Chapter XXXV: A Suitable Partner
"Now then… time for me to get ready for this damn ball," Ragna said to himself, trying to convince himself that this was the right thing to do and that this was something he could do. Jubei hadn't exactly been one to teach him the values of a social life, so he'd had to learn things as he went with Shepherds… maybe using the common sense that many of the people back home seemed to be sorely lacking. He'd made some progress sure, but a social butterfly Ragna was not… especially since it wasn't just the Shepherds he'd be dealing with.
"Going to have to remind myself to watch my mouth around those people," he muttered to himself, thinking about the noble families that had been giving him all kinds of grief ever since he made it to this world. "I guess if there's any way out of it I'll need to be dancing the entire night so I won't have time for them to deal with the nobles, but I haven't danced since that ball in Ferox… Guess I could ask Olivia for help; if she managed to teach me on the spot once maybe she can do it again."
His mind made up, the Reaper exited his new estate and locked the door with the key that Robin had given him before heading outside the estate. Since it was located in the nobility district of the capital city, his manor had a reasonable sized front yard, but aside from a few trees it was barren of most decoration.
"Right… without servants I'd have to take care of the garden by myself won't I?" Ragna thought to himself with a sigh before chuckling. "Here I am even considering handing off some physical labor to someone else. If Jubei saw me now he'd be kicking my ass up the street." Fond memories emerged of Ragna's time spent with the Beast-man... along with all of the ass beatings he'd gotten in his earlier years, but Ragna tried to think back fondly on his master as he walked out the front gates.
"I see that our most recent addition to our ranks has already taken to his new home," Ragna heard a member of nobility say. He was about to groan at the pattern of gossip he was falling into, before realizing he was actually being addressed. The man that stood before him was well kept if just slightly overweight. The quality and color of his clothing indicated that he came from an important position, but it was much less… flamboyant than most other nobility garb. Standing beside him was much thinner young lady who shared his shade of brown hair and scarlet eyes, leading Ragna to assume she was his daughter. "How are you taking to the new accommodations?"
"...It's sort of on the large side, isn't it?" the Reaper responded honestly and nonchalantly. The noble before him gave a small chuckle.
"I'm afraid I've never taken the time to consider it, having been born into my own estate with a silver spoon in my mouth," the noble admitted. The term silver spoon was a somewhat demeaning term amongst nobility, most often to refer to someone that had been born into power, status, and privilege instead of earning it. Ergo, not exactly the most self-gratifying term for the man to use. "Pardon me, I'm afraid you don't even know who I am. My name is Count Joffrey Banesteel, and this is my daughter Vinisa." Vinisa only gave Ragna a small smile now that she'd been addressed.
"...Call me Ragna," the Reaper said, simply to introduce his own character.
"Of course we all know your name by now, even without the… abundant gossip from my peers," Joffrey noted, seeming to stress some distaste.
'He's actually talking like a normal person? This is a first,' Ragna's thought to himself with some suspicion. '...Maybe this guy's just seeing me in a differently now that I've got that Title with me… but something's off about this.'
"I'd ask that we'd talk more, but I'm afraid that I'm due to meet with a partner of mine regarding a trade agreement," the Count told him. "Best of luck surviving the beast's den that is the Nobility… just remember that not all of us are wolves." Vinisa curtsied to Ragna before she and her father left, heading down the streets to meet with one of the other nobles, leaving a very confused Reaper.
"Okay then…?" he began, scratching the back of his head. "What the hell was that about?"
Later -The Shepherd's Barracks-
Truth to be told, Ragna didn't have any concrete ideas where Olivia was staying since he hadn't seen much of her since his reveal on the day of Emmeryn's speech. For all he knew she could have been staying in the castle as Basilio's plus one and just had never come across her (hell, he hadn't been in that place nearly early enough to be familiar with it) but most likely she was staying in the barracks with the other Shepherds. When he'd assisted the two Khan's under the enigmatic guise of the Black Knight she hadn't been a part of their travelling caravan, so he assumed that she'd have been staying in Ylisse once the war had ended.
The hallways of the barracks were oddly empty as he traveled through them, giving him little chance to ask any of his fellow Shepherds of Olivia's whereabouts. Ragna figured that this meant that the Shepherds didn't have any practice drills to perform today, that they'd been given today to practice, relax, or… whatever. Something that while nice for them, would only make his personal search for the dancer all the harder.
"Tch, this ain't working out like I'd hoped," the Grim Reaper grumbled to himself. "But I got less than a week and there's no way I'm get through that damn ball without dancing once… What a pain in the ass. Alright, let's check to see if anyone's out in the yard and leave it there."
A promise to at least make an effort made, Ragna headed through the hallways in the hopes of coming across Olivia on the way there or at least a person that could tell him where she was. Luck wasn't on his side and the hallways proved to be as vacant on his walk there as when he had arrived, but upon entering the training grounds, he did come across a familiar face; a rather dedicated swordsman.
Terrified Resolve
Standing before one of the practice dummies while holding a blade in each hand, Lon'qu was staring harshly at his target. He was so still that even with his enhanced senses Ragna could barely hear his breathing. He knew what Lon'qu was doing, visualizing the small and simple dummy as actual threat; an opponent that would threaten him in actual battle. With the intensity that his mere glare was showing, Ragna figured that by now Lon'qu was seeing the imaginary opponent as accurately as one could.
Then the stillness ended and Lon'qu swords sailed through the air, smacking harshly into the opponent in the blink of an eye. Once, twice, thrice; the swordsman's blades made contact with his target several times in an absolute flurry of swings with his blade. The strikes upon the dummy are rapid, precise, and unyielding. A few moments later, Lon'qu stops swinging and halts his sword at a ready position, able to move to offense of defense at his choosing. With a grunt, he lets his swords down and allows his body to relax.
"Someone's merciless," Ragna notes and Lon'qu turns to face the fellow swordsman.
"Coming from you… I'm not quite sure how to feel about that," Lon'qu admits with a smirk. "I'm surprised it took you this long to come here, I thought any ideas of lordship would have pushed you back to the sparring ring long ago."
"I've had enough on my plate to keep me busy, but I'm afraid I'm not here for a match," Ragna said, remembering that he and Lon'qu would usually wind up sparring when they talked like this. "You see Olivia around?"
