"Hmmm...Hmmm..." Nanami narrowed her eyes as she fixed her glasses, glaring intensely at the pages she was reading, "Arisa...I'm confused..." the woman sobbed, "I don't understand this math formula!" The woman cried and Arisa looked at the poor woman in pity.

"It's fine...I know how you feel." Arisa sighed, "Math wasn't my best subject either." She said and floated to the chalkboard and made the chalk float, "Then let's do a visual format."

Arisa made the chalk piece draw a gingerbread man shape and a small fireball inside them.

"Magic is the core of all life through the worlds of Fire Emblem. It is the source of dragon veins, dragon stones, beast stones, and other magical properties. Now, for a human to call forth, we rely on these. The human version is called a magic system. Also known as magic veins." Arisa said and drew veins on the ginger man.

"Now, for a human to call upon magic, there are many different methods but we are going to talk about some of the main ones." Arisa said and drew a tree, "The first one is known as a spiritual, where we borrow magic from nature. We call upon them and they help us." Arisa said and now drew a crystal.

"This next method is what we just humans use. We take power from our bodies, visualize what we want, and then transform it. This is called visualization magic. And depending on how strong you are, that is how strong your magic system is. This method is deeply tied to our emotional state." Arisa explained as she saw Nanami writing down notes.

"Faith Magic is belief. This could be your faith belief, god, or even yourself. Again, this is one of the ones that is tied to emotions. Reason magic is to increase a magic user's power, but also it connected to reality." Arisa said, "It is more connected to the elements." Again, Nanami was writing down notes.

It may not look like it but Nanami was very interested in the studies of magic despite she hated the math and formula part of it.

A small smile graced Arisa's lips as she watched the young woman whispering to herself the lesson she was being taught. To be a professor again, the feeling so nostalgic, she missed it. Still, Arisa noticed quite a few things the past few weeks as she taught Nanami magic. Nanami had difficulty paying attention to things that did not interest her. Not only that, she got nervous, she either pulled her hair, scratched her cheek, or even tapped her fingers or foot, she couldn't remain still. Not only that, the girl had a deep fear of being lonely. No, the girl was showing signs that she spent most of her time alone.

"Could she have ADHD like me...?" Arisa thought and looked back to see Nanami waiting for her to continue, "Nanami, I know this is a little off topic and I understand if you do not wish to answer the question I am about to ask you but," Nanami looked at her puzzled, "were you ever properly diagnosed with ADHD?

Nanami's eyes widened but the woman sighed as she put her pen down, nodding.

"Yes...Truthful," Nanami looked down at her papers as she twiddled with her thumbs, "I got diagnosed...secretly. I didn't tell my sister or brother. They do not need to be burdened by my mental state. Sigh...and my medication ran out two days ago." She sighed heavily as Arisa looked at her worried, "It's alright. I have another way to cope with it. The only thing I'm not happy about is that my phone no longer works. I had my whole damn music list there." She said with a grumble.

"But the SD card should still be okay."

"Huh?" Nanami blinked as Arisa smirked, "Oh, I forgot to mention, I know a bit about magical mechanics. I created magic tools. And," she pointed at Nanami's notes, "magic tools do exist in this world. While I am not the expert in magical mechanics like my friend Sophia, I do know enough to help you make something." The girl's eyes started sparkling, "But that will have to wait because I still need to finish explaining the remaining magic systems." Nanami slumped.

"Now, this magic system is different. Dark and Black magic." Nanami sat up straight, "Dark and Black magic take both spiritual and visualization and combine them. It is deeply rooted in dark and negative forces. Examples are necromancy. Using the dark arts for evil comes with consequences. Thankfully, the majority of people here do have good intentions so they are safe. But those that use both, faith and reason do wear gloves for protection." Arisa explained and Nanami made a mental note to buy herself gloves for that.

"Now, the final one..." Arisa said and drew cracks on all three, "Anti-magic. It is a unique energy that allows the user to null other forms of magic. And this magic is unique to those of the Anti-magic clan. Thankfully," Arisa let out a sigh of relief, "the clan was not persecuted in this world. They are seen as a bit special but other than that, if someone wishes to learn anti-magic, they need to wear a special type of insignia that will allow them to use it without being hurt." She explained and cleaned the chalkboard.

"I also notice that alchemy exists in this world. Is it frowned upon?" Nanami asked as she closed her notebook.

"Huh?" Arisa looked at her surprised, "Oh no, not in this world. Alchemy is seen as normal as the others I explained to you. Also, non-humans exist here. Laguz, taguel, kitsune, wolf-skin, dragons, merfolk, faeries, and such. Though the majority of them live in the mountains of the lands they live in, keeping to themselves. Firene is also called The Land of The Fae since many of them live in the forest and their king and queen have a good relationship with the royal family." Arisa explained as Nanami nodded.

"Well, with that lesson done, now it's onto the history of each nation." Arisa said and Nanami slammed her forehead on the table, letting out a muffled groan, "Alright, looks like we have done enough for today. I'll let you have a 30-minute break."

A 30-minute break was needed because Nanami needed time to process everything she was learning. Arisa was a great professor, she wished she had someone like that in her life when she was in college, but the woman at times had a bit of a tendency to do too much information dumping when she got into a lesson she was excited about. Well, at least Arisa was quick to notice she did it and would go back to the lesson, but this time, slowly explaining it, allowing Nanami time to catch up and learn. Nanami always had difficulty learning and processing the information as a child. If it was a subject she did not like, the information would not stay long. If it was a subject that was interesting and fun, the information and skills would stay with her for life. But even if subjects she did not take interest in, the information she learned from them as well as the skills would always remain.

