The Strategist's Apprentice
by Lunar Wave

Disclaimer: I don't own Log Horizon, nor do I own Fire Emblem

A/N: Lyn is in her Japanese Age of 15, rather than the International 18.

"What strange clothes."

Even to me, this was a strange sentence for me, but this was the first thing that came to mind when I first saw the girl sprawled on the earth of the Sacae Plains. It was not due to anything prejudiced, but the ridiculousness of the fact that a girl, unlikely to be any older than 15, was here, in the middle of nowhere, no caravan in sight, wearing clothes clearly that of a foreigner, and was lying where, when the night comes, the girl would simply freeze to death. The absurdity of the situation simply made me wonder where this young girl came from and tried to discern that by trying to piece together the available clues. And the only clue I have is her clothes, hence the strange sentence.

I simply could not figure out where her clothes came from, nor could I begin to think which country those kind of clothing would be referring to. Then again, I have not been much through other countries and have only seen foreigners in Bulgar and amongst the caravans, but I distinctly do not remember the kind of clothing this young girl seems to be wearing. A white cloth wrapped her top, with long baggy sleeves, or at least that's what it looked like to me, through which her hands only barely came out of, fastened by a piece of metal armor. Red baggy pants, clearly unfit for any form of battle, fastened by a pink cloth. The girl herself had short, brown hair, but she still looked fairly healthy.

"Not for long if I leave her out here." I quickly chastised myself, as I moved to grab her. I need to carry her back to my home. And with a heft, the girl was on my back and I was once more on my horse, running back to my ger, where I lived, all alone.

My name is Lyndis of the Sacae Plains.

"Where am I?"

This was the first thought that came to mind when I woke up in a strange tent, covered in standard native objects. I softly tried to reach out and access the menu. It soon appeared winking:

Name: Minori
Race: Human
Class: Kannagi
Subclass: Apprentice (Teacher: Level 95 Scribe, Shiroe)
Level: 33
Guild Name: Log Horizon

Clearly, I'm still in Elder Tale. But, where in Elder Tale am I? This is nowhere near Akihabara.

Checking my clothing, I saw nothing wrong in that direction, seeing my still quite unfamiliar, yet familiar at the same time, [Protecting Head Shrine Priestess Wear] a reforging of my [Shrine Priestess Clothing] tailored for level 30's compared to the latter's level 20. It didn't look all that different from the previous version, but it did give a boost of magic defense and the Protecting modifier did give a bonus on both magic defense and defense, so I'm somewhat safe from most magic attacks weaker than my level. I looked around, searching for my bag. The bag was a gift from Shiroe, which is why it was quite valuable to me. It was not a magic bag, but it does have certain spells woven into it by tailors to allow it to hold just a little bit more than it should've. It might not have the capacity as a Dezenegg's Magic Bag, but I was happy regardless. I placed much of my belongings in said bag, and so, I didn't wish to lose it.

"Oh, you're awake." I jerked my head around, not sure as to who would be referring to me.

"Umm… uh…" I stuttered, not sure as to what to say. The girl in front of me was human. That was clear. She had beautiful green hair, but I cannot help but try to check her status. However, she has yet to use any form of attack on me nor are we in the same party, so I can't see if she was a Person of the Land or not (I became more aware of such a detail after Rudy turned out to be one). At the very least, I suppose it would be too rude to ask so…

"I am Lyn of the Lorca Tribe. I found you lying on the plains, so I brought you here to my ger." If she lives here, clearly she is a Person of the Land. A sword on her hip, making her a warrior, and it's likely that she is relatively higher level than most of her peers. Wait… stop Minori, common courtesy first, analyzing later.

"I'm Minori, an Adventurer."

"Minori? A strange name, but a good name nonetheless. What country do you hail from?"

"… Ja… Oh, I am from Yamato." She hoped that this would suffice as an answer but the furrowed brow on Lyn's face said otherwise.

"Where is this… Yamato?" She seems to be struggling to find a way to ask politely. "I have not head of that land from anywhere in Elibe."

"Elibe? Can I see a map, so as to be sure?" Lyn nodded, rushing away to find one. I sat on the bed, idly noting that my bag was on the ground right next to the bed. How did I get here? The last thing I remember is walking past the town plaza, and the next moment, I was here.

Automatically, my hand accessed the menu. Going to my friend's list, it's time I contact the one person that saved me before, and I hope have the answers necessary. It was time I contact my Guild Master, and first crush, Shiroe.

