Theo looked out from the balcony, enjoying his tea as he watched the garden he currently did not have to do embarassing excercise in. This was all thanks to the head maid getting arrested, as she wielded a lot of power and worked only for Theo's sister. With her out of the way, there were just some of her direct subordinates, but no one who was anywhere near as dangerous.
That said, I am not safe. From what I remember from the game, at this point, my sister had somehow already started to assemble her own intelligence service. Seriously, she is only eleven years old, but she is way too ambitious and cunning.
It was explained that she was born with lots of natural talent and a genius level of intelligence, but her flaws were her overly cruel and sadistic nature, and her own pride. The full details were more complicated, but that was a rough description at least.
At least one person here is probably capable of killing me at any point she chooses, which is why I need to make some advanced preparations. Now, lets check something I need to see. Open Status.
Status was a natural ability of nobility, said to have been mixed into the noble blood centuries ago. Otherwise, one would need to have a someone else check their status for them, or use some sort of magic tool to check it out. As a Duke Household, naturally Theo held the ability to check his own Status.
Name: Theodore Lua Cromwell Body: -3 Age: 7 Years Old Spirit: 20 Class: None Magic: 8 Attributes: Void, Storm Agility: 2 Species: Human?
Fate: 0
Bloodlines: Cromwell Bloodline, Celestial Bloodline Brain: 3 Special Abilities: None Skills: Wands 5, Swords -1, Poison Resistance 5, Celestial Magic 3 Status Conditions: None Available Skillpoints: 0
"Hmm...so this is the status of a seven year old...no, wait, there is something very clearly wrong here".
Body being negative was certainly odd, but certainly not that surprising. He was a seven year old boy, and the stats were based upon the character being eleven years old. So being four years younger would obviously include such a demerit, but it was a bit odd how much it was.
Then there was Spirit and Magic. Magic sort of made sense, the Dukedom was known for producing heirs with strong magic. In fact, at this time, his sister probably had a 10 or 12.
But then there was Spirit 20.
I...do not know how to respond to this. Could it be influenced by the fact I used to be an adult woman? Maybe.
Brain was also rather high for a child this age, but no matter what he thought, Spirit 20 just kept distracting him over and over. Spirit was the stat for mental willpower, the ability to overcome curses and hexes placed upon you, one's connection to the spirit plane....and other things.
Ah, the spirit plane...I see now, its because I reincarnated. So I have this obscenely high spirit stat from that surely.
That was the only explanation he could think of. Still, with these stats, there was one build that came to mind. He quickly went out of the balcony, and walked to the library. It was close to his room, so it was easy to reach in a hurry. Once he was there, he went to the books about magic, and found the one he was looking for.
"A Guide to Spirit Magic...yes, I will become a Spirit User. Tthough it means that I will need to acquire at least one Spirit Guardian, that is something I could use as well".
Spirit Users were a form of Summoner Class. They could summon Guardian Spirits, as well as take on their aspects and use magic based on their elements. They tended to be strong and adaptable, but not very efficient, and it required a lot of work tto train and get bettter.
Still, Spirit User, otherwise known as Spiritualist, was what he had to go for. It was the class that made the most use of the Spirit stat, and he had to take advantage of that twenty as much as possible. With 8 Magic, his mana pool should be more then sufficient enough to handle it as well.
But that meant he would need to obtain a Guardian Spirit. And getting those were not easy, he had to earn their trust. They were often sought after, and a number of underworld types in the games often corrupted them and used them for their own gains, mainly as weapons to use against the enemy. In fact, purifying those Guardian Spirits was one way in the game one could acquire them for the player.
Guardian Spirits were not exclusive to Spiritualist as well. Spirit Knight used them, but that class also required a good deal of Body. Mages could use them as well as witches. In fact, every class could technically use them, but unless you had some good benefits, or if it was a Guardian Spirit that meshed well with your build, it generally was too much effort or time to proper attune and work into the build you were going for.
Theo didn't play a Spiritualist in his previous life, but he did do some research into the classes. In one message board, someone had ranked the Guardian Spirits based on how useful and strong they were overall. The three S-Rank Guardian Spirits: Verdant Wolf, Fairy Prince, Storm Sparrow, and then there were ten A-Ranked ones: Nightmare Reaper, Melody Bird, Guardian Knight, Moonluck Cat, Inferno Dragon, Deepsea Octopus, Royal Steed, Scholarly Owl, Doppleganger, and Winter's Hound.
