Hello there.

I do hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Awakening.


Walking down one of the hallways that made up the garrison, I calmly searched for the library. Earlier today, the woman who resembled a scholar, Miriel, mentioned of a library being present that held many books on the geography and history of Ylisse and the lands around it. Learning of this, I sought to find such a room, finding my knowledge of this world lacking you see.

I had walked down what had perhaps been a dozen different hallways before coming to a conclusion. I was lost. It was of no surprise to me, however, as I have never been given a tour. Fortunately, however, I spotted a pair of maids speaking to one another. Calmly making my way over to the two, I noticed how one of the maids notice me, gaining a more cheerful expression. Once I was within hearing range, she glanced my direction and spoke.

"Good day, Sir Lux." The maid greeted, drawing the attention of the other maid. The said maid turned almost instantly and gave me the same greeting. I couldn't help but sigh. It would seem that I would not get used to hearing the title for a while. My reaction drew a giggle from the two maids in response. Smiling good-naturedly, I waved a greeting.

"Good evening the two of you. Could one of you perhaps direct me to the library?" I asked. One of the maids smiled, before waving a hand to the hallway behind her.

"Of course milord. Just follow the hallway, before taking a left. Then take a right, before walking straight. The library will be the second door to the right." She directed helpfully. Smiling, I did a slight bow.

"I thank you," I said as I stood straight, before turning and walking down the hallway as instructed. As I did, I heard the maids giggle once more, speaking to eachother hurriedly. I walked for several minutes, turning as I was instructed, before finally coming upon the door I was told leading to the library. Opening it, I found myself surrounded by books, lining dozens of large shelves, a table sitting snug between them.

Unlike the libraries back home, there didn't seem to be a librarian, so that meant I would have to search for the books I needed by myself... I kind of wished there weren't so many books.

()()()

After searching for about perhaps an hour, I finally found one of the books I was searching for. Grabbing another two books at random, I walked to the table, sat down and opened the first book. It was then I realized something. I was unable to read the text, which made sense being that I was in another land, meaning the language wouldn't be the same. It was kind of disappointing, to be honest, but I suppose that's life. It wouldn't just hand everything to me. I would have to go out and learn to read before I tried to learn of the land's history.

Closing the book, I had begun to rise from my seat, when I glanced at one of the other two books I had randomly chosen. Though one of the books had unrecognizable text, the other was clear as day for me. Though I wasn't sure how I could understand it, I wasn't going to question it. In basis, the book taught how to inscribe runes, a text with magic properties, being able to manipulate reality to a degree, be it life, elements, or even gravity itself.

Pulling out some hemp paper that I had taken from Anna's smithy, and pulling out a quill and inkwell, I began to write.

ᚠᛁᚱᛖ=Fire

ᛋᚺᛟᚲᚲ=Shock

ᚠᚨᛚᛚ=Fall

ᚠᛚᛟᚨᛏ=Float

ᚹᚨᚱᛗᚦ=Warmth

ᛋᛏᛟᛈ=Stop

ᚠᛟᚱᛗ=Form

ᛋᛏᛟᚾᛖ=Stone

ᛈᚢᛈᛈᛖᛏ=Puppet

From what I could understand, if I wanted to create such writings, I would have to create a specific type of ink for it, one being made from ink, blood, and liquid magic itself. The first two I could handle, but where would I gain liquid magic? Wait, nevermind, the book tells me how. In order to make liquid magic, I would have to use the ᚠᛟᚱᛗ rune in a magic condensed area, causing the magic to form. I would then use the ᚠᛁᚱᛖ rune to melt the solidified magic, before gathering it into a container, preferably one made from glass.

The contents of the book were extremely interesting, but I believed it wouldn't be really productive of me if I stayed in the library all day. As such, I closed the book and discreetly put it away in my Inventory, hoping to continue reading it later today. Putting the other two books away, I made my way out of the library, stopping when I noticed Stahl entering the room. Waving a hand, I wordlessly greeted him, him doing the same before I left the room.

()()()

It was around noon, and everyone was in the mess hall, either eating or hanging around. I myself was listening to Kellam as he spoke of his life before joining the Shepherds. He was about to talk about his brothers when Chrom spoke up.

"Alright everyone, tomorrow after breakfast, we march for Regna Ferox." He announced. I blinked, opting to stay quiet. I sort of hoped he would clarify what exactly we would be doing when Reflet raised a hand.