Nanami wanted to take a nap as she watched Arisa sitting at a chair, with her eyes closed, the teal parts of her hair would turn mint green, a sign that she was using magic. Nanami looked at her hands and questioned if it was even possible for her to learn magic. She came to a world without magic, so...technically it should be impossible for her. But if she can, the woman daydreamed of looking like a powerful sorceress with a witch hat and beautiful dress. The minutes went by and now it was time for the next lesson.

History.

Nanami hated history. In the past it was a subject she loved but the more she read about the world's past, not also mention, art history killed her passion for it, she was dreading it. But Nanami knew she could not escape it. She needed to know at least the basic history of each nation of Elyos if she was going to survive. She wasn't about to look an idiot if she were to ever meet Fogado and Timerra! She already met one of their retainers, Panette and Bunet, she liked them. Nanami heard the chair squeak and saw Arisa's eyes snap open and stretch a bit before she floated again back to the chalkboard.

"Alright, time for the next lesson!" Arisa smiled, "I can tell you are dreading history but I promise you, you will like this." Nanami made a face.

"I'm going to start with the basic history of each nation." Arisa began and drew a person with a witch hat and broomstick on the chalkboard, "First, is Elusia, The Kingdom of Knowledge, ruled by King Hyacinth von Rosenberg. He has three daughters and one son. Princess Primrose, Princess Ivy, Princess Hortensia, and Prince Cosmos." Suddenly Nanami sat up straight and narrowed her eyes as she quickly flipped to a clean page to write what Arisa said.

"This was my first hearing that the Engage Cast had last names, let alone, even more siblings." Then again, she was now in their world, and a lot of things that were not shown in the game are now being told.

"In Elusia, they have a tradition of the king having a Queen Mother in charge of a harem: concubines. The former Queen Mother was a woman named Rose, and she used to be the court mage of Elusia. The next three are Consort Flora, Consort Calla, and Consort Thyme. Unfortunately, Queen Rose passed away seven years ago. Consort Flora four years ago, and Consort Calla two years ago. Queen Rose, because of a tragedy. Consort Flora, due to poor health, and Consort Calla due to natural causes." Arisa sighed, "Lastly, Princess Primrose as well, she died the same day as Queen Rose, in a tragedy. As of now, the current Crown Princess is Ivy and the court mage is Prince Cosmos." She explained and waited a bit for Nanami to catch up.

King Hyacinth

Queen Mother: Rose: Child: Primrose (Both Deceased)

First Consort: Flora: Child: Ivy

Second Consort: Calla: Child: Hortensia

Third Consort: Thyme: Child: Current Court Mage: Cosmos

The girl nodded to let her know she was ready to continue.

"Elusia is a kingdom of scholars and mages. They pride themselves in magical and academic discoveries. They have a magic Akademiya consisting of different houses that study in specific fields." she explained and drew another person with small gears floating in their hands and another with a potion bottle.

"When it comes to trade, Elusia prides itself in its mines filled with magic stones and rare magic materials. Not to also mention, magical mechanics and alchemy." Arisa sighed and drew another man with a diamond in their hands.

"Brodia, is The Kingdom of Might. Strength is its pride and its current royal family is only 300 years old. The reason for this is that the previous royal family who were once proud warriors, became greedy, cowards, and tyrants. Sucking up the people dry and using them as tools. A rebellion rose and the one to lead them is the ancestor of the current royal family." Arisa explained and Nanami raised their hand, "Yes?"

"Uh...how do you know all this? You said you were asleep for 1,000 years."

"I just connect to the Dragon Veins for a bit and I get everything that has happened over the years. All Emblems can do that, it's how we are updated with things."

"Now that's cheating..." Nanami huffed as Arisa gave her a meek smile.

"Now, Brodia is currently ruled by King Morion von Carnelian and Queen Opal. They have two sons, Crown Prince Diamant, and Prince Alcryst. The royal court mage of Brodia is a woman named M-" Arisa became still suddenly and her forehead creased, "No way...it can't be..."

"Arisa? Is everything alright?" Nanami said, noticing how the woman had become silent.

"Sorry." Arisa quickly snapped out of it, "As I was saying, the court mage is a woman named Martha. As for trade, Brodia mines have incredible ore. However, the land of Brodia is not fertile and is difficult to survive in, thus it is difficult for food to grow due to its rocky land. Its traditions are similar to Faerghus and Plegia." She said and again, Nanami took more notes.

"And it's the feud with Elusia because the nation keeps trying to conquer Elusia's lands. The tension only grew after the death of Queen Rose, Crown Princess Primrose, and Brodia's Crown Princess: Topaz. Brodia has the king, who has two younger brothers and a sister." She said and Arisa began listing them.

