Under the scorching sun and above the sea’s cold wave, three ships slowly made their way through the vast ocean with only the wind as their friend. Most people on board these vessels hide below deck to avoid getting their skin roasted by the sun. Only the Captains and a handful of sailors could be seen walking around on the top decks.

Out of the three ships, the most front was the most important one.

The sound of the wave gently hitting against the vessel’s hull was like a lullaby to the Captain’s ears, who had to let go of the stirring wheel a couple of times to slap himself. After all, his journey was rarely as calm as this one. And the reason behind that was because this time, his ship had a vital guest on board.

Amidst the sound of waves crashing against the ship hull, the sound of footsteps from the stair leading to lower decks caught the old man’s attention. Not long after, a woman appeared. She was wearing a black tunic and long white pants, accompanied by tall brown leather boots and a sheathed sword resting on her waist. Her long luscious autumn hair was let loose, and her ember eyes slowly looked around, admiring her surrounding.

The sailors she passed immediately placed their right hand in front of their chest to hail her. The woman only nodded in return and continued walking on the deck before going up another stairway toward the Captain. When she reached the top, she found the Captain was already saluting in anticipation.

“Stand ease, Captain,” the woman ordered firmly, and the Captain followed.

“Miss Overseer. Is there anything I can help you with?” the Captain asked as he placed one of his hands back on the stirring wheel while his other hand stroke his bushy white beard.

“There is,” the woman answered while turning around to face the front of the ship. “Tell me. How much farther is our destination?”

“Ah, the Bastion. Well, it should be seen on the horizon very soon. I would say… a couple of hours away, at least.”

“I see...” was all she muttered. And then she just stood there. Right beside the Captain. Staring blankly at the horizon in silence. For almost half an hour, she stood without moving or showing any expression.

The Captain, who couldn’t stand the awkward silence any longer, decided to do something about it. “Ahem,” the Captain coughed, ”It has been a couple of days since we left port. So how do you feel, Miss Overseer? I heard this is your first time to be on a boat for more than one day.”

“It is,” she nodded, “As long as the wave continues to be as calm as this, then I will be just fine. But I am curious. Is everything so calm because of the route we are taking? I thought we would face either tribal pirates or bad weather at this point.”

“So you’ve heard of the tale too?”

“It is the very reason I’m going there, Captain.”

It was a typical occurrence for ships heading for the Bastion to be ambushed by pirate ships. Most of the time, a warning fireball from the mage on board was enough to send the pirates fleeing for their life. But just recently, she received a report about a whole fleet of pirates ganking up a single ship. The soldiers on board were easily outnumbered, and the ship’s content and its inhabitants fell under the pirates’ control. The next day, the pirates returned one of the ship survivors to the Bastion. With only one hand and eye, the survivor spread a story of what the pirates did to the people they captured.

That story spooked the Council so much that they created a new regulation. All ships heading to the Bastion must be in a group of three to avoid a repeat of the horrible event. They also reduce the frequency of vessels going there, messing up many scheduled trips and ruining the Bastion much-needed supply line.

Only time and the result of her investigation could tell what the consequences of this decision will be.

“A-Ah, then your guess is correct! The Council ordered me to take this alternative route to avoid all of that nasty stuff. It takes much longer, sure, but it is almost guaranteed to be safe from any kind of danger. So it’s a really worthy trade.”

Hearing the Captain mention the Council, the woman let out a long frustrated sigh.

“The Council… You cannot fool me, Captain,” the woman said before pinching the bridge of her nose, ”It must have been my father who ordered you to take this route instead of the usual one. No?”

Her voice, while sounded calm, had a sense of anger in it. The Captain started shaking in his boots. He was well aware of what the Overseers were capable of, let alone the one standing before him. He heard ‘scary’ stories of her in the short time she rose to the position, and he wasn’t planning to be in one of them. So to avoid angering her further, the Captain decided to come clean. “… Y-Yes… That’s right. Your father was the one who told me. But-”

“If we had taken the usual route, how long would it take?” the Overseer interrupted the Captain’s attempt to explain himself.

