The king sat on the stone bench in his favorite garden spot, rubbing his chin in thought while he mentally reviewed his kingdom.

His plan to dismantle the Tower of Fate was proceeding well, especially after the Queen and his harem had gotten their hands on the project. He’d known it would have happened eventually, it was an inevitability. However, he’d also hoped to have some more time before they stuck their noses into it. Their plans were rarely, if ever, subtle.

The fighting with the centaurs was going well. No surprise there, as the region had plenty of experience dealing with them.

His plans for Oglivarch’s coast were going well. The issue with the Kuchali raiders was being handled like he’d expected it would be.

Even the war with Islangur seemed to be progressing according to what he’d expected. He’d seen no evidence of the disruptions to fate that the fateweavers and his grandfather’s toy had been worried about.

In fact, all his plans were going well. Between the fate calculations he’d done, and his ability to monitor his entire kingdom, everything was being taken care of. Well, everything other than the matter with the dwarves… and Dorchester.

That little city was slowly becoming a major source of disruption. It seemed like every day he had to recalculate his plans there. And to make matters worse, its influence was spreading.

It all came down to the anomaly and his fateless existence. He’d thought it was simply a matter of the young man not having sufficient presence yet in the ether to be accounted for, but now he was thinking he might have been mistaken. This Lord Walker had been on this plane for long enough that his actions should be able to be predicted… but for some reason, he simply couldn’t.

The king had been following the events of Dorchester and had witnessed many of the anomaly’s exploits firsthand. He’d even predicted a few. So, why was it that the situation continually felt more and more out of his control? Why was there such a profound effect on the plan for his cooperation with the dwarves? How had the anomaly’s influence spread so quickly through Hennings? And how did the anomaly’s status as a unique get confirmed so quickly?

When looked at individually, he could see how each and every event logically followed from the initial conditions. However, taken together, the math just didn’t work out. Or, more accurately, it couldn’t have been accurately predicted. It was as if the anomaly’s presence was an unstable variable, and he had absolutely no idea how he should feel about that.

It was both exciting and exasperating in equal measure.

Through his perception, he noticed that the anomaly’s life oath ceremony was starting and quickly put aside his contemplations for the moment. He wanted to hear what the young man had to say, unsure if he actually wanted his predictions to come true.

While it would be nice to see his efforts proven effective, he also wondered if he could ‘see’ fate being disrupted if he looked closely enough.

As he watched the young man being introduced, he looked over the crowd, sensing their emotional states, and interpreting their thoughts. He could see that many nobles were only there to be seen as participants, while others were there to evaluate the potential for their individual schemes to be disrupted. On the whole, the ceremony was proceeding as he expected.

Then, the young man began to speak. His presence filled the room like a fog, pressing down on everyone in attendance. It was a surprisingly skilled display of essence control. But what really caught his attention was what the young man was saying.

For a moment, he felt like he was listening to his grandfather’s words of warnings about hubris and its dangers being played out like a story. It was odd to see someone so young and carefree displaying so much wisdom and self-awareness. It was no wonder the young man was leveling so quickly.

He could feel the essence in the hall where Lord Walker was giving his speech becoming more and more turbulent. The nobles were being forced to confront some harsh truths while the anomaly stripped his own legend down the bedrock.

He was surprised to find himself enjoying watching something he hadn’t expected to happen in real-time… despite how much of an effect it had on all of his schemes.

The king knew for a fact that his plans to set up the anomaly as a figurehead or a martyr were now ruined. Hours of his calculations were thrown out the window due to a few spoken words. No matter what he did, the temples would no longer go along with it.

He could possibly get the nobility to target the anomaly’s sub-house Verena, but he doubted it. That woman, Lady Verena, was too crafty to fall for that. So, the plan he’d had for economic development he’d had was now pointless. Without cause, the nobles wouldn’t be looking for outside investment.

The Blackwood and Cranston plot was dead before it even had a chance to blossom.

Even his recently developed plans to ease the expected tensions between the nobles and the dwarves by pitting them both against the anomaly were looking less and less likely. He wasn’t sure how they’d resolve the conflict with their mountain, but he somehow knew that they would. If anything, the dwarves would probably end up assisting the young man in overthrowing the council of leadership if he asked them to as payment.

