Hey all! New chapter is here, with only a couple of weeks to go until this story's a year old! As celebration I offer you: a chapter about shopping!

Hey wait, where are you going-


Chapter 25: Shopping Spree

With Chrom and the rest of the Shepherds back in Ylisstol things seem to have returned to normal. Far more so than I initially expected. The heavy atmosphere that lingered around the barracks in the Prince's absence has lifted with his safe return. And while things are far from carefree, I do find myself feeling more peaceful.

It's a revelation that brings to mind Frederick's grim words, almost two months ago, and I can't help but chuckle at the thought. He was so sure that peace would be a distant memory at this point, but in his exhaustion he failed to consider one thing.

It's still winter.

As anyone from my home world who's heard of a little country by the name of motherfucking Russia will attest to, climate can be a critical factor in warfare. The previous Exalt's invasion of Plegia was unable to do lasting damage to the country's economy because they were all but stopped when they tried to drive their way into the desert, preventing them from reaching the country's most valuable territory. And now in a mirror to that Plegia has been unable to take any ground in Ylisse due to their inability to deal with the cold weather.

Winter in Ylisse is nothing compared to those of Regna Ferox, but when your country is primarily covered in sweltering deserts and wastelands the difference is unbearable. It's not particularly dangerous for the Plegian people, but it slows their Wyverns down considerably and destroys the morale of everyone else.

The Plegian army did attempt to launch an invasion not long after Chrom and his forces returned to Ylisstol, but it simply didn't get anywhere. Their casualties were few, but they were completely unable to secure a foothold, and were forced to retreat. After only a few weeks they returned to Plegia to lick their wounds and wait for Ylisse to thaw.

From what I've heard this was an expected outcome from both sides. Gangrel was swift to call for a retreat when it became clear that his soldiers weren't able to overcome the icy conditions, and is using the failure as fuel to stoke the tempers of his people. Meanwhile Ylisse is using this opportunity to build its far smaller army.

They need far more time than this of course. Emmeryn has heavily neglected the military in her time as Exalt, focusing instead on rebuilding the infrastructure and agriculture of the nation. Not really a decision I can say I fault her for… but boy could Ylisse use a stronger army right about now.

The snow is already beginning to melt, after all. Within the next couple of weeks spring will come to Ylisse. And with it, death will follow. The Plegian army will descend upon us in a frenzy, and Ylisse will struggle with all its might to endure it. And I will join them.

Until that day comes though, I am making the most of my time. My daily routine has stayed more or less the same as it was during my time alone, but some improvements have been made. Frederick has been helping me gradually update my exercises as I continue to recover, and has also helped me in my new focus on swordplay. Thanks to this I have my evenings free once more, giving me some much needed relaxation to balance out the extremes to which I've been driving myself.

Today is a rather extreme example of this, an honest to God day off, which happens far too rarely for me these days. Lissa's been pushing for me to take one lately, though her original plan was to slack off with me all day. Didn't pan out that way unfortunately, due to Maribelle needing her for something today, so I'm forced to come up with a new plan.

So far that's consisted of lounging around the common room, doodling in my sketchbook, which is a fine way to kill an hour or two, but not something I want to do all day.

"Maybe I should do some shopping?" I muse, staring blankly at the Griffon that's taking shape on my page. "I could use some new clothes… and probably another sketchbook…" The one I'm using is starting to run out of space.

A conversation I had with Miriel the other day comes to mind, and ends up sealing the deal for me. "Alright, guess I'm heading to town."

Of course if I am going to head to the market there is a problem I'll need to overcome. For all the travelling I do as a member of the Shepherds, I'm really not the adventurous type. I've always been the sort of person to settle into a routine and stick to it. For much of the time I've spent in Ylisstol, I've stayed in the vicinity of the barracks. The training grounds, library, and more recently the church are the only places I tend to visit outside of my new home.

This all means that trips into the city are something I try to avoid. It makes me something of an anomaly amongst the Shepherds in a way, as most venture down there on a regular basis. I prefer sitting quietly or training to a crowded marketplace any day. So when the rare time comes that I am drawn down the hill into that mess of people, I prefer to bring a guide.

Severa is probably the first that comes to mind, but more because of what a terrible option she is. For all that she likes to haggle now, she still has a tendency to get carried away while shopping. I went shopping with her once in Ferox, and she kept me busy for damn near eight hours arguing with every merchant in Gelida Dominus. And then tried to guilt me into paying for it all. Never again.

