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 3: Turning Fate

Mersé Dascaros's day could've been better. Even without Elt here, her daily routine hadn't changed, everyday she trained her men until their legs collapsed, every day they improved just a little bit for them to be satisfied with their progress. Not much has happened during the incident, the rumors died down and it seemed as though Elt's sudden burst in skill would be left unnoticed by the higher-ups. She even thought that perhaps that little stunt of his was nothing more than a fluke, or so she had thought, anyways.

It wasn't until a letter arrived with her name on it bearing the seal of the Holy Order of the Ice Flower did she realize how screwed they may be. The Order of the Ice Flower was the direct arm of the most powerful man in the country. And while she didn't doubt the fact that Wilmarina would never do anything that would hurt Elt in any way shape or form, her father was a different story.

"...There's no getting out of this, is there?" She muttered rhetorically. They were screwed, that much she could tell. It would be preferable if Elt stayed on a break until the mission was over but seeing as how his break is nearly done, an extension would only refuel the rumors.

In search of her next move, she opened the documents to read the contents. 'Alright, a small Amazonian tribe in the outskirts of the country… shouldn't be too hard, so why are they asking us then?' She thought to herself. Out of everyone, the Order of the Ice Flower should've been more than enough to deal with this threat. Why would they need her unit to deal with this? They've never even fought monsters before. Most of their missions had been patrols or acting as escorts.

Whenever they did encounter monsters, it was her who dealt with the monsters most of the time. They should've known this, and yet they wanted her unit to handle it. This just made her more suspicious of them, there was no way that there wasn't some ulterior motive to this.

'But… if it's just to guard the village, then it should be fine to leave Elt with the unit. The Order of the Ice-Flower should be enough for the assault on the tribe, Elt can stay in the village with half of my forces to guard it.' Mersé thought to herself.

Refusing it wasn't such a good idea either, not only would they make the rumors seem more likely, but disobeying the direct arm of Priest Noscrim's Order would be political suicide. And while she herself never cared for her reputation, her unit's reputation would've been practically blacklisted should she come under fire.

Despite this, Wilmarina didn't have control of her unit, she did. As far as status goes, they were relatively equal at least officially. Though, her reputation far exceeded anyone within the nation. In that case, she has the final say on how her unit would be implemented.

Besides, this way her unit can finally know what it's like to face the lecherous allure of monsterkind.

She just hoped that Elt wouldn't get himself in trouble.

Alas, Fate would have other plans for her and the rest of her unit.

It was over, finally… the week-long 'break' from his job was done and he was happy to return back to his station. He packed up his things, which mostly just included some books, clothes, and food for him to eat. He was poor but he didn't mind, the life in the barracks was already pretty lively and so he had no complaints on the matter.

He looked over at the kids he had to take care of before he gave a tired smile. In the end, he couldn't hate these little rascals. They were too precious to hate and too young to understand anything. It didn't change the fact that taking care of them all made him want to bash his head against the wall but as he said, they weren't at fault.

"So, I guess I'll be seeing you next week then, Elt?" A kind voice asked from the doorframe of his room. It belonged to a woman with green hair and kind eyes. After a week's long rest she looked far better than she did before. The bags under her eyes had faded but her smile remained as sweet and kind as it was.

Elt smiled at that, he also felt guilty for her. She had to put up with him for all these years after all, even though they were the same age. She wanted to help them financially, it was one of the reasons he took up a job as a soldier. Another reason was for a chance for him to see her again.

Alas, the reality is often more disappointing than it seemed and though he was reunited with her physically, in truth he never felt as distant from her.

In any case, his one-week stay here in the orphanage had given him a greater appreciation of his adoptive sister. He didn't deserve her kindness, in fact, he didn't think that anyone could. She was too good for this world, a world that was already beautiful in his eyes.

"Yeah, I'll try to bring home gifts next time… and Sasha, please… don't push yourself too much." He begged of her as he finished packing his things.

"You don't need to worry about me, Elt. I'll be fine, just worry about yourself, alright?" She stated with her usual kind smile.

Placing the sack behind his back, he walked toward her before he gave her a hug. One that surprised Sasha to her core as her face flushed at the act.

"Elt, Wha-What are you doing?" She stuttered out, a flush on her face as she spoke.

"Thanking my caretaker for putting up with a useless guy like me for all these years, you're too good for me, Sasha." He stated as he pulled away.

At that did Sasha smile at him, placing a hand on his cheek she spoke up in a tone that befitted her kind nature. "No need to do that Elt, I'll always be here when you need me. Now go on, you don't want to keep Lady Mersé waiting now, do you?" She asked as she turned to her adoptive brother with a smile.

"Of course, in that case… I'll be off then, I'll see you in a week!" Elt stated as he left the orphanage with a wave. Sasha waved back and watched on as Elt's figure got smaller and smaller. When he was finally gone, she heaved out a heavy sigh.

"No, Elt… You're too good for a cruel woman like me… " She muttered softly, sorrow in her voice as she turned her head towards the towering castle at the center of the city. Her eyes narrowed at the sight.