Laughing out loud at the anomaly’s final declaration, he muttered to himself, “Well… this should prove to be interesting.”

—--

Thinking quickly, Nero reached out through his link to the first person he thought of, Nick. He put so much emotional weight into the ping, that the connection felt more like a bullet being launched through the Thought Hub than a request to talk.

The moment Nick accepted the connection, Nero shouted, “Nick, I don’t know how to do that voice projection thing! What should I do?”

Nick’s presence seemed to buckle a little under Nero’s emotional assault, but only for a moment. Once it stabilized, Nick replied, “What? Of course you do… you’ve done it before, remember?”

On the outside, Nero did his best to maintain a calm and controlled expression. To the audience in the hall, he hoped it looked like he was just waiting for Vera to finish walking over to the side of the room before he began speaking.

However, on the inside, he was filled with confusion and panic. “What the hell are you talking about? When?”

Possibly sensing Nero’s need for clear and precise answers, Nick surprisingly kept his reply quick and to the point. “When you addressed the forces from the penal conscripts, and then also when you spoke to the wackos in the common room. It’s mostly a matter of intention. I guess you were doing it naturally. No matter. To project your voice to people, you just need to infuse your center into what you are saying. Just hold on to your center as if you were about to cast a spell, then think about who you are addressing. With all of your identity, ‘will’ them to hear you.”

Most likely feeling Nero’s uncertainty, Nick added in a supportive tone, “Don’t worry, you can do this. Think about it, you’ve been doing it without even meaning to. Just trust yourself, and project your voice to everyone here. The scale isn’t nearly as important as your connection to the ether, which I assure you is more than sufficient to reach everyone here.”

Nero unconsciously nodded to himself. Luckily for him, to the nobles and the rest of the audience, he looked like he was mentally preparing himself to address them.

Firming his shoulders, he stood as tall as a 5’4’’ young man could and willed his voice to fill the room. He could feel his center churning, its inherent connection with the ether pulsing in tune with the ambient essence.

“As Vera said, thank you all for coming. To be honest, I don’t really know why you’re all here. My knowledge of local customs is still a work in progress,” he began, his voice practically roaring through the room, completely misjudging how much intention he needed to project his voice.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t exactly judge how loud he was being from his place on the dais, so he continued along at the same uncomfortable volume.

While he wasn’t exactly ‘shaking the rafters’, his volume was just above a regular speaking voice, causing everyone to unconsciously wince a little. To them, he sounded more like an authority figure giving out a sentence rather than a colleague expressing his welcome.

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Nero, completely focused on the moment, had closed off his connection with Nick, and even temporarily put aside Vera’s instructions. Despite feeling several pings coming in, he ignored them, not willing to be distracted.

With his hands on his hips, he stood somewhat casually on the dais, trying his best to speak from the heart.

“While many of you probably know my history, most of you probably don’t. Since coming back to Dorchester after our recent fight with the kobalds, I’ve had a chance to explore the Thought Hub and see how people interact here in Dorchester. Luckily, I’m not the number one trending topic at the moment, but I was surprised to see so many people discussing me,” he said somewhat sarcastically.

Many people in the audience frowned in confusion as the world’s translation magic tried to keep up with his use of phrases they weren’t familiar with.

Not waiting for people to catch up mentally, Nero continued, “A lot of rumors are going around about me that I’ve only heard mentioned in passing. But now, having seen the effect it is having on people, I feel like I should set the record straight.”

Crossing his arms, Nero looked away from the audience to stare off at the ceiling in thought. Choosing his words carefully, he said, “It’s not wrong to say that I’m not a native. In fact, before a few months ago, I wasn’t even on this planet… plane… whatever. Both Archmage Jennings and my buddy Nick, or as many of you know him as Lord Salvatore-Verena, they both know all about it. They’ve helped me piece together a few things that I’d like to share with you all.

Back in my old life, I died young. While my soul was in the afterlife, or what you call the outer planes, I saw this… let’s call it a ‘universe’. As best we can tell, when I crossed over here, I ended up floating around without a body. According to Jennings… Archmage Jennings that is, I was in that state for quite some time.

