Boy, do I have a lot to talk about. After my little scuffle near the stall for entering the tournament, I was dragged by Flavia to which she pretty much gave me an ultimatum, to win the tournament and become her champion. Her reasoning was something I wasn't able to get out of her, so I just had to prepare.
Thankfully, Flavia provided me the means to compete and lodging and would continue to do so if I win the tournament. When I was at my first fight, it was against a mercenary that I might have met back in the first town I visited in Regna Ferox and I was so scared of losing that it almost paralyzed me.
The only saving grace I had was that both magic and regular weaponry were allowed. I always thought the Feroxi would be hell bend on the honor department, but it turns out they value any form of strength, with a few exceptions, of course.
It was at that point that I realized that I could win the fights my way and it worked on pretty much everyone. The main strategy was to just stay in one spot while taunting them and once they got close enough to my spell, I froze them, ending most fights extremely quickly and underwhelmingly.
I was also able to find out the names of all the spells I currently have in my tome, thanks to a helpful mage that was extremely eager to talk to me because I was pretty much an equivalent to a diamond to him, because of my very rare affinity to ice magic.
I got that checked as well, it was confirmed that I do have an affinity to said magic and I didn't know how I should have reacted, since I came from a background where magic was complete fiction. Hearing from someone that I had an affinity for anything was weird but in a good way. The reaction I got from some of the Feroxi mages however was interesting, to say the least.
After winning the tournament and getting called a cheater by a lot of the competitors, to which I ignored them while saying "Don't charge me like a bull with anger issues", I became Flavia's champion, and what came after was probably the most stressful workout routine I had ever experienced. Honestly, I am surprised I am still alive right now.
Flavia had an 'excellent' idea to train me personally and I had to endure a month of brutal workout sessions, spars that lasted way longer than they should have, and a lot of jogging almost naked.
I will not divulge into that any further.
I have to say thou, that it brought results and I do feel stronger, but I really hope the main reason for it wasn't jogging.
After the small training ark I had, Chrom and the company finally arrived to get their alliance and the rules I had to follow as being her champion were inconvenient, it sometimes felt like I was just a trophy to Flavia for her to boast with.
Honestly, I was just hoping that I would fight with Chrom in the arena to show him I am finally capable, hell I was even considering giving him the champion title right off the bat, but I didn't get the chance to do that sadly.
Flavia pretty much encouraged all of them to fight me instead and I had to agree. She said that I had a say in what other representatives she chooses. The only way for me to assess them was to fight them, but even if I knew the Shepherds were already strong, I had to keep silent, because I haven't seen them fight for real yet.
Then the fight with the Shepherds happened and I wasn't sure what to expect from it. One part I was scared senseless that I had to fight people who are destined to kill a giant dragon, but the other part of me was almost ecstatic to fight them, to prove myself on how far I had come.
The fight itself went surprisingly well, with Vaike and Sully it went pretty much the same as most of my other fights in the tournament prior, except I didn't even need to taunt them. I was realizing now that I was probably getting on those two's bad side. First was the drinking contest and now I didn't even let them fight me. I just hope they won't break me in half once they find out that I am becoming the newest member.
Then came Chrom and Robin.
I was expecting to lose immediately since I had a 'brilliant' idea to let the Shepherds fight me two on one. If I was cocky or just stupid, I don't know, but I held my ground for some time, even gained the upper hand once I knocked out Chrom. However, Robin showed me what it means to be an accomplished mage and burned my hands when we got to a deadlock and then proceeded to literally blow me up with her purple flames and my entire body ached and I was in a lot of pain, even after Lissa healed me.
Speaking of Lissa…
"Lissa, as much I am ecstatic to meet all of you, could you please let go of my arm!? They still hurt even after you healed them, and I can walk on my own!" I exclaimed at Lissa through hisses of pain, who was dragging me somewhere, and from the looks of it, she didn't know where she was going. She turned back to face me, all chipper until she realized what I have asked of her and she pulled her hand away, her face morphing into a sheepish smile.
"Oh, sorry. I guess I got carried away." She said, she then looked around to take in her surroundings. We were currently outside of the arena, near the place where I had the small fight with that woman, who didn't want to let me participate. She then turned back to me with her hands behind her back and asked "I kind of forgot we aren't in Ylisstol and I don't know where we run off to. I hope you know your way around here because I have no idea.".
I had to resist the urge to sigh and/or facepalm, looks like our princess is a little airheaded. At least the month I lived here won't go to waste, "I do, and we probably will have to endure one of Flavia's parties. Since the way towards the guest quarters is through the main hall, where the party is most likely being held." I said with a yawn and not too keen on joining since I am quite tired and Lissa's healing, while it helped me with my injuries, didn't help to keep me energized.
I have also gone past my limit in that fight and I am surprised I can still walk right now, but I guess the urge to find anything to sleep on is empowering me.
"Is it really that bad? It's a party! Those are never bad." Lissa was able to pick up on my tired voice and tried to persuade me.
"No, they aren't, but I am too tired to enjoy any alcohol right now. Goodnight's sleep will help me more." I answered Lissa, who just crossed her arms and then mumbled "Party-pooper.".
"Well, excuse me for wanting a goodnight's sleep. Come on, let's get you inside, you are probably freezing right now." I said to her while walking towards our destination and as I had just flipped a switch, Lissa started to shudder from the cold. It is now that I realized she wasn't wearing her trademarked corset and instead she wore warm clothes with a lot of animal fur.
"Yeah, I have no idea how you can withstand this cold." She said between shakes from the cold weather.
"Well, like Flavia said, jogging with nothing on you will leave you almost numb to the cold. It also helps the fact I enjoy the cold and have this… coat." I trailed off, looking at my coat that by all means should be in a bad shape from all the fights I had been in. I haven't washed it since Ylisstol, but when I checked for chard marks or cuts, they weren't present. I was so bewildered by it that I almost didn't hear Lissa's quip.
"You know, you sound like Robin when we told her the coat won't be enough to keep the cold away. She said something like 'being naked without it'." I chuckled at that because that is something I can relate to.
"I understand her since I feel the same way. This coat has been with me since my mother gave it to me, it even has a nice pin." I said as I pointed at the lion strapped on my coat. Lissa looked at it and then I heard an audible 'wow' from her, indicating she probably liked it as well.
"Now you are just making me jealous, but I do have to say that the coat looks really weird. I haven't seen one that looks even remotely similar to yours. Where do you come from anyway?" Lissa asked an innocent question that a normal person would be able to answer easily, except for me. I guess being vague is something I am going to need to get used to and hope that some of the lies I will spill won't come back to haunt me.