King Morion – Wife: Queen Opal: Children: Diamant, Alcryst

Regent Albert – Wife: Court Mage Martha: Children: Eden, Shibra, Ajax, Morgana, James, Noa

Grand Duke Beryl- Wife: Duchess Adeline: Children: Citrinne, Elder Brothers: Liam, Hudson

Crown Princess Topaz: Deceased

"Now, onto Firene." Arisa said and this time drew a person with a flower crown, "Firene is The Kingdom of Abundance. Firene is ruled by Queen Ève Tula Flora, who promotes peace and tolerance. It is a philanthropic country, along with being a deeply religious country. The land is known as a land of plenty, where its people value peace. Her Husband, King Adam," Nanami snorted, "Can it." Arisa glared, making the woman shut up, "King Adam passed away five years ago due to his sensitive health. He was a loved king, after he passed away, Queen Eve took up the mantle. Firene trade is wheat, rice, butter, and other produce. As well as cotton, silk, and wool. Firene is also known as The Land of Fae due to the high faerie population and the royal family has an amazing relationship with the King and Queen of Faeries. The court mage of Firene is a man named Klaus. Lastly, the royal family has two children, Crown Prince Alfred, and Crown Princess Celine." Arisa finished explaining Firene's history.

King Adam-Queen Eve: Children: Alfred, Celine

"We're not even at Solm, Lythos, or Gardlon yet and this much history I did not know..." Nanami thought.

To think Elyos had this much history, not also mention that this was the basic history of the nations.

"Alright, onto Solm." Arisa said and drew a person with a star, "Solm, matriarchal country that values freedom, The Queendom of Freedom. It's an open-minded nation but very decorated in protecting it from hostilities. It is ruled by Queen Seforia Arcane and King Turon, with her two children, Crown Princess Timerra and Crown Prince Fogado. Solm has a strong, and I mean a strong relationship with the kitsune, wolf skin, taguel, dragons, and laguz. They have helped each other over the years and have respected each other's boundaries, it's why you see so many non-humans walking around normally." Arisa said as Nanami looked at her shocked.

She wondered how Ike, Soren, and Micaiah would react to hearing such a thing? A world where non-humans and humans could live in peace...

"Now, Solm's court mage is a man named Rumba. Lastly, Solm's specialized trade is spices, rice, gold, jade, silk, salt, exotic goods, and tea. As well as meat." Arisa explained again as Nanami continued to write notes.

Queen Seforia Arcane-King Turon: Children: Timerra and Fogado.

"Now onto Lythos." Arisa said and looked at Nanami for a bit, "Lythos is a nation created by the Divine Dragons and normal dragons lived in. It was their home for over millennia till two calamities fell onto Elyos." Nanami's pen came to a halt, "Lythos is known as the Holy Land, where it's a peaceful area, where refreshing winds blow in the plateaus, and light and grass interweave. Lythos trade is silver, oils, metals, and rare ores. Now, two divine dragons live. Queen Lumera rules over Lythos and her son, Alear, who sleeps to this day due to the mortal injuries he received at the end of the war. She also has another daughter who… unfortunately no one knows her identity. Lumera respects her decision so her identity is not known. Lastly, Lythos has no court mage." She said and Nanami looked up at Arisa.

Queen Lumera: Children: Alear, unknown daughter

"Two...calamities?" Nanami said and Arisa sighed, "Explain."

"I'm getting there. I'm letting you catch up first." Arisa said as Nanami finished the last of her notes, "Ready to continue?" The girl nodded, "Now, this lesson about Gardlon is a bit different. To start, we need to go back to the history of The Emblems." Arisa said and erased the chalkboard and drew 12 rings but also bracelets and more rings surrounding the original 12.

"We Emblems we're created by a powerful individual. The spirit and power of heroes called upon other worlds to aid them, that is an Emblem. We are interpretations of original Heroes, yet we have their memories, experience, and emotions. The first Emblem to ever exist was The Emblem of Foundations. I never met them, nor have the other Emblems, but we know they were a powerful individual." Arisa let out a small breath and then continued.

"Now onto Gardlon. There is a story passed down through The Emblem." Arisa said, "Many years ago, before Sombron came to be, Gradlon was once a nation filled with life. Its lands were green like jewels and meadows filled with flowers the color of rainbows. Its skies blue and clear like the ocean and its people wild and free." She explained as Nanami listened.

"The Creator of the Emblems, always had this story passed onto us." Arisa sighed, "I do not remember the face of my Creator but...the memory of a beautiful land where people of all walks of life lived together, is ingrained forever into our minds." She said as she interviewed her hands together.

"But two great calamities fell." Arisa's voice became grave, "In the long-distance past, there once was a demon clan. While they were mostly trickers, similar to Yokai, they lived peacefully with everyone in Elyos. But one day, a demon who lusted for power and dominion over the land rose. It massacred its people and devoured their flesh and blood, absorbing their power to grow stronger. The rulers and guardians of Gradlon united and fought against this evil. It was a vicious and bloody battle, and by the end of the war...only five hundred out of an entire nation's population, remained. Two thousand years passed and just when the land had finally recovered along with its people..."

"Sombron came." Arisa said gravely, "The people of Gradlon did not wish to fight but knew if they did not, doom would come. So they joined hands with the Divine Dragons. These people, who knew the Outrealms, were named Outrealm Guardians and blessed by the divine dragons. And so, to help them fight, they needed heroes that were just like them, Outworlders, thus I and others were created." Arisa said.

"With Outrealm Emblems, the Outrealm Guardians fought and...the war against the fell dragon raged on for 20 twenty years. By the near end of the war...only six Outrealm Guardians and Emblems remained. And the Outrealm Gates were all destroyed, and only one gate remained." She took a deep breath.

