Nightfall fell shortly before I reached Aberdeen. While it was called the capital of the Gaspard Territory, it was more of a smaller scale city. Stone walls stood proudly while the wooden gates on the road ahead of me remained shut. Two soldiers stood guard, lances poised and at the ready in case of danger. One of them orders me to stop a short distance before them.
"That's close enough traveler. Where are you coming from at this time of night?"
"I came from doing business in the Magdred territory."
"You'll have to be more specific than that. What kind of business did you do in Magdred and what kind of business do you intend to do here?"
A pang of annoyance rises from within me at his brusque tone. He sounded far too similar to the tone the upper management of the company I worked at used when threatening, no, asking employees to add more hours onto their 18 hours per day work contracts. There was no option to refuse such questions when refusal would only lead to the loss of the job and starvation.
Meeting the guard's eyes reminded me that he wasn't the man I was thinking of. This was a land called Fodlan where corporations haven't destroyed the body and will of the Earth and the individual.
"I purchased some wares from the merchant Darius. I intend on resting here for a day or two to rest before continuing on to Arianrod."
At the mention of Darius, the previously silent guard tilts his head in recognition before nodding at his more vocal companion who speaks again.
"Very well then but we will be confiscating your lance during the duration of your stay in Aberdeen. When you are ready to depart you can retrieve it from the guard post at the Northern gate."
"Alright." The bandit's lance wasn't worth that much anyway. If I get into a scrap then I can use my [Inventory] to equip a different weapon or use magic in the worst case scenario.
One of the guards pulls on a lever to draw the door up after I hand over my lance. I walked inside, finally getting a full view of the inside of the city as the gate creaked close behind me.
Street lamps hung above the doorways of timber frame buildings, casting a soft orange glow onto the stone street. Fortunately, at this time of evening, there were still a few residents milling in the streets, likely heading to their homes after a long day of work. I call out to one of those closest to me.
"Excuse me, sir would you happen to know where the nearest inn is?"
The young man nods as he comes to a slow stop before me. With a puff of exertion, he adjusts the position of the large woolen sack on his shoulder to point at an intersection of streets further down the road.
"If you turn right at that corner, you'll find The Broken Breaker after a bit of walking. At this time of evening, you can't miss it."
"Where do I go after I tur-" Before I could ask him for some slightly better directions, he walked off, this time carrying the sack with two hands after a bit of fumbling. Eh, he was probably in a hurry. I shrug. For now, I'll make my way with his directions, if I get lost then I could always ask another person.
Following his directions further into the city later proves him correct.
"Graaaagh!"
A cacophony of shouts reaches my ears before a door is kicked open and a man thrown out onto the street ahead of me. After slamming into the ground he rolls in pain, clutching his stomach while expelling a mixture of groans and slurred curses.
A giant of a man strolls out as well. His brown tunic and white apron were freshly drenched with what smelled like alcohol. With every bit of ease, he lifts the fallen man by his shirt. The drunkard kicks his now airborne feet feebly but immediately stops his struggling after meeting the eyes of his captor.
"If you're going to cause trouble then don't come back. I put too much effort into my bar for you to bring your mess into it."
The giant drops the drunkard and watches the man stumble down the road. As he turns around to go back inside the bar he notices me.
"Well then, if you're a customer I hope that didn't scare you off lass. Most trouble makers aren't so bold as to try their hand at my establishment." Now that he was completely facing me I was able to see the scar which marred the right side of his face, but it did nothing to detract from his easy-going grin.
I flash him a small smile in return.
"Would this happen to be The Broken Breaker? I may not be a troublemaker, but perhaps I'll give my hand a try depending on the cards in yours."
He snorts, "I'll have you know that my deck includes a warm dinner, some damn good mead, and a clean bed!"
"That's exactly what I'm looking for, preferably in that order too."
I follow him into the tavern. Wooden tables were organized neatly at the center of the floor while a small stage for performances was to the right of the dining area. A glance to the left revealed a bar lined with wooden stools. Behind the bar, there was a neatly organized stack of barrels, all of which likely contained alcohol, along with some shelves of cutlery.
