Sena fled the capital, meeting Daryun and Narsus on the way back to hideout. Each told their encounter with the masked man and the three agreed that he's dangerous. Of course, the brunette heard Daryun's story and learned that it was the masked man who killed Vahriz. It angered her, if only she knew that it was he who killed Vahriz, then she would've killed him then an there.

They find their way back to Prince Arslan and the others, who were fine. Sitting around the fire, the three reported to their prince. Arslan was bothered by their news, especially with how Lusitanian soldiers are controlling Ecbatana.

"How can we find more allies?" Arslan asked, being the only person standing while the others are seated.

"Your highness, to do that you must announce to the people that in the future you will abolish the unjustifiable policies that the kingdom has supported until now." Narsus spoke, who is the most suited to talk.

"First of all, your Highness, you should state the things that you want to accomplish. And it will be our pleasure to make it happen." He pointed out.

"That is our job, as your subjects." Sena added in.

"I will be counting on you then." Arslan says with cloudless eyes.

♔♕♖♗♘ Arslan Senki ♞♝♜♛♚

And so, Arslan's group continued their journey to look for more allies. This time, a whole lot of Lusitanian soldiers are behind them. The sun is setting and it would be dark soon. They should lose the soldiers before dark or it'll be dangerous.

"How many are in pursuit?" Gieve yells as they were in a chase.

"Around five hundred cavalrymen." Narsus yells back.

"That's too many. I could handle four hundred on my own but..." Gieve says, as if it's his problem alone.

Four hundred eh? Sena thought, analyzing if it's true or not.

"Worry not, we can divide the five hundred men to ourselves. That would be two-hundred-and-fifty men each." The assassin said.

"Lord Narsus, do not pay any mind to Gieve's nonsense. And Lord Daryun will be coming back soon." Farangis joins the conversation. "Your Highness, please bear with this for now."

"I will." Arslan replies.

Finding the right time to attack, Farangis, Gieve and Sena started shooting arrows at the enemy. With that, the enemy team also shot back.

"The Djinn are telling me that we have the wind as our ally." Farangis pointed out.

With the wind blowing back, the arrows would not hit Arslan's group.

"Your Highness!" Daryun enters the battlefield and leads the group to the place they're heading to.

"You're finally back! That took you long enough!" Sena yells.

Making their horses run even faster, they near a cliff with a hole in the middle. When near enough, a horn was heard throughout the field and Parsian soldiers above the cliff started shooting arrows at the enemy. With the unexpected attack, the Lusitanian army retreats, leaving the Parsian soldiers yell in victory.

Feeling safe and secured in the Kashan Fortress, Arslan and the rest slowed their pace. As they enter the fortress, too many slaves were to be seen. Soldiers and slaves alike bow their head before the prince.

♔♕♖♗♘ Arslan Senki ♞♝♜♛♚

Changing their clothes to something more comfortable, they all assembled with the master of the fortress.

"Prince Arslan, how good of you to remember me. I, Hodir, cannot help but be grateful." Hodir is a rather stout and bald man.

"Oh, no. I should be the one thanking you. I am grateful for the reinforcements you sent me earlier." Arslan had his hair down, wearing blue garments.

"I hardly deserve your gratitude, Your Highness. For my part, after learning our defeat at Atropatene, I was concerned for His Majesty and Your Highness' safety. However, I had no power to try to retaliate against the numerous Lusitanian army. So all I could do was worry."

The others were just listening to him speak. To Sena, she was quite getting inpatient with his long talk.

"Now that you are here at Kashan Fortress, you have nothing to worry about. First things first, please make yourself comfortable. If there is anything you desire, I will have it made right away." And Hodir sat beside Arslan.

Hodir even bragged about the food prepared for it is from foreign regions.

Arslan noticed the vast amount of slaves at the Fortress and Hodir stated that the slaves here exceeds the number of slaves in Ecbatana, laughing humbly. Still, he continued to talk and talk and talk.

"Mistress Farangis, what do you think of that man?" Gieve whispered to Farangis who is just beside him.

"He is a man of many words." Farangis replies.

"It is true that 'the more you speak, the more you reveal." Gieve ate a grape fruit.

"Just like someone." Farangis added.

"I concur." Sena whispers.

The rest were already eating while Arslan was polite enough to let the man speak before eating. Sena even gave up and ate, stress eating from the man's talkativeness. She was beside Gieve, and the rest were across from them. Of course, Arsland and Hodir were at the middle.

"By the way, Your Highness, I have a daughter. She is thirteen years of age. Even speaking as her father, I believe she is simply beautiful and also sensible." Hodir shamelessly suggested his daughter.

Arslan then decided to take a bite of one of the foods, not thinking about it too much.

"If you were to allow her to serve you by your side, nothing would bring greater joy for my daughter as well." Arslan almost choked on his food from surprise

"Wh-What?"

Sena almost choked on her food as well. She looked at Hodir in disbelief and disgust.

So that's his plan. To become the father-in-law of Prince Arslan. How dare he. He's as clear as water.

Not wanting to set bad intentions just yet, Sena stopped herself from glaring at Hodir. Gieve chuckles at her reaction.

"If His Highness wishes to marry at such a young age, I would gladly teach him how to-"

The assassin points a blade at him, the tip touching his clothes and he felt it on his skin. Of course, Sena hid the blade well from Hodir and Arslan so they won't notice.

"Not a single word would be coming out from your mouth. Understand?" Sena whispered like Death in his ear while glaring.

