Geek's Guide to Thriving in a Low End Fantasy World ( Robert Baratheon OC SI AU)

[Spearow]

I had the idea to make a crossover arc in Geek's Guide. We already had a character from Witcher 3 in Asshai. It was my first idea, to bring Robert to the world of The Witcher 3, though recently, I've been addicted to Baldur's Gate 3. I am considering it as another option, but I will leave the choice to you.

Click to shrink...

Make Ciri teleport the entire castle to Westeros, with Geralt, Triss, and the old man inside it. Using her Elder Blood to teleport everything would bring them all to Westeros, and Asgard could then fight the Wild Hunt. Getting magical weapons from the loot of the elves would be a massive power-up for Asgard. If the witchers and the witch help them understand magic, that would be a massive help. The magic from the Witcher world should be compatible with Westeros. Back in the Witcher, the witches use places of power to draw magic and use it like a tank, I think that's how they do it and how they stay young even when they are centuries old. They could teach the locals how to do it.

Yeah that works, bring Kaer Morhen to Westeros, bring the whole thing and then farm the elves, hell you can even make the power spike be enough for the night king to start his march.

Edit: make so, if you kill the night king the White Frost ends with him, and make Ciri into the prince that was promised, use the 8000 years prophecy to kill 2 rabbits with one stone, ice that freezes and kills everything marries to the night king perfectly, its genius bro! Do it!

 

[Samael61]

Hello there,

If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.

Robert is a badass who treats killing gods and slaying demons like just another Thursday. Did you know it was inspired by Thairon, the protagonist of my original story, Arrival : Ruptures, long before I began to write it? Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.

—
​

Beneath the Mountains of the Moon

"She says that we are intruding on their sacred lands and to leave immediately," Leaf explained while the bows were still pointed at them.

The leader of the all-female group was beautiful. Silver hair and eyes, pale but smooth skin, except for the calluses on her hands, a heart-shaped face, and dressed in leather.

They reminded him of a certain family in looks.

Robert looked at the Underdwellers as if they were speaking out of their asses. "That is dumb; we could just as well tell everyone their location and put them in danger. Anyway, tell them I'm here to learn the Echo."

The Fae lites frowned, which made Robert suspicious.

Leaf relayed his words, and the young—at least by the looks—Underdweller's wings fluttered. "She is the daughter of the Matriarch and says that there is a great price for it."

"Is there any way that I can magically learn their tongue? This is getting cumbersome," he said, watching the reactions of the Faes. There were narrowed eyes and frowns, which made Robert sure.

The Underdwellers could understand him.

"They can speak the tongue of men; they just choose not to," Leaf confirmed, raising more questions.

Like, how did they know the tongue of men if they were living under these mountains for thousands of years?

"Huh, neat. How do I convince them otherwise?"

With a little back and forth, he had his answer: "Caerindra wants you to surrender your weapons."

So her name was Caerindra. "Alright," Robert lowered his hammer and put his sword on top of it, chuckling while the Faes struggled to move his hammer.

Amateurs.

Once the weapons were in their midst, Caerindra took off, circling around Robert, looking down on him, "Quite bold of you to leave yourself armless."

Robert turned left to face Carindra, and the Fae flew back instinctively while the bows were drawn again. "I could fight naked with my bare hands and still win."

"You wish to learn the Echo, yes? Then there will be a price." Her arrogant smirk was gone, and they could finally get to the matter.

"Name it."

"I desire your firstborn."

What surprised Robert wasn't the demand itself, but the clicheness of it. "My… firstborn? Not that I am refusing, but why?" because he was not going to refuse for one simple reason.

"Does it matter to you?"

"I am just curious as to what purpose having a human could serve to you."

"That concerns us alone."

"So, once you have my firstborn, you teach me this Echo?" then he would teach it to a corps of engineers.

"Indeed, but you do not have the magic to learn it. If you want, it will have to be someone who has," well, at least that's one thing he didn't have to deal with.

"Doable."

"You're giving her your firstborn? What the fuck?!" Sandor hissed, causing Robert to chuckle, "Sandor, watch and learn."

"Do we agree then?" The Fae held her glowing hand out, and Robert took it.

"We do."

—
​

Robert whistled as he saw the Coven of the Underdwellers, or Fae, as he learned their name now.

