Chapter 250

As Zoey went through her explanation, Astrid eyed her with an interesting mix of emotions. That ‘cultural bluntness’ seemed to extend into being easy to read: Zoey had little difficulty deciphering what she was thinking by her expression despite having just met the woman.

First up was curiosity and possibly even apprehension, undoubtedly thanks to Zoey’s divine placement onto Rosalie’s team. Zoey had been wrapping her head around what her circumstances meant these past few days, socially speaking, especially with the upcoming birth of her temple, but she doubted she’d ever fully adjust to the fact that Ephy’s blessing made her in a real way something more than ‘just’ human. As was reinforced by the look Astrid was giving her. Not awe or worship or anything that ridiculous, but ... still something. She hoped it would go away as they got to know each other. It was an awkward first impression, in Zoey’s opinion, being seen as a goddess’s chosen.

There was also more mundane interest in her eyes as Zoey explained her class. That interest morphed to disapproval as she followed up with her lack of extensive combat training. Perhaps Enzo had already mentioned that, because she didn’t seem surprised, only disapproving. Clearly, Astrid saw no excuse for Zoey’s lack of lifelong vigilance toward becoming a warrior, and perhaps even she had silently lost some respect because of it. Zoey supposed she could empathize with the viewpoint. Astrid didn’t understand what modern life had been like for Zoey, that even self-defense skills hadn’t been all that necessary to learn, much less the sort of comprehensive training she’d undergone. And Astrid seemed to be from a warrior society even more intense than the average wayfarer, which was saying something.

There was also, finally, an appreciative look Zoey caught once or twice, idle glances that didn’t seem intentional. A subtle signal that maybe her class’s requirements might be compatible with Astrid. Though the looks were subtle, maybe even imagined, only there because Zoey was hoping to see them. In either case, Astrid wasn’t overtly interested; it was a barely perceptible thing. And even admiration for her curves and a preference toward the softer sex wouldn’t necessarily mean they were compatible, on an individual level. Still, Zoey found it promising.

Delta and Maddy gave overviews of their classes and skills next. Sharing abilities wasn’t all that common upon first acquaintance, but this was no regular wayfaring team-up: they were owed a basic level of privacy, but arranging one of the prominent teams of their generation meant typical customs went ignored. They went further in-depth about their classes than most candidate teammates would.

Afterward, practical demonstrations took place. As was natural, Astrid and Rosalie were the first to step into the training area with their weapons bared. They would, after all, have a particularly close dynamic, with Rosalie’s newest skill granting notable boosts when she fought alongside Astrid. And each of them was eager to get the other’s measure simply as a matter of their natures.

With the two girls being the center of attention, Zoey had an opportunity to ask questions.

“So,” she said to Maddy, who, as a Sovereign’s daughter, was as close to as well-informed as Rosalie herself, perhaps. “The Harkvalen?”

Maddy stole a glance at Zoey, attention mostly occupied on the fight in front of them, in which the red-haired berserker was wielding her enormous dragon’s scale as both defensive implement and weapon. The fight had broken out without hesitation. “Oh,” she said. “Right, you wouldn’t know of them, would you? Hm.” She pursed her lips. “The Fractures are filled with more than just the two Highguilds and the Sovereign. Those three are the three major players, I guess you could call it, but there are smaller entities like the Harkvalen Clan. Their territory is only a single fracture, but it’s one of the biggest known—tens of dozens times the size of Mantle’s.”

“Oh, wow,” Zoey said. Mantle was already a large fracture, a decently sized realm in and of itself.

“It’s mostly ice and snow there,” Maddy said. “And crawling with dangerous monsters. Nearly as dangerous as a shard, depending where you go, or so I’ve heard. I’ve never been.” She hummed thoughtfully, eyes tracking the rapid movements of the two fighters ahead of them. It was quite the show; Zoey nearly lost focus on the conversation too, jolting back only when Maddy continued after her long pause. “The Harkvalen themselves are known for their bloodline, mostly. It’s a really, really strong ability that almost all of their warriors get to varying degrees. It’s not a surprise their culture shaped the way it did when berserking is foundational to their clan.” She stirred as if realizing something. “I’m sorry, were you asking something in specific, or did you just want an overview?”

“Just an overview,” Zoey said. “Or anything you think I might need to know. It’s obvious she’s...” she paused as she considered how to phrase it. “That we have cultural differences,” she finished.

For the most part, the people she’d met had been fairly sensible, at least when moderating her expectations to a semi-medieval fantasy world. The homogeneity was likely thanks to sticking to ‘civilized’ parts of the Fractures; the Deepshunters Guild was, in a way, a single particular empire in which she’d met both Delta and Maddy. The Harkvalen Clan seemed like something different, based on Astrid’s bluntness, accent, and form of dress.