"When the war finally came to an end, only two remained. To make sure no one ever invaded Elyos ever again, the remaining two left Elyos through the last gate and destroyed it. Thus, I and my three friends should have faded away, but..." Arisa pressed her lips together.

"Suddenly we are here. It should be impossible. The fact that I and the others have returned...it must mean a calamity is soon to fall." Arisa looked at the ground, worried.

"I will tell you this now, only Outrealm Guardians and Outworlders can wield me and my friends unless we give someone that is not permitted permission to use us. And seeing how you are not from this world...Means you can use me." Arisa said and Nanami was stunned hearing all this.

"What...was the demon's name? Also, what do you mean the founders of Gardlon were Outworlders?"

"Sigh...I do not know."Arisa closed her eyes regretfully, "All of us Emblems should know the name but for some reason, we do not. I do not know if this is intentional or if we legitimately do not know" Arisa let out a heavy sigh, she already spoke so much.

"As for Gardlon, it used to be an empty land. An Outrealm Gate that was never used activated and people from other worlds came out of it. Seeing that the land was empty, they decided to settle and bring it to life. As people from other worlds came to settle in the land, they worked together. Eventually, they grew and it became a powerful nation that welcomed everyone with open arms. The first settlers became Gardlon's leaders and united, forming a republic. They shared their knowledge of other worlds and heroes. Unfortunately, much of Gardlon's history has been lost because of the calamities." Arisa let out another sigh as she crossed her arms, closing her eyes for a bit, "I do know that the last six Outrealm Guardians were direct descendants of the founders of Gardlon."

"But for now, this is the basic history of Elyos. Any questions?" She asked and Nanami let out a deep and tried breath as she leaned back on the couch, staring up to the ceiling.

"This is...all so much. None of this was said in the game." Nanami muttered as Arisa let out a yawn, "Reality sure has a way of showing things..."

"Reality has a lot of things." Arisa said as her eyes felt droopy, "It took me a while to adjust to my life in Fodlan, let alone learn everything new there. This world is real Nanami, real people that you can not control through a game." She said and now her head was nodding, "I'm going to rest...I think connecting to the dragon veins took a bit of a toll on me." She said and Nanami held up her hand.

"Go rest, teach." She said and Arisa smiled softly and disappeared into a shower of blue dust, returning to the ring, "Ah…I haven't been called Teach in a long time….Zzzz…"

Nanami lay down and just stared at the ceiling, taking in everything that was said to her. Elusia, Brodia, Solm, Firene, Lythos, Gardlon, all of it...all the history she just learned, to think it was so rich. Nanami needed to sort out her thoughts as she sat back up. It's only been two weeks since she arrived, technically it was February in Elyos, she asked what day and month was it. There had not been any sign of Alear awakening. Unfortunately, the Corrupted, yes. Nanami asked herself where she was in the current timeline. But for now...she needed to find more information. Thankfully, Solm has a public library and that is where she will learn everything she needs to know.

Knock, knock!

"Miss Nami! Your delivery is here!"

Nanami stood up and sprinted to the door and out of the house. A man with a wagon filled with things, covered in a cloth, waved at her.

"Everything you commissioned is done. Got to admit, I'm impressed." The man said as she handed him a silver count to pay for the delivery, "What do you plan to do with all this?" He asked and Nanami smirked as she got on the cart and moved the cloth to take out an iron skillet.

"I'm ordered to survive, you gotta think big!" Nanami said and pointed the skillet at him then spun it.

"What better way to survive than made delicious food!"

- One Month Later: Lythos -

One month at sea, he should be used to it. He had been on a military boat before. But after that first week on a regular boat, Miguel wanted to jump off. At least he got his sea legs quickly and adjusted to the ship. Still, his time speaking and meeting people on the boat was an interesting time. Most of all, he just couldn't stand not doing anything and volunteered to help the captain and crew out, which, they greatly appreciated. It was fun getting to know the captain and the crew. They had their own stories about their travels and the type of people they met. They had asked Miguel about his life, he didn't give too much, just that he was a sniper and that the reason he put down his weapon was that he had missed his family. It wasn't a total lie. But, there was another reason why he put his weapon down.

"I had enough..."

The thought ran through his head as he narrowed his eyes as he pulled his arm back, his eye focused on a tuna fish that was swinging by. His breath held nice and tight as he listened to the muffled sounds in the sea. His eyes should be stinging because of the salt water but they weren't. For some reason, he felt he could breathe in the water if he wanted to. He could move swiftly, but the moment, he aimed the harpoon and...

SWISH!

Miguel fist-bumped when he saw the harpoon go right through the tuna's head and quickly pulled the string toward him. He got up and swam up, able to breathe again as he saw the people at the rails of the boat.

"WE'RE EATING GOOD TONIGHT!" Miguel yelled and held up the tuna as cheers were heard from the place.

Some of the other harpooners came up to the surface, also holding up their catch and one of them had a fish net filled with sea urchins. They got back on the boats, everyone was delighted that tonight was going to be a feast. They would be arriving in Lythos tomorrow.

"It's a fatty one!" The chef of the ship, Marco, said as Miguel slammed the tuna on the table that was set up, "Not bad, boy. One month into learning harpooning and you got it down fast." Marco chuckled as Miguel stood in a mid-waist wooden stall as one of the crew poured fresh water over him to get the salt water off.