That had come out of nowhere.

It was something straight out of a fantasy. The previous areas they had encountered looked tiny compared to the town, where at least several thousand lived.

Pillars of white, smooth stone that seemed to be fused together reinforced the ceiling that was covered in crystals, which changed color depending on the time, according to the Fae.

Plants and trees, no doubt of magical origin, feeding on the light of the crystals, were created to keep the air clean.

Everything he saw convinced them that these Underdwellers had more magic in their pinky than the whole of Westeros save Asgard.

The entire place was illuminated to be clear as day, with a clear river flowing through the middle. The houses were from the same white stone and mostly the same size, but there was a palace ahead, and they were heading there.

Many eyes were drawn to them, as the people were seeing humans and a Child of the Forest for the first time in thousands of years.

Along the road, Robert and Caerindra discussed the terms of the bargain, but issues quickly arose, and they were taken straight to the matriarch.

"Mother, this man refuses to honor our deal," Caerindra complained to her mother, and Robert, who had half a dozen spears pointed at his neck, didn't even bat an eye.

"On the contrary, I am perfectly ready to carry out my part." It was the Fae who was refusing to carry out the deal, in fact.

The matriarch of the coven, a more mature version of her daughter with grey eyes rather than the silver of Caerindra, glared at Robert. "What exactly is the problem?"

"She wanted my firstborn to teach my men the Echo. I am ready to give it to her." Robert raised his hands in "what can you do."

"By mating with me," Caerindra spat out, and the matriarch waved her hand to the guards, an idea forming in her mind as to what was happening.

Robert wrapped an arm around the young Fae's waist, bending her backwards while interlocking fingers with the other hand, winking, "You said you desired my firstborn, not that I should hand my firstborn to you. The way I see it, you could not resist my charms and were just looking for an excuse to get me into bed. I understand; no woman can resist me, no matter the race."

Offended by the insinuation, Caerindra pushed Robert off, flying to the other side of the room with a flushed face, though whether that was from anger or because she was flustered, he didn't know.

Sandor coughed, "Except for that woman from Moraq."

"Shut up, Sandor," Robert ordered, kicking the man in his shin.

The Matriarch, Aelthiriel, considered the situation, her eyes closed in concentration, before rendering her verdict, "Daughter, I hate to admit it, but he is correct. In your haste, you did not word the bargain carefully."

In her desire to be the one to make a bargain with a human for the first time in thousands of years, her daughter Caerindra did not think the whole matter through and underestimated the man before them.

"But Mother…" She whined, but the matriarch raised her hand, silencing the girl.

"I will not hear it. Either you will wed this man, or you will carry the curse of breaking a bargain."

Robert intervened to offer an alternative, "You know what, no need to be so hasty. Let's make a new bargain. She agrees to teach my men the Echo, and we agree to break the first bargain without anyone getting cursed."

That way, she would not have to wed him, a big loss for her, but whatever, and Robert would still get the secrets of making dragonstone.

Perhaps he would make something different with, like, different colored versions of dragonstone.

"That is possible as well. Will you carry out your bargain, daughter, or be made into a fool?" Aelthiriel spoke, leaving Caerindra with two undesirable choices, one less so than the other.

"I…ugh…very well."

They were dismissed, except for Leaf, whom the matriarch wished to speak to in private, as they had not had any contact for thousands of years.

—
​

"This man, he is dangerous," the matriarch commented, gesturing for the Child of the Forest to take a seat.

They had much to speak of.

"Indeed, Lady Aelthiriel. He has slain a great demon roosting in the ruins of Valyria and, later, an ancient kraken. It is thanks to him that our mother tree has bloomed once more." Her words shook the Underdweller, but most of all, it was the part concerning their past.

"Wait, wait, what was that about Valyria?"

"Oh, I have much to tell you."

—
​

"Fascinating," to hear that Valyria, their greatest shame, had been destroyed, was invigorating.

To hear the deeds of the man in their coven and know how dangerous he was, less so.

"So you live under his command?" Men had warred against their kind for centuries, driving them out, burning their sacred woods, and yet, the Children were now living in the city of a man to escape from the Night King and the Others.

"In peace, as a part of his city, as well as with the giants."

—
​

Sandor was sniggering in the corner of the house they were given, while Leaf, who had returned after spending time with the matriarch, had come to congratulate him.

