Rebirth System: Blood and Ash

[Requirements met: The user now has enough subordinates.]

[Subordinate management unlocked.]

Aric saw this panel appear just after his discussion with Twicher and Borag, though he decided to ignore it then, until he had a chance to fully explore what it meant.

They returned to their carriage, where the young guard Alan and the driver stood, awaiting their return. Aric could clearly see they had also gotten into an altercation, though neither of them looked hurt or even significantly exhausted.

"Looks like you guys weren’t left alone," Aric remarked.

"Yes, your highness, but they quickly realized we had nothing valuable. After the first two, no one came to try again."

Aric, having told them to remain outside with the carriage, had expected they would be confronted and was quite satisfied with how they had handled it.

"Alright," Aric stretched, "You all can go get some food and water, have some rest. Be back here in four hours... I’ll be waiting in the carriage."

"Your highness, it’s fine, I’ll stay here with y—"

The prince stopped Alan mid-sentence.

"No, no," he shook his head. "Go on, I’ll be fine."

If anything, The prince might have worried about them going off on their own, but with Serina present, he was certain they would be fine.

Aric boarded the carriage while the rest went off, and with the prince now having some time alone, he could finally contemplate what the text on the panels he had seen meant.

"Guide," he called.

She materialized at the side of his head, a curious look on her face.

"What does this mean?" Aric inquired, gesturing to the panel before him.

[Subordinate management unlocked.]

The guide turned to the screen and then back to him.

"This is one of the many system functions you refused to let me brief you on," the guide reminded Aric, her tone gloating.

"I doubt anything about that would’ve been brief," Aric retorted.

"But you would have had knowledge of all—"

"Alright, alright," Aric stopped her, "We can go through system functions another time. Just tell me what this is."

The guide cleared her throat, her wings fluttering as she entered her explanation frenzy.

"The subordinate management function allows the user to track the state of all subordinates, from their level of loyalty to their feelings toward the user. When upgraded, more information can be displayed, like attributes and more."

"Oh," Aric’s eyes widened, thrilled by the prospect. "How do I see the subordinate details?"

"First, you must name your party."

[Please choose a name for your party.]

Aric thought for a moment. Although it didn’t seem like a profound decision, he contemplated it intently.

"Would you like a suggestion?" the guide asked.

"Go on."

"Since you also have no name for your political house in the empire, you can name them both The House of Arkhan."

Aric tilted his head slightly, curious about the reasoning behind her choice.

"Why that?"

"Ark-han, in the ancient language of the Men of Winter, means ’to be reborn.’ Not physically, but in a metaphorical sense—to completely change and become someone far different than before," the guide explained.

"I assumed it would be a fitting name for your house, but you may still—"

"No, I think it’s great," Aric said. "Let’s go with that."

[You have named your party: House of Arkhan.]

[Showing party member details.]

-------------

The House of Arkhan

Lerai Castro | Human Mage

Loyalty: 83

Emotion: Inspired, Respect

///

Serina Marcel | Human Mage

Loyalty: 54

Emotion: Intrigued, Respect

///

Estate Guards | Humans

Avg Loyalty: 93

Emotion: Fear, Respect

///

Keins Town Bandits | Humans

Avg Loyalty: 70

Emotion: Fear

///

Borag and Twicher | Human Cultivators

Avg Loyalty: 28

Emotion: Greed, Intrigue, Fear

///

Marcus Leman | Human

Loyalty: 50 (Quickly decreasing)

Emotion: Betrayal, Fear

--------------

Aric was astonished by the panel, his eyes widening.

"I believe the rest are self-explanatory. As for emotions, this shows your subordinates’ current feelings toward you, with their strongest feeling listed first," the guide offered insight.

Everything about it made Aric curious, offering him a better understanding of the aftermath of his actions. However, one person left him confused.

"Who the hell is that? And why do they feel I betrayed them?"

Aric stared hard at the name, thinking carefully in an attempt to remember, and then his memory flashed to a name tag on a desk.

"...The clerk," Aric facepalmed.

It all made sense now. He had completely forgotten, but he had promised to compensate the clerk for the letters he gave him, and Aric never did. That would explain the betrayal and the falling loyalty.

"I didn’t mean to… I actually forgot," Aric sighed, glancing at the name again.

He shook his head, ignoring the thought. He then glanced at all the other sections. As expected, Borag and Twicher’s loyalty was low. If he hadn’t given them gold, they wouldn’t have submitted, but Aric had already planned out how to change that.

---

The four hours had passed, and Serina and the others returned. With their legs stretched, bellies full, and enough food and water for the rest of the journey, they continued on.

Aric hadn’t eaten yet, though he had plenty in his inventory. He didn’t feel the need to.

Perhaps he was the slightest bit nervous, confronting the Byzeth King?

’Oh, please,’ Aric scoffed internally.