A behemoth with golden-blond hair and clad in gilded steel tackled Jean to the floor in a bear hug.

"Jean!" screamed Donovan Goldwatch, third in line to inherit the throne of the Ringed City.

"Oof. You're in full plate, Donny." coughed Jean.

Donovan and Jean dusted themselves off, laughing. Gio noted that Jean had a massive smile plastered across his face.

"Bah, look at you. You've only gotten bigger since you went off to wizard school. Those spellbooks must be heavy if they're causing your arms to grow like that." The prince laughed.

The man at Donovan's side went silent, simply standing to the side with his arms folded gracefully behind his back. He had sandy-blonde facial hair, all very neatly kept, and a shocking white bouffant on top of his head, which was stylishly gelled and parted. He was wearing a practical but clean set of armor, with neat accents of gold against polished steel that seemed to only emphasize the refinement of Donovan's armor.

Prince Donovan turned to the rest of the group.

"Chandrika!" Donovan smiled. "It's good to see you! I hope the Ringed City has been to your liking. I suppose it's probably a little colder than you're used to."

"It's been perfectly acceptable." Chandrika replied, allowing her last syllable to hang in the air for just a moment too long to not be awkward.

"That's great!" Donovan replied.

Gio searched for something in Donovan's face that he did not find. Gio detected no trace of any understanding on Donovan's part or any reaction to the frostiness in Chandrika's demeanor.

Oh, he's not a dick, he's just… socially inept. Gio thought.

"Ah, and these must be your other friends from wizard school!" Donovan said, turning to face the rest of the party.

Jean winced slightly. He looked at Chandrika, as if expecting something.

Hatra interjected before Gio could even fully process what was being said.

"I'm no wizard, but it's good to meet you, your highness!" She cheerfully replied.

"Please, call me Don." Donovan replied, shaking Hatra's hand.

The man standing behind Donovan grimaced.

Donovan turned towards Gio. "Hey, I'm Don." he said with an easygoing smile.

Gio shook his hand, marveling at the Prince's iron grip.

"I'm Gio. Nice to meet you, uh… Don."

The white haired man grilled Gio. They made eye contact, and Gio felt as if he was being carefully evaluated and measured. Gio, for his part, didn't look away, but quirked an eyebrow.

What's your problem?

"Oh, this is Henriot, my right-hand man." Donovan said, clapping the lithe man on the back.

Henriot stayed silent, folding his hands behind his back.

"Well met, your highness." Sapphire curtsied. Henriot inclined his head in approval.

Ah… It's a manners thing, then. I don't really know how to act refined in front of royalty. Although I suppose that Chandrika is royalty, isn't she? She's different.

"See? You were wrong, Henriot. I told you that they had to have some way to get into the Shop from inside that school." Donovan confidently stated.

"We didn't come from the Crystal Ring." Chandrika flatly stated.

Donovan tilted his head. "No? Then how are you all here?"

"We're on a bit of a trip." Jean said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh! What a coincidence. We'll have to swap stories! Let's go sit down and chat for a bit." Donovan said, commandeering the conversation.

"No." bristled Chandrika.

Donovan paused mid-step. "I beg your pardon?"

Henriot tensed.

"My friends and I are in the middle of looking for something. Jean, why don't you go occupy the Prince? We'll catch up." Chandrika scowled.

Henriot stepped up. "Is that so? Perhaps I may be of assistance. What is it that you are looking for?"

There was a tense breath where Chandrika studied the white-haired man, looking like a poised viper ready to strike. Henriot, to his credit, stood stalwart in front of his charge, like a shieldbearer poised to intercept a ballista bolt or die trying.

Gio coughed. "Uh… It's called Amaro. It's a discontinued beverage."

Henriot slowly blinked. "Follow me."

He led them to a nearby shelf, where Chandrika ripped the glass bottle from its display with force, barely bothering to read the display before dragging Gio and Hatra off to the side.

"We'll catch up. Don't wait for us." She snapped at Henriot.

Chandrika pointed a finger at Gio and Hatra. "You listen to me." she ordered.

"You are both valued members of this party. When- not if- that man says something awful about commoners or otherwise offensive toward the two of you, you will not cower in front of him just because he is your Prince."

"Rika… I appreciate the sentiment, but he's a Goldwatch…" Hatra said.

"And I am sick of him saying whatever he feels like just because of that fact." Chandrika fumed. "Did you hear him? Wizard School. As if we're so below him that he doesn't need to even consider what we do as something that is worth being acknowledged. He's so smug."

