"Yago, you don't seem to be in great shape lately. Did something happen?" Serena looked at the somewhat dispirited Yago with concern.
In public, Serena addressed Yago as boss. After all, Yago was indeed quite young, and she did it to maintain his authority.
Otherwise, some people in the Eldian Revival Army might look down on or even resist the young Yago. But in private, Serena still called him by his name.
Yago tapped his head and gave a wry smile.
"It's nothing, nothing. I've just been having a bit of insomnia lately."
"Insomnia? Then you should go see a doctor when you have time. You're the spiritual leader of the Eldian Revival Army now—don't wear your body out."
Yago nodded.
At that moment, Serena brought up the main matter.
"The training teams that the Eldian Revival Army is helping Paradis Island set up have all been arranged, and the technical personnel have been settled as well. If there's nothing else, I'll head back to the Marleyan capital first. Since you're not going back, someone still needs to keep an eye on things there."
Yago thought about it and realized that was indeed the case. Although the Marleyan capital was currently under the control of the Eldian Revival Army, it still needed a leader on-site. He had just returned to Paradis Island and had no plans to go back anytime soon, so it made sense for Serena to return and take charge.
"Alright. It's just a bit of a pity—I didn't get to show you around the fun places on Paradis Island properly." Yago said with a smile.
Serena smiled in return.
"It's fine. Once our Eldian people are truly revived, there will be plenty of time to travel and enjoy ourselves. Just make sure travel expenses are reimbursed then."
After exchanging a few jokes, Serena prepared to leave. There was no need to report to anyone else—the second-in-command of the Eldian Revival Army only needed to inform the first-in-command before departing.
"Oh right—if you run into any tricky problems in the Marleyan capital, you can ask Commander Erwin for advice. He was my old superior and is trustworthy. Also, try to appease the Marleyan Volunteer Army there as much as possible. I still have a plan here—take it back and review it more..."
Yago rambled on with quite a few instructions. Seeking help from Erwin was indeed an option. Previously, Paradis Island had appointed Erwin to lead a support force to the Marleyan capital. Yago and the others had returned, but Erwin and the support troops had not come back with them. After all, the Marleyan capital could now be considered territory of the Eldians.
"Got it, got it. How are you so naggy at such a young age? I know what I'm doing." Serena was nearly worn out by his rambling.
"Oh, right—constantly calling it the Marleyan capital feels awkward. Now that it's in our hands, shouldn't we change its name?" Serena suggested.
Yago rubbed his chin. Change the name? That didn't sound like a bad idea. The city was already under Eldian control—still calling it the Marleyan capital did feel a bit unpleasant.
...
Before leaving, Serena received an invitation from Nacke for afternoon tea. Nacke, after all, was a veteran of the Eldian Restorationists. Like Jack, he had practically watched Serena grow up, making him something of an elder to her.
Out of both courtesy and sentiment, Serena couldn't refuse Nacke's invitation, so she took some time before her departure to meet him.
Nacke chose a rather famous small teahouse in the royal capital. The environment was quite elegant, with few guests but a very pleasant atmosphere. As soon as Serena stepped inside, she caught the rich fragrance of tea—it was quite refreshing.
"Uncle Nacke." Serena greeted with a smile as she called out to Nacke, who was already waiting in a private booth. His expression was somewhat unnatural, but Serena didn't notice.
They began chatting. Their previous meeting at the port had been brief, with barely any conversation. Now they finally had the chance to talk properly.
Serena asked with concern about the living conditions of the other Eldian Restorationists and their families. Upon learning that everyone had been properly resettled by the Paradis Island council, she let out a relieved sigh. She felt both happy and deeply grateful to Yago for rescuing the Eldian Restorationists back then. Without him, she might have been the only one left.
Although Serena felt at ease, Nacke's expression on the other side was far from right. He hesitated as he brought up the former Eldian Empire, muttering about its past glory. This puzzled Serena—why bring up the Eldian Empire out of nowhere?
"Serena, what do you think about the Imperial Faction?" Nacke finally couldn't hold back and asked directly.
During her time on Paradis Island, Serena had only a vague understanding of the disputes between the Imperial Faction and the revivalists. What she cared more about were the millions of compatriots in the Marleyan capital—she had no interest in getting involved in internal struggles on Paradis Island.
Now that Nacke had laid his cards on the table, it was clear—the Imperial Faction wanted Serena's support to restore the glory of the old Eldian Empire.
Hearing this, Serena frowned slightly. Putting aside whether she had any interest in the Imperial Faction, why would Nacke think that she, as the second-in-command of the Eldian Revival Army, would support their opponent?
Nacke was very direct.
"Serena, I've looked into it. You're now the number two figure in the Eldian Revival Army. But with your ability, why should you stay under Yago Norman? Our Imperial Faction believes in your capabilities. I watched you grow up—you shouldn't have your brilliance overshadowed by a mere child. So, support the Imperial Faction!"
At this, Serena's brows immediately furrowed. Was he trying to sow discord between her and Yago? Nacke clearly didn't understand the history of the Eldian Revival Army. He had no idea how much Yago Norman had contributed. Talking about being "under" someone—he was clearly just focusing on Yago's youth and trying to drive a wedge between them.
"Uncle Nacke, you've gone too far. Yago's abilities are recognized by all members of the Eldian Revival Army. Our internal matters are not for outsiders to comment on." Serena said coldly, her tone no longer carrying the warmth from before.
"Also, as for this so-called Imperial Faction, we have no intention of interfering. That's your business. There are still millions of our Eldian compatriots in the Marleyan capital waiting for the Eldian Revival Army to liberate and help them. We don't have time to fight for power on someone else's behalf."
These words left Nacke speechless, his face flushed red.
Just as Serena was about to take her leave, a sudden loud argument broke out next door.
"What!? This is rebellion! You've got some nerve! Stop immediately and report to the council with an explanation!" a rough voice shouted in fury.
But another voice coldly interrupted.
"Sorry, that's no longer up to you. Men, take Lord Lance away!"
"What!? Arno, what are you doing? Hermann? You—!"
From the next room came a series of noises—things being overturned, glass shattering, shouting, struggling, roars, and broken groans.
An ominous feeling rose in Serena's heart, and in that instant, Nacke's gaze turned vicious.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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