Quests?!

'What the fuck…?' thought Lucian after reading through the quests information relayed by the System.

Part of Lucian couldn't help but feel astonished by the fact public theory from his original lifetime held possible credence, and it would mean war between the Reach and Westerlands of Westeros.

For now, he didn't want to delve into such matters, especially with his father continuing his rant and somewhat educational lectures.

Yet Alexios was interrupted when someone called out to the Lord from outside the Solarium, asking to be let in.

"Come in." stated Alexios in a calm and careful voice, which teetered on the cliff leading to the torrent waves of rage.

"My Lord, you've called for me?" asked an elderly man, whose grey beard stretched down past his chest, but that wasn't what drew Lucian's eyes.

The elderly man's height was roughly 6 feet 8 inches, and rather healthy for his age, which Lucian didn't expect in the harsh environment and lifestyle of most people during medieval times.

But due to the fair material of the elderly man's robes, Lucian figured he had some sort of authority or position which Alexios accepted.

"Aye, Leið Bjarr, it appears Maester Walys has chosen to interfere with our correspondence to Winterfell, per the laws established in the presence of the Old Gods.

Last I spoke with Lord Stark, he'd asked about purchasing crops from across the Shadows Claw in preparation for winter, after a thorough examination of Winterfell stores left Lord Stark underwhelmed at their inability to survive the long days of winter.

News of a potential dreadful winter to come in the next year or so has alarmed many Lords across the North, who've begun to worry about the smallfolk in their lands that rely on nobility for aid during such times.

Word has long been sent to the Lords of the Shadows Claw to prepare a portion of their harvested crops for House Stark, though the news they've received from the north has worried many.

House Stark has continued to forgo answer to the questions posed by the Masterly and Minor Noble Houses of the North… which I suspect involves the Grey Rats meddling.

So, a ship is being readied for you to leave by the morning and set sail to the north, of which I ask you to take a couple acolytes of Theca and a Lehirai Master who's willing to take their students along too.

I ask a great deal of you, Leið Bjarr, but times are dire in the north and a strong hand is required to remind many Lords of their realms true strength kept hidden from the pesky eyes and ears of the bastard Grey Rats.

At the break of dawn, I pray you have a safe journey into the Mistwoods leading to the Godswood and take the blessing of our Hearts Tree to House Stark…

I believe it's time the Starks were reminded of strength and power tied to their bloodline, gained from the First Pact…"

Smiling coyly, the last part of Alexios's message easily reached the ears of the elderly Leið, who bowed before his Lord and left in a hurry, possibly to prepare everything for his journey to the North.

It had become a sacred journey which all Leið cherished, along with the other residents of the Shadows Claw, though not many ever gained the chance to take the trip North.

Everyone across the Isle of the Shadows Claw understood House Vitniryx, Vassal Lords and their bannerman were truly the ones who deserved to make landfall on the North first, but they realised for certain matters trusted people would need to visit Westeros for duty.

Soon enough Alexios began to explain who the elderly man was and why he'd called him 'Leið', much to Lucian's delight, which happened to show and brought a loving smile to his father's face.

"My son, a Leið, much like the Lehirai, are educators who've guided First Men through each generation to remember the Old Ways and culture south of the neck believes is tainted and heathen by the Seven Gods of the Andal Faith.

While we respect the Gods of the Andals and have come to envision part of their legacy by chance… we know their followers want to force the north to kneel before the High Septon and temples, rather than our Godswood.

So, the Leið were tasked by the Hungry Wolf, Theon Stark, and those well before him and after, to keep our lands fertile and pure with the Weirwood Trees that we hold dear and true to our hearts and land.

In times of past, when Weirwood Trees were littered across the open fields and forests, turning the ground red with their leaves, Leið would manage the forests and keep the peace between the Children of the Forest and First Men.

They were also tasked with training and managing the tamed creatures that became known amongst the north as the Beastly Cavalry.

Special Stables were built in keeps across the north, binding part of the roots of a Weirwood Tree to feed the minds and bodies of the beasts, turning the Beastly Cavalry into a fearsome force of military power.

But the loss of those trees and magic density in the air and land around the north has made it impossible for the Leið to make full advantage of their past strengths, abilities, and knowledge which has for the most part, been saved by the stable political climate of the Shadows Claw.

There is a great deal you'll come to learn about the Leið on your own through various experiences and journeys that will befall your path in life, my dear son."

Alexios chose not to say anything more on the matter and started to work on several letters that needed to be sent out urgently, as various Vassal Lords would be travelling to the Port of Panthera soon enough.

Lucian didn't mind his father stopping for the time being, because he already had more than enough information to register, especially the news of beasts being used as cavalry.

He knew about Direwolves and how they fought beside Starks, but to hear other noble Houses had their own mythical creatures or beasts, fighting side by side with humankind was rather interesting to hear, especially with the Eternal Dimensional Realm at his fingertips.

A small part of Lucian wanted to imagine a legion of various mythical creatures and beasts of Westeros and Essos fighting by his side, and Lucian realised it could possibly be achieved with the System and Eternal Dimensional Realm.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a main goal he wanted to focus on, but rather a 'side quest' if you will, to act on in his spare time.

Unbeknownst to him for now, Theriena had accidently envisioned her own unique force to fight at Lucian's call and asked those spawned for their input on the matter, with surprising results within a few days.

Some wizards and witches, who came from somewhat accomplished wizarding families with first or second generational lineages for now, had come to enjoy herding animals and training various creatures of interest they found while exploring.

Most of the time they find cows, sheep, and other animal husbandry, but with some time and patience, they began to scout further into unexplored regions of the Eternal Dimensional Realm until they began to discover a range of creatures.

One such creature they came across in the woods happened to be larger than normal Ice Silkworms, an evolved organism that came to exist once Lucian bought the Wizarding World genealogy source code.

They gained the answer from the Guardian Spirit, Theriena, who appeared in the woods when called upon to invest the new find and note down its characteristics.

The Ice Silkworm wasn't larger than a cucumber, though they were coloured pitch white with hints of icy blue, making the unique creatures strikingly beautiful.

Known for their silk they produced, which held natural cooling attributes, and strengthen the lifetime of the finished material, Theriena proposed to the scouts they start farming the Ice Silkworms for their fabric goods.

The scouts also discovered a strong breed of horses, which appeared similar to Destrier, but the snow-white coat and deep dark eyes made it stand out as slightly unnatural, including their mane which was coloured a unique shade of platinum gold.

Fairly muscular across the whole body, Stekrer Horses are the perfect warhorses with a deep awareness of their surroundings, gifting the steed's agility, speed, and strength above all else.

Even so, the scouting wizards and witches ended up herding the Stekrer Horses, and Ice Silkworms to return back to the community they'd come to call home.

Craftsmen from the For Honor, Assassins Creed, and Renaissance Period worked side by side, creating various stables and pastures for the captured beasts and creatures to roam around or remain enclosed.

It became more of a side project with their main focus on finishing the last touches to their ever-expanding village which slowly turned into a bustling town.

Craftsmen, either those who were already settled or summoned recently, who add to the wealth of experience locked away in the Eternal Dimensional Realm for the time being, pushed greatly for the best possible projects and ideas for their home, many considered their last hope.

Some families chose to dedicate their strength behind a single purpose or field of work, which gave Theriena a growing workforce looking to make their roots within their town permanent.

Mining became much smoother, safer, and easier to accomplish in the Eternal Dimensional Realm, which meant craftsmen had plenty of resources to work with and improve their town to a level unseen or heard of across Westeros and Essos.

