Immortal Kingdoms

In his Imperial Study, Leonardo scribbled away on a long white scroll of augmented silk. On the back of this scroll, countless miniature diagrams of incomprehensible runes pulsated with faint worldly energy that seeped through Leonardo's body with the pen as a medium.

Leonardo was halfway through with writing down on this incomparably lengthy scroll when Juvia entered the study silently.

"Sit," Leonardo pointed to the corner of the room where an assortment of five seats was neatly arranged.

After gesturing with his pen, Leonardo's brows creased ever-so-slightly as he began to rearrange his interrupted thought process, then he continued to scribble away on the scroll.

Not too long later, Misaka also entered the room, followed by Sitri and Miko respectively with short intervals in between each individual arrival.

The four of them sat patiently to the side, their fleeting eyes secretly communicating a coinciding hint of doubt as to whom was Leonardo waiting for.

Just as Leonardo was about to finish the last few lines on the scroll, the door to the study was pushed open as a mature, dignified, yet amiable woman walked in.

"Hopefully I didn't have you wait for too long, have I?" This woman, Queen Adeline, spoke softly the moment she entered the room.

Leonardo didn't respond, instead focusing on the final lines of his work, each word elegant and strong with strokes of magnificence.

Leonardo didn't speak nor did he ask Queen Adeline to sit.

Juvia, Misaka, Sitri, and Miko felt a bit uncomfortable as these two figures began a silent contest of imperial majesty. However, while Queen Adeline's smiling expression faltered imperceptibly, Leonardo on the contrary was just as unhurried and focused on his movements.

He didn't seem to be deliberately making things difficult on the Queen, but he also didn't seem unaware— or rather as oblivious to her presence as his actions may portray.

Then, with a final stroke and a light tap of the pen, Leonardo's figure transitioned from fluid grace to complete stillness, his lifeless eyes not reflecting even a bit of light or focus, but it gave everyone in the room a sensation of being meticulously monitored.

This was a subtle change to Leonardo's temperament that even he himself was oblivious to, perhaps only people like Juvia, Pandora, and Nier who had met Leonardo during his weakest of moments would be privy to this subtle change.

When Juvia compared this man to that youth who had nowhere to vent his frustrations but to jab away at the inanimate ground and howl at a distant sky, a kind of inexplicable feeling surged like sea waves in her heart.

Unknowingly, her gaze mellowed with affection and mist.

"Alright then," Leonardo finally spoke after taking a deep breath. Looking up, his eyes calmly swept over everyone, treating them as equals before him, Queen Adeline included.

"I will be taking Leona, Kieran, Juvia, Pandora, and my student Wendy with me to Valdmor, the Forbidden Domain, while I will be leaving Grace Imperial City in the hands of you three," Leonardo's gaze was calm, but his words impacted the group like a bolt out of the blue, "Namely; Miko, Sitri, and Misaka."

He continued, "This vast territory will be transitioning from a Feudal State to a Republic, with the Grace Blood Parliament as the core of its government, consisting of three seats of power in control of the military, commerce, and common state respectively. In my hands is an official documentation written out by me personally, to be signed in blood also by me and Queen Adeline, with Juvia representing the will of the former High Elf Queen in standing witness to my decision. In the future, this will no longer be Grace Imperial City, but the Great Grace Republic, an independent state allied directly to the next High Elf Lord with the consent of his mother, the former High Elf Queen; Valeria."

As he was speaking, Leonardo was already holding his hand above an empty plate. Then, and without any hesitation, he cut his hand and allowed his blood to spill out.

Next, he soaked the crest of House Grace into his fresh blood and stamped it down on the silver scroll.

Queen Adeline was too stunned to even speak, let alone stop him.

Juvia was stunned at first, but she soon understood that Leonardo was leaving a way out, a goal, and a legacy to those who followed him but he couldn't bring back with him to the higher realms.

Miko and the other two were petrified in their seats. For a moment, they were just that, speechless.

"W-w-w-wait a moment! Boss! What is the meaning of this?! I'm going to Valdmor with you! No way!"

Miko immediately jumped to his feet and took one knee in front of Leonardo's desk, his shoulder-length green hair waving about restlessly from the intermittent discharges of his worldly energy.

