I left the War Room, mulling over what she said carefully when I heard,

  "There you are! We've been looking for you." It was Lucia. That smile on her face... could it really be? I wondered, completely floored by Isis's strange powers.

  "What happened?" I managed to ask.

  "Hertz found some interesting items, but before that—"

  "No, please, go on," I interrupted her with a new fire burning within my eyes. I was the type of pyer who loved collecting all sorts of items for the sake of collecting them. I'd usually end up hoarding a bunch of items I'd never use, and although it upset my party members more often than not, I couldn't help it, y'know?

  "Um, he's in the courtyard," She said.

  "Let's go!" I grabbed her by the hand and skipped along happily, not really understanding why she was blushing on our way there. My mind was too preoccupied with the items. When we arrived, it took all the self-control I could muster to prevent myself from acting undignified before the company. Woah! An Orichalcum Lance! It was the first thing I saw as I stepped into the courtyard. Hertz was standing next to it like a professional presenter with a bunch of other items in tow.

  "There you are, Daphne!" Kimmel approached me and gave me the breakdown of what happened. I guess their memories truly were altered, I thought to myself as I nodded to everything he said. After "random guy X" announced Fargus' defeat, the Company rounded up the soldiers who id down their arms and sent them to the prisons Hertz found during his exploration. "Many of them had completely lost their will to fight and were terrified of us for some reason," He expined. So, he really was a former Corps Commander, huh? I thought to myself before asking,

  "Did any try to resist?"

  "Yes, but Phildina took care of them," He answered, not looking particurly fond of what she did. That's my girl! She never fails to inspire fear within the hearts of her enemies! I then shifted my attention back to Hertz's presentation. Zephyr's Capes, Dragonscales, Spirit Dust, Skill Theses, and... Woah, is that a Magic Masher?! Lucia seemed to be enthralled by something completely different.

  "An Earth Tome! I've always wanted one!" She squealed in delight.

  "Equipping it will allow you to cast Earth magic spells, right?"

  "Yes! With some of the best defense spells known to man, my arsenal would be complete!" Did the Tomes enable them to cast magic? How exactly did that work? I wondered as I began to hoar— I mean, collect as many items as I could. My serious look and the intensity with which I carried out this task spurred comments like,

  "The Commander is choosing weapons for our next mission," But nah, I was just hoarding. I could use a few Dragonscales though, I thought to myself as I collected five. Arnaud could also use some Spirit Dust, so I collected seven, thinking, I'll give these to him ter. Each stat-boosting item added five points to whatever stat they improved, so I'd be gaining an additional twenty-five points of defense. Yay! Just then, however, I happened to remember the surprise I was pnning for the Empire soldiers who would follow after us.

  "Lucia, remember how I said I'd need your help with some magic items?" I asked.

  "O-oh, yeah, I remember." She answered, snapping out of her dazed excitement.

  "They're inside the tent, so let's go," I said and as we went, I couldn't help but notice how many soldiers were starting to see me in a new light. They'd clear the way for us as we walked, their faces full of awe. I could feel the deep respect they had for me, almost bordering on reverence, and it filled me with anxiety, as I felt like I had to live up to their expectations. I mean, this mission was almost a catastrophic failure. Don't put too much faith in me, guys, were my thoughts as we entered the tent. "Phew," I let out a sigh of relief.

  "Actually, this goes back to what I wanted to tell you inside the Keep, but... I'm sorry," She apologized while bowing her head low.

  "Sorry... for what?" I asked.

  "I was... unable to contribute in that st battle. I felt like I couldn't hold anything back against an enemy of that caliber, but at the same time, I knew that I couldn't unleash my strongest spells there, so I was paralyzed. Please forgive me." Hmm, I see. If she had used an A-tier spell back there, the Keep would've been destroyed. Worse yet, that bastard could've survived.

  "You did nothing wrong, Lucia. It's really my fault for bringing you to an enclosed space like that," I expined.

  "B-but!—"

  "You're at your strongest when there's enough space to unleash your most powerful spells without affecting your fellow party members." Cssic AoE specialist, I added mentally. "And I'm at my strongest when I attack at a distance. In battle, we all have strengths and weaknesses like that. It's nothing to get all hung up about." She didn't seem entirely convinced though. I just hope she doesn't do something stupid, I thought to myself as I tried to steer the conversation back, "On that note, I have a confession to make, too."

  "A confession?" She asked with a puzzled look on her face.

  "Yes, a secret only the two of us will share," I said as I leaned in close and csped her right hand between my hands, causing her to blush furiously. I guess Phildina is starting to rub off on me.

  "W-w-what secret?"

  "Magic Mines," I whispered, and her eyes widened in shock.

  "Magic!!—"

  "Shh," I said as I pced my index finger on her soft lips. Magic Mines were vicious, trap magic items that could be pnted in any location. Once pnted, they became completely invisible and undetectable and could essentially stay in a spot forever until someone triggered it. It didn't discriminate when that happened, even when it came to the person who pnted it or their party members, making it generally frowned upon by pyers. In this situation, however, it would be perfect. "I'll need your help in fine-tuning them if you can."

  "I-I read about them in Giliad's Conventions of War. They're banned in several countries. H-how did you stumble upon them?" She asked.

  "Let's just say, the Kingdom doesn't respect these conventions, as Hertz personally delivered them to me from the items he found at Fort Vozal," I expined.

  "How many did he find?"

  "About thirty or so, hidden away deep within the Fort. I'd love it if you could fine-tune the explosiveness. From there, we'd pnt them in key locations around the Fort so that when the Empire soldiers come after us... KABOOM! It's going to be wonderful!" I expined with an eted look on my face.

  "Are you sure about this? It could give the Kingdom a bad look," She expressed her doubts, but I was sold on this idea.

  "It'd also kill a good number of Empire soldiers, forcing them to send more csses away from the frontlines. I couldn't ask for anything better!"

  "Okay, I'll help," She consented to help me, and the work began. She would modify the Magic Mines, and I'd be the one to strategically pce them when we were about to leave. It was a two-man— er woman team that would stand the test of time! The Empire is in for a rough ride! I thought to myself as I watched Lucia at work that afternoon.