Assistant.

—

[One day later.]

Seeing Moiraine wanting to follow him and Ciri on their journey throughout the Continent, Richard asked again, "Why do you want to tag along?"

"Because my expertise is advising others. Advancing my power or building a force, like the others, is not my way of doing things," Moiraine answered.

Pride hurt at the thought of needing advice, Richard still asked, "And why, mind you, do I need to be guided and counseled?"

"For the reason that you are the only member in the group that I believe will be the leader of our Mythic Path Pantheon," Moiraine shrugged. "But on the off chance that I am wrong, it is not bad to be beside someone strong that has motivation to help others," she continued, looking at Ciri's dissatisfied face and then back to Richard. "Besides, neither of you clearly knows how to maneuver in political exchanges. What happens when you meet the kings and queens of this world? Will you just stare at them like a beast when you are manipulated or beat them into submission until they agree with your decisions?"

Not happy being called a brute by the Aes Sedai woman, Ciri snapped, "Oh yeah? How about I really beat you into a pulp until you understand that we don't need to be followed?"

"If I were a smart king or queen, I would just take the beating and tell you both directly to your faces, 'Barbarian and the beast. A blighted combination. Ptui, it's no use talking to someone with no brain in their head.' And see? One employing his breathing to stare at me into submission, and the other employing her breathing to attack," Moiraine pointed out.

Taking a very, very deep breath to calm his Sun Breathing, Richard stayed silent, knowing that she was right. He could only stare at them like a paranoid beast that did not want others to step into his territory even by a centimeter. Now that he thought about it, he truly needed someone with experience in handling political exchanges. Especially someone who could simulate other smart people who could get on his nerves. Considering there were hundreds of generals in Archimonde's army who likely had cunning minds similar to that of a sorceress, Richard finally glanced at Moiraine in a new light. But only a glance, as he still didn't like it.

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. Releasing the cold mist from her body, Ciri looked at the tree in the distance and decided to walk there in silence, contemplating every decision she had made when rage came into play. It was true she had never used manipulation like Yennefer, always opting to use her fists first and talk later. If, in the future, she became so hot-headed and ended up being used to scheme the downfall of Richard… Just thinking about it made her shiver in fright and glance at Moiraine in a new light. But only a glance, nothing more, nothing less.

"Well, this is easier than I thought, unlike those three imps," Moiraine mumbled to herself.

"Then as a reward for passing the first test, I will gladly stroke your egos. For the rest of the journey, I will become your servant, messenger, or whatever you like me to be," Moiraine said with an amused smile.

Knowing that he still had morals and that if he fell that low, it would only prove her statement true—that he was easily manipulated without his instincts—Richard tried to ignore Moiraine's mocking smile and made his request, "Just become my assistant. An assistant who can exchange opinions with me."

Wiping the amused smile from her face in an instant, as if it had never been there, Moiraine nodded, acknowledging the equal relationship and noting that Richard did not easily fall for effortless temptations.

"As you wish, Richard. I will become your assistant and help you in any field you need, from politics to the academics of your dreams," Moiraine said, bowing lightly.

After considering her next course of action to get on his nerves, she turned to Ciri and raised her eyebrows in enjoyment. Walking closer and circling her while giving her a judgmental look like Philippa did, Moiraine then asked, "What about you, little girl? What do you want from me? Clearly, you don't want any advice. Trained by a dead old wolf who can only teach you how to fight, your brain could not possibly—"

Crack!

Ignoring the tree that shattered from Ciri's freezing punch, Moiraine chuckled, "So, a sparring partner, is it?"

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. After calming down her rage, Ciri then thought like her mother did. Finding something that could possibly defeat her, Ciri smirked and told her, "No, instead, become my teacher. A teacher in everything. How about that?"

Rolling her eyes, knowing clearly that Ciri wanted to embarrass her by having nothing to teach, especially in the way of combat, while also wanting the same relationship as Richard, Moiraine wiped off the judgmental stance and said, "Sure. I will work hard to teach you. And in turn, you must become his sharpest blade."

Seeing how quickly she understood their relationship just by observing him and Ciri, Richard shook his head, admitting defeat as Moiraine balanced respect and provocation. With his new assistant now able to plan their journey, Richard asked her, "Where do you think our first destination should be?"

"Oxenfurt. From what I gathered from Margarita, you have an unfinished promise there. Although it may seem pointless to help people who already have their protector, it's not in your nature to ignore that promise," Moiraine stated. After a couple of seconds, she continued, "But before we go, I need your confirmation on something. First, what do you want to do with every quarantined person you consider a demon?"

"Give them to someone who wants to do research," Richard replied simply.

"Second, how do you want to go about making this island an academic center? I will forward your desire to Margarita," Moiraine asked.

"Let them use the Aon programming language as their magic system. It will speed up the process of creating something marvelous on this island," Richard stated.

"Third, I heard from Yennefer that you want to hunt the Aen Elle. She also wants to hunt them by gathering Skellige people with the same motivation and building something like a Skidbladnir to travel the world. Do you want to help her?"

"Yes."

"Then I will forward your goodwill to Yennefer and ask her what she needs from you. Fourth, you have an ongoing promise with the ladies from Asgardian. They are currently bored out of their minds, and with Hofund gone, your mode of teleportation will be hindered as well. Dare I suggest leading them to Jahar Narishma? It will make his enforcement of the law easier and give these warmonger women something to do."

"You could do that."

"Fifth, what are your thoughts on the many ghosts of the past that may appear in this world? Considering Yennefer is the only one who made that wish instead of Ciri, there will likely be many of them appearing."

"Sigh, I don't know. Could you enlighten me?"

"I think it would be best for Triss and Logain to handle them for now. One wants to build their own forces, while the other represents the people of this world who do not want another Sodden Hill. Once they find an ally for Yggdrasil, I will discuss this matter with them. As for us, we can gather necessary information to assist them and determine what needs to be done."

"That's a good idea. I'll stay vigilant."

"Sixth…"

—