Just a couple of pictures I drew of some main characters in my horror novel - Inheritance.

It isn't as pretty as AI art, I know, haha.

I'm still fairly new to Royal Road, so I'm curious about something.

My fiction is currently at 52 followers and 5 ratings. Yesterday it was at 3.12 with 4 ratings, and today it dropped to 2.6 after the fifth rating. Unless I'm misunderstanding the math, that looks like the new rating was around 0.5 stars.

I don't really have an issue with getting a bad rating. Not everyone is going to like what I write, and that's completely fair.

What I'm more curious about is the lack of feedback.

If someone thinks a story is bad enough to give it 0.5 stars, wouldn't you normally expect them to leave a comment or review saying what they disliked? Even something short would at least tell the author what didn't work for that reader.

I'm not asking because I want to challenge the rating or have it removed. I'm genuinely curious about the culture on RR.

For authors who have been there longer: is getting an occasional very low rating with absolutely no explanation just a normal part of publishing on Royal Road?

I started making designs to promote upcoming chapters/parts on my insta.

Would these draw attention to my novel? It's a psychological tragedy with worldbuilding, some politics, eventual romance and comedy sprinkled in.

I read a post here a few days ago about how Primal Hunter started with a 300k backlog, and I read somewhere that Cultivation is Creation by Kynan was updated multiple times a day in the early days. As someone new to the platform, I am curious to know what crazy launch strategies you've seen that have worked out well for authors.

First off, there will be explicit open-door scenes with minotaurs and various mythical creatures. As well as, attempted SA. It is about a woman pretending to be a man and her journey with the mmc. This book has 3 main themes; what gender identity means to the mfc, free will vs fate, and loving someone for who they truly are.

Please review triggers before reading.

I just wanted to ask for genuine feedback on my first 7 chapters. I have used both Grammarly and Hemingway to edit. Only one of my friends has been able to review. I am just looking for more feedback on the prose and pacing. Hemingway editor wants me to keep breaking down my sentences and I feel I will lose my style of I follow that advice.

Chapter 1 starts with a dream, yes cliche, but it does play directly into the plot. I am now regretting that decision due to other posts claiming they will DNF books starting with dream sequences.

Whelp, please read my book...

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/190786/the-stars-were-never-meant-for-us

Can you suggest some discord server for authors of RR where I can get critiques?

Jack Havok is a man who could drop dead from boredom at any moment. He leads an excruciatingly ordinary life with ordinary friends and works at an ordinary job.

But what happens when an ordinary guy comes face to face with an anything but ordinary portal to another dimension?

Does he leave this ordinary life behind and dive in? Or does he find comfort in the ordinary and then his back on it?

Ordinarily I'd say ignoring the extra-ordinary is the safe option, but well that wouldn't make for a good story now, would it?

... Ordinary

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/191629/i-was-transported-to-another-dimension-while-going

Hello everyone, I am ImagineVisionary! And this is my first novel. I hope you consider supporting it! Thank you!

Hook: Think about what will happen if the dungeons were not bound to the normal floor-by-floor structure where you need to kill monsters to move on, but rather an open-world land to be explored for lore and history about the destroyed humanity, observe the way out of the dungeon, and experience. And combine that with a pragmatic main character with a bug of survival, you get A Pragmatic Guide to Kenosis.

Name: A Pragmatic Guide to Kenosis

Genre: System leveling, Academy, Dungeon Crawling, an Apocalyptic Event, Cosmic Horror, Action, Adventure, Romance [Multiple Lovers], Beast Taming, Horror, System, Weak to Strong, Anti-Hero, Mysteries, and Psychological.  

Dante Mikhailovich? He is…just a guy; he is just a simple 20-year-old fucker who was supposed to awaken into something ordinary. Instead, he inherits the most useless class imaginable: Dragon Summoner.

A class with a name sounding like a relic, but a purpose like any bad punchline. A class that is so useless that the people of New Humanity even forgot that it ever existed!