Gieve started to sweat, nodding his head. With that, the brunette goes back to her original position and eats. Daryun sighs in relief while Arslan chuckles nervously. Hodir was completely clueless.

The stout man kept running his mouth, which is very annoying. Sena couldn't believe how shameless he is.

Sena looks at Daryun, who was also by chance looking at her. She gave him a 'can I kill him' look, only to be returned by a 'restrain yourself' look from him.

Arslan had stated his plans in front of Hodir. To save the people of Pars, and to abolish the unjustifiable laws of the nation.

"First, I plan to free the slaves." Arslan stated.

Everyone went dead silent and stopped eating, while Narsus just continues to hear their chat. They all noticed the brief change of expression of Hodir.

"I see, so that is your thought, your Highness." Hodir nods.

"Would you support me in it?"

"Of course!"

Lies.

Everyone was simply disgusted at Hodir. It's like they were looking straight into glass, he was so clear to read.

Sena just continued to look at Daryun and it was if they were communicating with their eyes and expressions.

'Can I torture him later?'

'No.'

'How about humiliating him? Or spooking him?'

'No. He is still a man with some use to us.'

'But I know you think ill of him.'

'Everyone does.'

Sena takes a look at everyone's faces. They all have pokerfaces, except for Gieve who looked satisfied with taking advantage of the food present. Still, nonetheless, they all know his plans.

Hodir suddenly stands up and wanted to tour Arslan around the Fortress. Having no choice, since he already stood, Arslan agreed.

"Of course, you can bring your subjects with you." Hodir added.

Talking with their eyes, they all agreed that Narsus should go because he's the strategist. Along with him will be Elam, who will aid him. Daryun shouldn't go or else Hodir would have his guard up. Sena can't also go because having a woman as a guard would be something odd. They just met Farangis and Gieve, so it's better not to leave such things to them for now.

And so, Narsus and Elam joins Arslan with the tour lead by Hodir. The rest stayed with a few guards watching them.

They were somehow relieved that they don't get to hear Hodir's blabbering. Sena felt like she could enjoy the food now, but she's still worried for Arslan and how he's going to be okay.

It must be a pain for Arslan to hear that man talk. But since its Arslan... It probably doesn't bother him.

All of a sudden, the doors open with a loud bang, catching everyone's attention. It was a little girl with black hair and brown eyes and her skin is tanned.

"So this is His Highness' subjects." The little girl said.

Could this be...

"Lady Bertha! You shouldn't be here." The guards started to feel panic, and they tried to make the little girl leave.

Ignoring them, she goes over to the confused people. "I am Bertha, the daughter of Hodir, who is the master of this fortress." She proudly introduced herself.

A spoiled kid. Nothing too odd. Almost every child from a noble family is spoiled. Just like I was once.

She sits at the middle, the place where Arslan and Hodir once sat.

"What may we do for you?" Gieve asks, risking his life by speaking. Sena would have killed him then and there.

"I just wanted to see the companions of His Highness. Well, I see that everyone is quite normal aside from the Mardan fu Mardan. Oh, I'm not offending you. It's just an indirect way of saying that you don't look the part." She says quite boldly.

Sena sighs internally, starting to think that this girl will be bothersome. She just ignored her and continued to eat. Farangis and Gieve weren't offended as well, since they don't take things seriously from a kid. Daryun on the otherhand stays quite, eating meat.

"May I know your names?" Bertha smiles at the side of Sena.

"The name's Gieve. Nice to meet you, little miss." Gieve smiles.

"I am Farangis, greetings." Farangis bows her head slightly.

"You can just call me Sena." The brunette said.

The girl pauses for a moment, staring at her. Sena furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at Bertha's gaze.

"Sena... Sena... Where have I heard that name? Where exactly did I- Oh! Are you possibly the female Marzban?" The little girl's eyes widened in excitement, going over to Sena's side.

"I'm actually just-"

"It is such an honor to meet you, female Marzban!"

I'm actually just an assassin. I never agreed to become a Marzban and His Majesty never declared me as one.

Daryun smirks, having his arms crossed. It seems that Sena is recognizable by the people of Pars.

The soldiers on the otherhand didn't expect that the brunette is the female Marzban. They eyed her in shock, whispering to each other and wondering how strong is she.

"Do you need anything? Sweets? A bath perhaps?"

"No, not really but thank you for the concern."

When Bertha was about to ask more questions, a soldier approached her. "Lady Bertha, you shouldn't really be here. Your father will get mad once he finds out."

The little girl just looked at him and gave in to the soldier's request. "Okay..." She stands up, pouting.

The brunette looks up to see the soldier's face. He looks wise and caring.

He reminds of Kory... And Bertha listened to this man unlike the other two soldiers from a while ago.

"Nice meeting you all!" With that, Bertha takes her leave with the soldier.

"That was quite something." Daryun comments.

"Wait, wait, wait. You're the first female Marzban?" Gieve looks at his companion.

"No." Sena answered immediately.

"Then what was that just now?" The musician eyes her.

"His Majesty didn't officially announced her as a Marzban. And Sena doesn't want to become one." Daryun explains to the newcomers.

"Hm, what a shame. Everyone would die for that title." Gieve sighs from the waste of opportunity.

"We should respect Sena's decision." Farangis is now obviously on Sena's side.

As they continued to eat, Arslan and the others came back from their tour. From the looks of it, nothing bad has happened to any of them.

Hodir continued talking nonstop until everyone has satisfied their stomachs. The assassin pitied Arslan for having to hear the man's words continuously.

With that, they all stood up to rest for the night. Hodir stayed behind as Arslan's party followed the guards to their destination.