Azimuth: The Elden Throne

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"I apologize for the late arrival, allow me to speak for a moment, I won't waste everyone's time." Sarferato said with a wide smile as he stepped into the Guild Hall

"Sarferato… Are you planning on interrupting us once more? How long do you plan to stretch this decision?" Winthrope asked as he turned to the side

"No, you misunderstand me, I have no intention of stopping this again."

"Last time, I did it because you were too euphoric, asking people that just went through challenging experiences about things that will change their lives forever…"

"I asked you to give them some time, and you did. And now, we must finish what we started."

Sarferato turned to Resko's Elders and gave them a nod, though it seemed he had something to say to Testros, Tina, and Dale who was now in deep thought.

"That was what I was trying to until you..."

"Winthrope, would you mind giving me some time to speak with them privately? You already had your chance to speak your mind, let me give them my opinion now." Sarferato said as he interrupted Winthrope

"... Fine, that is the right course of action, all parties must be in complete agreement, otherwise, the process loses its goal." Winthrope replied as he turned around

"But be advised, I will not accept a choice being taken without my presence, especially after everything I've said."

"What I wish to see is for us to move forward, not backwards, much less for us to stay still."

With that, Winthrope left the hall with his trustees, leaving behind the Elders, Sarferato, and some of the Raiders who said nothing.

"Phew, he's finally gone, I was 'this' close to giving him a personal touch in the face." Barme said with a scoff as he dragged a chair to sit on

"His words stung, his way of speaking caused me discomfort, and his facial expressions gave me an ick... A rather unpleasant man, and not in the same way Barme is." Tina added as she looked at the door

"..."

Barme was too fearful of Tina to reply snarkily at her, so he only grunted in dissatisfaction as he crossed his arms.

Jyter, Ophelia, and Adamante stayed still and silent, but they seemed to agree with their opinions so far, one more than the other due to their diverging personalities...

"Ho… Don't get yourselves worked up over his words and actions, Winthrope and his people aren't greedy goblins or evil Monarchs as his actions might've implied." Sarferato said as he shook his head

"I told this to him many, many times, but he refused to change, same went for his late son... And even his grandson."

"The actions of that lad are one of the reasons why he's always so sharp, he's constantly on edge the kid will end up like his father, pursuing something he wasn't meant to be and failing in the process."

"But when you hold a sword in your hand, failure often leads to the most severe of punishments." He said deeply as he closed his eyes

"Surprising, I thought you were here to say something else, not to defend him." Edimund said with a thoughtful gaze as he turned to Sarferato

"I wouldn't say that but neither will I refuse, I'll just tell the truth with a little bit of my own personal opinion, followed by what we should do proceeding now."

"Through the eyes of someone that knows what could be coming rather than through the eyes of someone that stared at numbers all their lives." He said sharply as he moved to the side, revealing a small girl behind his muscular body

While Winthrope looked at Resko as a city with a future, Sarferato knew of the hurdles that awaited it, be it above ground, or under it...

"My, isn't she that cute little girl from outside? Where's that other cutie, the one with the serious looks?" Tina asked with a smile as she looked at her

"Mnn…"

"...?"

'Is she looking at me?'

""...""

The girl was, unsurprisingly, Erile, the red-haired princess from outside the Village, well, a former Noble who had now been converted into a Saint of the Ju-Arkesian religion.

Most of the Elders knew who she was, they had more than enough time to go and talk with her.

But Tina and Testros barely did so as they only saw her in the meeting before they were forced to move on their Expedition.

However, what caused all of them to grow silent was her absent gaze, one that had been locked onto… Dale.

Despite how Sarferato introduced her, she was still gazing at Dale silently.

"Erile?" Sarferato asked with a small smile

'HA! I knew it would end like this... I still remember how it used to feel... I was young too one day, wearing my armor as I stood in front of my platoon...'

'My wife gave me the same gaze... Though she claimed me first by punching me in the guts!'

'It was love at first sight...' He thought with a nostalgic gaze as he looked at the ceiling

"Eh?! I'm sorry I, I wasn't paying attention." She replied with some embarrassment as she fidgeted with her hair

"I saw that, were you enraptured by his appearance?" Sarferato teased like an old grandpa with a chuckle

"I! No! I…"

In the end, she closed her eyes and took in a cold poker face, so cold in fact it shook Dale…

"..."

'Is this the Aristocrat training she received? To be able to control facial expressions and their emotions… It's a bit scary if that's the case.'

'Though it would be just as scary even if that wasn't the case.'

"Hoho, don't be so stiff, I was just joking."

"Why did you bring her with you?" Tina asked as she gave her a deep gaze before turning to Dale with a sharp expression

'This brat, if she's already like this... I knew it, that was why he was late that night.' .

'He was fooling around with her, and he did that while little Yumi was brewing potions for his safety.'

'I was feeling a tad apologetic for what I did, but maybe I should increase the difficulty of his training a little bit.' She thought as a red glint passed through her eyes

"Isn't it obvious, all matters of the Village should be discussed by all ruling parties and their respective representatives together." Sarferato said as he gave Erile a little pad in the head

His hand was so big in comparison to her head that it could very well work as a hat...

"We can't leave behind the Church that has barely gotten into their two feet, can we?"

"Especially…" He mumbled as he looked away

"..."

Dale heard his words, there was no way he wouldn't.

'So he went to the Church despite everything that was happening? Was he religious?'

'Well... Technically speaking the tombs of his companions can only be accessed through there, at least as far as I know.'

'There is still much to learn about the relationship between the Church and the Corps.'