"I come from overseas, quite far away from here. When I first arrived here, I was quite scared that I wouldn't have any means of communicating, but to my surprise, I got along just fine." I said, trying to steer the conversation to a different topic, but Lissa was much more adamant than Maribelle and pursued more info about me.
"Yeah, you do have an accent, that's for sure, but you still haven't answered my question," Lissa said in a manner of fact tone and I tried a little harder by being frank about it.
"Is the name of my country that important?"
"Of course it is, dummy! When we will have time to spare, we will go there, and you shall introduce us to your country!" She proclaimed with a resolute tone and smiling all the while.
"I'd rather not." I lied, trying to sound as hostile towards my country as possible.
"Huh? Why not?" Lissa asked, bewildered that I wasn't keen about introducing them to my country that doesn't exist here.
"Have you ever wondered why I am here in the first place?" I said to her, trying to steer Lissa to a conclusion that probably wasn't truthful, but probably wasn't a lie either. Once she got the message, her shoulders dropped and then apologized for being too nosy.
"It's okay, you were just curious. I just don't like to talk about my reason being here." I said while eyeing the entrance to the fortress that is Flavia's castle. A pair of guards were guarding it and when they spotted me with the intent to enter the abode, they opened the door for me.
At first, it bothered me, but I just got used to it, because anyone who becomes a champion for the khans is pretty much the equivalent of becoming royalty since I am Flavia's right-hand man to winning the tournament for her.
The main hall wasn't too far from the entrance, the mood wasn't the greatest after our small talk and no other words were exchanged between me and Lissa afterward. I felt quite bad, treating her like this, but once I gain their trust, I might be able to tell them the truth, if I get the chance.
Once we reached the doors to the main hall, I was caught off guard. I was opening the doors towards the main hall when two large bodies in front of me were looking at me like I am the biggest scum of the earth.
Guess who they were.
"You!" Said a cavalier in red with a muscle head to her right while pointing at me with her index finger. From the looks of it, they were able to broke out of their icy husks and are scoring two runny noses. I only signed, while having my right hand discreetly over my tome, just in case this goes south.
"Me. Also, hi." I said with a little sass. Lissa was quite surprised at first by Sully and Vaike's behavior but recovered quickly and hearing my quip prompted her to start snickering, she does that a lot to anything I say.
It is then I noticed that the party already started, and I could spot several of the Shepherds. Stahl, Virion, and Sumia were the first that I spotted, and it seemed that they turned around to see what where Sully and Vaike doing, only to realize they were surrounding me. They didn't know what to do with this situation and thought it would be probably for the best to just let it play out.
"Don't try to be smart with us, kid. You are going to pay for fighting dirty." Growled the muscle head, clearly as irritated as the red cavalier. Honestly, I was scared of them, even if they were slightly shorter than me, something around five foot nine, but thanks to my spell being a personal space maker, I had little to worry if they were truly intended to attacking me.
"Really? As far as I can see it, you two charged at me with little to no knowledge about me and you paid the price for it with runny noses and a cold." I said to the duo while resting my other arm on my hip and I wasn't helping my chances here with creating trust here. Treat people how you want to be treated, but when said people treat you like shit, then I will comply, whether they like it or not.
"Why you!" Growled Sully and was probably ready to punch me, if it wasn't for Lissa, who intervened with a shout that was surprising to hear from the princess, showing her authoritative side.
"Stop, Sully!" Sully, who had her fist ready to punch me, slumped and backed away from me slightly, giving me some space, and Vaike just crossed his arms and stared at me.
"We know you don't like to lose, but blaming Radko for fighting a little underhandedly won't help you," Lissa said, disappointed at their behavior and earning a scowl from Sully. She looked away and stormed to the nearest keg with ale with Vaike following close behind, portraying his disdain as well. Lissa breathed a sigh of relief. She turned around to see me and I was happy that she stood up for me, giving her a grateful smile.
"I'm sorry, those two normally are the first to jump up and down in joy when new members join," Lissa said while being out of earshot of the aforementioned duo, only to realize that some members were able to hear her. There was a moment of silence among the group and I had to refrain myself… again, from facepalming. That was something that shouldn't have been said, at least in my opinion, not until we win the tournament.
"Wait, what?" Stahl was the first to speak out the question on everyone's mind while holding a slab of smoked meat in his hand. Lissa now realized that most of the Shepherds didn't know about Radko joining, since it was just a few moments ago, and like on cue, three figures burst from one of the other doors that led to the main hall.
Said people were Flavia, Chrom, and Robin.
Flavia was ready for the party to begin, while Robin and Chrom were ready to drop on the floor from how tired they looked. Wow, did I make them that tired? Probably not, Flavia was probably behind something to make them look like that. It is also now I noticed some of the Feroxi were here as well. I could recognize some of them, but I didn't pay much attention to what their names were. They were some of the representatives from other parts of east Regna Ferox. I also never understood how quickly they could gather at any of Flavia's parties, it is like they know already when Flavia will celebrate.
"Everyone! After our little fight in the arena went smoothly and we were able to obtain more people for us to fight in the upcoming Tournament of Power! Now, we celebrate them! Cheers to the Shepherds of Ylisse!" Flavia bellowed to the entire hall; she has got strong lungs for her to shout like that.
"To the Shepherds!" Echoed the rest of them, with even some of the Shepherds joining in, probably deeming that what Lissa had said earlier was nothing to worry about. Then, the party started. Like I said I have no idea how quickly Flavia can have such grand parties ready at a moment's notice.
Mugs and kegs of ale were ready for drinking, with plenty of food to boot. You would think that the climate in Ferox would make such things as food hard to come by, but after living here for a month, I had never experienced a shortage of food or water whatsoever. Probably because I was the champion and had a few privileges, but the town was always bustling with merchants and stalls filled with food. Granted, most of them were potatoes and gamey meat, but there was always enough, not a single piece of food was wasted.
I had a mug that didn't have any alcohol in hand while relishing the atmosphere, I always liked to be the spectator when it came to parties, seeing people do stupid stuff never gets old. Heck, even Sully and Vaike weren't sulking anymore and were enjoying the party, although with less enthusiasm than back in Ylisstol.
I was minding my own business in my little corner while also contemplating where Lissa went when I have spotted Robin of all people walking to me with a determent intent.
Why? I had a few ideas.
Once she got close enough, she awkwardly cleared her throat and began our conversation.
