Afterword - Book 1 - Chapter 17 (Patreon)

Chapter 17: Seeking Value and Saying Farewell

(original chapter title: Worthless)

I've said this a lot to a small number of people, but in many ways I had the worst timing with my launch. I launched with no buffer for Patreons, I launched a short period of time before a LOT of things launched on RR, and I managed to launch before a very difficult time of life. ...I launched with a chapter depicting severe depression a week after many were struck by it (this is NOT an invitation to discuss politics, simply a note of my social circles' status).

This feels like a good point to remind everyone that the first two books are long since written and I'm mostly editing and expanding where I need to.

I actually don't like harming Ranthia (I know, I know; but I mean it!). Writing her in pain, turmoil, or depressed? It sucks! ...Unfortunately, these things happen. Life is hard, and hers is worse than many. Reaching so far has consequences, living so dangerously doubles them.

The bits where I move perspective to Tatius were part of the OG draft that I went in planning to remove but... I liked them in this situation. I decided to put it to my beta readers and they were unanimous in their support to keep them, so I did. Hopefully readers weren't confused. It was a nice glimpse at how the men viewed things.

This chapter's VERY similar to the original, though I expanded some of Ranthia's recovery period. ...And better explained WHY the Guildmaster looked into them.

Ranthia's discussion with the Guildmaster and with Tatius afterwards are an important moment for her. Every crisis Ranthia has faced, someone else has shown up to lend her a hand. For the first time, she truly needs to face her own problems and find her own path; no one else can help her. And... she chooses to face her path again and face her obstacle. It doesn't come easily, but at long last she finds success!

At very long last; she took most of a year from the end of the last chapter to the end of this chapter. Not all growth comes easily.

So now Ranthia has her new skill and her class functional! And she has one (1) Amaus! Tis time for her to become a true Adventurer at long last.