I spent most of my days inside my office after that small break I and Robin took. It made me realize that no matter which way I sliced it, I was appointed to an actual job that didn't allow many leniencies. As such, I took the time to restore the books, but the more I focused on my work, the more demotivated I became to continue.

I had never thought I would feel something like a burnout within a week. Granted, I did spend half a day just sitting in front of empty sheets of paper copying the work of someone I hadn't met. It did make me wonder who was in charge before Frederick took hold.

Surprisingly, not a single book was signed, nor did I find any resemblance of a signature. It was like the person wanted to vanish from existence, leaving behind only mementoes about what it meant to be a quartermaster. I was happy these scripts existed, but it made me all the more curious about who the person was.

That wasn't important now though.

Once I finished another page, I let go of my pen before leaning back on my chair, letting out a long sigh in the process. I still had enough light that I didn't need a candle yet, so there was a long day ahead of me. I just wanted to spice things up because it was getting duller to just sit here and write.

"I'm going to ask Frederick."

It was always a small surprise getting up from my chair when my legs almost forgot how to move, but after stretching my limbs ever so slightly, I successfully got up and went to visit Frederick.

If somebody had to know that doing one thing over and over again was getting monotonous, it was definitely him. I'd just have to hope it wouldn't be something like workout drills because I was sure he would destroy my entire body.

Since I was getting accustomed to the barracks themselves, mapping them out was becoming much easier. Even if the place was bigger than I expected, I took a few sharp turns through a corridor or two and eventually reached the main hall.

Where still not a single soul was in sight.

Again, I had to reiterate just how empty this place was. I knew from Robin that the Shepherds were much bigger in number than at first glance, but with most of them gone, I felt like I was in a ghost town, or building in this case. Sure, some of them were here but they either had things to do, or just simply wanted to spend their time elsewhere. It wasn't like I was in a hurry to meet them, but still, at least I would like to know the people who I was supposed to work with.

"Lady Theresa?" I heard from my side, jolting my head in the voice's direction to spot the one person I was looking for. How convenient.

"Hey, Frederick," I said with a small smile gracing my features. "I didn't expect you to be here of all places."

"Nor did I, in fact," he gave me a slight glare. "I hope you are doing what you are supposed

to."

I waved my hand dismissively. "Yes, yes, I'm doing exactly what you think. Even if it gets rather dull."

"I never said it would be an enjoyable process. We need to build a stable foundation for your skills to grow. There is no easy way to go about it, or at least I haven't found a better solution yet," he said, his head slightly lowered. "And I apologize for the sudden deadline. I didn't expect the situation would be so dire in the Farfort and we don't have time to spare."

"No, I understand, but that isn't what I wanted to talk about."

Frederick let out a hum. "So, there is a reason for you wandering about here after all. Let us hear it then."

"It's mostly a personal request, but is there any way for me to spice things up? You know, like not being locked inside a single room for who knows how long?" I asked, making Frederick narrow his gaze.

"'Spice things up?' Is that your way of saying you want to do more than just restoring the scripts?" He said pointedly.

I nodded. "Yeah, my hands are getting numb from all the writing I've been doing so far."

"And how many books have you finished and studied?"

"Well, the count is up to four now, although I will admit I don't have them memorized to a tee," I said, my smile growing sheepish.

He put his hands behind his back. "Then I don't think that will be possible, not now at least. It is paramount you complete your training as soon as you can. With one of the larger marches the Shepherds have ahead, it wouldn't bode well to not know what our supplies are."

I resisted the urge to send him a glare and instead let out a small huff. "Can I at least know when that will come? Because I don't like to work under an invisible time limit."

"That is sadly not something I can say for sure. Many of the parties we sent haven't come back yet from their missions. All the more of a reason to quicken the pace, and be prepared," he said, his words ringing with finality, but I wouldn't go back down, not yet.

"Alright, let's say that the fortnight you gave me is all the time I have before most of the Shepherds come back and head off. I would still have enough time to run over all the finished books, and had time to spare," I said, crossing my arms.