Henriot coughed. "My lady, if you would like to-"

"I wasn't speaking to you, Sir Henriot." Chandrika snapped.

Her temper is certainly running a bit hot right now.

Henriot stood in place, hands folded behind his back, unflinching. "Prince Donovan Goldwatch wishes to speak with your party, my lady." he calmly stated.

Chandrika looked like she was ready to declare war on the Ringed City.

"I'm right here." Gio quietly said. "If it gets too bad, we'll make an excuse to leave."

Henriot cleared his throat "If I may be so bold-"

"You may not." Chandrika interjected.

They walked over to a table where Henriot proceeded to prepare a cup in front of the members of Gio's group.

"You… travel with a whole set of drinkware?" Gio asked.

Henriot barely smiled, the faintest hint of a curve visible under his fine-combed moustache.

"I am a [Royal Guard] and a [Steward]. It is my honor to serve acquaintances of the Prince, and my duty to ensure that I am prepared to do so, no matter where we travel."

"Henriot once set up a whole feast in the flying Wax Ring! Can you imagine? I think my Mother may have given him a bigger spatial bag than even I have." Donovan laughed.

Henriot sagely did not comment on Donovan's jest.

Chandrika reluctantly handed over the bottle of Amaro, allowing Henriot to pour a small cup of it for Donovan first, as it was assumed that he would be invited to have some because of who he was.

I'm starting to see why Chandrika does not consider herself to be a princess when she's compared to royals like Donovan. This… goes a step beyond even nobility. I don't even think it crossed his mind that he wouldn't be offered some, even though that bottle might have cost a small fortune. But… as a Prince he must be-

Gio startled himself. He furrowed his brows.

What? What was that thought process? What exactly must a Prince be?

Donovan was talking animatedly, and everyone was rapt, listening as if he were the most interesting person to have ever existed. Gio looked at Henriot, who was covertly looking back at him while trying to be discreet.

"Henriot, are you using a skill on us?" Gio brazenly asked.

Donovan stopped talking, and everyone turned to Gio, then Henriot.

"Nonsense." Henriot replied, standing in perfect posture behind Donovan.

Donovan turned to his minder with a flat stare. "Surely, my cohort wouldn't risk our reputation by using unauthorized skills on friends in a neutral zone."

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Your highness, I-"

"Well? This young man asked you a question. Answer him." Donovan demanded, gesturing towards Gio with an open palm.

Henriot cleared his throat. "I am not using a skill on you. You are merely subject to it. As a [Royal Guard], it is my job to ensure that the Goldwatch family is treated with due respect. [Polite Etiquette] is to be upheld by all subjects of the crown. Miss Chakraverti is the exception, because she is a guest in our city."

"You have a skill called [Polite Etiquette]?" Hatra said in disbelief.

"And that skill is changing the way I think?" Gio gaped.

"Disable it." Donovan commanded.

"Sire-"

"I don't care what my mother would say about it. We'll talk later… just disable it."

"I… am not able to do so. While we are within your domain, it is part of my class to perform this function." Henriot said, looking troubled.

Domain…

"Is this part of your domain?" Gio asked, looking to the prince.

Donovan quirked an eyebrow, putting a finger to his chin in thought. "My battalion entered the shop from a small dungeon near the Obsidian Ring, right outside the gates of the City."

"But we're in the Dungeon Shop." Gio replied.

He thought about the many scenes the Shopkeeper had shown him.

"I don't think we're in the Ringed City. This Shop exists… elsewhere. I think I would say that this Shop is the domain of the Shopkeeper." Gio affirmed.

Something odd clicked when he said it, and a soft pressure fell away from him, like a sheet being pulled off a sleeping body.

Henriot gasped, clutching at his chest and dropping to his knees.

"Henriot? Henriot!" Donovan shouted.

Henriot held up a hand, catching his breath. "I am fine, your majesty. I must excuse myself from this Shop, if you will allow me leave of my duties for a moment."

Donovan nodded, placing a hand on Henriot's back. "I'll be fine. I'm among friends... go take care of yourself, and call if you need anything."

"I shall send for a few members of the vanguard to fetch you once you are done here. I apologize for any disturbance my presence has caused." Henriot said, bowing low.

The white-haired man briskly walked off, and everyone at the table sat in silence for a moment, sipping their Amaro. It tasted medicinal, slightly floral, and bitter. Gio didn't care for it.

He grimaced slightly, turning to Chandrika. "I am so sorry I made you pay for this."

