Woo, yet another chapter, my friends!

To be entirely honest, I'm mostly lost on these before-chapter-shorts. My questions are basically completely out at this point! So, how about this: If you guys have questions that you'd like to be asked at the beginning of chapters, put them here!

Ideally, they'd be Elden Ring-based questions, but beggers can't be choosers. 

Beyond that all, enjoy the chapter!

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Arriving at Mistwood wasn't much of a problem, not at all. Agheel was more than happy to fly (Y/n). He knew he was originally supposed to meet with Melina after taking down Godrick, but he had a feeling she could find him easily no matter where he was, so he decided to properly finish up Limgrave despite his prior words.

The Lands Between looked remarkably gorgeous as the sun began to set, the soft dusk light painting everything in beautiful reds and oranges. It was peaceful, riding on Agheel. He was out of the reach of many enemies, for the few that were still roaming Limgrave. The air rushing against his face and the total silence was relaxing for the man, until he heard distant complaining.

That was when he knew he'd arrived at his location.

Kenneth Haight was the son of King Haight, who used to rule over Limgrave. That king was murdered thoroughly by Godrick, so Kenneth was booted from his rightful spot to the throne. As such, that created a young man who complained a lot and did very little to solve his problems, which wasn't (Y/n)'s favorite kind of person.

To an extent, (Y/n) could understand the young man's plights, he just wasn't the biggest fan of people who moaned and groaned about their problems just to not try and fix them at all. However, Kenneth didn't deserve to die for being an annoyance, so (Y/n) dropped down from Agheel and landed right in front of Kenneth, sending dust and dirt shooting into the air.

Kenneth squeaked out a yelp, scrambling back and falling backwards. Through the dust and dirt, (Y/n)'s purple eyes glowed clearly. Kennth squeaked, "W-Who are you?!"

"Your savior," (Y/n) spoke casually, not bothering to humor Kenneth any more than he needed to. He gestured past Kennth, into the distance. "Fort Haight has been liberated. And Nepheli Loux will be the Queen of Limgrave, understood?"

Kenneth scrambled to his feet, approaching (Y/n) furiously, after he managed to regain his bearings. He simply couldn't understand why (Y/n) spoke to him so disrespectfully, furthermore, deciding to give the throne to someone who had no proof for their capabilities was something beyond agonizing for Kenneth to even imagine.

"How dare you! I'll have you know I will be the next ruler of Limgrave, after that peasant Godrick is stripped from the seat!" Kenneth yelled, although it came out more like an exasperated squeak, once more. "Now, you'll introduce yourself or so help me —"

(Y/n) simply looked at Kenneth, "Godrick is dead. And I killed him."

Kenneth's eyes widened, a bead of sweat suddenly running down his face. He took a nervous step backwards, tearing his eyes away from (Y/n)'s piercing eyes. "I... um," Kennth stuttered, trying to regain himself.

"Nepheli Loux will be the Queen of Limgrave, understood?" (Y/n) spoke easily. His words weren't a threat as much as a simple truth, one that was going to be completely impossible for Kenneth to change. (Y/n)'s unflinching gaze was more than enough to prove that.

"I... I understand, sir," Kenneth looked down, trying to be as respectful as he could manage, and (Y/n) suddenly felt a little bad for his way of approaching the situation. In his life as a prince, he must've been treated with everything he could dream of, never having to lift a finger.

(Y/n) was annoyed with that, but he didn't mean to take it out on a stranded, probably homesick, familyless prince, no matter how much he felt he deserved it. His only real problem with Kenneth was that he never succeeded in his goals, even after (Y/n) set him up to perfectly do so.

So, (Y/n) turned around, and took a simple breath. Agheel landed before him, causing Kenneth to gasp and stumble even further backwards, nearly falling off the elevated platform he was standing on. The Shadow Sovereign stood before Agheel for a moment, hearing Kenneth's confused mutterings.

He spoke clearly, "Kenneth Haight."

Kenneth suddenly fell silent, his undivided attention falling on (Y/n). He waited a moment before continuing, "If you want to get something done, I recommend you try it yourself first. If you don't, there's a good chance it won't get done at all. Lofty ideals aren't enough, after all."

Kenneth stumbled over himself, "I... y-yes, sir. I apologize, my L-Lord."

(Y/n) sighed, "Don't call me that. If anyone gets a title like that, it's Nepheli Loux. Treat her with respect." (Y/n) climbed aboard Agheel easily, hopping onto the dragon's back and settling into his spot.

