Elden Ring is the property of FromSoftware and Monster Girl Encyclopedia is the Property of Kenkou Cross. I do not own any of these properties.

Chapter 2: Astrology Lessons

Elt laid flat on his front as he looked up from his muddy resting place. He was currently in the agonizing process of dying, defeated by a creature he had never seen before. He tried his best to recall how he got into this situation, but as he remembered, it only gave him more questions than answers.

He awoke in a strange place, surrounded by corpses, as he got up. He walked through the doors only to be met with the sight of a tree that reached the heavens and glowed with the might of gold. He only had his sword with him, and he was equipped with the armor he used usually wore when on duty. He walked through the bridge, past the grand sights of the tree, and into what he assumed to be a graveyard.

It was then that he was attacked by a creature he had never seen. It looked horrid, beyond even the monsters his peers spoke of when they drank. It was a mixture of body parts, each holding a blade grafted together in a horrifying fashion. He fought on desperately, trying his best to utilize the training he was given, but it was no use. The creature was faster, stronger, and far more durable than he was.

It didn't take long for him to be skewered by a dozen blades and left to die.

Still, he didn't know how he went from there to here. As he lay there dying, he was somehow transported into what looked like a cave. Wet, dreary, and with few sources of light.

He wanted to cry, and if he had the strength, he probably would have done so. He was left here alone, in a cave with no one around him. He knew the risks of becoming a soldier, he was taught that death would always be by his doorstep but to experience it for real was another matter entirely.

He didn't want to accept it, he wanted to lash out at the unfairness of it all, but what was the point? No matter how much he tried to fight it, there was nothing he could do. He was going to die here, with those grim thoughts in his mind, he prepared himself for the embrace of the Chief God. She would at least recognize his sacrifice and devotion, right?

Then he heard a noise, a trotting sound coming from a horse, he assumed. That assumption was all but confirmed when the said horse moved its snout downwards to seemingly smell him.

He looked up and saw a figure riding on a horned steed, her features covered by a hood but even with it on, he couldn't deny the beauty she was gifted with.

"Don't worry Torrent, fortune is on his side." She spoke.

Truly? He didn't really feel like it. Rather he felt quite shit if he had to put it into words. His life wasn't the most glamorous, but he was happy where he was. To have it all taken away from him so abruptly made him feel rather unfortunate.

"We found him here, after all." She spoke up.

A small fortune then, he didn't know if she perhaps had magic that could save him, and if she did, he would be thankful. Still, even if she didn't, he supposed that he was still fortunate enough to die in front of a pretty girl. He felt like he was betraying Mary for some reason, he thought he had moved on from her already?

Gently she got off the horse and walked towards his figure, kneeling down and getting close to him. If he wasn't currently dying, he probably would've blushed at the proximity.

"One of his kind is sure to seek the Elden Ring." She stated in front of him. He felt his consciousness fade away after she said those words. His eyes got heavier and heavier until finally, he could see nothing but darkness.

"Even if it goes against the Golden Order…"

A faint memory… her name was… if he could remember correctly, it was…

"Melina…" Elt muttered as his consciousness returned to him. He looked on at his surroundings, he was at the infirmary, and it was the middle of the night. He gently got up as he turned to look at his surroundings. He was wearing his armor's undershirt and pants, he placed a hand on his chest as he took a few deep breaths as he remembered what had occurred.

'What happened, I had a spar with Lady Mersé , and then I got knocked out… wait… I fought Lady Mersé … and almost won!' he thought to himself as a proud smile covered his lips. He contained his excitement however, technically speaking, he still lost. But from what he could remember, he not only held his own but also gave her a run for her money.

But thinking back at it, how the hell did he do that? It was confusing, to say the least, it was as if his body went into auto-pilot. He had visions of a golden man on a golden horse, swinging a golden blade…

What was with the abundance of gold in his dreams? Is this his psyche telling him that he was secretly greedy?

He didn't know who that was, nor did he know who Melina was. As he pondered, a voice rang out in the room.

"Who's Melina?" A crude, somewhat young voice around his age echoed out as Elt turned to his right only to be met with a green-haired woman with elongated ears. This was Primera Concerto, a half elf and an orphan just like him. Shunned by both men and elves, she had no one to turn to when she was placed in their orphanage. Most of the kids were content to just leave her alone, some even bullied her for her heritage.