"Regna Ferox?" She questioned. To her left, Sumia turned to face her.

"It's a unified kingdom inhabited by barbarians, or so it's said," She informed as she bit into a bit of bread. Chrom nodded his head in appreciation before putting on a grimace.

"Veteran warriors are what they are and we'll need their help if we wish to quell this menace. It is usually the Exalt who would call for aid in person, however, given recent events...well... people may worry should my sister leave the capital, as such, the task has been left to us. Now, this mission is purely voluntary, so if, for any-" He was cut off as Lissa shot up from her seat, waving her hand excitedly.

"I volunteer!" She said grinning as she did. Vaike did the same, except he began to flex.

"Me Too! You'll be needin' ol' Teach along for such a delicate mission." He shouted. 'Who calls themselves Teach?'

"I'll come as well. What? I've been here the whole time." Kellam said when everyone except me looked at him in surprise. Poor Kellam.

"I...I u-um..." I heard someone stutter. Glancing around, I found it was Sumia.

"What is it Sumia?" Chrom asked, turning to face her.

"It's just that... I'm not sure I'm quite ready for a proper mission just yet. I'd probably just get in the way." She replied, looking down at the table.

"Well, you could stay behind the main group, and if a battle is met...just watch and learn? Your choice, of course. But some lessons can only be learned on the battlefield." Chrom suggested as Sumia seemed to wilt in place.

"W-well if you seem to think so..." Sumia replied, still a bit sullen. Chrom nodded.

"Just stay with me and you'll be fine," Chrom said trying to be supportive. He turned to face the rest of us.

"We'll march in an hour. Prepare yourselves for a long journey." He said, before dismissing us.

()()()

I shifted in my stance, as I held my sword low. Standing stoic across from me was Frederick who looked emotionless as he gazed passively towards me, his spear also held down. The two of us were having a spar, the reason being, Frederick thought it be wise if I refined my fighting style, that being composed of mostly wild swings, and dodging.

I've had a total of eight battles with the man, all ending with me on the floor bruised, and himself unharmed. I had thought of involving Mari, so as to improve our bond, and also scare the wits out of the knight, but then thought against it. The wolf was still a pup, not having matured enough to be of use. Until that day arrives, I would have to be content with having a pet who would be there to eat the scraps and sniff out food for me.

Steadying my breath, I narrowed my eyes. A moment later, I sprinted forward, my sword to my side as I hunched forward. Frederick meanwhile, shifted his shield slightly as he then lifted up his spear. As I neared him, I watched as he took a breath, moving his spear to the side as he did. Once I was within range, he swung. I jumped over the swing, feeling the rush of wind pass the bottom of my feet as I twisted my body, my sword in a reverse-grip. A second later, I twisted back, singing my sword down, unfortunately, hitting the shield.

Landing back on my feet, I leaped back, just barely dodging his spear. I cautiously took a breath as the knight took a step forward. Naturally, as I had yet to land a mark on the man, his approach left me intimidated. I watched on as each step he made cast a shadow, one that began to overtake the castle, though that may have been just me, my vision distorting the images around me. I took a step back, now hesitant to attack, which he capitalized on.

I couldn't do anything as he suddenly shot forward, shield to his chest as he approached. Upon reaching me, he swung his shield forward, bashing me in the face and launching me back. At first, I had landed on my back, before bouncing off the ground and giving me enough time in the air to flip to my feet. I rubbed my back, feeling a bruise beginning to form and sighed.

Staring back at Frederick, I noticed something; my sword laid on the ground next to him, leaving me weaponless. Normally this would have meant that I had lost the match, but Frederick was different with that. To him, as long as you could still stand, you were still ready to fight. Wincing at the movement I made, I slowly crouched down, placing both hands flat on the ground.

Taking another deep breath, I bolted. Unfortunately, I had forgotten about his spear as right as I was about to grab my sword, I saw something brown swing at my face. What happened afterward was simple, I had fainted from the blow.

()()()

I soon regained consciousness thanks to the efforts of both Lissa and Sumia. By that, I meant Lissa applying the healing and Sumia for providing the shock stimulant needed to wake me up, though to be frank, I'm sure anyone would wake from having someone in full armor trip and slam headfirst into your gut. As I groaned in pain, rubbing my stomach as I got to my feet, Sumia was repeating something aloud though what exactly she was saying was unknown.

