Ashes and Kingdoms

"So, is that true?

Asked by Valt, Finn looked up tired. What, to Finn, who asked only with his eyes, Walt looks up to heaven with a playful trick and opens his arms to show.

"That the heavenly god Deia will not be sanctioned!... that's the one. Are you sure the heavenly punishment will come?

"No way."

Mandarin and Finn answered, eyeing the costume cabinet on the wall. The dark blue clothes and the deep red cloak that finished the service, along with the sword and sword bands, are properly folded and placed. Fine clothes were comfortable, and I felt a little embarrassed to walk on my cape, but now I'm full of liberation that it's finally over, rather than sparing it.

"I don't even know how I can get Deia God to listen to my wishes. Someone thought of that dialogue beforehand... the Emperor or General Glaus, their secretary, whatever."

"What, is that clear?"

"It must be decided."

"I wish I didn't have to scatter. Because you looked so good."

Nellis grinned bitterly from the side and pinched her mouth. Mac nods yeah too and sees the dragon marquis costume untrained. Finn shook his head small.

"It's not a pattern. Until I did it because I needed it. I'm relieved I'm finally done."

"What are we going to do?"

Valt asked in an unexpectedly heavy tone. As Finn turned to his surprise, Valt erased the signs of a joke and stared at Finn.

"If you want, the Emperor and the General will be happy to take you. What a real dragon marquis. When they looked at your daughter, they didn't. But, Phineas. If you're going to be one of the great guys, honestly, I'm not funny."

Too honest a word made the air of the place nervous. Finn dared to agree lightly, "I guess". I don't know when a young man in a country who was not born precious, who was once a subordinate, will be shouldering with emperors and nobles, etc. Besides, when it comes to handwriting, it's just the ability to kill “unusual” people. Congratulations on your birth, there's no way you can be happy about it.

"Don't get me wrong. It's not because you hate me. I'm sure it's hateful, but I think it's a prospective guy."

Valt looked at Oandus with a rugged face and annotated him so, he turned his eyes back to Finn and continued.

"But I'm sorry to stick to your ass and head to the Imperial Capital waving my tail at His Majesty the Emperor. That's about it, I'll go back to Comris and reopen the powder shop, or I'll just ask Ancius of Winnea to reinstate me. I used you, I helped you, I became one of you, but I don't remember being your servant."

"I don't remember that either. It's a wish."

Finn smiled bitterly and returned his hatred, stretching out to change his mood.

"I agree that it's tidal time. We've made a deal, and we're charging the emperor and the general to go back north."

The reactions were varied. A face that shines with joy all the time, a face that seems spared to miss the opportunity to emerge, a complex face with relief and disappointment.

- And there you go.

"That's a shame."

Open the door, the emperor appeared. Everyone gets a little tight on the boulder and rushes to correct their posture. Finn proceeded forward and thanked him with his right hand against his left chest. It was planted on the grouse.

Varys could not obey one of his offerings. Wrap something elongated in a cloth and hold it aside, without qualities. So, it looks like a clerk or something asked for chores. He looked around at the indoor faces and finally hit Finn with a gentle knob.

"You don't have to be so afraid. It's not an official place right now, and I'm here for very personal use. Phineas, I'm sorry I pushed you into unfamiliar work."

"No. Nothing of this magnitude if the situation in my country calms down at all"

"Really? Then the reward you seek will be a small one."

Slightly cut back, Finn gets stuck in words. Ironic or serious, I can't read it from tone or expression. You'd see it if you wanted to, but nothing like that. Varys smiled slightly at Finn with a pitiful face.

"No, I didn't mean to bully you for that. I have a reward for this one, but let's hear what you want first. What should we reward the new Dragon Marquis for his fracture?

"- Autonomy,"

Courage said to the boulder to speak of treason and hopes that might be taken. Finn coughed and re-worded.

"Please allow us to go back north and reclaim the town with our own hands and rebuild our lives. If the Eighth Corps is going to defend the Winnean perimeter, and you can't afford to choose the governor or mayor according to the laws of the Empire, I want you to acknowledge a small autonomous city."

