Emperor's Reckoning

*Screech!

The huge griffin screeched as its wings hovered mountain-high from the island. The beast looked down and was looking for a space to land.

Meanwhile, on the island, the team was discussing something without Lyon's presence to be seen.

"What are we discussing here?" asked Kesya as she crossed her arms, and her eye didn't even bother to bat.

"We didn't even begin and you're already bored," commented Assid.

"It must be not important anyway," said Kesya before putting her hands behind her head.

"We got the flowers already," said Nit as he nodded.

"More than what I originally expected too," Anna nodded. "Ths is a bountiful harvest!"

"Erm.. why are we leaving the captain behind?" asked Mavis with a wry smile as he scratched his cheek with a finger.

"Because he is the reason why we have this short meeting," said Cecile before sighing.

"He is?" Cherie raised her brows.

"He is," answered Lumina. "The point of this meeting is to let you know that we are staying the night on this island."

Everyone was slightly surprised, especially Anna and Nit. They knew that Lyon hardly wanted to camp in this endeavor for her quest, but his group said otherwise.

Anna smiled wryly, "A-Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Lumina nodded. "He needs to take a long shower."

(Ah, so that's what this is all about) thought everyone. Lyon had a foul stench permeating out of his body due to being inside the grootslang metabolism.

"Wait, that's it?" Kesya opened her eyes before she let out a sigh, "You could just tell us so, no need for us to sit in a circle like this."

"Didn't you run a guild, Kesya?" asked Assid.

"You do?" Cecile raised her brows before everyone did the same.

"Hehe," Kesya scratched her finger as she refused to contend with their gazes, "Kinda, but not anymore."

"Hmm, I never thought that you would be creating one," Cecile chuckled. "Given your temperament and... behavior, I would say that you are going to be a top-grade adventurer but creating one... I guess it's hard to predict the future correctly."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Kesya pouted.

Nit smiled as he reckoned that the topic was circulating on a topic that he was very well-versed in. "May I know the guild that you're running? I might come to a visit."

"I told you I didn't run it, anymore," said Kesya as she rolled her eyes before she waved her hands, "I already passed on my mantle," she said proudly.

"I-I see," Nit smiled wryly. "Though, I sincerely wanted to know."

"You're really persistent," said Kesya as she sighed, "It's called Guild HQ."

"Eh?" Nit opened his eyes wide, "G-Guild HQ?! Y-You mean the Guild HQ? You're that infamous leader?!" he stood up with trembling hands.

"N-Nit?" Anna looked at him with a slight worry.

"You're the Guild HQ's leader?" Cecile raised her brows before she chuckled, "I see, now that I put you in the equation, it all makes sense."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Kesya squinted her eyes. "I may not be the best leader like you are, but they still respect me."

"I'm sorry, this useless topic is brought to the surface," said Assid as he put his head down.

"Hey!" Kesya pouted.

"What's wrong with Guild HQ?" asked Hilde.

"I'm sorry, but I've never heard of it before," said Mavis.

Nit gulped, "Guild HQ is a guild from the Mortal World. They might not be the strongest or even the biggest at that matter."

"Hey!" Kesya furrowed her brows.

"However, they have a single mysterious leader that would wipe out everyone that dares to bully them. They said the leader was anonymously powerful that none of them could describe what she actually look like. No kings, no emperors, no gods, dare to mess with the Guild HQ, at least in the Mortal World."

Kesya nodded proudly, "Well, I was being kind at the time."

"I-I never thought that I would meet you, it's such an honor," said Nit as he bowed. (I said that but, the truth was I was trying to search for the Guild HQ leader and challenged him, not to test my strength but to takeover it, however, it seems like it would just be a lost dream. I never thought the leader would be such a monster that could procure up a smile of an innocent) he gulped as one of his dreams died.

"En, en," Kesya nodded repeatedly with a bright smile and eyes closed.

"Where is young master Lyon though?" asked Cherie. "I've looked around and he is not in sight."

There was almost nothing on this empty island due to Lyon's Devil Ape art, except soft but prickly grasses.

"I told him to take a bath," said Lumina. "So, he probably swam in the ocean."

Mavis smiled wryly (That guy just wasted an island, and she had the power to order him around? Scary). Mavis stood up, "Well I don't mind if we spend the night or two, to be honest. I'm not in a hurry to get back home."

"Oh, are you sure, young master Mavis?" asked Anna as she stood up

"Yeah, I can do whatever I please anyway," said Mavis with a smile before muttering, "as long as I don't endanger the clan."

"I-I see," Anna nodded before she noticed Ivy standing up without a word. The latter didn't spare a glance before walking away from the circle. Anna vacantly looked at her daughter's back as she further and further distanced herself from her.

Cecile turned a glance over her shoulder and looked at the lone icy woman who had her feet embracing the warm sand of the beach. She sighed before Lumina suddenly said,

"Are you trying to meddle again?"

Cecile shook her head, "Some things can't be forced, I helped, however, I can help, now it's up to both of them, unless..."

"Unless...?"

"No, nothing," said Cecile as she shook her head. "Why don't you look for Lyon, he must be in the water somewhere."

Lumina squinted her eyes before she stood up. Using her gifted dragon glances, she looked at the calm sea and thrumming waves. However, her eyes only picked up scattered logs, and nothing more, not even another island.

"Assid, set up the camp," said Cecile.

"Understood, young miss," Assid immediately went to work.

Ivy stood on the cracked beachy sands as the free wind fluttered her hair. Her eyes landed on the cloud-rich horizon, and no one could guess what was in her reverie. The shade of navy and the shed of the deep ocean couldn't distraught her emotion.

She calmly sat down with her palm resting on the warm sand. She smudged the brown sand with her finger before making random lines.

She understood that her mother was given a predicament with very little choice. "A life of ridicule... is it really better to leave a child in an orphanage than living a life of ridicule?"

Ivy pursed her lips before she muttered, "There are so many aspects of life that I still have yet to understand..."

"Tainted...." the word echoed in her mind before she let out a glare. "Tch!" She gritted her teeth and grabbed a fistful of sand before throwing it away against the sea.

"You look like you could use some company," said Lyon.

"Huh?" Ivy raised her brows. She looked around but noticed no one there. She knew to whom the voice belonged, and it made her nervous that she couldn't see him. "Lyon? Right?"

"Who else is there but me?" asked Lyon.

(There is literally no one else here!) thought Ivy as she frowned. "Where are you?"

"I'm over here," said Lyon.

"What? Where?"

"To your left."

Ivy turned to the left, but she still found no one.

"Oh, to the right, haha, sorry," said Lyon.

She squinted before turning to the right and still found no soul, "What? There is no one here."

"Look down."

"Huh?" Ivy slowly looked down before her eyes opened wide. There was Lyon's face but the rest of the body was buried in the sand just right beside her. Furthermore, he let out that smirk of his. "What.. are you doing?"

"I was testing my luck, but sigh, I was so close," said Lyon.

"I don't get it," said Ivy as she shook her head.

"Well," Lyon sat up with the sands covering his body slowly crumbled and revealed his crossed arms. "It's alright if you don't understand."

"Oh, there he is," said Lumina before she pouted, "Why is he with her all of the sudden, wait, is this the exception you were talking about?"

Cecile chuckled. "Who knows."

Ivy was skeptical at first as she looked at Lyon before she blushed after she realized the words she had just said, "Y-You, were you listening?!"

"No need to get all flustered," said Lyon as he look at the sea. "I did overhear some of your, well, words."

"Y-You!"

"Calm down," said Lyon as he laid back with his hands supporting his head.