Misaka and Sitri hurriedly advanced to kneel as well, their expressions complicated. However, one of them was a man of too few words and the other was a woman who was overly emotional yet rationally restrained.

Leonardo smiled faintly at these three who followed him through rivers of blood in search of an opportunity.

Leonardo looked at Miko, chuckling. "Your stupid wisdom, decisive judgment, and keen intuition are better invested in the Military Sector of Grace Blood Parliament, not to mention you have Nagi to look after. Sigh, that child will be heartbroken to be separated from that brat Kieran, but she needs to understand that they come from two different worlds, one high and one low, and although they progress to the same destination, they're fated to be nothing but parallel lines, never intersecting."

Leonardo then moved his gaze over to Misaka, his expression somewhat complicated. Although he spoke about Nagi and Kieran, his words had a hidden message to Misaka who had confused her sense of revenge and worship for him with senseless infatuation and an unrequited love.

Then again, that was merely the budding influence that bloomed from a fleeting sense of overwhelming gratitude and a late-night kiss that shouldn't have happened.

Only Misaka knew of her complicated feelings among the group of five, thus she couldn't help but smile bitterly, her thoughts transmitted as but a wisp of sorrow in her eyes.

"Misaka, you're very compassionate and considerate of the atmosphere and the feelings of parties involved, but you also know when to reel in these feelings and reprimand, punish, or even act ruthlessly to terrorize those who ultimately choose to oppose. These talents are an exemplary standard for you to invest in the Common State Sector of Grace Blood Parliament, and I would like you to take in Azalea as both an attendant and a woman who understands your regrets in this life."

Leonardo knew that both Azalea and Misaka harbored ill-gotten feelings toward him. Well, they weren't bad feelings per se, but the source of these feelings is a moment of emotional weakness, allowing his shadow to seep into their hearts, especially Azalea who had no one to return to, but the man she plotted against eventually provided her with shelter.

Leonardo then looked over at Sitri who was as silent as ever, feel like Lucas wasn't the most unfathomable of the bunch, but it was this Sitri who was wrapped up like a walking mummy.

Leonardo even wondered whether or not Sitri was human, to begin with. However, he only asked for loyalty from these people, nothing more and nothing less.

"You intrigue me far too much, Sitri. However, everyone has their own secrets, and I believe someone as taciturn and adaptive as yourself would make it far in the Commerce Sector of Grace Blood Parliament."

"Don't worry, boss!"

Sitri responded with a serious glint in his eyes, nodding heavily.

"Now, since I've handled the matters with my children here, are you simply going to stand there or will you come to sign the document?" Leonardo then smiled flatly at Queen Adeline.

Queen Adeline composed herself from the shock, furrowing her brows, "Are you trying to say that the Elven Royal Family will have direct access to the heart of my Human Domain in the future?"

Leonardo waved his hand, "I understand your misgivings, but this alliance is purely a protective talisman I left behind for my legacy. The Great Grace Republic will have a lot of room for growth in the future, and it will attract the envy of many powers. If I didn't leave behind something to guarantee their safety, they wouldn't be able to relax."

"Moreover," Leonardo's eyes suddenly sharpened, "Your Human Domain— No, your entire Arcadian population owes me at least this much face so as to not attack this place after my departure to the higher realms."

Queen Adeline pursued her lips, not responding.

She knew this wasn't a request but a demand, one she couldn't deny.

Although the Sovereigns are thinking something along the lines of:

'Leonardo's support from the higher realms was already sent away by the realm king.'

However, both she and her two peers knew that this wasn't the case as there was the silver white fox by Leonardo's side. Thus, begrudgingly, she arrived at Grace Imperial Palace at Leonardo's summons.

After going back and forth with Leonardo and confirming that the possibility of an Elven Invasion through the channels provided by the future Great Grace Republic was practically impossible, she also signed in her blood, though she used the crest of House Grace to do so.

Following an anonymous vote, the flag of the Great Grace Republic will remain the same as the original crest to commemorate Leonardo as the founder of this republic.

In two day, the winds of change swept through Arcadia's Southern Human Domain and Western Elven Domain, the destination of these winds having been arguably preordained; the Northern Forbidden Domain.

Whether these winds would pass like a gentle breeze or a havocing storm, it is yet far too early to tell…