Still new to the world of Elibe, Izuku found himself tagging along with Mark and the mercenary group led by Glass. Having affirmed his convictions to save the world and become a hero, both in a figurative and literal sense, the group heads to Bulgar, preparing themselves in the city to complete Mark's mission in Sacae.
A/N;
Chapter has been re-edited as of March 14, 2023. Major changes include the addition of a shortened version of the deleted exposition from chapter 1, minor edits to the game that Mark and Izuku play in the first part of the chapter, and changing Izuku's training to better reflect his motivation changes. The previous myrmidon in Glass' group, Porc, has now been replaced by Guy, the myrmidon from Eliwood's story.
Also, to prevent confusion, the Knight class will be referred to as Armour Knight, the Fighter class will be called Axe Fighter and the Mercenary class will be called Sword Fighter. Knights will refer to those who serve a noble house, fighter will be used as a general term and mercenaries will refer to anyone who hires themselves out. I will also be referring to Soldiers as Lance Fighters to round out the weapon triangle, as well as adding the Halberdier class from later games to give the Lance Fighter a promotion. The brigand class will be referred to as Barbarian, with brigands being a catch-all term for bandits. The 'Blade' line of swords will be referred to as greatswords, and blades will be used interchangeably with both greatswords and swords. The spears from the game will be referred to as throwing spears, and the term spear will be used to refer to lances in general.
Supper was a light affair, made filling by the bonds the group now shared. Even Bank seemed to lighten up, reminding Izuku of Shoji with his disposition to silence. He had put his hood down, revealing a moderately handsome face framed by blond hair. He told Izuku that it was common for people of Bern to have either maroon or blonde hair, with Mark's variation of brown being more uncommon. After the meal, they retired to their tents. Izuku followed Mark, not having a tent of his own. The interior was set up as it was when Izuku had awoken in the tent; a single candle now providing warm light.
"You can take the bed roll, I'll lie on my pack. Make sure you take your things off this time; you don't want your sword poking you by accident." Mark suggested, shedding his cape to use as a blanket later. He sat on the ground near the candle, unfurling some sort of map sectioned into squares. He pulled out some of the figurines that represented classes Izuku could recognize from the class manual.
"Are you sure? It's your bed. I don't mind roughing it on the floor." Izuku offered, shedding his bag and the extremities on his belt onto a spot near the tent's entrance.
"Yeah, I'm going to be up late doing this." Mark replied, tapping his map as he placed the figures in an array opposite to some red stones.
"Do you mind if I join you? I'd like to ask some questions about the class manual you gave me earlier." Izuku said as he sat opposite to Mark.
"Sure, then let's discuss what happened earlier today. You've read the class manual's definition of a hero, right?" Mark asked.
Izuku nodded. It was one of the first pages he had looked for when Mark had given it to him.
"Then you know heroes are sword fighters who promote once they gain enough experience, right?" Mark continued. Izuku nodded once again. It had been all but confirmed by his conversation with Glass.
"Then how can you expect to become a hero if you can't kill to gain experience?" Mark asked, looking at Izuku skeptically.
"I believe that a hero should be someone who saves lives, first and foremost. The class manual doesn't say anything about needing to kill for experience, just that heroes only use axes and swords. Even Glass is fine with teaching me!" Izuku argued, fueled by the confidence Glass placed in him.
"I'm reluctant to deploy you against enemies who wouldn't have qualms to kill you, but if you're resolved to see your goals to the end and you've already got Glass' approval, I have no reason to decline." Mark said after a bit of deliberation.
"Thank you Mark, I won't let you down!" Izuku bowed in gratitude, letting out a breath to relieve the tension that had filled the tent.
"Now that that's settled, what did you want to ask about the class manual?" Mark asked, breathing a sigh of relief of his own.
"I saw some names that you wrote under some of the promoted classes. Who are they?" Izuku recalled, remembering names like Roland and Hartmut written on the page about heroes and most importantly for Izuku, Bramimond in a sparse page about shamans.
"Oh yes, they are the Eight Legends. They were heroes, as you would put it, who wielded the divine weapons and fought against the dragons in a great war known as the Scouring. They went on to establish the seven territories across our continent, Elibe. Only Roland the Champion and Hartmut the Hero were actually of the hero class though." Mark explained, Izuku taking in the information in rapt attention. Mark took it as his cue to continue.
"Bern, where I'm from, was founded by Hartmut, who wielded the royal blade Eckesachs and the Binding Blade, the Sword of Seals. These days, we're known for our military's wyvern riders and the Black Fang, a group of noble assassins and mercenaries. Though they've been rather silent these days." Mark said, Izuku remembering the note on the page about wyvern riders of how wyverns were native to Bern.
"The Lycian League, to the west, is a federation of territories established by Roland the Champion, who wielded Durandal, the Blazing Blade." Mark said curtly. He had surprisingly little to say about Lycia, since most of his knowledge were generalizations he had learned at his academy, which had much stronger relations to Sacae and Ilia for field missions and Etruria for commerce.
"The Western Isles, to the far west, was a trio of islands that the Durban the Berserker settled in. He wielded Armads, the Thundering Axe. He was a colossal man who was a close friend of Roland, and his skills with an axe is why many inhabitants from the Western Isles use axes." Mark added, though even now, the Western Isles were little more than a mass of land which was inhabited by barbarians.
"Sacae, where we are currently, was established by Hanon, the Horseman. She wielded Mulagir, the Tempest Bow. She was a nomadic trooper with striking green hair. Her descendants established the three major tribes in the area; the Lorca, the Kutolah and the Djute. Sacaens are typically nomadic troopers or swordmasters. They're honest and make for trustworthy allies, though they're a tad stubborn." Mark continued.
"Is that why you thought I was Sacaen?" Izuku asked, realizing that he matched quite a few of these traits, not to mention where he had met Mark.
"Yes. You're only continuing to prove the stereotype. Not that it's entirely a bad thing." Mark joked with a smirk. Izuku could only rub the back of his head with embarrassed acceptance.
"To the north is Ilia, founded by Barigan the Knight, a paladin. He wielded Maltet, the Blizzard Spear. Due to the nature of the climate, many llians become mercenaries. The men become cavaliers while the women tame the native pegasi and become pegasus knights. The commanders of these mercenary groups are often promoted paladins or falcon knights. Most llians have purple or blue hair." Mark said, making Izuku remember the footage he saw of Nejire Hado, the third-year student who could use her quirk to fly. He thought she would make a good fit for a graceful pegasus knight.
