《The Terminus Chronicles : A Hero's Forging》 Prologue - A Gods Whimsy BANG! ¡°AHHH! What the fuck!¡± Richard woke up with a start and yelled while checking his surroundings. A flat white expanse stretching into the distance was all that could be seen. ¡°Congratulations,¡± a bored feminine voice sounded out. ¡°You¡¯ve been chosen out of a select few. You¡¯re lucky that your karma was just good enough from saving those people from drowning all those years ago.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s there!? Where am I?¡± He asked in a panic seeing no one in sight. ¡°In order to save time let¡¯s run through the list of FAQs shall we? First of all you died after getting shot in your sleep. Your soul has been here for approximately 57 years and you¡¯re now finally conscious. Your family and friends have long since come to terms with your death and you¡¯ll be a great grandfather in a couple hours. As said before you lucked out for being such a goody two shoes in life and now you get a choice; reincarnate in this world with no memories of your past or reincarnate on a different world with your memories. There¡¯s also an added bonus for either. Ah, you get to choose one of the bonuses of course.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Er¡­ w-what?¡± Richard stammered in confusion still searching for the voice. ¡°Listen miss, I really don¡¯t know what the hell is going on. This doesn¡¯t feel completely real at all to me and I honestly don¡¯t believe any of what you just said. In fact I think you¡¯re wrong about some of it¡­¡± ¡°Ah wait that must be it, maybe I¡¯m still sleeping,¡± He muttered to himself as his eyes lit up and relaxed. ¡°Yeah that should be it, can¡¯t be anything else otherwise it be too much of a clich¨¦.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to believe then that¡¯s up to you,¡± the bored voice sounded out again. ¡°Now since you¡¯re not exactly brimming with questions and thinking this is a dream I¡¯ll start with the choices. Your reincarnation on Earth will start you off with a poor family but as a bonus you¡¯ll have an IQ of 322 and a bit of extra luck and charisma. Your reincarnation with your memories will have you start as out as an 18 year old male with above average charisma in a world with an administrative system and you¡¯ll get to choose a unique ability as the bonus provided that you agree to a couple conditions.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Well the high IQ would be good but I¡¯d rather keep all my memories, probably wouldn¡¯t enjoy the dream otherwise,¡± Richard commented as he firmed his belief upon noticing the lack of his physical body. ¡°The unique ability would be good though and I get to fool around in a young body for a bit, I think I¡¯ll take option number two miss. Just want to make sure, the system you¡¯re on about is game like yeah?¡± ¡°I guess you could say it¡¯s like a game,¡± A heavy sigh sounded out. ¡°You¡¯ll probably find it fun but a lot of it isn¡¯t. Now for the couple of conditions which you¡¯ll have to agree to. The first is that there¡¯s an extremely hostile race planning an invasion, it wants to completely devour and corrupt the plane starting from the world you¡¯re going to as the fabric between dimensions is thinnest there and you¡¯ll need to delay or completely stop them. The thinned fabric is also a reason why you can be sent there in the first place but be warned, getting extra help isn¡¯t likely since sending people to it only serves to destabilize it further. You also aren¡¯t allowed to talk to anybody about the invasion to get help there either. The second condition is that you agree to being monitored by having a tracking cypher engraved onto your soul so we can keep up to date with your progress.¡± ¡°Uh that doesn¡¯t sound like I¡¯m getting a choice for not having the bonus right? That sounds like a lot of work, I might go for the reincarnation on Earth rather,¡± Richard frowned at the thought of having to put in so much effort in a dream. ¡°Unfortunately you¡¯ve already made the choice. Now choose between having the bonus or not,¡± the voice stated in annoyance. ¡°Whoa okay, sure, I¡¯ll take it I guess¡­ You sound like my sister when it¡¯s that time of the month,¡± He complained while wondering at the forcefulness behind her voice. Is this really a dream? Surely this is supposed to go how I want it to? Maybe this is more a nightmare. Mhmm, I shouldn¡¯t have had that cup of coffee before bed, look what it¡¯s done to me... ¡°Great, you¡¯ll get to choose the ability when you get there. Now to make space for it and also do the engraving,¡± the voice stated in an eager tone. ¡°Ah, just so we¡¯re on the same page, this is gonna hurt, a lot.¡± Her tone got really dark, pretty quickly. He thought worriedly as the white expanse seemed to start glowing brighter. ¡°Hey, what do you mean by ¡®it¡¯s gonna hurt a lot¡¯? You can¡¯t be s-AAARGHHH!¡± He questioned until a pain so deep hit him as if he was being torn to pieces. The brightness of the room seemed to become blindingly painful until, as sudden as its change, it went dark. Chapter 1 - Angering Women Unintentionally The first thing Richard felt waking up was a blinding pain. ¡°You know¡­ we couldn¡¯t just leave him there¡­ around the forest there¡¯s¡­!¡± a young girl¡¯s muffled voice cried out. Urrrgh, that sucked, somehow I think I completely fucked up. Argh fuck, that bitch was pretty fucking misleading. He thought as his head pounded like a drum, slowly rousing him from his unconscious state. Hopefully, whoever found me is more civilized than that sadist whore of a butcher who chopped me up, He swore in attempt to distract him from debilitating migraine. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything¡­! What if he¡¯s with¡­! We can¡¯t exactly take chances right now your highness, your brothers are still aiming for the throne while your father is on his deathbed. What lengths do you think they¡¯ll go to trade you off for political support?¡± A valiant feminine voice condoned. ¡°If you¡¯re insistent that we don¡¯t leave him in the wilderness then we should just drop him off at the city we¡¯re about to pass through, that way we don¡¯t tempt calamity again.¡± ¡°I¡­ alright Fiona, I¡­ apologize for being impulsive. I shall follow your advice this time.