Of those, the S-Rank ones were only acquirable under specific circumstances during the game, so it was unlikely if not impossible for Theo to get his hands on any of those. There were a few that drew his gaze, such as the Guardian Knight, which boasted a high defense and would provide Theo with a number of defensive abilities. If he could get that, he at least stood a chance of being able to defend himself should an assassin come after him.
And then of course there was Scholarly Owl. The smartest of all Guardian Spirits, in all honesty it was fairly difficult to get as well, more then an A-Rank, it should be an S-Rank too. At least that is how he felt it should be ranked right now, as Scholarly Owl was great at provind information and overall knowledge and thinking. It would help to have one, since a lot of questions could be answered and information acquired. Plus it would help with magic.
There were other Spirit Guardians ranked after that as well, but Theo didn't have that much time.
If its Guardian Knight, that Guardian Spirit should be around a graveyard of warriors, created by one who regretted being unable to save their companions. Considering my build is clearly more mage based right now, a Guardian Knight would also help me in close combat. It definently has to be my Guardian Spirit I get first. And, there is definently a graveyard near us that should have plenty of warriors. I just hope my sister didn't corrupt it yet.
At some point during the game, Theo's sister uses the spirits to harass the protagonists, as well as Theo as well. It was revealed she had gotten a Spiritualist as an underling and had them use the graveyards around the estate and the school to attack them. When faced against the Spiritualist, he already had a Guardian Knight, and from the observations on this specific one's art design, it was from a graveyard in their duchy, and it was a high ranking knight. As such, it should be one very close to their estate.
In truth, it was discovered he had corrupted a few of them, but they kept dying due to not being used the way the Guardian Spirits should have. They dont have much of a concept of good and evil on average, just their desire, but they are not totally without ethics. And what he was doing was pushing Guardian Knight well outside of his comfort zone. Especially any action against Theo, part of the bloodline he was sworn to protect.
Of course, his sister had carefully made sure there were no clear traces between them, so even after that incident got resolved, she got out just fine.
He remembered the game sites theorizing which knight it was. It was never directly stated, but it was believed from the armor that it was Sir Fraudwin. A very loyal knight of Theo's great grandfather, who improved the Dukedom a lot, promoted great human rights for all, and even ended the enslavement of the Beastkin across the kingdom. It was said that Sir Fraudwin was accompanied by a very strong and capable page even, who was a Cat Beastkin himself. Legends had it that he wore a huge suit of armor, and was one of the largest men who ever lived. Perhaps that was why his Guardian Spirit form was a huge suit of armor that was far bigger then even normal Guardian Knights, which typically were larger then they were in real life.
Of course, there were others who thought it might be Sir Zarlyia, the greatest female knight in recorded history, and also a retainer of his great grandfather. However, it was rumored she had her own special crest, as proof of her strength as a knight, it was a red lion. The insignias didn't match, so it was only an obscure rumor on some fan sites.
That said, legend said she was incredibly capable, so Theo wouldn't mind either. In terms of what he wanted, Sir Fraudwin would be stronger, but depending on how he could appear, he might trigger his fears and concerns that came from his previous life. After all, she had been constantly harassed by creeps and guys hitting on her, so she had quite a bit of worry and concern. Thankfully his primary maid was a girl, but most of the other servants that went into his quarters were older boys or men. They all put him on edge. The only one who didn't was Zuuki, as he was still a young boy, and Theo had various positive memories of him before he got memories from her life.
Although he had decided to fully embrace being a boy, especially since he knew that at least older guys wouldn't hit on her as much, he had a habit of refering to himself as she/her whenever his previous life came up in his mind. Of course, he remembered this world's setting very well. It wasn't just boys, girls could also be quite aggressive here, and that behavior she was afraid of were not exclusive to male characters here, but female characters also.
There were also a number of characters who were only romance capture targets for those of the same gender, and some who would work with both. There was also at least one for who didn't even have a set gender, and that person was a bit troublesome, but thankfully Theo wouldn't have to deal with them until they went to school in two years. Still, from all this, Theo could not say he was perfectly safe from such things.
Especially since some people, now that both the heir and head maid were gone, were rushing to gain favor with him as his two main abusers were now out of the house. Three, if you counted the fact the Duke's wife was currently in the Imperial Capital on business.
He continued to read up on spirit magic in the library, learning all he could, when someone finally interrupted him.
"Excuse me, young master" Paza said as she spoke up behind him, startling him a bit.
"Yes, Paza?"
