Hello everyone. I'm already here with the new and revised chapter 1.
Friendly reminder:
Ishtar is the best ! = Text from the system
"Ishtar is the best !" = Speaking
'Ishtar is the best !' = Thoughts
Ishtar is the best !* = Sound effect
Copyright Disclaimer : I don't own anything in this fiction, except the OCs. Everything else belongs to their respective creators, and they're the ones who deserve the praise.
Chapter 1 : A strange awakening… Transporting to other worlds really isn't comfortable
"Ugh... Why does my head hurt so much..." With a hand placed on my forehead in a feeble attempt to stop the throbbing pain assailing my brain, I slowly opened my eyes to take a look at my surroundings...
"Now to find out exactly which forest I just landed in…" There were many forests in Jugdral, named and unnamed ones. I could only hope that I was not in the spirit forest. The research I did on that place back when I investigated the game came up with some creepy results.
I clumsily got up from my throne of bushes and turned around to see if anything looked even remotely familiar, but nothing did, as expected. I then took a moment to examine myself in greater detail. First for injuries, then my appearance.
I was wearing a pitch black shirt with a high collar and long sleeves. The sleeves had brown leather covering my wrists and upper arms. I was wearing light brown trousers, cut below the knees, and a pair of brown belts around my waist. I also had a pair of dark socks and a pair of boots. There was also a strange book in a pouch strapped to the right side of my waist.
I nodded softly to myself after my inspection was over, satisfied to see that there were no apparent injuries and that my clothes were fine too.
Then I looked around for a tree with some shade and enough space to sit under and reflect. My thought process was a bit hazy right now, so I needed to calm myself, sit down, and get a grasp of my current situation. And to gain a better understanding of my situation, I needed to analyze every parameter of my menu if I was to proceed with some semblance of safety.
"Let's see what this little thing can do. Menu."
At my command, the blue panel of the blue panel of the system reappeared in front of me, showing the various options available to me. Some of them were familiar, whereas others were brand new.
Status
Items
Equipment
Socials
Skills
Quests
Encyclopaedia
"Hmm…" Most of the options were self-explanatory, like equipments or skills, and I already explored some others, like status. But there were some that were kind of peculiar.
'Options and Encyclopaedia ?'
"Well, let's just see what they're all about." Deciding that it'll be faster to just inspect each of them quickly rather than to ponder aimlessly for long, I gently pressed the first option.
Status
If you want to see how you are doing, or just need a refresher on your personal information, this is the place to look. The Status screen displays detailed information about you, including your statistics, current condition, titles, and so on. Think of it as a sort of personal identity card.
Inventory
This is where all your items are registered. From common potions to rare elixirs, they are all kept here for your use at any time !
Socials
It is always good to know how important your relationship with someone. It is even better if you're able to place quantifiable measurements to it. This screen allows you to view the bond you have established with an individual and even a country on a larger scale.
Equipment
A warrior on the battlefield without his equipment isn't a warrior, he's just a madman looking for death. Equip yourself as best you can before you enter battle. Remember, a sharper blade can make the difference between life and death.
Skills
Pursuit and Initiative. Wonder and Astra. A skill is the backbone of every fighter and varies from one individual to the next. This screen allows you to check the skills you have, their effects, MP cost, etc. Make sure you use them effectively to ensure victory.
Encyclopaedia
As far as modern science is concerned, the brain can only store a limited amount of information at a time. Well, in your case, the amount of information you can store is almost limitless. The knowledge of anything or anyone that you have observed at least once will be stored here. So don't worry if you can't remember a friend's birthday...
Quests
What is a good game without a quest or two ? Here you can see all the quests that have been given to you or that you have already completed. They are of two types:
- Main Quests, which gives a lot of amazing rewards. This also means that they have a lot of amazing penalties. This type of quest is directly linked to the main time-line and can have a positive or negative effect on the story, depending on your results.
- Sub Quests usually pop-up when civilians or other individuals, yourself included, are in need of help. Completing them will not affect the main story much, but they will often reward you with new items, equipment, improved relationships, etc. upon completion.
I did a once-over of all the options, carefully reading through them before deciding to just continue with my evaluation.
The last thing I checked were my statistics. The one I was given on my fall was way too brief to be of any use and I needed to make sure I had them all checked before I left.
"Status."
Status
Name : Ray Aster
Race : Human (Crusader)
Class : Swordsman
Level : 5 (00/100)
HP : 650/650
MP : 560/560
Strength : 10
Magic : 14
Agility : 12
Speed : 12
Charm : 8
Defence : 8
Resistance : 14
Luck : 7
Title : ???, ???, Wandering mercenary, OTHERWORLDER
Condition : Healthy
I repeatedly nodded to myself in some weird sense of self-satisfaction, glad to see that everything looked fine.
'Although those question marks are still worrisome.'
But as there was nothing I could do about them, I decided to simply not bother at all and focus on the next part of the status window.
"Now… Inventory."
Inventory
- Vulnerary : 5
- Antitoxin : 3
- Elixir : 1
"Strange. I thought there were no healing potions in Jugdral." Medicinal herbs and poultices were most likely a thing though, if not the mortality rate will be way to high in areas with no competent healers. But Elixirs were another whole story . "Must be another gift from the system. One I wasn't going to looked down upon. You never know when they might come in handy."
Sigh*
'Skills'
Skills
[N/A]
"..."
"Why is this thing empty ? Does that mean I have no skills at all ?"
Yes.
"..."
I didn't know if I was more shocked by the fact that the system actually answered or by the fact that it said yes so shamelessly.
Deciding not to dwell on it any further, I directed my attention on the next aspect of the menu to examine.
"Equipment."
Equipment
- Head : Unequipped
- Torso : Black Shirt
- Left Hand : Wind Tome
- Right Hand : Steel Sword
- Legs : Brown Pants
- Foot : Light Boots
- Accessory : None
"I expected better..." I muttered to myself in disappointment. I mean, a Steel sword was nice and all, but what was I going to do with a Tome when I can't even use magic ?
My grumblings were abruptly cut short as I heard an unfamiliar sound nearby, getting closer to my position. Looking quickly from left to right, I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. I half-expected the noise to be some small animal of the forest looking for food before my attention was caught by movements coming from the bushes ahead of me, quickly accompanied by more rustling noises. I tried to reach for something to use as a weapon, debating whether to pull out my sword even though I didn't know how to use it. The Wind tome was even more useless, which made me wonder whether there was actually a use for it on my person.