"To the west is Etruria, a nation known for magic which was founded by St. Elimine, who wielded Aureola, the Glorious Ascension. She also founded the primary religion of Elibe. Her class was Saint, and her followers of monks, clerics and bishops not only propagated her faith, but were also the users of light and healing magic across Elibe. Their military is also of note; the Mage General, Lord Pent of House Reglay, is constantly innovating new theorems of anima magic. Some say he's the second coming of Archsage Athos." Mark said, the manual's page on the light magic users reminding Izuku of the Christian faiths in Japan.
"Where did Archsage Athos go then? Since there's seven territories, did he join St. Elimine in founding Etruria?" Izuku asked, linking the two major magic users in the Eight Legends together.
"No, he vanished into the Nabata Desert, east of the Western Isles. Legends say he's found an oasis there where he still lives to this day. His divine weapon was Forblaze, the Scorching Reason." Mark explained.
"No, the only legend to not establish any territories is Bramimond, the Enigma. From what we know, he was a master of dark magic; pushing the limit between fantasy and reality. It was thought the perfected form of his divine weapon, Apocalypse, was able to absorb any offensive magic and even teleport large groups of people at his command." The name made Izuku freeze. All these abilities were exactly what Bramimond had used when he showed up at the training camp. He thought of mentioning it to Mark, but stopped himself. Was it the right course of action? Mistaking Izuku's silence for disbelief in his description, Mark placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Heh, but maybe I'm just exaggerating. It's a lot to take in, especially if you're hearing all of this for the first time." Mark chuckled nervously, afraid he might have fried Izuku's brain with all the information.
"How about we play a game to relax?" Mark suggested, motioning to the map he had set up between himself and Izuku. It looked like shoji, with all the figurines that Mark had split between himself and Izuku. However, unlike shoji, there were bushes, hills and trees which mirrored the terrain of the plains.
"This is a form of tactics practice that we often have at the academy. I'm already adept with the rules, so I'm sure you can pick it up quickly too." Mark said as he began explaining the game. The rules were similar to chess or shogi, with each figurine representing a class with their own abilities.
Rather than claiming pieces, each piece had a hit point value, ranging from 2-5 which had to be depleted to remove them from the field through 'combat'. Each piece also had a damage value, which varied depending on the matchup. It seemed that though each piece had a certain movement range, a player had quite a bit of freedom in terms of maneuverability. Promotions occurred after defeating a certain amount of pieces depending on the class, which replenished hit points. The promotion also allowed for the unit to change their weapon, though Izuku was unsure of the tactical significance of going to and from weapons as of yet.
"Let's start with a simple formation and see how you get used to it." Mark pointed out before setting six figures on the map, three blue for Izuku and three red for himself. There were two figures with a sword similar to Glass, which Izuku assumed were sword fighters, as well as two lance fighters and two axe fighters.
"So there's a concept introduced to us tacticians called the weapon triangle. Certain weapon types have advantages over other weapon types. For example, swords will best axes, which is why a sword fighter will deal more damage to an axe fighter. Lances best swords, and axes best lances. Going against a disadvantageous type results in only dealing less damage. Fighting the same type doesn't grant any boons or disadvantages in terms of damage. There are various exceptions in the real world, but this is the way it usually works." Mark explained, lining up the figures in two lines parallel from each other.
'So just follow the triangle rule and it should be just fine.' Izuku thought as he lined up his lance fighter against Mark's sword fighter, the sword fighter against the axe fighter, and the axe fighter against the lance fighter.
"Good, let's see how you fare with a unit at range. Archers like Ringue can only reliably attack at range. Bows are outside the weapon triangle and deal flat damage to every unit." Mark nodded, positioning a red piece a fair distance from a blue archer figure and a blue sword fighter figure. Both pieces would only be able to move two spaces, but due to the archer's range, their attack could reach where the sword fighter would not. Izuku nodded in understanding, using his archer to defeat Mark's red piece.
"Well done. How about we do something more advanced?" Mark began to move pieces around, taking three red pieces and five blue pieces into a familiar formation.
"Isn't this the situation we had earlier today?" Izuku noticed, seeing a sword fighter and tactician piece out of the way of the rest of the pieces.
"Yes, it is. Brigand figures aren't typically produced, so we'll be subbing them with simple red pieces. It's what the academy uses for unidentifiable enemies, so it basically works the same. Let's see if you can replicate my plan for engagement. We weren't exactly paying attention to the battle due to our arguing anyway." Mark snarked as he set the pieces a reasonable distance apart from each other, requiring a turn of movement from Izuku before any pieces could fight.
"And each of the three have to contribute to taking down at least one enemy." Mark's final requirement gave Izuku pause. He most likely could easily defeat all three with his sword fighter, but the condition set his mind to work; dipping into the resources he'd typically use for hero analysis.
After some careful calculation, accompanied by a healthy bit of mumbling (not that Mark minded, he had taken note of Izuku's odd habit, rather pleased that the practice sparked the young man's interest enough to mumble), Izuku moved his units in a 'L' formation; the sword fighter at the front, the thief directly behind, and the archer to the right of the thief.
"Hm. Let's see if it holds up." Mark nodded in approval as he moved all three of his own pieces closer, attacking Izuku's sword fighter. The sword fighter took out two of the brigands, before succumbing to the third. With the following turn, Izuku defeated the last brigand with the archer and thief; 'winning' the bout.
"It's a feasible strategy, but I'd hate to sacrifice Glass in such a small scuffle. Why don't you try using the terrain to your advantage?" Mark nodded, grounding Izuku in the thought that he needed to remember that these pieces represented people that tacticians like Mark had to weigh the lives of each time they gave a command. With renewed focus, Izuku rotated his formation clockwise and moved forward to the right, two spaces below a forest.
"Good, let's see the fruits of your strategy." Mark commented as he moved his units to attack; two dying to the sword fighter's blade while the last brigand was slowed by the forest. Izuku then coordinated his archer, thief and sword fighter to take down the last brigand; ending the battle without any casualties.
