Finally, I can Retire, Or so I Thought

After Haruto departed and Mei regained her composure, everyone settled back into their seats around the table. Gina hopped back onto Dion’s lap, curling up motionless. A heavy silence enveloped the dining room. Dion was already lost in thought, trying to devise a foolproof defensive plan, while Luna, Mei, Sheila, Aria, and Cleo remained thoroughly shaken by their encounter with Haruto.

Cleo was the first to break the quiet.

"If Eredor has already made a move, there’s a strong chance Northgard and Thetor will follow to inspect the seal, assuming the legend about the three kingdoms guarding it is true," Cleo noted abruptly.

Dion, Luna, Mei, Sheila, and Aria all turned to look at Cleo, who sat with her arms crossed, looking distinctly tense.

Blam!

Aria slammed her hands onto the table and stood up.

"I’ll write a letter to my father right now telling him I’m here, and warn them not to bother coming," Aria declared.

"Won’t that just make things ten times worse? Try using your brain for once, you brainless princess," Luna sneered in irritation.

"What did you just say?!" Aria yelled, glaring daggers at Luna.

"Please stop arguing! This is no time for bickering!" Mei interjected sharply. "We were lucky it was Dion who got taken along with Gina today... If it had been any of us... I shudder to think what would have happened. I know how the Shadow Hand operates... They didn’t kidnap Dion because he was valuable to them, he was just standing next to the real target. Once they reached the kingdom, he would have been executed on the spot."

"Hmm... You’re right, Mei. We have to be extremely cautious," Cleo agreed. "Alright... Just this once, I’m coming out of retirement."

"What do you mean, Cleo?" Luna asked, raising an eyebrow.

Cleo stood up and closed her eyes, her lips moving rapidly as she incanted an ancient spell. A radiant, multi-elemental light began to envelop her entire body. Raising her staff high, the massive jewel at its tip flared with blinding brilliance.

"Maximum All-Elemental Barrier!"

A sprawling, iridescent dome burst forth from her staff, expanding outward through the entire mansion. The barrier surged forward, encompassing the whole domain, the circular chasm, and every single obelisk in the area.

Thud!

As the magical dome sealed the territory, Cleo collapsed back into her chair, visibly drained.

"What on earth did you just do?!" Dion gasped, rushing over.

"Heheh... I can cast a barrier just like you did back then..." Cleo gasped out, her voice faint. "I used to protect Lutherias from monster hordes and enemy sieges with this exact spell... Compared to Lutherias... your domain is tiny... Whew... Don’t talk to me right now... my mana is completely tapped out."

"Good grief... You totally overdid it. I was already working on a proper defense plan for our land," Dion said, coming around to support her.

"Did we really have the time to wait...?" Cleo replied weakly. "Just... help me to my room."

Dion scooped Cleo up, carrying her princess-style out of the dining hall to her bedchamber.

Once the door clicked shut behind them, Luna, Sheila, Mei, and Aria gathered their thoughts.

"We need to fortify this place properly. My home kingdom could march here at any moment," Aria stressed.

"For once... I actually agree with the brainless princess," Luna admitted with a sigh.

"Hmm... She’s right. If Eredor is sniffing around, Northgard won’t be far behind. We need to prepare for the worst... Though if Northgard tries anything, leave them to me," Sheila said, slamming a fist into her open palm.

"Why are you so quiet, Mei?" Luna asked, noticing her distant expression.

"I’m just thinking about what my father said..." Mei murmured, her eyes fixed on the tabletop. "Not every member of the Shadow Hand knows about the seal... And why would the King personally entrust me to Dion? I’m the one who assassinated his son, aren’t I?"

"Don’t rack your brain over it... Just be glad they didn’t come here to drag you back," Sheila reassured her.

"Yeah... You’re right," Mei replied softly, still lost in thought.

"Hey, I want to ask you guys something..." Aria chimed in suddenly, looking at the group. "Except for that blonde airhead over there, for a second, let’s forget about the seal and the three kingdoms surrounding us."

Sheila and Mei immediately turned their attention to Aria, while Luna gritted her teeth, struggling to keep her composure.

"What do you want to ask?" Sheila inquired.

"Do you guys love Dion?" Aria asked bluntly.

"Huh?!"

The sudden question dropped like an unannounced bomb, causing Sheila, Mei, and Luna’s faces to freeze instantly. They sat in stunned silence, unable to utter a word. But their wordless reactions gave Aria all the confirmation she needed.

