The Ashen Winds breezed across the land as they signaled the coming arrival of spring, the last remains of snow melting and becoming water for the flora to drink. The road was empty yet peaceful, with small carts being pulled by horses carried farmers and traders, ready to sell their spoils and wares at the town ahead as they welcomed the new day.
Speeding past them was a man on horseback, with a young boy sitting right behind him with a firm grasp on his shoulders.
“Are the roads always this beautiful?” asked the young boy as he enthusiastically admired the scenery.
“Well, Lunasolis is known for its scenery,” replied the man, with a small hint of pride in his voice, “If you think this is beautiful, just wait ‘til you see the-”
The man was interrupted by the grumbling of the boy’s stomach.
“Oh… sorry. I guess I’m a bit hungry.”
“Didn’t you eat breakfast two hours ago?”
“I digest my food pretty fast.”
“I’m not stopping. We’re too close to Complesi to stop.”
The boy grumbled as he tried to flatten his stomach, as though to suppress his hunger, until he saw a carriage ahead that carried apples.
“Oh, slow down a little! I see a vendor!”
“I told you, I’m not stopping.”
“I said slow down, not stop.”
“What are you planning on doing?”
As the man slowed down the horse to match the apple vender’s pace, the boy shifted himself to one of the horse, putting one foot on the stirrup and the other on one side of the fruit vendor’s carriage.
“Hey, careful, kid! You could slip!”
“I’ll be fine! Just keep her steady!”
Frustrated, the man did everything he could to keep the horse stable, while the boy bought an entire bag of apples from the panicking fruit seller and got back on, before returning the horse to their previous pace.
“What were you thinking?”
“You said we couldn’t stop,” replied the boy as he began munching on an apple, “We didn’t stop.”
“Don’t change the meaning of what I’m…” the man sighed as he stopped mid-sentence, realizing the futility of the argument, “Look, kid. I’m not gonna tell you how to… do what you do, but please…. Don’t forgot why you’re doing this in the first place.”
“I know,” the boy pouted like a child, “But what’s the point of ruling an empire if you don’t even know what you’re fighting for?”
The man chuckled, “Just don’t get cocky, kid. We still need to pass the entrance test.”
The boy smiled.
“I know. I’m not gonna let them down.”
----------------------------------------
“How much more of this?” Rona groaned as her upper body slumped onto the table.
“It’s only been an hour and a half. Stop complaining,” replied Lester.
The two examiners bantered as they read and sorted through stacks of papers, watching the participants desperately trying to pass the entrance tests.
“Well, yeah. An hour and a half of double-checking already double-checked exam papers that we’ve been double-checking every twenty minutes! I didn’t even have time to have a proper breakfast!”
“That’s your fault for waking up late.”
“Speak for yourself! I could be using this time to get a date with a rich guy!”
“You’re… looking for a date at a time like this?” commented an exasperated Lester.
“Why not? I don’t know how long I’m gonna be able to keep this job. If anything, now’s the best time to look for a guy with a secure future!”
Lester face palmed as the two of them finally exited the temporary exam paper archive, “Have you already forgotten how important this job is?”
“Oh, don’t tell me you actually believe the rumors. If studying here was enough to be emperor, then we would’ve had one already! I bet the Ministerial Council made it up to lure-”
Lester covered her mouth before she could finish.
“Hey! Watch your mouth, we’re at work!”
He looked around to see if anyone was watching, before realizing that Rona was glaring at him and let go.
“S-sorry,” He scratched his head as he thought of what to say, “Look, rumors or not, we have VIPs from other nations coming here. We do this right, we’ll at least be able to get our own back on its feet.”
Rona sighed, “I know how important this job is, Lester. It’s just… knowing what you’re dealing with makes it so much scarier. I don’t wanna have a career working for gods-know-know-long with that kind of stress.”
Lester couldn’t say anything back. It was true. It didn’t matter what kind of position you had, simply knowing that you were carrying an entire Empire on your back was a crushing responsibility to bear.
“You’ll get your break soon enough, Miss Howler,” said a voice that approached them.
The voice belonged to a red-haired man whose size was big enough to intimidate a rookie fighter, and had a sword tied to his belt. Despite his thick travel attire, his figure boasted a muscular build.
“G-general Flamehart!” the two examiners stood up in respect.
General Alsen Flamehart was one of the military leaders of Lunasolis, who played a big part in ending the civil war, as well as the ‘cleanup’ of corruption among the nobles, which won him the admiration of the people.
“At ease. I’m not here today as a military officer,” Flamehart looked towards the closed hall, “Is the exam almost over?”
“U-um… yes!” Despite being told to relax, Rona was barely able to keep her composure, “This batch should be done in a moment…”
“I see,” He folded his arms as he waited, “So… how have the candidates been doing?”
“Well… I haven’t personally seen any in our batches but…” Lester replied, “I’ve heard that some foreign royalty have been admitted into the academy, along with some kids with good potential.”