"And what evidence do you have to support your claim?" He asked. "It's still too early to tell you'd be done by that point."

"Like I said, I have already restored four books —in four days, might I add— and I still have more than a week to learn and complete the rest. Besides, doing something else other than just learning how to count weapons and bottles would at least help me refresh my mind."

I just had to find out what it took to persuade him, but all he did was remain silent. It felt like I was talking to a brick wall, unmoving and unwavering, but there had to be a point where he would relent.

"I'm not doing this to give myself some rest or do whatever I want. I want to be useful to the Shepherds, even if it isn't combat or whatever. All I'm asking for is to give me some room to help in ways other than just being a quartermaster, because I'm sure not all Shepherds are just one-trick ponies." I pointed a finger at him. "And to prove to you that I'm not some garbage found on the wayside."

God, I hoped that was it, because if it wasn't, I had probably dug myself an early grave.

Frederick ever so slightly lowered his shoulders. He took a deep breath while closing his eyes, letting himself process the words I said.

I swayed in my spot while trying to keep my hands occupied while he just stood there. If there was one thing Frederick was good at, it was intimidating people with his sheer presence alone. I knew he had the upper hand here. He could just tell me that it wasn't an option and let me brood in my office, but the fact he didn't answer immediately gave me hope.

He eventually let out a sigh before opening his eyes, his amber coloured irises staring into mine. "Very well, I will grant you the permission you're seeking."

I couldn't help but let my lips curve up into a broad smile.

"But."

Aaaand right back down they went. I was starting to think Frederick was a sore loser.

"I will only allow you to take one hour a day." He turned away. "Make most of it, and I expect results from whatever you want to do, so that your talk about usefulness won't be just for show."

"Yes, sir," I said with a determined nod. "Then I have one more question."

"What is it?" He asked, his voice neutral.

"Where can I usually find Lissa?"

I didn't see his face, but I could tell he raised a brow. "How is that important to you now?"

"Because I need her help to make myself more useful," I said, and another sigh escaped his lips.

"She is either in the castle or is somewhere in the fields behind the barracks, usually around a small pond near the walls," he said. "Although she can be anywhere at her own leisure."

I gave him a flat stare. "So you're telling me that I have to chase her down?"

"I've yet to find out all of her usual spots myself, so yes." He slowly began walking away. "And the time you take to find her will also count to your one hour, lady Theresa. Good luck with your endeavors."

…I really hate you sometimes, Frederick.

{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}

So, at first, I thought it was going to be a waste of time looking for Lissa when I didn't even know where to find her specifically, but I was itching for a different activity other than just scribbling down notes and such. However, even with Frederick's less than helpful instructions, my search for Lissa was fruitless so far.

I checked her room, and she wasn't there. I looked inside the barracks, and had no luck there either. Going to the castle was a no-go either since I assumed it was going to be guarded by soldiers who wouldn't let somebody like me inside, even if I would tell them I was a Shepherd.

The only thing that was left to do was check the field behind the barracks, and just the thought made me want to crawl back inside my office because I would have to explore the entire place. Sure, Frederick told me she liked to hang out near the walls and visit a pond for some reason, but who knew what pond he was talking about.

For being a princess of this country, she certainly had a few quirky traits to her. The same could be said about Chrom, and god knew what their sister would be like. I hadn't met her yet, but if Chrom and Lissa were anything to go by, they were probably one of the weirdest set of siblings I had gotten to know thus far.

Granted, I guessed the same could be said about me and my brother too, but…

Why did these memories always come back when I least expected them? It was like they were going to plague my mind forever.

I shook my head to get rid of those thoughts, and focus on what I wanted to do, and that was finding Lissa.

I found myself in the same fields where Robin bashed me in the head, and instead of sitting down next to a tree, I marched towards the distant walls encapsulating this place.