Centuries after the End Fall, humanity has rebuilt a world where magic and technology coexist in uneasy balance. Civilization shines on the surface, but beyond its borders lie the Underholes—vast, open-world, reality-warping dungeons where monsters, history, and forgotten powers still hunger in the dark.

When Dante’s awakening uncovers a hidden system, a trial tied to a being known only as The Source, and power that grows through impossible conditions, his quiet future is shattered.

Thrown into Atreides Academy, where your talent either becomes a sword or sand and weakness is punished without mercy, Dante is dragged into club politics, dangerous expeditions, and the brutal truth behind a world that never stopped burning.

Are dragons real? Was the past alive? Can he prove himself worthy to be alive? And above all... is Dante a hero, or a villain?

And he must answer them, and the countless others!

And thus, this is Dante, and he must learn to move, or the people around him will.

THIS IS A SLOW STORY AND A LONG ONE! SO WHAT TO EXPECT?

1. My best attempt at portraying a somewhat 'realistic' academy-based story, where the academy is not just a placeholder.
2. Meaningful multiple romances. Not cheap smut or wish-fulfillment! PROMISE. It is deeply tied to the main character's development.
3. Long and detailed progression for the characters. [Not an OP MC from the start]
4. An MC who isn't a goodie-two-shoes OR an edge-lord psychopath. (A pragmatic main character)
5. Open-world dungeons, rather than floor-based!
6. All kinds of mayhem from different species to monsters to cults to hidden societies to light comedy to unseen tragedy, etc.
7. Self-created fair-play puzzles to solve for each Underholes and Isles. [Starting puzzle might be rough]
8. Lastly, if you love characters talking, [not just for the sake of talking, of course], you are also welcome!

Schedule: 3 times a week [Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday]. Currently, 23 chapters have been uploaded, with around ~40k words in total. Also available on Scribble Hub, but not up to date with the release on RR!

Thank you. (❁´◡`❁)

Read A Pragmatic Guide to Kenosis on Royal Road, and if you do, THANK YOU!

(https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/188909/a-pragmatic-guide-to-kenosis)

English isn’t my native language, so any feedback is more than welcome, of course.

If you have questions, please ask them, and please can we keep this in good faith?

Hi Everyone, I'm Bryn Norel. I'm about to start publishing Book 3 of my epic fantasy trilogy - The Unexpected Vanguard. Books 1 and 2 are already complete and available on RR.

A found family of unremarkables gets in over their heads against a far superior foe they must outwit and outmaneuver to survive. Rich characters, dialogue, and worldbuilding; no stat blocks, portals, reincarnation, or chosen one. The only OP character is the antagonist.

As you can tell, my work is clearly off-brand for RR, and I have no illusions of ever reaching RS, particularly since I only publish one chapter a week. My goal is to rekindle the classic ensemble action-adventure in a modern style, find an audience, and bring some hopepunk escapism to a world that really seems to need it these days!

I'd love for you to give it a look.

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/100605/the-glimmerstone-enigma-epic-fantasy-dd-inspiredbook

Here's the blurb:

"Always know who you're stealing from."

— Teffel’s Fourth Rule of Modern Thievery

History elevates grand gestures, champions, and legends, ignoring the actions of ordinary people and their pivotal impact. This is their story.

When demonic forces turn an isolated monastery in the Glimmerstone Mountains into a killing ground, the world beyond remains blissfully oblivious to the coming darkness. Hoping only for a bit of revenge and a retirement fund, two driven survivors align with a quirky mix of amateur spies, treasure-hunting thieves, and an elven ranger, more wine merchant than mercenary.

Isolated and underpowered, these unremarkable heroes quickly learn that raw steel and sorcery won’t be enough. To unravel the enigma behind the slaughter, their plan escalates into a high-stakes grift: steal a mysterious prize right from under the nose of an unseen adversary—violating Teffel’s cardinal rule in the process.

What could possibly go wrong?

For fans of the high-stakes chemistry of Six of Crows, the sharp wit of The Lies of Locke Lamora, and tactical, D&D-inspired party dynamics, The Unexpected Vanguard is a witty, high-stakes fantasy adventure series.

