Castle of Loch Ness

[Apollymi]

The Castle of Loch Ness is a small citadel set up on the shores of the Loch Ness. It is claimed to be a mile-marker on the way to Camelot and seems to be a center of trade and commerce for the lower end of this particular area. The Castle itself is said to belong to King Arthur and as such as such can be taken as a Temporary Base whenever that person is below. The Loch is said to be protected by the Lady of the Lake and haunted by her counter-part Morgan. The town itself is nice and upright and it seems to be the last bastion of hope on this ravaged continent.

[Bloodedge]

Weeks. A single group had been traveling for weeks, making pitstops here and there for food and drink, rest, and the like. On red-haired jester, Dagonet, heaved one exasperated sigh after another as he trudged along. Cador, Hector and Elyan, a trio of knights with their blades raised under a new banner, seemed to be doing alright. At least, none of those three had any outward complaints to present after where their services had previously been. Ahead of this group was Arthur Pendragon, a would-be king with no kingdom to speak of yet. Ah, but on the horizon for quite some time had been the place to which the sorceress Merlyn led: Loch Ness. Arthur felt things were very strange in this world, what with all the coincidental links to the lore he knew, and even the names chosen by other players who appeared around him. Was this some strange form of fate? Perhaps it was, or perhaps it was all the fault of Merlyn. That damn woman had been leading him around for what felt like ages now, into all of these things that made parts of King Arthur's legend true. Even the knights who chose to follow him now, were his enemies in a sense only a few weeks ago. What more would come? Which version of history would he be playing out? Was this the same path his sister followed during her journey? There were so many questions, no answers, and only one option: moving forward. Now, with a castle that could function as their base ahead of them, this world's second Knights of the Round Table group could establish something solid. From there, Arthur Pendragon could seek his goals. Maybe he could even establish routes to locate his 'boss' from the other world. Maybe... just maybe, his presence here could even somehow alert his sisters to his location. He'd felt one of them prior to leaving Zuria; hopefully any of them could feel him as well. Ah, if only he could know for certain. . .

[Apollymi]

Who else was taking this long journey? Well, the two young ladies once part of Zuria's court. The would-be Queen, Guinevere who easily found herself enjoying this level of freedom after the fiasco which had taken place in her homeland. The ward of Cador a young girl known as Emilia who with her pointy elf ears and her overly pale skin was slowly but surely becoming more of herself. The very sweet girl was being responsible and keeping Guin company during this long hike across the continent. They'd passed many devastated and empty places... but the last woman in this group, a sorceress walking around with her face tucked in a deep hood said there was a place which could work for them as a group.

Ah, but what was Merlyn doing? Well, right at the moment she was peeking into the goings on around the continent. Watching the future unfold as events solidified over time. 'Ugh... that's a problem and a half. Still, they can at least have a good time, for now...' her eyes narrowed. There was far too much to keep track of, and too many lives connected to her finger tips. If she ever came across the other Merlin she'd have to ask how he managed not to be driven mad by it. Actually, he probably took the out of sight out of mind approach. Yeah... that was much more like him. Still, over the hill before them, a small citadel appeared. Walled in with fields and surrounded by a large lake with a bridge leading into it. "Oh? The Citadel of Loch Ness~ How cute!~" she said aloud. "You know Arthur, you own this castle~" she mentioned happily. A small base, a foothold in this shithole of a continent. Yep, this was exactly what was needed. The group was quite weary, perhaps such a settlement as this one, where they could actually rest would make it easier for them... well most of them. "It's one of the last defensible places in the area... it'd be a good place to start planning and looking for people. Normal ones I mean~" she stated. This had been the place they'd been heading for when she'd told them they were going on a trip. Though she'd been less than honest about why they were coming here, it was at least where they needed to be presently.

[Bloodedge]

Arthur owned this castle, did he? That made sense. If it was previously the property of Artoria Pendragon, it stood to reason that it also counted as his. It had clearly been around for some time, but as a fortifiable base to hold in case the former Queen of Zuria staged an assault for vengeance, it would more than suffice. "I own it, huh? If that's the case, I guess it's time to remodel," he announced. Special attention would be paid to the following words, specifically by Hector and Cador. As the knightliest of the bunch, those two expected to be doing most of the grunt work in restructuring Loch Ness. Little did they know, Arthur wasn't the type to make such demands. "There must be cannons, weapons and other such fortifications around here somewhere. Aside from a hefty cleanup, I'm sure it'll be easy to make things work here. Maybe this can be made a safe haven for everyone suffering because of Queen Kolin," he mused.

