Multiverse Emperor

by Isekai Harem Protagonist

A depressed young man's life ended suddenly because of a horrific accident. However, his story did not end there as his love for video games, anime, manga, cartoons, and stories had gotten the attention of Lady Palutena which earned him a resurrection and plenty of bonuses for his new life into the multiverse of fiction IPs! (OP SI-OC x Harem) (Crossposted from AO3)

3. Chapter 3: Lyndis's Legion

Chapter 3: Lyndis's Legion

---

Several days passed after Robert, Lyn, Kent, and Sain began their journey. With Lyn now armed with the knowledge that she still had family elsewhere in the form of her grandfather, the Marquess of Caelin, they moved with purpose. They headed west, with Kent and Sain leading the way towards the towering mountains that act as a natural border between Sacae and Bern. They stopped only to rest, to train, or to cut down a bandit group unfortunate enough to cross their path.

However, Lyn's group saw a few razed villages as well, especially not long after running into bandit groups. When they reached the mountains and began walking along the rocky path, Lyn stopped to look out into the distance. A few tears began to leak out from her eyes.

"What is it, milady?" asked Kent as he, Sain, and Robert followed Lyn's gaze.

Not far from the base of the mountains stood the remains of a settlement. The tents made with wood and animal hide were burnt and visibly rotting. The more permanent dwellings made with mud and animal dung were nothing more than earthen piles of rubble. Not far from the ruins was a small pond.

"That… that was my home…" explained Lyn sorrowfully.

Robert couldn't help but to gasp softly. "You mean…"

"Yes, that area over there was where the Lorca once lived before the bandits came. The place where my late mother and father once called home."

Robert knew that no more words were needed. He simply nodded and patted Lyn's shoulder with his hand before letting her have a moment to mourn quietly.

Sain looked infuriated at the sight of the ruins and was about to say something but a stern look from Kent shut him up quickly.

"It only took one night," Lyn said, breaking the silence. "The Taliver bandits… they came in at night. There were less than ten survivors, including me."

Robert, Kent, and Sain listened, not saying a word.

"They're soulless beasts," Lyn continued, her eyes boring blankly into theirs as she recalled the triumphant and malicious crows of the bandits and the panicked and pained screams of her brethren. "I will never forgive them. Never."

Sain was both awed and slightly fearful of the extent of Lyn's anger. "Lyndis…"

"I had to run away by horse that night, or I would've been among the dead," admitted Lyn. "My father, the chieftain of the Lorca, did his best to hold the bandits off as long as he and some of the other tribesmen could but we had been poisoned – the bandits likely poisoned the water supply before the night came, so my father was fighting a losing battle. My mother was already ill from the autumn chill; the poisoned water ended her quickly but not before I heard her and my father begging and commanding me to leave on my own. I barely survived that night, but my horse wasn't as lucky – he must've been poisoned, too. By the end of the next day, I was all alone."

The three men bowed their heads when they heard the true fates of Lyn's father and Lady Madelyn.

"Knowing that they died was one thing," thought Robert to himself sadly. "It was another to learn how they died."

"I will be back… someday," Lyn continued, now with a steely look in her eye. "I'll be stronger… I'll break their swords beneath me like twigs beneath a stallion's hooves. I will avenge my people. I'll do everything in my power."

"When the time comes, bring me with you," requested Sain.

"Sain." Lyn blinked in surprise at the man's desire to join her in defeating the bandits.

"Don't forget me, either," added Kent, agreeing with his partner.

"Kent…"

"If nobody else is going to do it, then we will bring the Taliver bandits to justice," promised Robert before he gave Lyn a gentle but warning look, making sure to look her in the eye. "But don't let your desire for vengeance consume you; I'm sure your parents want you to have a long and happy life. Remember that they gave up their lives to save yours – don't let their sacrifices be in vain."

"If I recall correctly," Robert thought. "Wallace ends up killing the Taliver bandits on his own before joining up with Eliwood and Hector."

"Hmm…" hummed Palutena in Robert's head. "Then that would mean Lyn wouldn't achieve the revenge she wanted herself."

"Besides," Robert added aloud. "You still have your grandfather to meet first, Lyn. If Lundgren wants the throne so badly, I wouldn't put it past that old fart to try something with your grandfather just so he can get that throne sooner, especially since he's already been making attempts on your life. Gotta be there for the family you still have left, right?"

"Right, thank you," replied Lyn, her mind having been shaken out of its vengeful haze once she heard Robert's words. "You always seem to know what to say, don't you?"

Robert lightly blushed sheepishly. "… I do my best. But I do mean what I say; the best revenge you can get in life is to live your best life. Let the bandits kill themselves over resources and their egos while you get to live with your granddad in a nice castle or something like that."

Lyn was quiet for a moment, thinking about Robert's words before she nodded. "Right, it can also be nice to get back at the few Lorca tribesmen who chose to not stay with me just because I'm a young woman – we Lorca were rather old-fashioned like that. But let's keep moving. The sooner we can get over these mountains, the sooner we can get to Caelin!"

With that, Lyn set off once more with Kent and Sain leading. Robert stayed behind and gave one last look to Lyn's old home – not unlike how one would look towards a loved one's grave, offering a silent prayer. Palutena remained quiet, knowing what Robert was doing.

"I hope you both rest in peace," he thought, thinking of Lyn's parents. "I will help make sure that Lyn gets that happiness she more than deserves."

After a moment of silence, Palutena chimed in from inside of Robert's head. "Even if neither Lyn nor her parents witness what you did, what you did was very kind, Robert."

"She's one of the very few friends I have right now," replied Robert. "In fact, I'd say that you and she are my best friends right now."

"Robert!" Lyn called from several meters away. "Is something the matter?"

"Oh!" Robert was shaken out of his contemplative silence and quickly rushed to catch up with the group; he had been looking at the ruins for a bit longer than he thought. "It's nothing. Let's keep going."

---

Before too long, Lyn's party arrived at a mountain village – or what remained of it. While a few houses remained standing, several more were crumbling or were nothing more than broken stone and splintered wood.

"The entire area is in ruins," remarked Sain as he surveyed the damage. "Why doesn't their marquess do anything to help?"

"The marquess holds no power here," explained Lyn. "The Taliver bandits – the same ones who laid waste to my home, make their home here."

"This does feel like a remote area here so it probably wouldn't be easy to get up here in the first place," added Robert, briefly looking around the area. "I can imagine that it wouldn't be easy to get a bunch of people in to look after the villages, let alone flush out the bandits."

"Wait right there, little lady!" an angry, rough sounding man's voice called out nearby. "What are you going to do to apologize, huh?!"

"It seems that there is a commotion," warned Kent. "Be on your guard, Lyndis, Robert."

"Uh… I… That is, I…" a timid lady's voice stammered in the same direction as the angry man's.

"Could it be…?" Lyn gasped before she turned to the men. "Let's move! Quickly!"

"Right!" The men followed Lyn, who quickly dashed in the direction of the commotion.

Lyn's group arrived at a set of large, stone walls just outside of a nearby village. Robert immediately spotted a large, white horse standing nearby. What stood out the most about the horse was its pair of large, feathered wings.

"That's a pegasus," said Lyn as she scanned the crowd before her eyes finally locked onto a person in the crowd.

The person was a young lady about Lyn's age who had long purple hair and wore a white dress, a pair of blue pauldrons, a blue breastplate, and a pair of blue boots that went up to her thighs. She was surrounded by a group of bandits, who were all leering at her and the pegasus.

"Florina!" called out Lyn to the purple haired lady. "Is that you?"

The purple haired lady gasped as she heard Lyn, her eyes quickly locking onto her. "Lyn!"

"What are you doing in a place such as this, Florina?"

Florina teared up as she hurriedly rushed over to Lyn's side, hugging her tightly.

"Lyn!" the equestrian sobbed happily. "Is it really you? I… I…"

"Come now," admonished Lyn gently as she tried to shake off Florina's hug. "No crying now!"

"I'm sorry," replied Florina as she relinquished her hold on the plainswoman.

"Are you acquaintances?" queried Kent, looking at Lyn and Florina.

Florina finally noticed Kent, Sain, and Robert, and quickly scooted behind Lyn in such a way to put Lyn in between herself and as much men she could see, whether it be the men who accompanied Lyn, or the bandits.

"She's my friend," Lyn explained. "This is Florina, a pegasus knight in training from Ilia. She's a little uncomfortable around men."

Lyn then focused her attention on Florina. "Tell me, Florina: what happened here?"

"Well… um…" Florina was nervous as she not only had the attention of Lyn but also the men around her. "When I heard that you had left… I decided to follow you. Then I saw this village… I flew down to ask if they had news of you. I didn't see these two, and…well…"

Kent looked at Florina, then at the bandits. He noticed that one of the bandits was scowling at the pegasus. The other bandits were glaring or leering at Florina or her pegasus. He then remembered that Lyn mentioned that Florina was in training.

"Did your pegasus land on them?" asked Kent, trying to figure out the full scenario.

"Well, I… A little…" answered Florina meekly.

"Aha!" called out one of the bandits. "You heard her!"

"She admits her fault!" added the one of the bandit's compatriots. "She stepped on my friend, and now she's got to pay!"

Lyn looked to Florina. "Did you apologize, Florina?"