Luckily for me, there are plenty of other options amongst the Shepherds who can help me without quintupling my shopping time. Sumia, for instance, is always willing to lend a hand, and has helped make more than one shopping trip fly by in no time. She likes window shopping, but seems to be able to tell when I'm nearing my limit and finish up accordingly (A skill she claims to have learned from her dates with Chrom). She also has an innate sense for finding the best bakeries in whatever city or town that she's in, an extremely valuable ability by any metric.

Whenever I decide to go to town Sumia's usually my first choice for guide, and this time is no different. So after a minute or two of looking around I manage to catch her at the entrance of the barracks. "Hey Sumia, was just looking for you. You busy today?"

"Oh, Ben! Hello there." She beams at me as she buttons up her coat. "Yes actually, I was just on my way to see Chrom. Was there something you needed?"

"Ah, damn." I sigh, shrugging my shoulders. "Was going to ask if you could play navigator on another shopping trip. I wanted to pick up a few things in town."

"Oh, I'm afraid today just isn't a good day for that sort of thing, I'm sorry!" She bows her head in apology.

"No worries, no worries." I shrug. "I wouldn't want to interrupt you two. Lord knows Chrom's hardly had a day off lately. I'll just ask Virion. Have fun."

I start to wander back towards the rooms when Sumia calls out to me. "Wait just a moment Ben!"

I turn back and see Sumia's got an expression of deep thought. "What was it you needed to get?"

I tell her and her expression shifts, her innocent smile somewhat contrasted by a gleam in her eye. "I think I have the perfect guide for you!"


"I'm drawing a lot of less than pleasant looks right now, Sumia." I grumble, keeping my gaze directed at the floor.

"Oh I'm sure you're just imagining things." Sumia waves my worries away as she leads me down the hall.

"I really don't think I am."

"He's really not!" A voice chimes in from behind me, followed by scattered laughter. Sumia carries on as though the speaker doesn't exist. I'm forced to follow closely at the risk of being even more out of place.

"I promise you have nothing to worry about Ben, we'll be out of here in just a moment." Sumia strolls nonchalantly up to one of the doors and places her hand on the handle, only to pause for a moment. "You should probably turn away for a moment, just in case."

"Damnit woman." I sigh half-heartedly and turn back down the hallway, "You're doing this just to mess with me, aren't you?"

"Hello, is everyone decent?" Sumia ignores me and barges in. She spares a brief glance back at me to give a quick "All clear!" before turning back. "Good morning!"

"Hello Sumia," Cordelia replies, jumping out of her bunk and stepping forward, only to pause when she sees me awkwardly shuffle into the doorway. "And… Ben? What brings you two here? I thought you were spending time with Chrom today."

I tune out for a moment as I look around the room. Pegasus knight quarters are kinda shit compared to what I get as a Shepherd. Six people to a room, each crammed in a small bunk with only a simple chest for personal belongings. Considering the majority of the Pegasus Knights are the daughters of wealthy families I honestly expected them to have more comfortable accommodations.

Huh, Sumia's still talking, I'd better start listening again. "- completely forgot I was supposed to help him!" She's really playing it up, clasping her hands and pleading with a look of desperation. "If you took my place you'd be doing me a huge favor!"

I struggle to keep the bemused smirk off of my face at that one. Same line she used to convince me to come in here and go along with her plan. Though in my case the favor is far more genuine.

Apparently Cordelia has been shutting herself off more and more since everyone returned from the battle at the border. Despite Sumia's best efforts she can't get her friend to open up about it, so she's just trying to be supportive any other way she can think of. In this case that means using my shopping trip as an excuse to get Cordelia outside for something other than training.

Of course with how gung-ho Sumia can be, it looks like Cordelia's getting suspicious. She turns her gaze to me, a silent challenge to back up Sumia's claim, and I step up to act the part. "It's not exactly a lengthy shopping list, but I don't know my way around Ylisstol at all. I'd get lost in an instant." I scratch the back of my head and chuckle sheepishly. "If you could help me out it'd make my day a lot easier."

Cordelia nods slowly at that, a gesture of understanding rather than approval, and turns to look back at her bed. I follow her gaze and see a small harp sitting there. Guess she was planning on practising today. In the end though she seems to decide against it, nodding more firmly. "I'd be happy to help, Ben. Allow me a few minutes to get ready and we can be on our way."

