Clyde's lips move closer toward Claire’s, as a small smile grows on her face.

As Clyde’s lips brush the surface of Claire’s, the door to the smithy bursts open, causing Clyde to snap to attention. Catherine storms out, calling for him.

"Oh dear, my fun is ruined,” Claire sighs. She stands up and dusts off her dress. "I really wanted to steal a kiss from you,” she whispers to Clyde.

Catherine spots Clyde, and concern weighs heavy on her brow. “Clyde!”

Clyde touches his face, trying to piece together what had just happened. "What was I doing?" he mumbles, feeling very numb and groggy.

"A deal is a deal,” Claire says, brushing off his question. “You can have the schematic now. The knowledge you passed on to me will be marginally helpful... Though, I won't lie, I was hoping for some kind of unique magic that could remove the checkpoint of resurrection. This… Well, it wasn't what I was expecting, to say the least." She gives a little wave as she heads back into the smithy to leave.

As Claire passes, Catherine watches her go with a wary eye. As soon as Claire is clear from the property, Catherine rushes to Clyde’s side, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" She asks.

Clyde slowly pushes himself to his feet, not really hearing Catherine. He begins stumbling back to the doors, but she scoops his arm around her neck to help him to the kitchen.

Clyde touches his head, swaying a bit on his feet. "I'm alr..." He trails off before finishing his sentence as he collapses. needing Catherine to catch him and guide his drop to the floor.

"You have to be careful around her,” Catherine stressed, helping Clyde turn to his back. “She's damned."

"What do you mean by damned?" Clyde asks hazily.

Catherine takes off her apron, folding it into a makeshift pillow for Clyde. "When the gods damned her, they gave her a blessing, or perhaps a curse,” she explains. “Every man she comes into contact with will have their life devoured."

"I see,” Clyde says, not yet grasping reality.

Clyde rests on the floor for a while as Catherine keeps watch over him. As he lies there, his mind drifts to think about the HUD he had seen during the baptism. Do I still have that?

He looks into the top left corner of his vision.

HP: 0

MP: 0

Clyde reaches out for Catherine, a look of desperation on his face.

"What's wrong?" She quickly asks.

"My constitution and mana are gone,” Clyde says worriedly.

Catherine, alarmed, gently lays him down and rushes through the kitchen, rummaging through the cabinets before hurrying into the bathroom. She returns with two potion bottles: one a clear blue and the other a light pink. She helps Clyde sit up, and holds him as he drinks the potions.

"She drained your constitution and mana- and even pass that," Catherine explains. "These potions should help replenish your mana and constitution slowly…” She trails off, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I'm so sorry. I didn't realize it was this bad. I thought I was there in time.”

"Are you sure it was because of her?"

Catherine nods. "Yes, she did the same thing to my dad. That's why he left the Smithy, he always feels terrible when he's in her presence for too long."

Catherine sits down next to Clyde, and gently slips his head onto her lap.

"What are you doing?" Clyde asks, a bit of red growing on his cheeks.

"Just trying to help you recover,” Catherine responds. “Close your eyes and let the potions do their work."

Clyde obies, and rests his head on Catherine's soft, warm thighs. Instead of the rising anxiety he felt earlier, an overwhelming feeling of safety and security takes hold. The gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathes soothes Clyde’s soul, and he can't help but enjoy the contentment. The world around him seems to fade away as he basks in the moment, feeling nothing but her tenderness. He closes his eyes and lets himself sink into the comfort of her, feeling truly at peace.

He views the HUD as his eyes are shut.

HP: 0

MP: 0

Vigor +500

Spirit +500

Rapid footfalls approach the shop, followed by an exasperated Mia bursting through the door.

"Catherine!" she shouts, her voice echoing off the walls. As she storms toward the kitchen, she catches sight of Clyde laying on Catherine's lap. A wave of jealousy washes over her as she crosses her arms. She watches for a moment, seething with resentment.

"What the hell is going on here?!" she demands, her voice laced with accusation. She raps her foot on the floor while waiting for a response.

Catherine shrugs casually. “Clyde isn’t feeling good, Mia. Please keep it down.”

Clyde quickly pivots the conversation. “Mia, what class do you want to be?”

"Fusilier," she says firmly, answering without hesitation as if she had rehearsed this moment many times before. “Ever since my father took my mother and I out to shoot, I knew I wanted to make big roars.”

Clyde turns to Catherine and asks, "What class do you want to be?"

Catherine hesitates for a moment.

"I don't want one,” she says finally. “Classes are used for battle and war, and I don't want to hurt anyone. I want to help everyone. I don't think my heart could bear seeing so much pain and suffering." She sighs, her expression troubled. "I just don't know if I could handle it."

"You could always try to awaken as a Priest,” Clyde suggests.

Catherine shakes her head. "Even Priests kill in battle. They are often targeted first because of their healing."

Mia nods in agreement. "It's true. Hayden is amazing with the sword. He even trains more than Allister because of that.”