"Earlier this morning in the mess hall, but I'm afraid I haven't seen her since," the Feroxi swordsman responds naturally, before barely showing a sign of anxiety as his smirk faded. "...Is it important?"
'He wants to talk to me about something,' Ragna realized, before deciding he could manage to put his search on hold for the moment. "I guess it isn't, but something tells me you aren't trying to pressure me into sparring."
"No, there's something I've wished to discuss with you," Lon'qu admitted. "The main point being my more recent surge dreams."
Ragna didn't say anything. He remembered the secret that Lon'qu had allowed him in on, that every night he'd be haunted by visions of the girl from his childhood that he didn't save. They were harsh memories… but it seemed that they'd had that conversation long ago.
"Have they faded?" Ragna asked hopefully, though he knew it unlikely.
"In part they have; they are much less frequent and the blow that they leave upon me each night has been dampened… but that may only be because of a new fear that I've found; one for the future."
"That's… usual I guess," Ragna said, remembering the few times he'd been worried for his own future back home instead of being in his usual rage driven state. "This one come from somewhere specific?"
"It did, though that's all I'd wish to say on that subject," Lon'qu admitted. The Reaper couldn't say for sure, though he could speculate that the final events of Plegia may have been the cause. "I've tried many things to stifle this fear; from running myself ragged in training, engaging in slight drinking, even continuing to down a vile mixture that barely numbed my first nightmares.
"As long as you're trying this hard you'll beat it eventually," the redcoat told his friend as words of encouragement. "I mean, you've made progress on the first one haven't you?"
"...I have, but the two are connected," he admitted with a grimace. "The recovery from my first phobia and the arrival of the second both link closely to the members of the Shepherds. First I was afraid of a failure in the past, but now my fear for those in my present has covered that fear. It's been difficult, but I've be managing recently… I'd say it would be more than fair to thank you for it."
"Me? What have I done?" Ragna asked with confusion. "I never said much and most of the time you and I just end up fighting each other."
"Physical sparring can help to clear the mind, you know that much," Lon'qu reminded him. "And past that you've help heard me out; given me a needed friend with a past not too different from my own. Our talks may have seemed insignificant to you, but they've been invaluable to my growth."
"Hey, it's not a problem; despite your gruff nature you're surprisingly easy to get along with," Ragna told him, a small smile forming on his face.
"Hmph, I think that's another trait we both share," Lon'qu told him as his smirk confidently returned. "Even through this fear, my newfound appreciation for the Shepherds and those I hold close to me have given me a new drive, pushing me ever forward." He then raised both of his swords and Ragna knew where this was going. "Care to test what my effort has brought me?"
"Heh, and here I thought you said that you weren't trying to get a match with me," Ragna reminded with a smirk as he headed over to the practice rack and grabbed a sword of his own.
"I thought I told you the last time we did this; let's leave the tactics and deception to your sister," Lon'qu said as he raised his swords. "At your ready."
"Have it your way then," Ragna responded in kind. The two warrior launched themselves at each other with a loud roar. The strikes of their sparring swords would echo across the field for a good while longer…
Support Rank A Obtained with Lon'qu
Meanwhile -Castle Ylisse-
"Not this again…" Robin groaned to herself as she overlooked the enormous collection of petite coats and dress that stood before her. "I told you that I'm too busy planning the ball to waste time trying on dresses."
"And what happens when the ball finally arrives and you don't have anything to wear besides that usual tacticians coat of yours?" Aversa asked with a serious look upon her face as she took one of the dresses off of the rack. She then set the dress up against the tactician to get a proper gauge of what she was working with. The azure blue color looked decent on the tactician, but she thought that could do better on the shape and the… frills. "I'm sure you could care less, but I doubt it would reflect well on Chrom if you're not wearing a dress."
"Then he'd have a stern talking to with them for attacking the official tactician's uniform, but what makes you think Chrom's taking me in the first place?" she demanded as Aversa held up another dress.
"Don't insult me, it's beyond obvious the chemistry that you two show for each other. Not all women are like the blind, lovestruck daughters of the nobility that have it out for your soul mate; anyone that knows you two at all know that you wouldn't have it any other way and neither would we." There were less frills on this dress, but Aversa thought that they could find a far better matching color than light pink. "Besides, think of this a bit more personally. Imagine Chrom's first look at you in a stunning dress, your hair perfectly done, and… draw the line at makeup?"
"Please."
"Regardless, imagine the look his face when he first sees you; will it be full of surprise and wonder, what kind of fire will there be in his eyes, will he grow to appreciate you even further for showing this new side of you? ...Doesn't that fill you with more than a shred of excitement?"
"...Maybe a little?" Robin meekly surrendered. Aversa smiled and stared looking at some of their more risqué options. "...I wish you could've talked to my brother about this, then you might have managed to convince him to dress up."
"Brother…" Aversa said, stopping in her search momentarily as she thought to whom Robin was referring to. The tactician saw this hesitation and how Aversa's complexion seemed to change for the darker. "...How is he? Have you talked to him... recently?"
"I saw him just this morning to show him his new estate," Robin told her, deciding to be honest. "He surprised me when he accepted the job without much of a fight, but I guess he never really felt like anything's changed with his job."
"I… I see…" Aversa said slowly starting to move again. "Did… Did he seem… Happy?"
"He did," the tactician responded. "In fact it sounded like he was ready to think of…" She stopped herself; that was something that Ragna could reveal himself. "Nothing, but he seems happy." Aversa didn't say anything for a long moment. "Aversa?"
"I think I've found a good starting point," Aversa said as she brought out a light velvet dress, ending that conversation there. "The color isn't perfect and there are a few too many frills, but I think this would be very workable."
"...It looks okay to me," Robin agreed as she decided that she let Aversa open up to her own problems/weaknesses when she felt it was right. Slowly unbuttoning her shirt, she prepared to slip into the dress. Dressed only in her smallclothes, she was silent for a moment as Aversa looked her over. "...What?"
"...Perhaps I didn't give you enough credit; you certainly have better volume on you than I thought and where it counts no less," Aversa said with a strange form of respect as Robin blushed. "Chrom's a lucky man; make sure you take the time to remind him of that."