Now, why am I telling you all this? Well, many people are convinced that I’m here due to some god’s plan, or fate itself taking a hand in things. Others think that I’m from some other far-off kingdom. A few of the crazier theories even have me labeled as an undead or some kind of planar invader,” he said with some humor, practically chuckling at the thought of being some kind of transmigrated lich or something from one of the online webcomics he used to read.

“Now, as far as I can tell, this ceremony is supposed to be about welcoming people who want to follow me, and you are all here to witness their life oaths or whatever. So, I figured this was my last chance to set the record straight before I end up on trial, or triad, for false advertising or something,” he added with a frown.

Taking a few deep breaths to center himself, he continued, “I’m just a guy. I have no knowledge of what I went through in the upper planes. I don’t remember meeting any gods, or bargaining with the forces of fate. To my knowledge, I wasn’t sent here for any purpose or destiny. Just like all of you, I’m figuring it out as I go.

When I woke up here, I was in the body of a recently dead young man who’d had a pretty rough life from what I’ve heard. After his soul went off to wherever it was supposed to go, I took over. Apparently, my soul was pretty strong, and it had enough spare energy to kickstart my healing. There is no evidence of divine intervention or anything like that.

I’m not undead… My center counselor had me tested.

I’m human, right down to my soul. Maybe what I went through made me a little different. Maybe the ability which earned me my unique title is due to my extraplanar origins, I couldn’t possibly tell you. But, rest assured, I came here with no grand plan or backing. I’m not the first wave of an invasion or a link to the upper planes. I’ll reiterate it one more time for those of you who are hard of hearing… I’m just a guy… an everyday, run of the mill… guy!

So, when I woke up and found myself in a new world, I went with the flow. The army found me, took me to a center, and I tried my best to figure out what was going on. After that, one thing led to another, and I ended up sticking my nose into that little noble war we had. If you want to know why? Blame it on ignorance of local customs and the fact that I’m not the kind of guy who’d stand by and watch a lady get smacked around.

I’m in a world of magic and danger, and I’m not planning on sitting on the sidelines, being a passive observer. I’m an adventurer at heart, and adventurers aren’t known for their restraint.

After that, well… chance and luck ended up rewarding me with a title and a bunch of seed money.

With the help of Nick and Vera, the Salvatore-Verenas, I did my best to adjust. I wasn’t all that used to being a commoner, or whatever it is you call a non-noble, so it wasn’t all that difficult.

Then, some ass-” he cut himself off, coughing into his hand.

Remembering where he was, and the severity of the moment, he changed what he was going to say, “... Some less-than-nice people decided to try and kill me in the arena. My response wasn’t a calculated move to embarrass the nobility or gain fame. That bit about me leveraging my assets to bet on myself was just a last-minute gambit that paid off.

From there, I joined the elites because of some noble trials or other such nonsense and ended up facing the kobalds… after another assassination attempt by some other… ‘jerks’ that is.

I didn’t ‘nobly stand in defiance of the wilds’ like some of the more eloquent people on the Thought Hub are claiming. I was just in the right place and at the right time with the ability to make a difference. Nothing more, nothing less.

Things got a little more hectic after that. I ended up being labeled as a unique and found myself once again on the front lines. That whole thing with the penal forces was basically just a misunderstanding. Put simply, I found the sacrificing of people for some poorly thought-out plan… annoying… and more to the point… unnecessary.

I can’t say it any plainer than this… I was NOT making a statement. Honestly, I don’t have the cultural background to understand half of what you people do. Your class system is completely outside of my experience. While I might think classes are stupid, they seem to be working well enough here… however the hell that is possible.

For me, I’ve been lucky enough to have a few people around me who know what they’re doing. Vera Salvatore-Verena is a genius when it comes to anything having to do with business. So, any and all successes I’ve had on that front can be attributed to her. Nick, her husband, is a good friend of mine and often the voice of reason for me. He’s always been there to explain the local weirdness to me, helping me navigate this unfamiliar world. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without him,” he said with no small amount of feeling tinging his voice.

