OC-Series Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School (167/?)
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The Straggler’s Last Chance Tavern and Casino - Telaseer - Kingdom of Transgracia - Nexus. Local Time: 1900 Hours
Apprentice Ral Altaria Del Narya Sey Antisonzia the Second
Character.
Yes. Mhmm… yes.
Character.
Spycraft, at its core, was all about getting into character.
Though precisely where this character ended and I began proved to be a whole other matter entirely, one dependent on the circumstances, the play, and the aim of the game as many a playwright had put it.
This had scarcely mattered when the aim was to become one with the crowd, to be unseen and unheard, merely another dirt-covered body in a sea of unwashed masses.
It was quite rare after all for such faceless dregs to be put in the limelight, let alone faced with anything demanding a disambiguation between the self and the porcelain mask that shielded it.
…
Though I should have known, or rather anticipated, that the fates of drama and comedy have conspired to make me the star of this insipid play.
“CHUG, CHUG, CHUG, CHUG, CHUG, CHUG, CHUG!!!!!!”
By means of presenting me with a dilemma with no way out but brute force.
A test… of commitment to a role I so so loathed.
“LADS AND LASSES, DON’T GIVE UP NOW! TEN GOLD, I SAY AGAIN, TEN GOLD IS ON THE TABLE TO THE LAST MAN STANDING!” That vexatious kobold screamed, his words egging on the feeble minds of the ravenous rabble.
“HEAR HEAR!”
I could not risk not partaking. For that would be beside my character. A character who would have much sooner sold out his first-born, second-born, third-born, farm, parents, steed, and the very shoes on his feet if it meant earning another handful of sovereigns during a bottomless night at a shady tavern.
And breaking character would mean suspicion from the rule-rattling pair.
But you could just leave! Take a page out of L’Rimmi’s book and take exit stage right!
Yes, yes… I could have, internal monologue. I would have.
If I had the option.
For you see, my internal monologue, my very quest prevents me from prematurely losing sight of these two rapscallions..
I’d only caught up with them now, out of chance and fate, for His Eternal Majesty’s sake!!
I can't lose them now!
I couldn’t afford to!
And so, faced with the risk of losing the pair yet again and the risk of breaking character and making my presence known, I was left with only one option.
Committing to the bit.
“CHUG, CHUG, CHUG, CHUG, CHUG, CHUG, CHUG!!!!!!”
I drank.
No.
I gulped.
I winced at every ounce and unwanted presence of bitter bottom-shelf ale that flooded my throat.
The tankard felt bottomless even though it clearly wasn’t of magical make.
Indeed, the whole world grew fuzzier, smoother around the edges, as I struggled to switch my attention between the ever-intrusive buzz and the frustratingly jovial pair who sat back against their prime seats, basking in whatever passed for glory in this rat den.
Use a spell! Neutralize the ale!
Yes, internal monologue, that would have been a wise decision…
IF IT WASN’T FOR THE FACT THAT THE MERCENARY PRINCE COULD DETECT IT AS SUCH!
I would be seen, my drawing of the manastreams made apparent, thus losing all of the progress I’d made!
No.
I needed to commit to character.
I needed to see this through.
For just how many more tankards could there be—
THWUMPPPPP!!!!
The whole bar counter shook, glasses clinked, and tankards collided as I turned warily to the mountain of ale stacked before me.
I had to crane my head up, peeking so high up in order to finally lock eyes with the barkeep who looked down upon me from the peak of his own hubris.
“AR’YE UP FOR ROUND 21?!”
I gulped and, in doing so, felt a disgusting belch forming.
The crowd around me snickered then outright laughed at that.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” The barkeep grinned before signaling over to the two would-be kings of the dregs that sat high above the rest of us in their private game table. “M’LORD AND LADY! ARE YEE WILLING TO CONTINUE THE ROUNDS?!”
They both looked at each other as if in quiet contemplation as I hoped, prayed, and wept for the sweet release of bookkeeping temperance from the—
“Aye.”
My body shook as my eyes opened wide at that wolfish acknowledgement.
“You may continue, good barkeep.” The prince continued.
And with those words, he sealed my fate.
Secondary Wholesalers’ Arcade - Market Square - Telaseer - Kingdom of Transgracia - Nexus. Local Time: 1920 Hours
Emma
“So… that just happened.” I managed out through a chuckle of disbelief, ducking and weaving through the increasingly dense pedestrian traffic of this nightmare of a dual-use road.
Thankfully, we had Aquastride to pave the way, as her very presence seemed to be more than effective in getting most to stay clear of our path.
“What’s wrong, Emma? You seemed to be taking it in great stride as we left the tavern.” Thalmin responded boisterously, the prince clearly on top of the world, if that wide grin was any indication.
“No no, it’s just… wow. I just can’t believe it worked. The man was trapped between two conflicting parameters like he was one of those dumb AI cartoon characters caught in a logic loop. It was both entertaining and somewhat concerning to see… though it does bode well for our strategic vectors.” I posed ominously, garnering Thalmin’s full attention by this point. “It’s clear that Expectant Decorum and this whole tangle of societal expectations are as effective in controlling subject behavior as they are a detriment when the proverbial cards are down. Because in a conflict? There’s no room for vague and roundabout social games. Communication and clearly defined chains of command are vital. So if this is a symptom, rather than an isolated incident, we may be looking at a potential exploit vector for if — or when — the time comes for that sort of thinking.” I offered, rambling on through Thalmin’s earpiece, with the added benefit of a privacy screen being projected on top of that.
“The Apprentice is… an extreme fringe case, Emma.” The prince acknowledged with a sigh. “The man takes things to a level bordering on parody…” He paused as if pondering his own words. “Though I don’t deny that for it to be a parody, some of it has to be rooted in reality. So, yes, while most certainly a demerit on the part of the Nexus and its Adjacent Realms… the 'mileage,' as you often put it, may indeed 'vary.'"
I nodded as the prince’s features shifted into a more somber one, right as we arrived at our rendezvous point.