"Alright, now we can actually practice. You think you can beat me, Izuku?" Mark taunted, taking out all the pieces he had in his bag and lining them up, limiting the pieces on both sides to ten.
"You're on, Mark!"
"You kids look like you haven't slept in years! What the hell happened in your tent last night?" Glass smirked as he passed the two some soup, the bags under Izuku's eyes in particular obscuring some of his freckles. Mark stifled a yawn with little success.
"Tactics…" Mark whispered, taking one of the steaming bowls and drinking it all in one go, drawing a look of concern from Ringue, who had been eating his soup calmly with a wooden spoon.
"I still think it's unfair that your assassin from game seven wiped my entire team." Izuku complained, kneading his eye sockets with his palms before taking a bowl of soup, sniffing it before doing the same as Mark; holding the bowl out for more. "Is that even humanly possible? A single assassin taking out an entire battalion?"
"It happened once when a noble went insane and killed his entire town of citizens. Apparently, he was a paladin though. There's rumours he joined the Black Fang, but I'd be surprised if they would let him join if he did." Mark explained, dusting himself off and getting up.
"I'm going to go wash up and pack our things. Go train a bit with Glass before we hit the road." The tactician directed as he turned and walked back into the tent.
"Yeah, sure thing." Izuku responded as he downed another bowl, passing it to Bank to put it away as he tapped his empty waist.
"Ah, I forgot my sword in the tent. Let me grab it." Izuku stood and took a few steps before falling over from exhaustion. He was saved from hitting the ground by Ringue's quick reaction; the archer sliding and catching the boy before he could hurt himself.
"Spirits, those two have no idea how to hold back. Intense physical training and an all-nighter does not mix well. Lay the rookie down for now until we finish packing. We'll throw him on the lightest horse with the kid. I doubt the kid can go on for much longer either." Glass facepalmed as Ringue laid Izuku down on a soft patch of grass, placing his bag under the boy's neck as a makeshift pillow.
"Bank, go check on the kid and make sure he hasn't passed out either. Help him pack and I'll deal with our stuff. Ringue, keep an eye on the rookie and finish your soup. You're on cleaning duty today." Glass commanded as he finished his own soup, leaving to pack up the mercenaries' things.
"You're quite a handful, aren't you, Izuku? Burning the candle from both ends isn't healthy. Hopefully, you learn that before it's too late." Ringue mused as he finished his soup, putting out the smouldering campfire and taking the bowls to a nearby stream to clean them up. The group loaded up their things and left with little fanfare; much to the unawareness of the sleeping Izuku.
The rhythmic clopping of horse hooves roused the green-haired student to a state of semi-consciousness.
"So is waking up in an awkward position relative to me something I should come to expect from you?" Izuku heard as he slowly came to. He couldn't understand what the voice meant, rubbing his face on the cloth in front of him to clear his mind.
"I'll take that as a yes." The voice sighed, registering to Izuku as Mark's. Inching closer to complete consciousness, Izuku noticed his arms held tightly around something.
"I wasn't aware you were such a passionate cuddler, Izuku." The last statement finally woke Izuku. It was sometime early in the evening. The 'thing' he had been holding onto was Mark's torso atop a horse which they rode together. The cloth he rubbed his face onto was the tactician's scarf. Around him was Mark's cape, which protected him from the wind.
"Ah, I'm sorry Mark! I didn't know!" Izuku scrambled, taking his arms away to flail comically, almost falling off the horse had Mark not grabbed his hand and placed it back around his torso.
"Careful now, falling off the horse is quite painful. This is just the standard for multiple riders; I don't mind." Mark smirked, adjusting the reins as the horse trotted along.
"Ah… right." Izuku mumbled as he readjusted his grip around Mark. Mark didn't need to turn around to notice the boy's embarrassment. This sort of intimacy was rather rare, after all. He doubted Izuku would have had the same closeness to anyone other than his parents.
"We're close to the rendezvous point. One of Glass' men, Guy, met us halfway and helped us with another bandit attack while you were out. He's that one over there, with the green hair and headband." Mark described, pointing to the swordsman beside Glass, about Izuku's height who sported the aforementioned seaweed-green hair and headband. On his left hip was his scabbard, which sheathed a blade which seemed like a mix between a katana and a scimitar.
The Sacaen swordsman turned and noticed the duo on horseback, giving a slight bow of the head in greeting, before continuing to speak with Glass.
A little while longer and the group came upon a campfire and a small one-person tent, Guy's things that he had left behind to meet the group halfway. Beginning to set up camp, Mark retired to his tent to finally rest while Izuku was dragged away by Glass.
"You skipped morning training, so we're going to train twice as hard. Guy here will be your sparring partner. His technique is completely different from mine, and he has the edge in speed." Glass spoke with a hint of playful malice, pounding his fists together as Guy came forward with two tree branches that were about the length of their blades.
"I'll do my best. Thanks for obliging me." Izuku nodded as he caught one of the branches that Guy tossed to him, holding it up in his high stance.
"Then let's begin." Guy said with a bow, before immediately jumping into a spinning slash. Izuku was barely able to shift into a block in time to defend himself.
'He's fast!' Izuku thought as the myrmidon ducked past his attempt of a counter, appearing at Izuku's side; branch raised. Izuku braced himself for a hit, surprised when he took a hit from the opposite side, dropping the branch from his hands.
"You've still got a lot to learn, but we can work on it together. I've heard from Glass. I'm trying to become the greatest swordsman in all of Sacae, so our goals are kinda the same." Guy said with a small smile, offering Izuku's branch back to him.
"Don't worry, I'm not done yet!" Izuku exclaimed, taking his branch and raising it again in defiance.
"Good! Let's continue then!" Guy flourished his branch, rushing at Izuku. The myrmidon leapt and spun in the air, bringing his branch down on Izuku once more.
"Gladly!" Izuku shouted back, parrying the falling branch rather than blocking it. Guy simply dodged the parry with a flip over Izuku, catching the boy's branch with his own.
"You're quick to adapt!" Guy complimented, a fierce grin matching Izuku's own as their branches locked. "This is where the fun begins!"
"Is it? Getting thrown to the ground was starting to get boring!" Izuku retorted, rushing at the myrmidon.
He only ate the dust about twenty more times throughout their training session. Ringue, who had finished making camp and came by to watch, joked that Izuku would have made a lucrative farmer considering his affinity for the earth.