"Radko?" She called.
"Yeah? Is there something you want to talk about?" I asked her back, I noticed she didn't have a drink on hand nor anything to eat. Probably didn't want to take things too far today.
"Since you are going to be a future Shepherd once we win the tournament, there are several things we need to talk about." She said in a tired voice, probably because she wasn't keen on having a conversation with me of all people and I guess I was at fault there.
"Sure, ask away, we got time. Maybe we should find a place to sit, my feet still feel a little sore." I said trying to sound inviting and hoping Robin can relax a little since she was tired from the fight earlier and I was on the same boat as her right now.
"Ok, lead the way." She said and I brought her to a secluded table with two benches that were close to one of the few windows in the fortress. With the cold evening and almost no light coming from the sun, the braziers around them gave out enough light for us to see. I prompted Robin to sit first and shortly after her I joined her on the other side of the table.
"Alright then, this should be good. So, ask away." I said while resting my mug on the table and was waiting for Robin's questions.
"Well, I guess I should start with something simple. What is your reason for joining the Shepherds?" She asked and I had to think for a second, since if I said the true reason then she would think I was crazy, so I opted with something that was relatively truthful.
"To find a purpose and Chrom is giving me a one, I guess. I was wandering around for more than a month with no clear goal. Once I tried out fighting in the arena, I found out that it isn't for me." I answered and it looked like she was satisfied to a certain extent, but I was sure this wasn't the only question that she wanted to ask, and from the looks of things, she wanted to butter me up.
"Ok, I guess that is a good enough answer." She said, a little disappointed.
"You know Robin you can ask me anything upfront, right?" I said with a more deadpanned voice than I wanted to. Robin stiffened slightly, probably because she forgot who she was talking to. It has been nearly two months since we last talked, after all.
"Oh right, I guess I forgot. Alright then, how did you find out we were aiming for Ferox?" She just had to ask that, couldn't she? Well, I guess saying some half-truths could work.
"Truth be told, it was just a guess. I was able to deduce that the Risen, while not a large threat, was still a threat to Ylisse since Ylisse doesn't have the greatest military. They had to seek out help from their neighbors and since Plegia was out of the question, due to bad blood between the nations, Regna Ferox was their only option and what better emissary to send out other than the prince of the said nation himself?" I casually explained and Robin was surprised at my reasoning and was thinking over several things that I had no idea about.
"You were able to pick up on all of that? You are quite observant, that's for sure." She admired and I have to say that it felt good to be praised by the upcoming grandmaster that could theoretically have a perfect record as a tactician. But I also felt a little scummy since I didn't need to do any of that because I know why they were here in the first place.
"Thanks, but I think anyone would be able to conclude similarly to me," I said, trying to sound modest.
"No, not everyone. What were you before you became Flavia's champion? You certainly have a sharp mind, and you were able to keep up in a two versus one fight. You are hiding something about yourself, aren't you? You are probably more important than you let on." She said while contemplating, but I chuckled at her conclusion.
Do I look that important? Man, I have to stop leading people to conclusions that don't make any sense. She looked at me funny with a raised eyebrow, probably trying to figure out what I found funny.
"What, did I say something funny?" She asked, not bemused by my small laughter.
"Yes, you did. No Robin, I am not some foreign royalty or something last time I checked. The only thing that would put me even remotely close to being royalty is this coat and even that is farfetched." I said with a smile while fixing my coat slightly so it would fit me better.
"But you said yourself that you didn't use to fight, not until recently at least. You needed some training at least during your childhood or adulthood, no?" She asked, pressing for more information and I grimaced from her wording.
Childhood.
"I... I actually don't remember much about my childhood." I replied solemnly while looking away from Robin.
"Oh…" Robin quietly said and also looked away for a moment, contemplating.
"Yeah, can't remember a whole lot after an incident that my mother never liked talking about." I curtly replied. She was surprised at my revelation and it took her a second to continue our conversation. I have also found out with her reaction like that means that Robin is also an amnesiac, meaning that I am in fact in the right timeline. With a silent sigh of relief and a cough from Robin, she continued.
"Well, never did I thought that I would have more in common with you than other people." She said with a frown on her face, indicating she didn't like me at all.
"You make it sound like it is a bad thing," I said with a hint of frustration, that comment of hers hurt a little more than I thought.
"Of course, it's a bad thing! Have you ever wondered about your past!?" She said with a raised voice.
"Yes, I did. But it didn't lead me anywhere. I looked at being an amnesiac as an opportunity to have a new life. Honestly, I lost interest in finding out who I was in the past when I can focus on the present and the future. Plus, I was young back then and I just had different priorities than to worry about who I was before my incident. It also didn't help the fact that my mother never explained to me what happened." I explained. I never really liked talking about it, since people always thought my view on my amnesia was lazy. I didn't care about their opinion and it got stale quickly, hearing people saying the same thing over and over again. Robin didn't know how to react to my opinion, if it was negative or positive, I didn't know.
"Have you ever recovered your memories?" She asked with a weak voice, that sounded completely different in comparison to her normal one. I felt bad for her and sadly my answer won't help her much.
"No, I didn't, but that didn't stop me from creating new ones and it shouldn't stop you either," I said, trying to brighten up Robin and it did the trick and a small smile appeared on her face.
"You know, you can be nice when you try." She quipped, trying to elevate the conversation that turned sour quickly. I chuckled at her remark, seeing that Robin also has a funny side and that got me thinking, maybe I could get on her good side with a table game and thanks to ice magic being convenient, I asked her out of the blue "Hey Robin, do you know what chess is?".
She was confused by my question at first, but then curtly replied with a "Yes, why?".
Since I began to go everywhere with my tome and I had the ice that Chrom gave me back, means I could create a pseudo chess set. I hope I will be able to handle the details of the pieces, but I can't be that hard, right?
I picked up the ice and my tome from my pockets, put the ice on the table, and began to concentrate and had an image of a chess set in front of me, and soon enough the ice began to morph into a thin board with pieces at each side, both having a different shade. One set was see-through, while the other was clouded, almost white.
Robin was currently staring at me, but I couldn't tell what expression was on her face. After I was done, I released a breath that I was holding and looked a Robin, before saying the following.
"The best way to get to know somebody is in a game of chess. A game or two won't hurt you I suppose?"
There was a small glee in her eyes I was seeing for the first time. At first, I thought she was just mesmerized by my display, but instead, she was eyeing the individual pieces I created and when I looked at them too, I found out why she was looking at them.
