A Learning Curve - Etrian Odyssey 4 - Boyxboy

Chapter 21

AN: Thanks so much Ame_Tasogare for commenting on the previous chapter! Short chapter today. It's more of an info-dump, anyway. Next chapter will be filled with shippy, fluffy goodness, promise! Anyway, hope you'll enjoy reading!

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Chapter 21:

"...Grammy?" Baldur murmured as he took a shaky step forward. N-no, she couldn't be. Grammy was dead. They told him, his retainers, that she had died. Years ago.

The elderly woman smiled warmly as she turned her attention toward him, a sense of gentle familiarity in her gaze. "It's so good to see you again, Little One."

Baldur could only stare at her with unblinking eyes for a few silent moments before shaking his in disbelief. She really was her. She was Grammy, the female elder that was like a grandmother to him.

"H-how?" he uttered when he felt Logre place a hand on his shoulder.

"There you are, you old bat," Zesiro unexpectedly said, cutting off any reply Grammy was about to give him, prompting her to sigh and to roll her eyes in an exasperated manner. "Waiting to make a dramatic entrance?"

"My earlier appearance would only startle and confuse His Grace," Grammy said in response to Zesiro, but keeping her gaze upon Baldur with a small smile on her lips. "I did not want that."

She then made a sound akin to a 'tut' before turning to face Zesiro and those he was standing with. "Besides, dramatic entrances seem to be all the rage with you youngins' at the moment."

Zesiro shrugged dramatically, yet still somehow blasé about it all. "Meh, details."

"We had to be dramatic to gain the trust of the Extremists," Telem added as he folded his arms over his chest.

Grammy clicked her tongue. "Of course you did, dear."

"Well, at least I had a normal introduction," Kalan went on to say as he flicked his hair over his shoulder.

"By normal you mean being the first person he saw after regaining conscious from being kidnapped?" Zesiro said, pure scepticism in his voice.

Kalan made a dismissive motion with his hand. "As you said; details."

Shuffling from where she was standing next to Wiglaf, the pink-haired imperial walked toward Grammy, stopping at a respectful distance away as she lowered her head slightly and folded her hands in front of her.

"Elder Gratiana..."

Grammy turned around and smiled warmly up at the pink-haired woman. "Ah, Yesmina. You've done well."

Yesmina immediately perked up, seemingly both surprised and happy to hear those words. "R-really?"

"Of course, dear," Grammy replied kindly, reaching over to give Yesmina a pat on the arm. "I knew you had it in you."

"I...I wanted to be like Achyuta," Yesmina admitted softly as she wrung her hands together in front of her.

Startled somewhat by her admission, Baldur glanced over his shoulder to where Achyuta was, finding him also surprised by Yesmina's words. He soon looked confused, however. Instinctively, he reached out to wrap an arm around Nitish's waist, allowing the blond to press his hands against his chest and rest against him. They shared a few quick, but silent words, Achyuta still looking baffled while Nitish only smiled softly and rested his cheek against his chest.

"You should be proud of yourself," Grammy said, continuing to praise Yesmina for...whatever it was that she had done.

"What's going on?" Baldur all but demanded as he turned to give Grammy, the elder he thought was dead, his full attention. "How are you-? Who are they-? What are-?"