Though, there was one stubborn idiot who time and time again kept coming to her. No matter how many times she tried to shun him away, no matter how many times she insulted him and his race, he continued to try and befriend her. Nevertheless, she did and years later the two had become quite close… even if Primera herself would never admit it.

"Ah… hey, Prim… how are you?" He asked as he turned to a close friend of his.

At that statement, she made what he coined That Face. It was the face she made every time he did or said something she found incredibly stupid. He saw it for the first time when he asked her to be his friend, she did it another time he gave her a garland ring, like how he used to with Wilmarina. And now she was doing it again, but this time he couldn't exactly tell what he did wrong here.

"Idiot, why are you the one asking me that? You're the one on a hospital bed and the one who went unconscious for almost the entire day." She stated with a huff as she turned her head away. He blinked, not really knowing how to process it.

"Oh, were you worried about me?" Elt asked with a teasing grin, in which she then did what he coined as That Other Face. This one was a bit more dangerous than the other one. Usually, this face is often accompanied by either a slap or a kick or, in the worst cases, an arrow flying toward him. But from the looks of it, she held back as she didn't do the usual and instead threw a pillow at his face.

"S-Shut Up, You Idiot… of course, I was worried about you…" She muttered softly at the end, Elt blushed slightly as he heard it. He's glad that she was worried about him, he just hoped that she would've been a bit more honest with her feelings…

"A-Anyways, You're Dodging the question! Who's Melina!?" She asked as she tried her best to hide her flushed face. It was her best attempt at dodging the subject, and luckily it worked.

At the mention of Melina, Elt cupped his chin as he leaned back onto the bed's backrest. Melina… the name was both very familiar and extremely unfamiliar. Where had he heard it before? He couldn't tell, he couldn't exactly lie to her, so he instead opted to tell her the truth. The truth he knew wouldn't be a sufficient answer for her.

"She's… I don't know who she is, she just popped up in my dreams." He muttered.

Primera once again went back and did face number one, she looked on as she tried to process what Elt had just told her. "...A woman in your dreams?" She repeated. She then shook her head as she gave a small sigh,

"Sigh, I'll never understand humans… First, they do some illogical things, and now they're making up made-up women in their heads. Are you just that lonely Elt?" She stated as she looked out at the windows. Elt was about to argue, but he then saw the look on her face, she wasn't happy talking about this Melina person, so he just opted to change the subject again.

"So… uh… why are you here?" Elt asked, which then caused Primera to flush as she turned her head towards the window and gazed at the moon.

"Lady Mersé came in and asked Sasha to look after you… but since she was busy, she made me do it instead. Ugh, why do I have to look after such a stupid human." Primera stated.

That wasn't the whole truth, Sasha was ready to basically leave for the infirmary when Primera stepped in and argued that 'Sasha should look after the kids, I'll handle looking after the idiot.'. Frankly, it was just an excuse for her to spend some time alone with Elt. Not that she'd ever admit it, at this rate, their relationship won't evolve past a simple friendship. Elt was too dense to realize her feelings, and Primera was too prideful to acknowledge her own.

Elt looked on at Primera before he gave a small smile, "Thanks for coming, Primera." he told her as his blue eyes stared into her own. This just caused her face to turn into a tomato, she looked away as she did, unable to face him head-on.

"I-Idiot." She muttered.

The two spent the rest of the night talking, catching up, and so on. Primera would never admit it, but this night would be one to remember.

Morning came soon enough, and he was discharged from the infirmary. Primera left in the morning after the two bid each other farewell. As he prepared to get back into training, he was stopped by Mersé . She had her arms crossed and a stern look on her face before she spoke up.

"Elt, I'm giving you the week off." She stated as she looked on at Elt.

Elt was understandably confused by this, he was doing well… better than well, and the injury he received from her had all but healed. He thought that this was the perfect opportunity to test how far he had really gone, but now Mersé was basically telling him to lay off for an entire week.

"What? But… I'm all recovered now. Besides, you saw how I fought, I need to see how strong I've gotten." He argued. He didn't see the need to give him the week off. He had already recovered, and he was incredibly pumped up, for lack of a better term.

Mersé furrowed her brows, she knew how stubborn he could be, and yelling at him would only cause him to insist even harder. And so she decided to play on his nicer side, it was somewhat gullible for him to do. Speak in a certain tone, and he'd never be able to argue back.

