After spying on their uncle to find out if he was part of the Crimson Crusaders, Emmod and Novel came home to an unexpected surprise.Their window was still open, and they quietly climbed back into their room through the adjoining tree. But halfway there, they heard their mother's heavy breathing. Through the dim moonlight, they cautiously peeked into the room and saw their mother sleeping by Emmod's bed.Emina had waited a long time for her sons until sleep finally overtook her.Emmod and Novel would have preferred to turn back immediately."Should we let her sleep?" Novel asked, whispering tensely. "We could sleep downstairs, and we'll all have peace until morning."Emmod thought about it. But in the end, it had been his idea to head to the Dragon's Cup to spy on their uncle.

  "I think it's better if we wake her," Emmod answered hesitantly.He took full responsibility as he bravely faced an opponent that seemed overwhelming."Any st words?" Emina asked her son. In fact, Emmod had some.He told her that Ko had taught them combat exercises and about their suspicion that he might belong to the Crimson Crusaders, which was why they had ventured to the Dragon's Cup at such a te hour. Emmod and Novel had promised not to say a word about their training, but what good would it do to come up with a lie that wouldn't help them anyway?He only left out the part about the corpse.Either way, both the brothers and Ko would have received a hefty punishment and a beating.But that didn't happen.Emina pced her hand on Emmod's shoulder.

  "Thank you for telling me the truth," she said and left the room.Novel nearly fell off the bed, and Emmod, too, was very surprised by their mother's uncharacteristic reaction."Wait," said Emmod, "You're not... angry?"Emina snorted."It frustrates me that you keep breaking my rules. But I have to remind myself that you're still children. Children are curious and make mistakes, just like adults. That makes you human, and that's normal, even for you. The important thing is that we talk about it honestly."They nodded at her in surprise, wondering if that was the end of it.But Emina had one more question."Did your suspicion prove true?" she asked before leaving the room."Not sure," Emmod answered quietly."Don't worry," she said. "It's not."That reassured the two a little, but whether their uncle Ko had been a member of the Crimson Crusaders in the past remained unclear.This day, however, was only the beginning of a series of revetions.

  From the next day on, the subject was never brought up again. Although Emmod and Novel still had their doubts, they trusted their mother's judgment.There were no more problems. She let them live in peace, and Emmod and Novel didn't cause her any more headaches.Summer had taken hold of the nd with its many long, sun-drenched days since their uncle Ko had left three weeks ago.Aside from the day of his departure, the encounter with the talking squirrel, and the explosions in the city, the summer so far had been rather uneventful for Emmod and Novel.Still, they had made good use of the st three weeks.The first week was marked by pure sunshine, accompanied by a gentle breeze and only a few clouds in the sky.On those days, Emmod and Novel were quite zy, spending most of their time in the Park of Rilgohin. At the end of the first week, they went with their mother to the Sacred Green Tree to celebrate the final night of the Nights of a Thousand Lights.

  At first, Emmod and Novel wandered through the crowd with wide-eyed wonder.The scent of roasted almonds competed with the smoky-spicy aromas of grilled meat or vegetables, along with the sharp, hoppy smell of beer.There was music pying, and people were dancing. The chatter of the joyful visitors culminated in loud ughter and shouts, while children, including Emmod and Novel, squealed with delight as they ran through the crowd.Performers were putting on various tricks, and every day there was an exciting py about the war, which was met with lots of appuse and cheers.The Brymbach family enjoyed their sticky, sweet cotton candy, roasted almonds, and candied apples as the lights of the fireworks lit up the sky at the end of the festival.

  This time, however, the Festival of the Thousand Lights was a symbol of peace in times of conflict. In Rilgohin, the main topic of discussion was the flyers distributed by officers throughout their respective districts. It was a message from the king to all the people:

  "My dear citizens, together we have endured dark hours.I appeal directly to you to ask yourselves the following questions: How long will you continue to tolerate these rebels? How long will you continue to protect them? How many more people must lose their lives just so they can impose their beliefs in the most radical way?The Crimson Crusaders hope that these attacks have broken our spirit, but they are wrong. They have only made us stronger.As your king, I stand before you resolute and unwavering, determined to put an end to this. Our enemies will see that our will is unbreakable and that we will not allow ourselves to be intimidated by these rebels. Together, we will rebuild what has been lost, for the future belongs to us—For the good of our kingdom!"