"Yes!" answered Florina tearfully. "I told them I was sorry many times over! They just wouldn't listen…!"

"Don't cry. It's all right."

"Lyn…" Florina quickly calmed down.

Lyn turned to the bandits. "Listen, she's obviously sorry. Can't we just let it pass? You don't appear to be injured or anything."

"No chance," answered a bandit angrily, taking a step forward. "The girl goes with us – by force if need be!"

"That must be their leader," Robert thought to himself. "He seems to be the oldest of the bunch and has rather brightly colored clothes, like that red headband of his."

The bandit leader turned to face his men. "Hey! C'mon out now, boys! The men are fair game, but don't put a scratch on the girls!"

At once, more bandits appeared from behind ruined buildings and from the nearby foliage and rocks. Lyn's party can see that they were outnumbered and practically surrounded.

Lyn quickly took charge. "Robert, we've got to fight back!"

Florina immediately became scared upon hearing that combat was imminent. "Lyn… I…"

"You're a pegasus knight, aren't you?" cut in Lyn quickly, turning to her. "You can fight, can't you?"

Florina hesitated before she mustered up her courage. "…Yes!"

Lyn turned to Robert, Kent, and Sain. "Listen carefully. We're facing bandits. They're underlings, but we can't take them too lightly. Let's clear them out of here. Are you all ready?"

"At your service, milady," answered Kent.

"Just say the word," said Sain with a smile.

"I'm ready," replied Robert, nodding as he patted his Poké Balls at his belt. "My Pokémon are itching for action right now!"

Lyn then focused on Robert. "The layout around here might make it difficult to fight. The same holds true for our foe, too. If we use these walls just so, they may ensure our victory."

"Yeah, though the bandits likely know nothing about my Pokémon," pondered Robert out loud. "And Florina could fly over the walls to attack them, too. What to do…"

Florina couldn't help but to become curious of the man Lyn seemed to be giving a lot of attention to.

"Lyn… who's that?" she asked timidly.

Lyn smiled as she answered. "This is Robert. He's my logistics support but he's been acting as my tactician. And he's been doing a fine job so far – in fact, I'd even go as far as to say that he's irreplaceable."

Robert smiled and gave Florina a polite wave. "Hello, Florina."

"Oh, I see…" Florina struggled to make eye contact with Robert's bespectacled face before she bowed to him in greeting. "Uh… Robert, I'm pleased to meet you."

Just then, Florina noticed in the distance: one of the bandits – an archer – was readying an arrow, lining up a shot. She can see that the bandit archer was aiming for Robert!

"Robert, look out!" she cried out fearfully.

"Huh?!" Robert quickly turned to face the archer – just as the arrow was let loose.

The arrow flew quickly towards Robert – too quickly for him to act as he was standing still earlier.

"Damn…!" thought Robert. "I'm not going to make it… Wait, how am I thinking fast like this?"

Just as he was about to attempt sidestepping the arrow, a large, translucent hand grabbed the arrow in midair, stopping its flight.

Robert was shocked at what he saw, and looked around for the hand's owner. But he didn't see the owner around him… only to see that the translucent hand was originating from his own body, just about overlaying his own right arm. He then turned around to see that a ghostly figure was standing beside him, staring at the arrow in his hand. The ghostly figure was of a similar height as Robert but contrasted Robert's slim build with a stockier one similar to that of an ogre's. It had green skin and appeared to wear a black leather jacket, brown pants, and a pair of black sunglasses. The leather jacket was adorned with a line of white stars on the outer side of each arm sleeve. What stood out to Robert the most was the figure's head, which had a pair of tube-like ears.

"Unbelievable…" thought Robert, shocked. "Is this… Is this my Stand?!"

"Congratulations," laughed Palutena from within Robert's head. "It seems that your Stand looks a lot like a certain ogre from a movie series!"

"What… happened?" asked Lyn, not believing her eyes.

"The arrow…" gasped Florina, shivering. "It stopped in midair…"

"But how…?" added Kent.

"Is that some sort of magic nobody knows about?" asked Sain.

Robert shook himself out of his awe upon hearing his comrades.

"Oh, right, non-Stand users can't see Stands," he mentally reminded himself.

"To anybody else, it would simply be a display of psychic powers or some other supernatural phenomenon," added Palutena within Robert's head.

"Let's see what I can do with this," said Robert as he glared towards the archer, who was visibly shocked at Robert's survival.

"Rrrrahhh!" Robert, with a battle cry of effort, had his newly formed Stand throw the arrow back at the archer – while Robert made the motion of throwing the arrow, his Stand actually threw the arrow for him.

Shoo-BOOM!

The arrow, thrown by the great strength of Robert's new Stand, flew even more quickly than when fired by the archer. While the arrow didn't directly connect with the archer, it slammed right into the crumbling wall the archer was taking cover with. The impact from the arrow shattered the wall, slamming large stone fragments right into the archer, badly battering him.

The archer did not stand up again, buried underneath the rubble.

"Whoa…" gasped a shocked Sain, as he watched one of the bandits work on removing the rubble from his comrade's body.

The other bandits began to advance onto Lyn's group.

"Lyn," said Robert. "I see a village is nearby. The gates may be closed but it wouldn't hurt to tell them not to come out until the bandits have been dealt with."

"Right," responded Lyn as she quickly dashed away to the village's gates.

"Florina, take to the skies and see where the bandits are. Try not to fly too high so that their archers don't get any bright ideas."

"R-right!" squeaked Florina timidly as she mounted her pegasus and patted it. "I'll follow your orders."

The pegasus understood the gesture and flapped its great feathered wings. It was at that moment that one of Robert's Poké Balls opened up, materializing Charmander.

"Huh? Charmander?" said a confused Robert. "I didn't call you out."

"Char…!" Charmander watched in awe as it watched Florina's pegasus lift off from the ground.

Robert chuckled and kneeled down to pat the little lizard's back. "One day, that might be you flying in the skies with me on your back."

"Char…"

Robert then got up to face Kent and Sain.

"The rest of us should focus on the bandits coming right at us," he suggested as he unsheathed his sword. "Keep an eye out for any archers and use the walls as cover."

"Right!" affirmed Kent and Sain in unison as they charged into battle.

The bandits who arrived at the area first were quickly dispatched of quickly thanks to Robert, Kent, Sain, Florina, and Charmander. Robert was quick to charge at one of the bandits, eager to test out his new Stand's power and wasn't disappointed – to the bandit's confused horror, Robert's stand stopped the bandit from swinging his axe down before repeatedly punching him down at a breakneck pace. The bandit was left groaning in pain with multiple bruises and broken bones before Robert quickly finished him off with his sword.

"Awesome!" Robert thought to himself with a small grin. "My Stand has the standard rush attack! And it's pretty strong, too!"

Palutena hummed thoughtfully in Robert's head. "It seems that your Stand is a close range power type, though there may be more abilities that we don't know of yet right now."

Charmander, despite paying a lot of attention to Florina's pegasus's flight, made sure to watch Robert's back, effortlessly burning down any bandit trying to flank Robert.

"Hey, I'm back!" called out Lyn.

Robert and the others turned to see that Lyn hadn't returned alone. Following Lyn was a young man with brown hair and wearing a blue shirt and white pants. He was carrying a bow and quiver and was lightly armored.

Lyn introduced him. "This is Wil, an archer. I found him from the village you had me visit, Robert."

"I'm ready to fight with you," said Wil confidently. "Just give me the order."

Robert smiled. "Glad to have you on board, Wil. Your first order is to begin counter-sniping; the bandits have a few archers of their own. Want to show them who's the better archer around?"

"With pleasure." To prove his point, Wil looked around and found a bandit archer near one of the walls. Wil acted quickly and shot one arrow into the bandit's hand, forcing him to drop his bow in both shock and pain. Another shot from Wil went into the bandit's chest, leaving him to bleed out to his death.

"Good shots," complimented Robert, before he turned to the others. "Now, let's finish off the bandits."

"U-um…" interrupted Florina, landing her pegasus nearby. "I spotted another village north of here… The bandits don't seem to have noticed yet… Should I go warn the villagers there?"

"Oh, please do," answered Robert, nodding. "Better safe than sorry."

Florina flew off on her pegasus to the village while Lyn and the rest of her comrades made short work out of the bandits, despite the numbers difference. The bandits being scattered in different areas was easily exploited by Robert as he had Lyn and the others pick them off one by one. Florina quickly returned, carrying a sack of gold coins which she gave to Robert before rejoining the fight. Robert was quick to soften up several bandits using his Pokémon or his Stand before letting Wil or Florina finish them off.

Before too long, the leader was all that was left of the bandit party, and without his friends, he was surrounded and was quickly dispatched.

"You'll live to regret this…" he croaked after Florina removed her spear from his neck. "My brothers… Urgh… The Ganelon bandits will not let this stand…"

The man died, spewing blood from his neck and mouth.

"That's finally taken care of," stated Lyn as she wiped the blood off her sword with a bandit's shirt.

"Lyn!" Florina called out softly as she dismounted from her pegasus to hug Lyn.

"Florina… Why did you follow me?" Lyn asked, worried. "It's so dangerous!"

"Do you remember the knighting ceremony of the Pegasus Knights of Ilia?"

