Small Greeting

Emilia felt warm inside once she heard Ed's words. She knew that her words were incoherent, but she truly cared about her friends and didn't want to lose them. She still had the thought of ending her life but knew that Ed wouldn't let her do it. She had no choice but to give up.

"What is that, some sort of proposal?" Emilia chuckled at Ed's last sentence and tried to tease him.

"Yeah, something like that." However, Ed's answer caused her to blush a little. Ed noticed this but didn't point it out. Instead, he withdrew one of his specialty potions and gave it to her. Her wounds weren't severe, but it wasn't an easy thing to fight with them. But, thanks to Ed's potion, most of them quickly healed up.

"By the way, who is 'we'?" Emilia remembered that Ed mentioned a lot of people coming to save her. She wanted to know who put themselves in danger for her.

"Hayato, Ellie, Alicia, and my companions," Ed answered her, only to be asked another question.

"Companions? Like Suika and that black wolf?" Emilia remembered those that were with Ed.

"Unfortunately, not them. Suika wanted to come to save you but needed to stay behind and heal some of the injured. The wolf is called Raikou by the way." Ed explained to her, and they finally got back to the castle. As they went into the corridor, they noticed a great number of guards laying down unconscious.

"This is what you did earlier?" Emilia remembered a sudden outburst of power from Ed and linked it to the incident here.

"Yeah, it's something similar to a QI burst, but much more useful," Ed explained it in words she could understand.

"So, where is your mother's body?" Ed got them back on track. Emilia only wanted one thing from this country, and that is her mother's body. Ed didn't know how her mother was killed, or who did it, but he was going to help her retrieve the body at least. He was also afraid that the body would be too injured, causing Emilia to grieve too much when seeing it. So, although it wasn't an appropriate time, he had to ask her.

"It was the Poison sect's master. He's from the lower continents, and he also joined the Blood sect. Due to Norris' help in infiltrating and brainwashing students, they agreed to help him take over the country." Emilia explained to Ed, and he got a little wary. If the poison sect's master could kill Emilia's mother, that meant he was very powerful. Since he was confident enough to cross over continents in order to do it.

"What's the deal with Norris? Hayato told me you were going to take care of him." Ed needed to ask this question, so as to put his mind at ease.

"My mother exiled his family after knowing about the incident. But, since Norris' father was a corrupt man who bribed the other nobles, they soon turned against my mother. Soon, the kingdom had many rumors spreading through it. 'The queen wants to sell the country' 'We'll be slaves all our lives' People started turning the rumors into the truth. The years of sacrifices that my mother made were all forgotten. I could see regret in her eyes growing every day. 'How I wish I killed the man and let the kingdom rot'. I believe this is the thought that crossed her mind before she passed away." Emilia's voice was becoming hoarse as she was speaking. Ed could truly feel both her mother and her pain.

It was one thing to let your family's killer stay alive. But to have the people you protected turn against you was something Ed never wanted to experience. Emilia continued explaining the situation to Ed.

"We didn't hear anything about Norris' family for over a year, until one day his father's head was sent to us. We didn't know why they would do such a thing, but we later learned that Norris killed his father. His father was a rotten man, but he didn't agree with the Blood sect at least. So the Elders of the sect gave Norris two choices. To leave with his family, or to kill them and they would grant him his wish." Ed frowned upon hearing it, as he knew what Norris had chosen.

"One of his wishes was to take control over the country, as that was both his and his father's goal. Yet, Blood sect told him he could choose another wish as they would grant him this one for his help. I don't know what he ended up choosing, as the things I told you were said by him. He was boasting about how he managed to come to power. But, whatever he chose, helped him gain immense power. He's a lot stronger than before." Emilia said the last words while looking at Ed. She knew Ed was going to kill him, as he was one of the reasons why he lost Eri and the others back in Scale kingdom.

Ed was thinking exactly what Emilia was thinking. He was going to do everything he could to kill all the ones responsible for the incident. There was also the fact that they targeted his kingdom, which was not a forgivable thing. Ed checked his Map and noticed that a red dot was pacing around at the top of the castle. 'That should be Norris." Ed thought while checking everything else. The castle was still filled with red dots, which surprised Ed.

"The maids and butlers that worked here, where are they?" Ed couldn't help but ask Emilia. It felt too weird to have nothing but enemies in the castle where she and her mother lived.

"They were all killed since they supported my mother." Ed could feel the pain in Emilia's voice. He himself lost many of the maids and butlers who were like family to him.

"I don't feel like walking the stairs anymore. Emilia, do you any sentimental value towards this castle?" Ed asked her while looking upwards. The moving red dot right above his head.

"No." Emilia didn't know why Ed asked such a question but answered it anyway. She had a sentimental bond with the people that lived in these walls, not the walls themselves.

"I see," Ed spoke while withdrawing Muramasa. A small flame orb appeared at the tip of his sword. He thrust his sword upwards. A concentrated flame tornado broke through the floors, all the way to the outside. For those out of the castle, it looked like a flame fountain.

"That's a small greeting, isn't it Norris!" Ed spoke loudly while looking at the figure that was looking down at him from above.