The castle walls continued to swell in their vision, growing larger with every heartbeat as the wind sphere shuddered violently around them.
Digo's face contorted with concentration.
Veins stood out across his forearms as he poured more mana beneath the spell, desperately trying to wrestle control away from the overwhelming momentum Reoloy had given them and generate enough lift to send them upward.
'Trust.'
The single word echoed through his mind.
It wasn't insults shouted at him. Not orders delivered harshly. Just pure belief.
His breathing steadied.
The unstable currents suddenly stabilised.
"I... got you!" Digo roared.
The compressed sphere spun faster and faster until, for a fleeting instant, its underside deformed into a concentrated jet of wind.
The entire formation lurched violently upward as everyone's stomach dropped.
Lohan instinctively tightened her grip on the back of Reoloy's coat while Selene yelped as the abrupt climb nearly sent them tumbling over one another inside the layered barriers.
They cleared the towering castle wall by mere metres.
"...We made it!" Cisco blurted.
"No," Reoloy answered immediately, his eyes already tracking their trajectory. "We're still going down too early..."
They glided erratically over the castle complex, the wind sphere already beginning to unravel as its currents lost cohesion. From their current trajectory, it looked like they were going to land on the eastern side of the royal residence.
"...Digo is pretty much done," Edren said quietly, looking over his exhausted comrade.
The brunet managed a weak smile.
"...Sorry."
Reoloy shook his head.
"It's fine," he replied, adjusting his sleeves. "It's no fun when things go exactly to plan."
An instant later, the last remnants of the wind gave out.
They dropped the remaining distance into a neatly trimmed courtyard, boots striking stone and grass almost simultaneously.
"Move."
The group scattered without hesitation, slipping behind the nearest corners just moments before the pounding of armoured boots echoed through the courtyard.
Upwards of ten guards rushed into view, weapons drawn as they went through their standard routine search of the area.
'We're still good... they don't know we're here,' Reoloy mused with a frown.
Looking over themselves, he noticed the silencing barrier still held even after all the commotion and movement. He threw a quick glance at Edren, making a quiet reassessment of the boy's skill level.
Their destination was all the way on the other end of the royal residence, and Reoloy had no confidence that they could make it past all the patrols undetected—especially with one particular individual stationed somewhere within the castle.
Sigmund.
The man had the makings of a sensor, and while he wouldn't awaken to his potential in that capacity until later on, he was still someone worth considering.
'None of us can take him.' Reoloy stared off into the distance, a frown marking his face. 'If only I could warp to places I've never been...'
He couldn't help feeling slighted. What was supposed to be his greatest advantage seemed determined to become his greatest bottleneck.
Suddenly, his eyes widened.
He straightened.
"That's it," Reoloy muttered.
"What idea is it this time?" Lavere sighed, then snapped toward him. "No more flying."
Reoloy stared at her with mild amusement before glancing around at the others and realising they all seemed to agree with her nonverbally.
He sighed. "I wasn't going to do that... We're making a run for it on my signal."
---
Two soldiers wandered absently, only moments away from crossing into the edge of Edren's sound barrier when, in a burst of silver light, five enormous sabre wolves suddenly materialised behind them.
"What the hell?!"
Before either man could react, the beasts scattered in every direction.
The guards bolted after them, shouting for reinforcements.
Within seconds, the entire eastern wing erupted into organised chaos.
Alarm bells ringing.
Orders echoing against the walls.
Armoured footsteps thundered through the corridors as every nearby unit enacted emergency security procedures before anyone had time to determine what had actually happened.
Already covering good ground toward the western wing, Reoloy smiled.
He had been fortunate that in his grumblings, he remembered that he still had access to part of the stockpile of creatures within Luvarne.
"What kind of signal is that?" Belonica asked, exasperated.
"It worked, didn't it?"
Avron glanced over his shoulder toward the orange blurs weaving between squads of soldiers.
"Those things..." Avron started absently. "I'm pretty sure they're—"
"The evolved sabres from our forest expedition," Reoloy finished, steering everyone around a corner just before more soldiers emerged. "Yes, they are. Luvarne collected the stragglers just like it did everything else."
"And you... just command them now?"
"Hell no," Reoloy scoffed. "They're naturally occurring monsters, and I didn't take the time to tame them, so I pretty much let them loose just now."
Everyone who had participated in that expedition exchanged glances while running.
"...Is that okay?" Edren asked.
"They're the royal forces of a prestigious kingdom," Reoloy retorted without the slightest concern. "If they can't handle that much, it would be more disappointing than anything."
A small smile tugged at his lips.
'Besides, the majority are traitors. Better to get rid of them now if we can than during the story's fifth act.'
A quiet chuckle escaped his lips that Lohan didn't miss.
She gave his back a hearty smack, almost throwing him off balance.
"If you're in such a good mood, it must mean everything's all okay, right?" she asked, beaming brightly.
Reoloy's complaints died in his throat, his signature unhinged smirk forming.
"Of course," he said cockily. "It was always to be expected. It's my plan after al—"
Just then, he came mere inches from taking a turn and coming face-to-face with the only other person he didn't want to encounter.
'The Demon of Persica?!' His breath hitched as he pulled back and shushed everyone despite the barrier still being intact. 'What is she doing all the way over here? I thought only the outcast siblings lived on this side...!'
