The Chronicles Of New Havens

At the same time, inside Shirley's mansion, the group had long since settled down. Putting aside Avin's matters for now, Shirley went straight to the point. Elizabeth was chosen to be the Royal Army General of the upcoming Xingyuu Empire campaign! When Freon heard this, like everyone else, he was stunned to no extent. The shock was greater than hearing Princess Samanthie gifting Shirley this mansion! It was absolutely absurd! Freon was no stranger to Elizabeth's personality, and she did not seem like the type of person suitable for leadership. Whether it was leading the army into the empire or leading the kingdom forward, he had little confidence she would excel. She was too immature, emotional, and rash. Of course, she could change with due time, but… this was too soon. What was the Alzar Kingdom thinking?

"Doing this at a crucial point in the inheritance race… you're sure that this information is true?"

"The notice came from the Zino Kingdom's army," saying so, Shirley passed the paper over. "I only saw it yesterday…"

"What the heck is that girl thinking?" Freon frowned. "Is she giving up on the throne? When we last met, she was so adamant and determined to become the next queen. Why did she change her mind so quickly?" Since he was personally acquainted with Elizabeth, although she was the heir apparent, he did not mince his words.

"I don't think she gave up," the girl shook her head. "It must be… related to the Xingyuu Empire. She must be worried about the Imperial Princesses."

Freon snorted lightly. He did not have good feelings about these Imperial Princesses. They might have 'saved' their lives in the Yunyun Stronghold, but they were also the next empresses of the empire. Their paths were fated to never cross in good faith! In fact, both Benedict and Shirley thought the same. The idea that the Xingyuu Empire and the Alzar Kingdom could never coexist was ingrained in their minds, being nurtured there since birth. It was hard to wash away these misconceptions. Only someone like Elizabeth, who came from New Havens, was immune to these thoughts.

"What an idiot!" Freon shouted.

Shirley sighed. "It's going to be very dangerous, even with the kingdom's help. I was thinking of heading over to help."

"Sister!" her brothers said in surprise. This was the first time they heard of this.

"Sister, please rethink this!" Charles continued. "You said it yourself… This upcoming campaign is going to be very dangerous, so why the need to put yourself in harm's way? You already did it before, and you almost died! Maybe this time…"

"Sis, don't leave us!" Robert cried, clinging to her leg.

Shirley caressed the little boy's head and said softly, "It'll be alright. Our mother's awake now, and we have this mansion as our new home. With that, you two will manage."

"No! If you're going, then I'm coming along as well!"

"No, absolutely not," Shirley's tone turned hard. There was no room for compromise! "The battlefield isn't a playground for children. You're going to stay here and continue studying. Didn't you want to be a physician?"

"But…"

"No buts."

Robert mumbled quietly, as he felt unconvinced. Seeing this, Charles took up the banner and argued in his little brother's stead. "Sister… You don't have to go because of Princess Elizabeth's matter. Her Highness is the heir apparent of the Alzar Kingdom and there will be many powerful people protecting her. There's no reason for you to personally go. This is war we're talking about! There's a limit to one person's strength so even if you went, it wouldn't matter."

The girl bit her lip. How could she not understand? Although she endured harsh training on the Mordrigan Peaks and forcefully excavated her potential, that was nothing when compared to the grand scheme of things. Speak not of the vast world beyond, in this human world too, Shirley was but a mere bud, much less than a grand tree which could shelter others in her canopy! Do not look at the title of Fundamental Realm Master and assume she was a 'master' because the truth could not be further. In the context of Fundamental Realm, she did reach the apex. One more step and she would become a Half-Perception Realm. Another and it would be a genuine Perception Realm! However, that was far from enough. Until one attained the preeminent power of a Rank 4 Emperor or higher, numbers ruled! That was why Protector Avin played nice with the Zino Kingdom, despite begin a Rank 3 himself. What to say about Shirley, who was just a fledging Rank 1?

"I know I'm weak… and I know that I won't be able to change anything… but the fact that Elizabeth is out there fighting … it makes me upset that I'm not there with her, sharing in her pain!" Shirley explained emotionally. "That silly girl needs her friends by her side!"

Charles was exasperated and looked to Freon for help. "Please try and help convince our sister. The conflict with the empire is too dangerous for people like us to sink our hands into! She'll only die a miserable death over there!"

