Verena was sitting in her room, deep in thought. The past few days had been a lot. From entering a relationship with Marianne, to gaining her class, to learning about her demonic ancestry, and finally, hearing the story of the war, eight thousand years ago. In less than a week, she had gone from coasting through life as an advisor to her father, to being thrust into the middle of a conflict that could impact all of Orellia. It was more than a little difficult to wrap her head around it all.
And now, she was preparing to leave. For the last two days, her parents had been helping her and Marianne prepare to set out. They knew that, whoever it was that was after her, they wouldn't sit idly by, now that she had gained her class and thrown off their influence. Her and Marianne were set to leave this afternoon, and Marianne was currently meeting with her father's steward to confirm that all the arrangements were made. Their first stop was The Soaring Cliffs, the capital of the Eastern Province, and home of Duke Maurice. Lucile suggested it because the city was a major hub of adventurers, making it an excellent place to look for more allies. On their journey there, and after their time in the city, the two would begin hunting monsters, with the primary objective of gaining experience for Verena.
As Verena prepared herself, Marianne entered the room. "Verena? It's almost time to go. Are you ready?"
Verena slowly stood up, sighing. "Yes. I'm ready." She grabbed her bag, put it over her shoulders, and followed Marianne to the entry hall. When they got there, Verena's parents, and most of the manor's staff, were waiting for them.
Dominik stepped forward. "Verena, before you leave, there's one more thing." He gestured to his steward, Desmond, who quickly brought a long, black case forward. Dominik opened the case, and took out an elegant saber. The blade was immaculate. Silver metal with a blood-red edge. The cross guard was in the form of a stylized bat with red gems for the eyes. The black sheathe it came in was spotless, and the blade gently hummed in Dominik's hands.
Verena was wide-eyed and speechless. She was staring at the sword in awe. "Father...?"
Dominik stepped forward, holding the saber out for her to take. "I want you to have it."
Verena reverently reached out, taking the weapon in her hand. It vibrated softly when she took it, as if accepting her. She looked back up to her father. "You really mean it?"
He smiled calmly, nodding. "Yes. You know I'm not a man of the blade, and even when I do wield a weapon, the Crimson Fang is much more suited to me than the Sanguine Claw." The two swords in question were family heirlooms of house Tavanor, passed down all the way from the time when they were still a part of house Tepes. The Crimson Fang was a rapier, and the Sanguine Claw a saber. Both were enchanted to be the perfect weapons for a vampire, and both would only accept a wielder who was a worthy and legitimate heir to the family, not by blood, but by succession, so even another Tavanor couldn't use them to their full extent.
Verena glanced back at the case, still held by Desmond, and saw the graceful rapier sitting next to the space where it's sibling had just been taken from. She then turned back to her father, smiling widely. "Thank you, father. I swear to you, I will do this blade proud." She fastened the sheath to her hip, briefly drawing the blade to ensure it was in the right position, before putting it back.
With that final piece of business taken care of, Verena gave her parents each a hug. "I love you both. Please, don't worry about me. I have Marianne. She'll be with me, and she'll be more than enough to keep me safe."
Lucile smiled sadly, looking into Verena's eyes. "I know, darling. Just be safe, please."
Dominik, on the other hand, silently acknowledged his daughter before turning to her companion. "Marianne, you bring my daughter home safe, alright?"
Marianne just smiled. "That was never even a question for me. I won't let anything take her from me."
Dominik just smiled. "Good."
With a few last goodbyes, the two women set off, heading down the streets of Crimson March on their way out of the city. As they walked down the street, the people of the city, who had learned of Verena's departure, lined the streets. As the people of the city bid her a fond farewell, Verena looked around with a smile like the citizens had never seen before. She spoke quietly to Marianne, "They really love me, don't they?" At Marianne's nod, Verena smiled, a few tears of joy falling from her eyes. "I matter to them. They... they care." She leaned into Marianne as decades of self-image and self-worth issues flowed out of her. "I made a difference. I made them happy. I... I did something worthwhile with my life, even before I had a class." Marianne just gently hugged her as the support of the people became even stronger.
