Author's note: Terribly sorry about the horrible delay for this chapter. Building a Salamanders army for 40k, procrastination and communication problems with Trainalf made things a pain. However… here's the new chapter after many months of delay.

A New Chessboard

Both the Pope and Julio had escorted Saito and Louise out of the study and up into one of the dining rooms where they were politely asked to wait while the Romalians went to retrieve the keys to the vaults. They talked as they walked.

"Is showing them the vault so soon wise, your Eminence?" Julio questioned. "Do you trust the Gandalfr so soon?"

"I am still skeptical." The Pope admitted. "But that does not mean I wish for you three to fail in your mission. I wish to see the runes work too. I haven't forgotten that the Familiar is from Earth. But I think that his grievances are genuine."

"Do you pity the daughter of Charles?" Julio asked.

"Hmm." Almost as a reflex, he could say no. She had been involved one way or another in a blasphemous conspiracy. But she did seem as if she'd been forced. Vittorio could be ruthless in pursuit of Brimir's will, but he didn't take joy in it. Her plight did stroke some sympathy in him, even without the practical uses she presented. "We will see how events transpire." He said openly.

"I will be honest, Julio," The Pope went on. "I am very concerned by the recent events. I am not blind to the Elves' intelligence." Vittorio knew the magic they possessed made them privy to information humans could only be envious of. "But I know even those closest to us could be foolish." But what he couldn't understand was why. Very few outside of Romalia knew the true extent of Void Magic and its corresponding items, and even they didn't know everything.

"Recovering the Mirror should be of the utmost importance, so I am willing to take risks." The Founder's Mirror was the item corresponding to Romalia, and it was easily the most powerful. With the Mirror, he could gaze into the past and see Brimir's life as the man himself had seen it. This amazing gift had made Vittorio wise beyond his years; he knew things very few others did, knowledge that would make many people of both noble and common birth faint.

What the Church taught was not necessarily what was fact. The past was a lot more complex than people believed. There were many great secrets the Church kept from the people.

For good reason.

But more importantly, the Mirror told him what the Founder had done, and what he'd been trying to do.

Or some of it. Despite his best efforts to study in what spare time he had between his many functions, Vittorio recently hadn't been able to gleam much at all from the artifact recently; it would simply withhold the information from him. It was said Brimir's will would manifest when the Void Mages and their familiars came together. Vittorio interpreted that as the Mirror would tell him more. That's why he was so keen to find the Gallian and Albion Void Mages-he wanted to find out the full truth and find out what he was meant to do. It would be revealed to him, he was certain.

And something told him the mystery of Earth and that portal would be revealed as well.

"He does seem loyal to the Void Mage." Julio did not drift from the topic of Saito, "I have heard that they have been courting each other for quite a while now."

"Are you skeptical?"

His familiar shook his head.

"No . If anything, the Viscount's defense of the imprisoned Gallian mage has earned a rather large amount of jealousy and scorn from the Void Mage," Julio explained, "It seems that Lady Vallière is rather quite possessive of the Viscount."

"I see. On your previous visit, you noted the Viscount's fondness for people from that world. Tell me, did you note that on your most recent visit?"

"On the contrary. He seems to be quite angered by their recent actions against Charlotte d'Orléans and is seeking a way to free her from their prison."

"Mhm." The Pope nodded. "You wouldn't happen to be jealous of the Viscount yourself, would you, Julio?" he chuckled.

"Not at all." Julio played it cool. "With all due respect, I see only the many risks in this plan."

"They are risks that need to be taken in pursuit of Salvation." Vittorio restated. "And even if they prove to us that the Viscount cannot be trusted, it only gives us the ability to act and keep things moving towards Brimir's will." Julio nodded gravely.

"But that still leaves the matter of how Earth will respond to us bringing the Void Mage and Viscount under our reach." Julio went on.

"Yes, it does." The Pope acknowledged. "Remind me, Julio. How close does Earth hold the secrets of its muskets and airships to their hearts?" He asked a rhetorical question.

"America and Canada are quite adamant in their refusal to trade their weapons with any realm in Halkegenia. They have seized or otherwise acquired any they have found from the locals. If they witness him with weapons, they will grow suspicious of him and us, and might even seize the gifts."

"Yes, I suspect they will shun him." Vittorio answered as they re-entered his study. "But I wish to see how far their 'peaceful' intentions stretch." Julio suddenly understood. They wanted positive relations with the Papacy, but to what extent? To tangle with Saito, who'd be a verified agent of the Church? This would show what was more important to them-their power, or diplomacy. "We will test the loyalty of the Gandalfr and our new 'friends' at the same time."

"I see." Julio acknowledged as both sat down. Showing them the vault would be tackling three issues at once. "Very cunning, your Eminence."

"Thank you." The Pope smiled to himself, "Before we return to them, tell me, my dear friend: how does Queen Henrietta's reign fare on the eve of this invasion?"

Julio placed a hand on his chin.

"She is stoic and strong." He nodded. "Her soldiers and people are rallying around her. From what I could see, she's even put herself in a position of strength above the Germanian heathens, just as Inquisitor Badoglio said. The realm looks more prosperous already. At first glance, she has recovered from the Albion invasion stronger than ever."

"At a first glance?"

"Yes. I noticed it more once I arrived with the Order, but some of Henrietta's nobles seem weary of her. More than when I was there last time. There are many who follow her such as the Houses of Vallière, Gramont and Montmorency but there are also many who are hesitant to fully support her and some houses are thoroughly opposed to many of her efforts."

"Do you know why?"

Julio shook his head.

"I have a few theories but with recent events, I have been unable to verify them. I believe that they do not like that Queen Henrietta is concentrating more power and influence in her hands. The army she has amassed is very large and formidable, and many of the young nobles commanding it seem to hold a high opinion of Earth like she does. Many of Tristain's young nobles were educated at the Academy, right next to the portal to that world."

The whole nation's outlook shifted after the invasion, but the students had always been subtly influenced by what they saw. Even nobles from other realms. That was troubling.

The pope nodded.

"And I think all these changes that are 'inspired' by Earth make them weary. They feel pressured to make changes in their holdings."

"With the United States and Canada's obsessions with equality amongst their people," the pope deduced, "They fear for their position." His tone on that subject was neutral.

"Amongst other things no doubt. I'm sure that our servants in Tristain will keep watch for us." Julio replied as the pope produced a large, ancient looking key from his robes. He had always had it on him.

"Is there anything else at all you wish to bring up with me, Julio? Or shall we return to the Void Mage and her familiar?"

"No, you eminence. This mission is important. We should make every effort to leave today."

