“Oh thank God,” I said, heaving a sigh of relief. I laid my new gold and silver arm almost lovingly on the driver's bench of the new wagon that our group had been issued.

Grey smiled at my dramatics, amused. “You weren’t the only one suffering with the old wagon, Nathan. It’s been regulated to goods transfer for now, while we have this one. Thanks to Honoka.” He nodded at the older woman, who was petting one of the horses that came with our new mode of transportation.

Honoka snorted without turning to face us. “If I’m going to be traveling across the damn continent, I’m not going to be uncomfortable while doing so.”

Grey and I exchanged an amused glance at that, but Honoka spoke up again. “I saw that,” She said, turning and giving both of us the evil eye.

It was just the three of us examining the new wagon that the Uprising had bequeathed to us. The main host had arrived a few hours ago now, and they were busy buying up all the supplies they could haggle out of the town of Silvercrest. In the short amount of time we had before we set off with the army of the Uprising, the rest of us had been getting ready to go.

We were situated in the section of the host that was devoted to the Order of the Eclipsed Dawn. All around us, soldiers and classers dressed in black and silver armor were taking a brief break to rest, while supplies were procured. They might have been coated in road dust from how long they’d been marching, but they didn’t look exhausted to me. I guess that was the benefit of seriously focusing on your advancement, compared to a regular soldier.

Our column was one of the smallest sections in the host, but it was of a visibly higher quality than the rest of it.

Azarus and Renauld had just left to go and fetch our still comatose Antium friend from the healing tent. Meanwhile, Sylvia had wandered off, citing some business in the city before we left. Not even Fade was with us right now. He’d sauntered off not long ago, no doubt to go terrorize the local wildlife one last time. I’m sure he would show up before we left. The wolf seemed to have an almost uncanny sense of where I was at any one time.

For now, it was just us. My attention was caught though, when I saw a familiar face approaching our position.

Richard Everfield, the nominal leader of the political prisoners we had rescued on Caer Drarrow. With him was his grandson whom we’d saved as well, accompanied by a pair of unfamiliar faces. Judging by their clothing though, I’d guess they were nobles.

Grey must have noticed my attention drifting, because he turned to look as well. He seemed surprised to see them, from the way his eyebrows shot up.

When the group reached us, Grey spoke first. “Well met, Lord Everfield. I’m surprised to see you again so soon. I would have thought you’d be too busy reuniting with your…?”

“Son and daughter-in-law, Headmaster,” Richard said, inclining his head in Grey’s direction with a smile. “And I am no longer Lord of House Everfield. My trials at Caer Drarrow have illustrated my need to step down from the position. I have, effective immediately, elevated my son Bryce to the position of Lord. With it, he assumes my responsibilities in the House of Lords. I believe he had something he wished to say…?” He ended, turning to face his son with a raised brow.

Bryce Everfield immediately stepped forward and dipped into a deep bow, his apparent wife copying him as well. “Words can never express Eleanor and I’s gratitude to you for saving not only my Father, but our Son as well, Headmaster. Know that for the service you have performed for my family, House Everfield will be in your debt to its dying day.” He straightened up with an almost teary smile on his face.

Eleanor Everfield lay a hand on her son's tiny shoulder, from his position standing next to her. “We will be sure that Callen will understand the debt that we owe you when he is grown, Headmaster.”

Grey hummed thoughtfully. “I see,” He said after a moment, meeting the eyes of Richard. The other man nodded ever so slightly at Grey. He smiled. “I will be sure to remember that. Perhaps in time something can be arranged.”

I titled my head at the odd interaction. What Grey did next surprised me, though. He turned in my direction and gestured to me.

“Lord and Lady Everfield, may I introduce my apprentice?” He said, causing me to straighten up. The eyes of both parents immediately locked on to me with intense expressions. “This is Nathan Hart, who assisted in the assault on Caer Drarrow. I’m quite proud of his progress and inventiveness. Why, I even believe he’s talented enough to become my Terminal Apprentice.”

I flushed slightly under both their assessing gaze, and the overblown praise that Grey was heaping on me. I mean, I didn’t think I was that impressive.

Bryce stepped forward and extended his hand in my direction. I met him, clasping forearms with the man. “A true pleasure to meet the Headmaster’s latest disciple,” He said, meeting my eyes. “Allow me to express my gratitude for helping to save my family.”

“It was my pleasure,” I said smoothly, leaning on my Acting skill. “I have a particular hatred for false imprisonment and slavery. Freeing your family from such dire confines was my pleasure.”

Bryce Everfield looked faintly surprised and impressed at my delivery, but that could just be his own Acting. I think he’d expected me to act like a bumpkin or something. I didn’t blame him. I looked and dressed like one, in my handmade leathers.

“As all men of character should, Mr. Hart,” Eleanor smoothly cut in. She graced me with a smile. “Please, don’t hesitate to call us in the future if you find yourself in need.”

I inclined my head in her direction with a smile of my own. “I will keep your most gracious offer in mine, Lady Everfield.”

After that, Richard stepped in and ushered his family away. I smiled, watching as little Callen Everfield turned around and waved us with a large smile on his face as they left. I waved back at him, happy to see that the kid seemed to be recovering now that he had his parents again. I’m not sure I’d ever seen him smile before now.

When I was done, I turned back around to see that Grey was looking at me contemplatively while Honoka nearly looked ready to burst into laughter. “What? What is it?” I asked, startled.