"As I said, I don't like to sit still!" Miguel yelled back with a grin as he ran his fingers through his hair to help the water go through.

"Alright, that should do it." One of the sailors said as Miguel got out of the stall and another harpooner went in, "Go get dried and change, man. You need it." They chuckled as Miguel gave him a thumbs up and left below the deck to change.

Miguel went to the shared room he had with one of the people traveling, an older man from Elusia named Elder, who looked up from the book he was reading.

"How did the hunt go?" Elder said as Miguel went into the closet to change into his clothing.

"It went well." Miguel said as he changed into dry clothing, "Manged to harpoon a tuna. A fatty one too. Tonight is a feast." He said as the scholar in the room nodded.

"Sigh, can't wait to get off the boat. I miss land. Hoping a new start in Lythos will do me well. I have a sibling that has lived there for 20 years now." Elder said as Miguel came out.

"I'm curious, what made you leave your homeland?" Miguel asked as he sat on the bed and put on his sneakers.

"The place went downhill." The scholar said with a scowl on his face, "Things have gotten worse since the death of Queen Rose. Sigh, she was such a kind person. To think she died such a horrible death along with her daughter. It doesn't help that Elusia is in a feud with Brodia." He said as Miguel looked at him a bit worried.

Miguel's time on the ship had gotten him to learn more about Elyos. The first was that Brodia, known as The Kingdom of Might was at constant war with Elusia, the Kingdom of Knowledge because Brodia kept trying to conquer its lands. The tensions only grew worse between the two nations when seven years ago, an official meeting between The Queen of Elusia, an official of Solm, an official of Firene, and Brodian officials all died in a tragedy.

"The first princess Elusia also died that day beside her mother. And well, Elusia blames Brodia and Brodia says they are innocent because their people died as well. Solm and Firene acknowledged that it was a tragedy but they for sure don't blame each other." The man explained and closed his book, then looked out the small window to see the sunset.

"Huh...looks like we've been talking for a while. The others must be getting the food ready." Elder said and turned back to Miguel, "I never got your story."

"Ah, mine isn't as dramatic as yours but it's more towards I was told I could get information in Lythos to locate my siblings." Miguel said as Elder raised an eyebrow, "There was an accident and I woke up in a cottage. A kind woman saved me. Through our three-day travel, I made her some meals as a thank-you. My siblings were not with me when she found me, which...honestly worries me." Miguel said as Elder nodded.

"By the way," Miguel raised an eyebrow, "I know you read through my books." The former soldier looked like a scared cat, "While I am miffed that you did so without my permission, I am curious about what you think about the subjects of alchemy and potions." The man said and Miguel scratched his cheek.

"First, I apologize. Curiosity got the best of me when I cleaned the room. I...accidentally dropped your bag on the floor and the books all spilled out." Miguel chuckled nervously as the older man sighed, "But I must emit, they were fascinating. It reminded me of the subjects my great-grandfather used to study and write." He said as Elder listened.

"Was your great-grandfather a scholar?" Elder asked and Miguel shrugged.

"He told me he was. Unfortunately, his family died during the war. He was the only one left. His name was Ermos by the way." Miguel said and Elder's eyes widened.

"Ermos? So he was named after the legendary Mage Knight of Elusia? Hmm...not often you hear someone named after the legendary mage knight." Elder said as Miguel became silent hearing that, "We should head up now. I think the food is ready." He said and Miguel nodded, flowing after him.

[—-]

"There once was a ship that put to sea

The name of the ship was the Billy O' Tea

The winds blew up, her bow dipped down

Oh blow, my bully boys, blow (huh)

The sailors sang loudly as they held up their mugs of ale and bear high above. Some of the couples sang along or danced as hot and fresh food was placed on the table. Some of the knights and soldiers also joined the dance and Miguel spotted Elder sketching the scene. Some of the people on the boat were musicians and bards, they brought out their instruments and played along. Miguel smiled as he held his mug and took a sip, listening to the sea shanty being sung.

"To think the wellerman song exists here..." he muttered as he softly sang.

Soon may the Wellerman come

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

One day, when the tonguing is done

We'll take our leave and go

Instead of the people singing, he heard himself, Perla, and Nanami signing the song. They had done it for fun when Nanami suggested they do a tick-tock. It was the first time they had heard Nanami sing after the death of their grandparents. That was two years ago. He had to keep himself from crying, but Perla cried. Miguel let out a small sigh and looked out to the sea. Tomorrow he would be arriving in Lythos, he wondered what the place was like.

— Dream —

"Lu..."

A dream?

No...the water reflected the floor, the starry sky...even if the place look like it was about to fade away at any moment, the fact it has appeared...

"Lume..."

"I'm here!" She called out to the place, "I'm here, Emblem Sitonia!" She yelled, running through the reflected waters and starry sky.

Three stars shot through the sky, yet one star looked like it was surrounded by darkness. She ran and ran till she suddenly reached an area where there were three mirrors.

"Lu...me...ra..." the voice was barely a whisper but it was there.

She could hear it. It was trying to communicate with her, the Ring of The Silent Seer was trying to speak to her through her dreams. It was a power that only seers possessed. Lumera gulped and looked at the three mirrors.

"I'm here, Emblem Sitonia. Please, try once again to speak." Lumera said and the mirrors rippled.