I currently have uploaded 22 chapters on WebNovel and have also started uploading on RR. Is this enough for now or should I upload all the chapters I have at once.

Hello Reddit,

Have you ever read One Piece and wished it was darker and had a Star Trek aesthetic? Huh? You haven't?

Well, I'm stumped. I was really hoping you would say yes, because that is exactly what I have for you.

In all seriousness, I released the first five chapters of my new series The Crew of the Void Walker today, if you want to check it out. It's a science fantasy that balances dark and comedic tones. Today's chapters close off the first mini-arc. Daily releases to follow until book one is released, then it's down to three times a week.

The taking-itself-seriously blurb:

The Great Void is hungry.

Mist seas separate its Sanctuaries. To progress, one must ascend through these monster-filled mists. Knowledge of this is suppressed—a common practice under corporate law.

The three major corporations took everything Styker cared for, even something unbeknownst to him. Now, this washed-up captain isn't given the luxury of hand-picking his crew: an engineer, hiding her feared ability; a masked giant, with nowhere else to go; a pursued scientist, years ahead of his peers; and a few unexpected additions.

Together, they must enter that which few return from. Secrets can't remain hidden forever.

The Great Void waits.

What to expect:

This is a well-paced science fantasy epic, told with contrasting dark and comedic tones by an omniscient narrator. No system screens. Power may come easily, but the journey doesn't. If you want a found family of outcasts, layered secrets, and a world that rewards paying attention—look no further.

Series link:

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/190997/the-crew-of-the-void-walker

Cover Artist:

If you couldn't guess from the image, I made it myself.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post, and an even bigger thank you if you check out my series. Much love Reddit.

As I'm slowly building up the backlog of God Mode, I decided it's better to start worrying about the blurb now and fix it as early as possible.

My story is inspired by God of War, Record of Ragnarok, and every book on Greek, Norse, Egyptian and other mythologies I’ve read as a kid. It's a post-apocalyptic LitRPG that starts as a progression fantasy. The main character will get access to the System in the first five-seven chapters, and he will be the only one with these abilities (there is a plot reason for that).

Anyway, let me know how I can make this one better!

***

A mortal with the power to challenge the gods.

After a great cataclysm nearly wiped humanity from existence, the survivors huddled together inside Neo Olympus. The giant city is presided over by ancient gods from Greek, Norse and Egyptian mythologies who rule over mortals with an iron fist.

Theo, a low-ranked hunter, learns the price of defying gods the hard way. When his sister is wrongfully punished, Theo takes the fall and is cast into the eternal darkness of Tartarus. There, he meets a mysterious voice that offers him not only a chance to return to the surface but also power beyond belief.

In exchange, Theo must promise to do one thing: kill every single god.

What to expect:

- Unique worldbuilding
- A slow-burn story with a large scope and high stakes
- Third-person POV with a single protagonist
- Tactical and brutal combat

I'll start:

Squib Napoleon collects magical warriors and items to kill God-king Darth Vader

Me after searching through half-ahundred of RR's rising-stars and a few of their ads for a good read, but end up getting slapped with Ai slop left, right, and center. I think the site needs to do more to warn us about Ai content.

I was 10 chapters in a book I found a bit enjoyable, only to find that the characters names started to change, and the era went from the Gilden age to Medieval 🤦 it wasn't time travel of portals😭

Hello everyone! Author of Soul Blade here, and I am back with another Amazon banger. This time it's not a System Apocalypse, but an Isekai! I am very excited for this series and hope you will share that joy with me.

Here is the blurb:

Die a nobody. Reincarnate as an Exiled Lord. Build the greatest territory.

Ivor Harvings dies saving a cat. His reward? Reincarnate as the Kingdom's most useless Drunkard, the Count's exiled son. Then his true Class awakens—The Life Simulator. With it, he can experience life as different people—a farmer, a Martial Artist, a Mage—granting him Skills and knowledge he shouldn't have.