“W-Well, assuming the weather is as calm as this and we are not attacked by pirates, I would say we would have arrived by now.”

The Captain’s whole body tensed up while waiting for the Overseer to respond. He could see her clenching her fist—a bad, bad sign.

“… What’s your name again, Captain?” the woman suddenly asked, turning her head around to face the Captain. The slight smile plastered on her face sent a shiver down his old spine.

“I-It’s Captain Jack, Miss,” he stuttered his words out of anxiety of what to come.

“Alright. Captain Jack. If one day I board your ship again, I hope you would go over things like this with me first. My father may be part of the Council, but I’m still the Overseer and the one who will be boarding the ship. Am I clear?”

“Y-yes, I apologize for my insubordination,” the Captain hurriedly said, relieved that all he got was a warning.

“Good.”

Another silence fell between the two. Since the Captain lost his guts to break the silence once more, the Overseer mind peacefully wandered off to reminiscent about the past.

That night was perfect. The sky was clear of clouds; the wind was just cold enough to enjoy without wearing another clothing layer. And under a tree on a hill behind her mansion, she sat with the man she loved. It was one of the few times she could spend her time with him.

His right hand gently caressed her hair as she rested her head on his chest. His other hand kept her left hand warm as she talked about the recent events in her life.

“- and then he suddenly dropped a stack of books on the table! Like, I haven’t even finished the previous stack! It wouldn’t be so bad if not for the fact he woke me up super early,” she complained, her free hands waved around out of frustration.

“How early?” the man calmly asked.

“The sun is not even on the horizon yet. THAT early.”

“Wow. Your father is really pushing you, huh?” the man chuckled.

“Yeah! Just because of my bratty little brother’s incompetence, I’m the one being tortured with all of this training to ‘continue the family name.’. Hah... I’m so exhausted... I would have probably gone nuts if not for Rin.”

“Only Rin? How about me?“ he teased her.

“And you, that’s already obvious. But Rin is the one around me every day. We only meet almost once a week. Not to mention we only started dating two years ago, compared to her, who been there as far as I could remember. So maybe one day she will replace your position as my boyfriend,” she said. She looked up with a playful grin on her face and jokingly poked him on the cheek.

“Ouch. You are hurting my feeling,” the man also said jokingly, and the two laughed.

After their laughter stop, the two went silent, looking up to admire the beautiful starry sky. The girl wished the night never end. She hoped that everything, while not perfect, stayed the way they were.

“Elia…” the man suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence. “There is… something I need to tell you.”

The girl noticed the worried tone in his voice. “Huh? Is there something wrong?” she asked, lifting her head from his chest to stare directly at him.

“Just earlier, I received a new order. My superiors wanted me reassigned to the Bastion, and I will be departing tomorrow.”

“… What?” the girl’s eyes widen out of shock.

“Yeah. Along with several other Krieger. The Tribes ambush are getting fiercer; they need more men there to protect the caravans.”

“Wait, does that mean…?”

“Your father? No, I don’t think your father is aware of our relationship. He will probably duel me to the death if he knows. I was just unlucky enough to be chosen for the reassignment.”

The girl let out a sigh of relief, “I’m glad… Still, the Bastion… I heard it’s perilous there.”

“Only for the convoy guards. The Tribes never really bother attacking the wall, preferring to ambush carriages passing their territory or ships on the sea. Unfortunately, I don’t know which post I would be assigned to.”

“So… this is going to be our last night?” she said, her eyes getting teary.

The man, as much as it pained him, nodded.

The girl closed her eyes and buried her head into his chest. The man, who could feel her gripping on his tunic with dear life, slowly circled his hands around her. And when she started sobbing, he stayed silent, as he knew no words could cheer her up. So the two stayed that way for some time.