Kenneth looked up to him with wide eyes, "L-Lady Nepheli?"

(Y/n) nodded once, "Don't die."

And then, before Kenneth could say anything else, he was off, Agheel flapping once and shooting off into the sky, heading to (Y/n)'s next location. All throughout the flight, (Y/n) wondered if he'd done the correct thing, but he let it go, figuring that he'd see the effects of his words soon anyway.

(Y/n) scratched his cheek as he flew high over the Lands Between, "Maybe that's a bit reckless. I hope I'm not becoming too overconfident because I know some future knowledge." He shook his head, patting Agheel on the back. "You can slow down a bit. There's no huge rush."

Agheel snorted lightly, slowing his speed, and allowing (Y/n) to enjoy the ride and think. Unfortunately, he was doing more of the latter than the former, trying to figure out how he'd handle Blaidd. However, no matter what hypotheticals he came up with, he came up mostly blank.

He let out a dejected sigh and glanced down at the sea of green as Agheel began to fly over the Mistwood Ruins. Even from high in the sky, he could hear Blaidd's howls. He knew Blaidd was looking for the entrance to Nokron, the Eternal City. Blaidd wasn't even horribly inaccurate in his estimation of where it was, it was just buried far underneath the ground.

It was so far down that it would take killing Starscourge Radahn, a Demigod who held back the stars through sheer willpower and mastery of gravity magic, to open up the pathway. (Y/n) wondered if he could destroy the ground enough to open the pathway himself, but decided against it, figuring it'd be more effort than just killing Radahn, as ridiculous as that sounded.

(Y/n) hopped down from Agheel's back, landing softly on the ground with the help of his Alabaster Lord's gravity magic. He whistled, in a brief, high-pitched tone, just like Kale had taught him such a long time ago.

From the very top of the ruins, a large creature with the body of mostly a man and the head of a wolf hopped down. He was bearing a massive sword on his back, as long as he was tall. It was the Royal Greatsword, which (Y/n) had once obtained after having to kill Blaidd in his past life.

This wolf-man was Blaidd, the loyal Shadow of Ranni. Blaidd glanced over (Y/n), a friendly look in his eyes. "Ah, Kale sent you? What a busybody. You must be wondering what I'm out here doing, howling into the night. I'm looking for a man named Darriwil, a traitor who must pay for his crimes."

(Y/n) had a hard time not simply staring at Blaidd. He didn't know what he expected, but Blaidd acting... normal certainly wasn't it. Then, he remembered Blaidd's personality.

Blaidd was a loyal Shadow to a fault, but that was naturally built into him. He was also a loyal individual, trusting in Ranni and wishing the best for her. And while both sides of his loyalty worked well for a long time, it eventually backfired.

As a loyal Shadow, Blaidd's loyalty was guided by the Two Fingers, and by extension, the Greater Will. All the Shadows were cursed to go insane if their master decided to go against the Two Fingers, which Ranni had decided to. As such, Blaidd's very existence and his personal desires to protect Ranni clashed, creating the despair-filled end he was forced to experience.

Now, however, (Y/n) suddenly realized that the Greater Will's hold on Blaidd's fate had faded, and if (Y/n), as the Shadow Sovereign, didn't want to interfere with Blaidd's life, he may've been on a path that wasn't destined for failure.

(Y/n) pushed his thoughts aside, not allowing them to force his response to take anything more than a second or two. He bobbed his head lightly, smiling, "Ah, Darriwil has been taken care of."

Blaidd's eyes widened. "My, I can't believe it! You must be quite strong." Blaidd grew a toothy grin, which would've looked very menacing in many other contexts, but in this one it just looked nice. "For someone else, I may've had to check for myself, but with you, I can tell you're telling the truth! Amazing work."

Blaidd laughed and clapped (Y/n) on his shoulder, rocking him in place lightly. "If you travel north of Raya Lucaria, you'll meet a venerable blacksmith. Tell him Blaidd sent you and he'll treat you well! I owe you one. I must report back to my lady. Until we meet again."

Blaidd walked a few steps past (Y/n) before disappearing altogether. Or at least, to most people it would look like that. Instead, he simply fell into the shadows and moved at a much higher speed in a way that was all-too familiar to (Y/n). After all, it was just like his Shadows.

(Y/n) let out a relieved sigh. He hadn't expected the situation to be so easy, but he was glad it was. If Blaidd began treating him like Roderika was, he was pretty sure he wouldn't know what to do with himself.