The sound of footsteps echoed in the stairs. Saito had lost track after a while as they ventured ever deeper. The steps led them into a barely lit hallway.

"Where exactly are you taking us?" Saito asked, slightly anxious while Louise glared at him for his remark.

"As I have told you earlier, we have long awaited your coming Viscount." Vittorio answered as they arrived in front of a massive door. "And we have prepared." Four heavily armored knights silently stood on each side, their silhouette foreboding. The pope walked up to the gate, inserted an ancient key into the lock. A series of clicks and clacks resonated, before the four guards pulled the door open. Vittorio raised a hand and the guards returned to their positions.

"Come Viscount." The pope gently ordered as he took the lead. Saito followed his steps into the vault but he soon came to a stop, his jaw dropping at what he saw inside.

"How-how did you get all of these?!" Saito asked in shock as he looked around the great vault.

"They were gifted to us by our Founder," Vittorio said serenely, "And only to be given to his chosen champion in Halkegenia's darkest hours."

The Japanese teen looked around, barely hiding his excitement. There were weapons from so many different moments of Earth's history in this vault. He saw racks of spears, bows, swords and guns. Weapons and instruments of war of all types. This was an armory and a museum all in one.

"Can I look around please?" he asked hurriedly, "This is awesome!"

"Of course Viscount. You may even pick a weapon of your choosing to replace your lost sword," Vittorio replied warmly. Saito bolted off.

"W-wait up!" Louise shouted as she followed him into the maze of weapons. The Pope had a small smile on his face as he watched the pair.

"Let us see what he picks." Vittorio told his familiar. "And see how much Earth influences him."

Julio nodded as both Romalians observed their guests running around the vault's various alleys. The viscount could barely hide his excitement. Saito was still a geek for cool stuff at heart, and forgot about the outside world for just a little while.

Saito suddenly stopped, causing Louise to run into him. The pinkette protested, but her boyfriend was too slack jawed to notice. He was fixed to the spot by pure amazement. He'd caught sight of something beyond the shelves even more astounding than all the guns: a tank. And not just any tank, a Tiger. One of the most infamous German tanks of WWII.

"Ah, that machine." The Pope had come from behind them and realized Saito was captivated. "Julio, what was it that America and Canada called these?"

"Hmm. I cannot remember for certain, your Eminence." Julio admitted as they watched Saito sort of zombie walk over towards it. "They referred to vehicles like that as either 'tanks' or 'armored personnel carriers'. I was never sure how they determined the difference."

Saito stopped just in front of the metal behemoth before it stopped completing hogging his attention. He looked past it and noticed something almost as amazing: a Flak 88. But there was even more behind them. Saito stepped around and realized that this part of the vault was full of pieces of aircraft, boats, and vehicles. Some had flags on them. American, British, Italian, and ones Saito didn't recognize. Even Japan too.

"Can I take a look inside?" Saito shouted from the front of the Tiger.

"You may, Viscount!" The Pope called back. Saito climbed on, and he felt a little gleeful when he set his palm on the cannon and the runes lit up. It worked!

The teen swiftly opened the commander's hatch and poked his head in. Immediately, he lifted it out coughing; there hadn't been any oxygen inside.

"Saito!" Louise shouted worriedly.

"I'm fine!" He coughed. "How long has this tank been here?"

The Pope put a hand to his chin.

"A very long time. I believe that we have records of when many of these weapons arrived into our vaults. If you wish, Viscount, we can search them to see when this particular weapon arrived."

Saito shook his head.

"No, I was just wondering since it's so old that there was no air to breath inside of this," he explained, "I'll just leave the hatch open." He went back to the shelves.

The pope smiled as he saw Saito and Louise wandering around the vault, looking at various weapons. He was enticed. Already, they had offered him something truly better than Earth had.

Meanwhile, Saito was looking at as many weapons as possible. He could recognize many of the guns such as AK-47's or M1 Garand's, K98K's or even an old Arisaka rifle from Japan. There were even some of the earlier versions of the M16's. Others looked like old muskets and there were a few vehicle mounted weapons. It seemed that many of them had come from important Earth armies over time. Their mint condition was unnerving Saito. Some of these weapons hadn't been used in almost a century and yet they looked as if they just came off the assembly lines.

The excitement slipped from his mind, and he realized that this was something he should be taking more seriously. The implications were disturbing. Devers had to hear about this. Just how long had the Romalians been collecting weapons?

He went past a rack with swords on them, not intending to linger, but something caught his eye and he stopped. Louise was out of breath following him around by now. "Woah." Saito said softly, pulling a sword off the rack and observing it.

"Ah, that. A strange design for a sword." Julio commented as he and the Pope approached. Louise recognized the blade though, from the movies and books Saito got from Earth. "I have yet to see a blacksmith in Halkeginia make such a blade with such a curve."

"Saito, you showed me this. It's a sword from Japan, isn't it?"

"It's a katana." Saito explained excitedly. "These were the favorite weapons of the Samurai of my country and the sharpest swords on Earth."

"Sa-mou-rai, Viscount?" Julio asked curiously.

"I guess they're like the knights in Japan." Saito answered, "Only they could carry these and no one else. When my country went to war with America, some men even used them to fight American soldiers with guns."

"A noble's weapons then?" the pope remarked. The Japanese teen nodded.

"How very fitting for you, Viscount Hiraga then. Would you like to keep it?" the Pope suggested as Louise nodded in agreement. Oh yeah, Saito was here to get a new weapon so he could protect Louise.

"Of course! Thank you!" He wasn't going to stop missing Derf, but he'd be lying if he said he'd never dreamed of being a Samurai. "Alright, I'm ready for that mission."

"Not yet. The old legends spoke that the Gandalfr would be a master of both sword and spear," Vittorio explained as Saito kept looking over the katana, admiring its workmanship.

"Spear?" Saito looked up, confused.

"It is believed that the spear is an allegory for a weapon that would allow the Gandalfr to fight from a distance. In Brimir's time, there were spears. Now, we have muskets and we know that Earth has devised even greater ways to keep an enemy at bay."

"Does that mean I can get a gun?" Saito was not expecting to come to Romalia and get a gun. Part of him was giddy at the prospect, but another was worried. What would Earth think?

Julio looked at his pontiff, who nodded.

"You may, Viscount. I insist, even. Whatever will keep Lady Vallière safe." The Pope was giving him his blessings. And even if Saito was anxious about what trouble he could get into, he really would prefer a gun to protect Louise with. As long as he explained it, hopefully Devers wouldn't get too mad at him.