“… Then promise me,” Elia suddenly said, taking the man by surprise.

“H-Huh?”

“P-Promise me that you will return to me in one piece! And I’m not taking a no for an answer!” she shouted, both her hands gripping his blue tunic tightly.

“A-Are you sure? But it could take years before I return.”

“So be it. Even if I have to wait for years, then I will.”

“I…” the man was going to argue, but when he saw the determination in her eyes, he could only let out a sigh. “Alright. I promise.”

The two placed the palm of their right hand on each other as a sign of their promise. One day, he would return safely to her…

That was 6 years ago.

In the end, 3 years after he departed, Elia already couldn’t bear waiting for him any longer. So she decided to come to him instead. Since she had no interest in being a merchant, the only way she could go to the Bastion was to become a Krieger or an Overseer and get assigned there. But her father would never allow his eldest daughter to become a Krieger, so Overseer was all that’s left. Luckily, it was also what her father wanted. It’s just that the Overseer for the Bastion was not what was on his mind.

Nevertheless, she did it with a little bit of help from her mom, who was aware of her relationship.

She could barely contain her excitement, her mind wondering what her lover's expression would look like when he saw her. The thought alone almost made her grin, but she held it in to keep up her image as the Overseer. It would be disastrous if her reputation was ruined by a single grin.

“Land!” the sailor on the Crow’s nest suddenly shouted, breaking her train of thoughts.

Elia rushed down the stairs and headed straight to the most front of the ship. Just as the sailor said, the Bastion was in sight—a small settlement hidden behind a pair of unbelievably tall mountains acting as its natural protection walls. The only connection between the colony and the rest of the continent was a gap between the two.

Her heartbeat was through the roof. No word could describe the joy and anxiety she felt even though her destination was still so far away. Finally, after years of preparation and hard work, she was able to go to the Bastion. To finally meet him again. To be in his embrace, once more.

“I’m finally here… Wait for me, Vox.”

The sailor’s shout didn’t only draw Elia’s attention but also the people below deck. Those who had seen the Bastion didn’t move from their spot, preferring to sit and finish their drink. There was nothing for them to see. But those who hadn’t immediately rushed up the stair. They joined Eila to see the Bastion in all its glory, even if the place itself was still far away.

“So we are finally here….” a female Krieger casually said as she walked up to Elia. She was wearing brown leather armor covering her body and shoulder on top of a blue tunic. Her short pale hair was hidden under her brown leather helmet, but her plump lips and her cerulean eyes were still clear for all to see. For the bottom part, however, she wasn’t wearing any armor. Just tall black leather boots and long black pants. The standard equipment for a Krieger.

“Feeling nervous, Rin?” Elia asked the Krieger.

“A bit,” Rin shrugged her shoulders. “The stories I heard about this place are really mixed. The bad stories almost exclusively came from the soldiers and military staff. In contrast, the good stories mostly came from the merchants and travelers. Definitely no correlation there.”

Elia chuckled at her friend’s remark, “Don’t worry. You will be fine. Most of the danger is beyond the wall. So since you are my bodyguard, leaving the safety of the wall would be the last thing you do.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Well enough about me. How about you?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“Are you ready to meet him? I mean… It’s been six years. I know I asked you this before we departed, but I want to ask you again now that we are almost there. Aren’t you worried that he has forgotten you?”

“And my answer stays the same. I don’t. Vox would remember me, considering I don’t really change that much. Besides, he is not the type of guy that breaks promises,” Elia said confidently, betraying her own feeling. Deep down, she agreed with Rin. She was worried that all her efforts to meet him at the Bastion would go to waste. That Vox forgot about her or even married someone else.

But she had to know for sure, or it will haunt her for the rest of her life.

Back at the Capital, Elia couldn’t really ask around about Vox since it would arouse suspicion from her father. Everything she knew about him came from reports that had listed his name. At the very least, she knew Vox was still alive and active on duty at the Bastion, acting as a Wall Guard after 3 years of being a Convoy Guard.