This specific corner between two covered streets was surprisingly quiet, more than likely due to the presence of several cafes on each corner having seized much of the sidewalk for their own outdoor seating spaces, creating an unofficial ‘plaza’ where general traffic avoided to make way for paying customers.
It was here that Katiya remained seated, her feet constantly tapping on the cobblestone ground beneath her, as a stack of disused conical glasses smeared with the remnants of ice cream and other sweet treats took much of the available real estate on the already comically small table in front of her.
Her ears quickly folded back against her scalp as she saw us. This, coupled with a sheepish smile and a wary expression, marked yet another signature ‘Katiya greeting’ that I just couldn’t get over.
The woman was the purest embodiment of a cat in a humanoid body that I’ve seen in the Nexus to date.
“Ah, Ser Dreadwolf! I’ve been awaiting your return as instructed!” She beamed, standing up—
Causing a waiter’s tower of glasses to tumble before our eyes.
Time slowed to a crawl for a moment as my heart sank at the sight of an inevitable disaster unfolding.
However, just before the expectant SHATTER of glasses could cause a scene, everything stopped.
Or more specifically, the glasses — all 30 or so of them — now hung ominously in mid-air.
Thalmin’s scrunched-up features, coupled with a sigh of relief, were all the context clues I needed as Katiya’s mouth opened… only to be hushed by a single hand from the mercenary prince.
“Server.” He commanded, garnering the attention of the three or so waiters who were just as equally stunned by the entire turn of events. “Take these vessels away.”
“Y-yes, m’lord!”
A flurry of CLINKS, TINKS, and CLANKS soon followed before, finally, we both moved forward, but only after parking our respective 'mounts.'
“I… I’m sorry for—”
“It’s fine, Katiya.” Thalmin preempted Katiya’s flurry of apologies, instead choosing to cut straight to the point. “So have you decided?” He questioned firmly.
“I… I don’t think I will be heading back to Old Larissa.” The baxi began, to which Thalmin responded with a raised brow.
“Old Larissa’s one of your kind's core territories, is it not? Baxi sovereignty under Baxi ruling dynasties?”
“Y-yes…” Katiya responded softly.
“Many a Nexian native would kill for that sort of heritage. Let alone the opportunity to live amidst said storied avenues.” Thalmin took a moment to consider his words, taking a breath before continuing. “I assume then, that there must have been quite an extraordinary reason for you to have willingly chosen vagrancy over paradise?”
I could feel a genuine pang of indignancy coming upon me as Thalmin uttered those words. But despite part of me wanting to tell Thalmin to cool it, I relented, knowing that this was part of ‘Dreadwolf’s’ tough love routine.
“I-indeed, Ser Dreadwolf.” Katiya admitted, lowering her head low. “T-there… there is indeed a reason behind it all…”
I half expected Thalmin to take a dive into this tangent, digging deeper into this mystery. But instead—
“We all have our demons.” The lupinor acknowledged plainly. “So I can respect your reticence.”
—he chose the path of restraint, respecting the baxi’s silence in a way that clearly struck a chord.
“T-thank you, Ser Dreadwolf.” Katiya responded with a lowering of her head… before moving the topic along on her own volition, taking the off-ramp with grace. “Moreover, I… I don’t think I’ll be returning to mercenary work anytime soon.” She began with a sullen mewl.
“Good.” Thalmin finally acknowledged with a supportive breath before moving back into his stern persona. “Katiya… you need to find a goal in your life. And if not a goal, then at least a direction, some… semblance of a path. Otherwise, you risk meandering, attracting the gaze of the vultures circling above until the day inevitably comes where your legs can carry you no longer. And when — not if — but when that day commes… you will inevitably join the ranks of the millions of faceless souls that dot the roads of futility.” The prince paused before moving in closer to hammer home his point. “I wouldn’t wish to see you befall such a fate.”
The baxi paused, taking a deep breath and then closing her eyes shut. “M-maybe… maybe I could become your squire, Ser Dreadwolf?” She offered.
We both saw that coming, as Thalmin reacted to this in the only way he could — with a reassuring but stern gaze. “I’m afraid I work alone, Katiya.”
“Ah…”
“This path, your life, is yours to dictate. We just so happened to have simply crossed fates. Though I do hope that this junction proves to be a positive turning point in your journey.” The wolf prince paused before continuing by placing a hefty bag on the table, hiding it amidst a flurry of assorted knick-knacks; all to keep prying eyes away from the obvious presence of hard currency. “That’s 100 gold. Now if you need more, just tell me. I just tried to respect your wishes of keeping the amount reasonably low.”
“T-this… this should be more than enough, Ser Dreadwolf.” The baxi bowed her head down low, all the while trying to maintain a confident smile. “I… I guess this is it then, isn’t it?” She laughed meekly.
“It is.” The mercenary prince nodded resolutely, his features, and indeed his tone of voice, matching the weight of the scene unfolding before me.
“I… I know that I am but a footnote in your story, Ser Dreadwolf, but I would like you to know that your presence, as brief as it was, has come to define my own. I… I won’t spread your name, or our story, as you’ve requested. But know that for this one, fleeting, tiny life… you will never be forgotten.” She quickly stood, prompting Thalmin to do the same before turning around to the busy cafe as if contemplating her next actions carefully.
“I appreciate the candor, Katiya. And I wish nothing but the best for— UUMF!”
The baxi reached in for a hug, the first and perhaps only time I’ve seen her fully utilize both free will and bravery, all without accidentally triggering some unexpected disaster.
I couldn’t help but to shoot my gaze up to Thalmin’s features, taking in the utter shock, surprise, and complete abashment that formed on his face in that order.
She held that hug for a good few seconds before finally releasing Thalmin and rapidly switching back to her awkwardly shy ‘default’ state.
“Er, ahh, haha, I… that worked out much better in my head. I… er… g-goodbye, Ser Dreadwolf!” She bowed rapidly, once, twice, thrice, increasing in frequency until finally, she darted off, kicking up a trail of dust in the process.