"Thank you for the invite but I'm unsure I can provide any substantial opinion on whatever matters you are about to discuss…" Erile replied formally as she looked back at Sarferato

"Sigh, look at you again all stiff, relax."

/SLAM!/

Sarferato tapped his hand on her back, causing her to take a step forward due to the strength behind it, causing her poker expression to break as she lost her focus.

Due to this, she looked to the side as she tried to hide her embarrassment, playing with her fingers as she tried to distract herself.

"Even if you can't say much because you know little, at least stay and listen. You have to start somewhere no?" He said as he turned to the elders again

"We all do."

"... Anyway, where do I start… Oh yes…"

"I'll be frank, I believe Winthrope is the best candidate to lead the City." He said as his expression grew serious

"Allow me to tell you all why..."

"I agree." Edimund said all of a sudden as he took off his straw hat, putting it on the counter

""!""

Many of the Elders became surprised at his words, they hadn't expected him to be so blunt.

"I haven't even started..." Sarferato said with a chuckle

"You don't need to say much to convince me of his qualifications, he already did that."

"Ha... He spoke too much again didn't he?"

"Yes, he's quite the talker." Edimund replied with a smile of his own

"Still, before you make your decisions, listen to what I have to say, because that may change what you think of him."

"If you wish to have someone to manage what is yours, then you should know as much as you can about said person so you can willingly put your trust in them."

"... I had no intentions of stopping you, I just wanted to say that regardless of that, he is right, I do not have the ability to lead everyone into prosperity."

"So that was what he said... Don't let it get to your head, Winthrope himself was terrible at managing when he was younger, it took him many years and disciplinary classes from his parents before he grew to become what he is today."

"We all possess what it takes to rise to lead, as long as we can put in the effort."

"I myself learned much over the years, but I still can't compare to someone that dedicated their entire being into such a role."

"..."

Edimund did not say anything, and neither did the others, they were all waiting for Sarferato to continue.

"... As you must've realized by bow, Winthrope and the people next to him are all Nobles. Heh, if that matters at all."

"They're the descendants of the Major Noble Households that supported Resko together with the Church… The same ones that left after things started going South."

"..."

While everyone nodded, Erile seemed particularly affected by this news, as if she knew something more…

Dale did not miss this reaction, already interpreting what it may be.

"..."

'She must be thinking about the letters I gave her, if she read it all then her understanding of what actually happened should be higher than even mine.'

'If she managed to open the Sound Box, she may have learned about the very thing the Commander only wished his own bloodline to know as well, whatever that may be.'

'I don't have to press her for answers, given how my Quest is structured, it'll come to my attention, eventually.'

"On that note, there is something many are unaware."

"While most of the households, including even the clergy left Resko during the mass Exodus in the months before the fall of the Wall, two of the families actually stood. Lending their wealth to the Southern Corps."

"You could say that was due to the political pressure of the time, so their actions weren't fully Noble in origin. But it would be too shortsighted to deny the fact they did help and that their actions did not influence what you all see today."

"The Kahler family wasn't composed of greedy and snobby Nobles, they led Resko with great efficiency, otherwise, it wouldn't have grown to be once regarded as the Capital of the South."

"Winthrope himself is actually the descendant of both the Kahler and Campbell households, those you saw next to him are descendants of the branch families that followed both to the Southern Forest a few years prior to the fall of the Wall."

"The way as to how he came to be is another story, an odd love story that would be forbidden were it not for their exotic circumstances, but let me go into the crux of the matter."

"..."

Erile seemed oddly interested in the story, so she grew very disappointed when Sarferato brushed past it.

"While many of the survivors chose to bear arms and fight for their lives, the Kahler and Campbell households realized that they lacked the talent and ability to do so too."

"Centuries of learning how to lead through a pen and not a sword led their bodies to grow feeble and their ability to fight to be diminished."

"The books they had, the teachings they could receive were all related to the Aristocracy and the methods one could employ to rule, and not on the techniques regarding the strategic placement of troops on the battlefield."

"However, it wasn't like they needed it, as in the first place, I was there." Sarferato said calmly but not arrogantly

His voice then grew increasingly heavy...

"Following our victory on the frontlines, we returned to a desolate battlefield."

"Once we gathered the little people that survived and regrouped in the Last Fortification, the matter of survival was brought up, and a leader was chosen..."

He didn't say who said leader was, but it wasn't complicated to assume who it was.

"I have led many Wars, but I'm not fit to manage a community, my strength lies in giving orders amidst chaotic scenarios and not in telling people how they should divide their provisions and prepare for Winter..."

"That's when Winthrope comes in."

"His family stood with us for decades, they helped stabilize our shaking foundations."

"They have the support of the people and their trust."

"Winthrope studied and trained all his life for this sole purpose, besides, if you feel as if he is not fit for the task… Removing him will not be a problem at all." He said as he clenched his fist

"You have my word that I will cooperate if that day comes."

"Winthrope is incredible at managing, but he is better at reading words rather than pronouncing them, so yes, they may have… A few divergent values and left quite a negative impression on you all, but that doesn't mean they're inherently bad people."

"I'm trying to say for you all to give him a chance… And to suggest a form of management that isn't completely one directional as the one Winthrope likely asked of you."

"You all have the right to shape this City into whatever you desire, do not let us, a bunch of outsiders tell you what to do."

"Especially you." He said as he looked at Dale

[DING]

"Hm?"

As Sarferato finished his words, the world around Dale came to a full stop as several windows manifested in front of him.

'It's here… The choice.'

As the faint hue of light gathered around him, Dale focused.

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Notes

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