Grand Marshall was considered to be the highest rank in any command. Most of the oldest members of the court would always have the distinction of holding such a prestigious title. So imagine to one's surprise when Nirvos Veuillet would be the one to hold the honor.

Nobility had been escorted out of the meeting room since military affairs were very confidential. The only exceptions were Klaus Levantine, who was a scholar, and Jindrack Hemy, who was vouched by Catue as a student of the art of war.

After the whining complaints of Michelle Pantielle had faded out (with a quiet sigh of relief from Maia), the meeting had become less crowded as the more important figures had decided to ponder their next move.

"Alright, I need to know the situation of each and every single one of your territory," Nirvos began.

"Here is the list, Sir Veuillet," Klaus did as the elderly man handed him a rolled-up piece of paper.

"Thank you, Lord Levantine," the strategist knight said.

"Oh, you can simply call me by my name," the scholar replied.

Nirvos nodded with acknowledgement before opening up the paper to read.

"We have a huge military number on us," he said. "However, I do have concerns."

"What is there to be concerned about, marshall?" Alicia questioned. "Our soldiers are strong enough to fight against these mercenaries."

"Yeah, we outnumber them by a huge margin!" Lou-Lou exclaimed in confidence.

"True," Nirvos muttered. "However, it's because of the Black Dogs that we have relied on them for too long."

"What are you implying?" Claudia inquired.

"Adding to the fact that nearly our troops have virtually been unused, I can only conclude that Eostia's army is lacking discipline!" He answered.

"That's absurd!" Alicia interjected. "Our soldiers have been focused on defending the fortresses from attacks!"

"Is that all you've been doing and nothing else?" Nirvos asked as he looked at her.

'Just what is he doing?' Julian wondered, observing this argument.

"Of course!" The Princess Knight of Iris answered with the affirmative.

"When was the last time you've conducted drills?" he asked.

That had thrown her in a loop as everyone watched this debate going on.

'Ah, so that's what he was doing,' the king of Dragundaala concluded.

Alicia tried to remember, as a lot was on her mind. When it was clear that she couldn't remember, she fired back with a flustered look. "I don't see how that's important! Our defenses are clearly our number one priority for the safety of the people!"

"Drills are always important, especially if you are commanding an army," Nirvos answered calmly.

Claudia nodded in agreement. "We need to strengthen not just their bodies, but also their minds as we."

"To leave a blade unattended for so long would only allow it to rust," Julian muttered wistfully.

Alicia could only sit down, feeling angry and embarrassed. The others felt bad for her.

"Though, I am curious as to what defenses you have made to Feoh and Ur," Nirvos inquired.

She looked surprised by that question before answering. "I have been focusing on the walls of the fortresses and anti-siege weaponry."

He was in thought before Nirvos nodded. "Quite an interesting use of resources. It will prove useful in the long run."

Alicia felt her pride build back up from that compliment.

"In fact, this paper says that the defenses for each fortress is strong," Nirvos continued. "Now that the fortifications have been settled, we can finally focus on our troops."

"What do you propose?" Celestine asked.

"For now, we need to conduct drills while we prepare siege weapons," he answered, looking at the goddess.

"Siege weapons? But that costs quite a sum," Claudia said, surprised by such an idea.

"Are you planning on increasing the tax?" Alexander asked. Christina gave a small hidden frown towards her husband, causing Angelica to look at her with concern.

"That is up to her majesty herself, but I would advise against it," Nirvos said. "The rapport with the commoners need to be cordial enough as to prevent another uprising."

No one objected to that.

"A rebellion over taxes is nothing new," Olga remarked.

"Of course you would know anything about rebellions," Alicia hissed at the dark elf queen.

"Don't you talk to my queen like that!" Chloe glared at her.

"She's not your queen now, half-breed!"

"Silence, you cur-!"

"Enough," Celestine said, causing the two to stop bickering. Even with her soft and gentle voice, her tone held firm authority over her words. "Let us get back to the matter at hand, shall we?"

Alicia and Chloe glared at each other before turning away with a 'hmph'.

Nirvos gave an acknowledged nod to Celestine. "Thank you, your highness."

She smiled and nodded for him to continue.

"Does anyone know about siege weapons?" He asked.

"I know a thing or two about them," Lou-Lou confidently said. Halflings were masters of smithing.