Lyn stood to one side, carrying as many maps as she could in her hands. She herself has scanned the maps beforehand, but she didn't find any land on them remotely referred to as 'Yamato'. She walked to the room, cautiously peeking in to see if the young girl was awake. Thinking back on what she knew of the girl, she subtly remembered her designation as "Adventurer".

She looks too young, even by Sacaean standards to be traipsing across deserts and plains alone, and she looks as fragile as a flower. Lyn could only guess that she has some form of hidden "thorns" to be able to combat any bandits that she might come across. How old WAS she? And where are her parents? Surely they would be against her holding her own… is it she was like herself?

Lyn herself was only 15, living alone in the plains with only her own skills to rely on to survive. Already her food cabinet barely holds enough for her to maintain the amount of food her parents had told her to eat when she was young.

She shook her head out of those sad thoughts and returned to what she thought about Minori. Minori doesn't have any form of toned muscles to indicate fighting skill, and Lyn didn't find any form of weapon on her person when she laid her on the bed. Magic was the only option available, and she could confirm that if she had found any tomes of magic. But she refused to touch the bag as it was not hers, so she couldn't confirm that.

In the end, she couldn't help but worry for the girl the moment she leaves again, and she was fully intent on letting the girl have any maps, and maybe… hopefully, she can come with the girl to wherever the road takes them.

Lyn decided that she had enough thinking, and walked with slightly more purpose than she had left with.

"I brought the maps." Minori jerked her head towards the girl. But what surprised Lyn the most were traces of tears forming in her eyes. Minori hastily wiped her tears away and Lyn, though concerned, kept herself from asking the obvious question.

"Sorry." Minori smiled, though it was strained. "It's just that… it doesn't matter." Lyn nodded unsure what to do. They simply stared at each other, a deafening silence piercing through the room. It was Minori who broke the silence first.

"Umm… Lyn? May I see those maps?" Lyn nodded mutely, placing the maps on the bed.

Lyn watched as Minori unfurled the first map she grabbed, which was the map of Sacae. What surprised Lyn was when Minori's eyes glowed a subdue green and moved across the map as though she was reading at a faster rate than anyone is capable of doing. She placed the map out of the way and grabbed a new map and repeated the process. This time it was a map of Lycia, which Lyn was unsure as to why it existed in her home. It appears to have her mother's handwriting scribbled across some locations, and Lyn resolved to take a look-see through that map so that when she leaves the plains, she will visit those locations. She only just realized how hard she was looking at the Lycian map when Minori finally placed the map away view and Lyn made a quick note to read through that map as well. She returned her gaze to Minori who was finally looking at the map that, Lyn honestly believed, should have been the first map she grabbed. The map of Elibe laid unfurled on the table, and Minori grimaced as she read through the map.

"I… don't recognize any of these locations… I would assume that Sacae and Lycia are these two respectively," she pointed at the appropriate portions of the map, "but Yamato is an island nation… so I suppose that, for some strange reason, I was sent across the seas?"

"But how could you possibly have arrived here, in the middle of the Sacaean plains, if you did not know of the location?" Lyn was surprised at her conclusion, but to be fair, Elibe didn't have much connection to lands beyond its region, and she certainly would have known if there was a new land imposing itself upon the area. At least, she thought so.

"I think… it might have to do with the Fairy Rings." Lyn was shocked at the term that was thrown at her.

""Fairy Rings"?" She echoed, unsure as to what it means. She has of course heard of stories of the fey from hearsay, and Sacae itself is a land that believes in the spirits of nature, but to hear such a term and not be familiar with it is difficult for her to take too seriously.

"You don't know what a Fairy Ring is?" At this Lyn nodded mutely, "It is a magical gate that allows those in Yamato to transfer from region to the location of any of the fairy rings… at least that's what Shiroe-san told me." Lyn nodded, but to think there was such powerful magic in existence, it boggled the girl's mind.

"But there is no Fairy Ring in this land." Lyn pointed out. "The very location where I found you has no such structure, at least to my knowledge." Minori nodded slightly.

"It may have been a malfunction, or at least an event scenario. I suppose I have no choice but to search for a way back home." Minori sighed, as she sat on the bed. Then something strange happened. Minori suddenly sat abruptly, putting her finger on something in front of her that Lyn was incapable of seeing, and suddenly asked a question. And finally placing her finger to her ear, she smiled.