"I wished to let you know we will be having visitors to the mansion soon. Apparently, a carriage broke down near the manor, and they are asking to stay with us while they arrange for new carriages and transportation, as well as adapting their schedules. As such, they would also like to greet the master of the house and perhaps chat for a bit while they wait".
Hmm? I dont even remember hearing anything about this in the game, but then again, this is before the game starts. I just made a change after all, so clearly we are not bound to the way the game worked...this feels like a real world too after all. I still dont really get it, how an otome game became a real world, but I will have to adapt the best I can.
"Understood. Who is it? Considering the weather, I would like to wear as light of clothes as possible".
If it was a formal meeting, then at least for the introduction, he would need to make sure he was better dressed then his guests if they were of lower rank. It was a noble thing, the lower ranked could not be better dressed then the higher. Typically this wouldn't normally be applied to children of the same family, but his sister constantly used this to embarass him as well.
"It would be Count Clover, as well as his nine year old son, and some servants with him".
Eh? Wait wait wait, Count Clover?! And his son?! And...the servants, could they be...
"...tell me more about them. All of them".
The maid proceeded to go into details, but most of it Theo already knew. Count Clover came up a lot in the game, and his son was one of the characters in the game. He knew the two protagonists very well. Depending on choices made, he could become a good friend, or even a love interest. After all, the main characters had been fallen nobles, or rather, children of fallen nobles. And before the story began, they had served the son of Count Clover. However, three years before the game started, there had been an assassination attempt, and the two main protagonists that could be chosen, a brother sister twin pair, helped to save his son's life and even helped defeat the enemy, showing off incredibly magic potential and skills. They also discovered that they had plans to go after the royal family, and it led to a royal assassination plot being stopped.
In other words, he was about to meet the protagonists. Although officially they were still servants, it was known by many that after that incident, once they became old enough, they would get raised back into nobility. In truth, they were being educated under Count Clover. The formal declaration had not been made yet. Still, a lot of nobility was not really happy with it, seeing it as a disgrace. Because of that, the two protagonists ended up having to work and pay for most of their stuff once they got to the academy.
In other words, they were going to be meeting now. Theodore Lua Cromwell was about to meet the protagonists of the story.
The maid described the servants, and confirmed that those two would be there as well.
Ahhhhhhh! This is bad!
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
Theo knew all too well that while many nobles hated the idea of raising them back up into nobility, they still loved to gossip about their abilities. If one played really well, the protagonists would easily outshine her. Even their acts of heroism spread through the academy already as rumor or gossip. Even if many heard from their families how disgraceful it was, the acts themselves obviously had to be praised cause they helped the royal family. Such talk outshining her even though they were not even in the Academy yet made her bitterness grow.
Which meant that by meeting them here and now, and with her head maid gone, she would torment Theo on the pure possibility they might have gotten close, even if the opposite was true. Even if everyone said he was essentially an enemy of theirs, she would still torment him just to be sure.
Uhg...if that is the case, I guess there is not much of a choice. I might at least see how the protagonists look before the story. Besides, they are the two strongest people in the story by the end. They might be able to help me save my life. My sister would always kill me anyways after all.
His saving grace was that, as a Count, he didn't have to get that dressed up for him, so he could wear some nice light clothes.
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"I respectfully thank Young Lord Cromwell for his generosity in allowing us to stay a few days".
"Of course, we gratefully accept you into this household".
Theo could not reject them anyways, the head butler got a message from father ordering the estate to help him. Theo knew this would happen anyways, since the Head Butler, while he didn't hate him, likely wouldn't have trusted a seven year old with this decision. Especially one that had been hurt by his own family.
Once the noble greetings were done, the Head Butler pulled the Count aside to talk a bit, while the three children came up to him.
Runo Clover introduced himself, and then the two others, the boy girl twins, came after him.
"I am Zak".
"And I am Zoa".
Ah...they used the default names the game has for them. The player character can customize those names, but those are the default ones. Also, they have the default appearance too. Blonde hair, red eyes, fair skin.
"Perhaps you all would wish to play together? In truth, Young Master Theodore had been planning to go on a field trip for educational reasons to sites near the estate, as well as having a picnic, so we could all go if you wish".
"Field trip? To where?"
"I need to learn the names of our greatest knights, so I figured I would go to the graveyards near the estate where our greatest knights are buried".
"...certainly, that is one way to learn their names".
I had the plans in motion for a few days now, and I confirmed my information earlier today, but this has certainly proven to be quite a deviation from the plan. I hope this doesn't somehow interfere with my ability to gain a Guardian Spirit, but I cant leave my guests alone either.
