Inquisitor's Promise (Act Two, Chapter Twenty-Three)

Aeneas has to keep his promises. His father's mission will be completed. And while he's at it, he will become Galatea's lord and Inquisitor. But love and politics are an explosive combination.

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Chapter Twenty-Three: Flight to San Felipe

When Aeneas heard that Galatea had gone missing, he was ready to leave for San Felipe at a moment’s notice. However, his party had convinced him to stay the course. As expected, it was Lavinia who was most vehement against Aeneas’ rushing. Meanwhile, Nikolai was the one who acted as the voice of reason as he reminded Aeneas of a knights’ revolt in San Felipe.

Aeneas seethed but knew that the Tsar was right. In his zeal to find his beloved, the Inquisitor had completely forgotten of the second part of the Grand Knight’s message.

“We must be prepared for whatever’s going on in San Felipe.”

Those were Tsar Nikolai’s words of wisdom for Aeneas.

The good news for Aeneas was that the Tsar had agreed to join his army. At this point, Aeneas had recruited so many people into his army that the Lepanto was approaching its full capacity. Thus, while Nikolai and the Tsarguards were to be welcomed to the Lepanto, much of the Slavian army remained in the airships that would tail the Seraphim-class ship.

Once preparations were completed, the Lepanto finally left for San Felipe. It was not a long flight at all, given that San Felipe was not too far south from the Zaibatsu’s lands. With the Lepanto’s cruising speed, the trip shouldn’t take more than a few hours.

Tsar Nikolai of Slavia found himself walking around the central deck of the Lepanto; at the moment, he was at a mezzanine above a park. He saw small children playing in the garden and women sitting on a park bench talking to one another. One particular woman was interacting with six children. The Tsar knew that these must be the family members of Aeneas’ soldiers and crewmen.

As Nikolai absentmindedly thought of the people down below, he spotted Princess Omaha on the same mezzanine as his, not too far away. The Princess of Texarkana looked deep in thought. And there was no one else around her. Not Aeneas, not Captain Paxton.

The Tsar knew that this was his opportunity, he had to approach her now. So, he did.

“Princess,” Nikolai greeted.

“Lord Nikolai! What are you doing here?” Omaha asked.

Nikolai chuckled. “I was about to ask you the same thing. You were in your own world.”

Omaha smiled in embarrassment. “Was I? I had a lot in my mind.”

“Is it about what happened back in Tokio?”

The princess didn’t say anything, but her silence told Nikolai everything.

“Princess,” Nikolai began. “I know what your whole Crusade was truly about.”

“I don’t know what you’re prattling about,” Omaha said defensively.

Nikolai shook his head in response. “I think you do. The men in your life had been weak, either in body or in character. That’s why you tried to be strong. For your brother, you want to avenge him and take out the people who had hurt him. For your country you wish to bring back the glory days of the Holy Empire. In addition, you also want to prove your father wrong. The father who had betrayed you so often.”

“Hmph.” Omaha shrugged. “That’s a great bit of psychologizing of me.”

“You know it’s true,” Nikolai insisted. “That’s why the moment a worthy man entered your life, you were instantly drawn to him.”

“You’re speaking of Aeneas,” Omaha said. She then chuckled. “I see where this is going, you’re jealous of him!”

But Nikolai was not perturbed by the accusation. “Nonsense, the Inquisitor reminds me of myself in many ways.”

“He had one thing that you don’t, Lord Nikolai,” Omaha said smugly. “Youth.”

Nikolai was taken aback; that was really low of his beloved. Yet he pressed on.

“Princess! All I’m trying to say is that I’m here for you. And I am not the man that your father is,” he declared.

Omaha couldn’t help but smile. “Worry not, Lord Nikolai. I know you to be a good man.”

The princess then brought her face close to the Tsar’s. And she pressed her lips against his cheek.

“P-princess,” Nikolai exclaimed in shock.

Omaha smirked and extended her hand towards Nikolai. “You may not have Aeneas’ youth. But you have wisdom and experience. The good Inquisitor can be painfully naïve sometimes. It is up to us to watch out for him. What do you say, Lord Nikolai?”

In response, the Tsar took his princess’ hand and kissed it.

While the Tsar and the Princess were enjoying each other’s company at the central part of the Lepanto, Shaka was at the lower deck. Not a part of the ship that many people liked to go to but apparently his target was last spotted there.

Finally, he found her. Kunoichi was looking at the ship’s engines.

“Lady Kunoichi!” Shaka called out to her.

The felinid girl was surprised to see the pathfinder. “It’s you, the man who took care of me after Aeneas broke my mind control.”

“The name’s Shaka,” he said. “I want to give you this.”

Shaka took out the katana that he had on his back, that very weapon that he had won from the clone assassin in Texarkana. He then handed it over to her.

“This sword,” Kunoichi said as she examined it thoughtfully. “Is not the weapon of a ninja.”

“But the other you, I mean the clone used it when I fought her,” Shaka pointed out.

“This is the weapon of the samurai. Very few of them are left in the Zaibatsu,” Kunoichi explained.

“Still, I want you to keep it,” Shaka said. “After all, it did belong to your clone.”

“You said my clone, but aren’t I the clone?” Kunoichi asked suddenly.

“I honestly don’t know, Kunoichi. It’s beyond my paygrade.”

“I’m sorry.”

As she apologized, Kunoichi absent-mindedly held on to the katana. Seeing that his job was finished, Shaka turned to leave.

“Wait, Shaka.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Will you be my friend?”

Shaka paused to consider his words. It was clear that the felinid girl was pleading for company, it would make sense. Not a lot of felinids in the Lepanto, if any. And dark felinids were almost always seen with suspicion because of their ties to the Azov or the Cabal. Perhaps this was the reason why Kunoichi was in such an isolated part of the ship.

And she’s not bad looking either.

“Of course, Kunoichi. I’ll be your friend.”

The shook hands, the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Such was the conversation between Shaka and Kunoichi. But for Aeneas, friendship was the least of his concerns.

At the moment, the Inquisitor was in the Lepanto’s Main Chapel. He had spent most of the trip at the pews, praying fervently.

“Please,” Aeneas said as he fixed his eyes at a large crucifix hanging from the ceiling near the altar. “Please keep her safe.”

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