Back to the Barracks
"Crap, I got too damn sidetracked," Ragna muttered to himself as he leaned against the wall of the sparring field with arms moodily crossed. His match with Lon'qu had just ended and both swordsmen were rather satisfied with the outcome of said clash; Lon'qu hadn't managed to land a single solid blow upon the Reaper and not for lack of trying or the intensity but he'd pushed to Reaper just as fiercely as his last match with Chrom. The only problem was that Lon'qu had been rather insistent on displaying everything that he had to give to the Grim Reaper, much more than a few matches would be able to showcase from the swordsman. By the time that they had finally stopped the sun had risen to an angle that would indicate it was close to when he should be thinking about lunch.
"...Maybe I can find Olivia if I look around town," he considered. "If it's close to lunch and she's with the other girls, it's possible that they might be trying to find somewhere to eat." He gave a sigh as he rose from the wall. "Meaning she could be just about anywhere that sells food, so that ain't limiting my options… Better than nothing to go off of I guess."
Unusual Demands
"Looking for a partner to spar with?" Ragna heard a familiar voice say which lead to him giving a small groan. He didn't have anything against said person, but now wasn't the time to be dealing with her.
"Sorry, but I just finished up with Lon'qu a bit ago," Ragna told her as he faced the Eastern Kahn of Regna Ferox.
"You and Lon'qu held a round of sparring and you didn't invite me? I'm offended Ragan, truly I am," Flavia said to him with a smirk on her face, though the Reaper noticed she was staring at him rather analytically.
"What is it now?" he grumbled.
"I'm just trying to figure out how you'd managed to hide yourself when you were right under my nose, Black Knight," Flavia said her gaze at the Reaper seeming to be all the more piercing. "Allow me to be blunt, but you don't seem like an actor."
"Oh but I am; the whole damn world just happens to be the stage," Ragna grumbled. Flavia stared at him in awe for the absurdity before letting out a hearty laugh. 'Least that was what Rachel always used to tell me.'
"You're ridiculous my friend, truly ridiculous," Flavia told him as Ragna rolled his eyes. "But then, I suppose that's actually something I have to admire about you; you don't let anyone tell you how to think."
"I'm going to take that as a compliment since it's coming from you," the Reaper told her, knowing Flavia's usually hardheaded nature. "Sorry to skip out on the match, but I've got to be going."
"In that case why not give me the time to at least treat you to lunch?" the Kahn offered, giving Ragna pause.
"...Much as I'd like to take you up on that, I really got to be going," Ragna told her. "Maybe another-"
"You're talking like I'll be giving you a choice," Flavia interrupted him, speaking with confidence. "I know you well enough that the next time I ask you you'll be just as busy with the Shepherd's if not further, no I think I'll be taking my time with you now… Besides, you owe me."
"How the hell do I owe you!?" Ragna demanded harshly.
"Well for one thing you aren't giving the same treatment that you allowed Lon'qu just now, I don't enjoy favoritism from anyone Ragna the Bloodedge," she told him slyly. It was slowly dawning on Ragna that this was another form of teasing him, but he still wasn't going to take this lying down.
"Oh yeah? Then how about the time I saved your soldier's hides back in Regna Ferox? The one where I helped you fight off those bandits just after wiping out a force of the Risen?" he questioned back confidently. "Saved a lot of lives that day, yours might've been one of 'em."
"Oh that's right, you mean the time you were knowingly deceiving me by wearing that armor." Ragna's gulp was audible to Flavia and the woman now had the smile of a wolf that had cornered its prey. "Face it my friend, you'll be dining with me for lunch today."
"...Woof," Ragna said at the blackmailing Khan.
Later -Ylisse-
"I suppose I didn't say to do otherwise, but you asked that we had a table away from the crowds?" Flavia asked with slight surprise. "Feeling a little shy today? Or are you just afraid to be seen with me?"
"Not in the slightest; you said you wanted to have lunch with me, so let's have lunch," the Reaper told her. "Damned if I know why you're still bothering."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Flavia questioned, seeming honestly confused. "You know that I put a good deal of value in you."
"Yeah for sparring," Ragna muttered as he decided to be blunt with Flavia. He was about to take a sip of his drink but not before hearing Flavia… not laugh but it was honestly more of a giggle, something that he thought too girlish for Flavia (he'd never say it to her face though, he liked his head where it was). "What'd I say?"
"Just that you showed my other reason for keeping you around; your snarky bluntness."
"Beg pardon?" the Reaper responded, having thought it was one of his lesser liked qualities.
"Out of everyone I've ever talked to, the only two that have ever talked to me as a peer instead of a leader was that oaf Basilio and yourself. Even back in when we first me in Regna Ferox you didn't seem to hold yourself on ceremony during our talks… that and you don't seem to pick fights without reason and you carry the strength to enforce your own convictions."
"So what you're saying is…?" Ragna asked trying to get to the point.
"Nothing, only that I've considered you more a good friend than just some throw away sparring partner," Flavia told him. "Though if you allowed us to spar more I'd be just a little more appreciative. Maybe if you even gave me a serious match."
"Yeah, yeah, I'll take it under note," Ragna promised with a whimsical sigh. "But now you actually want me to risk going all out? You're a hard one to read Flavia; a really damn hard one..."
"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment," the East Kahn countered with her own snark.
"...Touché," he admitted, leaving the two to chuckle before beginning their meal.
Support Rank B Obtained with Flavia
'Lunch was nice, but I'm getting too damn sidetracked,' Ragna thought to himself as he headed out of the Inn once he'd finished his meal with the Kahn. The Grim Reaper had managed to get his stomach filled with some decent food and was ready to resume his search for the pink haired dancer. With any luck he'd find her somewhere around the city. All that was left was to-
An Odd Attempt
"Ragna!" the Grim Reaper heard a gruff voice call out to him, immediately stopping him in his tracks. He let out another groan as he turned to see Basilio heading towards him. Since the Western Khan was still wearing what he always wore, many of the townspeople passing by were giving odd glances at the giant and burly barbarian-esque man in their city, apparently not aware that he was technically visiting nobility.
"Not now… please…" Ragna groaned as Basilio approached him, almost looking slightly insulted. "I've got my own shit to do and everyone I've come across hasn't given me ten minutes to myself."