"Thank you kindly." I grin, turning back to the door. "I'll just wait out in the hall."

Sumia's response is much more exuberant, an enthusiastic hug that seems energetic enough to threaten to knock Cordelia off balance. "Thank you so much, Cordelia! I swear I'll make it up to you!"

"It's fine Sumia, really!" Cordelia breaks into her first real smile of the conversation. "It's really no trouble at all."

"Well thank you all the same." Sumia releases her hold on Cordelia and follows me out into the hall. "Alright, I shouldn't keep Chrom waiting any longer. You two have fun! Goodbye!" She runs back the way we came, back to the entrance of the Pegasus Knight Quarters. Which leaves me now alone in the presence of no less than fifty women who are both capable of kicking my ass and unappreciative of an uninvited male presence so deep in the heart of their private living space.

And now they're back to giving me those weird looks again. I grimace and fix my gaze back on the floor, resigning myself to an extended period of time spent fidgeting uncomfortably until Cordelia is ready.

When she emerges from her room several awkward minutes later she's swapped out the red tunic I usually see her wearing for a shorter navy one and well-fitting breeches. She shoulders a haversack and gives me a smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we be… you're staring."

"Uh!" I look aside hurriedly. "Sorry. Just… first time seeing you in something other than your training gear. It's, uhh, you look… nice. I mean! Well." I clap a palm to my face. "Well I'm about to die of embarrassment. Guess the trip is off."

"Oh hush." Cordelia replies, laughter in her voice. "I'm sure you'll be just fine. Are you ready?"

"…Yeah." I lower my hand and sigh. "Yeah, I don't need my dignity to go shopping anyways. By your lead, Lady Knight."

The trip down the hill to Ylisstol is mostly spent in silence, though what sort of silence is probably a matter of opinion. I'm still kicking myself over gaping like an idiot for much of the walk, but Cordelia seems entirely unbothered by it. A part of me knows it's really not a big deal, but the idea of acting an idiot in front of this girl is irritating to me. Probably because I know that's probably the sort of unwelcome attention she probably gets on a daily basis.

"So, you never did tell me what you were hoping to buy." Cordelia remarks as we near the main road through town. "Where am I leading us today?"

"Oh, right." I blink in surprise as the question derails my train of thought (which is probably for the best). "Uhh, well let's see. I need some new socks, wore through quite a few up in Ferox with all the marching we did. I'm running low on art supplies, need some new pencils and a sketchbook. Uhh, and then…" I pause to check my coin purse.

I've been using the same purse for months now, the same one I picked up off the calm bandit down in Donnel's hometown. It was one of the few things that survived Ferox without difficulty, mostly because it stayed safe on the cart while I was swimming in the river. And because I've managed to keep my funds safe to this point, and because being a Shepherd pays pretty well on top of providing for my basic needs, and because I have a certain habit of plundering gold from dead bandits… I'm pretty loaded at this point.

And by the end of the day I won't be. "I want to get armor and a spellbook." I look back up at Cordelia and am rewarded by seeing her nearly drop her bag in surprise. "Yeah, I've been saving up for a while now." I say, laughing at the shocked look she's giving me.

"Evidently!" Cordelia replies, walking over and eying my coin purse. "What sort of armor are you looking to buy?"

"Greaves. Plus something for my feet that I can put on over these." I gesture down at my steel toed boots. "Though that's going to have to be some sort of custom order, obviously. Well I suppose it's all going to be custom ordered, isn't it? I'm definitely on the tall side by local standards."

"Hmm…" Cordelia sizes me up for a brief moment. "You are, but not absurdly so. It's not like you're Frederick's size. I think we can find some greaves already made that will fit without too much difficulty. As for your shoes… Goodness, those are unusual, aren't they?"

"Definitely the most unusual clothing I own by this world's standards." I reply. "Very effective though. Waterproof soles, excellent traction, reinforced toe. Hard to believe they were falling apart a few months ago. The cobbler Severa found did a hell of a job fixing them considering he's probably never seen anything like this before."

Cordelia gives me an odd look, before returning to her usual focus. "Hmm. So you're looking for something we can strap on over it without sacrificing flexibility. Easy enough." She gives me a pleased smile. "I can see why Sumia asked me to help you. I must confess, when she first asked I was worried it was just her usual fussing."