"It certainly has a different flavor. It reminds me of the type of medicine my mother would give me when I was sick." Chandrika replied.

Donovan knocked his back in one fell swoop, setting the empty cup down on the table and belching. "So, now that my good friend... and babysitter... isn't here, tell me what you've been up to at wizard school." Donovan chortled.

"Nobody here is a wizard." Chandrika replied.

"Wizard in training, then. Can you cast fireballs yet?"

Chandrika rolled her eyes.

"Don't be so sensitive, Rika," Donovan sighed. "I merely meant that-"

"You can't be bothered to learn anything about magic. I understand." Chandrika bristled.

"Why would I? I'm a warrior. I have members of my battalion who cover those needs for me." Donovan laughed.

"I think what Rika is trying to say is that you don't seem to care about what your so-called-friends are doing at all… your highness." Gio interjected.

Donovan turned to regard Gio. "Please, just Don is fine. What do you mean, uhh… Gio, was it?"

"Yes. Well, Don… a wizard is a specific kind of magic user. Nobody here really fits the archetype of a wizard at all." Gio said.

He looked at the imposing greatsword sheath attached to Donovan's back.

"It would be like looking at that sword and calling you a fencer." Gio quipped.

"Psh." Donovan dismissed. "Obviosuly, I don't use a rapier. That much is plain to see."

"To use your own words against you, what do I care? I don't use swords." Gio said, holding up a bandaged hand. "I found that out the hard way recently. If you don't care to learn the distinctions of different magic users, why should we care about what type of sword you use?"

Donovan looked taken aback.

"Gio, that's not really-" Jean began to interject.

"No, no… let me hear him out." Donovan said. "What then, is the difference between a Wizard and… whatever you are?"

"Jean and I are both [True Mages], which is a more appropriate catch-all for a generic magic user. Mages use all kinds of magic, plain and simple. It is usually a class that will either change into something else as it develops or stay as a hybrid class with a varied toolkit. Chandrika is a [True Witch] because she uses magic that is driven by a spiritual and emotional link to her magic, which is the direct opposite of a [Wizard], who traditionally relies on cold and emotionless logic to manipulate energy for spells in a way that is closer to magical engineering. Of us all, I'd say that I am the closest to being a Wizard, but I also use 'intuitive' components in my spellcasting. A wizard usually won't 'feel' their spellcasting at all, preferring to let either written spellforms or the system do all of the calculations for them." Gio explained.

Donovan quirked an eyebrow. "I can't say it makes too much sense to me… but I think I get you. I've been dismissive of the art of magic, and I owe you all an apology."

Chandrika blinked.

"Don…" Jean uttered.

"I apologize. I don't have the mind for these kinds of things, but I never meant to come across as condescending." Donovan sincerely said.

"It's fine, Don. It's not a big deal." Jean bashfully said.

"You… are forgiven." Chandrika stiffly said. She looked as if she didn't quite believe what she was seeing.

"And thank you, Gio. If only my crew could be so good at translating for me." Donovan sighed.

"It's no problem, uh… Don." Gio replied.

It... still feels weird to be calling him by his first name, even without the skill that Henriot was using.

"And what classes do you two have?" Donovan asked, turning to Hatra and Sapphire.

"Oh… that's not…" Sapphire began to gently deflect.

"I'm a [Thaumaturge]." Hatra said. "We specialize in distilling down the practical concepts of the world into aspects and reconstituting those aspects to make magic. Sapphire is a [True Alchemist], and Alchemists are a pseudo-philosophical type of transmutation specialist who are very good at purifying and concentrating magical substances."

Donovan held an uneasy smile, nodding along and trying his best not to look both bored and completely lost.

"Don, you over here?" asked the oddly familiar voice of a young man.

"Over here, Quinn." Donovan said, waving over to him.

Hatra and Gio both locked eyes before whipping their heads over to the source of the voice.

A spry and toned-looking young man walked down the aisles of the food court, wearing a set of well-loved leather armor and two slender swords strapped in a cross on his back. A short ponytail kept his silver hair out of his face, revealing a freshly minted scar traveling from his right eye to his ear.

"Henriot told us to come grab- wha?" Quinn said, stunned in place by the sight of Gio and Hatra.

"Quinn?!" Gio and Hatra both yelled.

"H-Hey guys? What are you doing here?" Quinn asked.

"We should be asking you that! I thought you were training at the Huntsman Agency out in the woods!" Hatra replied.

"Well… It's a long story…" Quinn said.