Runo showed some reluctance, but the twins just nodded.
"I think its a nice idea".
"I would like to see it as well".
"...well, I guess it cant be helped".
And so, against Theo's own internal wishes, he had suddenly gained a party for this trip. And that meant that they would get a bunch of knights pushed on them to guard them, since there would be four noble children now.
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The next day, Theo was all set to go out. Suspender shorts, a nice shortsleeve shirt that still had some noble elegance to it, some good sturdy shoes, and a wand. It was clear from Theo's status and memories he practiced with them a lot, partially out of fear of his sister. It was really weird otherwise for a kid to have such a high Wand skill.
It was an outfit meant to be practical for an excersion. Everyone else was dressed similarly, except for their guards. Four knights, one for each of them, and several commoner guards. Then there was Zuuki and Paza, who would be accompanying them as well.
He hoped that such a large group wouldn't make it difficult. Guardian Spirits typically didn't like large groups or well traveled areas, so they might avoid them entirely and make the whole trip into a failure.
"Seriously, did we really need all these guards?"
"It really hits home that we got a knight for each of us, instead of just you two..."
"Father just wants to make sure we are safe. Who knows, we might encounter a monster".
"...it makes it feel more like a military practice then a trip though".
Zak and Zoa were a bit taken aback as well, while Runo just thought of it as natural. Theo was obviously not happy, but they went anyways. As they were going to the graveyard most known for loyalty, they were able to get there quickly just by walking. It was left in a more isolated, hard to find place, to ensure that it wasn't something people looted easily or disgraced.
Still, one could not deny that while creepy, when Theo unlocked the gate's blood seal and they entered, it had a certain majestic ring to it. As they passed through the outer graveyard though, they saw a young cat eared cat tailed boy with a broom, sweeping away.
"Erm, excuse me...who are you?"
The moment the boy saw them, his eyes went wide, and he bowed his head and took a knee. Like Theo, he was also wearing suspender shorts, tall grey socks, black shoes, but he was wearing a more casual red T shirt without a collar, no bow tie, and he was clearly more of a working boy.
"Sorry sirs, I was not aware you were arriving. I am the apprentice gravekeeper of this place!"
He looked to be about ten or eleven years old, as Cat Beastkin tended to be shorter then humans, and which certainly was an age where a commoner child would likely have an apprenticeship in addition to school. Even though there is a blood seal on the gate, obviously staff were given permission too, and every graveyard needed a Gravekeeper. So this much be his apprentice then. He was holding a broom, clearing away any leaves and dirt on the graves.
"I see. We came on a whim, so its fine. Is your master here?"
"Ah no, its the master's and the other apprentice's day off today, but I was told to still come here and tidy up...ah, do...do I need to get tea or something?"
"No, its fine. Just keep working hard. These are treasured graves of loyal retainers, and they should be respected".
"Yes...they should. Living and dead" the boy mumbled. "Okay, I will do my best!"
The group then moved forward, letting the boy continue his work. Soon enough, Theo arrived at the second gate, which required a key. However...
"...the lock, its been picked?"
The moment Theo said that, the guards suddenly all went on the defensive and began to go on alert. The knights each secured one of them, standing near them, and Zuuki took a watchtower stance, monitoring a wide area, while Paza focused more on details one at a time.
"Sir! Behind us! Undead!"
"What? How are they behind us when the main graves are in front of us?! And how did they all appear at once?!"
Oh no, dont tell me...has sister's Spiritualist not only already arrived, but they went this far.
Certainly, Spiritualists could also essentially become Necromancers if they worked for it and specced right. That was what the Spiritualist that harassed them in the school had been.
They must have been spooked, thinking maybe we were onto them!
As Theo said that, he opened up the interior gate, but several of the knights seemed to collapse out of nowhere, while a few zombies rushed past them and went right for the four of them.
They quickly retreated further into the graveyard, but then hostile shadow spirits seemed to emerge from the shadows. The Knights and Guards worked hard to repel the threat in the front, but they couldn't spare anyone for back here. Zuuki had disappeared as well.
He probably went to find the Spiritualist responsible for this, and take him out. Paza was left behind, perhaps to guard me...
They were clearly being threatened, but Theo quickly grabbed a lantern from nearby and lit it with magical energy, creating a bright light. It seemed to bother the shadows, but it did not stop their advance. Only slow it.
No...dont tell me I am going to die already?! We didn't even reach the point of the game where the actual game starts!