Right now, all I felt was soreness, pain, and a headache. Waving off whatever the two were saying, I staggered off, hoping to find something to relieve my headache and pain. Somehow, I managed to stumble into the mess hall where a few maids were moving boxes to the kitchen...The maids here are ridiculously strong. Upon spotting me, one of the maids split off from the others and approached.

"Lord Shen?" The maid asked, revealing herself to be Clio. I tiredly waved my hand in greeting as I sat down at a table. I didn't say anything when she somehow conjured a cup and pitcher of water, much similar to what I did the day before when I thought about it. Once she poured a cup, she handed it to me before setting the pitcher down. I slowly drained the cup as my body slowly adjusted to the pain.

I drank half of the cup, before setting it down next to pitcher. "Thank you," I spoke, letting out a sigh of relief. The pain was finally beginning to subside. Pressing a hand on my right shoulder, I began to rotate it, so I could somewhat massage the cramps. I heard the wood underneath me groan slightly and glanced to my right, finding Kellam.

It was a rare sight to see the man out of his armor, but there he was, drinking from a wooden mug. He glanced over at me and nodded. Placing his mug down, he turned to me.

"Lux, I have a question," He said as he motioned me over. Nodding to him, I leaned towards his direction.

"Of course. What is it you need my friend?" I asked, getting a nod from the man.

"Reflet has spoken of an old, but a still effective tactic, pairing. Would you be willing to pair up and watch my back?" He asked seriously, his squinted eyes even more squinted. I smiled at him and nodded, drawing a sigh of relief from the man.

"Only if you'd do the same for me," I said, getting a chuckle from him as he held out a hand. Grasping his hand with my own, we both nodded, only to turn when we heard a gasp. Clio was staring at Kellam as though he was a ghost.

"Sir Kellam! When had you've arrived?" She asked incredulously. Ah, yes that's right. Unlike myself, Kellam was usually invisible to everyone else. I watched on amused as Kellam tried to calm the panicking maid.

()()()

Dropping a pair of cinnamon sticks into the teapot, I began stripping some apples of its peel. Hearing the sound of boiling water, I lifted up the small pot of boiling water and placed it beside the teapot. Dropping the peels inside, I then began to cut up the peeled apples into small slices which I then proceeded to feed to Mari who ate them up almost instantly.

Pouring the boiling water into the teapot, I covered it with a lid before placing the pot on a counter to cool down. Letting the flavors spread throughout the pot, I idly gathered some wooden cups and stored them within my [Inventory]. Clio had mentioned that the ones I had stored away were disposables so I took two dozens. Once the tea had settled, I opened my [Inventory] and placed the pot on the nearest table. Closing the portal, I made my way out of the kitchen and into the mess hall where everyone was being served dinner.

Settling down, I noticed something odd. Somehow Reflet had teleported to my right, while Kellam had phased into my left. I didn't think much on this as I was served a plate of bacon, eggs and a cup of tea. Typically, a meal like this would be served with orange juice but either oranges didn't exist in this world, or they just didn't have any right now. Whatever the case, the bacon was nice and crunchy, so I didn't complain.

As I ate, I glanced around the room, finding Chrom to be arguing with Lissa, Frederick calmly eating nearby. Sumia was idly listening to Vaike and Sully as the two yelled about one thing or another. Reflet was eating her meal with gusto, while Kellam ate with the poise of a gentleman. Speaking of a gentleman, Virion was calmly sipping tea as he discussed something with Miriel, though what was being discussed was unknown.

Soon finishing my meal, I moved to put the plate towards the kitchen counter, before realizing I was clutching air. Blinking, I looked around finding Clio who held my plate. Upon noticing my stare, she gave me a smile, before turning back to her duties. I smiled at the help and turned to sit back down, only to stop. I watched with a sweatdrop as Reflet leveled a menacing glare at Clio's direction...Did she do something to offend her?

()()()

While the rest of the Shepherds were preparing to leave, I was milling about in the mess hall, storing away food into my [Inventory]. As of an hour ago, I have a total of thirty-seven [Muffins], twenty-three [Bacon], nineteen [Scrambled Eggs], a [Cranberry Pie], a dozen bottles of [Ale], five whole [Grilled Chicken], four bowls of [Mash Potatoes], and a pair of century-aged bottles of [Wine].