"Hah! Like I'm letting you go that easily!" Basilio said with a hearty chuckle. "Whatever work you need to get done will seem a lot less stressful with a good drink in your stomach, more fun at least!"
"Drinking? This early?" Ragna asked before turning to the sun's position. Judging from that alone, it was barely past noon. "Seems kind of early doesn't it?"
"Never too early to enjoy a good drink I say!" the Khan told him though it was clear he was starting to realize that Ragna wasn't really buying it. "Tell you what lad, humor me with this and I'll give my two cents on whatever you need help with, Khan's promise."
'Oif,' Ragna internally grumbled to himself. 'Then again, if there's anyone out there that might know where Olivia is, Basilio is pretty high up on the list… Guess I'll have to grab a drink with him eventually anyways.' "Fine, nothing too heavy though; just ate."
"That's the spirit, follow me," Basilio told him as he started leading the Reaper down the road. "I know a pretty good place that's exactly what we need; not too prissy in its design, hosts a lot of rough types, lot of hard drinks… shapely serving girls."
"Sounds like paradise," the Reaper muttered sarcastically.
"Don't worry, I'll be sure to keep your womanizing under lock and key," Basilio laughed mockingly, leaving Ragna worried that this would be like that time that he had to visit a hostess bar with Virion. While he was sure that the archer had been careful not to spread word about this particular event (it would've been a huge blow to his pride), Ragna had to be sure that rumors about such things didn't start cropping up. "Ah, here we are."
Heading into the establishment, the Reaper saw that Basilio had been pretty truthful in his assessment of the place. The place wasn't that different than most Inn based restaurants that he'd been in, even if a few of the walls and tables showed signs of roughhousing and maybe even a few bar brawls. The patrons did look a little on the rougher side; not criminals, but certainly a few brawny farmers and guards that didn't look like they were going take shit from anyone. The bar looked like it was fully stocked with all types of hard Alcohol, some that looked like they were from around the kingdom while others were from Regna Ferox and even a few odd ones from Plegia. The serving girls were pretty enough (Ragna would never admit it to Basilio though) but the Reaper knew that he wasn't here to flirt… nor did he really know how to. After taking a seat at one of the open tables, the two began their talk.
"So, what's it that you need my help with?" Basilio asked. "You seem pretty damned serious about it."
"It's not really that serious," Ragna admitted before groaning. "I'm just starting to get a little pissed off being interrupted every ten minutes. I'm looking for Olivia."
"Olivia?" Basilio said as he scratched his beard. "Let me see… Haven't seen her."
'Of course,' the Reaper internally groaned as his head slumped over slightly.
"Eh, I'd just check back in the barracks later today; chances are she'll pop up there," the Kahn told him as one of the serving girls headed over. "Two of your strongest drinks; I'm feeling a little adventurous today." He capped that off with a wink to the woman… a least Ragna thought it was a wink with the way Basilio was smiling at the woman, it's a little hard to tell with an eyepatch covering the other eye.
"Certainly milord," the woman bowed pleasantly with a sultry smile as she headed off to grab the two their drinks.
"Just don't go too overboard, I didn't sign up for carrying you back to the castle," the Reaper reminded him bluntly.
"Never met a drink that could put me under the table, not about to have this be the first," Basilio told him. "Sides, if I had to be sent back drunk, Flavia would never let me hear the end of it."
"No, she wouldn't," Ragna had to agree with him. "Even when the two of you agree with each other, you're almost always at each other's throats."
"Hah! Comes with the territory of being a Khan!" Basilio chuckled heartily. "She's a woman that always wants to get her way, but at least she's willing to put the labor for her fruit."
'Fruits of her labor, then?' Ragna thought remembering the old saying. "I've had to witness it firsthand, just now actually…"
"Hah, you'd have my pity if I wasn't always in the same kingdom as her," Basilio chuckled before turning strangely serious. "So then… does she want you?"
"The hell is that supposed to mean!?" the Reaper demanded, fighting back a harsh blush.
"Don't be daft; Flavia isn't the type of person that would waste her time with romance, hell I'm not even sure if she knows what it is."
"...I'll be sure to pass that on to her," Ragna threatened, glaring as he tried to collect himself. Their drinks then arrived and just by looking at it, Ragna could tell that this was some pretty hard stuff.
"Tch, not like she doesn't know I think that; she's the one who told me," Basilio told him cockily in turn. "What I meant was if she was asking if she want your help for the Tournament to decide the next Kahn. We've held off the last one due to… current events, but it's going to happen sooner or later."
"Never brought it up," Ragna told him. "Chrom helped out 'cause we needed Flavia's support; I don't feel like getting involved; sort it out yourselves"
"Heh, that's good enough for me… might try and take Lon'qu back with me then; he's improved so much that he'd be a shoe in for a champion." Basilio looked at him seriously. "Don't tell him I told him that though, don't want him getting cocky enough to challenge me."
"If you're so worried about it maybe you should spend more time training and less time drinking," Ragna told him as he took a short swig of his own alcohol, nearly gagging at how strong it was.
"You got some nerve talking to a Kahn that way!" Basilio said with a hearty laugh, slapping Ragna on his back and nearly causing him to spew the alcohol.
"Nerve's what I'm known for apparently," the Reaper muttered as he looked at the rest of his drink; this was going to be painful.
Support Rank C Obtained with Basilio
Meanwhile
"There we go, that should satisfy the merchants for at least a bit," Joffrey said as he signed the papers and stamped the bottom with a wax seal of his houses falcon insignia. "Now that we'll have resources flowing properly with all of the mandatory instructions and regulations; we can control the flow of gold and stabilize the economy after this horrid little war we've dealt with."
"Doesn't hurt to have a reasonable sum heading to our pockets," the other noble sitting on the couch across from him agreed as he flipped a thick coin of silver through his fingers. "Of course if we don't keep the peasantry in good health it won't reflect well on us… less so now that there's an apparent shift in who will soon hold the power."
"Indeed, our former Exalt had needed to work against a noble a grand total of three times during her reign, and that was only as a last resort. Prince Chrom and that tactician of his won't be nearly as hesitant to bring the hammer down on us… but it's a small price to pay, much less than if we had to deal with their father or…" Joffrey shuddered. "Or their father's tactician."