¡± Well at least one of them is cautious by the sound of it¡­ Richard thought as he opened his eyes to scan the room. A wave of dizziness assaulted him just as he managed to see enough of the room to tell it wasn¡¯t what he was accustomed to. The furniture in the room was laced with frills and dominated by a mellow pink. Sitting up while trying to combat the spinning of the room that seemed to synchronise with his migraine, he planted his feet on the floor while he hung his head. ¡°Ugh¡­ probably¡­ the worst¡­ hangover I¡¯ve¡­ ever had¡­ if you can¡­ call this¡­ a hangover,¡± he grunted as he closed his eyes in pain. BANG! The door opened violently causing him to immediately cringe. As he was trying to stave off another vicious bout of dizziness a woman in armour strode in, behind her a timid teenage girl followed. ¡°You look like someone who¡¯s had better days, even after attempting to pull themselves out of the drink. What in the gods¡¯ names were you thinking, striding on a dangerous forest road without your drinking partners to convince you that it is generally ill advised to court death?¡± The woman who looked like a knight asked him loudly. ¡°I gather¡­ you take great ¡­ amusement in¡­ this poor fools¡­ suffering¡­ ma¡¯am,¡± He replied through gritted teeth in annoyance while still attempting to be polite. Great, another bitch who wants me to go through a painful experience. This one no doubt believes I deserve every bit of it for fuck sakes. He complained inwardly in frustration. ¡°It is nonetheless a deserved sufferance. Due to your unrepentance I should no doubt take greater liberties,¡± the woman frowned at him while glancing at the teenage girl who had moved up beside her. ¡°Yes, yes¡­ I heard¡­ I¡¯m¡­ a security risk¡­ yes? Your name¡­ should¡­ be Fiona then?¡± Richard asked haltingly as he tried not to puke for the umpteenth time. ¡°How did you know my name?¡± Fiona asked coldly as the atmosphere around her started to drop in temperature. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have heard a thing from outside this carriage. You either knew it beforehand or you¡¯re able to bypass the wards we placed. Which is it?¡± She Interrogated as she stepped forward, slightly lowering her posture while gripping the sword at her side. ¡°Listen¡­ lady¡­ I really don¡¯t know¡­ ugh¡­ what happened¡­ to me¡­ isn¡¯t a hang¡­ over¡­¡± He tried to explain before what sounded like a gigantic gong exploded in his head while a string of words appeared in his mind. Ding! Soul Resistance LV1 acquired. Intelligence increased by 5. Experience +20. Thoroughly dazed he held his head in his hands while trying his best to remain conscious. After what seemed like ages, but was just a few seconds, the pain become significantly more tolerable. That notification, is worrying¡­ he thought to himself. Sighing in confusion and relief, he let his hands drop to his legs. ¡°Speak! Who are you and what are your intentions!?¡± Awaking from a daze, cold sweat formed on as his back as he came to acknowledge the sword tip less than a centimetre away from his throat. ¡°Whoa whoa, I¡¯ll tell you everything, just calm down¡­ I understand you¡¯re doing your job, but it doesn¡¯t have to involve killing anyone today, please¡­¡± He said in a hurry while trying to calm her down. Unfortunately this had the opposite result. ¡°So your hangover from before was an act then, to get her alone is it?¡± She said as she narrowed her eyes while tightening the grip on her sword. ¡°Your highness, I¡¯m going to take him outside. Please remain here while I converse with him.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Fiona,¡± The timid girl now showing regret and concern as she looked at him. Fuck, does no one care about what I want to say?! He screamed internally while trying to come up with a response to the bloodlust of the now vicious one of the two women in the room. Taking the sword away from his throat she reached down and roughly grasped his arm and started dragging him towards the door of the carriage. Deciding not to resist he didn¡¯t put in any strength toward fighting her movements. ¡°I really don¡¯t mind being taken outside, or anywhere¡­ but please let me say somethi-¡° he tried to say before getting cut off. ¡°You¡¯ve said enough to be executed,¡± she replied coldly as he was pulled roughly out of the carriage onto the ground. Losing the last of his rationality at her intensity he started swearing vehemently. ¡°You whores are fucking hopeless! Not only are you paranoid you¡¯re also both conceited to the point you¡¯re as dumb as a brick! I¡¯ve had enough of being thrown around and chopped up, just get over yourselves already. Fuck!¡± Richard exclaimed in rage. Shot in my sleep is it!? Why couldn¡¯t I have just died peacefully instead of getting tossed in shit!? All of a sudden he found himself weightless before crashing into something hard resulting in another explosive bout of pain. Coughing out blood he up looked out of his blurry vision at the Minotaur-like figure who threw him at a tree. All of a sudden the pain he felt numbed by a large portion as another notification popped up. Ding! Pain Resistance LV1 acquired. Vitality increased by 5. Experience +20. Blunt Force Resistance LV1 acquired. Endurance increased by 5. Experience +20. ¡°I¡¯d probably forgive the insult to myself, but shouting out that the princess of this kingdom is a whore¡­? You won¡¯t die painlessly¡­¡± Fiona growled softly while looking down at him.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Really?! He screamed internally as he coughed out another mouthful of blood. ¡°You heard him men! He called our princess a whore! How about we teach him a lesson before we send him to the afterlife!?¡± Before he could respond Fiona cast her head to the side shouted out. It was then that Richard noticed that there were more people around. Roughly twenty men covered in leather and scale mail armour carrying swords, shields and spears surrounded the area. Nodding in tacit agreement two of the closest withdrew sharp daggers while they approached him with dark looks on their faces. How the hell did this happen!? She also said princess¡­ and I didn¡¯t call that girl a whore, I called you and that goddess whores you stuck up shit for brains! But will you let me get in a word or two edgeways?! Ding! Mental Resistance LV1 acquired. Intelligence increased by 5. Experience +20. Fuck am I really having a mental breakdown?! Piss off! Ah shit, they¡¯re really going to carve me up aren¡¯t they? He watched them come closer in fear as blood leaked out of the side of his mouth. Kneeling down on either side with dark grins on their faces they started cutting his pants and shirt off. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want any of these to get in the way now would we, boy?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be able to tell how deep we¡¯d be cutting either. You¡¯ll get to see up close how we peel your skin off¡­¡± Ding! Mental Resistance now LV2. Intelligence increased by 10. Experience +40. Level up! Please allocate points in status. A small wave of calm keeping him from screaming incoherently like a little girl gave him the smallest hope to get out of the situation he was in. Right! Level system! Uh, Character Sheet¡­! STATUS!! A blue screen, clearer than his vision appeared in his mind.