He began flicking his fingers up, noting what was left to do in Limgrave. The Church of Dragon Communion suddenly popped into mind, with the corpse of a fallen dragon lingering there. Beyond that, the Third Church of Marika was the only other place he could think of, which was the home of a Sacred Tear.

Upon that realization, he slipped into thought.

As a Tarnished, he was granted the power of Flasks of Tears, whether they were of the Scarlet or Cerulean variants. It gave him a reason to use Golden Seeds — which had been firmly collecting dust in the corner of his shadow — and they were ways to heal his physical health or to regenerate his magical energy in no time. Now, though, he wasn't granted such a thing. He kept it in mind to try and find a use for the objects.

Shaking his head, (Y/n) leapt onto the tippy top of the Mistwood Ruins and then shot into the sky, Agheel flying just inches underneath him and flying off into the night with his master on his back. The first location was the Third Church of Marika. Agheel landed and (Y/n) strolled into the church, snatching up the Sacred Tear.

"Ah, so this is where you were," Melina said plainly, nearly causing (Y/n) to jump out of his skin. His head snapped around, and he threw his hand over his heart, as if to soothe it.

"By Marika's tits, you scared the hell out of me!" (Y/n) yelped before letting out a dramatic sigh of relief upon seeing that it was Melina. She quirked an eyebrow, and (Y/n) suddenly rethought his prior words. Then, he realized he was talking about her mother. He quickly stammered, "W-Wait, that just sounds wrong! I guess I saw them, but, like—"

Melina just looked at (Y/n), and he realized he was just digging his own grave. He just shut up, sighing. Melina smirked, seeming undisturbed by (Y/n)'s words. Rather, she began speaking on another topic, "Your master is resting easily, but I suspect she will want to see you soon." The woman glanced around, noting that they were in the Third Church of Marika. She nodded, "I suppose our journey through Limgrave is nearly coming to an end?"

(Y/n) frowned, not completely sure whether he was dreading or excited for the steps forward. He sighed, "Just a few more things, then... I suppose it's time to finally head to the Roundtable Hold."

So, they flew to the Church of Dragon Communion and (Y/n) summoned the dragon's long-since-dead spirit and named it Terra.

It was the first of any dragons that didn't have wings and looked so much like a piece of the land brought to life, with the spiky tail reminiscent of an ankylosaurus. Actually, the entire dragon looked like a massive ankylosaurus, but (Y/n) had never had the pleasure to fight against one, so he considered it a dragon all the same.

With a new dragon now in his loyal army of Shadows, (Y/n) and Melina set off towards the Roundtable Hold. It wasn't a physical journey, and normally very few people — and normally only Tarnished, or those guided by Grace — would be allowed to go to the Roundtable Hold, but because Melina was a demigod, she was able to straight-up bypass most of the rules there were.

(Y/n) and Melina arrived without much fanfare. One second, they weren't there, and then the next they flickered into existence. (Y/n) spent a moment blinking, regathering himself. The sensation of flickering away and regathering so closely together was a discombobulating one, but he managed to get himself together.

The Roundtable Hold was the hub spot for Tarnished Champions, all of whom were guided by Grace. There were friends and foes there, and (Y/n) was very accustomed to the area. However, there was one big difference now. He was no longer guided by Grace.

As soon as (Y/n) regained his bearings, he could tell Melina was no longer beside him, sensing her presence elsewhere. He was glad she understood his desires, and immediately after, he could feel the emotions of alarm, shock, disbelief, and... admiration directed at him.

To his left was a man named Corhyn, across the titular roundtable to the left was a man named Diallos, and to his right was Gideon Ofnir. Ah, and across the titular roundtable to the right was a familiar Spirit Tuner, Roderika.

To his surprise, Corhyn and Diallos were fairly calm. He wasn't a Tarnished who was guided by Grace, but they either didn't notice or didn't care. For Diallos, he could imagine the former, and for Corhyn he could imagine the latter.

Gideon Ofnir was very different. As soon as (Y/n) met his eyes he took a hesitant step backwards. (Y/n) approached him easily, and Gideon's gaze flickered down to his feet, shock shooting through him.

Gideon was the member of the Roundtable Hold with the most seniority. He was quite well known for his vast amount of knowledge, gaining the title of All-Knowing. He was also an ass, in (Y/n)'s opinion. And in the past, he could do nothing about it, all because he was bound by the rules of Grace that were sewn into the Roundtable Hold itself.