The pieces themselves were quite detailed and I was quite proud of myself, but I didn't dwell on it for long. Robin however was still in a trance and I had to snap my fingers in front of her to bring her out of her trance.
"You up for a game, Robin?" I asked her when she looked at me with a confused stare, but then realized why I created the chess set in the first place.
"Oh, right… Do you want to go first or…?" She asked, still glancing at the pieces of the chess set.
"Ladies first," I said and Robin didn't need more prompting, and we started our match.
I have to say that Robin can get quite competitive and it showed how much thought she put into each move she made. I was thinking that she may as well be a human calculator with how much her eyes were darting from piece to piece. Each move I made was caught with a critical eye, like a program trying to find the best solution to every possible problem. No wonder she became the tactician, but there was one problem with her approach, and I knew exactly what it was.
By just simply playing with instinct, she had so many things to watch out for that I could easily overload her with information, making her oblivious to some of the more subtle moves I made with my pawns or moves that made no sense at all, throwing her into a loop.
She played extremely defensively, only going for pieces that were almost with no risks to her, enforcing her mentality of winning with an as little number of losses as possible, but this was chess and if you take down the king, you win the game.
I always liked to trick people into thinking they are very close to winning when I had almost no pieces with enhanced movement left, but pawns can become the key to victory you need. With one of the pawns becoming a queen that put a wrench into Robin's defense and one last pawn that became a rook to block the only path Robin had with her king to escape, I won the fight with me forming the pawn into a rook and declaring my victory.
"Checkmate," I stated.
Robin had to do a double-take to make sure she lost and after she slumped her shoulders, she admitted her defeat. It is then I spotted one person who was watching our chess match.
It was Virion.
When did he get here? I guess we both were engrossed in our match that we were completely oblivious to our surroundings.
"My, that was an excellent show of wits and skill. Never did I thought that Flavia's champion would have such an aristocratic taste." Virion said in a pompous tone, one that I was quite familiar with. Robin glared at Virion, probably because he beat her already in a chess match as well.
"Great, now I have two people who can beat me at my supposed job," Robin said with as much enthusiasm as a kid going back to school after a summer break, which prompted Virion to chuckle.
"Robin, my lady, there is no one who could replace your job as the tactician of the Shepherds. Your skill and level-headedness on the field are inspiring to say the least." Virion flattered Robin, but she didn't take the compliment, she jabbed at him instead.
"I already told you, Virion, I am not interested in your empty compliments. Wearing an oversized bib doesn't help your chances, either." Damn, Robin is savage, that would hurt any man's pride to hear such rejection and Virion showed it.
"B-Bib!? Now see here, young lady. This is a CRAVAT! This is the epitome of fashion and nobility." He said with his pompous tone again, though you could hear the slight whimper in his voice.
"Virion, right? Is there something you wanted to talk about, because if not then what is your reason for coming here?" I said curtly. While Virion is someone I can admire, I was never a fan of skirt chasers.
"Yes, I have been informed that the Shepherds will increase in size with you being the newest addition. So, being the gentleman that I am, I opted to seek you out and acquaint myself with you." He explained while having his hand over his chest.
"That is quite generous of you, but I won't become one until we win the tournament. Since I still need to fill my role as Flavia's champion, and I am not planning on letting her down." I explained, trying to sound as confident as possible.
"That is something we have talked with Flavia about actually. She had no problem with you joining the Shepherds, saying that it could count as being the east khan's contribution." Robin butted in, to which I breathed a sigh of relief, I was thinking for a second that Flavia might not let me go with them.
"Those are some excellent news. I have to say that while the Shepherds are a colorful bunch, some class would be much appreciated in form of more refined recruits." Virion remarked and Robin didn't like that comment one bit from Virion, earning an even more threatening glare from her, but no words were spoken by her this time. I stood up from my seat while absorbing the chess set, much to Robin's chagrin, and then leaned close to Virion for only him to hear, because he deserves a small scare after a comment like that.
"Be careful what you wish for Virion, you never know when some pink-haired rider on a wyvern might come down to punish you."
He visibly paled and backed off slightly from me, surprised that I might know his true identity, but I feigned ignorance. Robin didn't hear anything and had a questioning look on her face, having no idea why Virion reacted like that. I stood there and outstretched my arm for Virion to take with an innocent smile on my face.
"My name is Radko. I am looking forward to working with you in the near future, Virion." I spoke. He begrudgingly took my arm and shook it.
"L-Likewise, Radko. I will be on my way then." He said while shivering slightly and leaving me and Robin alone. Robin eyed me suspiciously and when I looked back at her I had a smug smile on my face.
"What did you say to him that he reacted like that? Not that I mind." Robin asked, bemused by Virion's reaction. Now I get where Morgan gets his/her sadistic side.
"Oh, I don't know, something about wyverns and pink-haired women," I responded vaguely while snickering.
"Anyway, I think I will hit the sack, since the tournament is roughly two weeks from now, I want to be in tip-top shape. Goodnight." I said while aiming for my room inside the fortress, the only thing I was able to hear from Robin was her contemplation about my term 'hit the sack'.
Going through the hall was a bit of a chore since more people came to the party and finding a way through them was challenging. Some people tried to strike a conversation with me, or they were some of the mages, trying to pry more information from me, but I was able to get to the doors leading to my quarters and was ready to leave the main hall if Flavia didn't stop me right before exiting.
"So boy, I heard you wanted to ditch me, after what I did for you." She said in a bemused tone, indicating she wasn't mad. She just wanted to know my reason.
"Yeah, being the champion and fighting in the arena is sadly not for me. That doesn't mean that I won't fight to win you the tournament." I replied, trying not to sound ungrateful, but failing at it miserably. Honestly, I could say Flavia was the closest thing to a mother figure I had in this godforsaken land since I got here, not that I ever admitted that to her.
"I am not worried about that; I think with you the tournament is as good as won, but do you think going with that prince is going to make things better? You told me about your fighting tendencies and those aren't healthy, to say the least. Trust me, it's from experience." I think this was the first time she showed any form of concern and I appreciated it greatly.
"No, it won't. But at least I will have people that would be willing enough to help me with it, no?" I asked her genuinely. She looked at me for a second with an unreadable expression, only for her to smirk.
"The Feroxi weren't exactly welcoming, huh? Well, I think you going with them is going to be the right choice for you, anyway." She said while griping my shoulder and her next words however were unexpected "Besides, something tells me you know a lot more than you let on.". I stiffened from that last part, scared that I could have slipped somewhere in some shape or form and Flavia was gripping my shoulder even tighter that it started to hurt, securing me so that I couldn't escape her.