'Elt's suffering was because of this kingdom… I need to change it so that no one would ever suffer like him again…' She thought to herself as she closed the door and went into her chamber.

That night, the clock that spelled Lescatie's destruction ticked but once.

Or so it should have. The stage had changed, and the actors' roles shifted. The fate of Lescatie itself has become unknown. All due to the simple desire of a boy who wished to return home.

Time will only tell where this would lead us.

When Elt returned to the barracks he was surprised to see that everyone was packing up for a deployment. Curious as he was, he walked through the hallways as soldiers scrambled to get their gear and supplies together.

Elt looked around and moved to one of the soldiers and tapped on his shoulder to get their attention. The soldier turned to face Elt, his eyes looking straight at him waiting for a response.

"Hey, uh… what's going on here?" Elt asked. Obviously, it was a deployment, but he wasn't informed of this beforehand. Usually, when he was being deployed after a break he would get a heads up from Lady Mersé.

The soldier looked on at Elt in surprise before he spoke up.

"We're being deployed to reinforce an Order attack on an amazonian tribe conducted by the Order of the Ice-Flower. The best part is that Lady Wilmarina is personally leading it." The man stated excitement in his voice as he spoke.

That much was to be expected, Wilmarina Noscrim is considered to be the greatest of all the Order Heroes. Her fame has gotten to the point where her mere touch could bring people to tears… Elt had mixed feelings about that last fact.

"Ah… Ma- Lady- Lady Wilmarina's gonna be there… that's… that's great." Elt awkwardly stuttered out as his gaze turned to the corner.

'Not Great! Not Great At All!' Elt internally screamed.

He had mixed feelings about this fact. On one hand, not only is she a hero of great renown whose power lies far beyond what most could ever achieve, but she's also his childhood friend he grew to love. On the other hand, she was his childhood friend that he grew to love, just seeing her makes his heart ache especially knowing that he never had a chance to be with her, to begin with.

The only time he ever spoke to her, she treated him like just another soldier. She didn't even call him by his nickname, hell she didn't even call him by his real name. That one interaction had all but shattered his heart, and it told him that she forgot all about him. She moved on it seems, and even as he tried to do the same, the thought pained him to his core.

He clutched the frilly handkerchief in his pockets, even after all this time he had never forgotten that promise they had. It was strange, he felt more oddly connected to the handkerchief now than he had ever before. It was as if it saved him from falling into despair when he needed the motivation to go on.

If only he knew the true context behind the feelings he felt towards it and his childhood friends.

"What's with that reaction, I see. You're speechless that someone like her would be going with people like us. That's understandable Elt, let's just relish in this luck we've been given." The soldier started with a grin as he patted Elt's shoulder a few times.

Somehow, his words made him feel even worse. So he just gave a small pained smile as he excused himself. He was a part of this unit, meaning that he'd have to do his part. His emotions needed to be cast aside so he can do his duty as a soldier. Besides, he doubted that he'd even be able to interact with her this trip.

As he reached his station he was stopped by a tall scarred woman with a halberd in her hand. She looked at him with a serious expression, one that made him a tiny bit nervous, did he do something wrong?

"Elt, I need to talk to you for a minute. Is that alright?" She asked, her lone eye watching his form as she waited for his answer. Once he gave her that look, she knew what his answer would be.

"Uh, alright. Sure… what do you need?" He asked. His face then turned to utter confusion when she grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the barracks. She made sure to watch for the rest of the soldiers, making sure none of them caught her moving Elt to the training yard.

"Wait- Mersé-Mmmph!" Elt tried to say only for her to place her hand over his mouth. She continued on her movement, ignoring Elt's muffled questions and shouts as she did. Only when she reached the training yard did she finally let him go.

Elt caught his breath, breathing heavily as he relished in the uninterrupted intake of oxygen. Once he had calmed down he turned to Mersé before he yelled out.

"What was that for!? If you wanted me to come here, you could've just asked you know." He muttered, still slightly dazed from what just happened before he shook his head.

"Had to make sure no one saw us," Mersé stated with a shrug. Elt just sighed at that, chalking it off as one of his captain's odd quirks.

"Anyways, what do you need from me? And why did we have to be here?" Elt asked.

Mersé said nothing, only grabbing a shortsword from the weapons rack before she tossed it to him. He widened his eyes, he was about to all her what she was doing when the blade was tossed at him, he instinctively caught the weapon in response. One of his brows rose as she did, he then looked on at the blade for a split second before he noticed the glint of another blade, specifically a halberd.

Before he even had a chance to process it, Mersé charged forward with all her might, using the blessings of the Chief God to their limit. Elt looked on with wide eyes as his body moved and he caught the halberd with his blade and he moved it away from her.

"Mersé! What are you-!" he didn't get to finish that question as his superior continued on with her onslaught, launching a barrage of swings and thrusts which Elt parried blow for blow.

