"Is this what Highland has become? A land where only the mad would reign?" He said to himself.

He turned around and went back to the middle of his small office, where his desk, stacked high with papers and documents, is located. He sat on the wooden chair behind the desk and gave out another loud sigh.

He tapped his quill pen on the table for almost an hour. Looking at the papers. Thinking of Ruka Bright's ordeal. He had heard news that Ruka Bright is aiming for Ryube next. Madness. He tends to destroy each and everything in his path. But for what? The goodness of Highland? He strongly doubts that Ruka had any thought of goodness for anything at all, not even his father.

He took one of the papers and read it. It was a paper of complaint from a town in Jowston. A small town. Coronet. Ahhh, yes, the fishing town just south of Muse. The mayor apparently has complaints of the war. Nothing he can do there. He discards the paper aside and took another one from the top of the stack.

No, it wasn't paper, it was a document. It had a seal of officiality on it and it was stamped "Of High Piority". He opened it up and saw some files involving the Unicorn Brigade Massacre. It was a letter from Muse with some other attached complaints to it. As he expected, it was basically a letter of denial on Jowston's involvement with the Unicorn Youth Brigade Massacre. Stating that the military units are stationed at the borders and have absolutely nothing to do with the Massacre. If it was anyone who did it, it mentioned, it might be Terrorists.

He remembered reading this already. And realised that he already read the whole stacks of paper on his table.

"Colin!" he calls out and a meek young man with short black hair comes into his office. "You called sir?" the young man replied.

"Yes, where is the latest files and letters for today? It seems that I have already finished with this stacks awhile long I believe" Grayton questioned the young man, who apparently is his secratary.

"Well sir, amidst the outbreak of this war, it seems that almost all of our Foreign connections are either sending their own envoy here or is distrusting our actions," the young man started, "Most of them are staying away from our affairs. Though, places like Harmonia and other closely allied countries still has firm trust in our countries, they do have their own representative in our country and thus doesn't really have any complaint papers to send."

"Oh, I see," Grayton starts out with a tinge of disappointment in his voice,"Well, I suppose we do not have any work for today. You are permitted for early dismissal Colin."

"Yes sir," Colin replied and was about to retire to his desk when Grayton stopped him and asked a question.

"Colin, you wouldn't know where Prince Ruka would be now, do you?" the question rung into Colin's head.

"Uhmmm... from what I heard, he was somewhere on the foot of the Tenzan path." Colin answered, pondering to himself whether this was true or not.

"Good, can you arrange a coach or something. I wish to depart from L'Renouille to see the Prince. You may have the rest of the day off once you've done this one chore."

"Yes sir, right away." Colin answered and exited the office.

"It's high time I speak to the Prince personally." Grayton said to himself quietly while looking outside the window of his office.

If it were up to him, he'd be destroying that small town, Ryube right now. Absolutely no time to lag, but he suppose he has to wait until someone finds out about Toto's destruction and send some Mercenary, or maybe even one of Muse's soldier to investigate the matter. Then they would lax the security on Ryube and they can make their move without breaking a single sweat.

But suddenly, he heard news that he had to wait for General Kiba to arrive and give him the permission from his father to invade Ryube. Of all things. He has all the faith in the world that Kiba would do a good job. He doesn't doubt that. But still, waiting for Kiba is such a waste of time. It would have to be a long wait too, because he had heard that Kiba was sent off to Greenhill, or Matilda or somewhere close to that, and it is a long trek from there to Highland, much longer to this other side of the world. Curse that old man, Agares. He still doesn't trust me. He may be more wiser to my antics then I had assumed.

Still, wait or no wait, Ryube is still going into flames. And Kiba will help too. I'll just convince him of Jowston's bad deeds. That wouldn't be so hard.

A young man in a white wolf uniform then enters his tent.

"Sir, some official news from Highland" The young man said.

"Good Talon, deliver" Ruka said and waited patiently for what the man has to say.

"Well sir, the Grasslanders are still untrustworthy to our cause, and it will take a lot of convincing to do to get them to be on our side. On top of all that, the King wishes for us to be more... gentle, in our invasion. He doesn't want the other countries to think that we are a bloodthirsty country. On other news..."