"Earn that trust fast, kiddo. I know you are holding some secrets and those are always bad when forming any bonds.". She then left me to my charges and those words resonated with me, she knows. With a deep sigh, I moved to my quarters and allowed sleep to wrap me in its embrace.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
Two weeks had passed extremely quickly. The routine I have been doing with Flavia hasn't stopped until we were on our way towards central Ferox to fight in the Tournament of Power. The tournament itself is an event of massive proportions to lure in all of the Feroxi to witness the crowning of the upcoming khan.
I can easily compare this to the Olympics back on Earth, it is as big if not even bigger than that. Many locals come to see this event, but it is also a massive tourist spot. I have spotted many different kinds of people, ranging from aristocrats from other countries to simple merchants who were trying to make use of the large crowd to increase the number of coins in their pockets.
The actual tournament will start tomorrow, with rules that are quite different in comparison to the chapter in Awakening. Basically, each khan had to choose eight representatives and a champion. Before the crowning fight begins, the sixteen representatives have to fight between each other over who joins their champion in the last fight.
Every fighter has one fight against all other khan's representatives in one-on-one combat which means sixty-four fights in total. Winning a fight earns the victor a point, up to eight points. The top eight fighters with the most points will join their respective champion in the final fight, meaning that a champion can theoretically fight a nine versus one. Thankfully, the Shepherds were able to fill all eight slots: Chrom, Robin, Frederick, Sully, Stahl, Vaike, Sumia, and Kellam and I am confident I will not fight alone.
But right now, I want to relax a little before the big tournament. I asked Flavia where the nearest lake or a river is. She looked at me funny when I asked the question but showed me on the map that there is one lake that is roughly an hour walk far and I went on my way towards it.
Having to go through the streets oversaturated with people was challenging. Since I was the champion, I had a badge with the emblem of the Feroxi on my coat, indicating as such. If anyone was able to spot it, they immediately started to ask me questions that weren't noteworthy. Most of them were in the lines of 'who', 'how' and 'being weak'. Sometimes they even jabbed at Flavia for picking bad champions, but I ignored them. After getting through the crowded streets and the ice and snow-covered forest, I was met with the lake that didn't have a name.
Surprisingly, the lake wasn't frozen like the area around me. Snowflakes were falling with no wind to guide them as they slowly cover the earth with a blanket that gets larger with each passing second. I got close to the lake and kneeled to touch the water and it was cold. Anyone who would fall in it could easily lose their lives from either shock or hypothermia.
My tome reacted to the magical link I created and once I gathered enough power, I broke it. As I stepped forward, facing the lake, instead of my feet touching the ice-cold waters, a small patch of ice was created under my feet. Each step creating a small platform for me to stand on, forming a path and I reached the center of the lake.
Seeing the lake from this perspective was different. It is like you would be on a grass field, unmoving without any interference, except the color of it was dark blue, indicating that it was quite deep. The water had a relaxing aura, the stillness of the lake was helping me to calm down and ventilate. As I readied myself for the next part, I cleared my throat and started to reminisce about what was left behind.
~Kde domov můj,kde domov můj?
~Voda hučí po lučinách,bory šumí po skalinách,
As I sang the song, the path began to expand ever so slightly through my voice. It was filled with longing for something that I had not so recently lost.
~v sadě skví se jara květ,zemský ráj to na pohled!
~A to je ta krásná země,země česká, domov můj,
I was ready for another verse, but Remorseless Winter activated without my consent that started to create a small blanket of snow over me like my tome was trying to comfort me. It didn't feel cold, only warm and comfortable and it surprised me that the tome itself became sentient for a moment, but I didn't dwell on it for long.
~země česká, domov můj.
The last verse almost echoed in the forest, followed by silence. No birds were singing, no animals were scurrying about, hunting for food or any fish that could be in this lake didn't make a single splash. The emptiness of this place was eery, so I continued with the song. Unbeknownst to me, I had a spectator that was gazing at me from the shoreline, afraid to step on the probably fragile ice.
~Kde domov můj,kde domov můj.
~Znáte v kraji bohumilém
The unknown figure that I still haven't spotted yet, eyed me with curiosity and it got the better of them. They carefully brought one of their feet on the frozen path, testing if it could hold their weight. Once they deemed it was safe enough, they stepped on the ice path and slowly made their way towards me, being extra careful not to slip on the ice.
~duše outlé v těle čilém,
~mysl jasnou, znik a zda-
I started to hear footsteps, heels banging against the path that I made and I abruptly stopped my singing and turned around quickly enough to have a small whiplash, the blanket disappearing. The figure yelped at my sudden movement and lost their balance on the ice. Their feet sliding on it while flailing their arms around to find their stability, but it won't be enough. They will end up falling in the lake, but I didn't let that happen.
I broke into a run, trying my best to get to the figure as quickly as possible and while I was on my way to them, I was able to spot long ashen wavy hair with small flakes of snow stuck in them and a delicate face of a woman I knew.
"Sumia!" I called her out, picking up the pace as well. She didn't answer back, she was too preoccupied with trying to not fall into the lake. After picking up as much speed as I possibly could, I stopped my run and started to slide on the ice, my early lessons of skating coming in clutch.
With each passing moment I got closer to her, steadily losing speed, but I miscalculated slightly. I was hoping to stop right in front of Sumia, but I realized that I would ram into her instead and I had no other way of stopping myself, however, that was still better than letting her drop into the lake.
I collided with Sumia, earning a yelp of pain from her and myself and wrapping my arms around her tightly. I have realized that with my stunt, we were now plummeting into the waters below. Thankfully, I was now close enough to create an ice platform below us so we wouldn't freeze from the water, but we were still falling. I took it upon myself to bear the impact of our fall.
I positioned Sumia so I would cushion her and after landing on the ice on my back, the air left my lungs and I gasped for it, the weight of Sumia not helping me in the slightest. The water was rippling from our impact.
We remained on the ice for a few seconds to take in what had happened to us. I was breathing heavily, trying to get as much air as I possibly could because Sumia was still on top of me. Thankfully, she didn't have her armor on, only heavy clothes, meaning I wasn't crushed by them.
I was easing my grip on Sumia and it was she who snapped out of our stupor first. Realizing she was still on top of me she quickly scurried away, while still having her knees on the ice.
"Oh gods, I am so sorry Radko! Are you ok!?" She asked, coming closer to me while franticly trying to get a hold of the situation. Out of all the things I could have noticed about Sumia, it was that she was bead red, either from the cold or embarrassment.