Saito returned to the gun racks, looking around the various weapons. He hovered over them, thinking about what to pick. Finally, he settled on the AK-47.

"Why didn't you take the one that looks like what the Americans or Canadians have?" Louise asked curiously, "Weren't they the best weapons on Earth?"

Saito shook his head.

"They're better but this is an AK-47. It's the most durable gun ever built on Earth," he explained, "I heard that they need less maintenance and are easier to fix than the American or Canadian ones. I think it'll be useful."

Louise nodded understandingly. Her boyfriend was the expert.

"Mother always did say that an easy to maintain weapon was always a good choice," she said.

"A smart warrior is just as capable as a well armed one," the Pope added.

"You said Brimir gave you these?" Saito asked.

"They appear throughout the world, summoned by his Divine magic." The Pope explained. "We have agents that go out and retrieve them. It is a sacred and dangerous task; we've lost several bringing back items from the Holy Land." Saito knew weapons and other things from Earth came into Halkegenia, but he didn't think it was this frequently. And was the Church really hoarding all of it?

"The Holy Land?" Louise asked. "Do you mean that the Elves have these too?" She looked faint. Saito paid close attention to the Pope's answer.

"No." The Pope shook his head. "They do not bother and leave the artifacts to rust and decay. But we see the true value in them and why Brimir brought them to us."

"All for me?" Saito asked quietly, not really believing it. People had done all of this for him? Or what his runes made him? People had died for these?

"Yes. And after so long, it will be assuring to see all the effort blossom into results." The Pope nodded.

This was a lot to take in. A LOT. Saito tried to keep his head on straight. The how and why was something America and Canada could figure out. He should really just try and get as much information as he could.

"I'll be sure I don't waste all the work they put in." He promised, and he actually meant it. "Excuse me, but I would like to see the tank again before we leave," Saito said as he slung the AK-47, "I think it would be safe for me to enter it." He really did want to see the inside of it, but he had another reason too, especially now.

"You may viscount."

The group made their way back to the Tiger. Saito got on and peeked into the commander's hatch. He could breathe this time.

"I'm going in!" he shouted before sliding into the tank and closed the hatch. The first thing he noticed was how cramped it was after his katana and rifle banged on the turret interior. He had expected it to be roomier inside a massive tank.

Saito looked around. He opened a few of the storage compartments. There were various intact booklets, tools and maps still in them, all in German. From a glance, it appeared that this tank was somewhere in Eastern Europe when it went missing. Saito quickly snapped pictures of the maps. Maybe the agencies could use these to figure out where this tank exactly came from. He couldn't take pictures to prove the gun racks, but he could take pictures of this.

He opened another compartment… and found a leather holster with an old German pistol in it. There was also a pair of magazines lying nearby. Whoever was in this tank before it came to Halkeginia either left quickly, or they hadn't been in it when it did.

"No way," he muttered quietly as his runes glowed when he touched the pistol. Seizing the opportunity, Saito discreetly hid the holster and pistol under his clothes before snapping a few more pictures.

There was not a single speck of rust or dust anywhere inside this tank despite it being here almost 75 years! The commander's viewports were still clean as Saito looked around. He also realized that no one seemed to have noticed that he was looking outside from the commander's viewports. He placed his phone on each viewport before snapping a picture. The pictures were crystal clear, the viewports being sparkling clean.

He slid into the gunner's post and saw that the Tiger's ammunition racks were still full. A quick glance into the gun's scope allowed him to see outside with utmost clarity.

Even more pictures for the agencies, but it left Saito with an unpleasant feeling. Was this the only basement full of weapons they had? And were they really all for just him?

He had an ugly feeling that Devers was right about the Pope. A knocking on the turret hatch caught his attention.

"Are you ok Saito?" He heard Louise's muffled shout, "Can you hear me?"

Saito crawled back up and opened the hatch.

"Yeah!" he exclaimed before turning to Julio and the Pope, "I'm impressed at how you kept this tank in good shape. It almost looks like it was just finished building."

The pope nodded with a small smile.

"I am pleased to hear that you are satisfied with our efforts in preserving these weapons for you viscount. In fact, there is one in particular I want you to see."

The pope guided them to a deeper part of the vault, through another set of doors and down a long hallway. The group started feeling the air growing more humid as they walked deeper underground, eventually coming upon an underground canal.

"Perhaps this may interest you as well." the pope said as Saito came into view of a small boat being held on struts next to a dock. Louise and Saito quickly recognized the familiar American flag hung from a mast.

He could make out two machine guns mounted on stands and covered by gunshields. The front of the boat had a quad mounted machine gun, and there was a stand at the back of the boat for another gun that was empty. Saito had seen these in war movies. It was a gunboat from the Vietnam war!

"Of course it does!" he exclaimed enthusiastically, "I read about these boats in books and how they patrolled dangerous rivers during wars."

"Your Eminence, I believe that this craft would be from the United States of America," Julio pointed out the flag, "Am I correct Viscount?"

"Yes," Saito nodded.

"Interesting," the pope casually said, "Did you happen to see any of these, Julio?"

His familiar shook his head.

"I have not seen any of these during my stay in Tristain, though I must admit that I have not paid much attention to the waterways there."

"And you, Viscount, Lady Vallière?"

Both shook their heads.

"I have not seen anything like this," Louise replied, "What about you Saito?"

"I think these boats aren't used anymore," he answered honestly, "I only heard of them being used during a war about 50 years ago."

"Ah I see," the pope replied, "Would it be possible for you to inspect if this boat is still functional?"

"Of course, your Eminence," Saito answered as he made his way to a ladder on the side of the boat. Climbing on, the Japanese teen quickly made his way to the gun turrets, pleasantly touching the weapons and seeing his runes glow. Ammunition bins still looked full as well. He made his way to the controls. Everything still looked intact, like the Zero… though he would be careful not to start pressing buttons this time. His runes glowed again as he touched the steering wheel.

"You said these were used for rivers?" The Pope asked.

"Yeah." Saito answered. "They have bigger boats with bigger guns they use to sail the seas on Earth."

"Interesting." The Pope acknowledged.

"You guys don't use ships to go over the seas, do you?" Saito asked. He knew Tristain didn't.

"No, we still use airships. But I must admit being intrigued about crossing the seas without windstones."

"Well, something like this is too small and slow to cross the seas with." Saito told him, getting a little uncomfortable, "They were just used on rivers and lakes if I remember correctly."

"I see. Were these very powerful ships?" Julio asked as he eyed the front twin machine gun turret. They reminded him of what he had seen in the hands of Earth's troops.