STATUS
Name Richard Solus Level 1
Age 18 Experience 20/200
Class Hero Title Divine''s Agent
Stat Points 20
Skill Points 5
Talent Points 5
HP 4/80 (Bleeding) HP Regen 0.15/min - 1/min
MP 42 MP Regen 0.07/s
Strength 10 Active Skills 0
Endurance 15 Passive Skills 4
Vitality 15 Talents 3
Dexterity 9 Unique Skills +1 Pending
Agility 9 Rare stats unlocked 0
Intelligence 35
Wisdom 7
Charisma 15
Luck 20
Uh, shit, shit¡­ they¡¯re probably higher level and way stronger, there¡¯s nothing to add stats to that¡¯ll help immediately¡­ um maybe¡­ talents? His thoughts prompting another window to appear.
TALENTS
Reasoning (LV1) Adds a 10% chance to convince others when conversing logically
Induce Anger (LV1) Adds a 2% probability of increasing agro towards user during interactions
Dumb Luck (LV1) Adds +10 to luck, 10% increase in lucky encounters and +5% crit chance
What bullshit is that second one?! Is that why this happened?! Uh fuck, let¡¯s hope I can talk my way out of this then. Add all talent points to Reasoning. Ding! Reasoning LV2 acquired. Reasoning LV3 acquired. Warning. Insufficient points to level talent. 2 Points left. Doubles every time I level it is it? Well in that case add talent point to¡­ Dumb Luck¡­ what rubbish luck¡­? Ding! Dumb Luck LV2 acquired. Swearing internally at how ridiculous the skill name was considering the circumstances he was in, he noticed they were about to finish cutting his outer clothes off. Fuck, no time, let¡¯s go for broke¡­ Deciding he could only hope to increase his chances to talk his way out of it he desperately dumped all his free stat points into charisma. ¡°Can¡­ cough¡­ I¡­ say a¡­ few¡­ last¡­ words¡­ by any¡­ chance?¡± Richard managed to grunt while still coughing up a small amount of blood. Fiona narrowed her eyes as she looked at his near death state. Hesitating, she looked towards the carriage and then back at him. ¡°I could heal you depending on what you say but I can also make the fun last longer¡­ so, what possibly could you say that will change my mind I wonder?¡± Fiona said with a near feral grin noticing his attempt to save himself as she looked down at him in disdain. The men on his sides removed the cut rags before looking at Fiona, awaiting her decision. ¡°Hmmm, maybe I¡¯ll try listen¡­ I¡¯ll have you know that you¡¯ll still be punished for insulting royalty. Still wanting to say your piece?¡± She said grimly as she wondered why she suddenly became calmer the longer her eyes rested on him. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ give¡­ answers¡­ first¡­ for you¡­ to make a¡­ cough¡­ informed¡­ cough¡­ decision,¡± He said weakly as he started to feel dizzy. ¡°Is there¡­ a ¡­ way¡­ to show¡­ you my¡­ cough¡­ status?¡± ¡°Oh ho¡­ So you¡¯re still attempting to get to the princess huh?! Only royalty, priests and mages have that ability is it not?! You¡¯re in luck as I¡¯m a spell sword who has been trained to do so, I¡¯d like to see how you weasel your way out of this with another round of excuses!¡± Her expression darkened in rage before picking him up by his neck. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ good¡­ wheeze¡­to hear¡­ how¡­ do¡­ I¡­ wheeze¡­ show it¡­ to you¡­ cough¡­¡± He managed to get out as stars started to appear in his darkening vision. Fucking paranoid bitch. Last shot, here I go, hope she wasn¡¯t lying about the healing. She frowned in confusion. Should that not be simple? Did the priests not inform him on his name day? ¡°You visualize the person you want to show your status to, provided they have the ability to perceive it and that there¡¯s skin contact. How can you not know this?¡± She questioned after answering with a deepening frown on her face. Something is off, why does he know not this and why am I behaving absurdly? What is going on? ¡°Heh¡­ show¡­ status¡­ to¡­ wheeze¡­ Fiona¡­¡± He said with the last of his breath feeling weakness claiming his limbs. ¡°You don¡¯t need to say it aloud you¡­! Level¡­ Hero? D-Div-! Yo- Your Highness, I need your help right now!¡± She turned pale halfway through her speech as she saw his level and class before screaming over her shoulder to the carriage hysterically. Putting him down her hands enveloped in a light green glow as she pressed them to his chest. ¡°Recovery,¡± She whispered as she grit her teeth in regret and fear. Tears forming at her eyes as she looked down on his bloody, broken and half naked figure. What have I done? I-I didn¡¯t know! He¡¯ll forgive me r-right? I was only trying to protect her, so why didn¡¯t he say something sooner?! Another wave of anger swept over her, making her almost stop her magic in shock. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. No no, he tried to but I didn¡¯t let him, it must be something to do with this absurd anger that surges for no reason. Noticing his worsening condition despite her recovery spell anxiety started to rage across her heart. ¡°Your Highness! Princess! Abigail!!¡± She screamed as sweat started to accumulate on her forehead. She grew frantic as she saw Richard start to close his eyes. ¡°No no no! Don¡¯t close your eyes! Get the princess you oafs!¡± She turned to yell at the dumbfounded escorts beside her. So that¡¯s the¡­ princess¡¯ name huh? Abigail, Abby¡­ Richard¡¯s mind wandering as exhaustion threatened to put him to sleep. Although, Fiona¡­ seems nice enough now¡­ I was¡­ out of line when I¡­ threw my¡­ man-child¡­ tantrum¡­ need to apologize¡­ and put a filter¡­ on my¡­ words¡­for that¡­ shitty talent¡­ Ding! Wisdom increased by 3 due to an epiphany. Fuck¡­ you¡­ too¡­! His final thoughts gave voice to the pent up resentment and frustration that filled him. Coughing up another mouthful of blood, he lost track of his surroundings. The hurried noises around him turned distant as he began to lose lucidity for the second time that day. ¡°Fiona¡­ do¡­ him!?¡± ¡°¡­time¡­ dying!¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± Feeling a wave of warmth pass through his body he drifted into a deep sleep. Chapter 2 – The hand of fate, the goddess of mischief Waking up to the chirping of birds as sunlight lit up the room, Richard opened up his eyes and looked at the unfamiliar ceiling in confusion. Where am I? I guess¡­ wasn¡¯t it just a bad dream¡­? Ding! Title gained: He Who Refuses Charon¡¯s Call Vitality increased by 10 after returning from almost certain death. +1000 Experience. Regeneration LV1 acquired. Nah, it¡¯s still a fucking nightmare. Maybe I should try close my eyes and see if I can wake myself up. Richard closed his eyes with optimism and started to pray. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake!¡± a young girl¡¯s voice sounded out next to him forcing him to end his self-delusion prematurely. Turning his head, depression drowned him as he gazed at the cute girl in her later teens that sat at his side. At that moment the hope that all of it had played out inside his head died. It wasn¡¯t a nightmare, was it? Please don¡¯t let them beat me up for nothing again¡­ ¡±What happened? Why did Fiona almost kill you? Why doesn¡¯t she want to speak to me about it? More importantly, why did you call us whores!? How rude! You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m a magnanimous person or otherwise you¡¯d have been flayed alive,¡± Her curious barrage of questions turning into indignant declarations midway. If I wasn¡¯t thinking quickly you would be questioning why there was a flayed corpse¡­ He held his retort as he wondered where he should start. ¡°Well? Explain yourself!¡± She scowled at his non-responsiveness as he blankly stared at her. ¡°I ¡­ got kidnapped¡­ and dropped off in the forest after which you picked me up. One of my talents angered Fiona to the point she wanted to kill me and so I threw a tantrum when she carried me out of the carriage quite roughly. When I said ¡®whores¡¯ however I was referring to her and¡­ the person who kidnapped me¡­ I was angry when I said such and I was quite out of line as she was faithfully fulfilling her duty despite being influenced. My apologies, your highness,¡± He explained his circumstances with hesitation when trying to describe the bitch who landed him in this position. It¡¯s those restrictions huh. Maybe I should just show her my status to confirm the situation at least. Noticing her looking at him sceptically he sighed and held out his hand. ¡°Your highness, please let me show you that I¡¯m not making it up at all¡­¡± Looking at his hand timidly with mistrust she slowly reached to grab it. Getting frustrated with her unnecessary vigilance he quickly grabbed her soft hand. Show status to Abigail. Freezing as he grabbed her hand she opened up her mouth to scream in surprise until she saw his status. Gasping in shock she stared dazedly at his class and title. Sighing at her reaction, he silently wondered if Fiona was doing any better after remembering how frantic she had been. Now for the proof. Show talents to Abigail. The young girl started at first before reading what was listed. ¡°So that¡¯s why! Hehe, you can¡¯t help but infuriate others when they look at you! Your presence demands a beating and a tragic idiot¡¯s luck that increases the chance of it happening¡­Hehe, despite yours being higher, even this princess has better luck than you do¡­¡± she started to giggle at his misfortune, forgetting that a strange man was holding her hand. Yeah, yeah¡­ Laugh it up why don¡¯t you¡­ such lame jokes are my life¡¯s misfortune¡­ quite fucking literally they¡¯ll be the death of me¡­ Feeling bitter he let go of her hand as he tried to figure out what to do next to piece his life back together. Noticing his dissatisfied expression she giggled again and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll inform Fiona to let her know you¡¯ve awakened. You know, she¡¯s been quite worried these past few days. Maybe she¡¯s worried that she hasn¡¯t punched you enough,¡± she teased as she exited the room. She said a few days huh¡­ I must have been out for a long time¡­ Grimacing as he watched her leave his thoughts clouded over before descending into confusion. That was a romance flag wasn¡¯t it? Somehow I feel like it¡¯d be a tough love. Speaking of romance, what was that colossal bitch on about when she said I¡¯m a great grandfather? I had children? Since when? My sister is the only person in my family just about to have another kid though? I¡¯m not even a father, let alone been in a relationship in years¡­
¡°Do you know what you did?!¡± the skies trembled as an old man¡¯s voice yelled. Seated on a white, wooden throne, mist permeated the white expanse surrounding him. His features twisted by angst as he held his head in his hands.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡±No need to thank me father, I took care of the situation and sent the man¡¯s soul to deal with it. You¡¯ve been really busy so I decided to help¡­¡° A cheerful girl¡¯s voice sounded out before being cut-off. ¡°YOU SENT HIS GRANDSON!¡± her father roared as he stood up from his throne and moved to step in front of her. Glaring at her he continued to vent. ¡°Not only did you not sent the right person, you didn¡¯t even do it properly!¡± ¡°Father¡­ I¡­¡± she fearfully stepped back at the rage that was directed at her. ¡°I just wanted to¡­¡± ¡°What!? Mess around? Make this situation worse? Do you know why there was a specific person chosen in the first place? It¡¯s because he was an Archmagus! In a world where mana is next to non-existent no less! Talented enough to make gods envious, a person so suitable for that battlefield and then you go and send his useless grandson!¡± He yelled in frustration. ¡°But, but, he¡¯s¡­! He¡¯s still alive! And¡­ and you should watch him father, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s able to¡­!¡± She tried to defend herself knowing that she¡¯d made another mistake. ¡°Watch him?! I SHOULD WATCH YOU!¡± He roared again as he raised his arm to stick his finger in her face. ¡°YOU are the reason he¡¯s almost died three times in less than a day! He¡¯s lucky to be alive! He got so close to dying that I had to bend the rules slightly so that he¡¯d be able to wake up in the first place!¡± He vent the last of his surging anger. Panting slightly he turned around and sat back down on his throne. Sighing he pulled up the footage recorded from the seal that had been engraved on the poor man¡¯s soul. Taking a deeper look he received another shock. Cringing at the shoddy workmanship and the damage still yet to heal he gave his daughter another glare. ¡°When he complained about being chopped up I immediately realised something was off, maybe I should say he¡¯s lucky that he got a skill to keep his soul from completely dissipating. You also dropped him off in a dangerous spot¡­ and you say you were helping!? Hah! That¡¯s not even the worst of it; within moments of waking up he was nearly beaten to death by his saviours! Induce Anger! You gave him that ridiculous thing when you played around when engraving that cypher! No wonder he¡¯s always complaining!¡± He pulled up the man¡¯s status and talent list and gestured in disgust. ¡°Even I¡¯m not sure enough to say whether or not he¡¯s blessed or cursed. This is the only person we can send there at this point in time and he might end up meeting a powerhouse only to get swatted because he looks annoying. You¡¯ve really screwed the pooch this time!