'Arggh... I can already feel the headache coming in...'
The rustling continued, seemingly coming in my direction, and I had no choice but to pick up the first thing nearby for protection... Which ended up being a broken stick... Yeah, I know, it was not the best way to defend myself, but even with the sword and tome at my sides I doubt I would be able to use any at the moment.
"Ray, are you in there ?" The voice called out to me, sounding strangely familiar but foreign at the same time. It was the same feeling one would get when trying to remember a friend's face he hadn't seen for a while. After looking in the direction of the voice for a moment, a man with an imposing figure and jet-black hair appeared from behind a tree. A look of relief immediately spread all over his face when his eyes landed on me and the guy started walking quickly in my direction.
"Hey…?" I greeted shyly, my first instinct was to be friendly even though I didn't know who he was... Or so I thought. I could already tell that things were going to be a lot more complicated than I expected them to be when I was first sent here.
The guy was sporting a grin, but the only thing that grabbed my attention was the axe attached to his waist. He may be friendly, but he was still armed. Then again, so am I. "Man, I told you so many times not to wander around alone. I've been looking for you for close to an hour now." He said casually, and the only response I could come up with was a shrug of my shoulders coupled with a "Sorry". I also noticed that he was a few centimeters taller than me and that his clothes were similar to mine. Not the design, no, but the general style. "What were you doing out here anyway?"
Good question, and one I would like to know the answer to myself.
'Wait a minute…'
My brain stopped thinking for a second as something seemed to finally sink in.
'If he knows my name, that must mean we're somehow acquainted. What's more, he acts as if I should know him.'
According to what Selena said, I'm supposed to be an unknown here. A new being, without any ties or background so that I could start freshly from anywhere.
'Well, she didn't say that exactly…'
On the other hand, maybe the universe considers me worthy enough to be given an already prepared back-story to avoid any complications later on... A story I have no idea about myself. Great... Still, there is another option I could try, but...
"Well, I... I have no idea where I am and how I got here. Who you are and more importantly... Who am I?" Yes, I know. This lyric is cliché. Too cliché even for me, and I doubt anyone will believe something so wonderfully fake.
"What !? Don't tell me you have amnesia?" He asked, his face the epitome of disbelief and shock, as if he was genuinely debating whether to believe or not what I just said...
"Yeah…? I think so." He groaned at that, massaging his temples clockwise.
I couldn't believe that he actually accepted what I said with a simple groan. Inwardly, I was relieved. This practically guaranteed me a free pass for any strange behavior, for him, I may have in the immediate future. But even though I was relieved, the stranger looked more frustrated than simply annoyed at this point.
"Just what we were looking for !" He began to curse loudly, stomping towards a nearby tree before hardly punching its trunk. A dent was formed at the site of impact, and smoke was seen coming up from it, but the tree was still standing. From my position, I could hear him trying to calm his nerves with some deep breaths before he slowly made his way back to me with a small smile.. "Thank the gods I was the one who found you. If it had been brigands or slave traders, you would have been in a lot more trouble."
"I suppose so." His smile became a little more real, although I didn't know the reason behind this sudden change. It was then that I felt pain in my shoulder, and I realized too late that he just punched me. Hard.
"At least you haven't forgotten your name, have you ? Oh, right. Silly me, I called you before... As for who I am, I'm your best friend David, but you can call me Dave."
"Okay... Dave." I said slowly, and this time his previous grin came back in full. My mind wondered who he was and how he was connected to me.
'I just came from another world, so there shouldn't be anyone here who knows me…'
That's when a new thought slowly began to take shape in my mind. A rather peculiar one at that.
'Or is it that my body wasn't sent here, but my consciousness was put into someone else's body ? Then what happened to the original owner ?'
"Come on mate, let's get back to town. I will try to explain everything to you when we get there." He then started walking in the direction he'd come from, and as I still didn't know where I was, I had no choice but to follow him out of the forest. And he didn't seem to notice the flying text that appeared in front of me out of nowhere, confirming my suspicions that I was the only one who could see them.
A new quest has been generated !
Title : New Identity
Type : Main Quest
Time-frame : Indefinite
Description : You just open your eyes in a new world and are completely lost. But, 'Surprise !', you are found by someone who apparently knows you…knows you very well it seems.
Objective : Find out about your situation.
Rewards : Unknown
Failure : Unknown
Status : In progress...
As I looked through the quest description one more time, I suddenly felt a sharp pain from the right side of my lower back. However, the pain disappeared as soon as it started. It was so quick that I almost thought that I may have dreamt it, but the pain I felt was so intense that it couldn't have been the case.
My hand immediately went under my shirt to examine the area in question. After twisting somewhat with my hand behind me, I couldn't feel anything out of place, which was just more confusing.
Dave's voice was the one to bring me back to reality, telling me to speed-up if I don't want to get lost again.
I had no choice but to drop the issue for now and continue walking.
"So, what you're saying is.." I started slowly, trying to briefly summarize the years worth of information he just gave me into a few sentences. "…that you and I come from the north-eastern kingdom of Isaach. We have been mercenaries for almost a decade now, and we recently came to Agustria looking for work. You finally managed to get us one yesterday, and it was from the Lord of the town we are currently in." I looked at him inquisitively, silently asking whether I got everything right or not. He nodded happily as he took another sip of his drink. It sounded a bit too elaborate to be a lie, so there was no need to question him more than it was necessary. "I know we're in Agustria, but in what town are we exactly ?"
'Wait a minute.'
If that was my story, then the Quest Alert would've already appeared singing congratulations with fancy wordings… A thought came to mind about Dave possibly lying, although it would be absurd. Maybe he simply didn't know the whole story himself. Or maybe he was just not telling me everything, withholding sensible information to an amnesiac who couldn't be trusted yet.
"So ?"
"Hmm ?" He looked with one eye as his face was partially covered with the cup he just raised to his mouth.
"In which town are we ?" He placed his cup down rather forcefully, the sound it made on impact so loud that some of the other patrons were looking at us worriedly. But Dave didn't seem to mind. In fact, he was grinning from ear to ear like an idiot.
"We are in Nordion, the most beautiful city in all of Agustria." He then laughed at his own comment, as if what he just said was somehow funny, but I was too lost in my own thoughts to pay any attention to him. I didn't even notice when a lady came to our table with more drinks.