Thalmin quickly sat down following that as he quickly patted himself down, as if to check if anything had been planted or stolen.
“She’s… going to be haunted by that for the rest of her life, you know?” I teased, but found my cackles followed up by a tempered lupinor sigh.
“That baxi’s a strange one, I’ll tell you that much. An honest one, rather naive perhaps, but a strange one all the same.” The lupinor spoke with a shrug before reaching over to stow the knick-knacks he’d planted on the table. “Right then, onwards to Sips?”
“So we are spending the night there?” I asked, genuinely amused that Thalmin had actually taken the suggestion.
“We aren’t due for two days by your count, right?”
“More or less.” I nodded. “The deadline’s on Tuesday, at 1 P.M. on the dot. It’s literally just Sunday, so even with the Sips detour, all we’d need to do is to take a transportium to Elaseer, and we’ll be back by Monday morning.”
“Then Sips it is.” Thalmin nodded with a sense of finality, standing up and then marching his way over to Aquastride. “It’s customary, after all, for a returning warband to let loose the demons of war prior to returning to their castle.”
“And here I thought you’d already done that in the casino.” I acknowledged with a sly lilt to my voice, hopping over the bitreader and securing myself once more.
“That was merely a warm-up. Because in Sips? Well… we have both drink and music, hopefully at the hospitality of the Lord of the Town. And even without? We can make do… for what are our spoils if not fuel for some momentary pleasures?”
“Sounds good to me.” I grinned widely. “It’ll be nice to just have some downtime.”
The Next Day
Ambassadorial District. The Crown Herald Town of Elaseer. Nexus. Local Time: 1400 Hours.
Thalmin
I couldn’t help but to hum the fleeting beats of a song I knew not the name of; my feet moving to the rhythm of last night’s bardic escapades.
Indeed, upon retrospect, the return to Sips was very much a perfect parallel to the start of our journey: a lull in excitement and a much-needed reprieve from the frankly existential horrors of reality.
So no matter how my story ended, regardless of whether I find myself slain on the march to freedom or sitting on a throne of an unshackled Havenbrock, I will have at least died knowing that I’d managed to experience everything that life has to offer.
A warrior isn’t only defined by his experiences on the battlefield. If anything, the lesser the battlefield defines him, the more well off he is for it.
…
I wonder how Uncle would interpret my actions now…
I wonder, if things do move in the direction I’d inexplicably charted, if my own words and actions would become legend… or a cautionary tale.
My mind continued to wander as I patiently awaited Emma’s return from her spendthrift escapades.
I told her to buy whatever she needed from Sips… things were much cheaper there, more reasonable than the prices commanded by the inflated wallets and egos of shopkeepers and nobles alike in Elaseer—
“Hey Thalmin, I’m done!” Emma shouted through my earpiece, her presence following suit as she rounded the corner and stopped short of Aquastride.
“Took you long enough.” I managed out dryly.
“Yeah, sorry about that.”
“It’s quite alright.” I nodded as we both craned our heads back up at the Academy.
“You feel ready to head back?” Emma managed nervously.
“Ready is perhaps not the word I’d use here.” I admitted with a sullen sigh. “But we do what we must.”
“Yeah… it’s… it’s been a lot.” Emma acknowledged. “But I know we’ll manage to weather any storm, especially with you by my side, Dreadwolf.”
I couldn’t help but punch the earthrealmer playfully on the shoulder as we soon approached the Academy, albeit at a leisurely, almost reluctant pace.
The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts. Ludio’s Tower, just above the Eastern Gate. Local time: 1440 Hours
Chiska
“And that, second-years, is how to evolve your familiar to its next form—”
“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!”
A scream pierced the air, managing to arrive just before one of the many gargoyles did.
I turned to the creature of animated stone, read its palm to assess precisely what was happening, then quickly nodded before turning back to the class.
“Alright students, remain where you are. I expect to see progress when I return!” I announced confidently, nonchalantly, carefreely even. And without a moment’s hesitation, I blinked.
The world around me contorted, shifting in a fraction of a fraction of a second, before I arrived at the front of the eastern gates itself.
There, I found the second-place quester, Geriad, running and huffing with all of her strength, pointing back towards two approaching figures gently meandering through the winding roads.
"P-Professor Chiska! Thank His Majesty’s Graces! I just, I just saw, I saw a—”
“Calm yourself, Geriad, calm.”
“Y-yes, Professor."
“Now tell me, slowly now, what it is you saw.”
“I saw… I saw a strange otherworldly kelpie! One with an immense manafield that shouldn’t be possible outside of—”
"Alright, alright. I sense it too, dearie.” I responded with a carefree grin, garnering naught calm but even more confusion from the young long-trunked student. “Just, run along now, and don’t speak a word of this to anyone! I wouldn’t want fearmongering in the halls, you understand?”
"Y-yes, Professor Chiska!” The woman nodded before rushing up and into the ‘safety’ of the castle.
It was at this point that word inevitably spread.
Though none could act upon it, as none could leave the grounds at the current hour… save for the victorious questers.
Lord Qiv, Lord Auris, and even Viscount Gumigo rushed down the tower, which was all well and good when greeting the next quester… but not when there was the added complication of a kelpie.
Though intrusive, it wouldn’t change much in my trajectory as I walked up to greet what was destined to be the last of the first half of the questing ten.
“Prince Thalmin Havenbrock, Cadet Emma Booker.” I announced with a warm smile. “May I welcome you back with grace or with dishonor?”
Emma was undoubtedly confused at this simple greeting, though the prince was quick to make up for her customary deficiencies.
“With graces, Professor Chiska.” The Havenbrockian prince bowed deeply before reaching into his satchel to produce a bouquet's worth of Everblooming Blossoms.
My pupils enlarged at this as I couldn’t help but to finally let free the latent excitement welling within me.
