"No matter what, right now there are multiple forces vying for the 'Holy Grail,'" Livia breathed in deeply, her voice mixed with alertness and concern. "What about General Allen? What are his intentions? What's his connection to my mother? I know it was you who helped me find him, thank you." Her tone was sincere, and there was a trace of gratitude in her eyes.
Emma nodded gently, her expression serious as she answered, "I'm not very familiar with Allen, but your mother once told me that if one day she was gone or I was in trouble, I just needed to find Allen, mention her name, and he would certainly help." She paused, her gaze softening with a touch of tenderness and respect. "He said that no matter what situation I was in, if Celesta's name was mentioned, he would take action."
She sighed softly, seemingly still uneasy about the risks she took back then. "So, this time, I took the risk and went to find him, telling him about your situation. His response… truly lived up to your mother's trust." She looked at Livia, her tone firm. "It seems he must have had a very close relationship with your mother. He is the only one in the army who can stand up to Eryx. If we are to confront Eryx head-on, we need to gain his support."
Listening to Emma's words, Livia couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile, a playful and relaxed light flickering in her eyes. "It seems my mother… really was quite charming." She joked, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere that had lingered for so long.
Sure enough, Emma couldn't help but laugh. In that moment, her demeanor softened, as if shedding the armor of a soldier, returning to some of her youthful ease and warmth. "Naturally," she replied, her eyes shining with a bright light, as though recalling some precious memories from the past.
After finishing the conversation with Emma, Livia felt a sense of release. The overwhelming sense of isolation wrapped in countless doubts began to dissipate a little. She lifted her gaze to the calm sky outside, silently thinking—no matter what, there are people supporting her.
She turned her head to look at Emma's silhouette, a faint trace of trust forming in her eyes. She quietly thought to herself: If Emma is deceiving her in all of this, she would accept it. She didn't believe anyone could fake such natural, moving emotions.
Of course, that didn't mean she was going to reveal all her secrets—not yet, at least. After thinking for a moment, she slowly spoke, sharing with Emma her current speculations about the "Holy Grail's" abilities, along with the clues she had pieced together from various bits of information.
As Emma listened, her expression gradually changed. Her pupils quivered slightly, and shock was clearly written across her face. She suddenly sat up straight, her voice grave, "I didn't expect this… You… You've already gathered so much information? I really didn't see that coming." She looked deeply at Livia, as though seeing her for the first time.
"It seems I've… truly underestimated you," Emma said, nodding gently, her gaze filled with rare admiration and emotion. "Now I can truly believe… you trust me from the heart."
Hearing this, a faint blush appeared on Livia's face. She lowered her head and nodded lightly, not quite sure how to handle such direct emotional exchanges.
However, Emma, being the easygoing soldier she was, flashed a smile and waved it off nonchalantly. "Don't worry about it. Trust is the beginning of fighting side by side." She shifted her tone, resuming her usual composed, practical attitude. "Now, we should focus on considering our next steps."
Despite the lingering undertones of the conversation, Emma, trained as a soldier, quickly collected her thoughts, regaining that decisive and calm aura. She straightened her back, pulled a stack of papers from the desk, flipped to the top page, and deftly uncapped her pen with a soft snap.
"First—" she began, quickly sketching a simplified map of the forces at play, her voice steady. "Let's assume our enemy is Eryx."
Her movements were swift and efficient. She outlined a box on the right side of the page, labeled it "Eryx," and beside it, she marked the possible resources and connections he controlled. Her brow furrowed slightly, her eyes filled with restrained combat readiness.
"As for your side—" she looked up at Livia, her gaze clear and determined, "Elias and Adrian seem to be absolutely trustworthy."
As she spoke these words, there was a firm certainty in her tone, an undeniable confidence born of years spent leading troops. She tapped the two simplified circles on Livia's side, representing these two allies.
"As for me…" She paused, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips, though still marked by resilience. "I can't be of much help in the open right now, because I'm still a fugitive."
As she spoke, her voice betrayed a slight tinge of frustration, but she quickly suppressed it. She wasn't one to complain about her situation, focusing only on the present circumstances and how to navigate them.
"Regarding Allen," she continued, her voice now returning to a rational, analytical rhythm, "While it seems he's offering help, we don't yet know the extent of what he can actually do."
She paused again, seemingly allowing Livia to follow her thought process, as if carefully considering her words.
"But he's currently in charge of the Seventh Legion," she emphasized, "That's my legion. There are still many of my loyalists there."
Her voice now carried a sense of confidence and control, as though she were talking about a leverage she fully commanded. "With that connection, you can think of Allen and me combined as a powerful force within the Seventh Legion."
At this point, she gently set the pen down on the table and slowly turned her gaze back to Livia. Her expression, however, shifted to something more complex—there was a hesitation, as though she was about to say something, but was unsure whether to proceed.
"As for—" she paused, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked into Livia's eyes, searching for some kind of response or confirmation.
"Marcellus."