Shaking off the heavy tone he’d fallen into, he continued on with a chuckle, “Then there’s Cathleen Averett. She’s a warrior woman through and through. When it comes to fighting, she’s taught me all I know, and she’s the one who’s basically been leading House Walker’s forces. So, if there is anyone to thank for what we’ve accomplished in the dust-up with the kobalds… it’s her.

The point I’m trying to make is that I’m not some kind of divine protector sent down from the heavens to save you or this city. I’m just a guy lucky enough to have made a few friends since I got here. House Walker is a team, and I’m just the guy whose name is on the door.

I’m all about two things… magic and adventure. I love this world’s crazy power system, despite how annoying and nonsensical it can be at times. In my old world, there weren’t monsters or beasts or causes that were black and white. But here, there are. The kobalds are a threat I don’t have to feel bad about eviscerating, and the laws are set up in a way that I can legally defend myself from the less-than-nice people coming after me by putting their heads on a pike.

This world is everything I hoped it was and more.

And I’m intending to see it all. I’m going to travel, fight the good fight, earn my fortune, and bag me a few princesses… metaphorically speaking of course.

So, all you nobles here in this room, and anyone else out there who might be listening in over the Thought Hub, you can stop guessing and theorizing about what my being here means… I’m not all that complicated.

I’ll be fighting the kobalds just like many of the good people of Dorchester will be, trying to keep my head on my shoulders and the people standing next to me alive. I’m no savior, just another guy trying to make a small bit of difference. If people still want to follow me after knowing all that, I’m not going to complain…” he finished with a sigh, before smirking and adding, “After all, we’re all in this together, right?”

Seeing as everyone was still staring at him intensely, he figured it was about time he got to the point.

Squaring his shoulders, he planted his fists on his hips and said, “So, in conclusion. Thank you all for coming. I’m sorry if I’m not what you thought I was. I have no intention of living up to anyone’s expectations other than my own. I’m an adventurer mage who’s going to master magic, travel the world in style when I figure out how to build my personal traveling tower, and gather a few friends while I do so. If anyone wants to come along, you’re more than welcome.”

Caught up in his speech, Nero forgot for a moment that he was trying to be serious. “There’ll be plenty of assholes to kill, people to save, money to earn, and sights to see. Monsters and beasties will tremble when they hear that House Walker is coming… That the wackos of Lord Walker are here and hungry for adventure!”

Spreading his arms wide with a crazy smile on his face, he proclaimed, “So, welcome to House Walker, where our house’s words are not just a statement, but a way of life. Game! Win! Repeat! Noble causes and pretty words come and go, but actions and adventures are eternal!

Now, let’s get this ceremony over with as I’ve got kobalds to kill and beer money to earn!”

The entire room was in silence, well over a hundred people standing in quiet contemplation. A lord’s welcoming speech was typically nothing more than a short statement about how he was happy to have so many people here to witness his house’s founding, along with a few brief statements demonstrating his house’s loyalty and intentions to dutifully serve Oglivarch. It was not supposed to be a heart-to-heart with the entire city’s nobility.

The essence flows in the room were roiling in conflict with each other, the confused but emotional states of so many people bumping into each other like boats in a storm. Whatever anybody thought he’d say, it hadn’t been that.

Having said his piece, Nero reopened the schedule, eager to get on with the ceremony… that was if anybody still wanted to pledge themselves to him that is. According to what he was reading, he was supposed to now be introducing Cathleen, who was serving as his house’s ostensible leader, despite Vera basically being the one in charge of everything.

But, before he could say anything, a gruff but powerful voice shattered the somewhat awkward silence, “By Thronkin’s stubby axe on a chair, I’ve heard of honest humans, but I’d never thought I’d actually meet one! Good on you, lad! Clan Mithrilstrike will help you clear out those smooth-skinned abominations out of your mountain, or my name isn’t Mavros Mithrilstrike! We’ll see our mountain range clear of these beasties, don’t you worry!”

From the area around where that voice originated, Nero heard a small but powerful group of voices break out into cheers. While he couldn’t see who was talking, he could just imagine a group of roughneck assholes raising their beers and grabbing their guns from the back of their pick-up trucks.

Chuckling to himself at the mental image they evoked, he thought to himself, ‘Well, this ought to be interesting…’