Nathan lets out a long, heavy sigh, earning himself a look from Sunshine and Raiden. He's been doing it since they left the headquarters about a half-hour ago.

"Can you please stop doing that?" Sunshine snaps and moves her gaze away from the carriage window, giving him a death stare.

Nathan raises an eyebrow at her and yawns once more.

Sunshine's lips twitch, but she doesn't say anything else. Instead, she crosses her arms across her chest and looks out the window. Raia is sitting next to her, her chin propped in her hand as she listens to the sounds of hooves pounding on the ground.

The four of them have been assigned a mission to stand guard at Arcelio Palace. Today is the King's daughter's coming-of-age ceremony, and lost spirits are sure to be present and wreaking havoc.

The Panacea Royal Family does not believe in Outcasts and does not support their organization, so Cyrus warned them not to draw too much attention unless Outcasts were confirmed to be present. Nonetheless, they are granted permission to attend the ceremony in response to the Pope's request. Since the Order is a part of the Holy Church, it is commanded by the Ministry. The Order is favored by the Pope.

Nathan sighs. "So the Queen has officially abdicated the throne."

Raiden nods. "Unfortunately. According to His Royal Highness, Prince Ian, the Queen is no longer interested in all royal duties."

Raia frowns. "Prince Ian?"

Raiden gives her a sheepish smile. "Yes, Prince Ian, the Crown Prince of Panacea, who was chosen by the angel but refused to join the Order."

Cyrus also told them that the King's son is an Elysian. Ian received the calling of the Light a month ago, but he declined the Order's invitation. And, in order to avoid a schism between the Church and the royal family, the Ministry ordered that Ian not be forced to join the organization for the time being. Nevertheless, keeping an eye on him is still a must.

"So the Prince became an Elysian a month ago, at the same time her mother abdicated the throne," Raia says, her brows drawn together in a thoughtful frown.

"Yeah," Raiden says.

"I see."

"But don't you think it's strange?" Sunshine asks.

Nathan lifts an eyebrow. "Strange how?"

"That His Royal Highness is the only one the Queen spoke to before leaving," Sunshine responds. "I mean, if she truly wanted to leave the palace, why not make a formal announcement of her abdication rather than confusing her people? And, based on what happened a month ago, Princess Hadley appeared equally befuddled and devastated, so she has no idea about her mother's sudden disappearance."

"Yeah," Raiden agrees. "And she should be aware that her daughter is about to celebrate the most important event of her life. That's very insensitive of a mother, to say the least."

"Perhaps there are things going on within the palace that we don't know about," Nathan says, his face indescribable. "Maybe they have complications with their family, just like everyone else. Maybe because Ian is the heir apparent to the throne and the Queen's youngest child, she only informed him. Who knows? We can't really judge someone or something based on what we hear."

Raia's eyes narrow to a slit. Some possibility had already surfaced in her mind since she heard them from Cyrus. She's not sure, but based on what she's heard, it could be the reason.

Sunshine trembles as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her. "I'm both excited and nervous at the same time. I'd never set foot in the palace before, let alone met the Panacea's King face to face." When she looks at Nathan, her expression changes.

"By the way, Nathan, are –" Sunshine starts, but Nathan cuts her off with a wave of his hand.

"I'm good, good. You worry a lot, kid."

"I'm not a kid! And I'm not worried; I'm just –"

Nathan reaches out a hand and pats her on the head. He whispers, "Just shut up already."

Sunshine's cheeks flush. She attempts to punch him with her small fist, but Nathan quickly withdraws his hand.

Raia returns her gaze to the window and crosses her legs. She's uneasy without her cloak. Since they don't want to draw too much attention to the palace, she left it in the headquarters. After all, she wouldn't be able to wear something like that to a formal event. Their uniform is already unusual enough to attract attention.

She lets her eyelids droop as she sighs. They've been riding in the carriage for half an hour, heading towards the palace in the City of Yohan, which is located in the center of Aramaros, the capital of Panacea. The place is approximately fifty miles from the headquarters.

She hasn't gotten much sleep since they returned from Gerland almost a week ago. She's been training nonstop since then. She realized how weak she still is after the fight with Loki, despite Simon's two-year training. That is why the desire to grow stronger consumes her. She must become stronger and kill the Blood Demon on her own; she must become strong enough to destroy all demons in this world.

Sunshine yawns. "Are we there yet?"

Raiden takes a pocket watch from inside his uniform and checks the time. "We should be there in half an hour."

Sunshine pulls a face. Shrugging, she takes a sandwich from her satchel and munches quietly.