¡± Shaking his head he felt a wave of exhaustion creep up on him as he reclined back into his throne. ¡°Sigh, my beautiful daughter, I love you and I do try fix your messes but this¡­ I really don¡¯t know where to start¡­¡± He said tiredly while fixing his gaze on her. Looking down despondently she started to regret her impulsiveness. ¡°I¡¯m sorry father, I¡¯ll try to do better. It¡¯s my responsibility to fix this and I¡¯ll make it work somehow.¡± Sighing again, he resolved himself to fix another mess. ¡°Celia, I think it¡¯d be best to consult with your unfortunate hero before you go out and try anything. I¡¯ll help if you need me to but please don¡¯t be reckless. It¡¯s only fortunate that the others don¡¯t know about this yet since they should also have access to his cypher.¡± ¡°This matter is extremely important. It goes without saying that I¡¯ll have quite a bit of trouble if they decide you need to be punished this time,¡± he warned her in a grim tone as he frowned down at her. Paling slightly a worried expression plastered itself over her face. Wracking her brains to try to find a solution to situation she found herself in a train of thought caused her to stand taller. Her expression changing to a hopeful and excited one as a small smile made its appearance. Worried at her change of expression her father grimaced. Oh no, I feel as if I was being too na?ve to think this conversation would go well. ¡°Father, I think there¡¯s a way to begin salvaging his situation,¡± she said as she grinned at him. Sighing at her mischievous expression he wondered why she wasn¡¯t born as a troll idly before deciding to find out what disaster she wanted to cause this time. ¡°His problem at the moment should be that he¡¯s drawing aggression without intending to. His soul is busy healing but it won¡¯t be complete before he decides on what his unique skill should be. That gives us a timeframe in which we can work on amending his talent. With a few tweaks-¡° she started to explain her idea before he cut her off again. ¡°There¡¯ll be no tweaks,¡± he stated without hesitation. Pausing slightly at his conditioned response, he felt the start was good enough at least before waving her to continue as he decided to listen to the rest of it. Pouting slightly she continued after being cut-off all of a sudden, ¡°We can turn his Anger Inducement into somewhat of an active skill using a soul seal through the tracking cypher. There¡¯s only a small change that needs to happen and since his soul is now slightly more robust this will last until his soul is strong enough to control it. Unfortunately there¡¯ll be a slight incompatibility which might make it misfire after lengthy periods but it¡¯ll be a vast improvement over what it is now. It¡¯ll give him a time limit to make sure he won¡¯t be a punching bag until the seal unravels or until someone removes it.¡± A dumbfounded expression crossed her father¡¯s face before he muttered in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s actually a good idea. She actually knows how to not cause trouble¡­ Does she do it unintentionally¡­?¡± ¡°Ahem, that sounds like a good solution to his current predicament. I suppose we¡¯ll start with that,¡± he cleared his throat before acknowledging her idea cautiously. ¡°Great! With this I can-!¡± She waved her hand excitedly with a bright and eager expression before her father stopped her in a panic ¡°No, no! Don¡¯t! I¡¯ll take care of it. Speak to him rather and make sure he knows what we¡¯re doing at least.¡± He quickly interjected as he felt an ominous sense of danger for what would happen if he let her continue. ¡°Father¡­ why don¡¯t you trust me¡­!¡± She pouted tearfully at his panic. ¡°I just want to¡­ did you say¡­ speak to him? Me?¡± She said worriedly as she remembered what she did to her test subj-¡­ her hero. After all you¡¯ve done you ask me why I don¡¯t trust you¡­ He smiled wryly at her before responding. ¡°You see my dear, this is your first hero, so you should get a bit of experience by interacting with him. Leave the hard stuff to your dad.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you be the one to speak to him¡­? He doesn¡¯t have the best impression of me¡­ In fact he¡¯s said very mean things while thinking about me¡­¡± she whined before he looked at her sternly. ¡°Now don¡¯t be like that. He just doesn¡¯t understand you yet Celia. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll like you if he just gets to know you better. This way you¡¯ll both build confidence in your relationship,¡± he lied through his teeth, choosing the lesser evil with a warm smile on his face. Her eyes lit up in excitement at his encouragement. I¡¯m so sorry hero. I¡¯ve done what I can, so you¡¯ll just have to survive my failure daughter¡¯s personality for now. He thought in sorrow and pity while casually selling out the poor man. Chapter 3 – Suffering the mistakes of others Rousing himself, Richard put the confusing thoughts aside and decided to try and see where he could start by looking at what his current stats were.
STATUS
Name Richard Solus Level 3
Age 18 Experience 420/800
Class Hero Title The Divine''s Agent
Stat points 4
Skill Points 5
Talent Points 1
HP 130/130 HP Regen 0.25/min
MP 52/52 MP Regen 0.1/s
Strength 10 Active Skills 0
Endurance 15 Passive Skills 4
Vitality 25 Talents 3
Dexterity 9 Unique Skills +1 Pending
Agility 9 Rare Stats Unlocked 0
Inteligence 35
Wisdom 10
Charisma 35
Luck 30
So many things to go through its unbelievable¡­Hell, I¡¯m also 18 as opposed to 23¡­ Sighing at the words that seemed to give him headaches he held his head in his hands. Let¡¯s see, hero¡­
Hero Class Starts with 20 free stat points, 5 skill points and 5 talent points at level 1. Every level up provides an additional 2 stat points. Every 10 levels provides an additional skill and talent point. Increases the chance of skill acquisition by 500% Under life threatening physical exertion the skill Limit Break is invoked raising attributes by 500% for 10 s. During cooldown, attributes are halved due to exhaustion. Cooldown: 7 days
Well that¡¯s helpful¡­ I wish I knew about that skill though, might have¡­ nah, I don¡¯t know how to fight, pretty much worthless at the moment. Shaking his head to clear up an onset of self-delusion. Sigh, what¡¯s this Divine Agent though? Since when?
Divine Agent Title Those that serve the mandate of the divine. Allows for two way communication between gods and their chosen agent. Be warned. Those with this title can be closely monitored by the gods.
