Geoff, My time has come for me to leave this world. By the time that you¡¯re reading this letter - I might be gone and you will be receiving the news of my demise. Don¡¯t you worry about me, perishing out of your sight. I am very aware that you are not too keen on having a penchant for me¡ I¡¯m sorry. Well, my son, at least please accept the gift of ten treasure boxes. It might aid your ventures. I beseech you take care of your siblings too. Especially your mother - Allydia. Your scummy father will be watching you over the heavens. I¡¯ll always be. - Yours truly, Lord (Sheriff) RaylPlain and laconic, indeed. Even after death, my old man practices brevity in words. ¡°Idiot.¡± I mutter. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Milord, with all due respect, you¡¯re far too disrespectful about your father! Well, forget about him being your father, Lord Geoff! At least, pay homage to the dead!¡± Quexajo raises his voice against me. ¡°What do you know about me and the old man?!? What do you know?!? You¡¯re just an adopted one!¡± I overshoot. Oh crap, damn it! The words just slip out of my mouth. ¡°I never- - ¡ no, I¡¯m sorry. Brother - -...¡± as I realize. ¡°No, milord! Don¡¯t call me a ¡®brother¡¯ and in the first place, like you have said: ¡®I¡¯m just a surrogate one.¡¯¡± Quexajo leaves, where he cuts me off mid-sentence as I¡¯m trying to repair what occurred. God damn it! There is nothing I can do. It is how it is. The damage is done. CRAP! I am just staring quite blankly outside. I am stomping every stump I see. And out of anger, I nearly injure myself - tweaking my ankle in the process. I am disappointed in myself, not Quexajo. Because in the beginning, it¡¯s me who should be blaming myself. I went overboard. I should have not said those punitive words to him. It¡¯s my fault, I¡¯m sorry. I proceed to the woods to exude some of the fumes I have in me. To do some sports besides horse riding, I am going to hunt elk or whatever flashes before my eyes. ¡°Damn it!¡± I sigh, where after a while managing to catch nothing. I never thought how quick they are when they are running. Or am I just too slow to react, hmmm? I suppose, going in the wild is a good sweat after all. I couldn¡¯t hunt a single animal on me, though, only just a quiver on my left hand and a bow on the other. I breathe: ¡°I¡¯m not really fit for this¡¡± labeling the occurrence transpires, as I fail to even catch a rabbit right around the open. I decide to go back and rest for a second since the evening is starting to show up. At the men¡¯s public basement shower, that¡¯s when I see Quexajo once again. He is picking something in his personal compartment and then I confront him in a slow fashion. I meet him sideways, uttering: ¡°I¡¯m sorry about earlier.¡± I can¡¯t see him straight in the eyes. ¡°What¡¯s up, milord? How¡¯s today¡¯s activities?¡± he then brushes it off, and still his words are not representing a welcome or a warmth in his voice. ¡°It¡¯s just fine, I suppose.¡± I answer Quexajo¡¯s askance monotonously. Meanwhile, after we dabble ourselves into a cold bath; we then head towards the public spa room, steaming with lukewarm air and mild fumes. He becomes more distant with me. I know because we are at an arm-length when we are about to submerge. Each minute has passed, the gap between us is relatively becoming more apparent. He does not take glances at me, he is eyeing on somewhere, outside the window panel. ¡°Hey.¡± I call for Quexajo¡¯s attention, heeding for just this once. ¡°Yes, milord?¡± a cold reply, he is still not taking interest in what I am about to say - I presume. I confer him the note that my old man is telling me - the message of it. I beckon Quexajo to flip the letter backward and it states:
P.S.: Your presence at my funeral is of necessity. Even though when I am gone, at least I will detect you while I am in eternal slumber.¡°The old man says in final will that I am needed in Haganolopolis. And the answer to his invitation is: Yes. Yes, I will go.¡± I calmly say it, where Quexajo is tilting his head to me ¡°Do you want to usher me back? To home, brother?¡± as I am undertaking to invite him to be my chaperon during the voyage. ¡°Absolutely, milord. The pleasure is all mine!¡± Overview, Antecedents, Behind The Scenes, Intermission, And Ethos Cultivation II The reports have shown that there were looming threats within the court of the inner circles of the council that the consorts of the queen needed to take care of. The international and as well as the interplanar stage were holding an impass¨¦ with regards to Inglovia¡¯s Grand Emperor¡¯s claim whether his statements were true or instead a fabricated one. Kehina vehemently denied the allegations since in the first place, Llewellyn¡®s identity and of his rhetoric was yet to be proven. Llewellyn waived to be scrutinized and to be examined of his origins and of his ancestry (his direct connections with the Carylle family). Otherwise, he will be labeled as a ''teller of falsehood''. Which, on the other hand; would affect his prestige, his state affairs (relations) towards his vassals, and his standings in the powers (regional, global, planar, and alter-dimension) in a grievous manner. It was also rumored that the inheritance succession in the Grand Electorate is shaky. As it would mean, Llewellyn McDylan of the house of his aforementioned epitaph - Llewellyn. As for his glory and his ego, detrimental to his own vestige and would-be his descendants, the Grand Emperor of Inglovia has taken matters rather in an abrupt and reckless way. Waging a war against one of the participants of a near-ending ceasefire nation. He renounced the vow of abiding the restriction to the aforementioned agreement. The agreement in the parchment has stated: ''To the future rulers of Inglovia must not interrupt the planar order and peace of the fifth plane'', implying to either the current house incumbent or to the next two subsequent dynasties (as those would be the T?Llewellyns as per manifestation) must obey to the stipulation thereby. Lord Aisla stayed mainly under the shade of Kehina¡¯s protection the entire time of his idling moments. Well, it was in fact that his presence was much required since there were circulations going around therefore to counter these threats domestically, he had quelled all of these namesake precautions before it would cultivate into a deadlier pose. The core was volatile and of course, Lord Aisla needed to stay vigilant in order to restore the stability within the realms of Kehina. The insurrection of the exclaves and non-natives rose up against the chieftess, regardless of gender; many had rallied under the cause of lowering the standards which may be detrimental to the preemptive effort of the kingdom. The quelling seemed to have not finished since many of the rural areas, including subparts of the outskirts of the capital were indignant about the raising of the levies and taxes. While the townsfolks found it too disparaging to fuel the military (earlier on, extinguishing the partisans had actually helped the effort at least), they were very concerned about the certain management within the council. In his earlier deduction, the rebels'' incitement might have had a connection with the Crown. However, only it was proven that the dungeon, prior taming the region, indeed, was surmised. At the end of the day, the Inglovians did summon the magical cove and this was a clear indication that Inglovia''s Crown meant business. To wreak some havoc within Kehina''s boundaries. Plethora of concerns were held on hold since most of the words were difficult to claim as it was true. During the months of subjugating the dungeon, several friends and former foes had joined the cause. Guillermo ''Guiles'', Durgat, Quexajo, Captain Pierre, and others who are non-Kehinan pledged their loyalty to defend the kingdom against the Inglovian aggravated assault. From the divided attention, Lord Aisla was still handling the dilemma both interior and the upcoming sea invasion. There were some rumors from the capital that Lord Aisla kept stressing about. Within a month, the Inglovian army might have reached the Kehinan shore - making a beachhead which was alarming to both the military and the citizens. Other sources claimed that there were certain groups, tribes, and exclaves far from Kehina''s grip; purported allegations that they were being supplied by the Inglovians to the north. It was either by the use of transportational and spatial magic or by sea convoys routing to the north. Sneaking behind Kehinan oversight. A proud native of Kehina, he chose to stay at home despite having a potential towards the military venture. He is skilled in martial arts, tactical concern, and strategic composition output. He was deemed one of the prodigies based on the previous generals'' approval, yet didn''t claim scholarship from University of Inglovian Occidental - Military Academy, sponsored by the state itself. Lord Aisla didn''t want to be indebted by Kehina since he believed that the service should be an unrequited dedication towards the kingdom. A selfless act for the state. When he took part in the inner circles of the council, most of the reforms were proposed by him. The separation between army and navy (as where at that time, the war cabin was considering to build a naval forces which most of the military didn''t deem to acquire distinct budget towards the main effort), the difference between the professional army and auxiliary (in service personnel may get monthly stipend and allowance (or salary by per job done) and during war time - from enlisted to officers may obtain a bonus allowance; and as for both non-Kehinan/local mercenaries, frontier men, militias/call-at-arms regiments, and unconventional means such as assassins and/or bounty hunters; may receive rewards or being compensated through commission), all civilian industries and enterprises will be incorporated into the state corporation to subsidize the businesses - preventing them into kaput during war time, all adult (regardless of the gender and race) shall be mandated to royal service, and to name a few. He is the man of honor and gallantry, he shows his bravery with respect; it is not only for his companions (his subordinates) as well as his opponents. Thus, a mutual respect has been established between Lord Aisla and his adversaries. He persevered to several tribulations: first and foremost, declining his military scholarship, grinding through self-study and conquering his education, inspiring himself despite certain struggle he¡¯d been, and lastly reinforcing his initial work he had done so much that he invested; grinding his ass off with no professional or expertise help due to his complacency. Of course, Lord Aisla learned the hard way when he met Clyden, an alumni to one of the most prestigious military academies of Geb?t?e (Ge-bo-thaeth) to this day - University of Inglovian Occidental - Military Academy, who almost had overtaken him. He had to realize quite very tardy the fact he was too late to correct his time when he had the opportunity to grab it. His fate was sealed when he obtained his position he had wished for¡ being a marshal of the kingdom of Kehina. Lord Aisla only knew that hard work and frugality won¡¯t be working no longer therefore he had to believe as well in luck. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Committed acts of violations towards mortals. He was a burglar, a felon, a swindler; when he had nothing to subsist himself. A part-time mercenary, when his gang leader fell and as he sought to feed himself. To look for food is to look for a job. And yes, Dormogas isn¡¯t so discriminative towards its people and outsiders - so, the man searched his way to the government (a quasi-institution formed by several statesmen and real estate moguls whose land acquired via claims and enfranchisement, so to speak - war) when he accumulated certain amount of his so-called retirement savings for spending his life killing in the name of his nation - Dormogas in approximate of five years. The young man had tasted his first blood, making himself hardened and head strong since this is all he had to do for a living. During the time he was out of gold and resources, he reverted back to his old deeds when he was younger. Clearly, the young lad didn¡¯t want to do government commissions since it¡¯s a double-edged sword. The pay is higher than picking pocket or whatnot, however, his life is also on the stake. Theft, pickpocketing, highjacking, arsoning, ransom, fraudulent, and all sorts of what a plague of the society¡¯s definition is. During his coming of age, the young man went back to what he had been through. He did those. Same procedures, better execution. A priest. A ¡®Croisian¡¯ abbot. A proselytizer came to him later on in the kid¡¯s life. The name of the sacerdotal preacher is Rev. Fr. Amas. During the course of his entire life; grinding for an honest sweat for an honest salary and stealing from others - vice-versa, he witnessed the volition to probably believe in himself that the priest who had been inserted in his life was a game-changing moment. Under the ¡®Croisian¡¯ priest¡¯s tutelage, this kid had attained a peaceful meaning and a fresh placated beginnings. He, himself, began: to teach the illiterate masses, to preach the wrongdoers, to help the unfortunates, to fight against injustice and misguided arbitration, and to press further escalation of pacifism. He came to the business of honest work after his teacher¡¯s demise. But not too long. This young adult man did a sporadic job between working for the government and making an easy buck through illicit means. And during the end of each month, he did the work of preaching and of evangelizing to conceal his interior motivations on how he dealt with life. Until then, Lord Gerveas met Lady Anda in the alleys of the city of Wazsch. He was instead being given food, grooming, and clothes. With all incentives and benefits he had received, Lord Gerveas learned to dedicate his life towards the lady whom he just met a while ago. Lord Gerveas realized that he''d had enough of doing the cycle of hypocrisy. Stealing for a day for bread (or even more), ¡®Croisianizing¡¯, and doing requests of the government. He was aware that making things like this won''t make his life into salvation. Lord Gerveas was conscious about what he was doing but he had no option. No option of escaping the life he had. The fate swerved everything as the moment had passed by, he chose to serve under the guidance of Lady Anda and for the people of Kehina. Lord Gerveas broke out of the chains of his circle of death. He made the decision to step off his comfort and left all of what he knew during his past life - he was attempting to change. Reincarnating into a different version of himself¡ a new Lord Gerveas. Embracing a new faith. Embracing Lady Wellicia. His perception was perverted at first but he knew in order to absorb this inverted life, he was required to reform. Lord Gerveas only knew Hrililal during the encounter with the Queen Kehina. Thus, his point-of-view was fixated into all beliefs that may be patriarchal. He was wrong, however. The process was staggering and tedious yet he did manage to integrate into his life - the words of Hrililal. For over a couple of years studying Hrililal''s theology, Lord Gerveas was a bona-fide Hrililali. And after his conversion to the faith of Hrililal, Lady Anda made the initiation of the invitation towards Lord Gerveas to marry her. He practiced the customs, learned the culture of the Kehina, incorporated the tongue and its dialects, studied the royal etiquette, abided Kehinan ethical norms, and emerged as a reborned Kehinan. Inglovian no more. Lord Gerveas championed himself as the sole prominent philosopher and one of the leading doctors of Kehina. As he continues to do so. Lord Gerveas curtailed jingoism to the people of Kehina and instead changed it into a pacifistic approach. With his experience came into play, most of his disciples and retainers followed in his footsteps¡ Lord Gerveas¡¯s ideals. Also an illiterate like the aforementioned namesake - Lord Gerveas, though, in reality¡ the other kind of reality, this man was a peasant. He was hailed in the multitudes of climates in the land of Inglovia. Inglovia? Yes, Inglovia! An Inglovia that¡¯s quite different from another Inglovia. Specifically, in one of the popular hubs for trading centers - Sisc?r. Day in, day out. He worked like a water buffalo. Only in sweat, he can find hard work. He only believed that a job is a job if one has to sweat for justification. Money should be earned through sweating, breaking one¡¯s back, bleeding, losing sanity, experiencing near-death circumstances, or worst and the very least unprecedented way - just accidentally getting wounded. All because of work. He did admit not all artists, playwrights, performers, musicians, muses, minstrels, and all sorts of that do not require the aforementioned incidents are not worthy of attaining such opulence. Thus for him, forms of entertainment are not work. It was embedded in his life. That creed had its life derived from this man. That man is Lord Guan. To his vehement and his staunch approach towards how to discern life, many people questioned whether Lord Guan had a fetish to work all night, all night with no rest or if he had a disease called ¡®workaholism¡¯. Lord Guan sneered and rebutted the people that: ¡°They are just lazy.¡± 5: Unexpected Encounter Of The Another ¡°Before answering your excerpt, Lord Ameniah. I have a special task for you. Information ain¡¯t so cheap nowadays.¡± the captain counters. ¡°Sure, Captain Leonis. Whatever it is you are going to throw at me - I will complete it.¡± I confide to my abilities in securing this lead about the enigmatic arms. ¡°Have you ever heard a naga before?¡± he then asks me an absurd question. ¡°Absolutely. From literature to plays. From magical conjuration to songs of minstrels. Yes, indeed.¡± ¡°Have you seen one?¡± ¡°Does the illusory imagery count?¡± I reply, where he sighs and slaps his forehead in a gentle manner, gesturing frustration upon his non-verbal message. ¡°Alright, my bad. I have seen not one in my whole life.¡± admitting, as I come out clean instead of lying about what it looks like. ¡°Very well.¡± as he claps his hands, where a figure spawns behind the curtain. ¡°This scaly humanoid is half-human, half-serpent. They could talk, though, some of them could speak unintelligibly. They can creep on land and swim on waters using their tails. In short, this species right here is an amphibian. This is the objective of your mission, Lord Ameniah.¡± he presents a model of what a naga would look like, elaborating the information. ¡°Alright, what do I have with them?¡± getting direct towards the information, I make a definite askance. ¡°Every single one of them. Not even, just an egg¡ Lord Ameniah, I need you to those who defy against my will. On Fort Quogsagihaxee¡¯e¡¯s behalf, she will chase them off of our land!¡± whereas he points his finger towards the direction of the beach where the horde is supposedly appearing, from the window. I have my orders now as I hurl the dagger on my scabbard towards the naga who is beside the captain. The vile beast manages to elude my assault and the projectile digs deeper into the walls. The anthropomorph hides behind Captain Leonis. And in protest, the naga snarls at me. ¡°Hey! Cease that, will ¡®ya!?!¡± Captain Leonis poses his hand forward, shouting. ¡°What are you attempting to do, captain? You¡¯re blocking me off! Get out of my sight. I am trying to kill that thing - what you asked me to.¡± I retort with a revolting tone. "You hold it right there, Lord Ameniah!," he protests, while he is trying to halt the anthropomorph''s retaliation using his left hand, "are you being serious right now, eh?" mockingly if this is how I usually do. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. I then ready myself by unsheathing one of my sidearms hidden on my left bracer. This time, I won''t miss my target, even though that thing is using the captain as a shield. I brandish the blade on my hand against the creature as I denote that pinpointing the target won''t fail - I promise. With no further notice, I throw my blade on my hand projecting towards the naga. The scaly species flinches where it cringes back on the same head level with the captain. Midway to the traveling of the projectile, Captain Leonis removes his right hand out of his pocket. The captain pinches the dagger mid-air. Catching it with two fingers - ring finger and index finger, by protecting the naga behind him. He then flings it back to me, flicking towards me in just a matter of a second. I barely manage to get a grip onto the dagger deflected upon me. The blade is near my forehead, ensuing with a small wound. "Impressive." I praise the captain in a sarcastic manner. He answers it with a: "Thanks." and he follows it up with a side note, continuing: "... this creature behind me is not one of your targets, unfortunately. She is an ally. I gave you a beforehand, though, it is not that vivid. I''m sorry." as the heat of the surroundings has been pacified. "No, captain! I''m at fault." I apologize to the captain, though the naga finds itself in a defensive stance when all things matter to cease. I try to somehow calm the creature behind Captain Leonis by approaching it in a gentle and slow fashion. In each step, every stride I tread, the naga''s snarling becomes more agitated and loud - signifies that the naga is dreaded to me. The captain also aids out where he nudges the creature that ''everything''s alright.'' The sentient is somehow calmed down, however, its gills are protracted - as it shows signs of aggression. Moreover, I am fazed not because I am attempting my best to get the approval of this creature. We are at elbow-length. The hostility has been stopped¡ the nails of its limbs and its gills have been retracted and relaxed, respectively. The species glares at me and then in an abrupt moment, it performs a gesture to what I''ve not expected - a handshake presented in front of me. I reach the gesture with both of my hands - accepting its offer, and then I speak: "Pleasure to meet you." I give salutations to what is in front of me. "It is¡ nice¡ having - -... you." the sentient replies, intelligible yet in a crooked flow of speech. The handshake is established when I anticipate being met with a warm reaction yet I have a cold sensation on my hand; where, I am not being hysterical, I feel a slimy feeling on my hands. The tinge encloses the entirety of my hand¡ a webbed fingers wrap around my wrist, exuding a sticky and wet substance. And who would have thought that Captain Leonis is experiencing this kind of treatment almost daily. It is such an embarrassment if I show indications of squirm. That would be a shame in an awful manner. ¡°Certainly, it would also be my honor to meet with you, honorable ???¡± I pause, as if somehow tending to know of its name. The sentient is just staring at me blankly, it is whether I am going to finish the sentence or what - the creature does seem not to get the cue. Captain Leonis intervenes, he struts sideways in front of the creature, saying: ¡°Lord Ameniah is making an askance of your name. What is your name, hmmm?¡± he gives a wink towards his reptilian companion. ¡°*Uhm*, well, ¡ - -¡± the creature stops from speaking, ¡°*Uhm*,... *uhm*¡± the stammering continues, as it follows with a stutter: ¡°M-m-m-m-my name, n-n-n-name ¡ My name is-is-is-is-is-is ¡ My name is Haha-Haha¡¡± well, it takes long to conclude its introductory salutation, as I think its epitaph is just laughing its ass off. ¡°My name is Habaraef.¡± at long last, it is finished. As I first thought that coldblooded creature would never encounter having a seizure or a heat stroke or whatsoever. It is just my assumption. However, whatever. ¡°Habaraef, nice to meet you!¡± ¡°Likewise, Lord Ameniah!¡± 6: Tethering ¡°Additional information, Lord Ameniah; there are five types of tethering between a human with anthropomorphs.¡± Captain Leonis adds. ¡°What are those, captain?¡± I reply by responding with a question of my own. ¡°Those are: Subjugation, pact, alliance, and necromancy. And lastly, allagithrope.¡± he answers. ¡°What do you have with Habaraef, then?¡± I raise a question of what is the relation between Captain Leonis and his scaly friend beside him - Habaraef. ¡°You are getting ahead of yourself, Lord Ameniah.¡± Captain Leonis points out why I am so forceful with the fast-paced influx of information. ¡°Alright, captain. Have it your way.¡± as I give the captain all the time to chat about how these newly-acquired details actually work. ¡°There are a plethora of ways to make a contract with sentient life or if you feel to pendantic about the term - ¨¹berleben. And along this line as well, if you are feeling too ambitious - the devils. Riivaaja and divs.¡± he explains, while I keep nodding during the moment to an extent that I feel so engrossed about the topic. ¡°There are two most common methods: duel and exchanging with a physical part. The most standard parley is blood.¡± he adds. ¡°Blood, huh? One of the sacred substances of any mortal kind. I see.¡± ¡°Exactly, milord.¡± he concurs to my sentiment. ¡°And it is probably the convenient, the asset, the usefulness of these out of all the sacrifices required!¡± Captain exclaims. ¡°So what is your relation with your friend?¡± I point out with my finger momentarily, referring to Habaraef. ¡°Subjugation and pact are being dealt with by the means of duel.¡± ¡°I see.¡± as I become interested in what he said and he is about to speak further in this discussion. ¡°After getting a triumphant score over one¡¯s opponent, a contract can be made whether through subjugation or pact. Subjugation is where the victor can enslave the defeated one and acquire all of the talents and skills - both current and new. Pact, on the other hand, is where the namesake will protect the defeated one in exchange to obtain all of the talents and skills. A bilateral bargain - one is receiving while the other is providing.¡± well - that is so strange, I guess who would have thought to engage in a pact system? ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, Lord Ameniah. Why is there a pact in this paradigm? Very well, I am glad to elaborate this for you. And as of course, it is sometimes also known as ¡®friendship terms¡¯ where lovers, siblings, relatives, whoever what one¡¯s close to its life. That answers your question?¡± he elaborates it further, whereas I nod in my response. ¡°Moving on, alliance. Ah, yes! Alliance. Alliance is what Habaraef and I made of this same interest. There are some resemblance features with pact, however. First thing is a mutual sharing design, where we can borrow each other¡¯s traits unlike what the pact has stated, where one is the recipient and the defender while the other is the giver and the protectee. Lastly, if either of us refuses to comply with the heed of one of us, the alliance will be broken.¡± I get it! So, that¡¯s where their agreement is all about. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°By the way, it is by the medium of blood offering.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± I bop my head into agreeing to his word. ¡°Also, through giving one of your limbs, an eye, or whatsoever. Even your testes as well, it can! You can perform necromancy. Necromancy is called autometensarkos as well. Paying one¡¯s bodily parts will lose one¡¯s will since the dead that you¡¯re offering to have the free will to take one¡¯s body under one¡¯s volition.¡± ¡°What in the ninth hell is willing to do that, huh?¡± I chuckle. ¡°I know it is crazy, right? However, maybe some cult groups are willing to take things far for their greater cause. Resuscitating one¡¯s grandmaster of old to save the cause. Deranged.¡± he agrees with me, however, about the cult part - I don¡¯t reckon so. "What do you call this, captain? Tethering, am I right?" trying to confirm, I ask. "Yes. You are correct." he answers. "Anyway, there is only one that needs explaining one technique - allagithrope." "Tell me, captain, what is that all about? And how does it work?" I speak in an imperative voice, and as well, Captain Leonis probably dislikes being interrupted. And yet, I do it once more. "Lord Ameniah, what did I tell you?" giving me a creep when glares at me, the captain sneers. "Oh yeah, my bad." I apologize, a snide call to somehow hamper his disdain upon me. "Furthermore, allagithrope has two ways of making a contract with the target." "By dueling and by blood sacrifice, right?" I answer, as I am trying to learn what the verdict is. "Right again. You''re quite keen to this uptake, aren''t you Lord Ameniah?" he commends for answering it appropriately. "You''re quite an excellent teacher, Captain Leonis." I thank and praise him back. "Likewise. By the way, milord, allagithrope''s special feature is when you have the full control of the memory, powers, and traits of the lease. At your own will, you can change into its feature - transformation, in flesh. In addition to that, in necromancy or autometensarkos sometimes you need a professional necromancer to evoke the contract however, in this technique. Allagithrope does not necessitate you to do this method." the captain elaborates it clearly to me, where I find the information too overflowing. "Can I do this technique, Captain Leonis?" I verify. "This tethering thing is considered a rare occurrence between mortals. The user should be a human, Sinist by ethnicity or white if you prefer complexion type, and has a dark lineage. So, this thing is usually through bloodline." The captain pauses, "My father is of a Celamus patrician business class clan. Thus, me, Leonis Celamus. My mother practices witchery and happens to be a Rotsteiner by culture. Thus, my qualification inside our family business is valid ''cause my lineage is both Rotsteiner - my father and my mother. Ha!" he says, I hide my grimace while facing these two individuals - Captain Leonis and his reptilian friend, Habaraef. That''s too specific and kind of racist too. Well, I am quite one of too. "Alright, too bad. I can''t do this stuff." I sigh a breath out of frustration. "Hold your horses, milord. There is nothing to be depressed about. You can still perform this kind of method. However, there are two ways: you may rent a necromancer to perform necromancy and allagithrope; or you are required to buy an expensive scroll to establish a combat rite towards your victim, delivering either subjugation or pact to either your desire." Captain Leonis concludes. "Alright, great and thanks!" exclaiming, where later I get down to business, "By the way, before I go, what is the deal with these nagas? Well, except for your friend - Habaraef, of course¡ what do you want me to do with them?" I ask for further instructions. 7: Just like what the captain had told me, later on, in the dusk. There will be a wave of amphibians surfacing from the beach. Habaraef has come to assist me - diplomatic-wise. Hereof, the creature liaison by the captain may also be helpful whether through talking or forceful interaction. Traps, hedgehogs, and outlooks have been prepared to aim at the waters. Just for safety measures, the members of Celamus family have allocated a meager of the resources to fend off the attacker. Ballistae, forts, watchtowers, and incendiary munitions are placed five hundred steps away each post in a lateral setting behind the walls. I ask the demi-human sentient, questioning: "What is the deal of this other faction? Are you some kind of faction leader as well?" differentiating between Habaraef''s plight and the other group. "Fishing rights¡ and - -... I am a leader, - -... as well." Habaraef answers in rather a choppy notch and in a languid and vapid flow. "I see. Where is your whole gang? Manpower is of a necessity, isn''t it? If conflict arises, your men will be pivotal against the rival group." I say, suggesting. "Captain¡ C-c-c-captain Leonis''s men can suffice. They¡ they are-are-are-are ample for the d-d-d-defense." stuttering response, as I find the naga''s statement comprehensible. ¡°Have it your way, then.¡± I daresay, as the reptilian sentient refuses to call for reinforcements if things go south. I stop when I realize something that she said. Rights? Rights to what? I grab her elbow hampering the scaly sentient whereas Habaref focuses her notice on me, insetting: ¡°Fishing rights, you say? Huh? Quite intriguing, I daresay. What is it that you have with Captain Leonis, then?¡± as I am getting some sort of detection of a romantic relationship between this creature and the captain. I just might have assumed it. ¡°Why do you care?¡± she gurgles, and it is of the first time she enunciates the sentence when she exerts indignation. ¡°Sixty-Forty? Higher up in your favor, inn¡¯it?¡± ¡°Like I said, what do you have on t-t-t-t-this BUSINESS!¡° the creature poses its gills as she is denoting an aggressive stance against me, she hisses. Minutes later, the sun submerges to the ocean where its light is fading and as for both the little moon (Lunagius) and the near moon (Luna Maior) are starting to appear faint and beaming radiant, respectively. While the other moon - Meridiana is nowhere to be found. The dread is definitely there, everywhere the lads have set up their own camps and fires. All eyes seem to be out of me in a bigger picture. They are busy with each other - frolicking, sharing, mingling, laughing, playing, and everything else to keep them occupied. I wish Zechary is with me all this time. I¡¯m sorry, kid, disparaging you up until now. Forgive me. ¡°Lord Ameniah¡¡± a cry is calling from behind, muffling breath, summoning my name with a distinct voice of aquatic sentient. As it catches my attention, I glance back to verify whose voice it is, replying: ¡°Hey, there! I have never seen anyone who resembles you. Other than your kind. Were you alone this time when you made your alliance-stuff with Captain Leonis?