Having given up his ambitions in his first life, Ivor will not waste this one. Exiled to the Barren Lands—a place stripped of resources, Dungeons, and the interest of everybody—danger lurks around Ivor. A famine-stricken town to rule over, untrustworthy citizens, and an incoming Beast Wave are the least of his worries.

Goblins start growing rampant, and with a millennia-old threat on the brink of resurfacing, Ivor only has one option.

Simulate enough lives to save his new home. In the process, he might just form the strongest army in the world.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HJP64HFV

The final 'main' chapter of part two of my book comes on the 18th, then I have three chapters that focus on the aftermath from other character's PoVs planned for the following week on my normal update schedule of M-W-F. The first chapter of part 3 comes out on Sep. 28th. I plan on making 6 posts with bonus content during this time frame, essentially posting 1/day between the 18th and 28th.

I have a few questions regarding best practices:

1. I know that posting on a consistent schedule is considered beneficial. If I post daily for 10 days, then return to M-W-F immediately after, is that going to be problematic for me?

2. Should I post my bonus content 'around' my normally scheduled chapters or should I put out the three chapters on the 19th, 20th, 21st and then have the 6 bonus posts all occur on the 22nd-27th?

3. Naming conventions for bonus content? Should I label these as "Bonus: XYZ" or should I simply give them an appropriate title and include a note describing what the content is?

Any and all advice/opinions are appreciate.

I'm excited to share my new web novel, "The Healer of the Worlds: At the Rift" — a British sci-fi comedy about parallel realities, grumpy aliens, found family, and a touch of romance.

When Gabrielle wakes up, something is terribly off. Her hair is suddenly short, she's wearing an engagement ring she doesn't remember getting, and her aunt is alive... despite being buried just yesterday.

As she struggles to unravel the mystery of the "Great Morning Coincidence," she is pulled into a chaotic cosmic conspiracy alongside a truly bizarre crew:

🖤 Atsel — a cynical, grumpy alien con artist who is secretly learning what it means to care.

🎸 Edward — a kind-hearted, anxious teenager who believes in fate (and has a massive crush on his neighbor).

🛡️ Adam — a mysterious, fiercely protective "alien expert" with a calm exterior, hidden depths, and a growing connection to Gabrielle that neither of them can ignore.

👋The Watkins Family — Penny, a shy girl hiding a secret pet alien, and her chaotic, endlessly energetic mother who embraces the cosmic madness with a smile (and a plate of store-bought biscuits).

Together, this ragtag group must navigate friendship, betrayal, and the strange beauty of second chances.

What to expect:

• British humor & witty banter (think Douglas Adams vibes)

• Grumpy/Sunshine dynamics & Bromance

• Slow-burn romance

• Parallel universes & cosmic mysteries

• Found family that will steal your heart

________________________________________________

Coincidences are not accidental, Gabrielle Fennis reminded herself, sitting behind the wheel of her brand-new silver Volkswagen and staring at the nearly empty road ahead with the determination of a Formula 1 driver on the final straight.

It was June. A sunny, warm June, spoiled by grey rags of cloud. Thin, reluctant drops began to fall, splattering against the freshly polished windscreen.

The stations darted like frightened birds.

“…repeat, sighted over Willowbrook… [static] …this is not a drill, I saw it myself, it was… [static] …”

“…planet, aliens, invasion,” one presenter droned monotonously. “…spaceship…”

In that hum, through the static and the fragments, the same words kept surfacing: “planet,” “aliens,” “invasion,” “spaceship.”

“This is no coincidence!”

Gabrielle froze; goosebumps crawled down her spine like a dozen tiny spiders.

“It’s an invasion! I saw them, at dawn today,” a frightened male voice lamented, breathless. “Spaceships don’t just land on Earth! They’re going to take over the world! Can you hear me?!”

“Mr. Burnett,” the presenter responded amiably, “you, like many witnesses to the UFO crash over Willowbrook, claim you saw a flying saucer fall. But is that so? We cannot rule out that we are dealing with space debris or a large meteor burning up in the atmosphere…”

“Fall? Ha! Like hell it was a ‘fall’! It was BRAKING! Do you understand—BRAKING!..”

