#im going with Kiran in the comics because theyre goofy there

[mecharlie-fox]

Memoirs of a Summoner: Part 2

Holy hecc it's already 2023 and I just now made part 2 due to unexpectedly breaking my writer's block (for the wrong fic) and I think I've decided on what I'm gonna do for the love interest.

Ship intention: Alfonse X Reader / Summoner X Reader / Zacharias (Bruno) x Reader

Note: The Summoner and the Reader ARE TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. The Summoner has no distinct gender or sexuality and can be you or your OC, and the same is for the reader. This will be posted in AO3 for a more organized approach in the future. Happy reading!

Ahem!

You didn't know why you even agreed to Anna's proposal. AT ALL.

A Stewardship is basically a position that meant you will do every single small detail for the Commander and the Summoner from having their breakfast scheduled to every single night report delivered to them before bed or right after they wake up the following morning.

You didn't want to sign up for it but your worry, sense of duty, perhaps a little but of pity, got the best of you by the end of it all.

By hierarchy, you automatically outrank everyone you knew except for the Commander and the Summoner. You will be with them all the time, learn every secret, be part of every council, every decision making — you found yourself from a unknown soldier to a sudden "councilor" for both the Commander and the Summoner.

In short, you are third-in-command after the Summoner who is second.

By Order rules, no title of nobility or royalty would be effective on Order grounds and jurisdiction. It goes the same for foreign heroes who were summoned or volunteered, or your local nobles and royals who feel like they wanted to be a hero. Their position outside of the Order meant nothing and should be nothing, because everyone has to work for their spot in the order.

Things were changing around you the moment you said yes.

Your quarters were suddenly placed in the fourth floor where the commanding officers sleep. You were suddenly in important meetings, training sessions, access to armor, potions, and weapons that you've never seen before. Big name heroes such as Marth or Ike were finally noticing you! And it felt weird! All too weird!

You were invisible since the day the Summoner came along and all of a sudden you were a big name with a big fancy title. "The Steward."

It wasn't as fancy as Commander or Summoner, but you didn't care anyway. It felt as if the castle you were living for the past years was suddenly foreign to you.

But the biggest, weirdest thing you've encountered was Prince Alfonse and his sister Princess Sharena.

You did not know how to act amongst the royalty. AT. ALL.

Yeah, sure the heroes came from royalty or nobility from other worlds. But that was different. They were foreigners who wanted to help, heroes who were humbled and eager to fight with you until the end. But Prince Alfonse and the Princess? The Heir and the Spare?

This was a whole different territory for you.

You internally prayed for the Summoner to waltz in the war room and save you. But you were stuck with those two, AND ONLY those two. Where was the Commander? Heck, where are the Heroes who were given captaincy positions? You were certain, VERY CERTAIN that there was a scheduled meeting today. You had to be right, you were the one who confirmed it with Anna and the Summoner. It wasn't helping that Princess Sharena kept on smiling your way and Prince Alfonse awkwardly standing by the window looking at Lord Askr knows what.

Mind you. This was your first day on the job as Steward.

"So... What's your name?" ...

...

...

...

You wanted to run away the moment the Princess asked you your name. "M-my name is (y/n)..."

The Princess simply smiled at you. "Ohhhhh~ that's a pretty name! No need to be all nervous around me though," said the princess as she had a more welcome aura compared to her brother... Who was simply sneaking occasionally glances at the two of you. "You can just call me Sharena! Is it okay if I call you (y/n)?"

The Princess' eyes were practically shining.

"Uhm..." Before you could even answer, the Summoner gave their morning greetings to the three of you. Holding a tray of tea with bread.

Now you've become nervous as to why the Summoner just did your job. You were in their bedroom this morning to wake them up, why didn't they say anything?

You've noticed Prince Alfonse finally turned his direction towards you all with a welcoming smile. To you, the Prince wasn't all that friendly. Polite, sure, but he had more walls around him than Midgard's Shield.