Lyn thought for a moment. "Yes, you join a band of freelance soldiers to further your training. Is that what brought you here, Florina?"

Florina nodded. "Uh-huh, I wanted to talk to you before I set out, but when I went to Sacae, I heard that you had left with some strangers and…"

"… You were worried for me?" Lyn finished. "Thank you, but I'm more worried about you."

Florina blinked, a little confused. "Me?"

Lyn looked towards Robert, Kent, Sain, and Wil. "Listen, most mercenaries are men, right? Bands of them. I can't imagine you being comfortable at all around them."

Florina nodded in resignation as she watched the men check over their wounds and their gear. "I know, I know. It's just… I've always dreamt of being a pegasus knight."

"Much obliged, Robert," said Kent thankfully as Robert finished healing his arm using healing magic; the cavalier had gotten a few cuts during the battle.

"Another well-executed Heal spell," complimented Palutena to Robert inside of her friend's head as Robert busied himself looting the bandits' weapons. "You certainly waste no time making good use out of my gifts. In fact, I think you might be ready to move up to a more powerful heal spell."

"It'll help save on vulneraries," thought Robert as he picked up a fallen archer's quiver. "And it'd be more than useful in case some training accident happens or something. I think you being here with me like this is making healing spells a lot easier and more effective to cast."

"Hey, Wil!" Robert called out. "Found you some extra arrows."

"Oh, thanks!" replied Wil, gratefully accepting them.

"I imagined I would just… work it out… somehow…" said Florina to Lyn. "After today, I'm not so sure…"

Tears began to form in Florina's eyes. "Maybe I should just… give up…"

"Florina," soothed Lyn. "Don't cry…"

"Yes!" agreed Sain, popping up besides Lyn, surprising Lyn and spooking Florina, who quickly hid behind her. "There's no reason to give up your dream! Lovely Florina, I have the most brilliant idea!"

"Sain!" called out Kent. "What are you –"

"You should come with us!" Sain suggested with a grin to Florina. "With the addition of Wil here, we're a fine group of soldiers, and freelance to boot!"

Wil, who was busy checking over the quality of the newly-gotten arrows, looked up in surprise. "Wait, did you just include me?"

Sain laughed. "Of course! We were destined to meet here! It's fate!"

"Sain…" Kent groaned. "This is no joking matter."

Florina looked between Lyn and Sain, confused. "Lyndis…? Um, Lyn? Mercenaries?"

"I can give you details later," answered Lyn. "This is all a bit rushed."

"Thanks for the help, Charmander, Marshtomp," said Robert as he received the last few weapons the two Pokémon dragged over from the bandits' corpses. "You two have gotten much stronger. Especially you, Charmander; you've fought hard."

The two Pokémon let out happy cries, glad to have helped their trainer. However, Charmander suddenly froze, before its whole body became engulfed in a ball of light.

Robert and the others shielded their eyes.

"Whoa, what is that light?" gasped Wil.

"Another bandit attack?" asked Kent.

"Lyn, what's happening?" squeaked Florina fearfully as she cowered behind her.

"Robert's Charmander…" answered Lyn. "It's evolving!"

"Evolving?" repeated a confused Sain.

The light finally faded and in Charmander's place, was a Pokémon that looked like a taller, more physically mature version of Charmander. Its orange scales had been replaced with red-orange ones and the Pokémon now had a short, horn-like protrusion from the back of its head. It looked less cute and more vicious and strong.

"Congratulations!" cheered Robert. "You evolved into Charmeleon!"

"Good going!" congratulated Palutena in Robert's head. "Your Pokémon have been growing fast. In fact, now should be a good time for me to send over Pikachu, if you like."

"Yes, please!" thought Robert in reply.

Out of thin air, a third Poké Ball materialized, dropping onto Robert's open palm. As soon as the Poké Ball landed, it opened up, releasing a creature smaller than Charmeleon or Marshstomp. It was a large, yellow rodent with a pair of long, pointed ears with black tips, a pair of red, circular cheek pouches, and a tail shaped like a lightning bolt.

"Pikaaa!" greeted the new Pokémon as it stood in front of Robert.

"A Pikachu! How cute!" gasped Robert as he crouched down and held out a hand to the Mouse Pokémon.

Pikachu sniffed Robert's hand before quickly accepting him, happily nuzzling into his hand before Marshtomp and Charmeleon came over to noisily greet their new teammate, much to the Pikachu's excitement. Then, Robert noticed Pikachu's tail.

"Oh, it's not heart-shaped," he thought to himself. "So my Pikachu is male. That reminds me…"

"Sorry to not ask of you two this sooner but what sex are you two?" Robert asked to Charmeleon and Marshstomp.

"Char!" barked out Charmeleon.

"Marsh!" responded Marshtomp.

"Oh, okay," confirmed Robert and gestured to each of them. "So you're a girl… and you're a boy. Got it."

Robert's human comrades looked on with smiles, wonder, or confusion as they watched him now look up something on his smartphone.

"So… does this sort of thing happen all of the time?" asked Wil.

"This is the first time I'm seeing it," admitted Sain.

"But Lyn seems to have seen something similar before, right?" added Kent, nodding to her.

"Right," confirmed Lyn. "I've seen Robert's Mudkip evolve into Marshtomp before I met you and Sain."

"I'm not going to argue," chuckled Wil. "This is an unusual and lively group, and I want to be a part of it."

"Robert's the most unusual out of all of us," said Sain. "But he's been a great boon to us – without him, I don't think this group would be the same."

"That reminds me," said Lyn, returning her attention to Florina, who was now staring at Robert's Pokémon in wonder. "Sain has the right idea about us being a mercenary group. Will you come with us, Florina?"

"Oh! Travel with you, Lyn? Truly?" Florina was surprised and happy by the offer. "I would be so… so happy!"

"Fantastic!" cheered Sain, giving Florina a loud reminder that he was still nearby to her as he quickly introduced himself to her. "Beauteous Florina! I am a knight of Caelin. My name is Sain – "

"Eeek!" Florina quickly hid behind Lyn once more, spooked. "Stay back! Don't get so close!"

Sain backed off, still smiling at having another lady join the group. "Ah… Beautiful, and yet so modest."

Kent sighed at Sain's antics. "I beg your forgiveness. Calling us mercenaries…"

"No, I approve," laughed Lyn. "We can't leave Florina on her own. She requires special attention, though. Can I count on you?"

"Yes, you have but to ask," answered Kent with a nod.

Wil began to feel a little left out. "So… Is it really all right if I travel with you?"

"Oh, yes, of course!" answered Lyn. "If you're willing, Wil."

"Actually, I'm very grateful," replied Wil, relieved. "I can feel that there wouldn't be a dull moment when I'm with you guys… and truth be told, all of my money was stolen, and I'm…at a bit of a crossroads. I would be honored to count myself as one of Lyndis's Legion!"

"'Lyndis's Legion'? This is getting stranger with every day."

"I don't think it could get any stranger with my Pokémon around," laughed Robert. "They are, after all, unique around here."

He then returned Marshtomp, Charmeleon, and Pikachu to their Poké Balls.

"Let's get going," said Robert. "We'll need to find a place to stay for tonight."

"Yes," agreed Lyn. "The village here doesn't seem to have enough room or food to spare for all of us."

Florina nodded. "I-it's the same with the other village, even though they did give us some money."

"Ah, right, thanks for the reminder, Florina," said Robert as he got the sack of gold he got from Florina earlier. "Let's get some weapons from the armory first and then we'll continue on."

---

The sun began to set, painting the mountains and the sky a landscape of red, orange, yellow, and purple. The newly dubbed Lyndis's Legion made its way further through the mountain range after purchasing some new weapons. The group was growing tired as they searched for a suitable place to rest.

"It's a shame that I had to make ourselves cold cut sandwiches for dinner," thought Robert. "Especially after Sain hyped up my cooking to Wil and Florina."

"Mm, I personally would love to enjoy your cooking, too, Robert," agreed Palutena. "But you know the plot well – a night time battle is already coming soon."

"Ah, this should suffice! Tonight's bed!" Wil's voice rang out.

Robert looked up from his thoughts to see that Wil had spotted and pointed out an old fortress. As the group moved closer and examined the fortress, they could see that the walls were still standing but were showing signs of age: moss had crept up on them and the western wall was visibly cracked. The roof of the fortress was thankfully intact.

"This mildewy old fortress?" snorted Sain, disappointed by the imminent sleeping area for the night. "Is this the best we can do? Come, Wil! Surely you jest!"

"The bandits keep everything in turmoil around here," reminded Wil. "No one has time to worry about travelers. And there are a lot of us."

"Wil's right, and I do recall that last bandit mentioning that they've got more friends – Ganelon bandits, if I recall," added Robert. "I wouldn't put it past them to try to target us for revenge."

"This fortress will be fine," said Lyn after she did her own inspection of the fortress before scoffing. "Who wants to be stuck inside, anyway? I prefer a place where I can feel the wind blow."

"As long as I'm at Lyn's side, I'll be fine," chimed in Florina.

Sain grinned at the pair of best friends. "And for your protection, your man-at-arms, Sain, will be right here by your side – "

"Sain, both you and I are to remain awake," cut in Kent sternly. "We will alternate the watch."