Honoka actually did start laughing at me then. “You’ve done it now, boy!” She said, pointing at me and nearly doubled over from her amusement. “This old goat can’t stand dealing with nobles! You’ve just shown him you can handle them no problem! He’s going to make you deal with all the nobles that want his attention now!”

I jerked back in surprise and dismay, turning an almost betrayed gaze towards Grey. He just shrugged helplessly at me with a smile, before starting to chuckle himself.

Oh.

Well damn.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Not long after that, the logistics officers for the army of the Uprising returned from their procurement mission. Azarus and Renauld had already come back carrying the massive form of Venix as well. We bedded him down in the back of our fancy new wagon, where he could continue recovering in peace. Sylvia reappeared just as everyone’s preparations were being completed for departure.

I’d already claimed the driver’s seat up on the bench for when we left. I had actually grown a little used to being the driver on our journeys and didn’t any sly convincing from Grey to take up the task. I was just waiting for the rest of the Army to give the call to head out.

I was trying to keep an eye out for Fade when I was startled by the sound of someone sitting next to me up on the driver’s bench. Turning to face them, I was a bit surprised. They had never joined me up here, before.

It was Sylvia, smiling slyly at me. In her hands, she was holding a small, wrapped package.

“Oh-” Before I could even continue, Fade appeared out of nowhere, jumping up on the driver’s bench to sit in between Sylvia and I. The both of us just stared at him for a moment, before I huffed a laugh and scratched his head. Shaking my own, I picked up where I left off, smiling at Sylvia. “What’s up? You finish what you were doing in town?”

Sylvia nodded at me, hands folded over the package on her lap. “Yes, it wasn’t anything complicated. I was just picking up something from the markets,” She paused for a moment, before continuing almost shyly. “It’s…for you, actually. Here.” Sylvia held out the small package wrapped in twine that she was holding for me to take.

My eyebrows rose at that. Setting down the reigns I’d been holding in preparation, I accepted the apparent gift. Undoing the twine, I saw that there was a small burlap sack inside that rattled slightly when I picked it up. Curious, I opened it up, only to be stunned by a familiar sight and smell.

Inside the sack were what were unmistakably coffee beans. My lips parted, before I looked up at Sylvia with a disbelieving smile. “Coffee? I didn’t even know you guys had this!”

Sylvia smiled back at me, visibly relieved at my delight. “We do, although it’s uncommon. It’s grown on the southern end of the continent, and not quite as popular as tea. I’ve never had it myself. I…heard you some time ago, talking about how you preferred it to tea. I thought to find some for you to celebrate your new arm. I visited Preceptor Josha one last time to ask if he knew any merchants in the city that sold it, and he was happy to help me.”

Didn’t Honoka tell me that he was from a place called Rorica? If so, that was officially my new favorite place.

I laughed out loud, gazing down at the precious bag of beans I now had. While Fade was sniffing curiously at it, I reached over and gently grabbed Sylvia’s Mithril hand with my new golden one. I was thankful that the enchantments and soul linking that it had undergone allowed a sense of touch, if not a muted one.

It let me feel her metal fingers in my own.

I met her eyes. “Thank you, Sylvia. I really appreciate it. This…is like a little taste of home, to me.”

Sylvia’s eyes softened. “It was my pleasure, Nathan.” She said softly.

We sat there for a moment, just holding hands, before we were startled by the sound of a bugle echoing out from the front of the army host. All around us, the myriad cohorts of soldiers and wagons of supplies started to move. Hurriedly, I dropped Sylvia’s hand and picked up the reigns once more in order to snap them and get the horses moving. When I did, our own wagon carrying our party and supplies started rolling as well.

Letting out a breath, I smiled over at Sylvia. “Well, we have plenty of time now. I think Grey told me that it’ll take the host about three days of travel to reach Helstein,” I paused for a moment in thought. “You know, you know some of my favorite foods, like coffee. But I don’t know yours. I know Sculpted still need to eat every once in a while, but I’ve never heard what you prefer.”

“Ah?” Sylvia said, a little flustered at my question. “Oh, well. I quite enjoy spicy foods. I picked up a taste for them from Honoka. There’s a particular bistro just outside the Academy that she would take me to quite often. They make a certain soup that I’m quite fond of.”

“Yeah? Well, maybe one day when the war is over, you can introduce it to me.”

“I’d like that, Nathan. I very much would.” Sylvia and I exchanged a smile, as we settled in for another drive across the breadth of Vereden.

It didn’t occur to me until later that day that I had essentially asked her out on a date.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Grey’s prediction turned out to be right, as he usually was. We reached the central area of Helstein on the morning of the third day of travel. On the way there, the Army didn’t encounter any form of resistance from the Loyalists, even though I was sure they knew we had to be coming.

I mean, the Army was huge. It was much larger than what I had seen back in Hollow Hill by at least several thousand. There were plenty of banners that I hadn’t seen back then mixed in with the familiar ones around us. It looked to me like our gambit in freeing the prisoners had worked to bring back support from the Uprising’s noble backers.

But we didn’t see a single soldier wearing a Herztalian Loyalist tabard, much less a banner. Eerily, we didn’t even see many monsters on the way there. I would have thought there would be a large amount of them in area, since a large battle had apparently went down here some months ago.

Nothing attacked us that the fringes of the host couldn’t handle though.

Just over the horizon now, I could see a massive citadel, surrounded by what seemed to be a city. It was more than large enough to rival Rhoscara from what I could see, which had been by far the largest city I’d seen in Vereden.

Camped out front of the city was the missing Loyalist army.

It wasn’t small.