You immediately stood up and rushes towards the summoner in a panic. "Summoner please—"

But they just stopped you right there. You could see their lips curve into a smile under that hood of theirs. "You're mistaken, (y/n) this isn't for sharing. This is for you."

...

...

...

What? "I beg your pardon?" You were utterly confused all of a sudden.

"Anna said you didn't eat breakfast." The Summoner casually said as they put down the tray by the table since no map has been presented yet. "We don't want a hungry Steward working so hard you know."

"I ... uhmmm thank you Ma'am— Sir, I— I mean Summoner!"

Sharena wanted to laugh so bad but she was holding it in. The Summoner just waved it off. "Summoner would be just fine, you can also call me Kiran once you're more comfortable." The Summoner was happy when you nodded. They've noticed you've become flustered, perhaps out of embarrassment due to being in the presence of royalty. Or maybe it was because of them. They didn't know really.

Heroes were easier to talk to because they didn't put them on a pedestal, but it was different for Askrans who volunteered. The Summoner was their legend, their hero, it made a lot of sense that people would be on guard around them not because they were a public threat but rather... some sort of impossible idol on display. Like if you touch them, they would crack.

"Alfonse, introduce yourself." Your level of shock could not comprehend on how casual the Summoner just called the Crown Prince of Askr.

Your eyes met and you just froze there. Waiting for Askr to answer your prayer of this not going bad. Alfonse on the other hand had a different thought process.

Like you, he didn't know how to interact with you. Between him and Sharena, he was the introverted one. He acknowledged that he was distant when Kiran first came to them from another world, but after a few missions and discussions — Kiran wasn't as complicated as he thought they were. But you were a different story.

You are a citizen of his Kingdom. He is your Crown Prince, your future King. He was afraid on what he common folk would think about him. Alfonse was aware that people say he wasn't behaving like a prince should be. But he was hoping you thought differently, that you would give him a chance to at least prove himself that this is where he belongs for the time being before he becomes King.

He stretched out his hand towards you, although he smiled, you didn't know if he was even happy you're going to lessen the workload for the order. "I am Alfonse, Prince of Askr."

"They know that dummy!" Sharena couldn't help but tease from behind.

"Ack! A-apologies! I'm so used to introducing myself in such a manner — Wh—why are you laughing?!" This was the first time you saw Prince Alfonse so flustered and the Summoner practically on the floor laughing histerically as the prince failed to introduce himself to you.

Sharena was still trying to hold it in as well from where she sat.

You didn't need to be a genius to know why he introduced himself like that. You didn't even need his explanation. Considering how many heroes the Summoner would do each day, it was only natural for the prince to introduce himself in such a way — he would be a broken record at this point.

"Nice to meet you, Your Highness." You introduced yourself with a bow. "My name is (y/n), I look forward to working with you."

"L-likewise, (y/n)" The prince sounded so apologetic that you're starting to believe that the Summoner may tease him about this until the moment they both die. "S-stop laughing!"

Maybe the Summoner is a prankster? No, impossible. You refuse to believe it. The Summoner is THE Legendary Great Hero there is no way they would be so childish.

"Don't mind him, (y/n), Alfonse has always been a stick in the mud." Summoner Kiran simply patted you on the head like a child. Odd thing is that... You didn't dislike it. Their hand felt warm.

It didn't take long for the new Captains to come and arrive. None of them were the captains that you knew, and it breaks your heart. Most of them were Heroes that were summoned, very few were nobility who just joined — probably because they want to curry favor with the crown prince or his sister. It didn't sit right with you... It didn't feel right, it felt like a sin even — seeing these people standing where they stood.

"Now," the Summoner cleared their throat before facing the siblings. "I've already notified the captains about (y/n) so I'm giving you to a quick briefing. They're our Steward, anything that goes in and out of this castle, they should know. All the plans, all the names, all the resources, all the correspondence — everything. They are to receive the same amount of respect as the Commander and I as a veteran of this Order. Failure to comply with this will have consequences and you're not children for me to even say that..."

