After our joint exchange program with the Group Syozan ended, we returned to Tchekaz for a week rest and after that we were assigned with the Group Fazgox. The three members that will be with us for three months would be Ghrukka, Shakil and the silent treatment girl or Ghiscra Helsion.

It seems that we were assigned to the Northern Land-Symokiva- where Ubermensch was formerly assigned. Naturally, I seek him out at his Fhagec during the one week rest. He had given me information in both written and verbal form.

Apparently, The Northern Land was not quite fully under the control of Athryshiayl but instead there were about eighty three autonomous tribes scattered over there. Although all the tribes paid tributes to Athryshiayl but each and every tribe does not swear full allegiance to Athryshiayl.

Although, Athryshiayl had a representative and also a regiment there which is where we’ll be assigned, it was only to solve disputes between the tribes and enforce the law in which every tribe had agreed upon.

During Ubermensch three months stint over there, he had faced various problems especially regarding the tribes as all the tribes had a very complex relationship with each other and so after one problem was solved another two would suddenly cropped up.

There was no end to them and in fact, even after he left, there were various unresolved issues that he couldn’t solve.

Even on a personal level, he was bombarded with various marriage proposals from most of the tribes. I remembered he had like two stack of papers comprised from Tchekaz and the Northern Land, Symokiva.

Would you like me to burn down them down? I’ll do it for free too.

Anyway, after drinking our problems but mostly his away, He told me that there were eight large tribes that I would have to paid special attention of.

On another note, I never had seen him drunk before but that night he was like a spiteful old man complaining about pressures from his family and her aunt wouldn’t even talk to him anymore.

As a concerned friend, I was naturally forced to listen to his drunk rambling.

As of now, we were on a boat heading towards the garrison of the Northern Land. The river passageway was lit by floating light orbs and the rainforest around was quiet with a few occasional sounds from the insects.

The people from my group was-

“Ruigne, your face is too dour.”

“… I can’t believe she told you about those.”

Vefal who was sitting next to me in the boat on the left side, had a concern face as she looked at me. Apparently, Rino wrote to her about the nipple-twisting incident and also how she had pledged her allegiance to me.

On the former which is the incident, when we first met again during our rest week, she couldn’t quite contained herself as she burst into laughter and on the latter about the allegiance, she looked at me and nodded to herself like she understood why Rino did as such.

Because of those, I decided to give her a cold shoulder like how a girl would be when she is upset at her boyfriend. After a while, she apologized for that and I apologized as well because it was understandably hilarious if it wasn’t me though.

“Do you want me to twist your nipples too?”

“Let’ stop putting ‘twisting’ and ‘nipples’ in the same sentence, I might get traumatized by them… Oh, do you mind if I ask?”

“Hmm? Ask away.”

“Are you still deathly terrified of pills? They didn’t make you take anything weird during your assignment?”

I whispered closely to her in a hushed tone.

She smiled wanly.

“No, I do not take anything weird. As for whether I still am… It’s no big deal although it is a thorn in my heart and I haven’t overcome it yet and don’t you think that it’s strange when a sentient being don’t have any thorn in their heart?”

“You know, you could have just answered ‘I’m fine’…”

“Then I’m fine and I feel even better now.”

Her face had changed into a contented smile after she whispered that. I just lightly snorted and smiled as well.

Across us was Erganisu who was currently engrossed reading a book about the cultures and costumes of the Eighty Three Tribes.

Since we were sitting in the front part of the boat, At the back of the boat were Ghrukka sitting beside Ghiscra on the same side as us and across them was Shakil, still with his signature red beard and downward pointy ears who aside from wearing the standard uniform had a huge gourd beside him, while at the back were the boatman and two Guardians flanking each of his side.

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“Ruigne, are you feeling unwell?”

Ghrukka who had caught me looking at them asked.

“Nope, I’m fine. Was looking at the three of you if you guys have anything you need.”

“Fine here although my ass are stiff like all the blood moved out. Maybe I can use my…”

Shakil who had sat on his back commented as such while Ghiscra only nodded.

I find out during those months that Ghiscra was not arrogant like her cousin, Therius who espoused a racial view but rather it was because of her supposed lack or zero skill in social interaction. What more, it seems against us male, she couldn’t even make eye-contact.