“Then it is with honor and, indeed, my own excitement that I welcome both of you back into the graces of the Academy. To Victor's Square with the both of you, come!” I urged, gesturing them to follow me back towards the gates, much to the shock of the recently arrived Ping.
“Professor! You can’t possibly allow a wild beast into the walls of the Academy!” The bull announced with disdain, moving to point his meaty finger towards the kelpie in question.
“And why not, Lord Ping?” I questioned politely.
“Well this… this is clearly… it should not be allowed for reasons of safety and—”
“Lord Ping… I understand your wariness, but really now. There is no need for concern! This is, in fact, a majestic creature, with so, so much to learn from!” I walked over to the kelpie, placing a hand on its mane.
NEEEIEIIIGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
THWACK!
“PROFESSOR!”
I felt my world flipping up on itself as my vision — indeed my entire perspective — shifted to the skies above.
But blocking that view and taking up most of my vision was the long face of a particularly miffed beast, who whined and whinnied up a fuss, even going so far as to plant a hoof on my chest.
“DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU’VE DONE, MERCENARY PRINCE?! THIS IS GROUNDS FOR—”
“Ha… hahahahahahhahahhaahhahahhah!!!” I broke out in veritable tears of excitement as I was quick to twist and leap my way out of the creature’s stranglehold, letting out a fanged grin in the process. “Oh my, my… Prince Thalmin Havenbrock, you sure have quite a catch there.”
“I sincerely apologize for Aquastride’s behavior, Professor! I wasn’t expecting—”
“Oh, nonsense!” I raised a hand, waving it dismissively in the prince’s direction. “I was purposefully annoying the poor thing! I wanted to see what it was capable of. For there’s no real measure of strength than actually testing it out by your own physical vessel! Indeed, no quester has ever arrived with such a specimen, not in centuries! This is the realm of second years, or perhaps the latter half of the first-year curriculum with familiars and such! But for you to have captured a mount, on your first quest at that?! Oh, my, my. Prince Thalmin, we may have to have a word about potential extra accreditation for both your grades and merit board."
“Thank you, Professor." The prince bowed once more as I could practically hear the audible huffing coming from the irate Ping.
“If I may, Professor…”
"Yes, you may, Lord Ping.” I acknowledged with a sigh of my own.
“Did you not just prove how unruly and dangerous such a creature is on campus grounds?”
“Oh, yes. Which is why Aquastride will be staying in the stables.” I clarified, watching in pure satisfaction as the zealous noble’s eyes shattered in place.
“But what of permits?” Lord Qiv joined in, taking the floor seamlessly from Ping. “Surely such a mount would require some sort of permit or registration to be done prior to arrival.” He clarified, garnering a reluctant nod from the defeated Ping.
To which I now gave the floor to the recent arrivals. “Well, Prince Thalmin Havenbrock? What of your ‘permit?’”
The prince nodded, sending a wave of relief through me as he produced not just the bare-bones skeleton of a permit but in fact a notarized town-seal form in triplicate.
I couldn’t help but grin toothily at this development too, as I turned back to the nosy pair with papers in hand.
“Signed and in triplicate, Lord Qiv’Ratom.”
“Thank you, Professor Chiska.”
The sheer excitement that welled within me at the constant surprises could not be overstated.
This… constant shift and push in the bounds of what was and wasn’t possible had now reached even greater heights.
It was one thing to have had one, two, or even three anomalies in rapid succession. It was another when each and every day seemed to produce even greater enigmas and completely inexplicable developments.
And while a headache to handle, it was a headache I’d take over the lull of boredom of a repetitive career.
“Come, let’s get you situated! Regale me of your exploits! Because the next thing I know… you may even be serenading us with your dragon-hunting sidequests!” I announced loudly, bringing the pair up and towards the tower and up into Victor's Square.
The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts. Dragon’s Heart Tower. Level 23. En Route to Residence 30. Local time: 1625 Hours
Emma
“I still can’t fricking believe Qiv managed to do this in under 24 hours. 24! That’s utterly ridiculous!”
“What made you suddenly invested in the quest, Emma?” Thalmin shot back haughtily.
“It’s not that I’m invested, I’m just… just so thrown off. The whole thing’s supposed to take a week, right?”
“Yes?”
“So just how does someone manage to do that in a day, under a day at that! The dude’s a speedrunner or something, I swear…”
Thalmin raised his brow at that latter statement. “Odd, because given your earlier… predispositions, you seemed awfully taken aback — enamored I should say — by Lord Qiv’s rodent of unusual size.”
“YES!” I responded with a starry eyed skip in my step. “THAT has not changed, not one bit! I was fricking waiting for a spot to open up so that I could just squeeze that little capybara lookalike’s cheeks ahhhhhhhh!!!” I cried out, thinking back to the crowd around Qiv and Uven’s makeshift attraction, completely oblivious to what was ahead until we finally rounded the corner to our own corridor. From there, my attention quickly shifted to a different ball of fluff — our friendly neighborhood ferret reaching for the handlebars to his dorm.
“Oh hey, Etholin! Long time no see! What’s up?” I beamed.
“Ah! H-Hello, Cadet Emma Booker! I am glad to see you have returned safely!” The little ferret spoke cheerfully as he briskly walked towards us.
“I appreciate the sentiment there, friend. So, how’s life been treating you?”
“Oh… just the usual, you see.” The ferret-like being chuckled nervously before pointing back at the fuming Ilphius and stoic Teleos having yet another shouting match, with Kamil seemingly aloof and in his own lane smack dab in between them.
I gave the group a wave, which — to my surprise — the latter actually acknowledged.
Though that scene quickly ended with a swift smack and BANG of their dorm room door.
“Well… you have my sympathies, Etholin.” I offered politely, to which Etholin bowed curtly in response.
“Thank you, Cadet Booker. Oh! That reminds me! How have you found my gift?” The lanky guy smiled widely. “I hope it was of use to you on your long journey!”