¡± with a sincere and upbeat voice. And it is of the first time I acknowledge myself being in this state. Bizarre, huh? This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Tethering? Are-are-are you talking a-b-b-b-b-bout tethering, Lord Ameniah?¡± reconfirming, whereas I nod my head to answer the creature¡¯s inquiry. ¡°You call that tethering?,¡± returning back the question, where the naga looks me in the eyes with a stoic stare ¡°Well, tethering! It is¡¡± I pause, as far as I realize that I am playing a quite different character other than myself. It gives me a creep. This is not me, actually. This is not me. ¡°Yes,¡± she answers and she twirls her tail ¡°As a-a-a-a-a matter- - matter of fact, I-I-I-I want y-y-you to lead. Some of t-t-t-these men, to be t-t-t-their captain.¡± Habaraef proclaims, a question is: are they willing to lay their lives in my hands, though? The creature then signals the rest of the men to stay put. After a brief explanation, the members of the Celamus family are preparing to stand ground. As a naga, Habaraef can surely sense her race. The creature makes a whistling noise without moving its mouth muscles or using its webbed-fingers instead utilizing its gills. The creature then signals the rest of the men to stay put. After a brief explanation, the members of the Celamus family are preparing to stand ground. As a naga, Habaraef can surely sense her race. The creature makes a whistling noise without moving its mouth muscles or using its webbed-fingers instead utilizing its gills. The caveat seems relentless as Habaraef does stop not to warn us. And in a sudden motion, the creature''s behest is giving us a restless concern. The men are equipping themselves with protection - helms, heavy armor, and large scutums, and some intermediate weaponry such as halberds, maces, broadswords, and two-handed heavy weapons such as buster swords, claymore, and spears to fend off the aggressors. ¡°For a small unit he has, how come he can avail equipment so lucrative like this? So similar to the arsenal of the army of Inglovia? And yet, the captain only allocates a hundred of his troops.¡± contemplating it, as I ask this question - what are the capabilities of Captain Leonis''s organization? The archers on each watchtower, guarding the post, have set their eyes but not their aim towards the beach. Waiting. Waiting for the horde to surface themselves from submersion. There are five (5) men who station a watchtower. And since it is nighttime, three (3) of those act as an additional crew for supporting the sharpshooters. They provide unusual and out-of-the-book tactics for illuminating the area. There is the one who holds the candle and in the middle who carries something that refracts the light of the source to it, and lastly, the man is supporting the beam on his shoulder and he is responsible for the control of the direction of the target. Habaraef then growls in a low tone, whereas the men shift from a prepared position into a relaxed stance. The naga exits inside the makeshift fortress as she is going to meet with her kind. The swarm resurfaces from the water and the watchers from the high outpost focus their light towards the other naga party. The archers can''t take their eyes off as not even a blink towards the opposing end except for our naga friend - Habaraef. The sharpshooters are on high alert and from their off-hand, as they are staying put with their arrow and not performing an aiming stance. On high alert, witnessing the conversation we barely hear from the distance. The sentries never skip a beat as they are watching closely how the discussion between the two camps would play out. After a while and after they have done the talking, Habaraef slowly treads towards us - inside the fortification. ¡°Prepare your arms.¡± the creature utters in a straight rhythm and in a defeated voice, as the men would do so as per Habaraef''s behest. ¡°What is the matter? What happened?¡± I ask Habaraef quite closely, wanting to know the situation. ¡°Read the surroundings, you twat!¡± as it is answered by one of the men whom I am not speaking with. ¡°Yeah, double time! Those scaly fools¡¡± follows by another, he then pauses. ¡°I mean, except for miss Habaraef, didn''t accept the proposition of compromise.¡± realizing the naga is looking at the lad, and then rectifying his sentiment towards the other group of nagas. Well, fight. Fight, it is. This is quite a pain since it is my first time facing one - nagas. They are definitely enormous for the size of a human, such as me. They are immense in numbers approximately around a couple of hundred. 8: The Maze Inside The Royal Villa ¡°Milady.¡± I cut shortly when Lady Anda is about to leave for her personal matters, initially she would be in her bedchamber - on the double, as I sigh my breath. ¡°Lord Geoff, good morning! You look so edgy¡ what is the deal?¡± she shows her concern. ¡°My father¡¡± ¡°Father-in-law? Lord Rayl? What¡¯s with him? Is he here? Oh my god, I forgot - -...¡± and of course, the news is only spread with the family members and the relatives. I should have seen this coming. ¡°Lady Anda, please calm down.¡± I suggest the chieftess stay still for now as to heed to my words. ¡°Oh, I''m sorry¡ Well, please go ahead.¡± she smiles, as Lady Anda is realizing that she is trying to overrun my word coming from my mouth. ¡°Lady Anda, my father is-...¡± I stutter, ¡°My father is dead.¡± where my voice cracks when I state my father''s condition. She gasps the first time, then she asks once more: ¡°What? What did you say?¡± as she widens her eyes and by the look on her face if I am telling the queen a lie or not. ¡°My father is dead, your royal highness.¡± I reiterate my erstwhile statement, as for this time - I give her nomenclature in a respectful fashion. ¡°Oh, I''m sorry for blabbering trifling stuff before you- -...¡± as Lady Anda continues to bombard words meant specifically to interrupt me once again. ¡°Lord Geoff¡¡± Quexajo bows to me, giving salutations, ¡°Lady Anda, please excuse us for just a moment.¡± then he turns his attention to the queen as he entails a delightful greeting. ¡°Right away¡¡± Lady Anda permits Quexajo''s request. Damn, I keep procrastinating and as of now, time and time again¡ it manages to trickle away from my grasp. ¡°Forgive me, Quexajo. I was stalling too much.¡± I apologize to him when I turn my gaze focusing on him. ¡°The preparation is all set. Our boat to Haganalopolis is ready.¡± ignoring my apologies, where he directs his usual reports to me rather than receiving my message. ¡°Alright, thanks for the beforehand. But, I should give a notch to the queen first before we set sail.¡± I say, and then dashes to Lady Anda. ¡°Break a leg, milord!¡± Quexajo shouts, replying, as I hear his faint response. I run into a corner, Lady Anda is nowhere to be found. They are three (3) paths to whether she is heading to. Left, center and right. I am circling around this crossroad when suddenly, a male servant comes to me. ¡°What is it, Lord Geoff? You looked so stressed, what is the problem?¡± he asks, as the male servant is willing to help me. ¡°Have you seen Lady Anda?¡± I ask. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°I''m sorry, milord,¡° he shakes his head and heads forward, ¡°I haven''t seen her for quite a while, sire.¡± the man bows his head as he moves to his destination. And another one appears before my eyes. It is a female clerk this time. She appears in the same direction with the man whom I conversed with. To the center. She just smiles at me and I return the smile back to her. I don''t want to bother her because she has the tendency to reply to the same answer of the prior man of what I''ve questioned before. She is scanning me while her eyes seem glued on me as she is passing by. I wave my hand at her before her sight one me out of her periphery. I sigh as I wait for another person to spawn before my presence. I am doing this because it saves time since each pathway consists of about two hundred and fifty (250) steps to reach the end. ¡°Hello, what is the hold up? What are you doing here in the middle of this intersection, Lord Geoff?¡± a man calls me from the left section, as it startles me because his voice resonates me down to my chest. ¡°Oh, hello?!¡± my voice cracks, replying to it with a nervous tone. ¡°Uhm,... ha! I didn''t notice you there.¡± I add. ¡°What is happening, milord?¡± he displays his concern, by looking at his face that he is truly concerned. ¡°Oh, nothing.¡± I dismiss it fairly and at the end, try to deny it. When he is about to leave and to pass me across, I grab his wrist; asking: ¡°Uhm,... actually, I have something to ask. Would you mind borrowing you for just a tiny bit of your precious time?¡± whereas he is surprised by my action, grabbing his forearm with no heads up. ¡°Certainly, milord. There is no problem with that. Technically, I¡¯m just your servant.¡± he raises a jubilant smirk on his face when he gladly accepts my demand, as I make a sigh out of relief. ¡°Can you tell me where Lady Anda¡¯s whereabouts are? Have you seen her recently? Did she walk on this path that you tread on? If not, do you know where she will be in this hour?¡± I question him, in a quite tremendous way - four successive askances. ¡°Milord, will you repeat those once more?¡± he chuckles in a soft tone, and yes, in this instance¡ I should have calmed myself down first before inquiring questions. Okay, my bad. I am quite frantically stressed out right now. I¡¯m sorry. ¡°And Lord Geoff, with all due respect, can you slow it down first?¡± he follows, as I concur with the man¡¯s request. Definitely, no argument there. I respond back to his smile with also a smile of my own, I then repeat: ¡°Do you know where Lady Anda should be in this early morning?¡± rephrasing as it contracts my four questions a while ago into a compressed manner. ¡°Much better!¡± exclaiming, he responds. ¡°Unfortunately, Lord Geoff. I haven¡¯t seen her for two days straight.¡± continuing, he gives me false hope. This lad is squandering my time. ¡°Hold on, milord¡ I know you¡¯re disappointed by the looks of it. However, I have good news for you, Lord Geoff.¡± ¡°Yeah, what is it?¡± as I am annoyed in a fair instance, where he is trying to play games with me. ¡°There are some places where Lady Anda will be as of now.¡± he claims. My focus straightens when he says that he might know where Lady Anda is. And in a very abrupt way or unusual, so to say; I grab him by his neckband, pinning him to the wall quite lightly, as I say: ¡°Out with it.¡° in an imperative tone - whispering. ¡°She might be in the pantry or in the seaming room. If not, she may be inside her personal office.¡± he blurts out, as I loosen my grip on him then fixing the wrinkles on his cloth and following it with two small taps on his right cheek. ¡°And where should I head to?¡± I ask, where he points his fingers in front of him, the way to the right corner. ¡°Thanks for the leads, lad¡¡± as I rush over to the direction the man has given me to go. 9: Inadvertent Occurrence Well, to be honest. This is the first time I have seen such a gentleman gesture where both parties declare their intentions and if both ends can suffice not - it is war. Habaraef is barking orders which I find unintelligible. I do really prefer someone who can enunciate words to be the one who is making the tactics. No offense. An orc, an elf, a dwarf, or whatsoever; as long as the one whose pronunciation is well articulated, not a muffled gurgling noise. I mean she do stutter as well. It is better to do nothing than to do stupid. No one can accuse me of this since most words the naga utters is a screeching noise to my ears. I can not even seek to understand those words out of her mouth. The other camp is hissing towards us in a frantic aggression, as Habaraef does not fall for their intimidation so she hushes back to them. The crowd of clamor follows behind me where I find it absurd since they, my kind, are following a half-serpent, half-man. I am at the epicenter of the family¡¯s army - Celamus¡¯s men. I look around as the roar does not seem to dissipate. The shout grows stronger from my side. It is not deafening and bothering, albeit, I find it amusing. ¡°This will end in a yelling contest or what?¡± asking to myself, as I am oblivious about what they are doing - Habaraef, alongside with Celamus¡¯s men, against her own kind. I can sense that their throats and lungs are about to concede about what they are undertaking just to intensify the battle cry. On the other end, I am no naga¡ a scaly cold-blooded sentient. No, no, no. And no. I do know not how their bodies work. Hmmm? Oh, I forgot to ask that with Habaraef. Maybe, I should inquire with her about that after this charade has finished. I am aware that they are as well trying to sustain their snarls against us, however. I mean, after speculating how things should work - we should be more aggressive than them due to the fact that we are hiding behind these half-assed built walls. Like dogs barking at each other when there is a fence acts as an intermediary. And when there are no walls between each side, the dogs act in a passive manner hostile to each other. Provoking them, at least. The other side of the nagas should be the one who is making the move since they encroach into our turf. Our turf? No, Captain Leonis¡¯s backyard. ¡°Up high above, please end this misery. It makes me humdrum per se.¡± I talk once more to myself where I send a prayer from the heavens. And after a minute and a half or so, the fighting continues¡ actually, it is not a fight, it is a bickering between two sides. My camp and the other camp. A passive-aggressive of ¡®all barks, no bite¡¯ face off. I do join not with my comrades. First and foremost, I am fairly on their side. Second of all, I am not willing to do something dumb like what my camp is doing as of now. Thirdly, they are my allies and it is under my volition to defend when danger strikes at all cost. Hence, to conclude it for this fourth and final reason; it does mean not that I am their brother-in-arms that I am going to take part in a partake with them but I will not do stupid things with them. This annoying transpiration is turning into an entertaining amusement after a while. It is just a couple of minutes but the roars of each camp are resonating within my chest. I will still not take part in it. It is just plain stupidity. In all honesty. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. All I can utter is: "What the hell is going on, actually? I''m confused." as nothing, I could think of some sort of competition such as this. And right now, their voices are starting to lose some of the steam. And just by now, the air inside their lungs - all seems exhausted. Empty. As the other side looks the same as well. The nagas from the other end thud their weapons down to the sand, creating a tiny bit of tremor which I am flabbergasted at first. The foes instead make the initiative of the next phase of this harmless debacle. I survey around. Around my so-called comrades-in-arms. They are not fazed by their dread. Incurring fear of the opposing nagas sends a chill down to my spine. Yet, the men of the Celamus family are not. This, I do anticipate not. In retaliation, the men-at-arms of the family of Celamus fiercely oppose the intimidation of the foreign scaly slithereen sentients by incurring a noise of their own. Some of them deliver unison stomps to the pavement then follow it with the slamming of the butt of their weapons to the ground. Stomp of foot. Slam of the weapon. Stomp of foot. Slam of the weapon. Vice-versa. Then repeat. And after a while, the rest of the men then accentuate the rhythm of the beat with clattering of their weapons. They insert the clamor after the thunderous slam to the ground. The sequence of the beat would sound like this: stomp of foot, slam of the weapon, and the metal clattering sound comes from the weapon clashing. Stomp. Slam. Clash. Stomp. Slam. Clash. Repeat. ¡°Such a spectacle, overseeing this kind of display!¡± exclaiming this in the depths of my chest, as I am trying to contain this emotion where I search the meaning behind the reciprocal verbal clout of each camp. Meanwhile, the group of nagas stops their action from making small quakes on the ground. From the looks of their faces, they seemed defeated despite their number counts¡ their superior mass advantage - 1:4. As they withdraw to the beaches. ¡°What is this fort for?,¡± I say underneath my breath, ¡°What are they celebrating for? Are they out of their mind? This is a fiasco!¡± as I express my disgruntled remark towards the situation. Do you call this a victory? I approach one of the men whose participation in the battle rally beside me, questioning: ¡°What was that for? This is phony. Did we win just because of that?¡± as I express my repudiation and also my disapproval to this hysteria. ¡°You know, gentleman. Not all wars start with a first blood. And few of them conclude it in an unexpected fashion - a bloodless confrontation.¡± he replies, as the man is attempting to teach me. He then laughs, tapping my shoulder, where he adds: ¡°I guess, my friend, you have a different kind of perception about how wars work. I admit I don''t know you. And not quite. But, I do see you how jingoist your characteristic is. Well, in fact, based on my observation.¡± as the man assumes to judgement, deciding how shallow he sees from me. 10: The Altercation Between The De-jure Augur And The De-facto Auguria "Have you ever heard where women dominate men and govern a domain?" "Look over there! Beyond the seas, you can find them hiding¡¡± ¡°Lord Gerveas! You are looking great right now! How have you been doing?¡± as the priestess-bishop confronts me in this oratory. I just stare at her and surprisingly, ¡®the cat catches my tongue¡¯ where I get tongue-tied. Obviously, I don''t want to offend the priestess-bishop in any ways I could think of. And of course, I do try to be as calm as possible. In a kneeling position, it is easy to remain in my composure since there is an extension on my knees that acts as a cushion. I break eye contact with her, as she finds my previous action to be of concern. Of course, I take a glance at her - she retaliates with her own version of her stare. There is a strife in the eyes of the priestess-bishop, it gives me a certain emotion that stirs as well my epidermis in the exterior and my muscles within my body. It is not fear. It is anxiety. ¡°Okay, priestess-bishop- -...¡± She interrupts me by inserting her name: ¡°It''s Linila. Linila is my name, Lord Gerveas.¡± as she giggles afterwards. ¡°Alright, Linila. Here is the deal. You are just below me - hierarchy-wise. But in reality, you have the higher aptitude between us in terms of religious belief and Hrililal theology. That is for sure, I can concur with that.¡± as I explain the current situation between us. ¡°Meaning, Augur of the kingdom of Kehina - Lord Gerveas?¡± she entails me a stern glare as she nonchalantly voices. ¡°It means that you are the supposed-Augur in the inner circles of the council of Kehina and Lady Anda, am I right Lady Linila?¡± I reply with her title in her nomenclature. ¡°Yes, milord.¡± she approves of my sentiment. ¡°I should be the one whose label on my name as a de-facto religious head of the Hrililal faith. Not you. Otherwise, a matriarchal belief whose supreme judiciary and executive is a man downplays the entirety of the concept of being an enatic-leaning of the cause. Don''t you think of that, Lady Linila?¡± I state where I do assume the priestess-bishop knows what I am saying too. ¡°I agree,¡± she shares the same sentiment as mine once more, ¡°However and hence, Lady Anda exists.¡± which makes me squirm after she says her last sentence, as I withdraw from my kneeling stance into a sitting position on the oratory bench. ¡°Why do you think that way, Lady Linila? What makes it so spiteful to speak like this?¡± I protest, as I am as well defending the dignity of the chieftess and the queen of Kehina has. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°The answer is plain and simple, Lord Gerveas. Everything she does is absolute. Her words are best described as just. Hence, Lady Anda governs Kehina based not on her arbitration but on how women discern men as equals. Whence, the Caliph-Grand Emperor of Inglovia sees Lady Anda''s ideals as a threat to the Aslab faith. So that''s why we are at war with the Inglovians. Capitalizing his temporal jurisdictional advantage.¡± she speculates, as she is trying to derive on her less-bigoted perception between the sexes. ¡°That''s a good insight, Lady Linila! I am impressed by how sharp you are in this uptake.¡± I praise the priestess-bishop for her testament. ¡°Well, thanks. Socially, you are much more respected than I am, to be honest Lord Gerveas.¡± and as all of a sudden, she sends gratitude for my commendation for her then following with a shocking demeanor towards me. She utters an annoying tone when she indicates my current standing in the kingdom. ¡°Well, I dislike the tone of your voice, Lady Linila. Would you mind rephrasing those words for me, Lady Linila?¡± I retaliate with an aggravated and imperative passive mood. ¡°I''m sorry, milord. Forget everything that I have said.¡± she then retracts to her usual manner of speaking - a pristine model who is in the religious sector. A fine lady, as per agnatic stereotype point-of-view. ¡°I never meant to look myself prestigious! I did what I have to do! That''s the requirement to be one of the consort of the Queen of Kehina.¡± I burst out, whereas raising my voice and echoing throughout this space. I overrule the protocol inside this prayer chapel. ¡°It is quite detrimental for the Kehina''s queen''s image¡ marrying an illiterate fool like myself. Thus, I prove to them - to you if I am fit to be really her royal consort. I strive to become competent to what I do, Lady Linila. Up until now, I am yet to convince myself if I am truly being the best choice for the slot inside the inner circles of the council.¡± I give my other insight about my struggle to life. ¡°Milord, I am not the enemy here. Who am I to judge a person whom I barely know? In addition to your prior statement; it is not easy as it seems since you had been homeschooled and took tutors. Grooming you into an appropriate husband for Lady Anda. It took years, and yes, I oversaw them all - your frustration, your determination, your failures. All in all, you made it to reach to your goal. Congratulations, Lord Gerveas. On behalf of Lady Anda''s former religious head and my twenty-three (23) tenure years of service, we are proud of you.¡± she bows her head to me sideways while she is sitting beside me on the bench. ¡°To be honest, Lady Linila. I am aware those words you entailed to me are sincere. It''s not that I am not getting any praises to what I do, no. What I mean is your intention is pure. Whereas I interpret it as it resembles to what Lady Anda''s honor is bestowing upon me.¡± I follow, and the priestess-bishop presses her palm on top of my hand afterwards. ¡°You know what, milord?¡± Lady Linila trifles a question towards me. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Lady Anda was- -... Lady Anda has never been wrong about choosing you as her spiritual head. The title befits to your ideals and perceptions. Milord, you resume to be a proselytizer in lieu of ordering a myriad of missionaries, though, inexperienced. You took the first move instead. If you are unaware, several of the followers in our sect made you their icon. You are the epitome of Hrililal and yet you choose to risk your life in order just to spread the news.¡° she claims so and after she speaks through her heart, she becomes so intimate when she clings me to my shoulder. 11: Finding Lady Anda Of The House Of Carylle Family In constructing a sentence that best defines my purpose for my voyage back to my homeland, convincing for a leave is a must. I¡¯ve gone to the scullery, I have searched every nook and cranny and it seemed it had no trace of Lady Anda that she really went in here. Strange. Since she¡¯s been carrying a life in her belly for about a couple of months now, she should be nourishing herself and as for nurturing the child within the womb of the chieftess. Alright, then. It looks like the cooking area is clear. ¡°Hmm?¡± I hum, as I denote whether: she should be doing some work in her post room or she is trying to ease her mind but that does mean not if I am aware that she is into knotting some clothes. Alright, next stop - the knitting section. One down, two to go. Like I stated while I was contemplating. Lady Anda should remain resting herself since women during this state are languid, hyperventilating for such small tasks done or out of breath, sluggish to walk, and many to mention to. Lady Anda is no exception since she is a woman. Keeping her out from statesmanship and heavy laden work will make her healthy in some ways. And it is best for the child as well. That is, including who is present in this royal villa, especially the inner circles of the council; our job is to watch Lady Anda¡¯s welfare. ¡°Is the chieftess here?¡± asking, whereas I open the door in half-shut before entering the chamber. The ladies are looking at me in a blank, listless stare. ¡°What? Why? What is going on?¡± I add in a nervous tone, because their glare perforates me through my chest - not even a slight treatment of greeting coming from them. ¡°Uhmm,... have you seen Lady Anda?¡± as I reiterate the words I used to speak of, trying to rephrase. ¡°Alright, this is so irky¡ hehehehe.¡± while thinking about it, this makes me very appalled - the only thing that they hear out of my mouth is my chuckle. ¡°What do you need?¡± one of the damsels looks at me and responds, while she is working on her scarf. Finally, a reply that I needed! But they seem to not recognize me. Such a shame, indeed. ¡°Madam, I would like to gain access to this room. Will you allow me to?¡± in a polite manner, even though she seems uninterested in my acknowledgment to her. She sighs. She then stands on my feet. Stop at what she is doing. As she presents herself before my presence, treading towards the ingress. I can not blame her or them, per se, if this is the initial interaction with the likes of me. A demi-human. And a quarter stark of both orcish and elven lineage. The snobby lady is as of now in front of me with the get up on her face looks annoyed and boorish. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°What do you desire to know, sire?¡± she subtly hides her rude tone, as she asks me what I have in this room, speaking in a monotonous rhythm. ¡°Uhm,... I am just requesting the whereabouts of Lady Anda¡ Did she come here?¡± I state my intention and I inquire for her afterwards. She never answers my question where she then follows prying the ingress wide open. She glares at me in the eyes filled with distrust and annoyance. As far as I can assume that¡¯s how I sense it. She treads back to where her post is. I remain still at the doorsteps where there are several eyes on me, watching me. Everyone is quiet during the staredown with these gals. To break the tension, one of the ladies whom I spoke with, uttering: ¡°Sire, are you going inside or whatnot?¡± as she tilts her head, focusing on me to where I am standing. ¡°Can I? Well, thanks for having me. Pardon my intrusion.¡± as I wink at one of the women, whereas they choir around in giggling. ¡°Ladies¡ ?¡± the tittering cuts short when the damsel whom I did interact with asks the ladies to do so, in just a word notch, the delivery seems imperative. Then one-by-one; the gals who ensued the harmless banter soon ask for amends. They feel guilty just for that?!? Jeez! We have an authoritative figure within this chamber, as I can see. I march gently on each aisle. Carefully. It is because, I wonder, if I would make a small tinge on them or a tiny production of noise, I would probably get a nagging from the sneery lady. After scouring the entire area, there are no signs of Lady Anda coming here. On the other note, she should be here. Enjoying her time with the child inside her belly is a priority and is a must. ¡°Thanks for coming.¡± as the one of the ladies grabs me from my wrist, whispering. ¡°Oh! No problem with that, I guess¡ hehe.¡± I chuckle in response, as I am continuing to leave the room. Kitchen is nowhere to be found, check. As for the embroidery room, the same results - Lady Anda is not here. Hence, the queen is really in her workroom as the man had stated a while ago. There is no time to waste. I dash straight towards the chamber of Lady Anda. In each stride, I match my respiration in a cadence motion. Left foot, breath. Right foot, exhale. Left foot, breath. Right foot, exhale. It takes me just an instant. Breaking no sweat and fixing my posture. ¡°Lady Anda, are you there?¡± asking, as I knock on the door three times. ¡°Come in!¡± I hear the response from the other side, Lady Anda is really here! Without further notice, I storm inside. Never spending too much ado for this instance. The queen is sitting on her desk which I make Lady Anda startled when I rush and confront her. She asks: ¡°What is the matter, Lord Geoff? What¡¯s the urgency of barging this place aggressively?¡± whereas she brandishes the blade on her hand. ¡°I mean not being a threat, Lady Anda. Here is the letter¡¡± as I place the missive on top of the desk of Lady Anda, whereas I leave right after. ¡°I will be right back.¡± as I am near the egress, sending regards before leaving the room - and Kehina. Take care, Lady Anda. Goodbye for now. Lady Anda and Kehina. 12: The Unexpected Interaction Of The Two Gentlemen What is the better way to describe after disembarking in such land. I don¡¯t know if I am in Inglovia or whatsoever. The captain tells us that we are, indeed, in Inglovia. Weird. Even Maison, herself, seems confused when we are in this soil as she never do try to remember something about this area. Pretty much, all of the people here are Inglovians. No argument with that. However, as I persist. This is not Inglovia. I refuse to be convinced! ¡°Are you certain of that?¡± trying to confirm, I ask Maison once again. She nods, replying: ¡°Cross on my heart, Lord Guan. I don¡¯t remember stepping a foot in this land, milord. Never.¡± where she, indeed, motions her finger through the chest in the region of the heart - doing a sign of the cross. ¡°I see,¡± I believe in Maison¡¯s honesty. I trust her guts, ¡°Well, let¡¯s seek some leads. Are you up for this, Maison?¡± recruiting her in my search. "Sure, why not milord? Since we have been deported here in this shithole in the first place. Mind as well, searching some information elsewhere about this place, anyways.¡± replying, Maison fortifies with my sentiment earlier, where she expresses her own thoughts. ¡°Great idea!¡± I agree with Maison - the leader of Verlassenes. It is great that Maison chooses to keep me accompanied or stays with me. Or the other way around. Vice-versa. Who cares, whatever. A plethora of the dudes and their counterparts are trying to avoid us somehow as Maison and I are making a move on how to interact with the folks here in this town. ¡®Excuse me, sire¡ ?¡¯, ¡®Mister?¡¯, ¡®Hello, madam¡¡¯, and all of the initiatives one can think of; they are just passing us by like a ghost. Sometimes, it makes me feel powerless and frustrated because of how they treat us. The townsfolks are leering at us with disdain for that I could not explain. I am an Inglovian. Well, an Inglovian from another reality - that is. At least, they should show some respect towards me. As for my usher - Maison, I could not protect her on my stead since I do not fully know her whole personality and identity. If she¡¯s part-Inglovian or not. ¡°Mister, could I ask some questions?¡± I politely approach a gentleman who¡¯s doing lumberjacking. ¡°No.¡± the guy outright refuses to talk to me. ¡°Sire, how about me? Can I ask a question?¡± Maison is next and hopefully, the man will answer; right after I¡¯ve been declined from getting what we want. The dude looks at the leader of Verlassenes, he chuckles in a soft tune, saying: ¡°Did I already say: ¡®no¡¯, right? Stop harrying me, will you? Now, get out of here!¡° chasing us off from his backyard. ¡°Well, that was rude. And yes, I agree with them since this is their land. They have ¡®the every right¡¯ to fend us off away from their expanse.¡± sighing, she complains while we are moving away from the landowner. She then follows with another rant: ¡°I would never expect the Inglovian are these astringent to the foreigners. All in all, they have no hospitality towards the likes of us, Lord Guan¡ What can you say about that?¡± asking if my stance being as well an Inglovian too. Though, from another dimension - I am an Inglovian, that¡¯s for sure. Stolen story; please report. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Maison. I can¡¯t say a representation towards the entirety of the Inglovian community. Well, it is just sad that we are witnessing this first handedly. If this is Inglovia, her people should at least give us some decorum to us - foreigners. And if this is Inglovia, then ¡®welcome to Inglovia¡¯, I guess?¡± I joke around. ¡°Oh, you fool Lord Guan¡¡± where she laughs at my joke. We head to a so-called center where we want to somehow reach the plaza. Maison keeps up with my pace so far. Varying to the distance to where we are going, there are signs to each destination. If we go forward, it would be the town hall and frontiers¡¯ guild. I ask Maison what does: frontiers¡¯ guild, mean - she answers with the same definition of adventurers¡¯ hall. But that¡¯s not where we are supposed to go. From our left direction, the plaza. The place we are going to. However, there are no roads to walk through¡ only several two-storey houses and in each cavity, there¡¯s an alley. ¡°This way?¡± I point my finger towards the direction of the plaza, asking Maison¡¯s confirmation. ¡°Lead the way, Lord Guan. Your call.