Practice ended late into the evening when Izuku's arms went numb, having snapped his practice branch and thoroughly exhausted. His clothes were caked with dust and grass stains; subtly hidden by the green colouring of his tunic. Guy himself only suffered a few superficial scuffs. The only real sign of a long training session aside from their broken practice weapons was the heaving breaths and droplets of sweat which glistened in the twilight.
"It's starting to get hard to see. Go to the river, freshen up and meet us at the camp for supper. Ringue, you're on the lookout." Glass ordered as he went to check on Mark and Bank.
"Alright you two, let's hurry up so we can eat!" Ringue slipped between the two, supporting them to the river. Guy simply slipped off his headband and washed off the sweat on his face. Izuku stood back and watched.
"Are we sure it's clean?" Izuku prodded. Even the training camp had proper showers.
"Did your tribe never teach you? Look at the other side of the river, Izuku." Ringue pointed, directing Izuku's gaze to a herd of deer who were drinking from the other side of the river.
"It's just some deer. What about them?" Izuku tilted his head, sitting on the bank. He had shed his tunic, scratching the dirt off of it, sparing a glance at the herd Ringue was pointing to.
"They drink from the water because it's safe. And plus…" Ringue explained before taking an arrow and shooting it into the lake, repeating the action five more times. After a moment, six fish rose to the surface of the river, slowly floating down along with the current.
"Those fish only live in freshwater. They'll be great over the fire." Ringue smirked as he envisioned supper.
"You two go upstream a bit, the water should be cleaner there. I'll get those fish and gut them." Ringue directed as he began to move to the fork in the stream, where he could catch the fish without needing to wade into the river.
"Thanks, we'll be back in a sec." Izuku nodded as he headed up the river with Guy. Since Guy had already refreshed himself, Izuku went ahead and washed his head in the water, shaking the loose droplets from his curls and wiping his face on his sleeve. Satisfied, he walked back to Ringue, who was in the process of gutting the fish, flicking their entrails back into the water for nature to repurpose them, cleaning his catch and mounting them onto sticks. When he finished, they headed back to the camp together; Izuku and Guy carrying Ringue's catch so the archer could act as the scout.
"Welcome back. Oh, did you catch some fish? What do you want to do with them, Bank?" Glass waved as he noticed their catch, nudging Bank, who was tending to a soup, stirring it occasionally.
"We should roast them by the fire. They'll taste better that way." Bank replied, eliciting a small fist pump from Ringue in Izuku's periphery. The thief took the fish and sprinkled them with a pinch of salt before pitching them around the fire. It didn't take long for the smell of roast fish to begin to rise from the fire. Izuku looked over and had to catch himself at the sight of Ringue and Guy's drooling faces.
"Rookie, go check on the kid. See if you can get him to have some soup. The last of the bread will be gone if he doesn't take some now." Glass directed, breaking a piece off for himself and shoving another in Guy's mouth. He tossed another piece to Izuku, who nearly fumbled it as he went heading into Mark's tent.
"Hey Mark, are you awake?" Izuku asked as he peered through the canvas which covered the entrance to the tent. Mark lay peacefully on the bed roll; a messy line of hastily discarded items and clothing strewn about. It seemed like the tactician hadn't slept since he woke two days before. Izuku quietly left the piece of bread by the candle in the tent, returning to sit by the fire.
"I guess he's still out. Come, have a fish. You've earned it." Glass said as Izuku came back alone, passing him a fish. Izuku gave it a cursory glance before taking a bite.
Perhaps it was due to the lack of familiar foods, both from the training camp and his arrival to this new place, or maybe the strain of physical training lowered his emotional guard; leading Izuku to tears when he tasted the fish. He missed home.
Izuku passed out on the floor as soon as he made it past the tent curtain. The night before had been relatively quiet. Glass and his compatriots took Izuku's tears as a compliment to the chef, not knowing how to take the situation otherwise. Ringue had even gone out of his way to catch the exact same fish for Izuku the next morning.
"Oh, Izuku. You seem to like the char. Was it a fish you ate often?" Mark asked when Bank handed Izuku one of the fish, oblivious to the events of the night before. His casual statement caused Izuku to choke on his bite of fish.
"It's similar to one I had before." Izuku responded after clearing his throat. He was still embarrassed about last night, and kept what happened to himself.
"I see. It's been a while since I've eaten one of these. Pass me one, Ringue." Mark nodded as he was given a fish. He took a bite and hummed in minor satisfaction. The group had a small meal before getting ready to move out.
After finishing up, the group prepared to enter Bulgar; the city only a day's journey away. The trip was uneventful, allowing Izuku to take in the grass of the plains wave playfully in the morning breeze. He had no deeply personal love of nature, but just being in the moment let him appreciate the beauty of it. Before long, the group approached the gates of the city, Bank going ahead to let them through. After a moment, he returned with a gateman, who let them into the bustling city marketplace of Bulgar.
"Magic tomes straight from Aquleia! Icons from The Tower of the Saint! Vulneraries! Two for 500 gold! Anybody want a new pair of boots? Steel bow and arrows, straight from Bern!" The various merchants barked, clamouring for the crowds to come and buy their merchandise from the various stalls lining the street. Izuku felt overwhelmed by the atmosphere. The place looked like a juiced up medieval fair.
"Stay close, rookie; this place will swallow newcomers whole. Ringue! You're supposed to be setting a good example!" Glass ordered, yelling at his comrade who began to drift away from the group, ogling a merchant waving a bow and arrow around.
"But I've never used one of those yet! Do you think he'll let me try it?" Ringue said with barely-contained excitement. Glass just gave him a look of mild disappointment. It seemed like it was not the first time this had happened.
"Stuff like this is why Bank handles our gold. Let's just find the guys first; you can test as many bows as you want after." Glass sighed as he led the group, taking them into a side alley away from the marketplace.
"Good to see you boys again! I brought another new recruit!" Glass said as three figures in cloaks came up behind Guy, giving each of them a firm handshake. Ringue followed up with a high-five to the figures, their hoods falling back to reveal three well-built men, two of whom seemed to be brothers.
"Rookie, these guys are the rest of our group. Mac and Aron here are brothers. Bub is one of Bank's friends." Glass introduced the group as he pulled Izuku forward.
