It was two days before the riots were put under control. Parts of the city were still volatile, but the overwhelming military force that was available to the Duke on the demon border eventually broke the mobs back.

And it was a good thing to, or the city might have burned down altogether. As it was, large sections of the city were little more than ashes, along with a good chunk of the fields outside. Winter was a ways off, but not too far. Honestly speaking, this was an absolute disaster that would make the task of feeding and sheltering the population impossible.

Well, that was not quite true, but the solution Lucas had in mind would definitely not be accepted by the Duke. As the carriage rolled down the road past the burnt out and demolished buildings, Lucas went back and forth about his decision to unseat the Duke. He was not a people person, and frankly, this whole thing might end up with a sword in his gut, which Lucas wanted to avoid at any cost. On the other hand, he had already come close to death and the reality was that the situation was the Duke’s fault, and Lucas did not give a damn if that line of reasoning was not quite “fair.”

“Would you be able to bring me to Lady Versi?” Lucas asked Terrasin, “There are a few things I need to talk to her about.”

“Perhaps I can help,” Terrasin said. “What do you need to know?”

Volen was still with them so Lucas could not actually say, the little man would undoubtedly scurry back to his master to report as soon as the coach door opened.

“It is a few minor things,” Lucas tried to act casual. “Really not worth troubling you over.”

“I see.” Lady Almistraus frowned slightly before returning to her normal noble demeanor. Volen was less able to contain his suspicion and was occasionally stealing glances at Lucas now.

Lucas sighed, well that was a failure. Probably wouldn’t even make it to evening before everyone and their mother knew that he was doing something and it involved the Lady Versi. Maybe they would mistake it for something sexual, that was still bad, but not as bad as losing his head for treason.

He was not even sure if he really needed to worry at all. Lucas had spent so long denying that he was a hero and pushing the title away that he had no idea what status it gave him. The fact that Lady Almistraus, who was apparently a princess, was more or less serving as an attendant to him implied that he might have more sway than he realized. Still, he doubted that sway would allow him to walk up to the Duke and tell him to get his drunk ass out of his throne.

Which was why he needed Lady Versi. She was related to the Duke after all, and while him seizing power would likely not work, especially because he would have no clue what to do with a city, he figured he could pass it off as giving Lady Versi temporary rulership that would be returned to the Duke after he left.

It sounded good in his head, but it probably would not work for some reason or another that he hadn’t thought of. Still, he had nothing better, so that really limited his choices down to this or deal with that alcoholic idiot. And since his arrival in this world had involved him being injured repeatedly, his already surly personality would simply not be able to handle dealing with the Duke again without strangling him.

“Ahem,” Volen coughed quietly to get Lucas’s attention. “We have arrived.”

“Ah, sorry.” Lucas apologized, “I was lost in my thoughts.”

Two hours later Lady Versi, Lady Almistraus, and Lucas were sitting in rather comfortable chairs in one of the many rooms of the estate. Lucas had explained the whole situation to the two women and now was waiting to hear what they thought of it.

“You told me you were a hypocrite, but I really didn’t believe it before now.”

Lucas nearly choked on the tea he was drinking, and had a small coughing fit before he could reply. “That is the first thing you say? I mean, you are not wrong in general I suppose, but what was it this time?”

“You told us not to call you hero and yet here you are, using the title.”

Well fair enough, he had thought the same thing… But still, she didn’t need to point it out… Well, that is him being hypocritical again, as he probably would have. Fuck, he would have to work on this or it would probably keep coming back to bite him.

“And what do you think about the actual plan?”

“As sad as it is to say,” Lady Versi frowned. “I have little doubt it would work. The rioters burned down several mansions and even managed to kill a group of nobles who had been out of the inner city at the time. The court is looking for a head to place the blame on, and were you to confront the Duke and try to put me forward as a provisional governor, you could probably do it.”

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“But…?” Lucas could tell there was more to it.

“Lucas, I don’t know much about the world you are from,” Versi looked him over before meeting his eyes. “But some of the things you have said makes me think that women and men have a more equal relationship than here.”

“That does not really say much though,” Lucas did not want to get into this topic, he had enough on his mind and had already had his head dragged through enough sensitive subjects already! “I would not even call it remotely equal, but it certainly is moreso than here.”