Arthur was working his way through a plan, which developed more and more with each step forward. First, there was making sure this place could be lived in comfortably for the group in his company. Second, he would seek any vantage points throughout the castle and surrounding town, ensuring to the best of his ability that all were properly safe. Third, he would look into methods of harboring the downtrodden in crumbled countries. Fourth... he would find out a fourth thing to add. Interestingly enough, making use of those who'd essentially sworn themselves to him weeks ago, was nowhere on the list. Everything Arthur thought, involved only a single worker: Arthur himself. In his mind, this was a lovely group of people, and all of them had been through enough already. Yes, it was high time they knew rest for as long as possible. Well... everyone except Merlyn, of course─

[Apollymi]

"Remodeled, huh?" Merlyn thought about this statement and her head tilted to the side. She saw Hector and Cador ready themselves, that was about normal for them... but they were in for a shock, finding out what happened when a day-worker and general good Samaritan became King instead of a spoiled brat. "Hm, a shining beacon of light on this dark continent. Fine~ It sounds like a great plan~" Merlyn's voice came out as a bit teasing, but it was the case that it always did. She turned herself taking up casual strolling pace between Hector and Cador and sought her own level of advice. She saw a couple of different ways for such an activity to go, knowing Arthur and this group of people, she had no idea which way was technically the right one. Was this to be another of those good moments along the way to bad ones? Was she to actively do something about this particular situation... or leave mundane work to be carried out by hand?

Though this place was left by Artoria as she made her ascension, it wasn't uncared for, nor had it been unmanned for any great length of time bar the end. It was reasonably fortified and well armed. Things like cannons and fortifications were left, along with large stockpiles of dried foods and gardens and fields which could be tended at their leisure. The rooms in the castle, were spread out clean but dusty given the amount of time this place had been inhabited. Ah, but it wasn't like it would take a long amount of time for the place to become habitable, but it all depended on how such a task was undertaken. "And how shall we enact this plan?" she asked. She had no faith in Arthur fully realizing how this could be undertaken, but knowing exactly where his mind was, would help out a bit. Merlyn had the necessary skills to turn this place into a working fortress within moments, but... this lad had already turned down her help in providing such comforts before... so was she to take that to mean he simply would never accept them? The white haired young woman was in deep thought as she considered how to broach such a topic.

[Bloodedge]

"A slight one, yeah," Arthur replied, thinking the castle was actually quite well-fortified by basically its structure alone. He imagined Artoria once had a decent stay here, and thought Camelot in its current state had to be something amazing to behold. When could he see it with his own eyes? Time would tell, but for now, there was a need to consider Loch Ness' immediate future. This could easily be a safe place to stay for the current group with what Arthur understood of its overall combat ability. If it could be made safe for the average person, however, it would be a wonderful start to... second Camelot? What would this place even be, with him being King Arthur? Well, whatever the case, it was worthwhile to find out. As for how this plan would be enacted, Arthur wasn't entirely sure. He only knew his intentions, which were of course to deal with most things himself while granting the others reprieve, but that was enough in his mind. "Like I said. I'll clean it up, make sure the defenses still work, and then everything can get started."

Arthur's response was... bothersome, at least to Cador. He'd always known Arthur was a bit of an oddball in this world, but the sort of selfless behavior being implied wasn't very kingly at all. "Huh? What do you mean you'll clean it up?" he asked. Arthur strangely seemed confused by the question, while Cador wondered why this new 'king' wasn't planning to make use of his people. Of course, Arthur didn't appear to have any idea what the problem was, and that much was clear when he answered. "I mean what I said, Sir Cador. Do you think I should be doing something else?"

[Apollymi]

Arthur's additive words struck Cador wrong as well. Merlyn knew they would of course, she knew a lot of things about Sir Cador by this point in their interactions. She also knew that Arthur was a bit servile by his own nature... which is likely why he would have made an appropriate puppet King for Kolin. Oh well, certain habits needed breaking especially in this world full of conveniences modern people should be better appreciating. Ah, but the way he answered Sir Cador made it clear to the man what he was actually intending. Merlyn took this time to tease as well, Arthur's very nature could have him being exactly the sort of man who would try to take on all tasks himself and that wasn't very Kingly. Or rather it was, but a king who worked himself to death was hardly any good for his people after his death... now was the time to see how bendable this man would be to actually settling into his place in this world. How one acted in a crisis was one thing... but how one acted in their day to day life made the difference between good and bad rulers, and Merlyn was here to raise the best ruler possible.

