed him that much, at least."

"…Yeah, you're right."

Fractured Milla started walking towards her hut again but saw Milla did not move. After a while, she finally snapped out of her thoughts and approached fractured Milla.

"Hey 'Milla', you'll be around the village, right?" Milla asked.

"I guess. Why?"

"I'm going to Fennmont for a while to check on Jude."

Fractured Milla wasn't surprised, "I guess it's been a few days since you last saw him. Say hi to him for me."

Since Milla still retained the use of the Great Four spirits despite being a human, she would occasionally have Sylph take her to Fennmont. Since Sylph could just fly her from Nia Khera to Fennmont, the whole journey was only an hour or two, so Milla could regularly make the trip to visit Jude.

With that decided, Milla summoned Sylph to her side. The instant he appeared, Sylph groaned and complained, "Honestly Milla, I'm a Great Spirit! You can't just use me as a convenient mode of transport."

"I believe you are the one that one that chose to stay with me to serve me. I don't think you have the right to complain."

"Oh man…"

Sylph engulfed Milla in a bubble of air and it lifted her up into the air. The villagers that saw this knew she was going to visit Fennmont since she regularly left the village to travel south. Milla waved goodbye to the villagers and at fractured Milla before she commanded Sylph to proceed, taking her away.

Fractured Milla returned to her hut and organized her groceries, placing the dry ingredients in the cupboard while also preparing the necessary necessities for the miso soup. After several minutes, she was done.

When fractured Milla thought she was alone, a voice spoke inside her.

"Will you be going to go to the Kijara Seafalls?" The voice asked. It was the Great Spirit of light, Aska.

Celsius, the Great Spirit of ice, spoke as well, "That's where Ludger is. She's going to find him, so of course she's going there next."

"Who says I'm going to find Ludger?" Fractured Milla cried out with a flush on her cheeks.

Celcius scoffed, "You can't lie to us. Since we reside within you, we can sense your emotions and have a brief idea of your thoughts."

"…Well you're wrong!" Fractured Milla declared. A short silence ensued before she relented, "Okay, fine. I am. I really wish you two don't just read my thoughts like that. Respect my privacy a little."

"But you're like an open book to us." Aska countered.

Over the course of two months, fractured Milla found it amazing how Aska, the once all-serious Great Spirit now spoke so casually. It was a complete change of character for the bird brain. Even Celsius had grown accustomed to living within her host that she spoke rather openly with fractured Milla. It was infuriating really.

Just as Celsius and Aska predicted, a short while later, fractured Milla exited Nia Khera and made her way towards the Kijara Seafalls in search of Ludger.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Elsewhere but within the same continent of Auj Oule, King Gaius was currently at the audience chamber of his royal castle in Kanbalar. Today his schedule was rather free, so he granted free audience for his subjects, which was a regular thing in the past. Ever since the schism broke, Gaius and his officials have been rather busy dealing with not just Elympios but with Rashugal as well.

King Gaius wasn't alone of course. With the exception of Jiao, Gaius had his personal bodyguards, the Chimeriad, by his side. Jiao was currently at Sharilton on a personal matter. Wingul was directly next to him since he was the King's right-hand man. Right now, Gaius was granting an audience to his one-hundredth and fifty eight guest, whom was a middle-aged man.

"Your highness, we have always supported you as King because of the era of peace you have brought to Auj Oule, which we are extremely grateful. But lately, our region has been terrorizes by those crazed terrorists! I worry for the well-being of my family. And it's not just us. I've heard that other areas have been attacked as well, but these terrorists still haven't been caught!"

Gaius nodded, "I am well aware of the attacks caused by the terrorist organization, Exorcist, around Auj Oule. I assure you that your concerns have not fallen on deaf ears. I have personally assigned the Chimeriad to deal with this issue. However if you doubt the Chimeriad to accomplish this, then I will personally attend to this matter."

The middle-aged man was of course aware that the Chimeriad was the personal bodyguards of the King. Doing this told the middle-aged man that the King saw how big of a problem these terrorists are and have dispatched his own subordinates to deal with this matter.

The middle-aged man bowed in respect, "Of course not, your highness. The Chimeriad overseeing this matter is more than we deserve. Thank you, your highness!"

Gaius raised his hand and it was a cue for the royal guards to escort the middle-aged man out of the audience chamber. The King signaled for the last person to be brought in, which the royal guards obeyed. They brought in a young woman, clearly distressed.