He grits his teeth as he did, this wasn't a spar, these weapons were real. Was she trying to kill him!? As the assault continued and Elt stood on the defensive did his mind shift the images he saw into something else. Once more was Mersé's figure replaced but instead of the Golden Knight, it was instead a Wretched Horned Creature with a large wooden cane.

This time his mind didn't go into auto-pilot, Elt consciously moved as he did before. But this time his mind was automatically processing his next moves as if on instinct was he predicting Mersé's attacks and parrying it with his blade. If he wanted to win this fight, he had to take her seriously and to do that he had to treat her as an enemy from the land he had long forgotten.

And so he did, instead of parrying her next swing did he roll under it before he attempted to strike at her back which she then intercepted with her halberd, moving its long frame to her back to block the incoming strike before launching a roundhouse kick at Elt who only managed to duck by a hair's breadth.

The two continued on with their respective attacks. Swing by swing, parry by parry, both fighters were receiving cuts by the end of it. Minor ones, but cuts nonetheless. In any case… both fighters wanted to end it and so without warning did they both come in for the killing blow. Mersé took her distance before she thrust the halberd towards her opponent, Elt dodged, but his cheek was scratched by the blade causing it to bleed. In response, Elt thrust his own sword forward which caused Mersé to do the same, dodging by a breath and grazing her chin slightly.

Using this opportunity, Mersé attempted to knock Elt down and managed to mostly succeed, getting him down on his knees with her halberd's blade pointed at his neck. The speed of this one move caused the air around them to burst outwards, moving dust and particles around the place.

The only thing that stopped her from claiming true victory was the blade that was only an inch away from her own neck. Both combatants breathed heavily, exhausted by the fight as Mersé stepped away and wiped the sweat forming on her brow.

"As I thought, it wasn't a fluke." She muttered as she stabbed the halberd into the ground and placed a hand on her hips. Elt looked at her, he too was panting heavily and that statement caused him to deadpan at her.

"You did that… so you could prove that what happened back during the spar wasn't a fluke!?" He asked incredulously before he collapsed on the ground, both due to exhaustion and his confusion at the whole affair.

"Yeah, I wanted to make sure since I might've been worrying over nothing." She muttered before her lone eye turned to Elt.

"Even you should've noticed that what you just did now wasn't natural," she stated with a stern tone as she crossed her arms.

Back then she was holding back, fighting not to kill but to subdue. This little scuffle they had however wasn't one, she was serious and she was prepared to injure her favorite soldier just to prove it. She wasn't gonna kill him though, she had high-grade healing potions at the ready which could patch up even the most fatal wounds.

That being said, what he did was nothing a normal human should've been able to do. He moved with a speed that no normal human should've been able to accomplish. His strikes managed to have the same force as that of a hero's. It was absurd and yet it happened right in front of her.

Most glaring of all was his battle prowess. Strength and speed were all superficials in a real fight. Even if your opponent is statistically stronger and faster it doesn't mean that victory would be assured. There were various other factors that could swing a battle in either direction. One of those traits being experience, if all Elt had in him was his newfound strength and speed then she would've mopped the floor with him with ease.

But that's not what happened, for all intents and purposes Elt knew how to fight on a level that no normal human should know. His ability to predict her next move was something that only hardened veterans would've been able to do, his tactics and strategies weren't just made up on the spot but something that he seemingly had tried and tested.

This confused her because, for all intents and purposes, Elt has never been into a real fight before. Mimil was right, Elt wasn't just being favored, there was something far deeper that was going on.

Elt thought about it as she spoke. She was right of course, he matched a hero blow for blow and he didn't even have the blessing of the chief god. Usually, an achievement like this would be cause for celebration, but this coupled with the strange dreams and visions made him slightly anxious. There was something he was missing, something important that he seemingly forgot but he just couldn't put a finger on it.

"You're… right…" He muttered as he turned his blue eyes towards her. He couldn't exactly deny it, Elt was many things but he wasn't an idiot… well… most of the time anyway.

He pondered on whether he should tell her about the dreams, seeing as how she already knew that something was off he decided to spill the beans. He slowly got up and dusted his shirt and pants. He fixed his red hair and turned to Mersé before he spoke up. Clutching one arm with the other, he paused before he decided to speak.

"Merse… I… I've been having dreams, visions…" he confessed. That seemed to have perked her interest as she stared intently at him. Her brow rose at the thought as she gestured for him to continue.

"I'm not sure how to explain them, They didn't feel like normal dreams… it felt… real… for lack of a better term," Elt stated. He didn't know how to fully explain without him sounding insane. Especially when all that had to go on are Giant Golden Trees, Golden Knights, a weird… horned looking guy, and a girl with pinkish hair.

Mersé was about to say something only to pause when her gaze turned to the barracks. They were supposed to move with the Order of the Ice-Flower and from the sounds of the trumpets, they just arrived. She turned to Elt before she spoke up, this conversation had to continue but they had to do it after the mission.