"Hm, this is about the reaction I expected..." Merlyn said. It'd been quite a while since she dealt with a whole group of people, but she figured the former King Cador would be much better at advising such a situation than she would be herself. She leaned a bit closer to him and whispered her commentary playfully. "The young King Arthur is quite used to being the one put to work, he also wouldn't want to put you all in a worse position after what you've been through. I am also not entirely certain if utilizing a workforce falls within his normal area of expertise... especially given his various previous job duties~" she mentioned with a knowing smile. "Perhaps a more experienced Spirit Knight, used to working with people could advise him of the error of tyrant selflessness?~" she mentioned. Again, it was perfectly possible for her to take care of the whole of this situation, she could have even done it before they arrived, but she figured he wouldn't have trusted it if she had. Ah, he also didn't just directly take her advice either and she couldn't say she knew any better how to deal with people. No... the people aspect was best left to those used to working with others, Sir Cador was quite perfect for this aspect of the advisory role.

[Bloodedge]

Cador was baffled. Arthur clearly didn't get the point of his question, and he wasn't sure how to make things any clearer to one who missed such an obvious cue. Ah, but it seemed Merlyn was on the right track. The sorceress took a moment to speak with Cador directly, clarifying the true nature of the man behind their current King Arthur. He was more a knight than a king, it seemed. That was fine. "Well, that won't do," was the Spirit Knight's response to Merlyn. "Good job letting me know this early. I know just what to do," he concluded. As a former king himself, there was one thing he knew was necessary: oneness with one's own fiefdom. If Arthur knew the individual value of his people, perhaps it would be a bit easier to work with them instead of piling on his own tasks the way he knew best.

Yes, that was a marvelous idea! Cador stepped ahead with a grin, taking initiative unto himself in announcing his own abilities. He spoke loudly and clearly enough for the entire group to hear, knowing at least some would catch on to his method. "While I don't think you should do something different, my king, perhaps you would do better with some knowledge? I'd like to inform you that as the Spirit Knight, I am attuned to various Pseudo Spirits with numerous attributes. If it is destructive power you need for our armaments, I believe I could easily offer a boost to blade and firearm alike." Ah, so that was his aim. Hector caught on roughly midway through the Spirit Knight's first sentence, and spoke second while placing a hand atop his own heart. "Combat is my greatest asset. If Sir Cador is willing to strengthen our blades, I should refine them first. I can also easily determine the ideal setup for defenses against even less-common assaults on our borders."

[Apollymi]

"Indeed~" Merlyn teased with happiness in those glowing eyes of hers. Of course, none could see them, well, except Sir Cador. "I am expecting praise of the highest order... to be paid at your earliest convenience~" she mentioned gently. Of course, she waited to see what sort of idea this man came up with on the spur to deal with Arthur's problem and his idea was a rather open-ended one. He'd give Arthur a rundown of his talents, which when mentioned in context would give light to how he could be utilized in such a situation. Sir Hector also caught on pretty quickly, he went on to give his own explanation of his skills and powers and how he could be used in such a situation. Ah... that was quite a good idea... was it Merlyn's turn? She supposed it was, or... maybe not?

Emilia and Guinevere both were standing around as well. They'd caught on to what Arthur was saying and between themselves they'd decided to help. Though they weren't Knights, both were raised within royal courts and knew of all that went into the setup of such places. They were at the very least capable of providing more than basic household cleanup and inventory of household stocks. "I can at least help out around the inside of the castle. Make sure rooms are habitable and all of the things inside work. Those are just my general skills but it'd be bad if I couldn't at least help if I'm planning on sticking around..." Emilia said. It seemed she was for the fairness of her staying here. And could easily adapt to the role she had before without the abuses of the mad queen around every corner. At the same time, Guinevere had a bit extra to add, and because she wasn't a knight she would be a bit more direct about her offer of help. "I have all the skills needed to account for the inventory and inner household of such a fortification. I can also help out with listing of potential extra types of people we should look for to help this place run as smoothly as possible. Such is the nature of running a full fiefdom. Also I should add that if you take on too much yourself and don't properly utilize those around you, they'll feel just as unwanted as when you're too selfish with your time and they have to wait around for you," the amount of directness Guinevere spoke with had been increasing over the last few weeks as she'd adjusted to being able to properly speak her mind again. Merlyn's eyes widened. What a clever girl! Merlyn had to stifle a laugh, aside from the way Kolin had taken over that place, she imagined entering a Zuria run by Guinevere would have been a very different sort of place... ah, well maybe just a taste of such a thing would be enough to spur Arthur on.

