The Kingdom of Amuria was enveloped in silence, resembling a fallen city-state, with the scars of battle painfully visible. The castle was in ruins, and Ranelle wore a sorrowful expression as she gazed at the devastation in places she once held dear.

“We three sisters used to play here often. Back when our mother was still alive, she would sit here and watch us, smiling. I can still vividly recall her face. We played without a care in the world, and it was truly so much fun…”

Even though the buildings could be rebuilt, they would never be the same. I understood the feeling of loss that comes from having a place of memories taken away. Her words left me at a loss for what to say. Perhaps sensing this, Ranelle quickly corrected herself.

“I’m sorry. I invited you out for a walk to clear our heads, but here I am saying something so depressing…”

“No, I understand how you feel. It’s not the same, but I remember feeling something similar when the park Nagisa and I used to play in was about to be demolished.”

“It’s not a small thing at all. Memories hold different weights for different people. I’m sure that park must have meant a lot to Nagisa.”

Ranelle had a point. Nagisa had been quite upset when she found out that the park was going to be torn down, but how did Ranelle know that?

After that, Ranelle led me on a tour of the ruined castle. Seeing the destruction of what had once been normal life left me with an indescribable feeling. When Ranelle offered to show me the town below, I declined, feeling like it would only bring me down further.

For the next 30 hours or so, we waited in the Kingdom of Amuria without incident. There was no movement from the rebel army, making the situation feel eerie. The group led by Jean, who was supposed to meet up with us here, hadn’t shown up, and I was beginning to worry when, much later than expected, Yamato finally arrived at the Kingdom of Amuria.

I immediately questioned Jean about the delay. He replied nonchalantly.

“Well, I figured everything would be fine with you here, so I stopped by a few major cities in the Federation along the way.”

“To resupply?”

“No, to gather and distribute information.”

“I understand gathering information, but what do you mean by distributing it?”

“The Federation’s communication systems have regressed to the Stone Age, so spreading information is tough.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I spread the word that President Ranelle is in the Kingdom of Amuria. Even if communication is down, people are still moving. Soon enough, both enemies and allies will gather in Amuria.”

“That’s a pretty reckless move for you, Jean.”

“The enemy’s goal is to take control of the country amidst the chaos. With no means of communication, there’s no way to quell the confusion across the vast Federation. So, it’s faster to consolidate all the chaos in one place, don’t you think?”

Hearing it explained that way, what I first thought was a reckless plan now seemed like a carefully calculated strategy. Ranelle also seemed on board with Jean’s idea.