The young woman spoke, "Your highness, you have always ruled over us justly and with a clear goal for the future. I am here not to make a request, but to ask, why are we welcoming those… those outsiders? Those monsters?!"

Unlike before, Gaius took a moment to choose his words carefully. He knew the young woman was referring to Elympios. It was no surprise to him that many shared the view that the Elympions were the enemy, considering they have attacked Auj Oule in the past.

So Gaius chose the safest route, "Tell me your story first. After that, I'll give you my answer to your question."

The young woman nodded and began, "My husband, he… he was a soldier in the army and he was killed during the war. He was a soldier, so I wasn't surprised. But I had always thought he died with honor, serving our country in the war against Rashugal. But a few days later, you told us the truth – that half of the army was massacred by soldiers from another world. They don't have any history with Rieze Maxia and came for us as invaders. But now that the schism has broken, we are moving for peace with them? So did my husband give his life for nothing?"

The young woman was in tears at the end of her rant and Gaius just stared, saying nothing. A full minute ensued before Gaius finally spoke.

"I apologize." That was the only thing Gaius said.

The young woman looked at Gaius, a little surprised. It wasn't just her because even the royal guards and the Chimeriad itself did not expect Gaius to make an apology. It was like exposing a weakness.

"I will not make excuses. If you wish to blame someone, then blame it on me. It was my poor judgment that led to such decisions."

Of course the Chimeriad knew Gaius's real reasons for wanting a peaceful co-existence with Elympios. From an objective point of view, Auj Oule and Rashugal were at a disadvantage since Elympios possessed superior technology and weapons. However Elympios was a dying world and thus needs Rieze Maxia to survive in this world. It was thus a mutual benefit for the three nations for to work together.

But Gaius didn't want to divulge this bit of information to his people. It was why he was instead telling this young woman it was his fault for the mess at Fezebel Marsh rather than blaming it on Elympios soldiers. Gaius was probably hoping that by doing so, the woman could one day accept Elympions. For the sake of the world, the people of both worlds needed to accept one another.

The young woman covered her face in her hands and sobbed but didn't say anything more. Gaius signaled for the royal guards to escort the young woman out. He already gave his answer. The young woman was the last to be granted an audience so after the young woman was gone, the day's session was over.

Wingul turned to his King, "Is it wise to have the people to cast doubt on you?"

"It's a necessary step backwards to take two steps forward. In order for our world to continue, we have to work with Elympios. In terms of weapons and technology, Elympios possesses the advantage but going to war against the two nations of Rieze Maxia would cost them greatly. It is a mutual benefit for us to work side-by-side."

"You could have just told the woman that earlier instead of lying to her about what happened."

Gaius disagreed, "No. Telling her the truth will further support her claim to garner her hate on Elympios. Majority of people in Rieze Maxia share her views. This is because people tend to fear or hate what they don't understand. Elympios is a world unlike our own, and we know very little of it. I believe Chancellor Marcia shares the same problem with her own people. The only way to pass this is time."

"So it's just the waiting game then." Presa said.

Gaius took a deep breath to gather his thoughts. "Enough. There is no point talking about this." Gaius then turned to the fourth member of the Chimeriad, "Have you gotten used to your duties?"

Leia nervously laughed, "I… I think so?"

After things had settled down two months ago, Leia faced the problem of not having a proper direction in her life. Back at Leronde, she only became a nurse because she wanted to support Jude in the future. But Jude took a different path and became a scientist, which caused Leia to lose all motivation to remain as a nurse. So she was searching for her future.

Leia then came up with the idea of offering her services to Gaius. Part of the appeal was that she could try and get closer to Agria, and also because it felt like becoming a Chimeriad would be putting her skills to good use. Since Gaius already had seen Leia's skills and battle prowess with the staff, and she wasn't actually a citizen of Rashugal, he saw no problem with it. So despite Agria's rejection of the idea, Gaius accepted Leia's proposal.

So that's how Leia ended up in service to Gaius. Technically it was still a trial period for her, but Gaius doesn't see any problem with having her in his service.

"I still can't accept you as part of the team!" Agria exclaimed in disgust, "Your naïve attitude and perspective on life doesn't suit our theme!"

"Aw, come on Agria. Give me a chance. I'll show you I can live up to your expectations! I just need to train harder, I'm sure of it." Leia said with optimism.

Agria belched, "That is exactly what I'm talking about! You're always talking about your working hard and all that nonsense! I hate that!"

Presa snickered, "I think having Leia is a nice change. It adds a little more color for us. And Jiao appreciates how Leia always liven things up around here."