Lumera gasped seeing the image of a young man, but his face was blurred on his right hand he wore Emblem Sitonia's ring. And on his belt, was a pocket watch with...the star symbol with the snowdrops engravings. The mirror on the right then rippled and this time it showed a woman dressed in a unique style of a Brodian mage. Also on her right hand, was a ring but this time, Lumera recognized it as The Ring of The Dark Saint. On her left wrist, she recognized the bracelet she was wearing. And finally, the mirror in the middle—-

"Ulp...sniff...sniff..."

A weeping young woman...

The young woman was crying, her head hung down as tears rolled down her cheeks, and her hair cover her eyes. The Ring of The Holy Magus was on her right hand. The girl cried and let out a wail, her head tilted up as if she was crying to the sky. Lumera questioned why the child was in such pain and agony till...

"I...I want to go home! Don't leave me! I don't want it to be alone again!"

The young woman wailed out to the sky. Lumera watched as the others desperately tried to reach out to the girl but the girl seemed to be getting farther away, also trying to reach out to them when...

"GHAAAAA!"

Black spikes pierced through the girl and Lumera covered her mouth in horror, shaken by what she just witnessed.

"Sitonia, what is this?! Please! What are you trying to tell me?!" Lumera cried out and the world around her began to crack like glass.

"You...must...close...I...am..."

Sitonia's voice rang like a broken record.

"F-Find...children...too...late!"

And the dream shattered.

— Morning: Lythos Castle —

"GASP!"

Lumera woke up abruptly, panting and gasping for air as she lay on her bed. She stared up at the ceiling, trying to calm herself as beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. Her beating heart, and the familiar scent of water... she turned her head, seeing a single drop of water floating. The woman quickly scrambled off her bed and sat up, and chased after the water droplet that quickly started to zoom away. She followed it to her balcony where she quickly opened the doors and ran to its rails, that is where it stopped and waited for her.

Lumera became still and slowly walked across the balcony and to its rails. There the water droplet floated till she had her hands on the rails. The woman felt tears prickling in her eyes till the droplet started circling her and bolted away towards the direction of Lythos's capital, Crete. There, though it was early in the morning, Lumera saw a ship dock. Thanks to her dragons' eyesight, she could see people getting off the boat. She narrowed her eyes and watched as the water droplet zoomed and zoom till...it ran smack right at the back of a man's neck.

"WHAT THE?!" A young man with amber eyes and dark brown hair, quickly turn the direction the water droplet came from, looking around quickly to see who was responsible for it.

Lumera blinked multiple times to make sure she was not seeing things. She even rubbed her eyes and realized, she wasn't.

"Ermos?"

[—-]

"You alright?" Elder said as he noticed Miguel was rubbing the back of his neck and wiping his hand on his coat.

"Yeah. I think someone threw a spitball at me. Ugh." Miguel balk as he looked at his hand.

"Ah, kids these days." Elder sighed, "Well, it was nice meeting you, Miguel. Good luck out here." He said and the two shook hands, wishing each other luck.

Miguel let out a sigh as he looked at the small city of Crete. Its people wore mostly white clothing that was similar to what people in churches wore. Children ran around in medicinal-style clothing with a lot of cats and dogs. Despite all that, the place looked amazing, the air in Lythos felt fresh and clean, and there was a lot of religious architecture. Miguel walked around with his case on his back. He had a few silver coins he had won during a long game on the boat. He learned the money system of Elyos quickly.

Miguel walked down the marketplace of the city, taking in the sights. The place reminded him of London and Greece for some reason, still, the place was beautiful. He spotted a shop nearby and saw it was a bakery. He needed to buy some food. He'll probably be camping out in the woods. He entered the bakery and bought bread and the next shop he found sold tents, which he gladly bought as well as a few other supplies. But Miguel suddenly froze.

The man stopped in front of a fruit stall and looked behind him. The hairs at the back of his neck were standing, meaning someone was watching him, but where?

"Sir, what would you like? We just got a shipment of honey apples and green pairs from Firene." The lady said and Miguel bought a few of each.

But now that he looked behind, he noticed the giant castle far above and far away at the green plains and also, a floating island. The man nearly choked on the bread he was eating.

"First time here?" The vendor lady said as Miguel nodded, "That's Lythos castle, where the Divine Dragon Queen Lumera lives and the island is called The Sommiel, where The Divine Dragon Alear sleeps." She said with a small smile.

"Question, can anyone visit Lythos castle?" Miguel asked and the woman raised an eyebrow, "I Um... I heard they were recruiting for the knights." He lied smoothly.

"Oh!" the lady said, "Unfortunately the knight recruitments ended last week..." Miguel sighed, "But they will be doing another recruitment test later today. So, you got a chance. Go to the plaza, just down this path. That's where those that wish to join our meeting up at."

"Alright! Thank you miss!"

[—-]

"Vander? I need you to do me a favor."

It was rare for Queen Lumera to ask such a thing. A favor...The Queen was asking him a favor!

"Queen Lumera, you do not need to ask me for a favor." Vander said as the woman smiled softly but he also noticed, she seemed a bit...distressed, "Are you alright, your majesty? Did something happen?"

The queen shook her head, "Today is the knight's recruit, correct?" He nodded, "I wish to join you in watching these recruits." Vander was shocked by this notion but understood.