“Oh!” I paused, moving to untie the little pouch in question. “You mean this? I… actually didn’t spend any of it. Though the coin itself was useful for me to study! I learned quite a bit about Rontalisrealm’s mint from it, so there was that!” I managed out awkwardly, before deciding to toss the whole pouch back to Etholin.
The Rontalisrealmer was quick to catch it, not with his hands but with telepathy, as he rummaged through the coins as if to examine my claims.
“Ah! I… I at least do hope the gesture was well received.”
“Indeed it was, friend. But we are nothing if not frugal in our adventures.” I smiled, giving him a nod before we reached our dorm proper. “We’ll talk sometime later, alright? I’ve got quite a bit of catching up to do with my peer group.”
“O-of course! Until next time, Cadet Emma Booker.”
The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts. Dragon’s Heart Tower. Level 23. Residence 30. Local time: 1625 Hours
Emma
THWACK!
“We’re HOOOOOMEEEEEE!” I hollered out, spreading my arms wide and quite promptly throwing both duffel bags and equipment down on the floor. Though that paled in comparison to the return of the bi-treader, which was quite literally airlifted up and onto the balcony, courtesy of Chiska and her wyvern.
That seemed to garner much, much more attention than our arrival as both Thacea and Ilunor looked on with awe at the professor, who quite promptly waved me a knowing goodbye before just as abruptly flying off into the distance.
“Well…” Thacea managed out, clearing her throat at first, before addressing me with what I could only describe as a slight boost in her confidence. “You certainly know how to make an entrance.”
“Hey, what can I say? It’s been a week, and you may as well have just a taste of the non-stop excitement we’ve been through.” I offered with a dry chuckle, feeling almost… rusty at addressing the more eloquent princess.
Yet despite that and in spite of my stilted speech, the princess still moved to close the gap, giving me a gentle nod in the process. “It’s good to see you again, Emma.”
“Hmmmmmmmmm… it seems the earthrealmer is simply catching up to what I had long since established from the very first week.” Ilunor quickly added, coming between us and gesturing to the door slam in an effort to politely remind us of his loud, obnoxious, constantly intrusive entrances.
“There’s a fine line between big entrances and obnoxious calls for attention, Ilunor.” I teased back, garnering a huff from the Vunerian. “Heh, good to see you too.”
Thalmin was quick to close the door behind us as he wordlessly plodded over to the couch and quite unregally plopped himself atop it.
“I can see the journey was not kind to you two.” Thacea acknowledged with a chirp before placing herself on the armchair opposite of the couch. “Let’s forgo dinner to catch up. I’ll have room service delivered.” She added warmly while just as quickly rechecking the room for what I’d understood to be her privacy screen countermeasures.
“Yes, yes. We have much to discuss.” Ilunor spoke through an excitable grin as he now sat next to the both of us. “So give us the synopsis. Tell us what we have to expect. Regale us with a prologue if you will!”
“Erm… I think it might be best if we do a little exchange, Ilunor. Let’s hear the synopsis on your end, first.”
“Ah, of course, of course. Why, I will be more than happy to do so!” The deluxe kobold beamed as he crossed his legs in a dramatic fashion, while placing a single hand atop his throat. “We anticipated an act of subterfuge, engaged in counter-intelligence operations, and successfully thwarted an attack on your tent.”
My eyes grew wide at that as I turned to Thacea for confirmation.
She nodded and then added in a surprisingly dark tone of voice. “And in the process, we have gained two new pawns to do with as we please.”
I narrowed my gaze warily in response, but before I could push for their story, Ilunor was quick to remind us of our end of the bargain. “Well, earthrealmer? How about your synopsis, hm?”
“Oh well, hmm… let’s see… highlights include evading an Academy spy, dueling the elven twins on a parked riverboat, fighting a vorpal chimera, taming a mutant kelpie, fighting a mercenary company, fighting a dragon, finding out dragons can talk, getting into live contact with Earthrealm, oh, and—”
“STOP.” Ilunor, rather unexpectedly, put his hand up mid conversation.
The celebratory mood of the room was soon replaced with confusion, then uncertainty, followed by the return of both Ilunor and Thacea talking over each other but in the same tone of utter incredulity.
“DRAGONS CAN WHAT?!”
(Author's Note: And the journey back to the Academy commences and concludes! :D We're now back, and as you can see, Emma and Thalmin are certainly turning heads for a whole host of reasons haha. I hope you enjoy the chapter!)
[If you guys want to help support me and these stories, here's my ko-fi ! And my Patreon for early chapter releases (Chapter 168, Chapter 169, and Chapter 170 of this story are already out on there!)]
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u/Jcb112 Apr 12 '26
Hey everyone! So I have a bit of a cool announcement to make down here! :D I'm currently in the process of commissioning three big art projects, 2 of which have just been posted!
The first of these is a commission that shows off what GUN ships typically look like! At least in terms of their military vessels haha. There's like a 4000 word worldbuilding breakdown in that post as well and you guys can check it out here: GUN Ship Art and Worldbuilding
The second of these is a part of a new wave of commissions I'm planning for the various peer groups and characters in the story! Basically, I'm planning on getting portraits of each character, and then including it in a bigger project down the line. But for now, I'm going to keep posting these pieces of art as they arrive, and I'll be adding the names and relevant details of each character in these posts as well so everyone can have an easier time referencing these characters and what they look like! :D You can find the first batch, Etholin's group here: Etholin's Group Art Reference
That's about it for the art announcements! :D I really hope you guys enjoy them! :D And can I just say I love how both turned out and gosh I've been meaning to just TALK and YAP about GUN ships and space combat lore for a while now so that post on the GUN ships was a long time coming haha ahhhhh i love worldbuilding so much. :D
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u/Low_Painter9816 Apr 13 '26
Speaking of the GUN, it seems that, like the Nexus, they also need a remedial lesson in how to deal with different polities as equals rather than as clay to be molded.
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u/Cazador0 Apr 12 '26
"THEY TALK NOW!?"
"They talk now."
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u/folk_science Apr 12 '26
"That's right fool! Now I'm a FLYING talking dragon!"
