"So I hear you've earned yourself a new moniker," Silfa said, addressing Reivyn. Kefira's parents had complained that she hadn't been spending enough time with them now that Reivyn had "stolen" her away, so they compromised and spent lunch together during the time she and Reivyn had scheduled together. Reivyn didn't mind, as he was going to be spending many years with her and her family, and it was always better to be on better terms than not. Kefira's parents also had their own unique takes and lessons to teach if one was able to listen well enough. "A new moniker?" Reivyn asked, confused. He didn't remember doing anything that would cause people to talk about him too much. "Well, not you specifically," Silfa clarified. "You recently fought in an amateur match against a Striker, correct?" Reivyn nodded his head. "And you blindfolded yourself for some reason?" Reivyn nodded again. "Well, the people in the crowd hadn't really paid that much attention to you before the match began, so there are only a few rumors that are tying you together with the new gossip, but there's a new 'Blind Striker' on everyone's lips these days." "I see," Reivyn said. "I hadn't meant to make any kind of splash with my performance. It was really just me being silly to play along with Kefira." Reivyn shrugged. "Considering it was in the amateur leagues, it's not that big of a topic of gossip, but because you fought against a professional hopeful who's quite popular, you gained some notoriety." "If it's not that big of a gossip topic, how do you know about it?" Reivyn asked. "Never underestimate the intelligence gathering of the Imperial Palace Staff," Silfa calmly replied. "If there's something of note, we know about it, and considering we have all the pieces of the puzzle, we're able to piece things together better than the general population." "Noted." "So you're saying you were being silly, playing along with my daughter?" Silfa continued. "Yeah, my opponent was an attractive, er, girl," Reivyn paused as he heard Kefira clear her throat next to him. He glanced at her and rolled his eyes, patting her hand. "Nothing like you, of course," he placated. "Anyway, Kefira was pretending to be jealous, so in order to play along with her, I put on a blindfold. I have the Blind Fighting Skill, so it didn't hinder me at all." "I see." Silfa took a sip of tea before placing it back down on the table. "I noticed you had a little hiccup there when mentioning your opponent. I take it you discovered something." Kefira perked up and glanced back and forth between her mother and Reivyn. Reivyn just smiled at her. "Yeah, after noticing something fishy, if one pays enough attention, it's easy enough to spot." "It's their own personal business," Silfa said, giving Reivyn a significant look. "I agree. I'm not one for much gossip, anyway." "What are you two talking about?" Kefira asked. She was clearly confused. "Nothing, dear," Silfa replied. "Just an observation on one of our subjects." "Ok, if you say so," Kefira said, shaking her head. "Don't worry about it," Reivyn said. "Chances of running into her again are very slim. I'm not going to participate in any more matches before it's time for us to go, though I do want to try my hand as one of the team members. I'll have to switch my training up and figure out the technique first, though. Tactician should be the easiest one to jump into for me, considering I have the Skill and all." "Wait," Silfa said, holding up a hand. "I think you misspoke there. You said, 'before it's time for "us" to go.' Please clarify." Reivyn looked between Silfa and Kefira for a moment before focusing on Kefira. "You haven't brought it up to them yet? I thought everything was settled already." "We were going to talk to them together!" Kefira shot back. "What do you mean you thought everything was already settled." "I thought you were going to tell them that we had come to a decision before bringing me along to discuss it. When you didn't say anything, I thought you had already worked it out with your parents." "I thought we were going to talk about it today, right now." "Well, I guess it's as good a time as any." Reivyn shrugged. "What are you two talking about? What decision, what do you need to discuss with us?" Gennet, who had been passively listening to the conversation while he let his wife dictate it perked up and put his focus on the two teenagers. Reivyn looked between Gennet and Silfa, expecting Kefira to start the conversation off. When she didn't say anything, he looked over, only to find her avoiding his gaze as she focused on eating her lunch. He gave a small sigh. "I've decided to accept the mission of leading a mercenary company of my own in a month's time. My father is going to go with me, and Kefira is going to go, too." "No." Silfa shot that idea down right away. There was no room for compromise in her tone of voice. "I beg your pardon, but we're not asking your permission," Reivyn said, looking straight into Silfa's eyes. "We're simply informing you of our decision." Silfa calmly took up her teacup again and took a