"I was hoping if you could get started on the construction as soon as possible," he requested.

The halfling frowned. "It will take a long time to build, so I'm not sure how long it would take."

"We cannot waste such resources," Claudia interjected. "The safety of the fortresses are top priority."

"The Black Fortress has not only strong fortifications, but the magical barriers are impenetrable," Olga said. "We need to use whatever we can to break down those defenses."

"Lady Kaguya, do you have any spells that can counter such?" Nirvos asked the priestess.

She nodded. "I know a few, but it will have to take more than just the arcane arts to break this kind of magic."

"Do whatever you can," he replied. He turned to the foreign delegates. "Are there any problems on your end?"

Julian looked down in thought. "There is an unknown force just by the east."

Nina looked at her husband. "You don't mean..."

He turned to her with a grave nod, causing the queen frowned.

However, Catue was undeterred as a wave of determination followed. "Whatever this new enemy is, we can take 'em on!"

Her father looked at her. "It's not that simple, Catue."

"Father, allow me to investigate the disturbance," the princess requested.

"Absolutely not," Nina shot it down. Nirvos noticed the maternal protectiveness in her eyes.

"But mother!"

"Lady Catue, please calm down," Jin said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. It worked as she sighed and took a deep breath.

"Whatever it is, I would advise keeping up your defenses," Nirvos said. "Such an entity means that we must stay cautious."

"Of course," Julian nodded in agreement.

"And what on your end, King Rothschild?" he asked.

"There is a small uprising in the northern part of Rothschild, but we have the situation under our control," Alexander answered.

"That's good to hear then," Nirvos nodded, though he glanced towards Alex's wife and older child. 'Though I can't help but wonder that there's more to that.'

He noticed Christina's emotionless facade crack for a moment before it repaired itself quickly. Angelica was shooting a small scowl at her father, though she said nothing. Flora was absent in the meeting, probably still naive to the grey world of military affairs since Celestine's maids helped escorted her to the garden.

'It seems that the Rothschild royal family are hiding skeletons in the closet,' he thought. 'But that's something I shouldn't pry about. My main concern now is their cooperation.'

"Would you still require assistance?" Nirvos offered. "Sometimes an uprising could turn into a full-scale rebellion."

The king shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I have full confidence that we can put down the rebels in no time."

"Very well," he nodded before turning to the Amastira twins. "How about you two? I hear that the humans have caused quite a stir in Fredenia."

Arsura smiled at him, though he could see that it was forced. "That's quite alright. We've found a way to stabilize the relations between the elves and humans."

Willan frowned slightly. "It might not be the most conventional choice, but nevertheless I believe that it will be beneficial for Fredenia's peace."

"Care to share with us?" Nirvos inquired, curious as to what this method was.

The sisters looked at each other uneasily before Arsura nodded. Taking a deep breath, she gave her answer.

"I have decided to offer myself in an arranged marriage with one of the human representatives."

This had caused an uproar among the meeting room. Julian and Nina frowned at the idea. Catue showed her distaste by protesting such an idea. Jin has to calm her down. Anna had a neutral look on her face, hiding her distaste. Elise frowned, but had a tinge of curiosity on her face. Angelica had a huge frown on her face, glad that her half-sister wasn't here. She looked at Alex, who had a contemplative look on his face.

'He better not be thinking about it!' She thought angrily.

Christina had a really sad expression on her features. Looking out of the window, memories of the past came flooding back to her mind. She could feel Nirvos's glance, but decided to keep quiet for now.

Amongst the Seven Shield Alliance, Alicia and Maia were the most vocal since they were romantics at heart. Lou-Lou was dismissive since she didn't really care about such matters. Kaguya showed no emotion as usual while Claudia and Celestine looked concerned. Klaus placed a hand on his wife's. Chloe rolled her eyes, glad that dark elves don't have such ridiculous traditions. Olga merely smiled, only enjoying the chaos enfolding here.

Prim was the only one to show her worries.

Prim had a lot of suitors attempting to court her. With both her beauty and her position as a princess, it was no surprise as to why she had garnered the affections of such. Alicia had driven them off whenever they got close to her. Back then, Prim didn't know why until now.