The ceiling had a chandelier of blue crystals for light; the dark, wooden furnishings were covered in fine tanned leather.

"I shall admit, you did not disappoint. Tricking the daughter of their matriarch is impressive, though; she obviously underestimated you." It was the first bargain in thousands of years, and the girl had abandoned caution to be the one to gain something from it.

Robert's smirk was cocky, but Leaf knew it was well earned. "I know, I know, I am great."

"I thought you had lost your mind," Sandor grunted between his fits of laughter.

"Ye of little faith."

"So, what did the Fae matriarch tell you?" Robert was still curious as to how exactly the Fae were called the Fae and why, because he was sure as hell George did not go beyond naming them Underdwellers.

"They are wary of you after hearing your deeds." It was quite a natural response to Robert's death-defying acts of valor.

"All in a day's work."

"Still, I would advise against antagonizing them." The daughter of the matriarch was angry, even though the fault mostly lay with her.

"It's just a bit of fun, nothing more. I am not going to spit on their hospitality." The Fae were quite respectful as hosts, if skittish and unwilling to speak with him.

"Why do you think she wanted my firstborn?" If it was for something like, say, using a child for magic, or something equally disgusting, he was going to wipe them all out.

They did give his hammer and sword back after all.

"To introduce fresh blood to their people." The answer wasn't what he expected, but

"They can mate with humans?" Robert grinned, which could mean he would be free to seduce one of them.

"The Faes, as you named them, are more magic than any other race out there, perhaps even more than the White Walkers. Our stories tell that they can have children with other races, but any that do are born Fae." That tidbit wasn't supplied to Robert previously, but he didn't mind.

"Wizard!" The usual, magical, and illogical Planetos genetics were at work again.

At least the Faes were smart enough to know that the whole keeping the blood pure bullshit did the opposite.

"I have one last question: what are we eating?"

—
​

The Faes, as a close community, ate in massive halls where the food was cooked on red, crystal stoves.

He couldn't imagine any other race that would be able to live this deep underground without advanced technology or magic of this scale.

What interested him even more was that they were celebrating the destruction of Valyria and the dragonlords, even though they were a couple centuries late.

The reason?

It turns out, the similar features between the Fae and the Valyrians weren't just by chance. The way Matriarch told it, her kind were neighbors to the first Valyrians, having lived on the land long before the dragonlords had learned how to tame the beasts and dabble in blood magic.

Once the Valyrians began to intrude on their land, war had sparked. Aided by their magic, the Fae had given the novice dragonlords a bloody nose, repelling their attack and slaying several of the beasts.

Seeking peace, the Valyrians had sent envoys, and eventually, peace was settled between the two, though it did not last long. The Echo of the Fae was too useful, used to build structures that resisted tear and wear better than any other, and shaped as they wished, creating grand homes for them.

The Valyrians naturally wanted to know the secrets of this magic too, and the Fae offered to teach it in return for dragons of their own. The price was too much for the Valyrians, and they had refused, only to later kidnap Fae and use their blood magic to impregnate the females.

Hence, the Valyrians developed their distinctive purple eyes, silver hair, and fair looks.

Once it had gotten out, there was war, though this time, the Valyrians were victorious, as several of the dragons had grown to colossal sizes.

Driven out of their homes, the Fae had made their way to Westeros, beyond the North, as they feared to face the treatment the Children of the Forest and the giants had.

"I don't understand. How could there be no mentions of you in Essos then?"

"Those that knew of us faced the fury of the dragonlords so none would remember us and remind the Targaryens that they owed their fair looks to us."

Robert had spent long enough in Essos to become somewhat knowledgeable in history. Ghis and Rhoynar were destroyed by the dragonlords, while the Dothraki were responsible for bringing down the Qaathi and the Sarnori. The rest were too far from Valyria, but perhaps records existed there.

Learning the danger of the Night King and the Others, who weren't just legends, they sought out a safer environment and, after centuries of migrating and hiding, came across the tunnels beneath the Mountains of the Moon and the life inside there.

The Fae had found their new settlement and had spent years turning it into a home.

All that was left of them were the stories that existed in the North and their old, forgotten alliance with the Children.

"Well, as you know, the dragonlords are dead, mostly, and the remaining ones don't have dragons anymore."