It was rather hot outside, but the cool air was able to keep me from getting a heat stroke. I guessed there were other reasons for castles being built on high hills other than just being a positional advantage. Granted, air conditioning probably never was the main intent, to begin with, but I still appreciated it.

Once I was next to the walls towering over me, I tentatively touched the stone it was made out of. It was cold, bound together by brittle mortar of mud and clay that crumbled lightly under my touch. Compared to what I was used to, it felt like this wall could fall apart at any moment in my eyes, yet it was still able to stand, unwavering no matter what force was applied.

Maybe there was somebody out there who could, but I was certainly not one of them, I could only gaze at the wall with awe. The fact that this world could build giant castles like the one looming over Ylisstol with the simple technology it had was a miracle. All the more reason for me to appreciate the architecture, even if the lessons back in my school made it boring.

Letting my hand slowly slide down across the bricks, I switched my gaze to one of the directions the walls sprawled out and headed out to find Lissa, because I knew this was going to take a while if I didn't pick right.

I couldn't say it wasn't a pleasant walk though.

It was refreshing, being outside after a while and even if I wouldn't have found Lissa by that one hour mark, I would still say it was a time well spent. I even made use of my staff as a walking stick once again, because it made the trek that much more relaxing. It felt like I was a battery desperately needing to recharge, and I had to admit this was definitely one of the better ways to do so.

I suddenly began to hear water quietly flowing down the stream under the rustle of leaves and grass, coming from down the hill. I sped up to a brisk walk and got closer to the pond, only to find a pale yellow figure crouching next to it. Once I spotted those two blond pigtails hanging from their head, I immediately knew that it was Lissa.

I was extremely lucky to find the person I wanted today. I had to hope that something like a piano wouldn't suddenly drop right on top of me now.

"Lissa!" I shouted, increasing my walk to a jog while Lissa jolted slightly in place before looking behind her. Once she saw me, her eyes lit up.

"Theresa!" She shouted back, waving at me all the while. "Over here!"

I couldn't help but let my lips curve up before I reached Lissa. She gave me one of her bearhugs that I, rather than trying to get away from, matched, or at least as much as I could. She was still winning by a mile, and my ribs were still slightly creaking under the pressure she could dish out.

"You don't know how happy I am to see you finally outside again!" she squealed, breaking the hug in the process. "It feels like forever since it was just the two of us!"

I chuckled. "You were visiting me almost every day."

"That doesn't count! You were working!" She proclaimed, letting out a small laugh before putting her hands behind her back. "So, what are you doing here? I don't think you would wander all the way out here without a reason. Not to mention Frederick probably would scold you if he found out you aren't doing what he told you to."

"Well, about that. I persuaded him to let me have some time off each day. Only an hour, but I'll still take what I can get with him," I said, some smugness seeping into my voice. "As to your question, I came here to see you, actually."

"Wait, me?" She let out a snort. "Does that mean you missed me?"

"You would think that, wouldn't you?" I said, playfully crossing my arms before looking over to the pond. "Besides, I'm surprised how much this fresh air helps me relax."

Lissa nodded. "Yeah, I know what it feels like being stuck somewhere for far longer than you should. I'm just surprised it took you this long to ask Frederick for some time off."

"Hey, I'll have you know that opposing that wall is harder than it looks."

She shrugged. "I don't have that much trouble with him."

I gave her a flat stare. "You are literally a princess."

"Oh," she let out before rubbing the back of her head. "You know? Sometimes I completely forget about that tiny detail."

"I don't think that counts as a tiny detail," I said before shaking my head. "But we come far off-topic. There was something I wanted to ask you."

She perked up. "Sure, what is it?"

I held up my staff for Lissa to see before pointing at it. "I need you to teach me how to use this. Properly."

Lissa tilted her head to the side before a small frown appeared on her features. "Don't you already have enough on your table? I don't think adding this on top would be a good idea."

I let out a sigh. "Yeah, I know, but I really want to know what I was left with when I came here," I said before clutching the staff tightly. "I didn't know I was capable of such things before, and I need to know what I can do."