"Please, Elt… I'd worry if you got hurt. Besides, it's just for a week. That way you'll be able to spend some time with Sasha and the rest." She stated as she placed her hand on her shoulder. She knew that she was victorious when he gave her that look, it was the same look he usually did when he relented to the whims of anyone he made contact with. It was a pattern she learned every time she invited him to drink with her and the rest of the unit. With a sigh, Elt simply nodded his head. It was just for a week anyway, nothing wrong with a little break. Besides, he accomplished something, so he felt just a little better.

"Alright, you win… I can never win against you, can't I?" He asked with an awkward smile, at that, Mersé flashed her own mischievous grin at Elt.

"Nope, neither here nor in the ring. Don't worry, Elt, when you come back, we'll celebrate by drinking our hearts out." She stated with a smile. With that, Elt nodded with his own smile.

"In that case, I guess I'll pack up then, I'll see you in a week then," he stated as he made his way to his room.

When Elt left, Mersé sighed as she turned and moved to her station. Despite their best efforts, Elt's deeds were spreading amongst the ranks. A human that almost beat a hero like her was no small feat, and now people were asking for the legitimacy of the claim. Luckily she managed to hide Elt's identity from it all, personally stating to her unit that if anyone told anyone else about this then she would personally rip them a new asshole. The tactic worked, and none of her men dared speak about the incident afterwards. That being said, the damage had already been done and now the rumor was spreading to the other units. It's only a matter of time before someone high-up would catch wind of it.

This was why she had Elt sent back for the week, at least until the rumors died down. It could make him more suspicious, but in order to hide it she also let a few others off for the week as well.

Making her way to her station, she sat down on a wooden chair and looked on at the documents piled on her side. '...Fuck.' she thought to herself as she began the slog known as paperwork. Signing documents, writing reports, and investigating other reports of monsters sighted on the outskirts of Lescatie.

A Hero's job is never truly done, it looked like.

Elt walked and exited the barracks where he was stationed in. He looked on at the familiar sight of the slums, and for some reason he felt a strange apprehension about it all. It reminded him of something he reviled, something that made him feel quite wary. The crows that moved in abundance and the stray dogs that moved around, along with the disease-ridden residents, reminded him of a place rampant with disease and malformed creatures, its sky was as red as his hair, and at the end of his road to that place, he fought a Demigod whose mind was shattered by eons of rot.

He cursed his mind that day, he couldn't remember who exactly that Demigod was, where he was referring to, or even what it was in the first place. It was important, that much he could tell, but he had no means of investigating it outside of searching through the library. He could also visit the college and ask for help there, but he also didn't want to trouble Mimil again.

Firstly though, he needed to greet Sasha and the rest. As he turned the corner he looked on at his home. It was an old dilapidated church, one that had obviously seen better days. Sasha alone had been running it after her mother passed, and even though she earned more than even ten times his salary with her status as a hero, he still couldn't help but aid her financially through becoming a soldier.

His face furrowed at the thought, he originally wanted to be a hero too. And indeed, with proper training he had the makings of one. But there was no use crying over spilt milk. Besides, from what he's seen he was progressing quite well when it came to his career as a soldier. He even managed to match Lady Mersé for a time, little did he know of the consequences that one sparring session held for him.

Nevertheless, he made his way towards the orphanage as he saw a bunch of kids running around and playing with one another with makeshift toys and sticks they found from the ground. He smiled at that, they were poor and didn't have access to the most expensive toys money can buy and yet they were joyful all the same.

As he walked to the door, one of the kids managed to notice him. With wide eyes, they ran towards him. The ones in front gave him a hug and those that were unfortunate enough to be left out of the hug awkwardly tried to find a place where they could join in.

Elt smiled as he patted the backs of the kids around. "Alright, Alright you little rascals." he stated as he slowly got out of their hug. He patted their heads as he turned to the kids around him.

"Big Brother Elt! Did you bring us anything?" One of the kids asked in anticipation. That caused the rest of the kids to huddle up and wait. They obviously expected him to bring something, he usually did but because of his sudden break he didn't have the time to do so. Besides, his mind was occupied with other matters.

Elt shook his head. "Sorry Lisia, I wasn't feeling well so I wasn't able to get you anything. Don't worry, next time I'll promise to bring you all back something twice as nice." He stated.

The kids let out groans and sighs, but nodded anyways with a grin. "Ooh… can you like, bring us one of those wooden swords that you have in the barracks?" One of the kids asked.

Elt somewhat grimaced at that, those swords were for all intents and purposes, training. They were meant to be smacked around and they were made to be as heavy as an actual sword. He'll just buy them all wooden swords from the marketplace when he has the time.