"Ha... Just as I thought," Aria smirked. "Alright, look, I just got here today, so I don’t know the full history between you all and Dion. But there’s one thing I want to make crystal clear: if you love Dion as much as I do, then let’s build this territory into something far greater than the three kingdoms currently eyeing us. I don’t give a damn about the seal, because once our domain becomes powerful enough, we can protect the seal ourselves. What do you say?"

Aria’s words made Luna, Mei, and Sheila trade surprised glances before turning back to face her.

"What are you getting at, you brainless princess?" Luna asked, her tone shifting.

"Hah... Is your head completely hollow?!" Aria retorted, leaning back and resting one boot on the edge of the table. "I’m saying we already have a village and a populace. Let’s turn this place into a real city! The Aetherias Trading Company is already setting up shop here. I can invite the Adventurers’ Guild and top-tier artisans to relocate. We’ll build a thriving city, free from slavery, where every citizen lives as an equal with everything they need!"

"Hmm... That actually makes sense," Sheila agreed, her eyes lighting up. "Instead of just throwing up basic houses, we should build massive defensive walls first. I like where your head’s at."

"Glad to see the barbarian princess gets it right away," Aria replied, giving a confident thumbs-up.

"She’s right... If we build proper defenses, an incident like today’s won’t happen again. Besides, we can’t rely on Cleo’s barrier forever," Mei added thoughtfully.

"Ugh... It’s infuriating, but I have to admit you’re right this time, brainless princess," Luna grumbled softly.

"How long are you going to keep calling me that?!" Aria snapped back. "Look, I’m done fighting you for Dion’s attention. We’re all in the same boat now."

"Hmm... Are you serious?" Luna asked, testing her.

"I never go back on my word, idiot," Aria replied firmly.

Luna fell silent for a moment. Everyone in the room could practically hear the gears turning frantically inside Luna’s head before coming to a screeching halt.

"Sigh..." Luna exhaled deeply, lifting her eyes to meet Aria’s. She extended her hand across the table. "Fine... For now, the truce holds regarding Dion. But if you start pulling any selfish moves again, I won’t hold back."

"Deal. I’m tired of chasing Dion around and picking fights with you anyway," Aria grinned, grasping Luna’s hand firmly. "All I want is to be by his side."

"Alright then. Count me in. I’ll pour everything I have into building our city," Mei added, placing her hand over theirs.

"Hey... Don’t leave me out!" Sheila beamed, wrapping her large hand around all three of theirs at once. "We’re going to build this place together and stay by Dion’s side forever!"

"Yeah... We share the same goal," Luna, Mei, and Aria said in unison.

"Hey... But what about Cleo?" Sheila asked suddenly.

"I’m sure she’ll be fully on board. Don’t worry about her," Luna assured.

"Great. Now, can one of you lend me a hand?" Aria asked, gesturing to the table.

"With what?" Mei asked.

Aria pointed toward the middle of the dining table. Everyone turned to see Gina lying flat on her back, fast asleep right on the wood.

"Oh," Luna, Sheila, and Mei gasped together. They broke their huddle, carefully lifting the tiny dragon from the table and cradling her in their laps. Meanwhile, inside Cleo’s bedchamber,

Snore... Snore... Snore...

"Ugh..."

Cleo was fast asleep, a blissful smile on her face. However, she was clutching Dion’s head and torso tightly against her body like a giant body pillow. Dion was completely pinned, unable to budge an inch, and forced to lie flat beside her.

"What is up with this witch...? And where is she getting this terrifying strength from...? I can’t move at all... There’s no way I’m activating a persona just to escape a hug," Dion groaned inwardly, completely trapped.

***

High on a hidden mountain path nestled behind the dense thickets north of Dion’s territory, an advancing battalion from the Northgard Kingdom ground to a sudden halt. Spanning across the entire drop of the cliff face ahead of them was a shimmering, multi-colored dome of energy that completely blocked their descent.

Gred and Rene pushed their way to the front of the ranks. Both froze in utter disbelief as they stared at the towering barrier cutting off their path into Dion’s domain.

"What is the meaning of this, Your Grace?" Rene asked, bewildered.

"I have no idea..." Gred replied, his brow furrowed. "We can’t press forward down the cliff with this in the way."

Gred turned back to face his troops, who were staring in silent awe at the giant barrier blocking the horizon.

"We pitch camp here tonight. We’ll reassess the situation at first light," Gred commanded his officers.

"At once, Your Highness!" the commanders saluted.

Rene remained silent, taking a few slow steps right up to the cliff’s edge where the barrier hummed softly. Squinting his eyes, he gazed through the iridescent sheen toward the distant lights and smoke rising from the settlement below.

"If I’m not mistaken... that domain down there... belongs to Dion," Rene thought to himself, his expression turning dead serious.