"Never… better…." I managed to weakly reply. After reciprocating, I hoisted myself to a sitting position and bringing one foot close, so I could lean on it with my arm.
"Are you sure? You took that fall for the both of us." She worriedly exclaimed.
"Don't worry, Flavia put me through worse things," I said, trying to reassure her.
"Well, if you say so." She wasn't convinced but didn't push the subject. She contemplated what to say next, while either looking away and fidgeting with her fingers.
"Thank you for saving me. I thought that I would fall into the lake." Sumia eventually said.
"You're welcome, but I guess it was my fault too. I didn't mean to scare you; I just wasn't expecting someone to come this far away from the city." I explained.
"I am sorry I followed you, I guess I was just curious." She admitted and that prompted me to chuckle.
I stood up, having enough time to rest after my little stunt, and then offered Sumia my hand. She took it and I hoisted her up carefully as to not let her slip. I thought that her clumsiness was a little overplayed, but I can understand slipping on ice.
She said a "Thank you." and I prompted her to follow me back to the shoreline since it was getting dark and I thought that some people might be even looking for us.
"I have to say that I was expecting a lot of things for you to do alone, but singing wasn't one of them." Sumia started after we left the shoreline and now we're making our way towards the city.
"Well, I am not the best singer, so I always try to find places where not a lot of people go, so their ears wouldn't bleed out." I sheepishly quipped.
Sumia chuckled at my response "I could hear that. While your singing wasn't the best, the words you sang were completely foreign to me. What did you sing about?" She asked.
I stiffened, completely forgetting that I was singing in my native tongue.
"It was about how beautiful my home looks like… and how much I miss it," I responded, slumping my shoulders and head as my thoughts of never being able to go back home yet again resurfaced.
"Oh…" was Sumia's response. Our talk took a small pause, while my thoughts were all over the place, but I could pin-point it to one emotion: sadness.
"Do you want to talk about it? You were quite distant for the first two weeks." Sumia sweetly offered and when I looked at her, her smile was radiant. I couldn't bring myself to be sad in front of her and opened up a little.
"I just… It has been over three months since I ended up here and the more time I spent here, the more I realize how much I do not belong here. This place is for warriors with strong wills and hearts and I do not fit those criteria." I rambled. Sumia didn't say anything, prompting me to continue.
"Once Chrom announced that I would join the Shepherds after the tournament, I saw how a few people protested and the rejection hurt. Not only that, but once I got questioned by Frederick, I openly stated to him that I hold many secrets about myself that I will not reveal, making me even more untrustworthy." The small frown that appeared on Sumia wasn't lost to me, but yet again she stayed silent.
"But the worst about all of this is that I want all of them to trust me and I want to trust them in return. However, I am forced to keep a lot of stuff secret out of necessity." I clenched my fists in frustration. I hate this! How am I to build any trust when I am openly lying to them!
"I trust you." Sumia resolutely stated and I was taken back by her response.
"How?" I asked, sounding desperate.
"You just saved me from falling into the lake, or have you already forgotten?" She retorted with the same smile. Silence was my reply, I was staring at Sumia with a bewildered look.
"Oh don't give me that look, give yourself some credit. You are extremely competent and as for you not belonging here is the stupidest thing I have heard from you since we met." Said Sumia, trying to elevate my troubles.
I had nothing to say to that, she honestly thinks that I belong here. As much as her words warmed my heart, that is just simply not the case. I am an intruder, that is what I am, but I didn't voice that. The only thing I did was smile at her and said "Thank you. I needed that.".
"You're welcome. Now, let's get going, Chrom and others are probably worried about us." She then picked up her pace and I followed her. I wanted to tell her to be careful, but she didn't trip a single time since our walk back to the city, which means that Sumia just becomes clumsy when is startled or embarrassed.
The city became much quieter before I left it, which was understandable. It was dark and the only thing that illuminated the streets were braziers that are on the brink of being extinguished. We were on our way towards the barracks where our representatives were situated. It was located close to the main arena, making it an ideal place for training before the big tournament.
It was guarded by a set of Feroxi to make sure that no one without permission can't enter. By just showing my badge, they let us in and once we got to the door leading inside the building, I opened them, making our way towards the main hall.
Most of the Shepherds were asleep, the only people I spotted were Robin, Frederick, Chrom, and surprisingly Virion leaning on a table filled with papers and whatnot, trying to find the best strategy to win the tournament as efficiently as possible. They spotted us enter, while I was closing the door behind me.
"Well, it looks like our lost couple has been found." Virion remarked with bemusement. He is still distant, but I was able to remedy my situation with him and we acquainted ourselves with a few games of chess and some tea. He is really good at chess, I don't know what's the score between us, but he is definitely winning.
"Sorry if we worried you, guys. I didn't think that my little break would take this long." I apologized for my tardiness. Frederick was eyeing me with a suspicious glare but didn't say anything. Chrom on the other hand smiled at us.
"I am glad to see you both are ok, it wouldn't bode well if we couldn't find our champion before the big event starts, no?" Chrom tried to ease the atmosphere since he knows about my predicament with Frederick.
"No, it wouldn't, but I can still see that you are trying to find the best possible strategy to win," I said, eyeing the many papers that were on the table. I got closer to them to inspect them but got abruptly stopped by Frederick.
"Where were you and what were you doing?" He curtly asked me. At least he gets straight to the point.
"I was by a lake near the city, roughly an hour walk. I was trying to relax there before the tournament starts." I explained to the knight. He however wasn't satisfied with my answer.
"I find that hard to believe, you unannouncedly left the city to go to this supposed lake you so conveniently found. Explain yourself." Frederick pressed. Stop being so nosy, why does everything I say make Frederick believe otherwise?
"Frederick, I can vouch for what he said, he isn't lying," Sumia said in an exasperated tone, not necessarily frustrated at Frederick's behavior, but from the number of times he questioned me when I was doing even the simplest tasks.
"He probably threatened you to stay silent, since, from the looks of it, you have abruptly found him during whatever he was doing." He dismissed Sumia's claim. Come on, how can he still suspect me!? Do I look like the type of person to hurt someone like Sumia? Honestly, if I were doing something sinister and she of all people would catch me, I would rather let myself be apprehended, before hurting her.
"Frederick, stop!" Chrom ordered Frederick and he turned around to face his charge, a questioning look on his face.
"But milord, he-." He was stopped by Chrom's raised hand.