  Opinions about his message were mixed.Some nodded enthusiastically, feeling inspired to stand together against the rebels, impressed by the king's determination. Others, including Emina, frowned and were skeptical about the concrete measures for ensuring sting peace and security.Meanwhile, Emmod and Novel wondered why the king hadn't delivered the speech himself if he wanted to present himself as fearless, but they didn't dwell on it further.During the second week, it rained non-stop, forcing Emmod and Novel to interrupt and postpone their pnned activities, many of which they couldn't do at all. As a result, they spent more time at home than expected, pgued by such boredom that they opened their history books and memorized the material about the war that their history teacher had assigned them.In the third week, the temperatures rose again, and the weather became sunnier.During this time, Emmod and Novel spent their days in the deep forest northeast of the city. Games like tag, hide-and-seek, or trail-finding were put aside as they used the week to extensively practice the defensive moves aimed to specifically protect the nerve points of the human body that their uncle Ko had taught them.

  Although they were itching to use these moves in a real fight, they didn't want to risk causing any health issues by hitting those nerve points, especially not before their upcoming school trip, whose destination was still unknown.But they wouldn't have to wait much longer.They will find out today where the school trip will be taking them.

  Although summer vacation sts until the beginning of the new school year in early autumn, their history teacher did not hesitate to assign tasks to her css. Their task was to refresh their knowledge of specific chapters in the history book The Four-Crown War for today.

  For Emmod and Novel, this was just revision, as they had already learned much of it at a young age in school.Today, they would demonstrate their knowledge in front of a wolf monument, where they were meeting the rest of their css, and Mrs. Marger would reveal the details of their upcoming school trip.The wolf monument serves as a reminder of the wolves that were nearly wiped out during the war because they had killed livestock herds, which pyed and still py an important role for the people of Rilgohin. Today, only a few individuals remain in the forests to the northeast and east, but they have become so shy of humans that even Emmod and Novel have never encountered one. It was only during the reign of Edmur Elmhart that his wife, Joane Elmhart, managed to convince him to pass a w protecting wolves as an endangered species, banning their hunting in the hope that the wolf would return and coexist peacefully with humans.When Emmod and Novel arrived at the wolf monument, their css—a group of 12 children—was already sitting together on the grass. An older woman standing before the group took off her reading gsses by separating them at the bridge of her nose.

  "The Brymbach brothers," the woman says with a stern expression, though unsurprised.The older woman wears a pin, loose, dark gray dress, the color matching her gray, straw-like hair. Her teeth are slowly discoloring, her face bores tired wrinkles, and on the left side of her weathered cheeks is a thick wart.This is Emmod and Novel's history teacher for the past year—Mrs. Marger.She isn't particurly popur with the two brothers, and the feeling was mutual."As I can see, you still haven't followed the advice I gave you at the end of the school year," she says."What advice?" Novel retorts boldly. "We're on time.""You are the st to arrive," replies Mrs. Marger."So what? We're still on time," Novel argues as he and Emmod sit down. "You gave us a time for the meeting, and we followed it. Just like everyone else.""That cannot be your standard.""The st will be first, Mrs. Marger," Novel replies.Mrs. Marger snorts before shifting her attention to Emmod, who has begun talking to the cssmate next to him."Take off that bandana, boy. You're not a little child anymore," she snaps at him."But it's not bothering anyone," Emmod said.

  "It bothers me, and it bothers the other people in the park," she replies, though all the children can see that no one in the park is paying any attention to Emmod's headwear."I don't get it," Emmod mutters, shaking his head as he removes the bandana."And I don't get why you haven't opened your history book yet. Is that going to happen today?" she retorts, cpping her hands.Emmod and Novel are already annoyed, and the lesson hasn't even begun."What page?" Emmod asks, irritated."If you had arrived on time, you would know," Mrs. Marger says."Thanks for the help," Emmod mutters under his breath."Page 84," whispers a girl sitting beside them."Thanks," Novel replies kindly.The girl next to them has a slight double chin and smooth, long, jet-bck hair.Her name is Mary Winston, the top student in the css.

  "Before we start with the chapters that you should take a closer look at, I want to test your basic knowledge of the Four-Crown War, to make sure you haven't let your knowledge slip away just because it's summer vacation," says Mrs. Marger.