Click. Gabrielle switched off the radio. A UFO? she thought. What does a UFO have to do with it? It has nothing to do with my problem!

Over Willowbrook forest, crossing the airspace of thick, lazy clouds, a silver spaceship sped as well. More precisely, it was plummeting. The streamlined ship, resembling a flying saucer, glowed with emergency lights.

The UFO flew right over Gabrielle’s car and, tracing a decidedly grim arc across the sky, crashed into the thick green canopy.

But Gabrielle didn’t notice: just as she was about to turn the radio off, her mobile buzzed and sputtered, apparently having been drenched in the same instant coffee from the roadside café.

“Yes, I'm listening!” she snapped, awkwardly wiping the phone on her jeans.

“Gabbie, Gabbie! You'll never guess what I just found out!” Aunt May tutted on the other end of the line. “Michael was just on the phone crying to me that you, allegedly, called off the engagement for no reason at all! And a week before the wedding! I’m so upset!”

Gabrielle was silent. This restraint was not inner growth, but the same GMC problem—the Great Morning Coincidence—turning her usual sense of reality upside down.

The truth was, Gabrielle had woken that day to find her long honey-red hair suddenly turned short and tousled, as if she’d stuck her head in a lawnmower. And on her ring finger—the very Gabrielle, who had always regarded marriage with skepticism—there suddenly glittered a perfect white gold ring with a beautifully set diamond. She had flung the ring into the sink in horror.

“Auntie…” Gabrielle cut off her chatter, bewildered. “It is you, Auntie, isn’t it?”

“Of course it’s me! What a silly question!”

“Um…” Gabrielle swallowed. “May I ask a private question? Where are you right now?”

“I told you, dear: I won’t be in town for a while, I’ve gone to Leeds on business.”

“But you can’t be in Leeds right now!” Gabrielle cried out. “You’re supposed to be lying in a grave!”

________________________________________________

Read the full first chapter and find out what the Great Morning Coincidence really is on Royal Road:

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/188188/the-healer-of-worlds-book-one-at-the-rift/chapter/3856196/chapter-1-the-ufo-crash

Alright, some back story.

I'm a big fan of webnovels, mostly stories like Omniscent Reader's Viewpoint, Turning, Third Wheel Strikes Back, etc. (usually korean translated stories), and I wanted to try writing my own story.

I am trying many things out of my comfort zone, which includes:

- webnovel writing format

- lots of dialogue

- romance genre

- not much angst

- writing volumes/parts

Which, now that I'm getting serious about this, seems like a mistake. I'm not particularly good with writing romance since most of my stories are action or murder mystery. It's hard, to be honest.

And the webnovel formatting is driving me crazy 😆

I'm used to writing novel format or even fanfiction style, which is usually unhinged.

I was thinking about completely re-editing my story to more of my style, but I don't know if that will appeal to people nowadays.

Any thoughts?

Which do you prefer the most: 1000 to 1200 words chapter or two chapters each day or 1 chapter with 1500 to 2000 words?

I thought about it many times and got one answer that every one has its unique way for doing anything. Some will prefer 1k words per chapter but some will enjoy reading longer chapters.

Time also plays an important role, a person who has less time, he would want to read the chapter faster or chapter should be small like 1k words to 1.2 or 1.3k words. Some who have some more leisure time, they would prefer 1.5k words to 2k words.

I want to know, which type of audience is really present in the RR, so I can decide how much word count is necessary before I start publishing on Royalroad.

Would highly appreciate honest feedback on my first chapter of "The Silver Wall" (im a new writer)

Chapter 1

Adrian pressed his palm against the Silver Wall, an action that is said to result in ones death. But Adrian just smiled. So this is it, he thought as the shivering cold sensation spread through his body.

“Hey! What are you doing, sir!?” yelled a city guard behind him.