"Dragonlords without dragons? That certainly amuses me, and I am sure it would ease the spirit of my ancestors, but what of you? You carry their blood, yet you do not see yourself as a Valyrian?"

"My grandmother was a Targaryen, and no matter my blood or family line, I am an Asgardian, nothing more, nothing less."

"And your dragons?"

"Hey, can you imagine a better way to screw with the dragonlords than by having your own dragons?"

"I suppose so."

Their conversation was long, as there were several matters to discuss. He was curious as to why they weren't worried about Robert possibly exposing their location, and Aelthiriel explained that while they were cautious, her people would not strike down a person that had come to their land in peace.

If he was treacherous enough to expose them to the world, the Fae would bar the tunnels with their Kal'itel, the fused stone created by the power of their Echo.

Her daughter had agreed to the bargain, as the Fae had to keep their numbers limited, and having fresh blood would give them more leeway.

Robert had an interesting idea in mind.

—
​

Notes: If you know that DnD comic about an adventurer making a bargain with a Fae, you know where I was inspired from.

As for calling them Fae, well, I chose to go with a familiar name rather than give them a new one.

—
​

In the next chapter:

"I must admit, you returned sooner than expected. I thought it would take more time." Tyrion was fascinated by their guest, as another legend had just been revealed as true.

"I was lucky. I mean, the girl hurried without thinking much, and they didn't seem to make a problem out of it." Even by the standards of his luck so far, this was something new for Robert.

Leaf coughed, and the table turned to her, assuming she had something important to say. "They did, actually. There were discussions, ranging from never letting you leave to outright killing you to free Caerindra from her obligations. If it wasn't for the fact that her name would be sullied due to her overeagerness, blood might have been shed." Whether Robert could have killed several hundred warriors in their territory or not wasn't a question she wanted answered.



Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me on Patreon.

 

[CrimsonKing100k]

could you give a bare bones description of what Caerindra looks like? I want to help give an thicc image that fits.

 

[Samael61]

could you give a bare bones description of what Caerindra looks like? I want to help give an thicc image that fits.

Click to shrink...

Think her like a human sized pixie with pink/violet wings, , red hair, green eyes, diamond face, dressed in coloured furs.

 

[Bev]

We all knew it was coming but danngit if it still isn't funny. And from a certain point of view, she would still be in high standing being, maybe, the wife to the Lord of Asgard. And yes, I'm still laughing my ass off.

 

[CrimsonKing100k]

Think her like a human sized pixie with pink/violet wings, , red hair, green eyes, diamond face, dressed in coloured furs.

Click to shrink...

give me time, I'll return when my quest is done.

 

[CrimsonKing100k]

it doesn't have the wings, but it fits with the rest.

of this one, maybe when she uses her wings they catch fire......and burns off her clothes

human form?

images belong to their owners!

 

[Shifu15]

The potential Baldurs Gate 3 crossover is very exciting. I mean The Witcher 3 universe is a good option, it's a medieval setting with magic which isn't that different with Game of Thrones (except for the fact that the magic in the Witcher universe is a lot more common and widespread). Plus we got Ciri as a potential romantic interest for Robert. A badass warrior woman with white hair who can teleport in short distance and between dimension? That is a girl that is good enough for Robert the monster slayer. As a bonus, Ciri white hair would throw the Targaryens (and the rest of Baratheon family) into quite a tizzy with the fact that Robert Baratheon, a man who really hate Targaryens, decide to pursue a romantic relationship with a woman who looks like a Targaryen from a distance (till they notice her eye color if they are close enough).

On the other hand, we got Karlach from Baldur's Gate 3 and a potential crossover with Baldur's Gate universe. I mean how awesome is that, that is a universe with many races, high level magics, pantheon of gods that are very active, and best of all a literal hell universe with an actual legions of hell. Imagine, Robert Baratheon and Karlach rampaging across Hell like two Doomslayers as their honeymoon vacation. Also, for Kalrach herself she would throw an even bigger pandemonium if Robert decide to pursue her as a romantic partner. Looking it from Westerosi prespective they saw a literal demon straight from hell with horns, scars, red skin, and big axe who squeal and jump around like a maiden when Robert gave her the first kiss during their date. That would be pretty shocking and weird to witness. Not only that, Karlach whole personality and behavior would throw many Westerosi off the loop, a badass tiefling barbarian warrior who look likes a demon yet possessing a sunny and friendly personality that is not faked? Get out of here! Come to think about it if Renly and Brienne gets over their anxiety with Karlach she can serve as a good role model to them especially Brienne who still aspire to become a knight and a warrior woman in a society with no role model for it.