"Looks like they arrived, we'll continue this talk later, Elt. Just a few things first… don't treat these as requests by the way. These are orders from me, got it?" Mersé stated which caused Elt to give a small nod. Afterward, she continued…

"First, as counterproductive as this may sound… you need to hide your newfound strength from other people, alright? Try to avoid combat, and if for some reason you're forced to fight: try to hold back." She ordered as she waited for his answer. He perked his brow at this, he was about to open his mouth to protest but the look on her face prevented any such action. And so, all he could respond with was a swift nod.

"Secondly, don't tell anyone but me and Mimil about the dreams you're having. Doing so might get you into more trouble than it's worth." She asked him. He tilted his head at this, obviously surprised that Mimil knew about it. Before he could ask the question she cut him off.

"Yes, Mimil knows about it. In fact, she was the one who discovered that something was off about you." She stated which again, caused him to swiftly nod.

"Third and final order, get a journal and start writing everything you can remember about the dreams. This could help us piece together what exactly is going on." She stated, Elt once again nodded before she too nodded at him. He had a spare book with him that he used to take notes, it mostly just held lists, personal things, and notes on his form and what to improve on in combat.

In hindsight, he probably should've been taking notes on what was happening to him. Nevertheless, better late than never he supposed.

"In that case, you're dismissed. Pack your things, we'll be leaving soon. When you're done, come meet me at the front." Mersé ordered.

Elt nodded, but as he did he then processed her words. Wait... at the front? That would mean that he would have to meet with...

"Wait… with them? With Lady Wilmarina?" He asked with a raised brow.

Mersé's lone eye rose at that before she fought a smirk from coming into her mouth. It was no secret that Elt had a crush on Wilmarina, then again, everyone in her unit had a crush on her. But Elt's feelings felt… deeper. She didn't understand love nor did she desire to, but even she could tell the difference between a simple crush and a deeper romantic feeling.

"Relax, I'm putting you in charge of defending the village so technically… you're my second-in-command," Mersé explained with a grin, Elt was obviously confused by this.

"I thought that I was supposed to go low profile, isn't making me the second-in-command kind of going against your orders?" He asked. With that did Mersé shrug before she gave out her explanation.

"No, my orders were for you to not show people that you're basically at the level of a high-tier Hero. You don't need to be a hero to be a good commander, Elt." She explained with a grin as she patted his shoulder playfully.

Elt couldn't exactly deny that… still, that would mean that there was a chance that he would be riding next to Wilmarina for the journey to the outskirts. And knowing the size of the nation it could very well take days. He had mixed feelings about this fact.

"I-... Alright." Elt relented, and Mersé ruffled his hair before she spoke up.

"Attaboy." She muttered with a smile.

Elt didn't really have a lot to pack, it was just a few books, some coins, clothes, and his weapons and armor. That was to be expected, after all he was nothing more than a commoner so he didn't have a lot of belongings to begin with. Despite that, Elt felt like he was carrying the world on his back due to the weight of what he was expected to do. It should've been easy, he didn't even have to speak with her during the trip and assuming that he was to ride with his unit then he didn't even need to get close to her. But somehow that made him feel even worse.

And so here he stood, standing next to Mersé with his bag on his back and his eyes on the figure in front of him. She was even more beautiful up close, her skin was without flaw, her hair glistened under the sunlight, her posture and stance were laced with dignity and grace, and her eyes were as blue as diamonds. And then there was him, old dusty clothes, hair was dirty from the spar, his skin had cuts and scars and his face was marred by both sand and dust.

He turned to the rest of the army. Looking at them, the disparity between The Order of The Ice-Flower and his own unit was absurd. Their clothes were pristine, high-quality, and extravagant to look at. And his unit wore whatever they could find in the barracks be it a tattered gambeson or a rusty old chest plate. They weren't as well supplied but they didn't have to be. Their purpose was to simply guard the village while they attacked the tribe.

He turned back to his group, to both Wilmarina and Mersé before he waited.

As customs went, he wasn't allowed to speak unless spoken to or allowed to by his commanding officer.

"Long time no see, Lady Wilmarina." Mersé stated with a casual tone as she gave a small wave and bow. Wilmarina looked on before she gave a small soft smile before she spoke.

As Elt looked on, he could've sworn that her eyes moved to him for just a split second before it moved back to Lady Mersé. His eyes continued to look on at the two as they conversed, placing his personal feelings in the back of his mind for the coming mission.

"Likewise, Lady Mersé. I see that you've chosen your commander for this mission." She stated as she turned to Elt.

Elt nodded in response, but as Elt stared into her eyes he couldn't help but feel that there was something more beneath them that she was burying. His eyes wandered around, trying to see if he had anything on him.

He was rudely interrupted when Mersé suddenly pulled him towards her with one arm causing her two mountains to press on his back. This understandably caused his face to turn as red as his hair.

"Yep, this is Elt. He'll be commanding the troops stationed to protect the village. Say hello, Elt." She started with a grin.

'Mersé! What are you doing!?' Elt internally yelled out. This was embarrassing to say the least, he then turned to Wilmarina in order to greet her but paused. 'Did… did her eyes just twitch? No… I must've been seeing things.' Elt thought to himself as he gave his introduction.