"Well, if you become a priest, I'll never let you soil your hands with blood. I'll take on that duty and protect you,” Clyde says, realizing too late how corny that sounded.

Mia looks from Catherine to Clyde, a determined glint in her eye. "I want to protect Catherine, too," she says.

Clyde pouts. "I'm kind of jealous that Catherine gets all the love and protection. What about me, Mia?"

Mia rolls her eyes, her resentment coming back. "Oh, I don't know. You could go away and never come back, and I wouldn't mind."

Clyde gasps, feigning emotion. "I'm hurt," he says with a sniffle, before rolling over and burying his face into Catherine's thighs. "Protect me from her cruelness, Catherine!"

Catherine giggles at Clyde's antics, and the tickling sensation of his face rubbing against her thighs.

Clyde rolls back over and looks up at Catherine. "What about you, Catherine? Is there anything you want to protect?"

Catherine meets his gaze and pauses before answering. "The people I love the most."

"Does that include me, too?" Mia asks hurriedly, sliding down to her knees in front of Catherine.

Catherine smiles and pets Mia on top of her head. "Of course it does," she says affectionately.

"What about me?" Clyde asks.

Catherine unconsciously moves closer to his face and whispers softly, "Of course. You might be the one person I want to protect the m-most…" she stutters out with a flush of color, feeling a little embarrassed by her admission.

Clyde sits up. "Well, I feel great now! I better get to work."

He glances at his HUD and sees that both the spirit and vigor buffs have disappeared, and his HP has returned to 1 and MP to 3.

His eyes come back to rest on Catherine’s face.

Catherine blushes, as does Clyde as he looks at her.

Clyde nods and stands up, his mind racing with Catherine’s sweet, rose-tinted cheeks imprinted in his memory.

He takes one last look at Catherine and Mia before leaving outside to the forge. Was that some form of a love confession? No way…

As he walks through the threshold of the door, the outside air hits him, clearing his mind of the situation at hand.

~

"I thought you were going to tell him today?" Mia says.

Catherine sighs, her shoulders slumping with frustration. "I know, I was about to, but I still don't have the courage."

Mia nudges her encouragingly. "Just go for it! He’s your hero. I know he’ll accept your feelings. Even though I don’t want him to."

Catherine smiles and gently pats Mia's head again. "You're right, Mia. I’ll try my best to tell him next time. And don’t worry, I’ll always have time for you."

Mia grins. "Don't think you can get out of this conversation just because you're giving me head pats."

Catherine moves her fingers behind Mia's ears, scratching behind them tenderly. "Oh, you like this?" she says with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Mia moans with pleasure. "Uahhhh- NO! No fair, no fair! That's my only weakness!"

Catherine giggles and continues scratching. "Just relax and enjoy the head scratches," she says soothingly.

Mia sighs contentedly and falls into Catherine's chest. "Are you a devil or an angel? I don’t know!”

Mia starts to purr with contentment, completely relaxed with Catherine's fingers running through her hair.

~

Clyde clears the workbench of his tools and spreads out the paper he received from Claire. He studies the contents for what grew to be an hour, making revisions and adding notes through much internal thought and deliberation. Clyde ignores the shuffling around the shop, even when Catherine tries to bring him a snack and asks if he's feeling better.

After a couple more hours, he stands up, stretching out from his tip-toes. He rolls his paper and walks inside, setting it down next to Claire's book, which he picks up. "I wonder if I'll be able to read, eventually?” he wonders aloud, flipping through the pages. “It's not like I actually speak their language. I guess the only way to find out is after I finish learning the letters." He grabs the rolled parchment before walking out.

Clyde enters the kitchen, standing in front of Catherine and Mia. Mia, whose face has grown into a snarl in Clyde’s direction, is braiding Catherine's long hair.

"What do you want?" she says, her voice hostile as if Clyde were breaking in to kidnap Catherine.

"What should I do with the book she left?" Clyde asks, setting the tome on the table.

Catherine slowly reaches her hand toward the book, ripping it back as soon as the tips of her fingers touch the spine.

"Can you feel anything when you pick it up?" she asks, holding her hand.

Clyde shakes his head. "Not really. Why do you ask?"

"Maybe you should take it, then. I'll let Claire know you have it next time I see her."

"Are you sure?" He asks.

Catherine nods definitively. "Yeah, I'm sure. You can keep it."

Clyde turns to Mia and puts on the biggest smile he can manage, with his cheeks hurting and his eyes barely open. He approaches her slowly, creepily, saying nothing while staring at her.

"Gross!! What are you looking at me for, huh?!" Mia says, speaking in her most delinquent voice.

Clyde drops his smile. "Apologize," he says firmly in a most serious tone.

"For what, weirdo?"

"For scaring me."

Mia rolls her eyes. "No, it was funny!" she says with a chortle.

Clyde picks up the paper he received and modified from Claire, showing it to Mia for a moment before rolling it back up. "I guess I won't let you use it when I'm done with it then,” he says teasingly.