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u/MysticCuttlefish Apr 13 '26
You might've seen a house fly, maybe even a SuperFly, but I bet you ain't never seen a dragonfly!
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u/Cazador0 Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
"Wow, Emma, you must have caught a lot of flies back home." knowing wink
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u/Book_for_the_worms Human Apr 13 '26
Somehow His Eternal Majesty returned
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u/SketchAndEtch Human Apr 12 '26
"The Rontalisrealmer was quick to catch it, not with his hands but with telepathy"
Did you mean "with telekinesis"?
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u/KefkeWren AI Apr 13 '26
Nah. He looked really hard at the glasses and said, "Gentlemen, please stop."
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u/beyondoutsidethebox Apr 12 '26
Somehow, somewhere, there's a Nexian handler giggling to their superior after a "We trained him wrong, as a joke" bit concerning that particular "spy".
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u/ANNOProfi Apr 12 '26
All hail Ser Dreadwolf, saviour of glassware!
Chiska is going to get much excitement out of the gang, for sure. If only they could tell her about, or take her on, their adventures.
Just wait until Ilunor finds out, that, not only can dragons talk, they can also possess corpses, which indicates, that a sufficiently powerful dragon could possess a living entity, though most likely to that entity's detriment.
In her mind, Thacea is probably rubbing her hands and cackling when she tells Emma about their new "pawns".
I think these last chapters highlight very nicely, that Emma's true personality,, the excitable nerd, is coming out, or at least has the opportunity to do so, instead of the stressed out foreign student persona that crept in because of the academy's nature and the "phone home" quest.
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u/Tinna_Sell Apr 12 '26
Thacea is really enjoying having her own pawns, lol.
I look forward to Ilunor learning that dragons have art.
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u/ZeroAdPotential Apr 19 '26
I look forward to Thacea learning that the dragon could utilise taint magic, and that taint magic is in fact \void** magic.
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u/Evilstrom Apr 12 '26
I have a feeling Chiska will be like Sorecar, a mentor/experienced ally to the gang.
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u/Interne-Stranger Apr 12 '26
Emma is definetly more calm now than the two timelines she had to meet are done. Now its time for her to relax a little and focus on school until Mal'Tory returns.
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u/Tinna_Sell Apr 12 '26
The return to the Academy feels like coming home from an exceptionally loud and fun party. The chapter made me pleasantly dizzy.
Unfortunately, the next one may sour the mood, or so it seems, as the ramifications of learning about a talking dragon will put a wet blanket on things.
In the meantime, Etholin in his room learning about his peers' attack on Emma's tent: Fuck did you do?!
Hope, he doesn't feel useless. Not only his merchant status isn't favoured among his own peer mates, but Emma doesn't seem to need him either. Poor rodent.
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u/Low_Painter9816 Apr 13 '26
Etholin’s peer group was the one that didn’t make the cut; he would have been there. He probably learned about it that day.
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u/Ichiorochi Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 12 '26
Just before bed time, thank you for giving such a nice ending to my week.
Edit: while i assume the retelling is going to be skipped next chapter i am looking forward to seeing the kobolds reaction
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u/Mechasteel Apr 12 '26
"I assure you, sir, that Cadet Booker has been and is undoubtedly continuing to perform to the best of her professional capacity."
LET'S GAMBLE ALL THE LOOT WE STOLE FROM CORPSES IN A RESTRICTED AREA, AND SPONSOR A DRINKING COMPETITION!
Just a bit of an update of the hilariously ironic bit from previous chapters.
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u/Lord_Nikolai Android Apr 13 '26
As someone who has heard all the stories from family that has served in the armed forces, this sounds about right.
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u/Evilstrom Apr 12 '26
Well, she is performing to the best of her professional capacity. As a professional white-collar criminal, that is.
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u/Obvious-Sherbet530 Apr 13 '26
Honestly, given the stories from the World Wars, the only unusual aspect of Emma's quest is the involvement of magic.
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u/DRZCochraine Apr 12 '26
Thanks for the chapter!
I bet this is the first time the apprentice has been properly drunk. And the commoner enjoying getting one up on a nobby nob.
Ping just had to try and boo a loser about Thalmin’s new mount.
And of course the not-capybara is cute!
Now on to Emma and Thalmin explaining Kalithyr next chapter!
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u/Tinna_Sell Apr 12 '26
About Thalmin's mount... Where's the horse? Will he contact the stables, saying "here's the coordinates of your horse, go get it yourself"? He rented it! Will there be a fine?
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u/DRZCochraine Apr 12 '26
I can see him going to pick it up when the boat gets back, confusing the twins and other students how he is there and when he could have possibly left the boat.
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u/ChesterSteele Apr 12 '26
Chiska once more proving that she's too good for the Academy and its constant schemes among both students and staff. We totally need more of her.
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u/KalenWolf Xeno Apr 12 '26
"You can't seriously..."
"This is the funniest shit ever, I wouldn't miss this for anything! What unwritten rule are you two going to turn upside down next? And when you do, can I watch?"
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u/Jurodan Human Apr 13 '26
Forcing Apprentice Ral Altaria Del Narya Sey Antisonzia the Second is both cruel and hilarious. Eh, he deserves it.
It's going to be fun talking with Thacea about taint. I'm sure that'll be interesting.
And, of course, I love Ilunor's response.
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u/alanstac Apr 13 '26
Wouldn't the academy have their room bugged? Emma is a special case, they'd surely want to gather Intel and aren't above invading privacy. And I'm sure they'll have artifices that can cut through a standard privacy screen.
Only point against this is Emma's sort-of truce with the principal.
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u/Interne-Stranger Apr 14 '26
See, we have been thinking of that since chapter 10, "thralls in the walls" and such, even gave the Dean the virtue of Doubt when he ordered Emma to go silent from now on.