"Sure, but only if you all be good alright." He stated as he ruffled the boys head. "Hehe, don't worry about it big bro." He stated.

"Anyways, I need to go talk to Sasha… have you seen her?" He asked. He turned his head to see if there was any sign of her, unfortunately it seems that she wasn't outside.

"Ah… big bro she-" One of the kids, began to say before another one cut them off.

"She's out doing chores, she won't be here for a while." Another cut off. Elt sighed at that, she was disappearing more and more lately. What was going on with her, she was working too much in his opinion.

Then again, so was he. He's only ever in the orphanage once every week so he doesn't have time. Back in the barracks its nothing but training, training and even more training with a slight tinge of missions here and there. Despite the propaganda, the biggest challenge a soldier would ever face is boredom… unless you were stationed under Mersé in which case the biggest challenge you'd face would be surviving her brutal training.

"In that case, I guess I'll look after you all until she comes back. I have the week off so we can play and have fun all we want." He stated to the kids. The rest cheered at that, Elt smiled at their reactions as they spent the day playing whatever they desired.

The Holy City of Salvarison, the seat of the Holy Order of the Ice Flower. Home of the Greatest Knighthood in Lescatie, potentially even the world. Headed by Wilmarina Noscrim, said to be the greatest Hero of her time, and that claim was not without merit.

She has lead countless crusades, fended off invasions, routed entire armies of monsters, all at the tender age of 17. Her accomplishments are many, and her renown was at the point where she had become a figure idolized by many within not just Lescatie but the Order itself.

It wasn't just her either, through her deeds her Order had become one of the most renowned in the nation. Their exploits were recorded in the annals of history, and their achievements would be remembered for centuries to come. But look deep inside into the Order of the Ice Flower, into the knights within, and to Wilmarina herself and you will find a corruption that stained the apparent beauty of the Order.

For lack of a better term, they were used a propaganda material, hounds for the nobility's use, tools to strengthen their grip on the lands and scapegoats should things go awry. It was an organization designed to be pawns for their use.

The leader of the organization was currently walking through the castle that lied at the center of the city. Her face and figure were certainly something to admire. Her blue hair gave her an almost unnatural glow and her clothing did nothing to stop the power and grace that she exuded. This was Wilmarina Noscrim, 'Leader' of the Order of the Ice Flower.

The castle she walked in was her home, the centerpiece of the city built just for her. The prison built just for her. That's what it was, that's what it felt like to her. Her talents weren't fake, she indeed was a girl of great renown but in order to reach this point her father had cut off everything that she loved and cherished. It had gotten to the point where her father had felt comfortable enough to leave her be, unknowing of the desires that laid dormant in her heart.

Even when 'freed' from her father's grip she still couldn't muster herself to speak freely. She had built walls around her, walls even she could not break even if she desperately wanted to. This was most evident when she was reunited with him. The person who her heart clung deeply to and would not let go, her one source of joy in this entire miserable nation. She had the power to do so, to speak with him but she couldn't.

And so she elected to focus on her work, do what's best for humanity and ignoring what made her truly happy for his sake. He couldn't stand next to her, and even if she desperately wanted to she wasn't allowed to lower herself for him. And so she instead elected to protect him, to ensure his safety and happiness even if it meant forsaking her own. That was how much she truly loved him, even if it hurts her all the same.

And so here she was, walking towards the meeting room of the castle in order to speak with her fellow teammates. Even though the organizations purpose was just a ploy, the bonds she built with her comrades were real. Through struggle and hardships did they forge a bond that was almost unbreakable. Still, it can't be denied that the bond they shared were strained by the circumstances that brought them together.

It was the only real respite she had in this kingdom she hated deep in her heart. Right now they were planning to take care of an Amazonian Tribe Terrorizing a village near the outskirts of the nation. Why was she being called for a mission that most would consider trivial for her? Because there was nothing else for her to do, to be honest. It was quiet, some may say too quiet, but quiet nonetheless. There weren't any major attacks, no order crusades planned for her to lead and so she had free time.

Or so it would seem. Whenever she had 'free' time, she was expected to use said 'free' time working.

"-and with that, we should be able to take care of the Amazonians without much casualties to our own." A boy with feminine features stated as he turned to his peers. He was the top strategist in the order, Eva Mystiv. Despite his weak stature his mind was sharper than any blade, unfortunately such a thing didn't get him much respect from his peers.

