"We've had this discussion a million times already! Do we really need to talk about it again?"
In one of the private sets of rooms that were attached to the bar in Angaria which had the best view in the entire continent, a man and a woman were sitting in front of a table on which many, many wine bottles were placed.
Most were empty, and the man was currently in the process of checking which ones still had some wine in them before chucking the rest out of the window to the side.
Through it was the view that many came here to enjoy, in case they had earned the right to do so- it was that which one would see if they were a God who was looking down on the continent they had made, and in its lush fields and pristine forests, one could find solace from the harshest of life's tests.
The two in the room did not seem concerned, at all, about the view at the moment, though, because it seemed doubtful whether they could even see a few feet in front of them.
Both were slowly swaying from side to side- showcasing the classic effects of indulging too much into the nectar of joy.
The man seemed tipsier than the woman, because he would often miss his target and result in the bottles smashing onto the wall beside the window.
When that happened, he would get a displeased look on his face, before scrunching up his eyebrows.
This would result in the glass pieces floating into the air and exiting the room by themselves.
However…he would miss in this attempt, too, sometimes, and when he did, the glass pieces would erratically fly around the room before eventually approaching the woman.
Oddly, though…the moment they struck her skin, they would disappear, as if her skin was swallowing them whole.
After seeing this happen for the 10th time, and ignoring the exclamation that had just been made by the woman, the man hiccupped and said, "This must be the strangest room in all of Angaria! A Hero with only regrets, and a Champion with unlimited prospects. Is there a duo more unlikely than this? If so, I would like to toast this glass to them! Hic!"
Raising a glass, he gulped down the pearly liquid that had been poured into it, and mimicking him, the woman did the same before setting down hers and saying, "No, seriously, why do you keep bringing it up? Honestly, if it weren't for my father, I would never have met you…but look at me now, hopelessly enamored with a Hero who once stood at the top, but is now just a regretful wreck who can't get enough drink…"
"Lalalala…"
"Stop! You know I hate that!"
The man had begun to sing a random tune, as if he was fed up with hearing the same thing from the woman, over and over again.
When she snapped in this way, he hiccupped again and went silent, before resuming his task of clearing out the empty bottles.
The woman sighed as she saw this. Would anyone believe her if she said that this was the prestigious man once known as the Head of the Big Four?
All over the continent, there was but a single place where anyone would dare to not give him respect, and even there, he was never looked down upon.
Now, though…he was no different from the thousands of vagrants who went to the bars all over the continent everyday, seeking to drown their sorrows and forget themselves.
As was her habit, she looked at his side, where something strange could be observed.
The dirty robes that he was wearing hung loosely there, almost as if the one they were being worn by was an apparition rather than a living human, but weirdly, they were normal from the spot above the level of his chest.
Looking at him and seeing that he hadn't come around to answering her yet, she cast a spell to make a gust of wind blow in its direction.
The robes…caved in, as if there was nothing to stop them, and after reaching around the spot where one's belly button would be, they went back to normal.
"It's still healing slowly. I wish she just cut me in half…oh, wait, I was the one who did the cutting! Oh, how forgetful of me!"
With a start, the woman saw that she had been spotted, and blushing slightly, she took another sip from her glass.
The man had done the same, and just for an instant, when the light coming through the window fell on his face in the right way, she imagined him as the man he had once been.
Head held high, opposing the strongest individual sent by the Church, yet, and giving the continent a spectacle that dispelled the fear that had come into many youths' hearts regarding this entity that was out to destroy them.
Voice resounding in a large chamber, beating down those who sought to oppose him and bringing the entire High Council to one knee.
There were many, many more moments when she had seen him discreetly, hiding her emotions within her heart, but she so, so wished that she had been there during the one where everything had changed.
If that had been the case…things would have turned out differently.
"No. The same would have happened."
Looking up, the woman blushed even further when she saw that the Head's eyes were locked onto her.
However, noticing that his words sounded normal, she narrowed her eyes and said, "You can always tell what I'm thinking. Anyway, I'll repeat myself. Why do you want to talk about it again?"
With a sigh, the Head waved his hand.
All the bottles promptly made their way out through the window, but from that single gesture, she could see the damage he had gone through.
It was such a simple spell that even a Human would have cast it effortlessly, but in his case…he had had to struggle, which had been evident in the perspiration that had appeared on his forehead.