I looked up into her eyes. "If you don't want to, that's fine. I'm just asking if that is something you could help me with."

"Are you sure?" She asked, her voice hesitant. "I don't want you to strain yourself more. While it's not the hardest thing to do, it isn't easy either."

"If I could meet Frederick's expectations and convince him to let me keep my job, then this can't be that far off the table, right?" I said. "Please, Lissa."

She stared at me for a moment before looking away, hugging her arm. "I'm just not sure if this is the right call."

My shoulders sagged, letting my arm with the staff drop. "Is there any way I can convince you?"

She shook her head. "No, that's not the problem, I'd be happy to help you, but I just don't know. I don't know how to work with you. Sure, you can use the staff without a gem, but I don't know how you would react if you were using one, since that was the only way I'd learned to use a staff."

"But it's still worth a try, in my opinion. Who knows, maybe I'll find out I'm a natural in something at least," I said with a shrug.

She lifted her head before letting out a groan. "Alright fine, but if something happens to you, I'm immediately calling Frederick to make you lay off some of your work."

"That works for me," I said, letting a smile grace my features. "Thanks, Lissa."

She put her hands on her hips before tilting her body slightly forward. "It's fine, but I'm serious about this for once. If I find you in your office after something bad happens, I will have a word with you and your workaholic tendencies."

I backed off. "I… don't think I have any, but I would like to not have that conversation anyway."

"You'd better," she said before straightening her pose. "But we have another problem. I don't have a fresh gem for us to use. It's going to be hard to—"

I reached out for my keys neatly dangling by my side in one fluid motion, making Lissa grow quiet with their sound.

"You think that's going to be a problem?" I said smugly while spinning the keys around my finger. "I wouldn't be appointed a quartermaster without getting the keys to the vault now, would I?"

She stared at me with her mouth agape before closing it with a small clap. "You know? You can be sly when you want to be."

My eyes widened, catching the keys back in my hand. "Seriously? That's probably the first time somebody has ever said that to me."

"Then I'm shocked nobody did."

{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}

Once again, the dim and humid walls of the barrack's undergrounds filled my nostrils as I and Lissa walked toward the vault. With a torch in hand to illuminate the place, I reached for my keys to open the doors inside and, with a click of the lock, beckoned Lissa to go inside. She was hesitant at first but she eventually went into the room.

"Wow," she said, turning around to bask in all the boxes that littered the place. "I've never been here before."

She switched her gaze to me. "How long have you had access to this place?"

"Since the day I passed Frederick's first test actually," I said, walking inside myself. "Thanks to you."

I put the torch in its rest right beside the table meant for writing down the actual stocks that I would eventually occupy, but now wasn't the time to do that. While I did get to learn a few things, I still didn't know everything I needed to start the long count.

"Do you even know where it could be?" Lissa asked, glancing at the crates in front of us. "I don't know if I want to spend a whole day just looking for a gem."

I shook my head. "No, we don't have to go that far, thankfully. Each box here is marked with a sign indicating what's inside. Or at least, it should be."

I reached one of the crates and carefully inspected it to find what I was looking for. After I found a note plastered on the wooden planks, I took a step back for the light of the torch to illuminate the paper. It had a picture of a leather bag, which, if I remembered correctly, was for miscellaneous things such as sleeping bags and tents.

"See?" I said while pointing at the note. "This is what marks the boxes, and now we need to find one that has a… I think a gem? I still could be wrong, but anything that isn't related to what we're looking for should be obvious," I said.

"Shouldn't you know that?" She pointed out with a huff.

"Look, I'm still new to this and I haven't finished all the books Frederick gave me," I said with an irritated voice. "It's either a gem or a star. It has to be one of those two, so let's start looking."

Lissa breathed a sigh before we both started checking the boxes for the right sign and the process took a little longer than expected. It was surprisingly hard. Sure, some of them were rather obvious like weapons, especially when most of them were displayed on the racks, but it was a confusing system to learn. You could say it was the same as learning how to ride a bike, or learning any new skill for that matter.