"As much as I usually agree with Mystiv's strategies, I have to disagree with this one. Just one wrong move and it could end in a catastrophe." Another voice spoke up, doubt in her voice as she looked down at the battlemap.

She had long blonde hair and a stern look in her eyes, her posture was dignified and her form stiff. This was Vermut Rosnair, a knight within the order. She may not have been a true hero, but her discipline and skill with a blade was nothing to scoff at.

"I think it should work pretty well, besides, aren't all plans like that? There's always a risk involved with these things." Another voice called out, another blonde but this time her hair was shoulder length and it resembled that of Wilmarina's.

Unlike the previous knight, her blue eyes were soft, and her form more laxed. This was Luciana Sausure, a simple rabbit farmer who rose through the ranks and became Wilmarina's second in command, not bad for a commoner.

"We also need more manpower for this fight, as renowned as we are this tribe would be too big for us to handle alone." Wilmarina cut in as she looked down at the battle map. "And as skilled as we are, we need knights to reinforce our flanks in case any of them decide to sneak away." She muttered as her eyes narrowed.

"Yeah… that's true, so who should we suggest. 4th brigade's open, so we could use them for this task." Luciana stated as she turned to her peers. Eva's hands made its way to his chin as he thought.

"No, as numerous as they are they aren't suited to this task. No offence to them, but they can get a bit… undisciplined." Eva stated, his eyes turned to Wilmarina as he waited for her input. She was their leader after all.

Wilmarina thought about it, her eyes watching the map below before she spoke up. "What about Dascaros's unit?" She asked. It was a chance for her to meet Elt again, even if it was at a distance. That wasn't the only reason either, Mersé and her own unit were renowned among the nation, not as much as them but their discipline and training made them a force to be reckoned with.

"Lady Mersé's Unit? Well… they certainly are more disciplined that the others but… with their numbers they would barely be able to cover ground." Eva stated as he put in his own input.

Wilmarina was about to cut in and argue but she was cut off by Luciana.

"Oh, is this because of the rumor going around in the capital?" Luciana stated as she turned to Wilmarina.

She blinked, 'Rumor…?' She didn't know what Lucian was talking about, instead of voicing that though she instead opted to use it as another excuse. "I haven't heard of a rumor, can you explain it to us, Lucian?" She asked.

Luciana nodded before she explained.

"Apparently, an Order Knight managed to almost beat Lady Mersé in a duel. Lady Mersé herself denied this, but we can't confirm for sure." She stated as she turned to her peers.

They were surprised, Lady Mersé wasn't exactly a pushover, in-fact she was one of the most powerful heroes the city had ever produced. If a normal knight managed to match her blow for blow then it was something that would certainly spark interest.

Wilmarina herself was surprised, she had dueled Lady Mersé herself and even though she was victorious, it was not an easy battle. If someone managed to match her blow for blow then that person must be of immense skill.

"Are you sure? where did you learn of this rumor?" Vermut asked, her eyes snapping towards Luciana as she cupped her chin and recalled the event.

"I was doing my usual rounds in the capital when I listened in on some gossip. Apparently, someone from Lady Mersé's unit managed to match her in a fight. I was curious so I investigated a bit but I couldn't find out who exactly they were referring to." Luciana muttered, she cupped her chin in thought.

After that incident, the topic had all but moved to the back of her mind until Lady Wilmarina suggested for Lady Mersé to participate.

"I see, so I suppose this is just a way for us to see if the rumors were true… a sort of secondary objective then." Eva muttered to himself. "In that case, I'll edit the strategy accordingly. Until then, you can contact Lady Mersé for her participation, if she refuses then we'll just go along with the original plan." Eva muttered.

There were no complaints, this was a small scale mission so there wasn't much to risk anyway. They alone should be enough, but with Lady Mersé's unit their victory was assured. Still, Wilmarina couldn't help but think… a person who managed to nearly beat Lady Mersé, what kind of knight managed to achieve something like that. '...Could it be?' She thought to herself before she shook her thoughts away.

It was an improbability, a hope built on a rumor that probably wasn't even true. In any case, after the meeting she went off to her office.

Out of everyone, she was the only one who had the authority to talk with Lady Mersé after all. So she would be the one to send the letter asking for her support, and knowing her she would surely agree.

"No, I refuse…" Elt stated with conviction as a green haired woman attempted to bargain with him.