"Yeah, as far I know." Saito answered, "Though I wouldn't be surprised if they made something better since then."

Vittorio nodded before clearing his throat.

"Very well. Thank you for your insight, Gandalf. Let us return to the Cathedral and continue our conversation. There is still much to cover."

The group began its way back to the main vault. Saito was adjusting his clothes and weapons, trying to figure out the best way to carry them. He did want to carry the gun openly, but he wasn't sure how that would fly here. So he kept it slung over his shoulder.

"Viscount." The Pope addressed Saito. "I hope it goes without saying that you should keep those weapons a secret. At least for now. I don't want to bring undue confusion and speculation to the world's faithful at the moment."

"Right. I'll keep the gun hidden." Saito promised. He could pass the katana off as a rare blade; personalized swords were pretty common here. He was surprised to hear the Pope didn't warn him to keep the weapons hidden from Earth though.

"Your Eminence, may I ask something?" Louise spoke up as they walked.

"Yes, Lady Vallière?"

"How did your powers manifest?" she asked curiously, "Mine manifested… quite spectacularly." The pope chuckled lightly.

"That is, Lady Vallière, quite a tale that cannot be easily told. Perhaps we may discuss this at another time?"

"I understand your Eminence."

"So, Julio. Do your runes give you special powers too? Can all familiars to Void Mages master weapons?" He asked.

Julio shook his head.

"My powers are quite different, viscount," he answered, "As the Vindalfr, Right Hand of God, I am gifted with the ability to control any beast of my choosing."

"Is that how you control your dragon?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not" Julio replied with a small smile, "But make no mistake Viscount, I am also quite proficient with a blade."

"Really? Maybe you could show me some things?" Saito asked innocently.

"But Viscount, aren't the runes allowing you mastery of any weapons you hold?" Julio asked, surprised.

Saito shook his head.

"You see Emissary, I don't want to only rely on my runes to fight. What happens if they fail me someday?"

Louise glared at him.

"Saito! The Founder's gifts are infaillible! You cannot say such things in front of his Eminence!-"

Her rant was cut short by the pope raising his hand.

"Please do not scold the Viscount, Lady Vallière," he said affably before turning to Saito, "I believe that the Founder's gifts are infallible but your dedication to improving your skills is quite commendable."

"Indeed it is," Julio added, "Perhaps you would like to meet with some of Romalia's finest fencing instructors instead?"

"Erm, do you think we'd have the time?" Saito said nervously. It was the early evening still.

"At a later time, perhaps." The pope offered. "Have faith, Viscount, that the Founder's will and blessings will see you through this small task, as he has no doubt guided you through many greater ones already." The Pope had probably intended for Saito to deeply reflect on that. Instead, the young man considered all the times Earth had subtly helped guide things.

They returned to the Pope's study, and the matter of their mission resumed. But he was not going to send them off without being sure they felt prepared. He promised them answers on whatever it was that might be plaguing their minds, so long as he knew the answer of course. Louise had plenty.

"Your Eminence, I still feel under informed about Void Magic" Louise said respectfully.

"Yes, Lady Vallière?"

"If there are four Void Mages, do you know why our Holy Founder has divided his Void Magic?"

A small smile appeared on his face.

"Yes, he was. I do not truly know why our Founder has made such a decision but certain of my predecessors have discussed it and written certain treatises for when Void was to reappear amongst His heirs. Since each Void Mage has different spells, they believe that it was a way to unite his Blessed Realms as they would have to cooperate to gain Void's full power," he explained in an ethereal voice, "My predecessors theorized that our Founder wished for his powers to separated in such a way that all the Void Mages and their familiars would be able to complement each other."

"So that none of them can abuse His powers?" Louise concluded.

"Perhaps. It is hard to fully understand His Will," the pope answered honestly, "There are many here in Romalia who spend lifetimes contemplating how our Founder thought."

"I noticed something about my powers." Louise went on. "The way they manifested. I only figured out how to cast my explosion spell right before we were overwhelmed during the siege. I only realized there was a spell to dispel magic when I thought Saito was going to get hurt by my mother's wind spell… Is that normal?" She asked. The Pope smiled, tilting his head to the side slightly to rest it on his fist.

"Did you ever have doubts on your status, Ms. Valliere?" he asked. "There is no shame in admitting it." he consoled when she got red in the face.

"Y-yes." She admitted.

"Even for a mage of the conventional four elements, a healthy body and mind is necessary for them to cast magic. The same is true for Void. If your mind was marred with doubts, it could've inhibited you. Or," he offered an alternative answer, "Void Magic provides to you when it sees fit. It is more than an element. I know it has done so for me."

"How do you mean?" Louise asked, perplexed. "Have you ever casted Void spells?"

"Ah, I'm afraid I cannot say right now." he answered, with a wave of his hand. And while Saito found that answer suspicious, Louise accepted it without question.

"Of course." She nodded, drifting back to her own situation. "To be honest...I don't even remember casting Explosion for the first time. Everyone out there on the battlement says I did, but I don't remember. It's kind of scary." She admitted. "It sounded like my body was taken over."

"Maybe for that instant, the Founder's spirit guided you." The Pope suggested in a tone that did not make it sound as creepy as it really should've been. "I have experienced many surreal things myself." He related. "Wielding Void is a gift, but one that carries burdens. But you are strong. I'm certain you are strong enough to face them."

"Of course." Louise said humbly. If she had other questions, she didn't voice them. Saito was likewise silent, and Julio was still the most informed out of all of them.

"If that is all." The Pope stood up. "I believe you three should prepare to leave. May the Founder watch over you."

"We will leave immediately." Julio stood up.

"Will we be sailing there on another ship?" Saito asked as he stood up.

"My dragon will take us." Julio explained. "It'll be a hard ride, but we can make the journey to the border much faster."

Julio's dragon was a strong beast, just as he had said. The journey that had taken them a few days on an airship had only taken them roughly a day of total flying time, with a layover the same day they'd left to sleep. They'd reached Aquileia, a massive city on the border, on the evening of the next day. The sun was still in the sky, but Julio concluded that they should stop and rest now. He would need time to procure horses and other supplies, and riding so hard all day was as taxing for the people riding the dragon as it was the dragon itself.

"Achoo!" Louise seemed to have caught a cold on their hard ride. Going so fast, so high up, with the wind blowing against them in the middle of winter, it wasn't really a surprise. "Ugh." Saito picked up a cover from the bed and tossed it over her shoulders. They'd put up in a nice inn for the night in the city's vast merchant quarter. Julio was out getting them supplies.

"You're going to be alright?" Saito asked. She'd been sneezing and shivering since they landed.

