“Did you have fun?” Yuri asked, as Alnea led her around the city in confident strides. Although he could not say that he knew every corner of the city, roaming around for three days had given him enough familiarity to not get lost in the streets. When the topic came to what he had done the day before though, he was not so confident anymore.

“…In a way, I guess,” Alnea said, scratching the back of his head. “At least she seemed happy.”

“…That she did. Especially this morning…”

“…She never stops creating troubles for me.”

“But Vestia did not seem to be disturbed by her actions.”

“…She is a Peak Stage False Wanderer after all. Her Heart will not be disturbed too easily…”

“Or maybe it was because of the surprise that you gave her…”

“Really? I thought that she has always been stable…”

“…What exactly did you give to the two of them?”

“…Surprise?”

“…That reminds me. Where is the surprise that you promised me?”

“Did I really promise such a thing?”

“…What do you think?”

“…Joke! I was joking. Don’t look at me like that. As for the surprise… I was planning to give it to you later, but since you have already asked for it…”

Alnea reached into his pouch to take out two scrolls and a black token, and handed them over to Yuri.

“Although it is not much… But I hope you will like it.”

“…You sure do like handing over scrolls for presents and surprises.”

“…That’s the best I can do at the moment,” Alnea said, shrugging his shoulders. “If you want something better, then you will have to wait until I am a little stronger.”

“How much stronger, exactly?”

“…True Rank, probably.”

“I will be waiting,” Yuri said, illuminating his being with her radiant smile, before putting away the scrolls and the token. “Now, what shall we do today?”

“…How about we begin by answering the question I asked you the day before yesterday?”

“…It is not that easy. I…”

“Forget it. I don’t want to know.”

“…I am sorry, Alnea.”

“It does not matter. No matter what you say, my resolve will not change.”

“…Thank you.”

“…If you truly want to thank me, then you should fulfil your promise.”

“What promise?”

“…Your burdens… When are you going to share them with me?”

“…It is not time for that yet.”

“…What about the things you said to me in the desert?”

“…I said that I will tell you about them… Not let you bear them for me. At least not yet. My burdens are not so easy to carry. Just letting you know about them will put a lot of pressure on you. Letting you bear them… Only when you prove yourself to be capable enough, will I share my burdens with you.”

“…And how can I prove myself?”

“We are getting to that… But first, how about we play a game?”

“…Another game?”

“You are talking as if you did not enjoy the last game.”

“Nobody likes a game they keep losing in.”

“It’s not my fault that you are so bad at guessing people’s information.”

“…Were you really guessing? Or were you using your Arcana to cheat?”

“…I have not fallen so low as to cheat in a game. And you did win one round at the end.”

“…That’s because… forget it. Why do you want to play such a game anyway?”

“Did you not want to share my burdens? If you want to help me, then collecting information about people, without knowing anything about them, is one of the things that you must learn.”

“…Is that really the truth? Or are you just trying to trick me into playing with you once again?”

“…Why do you think my ancestors created an Arcana like the one I used three days ago?”

“…Fine. I believe you. But since you have an Arcana for that purpose, why do you need to teach me in such a roundabout way?”

“Because you cannot use that Arcana…”

“…Right. I almost forgot about that…”

“…There is a reason why we call you Alnea Reckless. Though I think the name Silly Alnea will also suit you.”

“…It is just an Arcana. I will be able to create one in no time.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“An Arcana from the lineage of Fate?”

“…Master said that we never know what might happen in the future.”

“Big sis Nyssa has said many things. Like how you should not rely on your Oaths too much. At least not until you can control them…”

“…I have not relied on my Oaths too much.”

“Really?”

“…At least not after returning from the desert.”

“…It has been only four days since we returned from the desert… Forget it. How is your body?”

“Except for a few aches every now and then, it has recovered for the most part. I still need to be careful when exerting my strength, but otherwise, everything is alright.”

“…Your Blood Crystals…”

“…My blood vessels… I will need to wait for a few more days before I can recondense them.”

“…Is there really a need to practice such a dangerous Martial Style?”

“…Have you not practised it too? And I am sure that you have condensed more than ten Blood Crystals by now…”

“…That was before I knew the side effects of detonating Blood Crystals…”

“…Everything must come at a price. That is the eternal rule of the Origin Sea.”

“I know. But…”

“Besides, do you really think I can give up such a fascinating branch of Martial Styles? What if I can integrate its essence into the Oathkeeper Style…”

“…Is that why you asked Vestia to investigate the legends of the city?”

“…That’s part of the reason. Another part of the reason is to prepare to enter the core city. I have a hunch that they will prove useful later on…”

“…You really have come a long way along,” Yuri said after a brief moment of silence, and let out a sigh, before turning towards him with a solemn face.

“What do you know about the Faed clan?”

“…It is one of the twelve Origin clans. And one of the three Origin clans which founded the Union. Coupled with their strength… It is not a surprise that they hold nearly a quarter of the seats in the Union’s Supreme Council.”