"Already on the north side, isn't that essentially the situation"

Varys replied with a spicy voice, snapping. An isolated town, ruled by former legion soldiers. Not only is it not possible to collect taxes, but the request to report the status quo remains ignored.

But not what Phineas was looking for, Varys rethought and sighed.

"If it is not lawlessness, but only autonomy as part of the empire, let us gladly acknowledge it. If that's what they're doing, I'd rather ask for it from me. Not to mention one town... but it's like telling one of them to work comparable to an army."

Oh, boy. Varys shook his head and unwrapped the wrap he brought.

To what appeared from the inside, Finn accidentally caught his eyes and gave an exclamation exhale.

"This is..."

That's what I said, I can't keep going. Varys was observing Finn with interest.

"After all, do you understand that? It just seems like a normal sword to me and to Glaus."

Exactly, what was hidden in the cloth was a wave of old long swords. I have no idea what the material is. The whole thing is blackened, and the embellishments applied to the sheath and pattern are barely visible in shape.

I look at the sword with curiosity, hoping that Valt and Mac, who lost their curiosity, are approaching it about time and have no blame on the emperor.

"Can you pull it out, this"

When Valt crumbled like a frigid, Vallis offered Finn a pattern.

"Whatever. I talked to Glaus and took it out of the treasure trove in the Imperial Capital, but I pulled it out once to make sure it was in good shape. It's good to see with that eye."

…………

Finn didn't hear them. The beat of the sword, which becomes a bright and extinguishing light, echoes in the consciousness and erases the murmur. As it invites, the beat gradually increases. Finn reached out and squeezed the pattern all the way as required.

"Ah!"

Mac raised a short shout.

The blackness of the sword, sees, disappears. White ground appears from the pattern to the tip of the sheath so that the light spilled from Finn's hand washes away the dirt.

"... beautiful"

It looks like Varis admired and relieved. The white sheath glowed like marble, and as Finn slowly paid for it, the blade that appeared shimmered like a collection of starlight.

"The sword of the goddess Fellinim."

Finn raised his sword and looked closely at it, then put it in his sheath with respect. Kachin, and when the blade completely hid after making a small noise, the light that had covered the entire sword was gone, and what was there was back to an old sword, unwindy but unrelated to mystery.

"Let's keep it."

Sarah and Varis said, so Finn pounded and placed between plenty of breaths before rushing to return his sword.

"It's an honor, Your Majesty, I... no, I am"

"I told you not to be afraid. Don't forget why you turned down the gift from Lord Senato. That's why I said I'd keep it. The sword was supposedly used by the Dragon Marquis of the North in the first place to fold the Great War."

"What..."

"Unlike Nakte and Nornicom, dragon marches did not survive in the north. It will also be apparent from the absence of the Dragon Hou family, so the emperor has inherited the artifacts. Then you have the right to use that sword."

Varis said pale, then stared at Finn from the front, bowing his head with a sincere look.

"As one individual Varis, I ask the Dragon Horse Phineas. Please, save the people of the North who have been abandoned by the Legion."

While Finn was out of line and unable to answer anything, Varys looked up and said.

"Regardless, if I say it as emperor, the Empire has not abandoned the North, and as soon as it is possible, I intend to work on restructuring the Eighth Legion. But I can't guarantee when, and until then... we have to stabilize our country first. Even so, I'd like you to return to the North as Emperor, not as dragon marquis of the North."

"In doing so, we have to allocate the Empire's funds and forces, but we can't do that..."

"Yes."

Varys admits frankly and makes no excuses. In a short word, thoughtlessness, toothitching, and anger at previous exchangers who have led to this situation are condensed. When Finn felt it, he dropped his eyes on the sword in his hand.

(Same as General Glaus)

Even those with titles such as emperors and generals are, in the end, just one person tied to the system. You can't move as you think of the Imperial Giant, you can't heal the sick and rotten parts, and you can't escape from the tied place.

Finn took one breath slowly and decided his mind.

"-Okay."

He takes the emperor's knob head-on and nods deeply.

"Let me keep this sword. Do whatever you can to me... I swear."

