As the conversation moved further, Dawn took the initiative to express more, even though she was still much more reserved compared to soone like Jenni. Although she ntioned she was not big on conversation, Dawn seed to be an all-rounder on nearly every topic. Her experience might not be deep, but she seed to know a lot about various subjects.
"You ntioned you learned the language recently," Jenni asked. "Does that an you're not from the empire?"
Dawn shook her head.
"Where are you from?"
"I don't think you'll recognize the place," she said. "I was born in a naless village, and my work has had moving all the ti since I was sixteen. But for the last couple of years, I've mostly stayed in the Republic and the kingdom of Iman."
"I see," Jenni gave a thoughtful look. "As far as I know, the Republic uses the common tongue, but Imanian is difficult. I heard there's a huge difference between how n and won talk."
"Not a huge difference, but you are correct."
"You know that language?"
Dawn nodded.
"Say sothing in Imanian," she urged.
"Tu para e asta?" Dawn said.
"What does that an?"
"What do you want to talk about?"
"Hmm," Jenni humd. "You're good. I think all you need is just a little more confidence..."
Dawn practically blushed at the complint.
"Your hair, is it natural?" Jenni asked, moving her palm to touch it. "Can I touch it?"
Dawn thought for a mont before nodding. With her approval, Jenni didn't waste any ti brushing clumsy fingers over her silky hair.
"It used to be black," Dawn said. "But it mutated to this when I was seventeen."
"What happened?" Jenni slled the locks of hair and then beca flustered.
Was she being weird? This isn't it, right? She hoped.
"I went to an ancient ruin, sothing like an inheritance ground," Dawn said, a shiver running down her spine as she rembered the past. "I almost died there, but luckily encountered an opportunity that changed my whole life, as well as my hair and so physical aspects."
"Oh, I went through sothing like that too, very recently," Jenni laughed blankly, still running her palm over Dawn's hair. "Almost died too, but unfortunately, got no life-changing opportunity."
Once again, her words left Dawn in silence, as the girl had no clue how to encourage soone else.
"I'm alive, that's all that matters," Jenni said.
"You'll get another chance," Dawn finally said.
"No, thank you," Jenni shook her head, "I'd rather stay on track than go through that experience again."
"I used to regret it in the beginning too," Dawn said. "But without that opportunity, I wouldn't be here, wouldn't have t so many brilliant people."
"Sothing tells you count Warden in that special bracket of people," Jenni muttered.
"Yes."
"Good for him," she said, pouting. "Oh, that reminds , he left so food earlier today. Do you want so?"
Before she got an answer, Jenni moved to serve.
"Fried rice?" Dawn said. "I had that in the morning."
Jenni lifted an eyebrow. "That reminds , where are you staying?"
Since Dawn wasn't in any official or unofficial post of the military, she wouldn't be given any place to stay... Unless...
"In Sir Ga- Warden's quarters."
Jenni faltered in her work and frowned at her. "He didn't get approval or anything for this, did he?"
Dawn shot a look of complete incredulity.
"I guess his place is big enough and better than the soldier quarters," Jenni muttered. "Anyway, do you get your privacy with him being there?"
"Yes, we do not have much interaction after the first couple of days," Dawn said, sounding sowhat reluctant. "Other than the morning when he cooks for us and we eat together, I have most of the day to myself with nothing to do."
That was probably why he asked for us to et, Jenni thought. I guess it worked out.
Jenni prepared a tier-I script to heat the food before serving. "So what do you plan from here?" she asked. "How long are you going to stay?"
"I'm not sure... Sir Warden needs to complete so work," she said slowly. "I guess I'll help with that."
"Why do you call him Sir?" Jenni asked. "You're both silver rankers, no?"
"He doesn't like that either," Dawn sighed. "I guess old habits don't go away."
"He advanced to Silver only a couple of weeks ago, while you look like you've been in Silver for so ti..."
"Oh, you might not know, but Sir was a gold ranker before—" Dawn paused, as though only just rembering she shouldn't discuss any more.
"What?" But Jenni only needed a little to get her interest piqued. "How did he fall back to iron rank?"
"I shouldn't discuss this without Sir's permission," Dawn answered neutrally.
"Hmm," Jenni didn't mind, though she didn't stop. "Is this how he beca a Master Runesmith so early?"
After all, a Master Runesmith in gold rank is much more believable than a Master Runesmith in Iron or Silver rank.
"I don't know which accomplishnt is greater," Dawn cut in, "but I know for a fact that he advanced to Gold at 24."
"Holy mother of gods!" Jenni stood up. "You are joking, right?"
Dawn still had the sa look on her face.
"I'm twenty-five and would have been Silver if I hadn't fallen in the subspace," she said, clenching her teeth. "But there is a huge difference between gold and silver advancent. I know I'm not the greatest of potentials... still, as far as I know, the youngest gold ranker was in his early forties..."
"Common sense does not make sense about him," Dawn stated, "soone once told ."
Jenni sighed. "I guess I'm only dregs—" A bell chid, alerting her. "Oh crap, Father is coming..."
Before she could do anything, she heard a knock, followed by her father's voice. "Jenni, I'm coming in..."
"Wait, Father, I'm..."
The man was already in her room, observing her.
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