“I am not asking you to praise my clan... Just tell me what you know about it.”

“…The Faed clan also has the warnings of the Goddess of Fate…”

“Not those things… What do you know about the lineage of Fate Supreme?”

“…Lineage of Fate Supreme? Is that like the lineage of Fate?”

“…That’s where I have to begin?”

“…I am sorry. I—

“It’s alright. I was just a little too excited… Anyways, you saw how the Wanderers of the Lotus clan fought, right?”

“I did…”

“What do you think of their strength?”

“…They were strong. Especially their means… But they were a little too inexperienced.”

“What about Karl?”

“…Although his strength is average, he is smart enough to make up for it with his resourcefulness and experience.”

“What about the others?”

“Everyone has a few areas which they excel in. Given time, all of them will become splendid Wanderers. At the very least, they are sure to become True Wanderers.”

“And Vestia?”

“…Vestia… She has a lot of means. And truthfully, she has more experience than any of us. At least when it comes to dealing with other Wanderers. Even in battles, she was able to cooperate with us more smoothly than the others… And she is strong too. Much more so than average Wanderers.”

“…Why do you think their strength varies so much?”

“Isn’t that obvious? The difference in their experience—

“Other than their experience. What else is limiting their strength?”

“…Their means, I guess. Vestia has the greatest, and most expansive means, giving her the ability to deal with all sorts of situations. Karl is the same. The others… they are a bit more lacking in their means, which limits their adaptability and their strength…”

“…In the end, everything comes down to their repertoire of Arcanas, Glyphs, and Martial Styles. Those who have more means at their disposal, and knows how to use them, will be able to triumph over those with lesser means. Of course, nothing is absolute. But this is how things generally are. And who do you think has the greatest collection of Arcanas, Glyphs, and Martial Styles?”

“…The Origin clans?”

“…The stronger the clans, the greater their background, the stronger their Wanderers would become, in turn, contributing even more to their background. Over time, this cycle will lead to an insurmountable gap between the strong and the weak. Especially if that time is more than two million years… The lineage I was talking about was this background.

“My clan… the Faed clan, as one of the twelve Origin clans, holds the lineage of Fate Supreme, one of the strongest lineages in the world. However, ever since my father… He was the last Fate Supreme. Right now, the position of the Fate Supreme is vacant, which has led to all sorts of problem. My brother… A lineage cannot do without its leader. And I, as an heiress of the Faed clan, as the daughter of the last Fate Supreme, hold the responsibility of maintaining the lineage of Fate Supreme.”

“…Then you just have to become the Fate Supreme.”

“…If only things were that easy.”

“What’s not easy about it? You just have to become the strongest Wanderer in your clan.”

“…But that will take time. Time, which I might not have. The position of the Fate Supreme… Keeping the enemies of my clan aside, there are many people in my clan itself who would not want to see me succeed.”

“But aren’t they members of your clan? Why would they try to harm you?”

“…Because of their selfish interests.”

“…The world of Wanderers… is it? Don’t worry. I will help you climb the position of the Fate Supreme.”

“…I am not trying to become the Fate Supreme. That is something for my brother to worry about. But I cannot become his weakness either. It is also one of the reasons why my mother agreed to let me roam the world with the big sis Nyssa. Because I was too weak back then. But now… I need to develop my own strength. And no, not that kind of strength. I have always been confident in my personal strength.

“However, if I wish to help my brother… If I wish to keep the legacy of my father, then I need to have my own power. My own team… I need to cultivate a group of Wanderers whom I can call my own. Wanderers who can help me deal with all sorts of things. And that was what I was supposed to do when I returned to my home as a True Wanderer. My—Our plans changed when we found you. But that still does not change the fact that I need to develop my own strength.”

“…Is that why you often used to drift away in your worries?”

“That’s part of the reason… Although technically you only have to participate in the Rising Wanderers Trials before we can leave for my home, given how cunning the Lotus clan is, and how reckless you are, I am always worried that you will drag yourself into some unnecessary troubles.”

“…I am not so reckless.”

“…And I was also worried about what you will do when I—we return to my clan. Although there is no discrimination in my clan, the environment back home… is a little too competitive. But now…”

“…After seeing me leading a team, you have come up with a few ideas as to how to let me blend in with your clan, and let me help you?”

“…Not blend in with my clan… But yes. Seeing you lead a team, and handle responsibility, I did come up with a few ideas…”

“…Although this is not the answer I was looking for, I guess it will do for now.”

“…So, you agree to help me?”

“…Who made me your friend?” Alnea said, shaking his head, while pretending to sigh, before turning towards Yuri with a grin. “If it is strength that you want… then I will become your strength. And I will become strong enough that I will be all the help you need.”

“…Are you getting jealous?”

“…I don’t understand what you are talking about.”

“…Right,” Yuri said, dropping the solemness from her face for a smile, while giggling at the embarrassed look on his face, before reaching out to hold his hands.

“Thank you.”