Against the World II: Transgression
Chapter 31: Journey to Axellibra, part 2
...—Royal Palace, Cornnas, Emeralna— Province...
When Xavier's eyes opened, he did not find Artemys beside him. He spontaneously sat himself down, then stood up and approached the window. The curtains were broken, and the darkness had not yet left Islan. The sun is still long from rising, about two hours. It's still very early morning.
Xavier didn't have to ask where Artemys was. There was no need for him to use sensory magic to find his wife. As he closed the curtains and turned around, the exotic green-haired lady had welcomed his gaze. He had just come out of the bathroom, approaching the commander.
“You want to go?” artemys asked, both hands against Xavier's neck. “If I was sleeping, would you leave without saying anything?”
“Not last night we talked?” ask Xavier back with his left hand on Artemys' waist, while his right hand plays the princess's long hair.
“So, since last night we talked, can you just leave without saying anything?”
As usual, Artemys' voice was soft as a melody as it entered Xavier's sense of hearing. Even the princess' expression was calm, calm, even without any displeasure. However, after they spent every night together (and sometimes even days, if Xavier wasn't busy), Xavier now understood. The day Artemys puts on an upset or angry face may never be. His wife has amazing emotional control.
“Who said I'll go straight away?” Xavier showed off his smile. “I take a shower first. Dress up. Gently rub your stomach like this. Then kiss you like this, and like this, and like this, and then like this. …It's only then that I go.”
The calmness on Artemys face faded, his lips curled thinly. However, the arch quickly faded.
“Not enough?”
“True, it's not enough.” Artemys landed his lips on Xavier's cheeks, his right hand ruffling the commander's hair gently. “Go take a shower,” he added. “I'll prepare food.”
“You treated me like a child,” grumbled Xavier, a bit embarrassing when Artemys kissed her while ruffling her hair.
“But you like it, right?”
“…”
Xavier immediately stepped into the bathroom; he would not answer the question. That's something he can't deny. The mouth can be deceiving, but the feelings are not. If he tries to deny, it will be discovered once, especially when he was a child often hugged by the mother. That feeling of pleasure cannot be lost.
Xavier opened the bathroom door, but did not enter. He turned his face back. “Artemys, I ma—”
“Why?” cut Artemys. “You bathed too?”
“—Not so.”
Xavier went in and closed the door. Even so, the tail of his eyes had caught a big smile on the lips of the wife.
...—Verada, Vermillion Empire—...
When Xavier finally arrives at his room at the special barracks reserved for him, he finds his hemisphere still asleep. Xavier didn't understand, how could his half be different from himself? What exactly inside of him has latent laziness, and it appears in his hemisphere?
Sighing deeply, Xavier instantly retracted a hemisphere of himself into him without thinking any further about the question. His cleavage was awake in the process of unification, but Xavier gave him no chance to speak. His part is only part of him, he has to understand his place.
In a neat uniform complete with a commander's robe and two katanas at the waist, Xavier set foot out of the barracks.
Activity is crowded. Just a few minutes walk, he was approached by Heisuke and a lady—kapten medical battalion. Heisuke said the soldiers were ready to leave, while the captain said that the logistics and all the necessities for a week had been loaded. A total of 20 wagons each drawn by two horses were ready to be dispatched.
“The searchers are also ready,” Heisuke continued. “Our teleportation destination point is in the north of Matepola Province, before the former Ilamia City States Union territory. I'm afraid there are Emiliel Holy Kingdom's soldiers there. So, I think it's better to go through the east coast and follow the coastline until we enter the Holy Kingdom.”
Heisuke and Amelia—the name of the 25-year-old woman who captained the medical battalion— simultaneously nodded. They saluted him, then rushed away after getting the commander's response.
A dozen seconds later, Xavier also stepped foot. He needs to talk to the mayor about the division that will temporarily replace his division duties here.
...* * *...
The Order of the 11th Knight Templar led by the Fourth Saint Rossia Himera was positioned in Carmel Town, the city southwest of Axellibra.
Carmel was the closest city to the vast territory of the Warebeast Great Kingdom. Its position is closer to the land area of the warebeasts than the village of the centaur— whose incident is located surrounded by the Emiliel Holy Kingdom and the Warebeast Great Kingdom.
Carmel is a unique city. Slightly similar to the Heavenly Crystal City back then, this city in the middle of it was lake—but smaller in size than the legendary Deus Lake.
Rossia was in town for a day. His order changed positions with Order 6 led by the Eighth Saint Maviera. The branching of Pope Genea suggests they will be under attack from powerful individuals from the west side. Therefore, the previous position of Order 6 in the city was replaced with Order 11. The same thing happened to Eden. Saint Arthur was replaced by Second Saint Gawain.
This blood red haired lady had just finished breakfast in her room at the military headquarters when a soldier came to report.
“Forward,” tell Rossia, a glass filled with milk mixed with honey she sliding to the edge of the table.
“Saint Alfonso was killed yesterday, Dame. The individual who defeated him was allegedly Sixth Commander Hekiel von Vanguarta.”
Rossia did not know whether to laugh or get upset at the news of the death of the most idiot among the saints. Due to his confusion, he showed no expression. However, if it was Xavier von Hernandez, Rossia knew he would be angry. He had no problem with Hekiel, no special reaction he could give to hear the man finish off Alfonso.
“What is the response of Pope Genea?” ask Rossia.
“He asked Saint Rodolf to slow down the battle. Saint Bedivere and his order have been ordered to go there in place of Saint Petra and his order which should help the Dwarf Kingdom.”
“So, yes. Bedivere shipped.”
Rossia never saw how Bedivere fought. But, obviously, women are dangerous. Rumors spread among the soldiers said, in the presence of Bedivere breathing alone should be careful. The woman was nicknamed “Dewi Racun” by her fans not without reason.
“Alright, thanks for the information. You can make it, I almost forgot. Go see the staff below, have them send a battalion to the village of centaurs. Ask them to investigate if these creatures will participate or not.”
The soldier nodded obediently, saying no to carry out the instructions.
...* * *...
The day was already near noon as the 12th Division entourage entered the Ilamia City States Union coastal area. Of course they are not here for a vacation, maybe they are all fired as soldiers. The 12th Division of the Imperial Army was traversing the penthouse in a moderate step, trying to secretly enter the territory of the Emiliel Holy Kingdom. They came with one goal: to conquer Axellibra.
Xavier and Heisuke were in the front row, while behind the group were twenty wagons escorted by the soldiers from the medical battalion.
Meanwhile, shifting far to the west from the position of the Imperial Army's 12th Division, the last retinue of the Order of 1 Knight Templar had already left the border between the Ilamia City States Union and the Dwarf Kingdom. First Saint Arthur Lancedragon was at the forefront of all the ranks. They were all on their way to the Forbidden Valley Ed.
Arthur was supposed to be leaving in two days, but the sudden change of Pope Genea's staging led him to leave with the latter's entourage.
The two different armies were heading in opposite directions as well. Just as the sun was at its highest point, the two armies were aligned. And in just a dozen minutes, that parallel position disappeared. The 12th Division of the Imperial Army was getting closer to the territory of the Holy Kingdom, the Order 1 Knight Templar was growing shorter in distance to the Forbidden Valley of Ed.
Could the two armies, somehow, meet? Most likely not. However, clearly, they were both the strongest forces of both camps. No ordinary army could stop them.