"This is just the worst!"

Wingul added no comment, but he had to admit, ever since Leia joined the ranks of the Chimeriad, things have become a little lively in the normally gloomy Kanbalar castle. While no one noticed it, Gaius himself felt it was an interesting change to the Chimeriad.

Presa continued to tease Agria, "…Besides, you and Leia are around the same age. Don't you think it's nice to have someone you can bond with instead of us old people?"

"Shut your trap, you old cow!"

Leia again laughed nervously and said to the King, "Um… maybe this isn't such a good idea."

"No. Having you with the Chimeriad adds to their strength. You cast too much doubts on yourself-worth. Build on your confidence and you will be fine." Gaius advised.

Leia blinked and gave a nod. It was more than enough to have Gaius acknowledge her strength. She was going to do her best!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hmm… hm hm hmmm… hm hmm…"

Ludger Will Kresnik was enjoying the solitude that the Kijara seafalls provided. He was currently at the central area of the Kijara seafalls, sitting on one of the small cliffs and the beautiful blue water flowing beneath him. And while he was here alone, he was humming the Hymn of Proof, the Kresnik family tune.

Humming the family tune, Ludger allowed his mind to wander to the things that have happened over the two month period. Julius Bakur, who was seeking for the man with the ultimate Chromatus, never came back after their conversation. Ludger wondered what he and Spirius's next move would be. Exodus, led by Steiner Mel Marta, have become a threat to the three nations, committing terrorist acts by attacking various towns in Rieze Maxia but also disrupting areas around Elympios.

As for the original party, they have scattered as well. Jude now resides in Fennmont since being employed as a researcher at the Laforte research center. Rowen remained as King Nachtigal's advisor and also returned to being the active Chief of Staff, so he also lived in Fennmont. Elize was going to attend school at Sharilton, so she was living there under the care of Driselle and Cline. Teepo naturally followed. It was Jiao and Jude who registered Elize there. In Auj Oule, Milla and fractured Milla returned to live in Nia Khera while Leia resided in Kanbalar since becoming a part of the Chimeriad. The only one that was still on the move was Alvin as he was still a mercenary.

While all his friends were starting to settle down, Ludger felt like he was an outsider. In the original timeline, he had an apartment in Elympios and had his own life. In this world, he came back in time to help his friends but now that they have accomplished what they did one year ago in the original timeline, things have settled down – but Ludger had no "home" to return to. Origin's words of 'Ludger Kresnik does not exist' were beginning to make sense. He really felt like he didn't belong here.

"You look like you're deep in thought." A female voice said.

Ludger recognized the voice and turned around. "Oh 'Milla', what're you doing here?"

"Milla's gone to Fennmont and there's still plenty of time before dinner, so I thought I'd burn some time with you."

Ludger snickered, "I guess it has been a few days since she's seen Jude."

"That's what I said."

Fractured Milla reached Ludger and took a sit right next to him, taking solace in the warmth Ludger's body provided. The Kijara Seafalls was breezy and thus naturally chilly after all. Ludger and fractured Milla's relationship with each other have progressed to the point where they were more than friends but at the same time, not exactly in love with each other. They could completely put the life of each other in the other's hands. That's how much they trusted each other.

"…Hey, Ludger?"

"What is it?"

"I know everyone needs some time to unwind after everything that's happened, but… shouldn't we start searching for the Waymarkers?"

Ludger wasn't expecting that, but fractured Milla was right. Just because they dealt with the Lance of Kresnik and dispelled the schism doesn't mean that everything was over. Origin's Trial was still underway.

"You're right. I guess we should gather everyone so that we can begin hunting down the Waymarkers. But it's not going to be easy doing this without Spirius. They normally have the coordinates for a dimension."

"But haven't you brought us to fractured dimensions before?"

Ludger nodded, "Yeah but in the original timeline, Spirius was the one that gives me the coordinates while all I've been doing is just entering random dimensions. It'll take too much time if we do it ourselves."

"…So are you going to ask Spirius for help?"

Ludger didn't say anything. If possible, he would prefer avoiding Spirius. He didn't want Bisley to know anything about him. If there was even a chance that Bisley found out not only was he from the future but also once passed Origin's Trial, Bisley would definitely consider Ludger a prized possession. No. Most likely, Ludger would have to scour for the Waymarkers without relying on Spirius.

Fractured Milla looked down at the peaceful flowing water below, "I wonder where Elle is. Will she remember us?"