A small town quickly formed near the mountain mines of the Eternal Dimensional Realm through the aid of wizards, witches, craftsmen, and general labour to quickly create another point of the Hidden World capable of expansion.

It was linked with the main town of the Eternal Dimensional Realm through a vine arch gate that acted as an internal portal between the two towns, making transportation rapid for those moving back and forth.

Any excess material found not being utilised in some form of construction or production either ended up stored in the various warehouses being built across the mining town, or moved into the System Inventory, which appeared endless in size.

Without being aware of it, Lucian already had a strong and cohesive force ready to help his plans from within the Eternal Dimensional Realm to the best of their ability.

.

For the remainder of the month to come, Lucian stayed largely by his father's side, learning various titbits of information through spontaneous lectures, some of which sounded like rants to be honest.

But Lucian came to understand the lore's and tales most of the north had chosen to forget or were forced to through various manipulations.

Yet, it made sense to Lucian that some of the tales with potential to be true, like the giant snakes of the north beyond the Wall, were forgotten as it would create unnecessary terror across the realm and possibly beyond.

In no way did he want to believe there was a creature capable of threatening a Nagga but based on what Alexios had to say about the Shivering and Summer Sea, there was plenty of unknown wildlife capable of causing great harm and destruction.

A small part of Lucian wondered if the White Walkers knew about the Nagga-like snakes beyond the Wall but stopped the train of thought before it sped away.

For a babe who still couldn't survive without another person's aid, he couldn't delve into matters long out of his reach for a time.

However, Lucian came to invest his time listening to his father sending letters across the Palm and Claw Islands to either call on certain bannermen and Lords, or to send various Knights to accomplish tasks in the name of House Vitniryx.

The messages largely relayed plans to build up a larger workforce through unruly means, but those willingly employed by House Vitniryx and their Vassals, because they needed to be the strength hidden in the shadows of winter.

One such thing Lucian heard his father planning involved raiding slave ships under the false pretence of pirate vessels, but it was a risky endeavour and Alexios wanted the opinion of the other Lords before going ahead with the idea.

On the other hand, contacting the Freefolk beyond the Wall seemed rather reasonable, especially since Lucian's mother came from a rather large clan that continued to exist till now.

And if the prophecies of old were to go by, the Others would come once more, and raise all the dead in their wake.

Alexios wasn't positively sure about the possibility of the Others attacking anytime soon, but regardless of that, he knew deep research on the matter was necessary and the personal library of House Vitniryx had everything… hopefully.

He was also aware of certain relics which were used to indicate the arrival of the Others from their slumber, but Lucian wasn't aware of their location, so all he could do was call for people to search the Castle for possible hidden storages or sealed locations when possible.

So far nothing had come up, but the searches were fairly loose in terms of people looking, but it wasn't long before a member of the Knights loyal to House Vitniryx came across a hidden room in the crypts while searching with Felix.

Lucian wasn't present to see his father and uncle enter the hidden room of the crypt, but when they returned, both brothers began to search for workers en mass to build a variety of items.

But before they could issue the order, plenty of smaller decisions needed to be set up and issued to ensure the market and economy didn't faulter.

Lucian continued to silently listen and watch his father organise several ideas highly advance, dangerous, and innovate for current times, but they were bound to earn the Lords of the Shadows Claw plenty of Golden Dragons.

From building up the defences around the keeps, employing more smallfolk, introducing new farming techniques, and a standing army were some of the thoughts and ideas Alexios came up with for the entire Northern Realm.

While it might seem rather outlandish and far reaching for a Vassal Lord of the Warden of the North to accomplish on their own, Lucian realised quickly his father's actions ,in the long run, would benefit all Northern Houses, even those who would need to be culled if they went rogue.

The meeting didn't come into play for some time, as the Lords loyal to House Vitniryx were in between travelling to Port of Panthera or gathering their forces to depart.

It would take some time for everyone to arrive and gather together under the shelter of House Vitniryx.

But in the meantime, Lucian instead focused on his personal development to gain a small sense of freedom from his infant form.

He started to crawl through tensing of certain bodily parts to stimulate specific muscle which predominantly remained inactive until a later time in the natural body growth.

Fortunately, Lucian's body was heavily modified through his genes and physique, which largely assisted his sudden growth and increase of muscular strength and control.

In the short span of a few weeks, Lucian began to move around his room at a decent pace, crawling and rolling around while training his grip to gain some dexterity to grab a hold of items without fumbling.

This led to a variety of objects being sent to the Eternal Dimensional Realm for analysis, which at times added new wealth of information and data to the Hidden World, improving its value and strengths.

The kitchen became a cherished stalking ground for Lucian's grubby hands, seizing grains, fruits, and vegetables littered around the floor.

During one of the escapes during broad daylight, Lucian discovered flour and bread in the bakery he'd escaped to, only for Guards to find him just seconds after a bucket of milk disappeared along with some flour and newly arrived grains.

The bucket of milk found itself back in the bakery several hours later with a little extra packed into it mysteriously.

Similarly, the flour and bag of grains changed in mysterious ways, though not bad in any shape or form for those who'd consume the final product made from the produce.

It became evident in the morning when people broke fast with bread and milk in some cases that they masses found themselves heavily energised to new levels.

Others found their health issues easing and some found their skin and strength increasing like never before.

Nobody knew what to think that day, as the reports continued to pile up on Alexios's desk with questions regarding the sudden uplifting energy around the whole castle.

Lucian caught onto the news from hearing his father reading the reports and grumbling that there shouldn't be joyous moods but rather fearing and vigilant eyes checking the whole keep and port town for intrusions.

Alexios wasn't considering the benefit brought to his people, but the method how the food in his keep was changed without his knowing or that of anyone else.

After experiencing countless lifetimes of trials, Lucian couldn't help but chuckle after witnessing his father's anger and understanding of the danger his actions posed.

Lucian honestly didn't know the Eternal Dimensional Realm would somewhat improve the quality of the produce he stole from the kitchen, since the materials they were contained in also became effected.

The metal and wood slightly warped around the wooden frame of the bucket fused into a singular piece, through the influence of the Eternal Dimensional Realm and its capabilities, making it rustproof, tempered and even capable of self-replenishing milk to an extent.

The bags containing the grains and flour were interwoven to a grander extent, changing the material contexture into strong and flexible sort, catching the eyes throughout the kitchen.

Not wanting to raise any further alarms, Lucian stayed off his trips to the kitchen, but it never stopped his inquisitive side to explore.

While moving items found in the castle, back and forth between the Eternal Dimensional Realm, Lucian eventually noticed the craftsmanship of certain objects made from wood and iron developed more artistically.

Intricate detail and quality craftsmanship made simple items like wood iron mugs became rather interesting pieces to possibly showcase or use by oneself.

Their construction appeared stronger too, but within reason and naturally following the pathway of the crafting style utilised.

Lucian understood it was a natural function of the Eternal Dimensional Realm, with various restrictions because forged steel couldn't currently be affected by the System.

During one of his crawling journeys, Lucian found a broken shield on the floor in one of the many halls of the castle, which displayed personal products of various Lords and Ladies who left their mark on the world and Shadows Claw.

Having committed plenty of 'heists' up until now, Lucian quickly vanished the shield into the Realm before removing it after the analysis finished and the data became part of the Hidden World.

The shield returned to its position, displayed properly, as one could as a fast-growing infant, but only after inspecting the object.

