Card Apprentice Daily Log

Date- 18 April 2321

Time- 09:45

Location- Card World, Southern Region, Blossom District, Sky Blossom City

The Field Marshal Heatsend could not believe she who used to rule the Way Beyond, was reduced to a mere mediator between the mother-in-law and son-in-law pair. Both of them were overbearing control freaks, who did not know how to take a step back. She blamed demigod Norley for this. If he had not shown up, her niece would not have had a proper reason to send her here to spy on her great-nephew-in-law while acting as his bodyguard.

'Wyatt, whatever you are up, I suggest you give up. Because if you escalate things she will not back down,' the Field Marshal advised Wyatt, seeing the most ominous grin she had seen pasted on his face.

There was another reason why the Field Marshal felt like it was her duty to mediate between Anna's mother and Wyatt. It was the fact that Wyatt figured out what Anna's mother was up to while talking to her of all people, she thought if anyone were to slip up it would be Colleen, her sister-in-law, but she never thought that it would be her of all people.

Disappointed in herself, the Field Marshal took away all the credit she gave herself for almost figuring out Wyatt's game plan to free Clown Mask.

'I am not afraid, Your Highness. As you said earlier, with you by my side what do I have to be afraid of,' Wyatt said, listening to the Field Marshal warn him that Anna's mother will not overlook his provocations.

'Wait, I only said that about facing the crowd gathered by the orphanage. I did not mean anything about fighting against your mother-in-law. Keep me out of it, she is scary and mean as heck. Worst of all, she knows how to hold a grudge. I don't want to be part of it,' the Field Marshal rambled at the mere thought of being a part of a rebellion against her niece.

This, right here, clearly showed how strong of a grip Anna's mother had on the Southern royal family and its key figures. It was a surprise that she was not chosen as the next heir by the Southern Ruler. It was very likely that she stepped down and gave her unruly daughter the honor.

'My mother-in-law? She wishes,' Wyatt remarked. Then, he added, 'Come on, Your Highness, don't tell me you have never thought about knocking your niece a peck down? Or at least you might imagine who among the two of us is the best, right? Get on board with me, I will show what winning is like.'

Wyatt blatantly tried recruiting the Field Marshal into his despite knowing she was spying on him for Anna's mother which was what it more fun. What would be more of a provocation to Anna's mother than stealing her trusted aid from her side? The Field Marshal guessed what Wyatt was thinking and responded, 'Keep me out of it. Knocking her a peck down with your help will not make me feel any good about myself. It would only make me feel that I betrayed my family. After all, she is family and you are not. Unless you agree you too are family.'

'...' Wyatt could not respond to the Field Marshal, there he was trying to recruit her against Anna's mother and there she was trying to tie him to their family using Anna's mother. Yep, the Field Marshal was not to be underestimated. She seemed to be well-versed in the secret skill of the elderly, match-making.

"Boss, what's wrong with you? You are acting weirdly. You are scaring Cortney," Diana spoke breaking the awkward silence in the car, seeing Wyatt not speak for long and make weird and ominous facial expressions.

Wyatt didn't answer Diana, and seeing that the crowd around the orphanage was still not cleared. Instead, it grew, he asked, "Did the Field Marshal Heatsend contact you and order you not to disperse the crowd?"

"I am sorry, boss. It's a command given by the royalty. I cannot go against nor can I disclose more about it," Diana was surprised. She wondered how her boss knew that the renowned Field Marshal herself had sent her a message asking her not to let Wyatt disappoint the crowd and fulfill his role as the 'Hope of the Southern region.' Otherwise, Wyatt would be heavily penalized for neglecting his duty. Reading Wyatt would get penalized, she did not even bother to question how the Field Marshal knew about this and why it concerned her, she just did what she was ordered. She did not go into details about the message from the Field Marshal because she did not want Wyatt to get into trouble with the Southern Royal family over this. She was worried for her boss.

"It is not your fault, you were just looking out for me," Wyatt consoled Diana, though he did not have intent sense like demigods, he had strong observation and deduction skills. Then, shaking his head, he contacted the people who would ruthlessly follow his order even if meant killing royalty. His calamity daughter gems. He ordered the Bright brothers to disperse the crowd. The Field Marshal might have full confidence in her ability to subdue any suicidal puppet of Gideon Grim in the crowd but Wyatt did not want any surprises. Therefore he did not take any chances and chose to be cautious.

Anna's mother wanted Wyatt to embrace the role of 'Hope of the Southern region' more so that he would be willingly tying himself to the Southern region and the Southern royal family. Hence, after learning that the Field Marshal was confident about handling any surprises, she ordered the Field Marshal to persuade or provoke Wyatt into taking the stage she had set for him and entering the spotlight by any means possible except for force, which went without saying.

However, unlike Anna's mother, Wyatt did not have an alternative motive so he would rather not tempt his luck and stay cautious.

"What the heck? The cops showed up now of all times," Wyatt cursed receiving an update from Nick Bright that the cops were not allowing them to disperse the crowd claiming that the crowd was gathered on private property and the Bright Lions had no right to ask them to leave.

The Cops never dared to go against Bright Lions but today they were very aggressive. Wyatt thought, 'An order from the Field Marshal Heatsend, herself, should have that effect.'

...

[AN: Check out Reader's Quest Board in the Author's Thoughts section for mass release.]