¡± she then gives me the instruction to be the tracer of this expedition. The pathway is narrow and somewhat dangerous because at first glance, there are some suspicious activities within the alleys that we fail to assess. I look at Maison. She returns back my stare. My heart is thumping so hard that I could hear the beating very audibly. Maison promises me to follow suit when I make the step inside the lurking danger of this alleyway. After minutes of thinking and breathing, I muster up all my strength to conquer the dark and shady pathway. When Maison read the signs a while ago, she does stated that this place is the shortcut. About a hundred and fifty-three (153) steps, so she claims. ¡°Here goes nothing¡¡± I breathe underneath my voice, praying that only just a speck of warning will spawn up before us. Meanwhile, as of now, we trek around fifty steps (50) inside - without switching direction, only straight ahead. I bump into something or someone during when I am talking to Maison to vouch for her confirmation. It¡¯s so dark and the rays of the sun don¡¯t seem to reach these gaps. I stumble on my feet where Maison successfully catches me from falling on the ground. Then that someone whom I am referring to is a man dressed in a lifeless hue cloak. Maison takes her stance when that threat is arising, as her hand is preparing to reach for the blade on her sheath. ¡°Fancy seeing you here¡ Lady Maison, Lord Guan.¡± then the figure calls us by our name! ¡°Who are you?¡± Maison exclaims. As the fear signals through her hand, she can¡¯t stop trembling. ¡°Mister, we mean no offense. We would like to go to the plaza but we think that this path that we are trying to explore takes for a short amount of time. I suppose.¡± calmly deescalating the situation between those two - Maison and the stranger in front of us. ¡°Lord Guan, Lady Maison¡¡± the concealed individual then reveals himself, ¡°It is my astonishment meeting you here.¡± as it turns out to be Lord Ameniah is behind the facade! ¡°Lord Ameniah?! You¡¯re alive! Thank heavens!¡± I express my elation at seeing Lord Ameniah. ¡°We thought you were dead.¡± Maison also shares the same. ¡°Likewise, Lord Guan¡¡± Lord Ameniah casts a meager smile on his face. ¡°What are you doing here, Lord Ameniah?¡± ¡°Long story short, it is classified.¡± he replies, where I scoff lightly at his answer for refusing to retort to my question. ¡°Milord, where are we? What place is this? Are we in Inglovia?¡± Maison asks Lord Ameniah. ¡°Technically, yes. We are in Inglovia.¡± Lord Ameniah answers in a surmised and brief response. ¡°Inglovia? Then, where are we? Are we on the University campus now?¡± I follow, referring to the University of Inglovian Occidental to where I am enlisted to. ¡°We are on Fort Quogsagihaxee¡¯e.¡± he answers in a deadpan mood. ¡°Fort-what, milord?¡± Maison fails to understand as so am I. ¡°Fort Quogsagihaxee¡¯e.¡± 13: Job Well Done! A-Job-Well-Done? Oh! ¡°What was that all about, Captain Leonis?¡± I confront the captain in his cabin room in the midst of the daybreak, slamming the door open. ¡°Lord Ameniah, calm down.¡± the captain suggests. I barely approach him to his desk while he is playing with his pipe in his mouth. It seems that I exhausted myself for a whole night resulting in a naught. God damn it! There is a surplus of spite filling up my head and I do not know if I can contain it within my chest. Truth to be told, just for a piece knowing what is the device the captain revealed upon me. There is a strange culture that is embedded in their way of living. Fort Quogsagihaxee¡¯e. I assume that they have seen not as much blood as I do. Then earlier, one goon was trying to lecture how wars do work? Frivolous. ¡°What the hell was that, Captain Leonis? You told me to purge them. Well, your reptilian moxie, with all due respect, hampered me from doing so. I was in the middle of the camp. Amidst the yelling and the cadence showdown, to be honest, I did enjoy the show. But it is what I have signed for, not.¡° as I emphasize my disdain towards the recent episode that occurred on the beach. ¡°Very well, milord. There are many things you have not seen, I believe. Because war is a clich¨¦d analogy in terms of how people perceive as such the namesake. Now, Lord Ameniah, let¡¯s embark on the ways of war - in a multitude of settings: diplomatically, militarily, psychologically, and many more.¡° the captain sympathizes as such to my statement, implying his offer to aid me understand. ¡°Please enlighten me, captain.¡± I sigh, implying annoyance. ¡°Before I proceed to the discussion of the next subject matter, I would like to confer ¡®this¡¯ to you.¡± he places the ¡®thing¡¯ on his desk, as the captain signifies to me to take the ¡®content¡¯. ¡°Thank you.¡± I say in a courteous manner. ¡°That thing is called a ¡®gun¡¯. But before explaining how that stuff works, I will elaborate why you have knowledge deprivation towards the concept of warfare. I hate derailing our thoughts too far.¡± he chuckles, as the ¡®subject¡¯ is already in my hands. ¡°Sure. Have it your way, Captain Leonis. I can''t wait to hear what you daresay about not knowing of the warfare and sorts. Once again, thanks for the piece.¡° I reconcile with him in the end. ¡°Likewise, milord. And you''re welcome.¡± the captain says, where he stands from his seat, ¡°Well, Lord Ameniah. What do you see, perception-wise, of the world? With this kind of demeanor, it looks like that you hate this world from the depths of your hearts, actually.¡± concluding with the remark that I find offensive. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Captain, what do you mean to utter in the first place?¡± I raise both of my brows. ¡°Look, Lord Ameniah. There is something about your discernment,¡± Captain Leonis walks around his desk where he approaches me, in a shoulder-length, implying: ¡°I did let you off the hook what you have said between Habaraef and I. Really, we are not that kind of intimate to each other. We maintain our relationship, to which both of the camps benefit to various degrees to keep my domain - Fort Quogsagihaxee¡¯e, in check. While she and her clan enjoy the protection bestowed by the Celamus family. Would that make your assumptions clear?¡± the captain then shows his hand and as he is offering me a handshake. ¡°Yes, I guess so.¡± I reach for his hand. Then I ask: ¡°Let''s cut to the chase. What do you want me to know?¡± about the conversation a while ago on why I seem very vindictive. ¡°Perhaps, there''s nothing so erroneous about yourself, milord. It is just the fuel of your rage that is unvanquishable. In my opinion, you have brought this hate when in your upbringing years up until now. I don''t know what you are for now but it is just a guess.¡± he gives his first impression about me, where it''s partially true. ¡°You''re right, captain, you don''t know just a tinge of me.¡± I deny his allegations. After the verbal altercation between me and Captain Leonis in his room, as he entails me a room to sleep for his respect to me - at least. I forgive him for his audacious utterance of me and does the same for me when I disrespect him and his creature friend - Habaraef. The room is so spacious. However, it is only just an eighth (?) of what my actual room in Kehina can carry or fit into. The bed is cozy and warm. Well, my cradle is softer than this guest bunk. The scenery from the window is vibrant in the dark, there are stars glimmering outside where I can find not in the royal household of Kehina. I lay my body on the bed then I close both of my eyes. I know my sleep usually can reach not of my daily subsistence but at least, I have the rest that I need. ¡°Lord Ameniah! Lord Ameniah!¡± a screaming and an enormous clout knocking on the door from the other side, as I notice not - it is now morning. Based on the sunlight coming from the window. I yawn a bit before rising myself from the bed, as I am reaching to the knob of the entrance¡ the shouts and the thuddings on the other side do not seem to stop. This is getting annoying, actually. ¡°Yes?¡± I answer the door, where there is a man standing at the doorstep of my room. The gentleman freezes as his tongue does move not when I appear before him in an instant. ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± I reiterate my statement, asking what kind of debacle is happening around here. ¡°The captain is summoning you, Lord Ameniah¡¡± ¡°Right away?¡± ¡°Aye, milord.¡± he bows his head and leaves. ¡°Did he get cold feet when he saw my face? Well, that¡¯s rude. I am not a suspicious person and not that unfortunate looking.¡± ranting, I breathe through my thoughts. 14: Antic! At The Fiasco ¡°So you see, Jyana? Here is the deal. Why won''t you apply for me to hone up your skills instead of currying your way¡¡± ¡°Lord Aisla, I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. But,... what else do you want me to prove to you?¡± Jyana turns defensive when I imply about her agendas and all. ¡°Well, Jyana. I am just having an assumption of whether you want to become a royal guard or join the ranks of the Verlassenes.¡± I answer, as she makes a reaction by laughing at my comment. ¡°Really, Lord Aisla?,¡± she looks at me with a serious gaze ¡°Do you seriously think that I am aiming for those?¡± which makes me wonder, what is her deal in this crumbling nation in the first place, by the way? ¡°Whatever the case that you want to say. But,... I just can sense it¡ feeling it in a way that you wanted more. More than being an exhibitionist roaming around the capital bewitching some certain individual who can¡¯t contain his masculine arousal.¡± ¡°That is just downright impertinent, Lord Aisla. You are the first man who expresses his disdain towards women who want to display more skin akin to my dressing style.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks!¡± I respond impulsively. ¡°That¡¯s not a compliment, you know Lord Aisla?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it? Oh, damn! I forgot my place¡ where are my manners?¡± I crack around some jokes, where in response - Jyana seems to like my escapades. ¡°I thought you¡¯re going to brush me off because of that.¡± I chuckle, adding before Jyana counters me with a response. ¡°No, milord. You¡¯re just too silly to flirt on me. That¡¯s all. By the way, I¡¯m sorry for sporting this kind of dress barely covering my things and even my private parts. Do you want to see them?¡± she invites me to take the bait, which I decline her offer in an outright motion. After a while, the conversation grows deep and actually, Jyana is being too clingy on me as of lately. This is massive to think of me as a damsel attractor. I hope so. Then upon the arrival of this dude before us who interrupts our talk, he inserts: ¡°Milord, I am in need of your service.¡± right away refers to me in an instant. ¡°May I know who you are?¡± I ask him what he wants - instead of saying: ¡®Do I know you?¡¯ which the influx of the tone makes me a presumptuous lad. ¡°Guillermo, what are you doing here?¡± Jyana exclaims. Whence, I certainly forgot about him for a while. This guy before me had helped me navigate the dungeon in the past months. Oh, how could I forget! A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry about that commotion. I totally didn¡¯t notice you.¡± I say, as I am trying to cover up my mistakes. ¡°It¡¯s okay, milord. I did just approach from your behind in the middle of your conversation with Miss Jyana and that¡¯s why I do understand. It is no big deal, of course.¡± Guillermo replies. ¡°And then, why is my presence is of your concern?¡± getting back to the topic. ¡°It is better to bring your presence there, milord.¡± he insinuates, as both him and I are about to go. Jyana insets herself: ¡°Do you need me as well?¡± which we halt from proceeding further. ¡°Actually, Jyana. *Ugh*, forget it. Might as well, come with us if you¡¯re that interested.¡± ¡°Alright, then. Let¡¯s go!¡± Meanwhile, as we are walking in a group, Guillermo explains the situation behind the scenes of what is happening in the gymnasium pen. A certain Guillermo-don¡¯t-know-and-I-might-know is running amok in the circles of the pit. He challenged everyone from ¡®greens¡¯ to my petty adjutants and up until to Clyden - all of my subordinates. Guillermo then is alarmed when he seeks for my presence to possibly stop the madness. He was acting like a marauder when Guillermo left the instance and what more now, he has done in there. Relatively around the same height as mine or shorter than me, blonde on the left hemisphere, hazel color eyes, and it is in the category of being a bulk or cut in body shape ¡ that is the description of the man that Guillermo is referring to. We storm the door where we witness a concurrence of destruction and annihilation on both my men and in the arena, respectively. ¡°Mi?dzybo?y!¡± I call out for him, even though I haven¡¯t seen who is the perpetrator. He shows himself to us - holding a wooden sword in his hand. It is really him. I¡¯m not surprised. ¡°What is this ruckus?¡± imperatively, I arbitrate on what¡¯s the occurrence within this area. ¡°Lord Aisla! How long have I missed you! You¡¯re late for the party!¡± he interjects and as he inserts his laughter. ¡°How come you haven¡¯t stopped him?¡± I whisper to Guillermo. ¡°Milord, with all due respect, that¡¯s quite rude. I am an archeologist, I am no fighter¡ !¡± he startles me by raising his voice against me. And yeah, I do forget once more about his standing in the kingdom. He is the talented Guillermo of ??aga, in short ¡®Guiles¡¯. How could I forget that? I am turning senile, I believe. Someone taps me from behind on my left. I squirm in reaction as I glance back, the figure utters: ¡°Milord, let me take care of this¡¡± as he makes his way towards the rabid inciter. It¡¯s Zechary - Lord Ameniah¡¯s assistant. He kneels on the pavement, reaching an armament in his hands. His preferred weapons: dual wooden daggers. The disadvantage is apparent since the reach of the weapons against a single sword are about twice the length. With those, however, having two arms on one¡¯s arm is better than one. The predictability of a dual weapon handler is erratic rather than reading a single handed user. And of course, the weight comes into play. Before all of the explanation comes into motion, those two have begun exchanging blows after blows. ¡°Who is this grasshopper prodding over me?¡± Mi?dzybo?y goads the calm Zechary which in response just brushes it off. 15: The Unexpected Interaction Of The Two Gentlemen II I am sleep deprived. I feel groggy. And despite that, I go. ¡°You summon me, captain?¡± I rush towards his desk, where Captain Leonis oscillates his seat facing me. ¡°Oh, yes! Take a seat, Lord Ameniah.¡± he instructs me to do so, denoting, this conversation will be tedious as always. ¡°What is the order of business, then, Captain Leonis?,¡± I ask before taking the seat, ¡°I hope this would not resemble what I did yesterday - last night.¡± then finally, I reach out for his offer to grab the chair in front of his desk. ¡°Well,... well, well, Lord Ameniah. Why won''t you take a seat first before proceed into business, will you?¡± he suggests, and on his behest - I take the chair and sit on it. ¡°Alright, then,¡± I decide to take his offer, as I am ready to listen to him, ¡°... the work. What do you want me to do, captain?¡± I ask for his assessment. ¡°That''s more I like it! Well, you see. Lord Ameniah, I want to survey what is going on to the alleys from the east. Would you like to do it?¡° Captain Leonis flaunts his enthusiasm because of how I respond prior. ¡°Details, please¡¡± as I do mean not to subject myself into a subjunctive mood. ¡°Of course, the course of your task is to be a civilian oversight, surveying every nook and cranny¡¡± the captain then gives his orders upon me which I find the detail of it too meager¡ ¡°That''s it? What am I ought to watch out for?¡± ¡°Well, nothing. If you find something dubious, whether it is a thing or a person. I advise you to eliminate them right away, on the double. No questions asked.¡± ¡°How long should I keep doing this?¡± ¡°For the whole day, this morning until dusk. How about that, if it is alright to you?¡± ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°The alley from the east, to where we have discussed, eh?¡± And for the final question, I ask the return for my labor: ¡°What is it for me, doing this for?¡± in exchange for my task done - I will be rewarded later after my job is done. I am expecting to be something of significance. ¡°What?¡± he laughs at my comment. ¡°What is so funny?¡± I ask about ¡®what is so funny¡¯, where he seems not to stop from tittering his ass off. I wait for him to subside, and then, after a while¡ he takes a seat on his chair. And still, he is laughing. I don¡¯t know what I have done or what is the reason for the captain to make him chuckle so much and endlessly. He stops for a while after making contact with my eyes. Captain Leonis can contain not whereas he continues to burst out his pent-up frolics. I wish I could also know what is so funny about it. Well, this is so awkward. Teary eyes on his face due to the fact that the captain can help not himself from stopping his antics. I am sitting on a chair whilst watching him on his desk. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°What is it that you want?¡± the captain stops from bursting himself out in laughter, where in an instance - his face shifts into a serious, deadpan, and stoic mood. ¡°Where do you get ¡®this¡¯ from?¡± as I place the ¡®gun-thing¡¯ out of my pocket on the desk. ¡°Alright, you got my word.¡± Captain Leonis accepts my proposal, where I shelf ¡®the mysterious thing¡¯ beneath my cloak, leaving and closing the door shut in a lenient manner. Captain Leonis gave me a note with the coordinates on it and there¡¯s a map which etched the destination to where I am supposed to be going to. He also told me I should be heading to the east. Ninety-ninth (99th) Street, Overview Conglomerate Block. If I find myself being lost, I should look for the sundial situated to the west. If not, the mountain should be visible from the north. I could find my way out this way. As per advised, I should really do follow the captain''s prescription. ¡°Alright, then. I presume I am here right now.¡± as I reach the supposedly marked location. ¡°Sire?¡± I approach one of the bystanders in the saloon outside, ¡°Where am I from here?¡± asking the gentleman in a polite tone and forcing myself to cast a half-smile upon my face. ¡°Come again, young man?¡± the lad replies, where perhaps that he does quite hear me not. ¡°Where am I, sir?¡± I repeat, ¡°... is this Ninety-ninth (99th) Street of the Block of Overview Conglomerate?¡± he then nods to my statement as his response, ¡°... am I right, sire?¡± concluding, as I inquire for his confirmation. "Yes, young man.¡± ¡°Well, thank you mister. I will be taking my leave for now. Thank you once again.¡± He then stops me, yelling: ¡°Wait!¡± which makes me turn around when I am about to leave. ¡°What is it, sire?¡± ¡°May I know who you are and what are you doing here?¡± the man asks for my identity and my purpose for what my presence is doing here, whilst I am hiding under the guise of a cloak funded by the captain himself. ¡°Well, sire. My name is Paulus. A lowborn. Just a foreigner. Hailed from mainland Inglovia. I am planning to visit my relatives here, however.¡± I answer him with a fabricated moniker and who I am, then I make a genuflection denoting my made up respect for him. ¡°Is that so? Well, welcome to Fort Quogsagihaxee¡¯e! Fort Quogsagihaxee¡¯e welcomes you on my behalf, young man!¡± with a jolly response, he exclaims. ¡°See you later, sire.¡± ¡°Likewise, young man.¡± I enter one of the alleyways. When I look outside, each house seems merged into a compact form but on the side note, there is a space for two men to fit whilst walking in this path. In front. Both sides - left and right. And on the exit. There are pathways. The sun starts to shine to the east. That''s a geolocational truth. Where the construction schematic faces all houses to the northward direction¡ the rear facing the sun. All of the houses are built in two-storey schemes. Meanwhile, as I am trekking across the maze of this Ninety-ninth (99th) Street, Overview Conglomerate Block, I bump into someone. It''s Lord Guan, together with Maison of the Verlassene! What are these buffoons doing here?!? ¡°Fancy seeing you here¡ Lady Maison, Lord Guan.¡± I call for them, where the only response that I get is an agitated reply. ¡°Who are you?¡± as Maison steps in front of Lord Guan, as she is trying to reach for her weapon on her scabbard. ¡°Lord Guan, Lady Maison¡¡± I then unveil my cloak to them, seeing their reaction is priceless - eyes widen where they both take a huge gasp, the instance is they do it at the same time, ¡°It is my astonishment meeting you here.¡± they are enchanted when they see my face - seeing me once more walking in this living and apparent reality. ¡°Lord Ameniah?! You¡¯re alive! Thank heavens!¡± ¡°Of course, I am! You know, Lord Guan, it takes a thousand boulders to kill me.¡± I respond through my mind. ¡°We thought you were dead.¡± Maison then inserts herself. ¡°*Ugh*, then here goes the bitch¡¡± I express my disdain in my inner thoughts. Then on and on, they keep on enquiring me about: what am I doing here, how am I, where are we, how did I survive the ship wreckage, and the other stuff to count to. Three (3) Inglovias and two (2) Fort Quogsagihaxee¡¯es have been dropped in this conversation. Because first and foremost, we are in L¨¹adenstadt. That city campus, L¨¹adenstadt, is where the University of Inglovia Occidental situated. His persistence in asking me this redundancy makes me ponder - oh yeah, he is really an illiterate individual as no wonder how he can comprehend not what I have said. 16: Off We Go, To Haganolopolis We Go. Im Coming Home ¡°Milord, what did the queen have to say?¡± as I am approaching, Quexajo asks. ¡°Nothing. I just left a note on her desk during the instances that I was leaving her room.¡± as I pass him by, heading towards our next destination. ¡°Wait, milord,¡± as Quexajo stops me from proceeding forward, ¡°Isn¡¯t that kind of rude displaying such a pretentious stunt in front of Lady Anda?¡± and before my presence, he appears in front of me - making a testament to apologize back to Lady Anda. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Quexajo! We don¡¯t have much time left on our hands. The ship won¡¯t wait for us any longer¡¡± I dismiss his warning (as I consider it not much of a threat, to be frank of it), where I yank his shoulder, dragging him with me. ¡°Well, whatever you say, Lord Geoff. Let¡¯s do it your way.¡± he then concedes to my demand. As we have reached our supposed-location for our meet-up, Quexajo seems to have packed all our things for the voyage. The captain of the passenger galley meets us with a warm salutations: ¡®Welcome aboard.¡¯ he says. A hundred people have come to make a journey to Haganolopolis as it seems. There are no other inhabitant places that we can pass in our path, as far as I can reminisce to it. Well, we can see many of them, actually, however, they are isolated in the face of the map - the naval navigators seem to not care about small details. I assume it¡¯s too tedious when they do unnecessary labor for a price of low. ¡°Welcome aboard, Lord Geoff.¡± someone approaches us and the face of this individual looks familiar in any sense. I get to catch his hand by offering me a handshake before he is about to initiate it, saying: ¡°Have we met before? Did we coincidentally encounter ourselves from Lord Ameniah¡¯s meeting, didn¡¯t we?¡± where he bops his head in response - agreeing, as I get it right but I don¡¯t remember who he is. ¡°I believe so, milord. Quexajo¡¡± he retorts, then he turns his attention towards Quexajo, giving him a handshake. ¡°You are Captain Pierre, are you not?¡± guessing if I am right or whatnot, I exclaim. ¡°Haha¡ close, milord.¡± where he performs a genuflection before us. ¡°Well, if you mind not¡ may I ask of you what your name is, dear gentleman?¡± I sincerely ask him, he rises from kowtowing. ¡°My name is Conrad Maria La Fayette-St. Cruz. It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Geoff.¡± therefore he initiates the handshake which I forgot as of lately to have a contact to it. ¡°Oh¡ ! I am misidentifying people on a whim. That¡¯s so silly of me. Jeez, that¡¯s so embarrassing.¡± I gasp, where I only talk this all by myself - having second thoughts on how to interact with people for the next encounter without them being offended. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Likewise, Conrad Maria La Fayette-Santa Cruz. My name is Quexajo. Lord Geoff¡¯s confidant trustee and his adjutant.¡± Quexajo intervenes, catching the handshake on my behalf because in the moment of seconds have passed¡ I just get a cold feet sensation. Good job, Quexajo. Thank you for saving my ass back here. ¡°Your safety is assured with us. Just sit back and chill down, Lord Geoff. Your welfare is in our cautious hands.¡± Conrad Maria winks at us, leaving. We got his advice and soon we will be in Haganolopolis. For a small ship like what we are riding on, sure, it is bustling. Most of them, as far as I could imagine, are merchants and some independent traders who don¡¯t have any affiliations with other guilds. Few are from Kehina, certainly it is, a small sort can avail services to go outside of the kingdom. I am quite familiar with other faces like: Sire Gu?nthr? (Gyun-thrae) af G¨¹d and Ak¡¯ga. For Sire Gu?nthr?, I know his existence is quite a name we would never forget in the diplomatic circles. His ancestor was the one who erected and responsible for making one of the most popular red-light cities out of existence - you name it; domestically, internationally, interplanarly. Actually, I am not acquainted with him that well. Ak¡¯ga is having a conversation with him for a while, thus, it is too disrespectful for me to interrupt them. I make sure he is having a time of his life conversing to the the one of he look up to. And the rest are of the mixture of mercenaries, adventurers, liaisons, economical attach¨¦s, and everything else. ¡°Milord¡ ?¡± Quexajo whispers. ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± and right away I respond to his request. ¡°There are many personalities boarding this ship, are there not? Look over there, there is Gu?nthr? G¨¹d of the Inglovia. Then, there is Akialom - one of the prominent polyarms users¡¡± he is ardent to let me know of the gist of each big name around the deck, one-by-one he mentions with brief but definitive details of them. ¡°I, for one, do know Sire Gu?nthr? back in my education years.¡± I claim. ¡°What? You told me not about that story, milord? I¡¯m perplexed!¡± natural reaction, he replies. ¡°Well, remember when my father - may the entities above rest his soul, both enrolled us in L¨¹adenstadt and but that time, you refused to take his offer.¡± ¡°Ah! University of Inglovian Occidental, isn¡¯t that right milord?¡± ¡°Exactly, I came close to him for a while.¡± ¡°Then why won¡¯t you take a time with him, if you are that cordial to each other?¡± Quexajo suggests. ¡°Well, long short story, Quexajo. It was not that very friendly so as I ponder about it. Since, during each semestral grand debate held in the campus, we battered ourselves into oblivion until one left standing.¡± ¡°So what happened? Who is taking the lead?¡± he is curious about Sire Gu?nthr?¡¯s and my scores. ¡°Well, it has been a draw since then.¡± ¡°Shame.¡± ¡°Well wait, milord? Why won¡¯t you ask him for a last time? Challenging him to settle the score, then?¡± he adds. ¡°Are you out of your mind, brother? Sure it has been busy as of recently, there is no way he will accept my invitation just for that - just on a whim.¡± I explain to Quexajo about the repercussions. 17: Antic! At The Fiasco II Zechary launches himself, with each stride in his thrust and in his slash. His opponent, Mi?dzybo?y, doesn¡¯t budge at all to Zechary¡¯s offense. There is an instance where Mi?dzybo?y is just playing with the moves of his adversary. Two consecutive upward slash made by Zechary - one from his right and one from his left, where Mi?dzybo?y mimics by reiterating the move of his own: one slash with the wooden sword on his right hand then followed by an uppercut with his offhand. Zechary gets caught off guard when Mi?dzybo?y did what Zechary had done, though, in a different variant of style. This spectacle makes me think that Mi?dzybo?y is really a big of a deal. He¡¯s no fluke. Mi?dzybo?y is too dangerous to fight to begin with since I have speculated his course of action countering his opponent. ¡°Damn?! You really are a cockroach, don¡¯t you think of that, bud?¡± Mi?dzybo?y taunts, and Zechary¡®s response is deadpan shrug off his shoulders and a slight display of grimace. ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean that you score a hit against me, I should surrender. I barely knew the word. Me doing it? Never.¡° Zechary croaks after Mi?dzybo?y¡¯s provocative rhetoric about him being persistent. Mi?dzybo?y strikes in downward motion where in a nick of time, Zechary parries the attack: ¡°Was the punch on your jaw too soft?¡± then Zechary scoffs off, while they are struggling during the bladework clashing. Mi?dzybo?y sticks out his tongue, which makes Zechary agitated - breaking the tension between them, following with a kick towards Mi?dzybo?y¡¯s wooden sword. Mi?dzybo?y swishes through the previous inspiring transpiration, Zechary despite the efforts of Zechary separating themselves. then clips right hand weapon on his left elbow, displaying his forehand outward - encouraging Mi?dzybo?y to restart his series of assault while Clyden is willing to play defensive once more. Mi?dzybo?y receives the message where with each dash he skips in a zig zag maneuver. ¡°Here we go again¡¡° Zechary is expecting something out of this sequence. He holds his stance, planting his feet¡ in a squat position, ready to brace himself for the impact. As he awaits for the attack to move, Zechary predicts that Mi?dzybo?y is going to incur forward thrust which in reaction¡ Zechary motions in a dual guard stance with his wooden replica daggers. Little what Zechary has anticipated, Mi?dzybo?y is near him (about two shoulder-length in a stretch gesture) - his opponent then swerves his movement to the left as opposed to Clyden¡¯s left guarding position. Mi?dzybo?y is a right-handed stooge as for why Zechary positions himself to receive the impact to his left side. Zechary is very wide open. An easy prey to initiate an attack. By sheer luck and strength, in this exchange; both of them have dealt a hit on each other. Zechary kicks Mi?dzybo?y to the gut which Mi?dzybo?y counters with a backswing sideward slash to Zechary¡¯s right shoulder. Severe. ¡°Wow, what a showdown!¡± I can¡¯t help myself to be amazed by these two talented warriors before my eyes, as I keep my thoughts to myself. I want to make an applause, despite not siding with anyone. Guillermo is tensed up. Jyana looks relaxed as she is enjoying the rendition of the two in a close vantage point - her point-of-view. I perceive this as a win for future *Ahem*,... I would not say future but in lieu of incoming war with the Inglovians. I stay my eyes peeled open where there is something seeping out of it. Tears cascading down my face, witnessing the marvels in every move they deliver and in every instance they succeed. The feelings within me lingers and resonates to the beating of my heart. And at the final moment, I know who will win in this bout. They are far away from each other, from corner to corner, where Zechary and Mi?dzybo?y sprint at each other in the median of the arena. In spite of how nimble, fast, agile Zechary is; Mi?dzybo?y reigns at the top because of his wit and determination. Zechary stumbles on the ground while Mi?dzybo?y continues to dash towards where Zechary was after their last clash in the middle. Mi?dzybo?y hoists both of his arms, claiming a triumphant win against Lord Ameniah¡¯s confidante. Mi?dzybo?y then screams afterwards. Though he is battered and beaten, he searches for more opponents to par with him until he is willing to put himself out of cold. Mi?dzybo?y¡¯s battle lust is insatiable. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Why is Zechary groveling his face on the ground¡ ?¡± ¡°Yeah, face first¡ what was happening¡ I didn''t see that occur.¡± ¡°Me too. First thing that I see after blinking my eyes, Zechary - face down.¡± overhearing the conversation of Jyana and Guillermo, it is intrinsic for them to react this way since they are not too adept when it comes this. The height of the battle is very fast. ¡°Who is next?!¡± Mi?dzybo?y goads amongst the crowd. ¡°So, is this the overall strength of the Kehinan army? How languid¡ I am ashamed for you, serving my life and now that I find out how unrefined the soldiers here are.¡± he claims, which is true. He provokes the people when no one answers his call of challenge. ¡°Is this what Kehina can do? Is that it? No wonder why the Caliph-Grand Emperor is attacking this place, Kehinan folks are too emancipated to the ideas of free feminism¡¡± Mi?dzybo?y mocks us once again, with no regard to who is watching him, albeit, before my presence - a Kehinan official. ¡°That is it, he has gone too far¡¡± as I am preparing to reprimand Mi?dzybo?y through the test of combat, with all my might I am going to stop his punitive mockery to Kehina and restore the our pride. At least, knock some sense towards the foreigner who is running rampart to my people. Later on, Durgat makes his entrance in a grandiose style - he comes from above, destroying the ceiling and the canopy of the stadium. My people rejoice at the arrival of the orc champion. ¡°I heard someone who is challenging, *uhm*, another person by the name of Kehina¡ have I heard that right, eh?¡± Durgat scoffs, then he turns around - seeing Mi?dzybo?y. ¡°Yo¡¡± Mi?dzybo?y responds in a brevity tone. Durgat smiles, where he switches his club on his left hand as he wants to hand shake with Mi?dzybo?y, initiating: ¡°Thanks for helping us and for the cooperation earlier when we fended off the insurgent. I, on behalf of Kehina, truly am¡¡± whereas Durgat approaches Mi?dzybo?y to meet him in close proximity and face-to-face. ¡°Sure, no- -¡¡± Mi?dzybo?y replies. In a sudden motion, Durgat hits Mi?dzybo?y with the club in his hand, utilizing his left hand - launching Mi?dzybo?y to the corner end. Everyone gasps, including myself, to be honest. ¡°Not!