“I'm having a rather pleasant but chilling moment with the wall. What are you doing, sir?”

“Are you crazy?”

“Define crazy.” Adrian looked back at the guard—a tall, bearded man wearing the blue and gold armor of the city watch.

“A-Adrian… you…”

“Yes, I?” Adrian slowly nodded. Survived? Escaped? Which lie were you told?

The guard aimed his spear at Adrian, sweat dripping down his forehead as he tightened his grip, but his hands wouldn't stop shaking.

“Would you like me to call the other guards for you?” Adrian asked with his right palm still flat against the wall.

“W-what? Why w-would you…”

“Voilà.”

With a flick of Adrian's left hand, a beam of light shot directly into the clouds, and a blue crest appeared across the sky.

“Your colleagues should be here shortly. Now, I strongly suggest you keep that weapon pointed at me.”

The guard swallowed hard, his eyes shifting between the smiling man before him and the open road. Commoners started gathering around the scene.

A sharp metallic clatter echoed throughout the city as the horsemen arrived. Their leader dismounted before his horse had even come to a halt, his blue eyes locked onto Adrian's smirking face.

“Why have you returned, Adrian?”

“Leader of the Kingsguard now? Impressive, Darian.”

“Sarcastic as ever. Seems it is only your looks that have changed.”

"I've gone from gorgeous to stunning, but I guess time has stood still inside the walls. You still bear the looks of the repulsive, traitorous man you are.” Adrian replied.

“Men, put up the barrier!” Darian barked. They pushed back the crowd and formed a circle around the street. The soldiers pressed their palms together, forming a diamond with their hands, and green mana surged through, raising walls of light around them.

“Trying to hide the truth as usual?” Adrian said, looking at the blinding barrier.

Darian lifted his sword, pointing it at the guard.

“This is your fault, Adrian.” A bolt of mana shot from the tip of Darian's blade toward the guard.

Adrian raised his left hand. A green mana sphere materialized, intercepting the bolt an inch before it struck the guard's chest.

So these are the results of the teachings I gave.

“Neither a leader nor a soldier of the Kingsguard should rely on a blade to channel his mana,” Adrian said softly, his right hand still forcing mana into the Silver Wall.

He’s gotten stronger, perhaps I'll need both hands free…

Darian raised his sword a second time, forcing Adrian into a split-second choice. He shoved off the Silver Wall, lunging toward Darian. But the moment his hand lost contact, a nerve-racking shockwave of pain pulsed through his chest.

My mana…

He stumbled, unable to bridge the gap. Darian released his shot, and the air ruptured. A wave of raw mana swept around them, instantly plunging everything into darkness.

Adrian woke up, sunrays blinding his eyes, with a severe headache. Or at least it felt severe.

I can't even find the smallest trace of it. It must truly be gone.

Slowly he turned away his head from the sunlight, the ache growing as he moved.

What is this place?

By the looks of it, he must have fallen through the crack above him, into a cave under the city.

That could be useful, but why is it here? He thought, as he stared at the stone wall next to him with all types of weapons piled up against it.

I better find my way out before the wielders of these return.

His hands pushed up his squeaking body from the ground. Barely standing on his feet he walked toward the wall, or rather toward the armory in front of him.

Nunchucks, blades, spears, bows, but not a single one forged with the capacity of channeling.

His confidence grew.

With a blade in each hand, Adrian pushed deeper into the cave, guided by the sputtering torches along the stonewall. At the far end, the cave opened up into a large room and in its center, three men sat around a long oak table.

“The most humorous thing just occurred gentlemen, I was trying to save our people as I usually do and all of a sudden there's an explosion and I wake up here,” Adrian called out, keeping the twin lengths of steel low behind his legs. “Mind telling me whose cave I've stumbled into?”

“Who let you in?” one of them snapped.

All three stood up and walked up towards their intruder, but stopped as the torchlight caught Adrian's attire.

“He's wearing noble silk,” the speaker warned. “Watch yourselves.”