Reoloy knew hiding wouldn't amount to much with Lara, especially if her laikern companions were wandering about as well.
He couldn't summon more monsters because it would use up his remaining teleportations, and they would need them for their exit after they were done here.
Which only left...
"Gaiskas," he muttered. "Enough time has passed. You can mope and brood later... fulfil your contract."
The others all looked confused as to who he was talking to, except for Lohan and Selene.
"...You're ordering me to?"
Reoloy sighed. "If I have to, yes."
"You're more evil than you claim I am!"
"For tricking you? You've literally murdered millions—"
The reincarnator stopped and smacked himself.
"...Why am I entertaining this?"
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
"It's your fault that you never learned to think like a weakling. Now go get rid of her so we can pass through."
Gaiskas, for the first time in a long while, materialised in its partially restored glory. It looked in the direction of the princess, who had been seemingly idle but now jolted at its presence.
"Her affinity for radiance is exceptional," it said, somewhat impressed. "She's sensitive enough to detect me not through mana but through my essence as a laikern."
"Yes, yes, very impressive," Reoloy said, waving him off. "Get her to chase you or something."
Gaiskas's purple pupils narrowed in place of its eyes on its unmoving mask-face.
"How humiliating..." it said, soaring up high into the air above the courtyard and unleashing its inhuman mana before flying further away.
Lara was immediately drawn to it, mouthing something inaudible to the group, then disappearing in a burst of speed in the direction Gaiskas had gone.
"Who was that?" Selene asked, uncharacteristically deathly serious.
Reoloy figured her power had the inadvertent passive effect of letting her gauge the dangers Lara posed as a laikern contractor.
He opened his mouth to answer but was beaten to it.
"That was her..." Avron said, frowning. "The girl that chased me."
Selene's expression darkened further.
"And we're meeting her siblings...?"
"Relax," Reoloy chimed in. "This family's filled with a bunch of... unique characters. We're meeting one of the better ones."
He shot her an additional glance to let her know that it was going to be okay and to rein in her senses.
They walked for a bit longer and then finally arrived in the western wing proper. Reoloy had run through the halls enough times in RON to know his way to Cale's study. And thanks to all the ruckus he'd caused, it seemed no one else would appear in their way.
'I know they're the black sheep among the royals, but no guards came to secure them in the commotion...?' His gaze swept the hauntingly quiet halls. 'Like at all?'
His work was cut out for him.
After all, his side of the deal hinged on making them—or specifically, Cale—king.
They stopped in front of a large door with light leaking from below. Though the wood was so aged and poorly kept that some brightness even came right through.
Reoloy turned to his companions.
"They're right through here," he said, gesturing for Edren to deactivate his spell and catch his breath. "Leave all the talking to me."
He pushed the doors open, and steadily they all walked in. Each person made adjustments to their appearance in the aftermath of their chaotic rush while Lavere moved to adjust Reoloy's clothes and hair.
"What are you doing?" he whispered, trying to brush her off and failing.
"Look presentable," the blonde answered simply.
Before he could press her further for answers, Wynn and Cale came into view. It took everything in them not to react to the latter's sorry state—though Digo and Lohan didn't bother, both flinching.
Wynn frowned but otherwise ignored the reaction.
"You said you would sneak in, not blow the whole castle up," she said, standing from the shelf she sat on.
"That's an exaggeration," Reoloy replied coolly. "We made it here undetected. That's all that matters."
The third princess's frown deepened, and she moved to retort, but Cale stopped her, shaking his head.
"I've heard about you," the white-haired teen started. "Reoloy, right? But I want to hear the rest of it from you yourself..."
He forced himself to his feet and stumbled on his first step, much to his sister's concern, but he caught himself and levelled a look to remind her not to interrupt.
What ensued felt like an eternity of him struggling to approach Reoloy. Most of the others couldn't bear watching and turned away. But the dark-clad boy watched unflinchingly, paying respect to the efforts of someone he respected as a fighter of his own kind.
Once he stood mere inches away from him, he held his knees and breathed laboriously. It didn't last long as he forcibly composed himself and straightened as best he could.
"...Who are you actually?"
Reoloy stared for a moment.
He didn't have a grand title. After all, he wasn't some important figure aside from his status as both a reincarnator and owner of a Supreme Grade Regalia—both things he was unwilling to disclose to them just yet.
'He's expecting something... what do I say?'
In that gap while he was lost in contemplation, Lavere had stepped beside him unnoticed, and by the time he had snapped out of it, everything had already burst into motion.
Everyone fell onto one knee, with Cisco being dragged along by Selene and Lohan.
"Our nation is but a humble fledgling of a country, but we come today bearing our flag proudly, introducing ourselves to the world," Lavere declared as Digo and Avron unravelled a black cloth with the depiction of a stylised bronze turtle and minimal silver-blue detailing. "We are members of the guard of the Sovereign Dynasty of Cardana..."
Reoloy's eyes widened as he finally understood what was happening.
He looked down at his clothes, and for an instant, Leno, Gordoi and Meyer's faces flashed into mind.
'Those bastards!'
"And this," Lavere continued with perfect composure, gesturing toward the speechless boy beside her, "is our sovereign..."
She smirked at Reoloy.
"...His Majesty, the King of the Sky and Sea."