¡± Durgat spits on the pavement. Referring to his prior sentiment of giving gratitude towards Mi?dzybo?y, I suppose. Where he adds: ¡°Puny insolent human¡¡± and he turns around. ¡°The threat is gone¡¡± he follows while he is looking at me, in reality, I have nothing to say. Right after that episode, I just nod. A simple nod! To not offend the orc champion. ¡±Certainly,¡ thanks¡¡± 18: The Question Of: "How Am I Doing With Myself?" ¡°Have you ever heard where women dominate men and govern a domain?" "Look over there! Beyond the seas, you can find them hiding..." It is just a precipice resembling a fate that we nearly have a slippery descent in our hands. I pray for Lady Wellicia¡¯s guidance and insights, not foreboding events. Same as always, me; kneeling here before a covenant. I am just hoping for Kehina, especially Lady Anda¡¯s wellbeing, that would be alright. Thus far, in accordance with Lord Aisla¡¯s assumption, Kehinan armed forces can''t be at par with the Inglovians in a high-pitched battle. The Kehinan army alone is at ten percent (10%) strength - thankfully, we have support from several nations and allies to sympathize with our cause. And as of now, the manpower and the abilities outside our grasp rise for about forty percent (40%), as Clyden (Lord Aisla¡¯s lieutenant) has predicted. ¡°Lord Gerv?as, it has been thrice in a row you¡¯ve been here. What are you trying to communicate with Lady Wellicia this time?¡± as one of the oratory ladies approaches me when I am about to take a seat. ¡°Oh, hello there¡ I didn¡¯t notice you there. How are you doing as of now?¡± I am trying to divert the conversation, I reply on impulse. ¡°I¡¯m just fine, thanks for asking. And now, what are you doing here, milord?¡± she persistently asks the same question. ¡°Well, as you can see. I ask for guidance. It seems all of them have not been answered, it makes my whole existence right now void. For the request of safety? Well, look around you? Do things seem safe and sound as of now?¡± I ask the woman who sits beside me. She leans closer to me but not, too near, she then replies: ¡°If you look at things thus far, milord. At least, we are alive, right?¡± with no connection to what I have asked her. It is because lately, I am starting to question myself if my dismemberment of my flesh is a part of the test. ¡°It is not like that, you hear me?¡± ¡°What is happening, milord? Why are you so aggravated all of a sudden?¡± An awkward stare between us has occurred. I pause as I am looking inside of her eyes, she retaliates with the haze of her own. Eye-to-eye. I break off the eye contact as I can feel the heat of our stare rising up. I wipe my chin and my lips then brush my hair upward. I always wanted to say or to ask if what I am doing is right. If this is what I am supposed to do - for all the crap that I have gone through. For all of my right ear and my right forefinger had several things to do with it! I had have enough to place my plight of my servitude to Kehina. However, I can''t show this insecurities in front of this lady beside me. Or worst, the people whom they confide in me - Kehina, the place that I called ¡®home¡¯. But hearing the names of ¡®Lady Wellicia¡¯ and Hrililal makes my gut hurt. Rancid. An astringent substance with a high viscosity that I want to puke out of my body. Nevertheless, there are many predicaments to this since I am fully integrated in the system. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Nothing¡ it was just I am having- -... *ugh*¡± I sigh as I forget to complete my sentence. ¡°Is that it, milord? You can''t speak articulately because you''re stressed out? You are only mortal like us, Lord Gerveas you know? It is better to seek guidance from us from time-to-time. Even though, you are highly intellectual, there are still some matters of thoughts that you missed to learn.¡± she says. ¡°Meaning¡ ?¡± as I find it offending though. ¡°I don''t mean to offend you, milord. We are just concerned about how you act as of recently¡ it is not my place to behave so laid back and all since we are in the midst of the crisis. But, usually, we should take time for ourselves. Even just for a day, we should rest for a while.¡± she answers. Yes, what I am feeling is like a pestilence infecting within my body - not only physically, also my intellectual and especially my emotional. It feels like something is rotting inside of me. My whole body is losing cohesion due to fact that I don''t even know myself anymore. I am beginning to question what is the purpose of my tribulation for the sake of Kehina. Why am I being like this? Do I deserve to be in this state? Is my sacrifice enough to be recognized for this lady whom I am conversing with right now, for the people, and for Kehina? ¡°I am starting to doubt of myself lately whether what I did in Inglovia is sufficient to be called a ¡®work¡¯.¡± I express my pent-up feelings inside my chest. She sighs and places her hand on my shoulder, saying: ¡°Milord, sometimes we need to see the value of how hard a person works. Of course, in that sense, we have not seen what you have done in Inglovia. However, it is for us not to judge the basis of whatsoever or if ever, some people might deem to show an affidavit of your good work,¡± as she then embraces, enveloping her arms around me, ¡°Don''t be a skeptic about yourself, Lord Gerveas. You are the epitome of frugality in terms of spirituality. I have heard the rumors that you had spread the good news among the people of Inglovia in the north coast to western banks of Eisschrein.¡± the hug grows tighter where she engulfs me with a welcoming gesture upon me. ¡°I don''t think of myself being the symbol of this kingdom. I am sorry. I could not ever think of it as one. We have Lord Aisla who works diligently protecting the interior and against the impending dilemma of the Inglovians. We have Lord Geoff as well, cooperating with other nations to form a coalition against Inglovian aggression. Also, we have- -...¡± blabbering about the accomplishments of the other lords in the inner circle of the council, where she puts her finger on my lips - stopping me to talk and shushing to calm me down. As I can see it in her eyes. She is tapping my back during the sustain of her embrace on me, she suggests: ¡°It''s okay, Lord Gerveas. There is no necessity to compare yourself with other lords. It is because we, the people of Kehina, are aware of your doings on-and-off the scene as long as you do not have to lose hope in yourself. Not anyone could have done what you have done in those lands. As a matter of fact, if someone is to be on your sole, Lord Gerveas, no one could pull it off.¡± as I return her hug back. I am giving my gratitude to you, stranger lady. I am in need of these words. As there are tears oozing out of my eyes, the cascade seems to be not stopping for a time being. 19: In Condemna ¡°Say what, brother?¡± ¡°Yes, milord. Lord G¨¹d wishes to speak with you.¡± ¡°Sire G?nthr? does, huh? Well, I don''t know what we have to talk about. Perhaps, since it has been a while we had a conversation. I do not know what topic we should discuss.¡± I sigh. ¡°Certainly, milord. Our life is pretty messed up, in that sense. The Inglovians. Lord Rayl. And our current state of our enterprise.¡± Quexajo says, as I concur with him - most of the degree. It''s been an hour since we left. Around two thousand (2,000) steps away that we had traversed. From the west to where we came from - Kehina is not visible anymore. And to the east is where my home is, Haganolopolis. The squall of breeze is cruising over to the direction to where we are heading. Maybe in no time, we will arrive in a week or two¡ minimum and maximum, respectively. And at low and at tops. In the end, Sire G?nthr? bothers to approach us instead. Rather than answering his invitation. ¡°How are you, Lord Geoff?¡± Lord G?nthr? G¨¹d appears from our behinds¡¯ sights. ¡°It is just fine, Sire G?nthr?. I have been busy for a while ever since tensions are rising from one of my domains.¡± I explain and as I offer myself a handshake to him - for gratification''s sakes. He accepts the gesture and once the other party has established the beckoning, Quexajo makes his leave. Earlier on, he told me that he wanted to meet Akialom¡ one of the multi-weapon expert artisans, so he claimed to say. As he had said later, he desired to have a match with him in any stipulations. Unarmed. Short arms. Regular weapons. And two-handed weapons. It is a long shot when he is talking about being on par with the man - albeit, I don¡¯t even know what that man is capable of. Let¡¯s wait and see, then. What stores between this conversation. ¡°Lord G¨¹d, Lord Hagan¡ If you would excuse me.¡± Quexajo initiates, as he awaits our response. ¡°Sure¡¡± I say. ¡°I will catch you later, Quexajo. After I am done with Lord Geoff, I have something to discuss with you.¡± Sire G?nthr? replies and waves his hand. Where all of us laugh. ¡°I shall take my leave, then. Good Lordships.¡± as Quexajo leaves us in the process. ¡°So, what do you want to talk about, Sire G?nthr??¡± ¡°Hey, Lord Geoff! Don''t give me that look! It is just a coincidence that we have met since then. How long is that?¡° he protests and at the same time, he asks about the times - back in the day. ¡°Six? Seven? I don''t know. However, it is nice to see you again in great shape, Sire G?nthr?.¡± I reply. ¡°Since you have been here. Actually, I desire in a personal matter to visit you in Haganolopolis¡¡± he utters, which makes me contemplate what he wants from me in the first place. ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Truly am, milord¡¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°So, Lord G?nthr?. Why is my presence of needed? Or why is my consent truly necessary?¡± I ask. Does his offer mean coercion or something? The ten stashes of gold and silver are not enough to suffice the bargain between him. He is a high stake gambler. He wants to invest if the return pay is substantial and apparent. But let''s say what he has to say about this - let us see, then. ¡°Well, to be honest. I am just asking whether your current state of your well-being is in the phase of alright to begin with or whatnot.¡± ¡°As you can see- -...¡± ¡°Of course, I have this¡¡± Sire G?nthr? interrupts me and as he flutters a piece of parchment in between his fingers. ¡°An invitation? An invitation to whom?¡± I ask. On second thought, I presume that I know from whose invitation it is. ¡°An invitation to your father''s funeral, I believe. You have my deep condolences.¡± he answers. I am correct about my assumption. Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d pays his respect via my consent. ¡°Indeed.¡± I thank Lord G¨¹d for coming to my father''s funeral. ¡°Aside from showing myself to pay my homage towards Lord Rayl, I have something for you.¡± ¡°Oh, what is that?¡± for the second time, I reply to Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d with a sarcastic tone. He gives me a note, wrapped in a clean and in a neat envelope with a seal on it - G¨¹d stamp. Of course, I was cynical about accepting the letter in the first place. Who knows what is inside the mail. G?nthr? G¨¹d then forces the letter on my hand, there is no way I could return it back since I refuse it the third time but he imposes to me to take a hold on the missive. I give him a stern look when I am staring at him, and later, he just entails me with a smile. Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d, nevertheless, is not too enacting about his action earlier on me. And this is the first time, he makes an initiative to probably catch me off guard and all. Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d was not too imposing when we were studying at the University of Inglovian Occidental. After all these years, Lord G¨¹d is maybe making a damn straight point of expressing himself through this letter - presently, it is in my hands. After a while, he looks me in the eyes with a stern and an intimidating gaze. ¡°I guess I am going to take a hold onto this.¡± I add. ¡°Great. I appreciate it.¡± Lord G¨¹d replies to me with gratitude afterwards. As for this moment, I take his word seriously and not in a light manner unlike what I''ve done unto him earlier. He nudges me on my shoulder, whereas he points towards Quexajo and Akialom doing a sparring duel with his index finger. He says: ¡°Something is about to transpire.¡± predicting, as in accordance to both men''s beckonings - they are eyeing each other¡ preparing to trounce or to swish. Quexajo plays an aggressive stance and Akialom undertones himself with a defensive counterattack style pose. The crowd is touting up the tension whilst, as far as you could see; both of us, Lord G?nthr? and myself are just observing between the two performers from the distance in an ease and a steadfast motion. ¡°Won''t you cheer for your boy - Quexajo, Lord Geoff?¡± Sire G¨¹d asks, engaging with me in a whisper mood. ¡°Nah, let us enjoy what they are going to deliver.¡± as I dismiss his inquiry. ¡°Fifty (50) silver coins upfront?¡± Sire G¨¹d is eager to make a wager to make a wager against me, just for fun, I guess. I make a gesture with my hand in a respectful manner to waive his offer. His kind of additional entertainment. ¡°Just like the old times, eh?¡± I tip Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d, where I offer him a fistbump. He takes my gesture, replying: ¡°Sure thing, Lord Geoff. How about for good times¡¯ sake, another round of stake?¡± as he is still persistent about the bargain of making a bet with me. I decline him the second time, as he is getting not inside of his thick skull - it is not that I meant that I don''t trust my prizefighter - Quexajo. My adjutant told me earlier that he doesn''t want me to get involved in such activities¡ gambling, in general, or things that contain winning through luck. He respects the value of diligence and grinding. It would be a rude act for Quexajo, if I ever do this behind his back. A betrayal for him, to be precise. I don''t want to break Quexajo''s trust that he endows me. Thus, I am really sorry Lord Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d... I won¡¯t be dishonoring the words of my trustee. Whence, I have known Quexajo more than you, Lord Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d. 20: The Spectacle In Condemna Quexajo strikes first. Akialom blocks the attack with his wooden sword in a horizontal position. The coil impact makes an astonishing tremor in this boat. The ship is rocking in a violent and frantic way. The audience cries in adulation for the both men, delivering the initial engagements. Despite the first interaction of the two fighters, the crowd glues their eyes on both of them - as they are not fazed about the turbulence of the surroundings. Quexajo relaxes himself and so Akialom does. Both men have sheathed their weapons inside their respective replica scabbards. They exchange with salutations with one another with Quexajo is speaking of the deflection, quoting: ¡°Great reply earlier here, huh? It has been a while since we have seen each other. How¡¯s you been doing in the Level C?¡° then Quexajo offers his hand unto Akialom for a handshake gesture. Akialom retaliates in a way that both men enjoy the pleasure of greeting each other. Deriving from the lip movement of Akialom, I assume he is speaking: ¡°Level C? The Old Imperial Ranking? C¡¯mon! I have migrated to Lamenitine. My current ranking is Gold as of now. Equal to Level A. By the way, that beforehand is exemplary, indeed. I know I had it coming.¡° speculating Quexajo, he seems happy by the look casting upon his face. The gesture has been established with a tight clasp on each other¡¯s grips. Before they are poised in their initial fighting stance, they bow together after the salutations afterwards. Several passengers on board capitalize the situation as some of the parley have erected betting tables on the sideline. Most of them are having fun especially, fellow adventurers and military officers and cadets. Captain Pierre¡¯s First Mate, Conrad Maria La Fayette-Santa Cruz, condones the activity to raise the expectation of both competitors. The captain of this ship confronts us, saying: ¡°Afterall, I have a cut to this betting game.¡± whispering exclusively to us - Lord Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d and I. ¡°Cut? A portion of the game? How much do you get, Captain?¡± Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d asks in a curious manner. ¡°Forgive me, your esteemed honor - Lord G?nthr? G¨¹d. I can¡¯t tell you about that. Let¡¯s say per se a trade secret.¡± First Mate Conrad Ma. insists on not giving us the details. ¡°Forty percent (40%)?¡± I give my estimation, where First Mate Conrad Maria looks at me with a distinct perplexed get up. ¡°Close.¡± he answers. ¡°Anyways, those performers will get their reward after the rendition.¡± the First Mate promises them, as Lord G?nthr? G¨¹d and I will be the ones who are the witnesses of his testament. ¡°How much?¡± Lord G?nthr? G¨¹d inserts himself, asking towards the First Mate, as he keeps on his persistent tactical fascination. ¡°It is a secret, Lord Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d.¡± for the second time, our question (technically, I like to know) has not been answered, Conrad Maria La Fayette-Santa Cruz dismisses. The First Mate then leaves by saying: ¡°Keep on enjoying our service whilst exploring other alternatives to quell your boredom, gentlemen.¡± right after - Akialom initiates a fiery attack on Quexajo. The slash is coming from an upward motion and then the block is met at the downward movement. Quexajo parries the attack. This moment, each strike is heavier than the previous one. The ship is stable, however, the waves from outside react otherwise. The tremor causes an approximate of an average mortal height - tsunami-wise. What was that, a dry run? This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Several magic artisans help to stabilize the ground, preemptively assisting the weight of the damage in the area. And as of right now, the galley is sailing in a smooth manner, thanks to the mages who have aided. And speaking of Lord Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d - he is as well participating to carry the laden of the gravity dealt by the weapon clash between those two fighters. While some of the spell artists lend their hands to mitigate the impact of the surface i.e. reinforcing the surface of the deck. Quexajo counters with a kick during the struggle in the sword clashing. Akialom catches the foot with his off hand as he throws it upward. My adjutant then is on the ground, while Akialom is trying to take advantage of the circumstances. Quexajo surprises his opponent by doing a supine kip up - recollecting his footing on the ground. The adventurer administers a two body-length distance away from Quexajo. The crowd roars: ¡°Quexajo!¡° on the side of my trustee, Quexajo¡ and from the opposite camp cheers: ¡°Akialom!¡° otherwise. With few exchanges having been delivered, however, the tense of the showdown is exhilarating. I secretly praise my brother for showing this one to me. In the art of mock up duels, he is way beyond definitely to some average fencing goers but not on the exact league of Lord Aisla. I realize this because during my days away from home while when we were away from each other - when he was at home, Haganolopolis, and I was in L¨¹adenstadt at the University of Inglovian Occidental; written on his letters, he was studying naval warfare and maritime interdiction. And around this time, he is not doing nautical stuff but the opposite of it and thus, he also excels from it too. So tell me, Quexajo. Was it another secret from me that you wanted to display, eh? ¡°Heave ho!¡± says Quexajo, while he is about to perform a backhand swing complemented by a spinning maneuver. The assault prompts some tremors from the outside when Akialom decides to catch the attack upfront by meeting with the wooden sword. From his outlook, on the left side, bracing it with his off hand to the tip. The next episode bypasses ahead from the sword clashing as Akialom reacts in opposition to the recoil of the impact. The adventurer then retaliates with his own counterattack by not distancing himself away from Quexajo. ¡°The arms will concede,¡± I notice from the wooden swords of the competitors that are about to reach their breaking point, ¡°What will happen next?¡± as I ask the opinion of Lord Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d whom I have chatted with earlier. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Lord Geoff. Because I was not with them when discussing the rules of their match. I simply have nothing to precisely say about that.¡± Lord Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d answers and brushes it off. As to my expression pertaining to the welfare of the wooden swords of both fighters, then later, my concerns have been answered. Two of the volunteers who have detected the state of the weapons, they bolster it and coat it with their magic - wrapping around the cracks, bents, and dents of the current shape of the wooden swords. Unbeknownst to them - the performers, their wooden swords have been back to the initial state from the beginning when they first held the weapons in their hands. Two of the mages look at me as I give them the approval of an ¡®OK¡¯ gesture. And so far, no one is injured. Only the wooden swords wish that their handlers must have some mercy upon them. The arms are about to retire while the users are far away from giving up the match. Those poor swords. Not a single one. There are no words coming out from my mouth to express something about this event showing before me - in my naked eyes.. I render myself speechless and all. Truly, a spectacle in Codemna! 21: Bizarre Seeing You Here ¡°I see.¡± responding beneath my breath. Actually, What are they doing here? I thought they have their course routed to L¨¹adenstadt yet they are here in a doomed place. According to the edict that I have read before setting across to Inglovia (Well, technically, this is Inglovia. But not on the mainland.), Lord Guan is about to have his study in Inglovia. Adding to the fact that this damsel is here, what will happen if she is not around? Supposedly guarding the queen - Lady Anda. The Verlassenes are without a leader. For Lady Wellicia¡¯s sake, who will then assume the control of the ¡®Forsaken Ones¡¯? I do expect not to directly initiate a bad confrontation with them but this is it. Lord Aisla is not going to order the Verlassenes immediately. It is upon the directory of the kingdom. Never. ¡°What was that, Lord Ameniah?¡± Lord Guan notices me muttering to myself. ¡°No! Nothing, Lord Guan. I was just having some ticks, you know?¡± I reply to him. ¡°What do you mean, Lord Ameniah?¡± Maison follows through with the same argument as Lord Guan has. ¡°Tourette Syndrome, you know? Actually, I had this symptom when I was a child and now, it is relapsing once again.¡± I answer them in a sardonic way. ¡°Oh?!¡± with that kind of reaction, they buy into my sarcasm. I did anticipate not how gullible they are at the first glance. It was meant to be a joke, per se. And surprisingly, they gave me an approval with widened eyes and a reaction of an authentic response of ¡®Oh?!¡¯ My previous testimony says otherwise. I can¡¯t believe how Lady Anda marries this guy. And Maison? I have nothing to say about her negligence of her duties at home either. ¡°Well, either way. Let us go outside this alley, shall we?¡± I suggest them, since speaking thoughts in a dim and secluded space makes my mind asphyxiating. ¡°Sure whatever you say, Lord Ameniah.¡± , ¡°I have no problem with that. You have better judgment according to that decision, Lord Ameniah.¡± as they express their concern, concurring with my sentiment. Meanwhile as we meet the bright rays of the sun and the fresh air coming from the breeze of the ocean, I lead Lord Guan and Miss Maison towards the path to the headquarters. ¡°Where are we, Lord Ameniah?¡± Lord Guan first asks me the question, while he is in the same cadence with me at the pace. ¡°Ninety-ninth (99th) Street, Overview Conglomerate Block.¡° I send him the total-exact location of where we are as of now. ¡°Lord Guan says if we are really in Inglovia. Right here, right now.¡± Maison emphasizes what Lord Guan has told me prior. ¡°Thank you, Maison.¡± Lord Guan adds. ¡°To the aforementioned¡ yes, we are right here and right now in Inglovia. This is Fort Quogsagihaxee¡¯e. Welcome to Inglovia! Isn¡¯t it your first time here?¡± I say with an ardent clause of my breath while the three of us are walking. ¡°Yes, milord.¡± Maison answers, treading behind us - Lord Guan and I. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°In an obvious way, Lord Ameniah, this is my second time coming. I am originally an Inglovian, though, an Inglovian from another world? Another dimension? I don¡¯t know! Just, it is what it is.¡± Lord Guan blurts it out. ¡°Lord Ameniah?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Where are we heading to?¡± ¡°We will see right through it. Just hold on¡¡± I try to keep their curiosity at bay, although I do want not to startle them out of the blue. I can see them how calculating and cautious they are based upon the looks on their faces. They are the ones who are of the vital importance inside Kehina and secrecy is crucial to this point since we are at the enemy¡¯s camp and especially, they hold a special role for the function of the kingdom¡ both in military terms and executive and judicial powers. At the quarters. Personal cabin of the captain. Captain Leonis of the Celamus family. I knock on the door and right away, present myself: ¡°Captain, we have guests. Pretty important ones.¡± with the inclusion of Lord Guan and Maison. ¡°Oh!,¡± he turns around with his chair, ¡°Who are these fellas?¡± whereas the captain questions in a curious way. ¡°Captain Leonis, ¡ they are my fellow Kehinan brethren.¡± I am trying to introduce them to the captain. ¡°Yes, I can see that. Who is the lady on your right? That is what I am asking.¡± he asks, referring to Maison. ¡°Oh yes! She is Maison.¡± as I expose my right hand while conferring her character to him. ¡°What does she do?¡± he follows it up with another question. ¡°Can I trust you with some sort of information, captain?¡± confirming, I ask of his mutual covertness, as for the clandestine is so of the importance nowadays. ¡°Well, go ahead. Technically, ¡®we¡¯ are running a business venture after all. So, if what you have thought is fair. I am all ears and will zip my mouth in the future after I hear the details, then. What we do here in this chamber, stays here.¡± he says in a calm mood. Finally, some trustworthy fellow. ¡°Well, she is the leader of our special force.¡± I reply. ¡°Special force to whom? To what country.¡± the captain asks, as he wants to dig deeper to the classified details of our state. ¡°She is the leader of the Verlassenes, Captain Leonis.¡± as I finish the introduction of Maison. Maison then steps forward to meet the captain, as she offers her hand to shake hands with the captain. With a simple beckon, the captain stands off his chair to engage with the handshake. Maison utters: ¡°It is nice to see you, captain ???¡± after all, Maison is quite aware not of the name of the captain, where the captain responds with: ¡°It is Leonis. Captain Leonis Celamus. Likewise, Maison. I have the pleasure to be acquainted with you.¡± he then expresses himself with a cast of a smile on his face. ¡°The honor is mine, Captain Leonis.¡± Maison replies and she wraps the hand of the captain with both of her hands. ¡°Well, this guy right here is one of the fellow lords of Kehina. Captain Leonis, this is Lord Guan.¡± I insert myself right away to introduce one final mystery of the identity, after the initial exchange salutations between Maison and Captain Leonis. ¡°Lord, - -... Lord-who?¡± the captain gives Lord Guan and I a squinted look. Hopefully, this act does not find too disrespectful for the likings of Lord Guan. ¡°My name is Guan, a part of the harem of Lady Anda. It is a pleasure to meet you, Captain Leonis.¡± Lord Guan counters with a smile. As far as I can see that he is trying to force himself to cast a bright smirk on his face despite all of the rude remarks made by the captain. ¡°Lord Guan- -... hmmm?¡± the captain then holds his chin, as he is trying to recall something, ¡°Oh! The new one, eh? It is great to be friends with you, then!¡± where Captain Leonis initiates the gesture of meeting an acquaintance - a handshake. ¡°The new one?! Well, I guess if you insist, Captain. Likewise, Captain. Likewise. Pleasure is all mine.¡± Lord Guan takes the offered handshake and they bump their fist in an amicable fashion afterwards. 22: Are Those Kehinan Women Too Powerful? ¡°Lord Ameniah is acting quite awkward as of now, don¡¯t ¡®ya think of that, Maison?¡± I ask whilst I am lying on the bed. ¡°Well, recently that might be the case. As for my concern, there is. Let¡¯s try to observe him for a while, Lord Guan.¡± she replies, where she is also resting her back on the bunk of the same room. Not long earlier, Lord Ameniah had made a request for us - Maison and I, a shelter and each meal. Captain Leonis approved of the demands of Lord Ameniah. However, we overruled ¡®the shelter part¡¯ instead of the latter one. Maison stated that it is quite alright for us to stay in the same room which I found no disagreement to that per se. Quite prior to this couple of hours, the captain asked: ¡°Are you sure of that?¡± the widening of his eyes and the raising of his brows said it all. ¡°Aye, aye, Capt.¡± we both responded not only at the same time but also in the similar pitch. ¡°Do you worry not about the ¡ *uhm*, you know? The - - ¡ *uhm*¡± Captain Leonis stuttered, as he found it uncomfortable to say the word. ¡°Being pregnant with Lord Guan, you say Capt. ¡ ?¡± Maison had helped the captain to continue the statement, which Captain Leonis nodded his head, agreeing to her statement. ¡°Yes¡¡± the captain replied in a sheepish mood. ¡°Well actually, there are many aspects why Lord Guan could not achieve what you are trying to imagine. Captain Leonis, to make it short - there are three (3) factors, to be precise.¡± as Maison started to explain the facts which all of the men within the cabin there were yet to know. ¡°First and foremost, Lord Guan is too timid with girls. And he has eyes only for our queen. Additionally, most of the women that Lord Guan had met were completely frozen interacting with them. Lord Guan was just very lucky to have Lady Anda.¡° continuing, as she stated where the last part was absolutely not true. ¡°Wow, fascinating. Very intriguing, indeed.¡± Captain Leonis spared his acquisition whether it¡¯s genuine or not. I was rather humiliated in front of the gentlemen. ¡°Next is, he is too fastidious on picking women. To be exact, he likes submissive girls on his side. Yet, truth to be told - Lady Anda is rather neutral based on my speculation. A quite interesting part of Lord Guan¡¯s fetish.¡± she then explained what my trend is towards women, where Captain Leonis and Lord Ameniah were making a chuckle upon me. ¡°Well, Maison.¡± Captain Leonis sighed, ¡°Every man has his own perception appreciating women¡¯s beauty. It may be their faces. Hell, their smiles. Imperfections. Thus, to each their own.¡± the captain finished and Lord Ameniah agreed to the sentiment of Captain Leonis. Maison then shrugged the idea, as she followed: ¡°Lastly, Kehinan women are too pristine and immaculate for the likes of both common and noble men. No pun intended.¡± as she was waving her hand around while she was explaining. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Of course. Well you see, Captain Leonis. A suitor needs to offer his rib to his desired partner.¡± Lord Ameniah talked to Captain Leonis, reinforcing the previous notion of Maison. Lord Ameniah undressed his upper tunic as he displayed his bared body, his lower torso - the intercostal region¡ to where the rib sutures are situated. To explain my situation, I showed mine as well. Lord Ameniah is from the left where mine is from my right. Captain Leonis was too intrigued about the wounds Lord Ameniah and I had on our body. It gave me a shudder when the captain made contact with my body, his caress was rough. On the other hand, Lord Ameniah appeared to be stoic and composed despite being molested by another man. ¡°... Lord Guan! Lord Guan!...¡± as I am startled when Maison¡¯s face is close to mine. ¡°What is it, Maison?! What is it that you want?¡± I reply on an impulse. ¡°You were just spacing out a while ago. You were smirking.¡± she explains. ¡°Oh right! Let¡¯s go and find ? (Ash).¡± I correct myself, where she bops her head in agreement afterwards. ¡°Follow me then, Clef.¡± Maison then volunteers herself to find Lord Ameniah. Clef is my current persona as long as I am here in Fort Quogsagihaxee¡¯e. ¡°Right away, Maidelle.¡± I reply, rising from the bed. We exit the room then not in the matter of a second, we see Lord Ameniah pass by around the corridor, three (3) corners from here. We yell his name but not his real name, rather shouting his made up moniker - ¡®?.¡¯ Thirty (30) strides we chase after Lord Ameniah and right around the fringes before we cross straight to where Lord Ameniah is heading to. ¡°Boo!¡± interjects Lord Ameniah, as we both stumble upon the arrival to the corner. ¡°What in the seventh depths was that?!¡± I protest. ¡°Nothing¡¡± whereas I roll my eyes over, scoffing. ¡°Well, why did you summon my name?¡± Lord Ameniah questions the purpose of our calling, as he wants to get straight to the point. ¡°Actually, milord¡¡± Maison inserts herself then she stops, realizing the blunder, ¡°I mean ?,... why is it necessary to call ourselves in fabricated names instead of using our real identity.