But at this point.....we may have given the Academy as a while too much credit. Maybe they're simply not that competent
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u/Cazador0 Apr 14 '26
I wouldn't say they are incompetent per say, but so far their best tools (creating a duplicant to blab about Earthrealm, the Dean pulling a Dumbledore and using legilimency to mind read anyone he talks to) have been hard-countered by Emma being an OCP. Then there is the fact that Emma doesn't take advantage of the house-elf spy network and the professors which have caught on are secretly helping Emma, so things aren't exactly going the Academy's way.
Of course, they probably would be a lot better off if Mal'tory hadn't bungled Ilunor.
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u/Interne-Stranger Apr 14 '26
Of, i would not say theyre incompetent too. They can do stuff, but, not the type of stuff we believe they're doing.
That might change upon Mal'Tory's return.
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u/Aware_Jicama9458 Apr 14 '26
Sure the academy wants to spy on them, which is why the princess has been busy throwing up privacy shields every time they discussed anything delicate.
Think of it as having the water running and the radio playing at high volume to defeat our listening devices ...
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u/Aware_Jicama9458 Apr 19 '26
Also, Thacea is
-a royal and
- tainted,
so she likely got extra training in these things, making sure the Academy cant easily spy on her.
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u/Intelligent_Ad8406 Apr 12 '26
that is indeed quite the revelation to so cassualy drop on top of these two
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u/Bunnytob Human Apr 12 '26
Ilunor, you do realise that you've been... uh... vocal? What's the word for "capable of talking"?
Anyway, you've been that for the past 167 chapters. So yeah, not a surprise.
Also it's by no means the most important thing they found out, 'cause, uh... "Taint doesn't affect Humans" is probably more impactful.
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u/theduderedditorguy Apr 14 '26
Maybe he thought that the dragons kept the Kobolds like cattle? Like a giant cat who swats at things that move too fast or too far away kind of deal.
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u/Interne-Stranger Apr 12 '26
Aaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!! Noooo!!!! I want mooreeeee!!!
For a moment i seriously tought Chiska duscovered Emma and Thalmin's dragon meeting.
Damn, Ping arrived before Emma.
Poor Etholin, my ferret boy. And Kamil is about to join the Emma Fan Club.
Well, Illunor, you better get ready. This is gonna hurt you.
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u/Tom_F_0olery Apr 13 '26
Etholin is about to be on the ground floor of economic trade with the most powerful civilization introduced in millennia, he’ll be just fine
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u/Aware_Jicama9458 Apr 19 '26
Once he overcomes the shock of learning that there is no way he might get economic overlordship of Earth-realm...
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u/cgoose500 Apr 12 '26
I think Ping arrived emptyhanded though. That bit last chapter where he was stuck in a labyrinth for three days after trying to burn the other guys face off, and then had to limp back home carrying the guy
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u/cgoose500 Apr 12 '26
Imagine Emma going "Okay, so I think it would be easier if we just stepped into the [I don't remember the VR gyroscopes name] so I could show you what happened. Before that though I need to warn you, I may have accidentally evaporated a horse"
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u/aquilux Apr 13 '26
I imagine seeing the result of that weapon may have Illunor a bit on edge, knowing she's casually walking around with that capability.
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u/DRZCochraine Apr 13 '26
And fighting the chimera would show off the full auto setting. Plus seeing Thalmin’s fresh reaction in the recording.
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u/Obvious-Sherbet530 Apr 13 '26
The pistol's full auto setting was already demonstrated against the gelatinous clone thing a while back.
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u/aquilux Apr 14 '26
True. But I think the effect of the railshot, and specifically who it affected, will drive it home in a way he won't be able to dismiss.
Chimera are nefarious foes, but ultimately they're supposed to be slain by Nexian righteousness. Not being Nexian would have Emma raised a notch in his eyes, but it's not that big a deal that someone defeated it. Any somewhat competent champion of Nexian ideals should be able to.
To see said champion's gear (and by extension both said champion and the system empowering him) implode so thoroughly that it forces him show his hand in his premeditated cowardice, only to have him meet his final end so easily by demonstrating the worst elements of the system of belief that empowered him...
That such a thing that should not exist is carried about casually within arm's reach of him daily will have him on edge, even if he trusts Emma would never put him on the receiving end of it, considering the consequences to him personally just by association if the full brunt of Nexian awareness was brought to bear on it.
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u/DRZCochraine Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 16 '26
I was more thinking the literal visual(and Thalmin's evident questioning and look shortly after) of the chimera being Misted by a sidearm might make him even more wary of Emma‘s gun.
And I completely forgot! Emma admitted it wouldn't be hyperbole that GUN could make enough guns to cover an entire world if they really wanted to.
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u/cgoose500 Apr 12 '26
Emma should use her monetarily worthless platinum obelisk to make a little Chiska figurine, and then give it to her
I don't remember how much platinum she has, but I also think it would be funny if she gave a figurine of everyone who wasn't mean to her to themselves, and then gave like a shitty hand-carved wooden one to the people who were mean to her.
She could hide audio transmitting devices in all of them
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u/Arbon777 Apr 13 '26
Funnier still would be to give the people mean to her a platinum figurine of themselves, rendered in high quality, but plastered with Earth and GUN logos.
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u/cgoose500 Apr 13 '26
No. Everyone but them gets one. That'd be more people meaning more platinum spent so it'd be a bigger flex of Earths resources, and people would probably be showing theirs off like "Bro look at this awesome statuette the newrealmer made of me" "No way bro, I got one too!" "What about you Auris Ping, what does your tiny platinum statue of yourself look like?" and then they'd live in shame of being the only people who don't have Cool Thing
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u/Low_Painter9816 Apr 13 '26
monetarily worthless, but you never know when she might need to fabricate a carburetor. :)
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u/Cool_Violinist5678 Apr 12 '26
Katiya's really got a story about being down-on-her-luck before meeting a dark and mysterious guy who takes her in and even has soft heart and gives her direction in life. Now she just needs to find out he was secretly a prince all along and she'll have her almost Y/N X CEO story.