The tavern seemed to be filled to half of its capacity. Most of its patrons were either eating, drinking, or making idle chatter or a mixture of the three. Two barmaids make their rounds in the midst of the tavern floor, topping off drinks and serving freshly prepared food.
While some of the patrons glanced at the door after hearing it close behind the barkeep and I, the majority of them lost interest although some were slower to retract their gaze than others. It was probably due to a mix of my appearance and mage robes.
Most of the people I've encountered so far have been brunettes, blondes, and those who had varying shades of red hair. Although I did notice that there were quite a few odder colors prevalent as well, such as the pale lilac hair of one of the barmaids.
The aforementioned barmaid steps over and greets me with a smile in greeting before leading me over to an open seat at the bar.
"Yes!" A shout from a nearby table draws my attention. Three men were engrossed in a game of dice, cards, and money. The man who the shout originated from takes a gold coin from the pile of mostly silver and copper coins at the center of the table much to the disappointment of his companions. While I had plenty of gold coins, I carried neither copper nor silver coins on my person. I probably should've asked Darius more about the currency when I had the opportunity. Hopefully, I'll be able to rectify that during my stay here.
"Tonight we're serving Onion Gratin soup. For drinks, we have our homebrewed meads, one made from Noa fruits and the other from Albeinian berries. Our drinks are served in mugs, but we offer pitchers as well."
"I'll have one helping of Onion Gratin soup and a mug of Noa Fruit mead."
"Coming right up. Hey Earnest, the young lady wants a mug of Noa!" As she heads behind the bar and into the kitchen, she relays my order to the newly named barkeep, who reemerges from a backroom this time with a clean shirt and apron. He reaches beneath the bar to grab a mug and pops open the spout of a barrel with ease.
"I'm sure you heard dear Lina, but my name is Earnest and I'm the owner of this tavern! I've haven't seen you around here before. What's your name and where are you from?" He places the drink on the counter in front of me before leaning back against a shelf.
"My name is Libelle. I'm from…"
Although I had a map, I didn't know enough about Fodlan and its three regions well enough to claim that I was from any of them. My perturbation at his question must've shown on my face because Earnest backed off with a smile.
"If you don't want to answer you don't have to, although if you've been traveling I would be happy to hear a tale or two. Managing this tavern leaves little room for adventure."
"Adventure huh, I can do that… I recently saw the Red Canyon. Although it was filled with demonic beasts, the plateaus and mountains were quite beautiful. The ruins although covered in dust were also impressive."
"Zanado huh, legends say that an ancient civilization once lived there… you went there alone?" He raises an eyebrow in slight disbelief.
"I use magic to defend myself." I shrug and raise my mug to get a better look at my drink. It was a deep red in color and smelled slightly sweet. I take a sip of it and cringe at its bitter taste.
Earnest laughs.
"Never had alcohol before, huh?"
"No…" I take another sip. At the second taste the bitterness eased out, and the sweetness of the drink became more apparent. YGGDRASIL also had alcoholic drinks, but none of them could compare to this one.
In YGGDRASIL it was also impossible to get drunk. I wonder if it were even possible for me to get drunk in this body, now that I wasn't in YGGDRASIL.
When using [Morph] my stats and resistances decrease in accordance with how human-like I make my appearance. Perhaps alcohol poisoning also falls under my poison resistance skill.
A small part of myself was tempted to test the theory but now was neither the time nor the setting.
"It actually tastes rather good now that I'm more used to the aftertaste."
"I'm glad to hear you say that. I worked rather hard on getting the flavor of my homebrews just right." Another customer further down the bar calls out to Earnest for a refill.
"Enjoy your drink, lass!"