¡± and also it makes me wonder about that kind of thought too. ¡°Maidelle, Clef. The reason for modifying our names is of the necessity. First of all, we are all top officials of the kingdom of Kehina. In addition to the aforementioned, who knows if they are shadows behind us looking around or even eavesdropping our conversation. And one thing, since we are confidential characters - the information of the Inglovia, their description for us is too vague and surmised. Thus, we should not be careless wandering around and saying our names out in the open.¡± Lord Ameniah is right, as I can¡¯t argue with him and Maison agrees right away. ¡°Sure thing, ?. Thanks for the information. We both appreciate it.¡± I say. ¡°I concur with Clef.¡± following, a simple statement coming from Maison. ¡°By the way, ?. All of what Maidelle had said earlier were not true. Okay? She is just mixing it up.¡± I clarify my stance. ¡°Certainly. Fret not. I do believe it not either. The dilemma lies behind if Captain Leonis will buy it.¡± and of course, that is history and it is ingrained to the head of the captain. I notice Maison is laughing behind me, asking: ¡°What are you cackling about?¡± towards the leader of the Verlassenes. Her chuckling does not disperse for a while where Lord Ameniah is also being affected by Maison¡¯s laughter. Though, Lord Ameniah is trying to hide it as he is covering his lips to not escape the sound of his own laughter - I can feel that they are ridiculing me. So, this is what it feels like being outnumbered, huh? Like what happened months ago, as far as I could reminisce that there were around five (5) regal guards surrounding me and Maison was the one who rescued my ass during the bullying. 23: Is it Worth it? I am walking around, where several people are waving their hands at me and greeting me with salutations. Commoners. People of the faith. Practitioners. The garden is still the best spot for breathing fresh air. The scenery has a blue sky from the horizon. Rivers and lakes are apart. To my right. As the sun is at the peak in the midst of the sky. No clouds have surfaced either. Strange that I am the only one who is visiting this area. I sit on the bench to recuperate what I have to ponder. The grumpiness and gloominess has caught up to me. I was pretty jovial and positive about how I see life and the people around me. An ear and a finger. That is what causes me to change how I view the world as of now. My motivation is in procrastination - staggering. "Have you ever heard where women dominate men and govern a domain?" "Look over there! Beyond the seas, you can find them hiding¡¡± the usual thing to say when I am outside the kingdom. And it is no use saying those words. Because at the end of the day, I lost my drive to go away from this land. ¡°It is fancy seeing you here, Lord Gereas.¡± a woman approaches me, while she sits right next to me. ¡°Oh, hello there. How is your day?¡± I reply. ¡°Well, it is pretty hectic nowadays. There is the war. There is the crisis. There is everything.¡± she rants about what is going on. ¡°Sure thing.¡± I concur with her. ¡°By the way, milord. I smell something from you.¡± says the woman. ¡°Hey, I took a bath. What are you trying to say?¡± I protest. ¡°What? No! Not about that, Lord Gereas. It is just,...¡± she clears her throat, ¡°What I mean is,... I am speaking about why you looked sad despite casting a huge grin on your face.¡± she sees right through me. ¡°Well, tell me about it. I am willing to hear what you have to say.¡± condoning her, I give the gal the chance to express what she has in mind about me. ¡°Allow me to explain, Lord Gereas. When you were at the oratory hall, I saw your aura was not so cordial. It was just abhorrence and disgruntled. I don¡¯t know, If I am mistaken or not. You were friendly at the moment but now, you have changed for the worse, milord. Not aggressive or assertive nor demeaning. You are just hard to interact with, Lord Gereas. That is how I just feel about your presence.¡± as the woman is trying to wrap it up. ¡°I see.¡± a deadpan response, I retort. I sense myself on how dedicated I was to investing in praying. However, with all the squandered time - I never have a thought about when my wishes will be answered. Is it worth it? Was my allocation to proselytize people erroneous? I am trying to find the answers to my question and yet Lady Wellicia hasn''t said anything! So to speak, most of them have told us in order to communicate with entities above... all we need to have is ¡®silence.¡¯ Well, I haven¡¯t heard a single noise from the silence itself. Only just the eerie and the irky sensation. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Were praying for you too, milord, giving you satisfaction?¡± she follows it up with another question after she gets my reply. I don¡¯t give her a response right after. Just like what has occurred in the prayer hall. A d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Indeed, it is. The auguria had questioned me about being a worthy religious leader of all Hrilala. Some would argue that I don¡¯t deserve holding this position since I am a man. Lady Wellicia prefers women to hold such governance. The queen, Lady Anda, installed me as one, however. ¡°What do you mean by that, lady?¡± I ask the woman with a stern tone, because I am utterly annoyed. ¡°I did not mean to offend you, Lord Gereas. I am just asking if you are fit to be our leader for all of us. For my concern is your heart is elsewhere rather than setting yourself for us - for Kehina.¡± she says it again, challenging my zest towards what I am about to fulfill for the rest of my life. ¡°Praying is wasteful rather than a discrete leisure, when everything is uncertain.¡± as my voice breaks to decline when speaking these words. The woman whom I am conversing with just freezes, as in completely frozen whilst looking at me. I am not aware of the situation whether I did something that I was not supposed to do. She makes a distance away from me, hitting the fringe of the bench from the otherside. I do know that there is a grimace looming on her face yet the woman does not want to present that kind of expression before my presence. I shorten the gap between us whereas I make myself approachable by initiating the deed. Slowly. I move my body towards the middle of the bench. ¡°Who are you?¡± expressing, says the woman without calling me my honorary to my name. I wince. From the tip of my tongue - I can¡¯t say the sentence: ¡®I am Gereas.¡¯ without pride no longer. And the way she said earlier ¡®Who am I?¡¯ distresses me when I find it difficult to breathe. Respiration falls short. Am I still the one whom the queen of the kingdom of Kehina nurtured and adopted from the alleys of Wasch? The answer is¡ I still don¡¯t know. Maybe, I have changed. In introspect, the trauma remains the same. The nightmare has changed me. And because of the nightmare, my body is not the usual average man one can see from the outside - they are mangled. ¡°I am your lord! My name is Gereas.¡° trying to assert my claim, I state it in an imperative manner. ¡°No, you are not. I shall have my leave. Forgive me, milord.¡± she dismisses it, then she leaves afterwards. It seems the favor of being the sole supreme religious leader is not in my hands right now. Even commoners are questioning who I am at this degree. I think it is time to face the reality and retire from this misery. I am no longer an able body to lead the Hrilala people. I am too engrossed in being disoriented. As soon as the lady has left me out of this place¡ the garden. I withdraw myself back into the dews and the grass. Looking high up, as I am staring through the blue skies. ¡°I am really messed up!¡± I shout. Never caring if someone has to find out. Once again, if I am truly worthy about saying these words: "Have you ever heard where women dominate men and govern a domain?", "Look over there! Beyond the seas, you can find them hiding¡¡± and not even once or twice I ever feel some sort of vibes to these rhetoric. I calmly say beneath my throat. 24: Kehina = Old Ways; Inglovia = New Life In front of us is the leader of this domain. Well, not really, since he just confirms to us that he is just the de facto landlord of this piece of land - Fort Quogsagihaxee¡¯e. Lord Ameniah calls him and as for the verification, he is named Captain Leonis. Captain Leonis of the Celamus business enterprises. Lord Ameniah is standing behind the captain whilst the main actor himself is sitting on his cozy chair, with a table to lay his arms and a stool to rest his feet on. I give my agenda towards the captain which he finds it dubious, and as it follows; asking me with these questions: ¡°Interesting! What dynasty are you?¡± I shake my head in response, which denotes that I don¡¯t belong to anyone¡¯s houses. ¡°A lowborn? A commoner, huh?¡± I nod my head and I reply with a simple: ¡®Aye¡¯. ¡°If so, do you have a patron with you?¡± in which I make a rather squinted look towards the captain. ¡°A sponsor.¡± I declare: ¡®I am afraid, I don¡¯t have¡¯ after the captain¡¯s clarification. ¡°Luckily, you have me in your presence. Therefore, your dream of accessing that prestigious school all around the supercontinent will be in naught.¡± the captain suggests a plan. ¡°First, both of you - Lord Guan and Lady Maison, need to adapt to your new names. Those are Clef and Maidelle, respectively.¡± Maison and I both nod to the request of the captain, ¡°For you, Lord Guan, you may need of a patron who will gamble on you,... Who will support you through your journey to the University of Inglovian Occidental.¡± as I am excited, ¡°Actually, he is a close friend of mine, he is from San Alphonse. He helps the development of this kind of strategic land. And I am thankful for him.¡± who? Who is the captain referring to? First thing and foremost, why we have made up names instead of using our authentic birth names, it is because to Captain Leonis¡¯s credit; since he knows who we are as of now, regardless of how hectic the conflict is between the Inglovo-Kehinan dispute - we are not so certain about how vigilant the troops of the Caliphate is. In order to protect our identity, our faces remain hidden in the eyes of the Inglovian public, however, our names are too easy to trace. Secondly, it is a rule with the relation upon my induction inside the school, a lowborn must be accompanied by a wealthy family in an indirect fashion. And of course, to omit suspicion among the students. Last but not the least, they are maybe oblivious but for the sake of our safety. The captain warns us about extra cautionary actions because if we are caught, there are no rooms for saving our asses. Mine is Clef, Maison''s is Maidelle, while Lord Ameniah¡¯s is Ash (?). Such wonderful cover up, indeed. I am not going to lie. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Maison, gentlemen,...¡± as the captain summons for our attention, ¡°... I am pleased to confer this gentlemen behind the curtains¡¡± the captain is not playing deceitful, whereas there is really a silhouette on that specific area, ¡±... representing the family whom Lord Guan, or Clef, in Inglovian jurisdiction will be assigned to - Lord Remer!¡± and as the man on the other side of the room appears before us. ¡°Hi, I am Remer - a delegate to the family of Dormitiar. It is a pleasure to meet you.¡± he genuflects in a noble style fashion. And by Lord Ameniah¡¯s background, he told me this: ¡°Back in the day, I held a barony when I was younger¡¡± and that is it. His words were convoluted and vague, therefore, I failed to understand and as of now. It seems Lord Ameniah still bears his sense of pride and duty as a former baronial lord of his own rights. Lord Ameniah responds with a bow of his own. Maison and I are looking at each other as we don¡¯t know what is happening before us or what we have signed up to. ¡°What now?¡± non-verbally, Maison is staring at me, albeit she does not say a word but I know what she wants to direct to me by just that glance on me. I shrug my shoulders, replying: ¡°I don¡¯t know¡¡± as I return the message also through body communication. Well, since we are clueless¡ how about we mimic Lord Ameniah and what will happen, then? I stand on my footing and pose into a gentleman-like posture then pose my best taking-the-knee. Perhaps, nothing will be lost. So why not? Maison then follows suit. A curtsy. The guest before us appreciates the gesture that we presented and he smiles at us. ¡°Thank you for the esteemed and warm welcome, all of you guys. I really appreciate it.¡± and as the fellow returns the gesture and also makes a bow towards us. I didn¡¯t know that a simple bow or taking-a-knee is so powerful! A basic act of prostrating oneself transcends to other¡¯s conveying! Well, I think I should use this action more often. It¡¯s quite ironic since Lord Ameniah and I are both lords of Kehina, however, I don''t know how he feels about me or what he does see in me. I hope it is on a positive note, though. Lord Ameniah, please don¡¯t hate me. I beg of you. Aside from Maison being my bodyguard, you are my ally. We should stick together under the threat of uncertainty, right? ¡°Lord Remer. On behalf of these guests behind me, I am pleased to be acquainted with you as well.¡± Lord Ameniah says, as he starts to make contact towards the delegate. Lord Remer then reaches for the hand and smiles, replying: ¡°Glad to have you, uhm?¡± he stops, wanting to ask for the name of Lord Ameniah. ¡°It is Ash (?). The captain¡¯s associate.¡± Lord Ameniah answers, as to confirm it. The delegate looks at the captain sitting at his desk while the captain casts a smirk on his face and puts a thumbs up on his hand. ¡°But before that, who is the client here?¡± in my reaction, I raise my hand. 25: The Duel in Condemna Those are only just wooden swords! I wish that those two behemoths only think that this is just a friendly duel, not trial-by-combat. Though this ship might be one of the most prized possessions that the Arancians have. I believe Condemna won¡¯t hold this impact any longer. Yeah, these lads get my praise for them. All of the crowd are enjoying the scene - or am I just overpressing something? Why do I look so anxious despite the fever coming from the audience watching the match? Should I stand up against this exhilarating moment and be the buzz killer? I am aware that the ship can¡¯t carry the weight any time soon. Lord Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d taps me on my shoulder: ¡°Quexajo really is one of your best warrior, isn¡¯t he? Albeit, he practices maritime warfare and I can¡¯t bear to imagine he is also adept on this part.¡± praising my brother while his eyes glue on the match. A short burst of smirk marking on Akialom¡¯s face, signifying that he is enjoying way too much of this game. Akialom and Quexajo are staring at each other with rather excitement on their faces - I can tell it. Both of them are struggling to get the upper hand over the other during the sword clash. Akialom kicks Quexajo but it fends off by his knee to break off the tension of the struggle. Among the viewers, they are an insurmountable series of exchanges in which both of the competitors haven¡¯t managed to land a hit on each other - and yes, Lord Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d and I notice this but I don¡¯t know the analysis of the crowd. Perhaps, they are just enjoying the show. ¡°Lord Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d, how about we bet for now?¡± ¡°Oh, you make this fun more interesting! I thought you were against this?¡± he replies, as he turns around for my attention. Lord Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d really is a definite gambler, indeed. ¡°But¡¡± I exhale for a bit then Lord Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d interjects me saying: ¡°But?¡± with a resonating hum. ¡°But¡ aside from the fifty (50) silvers, there is an additional demand for it.¡± I conclude my explanation. ¡°Oh,... !¡± he seems amused by the sound of it. ¡°So, what is it? Where is the catch?¡± exploring once more what is behind all of this fa?ade. ¡°Nothing, in particular.¡± I say. ¡°I now pick my boyo - Quexajo. Are you playing the game or not?¡± ¡°Sure¡¡± as Lord Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d accepts the challenge where he places the bet on the railing, where I do the same - there are a hundred (100) silver coins on the table at stake. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. On the other side of the scene, both of the warriors have left unscathed and have not sustained any damage to each other. The mages who have been supporting the platform of the deck of the ship and bolstering the integrity and the retention of each wooden sword of the competitors seem to be having a hard time maintaining their composure. They are sweating buckets! There are four (4) camps in this situation: The crowd who are just giving vigor to the duelists, Akialom and Quexajo who are performing such rendition before our eyes, the arcane specialists who are dealing the excruciating unplanned job for them; and Lord Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d and myself - toe-to-toe, whose wager is going to win. My man, Quexajo or his lad, Akialom. Quexajo and Akialom then meet again in the center of the deck. This time, my man hacks in a downward motion while the other camp deflects the attack with it - kneeling on the pavement as he undertakes to intercept the assault. Each backward stride of these warriors have been staggered because of the recoil they have made earlier. The audience goes nuts by it then they have just witnessed that the two warriors are beginning to get sluggish and groggy, even though Quexajo and Akialom have remained untouched. The cry remains in toil. The respiration of both men are catching up to them. Akialom is nearly one knee down to the floor making his wooden sword as his support. On the other hand, Quexajo maintains his head tilted upward albeit I know he is really exhausted deriving from the fact that his breath coming from his mouth exudes steam. This time, Akialom is on the offense after he recollects his respiration and on the other side, Quexajo is keen to recognize the threat where he blocks it down to the direction. Akialom rushes towards Quexajo where he scrapes his wooden sword to the ground as he meets Quexajo¡¯s prepared defense. Due to Akialom¡¯s sheer determination and strength, he makes Quexajo send mid-air in a short distance around chest-height. Quexajo then uses this momentum to strike a counterattack of his own by redirecting his weight and also thanks for the gravity. The attack he did not long ago. Akialom looks up whereas he notices Quexajo is cruising in a downward motion towards him. Akialom blocks the attack. ¡°Oh no, this can¡¯t be good¡¡± I exhale with a worrisome remark. ¡°Huh? What are you trying to say, Lord Geoff?¡± Lord Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d answers in an oblivious manner. Prior to the damage incurred, the magic shield on the floor reinforced by the mages has been shattered. Also, the deck of the ship does not survive the recoil of the attack. The final sequence of the assault makes the boat shake for a bit - dealing tremor upon us. There is a small fissure carved in Condemna in the middle of her belly. I am the first to run towards the hole. I look downward as I am trying to check on Quexajo if he is just alright. ¡°Quexajo, are you okay?¡± I cry over the hole. There is no response. I try again - still no one answers. Then the sunlight gazes over the crevice where both men are down. Each sparring sword has been shambled into pieces. Luckily, both competitors sustained not so grievous injuries whereas they are chuckling to the end of the match. Akialom is lying on the floor in a prone position. Quexajo is nearly engorged by cargo boxes around him. 26: One For The Celamus (Family) I knock on the door, as I am trying to find what his summoning is all about. Three knocks on the entrance. A standard fashion to ingress a room. ¡°Come in!¡± a cry from the other side of the room, behind closed doors. I enter and close the door in the process when I am inside the chamber. ¡°You summon me.¡± I reply. ¡°Yes, indeed! Come and take a seat.¡± he suggests. I, indeed, take up his offer. ¡°Well, Lord Ameniah. Are you aware about the sightings of the meteors in the sky?¡± the captain asks me. ¡°Vaguely. But I do have seen one - once in my life.¡± I answer him in a concise way. ¡°Oh, when was that?¡± as he follows it up where there is an ignition prickling in his eyes. I¡¯m all eyes for him. ¡°I am not going to lie, captain. But that was a long time ago,... I am sorry I fail to give you any more details about this.¡± there is a frown painted on the face of the captain when I reply to him. ¡°Hmmm?¡± the captain replies with a bothering hum. ¡°What is it, captain?¡± I protest. ¡°I feel dubious about your comment. It was just-,... like you are undertaking to conceal something from me, eh? C¡¯mon, Lord Ameniah. Say something. I think you deserve a sit-down with me.¡± We are at impass¨¦ then as I become silent when the captain feels suspicion about my opinion. In the end, it is just that I sense no one would ever care about this story. Yes, of course, I do reminisce about this past of mine - it was a night, the middle of the night. The shooting star is like a foreboding symbol for me now. They are two (2) close figures in my life who were put into demise in an untimely death. This puts me down psychologically when I see or hear a star carving its white fading line in the black sky in the midst of the quiet and frigid night. Captain Leonis then in an abrupt moment chuckles: ¡°Hahaha¡ !¡± which makes me startled by the captain¡¯s action. ¡°Of course, of course. If you do want to confide your trust in me yet. I don¡¯t blame you.¡± he concludes, ¡°I will just have to wait, then¡¡± the captain casts a smirk upon his face. ¡°Well, aside from that, captain. Do you require of my abilities, then?¡± I clear my throat, redirecting, straight to the point. ¡°Yes. Yes. Yes. Actually, Lord Ameniah. Tonight will be eventful. My men spread too thin since some of them are commissioned to elsewhere. And for that, I want you to become an usher for this. Escort the people and let them revere to the once in a lifetime experience transpiring this - to this very day.¡± whereas he rotates his chair towards the window. ¡°A night sentry?¡± I reply with a high pitched intonation in my voice. ¡°Uh-huh¡ I am happy that you are quick on the uptake, Lord Ameniah!¡± as he confirms it for my role later this evening. ¡°Thus, behind these - being a night watcher. I am entitled to know what¡¯s behind my duty for this¡¡± I ask, where the captain still refuses to answer my question. Alright, then. I stand up on my chair and take my leave, where I am nearly about at the entrance of the doorsteps. Before I close the door and I expect myself to dismiss, Captain Leonis calls out for me saying: ¡°Thank you, Ash (?). Take care of yourself and take a rest. You will need it.¡± as I close the door from the captain¡¯s cabin. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Aye, aye Captain! I will do as you say¡ Meanwhile, I wake up an hour before proceeding to my assignment. It is dusk and the sun is about to set from the horizon. I check my equipment. My tools. My ¡®anything¡¯ in-between to help me stay for the night. I take my early dinner as the Captain has told me to before any missions to comply. I take a bath after my dinner. And Voila! Never been late as anything before, I am overly-prepared. I head to the cabin to report for my assignment, as a principal gesture and as always. Three (3) knocks on the door. I encroach in without the behest of the captain, addressing: ¡°Captain, reporting for duty.¡± as I close the door as always. ¡°Perfect timing, Lord Ameniah! Look at the sun - it is beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± where he points his finger towards the sea and as the sun is starting to lose its orange glow radiating before our presence. ¡°I concur, captain.¡± ¡°Come with me, take a seat. And indulge in this scenery before our eyes.¡± the captain suggests, as he maybe forgetting something - that he is instating me in this position to watch the people in an inconspicuous way while Fort Quogsagihaxee¡¯e is celebrating something that I know little to no knowledge about. ¡°Much obliged, Captain.¡± I take up the captain¡¯s offer. I receive the pleasure of enjoying the scene of the sunset with the captain beside me in the veranda as I have put not much of the thought into it since then. The slyly naga spawns in front of us by taking the balcony instead of using the door behind us. More or less, the captain seems not fazed by the scaly creature¡¯s action. On the contrary, he looks amused. Well, in my case, I flinch. ¡°G-g-g-g-greetings, captain. And to you, L-l-l-l-lord -,...¡± ¡°It is Ash (?). My name is Ash (?).¡± as I cut her before she finishes breaking my cover. ¡°Of course, Ash (?). Good evening to both of you.¡± this time she talks straight without any stuttered words. I bow to Habaraef in a baronial style - the fashion that I was taught when I was being homeschooled by my old man¡¯s hand picked guys. She appreciates the gesture where instead of bowing to me she genuflects in response. By the display of it - Habaraef and I have shown, Captain Leonis rises on his seat whereas he claps, perhaps, to both of us. Despite the surprising entrance of this reptilian before my eyes, it seems that we quite have a mutual respect for each other. Albeit, she might think this way but I am fully convinced not on my part. Consensus-wise. Well, I guess it¡¯s not for me to compromise with them since they are not part of the kingdom of Kehina. What choice do I have? They saved me. Might as well infiltrate within if this organization is very suspicious in any kind - the family of Celamus. This family; from being a patrician domain to a transnational organization? Ahh,... damn, I don¡¯t know. I will play along until the end¡ ¡°Habaraef, captain¡ I need to go¡¡± as I rise up from my seat and in an abrupt moment, Captain Leonis grabs my wrist while he is staring at me in a wild gaze. ¡°Actually, before you go. Habaraef might assist you in your endeavor.¡± as he glances his eyes over to his lover or whatever she is to the captain - the scaly creature, ¡°Do you oppose of this, Habaraef?¡± he then asks the opinion of Habaraef. ¡°Not at all, C-c-c-c-c-captain L-l-l-leonis¡¡± she bows to the captain. Alright, then. That makes my life easier. It is better to have extra muscle for this job. ¡°By the way, Ash (?). Thank you for taking this mission. I appreciate it. For that, I will reward you with anything you desire as long as it is my power to do so.¡± as he does the two-finger salute unto me and also to his scaly girlfriend - Habaraef. Post-haste. Habaraef and I leave the chamber in a swift movement. ¡°Sure, captain. Certainly. We may take our leave, then.¡± before I close the door from the inside, as the captain gives me an affirmative nod. So, the captain does remember, eh? I thought he was joking about dismissing me from my duties. This scaly slithereen humanoid snake probably is a segue. And why the captain insisted on waiting for a certain time. Hence, she is my cavalry. My reinforcement. Not much. Just a few. It is just ample. Her muscles are enough to somehow aid me on my mission. You have my gratitude, Captain. Fret not, Captain Leonis, just sit back and relax the entire night - I will make this assignment a success. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Habaraef.¡± ¡°As you wish, Ash (?).¡± 27: Interview For My Scholarship As of now, after the introduction of my patron, the Dormitiar family, brokered by Captain Leonis. Well, actually, he is only just a secretary by any means. We are now separated from the main cabin into the guest lobby room. Lord Remer, Maison, and I are stuck in this rather spacious room. Confined is a heavy word. We at least have tea and confection on the table where Maison actually is happily munching each sweets on it. ¡°So, Clef, right? Your name is Clef?¡± he asks, reconfirming what my name is, in a timid way. I nod as for my response. ¡°Yes. Nice to meet you, Lord Remer. That is true, my name is Clef.¡± I answer, ¡°And this lady right here, who is beside me - her name is Maidelle.¡± as I introduce Maison in a straightforward fashion to my patron¡¯s delegate, where I present my hand. Maison doesn¡¯t pay much of the attention as she still proceeds to gobble the confections on the table. She doesn¡¯t put much of a thought, where there are retches and stains painted all over her face. Lord Remer laughs, whereas he notices Maison¡¯s unladylike and non-etiquette manner of eating. Lord Remer says: ¡°Nice to meet you, Maidelle.¡° the delegate smiles directly towards Maison, as he is trying to get the attention of Maison who is busy eating. Maison finally come to her senses, replying: ¡°Oh, hello! P-weasure has al-ways b-ween mine! (Pleasure has always been mine!)¡± where all the stuff filled in her tiny little mouth. ¡°Sure, Maidelle. I am also happy to be acquainted with you.¡± the delegate to the Dormitiar family answers, where he follows it with a wink. And afterall, Maison continues the food, enjoying the sweets and nearly finishing it all. Lord Remer take a sip on his cup as he sighs, following: ¡°So Clef, where do you hail from and what are you up to?¡± whereas the main point of view now is onto me. The gaze of his eyes is very intimidating, as I find it uncomfortable when he plants both of his elbows on the table with a clenched fist. ¡°I am also an Inglovian too, Lord Remer. Specifically, in the big harbor, the huge trading center of Sisc?r¡.¡± when Lord Remer summons for my attention, glance unto him and answer his question in a confident mood. ¡°Sisc?r, you say?¡± he questions for my answer. Lord Remer furrows both of his eyebrows and wherein I realize: ¡°I mean, pardon for the mistake, Lord Remer. I do mean the pilgrimage - Eisschrein.¡± where he tilts his head, ¡°And as for my livelihood? Well, I run a small business in the pilgrimage - a fruit stand per se.¡° correcting my mistake, as Lord Remer keeps nodding his head, as if he is agreeing to what I want to imply. Damn! So much for a first impression¡ I blew it all up¡ ! I recall when he mentioned: ¡®Lightheim¡¯. I hope I can be saved this time despite my stupidity. I know in the back of my head that this is an interview whether I am fit to the standards of the Dormitiar¡¯s or if I am not of the cut due to the fact that I messed up earlier. Oh my Lady Wellicia, how I miss home. Sisc?r in my head. As Sisc?r is what I blurted it out of my mouth. ¡°For simplicity¡¯s sake, what kind of fruit do you venture? One over the other, what is profittable, what is liability, and what is for the risk on your business?¡± he follows it up. ¡°Well, yeah, Lord Remer. I have to say that is difficult to say. Since the sale has several factors such as the season and the festivity of the region. But one-by-one, I would say they are: the apples as the profitable revenues, the sweet potatoes since there are not many lands so arable to plant it anyways, and the rambutan.¡± I clear my throat, continuing: ¡°Of course, perhaps, what I would think of it - it is a foreign fruit.¡± I answer. The answer itself is inaccurate since it holds it until then when I was still in the other Inglovia - my homeworld. And as therefore, the answer to Lord Remer¡¯s question bears little to less credentials. That was three (3) years ago. Of course, it is not viable up to this day and the game of business is ever changing at such a pace. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Rambutan? I see. In all honesty, I haven¡¯t seen that kind of fruit before - frankly speaking.¡± Lord Remer answers in a candid way. Rambutan is an otherworldly fruit which doesn¡¯t exist here in Inglovia. Though the fruit can live here for all I have known. ¡®Oriens¡¯ is its home region which exists in my plane - Inglovia II. I explain to the secretary to the Dormitiar the characteristics of what a rambutan looks like - red and hairy. Sounds dirty but well, that''s what it really looks like. I won¡¯t be surprised if the fruit is going to be colonized, so to speak¡ Inglovianized. Renaming it to red testicles. For sure, that would be the course I will be expecting to. Jokes aside, it¡¯s a form of hybrid of berries although the coating of the seed is the edible one. ¡°Fascinating! I am curious to taste this kind of fruit! I would like to have one!¡± Lord Remer exclaims, showing his excitement upon hearing this exotic fruit rambutan. Phew, that was close! It swerves a little less but I hope Lord Remer¡¯s attention might divert away from my blunder about the place Sisc?r - which is my original home. Well, but I¡¯m sorry Lord Remer because I can¡¯t give you what you are wishing for. Due to the fact that rambutan is not a native fruit here in Inglovia, let alone in this plane. However, surely, it is a slight certainty that there is a particular individual who might bring that fruit in this dimension. Someone knocks the door, as the butler who is preparing to pick up the mess incurred by Maison alone. The lad drops a basket on the top of the table and as I open it. My eyes widen. ¡°Clef, why do you look so shocked? What is happening? You look like you have seen a ghost¡¡± Lord Remer points out how startled I am. ¡°Well, Lord Remer, it seems that your prayers have been answered.¡± I reply, to which Lord Remer raises his left eyebrow and furrows his lips as I show him the content of the basket. ¡°What is that?¡± Maison insets herself, asking the same question of the curiosity of Lord Remer¡¯s gesture. ¡°An ethereal fruit.¡± I answer. "An ethereal fruit, you say? What is it, Clef?¡± ¡°Interesting, what is it then?¡± as both Maison and Lord Remer are still curious about the small fruit inside the basket that I am showing it to them. ¡°Wait, is that-,... I think, is that a rambutan?¡± Lord Remer realizes the feature of the fruit that I mentioned to him a while ago. I smile, confirming his answer is to be true. Lord Remer looks at me whereas I can tell he is fascinated about it, saying: ¡°I¡¯m sorry for doubting your statement up until now, Clef.