  One of the students in the front row immediately starts ughing but quickly suppresses it when he receives a stern gre from Mrs. Marger.The boy is chubby, with blonde hair, a side parting, and round gsses. At school, he often spends time with Emmod and Novel.His name is Kingston Faller.The whole css knows why Kingston is ughing. Many can't help but smile as well, because Mrs. Marger, who is quite old, often has dry lips, which she has to lick before every sentence. This habit had become noticeable to the css over the past school year and often led to more ughter than learning during her lessons.

  It even went so far that the css started betting on how many times Mrs. Marger would lick her lips during an hour. At first, it was just for fun, but after a while, all participants would throw a small amount of money into the pot.The person whose guess was closest, or exactly right, would win the entire prize. However, they eventually stopped this because the money quickly ran out after only a few rounds—except for Mary Winston, whose bance rapidly grew as she won almost every game."So..." Mrs. Marger begins again after Kingston has somewhat regained his composure, "As I said, I want to first test your basic knowledge of the Four-Crown War," she says, pauses briefly, then continues, "Which four countries were involved?"

  Immediately after the question, Mary raises her hand high in the air."Go ahead, Miss Winston," says Mrs. Marger."That would be Rilgohin, then Santaria..." Mary begins."Very good, now the next one—" Mrs. Marger starts to say, but Mary continues without hesitation."The third was Saharka, where there is currently no proper form of government. During the war, King Rakim ruled the entire country until his death. Since Rakim had no children and did not name a successor at the time, the leadership of Saharka remains unclear to this day. As a result, a terrible civil war has broken out, with several warlords gaining control over various parts of the country and now fighting for the rest.""Absolutely right, but my goodness, Miss Winston, don't rush yourself," Mrs. Marger interjects, prompting a brief, soft ugh from the css.Mary pauses, and Novel gives her a little encouraging smile."Mr. Brymbach," Mrs. Marger scolds him. "There are many ways to py the charmer. But were you listening to her? Can you tell us the fourth country?""That wasn't right, what you did," Novel responds defiantly."Excuse me?" Mrs. Marger asks, hoping she had misheard him."You should apologize," Novel says, irritated. "Your behavior was inappropriate. How would you feel if someone humiliated you for no reason and you couldn't do anything about it? So, you should apologize.""Calm down, okay?" Emmod hisses, gently pushing Novel back down to the ground. "What's gotten into you?"These words from Novel's mouth remind Emmod of something simir their uncle had said three weeks ago to the five rowdy, red-haired men in the tavern. All the other children look over their shoulders at Novel in shock.Mrs. Marger straightens up and examined Novel with an unmistakably dark and punitive expression. Novel lets out a soft chuckle.

  "Londe, the Kingdom of the Firstborns," he finally answers in response to the question."Correct," Mrs. Marger says, trying not to dwell on it. "And why is it called the Kingdom of the Firstborns?"

  Novel doesn't particurly like the country because of its philosophy."Because the High Council has been composed exclusively of firstborns for centuries," he expins."Correct," Mrs. Marger encourages him, licking her lips again."Secondborns, thirdborns, and everyone born after them are discriminated against, bullied, and treated as inferior," Novel continues. "Many people flee the country," he mumbles at the end.Once again, all eyes are on Novel."You seem to know more about Londe than I do," Mrs. Marger says, surprised. "Is that your own theory, or did you pick that up from someone else?"Novel stammers."I... uh... well, I figured that since only firstborns are in the government, there's no chance for those born ter, and they wouldn't put up with that for long.""And how did you come to the conclusion that these individuals are bullied and treated as inferior?" Mrs. Marger asks curiously."I realized that as a personal observation," Novel replies."An interesting but poorly thought-out conclusion," she counters. "It's true that many people left Londe in the past due to the injustices that existed there. The emphasis is on 'the past,' because nowadays Londeeyeof, the capital of Londe, is the most populous city in the world, and Londe is the most densely poputed country by area," she expins. "As for your point about Londe's government and the firstborns and those born ter, there is a perfectly pusible expnation for that. As unappealing as it may sound, the firstborns are simply better qualified. Moreover, there are many families in Londe with only one child...""But have you never questioned why that is?!" Novel interrupts."No, and if you interrupt me again, you can feel free to spend the rest of the lesson elsewhere," she says in a tone so sweet that it was almost unnerving, before continuing in her normal voice, "Not everyone has to share their opinions. But according to their own beliefs, the firstborn of a family represents the first bloodline, which traces back to the origin and thus guarantees them purity and prosperity."