sip. She set it back down and leveled a stern glare at Reivyn. "Is that how you see it? Do I need to remind you that Kefira is my daughter? I don't believe you have the right to take responsibility for her just yet." "I understand your concerns, and we've already worked everything out," Reivyn replied, dodging the issue Silfa brought up. If they were already married, then Kefira would technically be a member of his household, and it would be perfectly reasonable for him to "take responsibility" for her in the way Silfa was referring to. As they were not yet married, she was a member of their household, and they believed they had the final say. "My father is going to be going with me, and Kefira isn't going to be engaging in any kind of behavior that she hasn't already," Reivyn continued. "I'd be happy to bring my parents over to continue the discussion if you want." Silfa narrowed her eyes at Reivyn, and Gennet barked a laugh from where he was seated. He had an amused look on his face as he looked on with interest. "You have some backbone, boy," Gennet chuckled. "Daring to stand up to my wife like that." "Hush, you," Silfa admonished her husband. She turned back to Reivyn. "Is that a threat?" "I don't know what you mean," Reivyn replied innocently. "I just figure that my parents would have a unique take on the situation and would be able to allay any and all of your fears. They've spent decades outside the confines of a palace, after all. They have a lot of worldly experience." "Are you implying that we don't?" Silfa retorted. "I'll have you know that we've all engaged in multiple Life Experience expeditions, and we're twice the age of your parents." "Mhm, yes, that's true," Reivyn said, nodding his head. "You and your husband, while younger, have gone on many adventures to help build your Classes, and I wouldn't be surprised if the total time you spent outside were close to a decade. That being said, my parents have only really gone on one adventure, relatively speaking, but it has lasted almost twice as long as yours. "I'm not insinuating anything here, just that they would be able to help convince you with their unique perspective." "Mother, my last expedition wasn't my last one," Kefira joined the conversation. "You and I both know that I will be going on several more trips outside. I don't see the issue." "Because you're willfully blind to it," Silfa rolled her eyes. "It's not about you going out into the world. It's about you going to a war zone and going out much sooner than you should be. There's no reason you need to go right now. You still have time to consolidate your gains." "And Reivyn doesn't have to consolidate his?" Kefira fired back. "You said I have no reason, but Reivyn is a pretty big reason. Not only because of our personal relationship but because he's my Imperial Liaison. This mercenary company he's going to be leading is ostensibly in my name and with a writ from the Imperial Family because of my connection to it. It makes total sense for me to be there. "Also, it won't be my first foray into a war zone. I dare say I have more experience on that front than you do at this point. Not only did I participate in Drallo, but I was also actually in command of the entire battalion for a good portion of the conflict. I won't be on the front lines, even if I participate in any battles. I'll be with the mages. "Considering Reivyn's abilities, his company will definitely have a magic component. It's only logical." That last sentence was the real dagger Kefira hid in her arguments against her mother. Kefira listed off all the pros to her side without letting her mother get a word in to break her flow. Everything she said was logical and well thought out in advance. She was coming to the argument with facts, while her mother was only concerned with how she felt about it. She intended to use that as a weapon against her mother. Her mother had always chided her children on being logical when it came to making decisions, and she wasn't going to let her mother escape that fact. Silfa spluttered as she realized what her daughter was doing. She looked at her husband for support, but he just smiled at her. "You're the one that deals with the family affairs," he said. He was having far too much fun watching from the sidelines. "This issue involves official matters of state," Silfa retorted. "And I've already hashed those out with Reivyn," Gennet smirked. "There will be consequences," Silfa gave her husband a severe look. "Worth it." Silfa rolled her eyes as she refocused back on Kefira and Reivyn. "Fine! I agree that it makes logical sense for you to be associated with the mercenary company and for you to have interactions with them. It also makes logical sense for you to spend more time consolidating your gains and working on your foundation. You're about to reach Tier 4. You're not allowed to travel to another Region until you do so." "That's fine," Kefira smiled at her mother. "We still have several months before it's time to go, anyway. This isn't a company from the imperial army. Reivyn is tasked with building