"I-it's an honor to be here, Lady Wilmarina… I look forward to working with you…" He tried to speak. As he looked on at her he watched as she her lip pursed when he called her by her name. Odd, it wasn't something he could understand, but the image burnt itself into the back of his mind.

He was just a common soldier and she was a Hero, The Hero. Said to be the greatest of them all in Lescatie, there was simply no way he could contend. He wasn't fit to stand next to her, and so this little interaction was a painful experience for the both of them.

Unfortunately for the two of them, Mersé managed to put one and two together. Her twitching eyes, her pursed lips, the slight clenching of her fists all pointed to one thing, Jealousy. Mersé grinned, she was definitely gonna hold this over them both for a long time. But still, this fact surprised her out of everything. The feelings the two had for each other were mutual, the sad truth is that no matter what they'll never truly be able to be together.

It made her feel guilty, Elt now had the capabilities to stand next to her but she was denying him that chance for his own safety. It couldn't be helped, she valued his livelihood, and letting his power go public wouldn't end well for him.

"L-Likewise… Commander Elt… I also look forward to working with you." She started causing Elt to wince. Looks like being called that by her wasn't exactly something he enjoyed hearing. Nevertheless, he nodded all the same. He chalked off her stuttering to the embarrassing display Lady Mersé put him through.

"Well then, if nothing else then there's no time to waste. Elt, I'll let you ride at the front with Wilmarina. If you need me I'll be leading the troops at the back. I'll see you at camp, bye!" Mersé stated with a wink and a grin as she left for her unit.

Unlike the Order of the Ice Flower, Mersé's unit would be following behind and as such it was customary for the second-in-command to lead those troops while the heroes rode with one another at the front.

But this time it looked like Mersé wanted to change things up. Elt didn't know whether to thank her or to cry. Maybe both…

She was a cruel woman sometimes, forcing him to drink with her and exploiting his inability to say no when he didn't want to. That was just unfair, but not that he could complain because it was mostly him at fault when it came to these things. He really needed to learn how to say no, or else he might get himself into some deep trouble.

Wilmarina however looked on as Mersé went off to command her unit. Turning to Elt, she gave him a soft smile that made his heart skip a beat before she offered him her hand.

"Well then, shall we?" She asked, a smile on her lips and eyes staring straight into his own. Much like before her form shifted to that of an unfamiliar witch with blue skin and eyes like the moonlight. Instead of feeling apprehension and a sense of survival like before, he felt more at ease than anything. At that, all sense of nervousness from him had disappeared, he gave her his own smile, one ripped straight from their childhood as he gently took her hand. This caused her face to slightly flush.

"We shall." He stated with a smile, with that, she led him to the front of the army. The two got on their horses as their combined might trotted off into their mission.

Elt looked on at his surroundings as he relaxed on his horse's back. This felt… oddly familiar. Scratching his steed's head he turned forward as he trotted along a cobblestone path with a company of armed knights following behind.

"Do you mind if I call you Torrent?" He whispered towards his Horse. As expected, his horse didn't give him a reply except for a small huff, so he simply sat there and looked on at the road ahead.

He didn't even know where that word came from. He never even had a horse, he was too poor to even rent one. Still, he couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity riding along the countryside. He looked around and saw that the world outside of the capital felt a lot less constricting. The air was fresh, the houses didn't block the sky and the green forests around him were a welcome sight indeed.

His gaze turned to his side, there he saw the face of his childhood friend trotting along with him. She was right next to him and it still felt like she was miles away. She never turned to look at him after their interaction back at the barracks, her focus was on the road.

She looked a little stiffer than usual, though. He could've sworn that she moved more gracefully from a distance. He guessed that it was simply a matter of perspective.

It was to be expected, it's been around a decade after all and so it was likely that she forgot. He was just a servant back then anyways, even before there was already a disparity in their ranks. Still, their child selves never cared or more accurately never understood the meaning of it all.

"I'll lend you this, El… until I give yours back. We'll trade."

His gaze wandered to his pocket. In it was her handkerchief, the one he kept close to him for all these years. Even if she forgot, he never did. This promise they made when they were separated needed to be fulfilled, and Elt saw no better time than now.

After all, this could very well be the last time they see each other this closely. And so he rummaged through his pockets as he picked up a certain handkerchief. Even after all these years it still looked as expensive and elegant as ever. No cent was definitely spared for something so trivial. And yet no amount of money in the world could match how much he valued it.

Perhaps this was the one thing he needed to finally move on. With this, their last promise would be fulfilled and they can go their separate ways.

He smiled, a bittersweet one at the thought. He'll finally move on from her, the weight in his heart could finally be let go after this.

"Lady Wilmarina." He stated. That got her attention, her face turned to her as she looked on in anticipation.

"How may I help you, Commander?" She asked. He winced once again.