To his surprise, the System recognised various different materials used in its creation, like Weirwood and its sap to ensure the various layers of the shield kept together.

Forged steel, silver, and even leather of an unknown beast native to the Isle of the Shadows Claw bound the shield together in a unique method Lucian wasn't aware of previously, even as a blacksmith whose travelled through eternity.

With the help of the Eternal Dimensional Realm's analysis, the data garnered from the materials used in the creation of the shield were now a part of the Hidden World.

His interest fell on the Dwarf Ox, whose leather was incorporated into the shield, and surprisingly held up against a number of heavy blows to not tear apart or crumble over time.

But after its visit into the Eternal Dimensional Realm, the shield easily found itself back in peak condition, with some improvements too.

This included the leather being reformed to weld itself with the different materials utilised in the creation of the shield.

Part of the metal materials used in the shield were also strength, as if they became tough and light as steel layered between the leather and wood.

While curious to test out the ability of the shield, Lucian was well aware his lack of age and ability to move freely without having to run away wouldn't give him the freedom to check the extent of the shield's development.

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Instead, Lucian spoke with Theriena to confirm his hypothesis about the Hidden World bound to his soul, which outgrew the original Eternal Dimensional Realm he created eons ago in another lifetime.

They concluded through the influence of the Gods of Existence, the Eternal Dimensional Realm could improve the constitution of creatures, and beasts, including plants and crops, when new resources and attributes would enter the Hidden World and undergo analysis.

So far, the Eternal Dimensional Realm already wields the animal kingdom of Earth, much to the delight of the Heir of the Shadows Claw, however he rather appreciated the evolved creatures above their baseborn cousins.

The leather from the unknown creature used as part of the shield turned out to be called a Dwarf Ox, a domesticated animal from the North of Westeros, though it was believed to be extinct after being butchered for its exquisite meat and leather.

Theriena informed Lucian the leather improved the health and quality of the other Ox's littered across the Hidden World to be stronger, including the adaption of certain characteristics from the Dwarf Ox.

Other creatures, beasts, and animals similar to Dwarf Ox's gained certain strengths and abilities, far too different than their original form to be considered their normal self anymore.

Though Lucian wasn't bothered by this news because Theriena stated the animals will be capable of producing milk, meat, fur, and leather far different and tougher than they'd ever worked with.

It was at this moment Lucian finally understood the Eternal Dimensional Realm continued to improve the base form of resources and materials to create evolved forms for the Host's use.

While the original form or source remained, it wasn't as valuable as the evolved goods, but Lucian figured that wasn't the right way to consider the original form resources.

Rather he wanted to sell those to the masses, while ensuring the evolved goods stayed with him, Shadows Claw, and her allies.

A solid point Lucian thought of was leather armour, including its production which could be improved, especially with stronger and durable leather sources now available straight from the Hidden World.

Part of the plan included the farming and domestication of beasts and animals from the Eternal Dimensional Realm, gifting tanners and butchers plenty of opportunities for experience.

While it would affect the ability of hunters going out into the woods to catch animals, Lucian already considered establishing hunting zones in certain woods to aid various Houses of the North in their business endeavours and to not end up causing the extinction of a specific animal or creature.

Meat, leather, and other pieces of the creatures wouldn't be enough to sustain the Northern Realms economy, so the widespread use and production of long-term goods were necessary for certain Houses to not only fill their coffers but improve the livelihood of the smallfolks.

Fortunately, Lucian's discussions with Theriena eventually led to the possibility of interference in Northern politics and games through his father, Alexios, to enact a number of plans that'd safeguard many points of interest for the Shadow Claws Heir.

Lucian came to realise basic necessities such as a fixed source of clean water couldn't be achieved in the North, so instead of aiming for large achievements, the most basic ones were rather the most significant ones in the hearts and minds of the masses.

However, for clean water to be accessible by all in the North wouldn't be so easy nor would it be cheap, and Lucian wasn't willing to commit most of his time and effort to such a big project right away.

Instead, food supply across the North to as many villages, towns, and keeps of Lords was more important, as stated by Theriena during their mental discussions with one another.

According to the Old Nan Lehirai, winter was on its way and in the minds of the masses, this winter had the tell-tale signs of being far more dangerous than previous winters in recent times.

Lucian overheard the conversation between Old Nan Lehirai and his father, Alexios, so they could prepare Shadows Claw to hoard food and grains, which could possibly last for several years if not more for the worst-case scenarios.

Going off snippets of information Lucian had on the world of 'A Song of Ice and Fire', the winter before Roberts Rebellion caused Rickard Stark to strain his relationship with House Ryswell and his own children due to a great deal of deaths across the Northern Realm because of the icy cold nights and winds.

His attention wasn't on the children but rather the fate of his people, to which several decisions were made that brought upon the chaos leading to the rebellion.

Lucian and Theriena agreed that in order to save the north from unnecessary deaths and stress, food production within the Eternal Dimensional Realm needed to increase so they could meet the demands of the entire Northern Realm of Westeros.

They planned to make several purchases from the System Store to allow their produce to reach the north, but before they even got to that stage, their plans regarding the land of winter soon had to be altered.

Old friends of the Shadows Claw and more specifically, House Vitniryx, arrived at the Port of Panthera, leaving the Castle bustling and the young heir utterly excited at the prospect to meet nobles of Westeros.

Sadly, Lucian wasn't allowed to leave the Castle at the orders of his father, but it didn't matter to the young heir as the guests of House Vitniryx arrived by midday, with plenty of people in tow.

The leading banner of the party had a green lobster on a silvery field, wielding a black spear made through its claws.

Lucian couldn't help but chuckle, but to those around him and the young nursemaid who now carried him, the young Lord was excited to meet their guests.

None seemed to notice over their collective laughter that Lucian became silent when the bannermen arrived in the courtyard of the Castle, showcasing the fully glory of the green lobster's strength and power through their body masses alone.

Each man and woman appeared like giants to Lucian of the green lobster appeared fairly tall, muscular, and outright deadly.

They all possessed dark, cold, and yet rested expressions, which quickly was replaced with relief as they entered the courtyard.

Many of those serving under the banner of the green lobster sighed and laughed as they dropped various chest and wooden crates on the ground from the driven carriages.

Even then, their large body frames exuded a natural aura of tempered might and will, that ignited a weird excitement in the eyes of the Knights and Guards of House Vitniryx, who were seething to challenge members of the guest's party in various bouts.

It was obvious to all who took a moment to sense the atmosphere in the courtyard of the Castle, since every second Knight or Guard of House Vitniryx grinned at their counterpart in the guest's party.

There would no doubt be a pissing match between the fighting forces of the Shadows Claw and her guests.

But Lucian's main concern about the green lobster's rather became their connection to his father, as the banner represented House Magnar of Skagos, notoriously known to exclude themselves from the Northern Realm and their matters.

He didn't have to wait long as one of his personal Guards brought him from inside the keep to outside in the courtyard, only for a giant man dressed in dark leather and bear fur cloak, to thunder over to him.

The giant man stopped only for a moment, during which Lucian saw the deep emerald pupils of the man, combined with a palish skin tone and dark brown hair, but it mattered not, as the person in question appeared rather upset for a second, just to smile right after.

Grabbing a hold of Lucian from the nursemaid who slightly bowed at the giant man, the man of House Magnar boomed loud enough for everyone in the courtyard to hear, "Fuck me silly, can't believe the Prickly Shadow made us a nephew lads!