After Earnest leaves, Lina arrives with my bowl of stew, a spoon, and a piece of bread. It smells delicious. I thank her after she sets my food down on the counter. Surprisingly the stew wasn't the mixture of onions and water I expected. The base soup was made up of browned onions with chunks of some kind fish that was stewed until it became white and tender. A layer of cheese topped the broth. I dipped my spoon into the soup and was delighted to see that the cheese topping had also melted into the broth.
The first spoonful was utterly delicious and tasted even better than the rations I ate earlier for lunch. I dip the bread in as well and by the time Earnest returns my bowl is empty.
"Heh, I've never seen someone eat so quickly, I'm guessing you liked the fo-"
"More please." I hand him my empty bowl. Idly I realize that I managed to get some broth on my face during my inhalation of the soup. Earnest laughs and hands the bowl off to Lina who was once again on her way to the kitchen. I reach into my traveling bag and pull out a handkerchief from my [Inventory] to clean my face. While I was sure I had enough money to pay for the meal and a stay at this tavern it was best to confirm the prices now while Earnest was before me.
"How much do I owe for this meal and a two nights stay?"
"That would be 4 silvers for the two bowls of stew, 4 coppers for the mead, and another 6 silvers for the two nights stay."
"So 10 silvers and 4 coppers then... I only have gold pieces."
"That's fine, after all, ten of silver makes a gold. I'll just need two of those from you."
I pass the two golds over to him. He reaches into a pouch on his belt and counts some copper and silver coins before handing me my change of 9 silvers and 6 coppers. If one gold was ten silver coins, then he must have used 1 silver coin of the second gold coin to give me back the 6 copper coins. That meant that the currency of this world likely worked in 10s. 10 coppers for a silver coin and 10 silver coins for a gold one. Good to know.
"When you're finished with your meal, just give me a shout and I'll bring your room key over."
I distractedly nod at Earnest, although my attention is swiftly taken by the second bowl of onion gratin soup Lina places before me.
As Earnest promised, the bedroom was clean. There was a neatly made-up bed at the center of the room. To the right side of the bed, there was a small desk with a pitcher of water beside it, likely intended for a late-night drink. There was also a washroom with a latrine at the end of the hall, which surprisingly had a shower and plumbing. Thank goodness for that.
I take a seat at the desk before reaching into my inventory for the [Journal] item. In YGGDRASIL, it was a key item that was given to every player in their starter kits. It was also immutable and using it would open a menu that would allow players to write about whatever they wanted. Most people I knew used it for noting down item recipes and the like.
A simple leather-bound notebook appeared in my hand with a feather quill tied to its spine. Opening it revealed empty pages rather than the text window which would normally appear. Unfortunately, I had no ink for the quill, although it didn't hurt to practice writing with it. To my surprise, the first stroke of the quill on the page made a neat line across it. Huh, it must be magic of some kind. Well, that's one less thing I have to look for in the market when I go to restock provisions.
I rip out the now ruined page, but a new one materializes in the book immediately afterward. I can already tell that this item is going to be immensely valuable. If a piece of paper is as costly to make here as it was in the middle ages of my own world then I could probably get away with selling some sheets from this book. Although… I couldn't continue allowing myself to get wrapped up in my thoughts. Sothis always did say that it was a bad habit of mine.
Thinking about Sothis brings my thoughts back to why I took out the [Journal] in the first place. I needed to compile the information I found so far. I begin to take notes with the quill.
Entry 1:
Date: ?
-Currently, I am in the capital of the Gaspard Territory in the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. There are also two more countries in Fodlan. The Leicester Alliance to the east and the Adrestian Empire to the south.
-Magic seems to be a widely accepted discipline around here. From the mercenary company accompanying Darius I did not see any mages within them, but that doesn't necessarily mean that all of them were incapable of using magic.
-Magical tools such as bags with storage expansion or food preservation effects are valuable
-With regards to monetary systems, the coinage here seems to work in rules of 10 going in the order of copper, silver, and gold.
- On that note, large bullions are worth 5,000 gold coins, while a single YGGDRASIL coin or a "Goddess Crown" is worth 10,000 gold coins.