He didn't want her to call him that. But he didn't argue against it. Their relationship was nothing more than a professional one at this point and trying to bridge it would've been pointless in his eyes. A sad thought, but that's just how it was. You fall in love, you get heartbroken, and you move on. He hoped he could finally do the latter after this. It was a natural phase in the life of an adolescent like himself, clinging to childhood flings like this could be bad for him especially if he never had a chance, to begin with.

He took in a deep breath, keeping it in his lungs before he let it all out. His other hand was shaking, he didn't know whether or not this was such a good idea. Even if she forgot, he didn't want her to think of him any negatively. But... for his mind's sake and perhaps her's too, he decided to just do it. Mimil always pointed out the fact that he acted before he thought and that fact bit him in the ass multiple times.

But it also served him on multiple occasions, it was one of his best and worst qualities. He took a deep breath and sighed, no going back now.

He held out a frilly handkerchief towards her.

Wilmarina's eyes noticeably widened when she saw it. Misinterpreting it as confusion, Elt decided to explain.

"When we were kids, you and I exchanged handkerchiefs when we were younger before we were separated. We promised to exchange them the next time we were reunited. I… know it's weird that I held onto it for this long just for the sake of a childhood promise that you probably don't even remember but… I don't know, it's important to me." He explained.

He scratched his cheek with his other hand as a blush came to his face. It was embarrassing, if she didn't even remember it then he probably would've died of embarrassment. But... something in his mind told him that this was something he had to do, for him to finally find some closure.

Wilmarina held her hand out and she hesitated. She stared at his blue eyes before her own moved towards the handkerchief.

Gently, she picked it up and stared at it. With that, his promise was fulfilled and it only took him over a decade.

Elt let out a heavy sigh he's been keeping in his lungs. Hopefully, he could finally move on after this, she probably didn't even remember the promise so it might've been awkward for her.

He took note to apologize to her after this, he probably shouldn't have put her on the spot even if it was for a childhood promise.

"You remembered…" a soft voice stated. His eyes turned to Wilmarina, her hand gently holding the handkerchief that belonged to her.

His eyes widened and his body froze. He paused there for a few seconds as he processed what she had just stated. When it finally dawned on him, he didn't know how to feel.

'Wait… she remembered that promise?' Elt thought to himself. It's almost been a decade, has it not? How could she remember something like that? She didn't acknowledge him at all during the times they met before, so he just thought that she forgot. He took in a deep breath, processing what he should do next before he decided to speak up.

"I mean… yeah, why wouldn't I? It helped me through a lot of tough times." He confessed.

He was about to turn back to the road, continuing on with the ride with satisfaction at his now fulfilled promise.

But before he could turn his head, he had noticed something that caused him to widen his eyes.

'She… she's crying…' He thought to himself. It was almost unnoticeable. But his eyes saw the wetness of her eyes and the almost unnoticeable streams on her beautiful face.

Out of all the outcomes, he didn't expect her to cry. Now he was worried, had he insulted her in some way shape or form? He didn't want to hurt his childhood friend in any way, even if she didn't remember the promise they made before they were even 10. Quickly, he tried to think of a way to cheer her up.

"Uh- if you don't want it you don't have to accept it, haha… I didn't mean to offend you in any way… uh-" Elt stuttered as he tried to think of something to say only to be stopped by Wilmarina.

She held the handkerchief to her chest before she looked at Elt.

"Elt… I'm glad." She stated with a smile, a true one this time. One that would've fluttered the hearts of anyone who saw it, Elt included.

He looked on at the sight, a stun look on his face as he tried to process what he just saw.

Seeing no other way to proceed, he smiled back. It was something he hasn't seen from her ever since he first saw her again as a hero. A genuine smile, it made him realize how lonely she must've felt. If such a simple act as what he did cause her to smile so genuinely, then how much has she suffered behind that heroic look of hers?

It was a realization that hit him like a truck, his childhood friend, his best friend from a long time ago was suffering and he didn't even notice. He was ashamed of himself for it, but he knew that there was little he could've actually done.

If he approached her in any way, it might just make things worse for her. Along with that, it could also negatively affect the others around him. His unit's reputation could sink with his, they could be blacklisted the same way his parents were and forced to live in poverty and suffer the same way he and his parents did.

The Aristocracy could be cruel, he should know he's been a victim of their cruelty before. When he was cast out of Priest Noscrim's service and forced to eat scraps and whatever his parents could scavenge from the streets before their untimely deaths. It was an experience that shaped who he was, but an experience that he would not wish on anyone.

Plus, he was dealing with his own problems. Problems that he didn't want to involve her in. It'd just add to the stress the poor girl must've felt.

It was a dilemma that he found himself struggling with, two conflicting desires clashing with one another. Even still, this interaction had caused the walls that they've built for one another had thawed just slightly.

'She's just as much of a crybaby as before... I'm sorry… Mary…' he thought to himself.

'In the end… I'm still a coward when it comes to you…' Elt thought bitterly. He enjoyed the time they spent together here, but he knew that this may very well be the last time they interact.

However, Fate could be a fickle mistress.

"Your magic is strange…" a blue-eyed boy muttered as he sat on a lone chair. He looked around the place, it was one of the college's lecture rooms. In fact, it was his master's personal lecture room.