It all came down to getting used to it.

Eventually, I was able to find a crate that had the star sign on it, making me breathe a sigh of relief.

"Hey, Theresa!" Lissa said, making me turn my head to her. "I found one with the gem!"

"Alright, I guess it's time to pry them open then," I said before I pushed the top of the crate aside, revealing a mess of tomes and metal rods surrounded by a bunch of hay.

I couldn't help but let out a groan. "This is going to take forever to organize."

"Have you found anything in there?" Lissa asked and I shook my head.

"No, this is full of catalysts. Nothing shiny or rocky inside," I said. Now I at least knew what that star icon meant. "Then that crate next to you should be the one."

"Alright," she said before inspecting her own crate.

"Ah!" She exclaimed before bending down and acquiring a single stone that shined a green hue under the light of the torches. I could tell this couldn't be a rock found somewhere in a random cave because of how well it was carved out. It had the stereotypical oval shape like an egg with two pointy ends and a classic gem pattern.

It was an oversized piece of jewelry, but I had to admit it looked beautiful. Although I couldn't imagine myself wearing it as a ring.

I walked towards Lissa who was still looking over the gem before I absentmindedly gazed down inside the box and was surprised how… very few of them were inside. I could probably count them all on one hand alone.

"Are they really that expensive?" I thought out loud. "I know Robin told me tomes are expensive, but that included these gems too?"

Lissa pensively held the gem in front of her, gazing at the vibrant color the rock emanated.

"Yeah, these things have to be made with care. From what I know, Themis is currently the only place in Ylisse that is able to produce them, since they are close to the mines," she said, making me click my tongue.

"Now I'm not so sure if I want to use one just to find out if I can do it."

"Well, we've come so far," she said before flashing me a smile. "Besides, some gems, if you're careful with them, can be recharged, unlike pages in a tome."

"Wait, so it works like a battery?" I instinctively asked her, making Lissa raise a brow.

"Um, what's a battery?"

At first, I was confused about why she would ask such a question until realization dawned on me. Of course she didn't know what a battery was. Those things were literally centuries away, and I was damn sure I wouldn't be the one to invent them here.

"Forget what I said. It would take a long time to describe what a battery is. I don't even know what makes it work anyway," I said with a shake of my head before pointing at the gem in her hand. "So, what are we going to do with it?"

She didn't dwell on the fact I changed the topic and instead reached out to me with her other empty hand. "Could you give me your staff?"

I gave her a nod while letting the staff rest on my palms, prompting Lissa to take it. Once she did, she took the gem and slowly but surely put it near the top of my staff, where the two wings folded around the socket. Sure enough, the gem flew from her hand before it settled itself in the staff with a soft click.

I could only gaze at my staff in awe at what it just did while Lissa wiggled with the gem, making sure it was secure in place. Once she nodded, happy with the results, she turned to me.

"Thank Naga, it's like any other staff I've used so far. I don't think it should be a problem to use it now," she said, snapping me out of my trance.

"Wait, but what do we use it on? We don't have anyone that needs to be healed or something," I said, but Lissa shook her head.

"No, that's not necessary. All we need to know is if you can activate the gem itself. If you can, then the gem would normally do the rest, but since none of us has a bruise or a scar, it should go out on its own," she explained, making me touch my chin.

"But wouldn't that just be a waste?"

"Like I said, the gems themselves can be recharged. We just have to make sure we don't overuse them, and once it cracks once, there is no going back." She held my staff in front of her, beckoning me to take it. "Since this gem hasn't been used, I doubt it's going to break if we just light the room here a little."

I gazed down at her arms before tentatively taking my staff back. It was heavier than I was used to, yet at the same time, the gem gave me some form of comfort with the added weight. If everything would go well, I wouldn't have to rely on myself as the fuel, like Robin said.