Some time after our second drink--my second drink, Dave was already on his seventh, the door of the tavern slowly creaked open. A figure stood on its threshold bathed by sunlight from its back, a knight by the looks of his armor. The figure walked forward, slowly revealing a red-haired knight with a yellow scarf over his shoulders and dressed in black.
"A Cross Knight." I said, half skeptical and half in recognition. It was more the person than the clothes that made me wonder as I quickly recognized the person as one of the triplet knights who would be assigned to guard Lachesis later in the future. Although I couldn't be sure which one of the three he was at first glance.
Dave seemed to have finally noticed his presence and my apparent recognition of the guy, giving me a raised eyebrow.
'Maybe I shouldn't have said that…' Then again, maybe not. After all, it wasn't that strange for an amnesiac to recover parts and bits of his memories when faced with specific triggers.
However, the knight managed to draw attention away from me and towards him by tapping the base of his lance on the ground and clearing his throat rather loudly. It seems he was going to make an announcement.
"I am looking for a duo of mercenaries, a swordsman and an axe-wielder." He said in a loud voice, surely so that everyone in the tavern could hear. Seeing as this place was more of an inn than a tavern for mercenaries, the number of people were relatively few. A simple once over and one could tell who had what, it was thus easy to locate Dave and me as the people he was looking for even though we were sitting in a corner. Finishing the rest of his drink in one swoop, Dave got up from his chair and went to talk to the knight outside the inn. I followed him after downing the last of my drink and thanking the barmaid for serving us. I made sure to give her the coins Dave gave me before leaving as payment for the drinks.
Since we where in Nordion, that meant we were in Eldigan's territory. As such, the lord Dave said had recruited us could only be him, as evidenced by the presence of a cross knight, and one of the triplet at that. And it looked like he was asking for us right now.
They seemed to be nearing the end of their conversation as I came within earshot, the knight turning and walking in the direction of a castle that could easily be seen even from this far out…
"We are expected at Nordion Castle at any moment. Lord Eldigan is waiting for us, so I recommend following the knight." Dave told me after looking at the leaving knight and pointing in his direction.
"Then we should go." I replied and immediately went after him, following the same direction as the knight.
"Town's pretty busy, it seems." He clicked his tongue, looking left and right at the mass of people moving around
"It's not usually like this ?"
Most of the locals were smiling and children were playing in the streets without a care in the world. One even bumped into me, but he was polite enough to apologize before running off with his friends to play again. Eldigan was doing a very good job of governing this area, I wasn't really surprised that it was thriving.
After a straight walk, we finally reached the castle gates, and soon we were navigating its long and very confusing corridors. There were more chances for me to get lost in this castle than in the notion, and that little revelation almost made me chuckle.
We soon found ourselves in a corridor, apparently outside the throne room of Nordion Castle, waiting for permission to enter. The decoration on the walls were beautiful, regal, and imposing, three traits easily associated with Eldigan. However, my mind was on something far less mundane than decoration.
'From what I know and what I've seen of the people in the city, Eldigan isn't a bad guy. So I shouldn't worry about him asking us to do something bad. Bless the unknown god that sent me here that Dave didn't find someone like Chagall or Boldor as our employer, otherwise things would have gone bad very quickly.'
"You may enter." The voice seemed to be coming from the throne room, and was loud enough to jolt me out of my own mind. With a quick glance at Dave, who nodded at me, we finally made our way through the massive double doors.
The room was bigger than I expected. In fact, it looked to be even bigger than the drinking area of the inn we just left. Inside of it, four people were waiting in silence, each of them looking at us with either curiosity or indifference. It was easy to know who was who.
A young man with blond hair and piercing eyes sat on the throne, most likely Eldigan. An even younger looking girl with a slight resemblance to the man with the blonde hair, Lachesis, sitting on a small, less impressive throne. And a seemingly older woman— more mature, in fact— sitting on a throne similar to Lachesis', probably Grahnye. There was also a knight who bore a strong resemblance to the one we had seen in the city. In fact, I almost thought they were the same person, until I remembered that the color of their scarf were different. His being green rather than yellow.
As we approached the throne, Dave knelt down a short distance from them. I did the same, albeit awkwardly, at his side.
"Rise, please." Said the calm baritone that was Eldigan's voice, to which Dave and I slowly followed its order. "I have requested your presence here today on a matter of the utmost importance and urgency, as such, I will be going straight to the point..." He continued, his eyes still fixed on the two of us. "We recently received a report of a group of bandits who managed to occupy a small village near Nordion, destroying most of it and kidnapping its inhabitants. They demanded a large sum of money in exchange for the lives of the villagers they are holding captive. They also demanded that whoever brought them the money should be a civilian. That is the reason I can't send my Cross Knights for fear of harming the hostages."
He then stood up from his seat and approached us, looking me straight in the eye. "So I need someone with your skills to assist me in this task. Will you be that someone, Lord Ray ? " His smile was full of confidence and at the same time intimidating. I held back the sudden urge to swallow whatever was in my mouth. I couldn't even if I wanted to.
But what he said still stayed in mind. In fact, part of what he said to be precise.
'Lord ?'
I got the urge to look back at Dave with a puzzled expression, but Eldigan was still staring down at me. I couldn't look aside and simply nodded once. The corner of his lips curled up even more at that.
"Most excellent. I am certain you will both do a splendid job. I already had the carriage and money prepared for your departure, and as such you will be leaving tomorrow in the morning. As I said, speed is of the essence. It is also up to you to decide which method would be best to achieve your results. Whether you give them the money or eliminate them and keep it for yourself is of no consequence to me, as long as the villagers remain unharmed." His expression suddenly changed, giving way to a more serious one that sent chills going down my spine. "But if I hear that you have betrayed my trust and expectations there will be repercussions, are we clear ?"
"Crystal, my lord." Dave's reply was automatic, as if he was waiting for just this question. My brain was still trying, and failing for now, to process everything that was going on. "Now, if you will excuse us." Eldigan nodded and returned to his seat.
"Are you sure they are up to the task, Eldie ?" I couldn't recognise the voice by the sound only, but the use of that nickname already said enough about its speaker.
"I think they will. They have quite a reputation, even here in Agustria." Grahnye replied almost immediately, though from her smirk and the way her eyes were smiling too, I could tell she was saying that more to annoy Lachesis than to jump to our defense.
"Fear not, milady, we have seen far worse. We will complete our task quickly and return with good news for all to hear." Dave replied in a calm tone, his speech far more refined than what he normally uses. I also couldn't help but wonder if his confidence was justified at the moment, especially when one thinks of my current situation.