  "That's complete nonsense... Just because a few old people say that... Why would my blood be worse than my brother's? It's the same!""You may leave, Mr. Brymbach," Mrs. Marger says."What?!" Novel asks, perplexed."You are dismissed. You can go," Mrs. Marger says, waving him away. "But don't leave the park!" she adds, as Novel gives her a puzzled look. "You can return at the end of the lesson. Until then, you're just disturbing your curious cssmates."Novel isn't sad or angry. In fact, he is gd that his least favourite teacher wouldn't ruin any more of his summer. What was intended as a punishment feels more like a relief. He just has to ignore the looks from his cssmates. They stare at him grimly and sullenly, but Novel doesn't hesitate and leaves the group while Emmod can only shake his head.

  After taking a long walk around the park, he returns just under an hour ter.Bored, he leans against a tree behind the group, but after a few seconds, his ears perk up.Mary Winston and Kingston Faller are just finishing a small presentation they had prepared."Although Rilgohin was the smallest of the four countries, they managed to unch a massive offensive deep into the nds of Londe in the final years of the war," Kingston expins excitedly."Led by the Four Princes," Mary adds, equally enthusiastic."The so-called 'Superhumans,'" Kingston says excitedly."No one ever called them that," Mary replies, rolling her eyes."Lots of people did," Kingston insists. "My father told me. Probably because they almost made the impossible possible.""Anyway," Mary continues, "since the first Rilgohins were actually renegades from Londe, Londe feared that Rilgohin wouldn't just conquer their nd but would then cim the entire world."

  "So, Londe formed a pact between themselves, Saharka, and Santaria. Rilgohin didn't stand a chance after that," Kingston summarizes briefly.

  The css appuded as Mrs. Marger nodded in approval."Thank you for that contribution," she says, taking over. "Through this pact, a covert operation was formed—Operation F.I.R.E." Mrs. Marger expins, "This operation aimed to push Rilgohin back gradually and quickly defeat them through a massive offensive from three different directions.Santaria was to attack from the north via the sea, Saharka from the south through the mountains, and Londe from the west. But one country had other pns," she continues. "Santaria attacked two days before the agreed-upon date. Their goal was to conquer Rilgohin with a blitz offensive before Londe or Saharka could reach the nd, so they could then cim it as their own territory. In this way, Santaria would have been geographically closer to their arch-enemy, Saharka, via the mainnd.""Yeah, that worked out great for them," Tregory Nicks chimes in, an athletic boy whose remark amuses the girls in the css."That breach of the pact, seen by some as betrayal, backfired tremendously," Mrs. Marger continues without skipping a beat. "Rilgohin's defense line was too strong. Instead of facing three opponents, they only had to contend with Santaria, allowing Rilgohin to focus their entire army on them. Two full days passed, during which Londe and Saharka were left in the dark, before they finally attacked Rilgohin together as per the pact. Countless soldiers fell on Santaria's side, while only a few lives were lost on Rilgohin's side. It wasn't until Londe and Saharka unched their attacks that Rilgohin's defense line rapidly weakened. Just a few days ter, Rilgohin capituted after the Four Princes fell in the northern swamps and their troops were driven deep into their own territory.The then-young and inexperienced King of Santaria, Narkal Balhes, was killed by his own people for his reckless actions and the resulting unnecessary loss of countless lives, and his government was violently overthrown.Many hoped for a final unification with the other countries, but the new ruler, Emperor Atroluis, suddenly isoted Santaria from the outside world.The reasons for this remain unknown to this day.""I heard the emperor is a terrible dictator who lets his own people starve and executes them!" Kingston Faller excims. "The way he violently overthrew the old king is the same way he deals with his own people.""He tortures them too!" "I heard that as well." "My father told me something different!"

  A wild discussion erupts in the css, which Mrs. Marger can only slowly calm down, much like her slow, measured pace."Whatever Emperor Atroluis' rule is like remains specution," she finally speaks again, "There's been no contact for a long time. No word comes in or out of Santaria," she says, ending the discussion as passbyers begin to cast curious looks.

