☀️ Arselia and Akonia

- A deadly tournament... This will be somewhat problematic. The governor is unlikely to agree, and my father... He is a man of strict principles, and it will not be easy to convince him. Perhaps Naria will come up with something when she returns. And how many people are we planning to send to these three destinations?

-- Please forgive me in advance if what I say seems empty to you, My Lady, given that you are infinitely more familiar with these matters than I am. But the situation is pressing, and I would like to clarify a few points, -- she curtsied. For a moment, it seemed that Phyr-Phyr was tired after a long day, but in reality, her legs, arms, and back were perfectly fine. If she had a problem, it was the limit on the number of words she could speak in a day. Living in the Dark Lands, the girl had grown accustomed to speaking plainly with ordinary people, without sacrificing her noble dignity with overly inappropriate words, an unpleasant tone, or anything else. However, she realized that the best conversation was without ceremony, because in the face of danger, all people are equal, and there is no need for formalities...

However, before her lady and her suzerain, she was ready to make any socio-verbal sacrifices out of great respect for them, and even more so because of the warm reciprocal feelings, which ultimately generated enthusiasm at about the same level as creating chainsaws. Would she embarrass herself? Absolutely not.

-- It was very surprising to me that the idea of a deadly competition was proposed by His Holiness, -- continued the Nozenro. -- I believe that this fact in itself indicates that all other options have been exhausted, although it would be much better to gain the recognition of the dragon king or receive a blessing directly from the god Rufus. It is somewhat reassuring that, as I was assured, the competition does not have to be official, just as there is no connection to a specific location. In theory, a tournament can be organized anywhere within the empire, and perhaps even outside of it. The real limiting factor is that the blessing of fire is the most critical thing for us, and there may be little time. That is why I dared to return to this topic, although, of course, my Golden-Eyed Suzerain would be able to handle such a task much better and would certainly easily find a solution.

-- I would be lying if I said that my heart was at ease regarding Her Highness Naria. Perhaps I should not discuss this, but knowing her talents and punctuality, I find it hard to imagine what could have delayed her, and if things are so serious, how long will it last? Above all, what if the absence of Her Highness and the news about the apostle are related? You may call me superstitious, but you are not obliged to react to this concern, My Beautiful Lady, as I am generally one of those people who rush through life and suffer from this vice.

-- Regarding His Majesty, allow me to express my possibly inappropriate opinion... A person's core and principles are what make them who they are. My, albeit indirect, acquaintance with His Majesty has always only reinforced my respect for Him, and your words, My Lady, make me think even more strongly that, by the will of Anush, I have ended up in the best state in the world. I think completely differently than our Brilliant Monarch, because I only have a few people under my command, but despite this, I would prefer not to lose any of them, and I would not send them to any deadly tournament. Under His responsibility is the entire country, so, of course, in order to maintain order and out of a sense of duty, He will do everything possible to prevent the citizens of the empire from destroying each other. However... if we decide to take this step, perhaps we will still need His Majesty's approval. In general, it seems to me that the problem of the Apostle of Despair is clearly too important to be hidden, because when he begins to commit atrocities, and if we do not act in time, who will be to blame for the tragedies of ordinary people? His Majesty has great resources, may know something that we do not know, and may offer solutions that are unknown to His Holiness. In the end, if there are no such solutions, His Majesty will be easily convinced, possessing all the information. In fact, this is just my humble suggestion, My Lady, and you should obviously know better. I really don't know. It is only my code of conduct as a knight that speaks within me, although that same code generally reminds me that the suzerain of my suzerain is not actually my suzerain, and I should prioritize accordingly, although such situations usually do not arise.

-- Regarding the destinations, your wonderful gift, Eclipse, is currently our fastest means of transportation, and I think I will use it in at least one of the three cases. I also plan to hire at least two people from the candidates you proposed in Carneol, possibly three, depending on the interviews. Since we do not know the preferences and mindset of the saints, I do not intend to risk the mission failing by sending squad members one by one; three or four people should be sent to each location. If Your Highness is interested, the most critical direction for us after fire is air, and accordingly, Helles. Fortunately, we have the necessary permits, as well as a local girl from there in our ranks.

-- There is an obvious problem of coordination and management, but I hope to have a reliable deputy in each group where I will not be present personally.