He wondered if he made the right choice in even making the deal. Then again, he now had access to Lescatie's Local Magic University. Looking around, it was indeed an intriguing sight. Though the bureaucracy that permeated its halls did not impress him in the slightest. Looks like some things never change even across vastly different lands. humans, no matter where they're from would always compete in one-way shape, or form.

In response to that, Mimil sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's only strange because you don't get it. Honestly, how can you understand something as advanced as that useless Astrology book but not even the simplest concept in magic." Mimil muttered with a sigh, her 'Apprentice' furrowed his brow in response.

"A teacher calling knowledge useless? I never thought I'd see the day. Don't underestimate the power the stars hold, master." He muttered with a huff before he spoke up again.

"Besides, is there not a saying in this land? There are no bad students, merely horrid teachers." He argued which caused Mimil's eyes to twitch.

"That's not even how the saying goes, and I can invalidate that statement over a hundred times over if I wanted to!" Mimil yelled out.

"What? Only a hundred? You truly are a child." Lucas started with a grin.

Mimil's veins would've popped right then and there.

"I do agree, the statement in itself is incorrect… but in this instance it is true." Lucas started with a shrug which caused Mimil to let out an exasperated sigh.

"Why did I have to get such a stupid apprentice…" Mimil muttered as she then turned to Lucas.

"Listen, Lucas. I'm trying to teach you magic here. And if you want to use it, you have to listen." Mimil stated as she crossed her arms. Despite it all she was still the master, and so she'd have to teach her apprentice all the tricks in the book.

"When did I give the impression that I wanted to use your magic? I'm not entirely sure that such a strange system would be of any use to me." Lucas stated. That confused Mimil a bit, didn't he say that he wanted to learn magic?

"I thought you said you wanted to learn magic, did you forget that it was you who made the deal in the first place?" Mimil asked with a raised brow.

"Of course not, I am well aware of the deal that I forged with you. But I specifically said that you are to help me learn magic, not that I would use it." Lucas explained as he crossed his own arms.

"...What?" That just confused Mimil. He wanted to learn magic… but not use it? Who in their right mind would learn magic when they don't even intend to use it?

"That's stupid, why would you want to learn magic if you're not even gonna use it?" Mimil asked, leaning forward with one brow perked.

"Well, do I need any other reason than curiosity? I said it myself, did I not? That I'm doing this to deepen my understanding of the world." Lucas stated as he leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms.

"...You learn magic by doing it, dummy. I thought you would've understood something that basic." She stated with her arms crossed. She had an unbelievably gifted and dumb apprentice. She didn't know whether to laugh at him for being so stupid or to cry knowing that she had to teach him. Well... she didn't, but her pride wouldn't let her call off the deal. She accepted it and she intended to see it to the very end.

"Nevertheless, I suppose this calls for a little break. We've been doing this for hours now, after all." Lucas continued as he opened his book and began reading.

"This reminds me, if you don't mind can you tell me what affliction seems to be affecting this friend of yours? I might be of use to you in this regard… think of it as a form of gratitude for your services… even if they're somewhat insufficient to my tastes." Lucas asked, whispering the last part but Mimil heard it all too clearly. Her eye twitched at that but she held herself back from just blasting this ungrateful little shit with her magic.

"I'm not sure I can describe it to you through words…" Mimil stated. It was already difficult to simplify his condition through words. Giving a more in-depth explanation would be difficult indeed.

In any case, she decided to tell him. As long as she kept Elt's identity hidden then it should be fine.

"...but… basically there's something I noticed in his body. Not just his body actually, it's like it's tied to his existence itself. I'm not sure how to describe it… it's like he's connected to something… but something's blocking the connection." Mimil stated. It was strange, the more she thought about it the stranger it was. Maybe it was impossible to even cure him of this ailment if it was even an ailment at all.

Lucas's attention shifted, the moment Mimil began explaining his condition his full attention had been on her. His eyes looked on and an indescribable expression sat on his face.

"...this is going to sound strange, but if you had to describe the condition he had with a color… what would it be?" Lucas asked.

'Huh? That was… kind of outta nowhere…' Mimil thought to herself, but the question itself was seemingly harmless. She already told him this much, she supposed that telling him one more thing wouldn't hurt. Cupping her chin, she thought about it. Whatever was happening to Elt, if she had to describe what was running deep within him with a single color, it would've been…

"Gold, I don't know but for some reason feeling it made me think of gold." She explained. She then noticed her apprentice's eyes widened slightly before they returned to their usual bored expression.

"I… see… in that case, I should be off then. It is getting late and my parents would be worried if I disappeared for too long." Lucas mentioned as he got up from his chair and placed his book under his arms.

"Your friend's affliction is indeed a strange one, I wish him the best in this case… worry not, I shan't tell a soul about this," Lucas stated. He sensed that Mimil wasn't telling him the whole truth, that was to be expected. Nevertheless, he did not wish to betray his new master by spreading information like this to the public.

