The next morning, the exploration team, Ryan, Cleveland, and Christina, officially prepared to set out.
Lucien, accompanied by his Dratini, and the old butler, Elif, personally came to see them off.
Each of the three carried different responsibilities, and Lucien knew this mission might not be completed in just a single day.
Ryan had a large pack strapped to his back, filled with food and water for the group. Cleveland carried weapons, flint, basic medicine, and other survival essentials. Christina, meanwhile, clutched a blank notebook and pen, ready to sketch and record the "magical beasts" they would encounter.
Lucien looked at them intently. "From here on, everything is in your hands."
"Yes, Your Highness Lucien!" Ryan replied with a grin, thumping his chest with confidence.
Christina, however, felt her heart tighten. Monsters… just thinking of them made her uneasy. Could she really complete the mission His Highness entrusted to her?
Lucien's voice softened, though his gaze remained serious. "Remember, no matter what happens, prioritize your safety. If you encounter a monster you can't handle, run. I only ask that you return alive."
"Eh…?" Christina blinked in surprise, then quickly nodded. "Yes!"
Cleveland froze for a moment at those words.
'Return alive…' He hadn't heard that in years. Long ago, before he left for the battlefield, his parents and the girl he loved had told him the same. But when he returned, none of them remained. Now, hearing those words again from Lucien stirred emotions deep inside him.
Ryan, in contrast, could barely contain his excitement. Monsters weren't all terrifying. Some were kind and childlike, like Anna's Zorua, or the three Snover that had wandered into the territory and chosen to help. Would he be lucky enough to meet others like them?
Each with their own thoughts, the three pledged to complete their mission before departing the settlement.
Elif's brows furrowed as he watched them go. "Your Highness… do you think they can really succeed?"
"At this point, it's all we can do," Lucien said gravely. "No one is coming to save us. If we want to live, we have to rely on ourselves."
He glanced skyward. At least the weather had been kind these past few days, warmer than the biting cold of before.
"It's time to begin planting," Lucien murmured.
Elif bowed slightly. "Colin and the others are ready."
Colin, one of the farmers, had been preparing with the others.
Lucien nodded. Farming was the foundation of survival for the territory. "Let's take a look."
"Yes, Your Highness."
When the two arrived, they found a crowd already gathered around the fields.
Planting was a major event for the people of the territory, vital to everyone's future.
Some of the women from the foraging team came to help, while several farmers, aided by two Bouffalant with their thick afros, sowed the seeds.
The reclaimed fields were vast. If Colin and his small group had worked alone, it would have taken weeks. But with the Bouffalant and the united efforts of the others, more than half the seeds were already in the ground within half a day.
They planted rye, white radish, potatoes, and winter wheat. These four crops were cold-resistant enough to survive the harsh winter.
Potatoes in particular promised a high yield, more than enough to feed all seventy-eight residents. Meanwhile, rye and wheat could be milled into flour for bread. If they could endure the three lean months until May, food would no longer be a constant worry.
By then, whether to continue farming and building here, or to carry their supplies and move to the fertile land the old king had granted, would be a decision worth considering.
Watching the scene, Lucien finally let out a long breath of relief.
...
Far away in Aindoak, the mighty Earth Sword Castle rose atop a towering mountain.
Inside the castle, the kingdom's aged king stood on the terrace of his chambers, overlooking the bustling city below.
Behind him, two tall, handsome men knelt on one knee, reporting on the realm's current state and their assigned tasks.
"Father, the recent monster rebellion in Knight Territory has subsided. Our knights are now helping the people rebuild their homes and fields."
"Father…"
The old king listened silently. When the two finished, he simply said, "You may go."
The two princes exchanged glances, then rose and departed.
When their footsteps faded, the old king sighed.
He was old now. In his youth, he had fought battle after battle, carving out this prosperous kingdom. Yet in his twilight years, he found himself unable to decide one thing: who should succeed him.
Both of his sons were exceptional. Yet each had already gathered his own faction, their struggle hidden but ongoing.
And his hesitation had left the throne's future shrouded in uncertainty.
If handled poorly, a terrible war could engulf the kingdom.
What should the old king do? He was torn, agonized by indecision.
Suddenly, a cheerful cry rang out from behind him.
"Nini?"
The old king turned to see a small creature with pointed V-shaped ears and large blue eyes fluttering toward him.
"Victini?"
"Nini!"
Victini happily nibbled on a cookie. But when it finished, a sense of emptiness washed over it.
"Nini…"
After so many years together, the old king no longer needed words to understand Victini's feelings.
He sighed softly. "You're worried about Lucien too, aren't you?"
"Nini!" Victini nodded hard.
"I'm sorry, Victini…" The king's voice grew heavy with guilt. "But I truly had no choice but to send him away. If he remained in the capital, his life would only grow more perilous. His power has already been stripped away…"
"Nini…" Victini lowered its head, wings drooping.
"Don't worry." The old king reached out and gently stroked its head. "Lucien will be fine. The land I granted him is among the most fertile and prosperous in the kingdom. He will have a peaceful life there."
Of his three sons, the eldest and second were twins. The youngest, Lucien, was slightly younger than them, and Victini's dearest companion.
Back when Lucien was a child, he and Victini often played hide-and-seek in the great halls of the castle.
But magical beasts lived far longer than humans.
The king was old now, and death would soon claim him. Before that day came, he had one last responsibility: to protect Victini.
The little Pokémon possessed immense power. If that power fell into the hands of his ambitious elder sons, it would bring disaster upon the kingdom.
And so, after much deliberation, the king resolved to secretly entrust Victini to Lucien before his death.