"What will happen if you really take leadership of this raid?" Her voice was quiet now, serious. "What happens if you do?"

Reidar didn't answer, but he knew what would happen.

"I'll tell you what happens," Lena said. "The raid succeeds. The infestation is ridden of. The region will become stable, the people will get stronger, the church's influence will be halted, and the Progenitor won't be able to gain more territory, more resources, or more power than he already has."

She stepped closer, her eyes locked on his.

"You talk about going to Creamont to save your parents," she said. "But what are you saving them for? A world controlled by the Church? A region where monsters outnumber survivors?"

"That's not fair," Reidar said.

"It's completely fair," Lena said. "You want to save your family. I want revenge on the people who destroyed mine. But neither of those things matter if we don't have the power to make them happen."

"You are manipulating and using me for strength," Reidar said.

"I am indeed using you for this exact purpose, Reidar, but the point is that it is for your own good, because you are going to get stronger too!"

She paused. "Creamont is a week of travel anyway on foot… If you take your time to improve the Feral Pack efficiency, it will be less than a day with the crows. Do you know how fast our travels will be? Besides, think about this. If you get a lot of Survival points, you can buy skill books for your parents. You can give them summoning skills for them to fly, run, heal themselves, fight, craft, or whatever you want, and you can buy them some powerful ones." She paused.

"Skill books can be shared, after all, and this way you will be able to give your parents a chance to be self-sufficient."

She looked Reidar in the eyes.

"Think about it," Lena said. "What were you gonna do after you left Creamont? What about your parents? The Church might come after them once they know you've been there. If you rush in now, you won't make a difference, you'll just put a target on their backs. The only way to really protect them is to give them the tools to protect themselves. That means securing the whole area around Creamont, uniting the scattered groups, and making your parents stronger too."

"You are talking like Xy'tharr."

"Because he is right, Reidar. This is not about you and me anymore, it is not about your parents or Martin… It's about everyone."

Reidar looked away, staring at the dark trees surrounding the clearing. He wanted to argue, to find some flaw in her logic. But he couldn't. Though, he was surprised to hear Lena say this words.

<I guess she did what she did in Havenwood for the same reason… Altruism… So, who's the fool now, me for having helped back then, or her for wanting to act like the hero?>

"I'm not a leader," Reidar said.

"Maybe not," Lena agreed. "But you're what we have. And right now, that must be enough."

Reidar pulled up the quest notification one more time. He read through every line, every condition, and every warning. The Aegis Phalanx was offering him a path to power, but at the cost of his freedom. At the cost of becoming responsible for others, at least for the time being.

"All right…" he said, "But I will tell you this, I'm not playing nice with Helga or Aldric."

"Agreed," Lena said.

"And the moment the raid is over, we leave," Reidar said. "We take the rewards, and we go to Creamont. No delays. No excuses. I don't want to hear about this savior bulshit. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," Lena said.

"Fuck…"

Lena nodded, satisfaction flickering across her face.

"So, are we staying?" Jake asked.

"Aren't we forced?"

But relief flooded the boy's face, because there was a difference in the approach Reidar was taking. "Good. Those people need help."

"Xy'tharr," Reidar called out. "I accept. Not that you left me a choice."

The Kytinn materialized from the shadows, moving with that same unnatural speed as earlier. Its multiple eyes fixed on Reidar with what might have been approval.

"A wise choice," Xy'tharr said.

Reidar pulled up the quest and mentally selected the acceptance option. The notification shifted, changing from a pending offer to an active quest. New text appeared, detailing objectives and current progress.

—[Quest Accepted: The Shepherd's Gambit]—

"What now?" Reidar asked.

"Now you return to the camp," Xy'tharr said. "As for how you want to tackle this. You have free rein."

"I can do whatever I want?" Reidar asked.

"Whatever you want," Xy'tharr said. Reidar made a huge grin.

The Kytinn's four arms moved in a complex gesture again. Just that this time, it was as if he was expressing something that was very close to being confusion.

<It looks like these guys express themselves with hand gestures rather than facial expressions.>

"The Phalanx will observe your progress," Xy'tharr said. "Succeed, and greater opportunities will follow."

"No pressure," Lena said.

Xy'tharr's eyes shifted to her. "Pressure is what forges strength. Or breaks weakness. We will learn which you are."

The creature stepped back into the shadows. "I will contact you again when necessary. Until then, Reidar Miller, prove that our investment in you was justified."

Then the Kytinn warrior was gone, leaving only the three of them in the clearing.

Reidar stood there for a moment, processing what had just happened. He accepted the quest. He committed to helping the raid, to helping the other survivors succeed, and to becoming the leader the Aegis Phalanx wanted him to be.

<For this raid alone, of course.>

The lone wolf was going to take his vacation. The reluctant shepherd had taken its place.

"We should head back," Lena said. "Before someone notices we left and stirs up a commotion."

Reidar nodded. They made their choice. Now they had to live with it.

As they walked back toward the camp, Reidar pulled up his character sheet and looked at his current level. 120.

—[«STATUS»]—

Name: Reidar Miller

Level: 120

Health: 1070

Mana: 8570.70

C.L.A.S.P.: 178515 / 384800

Available Attribute points: 0.00

Skills: Mending Touch, Group Rally, Root Grasp, Circle of Renewal, Void Javelin, Elemental Storm, Summon Razor-Gill School. Summon Spectral Knights, Summon Rift-Sprite Contubernium, Wind Barrage, Granite Shard, Aqua Cannon, Fire Bolt, Summon Murk-Fin School, Stone Skin, Chitinous Carapace, Hive Mind Echo, Formic Acid Barrier, Corrosive Demise, Summon Vorathid Foragers, Summon Skeletal Warriors, Summon Feral Pack, Summon Shadow Guardians

Equipment: Shepherd's Crook of the Wild, Summoner's Cowl, Summoner's Mantle, Summoner's Leggings, Summoner's Handwraps, Summoner's Treads, Summoner's Bracers, Summoner's Cloak, Summoner's Sash, Aqua Sprite Pendant, Ember Sprite Ring, Stone Sprite Ring

Proficiencies: Velia's Regional Map (39%), Velia's Monster Compendium (49%), Fundamental Spellcraft (84%), Combat Instinct (86%)

Attributes: (S.H.I.E.L.D.: 10,7), (A.C.U.M.E.N.: 56,8), (F.L.A.I.R. : 9,5), (F.L.I.P.: 8,7)

Minions: Feral Pack

Survival Points: 4,399,089

Trait: Skill Sharing

Perks: Efficient Scavenger (6/6), Arcane Potency (6/6), Mana Attunement (5/5), Mana Font (6/6), Focused Mind (5/5), Rapid Learning (5/5), Arcane Resilience (4/4), Empowered Effects (5/5), Arcane Leech (5/5), Spell Control (5/5), Pack Tactics (5/5), Elemental Infusion (5/5), Resilient Constructs (1/6), Ethereal Anchor (5/5), Mana Siphon (10/10), Inspired Creation (4/8)

Perk Points: 0

Titles: The First Killer, The First Apprentice, The Pioneer, Creature Slayer IV, Rift-Sprite Hunter IV, The Exterminator, Guardian of the Innocents, Adept Learner, Abyssal Caller, The Apex

Profession: Tailoring (LVL33), Woodworking (LVL55), Enchanting (LVL42)

—[«END»]—

If the quest delivered on its promise, if the average level increase was five and the multiplier was high, he could be over level 150 by the end of this, even more if he played his cards right.

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