"Ah, alas…" sighed Sain."

Lyn moved to one of the entrances of the fortress, her hand at her sword's hilt. "Quiet, I hear something."

Everybody stopped talking and looked in the direction Lyn was facing.

"Who's there?" Lyn called out to the woods.

"Your pardon, milady…" A woman's voice answered back.

Leaving the nearby woods and approaching the fortress was a female villager with brown hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a teal-colored dress. She looked tired and worried, and was walking with a visible limp.

"I… Forgive my intrusion…" gasped the tired woman. "My name's Natalie. I'm from a village not far from here… Ah! Ow…"

Natalie stooped a little to clutch her leg. Lyn and the others quickly rushed to her aid while Kent and Sain continued their vigil. The villager was then escorted into the relative safety of the old fortress.

"Are you all right?" asked Lyn to Natalie.

"Hm?" Natalie didn't appear to be bothered.

"Your leg," clarified Lyn.

Natalie gave Lyn a weary smile. "It's fine. Don't worry. It's from a childhood sickness…I can't travel far on it, but it doesn't trouble me much."

Lyn only became more troubled by Natalie's words. "What are you doing here all by yourself?"

"I'm looking for my husband," explained Natalie. "I heard he was in this area. He said he was going to raise money to have my leg mended. He left the village and hasn't returned. He's a kindhearted man, but I think he might be involved in something dangerous. I got so worried…"

She then reached into her dress pocket and produced a folded piece of paper, which she unfolded to reveal a drawing. "Here's a sketch of him. It's a poor likeness at best, but… His name is Dorcas. Do you know of him?"

Lyn and the others inspected the drawing. Although the drawing was poor, the group could see that Dorcas was depicted as a muscular man with a modest amount of facial hair at his chin and jaw.

"I'm sorry," said Lyn. "I don't believe I've seen or heard of him."

"I see…" Natalie sighed sadly. "If you do meet him, please give him a message. Tell him that Natalie is looking for him."

Robert inspected the drawing further.

"Excuse me," he started. "I've noticed that there is no color on your sketch. Can you please tell me the color of Dorcas's hair as well as the clothes you've last seen him in? Even if we haven't seen him yet, we could have a better idea of whom to look out for."

"Oh! Dorcas has red hair," answered Natalie. "And I remember seeing him wearing a yellow shirt and black pants."

"Hmm… and how would you describe him?"

"Well, he's a quiet sort," answered Natalie before a gentle smile graced her face as she thought about Dorcas. "But he's always been kind, gentle, and trusting. He's the best husband I could ever ask for, and that why I'm so worried about him."

Lyn and Robert shared a kind chuckle.

"That'll make things easier for us," said Robert. "We'll have Sain and Kent keep a lookout for him as well."

Just then Kent quickly rushed over on top of his horse.

"Lady Lyndis!" he called out hurriedly. "Outside the fortress! Bandits!"

"What did you say?!" Lyn gasped.

"They're a persistent bunch," said Sain as he looked to Lyn seriously. "What do you think? Shall we go out and face them?"

Lyn shook her head. "No… Natalie cannot move well, and that would put her in danger. Let them come to us. We'll fight here, within these walls."

She then turned to Robert. "Robert, take over. The command is yours. All we have to do is hold out until they tire and leave."

"Oh…" gasped Natalie, clutching her leg again.

"Rest easy, Natalie," reassured Lyn. "No one will harm you!"

Lyn then rejoined her comrades at the outer wall of the fortress. She can see that Robert had already called out all three of his Pokémon. Charmeleon's tail flame burned brightly.

"Listen, everyone!" she commanded. "Fight with caution!"

"Right!" Robert, Sain, Kent, Florina, and Wil called back simultaneously.

"Sain, Kent," Robert called. "What are their numbers?"

"There are at least twenty of them scattered around this fortress," answered Kent grimly. "Mostly axe users but I did see a few sellswords and archers."

Sain nodded at Kent's report, agreeing with him. "There are possibly more bandits than the ones we saw. We are surrounded."

"This is going to be a tough battle," concurred Robert before he called out to the rest of their comrades. "Everybody! The bandits have us outnumbered and surrounded. Do not leave the fortress if you can help it. We're going to try tiring them out! Kent, Sain, you two are with me – we're covering the south entrance! Florina, you and Lyn cover the east entrance. Wil, stay behind us and shoot down any bandit you see; prioritize the enemy archers."

Everybody gave their own affirmative shouts and quickly scrambled their assigned positions just as the bandits began rushing through the open fields to the fortress.

"Marshtomp, Mud Bomb! Charmeleon, Flame Burst!" ordered Robert.

"Marsh-TOMP!"

"Char!"

The Mud Bomb and Flame Burst attacks flew through the air, aimed right for the charging bandits. Mud Bomb slammed into one bandit, exploding into a shower of mud and dust, splattering the targeted bandit as well as his nearby friends. Some of the mud got onto their faces. Flame Burst slammed into another bandit, detonating immediately. The fiery explosion badly burned the bandit while also sending smaller flames and sparks flying into nearby bandits, igniting their ragged clothes.

"MY EYES!" cried out one of the bandits, his eyes now forced shut from the mud covering it.

"FIRRRE!" screeched another, trying to put out the flames burning on his shirt.

"Pikachu, use Thundershock!" Robert called out to his newest Pokémon.

"Pi... ka… CHUUU!" For a brief moment, Pikachu illuminated his body before an arc of electricity flew from his body and onto a bandit who had gotten too close to the group, electrocuting him.

"Aieeeeeee!" screamed the bandit before he fell onto the ground in a twitching heap.

Several charging bandits ended up tripping over their fallen and paralyzed comrade, with disastrous results.

"Oof!"

"ARGH!"

THUD.

"My leg!"

Kent and Sain were once more in awe of Robert's Pokémon.

"Amazing…" gasped Sain as he drove his lance into a sellsword before turning to see Robert's Marshtomp fire off a Hydro Pump attack, sending multiple bandits flying. "Just like that, he's completely slowing down their advances!"

"Yes," agreed Kent as he cut down another bandit while seeing Robert's Pikachu use another Thunder Shock. "At this rate, Robert and his Pokémon could easily become a fearsome military force."

"Oh, right!" Robert remembered as he held out his hand to cast a spell. "I can't neglect my own training! Snare!"

As soon as Robert called out the spell's name, a red orb was launched from his fingers at another of the bandits. The spell landed at the bandit's feet before a white rope slithered out of the red orb and coiled around the hapless bandit, leaving him stuck.

"What the – I can't move!" the bandit cried out before he suddenly got trampled by the other bandits who couldn't stop their charge in time.

"Ooh…" Robert winced from the mess he and his Pokémon were making out of the bandits.

After a while, after Lyndis's Legion took down more bandits, Robert heard Lyn's voice. "Robert! We've got a new friend."

Robert turned to see that Lyn had indeed come with a new arrival. He immediately recognized the arrival.

"So you're their tactician…" said Dorcas quietly. "I'll use my axes and fight alongside you. Direct me as you will."

Just then, the group heard a loud crumbling sound.

"Robert!" called out Wil frantically. "The bandits took down the west wall!"

"Okay," Robert replied as he quickly healed a cut on Sain's arm before he issued new orders. "Sain, Wil, you two cover the west wall – don't let the bandits come in! Dorcas, you stay with Florina and cover the east entrance. Marshtomp, you stay and help Kent defend this entrance. Lyn, you come with me, Charmeleon, and Pikachu – we're gonna take the fight to the leader."

---

Before the night could even begin, Robert, Lyn, Charmeleon, and Pikachu defeated more bandits as they made their way to the apparent leader of the bandit party; anybody who got too close to them were either electrocuted by Pikachu's Electric-type attacks, burned by Charmeleon's Fire-type attacks, cut down by Lyn's sword, or blasted or beaten by Robert's spells or his Stand's punches. The leader was soon quickly taken out, rendering the remaining bandits helpless without their leader's direction. The bandits were then summarily wiped out.

"Whew, that seems to be all of them," Robert said, wiping some sweat off of his brow.

"I didn't expect for us to even take all of them down," added Lyn. "But we did it. Your tactics as well as your Pokémon are something else!"

Robert chuckled tiredly as he finished looting the fallen bandit leader. "Thanks. I'm sure my Pokémon appreciate the compliment, too, Lyn. Charmeleon's Fire Spin and Pikachu's Thunder Wave really came in handy. Now, let's head back to the others and see how they're doing."

They returned to the old fortress to see that everybody else was okay, with Natalie hugging Dorcas tightly. To Robert's surprise, as soon as he saw Marshtomp, Marshtomp locked eyes with him, smiled proudly, and nodded, before his body began glowing. In a few seconds, in Marshtomp's place was a large blue Pokémon with orange external gills, a pair of large, black fins extending from the top of his head, and a large black tailfin at his rear, a pair of well-developed and sturdy arms, and a pair of stumpy yet sturdy legs.

"Swampert!" called out the blue Pokémon proudly.

"Whoa…" gasped Florina in awe. "He's a big creature."

"Amazing…" said Lyn. "It looks so strong."

"No way!" gasped Robert, a gleeful smile breaking out on his face. "Congratulations for evolving into Swampert!"