At least his reassurance seemed to allay any immediate concerns Lachesis had, if not mine.
After our little exchange with the Nordion royals, Dave and I were swiftly led out of the room and were met by a servant who offered to lead us to the guest room where we would be staying until tomorrow.
A new quest has been generated !
Title : Bandit Subjugation
Type : Main Quest
Time-frame : Three days
Description : Bandits really are a pain in the behind, aren't they ? Anyway, this will surely be a good occasion to test the waters of this world as well as to deepen your bonds with the local Lord and the Ladies.
Objective : Go to a village near Nordion and subjugate the bandits occupying it.
Rewards : 1 000 Gold Coins, 300 EXP, Unknown, Unknown.
Failure : Eldigan will hunt you to the end of the world with the demon sword, Mystletain, at his side.
Status : In progress…
In the middle of the night, I was awakened by a singing voice that somehow made its way through the window of our room. My curiosity got the better of me, even half-awake, and I groggily got to my feet before leaving my room and following the voice outside. I didn't know where I was going, my body simply moving in the direction of the sound until I finally stumbled into the castle garden. There I saw a person standing beside a bed of flowers. It was Lachesis, holding a baby in her and singing to him the same melody I'd been following.
I decided to approach her as stealthily as I could, concentrating on not making any sound and she soon finished her song, the baby already peacefully asleep.
'Now to put into action what I've been thinking about…Observe.'
[A new skill is being generated.]
Name : Lachesis
Class : Princess
Level : 1
Name : Ares
Class : Lord
Level : N/A
Observe
- Rank : C
- Cost : 30 MP/Use
- Type: Active
- Description: This skill allows you to gather information about your target simply by looking at them and focusing your magical energy through your eyes. Nothing can withstand your powers of observation, not even the most obscure place, person, or object…at least in theory.
- Range: 10m
'Success !'
I've been wanting to try this for a while now, taking inspiration from some of the works back home. Honestly, I didn't expect this plan to go off without a hitch. Nevertheless, I was glad it worked out in the end.
Satisfied with my most recent acquisition, I decided it was time to get acquainted with the stubborn princess a bit more. I opened my mouth and spoke quietly. Loud enough that she will hear, but not enough as to wake up Ares.
"That was nice." I said as I slowly made my way towards her, watching my every steps.
"Ah !" She jumped, obviously startled. "Were you spying on me ? That was rude." She looked flustered, like she didn't expect someone to be listening to her.
"I'm sorry… You see, I was asleep, but then I heard your voice and decided to follow the melody... And here I am." I scratched and smiled sheepishly.
"You mean to say that I woke you up ?" The look she gave me was a skeptical one, though she seemed to think better of it and just sighed. "I apologize. I'll try to be more careful in the future." I was not expecting her to apologize so easily and the surprise must've been evident on my face because she just frowned at me.
I quickly raised my hands to reassure her. "I'm not saying you did anything wrong. I'm a light sleeper anyway, so almost anything could wake me up. Besides, your song was very beautiful."
"Oh... Thank you." Then she suddenly got a more somber look in her eyes, her voice softening as well. The look on her face was full of conflicting feelings, and even I could tell that she hesitated a lot before speaking. "It was one my mother used to sing to me when I was little. And it seems that Ares likes it as well."
"I think it might even work on your much too serious brother." I joked with a grin, but the glare she sent my way made it vanish as quickly as it appeared.
She sighed, visibly used to this. "My brother is a man with too many responsibilities, so he has to be serious all the time..." Although she seemed to want to add something else, she looked hesitant. So I decided to push her a little.
"You can ask me anything you know. I vow to never say a word about it to anybody." I was looking straight into her eyes, a half-serious look on my face as I held my right hand up and my left against my chest. That made her smile again, and she finally decided to tell me what was on her mind.
"I'm worried about the people in this village. Being held hostage until now... Who knows what they've been through."
'Ah. So that was the reason.'
"Don't worry. We'll leave in the morning to rescue them. In the meantime, let's not think negatively about what might or might not have happened to them."
"Hmm... You're right. They should still be fine. They have to."
"I promised I'd do my best to save them, so you don't have to worry too much. Okay?"
"Yes. Thank you." She still seemed a little down, but the small smile on her face told me that at least she had hope now. That was the most I could expect from our conversation.
I was suddenly feeling sleepy again, I couldn't help the yawn that forced itself upon me, and I realized too late that I was doing it with my mouth wide open.
She giggled at me, muffling the sound with her left hand in order not to wake up Ares. "You should get some sleep. You have a long day tomorrow after all." I didn't expect to hear her laugh. The act in itself was surprising, but the sound was kind of pleasant to hear.
"Yes, you're right." I readily agree, thinking about what kind of day tomorrow was going to be. My eyes drifted without me knowing to the sleeping figure in her arms, and I immediately looked back at her, a question on my lips. "Do you need help carrying Ares to his room ?"
She shook her head. "No, I'm going to stay here for a while. Thank you for the offer, though."
"No problem. Have a good night, my lady. You too, Ares."
Congratulations ! You managed to get a little closer to Lachesis.
As I made my way to my room, I turned around to wave at her one last time, but her mind and attention were already on something else, her eyes fixed on Ares.
As I found my way to my bed once more, I decided to spend a few minutes to go through my menu screen one last time. Specifically, the one about my social relationships.
Socials
David - Best friend
Eldigan - Acquaintances
Grahnye - Acquaintances
Lachesis - Friend
Eve - Neutral
Alva - Neutral
I couldn't hold back the smile that was making its way to my lips as I looked once more through the list of people I met.
'Friends, huh.'
I managed to fall asleep once more, feeling strangely happy about what happened today. My night thereafter was uneventful and devoid of dreams.
The next day, I was woken up earlier than usual by a rather chirpy Dave. He wouldn't stop talking about us completing this mission as quickly as possible saying stuffs like 'the sooner we do this the better'. I didn't see any reason to object, and I too thought that getting it done with earlier would be preferable, but that was still not a reason to break down my door so early in the morning.
I was one of those who thought that a good night's sleep was very important if you wanted to be in optimal condition in the morning, but I couldn't win against Dave's incessant pestering and finally relented. So I left my room, walking around like a zombie in search of somewhere I could wash the sleep from my eyes and get some fresh morning air too.
"Good morning to you too, my lady. I hope you slept well ?" I asked as I gently scratched the remaining sleep from my eyes.