His eyes widened at the description. I didn¡¯t agree to this you voyeurs¡­ I would rather never encounter that woman again¡­ In fact I¡¯d rather suck a-¡­ He thought angrily as dark thoughts started to seep in until being cut off. ¡®Ahem, I Celia, your Goddess, have decided to grace you mortal with my melodious voice. You have done well to survive your initial encounters in the world you were sent to.¡¯ A young female voice sounded out in his head. Ah I knew it, I still haven¡¯t stopped having a mental breakdown. The trauma has me hallucinating now¡­ He thought worriedly as he closed his status and rest his head back on the pillow. Maybe some shuteye will help¡­ ¡®Uh, no mortal, I assure you that I¡¯m quite real in fact-¡° Some shuteye, water and food cures all¡­ The first should help loads, I¡¯ll get the others later¡­ He thought tiredly. ¡¯Well that¡¯s something useful to know.¡¯ I know right, my siblings helped me solve some migraines with that bit of wisdom. My sister usually nags me whenever I complain about them.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡®You have siblings? That¡¯s amazing! I¡¯m¡­ I don¡¯t have any¡­ But I have many aunts and uncles¡­!¡¯ Somehow I¡¯m envious¡­ I¡¯d have loved to have an aunt or uncle. Sighing he quelled his ability to run away from reality. So miss who hurt me really, really badly, to what do I owe the displeasure? ¡®I¡¯m¡­ sorry. I won¡¯t be able to do that again at least if it makes you feel better¡­Ha ha¡¯ That was regret about not being able to do it again right!? Seriously!? I¡¯m not a fucking masochist! ¡®Your grandfather was¡­¡¯ She muttered about something very private with sadness in her voice. What was that? I didn¡¯t hear you. Anyways please tell me about why you¡¯ve contacted me Miss Celia. Pretending he didn¡¯t hear anything about his stern grandfather he changed the subject. ¡®Ah! R-Right¡­ Ahem. My father noticed that the situation you¡¯re in is largely due to one of your talents which formed¡­ unintentionally due to me making space for your unique skill. There¡¯s both good news and bad news. The good news is that we found a way to mitigate the negative reactions of those around you to an extent while the bad news is that it isn¡¯t fool proof and you might experience similar situations as to your first encounter periodically. While the frequency at which these episodes is low the reaction should also be reduced in intensity.¡¯ She explained to him like an academic trying to take a neutral tone. I don¡¯t think it was unintentionally by your hesitation. While the temporary solution helps, why should I trust you? Seriously, you fucked me up, badly, and now you want to try fix me? I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve almost died at least twice and considering the fact you tossed me where strangers could pick me up or kill me while I was in a state I can¡¯t say I trust your judgement. Really, miss, you¡¯re deranged if you think I¡¯d listen to anything you have to say. Why isn¡¯t your father speaking to me since it seems you¡¯re only speaking to me largely due to him, huh!? He exploded angrily. He grit his teeth and held his head as his headache seemed to worsen at his outburst. ¡®I¡­ you¡­ you shouldn¡¯t take that tone with me when I¡¯m trying to help you! I only¡­ I want to make sure you understand that this is what¡¯s best for you hero!¡¯ She responded with what sounded like hurt and anger. Your previous help is noted. And I¡¯d like to understand what you think is best¡­ He started to retort while grinding his teeth in anger and pain before another wave of searing pain shot through his head. ¡°AAARGH! Fuck you! Look at what you¡¯ve done to me! You think torturing someone like this is what¡¯s best for them!? Eat shit! Why don¡¯t you¡­AHH¡­! Just fucking kill me already¡­¡± He shouted before starting to sob in pain as he curled up. ¡°Just¡­ make it stop¡­ please¡­¡± ¡®Hero¡­!? Richard, I¡¯m¡­ sorry, I¡­ I¡¯m in the wrong, please listen to me¡­ my father is the one who¡¯s going to do the fixing, but he needs permission to so¡­ please, if you don¡¯t trust me at least put faith in him¡­¡± She responded anxiously. ¡°Your soul is starting to break apart again, I¡­ didn¡¯t know it would happen¡­ please you have to make a decision quick!¡± ¡°Just do¡­ it¡­ already¡­¡± he sobbed weakly as the pain started to intensify. Almost immediately the pain stopped. Before he could say anything an intense feeling of wrongness washed over him, as if there was something moving inside him. As quickly as the feeling came it vanished and what remained was a sense of incompleteness. What¡­ Just what did you do to me¡­? He directed through the link as an extreme sense of panic whelmed up in him. The urge to scream growing before hearing a different voice through the link. ¡®Do not worry hero, as the reason for the emptiness you feel is because you haven¡¯t decided on your skill as of yet. This is the way it was supposed to have been done when you had first been sent here. Consider your soul before as being in a state similar to shattered glass and glass powder. The wind can easily blow such away although it should have technically allowed your skill to be more powerful I can¡¯t say that you would have been easily able to control it much less it control you.¡¯ An old man¡¯s solemn voice spoke out. ¡®The state you¡¯re in now¡­ hmmm¡­ consider it to be a bubble. While the thick outer layer is sturdy enough to maintain the structure, the stored volume inside is essentially the source of what is required to make your skill. The sooner you decide on what it should be the better as the skill needs time to diffuse into the outer layer.¡¯ The old man concluded. That sounds slightly more reassuring, although I can¡¯t help but be terrified at the thought of my soul being blown away by the wind¡­ He thought as the panic dulled down significantly. Why not do this in the first place though? ¡®Ahem, my daughter was far too eager. So much so that she tried to do it on her own before any of us could make the attempt. Please don¡¯t be too harsh on her¡­¡¯ The old man sighed heavily. ¡®I understand that would be asking a lot but she¡¯s not exactly experienced nor is her domain malicious. Her original goal was to help all of us even though she caused trouble in the end.¡¯ He muttered in resignation. Richard didn¡¯t know what to make of his explanation, staring blankly at the ceiling quietly. After a long time he sighed in resignation. At least I wasn¡¯t intentionally ¡®tortured¡¯ I guess. Although the bright side of things is still pretty shit considering I¡¯ve almost lost everything multiple times. Honestly, the situation is fucked, it¡¯s like getting hit by a bus after its breaks failed and the bus driver just got their licence so they¡¯re also in shit. I imagine that Celia gets punished quite a bit? A bitter feeling building inside of him at his helplessness. ¡®That¡¯s correct¡­¡¯ the old man¡¯s voice carried a similar degree of helplessness. The only thing I can do is accept the result of the past few days in that case. Being angry solves nothing. Not like I can do anything about it. He thought as he closed his eyes and realised how just weak he felt. ¡®For what it¡¯s worth young hero, at least things can get better from here on out. Originally your grandfather was supposed to be brought here, so consider that fortune and misfortune walk hand in hand,¡¯ the old