Nathan stretches his arms before leaning back in his seat. "I'm curious why they sent the four of us. This mission can be handled by two Aragons. Isn't the presence of four Aragons likely to attract more attention? I don't understand what the Ministry is thinking. It's just a bit . . . strange."

"Yeah," Raiden confirms. "Perhaps they expect more than two Cimmerians? That's the only logical explanation I can think of."

Raia frowns. That's something she's been thinking about as well. The officials wanted them to keep a low profile in the palace, but they sent four of them at the same time. Perhaps the officials are underestimating them, or perhaps they are simply stupid, or they are smart enough to anticipate and prepare for the worst.

None of them speak again, and silence falls between them.

"Raia. You can take a quick nap," Raiden says when Raia sighed. "We'll wake you up when we arrive at our destination."

"Yeah, we understand how tired you must be right now," Nathan says, and Sunshine nods.

Raia turns her head to look at them, a crease on her forehead. "Sleeping while traveling is a dumb idea. It's akin to letting down your guard."

"I know," Nathan says. "But don't worry, we're with you and we're not going to sleep. Don't you trust us? Aren't we friends?"

Sunshine shoots him a look. "Says someone who can't stop yawning."

Nathan glares at her, and Raia wrinkles her brow in thought. She doesn't really trust anyone, especially people she's just met. That, to her, is even more stupid than sleeping in a moving vehicle.

"Friends," she mumbles, turning her gaze away from them and back to the window.

"Raia," Raiden speaks softly. "Regardless of what you believe, you are still one of us. Even if you keep saying that we're nothing more than comrades, you're already a friend to us. You're one of us."

"He's right," Nathan chimes in. "Since you're a member of the Order, you're a member of our family."

"And I really, really wanna be friends with you!" Sunshine exclaims, and even if Raia isn't looking at her, she can visualize that bright smile on her face right now, with her peacock blue eyes that seem to match the twinkle of the stars at night.

Raia lowers her head. She feels her stomach lurch as she mulls over what they said to her.

Family.

Friends.

The truth is that she has no idea what those words mean. She knows nothing about human relationships. She grew up in a place full of cruel and greedy people. Simon was the only one who treated her differently. Raia had never met or interacted with anyone other than her master.

After leaving the orphanage years ago, she vowed never to trust another human being again. So the thought of trusting someone again makes her want to stab herself. What if she ends up being their tool again? But, right now, things have changed slightly. For some reason, she wants to know what friendship is all about. What it's like to completely trust someone whose intentions are pure. Someone who will not let her down.

Someone genuine.

Can she truly refer to them as more than comrades?

Are they . . . being genuine?

"Sometimes you have to let people in to know that there are still good things in the world. Explore and seek out those you can cherish."

Those are the words Simon said to her, and they have perplexed her to this day. She lifts her head, frustrated, and meets the gazes of her comrades.

How will I know?

"Buckle up, priests!" The coachman bellows. "We have arrived at Arcelio Palace."

The two horses slow their pace before coming to a halt. As soon as the Aragons dismount from the carriage, a warm wind whips through their hair and clothes.

Nathan lets out a deep sigh as he gazes down the tree-lined path that stretches on forever. "Well, that was a long ride."

"Finally," Raiden says, his gaze fixed ahead. "We've arrived at Arcelio Palace."

A wrought-iron gate, as tall as the surrounding fences, stands before them, emblazoned with the Panacea's Royal coat of arms. The shield is adorned with a cross-shaped sword and a phoenix wrapped around it. A Garter circlet encircles the shield, which is flanked by a lion rampant and a wolf.

A massive palace lies behind the gate, glinting in the sunlight peeking through the clouds.

"So we're really here," Sunshine exclaims, her eyes widening at the breathtaking view in front of them.

Two royal guards stand at the gate, dressed in army green uniforms and black Breton caps, and armed with rapiers hung in a baldric.

Raiden and Sunshine stare in awe at the two pairs of royal crests embedded in the gate. Raia and Nathan simply stare, showing no signs of excitement as they do.

"Alright, I'm going now. May the God of Light bless you!" the coachman declares before whipping the horses and driving away.

The sound of heavy footsteps replaces the hooves of the horses as one royal guard marches toward them. "State your names and businesses."

Raiden takes the lead for his small group. "We're members of the Nirvana Order, and we've come here at the Pope's request."

The royal guard looks at them for a moment, scrutinizing their appearances, before turning and marching back to the gate. Both royal guards push it open, allowing the Aragons to enter the headquarters of the monarch.