"H-hi! My name is Izuku. I look forward to working with you from here on out!" Izuku stammered as he bowed, slightly intimidated by their size.
"Nice to meet you, rookie. I'm Mac. You can tell me apart from my brother by our hair and scars." The brother with what seemed like dreadlocks and a diagonal scar across his chest that peeked out of the tank top-like shirt he was wearing.
"I'm Aron. You from Sacae?" The other asked, bald with a scar on his bicep, which Izuku replied to with a hesitant nod. He was still unsure of how he was going to reply to that question, but Mark's assumption would give him an out for now.
"Now that that's settled. Can we get to the inn? That deal on vulneraries in the marketplace is something I want to look into." Mark said, Bub leading the group to a modest building which overlooked the town square.
"This is it. I didn't know Izuku would be part of the gang, so you'll have to share a room with Mark. Bub, can you take the horses to the stables?" Bub presented, Mac and Aron going to take their horses to the stable behind the building.
"Settle in for the night. We won't be back for a week, so enjoy it while it lasts. Don't get lost, don't lose all your money, and don't miss the wake-up call tomorrow." Glass ordered as the group split up into their rooms.
"C'mon, Izuku. We can explore the place after we put our things away." Mark said as he pulled Izuku along. The room only had one bed, but luckily they brought the bed roll that they used on the journey inside with them. "Do you want the bed or the roll? I don't mind either one."
"You can take the comfier one; you have been travelling for longer than I have." Izuku yielded, about to put his things aside before Mark stopped him.
"It's wiser to keep your things on your person. Your sword will dissuade open confrontations, even if you're still inexperienced." Mark advised as he laid out the bed roll. With everything ready, Mark checked his bag and turned to Izuku. "Let's see if that merchant is still selling vulneraries."
"They are in Bulgar. It looks like they are planning to leave tomorrow." The bandit reported to the old man in front of him. They were in a dark room; secluded from any who might accidentally wander in on them.
"Good, prepare your men for when they are a day out from Bulgar. I look forward to seeing how well they do. Now go, before anyone catches you." The old man directed, turning back and opening a door to the light.
"Ah, Priest Maka, I was looking for you. Could you bless our tribe's hunts for the coming season?" A man with a bandana and silver hair in nomad clothing asked, hands full with quivers stuffed to the brim with arrows. The priest in question quickly closed the door behind him before the nomad could peer into the room.
"Of course Kudoka, it will only take a moment." For all his wisdom and charisma with the people; Priest Maka was far too easy to replace. Travellers who sought out the temple for other blessings were easily placated with empty words and touching the blade which made the shrine sacred.
The Mani Katti. The imposter could tell with a single look that the blade was the real deal. It had no wielder, and anyone who tried would simply be compelled not to.
The imposter had been assigned to dispatch the original priest and keep an eye near Bulgar for the time being. He even subjugated a faction of the nearby bandits to do his bidding. For now, he laid in wait to see how his bandits would fare.
"It's a good thing we got there when we did; that merchant was about to pack up for the day." Mark commented as he bit into a meat skewer they had bought in the marketplace. They returned to their room a bit before dark, eating a small meal before retiring for the night.
Izuku was surprised by the amount of dairy products he saw in the marketplace. The selection gave him an idea of something he could make to surprise Mark and thank the tactician for his kindness. With some gold coins he got from selling the bottle of pure water and some advice from a kind old woman who sold him some cream, he went to work preparing the surprise. He was saving it for dessert with Mark, savouring the meat skewer he had in his hands. As he might have expected from the time period and area, cattle were extremely rare, the staple livestock being sheep. It was slightly different from what he was used to, but Izuku had no issue eating it. Skewers fresh off the grill were good no matter what.
"H-hey Mark, I made something with some dessert with some things I bought earlier today. Would you like to try some?" Izuku offered with a slight stammer. What he made wasn't rocket science, but Izuku was nervous at the thought of messing up regardless. Sweets were Satou's territory.
"Sure, if it isn't poison." Mark smirked at his younger companion. It was interesting to see the contrast between Izuku's usual self and when he was determined.
"Haha, I hope not. You don't have a problem with milk, do you?" Izuku laughed nervously at Mark's joke. If his new friend was lactose intolerant, Izuku's concoction would be tantamount to poison.
"Not that I'm aware of. Come on, let me try some already! I'll be fine." Mark assured, fiddling with his clean skewer as Izuku nodded; portioning the treat he made into two bowls from the leather bag he made it in.
"I haven't made this in a while, so you'll have to bear with me." Izuku rubbed the back of his neck, scooping some of his creation with a spoon and holding it out to Mark. "Cheers?"
"Cheers!" Mark agreed as he took a spoonful himself and wasted no time in taking a bite; his expression twisting to one of pure shock. "Ah!"
"What's wrong?! Is it that bad?!" Izuku jolted, almost dropping his bowl. Sure, it wasn't good by modern standards, but it wasn't terrible.
"Bad? Izuku, this is the best thing I've ever eaten! What did you make this with? How did you make it cold without ice? Do you have an affinity for ice magic that you didn't tell me about?" Mark exclaimed, evidently pleased with Izuku's homemade ice cream. It wasn't easy finding ingredients, but Izuku managed to make do.
"Ah… Just some sugar, salt, a vanilla pod, cream and a bit of the vulnerary we bought in the marketplace. Shake it around in a sealed bag for 10 minutes and you get this." Izuku explained, glad that Mark liked his homemade ice cream. With what he had seen of the world so far; something like this was probably not invented yet or a luxury for the rich.
"You can use them like that? Where'd you learn that?" Mark responded with great enthusiasm, quickly finishing his portion before it had the chance to melt.
"Be careful! You might get a-" Izuku warned, before Mark cringed from a brain freeze. Having never experienced one before, Mark didn't know how to deal with the foreign pain, dropping his bowl and clasping his head. Moments later, the door was kicked open as Glass and Ringue stepped into the room, blade and bow drawn.
"What the hell is going on! Kid, you alright?" Glass quickly went to Mark's side, trying to ascertain what was wrong. Ringue kept his bow trained on Izuku, the archer's expression clouded with confusion.
"He just ate something new! It will go away if you put your tongue to the roof of your mouth!" Izuku explained, hands in the air as if he was at gunpoint. In an ironic twist of fate, he remembered Mark's poison comment. The situation certainly looked problematic. He only hoped Mark recovered quick enough to cover for him.