Mia's ears perk up at the sight of the paper. "Let me see!"

Clyde holds the paper high in the air, just out of Mia's reach. He baits it right above her head, yanking it back up as she jumps to grab it. "I don't think so! I worked so hard for this. Your sticky hands will just get it dirty."

"But my hands aren't sticky!” Mia protests. “Let me see!" She continues jumping for the dangling paper, but it's always just out of reach.

"Beg for forgiveness, shortie!" Clyde says impishly.

"I'm not short! I'm sorry! Let me see it!" she whines through her jumping.

"No... you have to mean it,” Clyde says.

Mia drops to the ground. "Fine! I’m sorry. I'm really sorry! Please let me see it."

"What are you sorry for?" Clyde asks.

"I'm sorry for scaring you. I won't ever do it again."

"And?"

"I'm sorry. Please, I really want to see it!" Mia wails.

"That’ll do, I guess. Stay there for a second."

Clyde walks over to the table and unrolls the paper, smoothing it out carefully. "Okay, no touching."

Mia jumps off the ground and gazes at the paper. Her eyes shine with wonder, and she oohs and ahhs over the intricacies of the design set before her.

"Please make one for me, Clyde. PLEASE!"

Clyde shakes his head. "No can do. I have to make one for myself first."

"But you don't even need it. You're a Warrior!"

"Yes, and you're still a Peasant. So what?"

"Please! I'll do anything!" Mia begs.

"Anything?" Clyde asks, his voice rising as he draws out the word.

~

Clyde and Mia sit patiently in the kitchen, waiting for Garson to come back while Catherine resumes her work in the kitchen. Mia is careful not to say anything unkind to Clyde, trying to remain as silent as possible to not lose her chances of earning her reward.

As soon as Garson walks through the door, Mia jumps out of her seat and meets him at the door.

"Garson, I need your help!" She says excitedly.

A startled Garson stares down at her, as Mia has never shown any interest in him before, outside of a few glares. "With what?" he asks with both confusion and skepticism.

Mia points to the plans on the table. After setting his rucksack down, Garson goes to look at it for a long while, holding his chin as he nods while reading.

"Mhm... It should be doable, but I'm not interested in making it. I already have too many orders to work on."

Clyde stands up, making a passionate fist at his heart. "But it's beautiful! That thing HAS to be made!”

"Okay, make it yourself then."

"I can't. I don't have the skills. Besides, it's not even for me. It's for the one and only Mia!” Clyde turns to her. “Now Mia, do what we rehearsed!" he says in a hushed voice.

Mia hops back in front of Garson, her closed hands curled in front of her chest.

"Meow! Please, meow!" she says in the cutest voice she can manage

Garson and Clyde lose it, slapping their knees and laughing hysterically. Mia is not amused.

"I did what you said, Clyde!" she yells furiously with a stomp.

"Garson hasn't said yes yet,” he wheezes, still laughing. “Do it again!"

Mia grins and lets out an even cuter "meow!" than before. "This is racist…" she says embarrassed.

"That's a lot of fire power for one little girl,” Garson says through a chuckle, wiping a tear from his eye. “I thought it'd be for you."

"I’ll be honest, I do want one,” Clyde says more seriously as the laughter finally dies down. “But she deserves it. She's just as responsible for saving Catherine as I am, yet she hasn't been rewarded, while I received an apprenticeship and the apron."

Catherine pauses her cleaning to face the trio. "She really deserves to be rewarded, too, Dad! You even mentioned that having Clyde here has really sped things up, so you’re not that busy any more."

Garson looks down in defeat. "Fine, fine, fine. You win. I'll make it. 3 vs 1, I'm not going to continue a fight when I'm clearly outnumbered."

Mia's tail and ears perk up like tall church spires. "Really?!"

Garson strokes his thick beard. "Yeah, but it's going to be a lot of work. Clyde will have to do most of it, since I can't just let the shop stop taking orders.” He looks at Mia thoughtfully. “Have you thought about what will happen if you awaken as a Warrior instead of a Fusilier? Are you sure you still want this boomstick?"

Mia puts her fingers in her ears. "Nope! I don't care! I want the strongest roar in the land! I'll reject the Warrior and stay as a Peasant if I have to, and I'll use the boomstick no matter what!"

Catherine laughs. "I think her mind is made up. Though, I'd be surprised if she awakens as anything but a Fusilier!"

Garson turns to Clyde. "Are you the one that modified this schematic?"

"Yeah!”

“It’s interesting… It's not typical to see a boomstick that isn’t a muzzleloader. Are you sure this thing will work?” Garson asks doubtfully.

“Yep!” Clyde says with two thumbs up. “Sure do!”

As the evening wears on, Clyde says his goodbyes and sets out toward the mansion.

As he strides down the path leading to the grand estate, a voice echoes in his mind.

Well done! You have reached level 1 as a Warrior. To access your menu, simply say [open menu].