The idea of a loveless marriage had terrified Prim. She wanted someone to love her for who she is, not as a political chip. She loved Alicia but they were cousins. She was afraid that her affections would cause trouble for the Princess Knight of Iris.

Prim glanced at Nirvos, before the fluttering in her heart had returned like a dug-up memory. She might not care what he was, but the idea of intimate courtship with him made the young princess wonder about the future. Nevertheless, she wanted to spend time with him to see if he was a genuine person.

Nirvos raised his hand up to silence the room, the chatter slowly dying down. "This is her decision, but are you sure that you are certain of your choice?"

With hesitation, Arsura nodded. Willan looked away, hiding her emotions.

"I believe that she is doing the right thing," Alex said. "Everyone has to make sacrifices for the good of their country. Even I had to make them."

Nirvos could see a scowl break out from Christina's neutral expression, but she managed to keep it in.

"I understand the circumstances," Celestine said. "But please do not hesitate in asking us for help."

Arsura nodded with a smile. This time, it looked real. And Willan looked at the goddess reincarnate with a firm and appreciative nod.

Nirvos went to the final matter at hand. "And how are things at Elstein?"

Elise perked up and smiled. "Everything is fine! We'll be able to send reinforcements in no time!"

'And she said it straight to the point!' Nirvos thought as he observed her smile. 'At least she seems genuine about it.'

Anna looked at her childhood friend in worry. "Princess, please don't decide so rashly! We need to consider the numbers in our forces!"

The princess of Elstein sighed softly. "Alright. Would you please give us a day to decide?"

Celestine nodded with a smile. "There is no need to rush with your choice."

She looked at Nirvos with a serious look. "Is that all, Sir Nirvos?"

He shook his head. "No, your highness."

"Then the meeting is adjourned," she declared.

XXX

With the Seven Shield Alliance playing as hosts for the Order of Chivalry, Nirvos was briefing in to his soldiers. The soldiers were glad that their commander had returned and that he was given such a high ranking position of Grand Marshall. However before he could detail the situation, he needed to do something.

"Men, I have a confession to give," Nirvos said.

They were confused before their leader took off his helmet, shocking them.

"I'm not a human," he said. "I know that Eostia has always been inhabited by humans and beings of pure light, so I'm guessing that someone who isn't human might be a shock to you. If anyone has qualms against my kind, then feel free to speak."

Nirvos closed his eyes as he waited for the protests to form. He could feel the anticipation dreading inside of him, patiently accepting any shouting about how someone like him should not—

"Yeah, we reckon that you weren't human at all."

The lack of surprise in that sentence made him open his eyes on bewilderment. His soldiers were simply looking at each other with shrugs.

"You're not exactly the best at keeping secrets, considering that your habits are pretty suspicious."

"Let's not forget that we can see your eyes glowing underneath your helmet."

Nirvos sighed. Was he that obvious?

"Nevertheless, we still trust you with our lives."

He looked at them in surprise. Why?

"While everyone's been busy using the Black Dogs to fight their war, you've guided us to become actual soldiers by fighting bandits and other threats to our country."

"It shows how much you value us as soldiers."

"You never judged us for our pasts."

"And you try to never leave us behind."

"For that, we will repay the favor by swearing our utmost loyalty to you."

Soon, every member of Nirvos's unit began to take off their helmets one by one. Their commander had a smile on his face as they repeated what he did. Once they all unrevealed their own faces, they raise their fists in triumph and gave loud cries of encouragement.

Nirvos could feel the loyalty from them. He had tried to inspire them whenever they performed drills or go out to fight. The results were what he wanted, but this extent was still surprising.

"Thank you, everyone," he said once it died down. "Now, we are going to face our toughest war yet."

Nirvos told his men the situation. Needless to say, they were furious and excited. Furious because one of their heroes had fought for the country they arrived to defend, only to incite a revolt. Excited because that this was their time to shine and show their worth as soldiers.

Some of these soldiers were married and others had children. Few of them had a mix of both. If they were to live in such a future of a distorted paradise, it would be a fate worse than death.

"Tomorrow, I want you all to wear new sets of armor I will be funding," Nirvos said. "The war of yesterday was over. Tomorrow will begin a new war. And I want you to prepare yourself for the worst to come. Dismissed."

With that, his unit dispersed and had gone their separate ways.

"It's good to put more trust in your men."