"Don't even joke like that; everyone was almost overjoyed when they'd heard news that the demon had died," the other noble said as he thought back to the man. "Commoners, Merchants, Nobility, even local Warmongers had been relieved… there's a reason his name's been struck from history."
"And I don't intent to join him," Joffrey confirmed. "But if we don't at least appear to have the people's best interests at heart, I wouldn't be surprised if our families receive similar treatments from the prince and his Reaper." He looked at the window. "The latter of whom isn't going to be easy to confirm to our cause."
"Which is made all the more concerning now that he's been promoted to our ranks," the other noble told him. "You told me that you spoke with him earlier today, how did you fare?"
"He didn't beat my face into my skull, so there's a start," he sighed. "His levels of reservation around me are about what you'd expect, so I couldn't get him to open up about himself. If he finds of our plans… I'm not sure how he'd take the news, Charles."
"That would be unfortunate," the other noble now known as Charles agreed. "All of our hard work could be for nothing; less than nothing depending on his severity. And if half of the rumors about him and Regna Ferox's nobility is true…" He shook his head. "This is our only attempt to create a true legacy to our names, our own chance of being remembered outside of marrying into the royalty… and that path is no longer an option."
"...Not that I'd trade my wife for anything, even this," Joffrey admitted, and Charles had to nod in agreement. "Funds will take a while yet to secure and appointing a proper envoy to the islands has been even harder than I would've thought… In fact our last envoy is already over a month late to return."
"Storms are likely to strike the waters in that area in particular, we might have lost him to seas… A Tragedy, he was a good man," Charles said as he slowly rose to his feet. "If nothing else comes to light of the situation before the ball, I'll head to the islands myself…"
"You'd be taking a great risk," Joffrey reminded his friend.
"Perhaps… but the reward is worth an eternity, literally," Charles reminded. "Joffrey Banesteel and Charles Dawngrand; the nobles of Ylisse who justly claimed the Western Islands in the name of the Hierarchy… let's see any of those other fools try to live up to that name."
"...The Grim Reaper might, in fact I'm start to doubt that our efforts would outdo any of his present achievements," Joffrey had to admit.
"That's why it's imperative that this works and we're the ones to succeed where so many others have failed for generations. If the Reaper catches wind of this and we can't convince him to stay out of this, we've already lost," the noble said as he flipped the coin in the air and caught, the result coming up heads. "He's already earned himself enough renown in that blasted war; I won't let him claim the credit that we've poured our blood, sweat, and tears into."
Later -Shepherd's Barracks: Hallway-
"...All this time and STILL no sign of her," Ragna grumbled to himself as he walked around the barracks where he'd been just earlier that morning. He didn't feel like he was having a bad day per say, he was just growing further and further annoyed that he'd been making sans progress in searching for Olivia. It wouldn't be long before the sun started setting in the horizon and that would just leave Ragna a few hours to find Olivia before it turned dark… and considering his current luck he wasn't sure that he could manage to find her without having to run into the other Shepherds.
"...This is getting more and more annoying… Dammit, not even anyone in the barracks has seen her," the Reaper muttered to himself. Now that it was getting later in the day, the Shepherds were ending their day off from training and practice and returning to the barracks to ready themselves for tomorrow's exercise (though the intensity or said training varied from person to person). Risking more distractions from his goal yet, Ragna had talked to the members of the Shepherd's in the hopes of finding the dancer. While none of them had any idea where she'd gone, at the very least they seemed to realize that the guy was in a hurry.
"...Looks like it's time to throw in the towel for today…" he sighed. "Damn, what a-"
A Suitable Partner
"Ragna?" a familiar voice questioned, leaving the Reaper's words to (thankfully) die in this throat. Quickly turning his head, his green and red eyes landed on the person he'd been spending all of today searching for. Olivia looked like she'd just gotten out of the baths as her skin and hair were slightly damp with cool water. Speaking of her hair, it was no longer tied up into braid like it normally was, now having a much freer and fuller form to it. She'd wasn't wearing her dancer outfit nor her swords woman outfit either, now electing to wear more common clothes.
"Finally…" he muttered as he headed up to her, grabbing her hand with more vigor than he meant to as he looked straight into her eyes. "You have no idea how long I've been looking for you."
"R-R-RAGNA-!?" Olivia started stuttering like her old self, a deep blush on her face as she hadn't expected this kind of expressive greeting from Ragna, especially not one this forceful.
"Eh? Oh, whoa! Sorry about that!" Ragna said as he let her hand go giving a look of guilt covering his face. "Tooootally overreacted there. My bad."
"You're fine… but what's this about?" she questioned, trying to compose herself as her blush slowly started to fade.
"I've been looking are for you all day… ALL damn day," he muttered as stressed the point. "Sorry to bother you, but I'm kind of in a jam and I need your help specifically."
'He needs help? My help?' Olivia asked, who needless to say had always had a rather positive view on the Grim Reaper. "I'm not sure what it is that you think I can do that you can't… but I promise to help you in any way that I can."
"Ah, don't be like that; you're perfect for this," Ragna told her supportively. "Listen, you know that we've got that ball to go to in a couple of weeks right? That's why I need your help."
"Are… are you asking me to the ball?" Olivia asked, her voice just a touch meeker at the question. Even as dense as Ragna was he could at least see that Olivia's face was at least a little hopeful… that made what he had to tell her hurt slightly.
"Afraid I already had my date set up for me," he admitted. Seeing the dancer grow disappointed, Ragna gave a chuckle as he figured he could at least give her something. "Heh, how's about I promise to save you a dance there though? That okay with you?"
"I'd love to," she told him happily, her mood seeming to improve. "You were a little clumsy last time, but I'm sure you'll do fine."
"That's… kind of why I'm here," he admitted scratching the back of his head in slight embarrassment. "I… haven't danced a single damn time since the post-tournament party. I'd say I'm rusty, but that probably giving me too much credit. Kind of in a bind here honestly."
"So you need me as a dance instructor then?" Olivia questioned him.
"If you got a moment, then yeah. There's going to be a lot of those damn nobles at the ball trying to keep up some kind of form or whatever. Normally I wouldn't really care, but Chrom and Robin are-" He was about to finish, but realized that just including the two of them might be a tad suspicious. "And Emm too, all three of 'em are counting on me. I'm not the easiest person to talk to, so I've got dancing as my only out… and I can't stomach the idea of making a fool of myself all night."