"I mean, that's definitely part of it." I shrug. "She's worried. About both of us, I imagine, though for entirely different reasons. It's not a bad thing."

"No, certainly not!" Cordelia shakes her head vehemently. "It's one of her most admirable qualities. I just…"

"You don't want to be a bother?"

"Exactly." She smiles, relieved to see that I understand. "I wouldn't want for anyone to go out of their way on my account. If she was just inventing a reason to get me out and about it would feel like I was wasting your time."

"Nothing to worry about there." I wave my hand dismissively. "I went to her for help on a whim, and she found somebody who could do the job."

"Ah, so you admit her story about forgetting her promise was a white lie then!"

I blink in surprise, and give her a sheepish grin. "Damn, you caught me."

"You're making it quite easy today." Cordelia tilts her head curiously. "It's normally much more difficult to determine what you're thinking. For example, you said earlier that your clothing is odd by this world's standards?"

Okay, that one really did catch me off guard. I pause, thinking back over the conversation. "Uhh, did I?"

"When you spoke of your shoes, yes. It was a rather unusual way of phrasing things."

"Huh… I guess I did." I blink in surprise. "Well I guess it's not like that's really a secret. I'm from the Outrealm Gate. Totally different dimension."

Whatever Cordelia was expecting, it clearly wasn't that. She stares blankly at me for a moment before recovering and suddenly looking a bit cross. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't make fun of me, Ben."

"…I'm not, though." I frown, taken aback by the reaction.

"The Outrealm Gate isn't real. It's the subject of fairy tales. Or do you expect me to believe that you came here by jumping out of a children's storybook?"

Come to think of it, I suppose this is the normal reaction, isn't it? It's not really the sort of thing a person just believes. "Either Frederick was really holding back on me or Chrom's rubbing off on him more than he realizes…" I muse.

"You've told this story to Frederick?" Cordelia blinks in shock.

"Yeah. He believed it, too. I mean, he went through all my stuff behind my back to figure out if I'm lying, but he seems to be convinced now. Probably." I scratch at the back of my head. "You can ask him or Sumia later if you want confirmation, I guess. They'd only be able to tell you what I told them, though."

A brief part of me considers bringing up Anna, but with all the fuss she makes about her family secrets I figure I'd better not. If I piss her off she might tell her family to call off… whatever the fuck they're doing to figure out my situation. Geez, I should really follow up with her soon.

Cordelia seems to still be wrapping her head around what I've told her, so I wave my hand to get her attention. "Hey, sorry if this is a bit overwhelming, okay? I know it's a weird situation, believe me. I'm getting the worst of that by far."

"I suppose you would be." Cordelia muses. "I assume this is what you meant that time you said your family situation was complicated?"

"I-wait, you seriously remember that? Okay, never mind. Yeah, that's what I meant."

"I… don't talk to people outside of the Pegasus Knights often." Cordelia replies, blushing a bit. "I have so few conversations that aren't related to my instructions or… or hazing rituals… I tend to remember them."

Pegasus Knight training is just High School. It's official. This poor girl. "Well, I'm honored." I smile gratefully. "That said, I'd appreciate if this conversation stays strictly relegated to your memories for the time being outside of the Shepherds. It's not… really a secret for me, but the questions I get on the subject have worn me down after a while. I remember when Donnel found out he wouldn't stop asking me crazy questions for days."

"Donnel is the boy with the sharp eyes and the… interesting taste in headgear, right?"

"Yeah." I sigh. "I'm trying to talk him into getting a proper helmet, but he's weirdly attached to that thing. Not that I'm in a position to judge him, I don't wear a proper helmet either."

"I find they restrict my vision too much." Cordelia nods. "Having a wide field of view is very useful, especially when in the air."

"Makes sense." I nod along. "Though I'd imagine the wind would be a problem…"

"Not for a Pegasus Knight." Cordelia grins proudly, while very pointedly not explaining the reason for that. Guess I'm just going to have to wait in suspense then. Annoying. Times like these I wish I could just Google the answer to everything like I could back in my world.

Then again, if I could do that, I would have just looked up a map instead of getting a guide wouldn't I? And then I'd be wandering around on my own instead of spending time with a beautiful woman.