"Shiroe-san!" Minori delightedly said. Lyn looked on in confusion as Minori shuffled slightly on the bed, as though trying to make herself comfortable.

"Yes. I'm fine." "I'm sorry for worrying you" "I see, so that's why I could not contact you earlier." Lyn looked baffled as Minori chatted with an invisible entity and figured that if there was a magic that transferred a person from another location, then it is possible that Minori's country had also discovered a means of speaking without being directly in front of each other. If so, she should not interfere with the girl and she stepped out of the room and into the plains.

Lyn stretched her arms as she exited the house. She had intended on having a noontime stroll, and perhaps hunt a few wild game to supply her food cabinet. For that reason, she left the house with only her bows and arrows, clumsy though she may be with the long ranged weapon.

It was then that she noticed something strange off in the distance. With the eyes of a trained tracker, she spotted a bunch of bandits walking towards the nearest ger in the area. Lyn glanced at the home. At this time, the men would have still been out of the house, hunting for meat, and there was only the mother and child left at the home.

There was no time to think, she rushed back in the house. She ran for her blade, and dropped the bow and arrows on the ground nearby.

"Lyn, is everything alright?" Lyn turned to the one who asked the question, and faced a concerned Minori, her right hand still touching the right side of her head. Lyn grimaced and answered.

"Bandits are attacking the neighboring ger. I need to stop them. I'll be back short-" Minori's eyes sharpened, as the girl quietly grabbed Lyn's hand with her left before she could leave. Lyn struggled slightly against the young girl, but it was then she realized just how strong the girl is. Lyn pulled at her hand, but Minori didn't even budge despite being about the same age.

"Wait, I'll come along. Sorry, Shiroe-san, but I need to help the Person of the Land I told you about. I'll contact you as soon as I'm able to. Contact Tohya? Okay, thanks." Minori automatically put her right hand down. "I'll help you with the bandits. I just need my staff and we can go." Minori let her go, once walked over to her bag.

"Staff? You're a cleric?" It was widely known that staves are generally used by the healers of Saint Elimine, but when Minori pulled out an oddly shaped one, one that is clearly not like any of the usual staves of the followers of Elimine, one with rings dangling from the décor on the staff, she was somewhat stumped.

"Hmmm. No, but I am a healer-class. I'm a Kannagi." She smiled brightly. "I also work as the field monitor of the party I was in. I'm going to add you to my party for now." Lyn was unsure about the terms that the girl was throwing at her but when a magic screen suddenly showed up in front of her, she didn't really have time to think about it. All she saw was in Sacaean script was written: "Minori invited you to join her party." Two circles are on the button. One says "Accept", and another says "Decline". Lyn's finger automatically hovered over Accept, but she hesitated.

"I'm not sure if I could just impose on you-" She was quickly cut off by Minori when she hand waved the girl's doubts.

"Don't worry; it's fine! Adventurer's accept quests from the People of the Land all the time! In fact, I'll be very happy to help you." Lyn nodded, not sure as to what she meant by People of the Land and merely assumed that it was a reference to herself and the fact that she is Sacaean but there was a slight doubt that was the case. But if it was a reference to her heritage then she would just simply take it in stride and act the part. And so she pressed the Accept and she suddenly felt as though the world had shifted.

Her world started to focus more, as though it had always been out of focus. She was fairly sure her eyes were not bad to begin with, but the fact that she felt as though a strange event has just happened and she was dragged out of the familiar old-style to a much more enhanced realm. She was not sure how to describe this feeling, and she started searching for the reason inwards, looking for why the world suddenly shifted, and then a magic rectangular light danced in her vision. On it was written:

Name: Lyndis of the Lorca
Race: Human
Class: Myrmidon
Subclass: Lord
Level: 3
Guild Name: N/A

It was there, plain to her eyes, her name, her tribe, and everything, from how much her clothes protects her to a list of skills she could probably use. She is unfamiliar on what all these mean, but the fact remains that that appeared out of nowhere and it was that it appeared the precise time that she accepted the party invitation.

"What… no, let us hurry and finish off the bandits before we discuss what is going on here." Lyn grabbed the sword and placed it on her hip. Lyn looked back at Minori, who simply smiled, and the two rushed out the door.