Ludger also thought about that. In the original timeline, Elle was the daughter of Victor of a fractured dimension that entered the prime dimension. So he wondered, was it the same way in this dimension? Or was she already here in the prime dimension? There were so many things he didn't know.

But that doesn't matter. Origin's Trial won't wait for them to be ready. They needed to start preparing for their second journey. Ludger got up on his feet and took a deep breath. It was time.

"Where are you going?" Fractured Milla asked.

Ludger grinned, "I heard Elize is starting her first day of school today. I thought we could drop by Sharilton first."

Fractured Milla took a second before she sighed, "Guess I'll tag along. But let's return to Nia Khera first. I need to return the ingredients I was preparing."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Are you nervous, child?" Jiao asked.

In the city of Sharilton, Elize Lutus was standing just in front of the school gates with Jiao and Driselle just behind her. Teepo had to stay at Sharil manor since no dolls were allowed in school. She was finally going to school – and not just any school. It was one of the most prestigious schools in Sharilton.

Jude helped enroll Elize at the school two months ago as he promised to, but because Jude and Elize really had no reputation, she was ultimately rejected at first. It was only thanks to Cline, the Governor of Sharilton, asking the school board to give Elize a chance that they would consider it if Elize could pass the placement test. When Elize aced the placement test, it became the opposite. The school board demanded that Elize be allowed to study at their school.

Elize was currently wearing the school's uniform, which consisted of a blue blazer and a pink dress. She was watching the other students, some around her age and others older, entering the school gates while chatting with their friends.

"W-What do I do?" Elize asked. She was still a rather shy child, even more so now that Teepo wasn't with her.

Jiao scratched his head, "…I am not sure. I have never attended school as a child. My childhood was spent training with my clan."

That didn't help boost Elize's confidence, which Driselle noticed.

Driselle got down on her knees and said to Elize, "It's normal to be nervous. Everybody gets nervous on their first day of school. I was too, and even my brother was. You just need to… act naturally and make friends with others that share similar interests with you."

Elize looked around and spotted two schoolgirls around her age talking with each other. Deciding to take Driselle's advice, she approached the two girls.

"…It was so pink and cute!" One of the girls said.

"Super cute!" The second girl replied excitedly.

Elize decided to join in the conversation then, "Um… Excuse me, but what's the cute pink thing you're talking about?"

The two girls turned towards Elize. They looked at Elize for a few seconds before the first one said, "Sorry, but if you're not a true pinkist, then we're not going to tell you what it is!"

"T-True pinkist?" Elize questioned in confusion.

"That's right!" The second girl said, "A true pinkist is someone who really likes the color pink. So unless you're a true pinkist, we aren't telling you anything."

"I-I like the color pink! My best friend Teepo is pink too!"

The first girl looked at Elize for a while, "Well you look like you're telling the truth. I can tell since the pink dress you have on suits you so well. You really must like the color pink!"

"That's right, I do!"

The second girl cheered, "Oh, that's great. It's so nice to meet another true pinkist on the first day of school."

"It's your first day of school too?"

"That's right. Come on, let's walk together. Maybe we're even in the same class."

Elize gave a delighted nod and followed them. As she and her two new friends walked towards the entrance of the school, Elize stopped for a while and looked back. Driselle and Jiao was still watching over her, so she waved goodbye at them. Driselle waved back while Jiao just continued to watch, although he had a small smile on.

A few seconds later, Elize entered the school building and was gone.

"It looks like she'll be fine." Drisellse said with a smile, "We didn't have to worry about anything."

Jiao simply nodded. He was about to bid farewell as he needed to make the long journey back to Kanbalar. But something else happened that prevented him from leaving.

The entrance of the school exploded.

The sound of people screaming filled the air. The scene of schoolchildren entering the school a few minutes ago was now replaced with fire and thick black smoke rising into the air. Panic. Confusion. The people nearby either ran away from the scene, screaming for their lives while others just stood still and watched the school in flames.

Driselle herself could not stop her knees trembling in fear and shock. She wanted to scream, but her body was unresponsive from disbelief. But she saw on her side that Jiao sprung into action, taking out his large hammer and charging towards the school entrance, which was draped in flames.

Jiao screamed at the top of his lungs, "ELIZE!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

At Fennmont, Jude Mathis had just finished speaking with Balan after promising the Elympion spyrite researcher that he would join his research team after he completed his current project, which was nearing completion anyway. Alvin said he would be spending the night at the inn with Balan before escorting his cousin back to Elympios.