"You all know each other?" Donovan asked, curiously regarding the trio.

"This must be the third deGloria cousin we've been hearing about." Chandrika said.

"Cousins!" Donovan exclaimed.

"Yeah… but how are you both here? And are you friends with a Castallane?!" Quinn asked, balking at Jean.

"A Castallane? Quinn, you're in a group with the Prince." Gio replied.

Donovan and Jean both shrank back, laughing bashfully.

"Oh, please. Why don't we all give these cousins some time to catch up, shall we?" Chandrika announced, getting up from the table.

_____

"I can't believe you. You need to tell your dads where you are, and what you're doing." Hatra chided.

"I mean… I guess now that I know Gio's been killing dragons, I'll feel less guilty coming back with a scar. I still can't believe you're diving through Francisco's dungeon without me." Quinn pouted.

"We would have invited you if you weren't completely impossible to contact." Gio deflected. "How is mercenary life treating you, anyway?"

"Technically speaking, I'm an interim member of the Ring Guard. My status as a mercenary is temporary, only until they have openings in the training cycle in the Steel Ring. It's pretty rad." Quinn answered.

"Run it by me one more time…" Hatra said. "you were hunting some sort of giant cat-"

"[Flashing Sabretooth]" Quinn interjected.

"Giant cat." Hatra asserted. "And got sliced by it. That somehow made the prince himself come to the Ringed City outskirts to recruit you?"

"Donovan is… a free spirit. He wanted to take a break from his patrols to go hunt, and so his battalion did that. He wanted to bring in the bounty on the Sabretooth, and he caught the tail end of my battle with it. He bought out my contract with the Huntsman Agency that day." Quinn recounted, with stars in his eyes.

"I feel a strong compulsion to tell you off for reckless behavior, but I can also tell that there are several people who would string me up by my ankles if I spoke a hypocritical word about such a thing." Gio noted.

"So… can you do any cool sword… stuff?" Hatra asked.

Quinn kicked his feet up on the table. "Hattie… you've got no idea. Remember the rewards we got back from the challenge at King's Garden?"

"I do… I think I got an upgrade to [Telekinetic Assistance] back then, which I use all the time at work." Hatra answered.

"I got [Multitask], which has been unreal for spellcasting." Gio said.

"And I got a token." Quinn said. "That token let me upgrade my first class skill, which was the skill [Cut]. The token made it… more. I've never seen so many adjectives in one place than I have in that options menu. Stuff like [Resilient Cut], [Forceful Cut], burning, flaying, bleeding, stripping, cleansing, stinging, imaginary, ghostly, you get the point. I sat there for so long that my instructor got mad. I thought back to my dads… big dad was the one who taught me how to swing a sword, and use knives… but little dad is a doctor, and he was always so good with knives. We'd all prepare dinner together, and even after I'd been working at King's all summer, little dad was just so much better at it than big dad and I."

He leaned in and withdrew a short dagger from a side pouch. "I still remember what he said to me. I asked how I could get as good as him, and he said 'It's not that simple. It's not just about practice. As a doctor, I have to be very careful with my blades because if I make the wrong cut, I can seriously injure my patients. It's about being intentional.'"

Quinn carefully drew the point of the dagger over a napkin, creating pristine cuts in the soft tissue paper.

"So… [Intentional Cut]?" Gio asked.

"Bingo. It's garnered me a lot of attention. I'm not the most powerful, or even the fastest… but I'm certainly the most accurate. I can deliver exactly the right amount of cutting force, precisely where I am needed." Quinn replied.

"Well, it must have been something special to garner the attention of a Prince." Hatra said.

"Eeeh, maybe. Donovan has a particular eye for people who mesh with his style. I think he just saw me as a kindred spirit… but we are working on better incorporating our own fighting styles together as a unit."

Hatra paused to look at both of her cousins. "I'm glad we're all doing well. I knew we would… but I'm just really happy to see it. I know we're probably not going to get the chance to meet again like this for a while… but I want to adventure with you guys."

"Oh, absolutely. I am so, so jealous of you two… but I'll get my revenge. You'll see." Quinn swore.

"I'm sure you will. I've got so much to tell both of you… but not now." Gio cryptically said.

Hatra quirked an eyebrow at the comment, but didn't prod for more.

"It's getting late in the day… I've unfortunately got to go make sure 'his royal impulsiveness' doesn't buy a giant lightning sword while Henriot is disenfranchised - thanks for that, by the way, G." Quinn deadpanned.

"Hey, I did nothing wrong!" Gio said.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.