In Finn's reply, Varis breathed relieved, as he unloaded one shoulder load.

"I'm grateful. Yes, the name of the sword seems to be Fairendain. Use it thoroughly. For today, that's all I wanted to ask."

To greet him before he walks away, or Varys offers his hand. Finn quickly shook his hand forcefully, although he hesitated for only a moment.

I'll see you tomorrow, and I tell you, and Varys walks away, and as soon as Pathan and the door shut, an unspoken sense of disillusionment fell on the spot.

Valt shakes his head slowly and carefully observes Finn's sword to make sure it's not a dream. Mac reached out in horror and tried to touch the sheath.

Oandus and Fauna are looking at each other and really closing their eyes to see if the emperor has spoken intimately to their own son.

It was Nellis who sighed "Huh" to where everyone was relieved and unable to speak up.

"What's up?

As Finn looked back, Nellis was looking up at the universe with a puffy face.

"You looked great, Your Majesty."

"... what?

The missing voice spills from there as well as Finn. As hurt by the voice, Nellis glanced at Finn.

"What, that voice. You looked great, no!?

"Uh... no, I'm not sure..."

Finn mumbled and asked Mac for help with his gaze. but this one keeps staring at me with an obscure face for a while. Nellis was frustrated and managed to poison him "not at all anymore" or something in his mouth before speaking to his mother.

"Your mother was watching, wasn't she? It was beautiful, wasn't it, Your Majesty?"

"Hey," Fauna nodded delightfully. "Sure, you were beautiful. I've heard a lot of rumors since I came to my country, but I didn't really think you looked that neat."

"Here!"

What do you say, Nellis wins all the time and looks at Finn. Most of all, even if they say so, Finn doesn't know what 'look' is. I was confused a lot and twisted my neck, but gradually I went crazy, and I laughed. Nellis turns red and stuffs into a fin, grabs his arm and shakes it loose.

"Hey, what, why are you laughing?!?

"No, I don't know... I just wanted things to get simpler for you."

"What the hell is that! Make a fool of yourself, you're rude!

"I didn't, I didn't. It's not all that hard."

Finn grins, stroking Nellis' head. Even in situations where there are just wrinkles between the eyebrows, there are simple things to do, interesting things to do, and things to enjoy. Nellis' words and actions remind me of it.

Nellis was puffy, "I don't know why," but when he saw a fist in Finn's belly, he seemed to be feeling better, and he gave him forgiveness.

"Fine, but no more. Your brother's boring is not what started right now."

"Your daughter's too funny."

Valt pinched an unwanted word from the side, and Nellis is also outraged and throws a pillow at Valt. Then we went all the way up to the other guys and bullied Valt, and something very “funny” happened.

"A good old adult, I don't know"

Mac shudders and Finn laughs bitterly. Soon Nellis, out of the commotion, responded with a rinsed face.

"Ain't it better to have it all together than to be fucking serious, like your brother?

"Nellis"

Finn stares at me and tries to be verbal. Nellis clapped his neck, but went on in a whole-heartedly non-reflective manner.

"Nevertheless, seeing the face of His Majesty the Emperor will be over tomorrow or the day after. That's a shame."

"Does Nellis have such a good face?

Mac asked in a complicated voice, but Nellis flushed out "Nothing, it's not my preference," he said. Apparently, aesthetic shapes are aesthetic shapes, only objects of appreciation. To that reaction, Mac becomes a strange face again.

Finn noticed the thread of emotion passing between the two of them and glanced at them. A connection that is still thin and weak, but doesn't seem to break. But it won't be something I should talk about. He said in the usual tone, as he saw nothing.

"Whatever your face is, it's certainly a little wasteful to break up with His Majesty the Emperor and the General. I've learned a lot."

"Right."

Mac, too, looks up at Finn and nods.

It was a very intense experience to teach sword moves and works, and to act with the Emperor for a few days to join the upper echelons of the Empire. It's not a world I want to be immersed in, but when I have to leave, it's still a shame.

They exchanged words with each other, such as, don't get lonely.

- I had no reason to know you'd want to withdraw that word the next day.