Inside the safe zone, the soldiers celebrated around a fire. They sang to the obscure gods, and to Ehedus, some to Baha as well. Leda managed the ingredients well enough to ensure that every soldier received at least one, full serving. He offered seconds to the injured, but scolded away any attempts for more. As a priest, Leda functioned as the group’s healer as well. He treated the minor wounds with herbs and bandages, but relied on the magic of his whispers for deeper cuts and injuries.

“I need to have a word with you,” said Leda, after finishing with the team sent to clear the stragglers. His gaze rested on Daiden. “You’re aware of how my magic works, correct?”

Daiden raised his head, in a daze at first, and then shook into sudden realization. He hopped onto his feet, a worried expression on his face, and said, “No, no! I didn’t expect you to do much more than treat the wounds. Don’t use your magic!”

“I know you worked hard to raise morale, Daiden Lost,” said Leda. “There were just two soldiers with severe wounds. It wasn’t too much trouble. But I think you need to make it clear that going forward, I’ll only be able to manage with superficial treatments.”

With a nod, Daiden cleared his throat and stomped on the floor to draw the group’s attention. “Ah, proud soldiers of Multana! I can’t even begin to comprehend the skill with which you managed yourselves today. Take a moment. Raise your mugs, albeit just water! But raise them nonetheless, so we may toast properly once outside!”

The soldiers rapped their feet against the floor, in an applause, and raised their mugs as well. Leda watched the situation unfold, a little amused.

“But let’s not forget who’s allowing us the privilege of this celebration,” continued Daiden, lowering his voice on purpose. He turned and pointed at Leda. “Our good priest from Sol Sanctum. He feeds us! He cares for us!”

“Hear, hear!” the soldiers sang, in unison.

Daiden raised both arms to calm the crowd. “Ser Leda needs us now. As you may all know, a priest from Sol Sanctum doesn’t enjoy the grace of Aeterna. Healing us is already a violation to the rules of his temple…”

Leda covered his mouth to stifle a laugh in that moment. He noticed the soldiers stare at him, and played along with a grim expression.

“We, all of us, we cannot allow our benefactor to suffer so!” declared Daiden. He waited for some of the soldiers to nod in agreement, then more. “Going forward, we’ll only treat our wounds with bandages. Ser Leda is already filled with regret over being unable to fulfil his role in this group. Let’s do our best to not make him feel that way.”

The soldiers rose to their feet and toasted to Leda, again with water. One of the soldiers added, “You’re our hero, Leda! Don’t ever think that you’re not contributing to this quest…we would be lost without your great cooking and care.”

Deng added to the sentiment, encouraging the others to agree as well.

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“Great!” said Daiden, cheerily. “Now go back to celebrating. And let’s not forget to rest! It’s our duty to ensure that there’s no healing required from this point onwards. Stay sharp, everyone!”

Daiden retreated to his corner again, with Leda next to him.

“Impressively handled,” praised Leda, feigning an applause. “You’re crude, but with the makings to become more politically involved in the future. You know…I think I’ll keep an eye on you, once we’re all out of this mess. Hah!”

“You’re that confident we’ll survive this ordeal?” asked Daiden, searching his spatial inventory. “Not that I don’t appreciate the vote of confidence. Thanks…”

Leda sat next to Daiden and folded his arms. He cocked his head to one side, then the other, in a hum. “I have faith, yes. You have that quality about you. And I can endorse you as a candidate for nobility when the time comes. What do you think about that?”

“You can do that?” said Daiden, more attentive to the conversation now.

“It’s not commonly known…” said Leda, with a slightly twisted expression. “But I can recommend you to the person who leads the priests at Sol Sanctum, our Void, Helena. Let’s just say that she’s influential among the upper-class in the Godvildian Empire.”

Daiden smiled at Leda. “I’m not an idiot. I recognize the expression on your face.”

Taken aback, the priest coughed, choosing to not respond to the remark.

“Anyway, tell me more about this Void Helena,” said Daiden, noticing the mark on his chest glow a little. “I did tell you I would participate more willingly this time around.”

“Well, that shouldn’t be a problem,” said Leda. “She’s the Keeper of the World’s Knowledge, the Seer of Things, a being of higher stature than Aeterna!”

Daiden’s eyes widened at the revelation. “Higher stature than Aeterna?”

“She voids the rules set by Mioverold, by Aeterna,” explained Leda. “And she mothers us to live by those principles.”

“Oh? I would love to hear more about it someday,” said Daiden. “Perhaps in person, if that’s even allowed.”

“I can make that arrangement when I endorse you,” said Leda, proudly. He leaned ahead, in a grin. “Now, it’s your turn to tell me something.”

As if in wait, Daiden dropped a bundle of raw materials in front of Leda, leather mostly. He then quickly removed a sewing set from his spatial inventory.

“You know Takshaka as a swordsman, perhaps,” said Daiden. “But I discovered recently that he forged his style from the craft of tailoring. He left me with a message to understand the connection between the needle and the sword. I’ve since acquired everything necessary to see that journey to its end.”

Leda smiled for a moment, and dropped his jaw at the next. His head throbbed with a dull pain now, trying to piece his knowledge of the past with the offered information. He gulped when the inscriptions on Daiden’s chest faded, attesting to the completed exchange between them. “He’s speaking the truth…”

“You’re a tailor as well, then?” asked Leda, finally.

Daiden admitted to the fact without hesitation.

“This is…this is very good!” said Leda, excitedly. He scratched his chin, in thought, and added, “I might be able to help in this endeavour…maybe.”

“What? How?” blurted Daiden, hurriedly.

Leda shook his head this time. “Wait, I don’t want to build any expectation here. The library at Sol Sanctum must have records on the myth of Takshaka, despite him being purged from your history. But even I didn’t know of his story as a tailor. I’ll do my best for the sake of knowledge; even so, I can’t promise you anything.”

Daiden cooled from his excitement after the priest’s correction. “Ah, well, no harm done. I can only hope for the best then.”

Leda remained by Daiden’s side. After some time, the priest asked, “What are you doing now?”

“I noticed that the undeads are susceptible to fire…” revealed Daiden. “I’m trying something inventive here, to make it easier for the soldiers, at least those in the frontlines. I purchased a couple of different items in preparation for this quest. Let’s see if I can put them to good use.”