You know what, the information age can kiss my ass. Because this right here? This is nice.


Cordelia proves to be a brilliant guide as we make our way through town. Her tendency to excel in all things seems to extend to both navigating a busy shopping center and knowing where all the best quality work can be done. The first armorer she brings me to gets me set up with some excellent quality greaves, and shows me enough high quality footwear to convince me to pay for a custom job.

She also thinks of things I didn't even know I needed to save me some trouble down the line. At the clothing store she brings me to I find myself modelling tighter fitting pants, since the jeans I wear won't be even remotely comfortable when I'm trying to strap armor on over them.

The magic book is what really surprised me though. It turns out that multiclassing, so to speak, is not just an option for the Shepherds. Cordelia, despite training solely to become a Pegasus Knight, is already versed in use of magic.

"I'm sure you noticed that most of the Pegasus Knights are from noble families." Cordelia explains as she closely inspects a tome. "Being versed in magic is something of a status symbol in Ylisse, a sign of far more in-depth and expensive education than the average citizen. I've never taken to it as well as my physical training, but I was taught a great deal about it as a child. And I would hate to let such a skill go to waste, so I keep up practise in the basics."

"Impressive." I comment, looking over a selection of books that already have spell circles inscribed.

"Hardly. I'm nowhere near the level of the likes of Miriel. Or even that student of hers, Ricken. And my healing magic is utter rubbish." She looks over to me and hums as she looks at the books that caught my interest. "Thinking of buying something ready-made, are you?"

"Not particularly." I pull a face as I examine the spell circles. "A lot of these are only really useful to people like Miriel who are dedicated solely to the study of magic. I wouldn't have use for most of these spells. Not to mention they're all specialized to a specific branch."

"With the amount of study necessary to use magic, I think most tend to find specialization easier." Cordelia shrugs. "Though I hardly know enough to say for sure why that is."

"I suppose if nothing else it's easier to keep organized." I shelf the book and grab a blank one from the table Cordelia's inspecting. "These look alright, yeah?"

"I believe so. They're not exceptional quality, but for a beginner's spellbook that's to be expected. And it's just affordable for what you have left." She pauses for a moment and sighs. "Ah, but then you won't have enough for those art supplies. Hold on, I'll keep looking."

"Nah, it's fine." I shrug, heading for the counter and getting my money ready. "I like drawing, but with all the training I've had to do lately I rarely have time for it. Besides, this is a much better use of my money. Miriel's been hinting that she wants me to resume practical training for weeks now."

"What happened to put your training on pause?"

"Eh, lost my spellbook in a river." I shoot a grin at the suddenly scandalized shopkeeper as she pauses in counting up my money. "Cheers, mate."

"That's… quite a waste." Cordelia replies in bemusement.

"Yeah, well, I didn't have much choice in the matter. A bridge collapsed." I wait for the woman to finish counting coins and give her a nod in thanks, then grab the book and head out. But when I pause to hold the door for Cordelia, I see that she hasn't moved from the table. "You coming?"

She jumps in surprise, and rushes after me. "Sorry! Sorry, thank you." As soon as we've emerged onto the street again she seems to space out again, weaving her way in and out of the crowds with a faraway look in her eye.

It annoys me to no end that she proves capable of navigating the crowds better than me even while not paying attention, because it means I have to get rougher just to keep up with her. My frame's not exactly suited to slipping past people, so I push them aside instead. "Cordelia! Oi, Cordelia!"

Finally I reach her and manage to catch her by the shoulder, only to make a hasty retreat as she attempts some sort of judo thing on me that only fails because of Frederick's training. "Holy shit, was it something I said?"

Cordelia frowns as she sees me. "Ben, if you want to ask me something then please just ask me. I don't appreciate being grabbed like that."

I gape at her for a moment. "Cordelia, you weren't listening to me. At all. Hell, for a moment there it looked like you were trying to run away from me, I could barely keep up with you!"

"O-Oh." Cordelia blinks in surprise. "I'm sorry Ben, that wasn't my intention."

"Okay, well I'm glad to know I haven't pissed you off or anything." I lead the way over to a side road so we can talk without so many people swarming around. "So what's eating you?"

"I'd rather not say."

"Alright, normally I'd be all for respecting your wishes on that front. Only thing is, I'm clearly involved with whatever just happened. I doubt you shut down mid conversation because of the price of spellbooks."