But now, he felt no such binds, his power as the Shadow Sovereign protecting him. He was now outside the rules that dictated the Non-Aggression Pact. And Gideon, as the All-Knowing, instantly recognized that.

(Y/n) stopped a few feet away from Gideon, trying to ignore Roderika's intense stare of adoration. Gideon held himself fairly well, with his helmet covering his facial expressions. However, (Y/n) could feel more than just what he could see, and he could tell Gideon was nervous beyond belief.

Gideon spoke cautiously, speaking every word gently. "You would come to this sacred place with an army? Are you declaring war against the Greater Will?"

(Y/n)'s eyebrows lightly rose. He firmly hadn't expected anyone to notice his Shadow Soldiers, but they'd been noticed. (Y/n) glanced back to his right, where a large set of double doors laid closed. Behind those doors were Enia, a Finger Crone, and the Two Fingers, who were supposed to be direct messengers of the Greater Will's desires.

If he wanted, he could probably bust down the doors and kill the Two Fingers, but he doubted that he'd gain much from it, besides depriving the Tarnished of the Roundtable Hold of a safe haven. And honestly, he wasn't very interested in starting a fight for no reason. And while he was pretty sure the Greater Will was the one who granted Godrick extra abilities — which felt like a declaration already — he didn't feel quite confident enough to straight-up murder one of the Two Fingers just yet.

He shook his head, looking back at Gideon. He spoke lowly, so no one else would hear him. "If I'm not attacked, everything will go smoothly. Got it, Gideon?"

Gideon met (Y/n)'s eyes, "You're the man Nepheli was speaking about. You're the Necromancer — no, you're the Shadow Sovereign."

At that, (Y/n)'s eyes widened. "So, you are actually pretty knowledgeable. Maybe you won't die this time around."

Gideon's breath hitched. He was trying to maintain his cool, but behind (Y/n) he could see Godrick and Agheel staring him down, their presences far more menacing than he'd ever expected. Underneath his helmet, his eyes quivered.

For (Y/n) to not only be the Shadow Sovereign connected him to an Outer God, just like Queen Marika was once, but also able to revive a demigod's spirit, taking their Great Rune inside of himself meant an entire new level of power. It was impossible to ignore that he'd become too strong if he wasn't dealt with soon.

However, in the confines of the Roundtable Hold, fighting him was impossible. Gideon grit his teeth. "You've killed Godrick then. How frustrating.... You will not be welcomed as a member of the Roundtable Hold, I refuse! For a graceless bastard to become Elden Lord, I simply won't —"

(Y/n) leaned closer to Gideon, his purple eyes shining. "And who asked for your opinion, Ofnir? If you want to stop me, kill me. You've only gotta do it once." His voice was strong, unflinching. He wasn't trying to intimidate Gideon, he had no desire to scare Gideon, and to do such a thing unconsciously annoyed him.

'My head is being more influenced by these new abilities than I thought. I need to calm down. Just because I don't like him doesn't mean I need to eventually kill him. It's not like it would be awful to kill him and bring him back, but he also hasn't done anything wrong to me yet. And if I think about it, I did just walk into his safe haven with an entire army,' (Y/n) realized.

He took a breath, stepping back physically and mentally. Gideon was easy to dislike, and it would be easy to justify killing him. But (Y/n) had no desire to do so. He didn't regret killing Gideon before, but if he could push to man from his path, he'd feel more satisfied.

(Y/n) didn't bow his head, but he pulled back his anger. "The Roundtable Hold will remain a safe haven. I will do nothing to break the oath here, on my honor." He looked away, his eyes landing on Roderika's, who looked away with a growing blush. "There's too much that can be protected here for me to destroy it."

Gideon relaxed at (Y/n)'s words, glancing at Roderika. "I... see. As a Tarnished of the Roundtable Hold, I cannot share my information with you. However, if you wish to remain here in peace, you will be welcomed."

(Y/n) turned away, satisfied that he could end the conversation in a somewhat cordial way. He felt a turbulence of emotions from Gideon, all because of his presence. He kept a close watch on the man, giving his attention to Corhyn.

Corhyn was a blindfolded, blonde man. He wore a robe with a notable cartwheel around his neck. He was a kind man, and his demise was something (Y/n) found incredibly dissatisfying, and so far, (Y/n) didn't know what to do about it.