"I'll be fine." She tried to sound proud but failed as she sniffed and sneezed another time. "I just need a hot bath."

"Good idea. I'll see if I can get you something hot to eat as well."

"Thank you Saito." she said, walking towards the inn's bathroom, cover still over her head. Saito accompanied her there before heading towards the inn's main counter. He quickly ordered some warm soup for them and rushed back to his room, glancing over his shoulders for anyone following him.

Saito was all alone; this was his chance. He hurried over and locked the door. Then he closed all the curtains for good measure. The room got noticeably darker without light from the street lamps outside to filter in, but he still had enough.

He retrieved the wrapped bundle from their luggage and laid it out on the bed. After unfolding everything, he readjusted the AK so it was in the center. He put the katana and the pistol he swiped down beside them. With all the weapons Romalia had given him clearly displayed, he snapped a photo with the phone. More evidence.

He sat down on the end of the bed and went to the phone's contacts. There was only one, and it was unnamed. Saito stared at it for a few seconds, wondering if it was legitimate. But he didn't think they would play with him like that. Still, he was cautious enough to inquire before be started sending any incriminating information.

'Devers gave me this phone and told me to send anything I find out to this number. I have some information'. He typed it out, hesitated for a second, then hit send. Then he waited. Saito had a good idea how long Louise's bath would take but he didn't want to risk her asking about what he was doing if she saw him on the phone, or why the door had been locked. His mind set out on working out as many excuses as possible. With the amount of movies he'd watched back on Earth…

No response immediately came back, and he started to fidget. He glanced at the message he'd written in case it contained any typos, and he glanced around at the door and the windows. When he did get a response, he almost jumped.

'Send it'. The responding text was short and simple. Saito's fingers immediately got to work, spilling everything he knew and thought they'd want to know.

'The Pope is Void Mage. Julio is familiar.' Saito tried to remember how to spell Julio's Void name, but gave up quickly. 'Their powers different from Louise and mine. Julio controls animals. Gallia and Albion have Void mages with different powers too right now.' He hit send, then immediately started on a second message.

"What are the pope's powers?"

Saito was quickly setting his weapons on one of the tables.

"No idea but Romalian soldiers are looking in Albion. Julio and us are supposed to look for the one in Gallia. We're supposed to investigate Void items stolen in Gallia. The Church gave me weapons to help. Pope thinks something big will happen because Void mages have reappeared.' Then he clicked on the attachment icon to add in the photos he'd just taken. 'They collect weapons from Earth that appear here. There are some in the Elven lands too' He hit send on that one too, then stopped to wrack his brains. Was there anything else he should mention?

"They think I "Chosen one" of some kind." The next response took some time to come back.

"Understood. What is your current location and next destination? Any American weapons?"

"Aquileia. Heading to Lutèce. Yes many, including patrol boat with US flag on it."

"Pictures?"

"Couldn't take any."

"Understood. Anything else?"

"No."

"Good, will stay in touch. BE CAREFUL."

Saito breathed out a sigh of relief before a knock on the door startled him.

"Saito? Are you in there?" Louise asked from the other side of the door. He quickly pocketed his phone and pistol.

"Yeah," he answered, hoping that he hid his surprise well before making his way to the door.

"Why did you lock the door?" his girlfriend asked as he opened the door. Louise looked somewhat better than when they first arrived at the inn. He didn't even realize enough time had passed for her to be done with her bath.

"Just wanted to make sure that we were safe." he bluffed while Louise raised an eyebrow, "I mean, we are on a mission for the Church. Can't be careful enough."

Louise sighed.

"I guess you are right."

"Yeah, I got us some warm food," he said, pointing at the table, "Thought it might make you feel better."

The mage smiled tiredly.

"Thank you Saito," she said as they moved to the table. Louise sat down first, almost collapsing on the chair, her shoulders slumping.

"Are you okay Louise? You look worried."

"Just tired Saito," she replied unconvincingly.

"Louise" Saito said sternly.

"I'm worried."

"About what? This whole mission?" He had an idea but still… Louise shook her head.

"Her Majesty."

Saito slowly nodded.

"I'm pretty sure she'll be fine. Your mother and Captain Agnes are with her after all."

"Still… I hoped I could have been by her side in Albion," Louise replied as she ate another spoonful of soup. "I didn't expect getting sent to Gallia."

She shuddered.

"King Joseph is nothing but a cruel and vile man," she muttered angrily, "To think I have to speak to him." Then she shuddered. "When we saw him at the planning banquet, it was like he was made of ice." Saito remembered that, and he remembered feeling uneasy when the man introduced himself to Louise and her mother.

"I hope we don't have to talk to him anymore than we have to," Saito said, a small amount of hope in his voice. He wondered if he should mention Charlotte, then decided against it. "I hope Guiche and his guys are safe right now though."

Louise looked at him curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the last time we saw them, they were about to go to Albion. The invasion started a few days ago, so they must be there already. I hope none of them have gotten hurt yet."

Louise nodded.

"I'm sure they're fine. Mother too." Even with Louise not there and not being as supportive of the war, she was sure her mother would've gone anyway for the Queen's sake. "I hope they haven't needed my powers yet."

"I think they'll be fine even without you." Saito assured. "I was training with a lot of them while we were there. Tristain has to have the strongest army in the world right now." The Americans and Canadians were there too. Saito had heard just like all the other nobles that they weren't going to play that big a role in things, but he didn't fully believe it.

Knowing those countries… they probably had spies and special forces running around and causing mayhem behind the enemy lines. Probably had people keeping an eye on the Queen as well.

A knock cut their conversation.

"Pardon me but may I enter?"

"Of course you may Emissary," Louise replied as Julio opened the door. He was carrying a few scrolls.

"Is the meal to your taste?" he asked, glancing over the empty soup bowls.

"Yeah, they're pretty good." Saito answered, "But what brings you here, Emissary?"

Julio nodded before sitting down.

"I merely wished to discuss our current itinerary once we arrive in Gallia," he explained as he handed them each a scroll, "I have with me letters that will guarantee our safe passage for the duration of our travels."

"Thank you, Emissary," Louise said as she read over the paper.

"May I?" he asked, pointing at the bowls and plates. Louise and Saito both nodded. He moved them away before placing a map of Gallia. The Romalian laid out their route for the next few weeks. The trio would visit a few Gallian holdings and convene with their ruling lords on their way North. Their path ended in the Gallian Capital, Lutèce.

"Emissary, are you certain that these lords will aid us?" Louise asked as he finished his briefing.