"Better than you, it seems." She chuckled slightly, a smile slowly appearing on her face.
"Well, in my defence, I have a very stubborn companion." The complained rolled out of my mouth easily, thinking back to Dave's insistence on playing cards late into the night and the fact that he was still the one to wake me up so early. But I didn't need to mention that.
"Does that mean you are about to leave for your mission?" She looked at me inquisitively, and I slightly wondered if she was perhaps curious about our mission.
"Yes. I was just looking for a place to get some air... And some water to splash on my face, if possible."
"Then let me show you to the kitchen. There you will find water and something to eat before you leave." Ah, food. And I thought I would be forced to leave without eating anything. Maybe she really was nicer than I thought she would be.
"I will be most grateful, my lady."
"Think nothing of it. You are helping my Eldigan, so it is only natural that I try to help you as much as I can." She smiled again before walking off in the same direction I had come from... Yes, I was a lost case when it came to directions...
An hour or so later, after eating as much as I could under the scrutinizing eyes of Grahnye, Dave and I were finally sitting in a carriage outside the castle gates. Grahnye and Lachesis decided to send us off themselves and to wish us luck in our work, with Grahnye jokingly asking us to be back before dinner. I laughed a little to hide my nervousness and just nodded at their words.
And so we were on our way to the village of our assignment in a carriage, a chest filled with gold coins was sitting beside Dave. I didn't know enough about this world currency to speculate how much there was or how valuable it was, but Dave seemed to be very happy about it, eagerly counting each coin. Looking at his face, he was probably already thinking about what he was going to do with all this money.
"No way am I going to give all that money to those bandits. They might as well be digging their graves right now. Or running back to where they came from. I don't care." He declared, exclaiming happily each time a pile was done.
He seemed very adamant on this point, seeing as he has been repeating this sentence for the past thirty minutes. Not only that, but he also pointed out that we shouldn't even think about running away with the money because Eldigan was 'someone you wouldn't want as an enemy.' Personally, I hadn't even thought of doing such a thing, but I could strangely imagine Dave doing exactly that. The fact that he was the one who brought up the idea first only reinforced that notion.
"Your memories aren't back yet, are they?" He asked suddenly, halfway through our journey. He looked strangely serious for some reason, he even stopped counting the coins in the chest.
"No, unfortunately. But I'll manage. I think." I briefly felt back about lying to him, but quickly discarded that feeling. It wasn't like I could tell him the truth, after all.
However, he looked concerned about something. More so than usual. "I just hope your body remembers how to move in a fight. If not, stay with me and we'll figure it out somehow."
About that, I really think I should look into it somehow. But before that...
"Dave, is there something you're not telling me ?" He looked confused for a second, as if he wasn't sure he heard me correctly.
After what seemed like a couple of minutes, he finally opened his mouth. "I don't know what you're talking about". He answered finally and from the tone of his voice he didn't want to talk about it anymore. I couldn't help but find the whole thing strangely suspicious.
Anyway, that was neither here nor there. After a while I managed to persuade Dave to continue counting the money in the chest, which, come to think of it, was not that difficult at all in the end. With him occupied, I could peacefully simulate falling asleep in order to navigate in more detail the system menu.
Encyclopaedia
The art of combat
To ease the workload and prevent back pain, the player is no longer required to carry a backpack full of items that would only slow them down. Instead, the player simply needs to think of an item or piece of equipment in their possession, and the item will automatically appear in his hand. If this wasn't doable, then a cut in space can be created for the user to personally rummage through his Inventory, but he wouldn't be able to see through the portal. Note that the player can't materialize anything that isn't already in his possession.
Practical, to say the least. The same can be said for the Tome I seem to have been carrying… Anyway, being able to make any weapon I own in my hand anywhere was a useful boon. My brain was already buzzing with ideas of the practical application I could make with this function alone.
Some time later, the carriage finally stopped, the signal that we just reached our destination. But as we had decided to stop a safe distance from the village in order to avoid agitating the bandits inside, we had to walk the rest of the way.
I went down first, with Dave following behind, axe in hand. He went to the coachman, thanking him for bringing us and telling him to hide a safe distance away until we were finished. After all, we were bringing not only the money, but also food, water and medical supplies, essential goods for people who have just been through hardships. They were all kept inside the carriage, so keeping it away was a smart choice. Tipping his hat in our direction, the driver did as instructed and started moving away from the village, leaving Dave and me to a short walk towards the village.
"What the hell is going on here…" Dave was understandably shocked. The village itself wasn't much damaged, and there were no traces of blood or any other indicator that an attack just happened. I almost thought that maybe we were brought to the wrong village.
We continued to explore the streets, knocking on doors and even entering some of the houses, but no one seemed to be there. We went through at least half of the village quickly before finally finding something that could be a lead; an unconscious woman was lying behind one of the houses, unmoving and covered with dried blood. Upon closer look, she still seemed to be breathing but the injury she sustained was enough for the blood she lost to cover most of her dress. Dave carried her gently into one of the empty houses nearby, making sure that he was not pressing on her injuries as he slowly placed her in one of the beds.
"The bleeding itself seems to have stopped somehow, but her wounds are still open and could get infected. I'll get some water, you can start removing the clothes that are currently around her wound so that we can clean it." Instructions given, Dave quickly left the house, leaving me alone with the woman.
An idea suddenly came to mind.
'What if ?'
I have to admit I was a bit reluctant. After all, they were precious resources that could be helpful along the line. But, the life of a person is worth more than a simple vulnerary.
A glass bottle containing a red liquid appeared in my left hand. Sitting down near her, I gently tilted the woman's head before pouring the liquid into her mouth. I got worried for a second that her condition wouldn't allow her to even drink the potion, but the swallowing noises I heard quickly dashed away my fears.
The content of the bottle now emptied, I sent it back to my Inventory with a wave of my hand before doing what Dave asked to do. Tearing off part of her dress just enough to only show her wound was quickly done, and as I was doing that I noticed as she managed to regain consciousness for a brief moment, eyes fluttering open thanks to what little strength she could muster.
"S-save her... near the... cave..." That was all she could say before she lost consciousness again. Dave returned at that moment with a basin of water and immediately began to clean the wound carefully before wrapping a new set of bandages all over it. He also examined her once more for any change in her condition.
"The wound in itself is not that bad, it was just bleeding excessively. Her current state is also better than it was when we found her. Thankfully, it seems like she might be waking up soon."