The twins seemed to take out weapons, and filled them with mana. By doing this, they were able to fight back against the shadow creatures to some degree, showing far better skill then normal nine year olds.
However, this lasted for all of a minute, as the shadow creatures grabbed them by the neck and pinned them against some crypts, preparing to gut them as others charged right at Theo.
Theo tried to throw the lantern at them, but that didn't do much of anything. He drew his wand and fired off magic, but he was still scared. He just didn't want himself, and anyone with him, to suffer and die.
It all seemed quite hopeless...
"Hmmm...it seems that you really are interesting. Tell me kid, would you like to sign a contract with me?"
A voice resonated inside of Theo's head. It was a valliant and noble voice.
Could it be...Guardian Knight? Yes, please yes!
"I have read your soul, your desires. It seems you have quite the situation. As a Knight, I must protect those who do not have the power to protect themselves, and your desire to save others has also reached me! I will become your Guardian Spirit, so place your hands upon your chest, upon your soul, and call me out!"
Right!
Theo placed his hands upon his chests, his palms crossing each other as he pressed down. As he took a deep breath, he bent his knees and lowered his head a little, his eyes shut closed with fear and worry.
"I need you, Guardian Knight!"
He shouted that out with that sort of pose, and behind him a great circle of light appeared, with a large knight appearing out from behind it. With a single slash of light from his sword, the shadows that were holding the twins and coming after Runo and Theo were all destroyed.
"Hold on master, I will solve this as fast as I can".
Theo did not reply, mostly because he could not. He had fallen to his knees, and he felt strain upon his soul. It was the first Spirit Summoning for this body, and it seemed that summoning such a large and powerful Guardian Spirit as a seven year old was ill advised. He couldn't even move his hands from his chest, so between the summoning pose from earlier as well as his current pose, he looked like a hurt maiden.
Well, there was certainly a lot of fan art for Theo wearing girls clothes making an embarrassed face on the internet, so if they saw this, the Theo fans would probably go wild.
Still, the Guardian Knight was quick to dispatch all the immediate threats, while Paza came over worried.
"Young Master, what is that..."
Theo couldn't even move, let alone speak. But Runo stepped in.
"We were in danger, and then Lord Theodore suddenly summoned his Guardian Spirit".
"But the young master doesn't...unless".
Paza quickly knelt down and checked Theo's condition.
"I see. He just acquired his Guardian Spirit".
"Eh? You mean, he just got it now?"
"Yes. And because he is still only seven years old, its placed a great deal of strain on his body. Thats why Young Master cant speak or move. He is probably doing everything he can to keep himself conscious".
"Ah, I know healing magic! I will use that to help him!"
"I know some as well. We need to keep the young master conscious so his Guardian Spirit can be properly supplied with spirit energy".
The two proceeded to use healing magic, lowering the burden on Theo's body as he maintained the Guardian Spirit. He was currently close to potentially soiling himself, so he was grateful for the assistance.
The Guardian Knight meanwhile was making quick work of dispatching the enemy, and the knights and guards in the front were nearly done there as well. After a point, new enemies stopped emerging. it was soon after that, Zuuki returned.
"I sent for help and doctors! They will be here shortly!"
Nice multitasking!
"Good, then please pour spiritual energy into the young master. He just acquired a Guardian Spirit and summoned it for the first time despite being seven years old".
"Seriously? And his soul didn't explode? Nicely done" Zuuki said, as he joined in on the support. Certainly, Theo felt like he was close to rupturing, but that whole comment about souls exploding had him deeply worried about the potential risks of what he just did.
One of the shadows shot a projectile at Theo's head, but a spectral shield appeared in front of Theo, floating in mid air and protecting him against the attack. It was a passive that came with Guardian Knight as one's Guardian Spirit, which would prevent a lethal attack from hitting the Spiritualist. It could only be used once every minute, but it would prevent him from behind killed at least once per minute by an attack, which was an insanely useful skill for him considering the threats against him. With a Guardian Knight, he wouldn't stop all the tormenting and suffering, but he would at least be far less likely to die.
The moment the last shadow was defeated, Guardian Knight looked at him.
"The enemy is defeated. Here, I will change to my other form. That should significantly reduce the burden upon you".
He said that, and then he shined in a great flash of light. The moment the light faded, the one standing there...was the apprentice gravekeeper they met earlier.
He quickly went over to his master, and bowed his head.
"I am Sir Rowyn Fraudwyn, at your service master".
it was almost alarming and surprising, seeing that large knight transform into a young cute boy, but even more then that was his name.
