"It's not that bad." Veya told me, moving her left leg. I noticed her wince slightly but kept quiet. The injuries she had covering her body were from me, after all. "Though, Knightly Houses and Lordly Houses are the only obvious ones."
"Let me guess, Ser, Dame, Lord and Lady?" I asked, glancing around the surrounding woods.
It was still too quiet for my liking.
"Yeah, you got them all right. Did you remember them?" she asked, looking me over.
I shook my head. "No, it was just a lucky guess."
She hummed in thought at my response. For a moment I thought she would question me further, but surprisingly, she just moved on.
"That's fair, but yeah, those were all correct." She gave me a nod, as if to congratulate me. "After them, in the same order as before, come the Baronet or Baronetess, the Baron or Baroness, Count or Countess, the Marquess or Marchioness, the Duke or Duchess and finally the Archduke or Archduchess."
'All split into male and female counter parts. Has the world finally found equality?' Somehow, that was hard to believe, but I held onto some hope.
"What about the Royal House?" I asked a moment later, noting how she hadn't mentioned it.
"Ah, so you were listening." She smirked, then grimaced again as the action pulled on her wound.
I frowned as I noticed the action. "We should probably look into getting your injuries checked out."
Veya rose a delicate silver brow at me. "We?"
"You're my guide now, so yes, we." I told her with a nod, feeling my own amusement build at her confused look.
"Where's my choice in this?" she asked, frowning at me.
"Do you think you'll survive for long in this forest with your injuries?"
"Well-"
"The truth, Veya." I interrupted her, giving her a pointed look. She squirmed under my gaze for a moment, before giving up with a heavy sigh.
"Fine. No, I won't." She admitted, something that we both already knew. "But that doesn't mean I need your help."
I didn't bother hiding the fact that I rolled my eyes at her defiant words. Honestly, she was just being stubborn for the sake of being stubborn.
"So, if you come across a Leshy, you'll be able to handle it?" I asked, recalling her earlier words. Evidently, she was too, if the grimace on her face was anything to go by.
Unfortunately, the reminder didn't stop her from defiantly raising her chin and saying, "Yes."
'Alright, I've played civil for long enough. Time to change my approach.' I decided, settling myself a little more comfortable against the root at my back.
"You owe me one."
"What?"
"You tried to kill me and failed. You owe me one." I reiterated, raising a single finger.
Veya snorted, her lips curling with the same aggressive fire from before. "I don't owe you shit. Me answering your questions and teaching you common knowledge is my payment."
"Okay," I raised a second finger. "I also spared your life, so that makes two debts."
"That's not how it works!" She shouted, gritting her teeth.
"Actually, you'll find that's exactly how it works." I told her, smirking with a little too many teeth on display.
"Ugh," She huffed, knowing I had her. "So, what, you want me to lead you to my Clan or something?"
"No, I want you to accept an accord." Veya raised a curios brow at my request. "Let me help you with your injuries, and I'll consider the debt paid."
"That's all?" She asked cautiously.
I nodded my head.
Whilst at first glance it may have seemed like I was making a foolish mistake, in reality, I was making a calculated risk. Either way, Veya would have to lead me to her Clan to get her injuries sorted, and, with this, I could also atone for my earlier actions.
I was trying to turn over a new leaf, after all.
"…Fine." She finally said, her chin rising in a haughty manner. "But after this, all my debts are paid."
"All your debts are paid." I agreed easily, though I gave her an unimpressed stare at her prideful action, not that she could see it.
"I'll hold you to your word." She told me, carefully pushing herself to stand. I didn't bother offering her help, she'd only reject it. "Let's start moving then, best to get away from the remains of the natural disaster you dropped on the forest."
"You think something is on its way already?" I asked, falling into step with her.
"I'm surprised something hasn't already made its way here." She snorted.
I hummed, not commenting on her observation. It likely had something to do with my new ring, even if the System stated otherwise. It was a relic of a deity, after all. It very likely was probably stronger than we both realized.
At least, that's what my theory was.
"Where did we stop with your lesson?" Veya suddenly asked, stubbornly hobbling faster to stay a foot ahead of me.
"The Royal House, and their titles."
"Right," Her voice was a little breathless as she spoke. "The Royal House is a little different to the rest. Its titles only belong to the man sitting on the throne."
'And there goes my hope for equality.' I mentally huffed.
"He gets a few, but only three are primarily used for him. He's known as the Sovereign, High King, and God Emperor."
"Talk about ego." I muttered, watching Veya carefully. She was pushing herself a little too hard, in my opinion. Not that I'd say it out loud.
"His ego is well deserved, apparently." She quickly added. "According to myth, he's been around since the First Generation of Risen. Though besides immortality, nobody in the Clans know what his other Ethos might be."
"Really now?" And wasn't that just interesting. Something told me there was a connection between this High King and the new social status which had taken over the world.
Honestly, this man sounded like the final boss of all the stories I had read as a child. Which, knowing my luck, he very likely was.
Seriously, God Emperor? That was as cliché as you could get.
Then again, this wasn't a story I was living through, but real life. For all I knew, he could probably be some lazy douche who was too afraid to die.
'I guess only time will tell.'
For now, I'd keep my eye out for him, something told me that Veya didn't know as much as she liked me to believe, and that there was more going on behind the scenes.
"So, these Risen, you've mentioned them a few times now, but what are they, exactly?"