"These lords have long been cooperative with the local clergymen and will gladly assist us. They have been well known to be faithful and pious men that wish to follow Brimir's will." Julio explained. "Many have expressed their concerns about their king and his rule of Gallia."

"It's going to take a week or two to visit all of them, won't it?" Saito asked. Julio nodded.

"Yes Viscount. I have already spoken with other members of the Church over this plan and they believe it is feasible with good horses."

"I'll take your word for it then," Saito replied, still unconvinced. He mentally noted down the places they would be visiting. Hopefully Earth would be able to make use of this info. "I'm going to be honest. I didn't think we would be there so long on an urgent mission."

"Saito!" Louise never could get how her boyfriend, even now, insisted on questioning everything.

"It was urgent that we start an investigation." Julio clarified. "And we will take however long it is necessary to make that investigation as thorough as possible. The theft of the Founder's relics is a matter that we cannot take lightly. But we must assess King Joseph if we want to determine if he was responsible.

"I agree, Emissary," Louise replied seriously, "We must find the culprits and ensure that they are properly punished for their transgressions."

"We shall indeed." Julio nodded approvingly, "I have already bought horses at the stables for tomorrow's journey. We shall pick up some food for our travels at the market before we cross the border. I suggest you both rest now for I wish to depart before the sun rises."

So here they were, really about to enter the realm of an insane king that had tried to have them killed. Who'd forced his own niece to try and kill her friends. And all because the Church said so, and that only because Louise had been born with rare magic. Halkegenia seemed just as absurd at that moment for Saito as it had when the Japanese teenager had first arrived. Just when Earth was making the place seem so much more sane, it went right back to being insane.

Saito put an arm over Louise's shoulder. He was going to protect her, no matter what.

After the portal had appeared, the boundaries of Jeanne Mance Park had been changed to reflect it. They'd built a road off the existing system and up to the portal, and buildings necessary for a border crossing had gone up too. The nearby barracks of the Canadian Grenadier Guards and Montreal Fire Department Headquarters meant that they didn't have to invest too heavily in security, but they still needed gates, barriers, and fences. Some longtime residents regretted seeing the natural beauty replaced with more urban sprawl as well as some of the monuments being closed off. A lot more residents complained about the greater amount of traffic in the whole area. But the added tourism and commerce was also well received by many of the city's business owners. They brought in more governmental money and pushed the city's renovations forward.

And the influx of foreigners brought security headaches too. Just three nights ago, residents and commuters had witnessed the strange sight of dozens of Montreal and Sureté du Québec agents and even members of the RCMP descending on the checkpoint. The agencies had made vague official statements about a smuggling arrest. And that was all they said.

It'd been an Asian national carrying forged paperwork, along with a camera and a few other suspicious items. The border guards had seen right through it, and they'd brought down the hammer fast; law enforcement had a lot of contingencies for emergencies at the portal. He'd been detained and shipped off to the Donnacona Institution, one of Canada's maximum security prisons.

No clue who he really was yet, but they were tracing his existence as far back as possible to determine it. This was the first instance, as far as they knew anyway, of another nation trying to sneak its way into Halkegenia. Someone must've decided it was interesting enough to try, finally.

But there was only one way in and out, and Canada had this side completely secure.

But now it was the concern for the operations in this plane of existence, so things in Halkegenia went on as normal.

Among the numerous civilian and military cargo vehicles lined up on the park road, an SUV pulled into the narrow emergency lane on the side and kept driving past them. A few annoyed drivers honked to signal their grievances. A few caught sight of the government plate on the back and dismissed it from their minds. It reached the portal only half a minute later and was motioned to cut in by a border guard. The staff at the checkpoint were already authenticating the plate.

"ID's." The guard asked, and he got two. One CIA. One CSIS. with those credentials came through here all the time. "Go ahead." He sent them on their way. The SUV pulled up and past the outer structure of the portal and disappeared into the void.

'Void' was Devers' favorite word to describe the space between Canada and Halkegenia. The surface they were driving on felt like concrete, and people who had walked it said the same thing. But it was nothing but blackness in all directions. They'd used drones, night vision goggles, and a few brave volunteers to walk further, but it didn't seem to end. In fact, the human explorers had reported some strong compulsion to not stray from the line that led from one world to another. Scientifically, you could credit that to human fear.

Or maybe there was something magical about it. When Devers had passed through it when he and Harper came back to Earth to look into the infiltration, his mind had locked on to the surroundings of the unusual border. It was like looking into a void. Void Magic? Familiar summoning spells brought creatures from all around the world Halkegenia was part of, even places the locals didn't know. A spell had already opened a small portal to Earth for Hiraga to fall through. So was it really unreasonable to think one had opened this?

Still no evidence, but a betting pool had already started at the office about it. People seemed damn sure it was magic. Halkegenia had a way of easing even the most cynical and analytical of people into accepting the bizarre.

The Romalians were convinced it was Divine Magic. That was the line they were giving their own people down there about people from Earth. 'Brimir allowed them entrance', 'It is Brimir's Will', 'The portal was Brimir's gift'. And who the hell was Brimir, really? Definitely couldn't be the same saint from 6000 years ago everyone kept telling them about. Those stories were too good to be true. And if it was Brimir, how was he doing it from beyond the grave? What the hell did he want his people to do and, more importantly, what the fuck did he want from Earth?

Neither Devers or Harper were overtly religious; their line of work tended to conflict with those morals not to mention they saw the way certain individuals used or interpreted faith. But that was not to say they didn't believe in the concept of God. A lot of people, even those that had no religion, earnestly believed there was 'something' up there. The same could be true of Halk. But the concept was much more menacing when it interfered so regularly and so drastically.

People were starting to think that maybe, just maybe, Earth was really dealing with something beyond their comprehension.

The portal wasn't that wide, but just enough for a two lane road for traffic going both ways, or wide enough for heavy vehicles to go through one way. For when it operated as a two lane road, drivers had to be extremely cautious. Head on collisions were a real risk. A few had happened over its short history, and every time they did it backed things up for miles in Montreal and took ages to tow the vehicles out.

Since there was no natural light in the void, they'd had to be creative when they built the road through it. Reflectors, hundreds of them forming the lines you'd normally see made with paint on a concrete road. Not enough to create a blinding kaleidoscope, but enough to reflect a good amount of light around. Every couple hundred yards were signs hooked to generators relaying relevant information of distance and time to the other side. To the right of the road, right to those leaving Earth, a very large bundle of cables were tied together and stretched from one side to the other, covered in reflective tape. That was the lifeline between worlds, the communication cables carrying so much political, military, and economic information and data to and from Halkegenia.