Corhyn was incredibly loyal to the Two Fingers, and by extension, the Greater Will. His faith was unshakable, and he'd become a follower of Goldmask. Corhyn would follow and mark down Goldmask's beliefs, but eventually Goldmask would learn that the Golden Order was not perfect. And such a belief was beyond Corhyn's understanding, so he'd kill himself in defiance.

Gladly, (Y/n) had already spoken to Goldmask. The other thing he needed to do after summoning Terra was talking with the mysterious Goldmask, and now that he'd done it, he was somewhat confident that Corhyn's life would go on a more positive path.

As (Y/n) approached, he could feel Roderika's dissatisfaction radiating in waves, but he tried his best to ignore it. He lightly bowed his head to Corhyn.

Corhyn bowed his head back, sensing (Y/n) without his eyes. "Ah, you're a new member of our Roundtable Hold, yes?"

(Y/n) laughed lightly, "Yes, in a way."

Corhyn smiled warmly, "I understand. I'm Corhyn. I teach incantations with the hope of meeting the Tarnished that will one day become Elden Lord, so I may council them to reforming the Lands Between. Do you have any interest in learning the incantations of the Two Fingers?"

(Y/n) shook his head, "Unfortunately, I've never had any talent for incantations, Corhyn." Corhyn nodded sagely, and (Y/n) continued. "But I learned where Goldmask is."

Corhyn suddenly jerked in place. "W-What? You know where the noble Goldmask is? B-But how did you know that I...?" Corhyn's confusion, curiosity, and fascination all mixed into one hard-to-grasp emotion, and his words slowly tapered off.

(Y/n) smiled lightly, clapping Corhyn on the shoulder. "On the Altus Plateau, on the bridge near the Windmill Village." Corhyn gasped, and then fell into mutterings that only he could understand. If everything went as (Y/n) hoped, this would be the correct path to put Corhyn on. This is the path to the creation of the Eternal Sovereign.

Now, Diallos... (Y/n) was more worried about.

Diallos was a prince of the Hoslow. He wanted to be a champion, but he didn't have strong enough willpower to carry through with his goals. At first, he wants revenge, then he gives it up to be a recusant, then he gives that up to be a potentate, only to fail protecting most of the jars from poachers.

He was a genuine guy in his heart, but he failed so many times before he could find his path. And (Y/n) could only wonder if there was an easier path for someone who was so destined to make a few mistakes of his own. However, if he could allow Diallos to live as a potentate, satisfied, he felt like it would be okay for him to make his mistakes.

So, he spoke to Diallos simply, as if he'd never met him before. At best, he could only hope to reunite Diallos with Lanya, a loyal servant, and reunite them with Juno Hoslow, the eldest brother of the Hoslow family. Gladly, (Y/n) sent several of his strong shadows to find and protect Lanya, guaranteeing her safety. He was nearly positive that she'd be dead anyway, but she was still alive and well, roaming Liurnia of the Lakes.

With his servant, older brother, and a job as a potentate, (Y/n) could only hope Diallos would be satisfied. Their conversation ended easily, although (Y/n) did hint at where Lanya may've been, recommending that Diallos check out Liurnia of the Lakes just in case she wanted to see the view of the academy. Diallos left with quick thanks, moving with swift determination.

As the intense pressure of Roderika's growing interest and disappointment hammered onto (Y/n)'s senses, he finally turned to face the woman. All at once, she prostrated before him, waves of happiness and respect shooting from the girl. He just looked at her, his mouth falling open. He was stunned to see that Corhyn was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even notice. Gideon had left altogether, returning to his office on the left side of the Hold.

"R-Roderika," (Y/n) rubbed his temples, sighing in disbelief. She glanced up at him, her eyes wide. Even hearing her name from him received such a large reaction from him. "If you respect me so much, can't you just consider me a friend? Wouldn't that be easier than... this?"

Roderika blinked and stared, as if (Y/n)'s words were constructed of foreign languages. "B-But that would be unfitting for a true Lord such as yourself, m-my Lord."

(Y/n) shook his head, extending a hand to Roderika. She stared at it before he gestured for her to rise. She did so slowly, as if not to threaten him. He couldn't ignore that she was cuter than he remembered her being. "I'm not very good with people I respect prostrating every time we meet. So, could you tone it down?"

Roderika's eyes went wide. The prospect that (Y/n) respected her despite her utter lack of abilities spoke leaps and bounds about his character, and she felt fiery passion sending her soul and body aflame at once. "M-My Lord... I...."