Sorry for the long post.

Edit: Come to think about it Robert and Karlach rampage in Hell would look more like Doomguy and Isabelle from Animal Crossing than just two Doomslayers rampaging in Hell.

 

[Samael61]

The potential Baldurs Gate 3 crossover is very exciting. I mean The Witcher 3 universe is a good option, it's a medieval setting with magic which isn't that different with Game of Thrones (except for the fact that the magic in the Witcher universe is a lot more common and widespread). Plus we got Ciri as a potential romantic interest for Robert. A badass warrior woman with white hair who can teleport in short distance and between dimension? That is a girl that is good enough for Robert the monster slayer. As a bonus, Ciri white hair would throw the Targaryens (and the rest of Baratheon family) into quite a tizzy with the fact that Robert Baratheon, a man who really hate Targaryens, decide to pursue a romantic relationship with a woman who looks like a Targaryen from a distance (till they notice her eye color if they are close enough).

On the other hand, we got Karlach from Baldur's Gate 3 and a potential crossover with Baldur's Gate universe. I mean how awesome is that, that is a universe with many races, high level magics, pantheon of gods that are very active, and best of all a literal hell universe with an actual legions of hell. Imagine, Robert Baratheon and Karlach rampaging across Hell like two Doomslayers as their honeymoon vacation. Also, for Kalrach herself she would throw an even bigger pandemonium if Robert decide to pursue her as a romantic partner. Looking it from Westerosi prespective they saw a literal demon straight from hell with horns, scars, red skin, and big axe who squeal and jump around like a maiden when Robert gave her the first kiss during their date. That would be pretty shocking and weird to witness. Not only that, Karlach whole personality and behavior would throw many Westerosi off the loop, a badass tiefling barbarian warrior who look likes a demon yet possessing a sunny and friendly personality that is not faked? Get out of here! Come to think about it if Renly and Brienne gets over their anxiety with Karlach she can serve as a good role model to them especially Brienne who still aspire to become a knight and a warrior woman in a society with no role model for it.

Sorry for the long post.

Edit: Come to think about it Robert and Karlach rampage in Hell would look more like Doomguy and Isabelle from Animal Crossing than just two Doomslayers rampaging in Hell.

Click to shrink...

The results are out, its a Witcher 3 crossover with Ciri romance. I'll make an announcement with the regular updates.

 

[Shifu15]

The results are out, its a Witcher 3 crossover with Ciri romance. I'll make an announcement with the regular updates.

Click to shrink...

Karlach really doesn't have a chance does she?

 

[Samael61]

Karlach really doesn't have a chance does she?

Click to shrink...

I really enjoyed BG3, but appears not.

 

[Samael61]

Hello there,

If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.

Robert is a badass who treats killing gods and slaying demons like just another Thursday. Did you know it was inspired by Thairon, the protagonist of my original story, Arrival : Ruptures, long before I began to write it? Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.

—
​

Beneath the Mountains of the Moon

Robert offered the fae the choice he had to the Children of the Forest and the giants.

The Matriarch was surprised by the offer but refused it. Their lives here might be hard compared to living on the surface, but her people were safe, and that's what mattered most.

Still, Robert left the offer on the table, should the fae change their minds while Robert was alive.

While he enjoyed their hospitality, humans didn't do well without sunlight for extended periods, and they were reaching the two-week mark since entering the tunnels.

He didn't have much to do during that time except to spar with Sandor, as the fae were all busy with something in the palace, and whenever he asked, the answer was the same.

It did not concern him.

Returning would take three to four days, and he was already looking forward to feeling the sunlight on his skin again.

Caerindra would be coming with them as part of the bargain, and as the bargain was solely hers, no one else would accompany her, the Matriarch's daughter or not.

—
​

Supplied, rested, and ready to go, the four of them set to leave the tunnels and return to the surface, something no other fae had done in thousands of years, and Caerindra was nervous.