a mercenary company out of Adventurers, so he'll have to train them for longer than just one month, and he won't even begin assembling the company until next month, to begin with. "There's plenty of time for me to reach Tier 4 before then." Kefira had a happy expression on her face at having "bested" her mother. They didn't even have to bring in the cavalry in the form of Reivyn's mother. She shared a smile with Reivyn. Silfa continued to glower at her daughter. "Don't be happy too soon," she said. "While I agreed it made sense for you to have interactions with them, they're ultimately going to be led by Reivyn in your name. That means you'll have to at least be a little aloof from their affairs. As such, it's perfectly logical that you don't spend the entire time with them. You will be allowed to go with Reivyn, but you have to come back here to focus on your personal growth every other month, and you have to stay for a period of time, as well." Kefira's expression turned into a frown after hearing her mother's words. She sought counsel from Reivyn, but he, too, was a bit stumped. It did make sense for her to focus on herself, and it made sense to do so in the safety of her own home. She wasn't like Reivyn. Reivyn had built his foundation in both Martial and Magical means through conflict and fighting his entire life. Kefira, while being a powerful Caster, was also a part researcher. The nature of her primary Affinity and the fact that she didn't have anyone able to guide her properly made it a necessity. "I think she has a point," Reivyn conceded. "Hmm, well... Having such a strict time frame for having to come home doesn't make sense," Kefira argued. "It only makes sense if the mercenary company isn't deployed. If they're sent into conflict, I would be no better than a deserter if I abandoned them to come home to meet a deadline." "She's got a point, too," Gennet teased his wife. Silfa gave him a sharp look. "Hmm, I can agree to that. We'll amend it as such: If the mercenary company is in garrison, even if it's not the capital, you have to meet the every other month schedule. If they're deployed, you have to send a missive to us letting us know, and you'll have to return immediately upon completing any mission assigned to the company." Kefira was about to agree when Reivyn noticed a particular gleam in Silfa's eye. He held up his hand to forestall Kefira, causing her to give him a questioning look. "If the mission is accomplished after the month and a half deadline," Reivyn said. "If we complete a mission and that deadline hasn't arrived yet, Kefira can stay until her appointed regular time." Kefira gave her mother a sharp glare after listening to Reivyn uncover the trap. "Hahahaha," Gennet slapped his hand on the table. "It looks like your lessons with Bellefrent haven't gone to waste!" Silfa's mouth drew a line. "Agreed," she simply said. "Excellent," Kefira exclaimed, clapping her hands. "Now that that is out of the way..." "Wait! What do you mean, 'now that that's out of the way?'" Silfa tilted her head in confusion. "We've only said that you can go. Now we have to make the plans surrounding it." "What do you mean?" Kefira asked. Reivyn had a sinking feeling in his gut. "Well, you can't possibly think that Serilla is going to be enough of a protective contingent this time," Silfa scoffed. "You're also going to be visiting in your official capacity, not undercover as just an Adventurer. "We'll have to give the target empire sufficient notice, establish diplomatic relations, plan social gatherings to further, ahem, 'our' relationship." She glanced at Reivyn and smirked. "We'll have to create a wardrobe and assemble servants and other staff... We have a lot more to discuss before we finalize anything. "Hahahaha," Gennet threw his head back and laughed again, this time directed at his daughter. This is going to be a long lunch, Reivyn thought. --- "This is going to be much more of a headache than we thought," Kefira complained, holding her hand to her forehead. "With all of the 'diplomatic' duties she's heaping onto my head, I'll have hardly any time to spend with you." Reivyn wrapped his arm over her shoulder and drew her in close as they walked along the path back to Kefira's courtyard. "It's not so bad," Reivyn consoled. "Think about it. She only mentioned your duties, and your father hasn't said anything about the mercenary company other than what's already been stipulated. I still hold the official position as your Liaison, so I'll be able to attend every state function with you." "What about dereliction of duty? Don't you think my mother is just waiting to throw something like that in your face?" Reivyn smirked. "That's why the chain of command exists," he replied. "My father is going with us, and he'll be the Vice Captain, the Executive Officer in military terms. I think it makes sense to distinguish some of the positions from the official military equivalent," he said in answer to Kefira's questioning look. "Anyway, he'll be the Vice Captain, and after the mercenary members train with us for a while, I