(Y/n) really hoped he wasn't about to regret his choice, firmly putting his hands on Roderika's small shoulders. She shivered, looking everywhere but into his eyes. "Roderika." With a call of her name, the soon-to-be Spirit Tuner met his purple eyes, finding an abyss of respect within them. "I need your help. And I, ah, shit, fine —"

Taking a simple breath, (Y/n) leaned in and gently kissed Roderika. His hands roamed over her body, gently holding her waist, and pulling her closer.

(Y/n) was very cognizant of the feelings of those around him, even before all his new abilities. So yes, he knew Roderika was very quickly growing an infatuation for him. And in his goal to make things better instead of worse, he was unwilling to leave Roderika alone with such strong feelings.

Strong feelings in the Lands Between overwhelmed people; killed them, most of the time.

Under (Y/n)'s hands, Roderika tensed in surprise before all her worries melted away. She leaned closer into the kiss, enjoying it thoroughly before (Y/n) pulled away. He kept her close, his face slightly flushed. Compared to him though, Roderika's entire body was scarlet red with embarrassment, pleasure, and excitement.

"There. Now you can consider yourself much more than a servant or an underling. Okay, Roderika?" He asked, his voice gentle. He could feel jealousy raging, and shockingly a large part of it came from below him, within his Shadow Army. He glanced down, 'Ugh, come on, guys!'

Roderika very, very slowly nodded. Her eyes were completely gone, with true adoration shining within them. She was on cloud nine, and it would take her a very long time to come down. (Y/n) continued gently, "Hewg will help you with your natural talents, okay? Trust in him."

Roderika continued to slowly nod, and as (Y/n) began to pull away, she softly held his hand. He turned back to face her, and she posed a question. She looked down at the ground, fidgeting with his hand. "W-Why did you kiss me? I-If you just wanted me to know I wasn't a servant, y-you could have simply said that, r-right, my Lord?"

(Y/n) frowned at her honorifics, but let it go, figuring that there were worse things. He laughed, smiling easily. Roderika looked up, catching his smile. "I just wanted to, that's all. I think you're cute, so I did what was on my mind."

Roderika's face turned several shades of red darker before (Y/n) could swear he could see smoke coming out of her ears. And then, she all but fainted, causing (Y/n) to gently catch her. He could tell that she was okay, but he had no idea when she'd wake up. He was positive she'd be safe at the Roundtable Hold, so he didn't leave any Shadows with her.

He carried her softly into the right side of the Roundtable Hold, beginning to get curious about where exactly Melina and Sellen were. He met Smithing Master Hewg's eyes as he gently laid Roderika on a blanket, where she'd eventually set up her Spirit Tuning shop.

Then, he turned his attention to the Smithing Master that he so heavily respected.

Hewg was a misbegotten blacksmith. His arms and legs were longer than humans, he had claws, and patches of fur, and by his own words, he was an "ugly brute." He was held to the Roundtable Hold by chains wrapped around his ankles, all by Queen Marika.

But beyond that, Hewg was a determined to make a God-Slaying Weapon. And he succeeded, smithing a weapon strong enough for (Y/n) to kill the Elden Beast. But unfortunately, he'd lost himself before (Y/n) could tell him his achievement.

"Whoo's the little lady?" Hewg bucked his chin towards the unconscious Roderika, stopping his smithing for just a moment. He sat his large hammer down, looking (Y/n) up and down.

"She's a Spirit Tuner, just doesn't know it yet. She's a hard worker, but she'll need your help, Hewg," (Y/n) spoke easily, looking down at Roderika's unconscious face. He turned away to see Hewg with an annoyed expression. "What?"

"You look just like the woman who gave me my sole purpose. Who are you?" He asked, and (Y/n) hesitated on his answer. And before he could even think about a proper response, Hewg continued, picking up his hammer and beginning to hammer away once more. "Ugh, that's just like her too. She always thought too much. If the girl wants to be trained, I'll train her. And I'll be here when your arms need smithing."

And then, Hewg continued his word, smithing away carefully and deliberately. (Y/n) had no words, surprised that Hewg ended up being the same as ever. (Y/n) was surprised that the blacksmith would compare him to Marika, but he couldn't quite understand how he seemed like her. But looking at Hewg, he was pretty confident he wouldn't be getting any satisfying answers for now.

He carried forward, leaving Roderika in Hewg's care. He was positive he wouldn't regret it.

He couldn't ignore his heart pounding in his chest. 'Oh sheesh, Melina and Sellen really are more worrying to me than fighting a literal Demigod. I must have problems.'