"Swampert swamp!" Swampert smiled and wrapped an arm around Robert's shoulder.

Pikachu and Charmeleon were both awed by their fellow Pokémon's evolution and voiced their compliments. Charmeleon in particular had an eager, competitive look on her face. The rest of Lyndis's Legion also congratulated the Mud Fish Pokemon or made their comments while Wil, Natalie, and Dorcas looked on, a bit lost.

"Well, you've fought hard, that much is certain," said Robert as he pulled out Swampert's Poké Ball. "You've earned a good rest. Swampert, return."

"Char! Charmeleon!" barked out the Flame Pokémon in a demanding tone.

"All in good time," replied Robert. "It's too late to train right now and we just came out of a battle. We should be focusing on resting."

"Char…"

Robert then turned his attention to Natalie. "How's your leg doing?"

"Oh, it's nothing I can't handle," chuckled the villager. "I can still move around on my own… Ow!"

She winced a little and grasped her leg. "Well, slowly…"

"Hmm…" Robert pondered before he pulled out his smartphone and began browsing.

"Let's see…" he thought to himself. "Childhood illness, and weakness in leg… Based on what I'm seeing, it could be some kind of nerve damage…"

"That would be difficult or impossible for science to heal," said Palutena telepathically. "But that shouldn't be of concern to you – you can try using healing magic. I believe you should be able to use Mend now."

"Worth a shot," said Robert before refocusing his attention on Natalie. "Natalie, can you please show me your bad leg?"

Natalie was puzzled while Dorcas raised an eyebrow.

Sain was about to protest but Kent quickly shut his partner up, noticing the serious look on Robert's face.

"Oh, what for?" Natalie asked.

"I'm gonna see if I can heal your leg."

Dorcas, who was briefly suspicious of Robert a moment ago, looked at the black-haired man with beseeching eyes. "Please, Robert. Please heal my wife's leg."

"I'll do my best," Robert answered as he moved closer to Natalie.

Natalie lifted up the hem of her dress a little to expose more of her ailing leg. Robert began to channel light magic into his hand, making his hand glow brightly. He then brought his hand close to Natalie's leg.

"Mend," he incanted quietly, letting the light magic flow into his hand.

The glow from his hand extended into Natalie's leg, seeping into it. As Robert imagined the repair of Natalie's leg, the light magic began to repair or replace her damaged nerve cells as well as strengthening the weakened muscle tissues in her leg. After several silent seconds, Robert ended the spell.

"Okay, Natalie, try walking a few paces," Robert requested. "Dorcas, stay close to her in case she falls over."

"Oh, um, all right," said a nervous but hopeful Natalie.

Dorcas quietly stayed at his wife's side as he saw her take a few steps on the stone floor. The axe wielder's eyes widened when a look of happy surprise immediately replaced the nervous uncertainty on Natalie's face as Natalie took a few more hesitant steps as if to confirm her surprised thoughts.

"Dorcas!" she cried out happily. "It's a miracle! The pain is gone! I can walk properly now!"

"Truly?" asked Dorcas quietly, his eyes betraying his excitement. "I don't believe it…"

"It's true!" confirmed Natalie before she began to rush at Dorcas. "It's finally gone! It's – whoa!"

Natalie suddenly tripped, but Dorcas managed to catch her before she fell onto the hard, stone floor.

"Careful there," Robert warned. "While I may have restored your ability to walk, you might need to have more practice before you can run well."

"He's got a point," said Dorcas to Natalie. "In all of the years I've known you, you've never been able to run at all."

"You're right," giggled Natalie. "But at least I can finally walk and run now!"

Dorcas smiled before he turned his attention to Robert. He bowed to him.

"Thank you…" said the fighter quietly, choosing his words carefully. "… For all that you did for me and Natalie. I don't know if it's enough to repay you but… if you think I'll be of use, I'd like to fight for you and Lyn."

Lyn was surprised. "Dorcas… We're going to be heading for Lycia, and it may become even more dangerous from here on out. Are you sure?"

"I have to go somewhere to earn money. That was the reason I joined those bandits in the first place."

"Oh yeah…" Robert thought, remembering. "Dorcas is a mercenary for hire."

"Right," confirmed Palutena telepathically. "And those treatments for Natalie's leg don't sound cheap at all. And then, you swooped in and practically fixed it all up!"

Natalie nodded at her husband's words. "Please, Lyn, Robert. It's the least he can do to repay you. Please watch over my husband."

"We will," promised Lyn.

Robert nodded, agreeing with Lyn. "Don't worry, Natalie. Lyndis's Legion is a great mercenary team. Dorcas will be well looked after."

Natalie smiled. "Thank you. That brings my mind at ease."

Dorcas smiled as well before he wrapped an arm around Natalie. "It's getting dark now, so I better take Natalie back home. Our village is nearby. I'll join you guys first thing tomorrow morning."

"Understood," affirmed Robert. "Take care!"

Lyndis's Legion saw the married couple off, happily watching them leisurely stroll back to their home village. They could see that Dorcas and Natalie were happily bantering together, with Natalie trying to run ahead with childish delight, tugging Dorcas's hand, laughing, while Dorcas was helplessly pulled along or was trying to stop Natalie from tripping over her own feet.

"Natalie is a lucky woman," remarked Lyn, smiling. "To have a man who cares about her like that and is willing to go to such lengths for her."

"No, both of them are lucky," corrected Robert. "Natalie is a brave woman herself for coming out alone to find Dorcas while still having a bad leg. I'd say that that marriage is built to last."

"Hmm… I have to wonder…"

"Hm?"

"If… if I could find that happiness myself… Before I met you, Robert, I had been alone for several months after the… bandit attack… on my tribe… Florina was still in her training back in Ilia so it was very rare for her to visit, if at all."

"Hmm…" Robert pondered his words carefully. "Well, life is short, Lyn, especially in this world. If you see a chance for happiness similar to what Dorcas and Natalie share, seize it. Such opportunities could be very rare. For some people, that chance may never come at all."

"I see…"

After a few moments of a comfortable silence, Robert then yawned. "Man, I'm tired. I think I'll call it early for tonight. I'll handle cleanup in the morning before we leave."

"Yes," agreed Lyn, yawning as well. "Things have finally calmed down."

Kent stepped up to the two.

"We'll continue taking turns keeping watch," said Kent, referring to himself and Sain as they stood at the southern entrance of the fortress. "Please rest easily."

"Is that all right? Are you sure?" asked Lyn, a bit concerned for the cavaliers' health. "Sain?"

Sain was nodding off until Kent gently bonked him on the head with a hand chop, which woke him up. "Oh! Er, yes! Of course!"

Lyn looked sternly at Sain, a little displeased that she caught him trying to sleep early. "Let me warn you… If bandits sneak up on you, they'll cut you down without mercy. Do you understand that?"

Sain was unfazed by Lyn's displeasure. "What, do you doubt my bravery? Am I not a knight? There's no need to worry! Right, Kent?"

Kent rolled his eyes before refocusing on Lyn. "If there's anything suspicious, we'll take care of it. Rest assured."

"Really?" said Lyn, a bit surprised by Kent's resolute certainty before she yawned again. "Well, good night then. See you tomorrow."

Kent nodded before turning to Sain. "Let's go."

Sain sighed. "No one ever trusts me…"

The two cavaliers left the fortress, each holding a torch fashioned out of a fallen tree branch and lit via Charmeleon's fire. Lyn turned to see that Robert had already pulled out a sleeping bag from his inventory and was fast asleep in it. She then took a seat next to him on the floor, against the wall.

Florina soon joined Lyn, taking a seat on the other side of her. "Are you going to sleep soon, Lyn?"

"Yeah," her friend answered. "It's been a long day."

The pegasus knight then noticed Robert. "What is that thing Robert is in?"

"It's called a sleeping bag," replied Lyn. "According to Robert, it's used for sleeping outdoors or if there isn't a bed available."

"The material looks strange… but it looks comfortable, too…"

"Yes, it does."

"Now that I look at him, Robert does look at peace asleep, doesn't he?" thought Lyn to herself before she shook herself out of that thought.

"Lyn?" asked Florina, wondering what Lyn was thinking about, eyeing her friend and her friend's male friend.

"It's nothing, Florina. Just looking over Robert," said Lyn. "Let's get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay! Good night, Lyn." Florina fell asleep with a soft yawn, resting her head on Lyn's shoulder.

"Good night, Florina." Lyn then turned to the sleeping Robert. "Good night to you, too, Robert."

With that, Lyn joined her two friends in slumber.

---

Morning arrived, and Lyndis's Legion stayed at the fortress to wait for Dorcas to join them. The group didn't mind waiting as they took the opportunity to have a proper sample of Robert's cooking in the form of a simple yet delicious breakfast of eggs in baskets and sweet strawberries as well as some hot coffee for Kent and Sain once they managed to get some time to rest after their night watch. Once he was done cooking two servings for each person as well as feeding his Pokémon, Robert resumed looting the fallen Ganelon bandits around the fortress, picking up more axes, swords, and bows, as well as some now discarded gold coins. The weapons went straight into his inventory while the gold coins joined the other funds inside of the money sack the Legion got from the village yesterday.

Before too long, Dorcas arrived at the fortress. "I hope I'm not too late."