Backtracking all the way to the entrance in three days, Robert stopped by the burned husks of the spiders, taking the pincers of the largest one as a trophy, which had impressed the fae, as they were not monsters easily felled.

Not to a man who was making a habit of killing monsters, of course.

During the journey, he tried to learn more about Caerindra, but she did not like Robert at all and sneered every time he tried to make conversation.

She was perfectly fine with speaking to Sandor and especially to Leaf, however.

"Ah, sweet sunlight." Robert held his arms out as the sun warmed his skin, while the cool breeze of the mountains ruffled his hair.

Ra, who was patrolling the area, came down once he saw Robert, greeting his father with a nudge and getting head rubs in return.

"I thought dragons had two legs and two wings." Caerindra was standing back, wary, as she laid eyes on a dragon, the first fae to do so in thousands of years.

Thinking about it, she was doing a lot of firsts for her kind.

"My dragons grew after eating the heart of an archdemon."

"The one you slayed? I shall admit, I am looking forward to seeing it." If it was the human alone, the fae would not take his word for it, but Leaf had vouched for Robert, and it changed things.

Still, she wanted to see the corpse with her own eyes.

"Oh, you will. Now come on, let's go."

"I need to close the entrance first." She turned around, and Robert whipped his head around to watch.

Caerindra laid her hands on the stone, humming, and it slowly began to fuse together. Jagged pieces of rocks grew from each side first, stabbing to the other side like knives in an alternating manner, before the gaps began to close and the surface smoothed out.

If he didn't see it firsthand, even Robert wouldn't believe there was a hole there once, a hole that he had literally hammered himself.

—
​

Asgard

Caerindra was silent for much of the flight back to Asgard, choosing to enjoy the breeze, the sky, the sun, and the stars at night. Everything on the surface was news to her, and she was a curious person.

"This is your city then; it's… nice," she complimented Robert, though it sounded more like an insult to his ears.

Robert was quick to retort with, "Thanks, it has fresh air, the view in both the day and night is to die for, and there are no giant spiders around, unlike certain somewhere," causing Caerindra's face to scrunch.

"And would you look at that, there is the corpse of the archdemon, and the horns of the kraken." Robert pointed down, flying Ra over the hill on purpose.

"Goodness," Caerindra took a deep breath, feeling a sliver of the darkness once carried by the demon.

—
​

"My lord, it is great to see you…" Tyrion, as usual, was there to greet him with Davos, but his words slowly died down upon seeing their new guest, who clearly was not a human but one of these Underdwellers he had left to seek.

"I see that we have a new guest."

"That we do. This is Caerindra, a fae, whose people were the original creators of the dragonstone before the Valyrians stole it."

"Well, someone is going to be mighty displeased with that."

"Guide Caerindra to a guest room so she can rest, and make sure no one bothers her."

"At once," he bowed. "This way, my lady."

"What exactly are you? A child with the soul of a man?"

"A dwarf, merely an unfortunate boy born short and deformed,"

"Ah."

"I suppose you wouldn't have a magical remedy for it?"

"We don't, but perhaps consider these Targaryens; their filthy blood magic might be of use."

"Considering they despise Lord Robert and the Targaryens haven't practiced any kind of magic in centuries, that is unlikely to happen."

—
​

Their willful guest chose to rest and eat dinner in her room but was present the following morning at breakfast.

No one bothered her with words or by contact, but Robert could not stop them from looking, and it was fine as long as Caerindra was not disturbed.

She was willing to fill her end of the bargain starting today, desiring to return to her home as quickly as possible, and so Robert gathered Marwyn along with the aspiring Glass Candle Operators he was training, which was termed by Robert to have this official feeling to it.

"Glass candles?"

"Valyrian objects that the dragonlords used to see across the land, send visions and dreams, and speak to one another." Robert slowed down near the end due to Caendria's reddening face.

"I'm feeling there is a story there," and he would bet his hammer that it was tied to the Valyrians.

Rummaging through her bag, the fae pulled out a blue crystal mirror. "This is a Neu'simar, crystals that we use to speak to each other from long distances, and more. I cannot believe those bastards stole them too," she explained, shocking more than one person, but especially Robert himself.

Holy shit, the fae had two-way mirrors.

"Those thieving bastards," he spat, still stuck on the mirrors, but shelved it aside for now, pulling Marwyn close by the shoulder.