"That does sound important," Olivia agreed before smiling. "This might be fun though; I just need to figure out a place large enough for us to dance."
"Could always use my house," Ragna offered with something of a sigh. "That place is just too damn big for me in the first place, so there's plenty of room dance just about everywhere you go."
"Really~!?" Olivia asked excitedly, leaving Ragna to be off put this time as he noticed the abnormal amount of sparkles in her eyes. "Every room is large enough to dance in!? Oh that sounds just amazing! You could probably hold a small ball right in the comfort of your own home!"
"Glad you… approve…" Ragna said with a small 'anime sweatdrop' animation beside his head. 'Jeeze, maybe I should just give Olivia my new place and move back inside the barracks if she likes the idea of it so much… Nah, then I'd just be spitting in Chrom's face…Then there's what I told Robin...' He shook that final thought out of his head, instead deciding to commit to current problems and leave that for another and less chaotic time.
"You… you don't seem nearly as excited as I am," Olivia noted with a bit of worry. "Is there something wrong with your house?"
"It just… it feels… empty. Like, Chrom gave me this huge house and that's nice and all, but I've got more rooms in that thing than I have a damned idea of what to do with it. I feel like a total stranger in my own house…" Ragna then tried to downplay it with a smirk. "Eh, but enough of my pointless bitching, you still up for helping me?"
"Of course I am, just let me get changed and we'll head over to your place," she told him before heading off to her room. As Ragna crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, he glanced around nervously, a little afraid that another of the Shepherds would try and drag him away now that he'd finally found the dancer.
Ragna's New Residence
It wasn't that long later before Ragna and Olivia had made their way to Ragna's new residence. Instead of her newer swordsman outfit with the white trenchcoat and skirt, Olivia had elected to wear her original dancer outfit, the same one that he'd first seen her wearing when the two first met. It took Ragna back, back to simpler time to when all he had to do was get rid of some damn noble was giving a strong punch in the jaw… but then he'd just ended up attracting a lot of attention because of it.
"Want me to give you the grand tour?" Ragna asked, even though he didn't know the house well enough to go into great detail.
"Sure, it'll give me a good idea of where we can practice," Olivia told him. The tour wasn't exactly an exciting one, Ragna just showed her from room to room and gave her a general summary. This is where I sleep or This is the washroom, one of 'em at least or something along those lines. But then… Ragna was a Grim Reaper and ex-criminal that had been striking it on his own for who knows how long; it would've been odd if he made a good tour guide.
"Guess this is the last place to show off," Ragna told her as he opened the door. "It's not much but this is my library."
"You-you've got your own library?" Olivia asked with excitement. Ragna was about to try to explain to her that he did, but at next to no invitation at all she rush into the library and left its owner rather surprised at her display. "Oh! I've always been looking to read this one! And you've even got the entire series of this adventure collection! And I've heard great things about this author's works!"
'...And we have yet another book lover in the Shepherds,' Ragna thought to himself as he thought back to Robin's tales of reading with Chrom, Ricken and Miriel's own studies, and all of the times he'd passed by Cordelia reading in the barracks… though she'd never show him what she was reading. 'Well I guess it's alright, I mean I probably won't have the time to read these things myself so if someone wants to-' He froze with worry as Olivia continued to look over the books. 'Robin and I… we found 'em all, right?'
"Hmmm… what's this book?" Olivia asked as she reached for one such copy that he'd been dreading for her to find. Ragna with intense worry, rushed forward too fast for the eye to see and grabbed the suggestive book from the shelf before she could even touch. "Eh?"
"Something wrong?" Ragna tried to ask as he hid the book behind, standing exactly where he'd been earlier.
"I… thought I just felt the wind… and the book's gone for its place on the shelf," she told him, glancing his way in confusion.
"Eh? Maybe you're just imagining things Olivia?" he tried to suggest, failing to hide his guilty face as smoke started emerging from the book he was burning from behind his back. Olivia looked like she wanted to say something, but decided to drop it and just roll with the Reaper's odder tendencies.
After that series of events, the two decided that the mansion's drawing room would make for the best place to practice their dancing. Moving the chair and furniture out of the way and opening the drapes to let some additional light in. Everything looked to be ready, until Olivia went to her small day bag and brought out a thick tome that Ragna could feel a faint magic radiating off of.
"What's that you got there?" he asked as he looked over the book.
"It's a small tome that I managed to get from Ann… or at least from one of her several sisters," she admitted and Ragna smirked as he thought to the crazy family of merchants. "It's a new tome that's able to generate music but… its quality leaves a bit to be desired. It's not perfect, but at the very least we'll have some music while a teach you."
'Right, not like they could use a record player or some crap like that, this is the best we're going to get,' Ragna agreed. "So, you've been learning magic then?"
"I've tried, but I don't appear to have the aptitude for it," Olivia told him, though she seemed pretty partial to it. "Do you mind? It just needs a short charge to it and it should last for at least an hour."
"Should have enough juice for it," Ragna told her as he used his arm to send a small pulse of magic into the book. Like she'd warned him earlier, the music didn't seem to be off the best quality and the music's tone seemed off at certain inflection points, but he could work with it.
"The first and last part to most formal dance is usually a bow from the man and a curtsy from the woman. Once they do so the man in woman begin by getting into the proper dance position with one another. There usually isn't much change in the holds, but depending on the dance it can vary at least a bit."
"Right… I think I can remember a bit of that at least," Ragna saw as he thinks back to their first dance in Regna Ferox. While Olivia had been more than a proper dance instructor back then, he'd had to learn to dance while they were already at the ball, meaning he didn't have any time for her to actually guide him through the steps. Here though, he'd have no such disadvantage. He gave a polite bow as Olivia curtsied to him, only to have her guide his arms to their proper positioning.
As expected, Ragna's lack of skill in the art of dancing left his body to step somewhat strangely and several times where he shouldn't be, but at least he was managing not to step on Olivia's toes. With his faster reflexes and better body coordination he was managing, but he figured he still looked awkward. As it turned out though, Olivia didn't have to talk much at all, her own dance movements able to lead him to discovering the proper form of dancing himself with minimal commentary.