-The Church of Seiros seems to be a major social power here in Fodlan from the words of the bandits I met two days ago. Darius also mentioned Goddess Crown's being valued by them. Perhaps another player is somehow involved with them… I'm not inclined to believe that it's Sothis. We disappeared from YGGDRASIL at the same time, so we may have come to this world at the same time as well. Also, Sothis wasn't the type to be huge on religion.
-If Darius sells the Goddess Crown on the down-low like we agreed to, then hopefully I'll be able to avoid unwanted attention. For now, I do wish to investigate this Church of Seiros. From its name perhaps Faergus is also connected to the Church if it is one of the dominant religions in Fodlan.
-In the morning I'll ask Earnest about the date and where I can learn more about the Church.
-In the future I'll continue to use my mage-historian guise when needed.
After penning my final thoughts, I close the journal with a snap. Peeking out of the window in front of the desk reveals the moon high up at the the centermost part of the sky. Stars of blues, yellows, and reds blanketed the sky on its sides. It was beautiful. I'm sure that Sothis thinks the same.
I rise from my seat and stretch before returning the [Journal] to my [Inventory]. It was time for a much-needed shower and then bed.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Ugh, who… A bleary look around reminds me that I'm still in a guest bedroom of The Broken Breaker. Sunlight spills brightly in tho the room from the partially opened window curtains. I must have overslept.
Knock. Kno- "I'm coming just give me a moment!"
I quickly dress into my mage robes from the previous day. I would need to find someplace to wash them later though. I opened the door to my room and was greeted by the second barmaid I saw on the tavern floor last night, a young blonde-haired woman named Elsie.
"Apologies for waking you Miss Libelle but breakfast is about to end. Earnest wanted me to wake you before you missed it completely."
"Thank you. I'll be down soon."
With her task complete Elsie continues down the hall and into the washroom, likely for her cleaning duties. I grab my traveling bag before locking my room and heading downstairs.
"Morning young lass! How'd you like your room?" Earnest smiles widely and gestures to a bowl of porridge placed on the counter of the bar.
"It was nice."
Earnest passes me a spoon and I start to dig in. Like the food from last night, breakfast was also delicious.
"The porridge was great, my compliments to the chef."
"Heh, that would be me this time around. No need to pay though, breakfast is complimentary for our overnight guests."
A quick glance around the tavern floor revealed only a few other guests mingling about for breakfast. I'm a bit curious about why there are so few overnight guests, but perhaps this is simply an unbusy time of the year. I had more important questions for Earnest anyway though.
"What day and year is it." Ugh, that came out more like a statement than a question. I was nowhere near skilled enough in human interaction to weasel the details out of someone who socializes with people every day as a part of his craft though.
Earnest raises his eyebrows in surprise and a bit of confusion. Something must have dawned on him though because his eyes brighten and he begins to chuckle.
"You sure didn't look like it but you must be a lightweight if that mug of mead you had last night caused you to forget the day and the year, especially with all of that eating you did. But because you did ask, today is the 17th of the Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180."
T-this guy! No, he has to know that I was nowhere near drunk last night. Maybe this is his way of giving me a way out for asking such an odd question.
"No need to look like someone's gonna bite you lass, although now I'm even more curious. Let me take a guess…" He leans in to meet my eyes and speaks in a lower tone of voice. "You're an Alliance noble of mixed blood who ran away from home after living a very sheltered life in order to escape an arranged marriage or some other political issue."
Nobility? Marriage? Do not laugh! Do not-
Breathe in. Breathe out.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Let's just go with that.
"If you say so, lass. Don't worry I won't spill the beans to your secret." Earnest shrugs but his smug smile made his belief in hitting the nail on the head on the topic of my situation all too clear.
I'm not even going to try to correct him. If that keeps his suspicion of me as far away from my identity as possible then I'll leave him to his whims. With my breakfast now finished I stand up before asking Earnest for a final bit of information.
"Would there happen to be a Church of Seiros in this town?"
Earnest nods as he collects my dishes from the counter.