Freon had an ugly expression, feeling a great headache. Originally, he wanted to steer clear of the Second Great Kingdom War. He already had his 'fill' when he was captured in Port Silic and taken to the Yunyun Stronghold. Every day was a journey, and every night was a fight for survival. Due to a lot of circ.u.mstances outside of his control, he survived, and he was content. Living was good enough! Who would willingly jump back into that mess? They had to be kicked in the head to do so! Either that, or they were suicidal. In Freon's mind, it was much smarter to develop safely in Firecast, letting the strong and powerful deal with these issues. It might be cowardly, almost pathetic, but these were his true thoughts!

Unfortunately, fate liked to play with mortals. As they say, man proposes, and god disposes! Elizabeth leading the war campaign painted a very different scene. He could no longer say it had nothing to do with him! As much as he wanted to forget everything and flush these friendsh.i.p.s down the drain, he could not. Freon was someone logical and asocial, but that would be too heartless, even for him. Not to mention, after sharing their struggles and pain together over time in the Xingyuu Empire, how could he do that? They could be considered half-family already. When the Whispering Shadow attacked Freon and his family, Shirley immediately agreed to help, placing her life on the line! The results did not matter, what mattered was her resolve! Therefore, in Elizabeth's time of need, it was hard to look the other way…

Freon kept silent, but Nassandra could vaguely understand her brother's thoughts. She grabbed his hand and made a downcast face. She said three words, "Brother… don't go," quiet as a whisper. And yet, they caused greater pain to Freon than any blade could.

The last time he left his little sister alone… was the final battle with Emperor Lianghu. Those emotional scars remained in her heart, trapping her in a cacophony of fear and regret. For a child to slaughter hundreds, if not thousands, of lives, it was too great a sin for her to bear. Freon was her lone pillar of support, the only guiding light in the otherwise endless, bleak darkness. Their parents were dead, and their uncle had been gone for too long. In her mind, Freon was her only family! Because of that, Freon struggled. If he wanted to leave, who knows how long he would be gone? Or perhaps he might never return. In that case, what about Nassandra? What would she do?

And it was not like Shirley was heartless towards her family either. She felt the same gut-wrenching agony as Freon. Everyone wanted peace and stability. Who wanted to fight and battle on the frontlines? Who wanted to see people chopped down into a mess of blood and bones? To see thousands of corpses, or the many more crying out for help? To feel pain, loss, and regret? She was not delusional enough to think a war could be won without sacrifices, or a battle won without deaths. Neither was she hotheaded or crazy enough to fight to her heart's content with little regard to the people around her. Shirley treasured her family and friends deeply, holding them tight, and because of that, she felt conflicted. To stay with her family here or head to the frontlines with Elizabeth… it was a painful decision to make!

Surprisingly, it was Freon who broke this silence. "Elizabeth is headed to Pelangi Fortress, right? If we travelled from here, it should take us a month or so to reach there."

"Brother?" Nassandra cried with fear.

He gave a bitter smile. One way or another, he would have regrets. To any other sane person, they would overwhelmingly agree that family was more important than outsiders. As much as he suffered and struggled with Elizabeth, they were ultimately unrelated. Nassandra was his true family! But… she was safe here in Firecast. With their uncle watching over, he would be assured of this. On the other hand, Elizabeth's safety was questionable. Looking at Lord Korogin's case, was he not protected by an army, Royal Guards, and Sir Winstin? As a result, he still died! A battlefield was that chaotic and dangerous. There were no guarantees of safety! Weighing his options then, the more 'logical' answer appeared.

"I'll head there as well," Freon sighed. Oh, how foolish he thought he was.

"What is wrong with you people?" Charles was incredulous. Just what was compelling them into these acts of idiocy? There was no way they were thinking straight! "Stay here! What's the problem with that? Let the soldiers fight the battles. That's their job!"

"Freon, please rethink this… You almost… died last time," Yuna murmured with big watery eyes.

"It's hard to explain why… but I feel it's the correct decision," Freon said. "Don't you feel the same, Shirley?"

The girl nodded slowly. "I have a feeling that this campaign's going to be filled with danger. Elizabeth will need our help."

"Besides, if Elizabeth fails, it's not like the Alzar or Zino Kingdom will be spared," he added sardonically. "And looking at her track record, I'm not too confident in our odds. Who knows? Maybe we'll be able to change that."