Then, a man came running from the crowd with a sword in hand. As he charged at Verena, he yelled defiantly, "For Lord Morel!"
Marianne moved to intercept the ill-conceived assassination attempt, but before she even could, a tendril of energy lashed out from the crowd, wrapping around the man's neck and dragging him back to the crowd, right next to the mage who had stopped him. The people around him were enraged. They descended on the would-be assassin, beating him senseless. Within moments, the bloodied and unconscious body of the attacker was being dragged off towards the nearest guards.
Verena stood there for a moment, shocked at the sudden series of events. Then, she started to fully cry tears of joy, turning back to her love. "Marianne, they fought for me. They didn't even hesitate. I... I matter to them." She looked into Marianne's eyes with a joy the woman had never seen in her before. "Marianne, I matter..."
Those words made Marianne's heart soar as she looked at Verena. The happiness in her eyes was everything Marianne could ever ask for. She reached up, gently brushing the tears from Verena's face. "Yes, love. Now you see how I feel about you, every day. You're a [Champion of the People]. The system itself said as much. All this..." Marianne gestured to the supportive crowd. "Is what you've done with no class, and with your Will being perpetually suppressed. I can't wait to see where you'll go from here." She gave Verena a gentle kiss. "And I can't wait to be by your side when you do it."
Verena nodded, nuzzling into her lover's embrace. At that moment, a hesitant citizen walked up. "M-my lady, are you okay?"
Verena turned back to the man, smiling widely. "Yes, thank you. I'm wonderful."
He looked at her for a moment. Then, he chose to voice his concern. "My lady, have you been crying?"
Verena just smiled even wider, nodding. "Yes, I have. But don't worry. They're happy tears."
Seeing the expression on her face, the man was inclined to believe her, so he just smiled back. "That's good to hear, my lady. Please, take care on your journey. The people will be praying for your safety."
Verena looked around with a warm, peaceful expression. "I know. And that means more to me than you all could ever imagine."
The man nodded, and stepped back, giving her one last farewell. Then, the two continued on their way. Nothing else of note occurred during their walk to the city gates. Verena simply basked in the love of her people, letting over fifty years of doubts be washed away. When they reached the gates, she turned around, holding up a hand. After a few moments, the crowd quieted, and she began to speak. "People of Crimson March, this is not goodbye. This city will always be my home, and you will always be my people. I will come home, no matter how far I wander, or how long I'm gone. Your support and your belief in me means more to me than you will ever know.
"I am only here, today, because of people who refused to give up on me." At those words, Verena turned to look at Marianne. "People who could see what I was worth, even when I couldn't see it, myself." She took Marianne's hand, and looked back at her people. "We are one people. We are connected. I will always be with you. I swear to you, when it matters, I will always stand by you, so this is not goodbye. It's just the next step in our journey." She then turned, walking through the gates with the cheers of her people at her back. As she stepped out of the city, she received a system notification.
Ding!
Congratulations! You have gained a deeper understanding of your Aspect. Receiving rewards.
Rewards Gained: Experience granted. New skills are now available. Prestige title granted.
Level up! You have gained 2 stat points!
Title [Late Bloomer] triggers: Bonus stat point gained!
Level up! New skill point available!
Level up! You have gained 2 stat points!
Title [Late Bloomer] triggers: Bonus stat point gained!
Prestige Title unlocked: Your deeper understanding of your Aspect grants you strength. You have received the title [Hope of the People].
[Hope of the People](Prestige Title): Your people have placed their hope in you, and you have resolved to do right by them. You will instinctively know when your people need you, and you and those around you will gain a 15% buff to all stats when fighting for your people.
Verena was stunned. It was beginning to become clear to her why [Primal Avatar]s were so powerful. A few more breakthroughs like this, and she would start to become like a force of nature.
"Well, it seems that Connection goes deeper than I initially thought."