Cordelia glares at me. "I really would appreciate if you dropped it."

"I'm sure you would." I nod with confidence I don't at all feel. For some reason I just can't help but try my luck right now. "But the thing is, if I drop it now, you'll have time to recover from whatever just happened, and then I'll never hear it again. Which wouldn't be a problem normally, except, like I said: I'm involved. So I want to know."

For the briefest of moments I feel like Cordelia's probably about to deck me, but her scowl slips into a resigned sigh instead. "I suppose you have that right." She says, grimacing. "You're going to think it's foolish, though."

"If it's a stupid thing to worry about, all the better to just talk it out now and settle things, right?"

"I suppose so." Cordelia says, still frowning at me. "You mentioned a collapsing bridge earlier. Would I be correct in assuming this happened in Ferox?"

"Uhh, yeah actually." I nod.

"And that's what led to everything else that happened." Cordelia nods along, continuing before I can really register what she just said. "Sumia's mentioned bits and pieces of it over the past few months."

"I… yeah." I blink in shock. "So… so you know, about-"

"I know about the slavers, at least as far as being aware that you were captured by them." Cordelia shuffles uncomfortably. "Sumia seemed to think you'd told me after our last discussion, so she let it slip. I didn't know how to stop her. No, I deliberately chose not to. I was… curious."

I try to suppress the sudden feeling of outrage that starts burning a hole in the pit of my gut, but I can tell the effort is a complete failure. My fists are clenching, my teeth gritting. "You figure it all out then? You satisfied your curiosity?"

Cordelia freezes at the tone in my voice. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have pried. I just-"

"Don't." I snap. "Don't say another word. Just. Wait." I turn away for a moment and take several long breaths. It's not her fault. This all happened because I shut down on her that time. I can't hold it against her for wanting to know why. Same goes for Sumia. She made an honest mistake. And after all that girl does for me I'd have to be an ass to hold it against her. Just…

"Uuuugh." I groan, knowing full well that this anger isn't healthy and struggling to let go of it. They both meant the best, I'm sure of it. They're wonderful people who would never deliberately harm me. They're just worried. And that's… frustrating, but not a bad thing.

"…Ben?" Cordelia's voice calls out tentatively, and I realize I've been keeping her in suspense for several minutes now.

"Right." I turn back to Cordelia and grimace at the expression on her face. She's not a crier like Sumia, but her worry is no less apparent, the apprehension twisting its way across her features. "Shit. Okay, I know that looked bad but I'm not mad, okay?" Her nervousness quickly makes way for a 'cut the bullshit' look and I hastily amend my statement. "Okay, I'm mad, but I'll get over it. I can't blame you for wanting to know, just… next time ask me first, alright?"

"I didn't think I should." Cordelia blinks in surprise. "I thought, after how I approached the subject last time…"

"Cordelia, you didn't even know there was a 'subject' last time." I stare blankly at her. "Are you seriously still kicking yourself over that comment you made about my weight?"

Cordelia goes pink and I shake my head in disbelief. "Well, you were right in the end. Now that we've arrived at the root of the issue I do think it's pretty goddamn stupid. All that fussing around catching bits and pieces of a story and kicking yourself over it because of something I told you not to feel bad about!"

"When you put it like that…"

"Yeah, kinda dumb, isn't it?" I grin to show there's no ill will in the statement, and she manages a smile back. It's enough to make me feel emboldened, and I carry on. "Honestly, if you wanted to know that badly you could have just stopped by and asked me. You're my friend, I would have told you!"

Cordelia's eyes seem to bug out of her head at that. "You think we're friends?"

Oh. Well that took the wind out of my sails. "Uh, I… did, yes. But I guess I can see how that would be… presumptuous of me. Sorry."

"No!" She gasps in shock as her thoughts seem to catch up to her. "I'm delighted! Really, I am! I just, didn't realize you considered me in such a regard. I didn't… well, you never said as much before, so I thought we were more like… acquaintances, or coworkers?"

"I mean, when we first met that was certainly true. That's how most friendships start." I frown. "It felt like we'd become a bit more than acquaintances by now though. It's not like I go giving out formal friendship invitations to people or something."

Cordelia goes very red at that. "That's how my friendship with Sumia began."

"What?"