man¡¯s soothing voice came out. Hearing something even more depressing Richard laughed. He could only laugh at the absurdity of the situation. His laughter growing as he saw the worried faces of Fiona and Abigail as they came through the door. Tears falling down the sides of his face as he continued to laugh, he brought up his hands to hold his head. ¡°Someone wake me up and tell me ¡®it¡¯s just a prank bro¡¯,¡± he spoke through his laughs that were turning into breathless sobs. ¡°Seriously¡­ if this isn¡¯t a fucking joke, I don¡¯t know anymore¡­¡± He muttered while ignoring the questioning voices of the two girls in the room. Chapter 4 - Explanations are troublesome Soon the voices couldn''t be ignored. Fiona''s rising voice was getting especially annoying, considering all Richard wanted to do was say goodbye to the madhouse he''d stumbled into in his sleep. "Hero! We need you present with us if we''re to offer any aid!" Fiona yelled as she immediately slapped him out of his stupor. The sudden pain woke him up, returning him to a depressing reality. Shocked, both Abigail and Richard stared at her for a few seconds. Uncomfortable with their stares, Fiona stood back stoically with a slight blush on her face before explaining herself. "A man shouldn''t look so pathetic, nor should he act so fragile regardless of the circumstances," she declared. She frowned in frustration before complaining, "I''m a mere knight, and a Hero, someone who in our legends rescues the weak, slaying sinners and dragons alike, can''t even handle being thrown about. If... If you had died, I would have been labelled as a sinner in our gods'' eyes..." She closed her eyes and shuddered in remembrance as a vision of his broken figure overlapped with his body that lay before her. "Fiona, it was a mis-" Abigail started to reassure her before being cut off. "A mere knight is bothered with this pathetic man. You should stop treating me so kindly otherwise I''d mistake your feelings towards me," Richard couldn''t help but let out bitter sarcasm, "My class might be that of a Hero, but I myself have never aspired to anything remotely heroic. Me appearing in a legend one day? Slaying a dragon? Killing others? Saving... Hah, I can''t even say that last bit. Tell me, if you didn''t know my class was that of Hero, would you expect all of that from me from what you¡¯ve seen so far? Don''t make me laugh. If you''re worried about tossing me about it then I have to say I earned it," Richard continued to scorn himself. Looking directly at her he spoke again, "I don''t want to be weak. At the same time, I don''t want to let others decide my fate for me either. The first moments I remember after being pulled out of my bed and into this world, was less than an hour''s worth. I''ve lost track in how many times I''ve been at death''s door since then. What we''re your first words you said to me? Courting death? If death is a woman, then I feel as if I''m on the verge of getting married." Sighing he fell back and stared at the ceiling from the bed. After a few moments he spoke again, "From your end, it was a misunderstanding. However, you weren''t the only one making mistakes, alright? Besides, although being tossed around wasn''t the only thing killing me, it seems my luck is robust enough to keep me around. If you really want to absolve guilt one day it doesn''t seem like I''m going to disapear." Silence fell, allowing the cheerful chirps of birds to filter into the room that was starting to bathe in sunlight. Fiona expressionlessly looked down at Richard for a long time before turning around to leave the room. As she left, her calm voice lingered, "If you wish to be stronger then you should start training alongside the other men in the mornings. You''ve been in bed for 3 days. Any more might make us consider you a cripple." Richard glanced at towards where Fiona had just been for a moment before sighing again. "Forgetting yourself in front of royal personages. Your sins become ever greater," A solemn tone came from his side. The princess'' expressionless face entered his eyes as he rolled onto his side in surprise. "Uh, I''m sorry, princess," Richard sheepishly apologised. That¡¯s right, this world has monarchies. I might be able to be polite back home but now I''ve acted like a rude bum in front of her multiple times. Great. Another thing that might make someone kill me unless I figure it out. ¡°It matters not, for now. You must fix your manners in order to be around other nobles, hero. They are not as forgiving as Fiona and I,¡± she spoke seriously before giving him a teasing smile. ¡°Fiona, despite being such a busy body, is herself the daughter of a marchioness. She¡¯s giving you a lot of slack when she¡¯d normally pound someone for forgetting etiquette. I wonder why¡­?¡± She¡¯s already given me a pounding though¡­ He held his tongue while debating on how to learn the etiquette of retorts idly. Shaking his head slowly, he started to ask the questions that he had ever since waking up. ¡°Princess, the scenery has changed in the duration I was asleep. Can I enquire as to where I am?¡± He looked at her expectantly. ¡°We are in Sola Silvam, a forest that borders both the Artisan Union and the Gadari Empire, inside a secret cottage retreat that Fiona¡¯s family set up in case of emergency,¡± she said with a teasing smirk. Yeah, doesn¡¯t help even if I know, right? At least I know I¡¯m safe for now, I guess. Richard fought hard to tolerate her smirk, which seemed to mock his ignorance. ¡°Princess, I¡¯m sure you have an idea that I have no impression on any of those places. Do you have any information on the lay of the land that would be useful to this country bumpkin? International politics? Local Culture? Differences in currencies? Value of goods? Name days? Levels? Stats, Talents, Titles, Ski-,¡° His barrage cut short by an imperious wave of her hand as she postured elegantly with a smile. ¡°You¡¯ll learn those soon enough, oh hero. But, before that, I¡¯ll return some questions. Where are you from? How can you not know about name days and your status? Why do you make me feel more amiable to your presence when before you angered us repeatedly?¡± She rattled off with an enthusiastic light in her eyes as she leaned closer. ¡°From another world. We don¡¯t have those there. A god helped me fix half the problem and the other half is a consequence of me panicking during Fiona¡¯s beating and upgrading my charisma,¡± He answered quickly hoping it allow him to get answers sooner before realising something. ¡°Wait. You can¡¯t see another person¡¯s stats even if they show you their status? But I thought-?¡± He asked completely puzzled.What was she on about when she commented on my luck? That doesn''t makes sense...A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°You¡¯re from another world?? You don¡¯t have a status page there?¡± She repeated what he said blankly, cutting him off. Failing to comprehend half his words, shock appeared for what she could as her eyes widened, ¡°A god helped you with that?