"The Western Church recently moved into the old Central Church chapel near the center of town. It has a Crest of Cichol on its spire, so you'll be able to spot it easily from outside."
He wipes down the counter with his free hand as he continues.
"If you plan on attending Church services there will be a mass held at noon today. Lina, Elsie, and I will also be attending so the tavern will be closed during that time."
"Thank you."
I tilt my head in thanks at Earnest before making my way outside the tavern.
Outside hazy beams of sunlight along with a cloudy sky greeted me. Perhaps it would rain soon. Compared to last night there were far more townspeople moving about. Although… some seemed to be moving with more urgency than others.
The sound of hooves clicking gently against the cobblestone street echoes from down the road. A covered wagon stops at a blacksmith's shop before workers begin transporting boxes from the shop into the carriage. It was probably a delivery of some kind.
I use a hand to shield my eyes before scanning the skyline. A tall spire with some kind of symbol…. Ah. There it is. In the distance, I could see the church spire Earnest mentioned. At the peak of the spire, the encircled "Crest of Cichol" looked like a mix between a scale and a roman-esque pillar.
With my guide insight, it took me around 8 minutes to reach the church. A quaint market was also located nearby.
A glance at the sun's position allows me to estimate that I had a bit of time left until noon. Now would be a good time to restock on my provisions for the remaining leg of my journey to Arianrod.
By the time I started to finish my final purchase, the sound of bells chiming from the church caught my attention. A large number of residents passed by on the street behind me, surprisingly lively in comparison to the somewhat rigid behavior of some of the working residents. After handing me my change the shopkeeper, a red-haired woman also begins to close up her shop.
Hopefully, participation in mass won't require much of me. With some luck, I may be able to follow the lead of the other worshippers and avoid scrutiny.
Upon stepping into the church my attention was drawn to the sight of sunlight reflecting through stained glass windows and illuminating a large marble statue of a woman. Flanking her were two others: one of a man holding a lance and the other of a young woman cradling a staff.
I choose a seat in a pew closest to the doors. Other residents quickly fill in the empty seats closest to me. Fortunately, none of them spare odd looks towards my unfamiliar presence.
The chiming of the noontime bells softly comes to an end as a priest dressed in ornate white robes approaches the podium at the head of the chapel.
He begins his sermon with a greeting.
"It is by the grace of the goddess and the favor of the Saints that we are able to gather here on this day of rest."
His congregation responds with murmurs of agreement as he opens a tome.
"Today's doctrine will be focused on the teachings of Saint Cichol. If you wish to read along, there are a few copies of the Book of Cichol beneath each pew. We will be starting with his third sermon before moving on to prayers."
I bend over to look beneath the pew I'm seated on. Since I'm sitting at the edge of the row there's a copy on the shelf right below my seat. I place the well-used book onto my lap and open it. From the table of contents, I quickly find the specified page as the priest starts his sermon.
"Saint Cichol's words are those of the land, born of the Goddesses' sacrifice and strength. From adversity, he refined temperance and with his spear he banished avarice…"
From the will of the Goddess Cichol came into being.
From his blood first came Cethleann and then the many.
Of the many, those who bear his crest inherit his blessed power to banish sacrilege.
Of the many, those who do not bear his crest inherit his will...
Remember that the children of Fodlan are all descendants of the Goddess.
Remember that it is our duty to uphold Saint Cichol's will and to protect this sacred land..
"Ahem."
My reading was interrupted by the sight of the Priest standing before me. I noticed most of the other residents collecting themselves and preparing to leave now that today's short mass had ended. Some remained in the pews before the statues at the head of the church with their hands locked in prayer. None of them seemed to notice the conversation between the Priest and I. Actually, from his narrowed eyes it seemed that this would be more of a confrontation.
Now that he had my attention, he continued, "I haven't seen you at mass before. You must be new to Aberdeen."
I gently close the Book of Cichol before placing it back on its shelf. I stand up. This way we would be able to speak on more even terms.