“Do you really want me to be the provisional governor, is what I am trying to ask.” Versi frowned, “The Duke’s eldest son might be a better choice, and he certainly has no love for his father. Despite what the Duke said, he is absent more because he tried to kill his father several times. Not that anyone could prove that it was really him, but still.”

“Well for one thing I like you.” Lucas said casually and Versi blushed. “Not like that! I meant that you are a good person with a solid head for thinking.” He was not so depraved as to want to be with a sixteen year old, there society probably had different standards, but on this point he would not compromise from his own. He was not a ephebophile.

Lucas sighed, and continued. “Anyway, I need someone who will listen to me because almost nothing I say will fit in with your world’s common sense. If I have to stop and explain everything immediately, well, it would take years just to teach it. I will tell you what works, and some later person can come along and figure out why. Hell, if I am still here and things calm down I will explain it myself, but for now we need to move forward.”

“Sometimes I feel that you think of us as barbarians.” Terrasin frowned.

“Well, you are used to me being rude so I suppose this reply could be expected,” Lucas was not a very tactful person, after all. “But essentially, yes, you are.”

Terrasin watched him for a moment then seemed to give up and blew out a sigh, “Lady Versi, you should definitely take the provisional seat, Lucas certainly can’t be trusted with it.”

“I am a pretty decent manager you know,” Lucas retorted. “I just have a deep loathing for politics and sycophants.”

“And, unfortunately, you never hold back your words.” Terrasin did not seem mad, just matter of fact. “Too some extent, I have to admit I like that about you. It is refreshing and occasionally rather funny as well.”

“Always happy to entertain My Lady.” Lucas muttered sarcastically into his tea.

“But that feature would make you a terrible choice to rule and honestly, I doubt you could even meet successfully with most of the factions in this city much less over the whole of the duchy.”

Lady Versi chimed in as well, “I rather have to agree. Some of the soldiers we travelled with have started to use the curses you do, even among that rough bunch, your words are like sandpaper.”

Lucas got distracted for a second, “Wait, you have sandpaper?”

Terrasin blinked in surprise that that had caught Lucas’s attention, “Yes, it exists. It is used to produce the smooth finish on the woodworks you see around you. Is it important for something?”

“Not really, I just wouldn’t have expected it to exist in this world.” Well, it isn’t like Lucas knew when sandpaper was invented, nor had ever really thought about it. But now that it came up he guessed he had assumed it was a modern creation, maybe they replicated it with magic or maybe it was an older product than he thought.

“Leaving sandpaper aside,” Lady Versi brought the conversation back on track. “The truth simply is that I am really the only choice for this and if we can gather the right support, this is a time where the Duke’s seat is vulnerable.”

“So the ‘hero’ title isn’t enough…” Lucas mused, well it certainly wouldn’t be enough for him if he was in the Duke’s shoes. “What kind of support do we need?”

“Though they are not strictly nobility, I think the best support we can get is from the mages and the Church.” Versi put those two groups forward, causing Lucas to frown.

Magic and religion, two things that fascinated him in this world and that he also wanted to stay the hell away from. Lucas wanted to distract himself with his work, hell, even now he was thinking about how to present the idea of selective breeding to farmers properly. Just so long as he didn’t think about being brought to a world with demons out to kill him, he felt he could make it through the next few weeks fine enough. But magic threw a wrench in that plan.

On one hand, magic seemed amazing to him. He supposed that this worlds magicians and sorcerers were like his own world’s scientists, men and women who were experts in their fields and understood their work. A part of him was really excited to see what could happen when biology and magic mixed!

But on the other hand, he wondered just how much he could take. Lucas had given up dreams of magic before he had hit ten years old and had chosen to pursue being a scientist at around the same time. He did not want to raise his hopes only to have them dashed, and he did not want to unsettle himself when he hardly had a chance to settle into this world in the first place!

The Church was not much better. Lucas was an agnostic, but it would probably be more accurate to describe him as constantly sliding back and forth between various versions of Christianity and Atheism, he could never really make up his mind. The idea that their Gods actually answered their prayers made the whole conversation even more confusing, for a whole host of reasons and Lucas wanted nothing to do with it.

But it didn’t seem like he had any choice.

“Well, if that is how it has to be that is how it is.” Lucas steeled himself and decided to move forward. “Let’s go meet with the mages.”