"The kids are getting along," the woman remarked, her voice tinged with a bored indifference as she observed the group.
"I mean, technically, yes," Henri responded, glancing over at the unfolding scene. He wasn't surprised by his daughter's behavior toward Marquis, but something in the woman's tone made him turn to face her directly.
"What are your intentions?" he asked, sensing an unusual familiarity in her demeanor.
"What? Are you really about to break decades of friendship over that?" she replied, a mocking tone lacing her words.
Henri raised an eyebrow. "Why are you getting defensive?"
She shrugged, her tone flattening out. "I'm joking."
Before Henri could press further, Ashur's deep voice cut through the conversation. "Colan's waking up."
"That was surely fast," Sir Eadric commented, though his observation was met with a stern rebuttal from Beaugois.
"No it wasnt" Beaugois replied strictly, his eyes narrowing at Sir Eadric.
"You!" Sir Eadric began slowly, but Beaugois interrupted with a short laugh. "Hah!"
Colan stirred, his voice carrying an odd tone, almost as if he were faking his usual accent. "Ah, what happened?"
Before anyone could respond, the voice from above announced, "Unwritten skills are about to be given. Heirs, line up in a queue from shortest to tallest for most stability."
The heads, now fully interested in the unwritten skills, started looking around for the shortest heir. All eyes eventually landed on the same person.
"It's your daughters' guide," Ashur pointed out, making the other heads instantly shift their focus.
"He really is short," Sir Eadric said, gesturing with his hand to approximate Leonardo's height compared to his own.
"Why pick such a small boy?" Alphonse asked, genuinely puzzled.
"He... really... is... short," Bel-ibni said slowly, his voice carrying an eerie note that made most of the heads uneasy.
"Uh huh," the woman from earlier murmured, her tone carrying a hint of discomfort.
The voice filled the room again, this time directed at the short figure. "State your name."
Henri sighed. "Is that really necessary?"
"Maybe, maybe not," Alphonse replied with a nonchalant shrug.
"Uh... Leonardo, Leonardo Thatcher," the boy said, his voice trembling slightly.
"Ever heard of any Thatchers before?" Alphonse asked Henri.
"Not really. We can't have any influence in the choosing of the guides, remember?" Henri replied, shaking his head.
"Right."
The room, already dimly lit and almost mimicking the dark abyss outside the hall, began to glow with a cyan blue light. The floor beneath Leonardo's feet started to shine that same hue, illuminating his small form.
"I don't want an unwritten skill," Leonardo suddenly
"What?" The voice asked in pure confusion.
"Huh?" Henri said in disbelief, his face a mask of shock.
Alphonse, despite initially hoping his own son Marquis would deny the request, didn't expect anyone else to do so, let alone a guide.
Ashur, looking puzzled at first, then burst into loud laughter. "Your daughters picked a good guide regardless of his height," he said, his amusement clear.
"That's mildly surprising," the woman from earlier remarked, her surprise evident.
"Why?" the voice asked with genuine interest.
"Well, the to—" Leonardo began, his stutter noticeable throughout the hall. Laughter erupted from the back, anticipating a fallout.
"Never mind, move out of the way," the voice said flatly, causing a wave of shock among everyone in the room.
"Huh?" Anna said, visibly flabbergasted.
The next person, a girl, stepped forward. A spiral of blue light appeared beneath her feet, enveloping her entire body in a warm, radiant glow.
It was as if the sun itself had descended to touch her, the light bathing her in a soft, golden hue that mirrored the warmth of Leonardo's own skin under the intense light.
As she floated down, the girl's attire was strikingly reflective of her vibrant and confident personality.
She wore a richly decorated tunic made of fine, brightly colored fabric, reminiscent of Andean textiles.
The tunic featured intricate embroidery with patterns symbolizing her heritage and status.
Over this, she had a flowing cloak adorned with geometric designs and fringed edges, adding a touch of grandeur.
Her sandals were delicate yet sturdy, with intricate metalwork showcasing both elegance and practicality.
She walked over to Leonardo with a confident stride, her glowing presence leaving a subtle trail of light. "I'm Aymara," she introduced herself,
"Im Leonard—" he tried to say before she interrupted, "Leonardo."
"Why didn't you accept the unwritten skill?" she asked, her curiosity piqued. Most heirs were stunned by the audacity of denying something from the sage, which was considered unthinkable.
"No reason," he replied flatly.
"You can tell me."
"I don't know you."
"I do though."
"What?"
"Leonardo Thatcher."
"I said that."
Leonardo, feeling uncomfortable, tried to distance himself as Aymara's deep yellow eyes grew even larger, almost mesmerically.
"Ah, I'm joking," she said with a small huff, then continued, "You really are short," gesturing to emphasize the height difference, though she was only half an inch taller.
"Ah, yeah..." Leonardo responded, his voice barely audible.
"The others are almost done!" Aymara said cheerfully.
"What did you get?" Leonardo asked, genuinely curious.
"Well, you should have just gotten your own if you wanted to know," she replied with a cheeky smile.
"You are right," Leonardo replied flatly.
"You're getting dry," the girl observed, puzzled by the sudden shift in tone.
"I know," Leonardo said, his voice distant.
Elara, who stood at 5'8", a sharp contrast to her sister Anna's 5'6", was already positioned closer to the end of the room, wary of the monsters lurking further back.
One of the monsters caught Leonardo's attention. "Who is that huge guy?" he asked, genuinely confused by the imposing figure.
"That's trysson ," Aymara explained. "He's definitely the strongest I think"
Leonardo watched the massive figure standing at the back of the line, his eyes widening in awe.
The man—if you could even call him that—was a giant among the others. His presence was as imposing as a mountain, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
The giant, known as Tyrsson, Standing at an impressive height[10'3] His skin, tanned by the unforgiving winds and sun of his homeland, was a deep bronze,
The tunic was adorned with intricate patterns, etched into the leather using ancient techniques passed down through generations.
Around his massive arms and legs, Tyrsson wore metal bands,
His hair, thick and wild, was a deep chestnut brown, cascading down his back like a lion's mane. It was kept in check by a simple leather strap,
Tyrsson's eyes were a striking contrast to his rugged appearance. They were a piercing ice blue, a color that seemed almost unnatural against his dark skin and hair.