"I'm okay, Glass. Izuku is right; I simply ate it too quickly. You guys have to try it to know what I'm talking about." Mark spoke, rubbing his forehead as the pain subsided. Ringue lowered his bow, the archer and Izuku both breathing a sigh of relief.
"I see… Well, rookie, considering the fuss you just put us through; let's see what you made." Glass sheathed his blade and sat at the table with Ringue, still a little tense from the ordeal. Izuku shook the leather bag he made the ice cream in, satisfied that there was enough to serve both Glass and Ringue. Portioning it out, he gave the bowls to his two companions and waited for them to try it.
"Mhm!" They exclaimed as they had their first bite, eyes wide in surprise.
"Rookie, I thought you were trying to become a hero, not a sage! This stuff is nothing less than magic!" Glass laughed, digging into his ice cream; he took care to pace himself to prevent the same predicament Mark had just endured. Ringue almost wept from joy.
"What's the name for this stuff, Izuku? I've never seen anything like it before." Ringue asked, his spoon resting in his mouth as he savoured the last bit of ice cream. He hadn't cared to slow down, though it seemed that he had a higher resistance to brain freezes brought on by the cold treat.
"It's called 'ice cream', since it's supposed to be made with ice and cream." Izuku answered plainly, his words followed by Mark nodding sagely.
"Ice? How did you get your hands on that? It's incredibly expensive for mercenaries like us." Glass noted, confirming Izuku's speculations on the availability of ice.
"I didn't use ice. An old woman selling cream told me that using a bit of a vulnerary works the same way without any side effects." Izuku explained, shaking the vulnerary he had bought with Mark and used to make the ice cream. He had only used a third to make the batch.
"Interesting. Well, thanks for the treat. Don't forget, we leave at sunrise. Our target is a day's march away, but it's no excuse to be slow." Glass nodded as he stood, giving Mark and Izuku a small reminder. Considering their habits so far on their journey; it was more than warranted. Izuku suddenly remembered something as he moved to stop Glass from leaving.
"Ah, one last thing Glass! I know it's rude to offer something that's already been used, but I wanted to give you a gift as thanks for helping me." He bowed, holding out his used vulnerary to the swordsman.
"Actually, I have a better idea. I'll take this and you can give Glass my new vulnerary. Since I'm in the back line, I don't think I'll be using it much anyway." Mark suggested, taking Izuku's vulnerary and switching it with his own.
"Heh, thanks rookie. I'll make good use of it." Glass accepted the vulnerary with a small smile.
"And nothing for me? You're so cruel, Izuku." Ringue teased, breaking the moment. Izuku frowned and thought of something to give the archer.
"How about more ice cream? I can make you more on our way."
"Ah, Izuku! I knew you were a great guy!" Ringue comically switched gears, reminding Izuku of the banter that Aizawa had with Present Mic.
"Have a good night, you two. I'll see you in the morning." Glass said as he left with Ringue. As the door closed behind them, Mark turned to Izuku.
"You're making more for me too, right?" The tactician asked, worried that the delicious treat might never grace his lips again.
"I thought that was a given. I will need a vulnerary to make it, seeing as I gave mine away." Izuku responded, surprised when Mark shoved his hand at Izuku's chest.
"If that's all you need, I'll gladly buy you more!" Mark exclaimed as Izuku caught the vulnerary that was thrust at him. "We can check if that merchant is selling tomorrow morning before we leave. We should rest now if we want to get there early."
"Sounds like a plan. I'll see you in the morning, Mark." Izuku agreed as he stifled a yawn. Going to bed now certainly seemed appealing.
The next day came and went by quickly. Thankfully for Mark, the same merchant was selling vulneraries before they left. Not much was different from before; other than the party size. Mac, Aron and Bub expanded their group from six to nine. Izuku got to know each of the new members at dinner. All three were from Bern, like Bank. Mac and Aron were orphans from a village close to Bub, joining up with Glass thanks to Bank. The thief was second-in-command for a reason, apart from his cooking that put him a step up from the others.
"Oi, rookie. Could you make any more of that ice cream for the rest of the guys? It would be good for morale." Glass asked by the campfire.
"Yeah, good idea!" Mark agreed, elbowing Izuku in the side. The other members thought Mark was agreeing on a simply logical standpoint; unaware of the tactician's newfound love for the cold treat.
Needless to say, they loved it. Guy had never even eaten sweets before and was nearly in tears after having a bite. Bank immediately asked for the recipe and tried it himself, adding an ingredient of his own. Izuku was mildly surprised to taste a grape-like flavour in Bank's ice cream.
"You added blackcurrant?" Izuku asked, examining a spoonful of the purple ice cream in the warm glow of the campfire.
"I'd usually use it as a paste for mutton, but since it's the only fruit I have on hand, I thought I'd give it a shot." Bank replied, trying to discern if he himself preferred Izuku's flavour or his own.
"Well, if you're done with that rookie; you have a bunch of new opponents to train with. Best get more experience before the mission proper begins." Glass placed his bowl down and stood up; Mac, Aron and Bub followed suit.
"So what are we doing, Glass?" Izuku asked as he watched them pull out large axe-shaped branches.
"You learned basic forms with me. You dealt with speed with Guy. These three will teach you how to deal with strength and axes; the weapon type swords have an advantage against." Glass explained. "Getting some practice with a lance would be good, but none of us use one."
"It won't be an issue if I keep sticking with you right?" Izuku replied, receiving a new branch and taking his stance with Glass behind him.
"Haha! That's right!" Glass laughed as he smacked Izuku on the back. "But enough funny business. You'll face Bub first to get used to the fighting style, and Mac and Aron here will run you through the gauntlet. Let's begin."
"Let's have a good match." Bub said before he started with a big overhand chop.
"Likewise!" With such a clearly telegraphed attack, Izuku easily dodged back, using his back foot to leap forward with a thrust of his branch.
In a surprising turn of events, Bub pivoted forward, dodging Izuku's thrust by a hair before he swung his branch around at Izuku's back; stopping short of whacking the hero-in-training.
"How did you do that?" Izuku asked as he stepped away from Bub.