¡± and he is kind of intrigued by seeing it for himself closely. ¡°Let¡¯s dig it in, shall we?!?¡± as Maison can¡¯t contain her excitement diving into the unchartered waters of food, serving before her eyes. Lord Remer laughs as he can¡¯t contain Maison¡¯s childish escapade displaying earlier up until now. My reaction says otherwise. Good thing that Maison is not carrying the name of Kehina - our kingdom. I sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you were just a stoic woman when we were at the captain¡¯s cabin, miss Maidelle.¡± Lord Remer comments about Maison¡¯s behavior. ¡°What do you want to say, Lord Remer?¡± Maison responds to Lord Remer¡¯s aggressive assumption. ¡°It is just-,... I mean ¡ well¡¡± he continues to stutter, unable to complete his thoughts. ¡°Meaning?¡± as Maison tries to redirect the conversation by interrupting Lord Remer. I clap my hands to disrupt the tension surrounding this room, perhaps, I know what Lord Remer is trying to do. Lord Remer is too afraid to direct his thoughts towards Maison who is totally engrossed in eating the fruit - rambutan. Inserting: ¡°Right, let¡¯s eat before Maidelle gobbles all these fruits.¡± where Maison doesn¡¯t react at all and resumes on eating as Lord Remer chuckles at my comment. ¡°Sure¡¡± as Lord Remer says, picking up a rambutan in his hand. 28: The Night Duty ¡°I will be taking this way.¡± As the scaly naga points the direction to where she is supposed to be guarding the area. ¡°Sure.¡± I answer, where I am walking straight ahead. ¡°Where are you going, Ash (?).¡± the naga questions point of assignment. Wondering if we are sticking together or covering the division of the captain¡¯s designation. ¡°What did Captain Leonis tell you about this mission?¡± I then ask Habaraef about her involvement in this assignment. She doesn¡¯t answer my question. I stand here, contemplating. I don¡¯t know what did the captain command this naga and early on, Habaraef accepted the mission imposed on her by Captain Leonis without knowing the information about this assignment - God knows if she is just playing antics on me or she is definitely a thick skulled being. We are wasting time here. The sun is now setting¡ seconds by seconds, we are draining our moments. ¡°So, what is it?¡± I ask once again, where she is just staring at me blankly and she doesn¡¯t speak. ¡°Speak up!¡± I raise my voice. As the slimy slick reptilian freezes when I shout at her, she looks aggressive. Habaraef¡¯s gills protract conveying hostility upon my action. I nearly brandish my blade on my buckle sheath for that sole reason. Albeit, I am on my defensive stance of my position preparing to react to her assault, if the episode persists. I just feel she will act it not upon my behavior. As slicky she is, I barely know how Habaraef would act against my established position. However, she is an animal, therefore, she would behave like an animal as well. She maybe speak like a human but I digress, my race is a primate while she is not. She is part of a reptilian, her race tends to prompt mischiefs and betrayal. Right after I am arguing with this imbecile inbred reptilian who can understand not what I am attempting to say. Then someone shoots an arrow at me - directly at my face, fortunately, I fend it off. Habaraef slithers through the mud to locate the aggressor who assaults me from behind. And at the situated place, in the deep forest, Habaraef pounces the foes relentlessly with no escape from her hands. She kills five of them while she is incapacitated one scoundrel. I move at a quick pace, approaching. ¡°This rascal has some balls!¡± I stomp the head of the ruffian, when Habaraef holds him. And out of ire, I kill the lad. Another one is trying to hit my head with quivers. During the scuffle, Habaraef defends me at the cost of her limb. She breathes: ¡°You are welcome.¡± and I utter right after: ¡°Likewise, thanks for the save¡±. Hereafter finding a cover to a nearby huge pile of lumber. Of course, to manage a breakthrough, this scaly naga is only capable of doing this tall feat. She is agile and nimble compared to me. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Fifteen¡¡± she urges to calculate the number of ambushers. ¡°Fifteen, you say? Where are they at?¡± I reply. Habaraef shrugs her shoulders. We should perhaps wait until their munitions run low. I don¡¯t know what is running through Habaraef''s mind, but I should definitely confide in her abilities to pacify these buffoons! In every angle, actually, in front of us, they are bombarding us like there is no tomorrow. And still, this scaly inbred didn¡¯t respond to me at all. That¡¯s a breath of air. Like I always said, is this my reinforcement? Calling this a teamwork? Too bad, I should have never put some faith in Captain Leonis¡¯s words. Discreet is the word, if I am describing how I should approach such certain scenarios. ¡°Lord ?¡¡± the naga heeds me. Then this naga, Habaraef, shields her entire body unto me pressing her scaly and slimy surface unto mine whereas she attempts to tank all of the arrows. ¡°Watch out!¡± and the first thing that comes from her mouth after the series of barrages: ¡°Are you alright?¡± those of her words afterwards. It flabbergasts me to the point that I am feeling guilty about what occurred upon this episode. I put some words on my own in a soft-spoken tone, saying: ¡°Thanks¡¡± and it was all about when I was spacing out earlier. I push her off of my body when she is still pressing atop of me. The slimy sensation, it went all over me. This is disgusting. First thing that I do is to break off the arrows stem - not yanking the arrows entirely. That way, I somehow help clearing any unnecessary weight off of her shoulders. Jeez, I feel bad about it. I should be ungrateful to them, let alone asking for their forgiveness. They belong outside of our society. And I mean it that way. God, I am reek like fish! The liquid is still all around me. The true definition of fishy. I sigh: ¡°Damn, this slimy-...¡± when I am brushing off Habaraef¡¯s bodily fluids on me, I notice. ¡°Those slimeballs. They are going to pay for this!¡± I rectify myself, as to offend not this naga who is the captain¡¯s paramore. ¡°What is the plan, Lord ??¡± ¡°How many?¡± ¡°I think their numbers are inflated, I suppose based on what I can detect there are six, no¡ seven of them. If I am not mistaken.¡± Habaraef responds, where she pops her head out to where those ruffians might be. ¡°I guess, eight. Lord ?¡¡± the naga adds, where she is uncertain about their definite numbers. ¡°And why is that, if I might ask?¡± in a respectful tone, I question where I meet Habaraef¡¯s gaze eye-to-eye. ¡°I hear fifteen distinct steps yet I smell eight unique scents.¡± what? Is this reptilian a pervert? At least, we have got something to narrow it down. ¡°Thus, one of those buffoons is one-legged?¡± without much of a thought, I respond in a subjunctive mood. ¡°Negative, Lord ?. I am not so sure about that either¡¡± the naga then gives me an honest assessment. I nod in acceptance to what our predicament is. ¡°I can¡¯t think of any, Habaraef. Why will not you give me your uptake?¡± I suggest. The naga is trying to process what I have said. Whereas as we approach these difficulties, I am going to either add some opportunities of success, or counter her proposition and even question how optimistic it is, or if it is perfect then I am not in contrast to her at all. I get it this is an easy feat not at all. I work as an intelligence for the Kingdom of Kehina but Fort Quogsagihaxee¡¯e is my uncharted territory. I have yet to learn the deeper forest within it. Shortcuts hidden. Traps laid. The women and men living in this island fortress. And even, the non-humans I am going to kill in the future. 29: The Night Duty II After a minute of a thought, I hate to break it up to this naga with me. We do not have all night planning a makeshift breakthrough against these rascals, and so I speak: ¡°So, what now? Have you thought of anything for us to survive this onslaught?¡± thwarting Habaraef¡¯s thought, while she is in deep thinking. She doesn¡¯t even notice me when I sound out to her. I admire this naga¡¯s focus. Really. Saying the truth in my utmost genuine fashion. Whereas I am thinking in the back of my head: ¡°Atta girl. No one can stop you!¡± with such adulation for her concentration. However to me, the proximity within our faces is an arm apart. I am not going to lie about this but this gives me a grimace to my spine and a queasy feeling to my skin. Apart from those, I feel it in my gut that it also gives me a frigid sensation when I am close to this scaly and slimy creature. I like to intervene in her deep thinking, she might have lost her inner mind, inquiring: ¡°Have you thought of any? Let me hear your genius¡¡± albeit, I doubt this scaly creature has something on its mind - the very sole thing this slimy scale lizard is thinking about is her meal. I am tired of waiting, actually. I exhale an air, sighing as I express my feelings out of disdain to this situation. I regret having to take up Captain Leonis¡¯ orders. Another muscle. Indeed, a muscle yet her brain seems not to be working. I wish I had taken not his kind offer. Well, it was a trap. Both the mission¡ and this shite! Best way to die, eh? I am not conceding¡ I will discard this letdown scaly animal when she is done - I mean she is near to her end. I will find an episode when I could take Habaraef out of commission, fabricating akin to an accident. Due to the fact that in the moment when I needed her, this is where this piece of dung¡¯s brain stops working. It¡¯s aggravating. Seriously. ¡°Hey¡¡± I tap her shoulder, still no response - holding her snout and staring at to where I don¡¯t know, where the enemies might be? This is the third time that I have been ignored. I feel disrespected. While we are at it dawdling and doing nothing, the otherside starts to hurling projectiles at us. The foes have made their move¡ ! Damn it! I pick some stone near us and since we are behind this huge pile of logs. I throw it blindly and who knows it will hit them. Five dead and eight more to go as this scaly naga claims, under the night sky where I can see not the three moons radiating up in the heavens. Well, those three moons are behind those thick clouds similar to what we are doing. Although, we are fortunate that these logs are not moving unlike the moons¡¯ cover. I know that Habaraef is already suffering an injury. I am all well aware of that but I am not sorry. She did what I didn¡¯t ask. But I am grateful - a pretense thanks, though. ¡°Lord Ash (?)...¡± and oh finally! The moment that I have been waiting for, and she has started to speak up after minutes of staying still and getting bombarded. ¡°Let me hear it.¡± ¡°Lord ?, I think-...¡± she exhales, recuperating her words at the back of her forked tongue, ¡°... I¡¯m s-s-s-so sorry, Lord ?. But I-I-I think that nature is trying to summon me.¡± and that is her response which makes me stunned. Great. This is my reinforcement?!? How wonderful, indeed, it is! Too much time I have wasted. And now, I am babysitting this piece of crap who claims to be about to dung herself?!? Heavens from the above, please, give me strength. I look up in the skies and still no light illuminates from us below. The layers are there and they are moving at a slow pace while the enemies are moving concurrently throwing anything. Like in a pond, the waters are stable - we are sitting ducks right here, waiting to be hunted. One way or another, we are in need of some help here. Another night sentry, some magic, whatever¡ Damn it! I was asking for Death to appear before me and now, I am actually afraid of dying. Oh, for all these years and abruptly it hits on my mind whether I can see those poor souls that I had dealt with. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Lord ?, let¡¯s go¡¡± ¡°Whence?¡± ¡°Just follow m-m¨Cme¡¡± then she yanks my wrist. ¡°What in the world of Geb?t?? are you dragging me into?¡± as I ask, I get livid, in a sense that we manage to shake off the pursuers. And right before my eyes, this place seems to be erroneous. First of all, where are we? This place is new or rather unfamiliar - is it because it is nighttime? Second of all, is this scaly lizard really damn sure about this place? By the looks on her face, Habaraef herself really does know not this place much. What is this glancing around - to her left, to right, and the ones on our back? I notice Habaraef then points her finger while she is staring directly to it towards her left. I follow the direction this scaly creature claims to be pointing at. Sure, nothing is there if I can reassure myself. She grabs her blade on her back then throws it in the direction. ¡°Alright, what is of the problem here, if you want to fill me up, Habaraef?¡± as I am unsure about what Habaraef wants to prove at this point, I inquiry. The scaly creature does respond not to my question once more - it is the fourth time. Thus, I ask for a second time, speaking: ¡°We are fighting ghosts by now, huh? I am pretty much aware of myself if we are ghosts ourselves.¡± I know it is peculiar for me to prance around. I, for one, am a serious individual - I guess at this point I have accepted my fate. ¡°Habaraef, it has been a good run.¡± I speak. Then suddenly, a cry from the distance where the naga¡¯s blade had certainly reached a point. There is no way she hits that kind of a throw. As the volume of the scream from afar is getting more obvious than usual. I digress, the partner whom Captain Leonis employed - she has some pretty dreadful skills. Meanwhile, as I might assume, the enemies¡¯ advance has halted. The moons. Three of the moons have started to illuminate below us. Talking about some damn luck. With the emergence of the three moons, I dash towards the uncertainty. This might be our chance, it is best to reap it. ¡°Habaraef, flank to the right¡¡± I bark my order at her, whereas I am moving at a swift pace to the left. It is best for us to not squander this auspicious moment and¡ Of course, in case of the naga¡¯s capabilities, not to jinx it up. Habaraef now is on the move where she slithers quickly to where I want her to be. She lags eight seconds, reaction time-wise. However, I know she can move on easily because if I am not mistaken - there is a river bank in that area and it is alongside to where she is heading to. Or if not, she can just utilize her tails through the puddles along the path. I hear the cry is growing stronger and stronger. I might deduce if the poor soul is suffering or am I close to them, pertaining to the distance between them and I. I stop, then I tilt my head to the right. The scream is still there wailing. I dash through the source. They are near. As well as I am running, I can see them in their defensive stance while the other one is assisting the wounded one. The scaly naga was right. There are eight distinct individuals: six of them are guarding and on alert, one is injured, and the other one is just barely able to walk. I press on in a discreet fashion yet at a fast pace. Then, there is a roar from the otherside and I know who might that be. When the three of the stooges turn around to respond to Habaraef''s attack, I throw three stones hitting the guys simultaneously. Jackpots. Weapons disarmed. Heads concussed. Hands on their heads. I take my chances at the moment, slitting throats one-by-one and now they are drop dead. Five down earlier and eight down now. After all said and done, Habaraef teases me, saying: ¡°What were you saying?¡± in a rather patronizing tone. I am about to say something rebut at Habaraef¡¯s condescending attitude and the fireworks in the skies explode. ¡°Nothing¡ I guess it¡¯s time.¡± 30: There¡¯s a moment where I am still treading around to the same garden. Yes, I can¡¯t get enough when looking around. The one of the best gardens in Kehina - one inside the castle. Like the last time, it is still the best spot for breathing fresh air. And one thing to consider, is the same woman going here? I formulated an answer after the final encounter of ours. I didn¡¯t get a chance to give the woman an answer yet. It would be wonderful if she hears what I really am feeling right now. I don''t quite expect of her presence as of right now since it is high time in this morning despite this war is still raging on. However, I am still having fun while enjoying this breeze of gust air. ¡°Hey, are you having fun, Lord Gereas.¡± the same voice, as I turn my head. ¡°Good morning¡¡± I give my salutations towards the woman, she smiles and giggles. I then add, asking: ¡°By the way, I didn¡¯t catch your name during our last time meeting here.¡± as I position myself in a sitting stance where she sits on the grass beside me. ¡°Ameyala, milord. My name is Ameyala.¡± she chuckles, as she offers the handshake where I gladly take the offer. ¡°Of course,... my name is-...¡± before I finish my introduction, she cuts me off. ¡°Oh,... no, we know who you are, milord. You are the symbol of Hrilalal - the figurehead, the augur of Hrilalal. To all Hrilala people here in this kingdom know you. And as a Hrilali myself, I clearly know you.¡± she snickers. ¡°And don¡¯t think about some funny business, Lord Gereas.¡± I raise my eyebrow and look at her when she says those, then she continues: ¡°I am going to tell this to the queen¡¡± smirking, as she is threatening me if I will cheat on Queen Anda. For Lady Wellicia¡¯s sake, of course, I am not going to do that - in the seven depths, I had twenty four (24) ribs on my body and now I have twenty three (23) ribs. Extracted from a man then put it to the woman. One is offered for the permission of a man to the woman, well, let¡¯s say copulation. Sort of stuff. The magic of sacred union where women in this kingdom is safe. No rape. No sexual violence. A Kehinan tradition. And also a Hrilalal custom during the union of a man and a woman. I know. I know. If I want to have more wives, then why not surrender more ribs, eh? It¡¯s complicated. ¡°You know the drill, Ameyala. Having less than twenty two (22) ribs inside of me is very precarious to my health, isn¡¯t it? And I am so doofus not to take that into consideration, mind you¡¡± as I protest in a rather calm mood, I wink at her. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Oh, Lord Augur. Of course, of course. I am glad for an Inglovian like you, milord, to care about and study our culture. It is just an Inglovian like you and Lord Ameniah really that is more like a sympathist rather than an imperialist.¡± Ameyala rebuts, dodging my argument. ¡°Well, what can you say? Inglovians are always been a cosmopolitanists. We conquer land - we steal their people, language, and culture. That way, everybody is happy, right?¡± I counter. She answers with a teasing hum: ¡°Hmmm?¡± it is whether she believes it or not. ¡°It is true, though.¡± I become defensive to Ameyala¡¯s playful tune. ¡°Sure thing, Lord Augur. Sure thing, I just find it hard to believe since I, myself, have not stepped foot in those lands by now and still.¡± Ameyala responds to me, feeling in her tone that she is probably doubting me or I can just not convince Ameyala at all. I sit in a straight position, slouching my back a little bit. Focused and straightforward. I look in the eyes of Ameyala. Though, the distance between us is an arm-length and as someone would like to argue: an arm-length is an amicable relationship between both parties and a shoulder-length is way too intimate for an opposite sex. All in all, by this criteria, we are just friends - or an acquaintance, relation-wise. Nonetheless, I am attempting to transition our conversation from casual friendly terms into my answers from the last time we both have met. ¡°I am going to tell you to the queen.¡± I know she is just bluffing, Ameyala throws a threat at me, as to where there is a glimpse of smirking painted around her lips. ¡°Relax¡¡± as I am trying to defuse the situation. ¡°First of all, this is not about us. Lastly, hear me out. I just found an answer: if it is worthy or just a waste of time.¡± continuing, I denote to expose my hands before her. Ameyala listens to me in attention, retorting: ¡°I¡¯m all ears, Lord Augur. It doesn¡¯t matter what I think by now.¡± whereas she casts a smile on her face and at the same time, she leans forwards quite a bit. ¡°Seriously, I thought I could do it all. Considering, I vested the power of an Augur, bestowed by our Lady Wellicia.¡± ¡°I am pretty sure you could do the rest too, Lord Gereas.¡± ¡°Well, that was not the case. Since some of the converted, your brethren in Wellicia - I gave a word that would protect them against harm. In the end, their heads ended up severing from their bodies.¡± I respond, where I can see from Ameyala¡¯s eyes that she is disgusted by it. ¡°It was then that I realized, from the moment of an ear and a finger. It was the same exact man - he is no different from me and anyone else. He is no better than me and I as well as him - we are all mortals, however, he can do such a horrible and unethical thing towards his fellow mankind.¡± to further the argument that I am telling to the lady, adding, I speak all of the horrid things that I witnessed during my proselytization. 31: ¡°Jyana, will you teach me in the ways of Lunascopy? Additionally, if you don¡¯t mind - as well, the art of cartomancy.¡± my eyes widen and I hide, as Gondola genuflects before that exhibitionist maid, I eavesdrop around the corner. Wait, what am I doing here? Hovering back. Lurking out of the display - this makes me a creep. A dignified individual should not be stalking around one¡¯s privacy! This is not how a marshal of Kehina should be behaving¡ But it¡¯s on impulse that I conceal my presence between them. Jeez, what should I do! ¡ ? Damn, I am hopeless, really. The maid flashes a smug looking face, retorting: ¡°Eh, Lord Gondola is asking me for what? How unusual.¡± to implicitly impose superiority towards the newcomer. It makes me gulp just from that assertion. ¡°Crappy shit! How can you counter that, Gondola?¡± as I am peeking, with only one eye sticking to them, my heart beats in a sporadic rhythm. ¡°Jyana-...¡± whereas Lord Gondola is about to speak, his thought is stopped mid-sentence by Jyana. The maid interferes, ¡°Mmmm¡ a bulky gentle lad is asking for aid from me? Lord Gondola, it takes a lot of convincing before I let you tutor you.¡± then she holds his chin up in a sultry manner. She sits on Lord Gondola¡¯s left knee while she presses her bosom into his face afterwards. ¡°My, this exhibitionist is rather bold. And out of the open? If they want to be frisky, they should save their antics behind closed doors.¡± running into my thoughts, as I want them to stop. ¡°Say, benevolent lord Gondola. What do I get in return, hmmmm?¡± she grins while the smile resonates on her lips, where she gets pushed and fended off by him away from his personal space. ¡°Miss Jyana,¡± Lord Gondola is flustered, ¡°If you are seeking for material compensation. Here¡¡± as he presents a buttload of shimmering coins before her, ¡°... exactly, what you might be inquiring for.¡± their gazes are steadfast and intense and neither both eyes veer off to one another. I shrink back away from the rays of light, pressing myself further into the shadows as Jyana, with an unsettling tranquility all over her poise and her face, undertakes and resumes to assert control over Lord Gondola. He, Lord Gondola, is gritting his teeth and sweat cascading from his forehead. My heart pounds louder in my chest, as I also rather feel the eerie coercion. Hyperventilating. And I cuss myself for not managing to leave before this uncomfortable scene that unveils. I don¡¯t belong here, not in this situation - lurking, spying, sticking around on a private moment between them. This is not my expertise, this is supposed to be Lord Ameniah¡¯s job. A marshal of Queen Anda would never conduct himself this matter. And yet, there I am, too captivated by the spectacle to move. What am I then expecting for? Something contentious? ¡°I-...¡± I am about to emerge from the darkness to initiate an askance between them but, ¡°... shit.¡± I utter to myself, my heart fails to move and my muscles won¡¯t listen, ¡°Aisla, you require to cease on skulking further. Don¡¯t be a craven, Aisla. You¡¯re a general of your men - a marshal. Not some sissy ass hiding beneath the obscurity of shadows.¡± my thought says that I can but my heart replies otherwise. ¡°Lord Aisla¡ ! What are you doing out here - leaning against the wall?¡± inquires Clyden. ¡°Are you peeping at someone - some hot chick, naked, or something? Hehehe¡ let us join, then Lord Aisla!¡± Durgat concerns and pops. ¡°Waaagh!¡± as I get spooked by my lieutenant and the orc champion, I shriek and jump out in the sight of Lord Gondola and Miss Jyana. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Lord Aisla!¡± in a heartbeat, both Lord Gondola and Jyana notice my presence, they are staring at me in my languid state. I stand up from the pavement. Fix my composure. My trousers, my cravat, my herald livery. Clears my throat. As I then approach them, offer them a bow each one of both. ¡°Good high noon,...¡± directly intends to attract their attention, ¡°Salutations, Miss Jyana.¡± wink at her, I reach for her hand and give her a chaste kiss, ¡°And likewise to you as well, Lord Gondola.¡± he initiates the handshake, the only for me to do is to accept it and so I clench mine to his. ¡°I was asking Miss Jyana to tutor me with my research. And I would assume that I can be an excellent proteg¨¦ for her in the ways of Lunascopy and Cartomancy. Well, there are several reasons for this. Perhaps, something that I could also help the military¡¡± Lord Gondola shares about what did happen between the two of them except for the tryst part. ¡°Oh, really? That¡¯s a great mindset, Lord Gondola. You are even more fit to join the Kehinan Army!¡± I just play along, pretending to not know and encountering their sultry engagement recently. ¡°And yes, Lord Aisla. Lord Gondola is trying to bribe me with these shining coins. Which, under close inspection, is worthless.¡± the maid inserts, she then mocks Lord Aisla¡¯s souvenir with him. In my observation, those coins have pretty much substantial value. In a fictional world, I guess. Hahaha¡ I pick one of the those from Lord Gondola¡¯s hand, as I investigate the faces of it - obverse and reverse. Each side contains a face and some either historical site, religious symbol, unknown letter of their alphabet, or a number that upholds. Resembles much like than our coins here with Queen Anda¡¯s face is in the observe and the Royal Castle as the face of the reverse side of the coin. However, I am neither aware of who¡¯s the head that represents and the origins of the domain nor I am just na¨ªve. Upon proximal look, I hope I am wrong. I smile, as I return the coin back to Lord Gondola¡¯s palm. The exhibitionist is still imposedly dragging while she berates him. I wish Miss Jyana is correct, as I am rather overthinking it. Meanwhile, under the segue and their appearance from the corner. Clyden and Durgat choose to emerge then meet us three at the crossroad aisle. After a while, the skies outside through the alley are turning dim. ¡°Huh? Nothing¡¯s risqu¨¦ here. What a bummer. So boring.¡± the orc champion goads, he then groans out of disappointment. It makes me want to give him a chop directly to his forehead for misconduct. ¡°So, a marshal needs to discipline his naughty subjects?¡± I sigh, then I pinch the bridge of my nose. And this high achiever lieutenant of mine is also no good, joining: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. When you have your own land as promised, you can have all the women in your domain.¡± he consoles the orc champion, as he suggests. So much for alleviating the situation. ¡°Not you as well, Clyden¡ why are you adding to the muster of my headache? This is a bucket list, then?¡± All of them¡ the four of them then laugh at my complaint, hereby. This is outright awful. I¡¯m getting laughed at. I groan, struggling with the fact that I was cowering earlier around that fringe for nothing. Jeez! It¡¯s my blunder, it¡¯s my fault. ¡°Even my lads are prodding at me. This is straight out bullying - no, even more, threatening an officer.¡± I rant once more, meanwhile, they still don¡¯t take me in a serious note. I add, fixing my tone, ¡°Nevertheless, I do approve about earlier¡ of what I¡¯ve recently heard about the augmentation of magical arts to the military.¡± with more power and imposing in my voice. Jyana and her smirk get up, imposing: ¡°Oho¡ ? That means you, General, need my help, I suppose.¡± invades near my face, as she is not reluctant to lunge in. Oh, Lady in the seven heavens, I wish thee endow me the power to reprimand this gal before my presence. ¡°Cardistry is just for display, to be honest. Great for jesters to have. Is that really you could offer, miss Jyana? Are you trying to make a fool out of my army, huh? I am training gallantry, Miss Jyana, not tomfoolery.¡± I shoot, casting an insidious look on my face. What can you say about that, fra¨¹lein? ¡°Well, good thing you ask, General,¡± displaying unknown confidence behind her lips, ¡°... there are things I can be of a great aid to your retinues such as like this.¡± she sass back in a cheeky response, attempting to caress my stomach. She¡¯s not messing around, inn¡¯it? Seducing me while three guys are observing? This woman is dangerous. Does she think that she can shackle my heart? My body and soul already belong to the Queen! ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss Jyana. But I belong to Lady Anda now. You missed your chance.¡± ¡°I know that, General,¡± she responds to me with a snarky remark, ¡°What are you a doofus?¡± then all of them collectively titter. 32: Quexajo and Akialom share a wonderful handshake after the match through intertwining their hands together. Sire G?nthr? G¨¹d excuses himself to tend to his trustee. As Quexajo helps himself head towards me near the rails. Even the First Mate himself is amazed by the sparring show while he is clapping his hands together - Conrad Maria La Fayette-Santa Cruz then showers both of the competitors with gold coins despite the aftermath as frustrating yet resounding afterwards. Meanwhile, Quexajo and I are having a light snack along the bannister. After the duel, that ended in a draw - I think it was for the best. I am just glad that the bets were off. The smell of the salt air then grazing to my face. The upper deck is filled with laughter and cacophony from the untuned choir and drunken bards. ¡°Milord, mead?¡± Quexajo approaches, as he offers me for a second set of drinks. ¡°Sure, brother. That was an intense fight back there.¡± I accept, curling my lips and widening my brows. ¡°My gratitude. Cheers, milord.¡± as we both carefully clink our mugs to each other. ¡°Cheers.¡± We take our first sip of these seconds after the initial busting, Quexajo chugs bottoms up as I slowly enjoy mine. Staring to the north to where Queen Anda at. The kingdom. And I hope, for certain, that they are still fine. And with further mesmerising, Lord Aisla pops into my mind. Oh, yeah - he is there as well. There¡¯s nothing to worry about, then? I expel some gas out of my lungs. Either out of relief or anxiety. Quexajo then nudges me to the side, as he begins, ¡°Milord¡¡± he catches my attention. ¡°Yes.¡± I respond, while I turn my head over to him. ¡°So, do you miss them?¡± ¡°Which ¡®them¡¯, Quexajo.¡± replying, as I take another dose. ¡°The milady.¡± ¡°Uh-huh, Mother?¡± ¡°Lady ?¡¡± ¡°Aunt.¡± ¡°I am referring to ¡®them¡¯, milord. Consider the Hagan family on the list. The entire Haganopolis.¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t, brother? Queen Anda, Lord Aisla, and the boyos - Kehina. Kehina is my second home. Always. I miss them all, man. C¡¯mon. Even the old man. Even though we had some arguments, he was still my father. Lord Rayl will always be my father. Whether in the seven heavens or in this world - Geb?t?e.¡± as I literally come close into breaking, I stop my tears from falling in a second. He taps my back for a second in response, giving me a smile. The moment feels both heavy and comforting, the breeze from the sea a soft contrast to the weight of the words shared. Quexajo¡¯s presence is grounding, a reminder of the bonds that stretch beyond blood, beyond duty. His genuine happiness, though meager, reassures me¡ I know it to the heart. I just know it, and his back pat lingers like a distinct brotherly love. I reiterate once more and always be, mumbling: ¡°Surrogate or not, Quexajo. Lord Rayl raised us like brothers. Bearing each others¡¯ laden. Supporting each other in times of distress. And many more. Such perks to have.¡± to myself that I¡¯m enormously grateful for having him by my side. He veers his gaze, shifting: ¡°What¡¯s that, milord?¡± as surprisingly it is, he manages to notice me mouthing. ¡°Nothing¡¡± I just brush him off by bringing these thoughts to his face, I then pretend to cough afterwards. So, no - it¡¯s abashing. However, I rectify it by rephrasing the sentence once again, complaining: ¡°What kind of question is that? Of course, I am, you would. C¡¯mon, stop looking at me like that.¡± as I try to wipe the tears of my eyes, he then begins to smirk. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°It is just a sweat. Quit your antics, will you?