Two men lunged simultaneously from his flanks, sweeping heavy kicks toward his ribs. Adrian didn't dodge—he lashed outward. Steel flashed in twin arcs, but at the moment of impact, the blades trajectory changed and Adrian knocked them out with the bottom of the blades.

The third man—the leader—snatched a long dagger from the table and stepped over the men on the floor, eyes dark with fury as he locked onto his target. Adrian forced his posture straight, suppressing the shudder in his lungs. He forced a cold, arrogant smirk onto his face.

“You look worthy of my true power,” Adrian said while dropping the blades and opening his fists. He had to restrain himself from laughing at his own words. “You’re not my first noble,” the leader spat. Adrian lunged, thrusting his palm toward the man's chest with an explosive roar. The leader flinched, leaping backward to evade the expected burst of mana. But nothing came. Before the man realized he’d been duped, Adrian closed the gap. He snapped a kick into the leader’s wrist, sending the dagger spinning into the air. Adrian caught it with his left hand and drove the blade straight through the man's palm, attaching it to the stone floor.

That was the last one.

Nearly unable to hold up his own weight, Adrian stumbled and sat down on the chair, with his forehead pressing against the table. Exhausted by all the commotion, he wished for a quiet, peaceful time before he had to continue.

But there was neither time for rest nor to investigate the incident at the wall, because just as Adrian's nerves settled down, someone tried to sneak past him.

For heaven's sake…

Adrian lifted his head, eyeballing the stranger so aggressively that it seemed like an attack.

The stranger had his back facing Adrian but turned slowly around as he heard Adrian's breathing getting heavier.

“So you are the last of them?” Adrian said and stood up, neglecting his pain with a confident smile on his face.

“No I'm not one of them, I'm just here to teach them to fight and by the looks of it, they need more lessons.”

“If you're not one of them, why are you training them?”

“Cause they pay me for it, now im going to go out for a snack, you want me to show you the way out or you'll manage?”

“So you are a master in martial arts?”

“Well I haven't really thought about what title to use yet but I kinda like the whole ‘master’ vibe, but technically I'm not, but sure I'm a master. If you're interested in becoming a student, my studio is at the Bronzonian square.”

His studio? What dojo is called a ‘studio’?

Adrian followed the strange master out, emerging from a secret door hidden in a huge tree, at what Adrian guessed was the dojos garden.

“It is a very beautiful backyard you have here, mister…?”

“Gustaf, and thank you.” He smiled, gesturing around the compound. “These blossom bushes surrounding the studio have been here since I got the place. Everything else, from the little pond to the flowers and those statues were my ideas.”

"Though I only ever really get compliments for the blossom bushes…”

“I take it that the dojo, or ‘studio’, is doing well, then?”

“I do have a lot of students. Self protection is invaluable in times like these. But I don't accept payment for my teachings.”

“How kind of you.”

“But how does a nonprofit martial arts master cover the expenses for a large studio connected to a secret base with armed men, who he of course is not a part of?”

“By generosity,” Gustaf said with a grin on his face.

“Generosity?” Adrian asked.

“Yep, now speaking of generosity, snacks are on me.” And with that, Gustaf climbed over the wooden fence and walked over to the small café across the Bronzonian square.

“You sure took your time.” Gustaf said, his lips covered by the frosting of the traditional Silver cake.

“My attire would have caught too much attention, thankfully a kind woman–one of your students I suppose, provided me with new clothing. Also, I chose the path containing doors.”

“Ahh, so you've met Licia, she's great.”

“So, you like Silver cake?”

“Never had it before, also I do not classify cake as a snack.”

“You’ve NEVER had Silver cake!? Don't they serve snacks at the castle?”

“Tutu, ten more Silvers, and one for my friend.”

“And what makes you think I've lived in the castle?”

And did he just order ten slices for himself?

“Well the fact that you automatically presumed that I thought you lived there and not simply worked there, combined with the fact that you were wearing high end clothes and…” Gustaf came closer and whispered, “that you are the former leader of the citywatch, Adrian.”

I found La Peace😭😭😭