"It's very simple with thrusts, which is why axes typically have the advantage against lances. You step into the attack and let it go through where you aren't. It's how us axe fighters compensate for those big swings." Bub explained, Izuku now realizing that most large-bodied combatants fought that way. If he ever had the chance, he'd ask Shoji if the tentacled student used the same method.
"I see. I'm ready to try again!" Izuku said, taking a long breath before rushing at Bub again, aiming to attack the axe fighter with a wide slash.
Bub moved to block the attack with the shaft of his branch before Izuku executed a spin; switching the angle of his attack to Bub's open side. Like Bub did before, he stopped the attack short.
"I got to say rookie, you're picking this up a lot quicker than we did." Glass smirked as Bub simply conceded his loss, returning to a starting position.
"It's because I have good teachers!" Izuku replied cheekily as he prepared to face Bub again.
"Yeah yeah, get back to training." Glass waved off as Izuku and Bub charged at each other again; drawing snickers from Mac and Aron as the swordsman turned to hide a slight blush from his student.
Bub and Izuku continued to trade victories back and forth; the axe fighter beginning to struggle in the fight against the bad matchup. At the end of their fifteenth bout, Bub tapped out with Mac and Aron.
"Alright Izuku, your goal with these guys is to last for as long as you can. You won't be able to go for a 'finisher' as you did with Bub." Glass instructed, passing waterskins to Bub and Izuku before the latter began the gauntlet.
"I see. I'll do my best!" Izuku nodded as he gave back the empty waterskin, wiping his mouth with his sleeve before picking up his branch; waving it between the brothers.
"Don't worry, rookie. We'll go easy on you after your rounds with Bub." The brothers spoke, even their breaths in sync with each other.
"Thanks Mac, Aron. Let's go!" Izuku nodded before leaping at the younger Aron, trying to take the initiative. As expected, Mac leapt in front of his brother; meeting Izuku's branch with his own. Izuku was caught off-guard when the blunt top of Aron's branch jabbed him in the gut through the small gap between Mac's arm and torso. With Aron's strike pushing him back, Mac quickly levelled an overhead swing at Izuku, stopping it short and ending the match.
"Rookie, I appreciate the gusto, but I wasn't joking when I said you won't be able to go for a finisher." Glass huffed as he watched the student fall back on his rear.
"I get that now. Let's try that again." Izuku nodded as he was helped up by Mac. As soon as he hopped back, the brothers were upon him, Aron leaping over Mac and bringing his branch down on Izuku. The young swordsman dodged to the side, ducking with Aron as Mac struck out with a horizontal slash.
Izuku was amazed at their synergy, not even needing words to cover each other's openings. The only people he could think of that operated on a similar wavelength were the Pussycats, though they had the caveat of their Telepath and Search quirks which allowed them to coordinate with their allies.
Aron took advantage of Izuku's thoughts and swiped at him with the back of his branch. The student skirted back, getting back on his feet just in time to dodge Mac's leaping strike before it could lose him the match.
"Rookie, try blocking their jumping attacks at a diagonal!" Glass shouted as Aron leapt over Mac, giving Izuku the opportunity to test his new technique.
Holding his branch above him, Aron's weapon slid off Izuku's, giving the student an opening to land a hit on the younger brother. Before Izuku could capitalize on it though, Mac pulled his brother back and thrust his branch forward, pushing Izuku back once more. They rushed back and forth at each other for another ten minutes, ending with staring each other down; waiting for the other to make the next move.
At a standstill, Izuku and the brothers allowed each other to recover, with the green-haired student clearly in a worse condition; his ragged breaths overpowering the ambient sounds of the plains.
"Alright! That's enough for tonight. I still need you to wake up on time tomorrow morning for the assignment, rookie. You two buffoons, as well." Glass clapped, signalling the end of the match. Bub quickly went over to Izuku, passing the young man another waterskin before he fell over from exhaustion.
"Thanks, Bub. How did I do?" Izuku asked between gulps, a bit of colour returning to his pale cheeks.
"I think you did well. Glass has a better idea, but you definitely did better than I could. You have a crazy amount of stamina for your build Izuku; I'm surprised." Bub smiled, patting the tired student on the back.
"I'll ask him tomorrow, but I noticed something. Mac and Aron made a lot of leaping attacks, but you typically used a grounded overhand swing. Do you guys just use different styles?" Izuku nodded, surprising Bub again with his analytical skills.
"Ah, that's because I'm an axe fighter while they're barbarians. The fighting styles are a little different." Bub answered, Izuku remembering the class manual Mark gave him. They never did go over the axe fighter class line at that time. He'd simply look through it before he went to bed.
"Thanks, Bub. See you tomorrow." Izuku bowed his head a bit before he began walking back to his tent to rest. He would have loved a shower, but even the nearest river was a day's journey away. He just hoped Mark wouldn't mind if he smelled a little.
"Yeah, have a good night, Izuku." The axe fighter waved as he took on the responsibility of cleaning up their training area. Mac and Aron already left to rest in their shared tent and Glass had gone to take the first watch with Guy. In his busyness, Bub failed to notice the foreign torchlight against the orange of the sunset.
"Wake up, Izuku! Wake up!" The boy in question heard as he was violently shaken awake by Mark. Still tired from his evening training session, the hero-in-training blinked as he tried to get a sense of his surroundings. The tactician was a mess; his bag hanging precariously off his side. One of his arms was relaxed at his side, the robes around it blackened.
"We need to go!" Mark screamed, snapping Izuku awake instantly. Something was very wrong. The smell of smoke was in the air.
"What's going on?" Izuku asked before the question answered itself in front of his eyes. The tent was in flames, the black billowing smoke gathering at the top of the tent and threatening to suffocate the both of them.
"Where's Glass?!" Izuku yelled, scrambling to grab his bag, shoes and sword. There's no way this was a simple bushfire. Bank put out the campfire before everyone had retired for the night. If someone had caused the fire… Well, Izuku hoped it wasn't that.
"He was supposed to be on patrol with Guy! I haven't been able to leave!" Mark shouted back over the roar of the flames, his tactical calm wiped away by his panic. As if on cue, a shout from outside the tent put an end to their arguing.
"I'm getting us out of here!" Izuku said as he drew his blade. He would probably get singed, but it was better than staying inside the burning tent. Braving the flames, Izuku cut a human-sized slit in the back of the tent, going through first to clear the way for his unarmed friend.
