"An Heir and a Spare, so went the old saying. In practice, however, it was far more difficult to balance this advice. Between incompetent heirs who refuse to give up their rights and spares who weren't satisfied to become spares, this practice often leads to spilled blood instead." - Gregor Dumaston, Founder of the Department of Political Science in the Levain Institute for Higher Learning.

For the next two weeks, Cal paid little attention to what her students were up to, and instead enjoyed herself in the elven capital. It was a little vacation those kids long deserved, she thought.

When she happened to run into Kino, she'd ask the half-therian woman about eateries and other places she could recommend. Elaina and Sidonie probably knew more, but Cal hadn't felt like bothering her nieces on their vacation.

It was late in the second week since their arrival in the Great Emerald Forest by then. Cal happened to be eating at a local eatery on a higher level when she spotted her nieces practicing their magic below. The crackle and thundering booms of their lightning magic was hard to miss after all.

Cal sat relaxedly on her seat as she watched her nieces below, sipping at a strange, murky, sweet-sour drink that incorporated the soft white pulp of a green, bumpy fruit. It was odd at first, but she quickly grew to like the taste.

On the small table before her were plates of finger foods. Sticks of an elvish soybean cake, where the soybean was left to ferment in a container until some sort of fungus filled every gap and turned it into a solid mass, was fried in a sugary sauce of tree sap, tamarind flesh, and slivers of chili peppers.

It gave off a mixture of savory, sour, sweet, and spicy flavors that made it a great accompaniment for drinking, and it was already her second such plate of the dish, the first of which disappeared down her gullet along with a few glasses of dewdrop.

Another plate at the table contained fritters, made from a mashed, boiled tuber similar to a potato in flavor and texture but one that grew on the trees rather than underground, endemic to the Great Emerald Forest.

The mashed tuber was mixed with onions, spices, and optionally, bits of minced meat, then dredged with beaten eggs and fried until golden. The ones on Cal's plate had meat in them, and the crisp outside contrasted wonderfully to the tender, fluffy insides, with a strong deliciously savory flavor in every bite.

While Cal was snacking and enjoying her drink, she noticed an unexpected figure who happened to walk by her nieces, stopped, and then stayed to watch their practice for a bit.

It was Gerhard, the Champion of Lightning.

Cal watched them closely from above as Gerhard seemed to approach her nieces, and from the looks of it, was teaching them some tips and tricks of his own to them. She wondered why the dwarven champion would be interested in the girls. Was it because they were related to her?

Either way, it appeared to her that he seemed to be teaching them quite earnestly, rather than from other motives. Cal wondered if Gerhard fancied taking students the way she did as well, or if there was something more to it.

She watched from her seat above them as Gerhard taught her nieces for what must have been a good hour or two, and that they departed with smiles on their faces. At that time, Gerhard finally seemed to notice her watching from above, and walked her way.

"Didn't see you up here," said the dwarven champion after he walked into the eatery, made his orders, and seated himself across from Cal. From how the elven waitress reacted it appears he was a frequent customer. "Been watching long?"

"You can say that," replied Cal as she thanked the waitress who brought her a new mug of drink and another plate of the fritters. "You had interest in those girls you saw?"

"Sort of," replied the dwarven champion as he took a big gulp of mead from his mug. "They reminded me of the twins of Light, in some ways. Not as close, since they're just siblings and not twins, but close enough, and quite skilled to boot."

They paused for a bit as the waitress returned with Gerhard's order, a large platter full of skewers, where chunks of spiced minced meat were grilled, alternated with slices of onions, peppers, and the potato-like tuber between them.

The twins of Light Gerhard mentioned were Aideen's father and uncle, Ciarran and Caelleach Fiachna, a rare case where two people shared the role of Champion. Even so, their longevity at the position hinted that there might be more merits to such an approach.

"You're aware that the three of us are planning to drop out when this research we're doing is finished, aren't you?" asked the dwarven champion bluntly as he bit off a good half of a skewer's contents in one go and chewed happily.

"Naht'anavriel had told me of it, yes," replied Cal honestly as she nibbled on one of her own fritters.

"That makes it easier then," said the dwarf with a friendly guffaw as he finished off the skewer in his hand and grabbed another. "I was just keeping an eye out for those who might be a possible choice one day. When you know you're going out, it's only good manners to have some successor candidates ready, you know? Not everyone is like old Radoth who didn't have any and just waited for a suitable one."

"I guessed that much from how you interacted with them," admitted Cal with a nod. "I just didn't expect them to catch your eye, of all people."

"Hm. Those girls any relation to you?" asked the dwarf with some curiosity seeping into his voice. "Now that I think about it, there's some similarity to you in how they looked."

"They're my nieces. My older half-sister's daughters," answered Cal honestly, as it was not something that needed to be hidden to begin with.

"Well… that's no problem either way. Like I said, they're just ones I pegged for potential successors. Doesn't mean it has to be them," said the dwarf nonchalantly as he drank deep into his mead. "And even if they end up being the ones who took up the mantle, it's no issue either. You know Aideen got her father and uncle amongst the champions as well. Wouldn't be the first time for some to be family to another."