"Four bandits. A Level 4, two 6s, and a 7 respectively. Not that difficult when you consider that on our side is a level 3 and a level 33…" Minori murmured, but Lyn could hardly understand what she meant by that. "But Lyn needs to get a bit of experience in battle." Minori looked slightly panicked as she realized something, "But they're still People of the Land, I couldn't possibly…"

"I wouldn't call thieves People of the Land." Lyn remarked, a bit offended at the reference, "They are nothing more than the worst kind of scum to ever walk it." Minori looked away ever so slightly.

"It's just that… they're still human. I'm not really sure if we should do this…"

"Then allow me to strike them down." Lyn replied, hardened, "I would not ask for a foreigner to throw their morals away just for the Sacaean's sake. You can leave the battlefield as you will."

"But I already promised to help you! I will not stand by and let you fight alone. Those two are clearly stronger than you." Minori argued. Lyn grimaced at this argument, but she already has a counter to that.

"But I'm faster and these two don't have a shred of armor to cover their torsos. I will certainly be able to deal a finishing blow to them, even if they are stronger."

"Then, let us work together. I will be the healer and support, as well as the field monitor. Your job is to be the one to… kill… them." Lyn nodded, as she prepared to run forward, but Minori immediately stopped her for now.

"First, let's make a plan."

The plan Minori made was simple, simply because that was the only plan you really could make in a situation with limited manpower (Lyn and Lyn alone), against 4 bandits who were clearly stronger than the singular person that comprises their team. Lyn's goal was simple, lure them one by one and try to kill them that way. But Lyn didn't like it. This was a clearly dishonest way of battle and she would much rather charge head on and defeat them herself. And so Minori had decided to simply allow her to do as she wishes, and protect her that way. That's why Minori did not tell her to do anything other than to simply defeat them from the weakest to strongest and to not go too far ahead of her.

Lyn rushed into the battlefield, her quick agile feet instantly closing the distance between her and her target. The man quickly saw her and was startled the moment the sword in her hand was lodged through his heart. The added momentum and the unarmored defense quickly brought the bandit's HP to 0, regardless of how powerful the man is. His axe fell limply on his side, and then the bandit fell. The others saw their fallen comrade and cried out.

"Ey! This girl killed the new recruit!" The one Minori referred to as the first level 6 cried out. "Kill her!"

"Boss, you can leave this to us!" The other level 6 growled, as they both rushed into the fray. Lyn looked upon her enemies with a cold stare. That was her first kill, but she had no time to think about that. She still had to kill 3 others after all.

"Bandits are not welcome in these plains." And with that Lyn disappeared from their view. The first level 6 looked around searching for their enemy, only to suddenly find a blade lodged through his chest. His strength disappeared and he regretted not wearing any armor at all. Maybe if he had, he wouldn't have died so easily. He looked back towards his killer and roared, before he finally succumbed to the deepest sleep known to man.

The other bandit was so shocked as he watched his comrade fall to the ground as Lyn pulled the blade out of the bandit and instantly rushed for him. He growled, raising his own axe and taking a strike at Lyn. But Lyn was faster; clearly, and most assuredly, faster. And with a clean stroke, the man's arm, holding the axe, fell limply to the ground. With a final cry, Lyn finished the battle. She rushed forward and beheaded the man with her blade.

"You would DARE make a mockery of Batta the Beast's Bandits!? I'll kill you!" Batta roared, rushing forward as well. Unlike his companions, he actually did have some modicum of armor on his chest. However it is made of leather, and said leather would simply fall short in terms of the blade. But in Lyn's arrogance, after defeating the other 3, she had rushed forward as well, her blade shining in the sunset sky.

"That won't be enough, little missy!" Lyn's sword was blocked. She could hardly believe it. Fast. That's all that she could think of when Batta had blocked the sword. He was faster than the other 3. The sword was knocked out of her grip, and she immediately chastised herself for losing her grip on the weapon. All she could do now was watch as the axe fell.

"Protective Barrier!"

At this cry, a single, powerful, magical barrier materialized in front of Batta's axe, stopping the weapon from advancing for a single split second. This moment was enough for Lyn. She immediately made a scramble for her blade, as the barrier fell and land on nothing, and struck her opponent as he stayed shocked from the attack.

"What… just… how…?"

And with that Batta, fell. The man's strength had disappeared, and now Minori was walking towards her friend. Lyn herself had collapsed into a sitting position from exhaustion, having been running around with sheer adrenaline after the first few deaths.