[Bloodedge]

"Oh? Well, well, I do wonder when my earliest convenience will be. Who knows when I'll even be available? I may work myself to the bone and... fall asleep~" Cador teased, offering a small inside joke between Merlyn and himself. With that strange form of flirting aside, he listened to the others chiming in with their own talents. All things considered, this group possessed more than enough collective ability to start and maintain a nation. The only potential hiccup was Arthur himself, and he now seemed to have a better look on his face. Well, that part clearly had nothing to do with Cador. The Spirit Knight himself offered his skillset, as did Hector and Emilia. Guinevere did the same, but added an interesting and solid piece of advice afterwards.

Arthur was stunned to silence by those final words. Nevertheless, he took in all information given. This group wanted to be made useful? The more he thought about it, the more he could equate things to his own methodology. A position with no work was meaningless. If his boss had given him a random day off, he would at least go through a brief period of questioning his own usefulness. If such a thing had occurred in his earlier days, he'd have all but put in his resignation within a week. "Huh. I actually feel a bit dumb for not thinking of it that way," he said when words finally came to him. Stopping in the middle of the town's primary road, he turned to the others and bowed apologetically. "I didn't mean to make anyone feel unwanted. You've all been through so much, I thought I would be helping you recover. Guinevere is right, though; I'm not even sure how long it would take me to deal with this alone," Arthur explained. He wasn't quite done, but Hector took a moment to interrupt his thought pattern─ albeit for the better. "If I may, I think we would all rather work for our own home. I would personally take it as relief from the virtual slavery that was working in Zuria. A king willing to do any amount of actual work himself is a massive improvement."

That made sense to Arthur. After what they'd all been through prior to his and Merlyn's arrival in Zuria, perhaps working for something useful to all of them would be seen in a positive light. With that potentiality in mind, the blonde 'king' smiled, and even chuckled. "Well, if you insist. In that case... Sir Hector and Sir Dagonet, I'd like the two of you to scout the village. If there are any dangers, mark them, or get rid of them if it isn't too much trouble at the time. There could be people as well, maybe? If there are, please lift their moods and send them to the castle; we should try getting them fed and cared for. Sir Elyan and Sir Cador, if you could accompany Emilia through the castle while she finds out what's needed to make it a decent living space, that would be appreciated. Guinevere, I'm sure you're better at inventory of this scale than I am. You and I can find resources throughout the castle, and if it's fine with you, I'd like to learn how to better consolidate it. Merlyn..." He paused when matters came to the sorceress, looking at the hooded woman and seeming quite... at a loss, as it were. "Merlyn, you... are good for something normal, right?"

[Apollymi]

And the flirting didn't stop. Well perhaps it wasn't as obvious to others... Merlyn found herself easily amused, even in the middle of trying to turn Arthur into a proper king for his trial run here at Loch Ness. Cador's words about his potential of working himself and falling asleep only made the same kind of amused light dance across Merlyn's already glowing eyes. "I suppose if that happens... I'll just visit my time share~ I'd never be the type to bother a man while he's working~" she softly teased. Lies. It was all lies. She would simply invade his dreams later if he happened to fall asleep but that was the joke after all. Not all were privy to Merlyn's nature except, well not the entire truth of it anyways. All that had happened in Zuria would have given a hint or two in the minds of those who were bothered by her natural existence, but she was careful of these men she enjoyed so it was likely without her saying so most wouldn't have figured out on their own what was so alluring about her.