After storing away the last wine bottle, I moved to exit the room, idly waving my farewells to the maids that had remained. Before leaving, I remembered to pick up Mari who had been snoozing on a crate. Lifting her up, I placed her on my head as I moved. I began walking down the hallway that would lead to the entrance when I felt a wind brush by. I calmly walked on, watching Stahl frantically rush past me, rush around a corner and disappeared.

As I eventually made my way towards the entrance, I noticed Miriel exiting the building. Walking up to her, the two of us walked down the road that would lead to the market, which in turn would lead us to the road that led to Regna Ferox. We didn't speak a word to eachother, instead, keeping to our own business. In this case, she was reading from a book as I slowly slid my hood over my head so that it covered Mari as well.

It was only when I pulled out the book about runes, did she glance at my direction. Speaking of which, the book was actually called [Beginner's Guide To Runes Volume I: Part I]. The book I held which exceeded the width of my fist alone, and the size of my head was only a part of a volume. Whatever the case, Miriel had suddenly gained an interest.

"Hm? IS that a book regarding the writings and uses of runes?" She asked politely, to which I wordlessly nodded. She hummed as he gave a small nod.

"If I recall, in order to use such writings, one would require a special variety of inks. It is likely that you are only a beginner, especially since your reading the first part of volume I, which is comprised of three parts." She spoke, gaining my attention. So this volume has three different parts to it? I see...

"Judging by your lack of response, and the lack of materials in your bag, am I correct that you do not have the required ingredients necessary for creating the ink?" She asked again, to once more I nodded too, though I did wonder one thing. How had she known what was in my bag? As before, I nodded to her as she continued this one-sided conversation.

"It is rather fortunate that I happen to carry a few jars of such ink. If willing, I would be willing to part with such ink for a small fee." She suddenly advertised as she held up the item in question. Unlike regular ink which was a coal black, the ink she held the color of a night sky with several shimmering stars emitting every so often. My eyes widened at the sight and pulled out my money pouch. Opening it, I pulled out the last of my savings, two silver coins.

Miriel took one of the coins and held out five jars of mana-infused ink. I gingerly held them in two hands, placing them inside one of my pockets, silently acting [Inventory] and having it appear inside the pocket. I wasn't keen on anyone finding out about my pocket dimension, nor was I willing to reveal it if asked. After all, I've only known the Shepherds for less than a month, having only been thirteen days since I've arrived in this world.

Once I only had a single ink jar still in my hand, I opened it. Since I hadn't bought a brush, I had to resort to using my finger, though to be safe, in-case the ink ended up having a negative side-effect, I decided to use only the tip of my fingernail. Pulling off my glove, and placing it on my shoulder, I slowly and cautiously dipped my fingernail into the jar. Feeling nothing aside from the feeling of an unknown substance on my finger, I bent down. Pressing the ink-covered finger, I slowly wrote the ᚠᛚᛟᚨᛏ rune, noticing how mystical it looked.

Looking up, I noticed that Miriel had already gone ahead, still concentrated into her book. Looking back down at the rune, which I now realize to have been crudely written, it began to glow. Curious, I looked at my fingernail, noticing the lack of ink. Looking back down, I gained an idea. Getting to my feet, I slowly placed a foot on the rune, only to leap back when it dimmed. I say I leaped because that was what I did when I intended to only step back.

Glancing down at my hands, I flexed them before jogging in place. I felt as though I was a cloud, meaning I was weightless, though not to the point where I was lifting off the ground, moreso that my weight had been lessened giving me more mobility I suppose. Smiling at the newfound freedom my body had, limited as it was, I put away the ink jar and took a step forward.

Almost instantly, I found myself moving forward, easily crossing ten feet. Taking another step forward, once more traveling ten feet. I then began to jog my way across the road, noticing how...free it felt. Of course, my newfound state never lasted forever as my weight returned to normal once a minute had passed. Of course, after writing the rune once more, one that was slightly neater than the first one, I regained the state of weightlessness.

I made my way across the road, possibly traveling ten miles per minute. For some reason, despite going ahead of me by perhaps only a few minutes, Miriel wasn't in sight. While I searched for her, I did come across the figure of a man. I knew them to be a man because he had been shouting aloud whilst gripping his hand fiercely. I slowed to a stop, several yards behind the man, and slowly made my way past him.

Taking a better look at the man, he had short but spiky pale blond hair, a similar shade to Lissa. He wore some sort of yellow and black garb, appearing to be a mixture of both western and eastern. A unique feature I found regarding his clothing was that at the ends of his clothing were tufts of white fur.