What greeted him was a vision of hell. The flames razed the dry grass of the plains, blocking vision of anything outside the camp.
That didn't even include the camp itself. It looked like ground zero of a firestorm. Everyone's tents were ablaze as the shadows of figures he couldn't make out in the haze clashed against each other for their lives.
A figure barreled through the flames and raised their axe to attack before they fell over onto their front, their heart pierced by a single arrow from behind.
"Izuku! Mark! Are you alright?" Ringue called as he pulled the arrow from the figure's back, putting it back in his nearly empty quiver. "These bastards came out of nowhere. Glass and Guy are missing, and the rest of us got split up."
"Ringue! You're alive!" The two gripped him in a hug, relieved that they weren't completely on their own.
"Yes, I'm alive." Ringue sighed as he patted them on the back. He was the eldest of them, even if it only was by a couple years. He would have to lead.
"The tactician escaped his tent! Find him!" An unfamiliar gruff voice shouted over the flames, Ringue quickly drawing an arrow and firing in the direction of the voice; rewarded by the gurgle of a clean shot.
"We need to go. We can regroup with the rest later." Ringue commanded, his laidback exterior gone for an unwavering gaze and ardent determination. Izuku and Mark could only nod as Ringue led them out of the flames, ducking into the remaining tall grass as a trio of bandits walked by, trying to find the now-dead comrade who had called out to them.
"Tch, that oaf probably got lost in the tall grass." One of them spoke, the others nodding as they began to retreat, heading deeper into the camp.
"At least we got those brothers. They gave me a decent scratch." Another laughed, Ringue's gaze turning murderous as he silently stood in the brush, an arrow aimed at the bandit's neck before Izuku hastily pulled him down.
"Sorry. We have bigger things to worry about." The archer spoke in a forced whisper as they left without alerting the bandits.
"We've almost made it out. We need to get back to Bulgar. The others should know to regroup there." Ringue whispered as they reached the edge of the clearing. The trio failed to miss a bandit creeping closer behind them; his approach hidden by the sound of crackling flames.
By the time Ringue turned to see the enemy, it was too late for him to respond with his bow. Just as the bandit's axe was about to descend on Izuku, Ringue shoved the green-haired student aside, dropping his bow and pulling an arrow from his quiver.
Taking the bandit by surprise, Ringue covered the bandit's mouth with his left hand, the arrow in his right finding its mark under the bandit's jaw. As the bandit slumped over, Ringue tried to catch the bandit, but found he couldn't move his left arm. His adrenaline surged when he looked down and saw the axe embedded in the left side of his chest. He'd never be able to use his bow again.
Pushing career-ending thoughts aside, he thought instead of Izuku and Mark behind him. He had to get them out safely. They couldn't see the extent of his wounds looking at his back in the hazy red darkness. They would only panic if they did, so Ringue grit his teeth and slid the axe out of his chest, adjusting his tunic to hide the wound while putting pressure on it to prevent blood loss.
"Are you okay?" Izuku could only sputter in shock on the ground. Ringue had saved him again, he noted in the back of his mind as Mark helped him to his feet.
"Yeah. Let's move. We're almost out." Ringue grunted, his hand on his shoulder as he took his place in front of the group again.
"What about your bow?" Mark asked, not registering the difference in Ringue's movements.
"I can get a new one later, we have to go now!" Ringue commanded in a loud whisper.
The group kept going for a good while until they all collapsed behind a hill; completely exhausted but thankfully, very far from the camp and the fires. Izuku looked to Ringue as he recovered his breath, noting the difference in the archer's far more laboured breathing.
"Ringue, you're really pale. Are you alright?" Izuku asked once more, the archer slowly shaking his head with a somber look.
"I don't think I have a lot of time left." Ringue grunted as he took his arm away from his shoulder, the tunic seeped with enough red that it was clear to Mark and Izuku what had happened when Ringue pushed the green-haired boy aside, even in the darkness.
"Take my coin purse and get yourselves an escort in Bulgar to the academy." Ringue said as he took a small bag and held it out to Izuku.
"I… I can't take this, Ringue. Ah, I know! We could use it to get help! I'll run the rest of the way to Bulgar and-" Izuku stuttered, tears welling up in his eyes as he moved to stand before he was stopped by Ringue.
"Don't be foolish, Izuku. I won't make it. Just do me a favour and take it. You guys need to live." Ringue pleaded, grounding Izuku where he was. With a shallow nod, Izuku took the coin purse, gripping Ringue's hand instead. There was an uncomfortable difference in temperature as he did.
"I will… Thank you Ringue, for saving me. For saving us." Izuku choked out, unable to stop the tears running down his face. Mark sat at their side, his grief evident in the tears he shed.
"Be strong… Izuku… You can become a hero… I know it." Ringue affirmed with the last of his strength before he closed his eyes, his hand going limp in Izuku's. His final expression was a smile.
Mark and Izuku silently wept until they passed out, hurt, but alive thanks to their friend's sacrifice.
"Where's the tactician?!" The priest shouted to the remaining bandits at the burned down campsite. He removed the hardest opponents for these numbskull bandits and they still failed at the most important task!
"There's two groups that managed to escape. They went in opposite directions. One of them left behind this bow and three dead bodies." A bandit reported, holding up Ringue's bow for the priest to examine.
"It must be the group with the tactician. I don't give a damn about the other group." The priest spat, looking around at the group in front of him before zeroing in on one bandit in particular.
"Take a group with you and find them, Batta the Beast."
Many thanks again to my beta-reader and good friend GoldenWitch over on AO3! I strongly recommend their FE3H fic, Ghosts of the Body!
Time to respond to some reviews!
Dcraus - Izuku Midoriya x Lyndis romance
Not sure if I want to deal with romance just yet, but wait and see!
B1ou - So I have literally no idea what's going on because I don't know Fire Emblem but I like it keep going with this good work
Thanks! Hopefully you'll get a better idea as the story goes on!
MasterBlade47 - Interesting, Mark and Izuku are travelling with Glass. I wonder why Mark got the shaft and if Izuku will try to defend Mark when he gets KOed. Still can't wait to read more of this and see how Mark and Izuku grow because Izuku is going to learn that Elibe isn't a nice place like many other medieval worlds.
We'll see ;)
Leave a like and a review if you enjoyed, and look forward to the next chapter!