"Our families were attending a function at the castle, and I was left on my own while my parents were mingling with the other nobles. I remember feeling very bored and lonely at the time, and that was when Sumia walked up to me and requested to be my friend. She even curtsied."

"Oh my god, that sounds adorable! How old were you two?"

"I was nine, and Sumia was six." Cordelia says, a bemused expression on her face. "You are enjoying this quite a bit, aren't you?"

"Can't help it, that's just a hecking cute story!" I grin. "I'm picturing Sumia as a six year old and it's just too adorable. I'm so going to tease her about that later!"

"Is it really something to tease about?" Cordelia tilts her head in confusion.

"Oh heck yeah." I nod along. "Though I suppose my own story is way worse."

"How so?"

"Sumia and I became friends the day after I first arrived here. I had strained my legs too much getting here, and I couldn't use the stairs properly. So I was sliding down the stairs one by one on my ass, and that's when she came up and started talking to me. She didn't even bat an eye." I look over at Cordelia who's giving me a blank stare. "I'm not kidding Cordelia, that's how she and I became friends."

It takes another moment before she reacts. When she does though I discover something very interesting.

For how put together Cordelia is normally, she is an absolute sight when she laughs. It seems to explode out of her, a force so powerful it doubles her over until she's clutching her ribs, completely unrestrained compared to her usual demeanor. It's natural, in a way that she normally is… not. Her normal attitude is always so composed, as though her every thought and facial expression is a design she's chosen to show the world. This is something entirely more natural, and it's all the more beautiful for it.

"There, you see?" I declare once she's recovered enough that I think she can hear me. "Only friends can laugh over dumb shit like that!"

Cordelia's smile slips a bit at that. "I suppose I don't have much experience in such things… Until now Sumia was my only real friend."

"Well… now you've got two. Double the friends." I shrug. "Wasn't so hard, was it?"

"I suppose not." Cordelia's grin widens again. "Certainly not as difficult as I thought."

"It's the people you hang out with." I shrug. "Other than Phila, most of the Pegasus Knights are… well they're just extremely unpleasant people, from what I've seen."

"They're not as bad as you think." Cordelia replies glumly. "I've learned a great deal from them in the time I've been training. You just have something of a strange tendency to find me when they're at their worst."

Yeah, right. I've had to deal with bullies in one way or another for my whole life, so I know well enough what an absolute load that is. Still, I get the feeling that she wouldn't appreciate me saying as much…

Fuck it. "Okay, we're both going to pretend I believe that." I nod along, which draws a scowl from Cordelia but not much else. She probably can tell from my tone that I won't be changing my mind about them any time soon. With my point made, I decide to change the subject. "So anyways, I've got about ten gold left to my name. Is there anywhere around here I can buy us dinner for that much? It's getting late enough."

"Oh, there's no need for you to-"

"I insist. It'll be my way of saying thanks for all the help you've been." I pause and think for a moment. "Assuming of course that I can afford it? No idea what a good meal costs around here."

"Very well." Cordelia smiles gratefully. "I know of a place not far from here. Follow me."


The place Cordelia is referring to turns out to be a familiar spot to me; a bakery that Sumia likes to frequent. They sell meat pies in the evening, really delicious ones packed with beef, carrot, and potato, practically dripping with gravy... just fantastic stuff, really.

"Maybe I should go into town more often." I muse, patting my gut happily as we make our way back towards the castle. "I don't get to eat stuff like that much these days."

"You should ask Sumia, I know she enjoys her baking." Cordelia replies.

"She loves baking pies, but most of the Shepherds only get to taste them when she's trying a new recipe." I explain with a smirk. "Once she's mastered a recipe she saves it for one person and one person only. I swear, with all the pie Chrom eats I'm amazed he hasn't gained weight."

"He would never!" Cordelia protests indignantly, causing me to burst into laughter.

"Hey, it could happen. A missed day of training here or there and he'll have a gut on par with the one I had when I first came here."

"Chrom would never let himself go like that. He's far too diligent." Cordelia replies with a huff. My grin only broadens at the tone. Girl's got it bad. She's in her early twenties but she gushes over her crush like a fourteen year old.

"I suppose you would know better than me." I allow, still smirking. "You've known him far longer than I have."

"Not as well as you might think." Cordelia sighs. "We're acquainted, but I mostly see him from afar. The things I've learned of him are all because of Sumia."