Curiously, after the invasion when the portal had gotten shorter, the techies had made some measurements. The journey, and presumably the distance between worlds, had gotten shorter, but the amount of cable they had and needed hadn't. For a lack of better words, it was a total mindfuck.

Predictably, they ended up stuck behind a few transport vehicles making to cross through to the otherwise. There was no going around here, so they had to wait. The distance getting shorter had been a boon when they needed to rush in resources, but it made commerce a pain in the ass. Eventually, they made their way through, and the first look at Halkegenia might make a person momentarily believe they had gone back to Earth.

Most of the military presence-the housing, vehicles, all that-were located mostly out of sight behind the portal. The first 50 feet out of the portal was a pure checkpoint, made up of authorities from three nations. But after that was what people liked to call 'downtown'. This place was pure modern architecture: Paved streets and sidewalks with street lights. One story office buildings for shared government offices and even a three story building where at least 10 different businesses had established a cramped branch. The hospital. Apartments and a three story parking garage. A post office. And various other small things. And all of it crammed neatly into just a few blocks.

Further out were warehouses and prefab steel buildings that held the shops and items for sale. Not as visually clean as the core buildings, but these shops were where most of the transactions happened. Where the real money was made.

It all had the infrastructure to support it. The substation was in the military section, but it made sure all the power generated by the solar panels and generators was stored and spread around accordingly. Hell, they were even building a trio of wind turbines nearby. If they could make this outpost completely green, it'd take the slightest chunk out of the traffic coming through. And some underground sewer piping kept everything clean by taking it a few miles south to a plant they'd built to deal with it.

Further away from the portal, exactly on the line the modern buildings ended, you had the Tristainian section of things. Carts, wagons, and stalls. Still, it was quite clean. The many businesses from Earth insisted upon proper sanitation, not wanting to contaminate their goods with unknown bacteria. They were even allowed to use the plumbing from the main economic zone.

Despite that, Earth and Tristain had still had to crack down and downsize the camp on several occasions. It couldn't get too big. They couldn't expand the Earth built section without impeding further on Tristain sovereignty or over-extending resources, and a big native town wasn't sustainable here; there were no rivers or streams nearby, only a few wells. And squalor would just impede trading.

Some brilliant humanitarians and scientists from Earth had been thinking how to fix that. Since the intel agencies had the secondary job of monitoring Earth tech and property in the world, they were privy to some of the plans that had been drawn up. Some geniuses wanted to introduce Tristain to the concept of railroads, insisting it would improve trade and connect Tristain, making it unnecessary for such a huge concentration of people around the portal and improving quality of life drastically. While interesting, it was a bunch of optimists getting ideas that were impractical.

It was a late industrial age idea. There were simply so many things that were necessary to build railroads: superior metal working, factories, land seizures, technical knowhow that didn't even have the preceding technological steps. Devers and Harper figured they were just getting over-excited that they'd re-created the steam engine. Speaking of, Colbert's magical/mechanical hybrid airship was starting to get big enough to be seen from the portal. The sleek hull stood out against the nearby Academy. The bosses were letting them proceed, gathering data from the sweat, money, and effort of others. Here's to hoping it didn't bite them in the ass in a few decades.

Innovation was fun as long as you thought about the economic side of it. When you considered the military side, it got less appealing. Personally, Devers wouldn't mind if something like a railroad never took off in this world. The Civil War and the World Wars went so gosh darn well thanks to railways, didn't they?

Ah, no point dwelling. People could talk about all the new things (new things besides agricultural technology) they wanted to introduce to this world, but none of it was going to happen any time soon. Not with unstable rulers and religious fanatics running around.

Not to say that some hadn't made it into Tristain and Halkeginia due to the reconstruction. Printing presses were becoming more and more widespread. They were being extensively used during reconstruction as instructions, edicts, decrees and posters needed to be printed out quickly and cheaply. People from the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, Earth's organisation dedicated to the French language and francophone culture and the Quebec Ministry of Education were using them to print educational material for the commoner populations. Mostly in crown controlled areas though; many nobles weren't as open to the idea on their exclusive holdings.

The hospital in Tristainia was looking more and more modern. Not a first world 2019 hospital, but definitely better than you'd find in third world countries back on Earth. And a lot of the housing being built for homeless families did seem a little more late 19th Century.

The economy hadn't drastically changed. The population's level of education hadn't drastically changed either. But things were still looking a little more modern depending where you looked with mainly better infrastructure slowly being built around the lands. It was all still within manageable levels. The CIA and CSIS would keep them that way.

They pulled their SUV into a gas station, and then behind the main building to a pump reserved for non-military government vehicles. For diplomatic and non-military vehicles, it was generally advised to keep a full can of gas or two with you just in case. Tristain was still a big country and there were no Exxons or Petro-Canada's along the roads. If you ran out of gas, you were as good as trapped. Devers climbed out and walked around the back to get the jerry can secured to the back hatch.

"How's the weather on Earth?" The security guard leaned out his booth, pulling his coat zipper up just slightly. It was May on Earth, but still the middle of winter here.

"A mess back home! We had hot weather one week… and the next, it feels like winter's about to come back." Devers called back as he started filling up the can, "Canucks are dealing with heavy flooding right now. They called back some of their troops to clean up."

An armored truck pulled around and up the other pump behind them. It was probably taking another load of silver and gold from the currency exchange office back to Earth. Either Fort Knox or the Bank of Canada in Ottawa. Locals had been throwing so much of the stuff at them, they couldn't keep it all here. It was causing a lot of stir in North America's stock markets.

They topped off their tank and were on their way. Past the prefab steel buildings, the paved roads gave way to a single dirt road that split, one way to the Academy, one way west into Tristain. The crowds parted as they approached; not many vehicles went beyond the checkpoint, and people would congregate on the road otherwise.

As they drove out into the countryside, their devices connected automatically to the regional system. Three relays throughout the whole country meant you had coverage and solid communication across the entire land. Devers made a call to the office just to make sure nothing crazy happened in the two days they were gone, as they were often proven to do when someone was inattentive.

"Devers." The cool voice of Agent Anders greeted him. "How'd that infiltration report play out? Cause I'll bet you what happened here was a hell of a lot more interesting." Anders had once described a car bombing killing a person of interest 'interesting', Devers knew. Almost all the agents that had been the first wave into Tristain, and most of the senior agents still here, all had at least a passing familiarity with each other since they'd all done some time in the French speaking parts of Africa. Anders was as close as the station here had to a second in command; he'd literally been the first agent to visit with the body recovery team and so he had practically the most experience, and Devers found his apparent disconnect with brutality valued in this world where it was so common.