"Well, give it a try! It should be similar to what you've done back in Southtown, so you only need to replicate it," Lissa said.

I gave the staff a light squeeze before widening my stance and impaling the stone floor with a satisfying thunk. Once I closed my eyes, I sought the same sensation I had before, like I needed to heal someone badly.

The feeling eventually came, the same tug I knew very well at this point, yet, something told me I wasn't doing it properly. Sweat started to form on my forehead while I instinctively grimaced. Once I saw the edges of my dark vision light up in a faint green hue, I heard Lissa shout, "Wait, stop!"

I jolted awake, snapping my eyes wide open before taking in many labored breaths while leaning on my staff. I brought my hand up for inspection only to see the remnants of green light enveloping my palm. I snapped my gaze at the gem on my staff and I saw nothing but the reflecting light of the torches.

I used myself again, and I had no idea what I did wrong.

Lissa rushed to me before kneeling down. "Are you alright?"

"Somewhat," I wheezed out before fully standing up, making Lissa breathe a sigh.

"Thank Naga for that, at least. You scared me there for a second," she said, her head slumped. "I didn't know you could still be able to do that when you had the gem there."

"It's fine, I'm pretty sure none of us knew that was going to happen," I said before bringing my staff to view. "But then what did I do wrong?"

"What were your thoughts?" She asked.

"My… thoughts?" I parroted. "Please don't tell me Robin wasn't pulling my leg back there."

She shook her head. "No, he wasn't. If anything, he was kind of right. Our thoughts are something like a trigger to the catalysts we use that makes them do the things we want."

She sheepishly scratched her cheek. "I don't know much because I didn't really look into it more than I needed to. We do have Miriel though, who knows a lot more than probably all of the Shepherds combined about how magic works."

Lissa then crossed her arms. "But back to what I was asking. What were you thinking?"

"That… I wanted to heal somebody badly?" I said, still confused.

Her eyes widened. "Huh, so maybe that's why it makes you so tired."

I gave her a quizzical look. "Could you explain it then?"

"Basically what you're telling your staff is that it needs to heal no matter what, and since you aren't guiding the staff to use the gem, it uses you instead. Because the connection you have with it is much bigger than the new gem right there," she said while pointing at the rock. "If your thoughts are more controlled and less pushy, it should do the trick."

If my frown filled with questions couldn't get any bigger, it did. "You know that doesn't really tell me what to think though, right? I'm not somebody who would normally stick around alone in my head."

She breathed a sigh. "Alright, then I'll tell you what I think. It's in the lines of 'help me with this wound' while guiding my thoughts into the gem, not the staff itself."

…Huh. For some reason, that gave me an idea.

"I'll give it another try," I said, taking Lissa aback.

"You thought of something?" She asked, making me nod.

"Yeah, in a sense."

I eased my stance a little while pointing the rod at the unlit part of the vault. I closed my eyes once again emptying my mind so that there was only me, the gem, and the place I wanted to light up. Once I entered my trance, I thought, There, brighten that place up for me.

At first, I didn't feel anything, not the familiar tug nor any light. The only thing that kept me company was the flickering fire of the torches piercing my eyelids until my staff started to heat up. It wasn't hot, but warm to the touch, making me instinctively tighten my grip as if trying to grasp that ember within.

It was at that point a small green wisp entered my vision. It got brighter with each moment until I couldn't see anything else. A single "Wow!" from Lissa made me open my eyes before I let out a gasp.

The gem emanated a faint green glow, like a blurred beam of sunlight. I noticed it was aiming at the exact place I was thinking too. It was like I had a flashlight, but whenever I repositioned my staff, the light always aimed at the back of the vault.

"Wow," was all I could say. I felt like a kid who got a new toy to play with. Lissa excitedly waited on me with bated breath, her smile hidden behind her hands.

Eventually, I had my fun. It showed me that I was indeed capable, and even if the way to activate it was a little cheesy and embarrassing, it was something I could get around. It wasn't like somebody could read my mind anyway. With a small flick of my staff and a single thought, it went out on its own, again, much to my surprise.