"Really? You've never talked?"

"Only about training."

"Huh." I muse on that as we keep walking. "So why is it that-"

"BEN!" I'm interrupted from my thoughts at the sound of my name being shouted from afar. I pause at that, looking around for the source of the voice. Was that Severa?

"Over there." Cordelia replies, her hearing far sharper than my own. I look in the direction she points and see a familiar head of red hair bobbing through the crowd. It takes some pushing and prodding, but the two of us manage to make our way over to her, as her shouting continues.

"Cool it kiddo, I'm here!" I call out as I finally come face to face with her, grabbing her by the shoulder to make sure I have her attention. "What the heck's going on, you're kicking up more of a fuss than usual."

"What the heck are you doing here?" Severa hisses in frustration. "You're supposed to be- What is she doing here!?" She drops the whispering and yelps in alarm as Cordelia emerges from the crowd behind me.

"Oh, you're Ben's… daughter, right?" Cordelia smiles uncertainly. "I'm Cordelia, we've met before during your training." Oh shit, that could be a problem.

Severa freezes at that and whirls back to face me. "You told her?"

"It didn't seem like the sort of thing I should lie about." I mumble, keeping my tone low enough that Cordelia hopefully won't be able to hear. "At least, not to her."

"Dad, you can't just-"

"She had a right to know." I cut her off firmly, before turning back and smiling disarmingly at Cordelia. "Sorry, we're still keeping the whole adoption thing quiet, she wasn't expecting that."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Cordelia blinks in surprise and confusion.

"Not your fault, not your fault!" I grin, before turning back to Severa. "We can talk about this later, alright? Not in public." And not in front of Cordelia.

Yeah, bit of a fuckup on my part. Forgot I even mentioned it to Cordelia. Hopefully we'll have time to get our story straight later. For now though… "Look, what was it you needed me for so badly that you're running around town yelling in the streets?"

Severa's outrage gives way to panic at my reminder, as she grabs me by the arm and starts trying to drag me off. "That's right, I forgot, we have to go! You're supposed to be back at the castle!"

"The castle? What do you mean, it's not like I have cooking duty or something." I blink in confusion, looking back helplessly at Cordelia. She can only offer a bemused shrug.

"Don't be dense, we have to get going!" Severa snaps irritably. "Gawds, I'm just lucky Kellam was there when you left, nobody else had a clue where you'd gone!"

"Severa!" I take the girl by the shoulder and turn her back to face me. "Stop panicking and talk to me. What's going on?"

Severa looks about ready to start yelling, but pauses when she sees the people in the crowd staring, Cordelia included. She stamps her foot in frustration, racking her head for the best way to say whatever's on her mind. In the end she settles for giving me a meaningful look and saying "It's tonight."

Well that was spectacularly unhelpful. "What is, what's tonight?"

Severa rolls her eyes and groans in frustration. "The… the thing! That thing is tonight. Come on, you know what I'm talking about! The thing at the castle!"

"The… the castle? What…" I trail off as I realize what's she's referring to. The assassination attempt! "It's tonight!?" I gasp in alarm.

"That's what I'm saying! Gawds!" Severa stamps her foot impatiently. "We have to go now!"

"I'm sorry, would one of you two mind explaining to me what you're talking about?" Cordelia cuts in uncertainly. "This sounds important, whatever it is."

"Uhh!" I straighten up nervously, looking over at Severa. She gives me a wide eyed stare. Right, my kid can't lie on the spot. I turn back to Cordelia and smile in the face of her bewildered expression. "Well, if I was to put it in words…" I trail off uselessly, not sure how to handle the situation.

Cordelia looks at me expectantly, then her eyes go wide, as she stares at something behind me. "Dear Gods."

I whirl around and freeze, staring on in shock at the sight of a massive gout of flame shooting into the air over the castle. Oh sweet fuck it's already started. The Exalt is being attacked by assassins as we speak.

I picked a hell of a day to go shopping.


I'll be aiming to get the next chapter out on the 7th, right as the story turns a year old, but failing that I'll definitely crank it out within the week following that. It's going to be something of a necessity, since I'll be pretty much impossible to reach once the new Pokemon games come out.

Next time: Ben's first time returning to battle since... chapter 15? Holy shit, that was a process, wasn't it? Well, I'm sure with all that time spent on break he'll be perfectly fine though...

Yup...