"Hold on." Devers put it on speaker so Harper could hear. "So what's so interesting?"

"Hiraga turned up a gold mine on his first day there. The station down there sent it all to us to look over." The CIA and CSIS were compartmentalizing, finally deciding that four countries were too many for one station to look over. Devers and Harper had helped lay the groundwork, but they were making a whole other station down there and had transferred over someone else from Earth to head it. He and Harper still had joint responsibility for Tristain and all four of its borders, but what happened on that peninsula now was technically someone else's business unless they figured it concerned them. But the two could expect to be frequently consulted about the situation down there and Halkegenia in general and Gallia was supposed to be a joint op. But as far as either knew, only intel teams under their station were in Gallia at the moment.

"Here's the first bombshell: The Pope is a Void Mage." Both agents in the SUV did a double take. "And the Emissary is his familiar. Apparently his runes let him mind control animals. Pope claims that each Void Mage has a different set of spells and he can't make explosions like the pink girl. But he might be bullshitting us."

"Well, that's fucking great." Harper said sarcastically. All that effort, and it turned out the Church had Void all along. But supposedly, not the powers they wanted. Maybe a good thing.

"Pope also claims that there are more Void Mages out there, one for each of the Brimiric kingdoms." Okay, that made sense; Each Kingdom had items relating to Void Magic.

"What did the Pope want with them?" Was Devers' question.

"We don't know yet but it seems that he thinks their reappearance is a sign of something big about to happen." Anders explained. "That's what I got from Hiraga."

"What's going on with him and his girlfriend?" Harper asked next. "Doubt the Pope summoned them just to tell them that."

"Here's where it starts getting messy. He's sending them on a mission into Gallia with the Emissary to investigate the bombings."

The two agents could see where this was heading.

"That's what they're doing officially. Unofficially… they're being sent there to find the Gallian Void Mage."

"They're going to get fucking killed there." Devers said immediately. "What the hell is his game? How the hell are those kids supposed to find a Void Mage."

"Either they think Joseph isn't going to fuck with them, or he thinks he doesn't need another Void Mage." Harper theorized. "Or he thinks that that the Vallière girl is a threat to him. As for why they're being sent… I have no idea why."

"The Romalians have a nice little trump card hidden under their city," Anders said ominously. "Might explain why the Pope's so cocky."

"Save the bullshit. What does the Church have?"

"Guns. Lots of them." Anders revealed. "And some heavier firepower than that. There's a vault where they got a whole lot of weapons from Earth. Whenever they fall through, they send people to collect them. Even in the Elven lands."

There'd been no signs of non-accounted Earth hardware found since the Zero Fighter months ago. And it suddenly started making sense why.

"Get this shit-they even hauled a Nazi tank back. Don't know how, but they did it. And it works fine according to Hiraga."

"Well how many guns do they got?" Devers asked incredulously. "And why the hell aren't they using them?" Romalia had cannons. Every faction here had at least a basic knowledge of firearms. It wouldn't have been that hard to figure out how to use at least some of them.

"All we got is Hiraga's word and a few pictures. He said a couple dozen. They've been collecting weapons for a few hundred years and they've built up a hell of a collection. Muskets, rifles, a few assault rifles, grenades, RPGs. Thinks he saw some old cannons and gatling guns. Enough small arms for maybe a podunk African militia. But most of it is shit like swords and maces. Kid even found a Katana to carry around. Cause guess what? All those weapons are meant for him. He took a few guns for himself."

"Pull over." Devers motioned to Harper. They needed to be stationary for this insanity. "Go back a little bit. They got a fucking tank? Anything else like that?"

"Yeah, a German heavy anti-tank gun from the same era. I think this place had a hard on for the Axis. Hiraga also described some sort of gunboat, we sent the description to the Navy for investigation. Other than that, there's pieces of boats and planes they dragged back. There's supposed to be some holy place in Elven territory where there's a whole bunch of vehicles that they just can't carry back."

"And what the hell do the Elves do with them?"

"We don't know. Pope says they just let them rust."

"What do you mean that all these weapons are meant for him?" Harper asked.

"Kid says that they think he's kind of a chosen one. All those guns, swords and weapons are sacred and meant for him. Some sort of bullshit about wielding a sword and spear to keep enemies away from the Void Mage. Or sword and gun. Whatever keeps the enemy away."

"Enemy? You mean Elves?"

"Seems like it."

"No shit…" Devers said. Of course this all happened while they were back in Canada. War in Albion, conflict with Gallia, and now religious fanatics with a horde of guns and modern equipment. Things never let up here. It was just like Earth.

"Where are they now?"

"They crossed the border into Gallia yesterday morning. Surveillance says they headed in on horseback. They're probably still somewhere in the kingdom's South. I already told our teams in Lutèce to keep an eye out in case they come into town."

"Good. Cause I want to know where the hell he is and what he's doing with those guns."

"He'll probably be glad to be closer to our guys." Anders added. "Station head down there had him shook down before he left. They let him keep the goodies though."

"Not surprising." One of the official reasons for being in this world was to recover Earth tech. The legality of it was a little murky between the treaty with the Queen and the fact none of it was made in America and Canada, but it was still their mission. But in this instance, an exception could be made. Hiraga could be their lead back to a proverbial gold mine of equipment from Earth.

And by the sound of it, the locals had gone crazy and started worshipping them as divine like a bunch of crazies. And to think Devers and Harper were just starting to get a positive opinion on them!

"Anything else?"

"Hiraga also reported that the Romalian knights sent to Albion are secretly searching for the Albion Void Mage. We're still monitoring them. They like to stay at the front of the advance."

"This wasn't sent up the chain yet, was it?" Harper guessed. "We would've got called back here. Teams in Albion and Gallia haven't been updated yet either?"

"Correct." Anders affirmed. "Head wants to go over it with you too. Refine it a little before it gets sent back to Earth and out to the teams over there. I'm the only one up here who even knows. I think we all know our asses are going to get chewed over this." In the SUV, Devers and Harper shared an incredulous look.

"We'll be there in an hour or so. I want those reports on our desks and connection to the Romalian station ready. Any other surprises for us?"

"None. Welcome back, boss." Anders said. Devers hung up the phone. Wordlessly, the CIA agent motioned for his equal to start driving again. They had a lot of extra work to do now.

"Sometimes, I think I actually miss tracking jihadists." Harper laughed at Devers' joke.

Author's endnote: Hope you enjoyed it. Stay safe in these crazy times… who knows if they'll hit Halk as well and don't forget to review!