"Anyway, this is Marwyn, the closest thing to a mage we have, and these are our aspirants who may have magic in their blood." He pointed at the cadets gathered in the Administrative Hall.

Irked by Robert's quick dismissal, Caerindra began to inspect the men and women lining up before her.

One by one, she dismissed them with "not you," "nay," "nay," "maybe," and "definitely not," but did not send the last one away, a young girl of around sixteen if Robert had to guess.

Caerindra inspected her in silence, while the young girl was getting more nervous by the second.

Tyrion informed him that she was an orphan, doing odd jobs to earn a living, and had been chosen by Marwyn due to her affinity for magic, by pure chance, as she was working in Valhalla to keep his room clean.

"She is, by far, the best one to teach the Echo," the girl was averting her eyes, entirely out of her depth.

"What's your name, dearie?" Robert asked the young girl, who raised her head briefly before looking down and muttering her name,

"Ellyn, my lord."

"Ellyn, how would you like to learn your letters along with magic and move to a much higher-paying position?" He would get straight to the matter, because once again, he had work piling up in his office.

"Me?" the girl asked, accidentally raising her voice, before looking down again, flustered, realizing what she had done.

Oh boy, self-confidence issues, "Yes, you."

"I… I would be grateful, my lord."

"Then it's settled. She is your first student while we search for more." Robert put his arm on Caendria's shoulder, but the fae pushed his arm off by the wrist.

"I don't think so. I only agreed to teach one person, not more."

Well, there went his chance to sneak in an additional student or two into the lessons. "Is there a way I can convince you otherwise?"

Maybe they could bargain again.

"There is not."

"Then, Ellyn, learn well; it's really important."

—
​

"I must admit, you returned sooner than expected. I thought it would take more time." Tyrion was fascinated by their guest, as another legend had just been revealed as true.

"I was lucky. I mean, the girl hurried without thinking much, and they didn't seem to make a problem out of it." Even by the standards of his luck so far, this was something new for Robert.

Leaf coughed, and the table turned to her, assuming she had something important to say. "They did, actually. There were discussions, ranging from never letting you leave to outright killing you to free Caerindra from her obligations. If it wasn't for the fact that her name would be sullied due to her overeagerness, blood might have been shed." Whether Robert could have killed several hundred warriors in their territory or not wasn't a question she wanted answered.

In the end, the fault lay with Caerindra, mostly, whose bargain with Robert would have been her way of proving herself to the Coven, and instead, it had achieved the opposite.

Her words, while impactful as a witness of the results of Robert's deeds, were not enough to turn the heated discussions in their favor, and in the end, it was the customs of the fae that had stopped them.

It did not matter how great at magic they were; just like the other races out there, it was pride that defeated them.

"Huh, good thing they didn't. I wouldn't want to kill them all." Robert knew something was going on behind closed doors, but not the details, and he had just learned the fae might have actually tried something.

"Caerindra was also reprimanded severely. There is a great chance she cannot inherit the position of the Matriarch after her mother," the Child of the Forest revealed, and Robert actually felt a bit guilty.

"Thanks, Leaf, I feel bad now." Thinking about it, he and Caerindra were on the same boat as heirs unable to inherit their birthright.

Not that the fae would see it as a consolation.

"On better tidings, we received our first shipment of food from the Iron Islands." Tyrion pulled up the basket on the floor, and inside was one giant fruit that he handed to Robert.

It was wide enough to cover at least three-quarters of his large hands and was at least seven inches tall.

"What is this?" It looked like a red apple, but the ones that you would find in a competition are specifically cultivated to be bigger than normal.

"An apple, my lord."

Wiping the surface with his sleeve, Robert took a bite. It was crisp, juicy, and sweet, leaving him wanting more. "How in the hell?"

"Bounty of the mother tree," Leaf leaped up to explain.

Damn, this was one of the best decisions he ever made. "Well, send her something in my name, whatever your mother tree wants."

"The corpse of the demon?" the little green elf asked without much thought, but that was one thing Robert was not going to part with.

"No, but when I kill something magical again, I'll send the remains to her. How does that sound?"

"We are thankful for your generosity."

—
​

Ellyn was excused from her duties, given her own room, and had a lesson plan drawn for her.