"Elt, I'm fine. I don't need a break, I can take care of you and the kids together." She tried to reassure him but Elt wasn't having it. Especially since the bags under her eyes were practically forming a mascara. She was tired, and she needed rest. Besides, he still had 6 days left for his break.

"Sasha, have you looked at yourself recently? I'm worried about you, you know? I appreciate the work you do but I'm free for the week. I'll take care of the kids, just go get some rest." Elt muttered as he crossed his arms. It was time he did something for her for a change anyways. Sasha sighed but relented, she knew that when he had his mind set on something he won't stop until he achieved it.

Seeing her dejected look, Elt sighed as he gently took her hand into his own.

"Don't worry, your little brother will be here for you so just get some rest, okay?" He stated with a small smile, one that mirrored her own whenever she took care of something for him. His words mirrored her own too, looks like he really was serious about repaying that debt, in that case she'll leave things to him for the week.

"...Alright, Elt. I'll leave things to you. If you need me, I'll be in my room…" She muttered with a yawn as she made her way to her room. Elt looked on as he smiled before he turned to the orphans.

Alright, it was just for a week… and these kids were nice from what he could tell. How hard could it be?

…

Elt wanted to die,

'These kids aren't kids, they're demons from hell. By the Chief God, how in her name did Sasha manage to put up with them for this long?' He thought as he fell on his chair dejected and with bags under his eyes.

It wasn't their fault, they were just kids but damn was this the most difficult thing he's ever done in his life. Even counting his forgotten memories, who knew that taking down a god was a lot easier than caring for more than 30 needy children.

It wasn't all that bad, the kids here were all friendly enough. Some were just a bit more troublesome than usual.

'Why can't they all be like Lisia and Emiyu...' He thought to himself as he pulled his hair up.

Those two were the sweetest little angels as far as he was concerned, they were understanding and they were kind to everyone around them. If only the other kids were like that, it wasn't their fault, Elt knows this because he was and still is one of them.

Still, understanding these kid's situation made things a whole lot easier. But compared to everything else he's done it was quite frankly hard to listen to the needs and wants of 30 kids.

Sasha, bless her for her patience. She forsook a life of luxury within the palace for them all and for that he was eternally grateful. She was too good to him, he didn't know what he did to deserve such kindness. But, that was just how she was to everyone.

"It's… It's been a week, right? I'll be back in the barracks in no time." Elt said as he looked on at the sky only to notice.

'WHAT IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN A DAY!?' He yelled in his mind as he watched the sun still up in the sky.

But he had to be strong, for Sasha and the rest of the kids. With this experience he's even more determined, they were all so peaceful and kind when Sasha was with them, but with her gone it had gotten a lot more difficult. How did she do it? He guessed it was just the big-sister energy she exuded, it calmed the minds of those around her.

Elt had no such energy, if anything his energy was more akin to the kids he was supposed to take care of. That wasn't good, if a small fish in a pond of other small fish tried to command the larger swarm then he would've just been laughed at. He was that fish, he was a very small fish in the pond known as the orphanage and he had no idea how to reel these kids in.

In any case, it was just one day out of 7. He got up as he cracked his knuckles and prepared for the biggest challenge he ever had to face.

A hero's job is never done, indeed.

Mimil Miltie, the prodigal child of Lescatie was for the first time in her life, stumped. After the incident during the spar, she had done what she did best and buried herself deep into her studies. She had her own personal library for herself, and almost any book she requested she would get. With this, she had a treasure trove of information that she could use whenever she so desired, from topics about magic to the political system of each kingdom within the order nations, she was knowledgeable in all those subjects.

And yet, as she read and read she couldn't find anything regarding Elt's condition. At least not with the ones she had with her. While Mimil Miltie had a treasure trove of books to use whenever she so desired, she didn't have access to Every Book. If a book is Considered Heretical or goes against the divine creed of the Chief God, owning it could lead to certain death.

It wasn't just paranoia speaking, some of those books really were cursed and reading it could result in monsterization. She had to be cautious with these types of things, and so she decided to start out with books she knew were safe. She cleared book after book, reading its entire contents before she threw one of them in frustration.

None of it was giving her the answers she desired, and she knew that continuing on like this would only lead to more frustration. And so, she decided to take a short break, the sacred parfait would be nice, and so she got up and went off to get her 'Sacred Parfait'.