Dave then decided to resume the search, saying that there may be other people like her around, wounded and unable to move. I told him I was going to help him search, but he refused with a shake of his head. "She might wake up at any moment. I want you to stay by her side until then". As I didn't try to refute his words, Dave took that as me silently agreeing with me and left to look for more survivors.
As I was left behind with the woman who was still sleeping, I decided to do a bit of back-ground check with my skill.
[The skill 'Observe' is being used]
Name: Linda
Class : Civilian
Level : N/A
She regained consciousness some time later and slowly opened her eyes. Dave already finished going through the rest of the village, however he couldn't find anything useful. Meaning, this Linda just became our sole lead in this case. As she gradually regained consciousness, Dave and I decided to stay a few meters away in order to not immediately scare her away, just in case there were any lingering traumas. She assured us that she was fine and agreed to tell us about what had happened here, and to her in particular.
"It was very unusual... The bandits attacked, but they didn't harm anyone too badly, or not at all in fact. They just rounded everyone up and started herding them into a cave on the outskirts of the village. I managed to hide so they couldn't find me, but my husband and little brother were taken away." Her voice became weaker as she spoke, the trembling of her body affecting her speech bit by bit. "Please, I know that I'm asking a lot of you, but can you save them ?"
Seeing the look on her face, I couldn't help but try to reassure her. "Don't worry, we've been sent to do just that. " Dave silently nodded his assent beside me. "You just need to show us where they went and leave the rest to us."
She looked relieved. "I will try to take you there myself. Their hideout is well known to all the adults here, but as they didn't cause any problem, they were left alone. Until today, that is."
I nodded and helped her to get up, guiding her slowly out of bed. We then headed straight to the bandit's stronghold, led by a staggering most of the way.
I couldn't help thinking that something was strange about all this, like why the village was mostly unscathed and that there were almost no victims. I almost thought that maybe their ultimate goal wasn't to ransack the village, but to actually blackmail Eldigan.
Shaking the notion away from my head, I decided to leave the speculations for another time. We had a mission to accomplish, after all. But just as I was about to let go of it…
"Ray, I have a funny feeling about this." Dave brought up the same concern I have been having until now.
"Me too, Dave. Me too."
.
The bandit's lair was indeed in a cave, and a rather large one at that. No one seemed to be on the lookout, so they were either very confident, or deep enough inside that they didn't think a lookout outside would be helpful. Nevertheless, we powered through as we entered the cave to explore its inside. Then we heard it.
"KIIIIIIIAAAAHHHH !"
As one, we all turned our heads towards the direction of the voice. "That scream. It came from down here."
"Let's follow it, Dave, they might be in danger." I told Linda to wait for us outside and run-away immediately if she was in danger. I also told her about the location of the carriage in case there was a need to rush back to Nordion.
We started walking faster than before, and I could see Dave reaching for his axe out of the corner of my eye in anticipation of what was waiting for us at the end of this tunnel. Another voice rang out, not a scream this time, but a rough and menacing male voice.
"Well, well, well. Look at what we have here." The owner of the voice was a huge guy, with far more muscles than necessary behind his shirt and chest plate. He had a sword at his hip and an axe on his back.
'A Hero ? Fighting a second-tier class at the start of a Fire Emblem game ?'
Despite my initial shock and dumbfounded expression, I decided to still look at his status, just to be sure.
[The skill 'Observe' is being used]
Name : Olong
Class : Hero
Level : 1
Weapon 1 : Iron Blade
Weapon 2 : Steel Axe
Hero
Fierce veterans of the battlefield, Heroes dominate everything on their way with their huge strength and amazing defense. They wield both the sword and axe, balancing the weakness of the triangle of weapon.
Iron Blade
A weapon similar in characteristics to the Iron sword, but this particular type trades accuracy for more power. Each one of its swings could spell death for any one stupid, or daring, enough to come near it.
Steel Axe
A more powerful Axe made essentially of steel. It is more resistant, more powerful, and also heavier than an iron axe. They are a bit difficult to handle, making the user lose some accuracy. They are defeated by swords and best lances.
Far more information than I expected started appearing in front of me. The system windows popped up unexpectedly, and I could feel Dave's gaze lingering on me for a minute as I failed to contain my surprised yelp.
"You must be the guys that fool Eldigan sent to stop me." He said, smiling a little too happily if you ask me.
"We are here to put an end to you and your band of brigands. And we mean business." Dave's reply was perhaps a little too bold, considering that we were theoretically outnumbered, but the way he confidently pointed his axe proved that he meant it.
I didn't like our chances. Facing out against an unknown number of enemies with just us two seemed like suicide to me. We couldn't back down after all, but that didn't make me like the way things were looking at the moment. He seemed to be alone, but there must be others hiding deeper inside.
"Where are the villagers ?" Both because I was wondering about that and also to gain some time to think of a plan.
"Why should I answer your question?" He replied immediately, clearly sensing that I was up to something, or because he couldn't be bothered to answer me. "You just have to kill me to find out."
"Damn right !" And with that, Dave jumped at him, his axe raised for an overhead strike. Olong just blocked the attack with his own axe, and by the look on his face, he was not taking the current situation seriously. He didn't have to. Despite the power behind Dave's last blow, Olong did not move an inch. But that didn't mean he had the advantage.
Dave continued to swing his axe at Olong with power and precision, forcing the Hero to block every blow. He was clearly confident. But he seemed strong enough to back it up at least.
I took the opportunity to slowly leave the scene to search for the villagers, thinking that they must be held somewhere deeper in this cave. The question was, 'How deep ?'.
A tunnel further to my right carried sounds towards me. It was the familiar sound of a cluster of individuals talking among themselves, with some laughing and sniggering here and there.
I slowly followed the trail until I came upon a group of civilians, huddled together in fear, with several rough-looking guys walking around or jeering at them.
'I need to know how many there are...'
I remembered a technique back from my old world used to find people, so I decided to try it. After all, it already worked once. I saw no reason why it couldn't work a second time.
'Focus Ray…'
Closing my eyes and following the shadows in the cave, I began to focus on my surroundings more than ever before. The sounds, the smells, even the feel of my skin. A familiar sound echoed in my head, telling me that I had succeeded.
[As you attune your senses, a subtle yet potent skill unveils itself.]
[A new Skill has been created.]