Wiping it with the back of his hand, he proceeded to sigh and shake his head before saying, "Because the feeling is getting stronger, and you need to be careful. And no, I can't always tell, but you get the same look on your face whenever you're thinking of that incident. Forget it, Laura. Her power is unfathomable- she is one of the true hidden powerhouses of Angaria, capable of fighting multiple Heroes at the same level as her without even breaking a sweat. Even when she made that trip outside, the expenses to keep that fight a secret were tremendous- that is how much she is valued."
CRACK!
With a loud sound, the glass mug in the woman's hand broke, as her fist had begun to close with anger when the Head had been speaking.
Rage burnt in her eyes, but with visible effort, she put it away.
And as for the mug…all of its shards had been swallowed by her skin, but no one said anything about this, as if it was a common occurrence around her.
Taking a deep breath, she spoke.
"I know. The ability to convince someone that something is real, even though it is just a figment of her imagination. Mind Control taken to its absolute limit. I've heard it all. But…there will come a day. And on that day…I will propose to you in front of my father and marry you in accordance with the traditions of our family."
"I was always intrigued by that. Why is it that the women need to propose to men in your family, again?"
"Because the lifelong regret of the founding Matron of our family was that she lost the love of her life as she never made her emotions known. She always assumed that he would propose to her, as is commonly accepted in society, but on his deathbed, he admitted that he had been shy. A silly story, but witnessing that death allowed her to reach the absolute level of power that she wielded when she was alive. So…there are two conditions, with one being that the woman should propose, and the other that the women should be stronger than the men who marry into the family. The second one is fulfilled, anyway, so I shall fulfill the first at that moment. Just you wait."
The Head chuckled as he heard this. It looked like it wasn't the first time that he was hearing it, and it was apparent that he had only asked her to recount the tale to listen to just how unique and unpredictable the world was.
And whenever he pondered on this…he would be reminded of a man, nay, a King, who had dedicated to his life to his people, but was now hunted throughout the continent that he loved.
Seeing him slip into his memories, the woman spoke up to say, "Don't make me repeat myself a third time. Oh, and what was the result of that inquiry into that girl? What was her name…oh, yes, Sister Xuan! It was her testimony that resulted in you having to defend that kid, right?"
Pursing his lips as if he was remembering a bad memory, the Head replied, "A dead end. There is evidence of foul play, but it was shelved when the edict was passed that his existence as a threat had been proven by the means he had displayed by evading the Order. She was shoved into training and ordered to be monitored."
Hearing his melancholy tone, the woman reached forward with her hand and caught his, which was lying on the table.
For a moment, she paused, as she didn't know what to say.
Should she say that he had fought well, and that he should be content that he had managed to live, even though he had cut off half of the left of his midsection, believing it to be corrupted and poisonous due to the Hero Path of that dreadful woman?
Or should she say that he had free time now, as he had been temporarily stripped of his role and replaced because the aftereffects of the fight had resulted in his Mageroot being severely damaged?
Taking another deep breath, she was about to suggest that they order another round of drinks, but suddenly, she paused as she felt something outside the door.
Seeing her surprise, the Head followed her gaze. The room they were in had multiple formations to ensure privacy, but if she was able to detect something even though that was the case…it must be something big.
Not for the first time, he cursed his weakness, but just as he was about to ask what the matter was, the door burst open to reveal the bartender, who, for once, did not look as calm as he always was.
His shout brought them both to their feet, as it was so staggering that it made their minds go blank.
"The invasion is on the way! We are all being conscripted! Quick, go gather all of your weapons!"
For a second, silence held its sway in the room, as if the bartender, himself, was shocked due to what he was saying.
After that, though, he broke out of it and screamed, "I need to go tell the others!"
Just as he was about to bolt away, though, the Head walked forward and grasped his hand.
"What other details do you know?", he asked, and it was a normal question that anyone would get in this situation.
However, when he got the answer…all of the worry and panic vanished in his mind, and it was replaced by pure exhilaration and joy.
"It's being headed by that Daneel who ran away! So much for him being innocent! Go, quickly!"
The head had to work very, very hard to not let his emotions show, and it was only after the bartender left that he allowed himself a smile.
"It's time," he said to himself, before teleporting away and leaving the woman alone, who continued to stare at the spot where the Head had been standing.
As for the reason behind her shock…it was that the exact thing that they had been about to discuss had come to be.
Now, her annoyance regarding the fact that the Head had wanted to talk about it again seemed stupid.
Again and again, he had said that something was coming. Something big in the continent would happen, he would claim, and when asked why he thought so, he would say that it was because he 'believed'.
"Well, let's see whether that person is worthy of your belief."
Saying so, she teleported away, too, and all over Angaria, war drums began to be heard.