Most of the reports looked normal, except for one—a convoy ambush report where no one except Vox and a girl survived. All other Krieger and merchants were either missing or dead. It was after this event that the Commander in charge of the Bastion moved him to wall duty.

“Alright then. I trust you,” Rin said before sighing, “So how are you planning to find the guy? Don’t tell me you will only rely on the color of his eyes or hair? Or worse, based on your feeling?”

“None of that. In fact, we don’t need to look for Vox.”

“We… don’t?” Rin repeated Elia’s answer, turning her head around to see whether her friend had a loose screw or not.

“Yeah. We don’t have to because I have arranged it so that Vox would be my bodyguard and guide while I’m at the Bastion.”

There was a brief silence

“… So that’s the plan?! Why didn’t you just tell me when I asked you before?!” Rin raised her voice, causing the people around them to instinctively back away while looking at the Krieger. Realizing the attention she drew, she apologized to the people then threw an annoyed glance at her ‘friend’.

“No reason, honestly, “ Elia said with a devilish smirk. “Just thought it would be fun to not tell you earlier,”

Hundreds of curse words crossed Rin’s mind to throw at Elia, but in the end, she only sighed. Old habit dies hard. Even after she became an Overseer, she still liked pranking people, or at least her friend.

“… I hate you so much,” Rin finally said. Elia had to bite her own lips to stop herself from giggling.

The ship eventually ported, and it took Elia all of her self-control to stop herself from just running off. When Rin returned after taking their bag from the cabin, the two left the ship. They walked with the crowd for a bit and saw two Krieger standing near the dock’s beginning. A guy and a girl both were wearing the same outfit as Rin. The girl had short blonde hair and blue eyes, while the guy’s feature was hidden since he was facing away from Elia.

She couldn’t see the guy’s expression, but the girl seemed to smile a lot while talking to him. They looked close. Perhaps, too close. This sight alone caused anxiety in Elia. Because she could already guess who the guy was.

“… Krieger Vox?” Elia asked the male Krieger when she was close enough. The male Krieger turned around and immediately put his hand on his chest, followed by the girl. The man’s face, which had a couple scar, was emotionless and his eyes were half shut. He looked nothing like the Vox Elia knew.

“Madam Overseer,” the man said with a respectful manner. “It is an honor to meet you. In case the information fails to reach you, this is my apprentice, Enara. We will be your bodyguards and guide while you are here.”

Just as she feared, he didn’t remember her. Elia could feel her stomach dropped, the whole world spinning around her. But thankfully, she managed to regain her composure and posture almost instantly.

Three years spent, and when she finally stood before Vox, he treated her like a stranger.

She wanted to tell Vox her identity right there and then. But she couldn’t do it.  Mainly for two reasons. The first one was that the Enara girl would also hear it, and Elia wasn’t sure whether it would be safe or not. She could just accidentally spread the news, and then suddenly, her father sent a whole fleet to pick her up. The second reason, she was just… taken aback by how he didn’t remember her, even though she shouldn’t be surprised. Six years apart, and Elia foolishly thought he would remember her.

The young woman knew it from the beginning; she just refused to believe it.

“At your service, Madam Overseer!” the girl chirped, unaware of the turmoil she caused inside of Eila’s heart.

“Nice to meet you two,” she said calmly. “This is Krieger Rin, my personal bodyguard.”

“Krieger… Rin…” Vox repeated the name while staring blankly at Rin.

“So, where should we start?”

Vox turned his focus from Rin to Elia. For a second, Elia thought he finally realized who she was. That mentioning Rin’s name would remind him of her. Yet he just kept staring at her without saying anything. Perhaps Vox did remember, and he just couldn’t piece it together that she was Elia.

“…Krieger? Krieger Vox!” Elia raised her voice almost to the point of shouting, most likely out of disappointment.