Both she and I were also frequent visitors to the Great Library of Tchekaz so we had some interactions although most of them were limited to gestures. Apparently, in these few months, she had produced quite the amount of research papers with collaboration with Tevalini and Akujin.

Six dot of Ethka had already passed since we had moved from Tchekaz but this was the shortest amount time when going to the west or the east. As I remember, going to our assignment on the west took about two days even with the help of the portals.

This reminded me that when August told me that during his travel back to Tchekaz to request for reinforcement, the portals had dysfunction ‘mysteriously’.

It took about half a day for the portals to back on so August had spent almost two and a half days getting back to Tchekaz.

Thinking about it, of course it was sabotaged but wouldn’t it be better to kill the messenger? Perhaps the perpetrator was being cautious about trying to kill one of the summoned or he simply had other reason for delaying him.

“We’ve arrived!”

Vefal pointed at a not too far a distance at a building built like a fortress on top of cliff that separated the river into two. Sentries were overlooking from the rampart and when they saw our boat, they shouted something towards the inside of the fortress.

After a few minute, from the small entrance on the side of the fortress, there were several figures coming out and were towards the riverbank.

As we neared the moor of the riverbank after a few more minutes, those figures earlier were three robed persons accompanied by several Guardians and they were standing as they wait.

After we docked the boat, we stepped on the riverbank and greeted them.

I took out a medallion of authority and the rest of the summoned did as well. The medallions were given by the Inheritors to us as a sign that we were the summoned. When I first started at the Western Endless Reach, I only needed to showed the medallion once when I arrived there. Since then, I kept it in my bag pack only to use it again on this day.

“Greeting honoured summoned, I am the permanent representative governor, Sarralus Vectakin.”

The robed person who stood flanked by the other two robed persons, an elven with a pure hair, seeing the medallions, introduced himself to us as he and the other two bowed.

“This is my right advisor, Ghin Ka Shib and this is my left advisor, Kadar Nara.”

On Sarralus’ right, it was a burly man with two insectoid feeler on his forehead and on his left was a human woman with brown skin but transparent colourless hair.

Both of them bowed after being introduced.

“Let us bring you to your quarters.”

Prior to this, Ubermensch had told me that the representatives are sincere in their effort to assist us but the regiment that was assigned here seems to have several factions and most of the factions leaned towards the major tribes.

Back in the Western Front, the regiment there had like three factions but it was nothing so serious that there were political games but from what I was told by the Ubermensch, here, The summoned had limited power to control the Northern Regiment as the regiment was mostly made from the various tribes, so they actually have more loyalty to their tribes rather than us, the representatives of Athryshiayl.

We were led into the fortress. From the outside, there were several outer buildings connected with the wall. In the centre was an inner building occupying most of the space. We entered inside and entered a large hall.

Looking at the interior, there was a gigantic tree in the centre of this building supporting like a ceiling beam, a typical design of Athryshiayl architecture.

We were then led into a large door.

“Inside this door is a corridor that has several doors to personal room. All the Summoned before had stayed here. If you need anything just tap on the bell located just beside your door. ”

Sarralus who was standing at the side of the door, showed us the corridor. There about ten doors and each door have a bell engraved with Eomancy circles on it.

“We will take our leave and in two Ethka, we will have a welcoming meeting with the captains.”

Sarralus and the co. bowed and left us.

The six of us looked at each other.

“I don’t mind which room I’m in.”

“I’ll take the room on the right in the middle.”

Erganisu took the room nearest to the entrance on the left while Shakil took the middle one on the right side.

“I’ll take the room farthest on the left side while Ruigne, you should take the one in the middle on the left side too.”

I nodded at Vefal.

“Then we’ll take the other rooms left. Which one do you wish to reside, Ghiscra?”

After Vefal and I had picked our room, Ghrukka asked Ghiscra which room she wanted to stay in. She pointed at the room on the right just after the middle.

Now that I see it, was the number summoned fixed or was there more as there ten rooms instead of six?

“Alright then.”

Both of them walked towards their rooms. Just as I had dismissed that thought and was about to walked to mine, Vefal stopped me on the shoulder.

Is she going to invite me into her room and have a sexy time?!

“Ruigne, can you come out after an hour to accompanying me checking the surrounding?”

-Or not.

“Alright, it’s a date.”

I happily replied though.