"Frederick, we know you do not trust Radko, but at least don't antagonize him when he has a witness. It is Radko's decision to hold his secrets and he isn't a person who would threaten a friend unless he had got a good reason to. Vaike and Sully are already giving him a hard time." He said in a leveled tone that Frederick wouldn't dare to interrupt.
"You are dismissed, Frederick," Chrom ordered again and Frederick was slightly taken back by the sudden dismissal. He eyed me yet again with the same disapproving glare before he turned back to Chrom, saying "Yes, milord." and left the main hall, leaving us to ourselves. Chrom heavily sighed and then turned his attention to me.
"I am sorry for that Radko. You didn't do anything wrong, just Frederick enforcing his title as Frederick the Wary." Chrom explained.
"It's alright, somebody has to be. Anyway, I see you are still working, even though the sun is already out." I asked the group while eyeing the papers again and I could spot many different tactics. From whom would participate in the final fight to me being stuck in the aforementioned one versus nine scenarios.
"Somebody has to, there are so many things to watch out for, it is suffocating." Robin tiredly said, while leaning on the chair she was sitting on and having one hand on her head, contemplating over one of many papers.
"Robin, you do know there is no way for you to revise every possible scenario," I said with a deadpanned tone and Robin didn't like it.
"I have to. If there is even one fight that won't have a winning strategy, then I failed as the Shepherds' tactician." She resolutely stated and it got a sigh from me. I slowly made my way towards her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Robin, I am sure that the Shepherds appreciate the work you put into your position, but I will be honest with you. If you wanted to make a winning strategy for every potential scenario, then that is physically and mentally impossible." I said, trying to persuade her from overworking herself to the bone before the tournament starts. I would probably get questioned by Frederick right now by saying that I am usurping their plans on the alliance.
Robin wasn't convinced, however.
"What? Do you think you would do a better job than me?" She questioned with an annoyed tone, thinking I was trying to replace her.
Time to get analytical then.
"Chrom, Virion, Sumia, do you have little more time for one explanation about how we should wait for at least the first half of the tournament before we form any strategies?" I asked them and although they looked tired enough already, Chrom was the first to respond.
"I think we still have some time, that is of course if any of you want to call it a night?" Chrom asked the rest.
"I think I won't be of any use in this meeting so I will head to bed," Sumia said in a more hushed tone, indicating she was slightly flustered being addressed by Chrom specifically. God damn it, just looking at this hurts.
"Alright then, good night Sumia," Chrom said with no indication of registering Sumia's behavior. God almighty, just kill me.
"G-good night, Captain." Sumia stammered her answer and quickly made her way towards her assigned room and it left just the three of us. Chrom then looked at Virion, who didn't leave.
"I am quite interested in what is Radko's proposal, so I shall stay and hear him out." Virion explained himself.
Chrom just nodded and finally looked at Robin, who wasn't eager to hear me out, but she got a disapproving look from Chrom, to which she slumped and then nodded, saying that I will be heard out.
"Alright then, Radko, you have free reign." Chrom prompted and I just nodded and got close to a blackboard with some chalk at the ready. I picked up the chalk, already coloring my hand with calcium, and got a familiar feel when there was still a time where markers weren't the norm. I breathed deep and I started to explain why we should wait with the strategies.
"Basically, right now making strategies on the final fight is pointless. I don't know how mathematics work here, but I will give you a simple version of combinatorics." I started to scribble down on the board eight circles to represent all the available spots for the fighters to join the last fight.
"Each circle is an available slot for a single fighter that will join the crowning fight. There is a total of sixteen fighters who have the potential to fill any of these slots, meaning that the number of possible scenarios is ridiculous." I started to write a number to each circle, starting with the number sixteen and descending by one until all circle had their number.
"The first slot can be occupied by any of the sixteen fighters and once it is, we can move to the next. The second slot by any of the fifteen fighters, fourteen, thirteen, you get the point. Now take all of these numbers, multiply them together then divide them by the number of permutations of each fighter and you get the number of possibilities the fight can take." I continued and once I looked at all three of them, they were surprisingly listening, even though they were all tired.
"The number is so high in fact that making a strategy for each is humanly impossible, but that doesn't mean we can rig the odds in our favor," I said while crossing the largest number and replacing it the number one.
"By waiting how the tournament will unfold, we can reduce this number. Any fighter that would win at least five points automatically will compete in the final fight, meaning now that one slot will always be preoccupied with that fighter, reducing the number sixteen to a one." I was surprised to hear an audible 'oh' from Robin, who probably knows where I am going with this. Virion was still eyeing the board and Chrom started to scratch his head, it didn't stop Robin from completing my train of thought.
"And some fighters who don't have enough points won't be able to compete, giving us smaller numbers to work with. So, what you were trying to say was, we can easily predict who will and who won't compete by a simple process of elimination when enough points have been distributed, making the workload on the strategies much easier to handle."
"Correct, and once we can predict who will and who won't compete, we can thin out these numbers to a much more manageable size. I suggest we wait with the strategies until at least more than half of the points were given, it will be easy enough to predict as well as give us less variability." I ended my explanation, putting the chalk down and patted my hands from the calcium.
"Uh, can somebody explain this to me without all of these numbers? Never was the best when it came to equations." Chrom sheepishly asked and it got a healthy chuckle from me and Robin, while Virion was still eyeing the board.
"It's simple Chrom. The more we wait, the better the chances of creating a strategy for the final fight." I summarized with a smile on my face, there will always be people who can't get a grasp on math as easily as others.
"My Radko, you are quite educated. To be able to grasp such a complicating concept so easily is inspiring. Scholars would ask for a small fortune for any form of mathematical education such as this." Virion admired as he turned around to face us, a curious look on his face.
"Uh, but this is just simple combinatorics," I said, but then I silently berated myself. Damn it! I am just making them naturally more curious. The world here works differently!
"Simple? Radko, I don't know where you came from, but being able to do all of that," Robin pointed at the blackboard that was still filled with circles and numbers "isn't simple.".
"Now now, let's not pry Radko, we already have Frederick for that." Said Chrom, trying to persuade others from questioning me any further. Thank you, Chrom, but it concerns me how much you trust people. However, I think it would be better if I gave them at least some sort of explanation.
"No, it's fine. The simplest answer I can give you is that where I come from, education is much easier to come by." I explained.
"That… explains so much and so little at the same time." Virion remarked, not too satisfied with my answer.
"I am sorry I can't say more than that," I said while slumping, but Chrom gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder, he likes to give those a lot.
