Finally, I can Retire, Or so I Thought

The general continued staring at Dion and Sheila across the table without uttering a word, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the wooden surface. Cleo, Aria, Luna, and Mei stood tall behind the seated couple, while Gina sat directly on the table in front of the general, arms crossed and eyes narrowed in a fierce, albeit hilarious, scowl. By the entrance, Nala hovered nervously, clutching her staff as her eyes darted between the general, Dion, and Sheila.

The air grew dead silent and heavy. After a long moment, Dhorga leaned back in his chair, a faint smirk touching his lips.

”What is your actual plan? I will give you my answer on whether I’ll cooperate depending on how you answer me,” Dhorga said.

Hearing the general’s words, Sheila’s composed expression cracked completely into sheer fury. She surged to her feet, likely ready to sever Dhorga’s head right then and there, before Dion caught her by the wrist. Sheila turned to look at him, her face flushed with anger, but Dion shook his head, giving her a firm, unwavering look. Reluctantly, Sheila sat back down and crossed her arms, while Dion locked eyes with the general.

”I won’t lay out my entire plan to you, but I can guarantee two things, General: I have no desire for war, and I have no intention of harming your son, Gred,” Dion declared firmly.

Dhorga scrutinized Dion, truly studying him before glancing over at Nala, whose loyalty had clearly shifted to Dion over himself. Returning his gaze to Dion and a thoroughly impatient Sheila, Dhorga’s tone shifted, losing its edge of suspicion.

”I see... So what do you want us to do?” Dhorga asked calmly.

”Alright... Here is the plan: I want you to return to the Kingdom of Northgard with Sheila and me, as your prisoners of war,” Dion answered smoothly.

Sheila whipped her head around to stare at Dion in utter shock. Behind them, Cleo, Aria, Luna, and Mei leaned forward, gaping at him, while Nala froze by the door in disbelief. The only one unaffected was Gina, who remained seated on the table in her angry pose. Dhorga’s jaw practically hit the table, but his sharp eyes remained pinned on Dion, calculating the logic behind the absurd proposal.

”Deliver us to the palace and throw us into the dungeon. After that, leave the rest to us,” Dion added.

”Hey... Dion! What is that supposed to mean?! You want General Dhorga to haul you and Sheila off to Northgard as captives? Have you completely lost your mind?!” Cleo burst out.

”Nope. Doing it this way ensures that whoever ordered General Dhorga to attack will lower their guard, believing they’ve already won,” Dion explained casually.

”Hah! But the risk is insanely high! What if something happens to you?” Luna protested, panicked.

”Exactly! Please stop coming up with these insane schemes. You’re not just some random territory lord anymore!” Aria added, equally frantic.

”I don’t agree to this unless Luna, Aria, Cleo, and I are captured right alongside you two,” Mei demanded firmly.

”Sigh... Fine, fine... All six of us get captured, our territory gets wiped out, and all our citizens flee. We’ll use that storyline since the end result is the same,” Dion waved off dismissively.

”What about me?” a tiny child’s voice echoed in their minds.

Dion looked down at Gina, who had turned around to face him with wide, piteous eyes, her tiny claws clasped under her snout.

”Yes... you too, just to make it convincing,” Dion smiled, reaching out to pat Gina’s head.

”Yay! Road trip again!” Gina cheered cheerfully in their heads.

”Wait a second... I haven’t agreed to this yet, and I still don’t understand what your actual plan is,” Sheila interjected beside Dion.

Before Dion could explain further, hahahaha! Dhorga’s booming laughter echoed through the small room, startling Nala. Sheila glared at the general in irritation, whereas Dion simply smiled back. Once his laughter subsided, Dhorga leveled a serious gaze at Dion.

”So your plan is to breach the palace and take control of the kingdom from the inside. That’s why you offered me a partnership, so I could deliver you straight inside the palace walls without dragging the people of Northgard into a conflict,” Dhorga deduced.

”Spot on, General. Like I said, I have no intention of igniting a war that brings misery to Northgard’s citizens... I want to slip into the palace with Sheila to see what’s actually going on in there and to investigate whether your son Gred is truly involved. If he is, I’ll hand him over to you and strip him of his throne. I’ll leave his punishment and fate entirely in your hands. You certainly understand my motives behind all of this, don’t you?” Dion replied, his tone serious and devoid of any smile.