¡± adding, though I believe Quexajo doesn¡¯t buy it, as he wholeheartedly laughs. Quexajo takes another long swig from his mug, as he calms from terrorizing me. His sights flick towards the horizon whether to the south (Inglovia) or to the north (Kehina). The sea is tranquil as of yet, a far cry from the screeching noise of the upper deck. And the rocking motion settles. He reciprocates my stare, his grin softened, gradually less teasing and more serious, a silent kind of knowing. I too sip from my mug. His is finished while mine is underway to quarter empty. "Milord," he says, voice slow but firm and manly, like he''s gearing himself up for something he¡¯s been meaning to ask. Smacking his tongue, he continues, "You ever think about the old days? Before... all this? Before leaving Kehina. After that case in that corral." He gestures vaguely to the deck, to the ship rocking gently under our feet. I lean against the bannister, letting the cool air brush past me, feeling the weight of his askance bury in my chest. It¡¯s quite a loaded one. Not because it¡¯s hard to recall or somewhat feel that sensation yet again, but because I try not to. The old days weren¡¯t easy. But they weren¡¯t all bad, either. ¡®Those days are over¡¯, so they speak but can we replicate those marvelous moments before us? The warmth of the hearth, the sound of Kehina''s laughter, Lord Rayl''s voice bellowing from the yesteryears of my education under him, the rant between me and the boyos - the inner circle of Lady Anda... all of them - those things stick with me, like they¡¯re carved into my bones. I stare astern of the ship, looking to where the Kingdom is and as I am setting sail back to my home - Haganoplis. I answer Quexajo, turning: ¡°Well, you see? Every now and then, it''s good to be home. Once for a while. And thank you, brother, for watching my back all the time whether we''re in Kehina either as of now venturing back to home.¡± my glance to him, with a poise of certainty as we move towards the helm to where the captain (Conrad Ma.) is as of now of this ship (Condemna). Quexajo and I have passed on the upper deck, noticing his untainted nonchalant looks - eyes forward. I intend to head to the bridge, as he follows me. We walk in a quite modest manner without hitching a breath while I''m waiting for his response. He clears his throat then he hums afterwards. It gives me a fright for his sudden actions. Is he going to speak right now? Furthermore, while the gust squalls before us head-on. Quexajo shrieks out of his stoic get up. I couldn''t help but laugh. ¡°Finally, I can say this - ¡®1 all¡¯. Haha¡¡± the smile is instilled upon my lips. Well, this is a payback earlier. Quexajo then turns to me with a puzzled look on his face, asking: ¡°What in the Kigal are you talking about, Lord Geoff?¡± as he burrows his lips into his mouth and wrinkles his brows. ¡°Nothing,... just taking some notes about our current bouts. By my count, and right now - yes, we¡¯re even.¡± continuing to laugh at him in his most vulnerable state. ¡°Whatever¡¡± he tries to dismiss. At the helm, Quexajo and I are greeted with Conrad¡¯s salutation. He pilots the ship for now, as his several bridge mates and officers are taking their leisure time off. ¡°Lord Geoff, Quexajo¡¡± his hands stick to the helm, giving us a modest bow. ¡°Captain La Fayette-Santa Cruz, good evening¡¡± as suddenly Quexajo and I return back the gesture, startling as may sound - same intonation, same mood, and same pinch that come out from both of our mouths. ¡°Oh, Lord Geoff. ¡®First Mate¡¯ or ¡®Chief Mate¡¯ is just fine. Don¡¯t sweat it by calling me such a prestigious name.¡± ¡°Well, you pilot the ship. Condemna needs a captain and as you took the responsibility yourself, Captain.¡± Quexajo follows, waving his hand in open palms. ¡°What do you mean by that, esteemed Quexajo? How exactly does a duelist know something about nautical, arrr?¡± Conrad challenges Quexajo¡¯s notion but I know he knows the answer to his question. ¡°Well, pirates and navies alike have something similar¡¡± ¡°And that is¡ ?¡± I ask on behalf of Conrad. ¡°Well, listen - Lord Geoff, Captain Conrad¡ well, for Captain, he can correct me if he wants to since he¡¯s adept at this particularity.¡± ¡°Sure¡¡± Conrad approves. ¡°So what about the akinness of both these?¡± trying to get back to the previous conversation. ¡°Oh right. Both the pirates and navies have their own captains. And so do their own assistants or lieutenants - chief officers, chief mates, first officers, second mates, whatever. And as far as I know, officers and mates at the sea are astonishingly the same. Fairly interchangeable. Right, captain?¡± Quexajo spouts. ¡°Hmmm¡¡± Conrad muses, as he agrees by nodding his head. ¡°If a second officer has two chicks sitting on his laps - left and right, then a first officer should have three chicks while the captain has either double or more.¡± ¡°Your point is?¡± I squint my eyes, forcing him to face me by holding his shoulder. In the back of my head: ¡®Why are we talking about women¡¯ all of the sudden? ¡°The point still stands, Lord Geoff. However, the only difference is that pirates steal women while navies don¡¯t. Women are being handed to the navy to whomever they plight their allegiance to.¡± Quexajo finishes. ¡°Touch¨¦,...¡± Conrad gives Quexajo an applause, leaving his hands to the helm for a stint, ¡°Touch¨¦¡ you took the tongue out of my mouth, lad.¡± as he couldn¡¯t contain his laughter. ¡°All these shitty talks, Quexajo. Just direct your point, will you?¡± ¡°Chill out, Lord Geoff¡¡± Conrad intervenes, ¡°What Quexajo states is true, jokes aside. when someone captains a ship who is experienced he is the captain. For example, myself. Then if someone who¡¯s more experienced than I am, knowing I am the captain of Condemna, this senior officer will be captain whilst I¡¯ll be demoted to a chief officer.¡± Conrad explains. 33: Reorganization Stupid dungeon erected? Good thing, that issue had been absolved. Rebellions? Extinguished a long time ago. The Royal Kehinan Guards? Still under my supervision but it¡¯s difficult to root out corruption (as per Lord Guan¡¯s claims) while my hands are full and my task is focused solely on the stratagem planning of the anti-Inglovian invasion. The Verlassene? Those elite women are in good hands but the leader, Maison, herself is still babysitting Lord Guan in L¨¹adenstadt; I ain¡¯t entirely so certain about the confidence of the military. I am 100% sure that she dislikes me in every way possible. Speaking of the Kehinan Army, The corps is just full of levies and exiled soldiers. To add salt to the wound, we are still recuperating our total strength. So, what¡¯s next? Luckily, we have the dragons and the orc champion on our side - for now¡ There¡¯s no way we can keep those Inglovians away from our beaches - let alone put up a fight with them! Kehina is doomed, if the Caliph-Emperor¡¯s armies were to encroach in an instant. Luckily, as I am staring to the south enjoying the mint breeze of dusky sunset. The belligerent forces are still not coming. Those worries still haunt up until this point. When will they land? ¡°Marshal, good evening.¡± approaches Clyden. ¡°Likewise, leftenant.¡± ¡°What is so pertaining to that you are staring at the oceans with the concerned eyes, Lord Aisla? Why the long look?¡± he offers me a cup of something, asking. By the smell of the beverage, it is tea. ¡°I might be stressed out or something. I don¡¯t know, lieutenant.¡± I take his offer of a cup of tea, as we both settle at the nearby table, placing my cup in an elbow-length distance. ¡°Henceforth, that tea helps relieve such ailments, Marshal! You¡¯re overthinking so much, General¡ your body is need of rest, your mind screams sleep. Why won¡¯t you listen to your limits first, eh?¡± I scoff, ¡°And for what? And for like a second, then Llewellyn and his Inglovians are the gates of Kehina¡ and now what? We ask Lady Wellicia for salvation?¡± blend the tea to my own choosing then stir. As the sweetener dilutes to the liquid, but the olfactory essence lingers on to my nose. ¡°Those are just hypothetical scenarios, General. It¡¯s been trimester? A year? Where in the Kigal are they, General? Tell me. I think they¡¯re not coming. Perhaps, postponement for another year, or dealing with their insurgency problem, or logistics and supplies probably are the challenge of a ten thousand step trek across the sea.¡± he challenges. I shrug, as I can¡¯t give General Clyden a definite and concrete answer. Sipping the tea, pouring down to my mouth, as I taste the liquid that is well-mixed and smooth. I place the cup on the tea saucer and it makes me contemplate. He might be true, as I pray to myself and hopefully that I am erroneously complicating things. Please, tell me that it¡¯s a full two-over-two. Despite the cold gust; my face still feels hot, my chest, my stomach, and both of my thighs - all concurrently. My hands are sweating. Though, my muscles are calm and relaxed. He begins once again, initiating: ¡°The Odreths, Durgat, Captain Pierre and his Arancian pirates, some deserted Inglovians who have talents in magical arts¡ I view this as very unlikely for them to set a voyage, Marshal.¡± while he savors the scent of his own beverage around his face. ¡°Hmmm, what do you mean?¡± I hum in response, with a deadpan expression, looking at him in a straight face. ¡°With the Odreth clan on our end, we have air superiority. Same case with the Arancians, they might be on the questionable side of justice but their skills are always helpful for us.¡± he then replies concisely, as he chugs for another sip of his tea afterwards. ¡°Wishful thinking, yes.¡± I sigh, without spilling my thoughts, ¡°Clyden will always be Clyden for his optimism.¡± albeit, I am the superior officer here. I choose not to offend him. However, he is not wrong in that assumption. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Oh yeah? Those dragons might fickle, they had must be chased out of Inglovia, but who knows that their loyalty will stay to our cause - Kehina¡¯s cause.¡± ¡°Marshal, we know-...¡± I cut him off, ¡°No, we don¡¯t know, leftenant. To sum it up, also the Arancy; can they give their ships and sailors to us when we needed them the most? Look at this, lieutenant. Lord Ameniah brokered peace between these entities and now that he is gone, would these two parties uphold their exchanged obligations? If you ask me, I doubt it.¡± after sipping to the last drop of my tea, I declare right at his face, adding: ¡°We are playing a dangerous game, Clyden. Appeasing both sides is as gambling when the Inglovians will come.¡± as I then upend the cup. As the first light of evening emerges, the birds chirping dissipate. Soon a choir of trills by the chickens bursts from the west. The wind howling grows stronger that eventually whistles. Meanwhile, at the table - General Clyden stares at me with a distinct look. Blinking once. Twice. Thrice. Stirring his own cup with the teaspoon, as I feel that he¡¯s going to respond back regarding my previous anecdote. I might be assuming but it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. We¡¯re dealing with a bunch of strangers - on one side, a squad of flying fire breathing reptiles and on the other hand, a set of criminals. ¡°You might be right about that assumption, Lord Aisla.¡± finally, he agrees with me, ¡°However, if the worst comes to worst, who should we ask for help - children, lame, blind, disabled?¡± he asks me, as there¡¯s a candidness behind his voice. ¡°Let me ask you something theoretical, Clyden. Which is more important: Lady Anda or Kehina?¡± He shakes his head, shrugging: ¡°For me? Well, as the right hand of the Marshal, maybe, your safety is my responsibility - first and foremost¡¡± he pauses, gasping for air, ¡°First and foremost, you¡¯re my priority after all.¡± reiterate then continues, ¡°I would think for you, Marshal, the Queen¡¯s life is far more vital than any land she administers¡¡± he deflects my question. ¡°So, acting all chummy with Durgat earlier, eh? Was it all for the show? I know how you spite that orc champion.¡± ¡°Time mellows, wounds heal. Trust builds, foes are just bygones. So they say.¡± as he finishes up his drink, he chuckles. ¡°Where did you learn that? Military Academy? At the University of Inglovian Occidental in L¨¹adenstadt?¡± I tilt my head sideways, trying to play along with his game after my subtle agitation, as if he does neither mind at all. ¡°Yeah, good school, by the way, Marshal. Swordplay, magic, alchemy, and stuff. But mind you, General, I was a footman of a maniple at first. Got my accolade for saving a tribe of elves. Sixon elves. And concurrently, my commander had been slain and his lieutenant as well. Shame. Selected by my battle brothers as a replacement. Led my own maniple, the same men. My boyos whom I bled to and refuged with on my first day as their phalanx commander. Then after, I was offered a scholarship. Therefore I took it and hence here I am as of right now. And yeah, maybe, I had some interactions after all due to that.¡± ¡°In the end, all friends - all trust, no second thoughts, no cautions. So trusting of you, Clyden. What if he stabs us, eh? Not that I¡¯m doubting him, he is one of my best pieces, besides you, after all. I love that guy.¡± ¡°Get out of here, Marshal¡ hahaha.¡± ¡°Haha. Well, assume if that will occur.¡± ¡°He ain¡¯t gonna turn on us, Marshal. The promise that we entail him is too big. There¡¯s no way. Never.¡± ¡°You know, what Clyden? To answer your question. The Queen is the kingdom. Anda of the Carylle. Without her, Kehina will fall. Down to Kigal. So, yes. Not only just being one of her consorts.¡± as we lean back into our seats, staring to the south, I sigh. ¡°No shite, milord. No shite. I¡¯m all and well aware, Marshal. I really do.¡± He muses once again, asking: ¡°So, General? You stated that the protection of the Queen lies into your hands - attachments, if you sync my uptake. And now, she is dealing with her second trimester. Is it political or a duty, huh?¡± exhaling deep, he looks far away to the west and watches the setting of the sun. ¡°General, general, general. Oh, general.¡± I sigh, rephrasing, ¡°You already know the answer to that. It¡¯s a given. And I also know you, lieutenant. If it¡¯s either me or the queen. Is that a loyalty or an allegiance to you, Clyden?¡± ¡°Right¡ so, what about the Odreths?¡± as he chuckles, he then pounces at me with an unusual feedback. ¡°The dragons? Well, if you say so.¡± 34: Reorganization II Honestly, this is the first time that I hear General Clyden¡¯s backstory. I do know he is from Lamentine? Spidelbla¨¹? But somewhere in the Inglovian supercontinent, not the Empire of Inglovia itself. I always thought that he got his commission through schooling in the University of Inglovian Occidental - Military Academy. That¡¯s an amazing feat in and of itself! I guess I haven¡¯t known him well. Well, yeah, actually, I guess so. Hmmmm¡ ? ¡°Marshal, about Mi?dzybo?y?¡± ¡°What about him? That¡¯s a long time ago. For him, serve him right. Such a scum, he is.¡± ¡°I thought I might ask, General.¡± ¡°Turned into a ragdoll, right? Tossed around and rolled over. As Durgat waved him around like a piece of mushy bag then bounced towards the walls, on the ground, and spun that asshole like a lazzo.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think Durgat overdid it. And he¡¯s sorry about that incident too.¡± he¡¯s either sympathizes with the guy who humiliated him or is concerned about the orc champion¡¯s welfare about that misdeed, as I read the tone of his voice. It¡¯s out of character to think General Clyden to be this sarcastic. ¡°Any news from Lord Ameniah¡¯s lieutenant?¡± ¡°Zechary? No, Marshal. But I have heard he is away from the kingdom, milord.¡± Ah, for goodness¡¯ sake. Lady Wellicia, give me strength. How ironic. When people are experiencing deep panic and stress we turn to religion. Lady Wellicia here, Lady Wellicia there, Lady everywhere. I¡¯m stumped. And I¡¯m spent as well. ¡°Do you have any recommendations, Lieutenant?¡± ¡°Recommendations of what?¡± ¡°So, how¡¯s your scout handling these days? What¡¯s his name again?¡± I ask Clyden¡¯s personal lieutenant. ¡°Are you referring to Svetlana? Well, actually, I do have two lieutenants. Svetlana is my lieutenant for intelligence. Andrada is my lieutenant for operations.¡± as he clarifies. ¡°Who, Andrada? Of course, I am.¡± I blow in a purse lips, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be the Marshal of Kehina, if I didn''t know my men, especially that homegrown grassroot lad.¡± I then explain about my side of the discourse. Andrada is a good young man, I saw him grow. ¡°Well, Svetlana is rather another Inglovian, you see milord. But she is a good kid!¡± ¡°Oh yeah, Svetlana.¡± I realize, what I am talking about is a ¡®she¡¯, still I don¡¯t know whom Clyden is referring to nor what in the Kigal her semblance would be, ¡°That gal. Where is she from?¡± I then screen her background implicitly from Clyden¡¯s sources. ¡°Same empire as mine growing up - Lamentine. Though, different jurisdictions.¡± so, I am that close about my prior recollection, huh? I did say he is from Lamentine - the Empire of Lamentine. ¡°I am from-...¡± I insert myself, saying: ¡°Yeah, I know where you from, Clyden - West Burgraviate. Now, where is this young lady hailed?¡± as I revert the question back to the ones whom I am scrutinizing. ¡°Kingdom of Supral?r?nen. North proximity of my homeland. Also, a fresh grad herself at the University of Inglovian Occidental. Though, in Arcana Scholastica Academia branch.¡± he replies with a distinct smirk on his face. ¡°Oh, really? From Supral?r?nen, Lamentine. Same as you as a Lamentinite? Lamentiniot? Lamentinian? Lamentinese?¡± asking for the demonym of the people in the Empire of Lamentine. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Lamentine, Marshal. Demonym, adjectival, and name itself.¡± he replies, as he gives generous corrections while pandering my question. ¡°Well yeah, but you¡¯re from West Burgraviate. And an alumnus to the same school - University of Inglovian Occidental, right? However, she¡¯s educated in the Arcana Scholastica Academia while you¡¯re in the Military Academy.¡± then I go back to business by asking: "What kind of idiosyncrasy did she voyeur to?¡± let¡¯s see if we can have some talented people embark on this kingdom. I don¡¯t care who, just provide me someone - adventurers, veterans, attach¨¦s, or foreign exiled officers. ¡°Like who? Anyone?¡± he asks, as I nod in response. He grabs his chin, on his pensive look, ¡°His name is Talbetter Avante O¡¯Silverpelt de Alcanzantr¨¦.¡± as he either remembers who that guy is or just throws random names at me. ¡°What?!? An Inglovian, huh? What¡¯s he doing here? How did he come here in the first place?¡± ¡°Came pre-war then stuck indefinitely.¡± ¡°Ah, an Inglovian, though,¡± I breathe in-between my teeth, ¡°I don¡¯t know about him. Do you think he¡¯s trustyworthy, lieutenant?¡± ¡°As far as I could tell. Yes. He seems so worried about going home.¡± ¡°Why is it?¡± I continue to press, even for the pettiest details whether personal or transactional. ¡°That lad has a family to feed, Marshal. Three or four children, I don¡¯t know - I can¡¯t seem to recall what he said. As far as my intel assessed, that lad is pretty worthy of trusting himself.¡± ¡°A feline ¨¹berleben? Is he a g¨¢tes?¡± I shoot. ¡°Well, yes, Marshal.¡± ¡°I could tell¡¡± ¡°Well, for a liaison, he might be a good fit for training our troops.¡± Really? What could this Talbetter-guy offer to our causes? He¡¯s an Inglovian. Maybe he''s a spy. It makes my forehead dribble a liquid hearing his name, despite the chilly wind of this pleasant evening. Durgat is usually hands-on type of guy, but his skills aren¡¯t compatible in raising a troop of his own. Should I gamble on this g¨¢tes guy? After I make up my mind, basking in the head-on wind, I decide: ¡®Yes.¡¯ Maybe I ought to need some help for a while. ¡°Does he need anything? What did he ask for, Clyden?¡± I try to reason what the g¨¢tes guy would be asking in return. ¡°Just a sail back home. That''s it.¡± he smacks his lips, ¡°And actually, he is a veteran himself. Outside, he seems like a pretty good guy himself.¡± wrinkling his brows. ¡°Summon this Talbetter-guy that you¡¯re discussing. I need to verify him myself.¡± ¡°Well, actually,...¡± he clears his throat, ¡°He is underway polishing the volunteers and levies and as such on my behalf, Marshal.¡± nonchalantly he speaks. What? ¡°Oh really, right now? When did this happen?¡± the shock on my face is palpable. I don¡¯t know if I am going to be frustrated with him for this. Even, risking it for our royal security. ¡°I was secretly working with him in accommodating the greens for a week. Some of the levies showed potential and some of them displayed results out of our expectations. Overall, the conditioning of these greens is in good preparation.¡± I can¡¯t believe he did that, without my approval? The corruption within the ranks alone is a massive pain in the ass. Et tu, Clydene? That¡¯s insubordination¡ ! Oh, the seven heavens! Oh, Lady Wellicia! I implore you all to give me fortitude under this ramping pain. This makes me want to cry. ¡°You know, lieutenant.¡± I sigh, continuing: ¡°Bypassing without my prior authorization has definite grievous consequences.¡± as I give him a death stare for his conduct. ¡°Treason, Marshal?¡± as he audaciously pops as if it¡¯s for nothing. General Clyden adds, ¡°Lord Aisla, I¡¯m aware. But, you seem stressed out recently hence I did some improvisation of the paradigm. All while still sticking to the plan. I just saw a chance then I took it.¡± then reverts back to his usual stoic demeanor. ¡°Fret not, milord. Fret not. If he chooses to flip on us, a voyage back to Inglovia is impossible. He ain¡¯t going anywhere, anyways. So, sit back.¡± he finishes the argument. He makes quite a good point. ¡°Yes, perhaps, lieutenant. But you¡¯re not a maverick. Nor a mercenary, Clyden. You¡¯re a general of the Kehinan Army.¡± I keep on reminding him, as I exhale quite deep, and he seems to agree while he¡¯s bopping his head. And it¡¯s time for me to break the ice, initiating: ¡°By the way, I want to meet this lieutenant of yours.¡± referring to Svetlana. ¡°You¡¯re meeting who, Marshal?¡± he responds back with the confusion smeared on his face, curling his brows and squinting his eyes. ¡°This Lamentine gal. A Lamentine like you. Your fellow compatriot, that is.¡± I say, where he straightens his look after realization. ¡°Oh, Svetlana. Duly noted, milord.¡± he smiles. Meanwhile, a figure appears before us on the table. A lady who wears a thick grade of binocle, sports a curly brunette, a fan hoisting on her left hand, and on the bigger size - I mean the bosom part of hers. ¡°Milord, this is Svetlana.¡± he introduces me to his lieutenant, specifically his intel officer. ¡°Subaltern Svetlana, this Lord Aisla - the Marshal of Kehina. My superior officer. And one of the queen¡¯s consorts.¡± Clyden then turns to his lieutenant, as this Svetlana-gal bows at me while I try to give her a concise smile. She is rather prim and reserved. But, oh! By the looks of it, I guess she is this aloof and ominous. 35: Afternoon. I was planning to take a long siesta but anxiety doesn¡¯t let me. It starks to it. I survived a great deal of tribulation - as I now think about. But as of lately, I am suffering for it. I know. And as far as I know - looking over the veranda, the view of the scenery is rather tranquil and orderly despite the happenings. To where I am watching is through the south. The landscape is yet the most beautiful approach that I have ever seen. But this memory etched before my eyes is just second above all - Lady Anda still owns the lionshare of my soul. And in an abrupt moment, a voice emerges down to two lower levels. Crying: ¡®Lord Gerveas! Lord Gerveas!¡¯ I acknowledge the sound but to no avail, I still fail to find it. ¡°Ameyala? Is that you? Where you at?¡± I call, as I am trying to get in touch, knowing that the voice is hers. ¡°Lord Gerv, who are you shouting at?¡± as Jyana invokes my name (honorary then hypocorism which I don¡¯t completely agree with being called like that) from behind - of the closing door, where I glance back my gaze. ¡°Just some girl I met a prior couple of days or so. At the gardens.¡± ¡°Eh? You ensnared another woman¡ ?!?! You already have the Queen? And me, as your mistress. Or am I just a whore to you? Ain¡¯t I enough for you?!?!¡± Jyana hyperboles her claims. Good thing, she is still ¡®her¡¯. ¡°That¡¯s rude, miss Jyana!¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t lie to me, Lord Augur,¡± she forms a sultry smirks, curling her lips, ¡°Well, we know that our faith condones clerical marriage.¡± biting her lower lip afterwards. ¡°What of it?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re still a man - that¡¯s the point I am directing. No matter who you choose, it is always the virgins - every man does. They select fresh and green like me.¡± she claims, as she blinks her eyes then poses in a quite enticing gesture. I scoff, ¡°Bah! Oh, spare me with your exaggerated tone. First and foremost, since you became my bedfellow? Second of all, why do you encroach in my private space and in my peaceful time? Lastly, I don¡¯t recall having an intimacy with you, miss Jyana.¡± as I point it out in a stern way, where the only response she has is sticking out her tongue. ¡°Lord Gerveas! Lord Gerveas¡¡± the voice is becoming more audible, as I read the frequency is radiating across the southwest. She surfaces out of the bushes, waving at me. On the balcony, I notice her as I return back the gesture by giving a waving hand. I smile, then I notice Jyana skulks behind me. Ameyala picks up her cadence, as she holds her frontal section of her skirt and begins with a concise run. She is looking at me directly with no regard to her surroundings. Smiles painting upon her face. The maid besides me, on the other hand, who mocks and commentates every motion Ameyala does. She maybe glues on the occurrence before our eyes or what else is she planning to do? Here comes the trouble, ¡°What is this exhibitionist doing? Is she going to advance on me with sultry tactics again? Well, I can¡¯t blame her since it would be out of character if she doesn¡¯t do it or she might have a fever or some sort.¡± in my mind. All of a sudden, the young lady nearly fumbles on her feet. Yet, she recovers by clinging her left hand on the ground. And after another stride, she disregards the atmosphere - dashes way through here. And right before my and Jyana¡¯s eyes, she paid the price for neglecting her surroundings. Face first on the dirt. That dress gets sullied. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Oooo¡ she is kind of cute, if I am being honest. I never would have thought that you have this kind of kink, Lord Gerv? Babyface, klutzy, innocent, perfect smile. No wonder, this depraved augur got swooned over.¡± Jyana gives her own assessment about Ameyala. ¡°For a second time, Jya-...¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll collect her up.¡± Jyana cuts me off, exiting the room and rushing. As Jyana leaves the chamber, ¡°How can she say those things before me?!? I¡¯m the religious head and she just talks to me like that! Anyway, she¡¯s just a godsmitten maid! How can she be this laxed?¡± I put my palm on my forehead. Meanwhile, Jyana emergently rushes over to Ameyala then helps her and recollect her footing. ¡°Lord Gerveas!¡± Ameyala smiles, looking from below - despite being smeared by dirt and mud on her face and entire frontal body. I respond not to her call but I give her a smile of my own to reciprocate. Meanwhile as the exhibitionist maid is assisting Ameyala to walk, she blows her kisses on me then bites her lips and winks her seductive overtone. As she hides her glint smile from the lady she is aiding with afterwards. I gently tilt my head then shake, non-verbalize: ¡°Sly woman as ever, Jyana.¡± twitching my lips. I¡¯m sure Jyana reads my message well, as she smirks before entering the porch on the ground floor. ¡°And any minute later, they will be here upstairs. Bringing more chaos.¡± I sigh, ¡°Ah~ Now, I should enjoy this peace while it lasts.¡± looking above the skies, as the wind crisp is smooth and the sun rays are rather tamed. Moments later, the gals have finally arrived at last. The doors have drawn open. True to her character - this exhibitionist maid and concurrently a cartomancer, to say the least. How can Queen Anda squander our funds from the coffer of the royal treasury to such a woman like her, honestly? For the moment, all Kigal breaks loose - I am prepared for that, hopefully. For a second layer of security, ¡®O Lady Wellicia from the seven heavens, hear my cry.¡¯ ¡°I misjudge her, perhaps.¡± as I am having second thoughts about screening her valuation, I tut my lips. They approach me but Jyana alone struts in a suggestive way. Playing her cards. Juggling each tarot power. On the other hand, Ameyala showcases the new dress she wears. In all honesty, she is second to none but Queen Anda herself swoons my heart. Between all of them? I rank on my list: Queen Anda takes the principal lead, this woman (not Jyana) second, and the scenery before me that I have witnessed not long ago. ¡°Lord Gerveas¡¡± she dashes to me, as she offers her hand. Entailing a chaste kiss upon her smooth skin - she giggles. Fluster is painted on cheeks. She is as prim as ever. ¡°Unlike this whore¡¡± I roll my eyes, hide my grimace expression somehow. ¡°You were saying, milord?¡± Jyana catches me murmuring. ¡°Nothing. You are just having headcanons.¡± I dismiss it afterwards. ¡°Oh remember about the offer - the conversation we partook?¡± Jyana diverts the conversation. ¡°What offer?¡± I ask, as I wedge my hand into my hip. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t wait to cuddle with you until the next day¡¯s daybreak.¡± She replies, as she catches all of the cards in her hands. Ameyala¡¯s reaction is palpable, not only ¡®tis I am surprised by her declaration. I squint my eyes, challenging: ¡°Huh, what are you spouting some nonsense about? Under whose authority, if I may to be aware of?¡± my breath hitches for a second. Jyana presents the warrant with the royal stamp of it, she smiles: ¡°Lady Anda¡ of the Carylle Dynasty. Queen of Kehina.¡± imposing her stakes on the claims by using the Queen''s name. In my mind, this is either rather a forge or somehow to steal it. But, upon closer scrutiny, I snatch it from her hands. No resistance, whatsoever. I look at Jyana in the eyes where she presumptuously winks back. Handwriting, check. Signature, check. And the seal too, check. I have been taken aback by this happening. I stare at her once again, she then licks her lips. ¡°It seems authentic, I suppose,¡± as further review, ¡°... the curves, the strokes, this penmanship is too distinct. It would be unnatural mimicking such fonts as hers since you only joined us a couple of moons ago. This is definitely the Queen¡¯s words.¡± I legitimize the seem-to-be purported document - albeit, I am still unsure. ¡°Oh, Lady Wellicia. Save me from the infernal brimstones and the arctic frostbites in the seven depths of Kigal.¡± I gulp my throat. ¡°Lord Gerv, what¡¯s the problem? Were you spacing out?¡± I shake my head in response, ¡°No! I was just amazed by this file. That¡¯s all. Hehe~¡± 36: ¡°Marshal Aisla, General Clyden¡ good morning.¡± the g¨¢tes bows and pays his respect to us - my lieutenant, General Clyden and I. ¡°Sir Talbetter, it is?¡± ¡°Uh, if you will - you can just call me ¡®Talbetter¡¯. Right, ¡®Talbetter¡¯ is just fine, Marshal. Well, nyes. I am what you are referring to.¡± he smiles then he extends both of his hands for a handshake. ¡°Sir Talbetter Avante O¡¯Silverpelt de Alcanzantr¨¦, is it? Your full name.¡± Clyden reconfirms and receives his handshake, as the g¨¢tes nods his head and smiles. I have heard of this. A custom from Alcanzantr¨¦ on how they gesture salutations. As our position suggests, in Talbetter¡¯s perspective: me on his left side and Clyden on his right counterpart. Hence, Clyden and Talbetter share a handshake with their rights while concurrently I shake with him through lefts of our own. He wastes no time, catering both audiences. In all honesty¡ convenient, it is. Nontraditional and unorthodox. Very traditional for Alcanzantr¨¦, true to their character as a collective community of sea people. Sea people as a fishmongering culture; neither mermaids, nor nagas, not merfolks. In the known world, we always initiate to the right - regardless of what dominant hand we do. Discrimination? Yes. It is not coming from my mouth - they are all in the accounts of what the holy patriarchs would suggest. At least, all faiths and cultures: Aslab, Croisism, Romulla, Ordos, even our religion, Hrilalal; you name it - left hand is always be and very malice. ¡°It sounds counterintuitive - herein the feel is just right but both fringes also surface in particular.¡± I think, silently reflecting. His touch alone is smooth despite being truly furry. The grip is firm, the tinge is silky, the clasp is pretty not too domineering but gentlemanly. Well, it tickles my palm, to speak the least. The gesture undeniably sparks me with this brotherhood. However¡ Still, I am in no shape or form to put my army¡¯s and mine¡¯s confide in him. He¡¯s of a feline ¨¹berleben species - cats are known for being lazy and so I assume g¨¢tes would be as lethargic as well. Despite g¨¢tes being a higher intelligent sentient equal to humans and elves, this race is still cats - these speaking bipedal cats. Second of all, he¡¯s an Inglovian - they are our enemies. Well technically, by declaration both sides are in conflict. But as of now, no blood has spilled so that means he¡¯s an ad hoc enemy. Thirdly, as mentioned, Sir Talbetter is a man from the harbors of Alcanzantr¨¦. Geographically, Alcanzantr¨¦ is part of the Inglovian supercontinent and this city is a vassal to the Crown too. I can¡¯t dictate what loyalty he entails. Inglovia or Alcanzantr¨¦? But this kind of people from the port city are known for opportunism. I need help, post-haste. No need to be selective. ¡°Clyden. General Clyden. Lieutenant to Marshal Aisla. Executive of the Royal Kehinan Army.¡± Clyden smiles at Talbetter, while the tension of their handshake is rather intense than establishing common grounds. As Clyden and Talbetter begin to immerse themselves with small chats and petty titters, I am here in-between the sideline while I focus on questioning about this, ¡°I know Clyden and I have talked about this. Last dusk. But my doubt is not about his contribution or skills¡ is his commitment.