highly doubt anyone would be averse to serving under him. "He'll take command in my absence, and I'll be freed up to go everywhere with you. Officers, especially those in commanding positions, have more duties than just commanding the troops. Even though the mercenary company will only be loosely affiliated with the military through the writ, I'll still hold the commission of a captain and your Liaison. There isn't anything anyone will be able to say as long as I cover all the bases." "That's a relief," Kefira said with a small sigh. "I think my mother's lack of paying attention to official matters might have given her a blind spot to this issue. I'm not complaining, mind you. It works in our favor. I think my father noticed the hole in my mother's plan, but I don't think he's on board with the whole testing you plan as he used to be. I think my mother is just doing it out of habit at this point, too." "You think so?" Reivyn asked, slightly surprised. "That's not the impression that I got. Granted, I don't feel like she's doing anything malicious, but she still seems like she's fully committed to messing with us." "I didn't say she wasn't going to mess with us, just that her attitude about it has shifted," Kefira replied. "Ironically, I think it's meeting your mother that had the biggest impact. She senses a kindred soul in your mom." "Yeah, I've seen the similarities," Reivyn chuckled. "So you're saying that seeing that my mother is similar to your mother has increased her opinion of me?" "Something like that," Kefira said. "Anyway, I imagine my mother is going to try and put her own people in place with the staff she's going to assign me. One or two are inevitable, but we need to limit her influence as much as possible, especially for anybody that has any say in my schedule. We need to make sure that I, and I alone, am in charge of my decisions. My mother might have the ability to influence my decisions, but I'm my own person." "Well said," Reivyn agreed. "Just like with my parents, they strongly influence my life, but they don't get to tell me what to do." Reivyn and Kefira turned into Kefira's courtyard and immediately came to a stop. The blood drained from Reivyn's face as he came face to face with his mother. She and his father were standing there, apparently having waited for them for some time. Ameliyn just calmly glanced at her son. "Is that what you believe?" Ameliyn asked. Her voice was far too cheerful for Reivyn's comfort. "We don't get to tell you what to do? Are you a man now? Is that what this is?" "Uh... no?" Reivyn ventured. He had stuck his foot in his mouth. He knew that his mother knew that he didn't mean it the way she was taking it, but there was no stopping what was to come. "We'll continue this discussion later," Ameliyn dismissed her son. She turned to face Kefira. "We came to spend some more time with you and maybe discuss some magic theory. I know that we've talked a bit about it with our visits, but we haven't had the chance to try any practical application out." "Oh, certainly," Kefira responded, giving a commiserating look to Reivyn as she walked forward to take Ameliyn's hand. Refix held his hand out to stop Reivyn as he made to follow them. Reivyn shot his father an inquiring look. "We can watch them and listen in to their conversation on magic later, but for now, let's work on something else," Refix said. He turned and motioned for Reivyn to follow along. "We've already done our regular training, so we don't need to get ourselves 'warmed up,' first. It's not necessary for my idea, anyway." Refix stopped at the edge of the training field. Ameliyn and Kefira were in the center, facing the training dummies, and Reivyn could already feel their Mana. Ameliyn was going to give some pointers on actual Casting to Kefira. Kefira had learned all the same training tricks that Reivyn had from Ameliyn, and she had her own methods, as well. She had spent far more of her time and effort on such things over the years, so she was much further ahead than Reivyn was on that front. While Ameliyn had had less time for formal education in the past, the one thing she beat everyone else out on was actual, real-life experience. Before she got pregnant with Reivyn, she had been a core member of Refix's Adventure Party. She had a lot more she could continue to teach both Reivyn and Kefira outside of the methods to exercise their Skills behind closed doors. Reivyn put that out of his mind and focused his attention on Refix. Refix noticed his son's attention and summoned his ethereal arsenal. "I'm going to try and teach you some of the nuances behind my Skill," Refix said. "It's a Class Skill, but it's tailor-made for me. I had the nuggets already built before I gained my Tier 5 Class, and the System took that and fleshed it out for me. That's one of the benefits of getting a good Class. Since you already have Mana Weapon and Elemental Weapon as Skills, you should be able to replicate this Skill to some extent. "I'm looking forward to what you can build with it in combination with your Weapons Master Skill."