"Very well, is there a particular reason?" He said and Lumera pressed her lips together but let out a sigh, a sad yet hopeful smile forming on her lips.

"I think...my old friend has returned home."

- Solm -

If there was anything Nanami was grateful for, it was that Solm had a public library. A public library is full of scrolls, books, tomes, and even magic tools that could be borrowed. A mixture of a variety, and if it wasn't for Arisa's help, she wouldn't be able to read anything.

One of Arisa's abilities was that it allowed her to read and write the languages of Elyos, which she greatly appreciated. It had been a month since she arrived in Solm and being a full-on adult on her own was tiring. She was quick to buy everything she needed to start a small business and even went on to commission Wallace to make equipment for her.

She worked together with the old man and his people on making iron pots and kettles. It also worked as a bonus because when she used them for her business, it also worked on promoting Mr. Wallace's shop. It was safe to say, the man was happy with new incoming commissions and business. Still, like on earth, she had to get a permit and also pay to rent a space in the marketplace. She did all that, thanks to Arisa's guidance.

"Nami!" A man called out from a table she had set up, "I'll have four more grilled meat tacos! Along with a hibiscus water!"

"Coming right up!" Nanami yelled as she flipped several corn flour tortillas on the iron skillet.

If she wanted to be successful, Nanami needed a way to stand out among the crowd. And the first thing that went through her mind was if Solm had tacos. Elyos had pizza, churros, and some of the foods that existed on earth, which shot down the idea she originally had.

BUT!

Tacos and posole they did not! Nanami knew what she needed to do. She needed to think like Anna for business to boom. Expect the part about overpricing things. By the second week she had arrived, Nanami had everything prepared. And thankfully, Solm was the reign of new ideas and freedom.

"Nami! Make sure to pick up the tomatoes later!" The lady from the stall that sold churros and grilled chicken skewers yelled out.

"Got it, Ms. Liz!" Nanami called out after she served another set of twelve dozen tacos.

The people of the food area were a bit wary at first seeing a new stall but Nanami knew she needed to scratch their back and they will scratch hers. So, she did what any person setting up a business would do.

Advertisement.

She remembered when she first started. She needed to get on people's good side. What better way to promote her food along with theirs?

"Come get your grilled meat tacos! Mister! Come try these tacos! They go well with the coconut drinks Mr. Stahl makes!"

"Miss, after eating those, why don't you have some churros from Ms. Liz's stall as a dessert!"

"Hey, Mister! This dish, posole, is perfect after a night out at Mr. Reza's stall! I recommend eating this after a nice long swing of Mr. Reza's signature drink, Lime sweet shots!"

Nanami was quick to earn the hearts of the people of the marketplace. The woman let out a heavy sigh as she finally had a bit of a breather to sit down and rest.

"So many customers," Nanami muttered and felt a pat on her shoulder, and looked up to see if was Ms. Liz.

"Welcome to adult life. But not bad for someone your age. You did pretty well on advertising your food." Ms. Liz winked, "Now, I got some juicy gossip. That shit brother of mine finally got a date! And she's a looker too! A pretty woman who can fly in the skies!" Ms. Liz said and from her stall, said brother popped out his.

"Fuck you!"

"I fuck me too!"

Nanami burst out laughing as the woman just shook her head from their interactions.

"I'm sure Mr. Alex is over the moon. Don't tease him too much." Nanami said as she stood up when she saw someone at her stall, "I'll see you later!" And there she went.

"Hi! What can I get for you?" Nanami said as she picked up her notepad.

"Hello! I heard there was a new stall selling new foods and I wanted to try it out! Any recommendations?" A dark skin young woman with brown hair red in a ponytail with multiple colored small balls as hair ornaments on her head, said with a smile.

She had brown colored eyes with star pupils, a white sleeveless tank top with pink, and a ruffled white skit with the color of pink, green, yellow, and orange, the pastel colors of the rainbow. As well as she wore some ornaments of hair on her wrist, legs, and ankles, and lastly she wore small heels.

"Ah, fuck." Nanami mentally choked when she realized who was standing in front of her, "I got roasted and shredded grilled meat! Chicken! Shredded pork! Spicy sausage and intestines! I also have a spicy pork and chicken stew corn stew called posole! And fresh hibiscus and sweet rice water!" Nanami said as Timerra's eyes sparkled.

"I'll get four of each! I also saw you have different sauces and vegetables set up. Can you explain them?" Timerra said and Nanami nodded and pointed to the red sauces, "So these are called salsas. This red one is made with red chilies, garlic, onion, tomato, salt, and pepper. It's then pounded till it's a sauce consistency. You then add about a spoon full and drizzle it on the taco." Nanami said and began to explain the salsas, toppings, and such that could be added to the tacos.

Timerra was having a fun time listening and got excited as Nanami served her dishes to go. Timera was in a bit of a rush due to a job she had to do. But Arisa was silent as she watched. She noticed Timerra was wearing Ike's ring. For now, she will not say anything.

"Thank you so much!" Timerra grinned as she held multiple bags with four of each dish along with the freshwater, "I can't wait to try all this! Have a nice day!" She yelled out and Timerra left.

Nanami smiled softly and nodded, feeling Arisa's ghostly hands on her shoulders even if she could not see her.

"You know her, don't you?" Arisa said as Nanami kept her smile as she turned back to continue taking orders and serving customers.