"R-right… right-" at the mention of his parents her eyes narrowed as she thought of her own. She wanted her parents to worry about her as his did, looks like there was something that he had that she didn't.

"Oh, and uh-" Mimil stated before she ran through the shelves of her lecture room. She then grabbed two books, Basic Magic Theory, and Spells for Beginners. These were the most common books usually distributed to beginners so it should be fine to lend it to him. Besides, she was already at the point where she didn't need these two anymore. The last time she read it, she was around 3 years old if she remembered correctly.

"Here, read this while you're at home. It should make the next lessons a lot easier." She stated. Lucas looked on at the books with a curious expression before he grabbed them both.

"Very well then, In that case… Shall I see you tomorrow?" Lucas asked. They didn't really decide on a schedule so he just assumed that they were meeting here again at this place at this hour.

As Mimil nodded, she had a bit of free time and with Elt out on a mission she could use it to help her new apprentice.

"Alright then, I shall see you tomorrow, Master." With that did Lucas leave the lecture room leaving Mimil alone inside it. When he left did she sigh and pinch the bridge of her nose.

"What a troublesome apprentice… is this how Elt felt when dealing with me?" Mimil stated. She had a newfound appreciation of Elt, dealing with a child prodigy with an ego was incredibly hard to do.

"I should apologize…" Mimil muttered before she turned to her own copy of the astrology book Lucas read. It was just there in the corner collecting dust. She moved towards it, grabbing it as she did before she blew away the dust.

She looked on at the book before she took it to her own study. She placed it on the table that stood in front of a window, the moonlight of the night sky had all but illuminated the room with its ethereal glow, and the millions of stars that sat outside in the picturesque night sky blinked as if it was watching her. She paid them no heed, instead, she turned her attention to the book now basking in its glow.

She sat down on the chair as she opened the book, she had never made it past chapter one but that changes tonight. Little did she know would this one act change the course of her own fate, one that was once writ in stone had now been bashed, and with it, her future had been cast into doubt.

She turned her eyes open to the first page of chapter two, pondering if it was worth her time to read something she perceived as useless. She read the title before she perked her eye.

'Royal House of Caria?' She thought to herself. She never heard of such a family and she studied the histories of every nation within her library's vast compendium. Who wrote this book again? She could've sworn that they went with the pseudonym of Stargazer. A fitting one she supposed, considering its contents.

Either way, this was either an elaborate generations old prank, some form of myth, or maybe an odd fiction story.

Those, or the author was just insane. Considering the ramblings she read in chapter one that may be the case.

Even still, she'd be lying if she said that the book didn't intrigue her in a morbid sense. She wanted to see how deep the rabbit hole went with this book.

She looked at the page before she took a deep breath, she wanted to get a step ahead of her own student in this regard. Ramblings or not, Lucas seemed to take its contents very seriously. And so she began to read its contents.

It wouldn't hurt to learn, would it?

...

Outside and into the slums of Lescatie, Lucas continued on his walk without much issue. It was late, and nightfall had already come to the city, claiming the sky as its own. Lucas preferred it this way. Due to the fact that when at night he would be able to see the stars and the moon.

It seemed to be one of the constants between worlds, and while it may not hold the same significance in this land as it did in his own, it was still a welcome sight to behold.

Still, there was but one thought that Lucas had in his mind.

It was just an assumption, a theory with no other basis other than his master's word. But he put his faith in the stars, this could not be a simple coincidence. They had never failed him before, there was no reason why they would lie to him now. He looked up at the sky, the stars hanging on the darkened space above them. Illuminating both sky and land with their primordial presence.

He felt their touch, their grace, their majesty.

He felt his creator's blue eyes, her dark moon's gaze, her power reaching out.

And he felt her answer without hearing a single word.

'An outsider... here... much like myself... could it be?' He thought to himself.

He knew that the stars would lead him to this Tarnished wanderer. To be his guiding moonlight in the coming dawn, just as he was made to do.


Author's Notes:

And that wraps up the third chapter of Under the Golden Order. This chapter exists mostly so I could set up the next chapter. I tried to characterize Elt as a character a bit more and set up.

I debated on whether or not Elt would've given back the handkerchief in that instance. But thinking about it, I realized that it was one of the reasons why Elt pushed himself so hard in The Lands Between, even if he doesn't remember right now the feelings that he gained there in his journey remained. That and the fact that I could use this as an excuse for Wilmarina finding the courage to finally talk to him after all these years. The next chapter's when things will start to pick up some more, so I wanted to set this up so that she could play a bigger role later on.

As for Lucas, not gonna lie I like writing this annoying little shit. He's fun to use and I love writing the banter between two characters, something you'll see more of from different characters once I introduce the rest of the cast. In any case, I've hinted more about who... or what he is in this chapter. I think I might've made it too obvious but hopefully, it should be revealed in the future.

In any case, as usual, if you have any reviews, complaints, or criticisms please leave it in the review. I appreciate and thank you all for the support and I hope I'd be able to bring yall a good story.

Whamo out!