"You did it!" Lissa shouted once the lights were out, and immediately tackled me, forcing me to let out a yelp. I was left breathless since she buried her head inside my chest while giggling uncontrollably. "Oh my gosh, you have no idea how proud I am right now!"

"T-thanks."

She lifted her head. "So, how do you feel?"

My lips curved up into a smile, despite the fact she was crushing me again. "Less tired, for sure."

"That's great! Now we know you can use it!" She said before breaking the hug. "All we have to do is get more proficient and you might as well be another cleric for the Shepherds!"

"Um… I think we'll cross that bridge when we get there. I'll focus on becoming a quartermaster first. Besides, I think I'm well past that one hour mark of free time I have."

Lissa deflated a little before breathing a sigh. "Right, I guess you don't want to try Frederick today anymore."

"No, not by a long shot," I said. "Although would you mind if we meet like this again? Maybe outside next time, and you can give me a few pointers to work on."

Her eyes lit up once again. "Of course! Right by that pond around the same time?"

"Yeah, that could work," I said before glancing at the gem on my staff. "Now, we're putting you back where you belong."

"Wait, keep that one," Lissa intervened, stopping me from removing the jewelry.

"But why? This doesn't belong to me, but the Shepherds," I said before Lissa waggled her finger in front of me.

"No no no, you are a part of the Shepherds now. Which means everything here belongs to you as it does to everybody. You're just here to make sure people don't take things out of the blue," she argued, but that didn't make me feel any better.

"But I am taking this out of the blue."

"You had a reason to take it. I think it still counts," she said with a shrug. "Frederick will understand once you explain it to him."

I looked away from her gaze. "I don't want to push my luck with him though."

"Then say that I was the one who thought of the idea and you went with it. It was just convenient to take a gem from here because you have access to this place," she proclaimed, making me stare at her for a second before a chuckle escaped my lips.

"And you say I'm sly."

She gave me a small grin that felt a little uncharacteristic of her, but somehow, it fit her well, which wasn't reassuring. "I can appreciate it when it needs to be."

Her grin immediately fell in place with a broad smile. "Anyway, I'll meet you by the pond tomorrow, okay? Maybe we'll have some girl talk with it."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, my annoyance betrayed by my quiet chuckling. "Sure, if it makes you feel better."

"Then it's settled! I'll just make sure Frederick isn't nearby," she said before jogging towards the exit and giving me a wave. "See you tomorrow!"

"Goodbye, Lissa," I said, and just like a bumblebee, she flew off out of my sight, leaving me in the supply room alone.

I let out a long sigh before sitting down on the only chair in this room. "She is one bundle of sunshine, alright. And even that is an understatement."

I gazed at the two boxes we had left open before reaching the one with the catalysts inside. Again, the thought I was going to organize this place made me want to just forget about it, but somebody had to do something.

I gave myself a determined nod before taking the lids and promptly closed both boxes, allowing myself to keep that single gem on my staff. It wasn't like all the records about the current stocks could be found in piles of ashes anyway.

Once I was done, I walked out of the vault and closed the doors behind me. I went back to my office to finish what I had started.

Because I was going to need all the time I could get to reorganize this entire mess.

AN: Hello once again. I hope you liked today's chapter.

I don't really have much to add to this chapter but I do have an update to share. I will take a small break from Extra Branch because I have been neglecting my other stories that are still up and running. So I apologize if there aren't going to be any new updates in the upcoming month or two. I hope you understand. My hands aren't made out of metal after all.

Anyway, I'd like to thank Cavik for beta reading today's chapter. He has a few works of his own that are quite good, and if you like this type of fanfiction, you will not be disappointed with his content. He is also a part of the Fanfiction Treehouse discord server that is filled to the brim with people who like fanfiction too. If you want to join, here is the link: 9XG3U7a

Thank you for your time.

God's speed.