Beyond this point though, the wheels of Arthur's mind were turning. After hearing the skillsets and less than gentle advice of Guinevere it seemed he was onboard to actually split the work between himself and the current set of people who were capable of handling it. His apology got waved off by Guinevere and Emilia who both simply wanted to do their parts. And unsurprisingly it would be Sir Hector who clarified why they'd rather be involved in someway than abused as they had been in Zuria. All of this made sense, even to one like Merlyn, but it would seem such statements only made it easier to divvy up the work. So, Elyan, Emilia and Cador to look over the inside. That was sensible enough, since he didn't know what Elyan was capable of... though admittedly a bit disappointing as she could have taken Cador with herself for her own amusement. Dagonet with Hector, also sensible as Hector himself was more than capable and could and would look out for Dagonet if he needed it. Ah, and then there was Guinevere who already had all of the skills necessary to run a Kingdom. Raised to rule with the full knowledge of fiefdom upkeep... he'd have her along to advise him in such matters? All the better. The fact that they'd both spend the day making googly eyes at each other was also just another point in his favor, at least from Merlyn's perspective. So what of the sorceress? She'd not offered up her own skill set and she found the idea of explaining herself a bit deplorable. It also didn't help that it was unclear how well they got along. "Arthur, you realize I am an immortal, reality-bending SORCERESS in a magical world... right?" she asked of him with sarcasm and teasing in her tone. Asking if she was good for normal things was almost stupid. To be technical she could do every job already assigned and more... ah right. Humility was necessary a bit. "Magic, both offensive and defensive and Item construction mostly unrivaled~" she said with a knowing smirk. "But to avoid having to explain what all of that actually means, why don't I handle the magical defenses of this fortress? I'll even make sure that monster in the lake is asleep unless needed..." Merlyn stated her best uses in this case because she didn't want to have to give this man a full crash course in her magical abilities.

[Bloodedge]

Cador chuckled. The running joke shared between the two was brushed off by most others as mere banter; none would have a clue what they were up to in their free time. "Your time share? Well, I suppose that will be alright. You make it seem like an alright place, and I hear return tenants get special privileges," he said. The next time Sir Cador slept would be an interesting night, it seemed. For now though, there were important matters to take care of... like ensuring everyone present could sleep comfortably. Alongside Dagonet, Hector broke apart from the group to find a suitable starting point for their trek through the town. They would not meet the others until all was done, but on the positive side, Dagonet wasn't the worst person to be alone with... for Hector, anyway. What some found annoying about the jester, he actually found quite amusing. Overall, it would prove to be an entertaining trip.

Cador and Elyan were given a separate task, though. The pair would be accompanying Emilia, seemingly as protection if needed. Good; Cador could already appreciate the idea of Arthur as a ruler. One such as Kolin would have sent the poor girl alone not only to start the task, but to finish it with neither fail nor pause. Surely Arthur failed to realize Emilia had no use of a bodyguard most times, but... did he really? Emilia had been the first one met by Arthur and Merlyn. In truth, Arthur had reason to trust her abilities before half of his knights. Still, the idea of sending a single girl out to do a task alone was never something Arthur ─ rather, Hoshimi Kei ─ could accept. Cador took the lead with these thoughts in mind, flashing Merlyn a cheeky wink outside of the others' view. There was a thought he wouldn't share: Arthur had chosen to accompany Guin. That sly dog.

Ah, but first would come the discussion between Arthur and his sorceress guide. The information shared by the latter was... useful, in a technical sense. She was immortal. She could alter reality, as also seen previously. She obviously had a great deal of magical ability to go along with the other two features. None of that mattered to Arthur, yet... Item Construction? Now that was worth a second thought. "Hmm. Well, there's one thing you're good for. Could you use Item Construction and make something to help everyone along? Sorry, I can't imagine what would actually be useful, but... you and all that magical knowhow should be fine, right?"

[Apollymi]

Ah, yes the running jokes between Merlyn and Cador were missed for the most part by those they were currently in the company of, what a hilarious extra bit of fun. They could flirt openly and no one would figure out they were actually serious at all. It was only helped further by the idea that, they'd become reasonable friends during her imprisonment. "Oh? I wasn't aware of special privileges... I suppose I'll find out then~" Merlyn was beyond amused. Even so, Dagonet and Hector broke off from the group. Those two seemed to get along well enough... it was nice as an advancement for bonding. She imagined that given how Hector was, he might actually be fine with Dagonet in the same way she was... or would be when they had a chance to sit down and talk.

In the meantime, it seemed she'd be losing her entertainment for a while. Though Emilia needed less help with her tasks than most people ever would, it seemed that Arthur was content to send two other people with her. How nice rather something else entirely. "Oh, Chivalry won't die with the Future King either... interesting choices all around~" Merlyn mentioned. It hadn't gone unnoticed by her either, that Arthur decided to walk around with Guinevere. Oh the futures she could see... oh well, she'd keep it to herself. Oh, that cheeky wink from Cador wouldn't go unnoticed either, they would e having a fun chat later as well.