  "Mrs. Marger, Mrs. Marger!" shouts Lotta Trug, a blonde girl with a ponytail, raising her hand eagerly. The others throw her disapproving gnces, as they all would prefer to enjoy the nice weather."Why was a representative from Londe pced on the throne of Rilgohin and not someone from the other countries?" she asks. "There weren't even any elections held, as far as I remember, right?""Correct, there were no elections," Mrs. Marger confirms, turning back to the whole css. "As you know, each country involved in the pact was supposed to elect a representative to compete against the others for the complete rule of Rilgohin. However, the second phase of this process never took pce.During this time, the former king of Saharka, King Rakim, passed away, leading to the outbreak of civil war. This meant they first had to decide who would rule their own country before they could even think of ruling another.In Santaria, it was a simir situation as the state was in the midst of a coup.So, the representative from Londe wasn't pced on the throne because he received more votes than the others, but because he was the only remaining option.This is one of the reasons why he's called the 'False King.'""If only we had a representative from Saharka..." Mitch Dreasel, the youngest in the css, mutters, "then maybe we'd have warmer weather all year.""Do you really think the climate will change just because someone from the desert is ruling here!?" Kingston Faller retorts."He would've certainly brought a nicer breeze than those old, drunken soldiers from Londe," Mitch replies, right before his tall, slender sister, Prigill Dreasel, gives him a smack on the back of the head."What was that for?" Mitch protests."For speaking ill of the king and Londe," Prigill says."He didn't say anything bad about him," Tregory, Mitch's best friend, defends him, "Just about the incompetent soldiers in your Shinemore District, and he's right.""Let it go," Mitch says, "There's no point reasoning with her. She only likes him because of the prince. What were your words again? 'I wish he would be my...'" Mitch starts, but his sister quickly puts him in a headlock before he can finish.The one-sided struggle is interrupted by Mrs. Marger before Prigill can choke her brother unconscious.The whole css bursts into ughter.Meanwhile, Mrs. Marger adjusts her gsses."I expect all of you to show respect to the royal family and the soldiers," she says,"Especially as it's happening in two days.""What's happening in two days?" Emmod asks skeptically."In two days, we will meet here again, two hours after sunrise," she replies, followed by loud groans from the css."We'll be taking a day trip to the castle. There will be a tour and a quiz based on what we've discussed today. And if we're very lucky, we might even see the royal guard or members of the royal family," she gushes, getting lost in her thoughts for a moment before clearing her throat."I expect proper behavior," she adds, "especially from you and your brother, Mr. Brymbach!"As everyone slowly gets ready to leave, Mary Winston approaches Mrs. Marger."Excuse me for my earlier comment,""It's alright," Mary says. "I shouldn't have interrupted."With that, the matter seems settled, but Mary lingers by her teacher's side."You can go home, Ms. Winston," Mrs. Marger says kindly.But it's clear from Mary's expression that she still has something on her mind."I just have one more question..." Mary starts.The pace of the others picks up as they're eager not to spend any more of the day on history."You mentioned earlier that the firstborn of a family traces back to the origins of our line. Could you expin that further?"Mrs. Marger blinks several times in quick succession."Did I say that?" she repeats. "I guess I got carried away," she says, blushing slightly, but now noticing the curious faces of the entire css.Mrs. Marger clears her throat, realizing she can't easily brush it off.What follows is a small excursus.

  "If you don't want to listen or prefer to spend your time otherwise, I will excuse it," says Mrs. Marger, now more composed.

  She wipes her gsses clean and puts them back on. To her surprise, all the students remain tense and attentive."Very well," she begins, "According to an old legend and ancient writings, the first ruler of Londe was considered a prophet.A firstborn who could deliver divine revetions to the people—a mediator between the gods and the people, if you can imagine.The people bowed to him, and with the power he began to wield, he created Londe. According to the legends, he is said to have been the first ruler to ever exist in the world.In Londe, it's said that all firstborns are considered the designated heirs of this prophet.That's why the High Council is composed exclusively of firstborns, who, at its founding, assumed not only spiritual but also political power, which, like their purity and wisdom, flows directly from their ancestors.The decisions of the High Council are said to directly reflect the will of the gods.Just as the prophet once did, they are now responsible for maintaining the order and faith of the people," she expins, and the css hangs on her every word."Can you imagine why their power was once called into question?" Mrs. Marger then asks the whole css.

  No one has an answer, except for Mary Winston."Because of the Four Princes of Rilgohin, perhaps?" she ventures cautiously."Correct," Mrs. Marger confirms.

  "Though not all of them were firstborns, they possessed, like the prophet, abilities beyond our comprehension. Supernatural abilities that many bowed to—especially those people, ter known as Crimson Crusaders.""But why do the Crimson Crusaders still fight for the former Four Princes to this day? They don't exist anymore, right?"