Upon spotting me, the figure stopped gripping his hand and waved at me dramatically.

"Greetings fair Traveler. Where might you be heading?" The man had asked, introducing himself as Owain. I responded with Regna Ferox. Owain was kind enough to show me the directions to get there. I thanked him and quickly began to continue my journey when he asked.

"Before you leave, may I have your name?" I don't see why he couldn't.

"My name? Lux." I said before continuing on, thinking about the shocked look on his face. Why did he react to my name? Whatever the case, I continued on until he was out of view. I then pulled out the ink jar once more and applied the ᚠᛚᛟᚨᛏ rune, this one being much neater than from before, even if it still looked crude.

()()()

I soon caught up with the rest of the Shepherds, though how they traveled such a large distance so quickly was astonishing. Walking up a hill, I saw the backs of Chrom, Lissa, Stahl, and Reflet. Noticing me, Stahl waved and walked over.

"There you are, Lux. Late like me?" He asked, which I wordlessly nodded to as I opened my waterskin. As I drunk the contents, Stahl had walked off. Closing the waterskin and putting it away, I noticed off to the side was Miriel who was berating Vaike about something. I would have wondered what she was talking about but Frederick came rushing in on his horse.

"Milord! Risen are blocking the road." He spoke aloud. Chrom turned to face Reflet, his face grim as she nodded, no doubt a plan already forming within her mind. Whatever she said was unheard as I was too far away to hear. As such, I made my way to Kellam who looked on passively, occasionally shifting his lance. I wasn't sure why they were called lances, considering how they resembled giant glorified arrows without the feathered ends.

"Ready?" I asked, getting a smile. He shifted his shield in the direction of the enemy as Chrom unsheathed and waved his sword, signaling us to engage the enemy.

()()()

The Risen marching towards us looked horrid. The creatures were all muscular and had stitches covering their bodies, a pair of prominent stitches appearing to be keeping their arms attached. They all wore worn and ragged loincloths, the color turned yellowish brown. Covering their heads were cone-shaped sacks, with holes cut out, revealing a pair of sunken red glowing eyes and a partially stitched mouth hole. Overall, the Risen seemed to be miserable though that may just be the mask. Whatever the case, I would not let one of these things hurt me again.

Unlike before, I wasn't by myself, nor was I as stupid to fight head-on. As such, I found fighting the Risen much easier than before. I wordlessly tossed aside my sack, before dashing towards the Risen, hunched forward to both maximize speed, and so to lower the chance of being hit. Striking at one of the Risen's right waist, I swung around it as it swung its blade at me. Ending behind the Risen, I jabbed my sword forward, striking its neck and nearly decapitating it right there.

The Risen made no sound as black smoke emitted from the wounds, slowly disappearing as it did. While it did this, I had already moved, striking at two Risen archers. Swinging my blade, I slashed at one of the bows, severing it from the handle and letting it hang erratically as the Risen attempted to attack. The other Risen had no chance to attack as Kellam had appeared, skewering the creature from the back. The Risen let out a silent cry before dissipating into smoke.

The remaining Risen had tossed aside its ruined weapon and had resorted to try and beat me with its fists. Unfortunately for it, was that despite being muscular and no doubt powerful, it was still dead and as a result, its muscles weren't as reactive as before. Ducking under a swing, I slashed at its knee, almost severing it. Backing away from the undead, I placed a hand into my pocket and pulled out an [Iron Throwing Knife] and throwing it at the creature's head. Fortunately, even though I wasn't good with throwing weapons, the close-range made up for it.

The Risen stumbled back as the knife found itself embedded in its forehead. The undead stilled before dissipating, making the knife drop to the ground. Picking up the knife, I pocketed it before walking towards Kellam who had swung at a trio of Risen, killing them all instantly. Noticing my presence, the man turned to greet me only to gasp, pointing behind me. Turning, I found out why.

There creeping up behind Sumia was another Risen, its sword raised, ready to strike at the woman's back. Without delay, I pulled out two more knives and threw all three towards the creature. The woman also seemed to realize what was happening because as she tripped, she stared at her possible-killer with a tinge of fear. Nearby, Chrom was rushing towards her, sword at his side.