"Oh no, we're just about done with breakfast that Robert made for us," said Lyn with a smile. "Robert saved some for you. This meal is to die for!"

Lyn handed Dorcas a plate with two eggs in baskets and some strawberries.

"Ah, thanks," said Dorcas, accepting the plate of food. "I already had some breakfast thanks to Natalie but I appreciate the extra food."

"What the…?" he thought to himself once the plate was in his hand. "They're eating with ceramic plates? With such a white and glossy finish, too… This looks like something that would normally be used in a rich noble's feast, I think…"

Dorcas then focused on the food loaded on the plate. "Two slices of bread with holes cut in the middle of them and eggs put into the holes? Along with the bread pieces that were cut out? They smell like they've been fried. And some strawberries, too… what a nice red color…"

He took a bite out of one of the servings.

"Mmm… It's nothing like Natalie's cooking, but it is good…" Dorcas thought as he enjoyed the taste of his meal until he noticed something about the food. "Wait… what is that… strange but nice taste?"

He inspected the eggs in baskets more closely and noticed the black specks dotting primarily over the cooked eggs.

"It… looks like some sort of black spice. Aren't these spices normally only in the hands of the wealthy?" he thought to himself in surprise and wonder as he looked between his plate and Robert, who was busy taking the empty plates from the others who had finished breakfast. "First the creatures that man is… summoning… and now the food. What sort of mercenary team did I just join?"

Several minutes later, Dorcas handed Robert the empty plate. "Thanks for the meal, Robert. It was very delicious."

Robert smiled as he took the plate. "Thank you. Glad to know that a lot of people like my food."

"You could easily run a food stall and make a lot of money. If you're really good, you could easily work as a chef in some rich person's home."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Robert as he quickly worked to pack up, his Stand doing the menial task of washing the dishes and frying pan using some dish soap Robert had bought from the online store application and some water courtesy of Swampert's Water-type moves.

Robert observed his Stand for a bit.

"With everything that went on yesterday, I haven't given my Stand a name yet," thought Robert to himself.

"Hmm… we don't have a tarot card set here but most Stands are named after a musician or a music piece from your world," said Palutena telepathically.

Robert eyed the Stand, paying particular attention to its ogre-like appearance and the stars on its jacket sleeves.

"There can only be one name for my Stand," he declared quietly. "I shall name my Stand… All Star."

---

A short while later, Lyndis's Legion had set off once more, continuing their journey to Lycia. Presently, Lyn and her party had crossed the border between Sacae and Bern and were continuing west to Lycia.

Lyn had a pensive look as the group made their trek. Robert took notice.

"Something on your mind, Lyn?" Robert asked.

"Hm… I'm trying to imagine what my grandfather looks like," Lyn answered.

"Any guesses?"

"Hmm… no. It's hard to imagine what he looks like when I have never met him before. And he's my mother's father, not my father's father."

"Hm, that would make things difficult. You haven't met any relatives from your mother's side before, right?"

"No, I haven't."

Florina decided to join in the conversation. "Maybe he has a gray beard!"

Lyn and Robert chuckled.

"Perhaps he does," the former commented.

"How are you holding up, Florina?" asked Robert. "I know you ate more than just a few strawberries during breakfast – you asked for more than just 2 helpings."

"O-Oh! Umm… I-I'm doing well!" squeaked the pegasus knight. "Those strawberries you gave us tasted so good!"

"That's good. I was worried that you might throw up from eating so much at once."

"Ah… well… um… thank you for the concern."

Lyn smiled; it seemed that her best friend was slowly being coaxed out of her shell, at least when it came to conversing with Robert.

---

After some further trekking, Kent made an announcement: "We've almost reached the Lycian border."

"Once we cross, we'll be safe from the bandits, right?" asked Lyn.

"We should be," answered Wil. "I doubt they'll be willing to pursue us across the border."

"Lycia at last!" cheered Sain happily, raising his hands the air in eager anticipation. "It's been a long time! Tomorrow, we'll dine on a feast of Lycia's finest foods! And the mistress of the inn at the crossing is said to be a beauty. Ah, yes… Food and love – no better way to restore a man's soul! This is going to be a fine evening, eh, Kent?"

Sain gently nudged an unamused Kent with his elbow.

"If your behavior is as deplorable as ever, we'd best stay elsewhere," replied Kent crossly. "We're not here for sightseeing!"

"Oh, come now! That's not fair!"

"Kent, the inn will be fine," said Lyn.

"As you say, milady," Kent conceded.

"Lyndis! You are truly an angel from on high!" cheered Sain, happy once more.

"It's nothing. Forget it," replied Lyn, rolling her eyes at the green armored cavalier's antics.

"We'll finally be able to get a good night's sleep," remarked Florina quietly at Lyn's side.

However, the group's good cheer didn't last for long.

"Trouble! Bandits at twelve o'clock!" called out Robert, quickly calling out his Pokémon. "Damn, I was hoping we could get a chance for a proper rest…"

"Those bandits are persistent, I'll give them that much," commented Lyn begrudgingly.

Sure enough, another group of bandits were gathering in front of Lyndis's Legion, having come in from the nearby hills and woods.

"Ah! Here they are!" called out one of the bandits to the others. "I've found 'em!"

"Looks like they've made a search party for us," remarked Robert.

"What? Not again!" groaned Wil. "They're still after us?"

"Don't think you're getting away so easily!" laughed the bandit.

"Yeah!" barked out another bandit in support of his comrade. "You leave alive, and everyone'll think the Ganelon Bandits have gone soft!"

Lyn was becoming fed up with the Ganelon bandits as she quickly drew the Mani Katti. "So? We care nothing for you or your reputations! We must get to Lycia! Get in our way, and you'll pay!"

"Cheeky little thing, aren't you?" growled the first bandit before he turned to his comrades. "Let's get 'em, lads! And no holding back just 'cause there's women with 'em! Wipe 'em out!"

---

Not far from where Lyndis's Legion and the Ganelon bandits had begun battling, a pair of travelers walked through the woods. One of the travelers was a young lady with pink hair fashioned into a pair of pigtails, wearing a white cleric's gown and a long, purple stole, and carrying a staff with a sapphire blue orb at its top. The other traveler was a young man with chin-length purple hair, a red cloak, blue tunic, brown pants, and brown boots and carrying a tome.

"Oooh… We're lost!" whined the young lady. "This makes me so mad!"

"You told me you were certain this was the correct path," the young man said flatly.

"What's your point, Erk?" questioned the lady. "What are you trying to say?"

Erk pinched the bridge of his nose, fuming. "I swear, you are NOT the woman I agreed to escort…"

The cleric looked offended. "What? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I heard someone was needed to escort a frail Lycian priestess to Ostia…"

"Yes, and I'm that priestess," said the lady, nodding as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Frail? You?" replied Erk incredulously. "Serra, you have no need of any escort to protect you. Even the most hardened criminal would flee in terror after five minutes in your company. I'll return your money. Gladly. Now, will you please go on to Ostia alone?"

Serra pouted. "NO! You're MY escort, Erk! MINE! You're so clean and tidy. A noblewoman like myself can't be seen without a proper escort. Your personality's nothing special, but you're not bad to look at."

Serra smugly walked ahead, leaving her escort alone.

Erk rolled his eyes and groaned to himself. "I believe that's my line. And I have to take you all the way to Ostia? I only hope my nerves can endure the journey."

He was about to continue his train of thought when Serra interrupted it.

"What are you mumbling about? You're so gloomy!" called out Serra, prompting Erk to catch up.

As they continued walking, they soon heard unmistakable sounds of battle: bladed weapons clashing against each other, and men and women letting out battle cries, orders, or taunts. To their confusion, they also heard the rush of flames, the roars of moving water, and the crackle of electricity.

"Hm? Something's happening over there," pointed out Serra as she quickly scampered ahead. "Let's take a look!"

"Ah. Of course," groaned Erk as he followed after Serra, not amused about having to follow her to another possible distraction. "The first opportunity to get involved in trouble, and she jumps right in. No amount of money is worth this. Hoo…"

"Wow! A fight! A fight!" shouted Serra, pointing at the scene before something caught her eye. "Erk! Take a look! Fighting those bandits… It's a young girl! And the most wondrous of creatures!"

"Fool!" hissed Erk, cross from worry. "Keep your voice down!"

Erk was about to pull Serra to hide behind some trees, but a bandit archer was nearby and heard them.

"Eh? What's this?" grunted the bandit as he turned to see Serra and Erk. "You in league with that she-devil?"

"Hm?" Serra gave the archer a questioning look, not understanding what he meant.

"Ah…" groaned Erk. "This is so wrong…"

"I'll take care of you with one swift stroke!" crowed the bandit archer as he prepared an arrow, lining up for a shot.

Serra immediately began screeching like a high-pitched banshee. "Eeeeeeeeeeeek! Erk! Help me!"

"So… loud… Serra! Behind me!" ordered Erk, quickly getting in front of his client, opening his tome, and facing the bandit archer. "You there! See if you can match me! Fire!"

---

Meanwhile, Lyn had heard Serra.

"That scream…" Lyn gasped as she cut down another bandit before scanning the area, worried that somebody might be harmed by the bandits; it didn't take long before Lyn spotted Erk and Serra. "Robert, look! There's two people over there!"