Jude decided to end the day by returning to his home in the residential district of Fennmont. He was just passing by the central district of Fennmont when he saw a familiar woman, apparently waiting for him.

"Milla? What are you doing here?" Jude asked in delight, approaching the former Maxwell.

Milla smiled, "I came to check up on you. It's been a few days since my last visit. How are you doing, Jude?"

Jude reached Milla and before he could give an answer, Milla, being slightly taller than Jude, leaned in and gave a light peck on his cheek. Jude blushed lightly but he was getting used to Milla's affections.

"We're almost finished with the boosters for the Allium orb project. Actually, we can even distribute it to the public but the success rate is at ninety-five percent, and I just don't want to risk it. I don't want anyone using Allium orb to suddenly experience a failure."

Milla smiled, "And I believe you are capable to do what you set your sights on. It's what makes you who you are."

Jude couldn't help but smile, "Thanks Milla."

Milla was about to say something else when a rather loud growling erupted from Milla's tummy. She tried to cover it up, only for her stomach to grumble again. She looked at Jude, embarrassed.

Jude chuckled, "You're hungry, I take it?"

Milla nodded, "Quite. 'Milla' was going to prepare some miso soup when I decided to come visit you. I guess I should have eaten first."

"I'm sort of full. Shall we go to my place and I'll whip you something to eat?"

Milla agreed and Jude walked with her towards where he lived. It felt like a date. But they didn't get far when they met another familiar face. For Jude, he just finished talking with him a couple of minutes ago.

Skit: Long time no see
Present: Jude, Milla & Alvin

Alvin: Hey, Jude! And Milla too!

Milla: *Surprised* Alvin! It's nice to see you.

Jude: Alvin? I thought you said you were going to be at the inn?

Alvin: Well, yeah, but I wanted to get some drinks. Sadly, Balan was dead tired and went to bed and I didn't want to drink alone. So how 'bout it? You guys care to join me? We can catch up in the meantime.

Jude: But Milla's hungry and I offered to get her something to eat at my place.

Alvin: Then how 'bout I join you guys?

Jude: I'm not sure Milla would…

Milla: I think that's a good idea. It's been a while since I've seen Alvin. Not since…

Alvin: Not since we went our own separate ways two months ago at Kanbalar. I've been travelling around, doing odd jobs as a mercenary. It really has been a while.

Milla: Jude, it's a great opportunity to catch up with Alvin. Let him join us. *Leaves by walking ahead*

Jude: I… I guess.

Alvin: *Approaches Jude and whispers* Heh, sorry kid. I'm guessing you wanted some alone time with Milla, eh?

Jude: T-That's not…!

Alvin: Ah… You've really grown up, kid.

Jude: Ugh…

Jude, Milla and Alvin didn't get very far from the central district of Fennmont. They were just halfway through when they saw several royal guards coming from Orda Palace. This caught everyone's attention, so Jude, Milla and Alvin decided to stay and watch. They wanted to see what's going on.

To the trio's surprise, it turns out that the royal guards were escorting King Nachtigal and Rowen. And it looks like Nachtigal didn't come out of the palace to do a random tour around the city. He and Rowen had a serious expression planted on their face.

Through a strange twist of luck, Rowen spotted the trio and gestured for the trio to come forward. Since Rowen was an old friend, they decided to step forward.

Rowen spoke when the trio reached him, "Jude, Milla and Alvin. I'm grateful to see you here. We could use your help."

"Whoa, straight down to business?" Alvin said jokingly, "It's been a long time since we've seen each other, I thought we could catch up first."

Rowen turned to the mercenary, "I apologize, but the situation is bad. It could get worse. We do not have the time for pleasantries."

"Rowen, what's going on?" Milla asked, concern written on her face.

Rowen opened his mouth but stopped. "It's better if the King tells you."

Nachtigal stepped forward and looked at Jude, Alvin and Milla. He then divulged what he knew about the terrible situation – Exodus attacked Sharilton twenty minutes ago. In particular, their choice of target was a prestigious school.

"Exodus has been active as of late, but I didn't think they'd do this so openly." Alvin remarked.

"It is why we must act quickly if we wish to assist Sharilton and strike Exodus down." Rowen said, "I am hoping you'd lend us a hand?"

"You can count on my help."

Milla nodded, "Of course, Rowen. You didn't even have to ask."

Jude also gave a nod, "I'll come along too. Actually, I think it's an opportunity for me to try out the Allium orbs."

CHAPTER END