Come check him out, you can fuck around with your things later, boys."

Lucian's mind reeled back at the possible knowledge his father was known to some as the Prickly Shadow, a laughable moniker for a Lord whose wrath couldn't be matched unless they were blood.

Soon those thoughts washed away as two other hulking figures approached the first giant man of House Magnar, only for their stoic faces to lose out on the starry-eyed passion each of the men displayed.

"Fucken hell, the Prickly cunt of a Shadow's arse got a wee thing of his own.

Good on ya, Auggie!" shouted the man with the sigil of a driftwood tree, bare and brown, on pale green, signifying House Stane.

'Well, well well, is this interesting Young Lucian.

Your farther appears to be well versed with two Skagosi Noble Houses…

Should I be the first to say, how damn lucky you are?' commented Theriena with a laugh that reverberated through Lucian's mind.

She knew better than any other being that Lucian wished to prepare ahead of time for the events that were to occur across Westeros and Essos.

Skagos came up several times during their plans to build a merchant group to operate across the two continents without needing to force the hands of the locals to obey their plans.

The islands were set out to become seaside cities and ship manufacturing ports, but since House Magnar and Stane were allies with House Vitniryx, their plans needed to be changed.

Yet the final blade to their original plans and cementation of a whole new path for the Skagosi islands came in the form of ply flames of red and black, House Crowl.

"Oh please, this is Yilma's brood through and through.

You can tell from those steely blue eyes that he's a True son of the First Men Beyond the Wall." proudly stated the giant man of House Crowl, whose own eyes sparked a steely ice blue, but didn't contain their fiery violets and shadowy flames Lucian's own were surrounded by.

'"Aye."' The other two giants of House Magnar and Stane sombrely replied to the giant of House Crowl, who'd snatched Lucian into his own bulking hands.

"Make her proud, Young Shadow of the North…" whispered the giant of House Crowl for only Lucian to hear, even if he didn't believe the child would understand yet the sharp and curious eyes of the babe made the giant wonder.

For a second, the giant of House Crowl believed the child of Yilma was far more aware of his surroundings than any other child his age.

Not wanting to say his thoughts aloud, the giant smiled at Lucian in his arms and planted a gentle kiss on his forehead before passing the babe over to the nursemaid close by, as Alexios rushed into the courtyard.

"You fuckers better know I'm not paying for the mess you bastards have left at the tavern near the port." Proclaimed Alexios loud enough for everyone to hear his threat to the noblemen of Skagos, and their party members, who started to laugh aloud just as their Lords.

The thunderous laughter rang out through the courtyard, leading to the Guards and Knights of House Vitniryx joining in.

Eventually Alexios joined in as well, just as the personal steward to the Lord of the Keep arrived with bread, salt, and mead.

"HAHAHA!

Come you fucking fools and dine on some bread, salt, and mead.

The Land of the North's Shadow welcomes you under our protection.

May the Old Gods and First Men be my witness."

"Haha Auggie even if you didn't give us bread and salt, we know we're always welcome here.

After all, we won't forget the days of our fosterage." Laughed the giant of House Stane, who stroked his growing dark honey brown bread, stretching a couple inches parts his chin.

The other two Lords of Skagos agreed with their brethren, and cheerfully replied, "Aye" before moving to clash arms and shoulders of their host, who couldn't help but brighten up in the presence of the Skagosi.

From their interaction, Lucian guessed the four considered each other brothers, all but in name and blood, which would have formed from a young age and continued on to their current age.

Not sure if he should call his grandfather a madman or genius, but Lucian figured it was a brilliant move politically to foster the sons of Skagos nobility, as it would draw on their savage strength and ability in dire times, but that wasn't ever the case.

Eventually Lucian would come to learn of the true extent of the legendary cooperation and friendship between the Isles of the Shadows Claw and Skagos that even some Starks feared for a time, only for it to become their greatest weapon.

Soon, Lucian followed his father, known to the Skagosi Lords as Auggie, into his Solarium with the Lords, who had specialised chairs for their own use, brought well ahead into the room as to not waste time.

Simple but meaningful gestures such as larger chairs for the guest goes a long way, especially in the case of those considered sworn brothers, but it wasn't all that Lucian noticed as he entered the room and laid in his father's arms.

Instead, the food brought to the table for all to enjoy and dine on during the private meeting wasn't offered at all by Lords, because the Solarium were known to hold private discussions and deals between Lords, sons, and others deemed fit.

A room in each keep that every Lord and Lady cherished, so for food to be present and mead, it told the guests there was mutual respect, love, and trust in the walls of the Solarium.

"Come brothers, we have much to discuss as I've learnt Maester Walys has provided 'good' council to our Lord Stark…

Such great council that the Grey Rat dared to send me a raven on his Lord's behalf, daring to break the bond and oaths of old.

He's overstepped the authority given to his rank and its high time the Stark of Winterfell understands this… fucking grey cunt needs to leave and the Old Ways and Customs must return

The Starks need to remember the pride and power of the Crown of Winter."

Laying in his father's arms, Lucian sensed the wrath building up in his father, while it spurned the Skagosi Lords, with each man tightly gripping the arm rests of their marvellously carved CedarOak Tree.

The wood didn't splinter or crack, but contorted slightly and screeched, much to Lucian's dislike but it mattered not as his father continued.

"That isn't all.

Those in service to the North's Shadow have learnt the young heir to Dreadfort has taken up the old ways of his ancestors and father.

Several young men who've wrong the Lord in one or another have disappeared, while a few young women have been found dead several weeks after disappearing from Dreadfort, but nothing ties them to either father or son for now.

Only good news we have front that damn Keep speaks of a healthy second son, who distanced himself from the practises of the Red Kings."

"Those cunts from the dreary Dreadfort should be gutted and dead in the fucking snow, but those damn Targaryen's and their Blood Oaths." Cursed the Lord Goren from House Magnar, only to reach out for some ale.

Lord Oryn from House Stane gritted his teeth at the mention of Blood Magic, going forth to say "Goren's words ring true, if those Dragon cunts didn't force Torrhen Stark's hand, the North would be far better off.

The King thought about the lives of his soldiers and those back in the North… but it only brought us further war, injustice, dishonour, and disgust from the other Kingdoms of Westeros who already saw as barbarians.

Our only sense of justice and victory came with the Company of the Rose, and even so… it's a hollow victory of peace that binds many of our people outside of their homeland."

Out of the three Lords from Skagos, the bitterness in the voice of Lord Crowl was the loudest, "Ever since those Red Cunts raided the Skagosi villages to pillage and capture our people for their keep… they've become our sworn enemies…

If anything is to happen with House Bolton and their bloodline, my people will be at the front, skinning those cunts alive!

We'll flay them like Prince Kratius Torr of House Vitniryx flayed the Red King Ryen Bolton for his dishonour and torture of the Stark Princess.

The bastard even had the balls to wear her skin as a cloak for fucks sake…

Thank the Old Gods Prince Kratius ended his miserable life just as horribly, reminding Dreadfort the North Remembers… and their Shadows always prowling."

Slamming his first on the arm rest, Lord Crowl brought the room to a silent holt with all the attention of himself, before it reverted back to Alexios.

Leaning back slightly, with a drink in hand, Alexios said, "While I want nothing more than the end of the Bolton's, it won't be possible with Rogar, the current Lord of Dreadfort alive.

He's rather aware of the Old Ways and Oaths of the North, though his son is neglecting those studies from the Maester, since he doesn't trust the Grey Rats.