The music may not have been that great of quality, but Ragna managed to keep tempo with it, move his body within reasonable form of the dance, and improvise where he needed to. Olivia was a good dance instructor, but it was slightly difficult for the taller Ragna to dance with her given her tiny frame, but they managed well enough. By the time the tome ran out of charge from Ragna's earlier magic, the two had covered ever major dance style out there.
"I think that should work," Olivia told him with a smile. "I can't guarantee that this will get you through every dance at the ball, but it should help you with the basics and allow you to follow your partner if you have to."
"Meaning as long as I've got a good partner I'll be safe," Ragna thought to himself, realizing he wasn't sure how good of a dancer Emmeryn was. 'Eh, she's been a lady of the court or whatever hasn't she? I'm sure we'll be fine… I hope. If we aren't I might be able to blame it on my… armor… SHIT.' "H-Hey, Olivia?"
"Yes Ragna?" she asked him, a bright smile on her face at his progress.
"See… something I just sort of… thought of…" he admitted, the grimace on his face impossible to miss. "When I made a point to take Emmeryn to the ball… I'm making a promise to wear my… armor…"
"Oh… so you need to do all of that-"
"While wearing it, yeah," Ragna admitted as he scratched the back of his head. "I'll probably be fine, but I'd rather be safe than sorry." Glancing out the window he realized how late it was getting. "...Damn starting to get dark; you should probably head back for now."
"I...I don't mind staying a little later," Olivia tried to assure him. "This is just my chance to return the favor for all of the times you've helped me."
"You don't need to pay me back, really," the Reaper tried to tell her and convince her that she'd done enough. Maybe he'd have to find her again, but it he'd feel just as bad if he kept her any longer.
"Even still, I'm just excited to get the chance to spend some personal time with you."
"Eh?" Ragna asked his eyes growing wide in slight surprise. This... wasn't something he'd expected to hear.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, unsure of what prompted such a strange response.
"I-It's nothing, I… I like spending time with you too," Ragna tried to say as naturally as possible, the smile on his face somehow both awkward and genuine at the same time as was the blush on his face. "But, er... I'm starting to get kind of hungry, you up for getting something to eat?"
"Sure, what did you have in mind?" Olivia asked him.
"Eh, just thought I'd get something ready in this place's kitchen, might take some time, but I'll make something nice for the both of us. You can… I dunno, enjoy the library? You seemed to like that enough." '...As long as she doesn't find another of 'those' books…'
"That's nice of you to offer, but if it's alright I'd actually like to help you make dinner," she told him. "I'm not the greatest cook, but it feels wrong to have you cook the entire meal yourself and I'll take any chance I can to practice."
"...Meaning you've given someone your food before… you've given to them and they've eaten it… without struggling or wincing?" Ragna asked nervously.
"I have…" Olivia told him with more confusion and a touch of self-consciousness. Ragna then let out a deep breath of relief. "Eh?"
"Just had to check…" Ragna told her. "I'll get things ready in the kitchen, just take a look in the library until you find a recipe that works, got it?"
"That works for me," Olivia told him, concerned what Ragna's previous history with food had been.
-Later-
"...I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a meal that much," Olivia thought aloud to herself as she stood by her lonesome, looking up at the bright moon as it shone through the windows of the drawing room. "So he's good with a sword, magic, and he can cook a feast like that? ... It's hard to imagine that he'd really need my help with any-" She shook her head. "No… he's the one that told me that I should have more confidence in myself and I've grown a lot since then." Olivia then turned her hands to fists and mustered her inner resolve. "All right I'm not going to let anything else scare me!"
"Sorry that took so long," came Ragna's voice from behind her..
"Oh, it's alright. I… I…" Words died in Olivia's mouth as she turned behind her and got a good look at the Grim Reaper after he'd managed to put his armor on, the same armor from his days wandering the continent and slaying Risen as the infamous Black Knight. Back before Ragna had returned, she'd heard plenty about the enigmatic warrior dressed in armor from an era long since ended, but she'd never understood the weight of the rumors. The figure was… beyond off putting, especially the helm. "I… I…"
"...You alright?" Ragna spoke from within the armor, managing to snap Olivia back to reality. "Oh… right… I promised Robin that I wouldn't wear the helmet." Reaching his hands up, he slowly removed the head piece which led to a noticeable change in Olivia's attitude. "Better?"
"Much, I… It's hard to look at you in that armor sometimes," she told him with a look that made her seem slightly disappointed in herself. "It's just… I look at you with that helm on… and I can't help but think that you're going to leave us again. I know in my mind that you're probably fine, but..."
"You're still afraid," Ragna finishes with a sigh as he sets the enigmatic helm on a nearby table. "Don't worry, I'm not going to be leaving you guys anytime soon. I've put all of that gloomy crap behind me… Now I've got a family of Shepherds to focus on." Olivia didn't say anything in response, still appearing slightly afraid at the thought of another departure from the Reaper. "...Do you still want to dance? We can hold off for a bit if you're not ready."
"No… I'm fine," Olivia tells him, trying to muster a smile on her face despite the weight of the situation. "Maybe we'll feel better after a few lessons."
"Here's hoping."
Once again the tome was fed magic to produce a musical tone to dance to and once again the output was far from as perfect, a shaky tone, an unfamiliar speed, and the like… But at the moment it didn't seem to matter to the two as they slowly danced to the tune no matter how obscure it was. Even if he was wearing heavy armor, Ragna's skill from earlier remained largely undiminished and he managed to move with elegance and precision, holding his own with his partner's mastery of the craft.
Though they didn't seem to be dancing for very long (they might have simple lost track of time), during one of them extremely slow sections of their dance the candles that had been used to light the drawing room had finally died away. The room was now coated in a deeper darkness, one which Ragna figured might not make the best place to dance in if he tripped and harmed his partner with his armor's added weight.
"Crap… Maybe we should stop here for n-" Ragna was about to say right before Olivia leaned forward… and gently rested her head against his armored chest.
The Reaper can't help but blush slightly as Olivia keeps the two slowly moving to the music calming if somewhat romantic music despite its quality. Seeing that the bright moonlight seeping in through windows is giving them a fair source of illumination that they would need to dance the Reaper decides to follow his partner's lead, joining her in their slow movement of calming connection and holding her close.