"...wait, you are Rowyn Fraudwyn? But I heard..."
"Yes well, unfortunately while your great grandfather did a great many things, he couldn't end discrimination completely. Unfortunately, most people I met mistook my giant of a page as me, or purposefully spread rumors that I was the page and he was the knight. Even more small body is because of their disgust. While training as a knight in the academy, I was given a cursed poison that caused my body to remain in this small form, even when I was forty years old".
Certainly, while enslavement was abolished, and Beastkin were guarenteed equal rights, that did not end discrimination. Even with Grandfather's power, in the history books the legendary Rowyn Fraudwyn, hero of the Kingdom, loyal retainer of his Great Grandfather, was a human acommpanied by a young Beastkin page, rather then a small Beastkin.
Theo also remembered tales of discrimination in his previous life. She had heard about such thoughts, both foreign and domestic, about things like that.
"Well, thank you for your service. I would be happy to have you".
"Yes...however, there is one thing. I would like you all to be accomplices in this by the way, we dont want the enemy to learn the truth after all, so sorry, but we will be changing the official story here".
Rowyn managed to explain a bit about the official story, before the knights finally finished off their enemies completely and ran over.
"Are you hurt, Lord Cromwell?"
As Rowyn said that, the knights eyed him, a Beastkin boy, after all that violence, and drew their swords. Even though the boy had introduced himself as an apprentice Gravekeeper, he now had a sword on his waist, and was surrounded by a battlefield.
"Halt! This boy helped save us! He protected us from the enemies that appeared here, and even the noble spirit of sir Fraudwyn himself appeared to help us, not harming him as he was an ally!"
The knights seemed to pause as Theo stopped them.
"But sir, he is suspicious!"
"No! You see, he protected us! We might have died without his help! IN truth, he always wanted to be a knight, but couldn't afford Knight School or even dream of being a Knight when he was older due to his parents abandoning him!"
Theo made up part of a backstory on the spot, but then Rowyn stepped in.
"Yes. I was even named after the great hero of these lands, a wonderful knight and loyal retainer, Rowyn. I became an apprentice gravekeeper because even if I could not become a knight, I could at least take care of and protect the resting place of those I wanted to join, and especially my hero and namesake".
The two of them both made up a sort of sudden makeshift backstory. And then Theo went on with what they had managed to discuss before the knights arrived.
"...but clearly, his heart is a true knight, is it not? He came and protected us while the enemy kept you busy using cunning and tricky tactics! Which is why, for protecting us, I have decided to reward him by making him my personal apprentice knight, and my personal knight when he graduates. When I go to school, he will come to school with me even!"
At the words of a Ducal Family, the knights and guards would have to accept this. Even the blame for such things being necessary were blamed upon the enemy.
"That enemy might still be around, we might be attacked at any moment. We should head towards the estate, so that way we can meet the reinforcements midway!"
Zuuki said such a thing.
Hmmm? Did he not find the one responsible? Perhaps they escaped before he could? Well, Spiritualists can work from far away, my sister's definently did in the game, although due to the high spiritual energy of the school, he had to be somewhat close. But out here, his range is probably much higher.
While thinking of such things, they made a tactical withdrawl, and in the end, no one even got to enjoy a nice picnic.
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"By the way, Rowyn...I know Guardian Spirits can remain manifested for a long time and do it as they wish, but will you be able to remain manifested long enough and frequently enough to pass as a living person?"
"Ah yeah, totally. I dont fully understand it, but something about you is supercharging me. I have been a Guardian Spirit for many decades, but never have I felt so...alive. Its like I just came back to life, except I can still feel the link between us and the Spiritual connection. There wont be any issue at all, I am so manifested I even feel hungry".
"Eh...?"
Nothing in the game involved or ever mentioned Guardian Spirits having such physical desires. It was the first he heard of any of this. Then again, he didn't have every piece of lore memorized, it was possible he forgot some of it, or just didn't encounter it in the game.
"By the way, there isn't any strain right?"
"No, not at the moment at least. So long as you maintain that form, I feel fine. Are you weaker in that form?"
"Yeah, I am. Thats probably why. In my current state, I can only use a fraction of my full power, and a lot of my spirit abilities wont work. My automatic death prevention shield still will though, as well as the other bonuses you get".
"I see...well, let me officially welcome you then. We have a lot to talk about after all".
"Yeah, I would say so".
And while having that telepathic conversation, they headed back to the manor.