¡± Grimacing, Richard resigned himself to explain his circumstances which, before he knew it, stoked the flames of interest in the pricesses eyes to even greatest heights. Suffering her questioning patiently, the direction of the light flooding into the room betrayed the passing of the hours. Richard could only silently cry out in joy when Abbigail stopped her questioning after his stomach cried out in protest. "Ah, alright, I think we''ve both missed meals at some point. This princess shall postpone her questioning until a later date. I just wish you could have spoken more on those airborne metal carriages..." She reluctantly pulled away and stood up before moving slowly to the door. "I''ll have the men search for something to eat for us. Try to join us outside when you''re ready and we shall fill the gaps in your knowledge as you fill your stomach." Watching her leave the room he tried to stand up only to feel an intense weakness.Seriously? These people don''t stick around to help with recovery? As both the incompleteness he felt inside of himself and the weakness from lack of nutrition made him stagger two familiar figures barged in and grabbed him. "Uh, what..." Richard stammered in surprise before being whisked outside the room and placed outside on a stump. "Only doing what we''re told boy. The cap''n was wondering why the hell ya weren''t out yet and told us to feed ya," One of the men, who had a large scar covering a third of his face, stated before limbering towards a tent. Richard''s surroundings covered in a healthy, late afternoon glow allowed him to notice that, despite there being a few cottages, there were even more tents in the area around him. The stump he was seated on was decidedly just a bit off from the centre of the camp which housed a level area with multple signs that it''d been used for training earlier. "Don''t mind my brother none boy, Garth be the more blunt out of the two of us," The other man, whose appearance was extremely similar to the who''d just left, started to say before being handed some food from another passing guard. Passing the food to Richard, the man continued, "Honestly though, we didn''t expect to see ya make it through that night and here ya are, right as rain if only starved. Name''s Garry by the way." "Thanks. I''m surprised myself to the point I wonder if theres any cockroach in my ancestry," Richard muttered in reply before wolfing down the dried rations. Smacking his lips that felt particularly dry, he spoke up again, "As for not being out sooner... I was waylaid by a curious personage." Handing him a flask of water Garry nodded as if hearing something he''d suspected. "She can be like that when she finds something interesting. Drives others batty sometimes but don''t tell others I said that," he sympathised before Garths voice admonished him. "Ya wouldn''t need him to since ya don''t ever pipe down," Garth rebuked him as he carried a map and a couple chairs in his hands. Placing the chairs down, the twin brothers sat facing Richard and watched him finish eating. "We''ve been told to give ya the answers to what ya want to ask. Even if the questions are dumb ones," Garth said as he handed the map to Richard. "Well, boy? Ask away! The sun is setting and we have first watch so ya''d best be quick about it," Garry echoed his brother. "Ahem, well," Richard started at their abruptness before continuing, "I guess the first would be about namedays and the status page. What are they and why are they important? Also, when I showed my status to both the princess and Fiona, they were able to see everything. Later, when speaking to the princess, it was if she had forgotten. Why?" The brothers looked at eachother skeptically before turning back to him. "Namedays are called such because those are the first days in which ya status page open. This happens once a person comes up on 16 seasons," Garth answered while studying Richard''s expression. "They''re important because before a person experiences their nameday, they can be raised to follow a certain role, in other words a class, and before this they lead a relatively mundane existance. Most namedays pass harmlessly, however, some can be harrowing ta say the least," Garry grimmaced before glancing at his brother. Turning back to Richard he continued to explain, "The people who awaken rare roles on their nameday almost always suffer extreme side effects. It goes without saying that most rare classes are unique, even when comparing similar roles, as everyone still experiences different situations from birth." "Me brother and I, we awakened a rare class after our first combat. We were in luck. The cap''n saved us twice that night. One of the things we did after swearing loyalty to pay for her efforts was to tell her our numbers. We didn''t realise then though that even after we told her, we couldn''t remember hearing eachother''s. It took some time after that for an angry priest to explain to us that such things aren''t allowed as others wouldnt be able to remember them even if they appraised it or heard it directly from your mouth," Garth concluded while idly scratching his scar. Swatting Garth''s hand away from his scar, Garry sighed before looking at Richard expectantly. "What? Why are you giving me that look?" Richard asked while drawing back slightly in weariness. "Whatcha mean what? We told ya about our nameday, tis only fair if ya tell us about yours!" Garry frowned at him while crossing his arms. Mimicing his brother, Garth also waited for his story. Not knowing where to start, Richard looked between them before thinking about what he''d experienced. "I... hah, it''s a bit hard to talk about. It''s not like I don''t want to tell you two but there''s certain restrictions placed on me, one of which is any divine encounter, by the looks of it, can''t be discussed at length. I can only give you small details I guess," He said before taking another sip from the flask. "I woke up, not knowing where I was except for how bright it was. A few minutes of conversation later I felt like I was being turned inside out. After that I woke up on the carriage and you both should know the rest. It took a pounding from Fiona to open up my status though," Richard finished, taking the last swig from the flask before handing it back to Garry. The brothers quietly stared at him for a few seconds before deciding to drop the matter. Frowning, Garth spoke again, "What else would you like to know, boy?" "Hey, before I ask anything else, can you, I don''t know, perhaps stop calling me boy? I was actually an adult in my world before coming here, in fact being 18 now would also be considered being an adult there," Richard spoke while a frown crossed his face. Garry and Garth turned to eachother in surprise before laughing at what they thought was a joke. "Haha, tell me, boy, can ya wield a sword, draw a bow or hold a lance? Can ya ride a horse, drive a cart or at the least, haha, can ya plow the field?" Garth asked while laughing uproarously. "Hehe, well boy, can ya do those? Have ya killed anything? Hunted beast or men?" Garry giggled before giving Richard a direct look. "Ya may have just awakened, but ya''d be in over ya head if ya think ya be able to walk out into the world as ya are. I don''t know where ya from, but here," he gestured to the darkening woods, "Ya wouldn''t be able to get out of earshot before becoming food for something stronger than ya." "Here, respect is earned, boy. When we feel as if you''re a man, we''ll call ya as such," Garth said before giving him an even deeper look. "Ya know, boy, the cap''n went easy on ya. She gave ya some love pats that day when she fixed ya up. If it''d been up ta either of us, we wouldn''t have budged. Ya should be calling her a lady now, ya hear?"