"It's alright, once you think it is time to tell us, you will." Chrom, you have the patience of a monk and I admire that.
"Oh well, if Radko won't entertain us anymore then I will excuse myself. Tomorrow is an important day, after all." Virion then proceeded to his quarters, ready to call it a night.
"Yeah, that would be for the best. We can't go to the arena sleep deprived. Anyway, if there isn't anything I am needed for, then I will call it a night as well." Chrom said while following Virion. I would go as well if it wasn't for Robin.
"Radko, wait a moment." She said and I turned back to face her, and she was right in front of me. I sighed and with a motion with my hand prompted Robin to speak her mind.
"How long are you planning to keep your secrets?" She asked in a more forceful tone, but I didn't blame her, she had the right to.
"I don't know, but I hope it won't be for long," I said vaguely. I am starting to think that maybe it would be better to just tell them the truth outright, but I don't think it is the right time, nor is it the place. We got enough on our plates already.
"Stop being vague! What is stopping you from telling us the truth!?" She shouted, but not loud enough to wake up everyone in the barracks.
"Myself. I will tell you the truth eventually, but not now." I said resolutely. Robin groaned in frustration while hiding her face within her arms.
"You are making this much harder than it needs to be." She remarked with an annoyed tone.
"Trust me, if you knew the stuff I do, you would understand why," I said while looking away, spotting the table again filled to the brim with papers and empty ink bottles.
"You know what, I don't have time to handle your 'secrecy'. Go, I have other important things to do." She dismissed me with a lazy hand wave and went back to her desk. It was disheartening to see Robin so frustrated, but it is not like I want to lie to them. Maybe telling the truth would resolve many issues I have right now, but what are the chances of them believing anything I would say?
"Fine then, just make sure to get some sleep. We don't want you to faint during your first fight." I said while aiming for my quarters and the only answer I got from Robin was "Whatever.". Hopefully, she will have some sense and will go to get some shut-eye.
I got to my room and slowly prepared myself for tonight's sleep, while my thoughts were conflicted with either telling the Shepherds my secrets now or waiting for a better opportunity. Gaining their trust will be hard, but as long as Chrom will have patience, I should be fine. It will take a few battles and a few favors, but I am hoping that I will get there eventually.
I dropped my coat that, yet again, was quite smelly, but I was surprised at how resilient it was. It survived so much so far as the testament of my journey. As far as cuts or tares go, there wasn't a single one on it, nor was it discoloring. Maybe since I am in a different world, the clothes have different properties, but I feel like that would be a little farfetched, since this coat was with me before all of this.
I hanged my coat and opened it up, revealing the holster I bought when I was in Ylisstol. It isn't fancy, it is made out of typical brown leather and it gives me easy access to my tome when I need it because fishing it out of my bag every single time became annoying fast. I unfastened my tome from the holster and opened it.
I didn't give myself time to learn the script in which tomes are written in, so I was just starring at it for an unknown amount of time, contemplating what would I be doing without it. I became so reliant on it, because it gives a sense of security, that if anything goes wrong, it will always be there for me.
But some time has passed since any new ley lines have appeared, the ones I found during my travel with Anna wasn't a new spell, it was an extension, a way for me to interact with the ice I create. I asked one mage, who helped me discover my affinity, about the levels of magic and he told me that there is no such thing as Arcthunder or Elwind.
Depending on your affinity, it will either help or hinder your process of mastering any element. The more you use an element in any situation, the more you will become more proficient at it, allowing you to shape your spells however you want. If you have a fire affinity, then that process is accelerated when you cast anything fire-related. However, if you try casting thunder, it will be harder at first, but it will become easier with time.
But ice magic has zero documentaries, meaning people do not know how ice magic even evolves. The anomaly that is ice magic makes it even harder since scholars thought that it would evolve similarly to wind magic, but it doesn't. If it took two months and one near-death experience to just be able to learn one spell and be able to interact with my ice then what does it take to go even further!?
"God damn it!" I silently shouted while throwing my tome against the ground, the sturdy cover covering its impact. I crawled up to my bed and sat on it, while I hugged my legs. A few tears flow freely from my eyes, seeing that no matter what way I choose to gain anything, it will always be a way filled with more foreign blood on my already stained hands.
"I hate this…" I muttered weakly as I hugged my legs even tighter, trying to get at least some form of comfort, but it was fleeting. Then I heard shaking, a sound that was coming from the place I have thrown my tome. When I looked there, the open tome was on the ground, pages getting dirty from the stone that wasn't cleaned often.
Suddenly, the tome was starting to rise from the ground, as if someone was picking it up by its cover. It closed thanks to gravity and then turned to face me with its pillar of ice surrounded by a flame. It got close to me within arm's reach, but I didn't make any motion that would insinuate I was eager to open the tome.
It didn't give me time to dwell on that for long, because the book opened by itself, revealing a blank page.
"What do you want?" I asked the tome, not expecting an answer. This thing was becoming sentient and I didn't like that one bit.
As if the tome read my mind, it got closer so that I could inspect it better through my teary eyes, but it was only a blank page, what was I supposed to….
"The ley lines!" I shouted a lot louder than I wanted to, so I will hope I didn't wake anybody up.
They appear now of all times? Wow, the book wasn't kidding when it said that the ley lines can appear at any moment.
The lines were waiting for me to trace them and I was eager to see what this tome had in store for me. I wrapped my index finger in mana and started to guide it through the ley lines. One stroke I made weaved into another, like a painter who already knows the image he is going to recreate.
Once I was finished with my work, I looked at the book once more, revealing a page that, yet again, I couldn't read. I have to learn how to read this script because it is getting annoying quickly that I do not know what the tome says.
I didn't dwell on it for too long, however. As much as I was eager to try out my new spell, I am pretty sure there will be a better time. Who knows, it might be just another extension like the last one, which would be disappointing, but right now I am way too tired to do anything. Plus, tomorrow is important, and I am going to need as much rest I can physically get.
AN: Welcome back everyone to yet another author's note! So, the story continues relatively forward with character interactions between Radko and the members of the main cast and I hopefully depicted well enough the state of the Shepherds and how they feel about Radko joining their group.
How will the relations with the Shepherds and Radko will go forward is a mystery, even to me! And I am supposed to write this story!
Anyway, once again a shoutout to the lovable group Fanfiction Treehouse for helping me with my fic and the continued support I get.
Link: gg/9XG3U7a
Thank you for reading this Sunday's chapter and I will see you the next Sunday again!
God's speed.