In the morning, she would learn her letters with Maester Olivar or one of the scholars until lunch after breaking her fast and then learn the Echo from Caerindra until sundown.

The fae had requested the help of his dragons to melt stone, since there weren't any fire mountains around to acquire molten rock, which was easier to shape and control.

He had assigned Slifer to the duty of melting stones for the lessons as needed, while assigning guards to Ellyn.

She had just become too important to leave alone.

—
​

The year 290 AC was nearing its end, and Robert decided to inspect the current state of the end-of-year reports.

First were the trade fleets. As Asgard grew in numbers and land, more and more could be produced for trade with the rest of Westeros and Essos. By now, each trade mission was making fifty thousand gold on average per three months, equaling around two hundred thousand gold dragons that flowed back to the production centers and guilds.

The shipyards were only constrained by the amount of timber arriving from White Harbor, and the trade fleet was growing slowly but steadily.

Furthermore, the construction guild was swarmed with orders and was having a hard time finding more workers. In fact, the entire guild system was in the middle of a conflict, trying to recruit the available workers.

One good side of having so much money to spend on his city, Asgard, was that it had a harder time finding workers than workers finding work.

It pleased Robert to see that his people were living better than the rest of the Seven Kingdoms.

The food shipment from the Iron Islands, which he would rename soon, was sold at cost, so everyone in the city would be able to eat properly.

Tyrion's management of the Advancement Fair was progressing nicely, and the rewards had even drawn outside attention, bringing in more scholars from Essos.

There were fewer people interested in making "a contraption using waterwheels to make forging simpler and less costly," as it was a more demanding and harder-to-meet work compared to "a writing tool that does not require constant refilling."

Unlike his previous ideas, which were considered flights of fancy by a dragonrider, the Westerosi nobles understood that Robert hadn't just gotten fortunate with the dragons, the demon, or the kraken.

Whatever Robert was doing, it was bound to be interesting and bountiful.

One more thing he decided to do before the year's end was to start with the investment Robert had promised his father.

The old man wouldn't wait forever before getting prissy again, and he didn't want to get into an argument while visiting his little sister.

Between ruling a bustling and growing city, daily spars to keep his perfect body in shape, and all the other work, Robert was busy from sunrise to sunset each day.

But it was fine. He actually enjoyed the work, and the amount of wealth he was sitting on wouldn't do any good gathering dust.

—
​

In the next chapter:
"Good. Anyone else?" he asked. It was important that everyone relayed their opinions.

"Aye," Caerindra raised her hand, "Why am I here?" What purpose could she serve in this council?

"In case you had something important to say," Robert said. He actually wanted her to see that the Children and the giants had a voice in Asgard, and if the Fae joined as well, so would they.

Caerindra's whole body shuddered, and Robert rolled his eyes, "You know, I think you are taking this whole dislike of me a step too far."

"It's not you," she said, eyes closed, still shaking, "I feel something approaching."

"My lord," Tyrion pointed a shaky finger behind Robert's chair.




Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me on Patreon.

 

[Samael61]

Good morning, good evening and good night.

Commander Shepard : The Greatest to Ever Live is over as I have written the last chapter on my Patreon / patreon.com/Samael61

As such, I want to write a new story.

The options are the same as last time.

Anakin Skywalker : The Sorcerer Supreme - Star Wars X MCU

Mortal Considerations : Hela X OMC Human - MCU

Izuku Midoriya : The Champion - BNHA x League of Legends

You can check the Pilot Chapters for each one on AO3 or in my Patreon page for free to help your decision.

During the last vote, Anakin Skywalker : The Sorcerer Supreme was number two after Loki : The God of Magic. I considered writing it, but since then, we have grown much as a community, so I wish to give everyone the chance to decide.

The poll will be up for three days.

 

[Samael61]

Poll Results:

Last week's poll results on the crossover universe and the romance partner are out : With 51 out of 74 votes in total, we will be having a Witcher 3 crossover with a Robert x Ciri romance.

Thank you for your support.

 

[Spearow]

"My lord," Tyrion pointed a shaky finger behind Robert's chair.

Click to shrink...

Shadow demon? oh i hope its a shadow demon! if robert manages to kill one, will it drop loot?

 

[Samael61]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/76255891/chapters/199569101 here is my AO3 link for the pilot chapters incase of trouble with Patreon, as it often happens.