¡± as I am trying to follow along with their conversation. ¡°Got your accolade too in the battle? Nice. I was a phalanx captain and now I have retired for good. Nya~¡± as Talbetter¡¯s tone is starting to get friendly. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Well, we do have some similarities, however. From levy to footman. I was once a batman but after being a frontline soldier most of the time, I got rewarded and became an acting officer. We both got our education in University of Inglovian Occidental - Military Academy to advance to commissioned officer. Graduated, yes. And after a couple of skirmishes and campaigns in the mainland, I decided to continue my career as an officer in this kingdom. And yet and as you know, here I am now being part of Lord Aisla¡¯s war advisory diet.¡± Clyden responds. His career alone is astounding, the flair on how he describes is minimal just like what he said to me yesterday. ¡°Oooo¡ I know about General Clyden¡¯s decorated career, Sir Talbetter¡¡± reconsider my initial impression of him, ¡°You, sir, an ex-captain - acquired your accolade through the battlefield¡ ?¡± as he definitely gets my respect. ¡°Nya~ Oh nyes, Marshal. It has definitely been a long grind since then. Left Alcanzantr¨¦. I found my way into the army as a conscript. Saved a village or two. My direct captain was dead, together with his lieutenants - cornets and subalterns. Got promoted via the war council¡¯s recommendation plus democratic vote within my maniple. Served the maniple to where I started and led these men of the very same maniple.¡± as he shares pretty much of his excruciating experience of sweat, blood, mud, sickness, and loss. Basically, I am impressed. It¡¯s such a profound encounter having him to our side for now, yet I am still dubious of his alignment. Clyden and him quite sync up pretty well. Emotionally, it¡¯s good. But we¡¯re talking about national security here. For the second time, this g¨¢tes lad is an Inglovian no matter what - he is still suspicious. Retired or not, an Inglovian is an enemy! A dead Inglovian is a good Inglovian. I¡¯m not a cynic but only worry about the kingdom¡¯s safety. I promise. ¡°I¡¯m just a lowly mediocre Marshal. This title is handed to me because I am one of the Queen¡¯s consorts. Favoritism is at best.¡± I sheepishly smile, scratching the back of my head. ¡°I¡¯ll apologize in advance,¡± Talbetter says, as he lunges his attack near my face in a quick instance, ¡°Oooo¡¡± then he whistles in a musing tone, whereas I parry his assault. Sword to sword clash and clattering. I don¡¯t know what happened but my hand instinctively unsheathes the sword from my scabbard. For a second, I look at Clyden - it makes me wonder why there are two g¨¢tes? Is this his arcane powers? Doubling himself - one against Clyden and another preoccupies me. I definitely curse him from the bottom of my heart, thinking: ¡°Is this an assassination? I shouldn¡¯t have trusted Clyden''s referral! Now, we are dead meat because of his incompetence¡¡± on my mind right now. Drawing his blade two-handedly, while I maintain utilizing my dominant hand for the time being. I still manage to hold his strength at bay. He then throws an in-between left knee while our swords are in a clashing deadlock. I catch his attack once more, using my free hand in a cross motion. I want to utter something on how I could react swiftly despite being busy. For that, the g¨¢tes loses his footing. ¡°You¡¯re mine¡¡± I mutter, hefting my sword in high guard. He readies himself to receive my downward slash, as he stances his on-guard horizontally. His left foot wedges back. In just a second, he does receive the impact but how come his fighting stance is still sturdy? It doesn¡¯t make sense! I know I should overmuscle him or at least push him back, auspicious-wise. But that¡¯s not the case. Right after the initial encounter, he counterattacks by tripping me on my foot. ¡°Shit¡ !¡± I attempt to fight back, trying to recover my lost ground. Not only stumbling me is enough, he hits my groin rendering me incapacitated. My breath hitches, as I curl up and I abandon my sword on impulse. Cupping both of my hands to the injured region. As I groan loudly to release the tension of the pain. ¡°Aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourself?!?¡± I reason out with him, as I try so hard to express my emotion. For me, that¡¯s a disgraceful act and ungentlemanly and coward-like. ¡°Marshal, nya know? This ain¡¯t a duel. Nya~ There are no rules, nor ¡®Begin¡¯ that I have heard. Therefore, it¡¯s a fair play, Marshal.¡± ¡°Touch¨¦¡¡± I speak gently, as I agree with what he says. This g¨¢tes manages to soften us up and we pay the price. So, this is it, huh? Dying like this. A blunder really screws someone over. I¡¯ve got complacent. And many have died on misjudgement - well, that¡¯s on Clyden though. He got bamboozled, I¡¯m not. Not only will he die as well, he incriminates my ass. He veers my sword on the ground away from my clasp. For his safety. He¡¯s skilled. Goodbye Kehina. Goodbye Lady Anda. 37: It is another morning of freezing salt gust. In the upper deck of Condemna, the sun peaks against me and at the same, sailing towards the destination. Yes, east. To the east, Haganopolis. In a couple of weeks¡¯ time, I get the hint that-... well, we should say that Quexajo and I might be probably in the exact moment for the procession. Don¡¯t worry, Father, before you leave this world let me send you off peacefully. I stretch the joints of my shoulders, moaning: ¡°Ah~ that feels good.¡± as the relief sends down to my spine. Now, it¡¯s time for the tarsals on my hands. The sound of each crack is satisfying. Then into my knuckles, one-by-one - Pop, pop, pop. Of course, it¡¯s not only three cracks, there should be at least ten snaps. Again, ¡®Ah~¡¯. After that, my ankles but first will be my left foot. I hear clicking noises while I rotate clockwise for every turn. Mmmmm~ and it seems sensual but each twist that I make is similar to tasting a nectar. ¡°Now,¡± as I hit the counterclockwise motion on the same foot, ¡°... let me hear those juicy tunes from sore clackings.¡± as I grin while I am enjoying myself from this bothering pain. ¡°Or am I just getting by now?¡± finishing, I add, then I still proceed rotating my ankles. In an abrupt moment, during my pensive thought staring at the sky - an arcane portal appears around five mawwes (25 meters) above. After a while from just staring at it, a swallow comes out from that very magical gate. This interrupts my light calisthenics. My eyes are glued to the bird itself circling around. Suddenly, the bird comes straight at me, landing on my hand. ¡°Adrianus?¡± is the name of the bird, as I remember falconry is still in its infancy. I know this bird, he is one of the top contenders claiming the ¡®King of the Birds¡¯ in Kehina. ¡°What do you have for me, Adrianus?¡± as I check his talon, where there¡¯s a cloth wrapped around. Well, it has been a couple of weeks away from the kingdom. For now, while I¡¯m opening the content - I place the bird on my left shoulder, chirping since he doesn¡¯t want to fly around in the skies while I read what¡¯s inside the missive. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡¡± a long awaited poetry is now in my hands. The message says and I quote: Earl Geoff, How have you been? I, as well, am doing alright. The life within my belly is pretty fine. The midwives¡¯ advice is to rest since I might be in my second trimester. Hence, for these purposes I am obliged to relegate the governance and the oversight to the inner circle for now. Lord Gerveas is handling internal affairs. Lord Aisla made a friend, his name is Talbetter Avante O¡¯Silverpelt de Alcanzantr¨¦. This feline gentleman is currently training the army and teaching them the way of arcane arts as of now. Send my regards to Haganopolis, esteemed earl. Truly yours, Anda So, change is coming to the kingdom, huh? Desperate action. Active solution. Regardless how potent or vile. In this tumultuous time, where the invaders might land to the coasts, the arts of lifeforce may take us to new heights. With that in mind, Kehina is magically illiterate. Exiled troopers from Inglovia itself are of big help. But they are not ample when it comes to the hypothetical armada and horde from the Grand Empire coming to the kingdom. We need to accelerate. Yes, progression is the key. Though, we are treading into a mired path - I feel this is the way forward. ¡°We should seize it!¡± I exclaim, concurring with what Lady Anda has said. ¡°Lord Geoff, what are you crying about? It¡¯s still early. Could you lower your voice down for a bit?¡± as Quexajo just emerges from the quarter, with disheveled hair. ¡°Hahaha¡ will you give me some slack? I am just doing exercises. Of course, I will shout from time to time.¡± I protest ¡°Say, milord. If a ¡®son of a bitch¡¯ is a man, what about the feminine version of it?¡± he asks something ridiculous right after he wakes up. ¡°That would be-...¡± ¡°Uh. Uh. If you say ¡®daughter of a bitch¡¯, that would be too mouthy to articulate. It should have four syllables like the prior words: ¡®Blank of a bitch¡¯.¡± he gives me further hints, however, my morning brain couldn¡¯t rack up still. ¡°How am I supposed to know? Of course, I don¡¯t know!¡± I simply don¡¯t grasp what he is trying to tell me about. ¡°That would be ¡®spawn of a bitch¡¯.¡± he then laughs. That¡¯s way worse! And first thing in the first light, of all the words he says, should be peace not inviting debacle. ¡°Will you shut up, man?¡± I roll my eyes over, then I throw the letter at him. I assume he learnt that joke from Jyana. He catches, saying: ¡°What is this? A letter from the chieftess? Her Majesty? The queen herself, wow! What does she say?¡± as he proceeds to fold open the letter. ¡°You know how to read, don¡¯t you? Why don¡¯t you read it yourself?¡± reminding him, as I give a sneer and disagreeing tone. ¡°C¡¯mon, Lord Geoff. I¡¯m just messing with you. Don¡¯t get so riled up. Jeez.¡± then he continues with a cheeky response. After a while, Quexajo finishes accumulating the content within. He doesn¡¯t seem to react since he and I have been pitching this idea a long time ago. It is inevitable. It seems the traditionalist view won¡¯t hold much longer, progress is coming. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°It seems they haven¡¯t been in contact with Lord Guan. What¡¯s happening to him thus far?¡± he folds the letter back into its original form. ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± ¡°Erm,... about the ¡®Orenda¡¯. What do you think?¡± I think he might refer to the incoming progress coming to the kingdom. At last. ¡°¡®That¡¯? I think it¡¯s great.¡± ¡°Are you not happy about it? Our-... no, your long awaited wish has been realized. I mean that¡¯s it? No celebratory gestures or something like: wohoo~¡± really, what is he trying to make me do? ¡°Don¡¯t be daft, brother. In reality, we are still at its infancy and we have a war to fight against. Inglovian adventurers are way more effective than our current military, I mean we Kehinans can only do about our [Arms Sub-tactics] and [Unarmed Techniques] however those Inglovian can cast their spell. What more can they do if they join the military? In Inglovian perspective, we the Kehinans are just ants to be trampled on.¡± as I give him my honest opinion. ¡°Well, for me, the issue is the folks themselves. Change is imminent. That¡¯s how life works, from slingshots to crossbows, from ballist? to onagers. Kehinans are way too headstrong for the notion yet they bend the knee when there is a larger threat. Deifying ¡®lifeforce¡¯ as a form of salvation in times of crisis. Give or take, Kehina will adapt the studies and theories of lifeforces the next decade or so. I just didn¡¯t expect it would come so soon.¡± as he mocks the way of life of the Kehinans, which is pretty reasonable since the idea is overdue. ¡°Brother, your mouth. The war with the Grand Empire is just a catalyst. It¡¯s just we are so lucky we haven¡¯t seen an armada visiting us.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s that all about? Why do they move so sluggish? War funds in deplete? Is there a political struggle going on? Quelling rebellions like we did the past moons? Civil wars?¡± he barrages many certain possibilities, some of his claims are plausible. ¡°You made some good points but, however, erm, I doubt it.¡± in the back of my head, I do agree with him but I am inviting him to challenge me instead. ¡°First of all, maybe we shouldn¡¯t attest to word of mouth as a primary source. True, we don¡¯t have that much evidence yet. Even Lord Ameniah, don¡¯t get me wrong, he is a great informer himself. However, there might be inconsistencies and something-amiss-you-know-what in his reports. His estimates may vary or way off, that is a given, of course. He is only a human afterall, he needs rest.¡± ¡°But there are words that the Caliph-Grand Emperor is rallying certain clans and ?tt. Conscripting the entire Grand Empire. Not only his immediate vassals, that might include forcing emperors and empresses under him as well to mobilize hefty amounts of levies. That¡¯s a lot of men.¡± he counters yet again another unproven fact. ¡°What do you mean ¡®a lot¡¯, Quexajo?¡± I inquire, nearly jolting my body. ¡°And oh, aside from two hundred and fifty thousand men conscripted and regular alike or that may include some mercenary bands, they built up a thousand ships around - but they still shy five hundred galleys to embark on the expedition. Seventy trebuchets. A mix of two hundred elephants, five hundred horses either as pack animals or utilized as cavalry squadrons, and a hundred terra dragons.¡± W-w-what?!? That¡¯s twenty five larger than our army! And we don¡¯t have cavalry corps or some sort. Our navy is nonexistent, we only have the Arancian pirates to help us in our stead. I bet their magic knowledge is five hundred years advanced whilst our arcane theories are yet to reap. ¡°Terra dragons?¡± I am completely unaware of that kind of animal or alwuhush. ¡°You know the land dragons that were used as transportation in Inglovia? That kind of dragon. And by the way, they have mustered and they have garnered around fifty ?aijiyo (200 metric tons) of provisions.¡± Fifty ?aijiyo?!?! They come prepared. That is concerning, indeed. We were just underestimating their capabilities since the Inglovians haven¡¯t made an initiative since the times that they declared on us around eight moons prior. We have misunderstood their intentions. They want us to defeat us flawlessly. This war is not only a war of attrition and defensive stance, this is the narrative between annihilation and survival. Inglovia and Kehina; The Grand Empire and the enatic kingdom, respectively. It makes me want to vomit. My heart is thudding so fast as I clutch inside my pocket. I am trying to keep myself calm by caressing and playing around with Adrianus perch on my shoulder. ¡°Lord Geoff?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You were spacing out¡ what¡¯s the matter?¡± Quexajo concerns about me, whereas I stop speaking in an instant. ¡°Nothing¡¡± I dismiss him. ¡°I think you¡¯re right. We should, uh, not quickly trust information like this. Since, you know? We are just defending our sovereignty while them - it is different.¡± Quexajo looks at the bright side, but I shudder when the numbers are revealed. False or not, might as well deem it as a ¡®partially true¡¯. No, brother, I suppose you¡¯re on the correct side this time. I have miscalculated this situation. ¡°Lady Wellicia, please hear our cries and pleads. Give your children Your divine guidance.¡± praying for the safety and welfare of Kehina. ¡°Amen?¡± Quexajo jokingly wants me to conclude my prayer that I thought I was channeling it mentally. ¡°Amen.¡± ¡°Oh, by the way, with those being aside. How about, you know? Procuring stuff such as handheld cannons or what they colloquially called as ¡®muskets¡¯ in the Diamond Throne. Sounds like a good idea, eh?¡± he yet again makes another insight which could turn around the situation or could be used as a leverage, however¡ ¡°Diamond Throne people? Squinted eyes, yellow people? Those are diajui humans, right?¡± I believe I¡¯ve some of those people here in this world. ¡°Absolutely.¡± he answers me with glee. ¡°Great input yet, erm, the problem is how could we possibly traverse into that world (universe). The Diamond Throne is two worlds away from us. They have knowledge of trantraverse methods between worlds that we don¡¯t. What are you scheming, brother - abduct them?¡± He smiles, casting: ¡°If we find one, of course. And that¡¯s one way to put it. Afterall, I have heard that those Diamond Throne people have been playing with that toy for the past century or so. Alongside with the magic integration, Kehina maybe-... no, will be the first to introduce such a tool in this world. Down with the notion?¡± with confidence, as his smirk emboldens. ¡°I¡¯m always down and you know that. But how about if we have ¡®those¡¯ in our hands, can we reproduce it? How?¡± referring to the ¡®musket¡¯-thing Quexajo is talking about. ¡°Dwarves? Nith dwarves, specifically. Or the Kehinan folks are still stubborn and prideful, at least, we can ask the local homegrown blacksmiths. Or we can just continue to purchase on a monthly basis.¡± he points out three valid choices but we should be decisive and discreet. ¡°True. When talking about dwarves, they are so keen towards crafting materials even at the first glance. I will give them still a benefit of a doubt that these dwarves could replicate that ¡®musket¡¯ in a week. That¡¯s very generous of me considering either a human, orc, elf, or any other races produce a sword. One SWORD. they manage to do it in a couple of days - whereas a dwarf could at least make ten swords a day.¡± ¡°Sure, while we¡¯re at it. We can attempt to recruit several orcs or reintegrate some exiled orc officers.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± I ask him why he includes my partial kins. ¡°We have one orc in the realm that is Durgat,¡± he claims, whereas I clear my throat: ¡®Ahem¡¯, and then he corrects himself when he is conversing with ¡®one¡¯ - face-to-face, ¡°Wait! You ain¡¯t an orc! You¡¯re a partial orc, milord!¡± he realizes while I¡¯m laughing at his sluggish reaction. 38: Sir Talbetter Avante O’Silverpelt de Alcanzantré The g¨¢tes is standing atop of me. I close my eyes, as I imagine that he is taking his sweet time - hoisting the sword with both of his hands pointing straight at me. To pour salt into one¡¯s wounds, he would laugh at me before he enjoys taking my life. Preparing to deliver the final blow as he plunges his blade into my heart. ¡°This is it, then?¡± I say it one last time, breathing quite deeply. I¡¯m sorry Lady Anda. I sigh as the air out of my lungs awaits. I count: one, two, three, four, and so on and so forth. I open my eyes in a slow fashion and herein, a hand extends before me. I stare at the g¨¢tes¡¯s face - baffled. He is not trying to kill me anymore! What in the Kigal is happening? ¡°Lord Aisla¡¡± he smiles, as he takes the liberties to take my hand and helps me up back on my feet. I¡¯m entirely speechless before this occurrence, as another one of his mirage aids Clyden as well. ¡° Talbetter Avante O¡¯Silverpelt de Alcanzantr¨¦, at your service, milord.¡± he then genuflects before my presence, ¡°... did I pass the test?¡± as he looks up to me. Pass the test?!? If it¡¯s the other way around, based on my performance - I failed! I mean who I am to assess such a strong man when he is the one who whoops my ass! ¡°Uhm,...¡± I clear my throat where the phlegm definitely hangs inside on it, ¡°Impressive as ever, Captain Talbetter¡¡± regarding my best to somehow my appreciation to his skills. ¡°Talbetter is just fine, Marshal¡¡± ¡°Ex-captain Talbetter¡¡± as I insist to call him on his honorary - former or current. ¡°Talbetter¡¡± ¡°Sir Talbetter?¡± ¡°Alright, fine. You can just call me that at least.¡± he sighs, as he stands on his knees. ¡°But that ¡®below the belt'' was over-the-top, you see? Sir Talbetter, I know you¡¯re just calibrating my skills as per duel-wise. You have resorted into an underhanded tactics that you wished to catch me off guard. Well, you did.¡± I smile. ¡°I agree. I was too startled how Lord Aisla would be this cunning. Thus, I stooped so low to inflict you helpless. No, I am not an assassin. Nor came me to destroy from within.¡± he answers. ¡°A voyage back to Alcanzantr¨¦, eh? Well, I¡¯m sorry for inconvenience, Sir Talbetter. This is embargo diplomacy is truly hurting right now.¡± ¡°Lord Aisla,...¡± as Clyden rises from a supine position into a sitting position, ¡°I mean, no shit, this was not part of the deal. But at least, we are still alive. Hahaha¡¡± senselessly, he dismisses the event like nothing happens. ¡°You get a trip to your family, we get your knowledge? It seems like a pretty good deal.¡± I initiate the handshake this time, just displaying good faith - let bygones be bygones. Talbetter picks something from his behind instead. Disregarding my proffered gesture. Well, that¡¯s rude. And that¡¯s for the second time. I then see a water pouch yanks into his hand. ¡°Well, we can drink to that¡¡± he gulps the first sip, as he passes to me, ¡°Mead, Marshal?¡± with his left eye perks up and his right eye squints. ¡°Sure¡¡± my dignity and honor say: ¡®I will¡¯ but my body disagrees. It doesn¡¯t hurt to taste liquor for the very least. Some would say that teetotalism but I see myself in moderation. Through wine is the first test of commitment, per se. Wine sharing is the ancient form to formalize an agreement but not as impactful as both or multiple parties performing a blood oath. Back to the moment at hand: First of all, he drank it first and he¡¯s still standing. Therefore, it¡¯s not poisoned. Common sense. Lastly, why not? I¡¯m thirsty anyway. So, bottoms up! Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. My lips kiss the bottle¡¯s mouth. My tongue then touches wet content, at the tip of my gustatory instrument - I taste: bitter, piquancy, epitaph of grimace, you name it; I hate it! Well, don¡¯t judge me about it. It¡¯s not like that I don¡¯t like wine, mead, lager, or whatsoever. Let¡¯s say I¡¯m having some kind of ¡®transformation¡¯ - my reformation. ¡°Ah!~ It might be strong for me and the taste is very mature, actually. But so far it¡¯s not that bad.¡± as I am attempting to regurgitate the content. ¡°By the gods! Lady Wellicia in the seven heavens! It tastes like a piss.¡± my mind says otherwise, as I wipe my mouth, I pass the pouch back to him. ¡°Then, it¡¯s a deal¡¡± he then gives the liquor to Clyden and I somehow manage to have his grace, ¡°General, bottoms up!¡± he directs to Clyden. ¡°Cheers!¡± Clyden hoists the pouch on his hand, saying in a jaunty mood. After the first gulp reaches on his throat, ¡°Crap! What the hell did I drink? You both drank this, don¡¯t y¡¯all? It tastes like a piss¡ !¡± he shares a mutual sentiment as mine. ¡°Hahaha¡ it is mixed with garum and fermented grapes.¡± then really no wonder it reeks and tastes repulsive. Anyway¡ ¡°On the behalf of the army, welcome to the club, Sir Talbetter. I hope this partnership will be fruitful.¡± ¡°Lord Aisla, I¡¯m grateful for sheltering this good-for-nothing g¨¢tes¡ this feline man will do anything that he can.¡± Sir Talbetter speaks with humility and in an illeist mood. He adds, requesting: ¡°Since the parlay went smoothly and had some warm up with you, I am free this morning. I suppose I can start as of right nyow.¡± as per his demand, we can probably arrange for that. But first¡ ¡°How about you join us for breakfast, Sir Talbetter?¡± I invite him whereas Clyden agrees right away, giving me an ¡®OK¡¯ gesture on the sideline. ¡°Alcohol before breakfast? Well, you are speaking our language, General, Marshal!¡± Talbetter exclaims, as Clyden and I are leading the way to the pantry. ¡°¡®Our¡¯? Alcanzantr¨¦¡¯s traditions, you say?¡± Clyden butts in, reconfirming the g¨¢tes¡¯s anecdote. ¡°Pretty much, yes. In the mornings, any liquor is our water after early exercises.¡± he claims, walking with us side-by-side. Huh, did he really say that? Sounds ludicrous. ¡°I¡¯m quite intrigued by it, honestly¡¡± ¡°Yeah, I remember someone did like that during my time in the mainland. He maybe is your fellow clansmen or city folk from the very docks of Alcanzantr¨¦. I¡¯m not so sure but, uh, what I can recall thus far.¡± Clyden confirms such practice on the second account. ¡°Well, about that¡ when you comment about this swig¡¡± Talbetter is referring to the liquor, as he dangles and shakes in his tail, ¡°... have you tasted your own piss?¡± whereas the question directs Clyden. Clyden stutters, replying: ¡°W-w-what? No! It¡¯s, uh, just a figure of speech, you know?¡± and at the same time, he skips the rhythm of his cadence. Whereas Talbetter and I titter in response. ¡°It¡¯s still rude, though.¡± I should have said this out loud, intervening doesn¡¯t help what he has stated so far. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s that ability that you utilized to draw another version of yourself while fighting Lord Aisla and I concurrently?¡± he asks, as I notice Clyden wants to divert the conversation so hard. I, for one, am as well interested in Talbetter¡¯s mirage technique. ¡°Ah!~ That? General, Marshal,... that is my personal ability named [Espejo]... but [Espejo] itself has a series of child abilities down to third degree.¡± Talbetter shares quite vaguely, his tail swings in a fleeting motion. ¡°¡± the general asks once again. ¡°Maybe, we can discuss that not much later - as per agreement, of course.¡± the g¨¢tes insists. ¡°Agree. After breakfast, eh? With the army? There ain¡¯t no issue with that, Lord Aisla¡¡± my lieutenant then assumes, as he ushers the door to the dining hall. ¡°I know Sir Talbetter and you, lieutenant, have kicked off the calisthenics a long time ago. You said that.¡± I press towards General Clyden. ¡°That¡¯s for preemptive preparation, I would say.¡± my lieutenant sasses back. I exhale, responding: ¡°Well, when you put it that way. I assess that would be true. Since studying is also part of training - the Verlessenes, the Royal Guards, and the Army must partake in this mental repertoire. Clyden, you got your orders.¡± with the declaration at hand. The general salutes, as I return the gesture. He then rushes to his lieutenants - Svetlana and who is that dude? I believe that is Clyden¡¯s another lieutenant¡ is that Andrada? Oh, right! How could I forget¡ ! Fine lad, long-haired like everyone else, equal built, fair skin. Of course, that lad would be ¡®him¡¯. Maybe, I¡¯m just having deliriums or some sort. I mean that kid changed significantly. He sported a skinned-head and was scrawny at that time. And now, he has become a man. Clyden finishes passing the message, Subaltern Svetlana and Subaltern Andrada move out to perform their duties. Meanwhile, my lieutenant diligently escorts us again, ¡°Marshal, apologize for the inconvenience.¡± he salutes at me. I salute back, appreciating: ¡°None taken, General. Well, I guess we should eat before the breakfast goes cold.¡± we then share a laughter. 39: Sir Talbetters Discussion About Lifeforce and His [Espejo] Abilities After the hearty breakfast, Clyden and I guide Talbetter towards the destination - the training arena. Durgat, the orc champion, and others are fast equipped. They are on their training gears but unfortunately, this practice session is not all about physical improvement. This time, we are learning arcane enhancement and introduction of lifeforce. As Sir Talbetter has discussed with us during our meal in the dining hall, Clyden and I agree on the curriculum and possible syllabi for the physical and magical balance activities. On paper, he has a solid and most definite path of improvement towards the integration of the arcane system in the Kehinan Military. This is true for the Kehinan Royal Guards and the Verlassenes. ¡°Lasses and boyos, gather up!¡± Clyden shouts, summoning the soldiers both active and off-duty alike, clinking the sparring swords in his hands. To say the least, they are lethargic and slow moving. Deriving on his face, Clyden is vividly annoyed since the men are lacking passion and ardent fervor towards the activity. He calls and grunts, ¡°Mates, we don¡¯t have all day. C¡¯mon, move your ass down here¡¡± as he then complains, urging the soldiers to come forward on the double. ¡°Generals, captains, subalterns, lieutenants to all high officials, footmen-...¡± I then clear my throat, nearly completely disregarding the presence of women, ¡°... and women, of course.¡± a nervous laughter escapes from my mouth. Ah, yeah, I almost forgot this regiment: the Verlassenes are an all-female special force, the Kehinan Royal Guards are predominantly male, and the regular army is mixed. ¡°Alright, listen up! Today, we have a truly significant guest. A guest lecturer. He¡¯s a proud feline. His claws and hisses at you. Like: ¡®Meow¡¯!¡± the soldiers share a giggle, ¡°Not only swift and nimble to his poise but also cunning and clever with his tactics. Like body, like brains.¡± they then mutter in awe. ¡°General Clyden, will you do the honors?¡± as I pass the responsibility to my personal lieutenant for presenting the visiting attach¨¦. Clyden bows to me, expressing: ¡°Thank you, Marshal Aisla¡¡± he then continues the task I laid for him, ¡°Officers¡ Soldiers¡ ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Sir Talbetter Avante O¡¯Silverpelt.¡± finishes the introduction of the g¨¢tes martial and magical instructor, as all gladly gives a warm applause. From here on out, the session is going in a smooth fashion as unexpected. People are listening in a benign and attentive way. I have to admit that I as well got sucked into his lessons. This makes me think that this would be revolutionary to the army¡ no, to all sectors in the kingdom. And yes, what I am referring to is the arts and theories of lifeforce! Meanwhile, Sir Talbetter discusses the relevance between ¡®Orenda¡¯ and all other distinct lifeforces such as ¡®Mana¡¯, ¡®Vis¡¯, ¡®Prana¡¯, and many more. They all seem Acranish to me. However, as the Marshal of this army, I am required to learn this art. Sir Talbetter elaborates to achieve the web of lifeforces we need to know ¡®Orenda¡¯. This lifeforce is named after the goddess who promulgated this philosophy and way of life. That all he writes on the wall: ¡°Goddess ¡®Orenda¡¯ entailed the ¨¹berleben, which is us - the humanyity, and several sentient liviying beings in this world of Geb?t?e such as anthromorph and wahsh, or alwuhush in plural, and so and so forth.¡± tapping the Gr?g stick on the writings on the wall. He continues, ¡°Anyway, that is the brief history. But I know most of nyou don¡¯t pique on that kind of topic, eh?¡± as most of the listeners laugh, well including Clyden and myself. ¡°This is nyot a mockery but I refuse to believe in gods and goddesses. I don¡¯t confide in them, however, I don¡¯t dare challenge them. And if so, then I¡¯m just an inbred retard bipedal talking cat.¡± the laughter surges further, as Sir Talbetter can¡¯t help but smile as well. Kehinan people surely are the most fluid idiosyncrasies, regardless, we are all fervent believers to Lady Wellicia. ¡°Way worse than an anthromorph or even lower than a wahsh. Rather if I ever boldly contend with them, then I¡¯m a dead g¨¢tes meat waiting to be eaten by my fellow g¨¢tes race.¡± he further humiliates himself for the sake of relatedness, the humor is egregious albeit. As expected of a veteran and a former maniple commander, he connects with us - his students in just a snap of a finger. One of the soldiers raises his hand after the gentle commotion, as Sir Talbetter summons: ¡°Nyes?¡± the g¨¢tes instructor perks his feline ears and whiskers. ¡°So what are those things etched on the impromptu lesson board?¡± ¡°Ah~ these are the unique innate traits of ¡®Orenda¡¯. Despite being the rudimentary gateway to the world of lifeforce, ¡®Orenda¡¯ abilities are personal. Unlike ¡®Mana¡¯, ¡®Vis¡¯, ¡®Pneuma¡¯ - you name it. They are advanced, yes, but too predictable. Meaning; they have theories, counters, and dedicated science to their respective lifeforce studies.¡± he answers one of the soldiers¡¯ inquiries. ¡°Ooooooo¡¡± says the crowd. Though, I admit I moved also. Origin Ability is the root of all personal abilities from Orenda lifeforce. Sir Talbetter stresses that this is the genealogy of ¡®Orenda¡¯ personal abilities. It is dubbed as ¡®Orenda¡¯ Genealogy Map. He states that the sub-origin ability from the origin ability is called either Primary Child Ability or First Degree Ability. However, in the example, he drew that there¡¯s only one - for simplicity¡¯s sake. Moving the branches have splitted off. From the Primary Child Ability. Now there are two branches. In Origin Ability¡¯s lens, there are Second Child Degree Abilities - Second Degree Child Ability A and Second Degree Child Ability B. Sir Talbetter tells us to imagine Second Degree Child Ability A will be hue as black while Second Degree Child Ability B will be blue. In the Second Degree Child Ability B, it has only one child ability representing as the Third Degree Child Ability C. On the contrary, Second Degree Child Ability A will diverge off since it has two child abilities. Again, Sir Talbetter instructs us to portray the left portion as black while the middle will be green. And so on and so forth.
| Origin Ability | |||
| (Primary/1st Degree) Child Ability | |||
| 2nd Degree Child Ability | 2nd Degree Child Ability | ||
| 3rd Degree Child Ability | 3rd Degree Child Ability | 3rd Degree Child Ability | |
| 4th Degree Child Ability | 4th Degree Child Ability | - | - |
| 5th Degree Child Ability | - | - | - |
| Espejo] | |||||||
| [Charlatan Parallel] | [Travail Persona] | [Double Down] | |||||
| [Espejo Trifecta] | [Espejo Peloton] | [Espejo Ejercito] | [Espejo Commandante] | [Espejo Forl¨¬at] | [(hidden, claimed by Talbetter)] | [(hidden, claimed by Talbetter)] | |
| [(unnamed passive)] | - | [Long Sight] | [G¨¢tes Bow Stride] | [(hidden, claimed by Talbetter)] | - | - | - |