…

Mimil Miltie sat on one of the tables, spoon in hand as she ate her 'Sacred Parfait' with a smile on her face. It was something she desperately needed, especially when her head was wracked with frustration from all the books that gave her no information to work with. She sighed as she did, it didn't seem like Elt's affliction was anything malignant, but since it was an unknown she needed to investigate it. The worst diseases don't reveal themselves until its too late, after all. Better to be safe than sorry, but how could she be safe when she had nothing to go off on.

"...I'd like to have the sacred parfait, please." A voice rang out from the store she currently ate in. her head turned to the source before her brow perked in curtiousity. It was a boy around her age, with pitch black hair and blue eyes. On his own, he wasn't very special but what caught her attention were the piles of books in his hand.

'Astrology Books?' She thought to herself, and those books that he held weren't exactly for beginners either. Rather, they were for those who had mastered the craft of Astrology. She's read the book herself, and even she couldn't wrap her mind around the concepts it presented. It barely did anything to help in her magical studies anyways so she elected to ignore it.

'Maybe he's just carrying it for someone…' She muttered before she watched as he began to read the book himself. That surprised her, could it be… was he just like her? The thought rang through her mind but she shook it away. She wouldn't let herself get excited over this prospect, but it would be nice if she had someone who could understand how she felt about the world.

Ignoring her desires to watch from a distance, she decided to approach the boy, if not to be a friend then to at least learn the contents of the book he's reading.

"Ahem, Excuse me?" She muttered. The boy looked up in confusion as he turned his head around to find the source of the noise only to stop at Mimil.

"Yes, may I help you?" He asked. His blue eyes turned to her, and when Mimil saw it she couldn't help but compare it to the moon for some reason. There was just something… strange about it. He didn't feel like a monster either, so she wasn't sure what it was.

"I couldn't help but notice that you were reading an Astrology book." She stated.

"...Yes… is that so strange?" He asked, tilting his head as he did. The boy seemingly couldn't understand her words. Was reading so strange in this place? He thought that this was one of the books that was allowed in this kingdom.

"No, No, it's just that I couldn't wrap my head around the concepts and all that. So I was wondering if you could help me with it?" She asked. Her hands fidgeted as she did, she wasn't used to casual conversations outside of Elt.

"Ah, so you've noticed then. Indeed, this book is not one for the ill of mind. I suppose it's understandable why you would not be able to understand it." He stated with a nod.

A vein popped in Mimil's head as she processed his words. Even after a while she still couldn't fully process it, and so her words and tone did not match with her intent.

"Eh… what did you just say? Are you calling me stupid?" She asked. She never felt this insulted since that time Elt treated her like a child. She was hailed as a prodigy, a genius in her craft so being called stupid by someone in such a roundabout way wasn't something she was particularly used to.

"Well… that's a somewhat crude and negative way to put it. It's simply a fact that most would not be able to understand the concepts that lay within this book… in fact, not a lot of people have…" The boy muttered as he cupped his chin. He seemingly had no idea that he just insulted her, which somehow made it even worse in Mimil's opinion.

"Do-Do you know who I am?" She asked, controlling her anger as she looked on at the boy. The boy looked at her straight in the eyes, scrutinizing her appearance as she waited for an answer.

"No, am I supposed to?" He asked with a head tilt. With that, Mimil's veins popped again…

"Mimil Miltie, does that ring a bell? Do you know who that is?" She asked, once more did the boy tilt his head as he processed her words. Once again, he spoke in the same tone with the same words he said last time.

"No, am I supposed to?" He muttered once again.

"Wha-... Have you been living under a rock your entire life!?" She asked with a huff as he cupped his chin in thought.

"...In a way... yes?" He muttered, though it looked like he himself wasn't so sure of his answer.

'What? what does that mean?' she thought to herself before she shook her head.

"Still, that does not change my stance. This book is not for simple children and so I doubt you'd be able to even understand the concepts behind it." He told her.

At this point she wanted to cry. She was being treated like a child… by another child. This was a lot more insulting that when Elt did it.

"Stop treating me like a kid when you're one yourself!" She yelled at him.

"I said simple children, as you can see I am no mere child." he stated.

The banter continued on, it was an amusing sight to most of the patrons within the store. The too continued on back and forth, spewing childish insults and names at one another in a roundabout manner.

Realizing that she wasn't going to step down unless he did as she wanted, he sighed before he turned to her and speak.

"But...If you really wish to learn… then, okay… sit down right here, I'll try to explain the concepts to you." He stated. Reluctantly, Mimil did as she was told and sat down after she grabbed her own parfait from her table before she did.