Presence Detection
- Rank : C
- Cost : 20MP/Use
- Type : Active
Your awareness transcends the visible, allowing you to perceive the faintest traces of life within a designated radius. A soft hum in the air guides your instincts, revealing the hidden presences that elude ordinary perception. Masters of stealth may find no sanctuary as you discern their every move, turning the tide in your favor.
- Distance : 50m
Enemy forces have been detected ! Bandits x4
Civilians have been detected ! Civilians x25
I was slightly surprised by the gap between their numbers. With so few of them, how could these ruffians kidnapped so many people ? Still, it was not the time to ponder about unnecessary things.
After methodical observations and careful consideration of the enemy positions, I noticed that two of them were more or less isolated from the others. Upon further inspection, I noticed that one of them was dozing off while the other was trying to have his way with one of the women.
Deciding that there was no better time to take them out, I silently made my way towards each of them, starting with the sexual offender, slicing their neck clean with my hand placed over their mouth to muffle any cries they could make.
It was over in less than two minutes. The woman, scared at first, thanked me profusely. I told her to stay where she was, so as no to alert the others, before proceeding to the next part of my plan.
With half of the enemy forces now death and their bodies moved into a dark corner where they couldn't be seen, I was now in a slightly more advantageous position. And yet…
'It was…easy ?'
I wondered how I could kill them so easily, so mechanically… I often hear that killing someone for the same time can be traumatising to most people. It is a recurring fact in most movies or animes back home, but more than that, one of my old relative who used to be a soldier once told me something similar.
I quickly pushed the thought aside when I remembered that there were still two of them left. I will have plenty of time to reflect about this later on.
"Do you hear that ?" One of them pointed towards the exit, where I left Dave and Olong. "Maybe the boss is fighting."
"Yeah, it would've been more thrilling to watch that instead of staying here and keeping an eye on these losers."
"Let's hope it works." I murmured a short prayer to god listening, tightly holding the book in my hand as if to reassure me that it was still there.
I managed to place myself in a position where I wouldn't be easily detected and where I could catch both of them at the same time. The green book suddenly started shining faintly in my left hand and mana gathered in my outstretched right arm. I felt, once more, a sharp pain radiating from my lower back through the rest of my body as soon as I managed to activate the spell.
"Wind !" The surrounding air began to gather rapidly in my hand, forming a huge crescent blade entirely made of wind who surged forward and sliced straight into the bandit in front of me, cutting him in two and cutting off the hand of the second.
'Damn.'
Despite having his hand cut off, the remaining bandit still had enough strength, and enough wits, left to take a hostage. He held a small child's head in his still intact hand. I was mildly surprised by his quick-thinking.
"Put down that Tome at once. If you don't, this little one's head will be painting the floor red."
I had no choice but to do as he said. So I slowly placed the book on the ground and raised my hands to show him that I was now "unarmed".
"The sword too." He pointed at my sword with his chin, smiling as I took it out of its sheath and threw the weapon at him.
He motioned for one of the prisoners to pick up both my sword and tome from the floor and bring it to him. Seeing that I'd lost both my weapons, he must have concluded that I was now harmless, as he immediately dropped the child and picked up his weapon from the ground before charging at me... Only to be impaled by my sword, which I managed to bring up at the last moment.
"But...how..." Those were his last words before he fell face first to the ground, blood pouring from his chest and spreading all over the ground
"Pretty neat feature, this Inventory." The sword disappeared once more from my hand as I nodded in silent appreciation of the System's usefulness.
The villagers, understandably still a little frightened, managed to thank me for getting rid of their captors. Satisfied that everyone was wounded but alive, and accounted for, I led them towards the cave's exit.
As I retraced my steps in the cave's tunnel, I saw the back of Olong kneeling in front of a slightly panting Dave. The sight was shocking enough that I didn't know what to say. After all, it's not just anyone that can win against a Hero.
Whistle*
"Looks like you won. To be honest, I didn't expect you to. Well done Dave." There was no sarcasm in my voice, although it looked like my whistle was triggering the defeated bandit leader.
"It doesn't matter…" He said through gritted teeth, coughing blood as he forced himself to speak despite the wound in his abdomen and the mg arm. "My men... will kill them all... if they don't hear from me..."
"Wanna bet on that ?" I said cheekily as the villagers finally came into view of the defeated Olong.
"Impossible… I still had men posted down there... How could you defeat them... alone..." However, he would never know the answer to that question as his eyes finally closed and his last bit of life left him.
Dave, finally able to breathe normally, approached us with his blood-soaked axe. "I should be the one to congratulate you. You managed to save them all without losing a single one ?"
Ah,such confidence from a close friend. "Yup. They're all here."
"Great. Now all we have to do is get them back to their village and we would be free to get back to Nordion."
"That won't be necessary." Another voice spoke aloud, coming from the crowd of villagers. A knight, dressed in red and black, most likely a Cross Knight then. But he was wounded and most of his armour was missing. He was also leaning on Linda, with a small boy hiding behind her and I quickly deduced that it was the family she said was held captives with the other villagers. "I will see that they reach the village unharmed. You may return and report to Lord Eldigan."
[The skill 'Observe' is being used.]
Name : Charles
Class : Cavalier
Level : 10
I was a bit surprised that such a high level knight was among the captives, but decided not to think too much of it. After all, the enemy had hostage so it was easy to see his the knight might have been forced to surrender without even having the chance to fight.
"Are you sure ? We wouldn't want you to be attacked once more. Besides, you're still wounded and we've got supplies with us."
"No." He shook his head with a serious look. "Your concern is appreciated, but unnecessary. Those were the last of the bandits that plagued this area and they're now dead. We grateful for the supplies, but please do not feel entitled to do more than necessary."
"Fine by me." Dave lazily replied as if he couldn't be bothered, waving his farewell at them as he left the cave. However, I decided to stay behind a bit longer just to make sure that they could really manage on their own.
"It's all right, sir. We will be able to do that much on our own." Linda tried to reassure me, smiling as she caressed the top of her brother's head.
Well, Dave was already leaving, so I had to follow him.
"Good luck to you then. We'll leave the supplies in the village before going back."
"Before you go, please accept this as a token of my gratitude for saving my home-town." He reached into his pocket and rummaged around a bit before pulling out a blue ring and handing it to me.
[The skill 'Observe' is being used]
A new Item has been discovered and added to the encyclopaedia
.
Pursuit Ring
Type : Magic Ring
Effect : The enchantment inside this ring is capable of increasing the speed of it's wearer, making him twice as fast as usual.