Nirvos turned around to see Julian walking towards him.

"In return, they will return it with their own trust," the older man said.

"King Dragundaala," Nirvos greeted. "Being a king yourself, you must have had experience in the military affairs."

The king smiled. "Julian is fine when we're alone. But to answer your question, yes. Though it has been a while since I've gone into battle."

"It must have been quite a while then," the knight said. "Still, if you're thinking of sending reinforcements, you could use a good warm-up."

"Perhaps," Julian hummed before he unsheathed his sword. But it wasn't just any sword. It was a great sword with a distinctive curve. The blade looked really heavy, yet the king managed to wield it with one hand.

"Hopefully, you could provide me a good challenge," the king pointed his sword towards the knight.

Nirvos was reluctant to use Moonlight Reaver. He didn't want to hurt the king of a foreign country through a spar with actual weapons. However, backing down would disrespect King Julian's worth as a warrior.

Besides, maybe a warm-up before the real battle would help him get prepared.

Without a word, he unsheathed the Reaver. Holding his sword with two hands, he was the first to deliver the strike!

Julian blocked it with ease. "Oh, ho! Trying to catch me off-guard?"

Nirvos was pushed back before he was covered by an onslaught of attacks. Julian moved swift and elegantly as the weight into his attacks had caught the knight off-guard himself.

Realizing he needed to fight back, Nirvos found his strength once more and managed to block this time.

Julian was the first to parry before going for another flurry. However this time, Nirvos was ready as he began to dodge the attacks. He found an opening and blocked one of the strikes to push back.

Now it was his turn to deliver his offense. Julian had switched between blocking and dodging due to how light the Reaver was. Nirvos twirled his blade like a cartwheel in each side.

Julian blocked the twirl but Nirvos kneed him in the gut.

"Oof!" The king grunted. Nirvos tried to deliver a downward slash before he was tripped over through both feet.

Nirvos saw Julian from above, who was about to deliver a slash of his own. The knight blocked the attack with his Reaver before pulling both of his legs back and planting them on Julian's stomach, pushing him off.

Soon, they were swinging their weapons at each other. It resulted in deflections, but it ended up becoming a test of strength.

Nirvos went for a strike before it was bunted by Julian. Despite his own greatsword digging into his hand, he managed to twirl his blade, sending the Reaver knocking out of the knight's hands.

It took a few seconds before Nirvos realized that his blade was gone. And inches close to his shoulder was Julian's greatsword. The blade was deathly close to coming into contact with his skin.

Both men stared, the intensity of battle and adrenaline still lingering within their bodies. As the seconds passed, everything had subsided before Julian sheathed his greatsword.

"Your skills as a swordsman are quite impressive. However, you are in need of techniques to outmaneuver your enemies," Julian commented. "It seems that what lacks in your moveset, it makes up in pragmatism."

The old king looked up to the sky in thought. "I've taught my daughter the way of the knight. Using the more honorable and straightforward approach with these techniques."

Julian looked back at Nirvos. "It seems that your teacher had taught you the way of the warrior. Use whatever means to defeat your enemies. Sometimes I wondered if that method would cloud one's judgement and sully their honor."

The knight shook his head. "Honestly, I care not for the concept of honor. All I want to do is keep Eostia safe."

Julian sighed. Everyone had their own definition of honor. It was no surprise that not many people cared about honor since they have their own goals.

"Still, your swordfighting could use some work," he said. "I've heard of your duel with Garokk. He will be a threat if you don't watch out."

Julian turned his back towards him. "A commander needs to perfect any skill to his advantage. With the extent of what your combat entails to, I can only wonder how far you will go in this war."

With that, he walked off. Nirvos looked at where Reaver was before he clenched his fist. Not out of anger, but in contemplation.

He was right. Nirvos needed to train more. Considering that Garokk had wiped the floor with him, Maia and Lou-Lou combined, the knight needed to push his limits.

Maybe even break them if he needed to.

"I hope my husband wasn't too harsh with you."

Nirvos turned around to see Nina walking towards him. There was a small gentle smile on her face.

The pitch knight shook his head. "On the contrary, his words had allowed me to rethink my strategies."

She sighed. "You must be quite the serious person. I fear that you might end up like Alexander."

He looked at her in confusion. "King Rothschild?"