Everything seemed to slow down as the three knives inched towards the undead ever so slowly. It had gotten to the point where I could visibly see Lissa slowly swing her staff down hard on a Risen, a comical tooth flying out of its mask. The moment one of the knives made contact with the Risen, everything began to speed up. The first knife only nicked the Risen's arm but also hit the sword causing it to veer off course. The second and third knives struck both of its arms, the second severing one arm entirely, while the third only halfway.

With its weapon and arms gone, the Risen was unable to react as Chrom cleaved right through its body, its upper half dissipating before it even separated. With the threat gone, Chrom held a hand to help Sumia up as I ran past them, using my momentum to swing at a Risen. cutting off one of its arms as Kellam followed after, skewering the same Risen in the face.

I turned to find any other Risen only to watch as Vaike systematically grabbed a Risen and either used it as a weapon or brutally ripped it in half. I watched as the man even slammed his fists together, a Risen's head between them. Watching the head get smashed, black smoke coming out instead of blood was... interesting to say the least.

Behind the man was Miriel as she fired fireballs from her hand, roasting any Risen that neared her, with Stahl cutting down any that lived. Nearby, Reflet was firing lightning from her fingertips as she cut down any nearby Risen, occasionally cutting down stunned Risen. When she noticed me watching, I wordlessly gave her a thumbs up. In response, she blushed and pulled her hood up to hide her face...Eh?

Unbeknownst to me, Kellam was silently laughing behind a hand.

()()()

The battle soon came to an end, with Fredericks horse trampling the remaining undead with his horse. Due to how long the battle had taken, the day had come to an end. As a result, we began setting up camp. I yawned as I began to set up some tables within one of the tents. The tables were in fact sheathed swords embedded into the ground with planks of wood being supported on their guards.

Hammering a sword into the ground, I began to think back to an hour before. While I still had adrenaline rushing through me, Stahl had bemoaned about food, and I had subconsciously thrown the [Cranberry Pie] I had. Surprisingly, Stahl not only caught the pie but ate it ravenously. Upon finishing it, which took a minute, he had looked at me with a strange gleam. I walked away from him.

Unfortunately, he began to pester me for food until I gave him. It became worse because he began to pester for more. It had gotten to a point where I began to heavily threaten him with castrating his manhood to get him to stop. I would have believed that to be the end, however, I saw the same gleam in his eyes and knew he would do it again in the future.

Sighing, I placed the hammer down and placed a plank atop the guards. Wiping away some sweat, I put the hammer into my [Inventory]. Making my way out of the amp, I came across Reflet who looked at me curiously. She still had a hint of a blush though.

"A-Ah Lux. I was wondering if I c-could ask something." She said with a faint stutter.

"Sure. What do you need?" I asked. She began to fidget making me worried.

"Are you sick? Your fidgeting alot." I asked placing a hand on her shoulder. I watched as her blush began to spread to the point where she ended up hiding under her hood again.

"Au." I heard her say... I waited as she calmed herself down. After taking a deep breath, she began to speak again.

"I-I-I w-was hop...hoping," No good, her speech became worse. I placed both hands on her shoulders this time stopping her.

"There's no doubt about it. Come, let's go see Lissa." I said, nodding to her. She stayed still so I ended up having to pick her up bridal style. I felt that placing her on my back would be a bit insulting. As I carried a red and stuttering tactician towards the medical tent, I heard snickering from everywhere. I wonder what they were laughing about.

()()()

I watched as Lissa continued laughing. Between us on a bed was Reflet who was shivering, gripping the top of her hood as she tried to hide her face entirely. I stayed silent, waiting for the laughter to stop... I don't think it's going to end any time soon. Turning to face the shivering tactician, I inched myself closer until I was face-to-face with her.

Eventually, the laughter stopped as Lissa began to stare at us intensely, an extremely interested glint in her eye. I had no comment. Eventually, Reflet stopped shivering and her blush began to recede. Once she was calmed, she moved to pull off her hood, only to catch sight of my face, with only a few inches apart.

"Feeling better?" I asked. She stared at me shocked as she blushed came back, evolving into a crimson red. I heard some sort of noise come out before her eyes rolled up, and she fell back onto the bed. I immediately panicked.

"Reflet? Reflet! Are you alright?!" I asked panicked. Behind me, the laughter was renewed but I ignored her, still panicking over my fainted friend.