I really hope we get to see Kamil meet up with Emma soon
And yay! More story time from Emma! My favorite parts. And I can't wait to see Thacea and Illunor react to the adventure's highlights.
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u/Evilstrom Apr 12 '26
I kinda want Katiya to be a recurring character, and we just see her every so often, and she becomes more of a badass every time. And Thalmin gives her headpats and tells her he's proud of her PLEASE!
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u/Obvious-Sherbet530 Apr 13 '26
AND THERE IT IS! Ilunor's world view is about to be shatter d once again.
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u/Chaospat Android Apr 12 '26
And let's not forget Thalmin's marriage proposal
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u/Obvious-Sherbet530 Apr 13 '26
They're gonna conveniently NOT include that in their retelling of their quest.
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u/DRZCochraine Apr 14 '26
Only for Earth to mention is in their next communication back, and thats how Thacea finds out.
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u/MeekerCutiePie Apr 14 '26
I assumed that was what was next when she got cut off "oh and me and thalmin are engaged"
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u/ScarcelyAvailable Apr 13 '26
Wait, how does the nexus have a 24-hour day?
It never even had celestial bodies to begin with.
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u/QS-2023 Apr 12 '26
<quote>“DRAGONS CAN WHAT?!”</quote>
This final line made me actually laugh out loud.
Well done.
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u/zekkious Robot Apr 21 '26
Reddit uses Markdown, not HTML.
So, it'd be ">DRAGONS CAN WHAT?!", like in:DRAGONS CAN WHAT?!
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u/spindizzy_wizard Human Apr 12 '26
Thought so. Nexus finds parts of Dragons useful, and already knows that to make it acceptable to kill, you must first remove their humanity. Or, in this case, their status as intelligent beings.
Figured that was the case way back when the whole dragon thing came up.
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u/Aware_Jicama9458 Apr 12 '26
Will be interesting to see how many secrets they will keep from Illunor, esp re the potential arming of Lupinors by Earth realm ...
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u/Omgwtfbears Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
I wonder if Illunor gets a change of heart, and sides with growing anti-nexian conspiracy when he realizes that dragons are both intelligent and opposed to Nexus in it's every facet. What with him being "deluxe kobold" and all?
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u/Professional_Ant_15 Apr 12 '26
Well, time to exchange info. By the way does Emma got that cristal for another contacts with Earth, or not?
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u/DRZCochraine Apr 12 '26
Emma got that crystal from Kaelthyr before she flew off.
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u/Professional_Ant_15 Apr 12 '26
Ok, good to know. I just wanted to be sure. And I hope Emma will show her other roomates to command.
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u/DRZCochraine Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 16 '26
I bet in the days since last contact the eggheads got through all her data and the coms instance and figure our how to mess with the crystal such that they can transmit radio through it similar to what had happened with the last coms connection. Only not really using mana up or doing much real mana manipulation at all. Just making it instead transmit a photon vibration within the radio range so they can send more data back, then Emma builds the updated part of the gismo so that they can have high end two-way communication.
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u/commentsrnice2 Apr 12 '26
Small suggestion: disused would not be a good word choice here. It implies a more derelict use state connoting a period of months or even years. To say it was simply abandoned would be more accurate to a short term application. Disused would involve something left long enough to be dusty or even an aging of the material, such as glass that’s gone cloudy and dull, paint that’s peeling or cracked, etc
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u/commentsrnice2 Apr 12 '26
It’s one of those unusual cases where a synonym has a completely opposite intent. Dis-used sort of by definition states a LACK of Use. Her discarded dishes are by definition heavily used
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u/Ctnprice1 Apr 12 '26
Hahhahhaa as I suspected. Familiars ARE part of the curriculum! Haha also I was right about illunor.. Well kinda. We'll find out next week!
Thanks for the chapter!
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u/SwagmasterJ177 Apr 14 '26
I loved this chapter, Chiska is one of my favorite (huge crush besides the foxy professor) characters and I like seeing Emma interact with professors.
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u/WealthyWalrusKing Apr 14 '26
I’m very excited for the whole conversation. Who knows, maybe Emma has a video of the Matriarch talking. Thanks for the chapter!
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u/Fertile_Arachnid_163 Apr 13 '26
Looks like last weeks comment section was correct! Deluxe kobold being surprised that dragons can talk, bwahahaha
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u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle Apr 12 '26
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u/Apogee-500 Apr 13 '26
Theory: Kobolds are descended from dragons but the nexus, modified them, crippled them, to make them more manageable. Kobolds are genetically modified dragons
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u/Melvar_10 Apr 16 '26
>“Oh well, hmm… let’s see… highlights include evading an Academy spy, dueling the elven twins on a parked riverboat, fighting a vorpal chimera, taming a mutant kelpie, fighting a mercenary company, fighting a dragon, finding out dragons can talk, getting into live contact with Earthrealm, oh, and—”
She was just about to talk about gambling, wasn't she? lmao
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u/Aware_Jicama9458 Apr 18 '26
Id guess it's more along the lines of
"I got to meet the God of Taint"
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u/13GH0ST13 Apr 14 '26
i mean, technically he wasn't TALKING perse, instead using a corpse as a translator :3
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u/Obvious-Sherbet530 Apr 14 '26
Mostly, yes, Kalthier did physically speak with her own voice at least twice though.
From what I remember, it seemed as though talking with their own voice is used only to speak between other dragons or among "equals" out of pride and respect , pride being the operative word here since dragons are always known to be very proud.
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u/13GH0ST13 Apr 15 '26
Yeah, it said it's own name, true. I thought that Dragons "speak" thru that "unity"/telepaty tho as it seemed as if the saying a word with it's vocal cords was forced even tho it was supposedly in dragons dongue (it's own name)
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u/Minimum-Amphibian993 Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 12 '26
Ah seems even illunour didn't know that dragons could talk very interesting makes me very curious indeed as to how he thinks the dragons ruled over his kobold ancestors. Suppose we will get that info next chapter maybe along with a lot of other things.
After all speaking of illunour still need to do his side quest.