“S-Sorry, Madam Overseer. Apology for the question, but have we met before? You look… familiar.”

“I-I don’t think so,” she answered, secretly relieved that maybe everything wasn’t over yet.

“I see… You look like someone I know. Now, please follow me. We should start on where you are going to be staying.”

They walked through the street filled with shops and bustling with people. The crowd of people was so big that they almost had to push their way through. Thankfully Vox and Enera made enough room for them to move, at least without bumping into other people every second.

“Is it always this busy?” Elia asked.

“No. It used to be less crowded than this. It’s because of the regulation that it become like this,” Vox answered.

“I see…” Elia nodded, making a mental note for later to write down the phenomenon as an unwanted side effect of the regulation.

The two arrived at a small building, which looked grander than the surrounding buildings. Its walls had brand new paint, the windows were shining, and the door had a writing ‘Overseer Office’ made out of wood hanged on it. Vox unlocked the door, and the group walked in.

The inside of the building was surprisingly clean and spacious. There were two bedrooms for Elia and Ri. One bathroom complete with a small tub. And a kitchen, with ingredients already prepared in its cupboards. She didn’t expect to get such luxurious accomodation even if she was the Overseer.

“I hope this lives up to your standard Ma’am! We spent almost a whole day cleaning the house!” Enera blurted out innoncently.

“Really? What was this building used for?” Elia asked, lifting one of her eyebrows.

“Guesthouse, Ma’am. But it has been some time since we have a guest, so it was in a bad state,” Vox explained.

“I see…”

After Elia and Rin dropped their bags in their room, the group left and headed for the famous wall protecting the colony. Its height was supposed to be around 15 adults stacked on top of each other. But when Elia stood right before it, it looked much taller and more intimidating.

The wall had already existed when they arrived. Even the mountain dwellers didn’t know who created the walls or even when they were created. It was made out of an unknown material capable of withstanding even the mages’ most potent spell. So the Council decided to take advantage of them and used them to defend the colony.

When the group reached the top side of the wall, they faced a strong wind current. After a brief tour of the defenses for attacks that never come, Vox turned around to face the Overseer.

“That should cover everything. Is there anything else you want to know?”

“Yes, about your apprentice. Why wasn’t it on the report?”

“I’m sorry, Madam Overseer, but her apprenticeship is not an official one. So the Captain deemed it not essential to mention on the report. But suddenly, just earlier, he told me he changed his mind and told Enara to accompany me on my mission.”

“I see…”

Elia made a mental note to scold the Commander later. Then, he would think twice about omitting such an important fact.

“I will start the inspection tomorrow. The trip on the sea has taken a toll on my Krieger and me, so it would be best for us to rest today. So please come by the house tomorrow morning. I will immediately start the inspection then.”

“As you wish.”

Vox and Enera dropped them off back at the house, saluted, then left.

Elia walked in, immediately run to her room, and jumped to her bed. Then, she rolled around while stuffing her face with a pillow.

“HMPHHHH!” Elia screamed into the pillow with all her lungs. She was furious, sad, and hopeful at the same time. It took all of her willpower to ensure she didn’t explode right in front of Vox’s face.

“Told you he wouldn’t remember,” Rin said while leaning on the doorway.

“Shut up, Rin,” Elia momentarily lifted the pillow to respond to her friend’s remark.

“And what about Enera? She seems very close to Vox.”

“…”

“Ah, sorry. I went a bit too far. Look. If you want, I can ask around about the two for you.”

“They are clearly dating. I can see it in the girl’s smile.”

“But Vox looked really different. Like he had his life sucked out of him. But, look, you never know. Do you want me to ask around or not?”

Rin’s offer was only met in silence. The Krieger sighed and was about to head for her own bedroom when Elia threw her pillow to the side.

“… Fine. I order you to ask around about the relationship between the two. I will be just… waiting here.”

“Understood. Be right back in around an hour then.”