"As a person, no. As a character in a game, yes." Nanami thought as she cooked, "I figured sooner or later I might run into Timerra. She is as cheery in the game." She thought.

"You sounded spook," Arisa commented as Nanami's smile wavered a bit.

"Well…now being an independent adult makes you a bit paranoid, doesn't it?"

"Sigh…point."

[—-]

"Heeeeyyyy, Fogado!"

He turned around from talking to his retainers and saw his elder sister along with her retainers coming his way, with bags of food.

"Hey, Timerra!" Fogado waved as she arrived, "Sniff." His eyes sparkled, "Is that food I smell? Aww, you shouldn't have!" He grinned as Timerra chuckled as her retainers put down the plates of food on the rugs they had set up.

"What can I say?" Timerra grinned as she sat down with the others, "I hardly have time to see you so I saw the opportunity arise! What better way to catch up than eating and talking together in a feast!" She cheered as Fogado grinned.

"Alright then. I do miss talking to you all. Also, it's good to see you Panette, and Merrin." Fogado said as the orange-haired woman smiled and the other, a short-haired blonde woman grinned.

"Princess Timera, I must ask, what are all these dishes? I have never seen food like this before." Bunet asked as his partner, Pandreo, an orange-haired man, looked at the food, hungry.

"There's a new stall cart selling two new dishes called tacos and posole. Along with fresh hibiscus water and a sweet drink made of rice." Timerra said, "I bought four of each dish for all of us to try! Oh! It all looks so good! Oh!" Timerra looked at her brother, "I bought extra and went to the palace first to give to mom and Rumba."

"What did they say?" Fogado said as he picked up a grilled meat taco.

"They loved it!" Timerra grinned and they all took a bite out of their meals.

"Oh…Oh! OH MY!" Bunet yelled out as he continued to eat, "This is delicious! The tender chicken grilled perfectly along with the raw onion bits, cilantro, and the spicy sauce taste divine together!" He said and took another bite, the man was in total bl—

"SPICY! COUGH! COUGH!"

The group turned to look at Pandreo to see the man coughing and chugging down the sweet rice drink in one go. The man panted and gasped for air, his cheeks red as he looked away from embarrassment.

"Sorry…the salsa is a bit too spicy for me…" the man whimpered and Panette held up a plate to him, "Do not worry, I made sure to get these without the salsa. But we have this avocado salsa that goes well with it. It's very mid-spicy so you should be able to enjoy it." Panette said and the man whispered a thank you and took the plate.

"All this food is delicious! And you said it's a new dish?" Fogado said as Timerra nodded, "Who is the cook?"

"It's the mercenary we all told you about." Panette said, "The one that brought back the stolen cart." She said and Bunet looked up from his meal.

"Oh, the one that has been taking on a lot of jobs recovering stolen goods?" Bunet said and the woman nodded, "Huh…I had no idea."

"Oh, I think I know who you are talking about!" Merrin said, "Wallace said that recently someone rented the house he had up for rent. That they paid four months in advance. They had recently started a food stall business, taking on some mercenary jobs in recovering stolen goods, and on top of that, they have been going to the library to study!" She said as the group looked at her shocked.

"Whoa… that's a lot." Fogado said, "Say, you think Rumba might be interested in them?" He said the group looked at him confused, "Well, Rumba has been complaining lately that he doesn't have enough hands to do all the work that has been piling up." He said as he took a sip of the sweet rice drink, "Oh, this is good!"

"Yeah, but did you forget that those he hired didn't even last a week with him?! What makes you think the girl is going to last?" Timerra said.

"Look, out of the Five Nations, only Rumba doesn't have an apprentice. Elusia doesn't count because the new court mage is younger than us. And Lythos doesn't have a court mage." Fogado said, "Just give it a try. Recommend the girl. By the way," he looked back to the remaining food, "All this is delicious. Maybe you can make her your personal cook?"

"Yeah, but if I recommend her, Rumba is going to want to do a full background check on her," Timerra said as their retainers listened.

"What does she look like?" Fogado said and Timerra thought for a moment.

"Short 5'4 girl with black mid-waist curly hair that was tied in a ponytail, and a slightly paler tan than us. The girl looked like a walking dead because of the dark circles under her eyes. Also, she wears this weird coat I've never seen before, but pale brown baggy pants. And these weird shoes I have never seen before." Timerra said then snapped her fingers, "And brown eyes and she wears a blue travel purse over her shoulder." She finished explaining and Fogado thought for a moment.

"Oh!" Fogado blinked, "Bunet, doesn't that description fit the girl we saw practicing magic out here?" He said as Bunet thought for a bit.

"Oh! The girl that we saw sneaking out to the oasis nearby?" Pandreo said and the girls looked at him to explain, "Recently we noticed someone had been sneaking out of the city and out to the Osias here. The girl you just described matches the description. She looked like she was struggling to try to practice magic." He explained as Timerra held her chin.

"Hmm…I'm going to talk to Rumba. He always wanted to teach a newbie after all."

"Sibby….are you trying to send the girl to an early grave?"

[—-]

"Achoo!"

Nanami sneezed and blew into her napkin, "Who the hell is talking smack about me?" She muttered as she finished packing away the last of her tools into her cart.

"Magic practice tonight." Arisa said in her head, "You're getting the basics down. That's a good sign." The woman smiled softly in her head.

"Sigh…it's a struggle but I'm getting there…"