A Learning Curve - Etrian Odyssey 4 - Boyxboy

Chapter 23

AN: Thanks so much Ame_Tasogare for commenting on the previous chapter!

And here we are, on the last chapter of ALC, only fitting that it's a long one at that. Enjoy reading and let me know what you think!

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Chapter 23:

Folding his arms loosely over his chest, Baldur stepped outside onto the top step of the Researchers' Clinic. The residence was surprisingly empty, no one stopping him from wandering about. They didn't need to anymore. Though, why he continued to stay with guild Phaedron at the clinic was a mystery to him. He could move into the Grand Mark's Court if he so desired.

Baldur sighed and shook his head as he sat himself down upon the top step. To be honest, he didn't want to. He had...grown used to the sounds and the antics of the guild. Moving into the Grand Mark's Court, especially now, would be too...quiet. He wouldn't be able to stand it.

As he sat under the light of the morning sun, Baldur gaze out upon the denizens of Tharsis. Sentinels and Vessels, Tharsis soldiers and Imperial Knights. They were all intermingling together, aided by the many different classes of explorers and adventurers. And as he looked out at it all, at the mystic Yggdrasil tree far off in the distance, he couldn't help but realise how close they all came to losing it all. Twice.

Baldur subconsciously tightened his arms around himself. What he had learnt, what he had saw... A puppet for ten years. His advisors during his reign, after his father's disappearance, cared nothing for him. They were even instrumental in the 'disappearance' of the one elder who actually did care for him.

It was...going to take some time to recover from that. Isiah promised him that he would, though. And, well, rather unfortunately, that terrorising medic had been right so far.

One step at a time. One day at a time. That was all he could do.

Several days has passed since...that second event in the Cloudy Stronghold. Roxbury had suffered severely from his ordeal. Physically and mentally. Even now, days later, he was walking around with the aid of a crutch and hated the pitch black of night. He was also very adamant that no one was to venture anywhere near the labyrinth known as Hall of Darkness.

Baldur couldn't blame him. That place...was unlike anything he had ever seen before. And he had only encountered the first floor. From what he had heard, the second floor had certain...quirks that were more terrifying.

Kirjonen had recovered from his poisoning, but the guild was still keeping a close eye on him just in case there were any long-lasting effects. Logre was sporadically checking up on him, although for some reason would play it down by saying that Isiah had ordered him to. Whenever he said that with Isiah in the vicinity, the medic would snort at him and tell him to 'stop being a fucking idiot and to grow a pair already'. Whatever that meant.

And Ciaran had also recovered from his own ordeals, although he was still understandably jumpy and hated to be at his wharf alone at night. However, he had Xander constantly shadowing him now. It would be rare to find one without the other these days. Xander had also gone away with his armour. Either Isiah threatened him (like before) or Ciaran was the one who insisted. Either way, he looked...different without his armour.

Guild Phaedron had returned to normal, it seemed. Investigating, researching, exploring. However, they had a few more 'honorary' members and a few more additional tasks. Grammy had asked the guild, or rather specific members of said guild, to do her a kind favour. To take a native of the Cloudy Stronghold under their wing and to guide them toward a life of freedom and peace, something that they knew little of.