  "These supernatural abilities, which no one in our time possesses, led many Rilgohiners to view them not merely as rulers of a country but as 'God's chosen ones,' tasked with uniting humanity.""What exactly happened to the princes after the war?" Mary asks eagerly."It's understandable that you'd like to know more. But there are reasons why this is not detailed in the history books," Mrs. Marger replies.But her students have never been more attentive.Mrs. Marger sighs.

  "After Rilgohin came under the rule of Londe, the interests of the High Council could be represented," she continues. "Their main concern was to eliminate the Four Princes, the direct descendants of the first renegades from Londe, and thus extinguish their bloodline," she expins.

  "Like the Rilgohiners, the High Council believed that something unnatural existed in the blood of the princes. However, they didn't take it as far as the Crimson Crusaders. No, they saw that in the blood of the princes and their ancestors there was an insatiable thirst for power and control.They didn't care about the form of government or the state of a country, whether their actions led a country to better or worse circumstances was irrelevant to them. As long as they stood at the top, they were willing to ignite a revolution with countless deaths," she expins. "To put an end to it, the princes were promptly bmed for the outbreak and course of the war. They were sentenced to death and beheaded before a rge crowd. In contrast, their closest allies, the Crimson Crusaders, were acquitted of all charges," she continues. "Of course, no one expected their organization to simply disband and submit to King Elmhart. But no one could have foreseen how deeply rooted their loyalty to the princes was. Over the years, they revealed their true nature to the world and continue to fight for their former masters to this day."

  Mrs. Marger wipes the beads of sweat from her forehead."But why aren't their names mentioned in the history books?" Kingston asks insistently. "I mean, if they're dead... what difference does it make?""My young Mr. Faller," Mrs. Marger begins, "Have you ever heard your parents or anyone else speak their names?" she asks curiously, as she scans the css.Kingston and the other students slowly shake their heads."But if they were the greatest war criminals in history," Kingston presses on, "Isn't it even more important to preserve their names in the history books, to keep that history alive?""It is taboo to write or speak their names. Otherwise, it brings bad luck upon yourself and your family," she concludes."And what do you think about that?" Lotta asks, intrigued.Mrs. Marger pauses for a moment."I think it's best for all of you not to know the names of the princes," she replies, dampening the excitement of the entire css.Then she sighs.

  "The title 'The Four-Crown War' was coined a few years after the war. It suggests that the Four Princes were the main instigators of the war, not just participants," she expins. "But if you want to know what I think about the princes and the prophet, I firmly believe that all stories hold their own truth, just like the legends within them."Awe and murmurs spread throughout the room."Good," Mrs. Marger concludes, "In two days, two hours after sunrise, we will meet here again. If you're te, you'll have to stay home.""What a shame," Emmod mutters under his breath.

  After the history lesson, Emmod, Novel, Kingston, and Mary take a short walk together through the park.They specute extensively about Londe, the princes, and the prophet, wondering what else the future may reveal to them.Although Novel listens, he doesn't actively participate in the conversation. Emmod, too, seems in low spirits, which Mary notices."Everything alright, Emmod?" Mary asks him.He doesn't give a proper answer, prompting Mary to change the subject."Don't you also think it's strange that Mrs. Marger is so secretive about the names of the princes?" she asks. "I wonder what's behind it.""Well, she's not the only one," Kingston responds. "The whole world does it. If their names aren't even mentioned in the history books... she might have a point. Maybe it's better for us not to know about it and just forget that part of history. Seems dangerous. What do you guys think?" he asks the brothers.Emmod shrugs, and Novel slowly drifts off in thought.They're mentally elsewhere, and now they've reached the bridge to the Royal District, where they part ways with Kingston and Mary."Thanks for standing up for me earlier," says Mary, blushing slightly."Oh, it's no big deal," Novel replies, waving it off casually.

  Emmod and Novel then head back to the woods near the Whitepool District, where they pn to continue the defense exercises their uncle taught them."Did Mrs. Marger say anything stupid after I left?" Novel asks on the way.He's noticed that his older brother is unusually moody, which is dampening his willingness to talk."Or are you in a bad mood because Prigill has a crush on the prince?" Novel teases.Emmod turns red."I couldn't care less who she likes or doesn't like," he replies angrily. "Why don't you expin what that was all about earlier?""What do you mean?" Novel asks, confused."First the thing with Mary, and then the stuff about Londe," Emmod says.