"They're fighting the bandits as well," Robert replied as he shot an earth spell from his hand at a bandit, bruising him with stone before Robert's Swampert launched a powerful punch with a fist coated in ice. "We can use their help – looks like one of them is a mage while the other is a cleric."

"Understood. I'll go talk to them." Lyn immediately darted into the woods, cutting down a bandit who was about to fight Erk.

"Excuse me, hello?" Lyn called out to the pair. She can see that the mage had a gash on his side, leaking blood.

Serra perked up. "Hm?"

"Why are you fighting these bandits?"

"It just happened," Erk sighed, shaking his head.

"That's not true!" Serra denied indignantly, pointing a finger crossly at Lyn. "Those ruffians thought that we were with you! You got us into a terrible situation! Now, how are you going to get us out?"

"Serra, if you'd not been so meddlesome, this all could have been avoided," Erk reprimanded sternly, grabbing Serra by the shoulder and pulling her back before he turned to Lyn. "My apologies. Please trouble yourself with us no more."

"But… if you're going to have to fight anyway, shouldn't we team up?" suggested Lyn. "It will end things faster, right?"

"That's true. Yes! That's a good idea," agreed Serra quickly, before Erk could have a chance to protest. "Erk! Go and help these ladies."

"But I…!" spluttered Erk at the sudden demand before he groaned in resignation. "Fine."

Lyn introduced herself and made sure to ask one more time for clarity and for confirmation, especially upon seeing Erk's reluctance. "Will you join arms with us?"

"Yes, we'd be glad to," answered Serra before she introduced herself and Erk to Lyn before issuing an order to Erk, making a shooing motion with her hand not unlike how one shoos a dog away. "Now, Erk, be a good boy, and go fight now."

Lyn rushed off to rejoin her group with Serra following her. Erk watched them go before he saw a powerful stream of fire streak past the trees and into a bandit, burning him alive. The mage was amazed at what he saw.

"What power…" gasped Erk. "I thought escorting Serra was going to be a nightmare the entire time, but it seems that I may get something more out of this trip beyond my pay…!"

He quickly followed after Lyn and Serra only to find them speaking to a man who was standing next to Swampert.

"What in the world is that creature…?" thought Erk to himself as he watched it battle. "It seemed to know water magic. And was that earth magic, too?! These magic elements are unheard of!"

"Hello. You're Robert, right? I'm Serra. Nice to meet you," the young cleric said before she gestured to Erk. "By the way, see this contrary mage here with me? His name is Erk. I think he's been hurt. I am Erk's employer. 'Master', I suppose you could say. What I'm getting at is… I was thinking of healing him free of charge. I know, I know. I'm – "

"Just heal him already," Robert cut in, not having time for Serra's nonsense. "Your employee's bleeding and I'm busy with this asshole in front of me!"

To prove his point, with a battle cry of "All Star", he moved just a bit ahead of Swampert and wasted no time rapidly punching the axe wielding bandit in front of him so quickly that his arms were a blur thanks to the power of his invisible Stand.

The bandit cried out in pain from as he was pummeled mercilessly.

"Hmph! How rude!" huffed Serra, displeased from being interrupted by Robert before moving to Erk and readying her staff, giving it a little twirl. She kept her eye on Robert as he conjured up a fireball between his hands and launched it into the battered bandit, burning him before he sent the bandit flying with a powerful gut punch.

Robert then turned to Pikachu with an order. "Finish off that bandit with Thunderbolt!"

"Pi… ka… CHUUUU!" Pikachu concentrated his energy for a brief moment before sending a powerful lightning bolt from its body and into the banged-up bandit, electrocuting him hard with 100,000 volts of electricity.

Then, Robert patted Swampert's back and pointed to a group of bandits. "Swampert, Mud Bomb on those bandits to your left!"

"Swampert!" The Mud Fish Pokémon opened his mouth wide open to fire a large brown orb of mud at the scared bandits. The Mud Bomb exploded, covering them in mud and dirt.

"What the hell?!" cried out the bandits.

Robert then turned to Charmeleon next. "Charmeleon, Flamethrower on them, let's go!"

"Char!" The Flame Pokémon opened her mouth and spewed out a powerful stream of flames, engulfing the mud-covered bandits.

"AARRRGHHH!" Before too long, the bandits were easily defeated.

Erk, meanwhile, was more than impressed at what he was seeing, his thoughts racing a mile a minute. "Wow… Robert already somehow made Serra shut up so quickly! On top of that, he was fighting the bandit unarmed, using just his fists before he threw out some fire spell… without even using a fire tome! How does he do it? On top of that, those creatures… I've never seen them before but they're incredibly powerful and they obey him without question! Where did he get them? Just what sort of man is Robert?"

Serra grinned as she began to channel light magic through her staff. "I'm going to use my staff. Watch in wonder!"

True to her words, light magic flowed from her staff and into Erk, healing the gash on the mage's side. In a few seconds, the wound had closed up and disappear, leaving the skin undamaged; if it weren't for his shirt being torn, one wouldn't think Erk had been wounded in the first place.

"How's that?" Serra said, smugly to Robert.

"Good enough," Robert replied, not planning on giving her any satisfaction just yet as he conjured up a ball of earth and stone to hurl at the bandits. "Now, get busy – there are other guys to heal and I can't be in two places at once. Go heal Kent and Sain over there."

He gestured to the two cavaliers who were engaged in a melee with a few bandits in front of them.

It took a few seconds for Serra to understand what Robert was implying. "Wait! You're a healer, too?! But that means I could… Oh, very well…"

Serra then moved to begin healing Kent and Sain. Erk moved up to Robert, more than ready to receive his orders.

"Robert, right?" queried Erk. "I'm not sure how I got in this mess, but I will show you the power of my magic! … And then, I'd like to ask you some questions about your creatures and your magic."

---

Thanks to the additions of Erk and Serra, Lyndis's Legion took out more of the Ganelon bandits. Before Lyn's group knew it, only the leader of the bandit group remained, allowing a freshly healed Lyn to easily dispatch him, leaving him bleeding on the ground with a stab wound deep into his chest.

"Scum… you're all scum…" the bandit gurgled hatefully, blood dripping from his mouth as he expired.

"Hopefully, that's the last of them for now…" remarked Robert. "Seems like there were lots of Ganelon bandits. Were they a guild or something?"

"I don't know," replied Lyn before she smiled at Robert. "But you did very well leading us to victory against them in three separate battles."

"Hm, at the very least, we can hope the mountain villages can have some peace for a good while."

"Aren't you just the cutest little thing!" spoke Serra happily, scooping up Robert's Pikachu in her arms in a very tight hug, rubbing her cheek against Pikachu's red cheek pouch.

"Um, Serra, you might want to let him go…" warned Robert.

"What? Why?" asked Serra, failing to hear the electric buzzing sound emanating from Pikachu's body.

Then, it happened.

"Pi… ka… CHUUUUUUUUUU!" Pikachu screamed.

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT! Pikachu suddenly electrocuted Serra!

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeek!" screamed Serra, letting go of the Mouse Pokémon.

"Pikachu, pika!" huffed the Pokémon before running back to Robert.

"Sorry about that Serra," apologized Robert. "Pikachu is an Electric-type Pokémon and you hugged him without permission."

"Serves you right, Serra," thought a chuckling Erk, struggling not to smile at his employer's misfortune.

"How could something so adorable be so strong…" gasped the twitching Serra. "Ow… can't… move…"

"Ah, Pikachu must have paralyzed you with that Thunderbolt. Let me get something for you."

Robert then pulled out his smartphone from his coat pocket and accessed the shop application, knowing exactly what he wanted. A few moments later, a cardboard box appeared in midair, and Robert caught it and opened it.

He then walked up to Serra with something in his hand. It was a red colored berry with a long, green stem that curled to form a single loop.

"Here, eat this Cheri Berry," said Robert, offering the berry to Serra. "It should help cure the paralysis."

The cleric ate the berry and upon swallowing it, she found herself able to move immediately.

"My, this berry is rather spicy," remarked Serra, standing up quickly and examining herself, amazed. "Oh my! That berry worked fast! Tell me, good sir, are there any other berries with such wondrous effects?"

"There are," confirmed Robert. "Now that I think about it, I should supply some just in case."

---

Later, after Robert had healed up Lyn and Serra and Serra healed up the others, Serra with Erk walked up to Lyn while Lyn was busy helping Robert with cleanup. "What a surprise. You are very strong, Lyn."

"Your staff is a wondrous thing," complimented Lyn in return. "While Robert can heal, too, healing powers always amaze me."

"Only those in the service of good can wield them," explained Serra before she narrowed her eyes at Robert suspiciously. "Now, I wonder how a man like Robert can use healing magic – I don't see him using a staff to heal others and he's not dressed like a member of a clergy."

"We don't understand much of it," said Lyn apologetically. "But to Robert, it is largely a… how did he put it? A branch of magic for him."

"Fascinating…" said Erk, scribbling something into a notebook using an inked quill. "Maybe I could be able to learn healing magic now rather than wait until later…"

"Anyways," continued Lyn, as she handed Robert one last axe to store away into Robert's inventory. "You've both helped us tremendously. Well, it's time for us to go."

"Take care," replied Serra. "Goodbye, Lyn."