For the final stretch there was what would be done about Merlyn's usefulness. Apparently Arthur decided in the moment, that her Item Construction would be the most useful given what they were going to be doing. "Hm? That's the thing you're going with here..." she said as if bored by the entire idea. She could make everything easy, but she saw if she did that she'd get lectured... so instead she was being forced to walk a strange middle ground with her choices verses the things she could actually make happen. "Ah, yes... I'll be fine with all my magical knowhow... I'll make something to help everyone along," Merlyn's words lost their playful teasing and turned into pure snark. Did he have any idea how vague that statement was? What was she to do with that sort of information? She supposed she'd have to figure it out while she walked and had a look at the lake. "I'll think it over and check on everyone in due course. I assume they'll know what they need a bit better than I would..." the white haired young woman said. Her face was still hidden behind that hood of hers and she gave a parting wave to Arthur and Guinevere. "I'm sure if you think of anything, M'lady you'll let me know~" she said to the lass before she parted, which made Guinevere nod even as she giggled after the woman walked off. Arthur had no idea of the amount of magical power that woman had at her disposal...

[Bloodedge]

"Well, yes," said Arthur. Frankly, he'd hardly managed to familiarize himself with most of the game's functions before appearing in this world. Never did he have an Avatar aside from the one he presently embodied, and never had he considered adding magic to it. The most he understood was whatever he'd seen Merlyn and Emilia do, and the mystical effect of his sword... which was more Holy energy than actual magic. "Maybe next time, you can actually explain how anything you do even works."

In all fairness, knowledge of how magical methods functioned in this world was something Arthur would have to learn. When he unleashed Excalibur against Kolin, she'd done something to resist the slash's otherwise devastating effects. Sir Hector resurrected right before the eyes of all present, that Executioner summoned a massive guillotine that radiated death itself. Emilia manipulated ice, Guinevere had something strange going on with that doll of hers, and Merlyn... well, her feats were impossible to fathom. It was all too much for Arthur to wrap his head around right now, so he was content to let Merlyn be on her way, though he sighed in her wake. "I swear, she calls herself my guide without offering much guidance at all. I might be Arthur Pendragon, but I'm definitely no King Arthur─ or anywhere near, really."

[Apollymi]

Merlyn heard Arthur's final words and scoffed. Did he actually expect her to be able to explain her own existence to him? Surely, that was some kind of exaggeration. Besides, knowing of Guinevere, Cador and Emilia there were plenty around that could teach him the basics of magic. Merlyn herself wasn't qualified for that sort of thing. Her magic was far too specific and beyond that her telling Arthur certain things about herself probably wasn't for the best at their current junction. "All knowledge isn't necessary, Future King. Sometimes, the best decisions are made in ignorance," Merlyn was the last person to give such advice but about this particular thing she could be certain. She couldn't explain the full depth of her own magic to him, just as she had no way of explaining every event she'd steered him towards. Just the same she managed to look a bit miffed and walked off with only a casual wave above her head.

Alone at last with Arthur, Guinevere saw the movements of Merlyn beneath her hood. What was more she was quite certain the lad had no real idea of the types of things magic could actually do in this world. This was odd, she definitely took him as a player... not one of the people like herself who grew up in this world with no knowledge of skills or magic to go with. A small smile appeared on her face as she reasoned through why someone like Merlyn might not have been too revealing. Still with that little doll in her hands she spoke easily. "To guide is to point in the right direction... what you seek when looking is your choice. In fairness to Merlyn, you can't ask a lady to reveal her secrets to you... especially when it's obvious that her life has been quite long..." Guinevere said once more giving a bit of a smile to the lad. "At present you are Arthur Pendragon so you seek to be King Arthur... what you wish to learn as you head towards that goal is a matter of your own taste..." she said calmly. "Though I had assumed you'd made your way here through that game the way most did, it seems like you weren't at all familiar with the base systems everyone else mentions. But if you don't know about magic in general then you also didn't grow up here. Even so, I'm sure I could answer a great number of basic questions if you had them." she said offering herself to this lad's service in the ways that she could. She was born in this world the second time, her magic was innate to her being and she'd had one of the best teachers produced by the Clocktower in her time. She had been an excellent student while it was possible for her to be such.