  “So I can't stand up for others?”“Exactly.”“Why?”“Because you're not Uncle Ko!” roars Emmod, “Stop pretending you are.”Then he rexes again.“It's just like at the marketpce,” he continues, “If it wasn't for Ko, who knows what would have happened,” he says, “Stop acting so recklessly and stop acting like someone you're not.”"I just don't want to stand by and do nothing when I see something unjust happening in the world," Novel defends himself.But Emmod isn't done yet."And what about Londe?" he asks.

  "Do you remember the Fearsome Five from the tavern?""You mean the redheaded guys Ko beat to a pulp?" Emmod asks to crify."Exactly," Novel confirms."What about them?" Emmod presses."They said they came from the west," Novel expins. "By 'the west,' they definitely meant Londe. Given the size of their family, it’s likely that the four younger brothers, maybe even the entire family, were harassed or disadvantaged there. That was too much even for the eldest, so they left Londe to find a better life elsewhere in the world," Novel expins.Emmod is impressed but also shocked at how much Novel’s thinking has been influenced by their uncle Ko.

  They have arrived at the woods when they suddenly hear a voice."Emmod and Novel Brymbach."Since no one is in sight, they look around in confusion until their gaze goes up."YOU!?" they excim in disbelief, seeing a squirrel perched on a branch above them."In the flesh," says Mister Red. "I’m gd to see your mother didn’t rip your heads off after our st encounter," he adds. "So..."Emmod and Novel have already walked a few meters further."We don’t have time, sorry," Emmod calls back, waving dismissively."WAIT!" Mister Red shouts, jumping to the next tree to follow them. "You have something in your possession that absolutely needs to be returned.""Oh right," Novel says, scratching his head. "We don’t have it with us anymore.""I know," Mister Red replies. "That’s why I’m here. I can’t track the smell of the forehead chain anymore.""Better that way," Emmod comments."Where is it?" Mister Red asks."Underwater," Novel replies ftly."Underwater?" Mister Red repeats, hoping he misheard."Yes," Novel confirms."Then go get it and return it," Mister Red demands. "Otherwise, you’ll get into trouble."

  "What’s your retionship to her anyway?" Emmod asks irritably. "Are you her retive or her pet?""I told you before not to be so cheeky," he retorts, irritated. "I’m her best and truest friend and protector."Emmod and Novel can’t help but ugh."Seriously," he says. "I won’t disappear until the forehead chain is back with the princess."Suddenly, Emmod stops."Fine," he begins. "We’ll give you the forehead chain if you tell us something about our abilities.""And why couldn’t our mother understand you?" Novel adds. "Isn’t that something that’s inherited?""Didn’t she ever tell you anything about it?" Mister Red asks, visibly surprised by the questions."She told me a few weeks ago that she would tell us more when we’re older," Emmod says, disheartened. "But we don’t want to wait that long."Mister Red realizes that if he wants to get the forehead chain back, he’ll have to make a deal with them."How do I know you’ll keep your end of the bargain?" he asks."We’re going on a day trip to the castle soon," Emmod replies. "If we don’t keep to it, you can report us."Novel looks at him in surprise, and Mister Red initially remains pensive."Why is it so important to you that we return the chain?" Emmod asks as they continue working on the defense movements."Does the chain really mean that much to her?" Novel adds from behind."It was a gift from her father," Mister Red expins, jumping to the next tree."Can’t he just give her a new one? They must have enough resources.""It was the first piece of jewelry she ever received from her parents," Mister Red replies. "But much more importantly, it was the first gift that bears the symbol of the royal family. The symbol of her family," he eborates. "Every family member of the Elmhart carries something like this: Lina’s father has the symbol on his golden crown, her mother on her golden wedding ring, and her brother on his cloak. It’s a sign of their noble status.""Can you tell us as much about our abilities?" Novel asks, yawning."Forgive me, no," Mister Red responds. "For some reason, my memories have been restricted since I became a squirrel.""But you said we’re not the only ones who can understand you. Who are the others?" Emmod presses.His expression changes, and they look at Mister Red expectantly."It’s true, you’re not the only ones who can understand me," he says. "When is our trip happening?" he asks afterward.

  "In two days," Emmod replies. "Wait—Our?!""I’ll be accompanying you," Mister Red expins. "And there, I will introduce you to the person who can also understand me."