For the Rising Sun Vanguard, the results spoke for themselves. Their performance during the reclamation was nothing short of remarkable. Out of thousands deployed, only a handful suffered fatal wounds, and even those were injuries no healer could have prevented. No one among them succumbed to corruption. The abyss had reached for them but failed to claim a single soul.

It was the kind of outcome no strategist dared to hope for.

And so, the Vanguard became a 'miracle' and gained a notorious reputation within the kingdom. Many had secretly resented giving up their land and resources to foreigners for nothing in exchange. The taking in of so many refugees had even faintly damaged the queen's reputation in the court, with many secretly, and even openly, questioning where her true loyalties lied—with the Azure Serpent Kingdom, or with the Rising Sun Kingdom she was born in?

But now all who had been questioning her embarrassedly shut their mouths, especially once the witnesses among the courtiers that had gone with the Queen shared their opinions. Not all of those that had gone with the queen to the battle were her closest subjects and attendants, many belonged to other factions—several that were hostile to the Queen, and had planted them in their excursion to get first hand unbiased info on how these so called 'vanguard troops' actually performed.

Naturally, the queen knew this, but allowed it since hearing the truth from their 'spies' would be more effective than anything she'd have to say.

The Queen's attendants, regardless of their loyalties, mourned the ruined city as fellow countrymen and the lives it had cost, yet in the days that followed, the sorrow softened into something more human.

Refugees who had once fled in panic from their own ruined cities now worked side by side with the attendants, clearing rubble, mending walls, replanting what they could in the ashen soil. The shared struggle blurred the lines between noble and commoner. The refugees, once dismissed as burdens, were now spoken of with respect—veterans of a divine campaign who had marched beneath the Queen's banner and returned untainted.

Word of their success spread quickly through the Azure Serpent Kingdom.

And as all rumors do, it grew with each telling.

They were called "Naga Blooded," "Blessed soldiers," "the Queen's chosen." Scholars and ministers whispered that perhaps these strange refugees could hold the key to resisting corruption altogether. Naturally, the talk turned to study—to dissection in the name of knowledge. But the moment those suggestions reached the court, the Queen's gaze fell upon them like a blade.

Her words had been simple, and they left no room for interpretation:

"My vanguard are people, not test subjects. Anyone who forgets that will find themselves beneath the soil."

That was the end of that.

No one mentioned the idea again.

Bang!

A gavel struck wood, snapping the hall from its murmurs back into the present.

The chamber of ministers was vast—an oval room lined with stone pillars and gilded banners. Seated on her high dais, the Queen of Azure Serpent surveyed the gathered officials below. The echo of the gavel faded slowly, swallowed by the quiet that followed.

An elderly official adjusted his spectacles and stood. "Your Majesty, the council has reached a unanimous decision. The investment plan for the Rising Sun Vanguard—specifically their continued integration as the forward division of our royal armies—has been approved. Funding will be diverted from the military reconstruction budget as of this month."

A low murmur of approval rippled through the ranks of ministers. Some smiled, others simply nodded. Even those who had once doubted the Queen's trust in foreign refugees could not argue with results.

"Good," the Queen said softly. Her tone was calm, yet absolute. "See that the funds are allocated to Commander Kaito and my nephew for distribution."

The elderly minister bowed and sat. The next report began, but the Queen's mind was already elsewhere.

For a brief moment, her gaze drifted toward the far end of the hall, past the ministers, past the open doors that led into the light of day.

'They should have been here to see this.'

The thought came unbidden—quiet, almost wistful. The two foreigners, the mysterious brown haired boy that gave off a subtle aura that even intimidated her and the cold but extremely gorgeous woman by his side, had been the ones to forge the idea of the Vanguard, and had used some strange knowledge to turn broken people into something that could stand against the abyss itself. And this never before seen method had achieved a miracle.

Unfortunately, not long after the performance of the refugees and receiving confirmation from her that this bill would likely pass, the pairing had quietly left.

She'd tried to quietly track their whereabouts, but to the best of her knowledge, they were no longer within the kingdom, so finding them would be tough.

Not that they were technically needed anymore—they'd taught a few of the more skilled refugees how to draw those complex arrays.

But still, Takeru, the Queen, and everyone had hoped that they would stay. And it wasn't just because their witnessed Kain's unique ability to draw out abyssal corruption harmlessly to restore people to normal.

But there was nothing they could do. When they awoke in the refugee city one morning, the rooms of the pair were empty, with nothing but a letter telling them that they still had tasks to complete and not to look for them.

And since the pair had diligently scrubbed all clues of their travels, they could do nothing but abide by their wishes.

The Queen's fingers brushed the armrest of her throne, nails clicking once against the gilded edge. "Wherever you are, Kain and Serena," she murmured beneath her breath, "And whatever else it is that you must do, I wish you safe travels."

Then, as if remembering herself, she straightened her back, regal and cold once more. "Next report," she commanded, and the meeting resumed. But her mind lingered, chasing the shadow of a name she would not soon forget.

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