And so the next few hours were spent with the boy explaining the concepts to her. She found it to be extremely intriguing, It wasn't just an explanation of the stars, but there was a more philosophical side to it to. How the stars hold power beyond what they could imagine, how its power and might was theorized to have fueled a magic long forgotten. Of course, to her this was nothing more than myth… an intriguing one but myth nonetheless, still she enjoyed hearing of the concepts and she took note that she would take another look at these books in her spare time.

"-And that's about it for chapter 1, any questions?" He asked as he turned to her.

"Hmm…" Mimil thought to herself before she spoke up. "Just one, you said that it was theorized that the stars could lead you to what you wish to know, how so?" She asked. When she first listened to it, it was nothing more than philosophical jargon to her. But the more he explained, the more she was intrigued.

"No one truly knows, but… personally, I believe that the Cosmos always has an answer for us all. Whether its as simple as where you left your coat, or the answer to life itself." The boy stated before he turned to Mimil.

"You are looking for something, are you not?" He asked.

Mimil's eyes widened at that, 'How did he-'. As if he seemingly read her mind, the boy spoke up to answer her.

"Out of all the questions you asked me, you decided to ask about a theoretical idea on how the stars may know of an answer to any question. Perhaps the stars lead you to me on this fine day just for me to aid you, nevertheless I suppose this is a lesson for both you and I. We learn a lot faster if we had someone teach us a concept rather than learning it from a book." He stated.

"I-Yeah, you're right. It's just, a friend of mine might be suffering from something… I don't know what it is…" Mimil confessed. Making sure not to reveal too much of anything to the boy.

The boy pondered her situation, he cupped his chin and tilted his head as he thought. When a though hit him, he snapped his fingers before he turned to Mimil to offer her a deal.

"In that case, Mimil Miltie, I offer you an accord." He stated as his blue eyes turned to her. She was a bit surprised, she looked on at him as she waited for his offer.

"You see, the magic of this… place is somewhat foreign to me. I wish to learn the concepts so that I may deepen my understanding of the world." He told her as he looked on at her eyes.

"It's quite simple, I shall teach you more of the concepts in this book and the other volumes I own. and in exchange you shall teach me how the arcane works in this place. Knowledge for Knowledge, do we have a deal?" He asked her as he outstretched his hand for a shake.

She turned to him before she processed it. She didn't have a lot of options left barring the heretical books that would've been too risky for her. As such, the only one other topic that could help her in her search would be astrology. As strange as that may sound, the concepts he introduced intrigued her too much to simply say no.

Besides, she always wanted an apprentice.

"Deal, but just for the record… I'll be the master here and you'll be the apprentice since I'll be the one teaching you magic." She stated with a small grin. The boy just sighed before he smiled again.

"In that case, it is a pleasure to study under you, master." He stated.

Mimil nodded at that, was it smart to make some random stranger she didn't know become her apprentice? No, absolutely not. But she felt that there was something more to him than his strange affinity towards astrology. Besides, to her this is the only way she'd be able to interact with someone her age casually without the College or the Nobles breathing down her neck.

Even now, she was desperate to have a human connection outside of just Elt and the other heroes.

"Oh yeah... I haven't gotten your name yet, what is it?" She asked.

The boy seemingly thought about it, he cupped his chin before he spoke up. "You can refer to me as Lucas."

Author's Note:

And so that wraps up the second chapter of this story. I was actually originally gonna have Sasha be the one to look after Elt, but then I remembered that most MGE fics don't even feature Primera and I wanted to at least give her a moment with Elt and so this little scene was created.

As for the Harem Situation for Elt, it's still up in the air but there is one pairing that's guaranteed to happen. Mostly because I feel like these two would fit the best together out of everyone. You can kind of guess who it is, but I won't reveal it so soon.

As for Lucas, you can probably already guess what his deal is from his name alone. That being said, it won't become relevant for a while but I felt the need to set it up early. He'll be a sort of a recurring character and first OC for this fic... well... sort of an OC, you'll understand why later. I'll try to minimize the amount of OCs in the first few chapters so that I can develop the existing cast. Though aside from Elt, Lucas would be the first real gateway from MGE to the Lands Between.

Anyways, I did not expect this fic to blow up like it did. I just wanna say that thanks for all the support and I'll try my best to keep this story interesting. As always, criticism would be much appreciated and if you have any complaints just leave it in the review.

Whamo, Out!