...Their dance lasts long into the night.
Support Rank A Obtained with Olivia
Author's Note and Omake
Hey everyone, it's Storm VII back with a long awaited (I'm assuming) chapter for my most popular story (less assumption since we can all see the follower and favorite count). Anyways I hope this was worth the wait for you because… I can't make any significant promises, but I will say that you shouldn't expect… a huge epic climax to this section of the story… Yeah, there's a reason that people don't like filler arcs.
This however is less of a filler Arc and more of an establishment Arc. From what I have planned out the next section of the story might be a bit 'filler-ish' but will be flushed out for Arcs to come. I won't tell you what parts… but I'm confident that you can figure it out.
Anyways, here's the large mass of review responses from the last chapter. Sorry if you commented a few chapters back, but it would get confusing if I went that far back. Let's-a-go.
Dread Grim Reaper: Yep.
Touhoufanatic: I'm hoping that whoever I decide in the end that I get a proper and interesting family dynamic.
The Unplanner: It's… somewhat iron out, just a few details to write and change.
Wlyman2009: My new cousin was born this month… so you're not wrong.
Azure Legacy: Hmm… Good or bad sign? ...Ragna sign, definitely Ragna sign.
Warrior of Six Blades: A prelude to the later family bonding.
Kalakauai: We talked via PM, but the name makes some sense.
DreamWeaverGod: Despite the obvious hints, I doubt he's picked up on the harem implications.
Kayen1024: First response, no answer. Second, a long time back… long time back… Chapter 14 back.
Tests Trials and Tribulations: Heh, that would be cool. I'll have to keep that idea in mind.
Thunder Dragon: Here's the first of the update surge.
Got it? Good. Here's the Omake.
Almost like a child
"We've only been out a week and we're already starting to run low on food," Chrom told Ragna with a sigh. "I know you already warned me about this, but it's still a little scary that one person could do all of this damage to our food storage."
"Keep in mind, this is while I'm trying to hold her back," Ragna mutters as he crosses his arms. "I'll try talking to her again, just don't expect a miracle."
"At this rate we're going to have to start a daily hunt just to make sure we've got enough supplies to last us until the end of our march," the prince sighs as he starts heading over to the meeting tent to consult Robin. Ragna merely shook his head and exited the princes own private tent and headed slightly outside of the camp towards the fields so there wouldn't be any distractions.
"Hey Tao! TAO!" he called, hoping that for once the Kaka will respond to him with her selective hearing. He didn't hold his breath, but as he was able to pick up a collection of quick footsteps and a leap, leaving him to prepares him right before a rather nimble figure slammed into his back and latched on. "There you are…"
"Heya good guy! You called for Tao so Tao headed your way meow!" the hooded cat said as she latched onto his back playfully. Ragna was half-tempted to smile at her inane antics, but readily reminded himself that it was his job to scold her.
"Yeah, well we've got a problem," he told the Kaka as he shoved her off of him and forced her to stand on the ground so that he could tower over her slightly and show some authority (not that she would know what authority was in the first place). "I told you to take it easy with your snacking and what do I find out? "
"That… that Tao's doing good?" Tao guessed, wrongly taking Ragna's blank stare at a sign that she'd been correct. "Yay Tao!"
"WRONG! There's a damn food shortage!" Ragna shouts at her. "Honestly cat, all of us need to eat, understand? All. Of. Us."
"T-Tao knows that!" she stutters. "And Tao's not the only one eating food Nya! Tao has to give some food to Hungry Person, Good Guy!"
"Hungry Person?" Ragna asks as he tries to figure out who she's talking about. He tries to think of all of the members of the Shepherds before coming to a conclusion. "You mean Stahl… the guy in the green armor that rides on horse?"
"Yep! Tao has to bring him food because he's always hungry! He's always really happy to see Tao!" she tells him with a proud smile on her face.
"Right… and does he know that you're getting it from our own personal food storage?" the Reaper asks, knowing that even if Stahl complains a lot on how hungry he is that he'll always wait for mealtime at the very least.
"Nope!" Tao tells him still happy.
"And that's a problem," Ragna tells her, his tone becoming angry enough to where Tao can't help but know that she's in trouble. "And there's no way that Stahl's able to eat all that food you're taking out no matter how hungry he acts." The Kaka seemed to be quivering in fear and sadness, but Ragna knows that he has to be strict. "Listen Tao, this is the last time I'm going to tell you, otherwise-"
"BIG SIS TAO!" came familiar child's voice.
"Eh!?" Ragna muttered as he took a look at three figures that were similar to Tao, only chibi sized. "K-Kaka kittens!?"
"Big sis! We caught food!" one of them shouted as they carried a basket full of river trout.
"Food!' shouted another one.
"Yay! More food!" Tao shouted excitedly, completely forgetting Ragna's lecture.
"Hold on a damn minute," Ragna demanded, though he didn't raise his voice. "You're telling me that you three were here all along?"
"Y-yeah…" Tao said, looking guilty. "Tao was really happy to find Good Guy… but Good Guy looked so busy with all of his fighting… So Tao's been taking care of the kittens so he isn't bothered… A-Are you angry?"
"I…" Ragna tried to say before finally relenting. "I'm not angry, a little disappointed that you didn't tell me maybe, but I ain't angry. I… I'll talk to Chrom and we'll figure something out for these three, alright? Just don't keep secrets like this from me."
"Good Guy…" Tao said before tackling the Reaper.
"Whoa! T-Tao! Wh-what the hell!? Get off!"
"Good Guy! Good Guy is always Tao's Good Guy!" she declares as she continues to climb all over him.
"Don't hog him to yourself big sis!" one of the Kaka kittens playful shouts.
"We want to climb on him too!" says on another.
"Climb!" say a third right as the three leap onto the Reaper as hang off of his coat and limps, digging into his body slightly with their small yet razor sharp claws.
"For the love of-!" Ragna was about to swear, but he then realized that whatever he says or does won't be doing him any good. At Tao's beaming smile from beneath her hood, the Reaper just gives a sigh and an exasperated smile. 'Jeeze… she really is a kid sometimes.'
Support Rank C Obtained With Taokaka
Until next week guys! I'll try to keep these updates flying at you as consistently as I can! Ciao!