"Thank you. You take care of yourselves now." The last image I had of them was of Linda bowing towards me, her brother waving his hand in the hand in farewell and the husband looking stoically forward.
As I made my way out of the cave, I saw Dave lying face first on the ground a few feet away from anyone... He must have been more exhausted from the fight than he let on, but luckily he wasn't really hurt.
I swear, what will he do without me ?
We managed to reach Castle Nordion at dusk, the sun setting behind us. The horses were incredibly fast, and I could sense the driver's anxiousness to be back as fast as possible.
"At least I kept my promise." A sigh escaped from my lips as I remembered the events of yesterday and of today.
Dave was still sleeping in the carriage, while I was outside with the driver. I needed some fresh air to think about everything that happened until now.
I thought back about the people I killed. I had no lasting trauma or a need to vomit, so I guess it wasn't that disturbing of an event in the first place... Or it wasn't my first time. Since I seem have a history here, that means this body has been around for years ?
'This is getting more and more confusing...'
My thoughts were a mess, one that I hoped would make more sense to me sooner rather than later if I wanted my future plans to go off without a hitch.
Two servants were waiting for us at the castle gate. One of them was helping the driver with the carriage and seeing as we had no extra luggage the other helped me carry Dave to his room.
After putting him on his bed, the servant who helped me said that Eldigan wanted me to come and see him as soon as we got back. As there was still some time before the end of the day, I decided to go now that I was free. I asked the servant to take me to where he was, and he readily agreed.
There were only two people in the throne room this time ; Eldigan and Grahnye.
"You have returned at last. And unharmed, I might add." Eldigan rose from his seat and approached me before surprising me with a handshake. "Your reputation was not unfounded, you do not cease to surprise me. Has anything strange happened ? Anything at all ?"
"Nothing I couldn't handle." I replied easily, though his comment was a bit peculiar. As if he was asking more than what he asked of us at first.
"Eldigan dear, could you give our friend a little rest ? He must be exhausted from travelling and fighting all day."
"Yes, I suppose you're right." He then turned to me and gripped my shoulder tightly. "You should rest, my lord. We will talk more tomorrow. I hope you will stay with us a little longer."
"Of course." I bowed slightly to him and Grahnye. "I will take my leave then..." I started to turn around but then I remembered one thing that has been bothering me. "One last thing, will you please not address me as Lord ? It makes me uncomfortable..."
"If that is your wish, then I ask you to do the same. You have been with us a long time and your help, as always, is greatly appreciated."
Congratulations ! You managed to become a little bit closer to Eldigan.
Congratulations ! You managed to become a little bit closer to Grahnye.
Quest Update !
Title : Bandit Subjugation
Type : Main Quest
Time-frame : Three days
Description : Bandits really are a pain in the ass, aren't they ? Anyway, this will surely be a good occasion to test the waters of this world as well as to deepen your bonds with the local Lord and Lady.
Objective : Go to a village near Nordion and subjugate all the bandits occupying it.
Rewards : 1 000 Gold Coins, 300 EXP, Pursuit Ring.
Failure : Eldigan will hunt you to the end of the world with the demon sword, Mystletain, at his side.
Progress : Success
LEVEL UP !
LEVEL UP !
I smiled, bowed again and left the throne room. As I was busy going through the last messages from the System, I didn't even notice as I made my way towards the castle gardens, thinking that I was heading to my room. Though, they were not that far from each other admittedly.
"How convenient. I was actually hoping to for you." I heard a voice behind me. I turned to find the determined face of Lachesis staring straight at me. I have to admit, her eyes were kind of intimidating at the moment. A bit like Eldigan actually.
"Good evening, my lady. How can I help you?" The smooth reply came out of my mouth as soon as I got close to her.
"Would you care for a cup of tea? I just had a maid make some with snacks." I actually saw a maid behind her, trying her best not to look in our direction and I wondered for a bit what Lachesis may have done to her.
Thinking that it'll be a bad idea, I quickly suppressed the uneasiness I was feeling before agreeing to her proposition." Well, I've got nothing to do at the moment."
"Great. Follow me, the table is this way." Clasping her hands together, she made long strides towards me on her way into the deeper areas of the gardens, turning here and there... If you asked me to retrace my steps back to the main hall, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to, but the way Lachesis was moving, almost on instinct, made me think that this was far from the first time she walked this road.
We soon reached a little area with a terrace, grand enough for a table and chairs to be placed in its center. Lachesis made her way to said chairs, her maid following us and helping her in setting everything.
"Here, have a seat, please." I did as she said and sat down on one of the soft chairs. The tea was still hot and there were biscuits and various small cakes on a tray. "Now I want you to tell me about what happened in the village. Do no skip a single detail." She went straight to the point.
"Yes, Lady Lache-"
"Drop the lady part, it is so very tiresome." Judging by the way she rolled her eyes, I wasn't sure at first if she was serious or joking.
"As you wish, Lachesis... First of all, as soon as Dave and I left the castle, he started drooling over the money..."
As such I started to tell her about our little mission. I wasn't the best storyteller, so there was surely some parts that must have been boring or difficult to grasp. However, she seemed to be absolutely enthralled by my every word, so much so that I didn't even care if I was good or bad, and just kept on talking until the moon came out.
{Preview}
Next time in Fire Emblem : The Holy War... Naga, please give me patience... Because if you give me strength, I swear I'll hit him on the head.
Lachesis : Elliot, I never liked you and I never will. I won't accept your proposal.
Ray : You heard the lady.
Elliot : NO ! You have to marry me! If not, then... I'll tell my father!
Lachesis : ...
Ray : ...
Lachesis : Is that really the best comeback you could come up with?
Ray : Hey, cut the guy some slack. That must have taken a lot out of his brain.
{ Endpoint}
So. This is the first chapter. Someone asked me for a different starting point from the game, and this is what I came up with. Please, don't forget to leave reviews and comments about what you think of this story so far. Because, well, you know, it is your ideas and suggestions that help make the next chapters even better.
Note : I will have Ray interact a bit with some characters before the main story. It'll most likely be characters that are from Agustria, or who stayed there during this period of time. Though there may be some cameos from other characters if I'm lucky enough…
I'll also be adding various skills along the way. Some from the Fire Emblem series but most of them from other series. Generally, Ray will gain one new skill per chapter, sometimes more depending on the situation, sometimes none at all. I've already got a few in mind, but if you want Ray to have one, just mention it and I'll think about how implementing it to the story.