The summoner's voice sounded different for you. It had a different aura compared to earlier when they were still goofing around with the Prince and Princess. Their aura was respectable, commendable — there was something about them that just draws people in. And you were awed by it.

The Summoner explained that look like them, you were allowed to participate on missions but it's not a mandatory thing for you to do. As third-in-command, you have every authority to override the Captain's orders and decisions. You were allowed to discipline them, have access to secret files, every dark secret, every mission — you were allowed to go wherever in the castle, nor extractions whatsoever.

You were given actual authority, the same level of authority as the Commander. You were even allowed in the restricted section in the library. Not even the Summoner has access to that part of the castle!

Anna had asked for a second chance. But this wasn't the second chance you were hoping for.

It didn't felt like you earned your position at all.

You can name so many people who deserves to be third-in-command instead of you.

But they were all gone.

And you were alone.

Anna wasn't even present in the whole briefing as you finally swallowed your nervousness and brought out a parchment filled with agendas for the day, and reported it to the whole war council. It felt like every briefing you did with your old unit but at the same time, it felt so strange — not familiar. Surely these heroes are to be trusted, they're heroes after all but you couldn't help but have your own reservations.

Heroes didn't automatically mean trust.

And you trust none of them.

You only trust Anna because you worked with her before she became commander. She was one of you before any of this. But she wasn't around. She was in the capital with other Contains, trying to ease the situation with the King. She's doing her job. She's working hard.

And you should too.

"Okay!" The Summoner clapped their hands together as to catch the attention of the whole room. "You all have your missions, go and brief your team. The Steward and I will remind here to discuss our next course of action."

It was like a switch. One moment the Summoner was a professional tactics master, whenever you can call it and the next, they are a complete child. You can tell by how they smiles at you. It was a smile your own brother would give whenever he had something stupid in mind and you need to keep him out of trouble (your mother finds out anyway and you both get in trouble.) Somehow, you went from finding the summoner hateful, to them being weird, to you now just feeling scares that you're on a babysitting job with a grown adult who has the ability to control worlds.

"You, Steward, are the luckiest person in this Order. Do you want to know why?" ... you were scared to find out what's next to that sentence.

"No, Summoner." By that answer, you could have sworn you could have a pin drop all the way from Embla's capital.

"I'm telling you anyway!" They responded gleefully as they took out a map from one of the shelves. "Anna tells me that you've been doing covert assignments since you got here. Is that right?"

"Yes," you said. "I was under Captain Zacharias."

"Good. I need someone like you for tonight's assignment." Opening the map, the Summoner took out a few wooden pieces and placed them on the map as if they were trying to divise a plan on how to get to their location. "We'll be meeting an agent right around here," they pointed at the secluded forest just in the middle of Embla and Askr territory. "I figured you'd be enough as my companion."

"What?"

"What?" The summoner looked up towards you but it wasn't enough for you to even see their face. "You're trained in combat, right?"

"Yes."

"And you're trained in first aid?"

"Yes."

"And you know covert operation protocol, right?"

"Yes."

"Then you're perfect for the job!" There they go again with such a happy tone. No wonder the princess was so fond of them.

"I'm the only person qualified for the job, Summoner."

"Exactly!" Both of you weren't stupid to just realize that none of the Heroes were trained or brief in protocols such as this. Covert operations are often dangerous and kept on the dark, originally there are three separate teams of them and one of them was burnt and the other two were disbanded.

But if you were the only one that's left... Who was the Summoner's agent in Embla territory?

"You don't have to come if you don't want to you know," the Summoner's voice became... Soft for some reason. It felt unexpected.

"But isn't this assignment important?"

"It is." The Summoner nodded. But they didn't want to force you into anything you don't like. "But if you feel like you're not ready, I can reassign you to Alfonse and Sharena for today."

It was the guriella warfare task that you said earlier.

This choice will affect the story