"GENTLE?!? Were these people gentle when they killed OUR people?!? NO! I say we strike them hard and we strike them NOW! Write THAT down. It is time my father know of my, more persuasive side." Ruka interrupted and gave a devious smile to Talon, "Continue."

"Y-Yes sir. On other news, we are required by the advisors not to destroy any of the military factions in Jowston territory, for appearance's sakes" Talon stammered out the word, fear was clearly noted in his voice. He waits awhile, took a deep breath, and continues, "This is also for the Military safety's sakes..."

"MILITARY SAFETY'S SAKES?!?! Destroying the military factions in Jowston is more of a protection to ourself than a threat! Where does these pencil pushers get these damn ideas?" Ruka interrupted Talon and asked,

"Well, sire, the Military advisor is the one who sent out the letter of affirmation on this matter," sweat trickles down Talon's temple, "and I do agree that it is quite a good idea, per se. If we were to attack their military faction like say, the Mercenary Fortress near Ryube, our chances of winning is very slim due to the fact that they are in a fortress and weapon stocks are high for them, lest we are only in tents and limited to both weapon stocks and rations"

"So send out for more! I'd be gladly to sign the forms to let out these weapons!" Ruka shouted at Talon, his face in a foul expression, thinking of what these advisors are thinking of. The military advisor, who was it again?

He stopped and thinks back. Isn't HE the Military advisor? He does't remember sending out any letters of affirmation to slow down the invasion for Military's sakes. If there is any Military Affairs chair in the political figures of Highland, HE is it. Then he remembers, he has an assistant in this. He looks at Talon. His eyes full of fire. Talon IS the assistant.

Talon looks up at Ruka and saw the man's face full of anger and dispute. No. Did he realise that it was Talon who sent out the letter of affirmation? He couldn't have found out. Talon failed to realise, amidst Ruka's craving for blood and violence, Ruka was still an intelligent man. Intelligent enough to have convinced his father to place him as Military Commander. Talon was getting to sick and fearful of Ruka after the whole incident in Toto, so he asked for the decrease motion of the invasion in hopes that Ruka would be tired and stopped entirely. But it seems that he have failed.

"Talon, we are in an invasion." Ruka smiled and started.

"Y-Yes?" Talon replied, with fear fully heard in his voice.

"Did you know, a country that invades other country, ALWAYS has casualties?"

"Uhhhh... y... yes?"

"Good." and with that word, he raised up his sword and cuts Talon from the base of his left soulder all the way through to his right kidney, making a diagonal cut of Talon's body. The top half falls to the ground and the bottom half slowly follows. Ruka took the notebook Talon was scribbling on and saw that Talon actually confirms of the decrease in motion of invasion. Ruka tore the notebook apart and calls the scribbler. The scribbler comes fumbling in and wrote down each and everything Ruka said, word by word. His face white with fear as he saw Talon's body on the ground. Upon his dismissal, Ruka ordered the scribbler to take out the body and he did just so, shaking and shivering while he was at it.

Ruka was just about to undress for his bath when a soldier barges in. Ruka turned to face the soldier with his sword drawn. The sword stopped only inches from the soldier's neck. If the soldier didn't tilt his head upwards, the sword would have gone through his jaw.

"What is it?" Ruka asked, his voice full of annoyance.

"Lord Grayton, Higland's Foreign Affair Advisor, here to see you." the soldier replied, while his teeth chattering. Fear has taken over completely, and later on, so would fatigue, but the soldier still tries to hold his own, for fear if he is to faint, that Lord Ruka would cleave through his body during his state of unconciousness, "He is right now waiting for your audience in the interrogation camp, sir."

Ruka dropped his sword and looks at the soldier in disgust. Grayton, that weak old fool here to see him. Great. Probably want to tell Ruka to stop all this invasion and stop the war or something peaceful like that. Grayton is a good man. Too good for Ruka's delight. Ruka'd soon as kill him off if he ever mentions a peace treaty to Ruka.

"Fine, tell him I'll be with him in a minute." Ruka said as he grabbed his armor. Looks like the bath has to wait.