Probably the only point I've ever agreed with Heir Roose Bolton.

His second son on the other hand has potential to become an ally, since he hates how his father and brother behave, breaking the Laws of First Men and the North.

He may possibly head to Wintercity and study the path of a Skaelor, removing himself from their influence.

But as you say, Karhen, when the time comes for the end of House Bolton, I shall call on House Crowl."

Karhen Crowl could only nod back as thanks since his anger hadn't lessened when told there would be an eventual attack on the Red King lineage.

He even started to include the second son in his possible long-term plans for a marriage into House Bolton, if reasonable.

As the Lord and son of House Crowl, Karhen learnt a great deal about House Bolton and their actions before the arrival of Dragons to Westeros.

Red Kings of the North, known to all as House Bolton were capable of truly heinous crimes such as skinning and flaying their enemies alive.

Rape and murder were a pass time for the Red Kings, which eventually led them to attack the Skagosi just to capture as many people as possible, before the Lords and Clans became aware of the attacks.

Plenty of villages inland and seas side saw their end at the hands of the Bolton Navy which ended up as forfeit for the Starks to collect as justice for the heinous crimes.

Sadly, the ships were burnt and at the bottom of the sea before they arrived at Skagos, leading to hate fuelling between certain Houses of the Northern Realm and Skagos.

.

Lucian knew very little about the history concerning the whole Northern Realm, since his knowledge on the world came largely from what he'd heard from birth and the knowledge from Earth, his originally homeworld.

The System had warned him that the world of Planetos would differ from what he knew from the books and television show, but with the inclusion of the Shadows of the North, it was bound to change the dynamics of the Northern Realm, and probably Westeros as a whole.

He wasn't wrong, but those factors wouldn't come into play for quite some time, because Lucian, for the time being, was bound to the Palm Island of the Shadows Claw.

But not those around him, and Lucian's father seemed to have his own ideas regarding the future ahead.

"To make sure the removal of the Bolton's is possible and led by House Stark, Skagos needs to take on duties and roles they've never been given or awarded in the past, and fall under order of House Stark, as per the laws of the Seven Kingdoms, the North, and the Old Ways.

I know the lands under the control of your Houses are well in your grasp but those taken over by the cannibal freefolk clans must be dealt with immediately.

Even the Vassal Houses who dared to associate with those freaks of nature must perish or come to order under your rule, my brothers.

We can start making the most of Skagos islands and once more utilise its connection with Essos cities and Ibben.

It might not appear like I've included the north, but trade with the east will increase your bond to the realm of winter and her forces abroad like the Company of the Rose and Wolf-pack.

Therefore, I wanted to propose the warriors of the Shadows Claw journey to Skagos and aiding your local war over the lands, after which they will return and another contingent of warriors will be sent over to replace them.

Only when we have a port with the ability to produce ships for the voyage to Essos and back, we can start developing a private militia to support out merchants and the two Northern Realm mercenary companies.

Slowly, but surely, we will begin to improve the realm of winter's ability to survive harsher climates when the cold becomes unbearable."

Alexios's comments left the Lords of Skagos and Lucian stunned by the sheer boldness of the idea even if it sounded quite difficult to achieve within a short timeframe.

The first to reply after a couple moments was Lord Oryn Stane, though it was clear his mind hadn't fully processed the bold ideas of the Shadow that stalks over the North.

"This all sounds great, but do you honestly believe we can move without the eyes and ears of the Small Council being alerted?

I wouldn't be surprised if the Citadel chose to interfere their rule in our actions if they learnt we moved away from the North and actually bothered to trade.

But even if our trading doesn't reach their ears, the creation of a new mercenary company formed through northern men would alert the whole of Westeros through their damn spies.

Even then, we need to convince Lord Stark that we aren't about to rebel like our forefathers from eons ago.

So, tell me, Auggie, how do you plan to deal with the potential threats that will hold us down from taking any sort of action regarding this… idea…?"

Oryn held back most of his scorn for Alexios in the moment, because it appeared like Skagos was risking everything, while the Isle of the Shadows Claw remained utterly silent like always.

Having established a small intelligence network littered across the Northern Realm, Oryn knew the Shadow of the North was never spoken of aloud by the Lords and Ladies across the land of winter.

Truly, only a handful of Houses bothered to keep themselves aware of another Great House in the North, who existed long before the first King from the House Dustin lineage led the First Men to the Northern Realm.

Oryn couldn't believe how far Maesters of the Citadel went to remove the knowledge of a Great House, one greatly feared and beloved by the smallfolk across the north.

Maesters taught the north to consider part of their history moot, but it wasn't entirely possible with the smallfolks who still remembered the tales of Shadow Panthers roaming the lands, stalking their preys beside Direwolves.

As Lord of House Stane, Oryn came to learn of House Vitniryx through his lessons as a child, which made them appear as a hidden element of northern strength.

For a time, Oryn believed it was all false and tall tales, but once he arrived on the Shadows Claw for fosterage, the Skagosi Lord understood the House of Shadows stood bold enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Starks.

Unfortunately, that event hadn't occurred for quite some time, and in all honesty, Oryn didn't believe his own generation would see it happen.

Maybe the next, but certainly not his own unless something drastic occurred on the mainland.

And for some reason or another, he felt those thoughts rung true, but not because of Alexios's plan, so Oryn wasn't willing to easily believe his sworn brother sadly, though the guilt didn't last long.

Alexios knew his words wouldn't simply change the tide that moved the North to follow the same rivers flowing through its lands.

To force change, to make the river move from its frozen path of stagnation, Alexios realised the homeland of his ancestry needed to become stronger.

Not just in the physical sense, but more so financially and reliability on the lands that provided for even their forefathers.

"Oryn, your words ring true.

Aye, that is for certain, but you're missing one key factor…" before Alexios could provide the answer, Goren interrupted.

"Military strength… and food production.

You'll bring wealth to the north through military strength to protect its borders, which it sorely requires to become independent from the other realms.

One way or another, Essos will become the playground for the military to grow and seize land in favour of the north and her requirements for crops." The Lord of the Shadows Claw nodded in agreement with Goren Magnar, though it wasn't the complete answer.

"Military strength is only part of what House Vitniryx will return to the north, but it isn't the only support our beloved homeland requires.

You are right about my desire to employ Essos in gaining crops, it will not be easily possible without causing the Small Council to worry… so we must work without anyone being the wiser… and inject our men into the region with none the wiser.

Right now, we need tradesmen with experience and skill to improve the situation of the masses, moving our smallfolk into established homes which can survive the harshest of climates.

But more so, the north requires families willing to try their hand at toiling the fields and cold lands in the hopes of creating their own legacy, whatever that may be.

I thought it would be wise if we bought slaves, with the purpose of freeing them upon arrival in Westeros.

While we will essentially provide wealth to the slavers, we're able to improve our network across the Narrow Sea and possibly change the status quo for our benefit.

It'll be difficult, no doubt, but House Vitniryx will fund these endeavours from our own coffers, as I'm willing to stake the strength of my House on this plan."

That in its lonesome cause the Skagosi Lords to believe in the validity of Alexios's madness, even when they thought the potential outcome could lead to death or worse, an existence of meaningless torture and suffering.

Lucian didn't know how he should feel regarding the plans his father started to relay aloud, leaving the heir of House Vitniryx stunned.

As the meeting continued in the Solarium, Alexios delved deeper into his plans, such as the transport of furs, wood, and stone to the cities of Essos.