"Fare you well. You, too, Erk."

"Goodbye," said Erk before he turned Lyn's tactician, offering a hand. "I hope we get to meet again, Robert."

"Yeah, likewise," replied Robert with a small smile, shaking Erk's hand. "Don't let Serra get too carried away with herself – you are responsible for her safety."

"Right," chuckled Erk politely, giving Robert a small wave before he rejoined his client.

"Well, let us be on our way, Erk," said Serra as she and her escort turned to leave.

The duo didn't go far before they were stopped.

"Wait, my dearest wildflower!" called out a certain cavalier's voice.

Erk and Serra turned to see Sain rushing up to them. They can see that Sain's eyes were firmly locked on Serra with a lovestruck look on them.

"Oh boy," Robert mentally chuckled. "Here comes Boy Wonder."

"Sain seems to be quite proficient at keeping allies firmly on Lyn's side," remarked Palutena telepathically. "First Wil, then Florina, and now, Serra and by extension, Erk."

"Now that I'm no longer focused on battle, I can see what an absolutely delectable creature you are!" Sain proclaimed amorously, taking Serra's hand with his.

"Oh my!" gasped Serra. "You're Sain, right? One of Lyn's companions?"

"I'm so pleased that you remember my name! May I have the honor of knowing the name of the lovely butterfly who healed me?"

"I'm Serra. I serve House Ostia."

"Serra…" repeated Sain, testing the sound of Serra's name with his own tongue, before he smiled. "What a lyrical name. I am in service to Castle Caelin."

Serra's eyes widen in surprise – the unusual group was even more than the cleric thought it was. "Oh! So is Lyn a member of the marquess's family?"

Sain nodded. "She is the granddaughter of our lord, the marquess."

Serra hummed in thought at that revelation. "Such an important person…"

Erk could see Serra thinking hard and thought that she was going to complicate matters. "Serra, what deviousness are you contemplating now?"

Serra giggled in response as she whispered to Erk, grinning at her employee. "Having a person of power in your debt is never a bad thing!"

Erk sighed, already feeling himself becoming mentally exhausted. "You can't be serious…"

"Oh, Sain! Do you think we could join the lady Lyndis's company?" asked Serra to the cavalier. "She seems like such a nice person, and I would ever so much like to help her."

"Of course! We couldn't be happier!" answered Sain. "Why, we were only just saying how we need some more fighting power!"

"Are you being hunted or something?"

"Yes, it's an inheritance dispute," Sain confirmed, speaking more seriously. "Assassins everywhere."

"Botheration!" Erk thought. "What in Saint Elimine's name did I get myself into?!"

"Oh my! In that case, my healing staff and Erk's magic should come in handy," suggested Serra eagerly.

Erk had second thoughts about Serra's idea. "Well, I, er… It sounds…dangerous…"

"Your staff and magic would be extremely helpful!" said Sain. "Please wait here! I will go and speak with Lady Lyndis and Robert on your behalf."

Sain quickly ran back to talk to Lyn and Robert. It didn't take long before he returned with a beaming smile on his face.

"I've got good news!" announced the green-armored equestrian cheerily to Serra. "They've both agreed to have you both as members of Lyndis's Legion!"

"Unbelievable…" groaned Erk.

"This is fantastic, Erk!" said Serra, ignoring Erk's gloomy expression as she patted his back. "Our good deeds will earn us gratitude beyond imagining!"

"I… I… I think I'm going to be ill."

"That's the spirit!" laughed Serra as she raced off to join the group.

"Great, I'm going to be stuck with Serra for longer," thought Erk, as he tried to find better news while following after his employer. "But at the very least, I can hope that Robert can keep Serra in line. And it also means that I can try to learn more about the magic Robert knows."

---

Later, a resting Erk looked up from his thoughts to see that Robert had set up a table and had put a strange device on top of it. The smell of oil, smoke, and cooked beef filled the air. Erk couldn't help but to look puzzled at Robert and his setup.

"Ah, Erk!" called out Robert as he flipped over a beef patty with a spatula before putting a slice of American cheddar on top of it, letting the cheese slice melt on the patty. "Glad you could join us! I'm making some cheeseburgers for everybody here for lunch."

"Cheeseburgers?" wondered Erk out loud.

"You've got to try this!" cut in Serra, showing Erk her burger, which was bitten and loaded with lettuce, tomato slices, pickle slices, and fried onions. "It's delicious!"

"I've misjudged you, Robert," thought Serra, briefly giving Robert a calculating gaze as she took another bite into her meal. "I thought you were some rude foreigner with a group of strange, powerful creatures at your beck and call, but you're clearly much more than that. I wonder how much I could get if I were to recruit you into House Ostia's service."

Several minutes later, Erk was busy eating his own burger, having a good time speaking with Robert about magic when he saw his conversation partner, who had just finished his lunch, put the griddle away and put up a large, wooden bucket onto the table. Then, Erk saw Robert put up a metal canister onto the table before pulling out a pitcher loaded with a milk-like mixture. Robert poured the contents of the pitcher into the metal canister before closing the canister with its lid, which was then hooked onto the sides of the wooden bucket. What Robert did next amazed Erk.

"Robert, is that… ice magic?" asked Erk his eyes locked onto the many ice cubes Robert had just conjured up. "As far as I know, the only ice magic tome on Elibe is Fimbulvetr, and that's a rare and powerful tome! How are you doing it? And what are you doing that requires ice of all things?"

Robert laughed as he reached into his bag again only to pull out an ice blue book that appeared to be a bit frayed. "I used this magic tome – the Encyclopedia Frigoris. It's better known as the Tome of Frost. It's used for powering water spells and since ice is basically water that's been frozen solid, it can be used for ice spells, too. Anyways, I'm using the ice to make ice cream."

"First burgers, and now, ice cream? You're making me hungry, Robert," said Palutena telepathically.

"Ice cream? I've never heard of such a… dish," said Erk. "What is it?"

"It's a frozen dessert that's popular in my homeland," replied Robert. "It's made using milk, cream, and sugar."

"Ice to make food…" muttered Erk thoughtfully. "That's something I never thought I'd say or witness until now."

A short while later, Robert was soon busy handing out scoops of ice cream into small, ceramic bowls for the "mercenaries" of Lyndis's Legion to have as their after-lunch dessert. Many of them, having never seen frozen food before, were hesitant to try out the frozen treat. However, Lyn, being the most familiar with Robert's cooking, was the first to try out the dish, only for her eyes to widen in surprise at its taste.

"Delicious!" she gasped in delight. "It's so sweet and smooth, even though it's cold! This is made with milk, right?"

"Right," answered Robert, eating up a spoonful of his own helping of ice cream. "It's made using milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla extract."

"Vanilla extract?" queried Kent. "I've never heard of such an ingredient."

"You can think of an extract as something pulled from a raw material. In this case, it's extracted from vanilla beans."

"Vanilla beans?" repeated Sain. "If the nobles were to find out about this dish, they'd likely stop at nothing to have as many of them as possible for themselves."

"Are you sure this is okay?" asked Wil. "This does seem like something only nobles can enjoy."

"Yes!" replied Robert. "I gave it for all of you guys to enjoy it! And ice cream melts if not kept cold anyways so you better eat it up."

"So good!" squeaked Florina as she ate up another spoonful from her serving of ice cream.

"Mmm…!" hummed Serra, trying but failing not to just scarf down her ice cream in an attempt of appearing graceful and proper. "This is a wonderful sweet you've made, Robert."

The cleric was quick to finish her bowl and was about to ask for seconds when pain struck through her head.

"Ow!" exclaimed Serra, clutching her head.

"Serra!" gasped Sain. "What happened?!"

"Serra ate her ice cream quickly, didn't she?" asked Robert knowingly. "She just got brain freeze, or the ice cream headache. She'll be fine – this happens to anybody eating something cold too quickly."

"I suppose it's my own fault for eating it too quickly," sighed Serra before she recovered and held out her bowl to Robert. "But it's so good… Now, seconds, if you please!"

---

Later that evening, a soldier rushed into the throne room of Castle Caelin, bearing news to report.

"WHAT?!" shouted Lundgren, angrily slamming a fist down onto the arm of his throne as spittle flew out of his mouth. "That little girl crossed the border!?"

"Yes, Lord Lundgren," confirmed the soldier, who managed to remain calm before the old man's outburst. "She's en route to Araphen…"

Lundgren growled at the report. "Just what were those hired thugs playing at?! There was supposed to be just a little brat and a few lackeys she probably seduced!"

The old man then considered his next move, his brow furrowing in both thought and frustration.

"Send out soldiers to meet her! Hold nothing back! Do anything to finish this now! Hire more mercenaries! I'll even increase the bounty on the girl's head!" barked Lundgren.

"Yes, milord." The soldier ran out of the throne room to relay the orders.

"First the old man, and now the girl… They cling to life like a drowning man to a rock!" Lundgren muttered to himself before he turned to face one of the soldiers standing guard in the throne room. "You there! Double the poison's strength! If he struggles, hold him down and pour it down his throat! Once she's gone, Caelin is mine. I will let no one stand in my way!"

---

Lyndis's Legion has formed! Florina, Wil, Dorcas, Serra, and Erk joined the team! Next stop: Araphen!