"The great nation of Gerdia has been infiltrated by its long-standing enemy, Eruwia. To make matters worse, their spies are spreading dangerous lies about a crack in the demon portal. Should you hear anyone speaking of such claims, it is your duty to silence them without hesitation."

News of this was spreading like wildfire through the neighboring towns. His companion doubted they could pull off such a feat in just three days, but whisper a few words into the ears of innkeepers, tavern owners and barkeeps, the message would be delivered to all in no time.

At this pace, it wouldn't take them months—most of Gerdia's men would hear of it in just a few short weeks.

Why did they need people to believe this lie though, one might wonder? 

The answer was simple. Killing the king alone would never be enough to repay the suffering he had caused. His punishment had to strike deeper—he needed to lose the one thing he valued more than his own life. The very thing for which countless lives had been sacrificed under the guise of "preservation." The thing he had committed unspeakable atrocities to protect, even at the cost of earning the hatred of a good fraction of the populace.

To truly make him feel the weight of the pain he inflicted, he would be forced to witness his beloved Gerdia wiped off the map; obliterated; annihilated.

A plan of such magnitude might seem impossible, but there was one piece that could make it all achievable: the kingdom's most feared enemy, the terror that had haunted Gerdia since its founding. 

Demons. With their power, the dream of vengeance no longer seemed so far-fetched.

To prepare without interference, they needed to plant an idea—a lie—so convincing people would readily accept, buying them enough time to fully flesh out their plan.

After losing their way twice following their return to Lelseck, they finally managed to locate the three landmarks Bertha had described.

Half an hour passed.

"Well, we're early, so it's no surprise," his companion said and Leo nodded in agreement.

An hour went by.

"She probably got caught up in something," his companion suggested. "Let's give her a bit more time."

Four hours dragged on.

The sun blazed overhead and Leo had reached his limit.

"Maybe her carriage was in an accident?" his companion reasoned.

"Trust me, her neck's too damn thick to snap that easily," Leo said, sighing as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. The heat was making him feel lightheaded.

"Can we at least wait somewhere else?" he said. "I'm frying here."

"I suppose so," she replied, her voice slightly worried. She was likely wondering where Bertha could be and what was causing the delay.

"Leo!" a child's voice suddenly screamed and upon turning, he was rammed into by a bull of a boy. The child wrapped his arms around him, squeezing as tightly as he could. 

Before Leo could pry him off, the boy pulled back, beaming up at him with a gleeful face.

"Theo?" Leo recognized. The boy's swelling had subsided, though the wounds remained, but his face had regained most of its former shape.

He broke into a toothy grin. He was missing two.

"Who is this child?" his companion asked, smiling kindly at Theo.

"He's—"

"I'm his brother!" Theo announced proudly. "The one and only in existence."

She glanced at Leo's face, catching an expression that seemed to ask her to play along. She chuckled softly and extended a hand toward the boy. "Well, it's very nice to meet you, young man."

He shook it enthusiastically. "It's nice to meet you too. You can call me Theo or Thee. And who are you?"

"A friend."

"Hold on, what are you doing in the capital?" Leo asked, looking around. "Where's Prannei?" He narrowed his eyes at Theo. "Don't tell me you came here alone."

Theo tensed, fidgeting with his hands.

Leo frowned. "Theo."

The boy shifted his gaze, his voice small. "About that..."

"Theosus!"

The shout made Theo jump and he quickly hid behind Leo as his sister marched toward them.

Prannei spoke angrily in another language, her words sharp and fast. Theo stammered back timid replies, but she slowed down as she got closer.

She squinted, then her face lit up. "Leo! It's been so long!" she said, switching to Gerdian with a thick accent as she hugged him.

"It truly has, Prannei," Leo said.

She peered at the boy with a dead smile. "No wonder you ran off."

Theo gave a nervous laugh, shrinking further behind Leo.

Inviting them into a small bakery Leo settled the siblings at a table while Theo eagerly stuffed his face with whatever he could grab. His partner, wanting to give them some time alone, had wandered off.

"I have to say, I'm quite disappointed in Gerdia," Prannei said, looking around. "For a whole capital, it sure doesn't meet standard."

"You're not the only one who shares the sentiment, unfortunately," Leo said.

She chuckled. "Mind me asking, where are you working these days?"

"I can even come visit you!" Theo piped up, his mouth full.