Nina waved it off. "Never mind about him. Let us walk to the courtyard."

Wordless, Nirvos nodded. He was still dumbfounded by the comparison. Then again, Alexander looked like he never smiled a day in his life. The pitch was capable of smiling.

It's just that no one had seen it under his helmet.

"My husband has an eye for potential," Nina said, enjoying the view of her surroundings. "Then again, if weren't in Celestine's service, he wouldn't have found out about you."

She looked at him with a smile. "Have you ever wondered what it would have been like being born in another country?"

Nirvos thought about it. There were many possibilities of what his life would've been like in many circumstances. He could have been a noble. Adopted royalty. Son of a veteran soldier. Maybe he would be raised in the dark streets of a broken society.

But alas, he was raised a farm boy.

"The thought crossed my mind," he said. "But honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way."

Nina's smile was genuine. In fact, her smile had always been like that since finally being able to talk with him. Here, her smile widened slightly as he gave a decisive answer.

Still, that was the one aspect she found out. Nina wanted to know what kind of a person he was. An obscure person to suddenly gain a huge rise through the ranks. And he was neither human nor elf, nonetheless.

Maybe he could...

"That boy, Jindrack," Nirvos mused. "Is he some sort of strategist?"

Nina hummed as they arrived at the central area of the castle. "He's my daughter's fiancé."

"Ah," was all he said.

"Don't tell me that you've taken a liking to her," she chided playfully. "And to think we could prevent a diplomatic disaster."

"Oh, no," Nirvos assured. "That was actually my third guess."

"Oh?" She inquired. "What was your second guess?"

"Your son."

She giggled at that. "In the future, you might be right."

"Still, blessings to the future couple," Nirvos said. "But what is your future son-in-law doing here? I expected that he would be back at Dragundaala handling affairs within the nobility."

"Jin is not just Catue's fiancé," she answered. "He's also my husband's protege."

"Protege?" The pitch knight was intrigued. "So he's learning the art of the sword then?"

"Not exactly," Nina trailed off. "He has always enjoyed knowledge, regularly seen reading a book in public. Julian decided to teach him about strategy."

"And he reason why he was in the military meeting was to observe and learn?" Nirvos guessed.

She nodded. "If he wanted to prove that he was worthy of marrying Catue, he needed to provide what he could do for the country."

Nina sighed. "Honestly, his love for Catue is enough for approval, but he insisted that he showed his devotion by becoming a strategist."

"You never had a strategist," he guessed. "Have you?

She shook her head. "Julian handled the military affairs while I shared political duties with him. Catue is a warrior that could be pushed to become one of the greatest commanders of all time if she actually had the motivation to actually study."

"So you and the king are doing well without a strategist then," Nirvos concluded.

She shook her head. "It's not that we don't need a strategist. It's hard to find one that is qualified in these areas. Julian is the king and I, myself, lack any military experience."

"Ah," he mused. "So Jin wants to improve on his leadership, wisdom and politics in order to become a great strategist."

"I admire his dedication," Nirvos said. "Someone willing to excel at something in order to show his devotion for his lover might not be an ideal motivation, but determination is very admirable."

Nina looked at him, her smile returning. "Since you're a strategist, I'll definitely take your word. After all, what better way than to listen to an ally's advisor?"

"You're too trusting," Nirvos said. "Then again, so am I."

Yes. Nina was sure that he could be the one to assist Dragundaala and end their troubles.

Suddenly, a messenger came running towards them. "Sir Veuillet! Urgent news!"

Nirvos and Nina looked at him, startled by the sudden urgency.

"What is it?" Nirvos asked.

"A faction called the Leaping Lizards is attacking in the northeast of Ken!"

'The Leaping Lizards have begun their move then?' Nirvos thought. 'It seems that the Black Dogs have made a huge impact with their revolt.'

XXX

A/N: Sorry I had to cut this chapter short. Originally there was going to be more, but with my other stories and future writing plans, I wanted to advance further. Nevertheless, you will see more interactions with the other characters.

In other news, Liquid is releasing a sequel to Kuroinu at the end of the year. I'm wondering if they're gonna continue where they left off. Who knows? Wondering what kind of ladies will be there.

Anyway, leave some comments and criticisms in the reviews. And the next chapter will be a battle with not the Black Dogs, but with another faction!