"This was the first time you have killed a human, isn't it?" Minori had a small smile on her face as she looked at the carnage left by the bandits. Lyn nodded slightly. "Well, you still did well, despite that." Lyn nodded. She made a final glance against Minori and said the first question that came to mind.

"How old are you, Minori?"

"About 14, almost 15. Why?"

"Then you're about the same age as me, huh?"

Minori was clearly taken aback. Lyn certainly did not look like a 14-15 year old. She looked more like an 18 year old with her… admittedly well-endowed figure. She could not understand just how she could be the same age as a middle-schooler as it is. So Minori did the only thing she could think of doing. She laughed. And soon enough, Lyn was laughing alongside her, though she did not know why they were doing so, they were both laughing. They walked back to the ger, still laughing.

"Eh? You want to come with me?" Minori asked, taken aback by Lyn's proposal. However, Lyn could tell that the girl did not feel repulsed by the idea, as she simply seemed shocked and confused. Lyn was delighted. It means Minori was not against the idea.

"Yes, Minori. May I?"

"But you're a People of the Land… Wouldn't it be bad for you if you came with an Adventurer? Adventurer's get into more dangerous things than what you are probably used to…"

"… Can I not be an adventurer?" Lyn asked, wondering if there was an actual process to being an adventurer.

"You can. But… it's difficult… And I don't really understand it yet… Shiroe-san, my teacher, is the only one I know that could do that." Minori smiled slightly. "and he's leaps and ways beyond me."

"Teacher? So you are his…"

"Apprentice." Minori smiled brightly. "Shiroe-san is the one who taught me tactics, so you could say that I'm an apprentice tactician."

"An apprentice tactician, I see." Lyn nodded. She then bowed, "Then let us train our skills together. I would like to be part of your party from now on. May I?"

"Well… I don't know where we're supposed to go yet..." Minori asked, looking away distantly. "I don't think there are any boats willing to sail any further than the known continent."

"If it is magic that brought you here, then maybe we should head for Etruria?" Lyn replied, "It is the land most well-known for its magic." Minori looked thoughtful.

"Is there an Adventurer City there?" Lyn looked away, not really sure. Minori simply smiled, "Well, we'll know when we head there." Lyn looked happy. Minori clearly is fine with bringing her along.

"Thank you, Minori! I'm sure one day, you'll become a Master Tactician, whilst I will be your peerless warrior, standing by your side." Minori nodded brightly, accepting the girl's proposal. This was the start of a friendship that was bound to shake the land of Elibe.

Quest Added: Lyn's Journey

Party:
Minori - Lvl 33 - Kannagi - Apprentice (Scribe)
Lyndis of the Lorca - Lvl 5 - Myrmidon - Lord

Chapter End

Not sure if this will be a series. However, I do hope that I can continue it further down the line. Reviewing criticisms about the idea might help. If someone wants to help me write this story, I'm accepting coauthors. Stories are powerful things.

Okay, YES, Lyn is very much though, unknowingly, ignoring Minori's strength when she was grabbed. A girl as frail looking as Minori is instinctively considered weaker than the other more powerful looking swordswoman. However, Minori is clearly considered stronger than any average strong level 10 in this regard. She'll probably be able to curb stomp any of the Lyn story enemies, if it wasn't for the fact that they are People of the Land. If I EVER get to the point that they're fighting morphs, then this will no longer be an issue. But in the meantime, she'll be the regular healer/barrier maiden.

Lyn as a Level 3 Justification: She's 15 in this fic. She's a good hunter but People of the Land generally get less experience than the Adventurers. Lyn's no different. The usual hunted animals aren't really going to be high enough level for any Adventurer. Also, the hunted animals aren't really the same as the monsters. And People of the Land gain experience far slower than any adventurers. Furthermore, as I mentioned before, she's 15, and I'm going with the thought there has been an interval of 2-3 months since the massacre. She probably spent at least a week traumatized, and the following weeks trying to remember her training. The amount of time it took to get to that level would be absurd. She was probably level 2 before the massacre. Training from the elders on a bow does not a great swordswoman make. She advanced to level 3 upon living on her own and hunting her own meals every now and again. Would be slightly higher if she hunted everything she eats. As is, Level 3 is appropriate.

Bandit Level Justification: The first one is just a beginner bandit probably just got his first kill out of the way and was being shown the ropes, while Batta is just some guy going around acting all tough. Level 7 is clearly very appropriate. Batta's group is too insignificant to even consider him to be a threat.