()()()

"So? Feeling better now?" I asked, as Reflet now seemed to have a permanent blush, at least when she was around me. She looked to the side as the book she read slowly rose up so that it covered her lower face. She didn't respond but she did nod in response. Sighing in relief, I relaxed. Up until an hour ago, Reflet had been blushing a storm, and I had been unable to glean any sort of information as to why. I had gained no help from the other Shepherds, getting laughter, giggling, snickering and chuckles from everyone, with the exception of Miriel who was equally confused and Kellam who kept giving me this knowing look.

"So, what exactly did you need from me?" I asked as she closed her eyes, placing her book down. After taking a deep breath, she coughed into a fist.

"I-I was hoping to borrow your E-Elwind tome." She said as she opened her book once more. I blinked at her response. Without a word, I reached into my sack, opened my [Inventory] and pulled out my [Elwind] tome. Holding the book towards her, I spoke.

"If that's all you needed, then here. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." I said as she gingerly picked up the tome, gazing at it with a strange expression. She looked as though she was holding something valuable as well as something else... I wasn't going to dwell on it. She placed the tome to the side and gave me an appreciative smile, her blush while still prominent wasn't as big as before.

()()()

I stood beside a pot of stew, slicing several pieces of beef into thinner pieces. Piling the meat together, I moved to cut up the carrots as Kellam scooped them up and gently dropped them into the soup. The two of us were to cook tonight, though I found no problem with such a thing. Slicing the orange vegetable, I began to wonder. What were the others up to? I know for a fact that Vaike and Chrom were sparring right now, but the others?

As I began to pour some salt into a small bowl, Kellam idly picked up the carrots and dropped them into the pot. Immediately after, he picked up the bowl of salt and slowly poured it in, while stirring the contents. Pouring a bit of the soup into a pair of small bowls, we sampled it.

"Tastes fine," I commented, Kellam, nodding in agreement. Placing the pot on a slab of stone, we extinguished the fire and began pulling out plates and utensils. Peeking his head into the tent, Stahl idly smelled the aroma before disappearing. Before long, the Shepherds began entering one-by-one. Without delay, I poured the first one, Frederick a bowl. The man gave me a serious but appreciative nod as he held the bowl. The next to arrive was Chrom who with a cheerful grin took his own meal. This continued on until only Kellam and I remained.

Passing the man his meal, I poured my own bowl and went to find an empty seat, soon finding one beside Reflet. Sitting down, I dug in. I noticed early on into the meal that besides me, Kellam, Frederick, and Chrom, all the males were eating the meal as though it was their last. Soon finishing our meals, the two of us did our task of washing the utensils and bowls before going our separate ways.

Entering my tent, I found Mari lying snug next to my bed, already asleep. With a chuckle, I stripped out of my armor and slid into my bed, it being comprised of a somewhat stiff mattress, a thin blanket, and a somewhat stuffed pillow. I shifted in place, finding a comfortable position before finally closing my eyes for rest.


Done.

My apologies for the long delay but college and my job kept me busy.

I had originally planned to release this chapter between Mid-January-to-Late-February but because of the mentioned, didn't happen. Whatever the case, I'll begin revealing what I changed.

*Shen never bought or learned runes from his mindscape, instead, he found a book regarding the language in the Shepherds Barracks.

*Shen is in a new world and as a result, he cannot read, nor write in this world's language.

*[Wind Cutter] makes no appearance as I have found no relevant purpose for it at the moment.

*The runes are written in actual runes. The website I used to make those is at www furorteutonicus eu / germanic / runescribe / index php

*I removed the constant change of areas.

*Changed how Shen participated in the battle. Extended the battle and offered a brief view of the other Shepherds.

*Frederick won all nine matches against Shen, ho didn't have access to runes.

*Runes require mana-infused ink to be used.

*Reflet and Shen Moment... B-Support Attained.

*Anna does not make an appearance.

{Poll}

[Shadow Blade] 5

[Earth Lord] 4

[Mastermind] 4

[Druid] 2

[Gravekeeper] 1

[Alchemist] 1


{Hellhound} Toying with fire, Shen accidentally discovers how to light himself and others without harm.

[Goblin Fire] A sentient ball of blue fire that combusts into an explosion upon impact.

[Hellblaze] Crimson red flames that are capable of melting steel.

[Hellhound] A pack of wolves made from both fire and stone.

[Firesurge] A unique longsword that is bathed in blue fire.


As it is, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and hope to see you in the next one.