Certain resources unavailable across the Narrow Sea would bring great wealth to the coffers of the north but most materials required the express permission of Lord Stark to begin harvesting in large quantities.

Lords across the Northern Realm needed to provide their resources to the merchants of Skagos to sell in Essos, which became a point of contention between the Skagosi Lords and Alexios, with the argument focused on the types of materials being sold.

Wood, such as Ironwood, possessed a number of qualities which made it valued on the market, even if it was difficult to craft.

It could very well sell but its harvest and transport were nothing short of costly since other sources of wood could be bought at much cheaper prices.

Heartswood similarly costed a great deal to harvest and transport, which led to cheaper alternatives on the market being sold, but Alexios planned for forestry to aid this endeavour to make it less costly in regards to manual labour.

.

Unfortunately, Lucian couldn't stay longer and listen to the solution discussed in the Solarium, as his feeble body gave into exhaustion.

His father called for a nursemaid at the first signs of fluttering eyes, leaving the saddened Lucian with only one companion to keep his mind busy for now, Theriena.

Two months had passed since the Summoning Square became active and spawned the first citizens of the Eternal Dimensional Realm into existence.

Furthermore, they came to build and explore the Hidden World with unbelievable efficiency and effectiveness that the town became known as Eden.

The vast gardens and vines with natural plants capable of glowing in the darkness to provide light had brought above the name, Eden, as it became the place of rebirth for all.

Built to resemble aspects from the renaissance, medieval, and modern periods through Theriena's influence on the design and layout of the town, slowly began forming into a grand city unlike anything witnessed or seen across Westeros and Essos.

Magic greatly helped increase the speed at which the town grew to expand with new businesses, production facilities, and residential properties rose to deal with the ever-growing populous.

It largely survived on the harvestable periods of the fields that saw massive amounts of crops being stored away into the System Inventory to preserve, if not for later consumption by the community.

Lucian knew the System Inventory became a storage option Theriena exploited a great deal, but he wasn't concerned with the matter since the surplus food made his plans easier when travelling beyond the Wall in the future.

Yet its use would do wonders in the present if Lucian could somehow present the crops to his father without having to show evidence of the source.

Those thoughts soon drowned out of his mind, as Theriena relayed images and knowledge of Eden's latest developments.

Wizards and Witches were heavily communicating with various craftsmen to find practical means to improve their control and magical strength, as more began to notice a tempering of their Magiks.

For a certain number of Wizards and Witches who were reborn from a more modern era, began to educate others on elements vastly unknown to many such as clear glass, preserving food, hygiene and much more.

It might not appear like much, but the few modern families and those from the renaissance period brought many unique characteristics to Eden.

Entertainment, through Theriena's assistance, saw the introduction of physical sports, indoor bar games like pool, darts, table tennis, and most of all board games.

A whole district of Eden focused on the production and development of entertainment, not just for the society of the Hidden World, but to one day proliferate across Planetos.

Becoming aware of the large strides of research in entertainment, when Theriena sent large sums of information directly into Lucian's mind, a decision needed to be made regarding other fields like medicine, espionage, and warfare, which needed their own research divisions.

Taking a moment for himself to think clearly, Lucian decided to finally utilise a gift provided by the System earlier on.

…

..

.

*Ding*

[Five Heroes Spawn Cards utilised!]

[Heroes Spawning within Eternal Dimensional Realm – Currently confined to Realm: 3 months remaining]

[For Honor – Warden – Knight (Eamond) – Spawned!] [Level: 01]

[For Honor – Warmonger – Knight (Warwyck) – Spawned!] [Level: 01]

[For Honor – Lawbringer – Knight (Leroy)– Spawned!] [Level: 01]

[Assassins Creed – Ezio Auditore da Firenze – Assassin Grandmaester – Spawned!] [Level: 01]

[Harry Potter's Wizarding World – Legacy Artificer – Wizard (Invictus Peverell) – Spawned!] [Level: 01]

.

*Ding*

[Legacy Artificer – Wizard (Invictus Peverell) confined to the Eternal Dimensional Realm indefinitely due to Personal and Familial Magiks bound to Hero]

.

*Ding*

[Introduction of Hero Genealogy into Eternal Dimensional Realm has minutely increased potential of Summoning Square to spawn Heroes or their variants!]

.

*Ding*

[Host/Guardian Spirit can manage and instruct the Heroes within the Eternal Dimensional Realm as they are equipped with a modified System for their own use]

[Heroes can contribute System Credits through exploration of the Hidden World, so do make the most of their time in the Realm, dear Host!]

.

..

…

Within the Hidden World, a group of five appeared on the path to the growing town known as Eden.

Neither bothered to stop and focus on one another with their attention on the unfamiliar environment.

"The air… its different… like there is…," The strong foreign accent of the hooded man in largely white robes, with splashes of red, black, and gold through fabrics and armour said aloud, only for another to finish his thoughts.

"Magic." Came from the mouth of a hulking Warden known to a few as Eamond, whose attention moved from the flora to the bustling town in the distance.

Eamond the Warden realised he wasn't on Heathmoor anymore but instead a new world, much too different from the bloodshed and warfare of his homeworld.

For a moment, he thought about peace, yet the will of a Warden is strengthened by their duty, and as such, Eamond focused on his resolve to maintain the order if peace had been achieved in this world.

Similarly, the other Knights thought the same, yet Ezio and Invictus remained the outliers, expecting plenty of bloodshed and intrigue to appear in their wake.

Born as a son of House Peverell meant war, pain, suffering, and a strengthening of one's resolve to do whatever necessary to survive and keep the bloodline alive.

Invictus knew this better than anyone because his own lineage saw the end of House Peverell, with his only daughter marrying into House Pottarius.

He always believed the tales and legends concerning House Peverell to be Heralds of Death or its Master, so the environment dense with magical energy puzzled the Wizard who expected Death's grip to guide him through the afterlife.

Ezio, like Invictus, thought of a possibility that his time for rest had come, and he had entered Heaven, but a lifetime of experience told him there was another journey and crisis just around the corner, even if it were the afterlife.

Taking measure of the surroundings, the Assassin Grandmaestro first noticed the town in the distance didn't have any sort of wall protecting its boundary.

The Knights were also aware of this fact, as they thought of methods to siege the town in case of conflict, when their eyes fell on the various buildings.

Only the Wizard felt the pulsating energy of magical energy in the environment of the town, with plenty of it leaking off buildings constructed partially by magic.

Curious, the Wizard nearly left the group behind, only to be stopped by a holy golden light that appeared out of thin air to form a fully body figure.

With golden hair to match the light that formed her begin moments earlier, and piercing amethyst eyes, brought answers to the Heroes who were rather lost in her majesty.

"Welcome Heroes to the Eternal Dimensional Realm…

I am Theriena, the Guardian Spirit to this world, and its overseer until my Master can take on a greater role.

Even so, he has summoned you five to this world in his favour…

Of course, he doesn't wish to force your hand to aid in his plight, so the hope is you can settle and make some sort of life here for yourselves."

The four Heroes were lost momentarily in the beauty and curvaceous body of the Guardian Spirit, before a spine-tingling pain cut through their minds.

It didn't last long, yet as the pain settled, each of the Heroes realised their minds were flooded with foreign information not of their original homeworld's.

Westeros, Essos, White Walkers, Dragons, and other such subject points came to the forefront of their minds, which only fuelled their confusion regarding the current situation.