Leo smiled sadly, pushing the muffin basket toward Theo. "I'm not sure that's possible."

Theo's brows puckered. "Why not?"

Leo hesitated. "Because... well..."  He paused, debating how much he could reveal about his current situation "I'm sorry, I can't say."

"Why?" Theo asked, but Leo stayed quiet.

A brief silence passed.

"So, what brings you here?" Leo spoke up, attempting to shift the attention from him. "Last I heard, you were traveling with Mr. Crubert."

"I was," Prannei said. "Until he sent me to another herbalist in the city, and well..." She looked at Theo.

"I just wanted to see you," he shrugged, still eating.

Leo pushed the boy some water in case he choked. "But why the sudden referral? Did you two fight perchance?"

"No, no, nothing like that," she said. "I just wanted to branch out a bit. Study a bit on wound-healing herbs." She ruffed up her brother's hair. "Since this one here just can't seem to stay out of trouble."

"That's wonderful."

He remembered Elizabeth was also interested in the topic. Unlike Prannei, she likely had access to the palace herb garden, where she could experiment freely, making as many mistakes as necessary to perfect her craft.

"Failure is just unkind encouragement," she had said when he asked how she never lost the motivation. It was a flawed logic at the time, but now that he thought about it, it made sense.

"I didn't take you for one to smile," Prannei said, her surprise evident. "No offense."

Leo stared blankly. He was smiling?

Why?

 He shared a short, awkward laugh. "I was just thinking. How long did you say you would be staying again?"

She hummed thoughtfully. "I was thinking about a year at first but six to eight months would be enough."

His brows twitched. "Six months?"

"Maybe more, maybe less."

The wedding was in three months and if things went off without a hitch, disaster would fall. If Prannei and Theo were to still be in the capital, they would get caught in it and that wasn't something he wished to happen.

"Will you return to Doshith after that?" he asked, referring to the town they lived in.

"No," she said firmly, wrapping a protective hand around Theo. "I don't think it's safe for us there anymore."

She saw the seriousness of Theo's situation, it seems.

Leo said nothing.

With more cake than he could eat wrapped up in a cloth, Theo held onto his precious goods carefully as Leo walked them to the intersection.

"This is where we part, sadly," Prannei said, giving Theo a gentle nudge. "Go on. Say your goodbyes."

Theo pouted, staring at the ground. "But I don't want to," he muttered.

"Theosus," she said sternly, causing goosebumps to rise from his skin.

Theo sighed. "I'll really miss you."

Leo bent down to hug the boy. "So will I."

The moment stretched on for a few seconds, then a full minute, before Prannei pulled Theo away. He sniffled, fighting back the tears.

Leo paused, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. "Prannei."

"Yes?"

He hesitated, but the words weighed heavily on him. "I don't think staying longer than three months would be wise."

She frowned, confused. "Why?"

As expected, she would need an excuse. "Well, the crown princess' wedding is coming up soon, and the capital will be in a month-long celebration afterward. If your new master truly loves his country as much as any Gerdian does, he'll likely be too busy merrymaking to teach you anything."

"I completely forgot your princess was getting married," she said, muttering something under her breath in her native tongue. "I'll keep that in mind."

Leo hoped the reminder would be enough to keep them out of harm's way.

Prannei placed the flat blade of her hand on her forehead, bowing. "And this is how an Ackleian gives a proper farewell."

He smiled, imitating the gesture.

As Leo watched Prannei drag the reluctant Theo away, a sense of pride swelled within him. She had lost her family to a civil war in her homeland, yet she strapped her younger brother—who was barely old enough to talk, let alone walk—to her back, hopping from ship to ship until they landed in Gerdia.

When Leo first met Prannei, she was so thin the softest hit seemed like it would break her. In contrast, her brother was the fattest boy you could find in any well-to-do home. To support both herself and Theo, as well as the street children they temporarily housed, she moved from place to place, assisting various masters in their travels. But whenever she returned, Theo was always the happiest he could be.

Leo marveled at the sheer will and dedication of the fifteen-year-old who did everything to protect the only family she had left in this world, making sure her brother had what she couldn't.

He regrouped with his companion, surprised when she asked, "Are you glad you met them today?"

He didn't need to think about the answer. "I am."

She nodded in satisfaction, giving him a pat on the back.

They returned to their original station, keeping an eye out for any sign of Bertha's arrival as they passed the time chatting.