"I'm a traveler passing through who wanted to attend mass before continuing on my journey. I hope my presence here didn't cause any inconvenience."
It seems my response wasn't enough to satisfy him since he maintains his frown. In fact, the more he looked at me the more I was able to discern the emotion displayed in his expression. Disdain.
"While I will not discourage you from attending services I believe that you may have been unaware that there is little point in those with the blood of foreigners doing so. The guidance of the Goddess and her Saints are meant for the people of Fodlan."
The implicit 'and not you' in his words is clear. Something deeper than annoyance rises from my turbulent mind. Warmth began to pool in my chest as I smiled back at him.
"Did the Goddess tell you that herself?"
He sputters clearly not expecting me to direct such a question at him. "I'll have you know that you can be imprisoned for such heres-"
BOOM!
He flinches as do I and many of the other constituents in the church.
A child cries, frightened by the sudden flash and crack of thunder. The steady drumming of a downpour of rain echoes from outside.
A man quickly approaches the startled Priest and whispers in his ear. Due to my sharper hearing in this body, I was able to catch a snippet of the message.
"Sudden rain… supplies not…reinfor..."
With his attention drawn elsewhere, the Priest still makes sure to throw a glare at me before striding in the direction of a private office located at the back of the church.
I head towards the doors where some townspeople were taking shelter from the sudden downpour. With how I just offended that Priest it may be best for me to leave the city sooner rather than later. Although from what I was able to overhear, whatever that man told the priest seemed as though it was far more important to him than dealing with me. It turns out that only paying for two nights at the inn was a good decision.
I stepped out of the church and into the downpour, raising the hood of my cloak as I did so. I won't bother using magic to prevent myself from getting drenched. That would only prompt the raising of eyebrows when I get back to the inn. I set a brisk pace and reach the inn in less than 5 minutes. Opening the door reveals a waiting Lina with a towel at the ready. From her lack of damp hair, her, Earnest, and Elsie must have left the church before the downpour started.
She hands the towel over to me and I thank her before walking upstairs to my room.
A quick use of [Water Manipulation] removes all of the rainwater from my person to form a glob of water before me. As I take a seat at the desk, I idly let the blob of water twist into various shapes.
Using magic here was almost like breathing water. With a flick of a finger, half of the morphing glob of water merges with the water in the half-filled pitcher on the desk while the other half wets the towel Elsie gave me.
I remove my [Journal] from my [Inventory]. I needed to update it. It's clear that the Priest if not the Westen Church is up to something. Their teachings also require more examination.
From the Western Church's focus on Saint Cichol, it could be possible that different churches focus on different 'Saints' in this world although I still haven't learned much about the 'Goddess.'
With every piece of information I find, I only have more and more questions for this world.
And that's chapter 3! My update schedule flew out of the window the moment my classes this semester started picking up. Initially I wanted to do one big 12k chapter because of how delayed this one was, but I decided to split the two chapters in half because of the sheer amount of plot points that would be hit in a single chapter.
Thank you to everyone who favorited, followed and reviewed this fic so far, a lot of my extra motivation comes from knowing that people read and like what I write so far.
I have a lot of chapter 4 written as well, but I want to make sure that I'm getting the scene executions down right. I can't say that I'm 100% happy with this chapter but the more I nitpick at it the less I feel will actually get done for this fic ;.;.
As I always, I feed off of the reviews. Let me know if you like it or if you feel like there are aspects where I can improve!
To my reviewers from chapter 1/2:
Thank you DD, Minnidog118, Thereisaperv, Takedo, yann0406, and bloobloo2334 (and you Dracus lol) for leaving reviews on this fic! I read all of them and appreciate them all :).
Also magicpotato, that's a big ol' spoiler and you'll have to keep reading to find out!
On a final note, I'm also occasionally in that Fire Emblem Treehouse discord server (discord . gg / 9XG3U7a) which I'm sure y'all have seen around in other fics too. I may or may not occasionally drop snippets in it :p.