Funnily enough, Theriena wasn't ill prepared with men and women of Eden heading over to aid the Heroes to their new home.

Each of them was given 24 hours to explore and understand their environment, which they largely spent together, walking through Eden.

"Cavaliere d'acciaio…" (Steel Knight in Italian)

Eamond the Warden, the closest walking beside Ezio gruffly replied, "Hmm?", since his eyes were on a food stall that made meaty and cheesy sandwiches.

For some unknown reason, Eamond easily understood Ezio's Italian, but his hunger had taken his interest on the topic of languages away in a heartbeat after the delectable smells wafted into his path.

Dragging along the group to the stand without uttering a sound, Eamond soon heard Ezio talking to him, though only after they snacked on the sandwiches.

"I've noticed a few odd differences from my past.

Just the fact we weren't charged for the food is quite alarming, so I'm wondering… what have you Knights found odd?" Ezio didn't direct his attention towards Invictus, who he believed was an Assassin.

The black cloak made up largely of scales on the exterior drew Ezio's fashionable senses, but the remaining dark attire with its tight and comfortable custom fit meant the man lived a dark and tough life.

For now, Ezio didn't bother to ask the dark cloak and hooded man about his past or possible connection to the Creed, so his attention fell on the three accompanying Knights.

Yet Eamond wasn't the one who replied to Ezio's question but instead Warwyck.

"Other than the fact my mind is being flooded with images of a world known as Planetos, where the fight for a hideous throne has practically ended the bloodlines of God knows how many different Noble Houses… I haven't bothered by myself too much in the calm surroundings.

However, I am sure of one thing… this isn't Planetos, but a world connected to that raging shitstorm of 'chivalry' warfare." Scowling heavily, Warwyck's mind replayed images of House Tallbeck and House Reyne suffering a terrible end that went against his code of conduct.

A part of him wanted to find the Lion of Casterly Rock, but figured it was rather brash, since their would-be repercussions across the whole of Westeros.

And even if it were possible to kill without any fallback, Warwyck somehow knew it was impossible for him to leave the Eternal Dimensional Realm for Westeros, so he brooded while eating stacks of freshly made sandwiches.

"Besides the new memories…" awkwardly laughed Leroy, punching Warwyck lightly in the side, "I've come to learn this town is known as Eden, because it's the place of rebirth...

That isn't all, the large Lord's square, or town centre somehow summons around 400 people into the Eternal Dimensional Realm, who end up becoming part of Eden."

"But everyone contributes to society, in one way or another.

Craftsmen are joining various workshops around Eden to provide their labour in building the town further, but also developing projects like the cheap insulated homes with fireplaces.

I believe they are working on such ideas to aid the Smallfolks of Westeros, who struggled to survive most days under the eyes of pompous nobility." Invictus remained calm and impartial as he spoke, only to trip on the last few words.

Having lived through an era where nobility caused wars like it were a chore, Invictus didn't think too highly of the highborn society which prayed on the weak and poor.

During his past lifetime, Invictus ruled over the lands around Castle Peverell, and proudly educated the commoners to become craftsmen in their own right.

Taught techniques with minimal magical elements and the incorporation of Mundane developments in various fields aided the commoners to create their own legacies pertaining to laboured crafting.

Unfortunately, this drew the attention of certain Wizarding Clans and Families who wanted the knowledge and Familial Magiks of House Peverell for themselves, but the marriage of his daughter with House Pottarius helped saved their end… for a time.

Sitting around a bench table, crafting without magic involved in the production, Invictus barely moved his right hand under the table to cast a few different charms.

He didn't want anyone to hear what they were talking about, especially in the open space dining area that everyone could utilise freely.

Most people would grab food from the stalls and kitchens before heading to the open space dining area to eat leisurely.

The Heroes noted those who came to eat in the dining area were largely working in the district or nearby of Eden and came to relax during their breaks.

Tea, coffee, and other fresh beverages were available for everyone to enjoy from the counters set up around the dining area.

The park like atmosphere integrated with a garden helped lessen stress on the minds of many who came to the dining area.

To their surprise, within 20 minutes of them dining, over three hundred people came to eat and rest for a time, before returning to their tasks.

This eventually led to the Heroes splitting up and following different people from the dining area to their place of work.

For the Wizard and Assassin, the task wasn't even a hassle, as one used magic to hide their presence, while the other used their wealth of experience and skills to blend into the bustling environment.

The Knights on the other hand were tall and giant muscular figures who easily attracted plenty of attention, but they ended up following certain figures who more than happily decided to give them a Knightly 'welcome'.

Ezio followed two men to a large forge with room for several dozen blacksmiths, as they discussed production plans of certain weapons and armour to fulfil the orders of the scouting parties tasked with exploring the Hidden World.

Upon hearing of a scouting party, Ezio searched for their possible location around Eden until he learnt of the Eden Guild, a building dedicated to a few different fields of administration.

From a cursory inspection, Ezio learnt the Eden Guild managed the scouts who went out into the unexplored regions of the Eternal Dimensional Realm, with varied means of success.

Just as he entered the grand Eden Guild, a building going through renovations, Ezio heard a scouting party discussing their recent discovery with others.

"So, after three days out in the regions beyond the forked road leading past the mining town beside the lake, we came across a few different creatures none of us knew, expect our Wizards and Witches.

According to them, the creatures were known as Demiguise's, considered peaceful, herbivorous magical beast's that could make themselves invisible and tell the future, making them very difficult to catch.

Thankfully Lady Theriena spoke on our behalf and easily communicated cooperation with the creatures, who gave us their hair, though it's known for its magical properties, that I am unaware of to be honest."

Choosing not to wait around any further, and more focused on exploring the guild, Ezio left the common area, elsewhere Invictus found himself watching wizards and witches working side by side with mundanes, toiling at a field of crops.

A number of wizards and witches ploughed the fields with their wands in hand, including a gifted few who utilised their non-dominate hand to wield wandless magic.

Those who were mundane, either collected the crops harvested through the aid of magic and transported them to a storage warehouse, or they managed the fertilisation and watering of the crops, ensuring any oddities were noted and identified.

They also worked together to manage the creatures, beasts, and animals capable of being farmed for the benefit of Eden, and its society.

Weirdly enough, Invictus received a slight shock after coming across eggs laid by a Red-Iron Fowl, which were known to have magical properties and hunted into extinction if he remembered correctly.

Before he could even question their existence, Invictus found himself enjoying an omelette made of a Red-Iron Fowl's eggs.

It didn't take long for Invictus to notice a qualitative change in his Magiks, becoming denser than it were before.

There wasn't an exact measure to quantify the improvement, but Invictus sensed the natural magical energy in the surroundings drastically improved the Magiks of a vast majority.

Taking a moment to secure some maroon dyed eggs of the Red-Iron Fowl and left to meet up with the other Heroes at the house they were provided to share for the time being.

But not before further exploration.

Eventually Invictus went home with several other items he found throughout the day, and left them in the kitchen to share with the others.

The residence they were sharing contained a kitchen, plenty of bedrooms with their own bathroom containing a shower and toilet, easily making the place highly comfortable and clean in comparison to others homes they lived in.

Invictus personally loved the shower and toilet set up, which showcased wizardry ingenious to engrave runes into the metalwork for heating and cooling of the water.

Similarly, the toilet had runes pertaining to the filtering of the waste, but since the piping led underneath the floor and away from prying eyes, Invictus couldn't see the work put into their crafting.