Dhorga fell silent, his expression darkening as he ran intense calculations in his head. Sheila, Cleo, Luna, Aria, and Mei said nothing, instantly grasping Dion’s overarching strategy upon hearing it laid out so plainly. Nala looked visibly relieved, a faint smile breaking across her face, while Gina remained thrilled at the prospect of visiting Northgard again. As the room settled into a tense quiet, Dhorga raised his head and looked at Dion.

”Very well. I will take responsibility for Gred, and I will smuggle all of you into the palace,” Dhorga agreed. He turned to Sheila and bowed his head in respect. ”I will bring you home, Princess, forgive me, not as a member of the royal family, but as a prisoner of war.”

”I support this plan, and I’ll assist in keeping Sheila safe,” Nala chimed in, stepping closer to the table.

Silence descended once more. Sheila looked momentarily stunned until Dion nudged her elbow, prompting her to turn around. Dion offered a warm smile and a nod. Catching his drift, Sheila turned back to Dhorga, who remained bowed before her.

”Raise your head, General. Very well, I understand. I’m counting on your cooperation,” Sheila said in a calm yet resolute voice.

”Thank you, Princess,” Dhorga replied in a calm voice, raising his head.

”Um... I still don’t get it,” Luna said, raising her hand.

”Grr... You airhead princess! We’re infiltrating the palace to put Sheila back on her throne! Now shut up and stop asking silly questions!” Aria hissed under her breath, though in her irritation, her whisper was loud enough for everyone in the room to hear clearly.

”I’ll explain everything later. For now, we need to coordinate this plan with Lady Olga and Lord Elrond. Excuse us, General,” Dion said, standing up.

”Very well, Lord Dion. I’ll be waiting for word on when we set off,” Dhorga replied, bowing his head in respect.

Dion walked out accompanied by Sheila, Luna, Cleo holding Gina, Aria, Mei, and Nala. Stepping out into the hallway and shutting the door behind them, they spotted Haruto conversing with a Shadow Hand operative, with Harumi standing right beside him. Seeing Dion and the others exit the room, Haruto dismissed the operative and approached the group alongside Harumi. Dion noticed a parchment resting in Haruto’s hand.

”What’s happened, Lord Sion?” Dion asked.

”We just received an urgent report from the royal palace of Eredor. Two Damned Beholders launched an attack on King Kenzo’s study. His Majesty is unharmed, and the Shadow Hand has already eliminated both monsters,” Haruto reported.

”Huh... Is that true, Papa?” Mei asked, her eyes widening.

”It’s true... Those two monsters were emissaries dispatched by the undead forces in Minatheras. They’ve already launched their strikes, and full-scale war is bound to erupt any moment now,” Haruto answered grimly. He then turned his focus toward Dion, who stood deep in thought. ”What about General Dhorga, Your Grace?”

”He’s agreed to cooperate. We need to head to Northgard immediately and take back the kingdom from the inside. I’ll lay out the full plan in a moment, but before that, I’ll need two Shadow Hand operatives to come with us and monitor our progress from a distance,” Dion explained.

”Ooh, pick me!” Harumi piped up, raising her hand with a beaming smile, answering before Haruto even had a chance to open his mouth.

”Absolutely not!” Mei barked out instantly.

Harumi turned to glare at her older sister, who glared right back with her arms firmly crossed over her chest.

”I’m coming along... and I don’t care what you say!” Harumi insisted stubbornly.

”And I’m forbidding you from going, end of story!” Mei shot back just as fiercely.

”Enough, both of you... Stop arguing. Mei is right, Harumi. I’m forbidding you from coming along as well, you lack the field experience,” Haruto interjected, stepping in between them.

”Ugh! If everyone keeps forbidding me like this, how am I ever supposed to get any experience?! Brother-in-law Dion, say something!” Harumi shouted in protest.

Mei immediately whipped her head toward Dion, her eyes filled with a desperate, annoyed glare that silently screamed, ”Don’t you dare bring my little sister to Northgard!” Dion swallowed hard before looking down at Harumi.

”Why don’t I assign you to research the ancient palace and assist with managing my city instead? That counts as valuable experience too, right?” Dion suggested gently.

”Ughhhh! Why does everyone still treat me like a little kid?! I’m eighteen years old! This sucks... all of you suck!” Harumi huffed hysterically.

Throwing a proper tantrum, Harumi turned around and bolted out of the room. Aria, Cleo, Luna, and Sheila stood stunned by her outburst, while Mei and Haruto merely shook their heads in exasperation. Dion couldn’t help feeling a slight pang of guilt, while Gina perched on his shoulder and gently patted the side of his head.