Showering, before heading to the kitchen, the Wizard chose to relax after spawning into the Eternal Dimensional Realm the previous day.

For the first time since he arrived, Invictus actually felt at peace and calm enough to enjoy his new environment, even if it was highly foreign to him.

While in the lounge area of the home, Invictus heard the arrival of his companions, each of whom carried various goods they found or were gifted throughout the day.

.

..

…

"I have to say… Eden is far from a simple village or town, rather it's a society unlike anything I've heard of or could possibly imagine." Firmly stated Invictus after everyone sat down comfortably in the lounge room off the open kitchen.

"And why do you believe so?" asked Warwyck with a sly grin, revealing his pearly white teeth and sparkling light violet eyes.

"I'm a Wizard, gentlemen." With a flick of his wrist, a dark wand appeared, only for Invictus to elegantly swish it through the air to create a series of controlled fireworks.

Not bothering to wait for the others to recover from their mental shock, Invictus went on to say, "And that there… is basic magic used for children or performers, though if your wise and daring enough, it can be utilised offensively.

Anyway, what I mean by Eden's society being unlike anything I've seen relates to the cooperation between those capable of wielding magic and the others who cannot.

My past… the world I came from, wasn't receptive of wizards and witches, leading to many wars, conflicts, genocides, and much more for those with Magiks to isolate themselves from mass society.

In secret, wizards and witches would meet with one another and do business in various spaces of land separated from the awareness of those unable to wield magic, also known as Mundanes.

I can still remember the hate perpetrated by the Mundane community to the youth who displayed their Magiks accidently, causing parents and family members to often kill their child or children, as magic was considered sinful.

Yet Eden breaks itself free from those restrictions of dark history to build a society where the two sides come together to build and manage their hometown.

Truly, I never imagined a day like this might ever be possible…"

Invictus said enough to leave his companions with many more questions than answers, yet they held back for now and reported their own findings, making sure to come back and question their Wizard on magic and its closed society form another world.

"I didn't see anyone wielding magic while at the training field, but we came across an interesting method of training warriors and the sort through something called 'Sports'.

Apparently, it involves physical exertion between two teams vying to win the competition, which is typically set through a form of entertainment.

In this case, they were playing something known as 'Football', that entailed a round ball being kicked around between the two sides, as they try to kick it into the open squares guarded by a member of the teams.

Honestly, I've never experienced physical exhaustion like this since I first started training with a sword." Leroy firmly said, with Eamond and Warwyck confirming their companion's evaluation of their exploration of Eden.

They spoke of their own attempts at playing football, only to find there were plenty of youthful kids who were far more agile and skilled with the sport than they ever imagine.

"Hell, if you were there, you'd have seen Warwyck offering several kids tutoring in the pathway of a Warmonger.

I don't think the kids knew what they were agreeing to, but they appeared determined to make the most of their future training, haha.

Those poor kids will fault, no doubt, under the stress of your training dear friend." Laughed Eamond at his fellow Knight and friend from the past world.

"At least I have recruits willing to tread the path of a Warmonger…" Warwyck's sly comment easily shut Eamond up, who grumbled quietly to himself about 'bad destined fates'.

Ezio and Invictus eyed Warwyck for more information, who quickly relented and explained, "I took a moment away from the game of football to train my sword form, only for a few youngsters to race on over with wooden swords, imitating my actions."

Warwyck paused, remembering moments of joy he'd found back in Heathmoor, only for war to destroy any semblance of peace and unity.

Sighing, the Warmonger Knight, though his voice couldn't hide the pain from the past, "I saw… too much of my past… lost to violence in their eyes.

Not wanting any of them to die unprepared, I decided if we are to remain here, then I shall train them every day and any other who wishes my guidance."

The Knight's words were enough for Ezio, Invictus and the other two Knights to realize their own role as part of Eden could revolve around educating the youth or others alike.

All five sat in silence to mull over what Warwyck had said, with everyone resolved and mentally prepared for a small part of their future to come at the very least.

"So… what have you found, our white robed friend?" cheerfully asked Eamond as a barmaid of the street side bar came over to the table and refilled their wooden mugs of mead and ale.

"Haha, I've found and heard far too much today that I still don't know how to process everything, amico (Friend in Italian)"

Ezio paused for a few seconds so no one was around their table to overhear what he was about to say, though the need for such vigilance became mute rather quickly with Invictus charming the area around them to be muted.

"No one shall hear us through the few spells I've set up around our table." Said Invictus with a finality in his voice that none dared to question.

After all none of them were wizards and capable of wielding magic, so they couldn't do much but agree with Invictus for now.

"Very well, amico…

While moving around Eden, I heard several people mention the Scouting Guild, created to aid those who were tasked with exploring 'This' mysterious place we all happen to find ourselves in.

*Sigh* Honestly, I didn't know what I was searching for, when I chose to ruffle through the guild during daylight, but I've learnt more than enough about our… unique circumstances." With that said, Ezio passed several pieces of different parchment around the table for everyone to read through.

It contained detailed notes Ezio copied by hand for everyone to have their own copy to read while sipping on their preferred choice of liquid substance.

Thankfully, none of the Heroes took large sips of their drinks because the parchments contained startling news for each person seated around the long wooden table.

"… Is all that is written here, true?" asked a stunned and rather serious Leroy the Lawbringer.

"Si… from what I've gathered the guild runs a large portion of the administrative work for Eden, containing precise detailed notes on everyone registered within their walls.

But it lacks the noted analysis of goods found while exploring the lands around Eden, which leads me to a certain story I heard upon my entry into the guild.

Several men and women were listening to another member of the guild who'd recently returned with news of discovery.

They found a creature known as 'Demiguise'," before Ezio could further explain what he knew about the recently discovered beast, Invictus interrupted.

"They are creatures known for their hair, skin, and organs because of their natural affinity with Magiks of the world, gifting Demiguise with abilities such as invisibility, foresight, natural occlumency and legilimency.

The last two I spoke of relate to mental fortitude and mind manipulation… though the creatures don't impose their will on others, rather they are quite closed off from society and friendly if you mean no harm."

"Our Wizard appears to know far more than I about Demiguise, but no matter, it has been rather appreciated, Invictus.

All I had managed to learn about the Demiguise was a proposed settlement nearby to the river where the creatures were found, since they came to agree on a trade of materials.

Fibres of the Demiguise fur, nails, teeth, and other bodily goods, including waste, have been proposed for collection by the guild.

For what reason they are being gathered, I have no clue, but the parchments hopefully shed some light onto this mystery." Ezio said, only for everyone's eyes to widen in surprise.

Their minds were lost dealing with the words written across the parchment, detailing certain new projects being developed not only by the guild but the residents of Eden.

One of the projects noted on the parchment which caught Ezio's eye while scouring through the files of the guild happen to focus on creating various warrior orders for deeper exploration into the land's unknown of the Eternal Dimensional Realm.

Several schools, including one focused on Magiks, had been proposed to be built somewhere around Eden or nearby, but the greater focus was on utilizing the fighting force freely available across Eden in a meaningful way.

But the most interesting note on the parchment was of the equipment being make using various parts produced by the creatures and materials discovered.

One item that caught everyone's attention was a possible cloak with invisibility capabilities, though only four of the five Heroes found any true interest in the product.

Invictus on the other hand wanted to laugh out aloud, since he once held their families most prized possessions in his past life until the unfortunate day came when it passed from his hands to the next generation, which happened to be House Pottarius.