“Hmm.” Flamehart nodded with an approving grunt.
“Although… we did catch some candidates trying to cheat. Of course, they were expelled immediately.”
Flamehart sighed, “It’s better than the alternative… They should be grateful they were only expelled.”
Sensing the atmosphere getting rather ominous, Rona quickly tried to change the subject.
“U-um… Sir…” she began, “If you’re not here on duty, does that mean…?”
“Hm? Oh, yeah, I’m waiting for someone,” Flamehart replied.
Just as the two staff were left wondering what kind of person General Flamehart had scouted, the doors of the hall opened to let the batch of candidates who had finished writing the written exam. A good number of them walked out exhausted, while some even left in tears, which the two could only feel sorry for. Only a handful had left with looks of triumph on their faces.
“Ah, there he is,” said Flamehart.
The examiners looked towards the candidate that he pointed and found themselves… confused.
A boy who looked like he had just recently hit puberty was walking out of the hall, humming like it was any other day and looking pleased with himself. Although he was wearing travel gear and even had a sword with a sheath that looked rather too large for it, he didn’t seem to have the physique of a trained fighter. Rona and Lester weren’t exactly sure what they were expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this.
“Oh… hey, Al!” the boy waved happily when he saw Flamehart and approached the group.
‘Al’? Not only did these two seem to be on a first-name basis, they had nicknames?
“Hello, Fable,” greeted Flamehart, “How’d the test go?”
“It was surprisingly easy!” the boy named Fable replied cheerfully, “I almost thought it was fake.”
“Fake?” the examiners yelled in shock. This kid was either a genius or just really stupid.
“Wait… Fable? That name sounds familiar…” Lester scratched his head trying to remember, until he slammed the table, “Now I remember! I read your application! You’re the kid from Blackbrick!”
“Hm? That’s right, I am.”
“Huh? What’s Blackbrick?” Asked Rona, feeling out of the loop.
“What? You’ve never even heard of Blackbrick?”
“Should I… know what it is?”
Lester sighed.
“It’s a city at the western edge of the Empire. It’s got everything you’d expect: Criminal underworld, black-markets, smuggling, you name it. They say you can’t even go out at night without expecting to be assaulted or pickpocketed.”
“That’s true,” an unfazed Fable agreed, “I always run into four or five pickpockets when I run errands. You get used to it, though.”
“Is… Is it really that bad?” Rona asked an exasperated Lester.
“Well, that’s just one side of the problem,” he continued, “There’s also the wildlife surrounding the place. Going outside into the wilderness is just asking for a death wish!”
“Hm… well, there are a lot wild animals there,” Fable put his finger on his chin as though to reminisce, “There’s the scavengers, the giant bugs… Oh, there’s the occasional dragons, too!”
The two examiners stared at the boy with their mouths agape. Although he said he was raised in Blackbrick, his carefree and positive personality suggested otherwise.
“How did you get by in a place like that?” Rona inquired out of genuine concern for Fable.
“Oh, I wasn’t alone. My moms always helped me with things. They taught me everything I know.”
“I-I see,” Rona rested her head on her hand before she realized something, “Huh? Moms?”
“Oh, yeah,” Fable enthusiastically showed seven of his fingers, “I couldn’t write in my application form, but I have seven moms!”
“S-seven? How?”
“I grew up in a brothel.”
The two examiners stood motionless for what felt like a long moment, dropping whatever they had on hand.
“Hello? Anybody home?” Fable snapped his fingers in front of their faces.
Flamehart chuckled, “Your reactions are priceless.”
“What in Sola’s name-” Lester snapped back to his senses, “With all due respect, sir, this just doesn't seem right. How do you raise a kid in a city that’s literally a haven for criminals, let alone a… brothel, and end up with…” he gestured towards Fable, “This?”
“You just gestured to all of me,” Fable tilted his head in confusion.
“If you’re so curious, why don’t you ask the women who raised him?” Flamehart replied, “You’d be surprised how well they did it.”
As Lester sat with a tired expression, seemingly too exhausted from trying to process the information, Rona suddenly turned to Flamehart, feeling as though something didn’t add up.
“Speaking of which… General, what were you doing in Blackbrick in the first place?”
“That’s classified,” he answered immediately.
“Ooh! I know!” Fable excitedly raised his hand, “He was there looking for-”
Flamehart shut the boy’s mouth before he could finish his sentence, which only made the two more curious, but they decided not to pry any further.
“Alright, that’s enough, kid,” he sighed, “You should get back to the inn and call it in early tonight. You’ve still got the physical tests coming up.”
“Well, sure…” the boy pouted, looking dissatisfied.
Flamehart sighed.
“I’ll buy you a cake when I get back.”
“Okay!” Fable suddenly gained back his energy, his eyes glistening, before turning to Rona and Lester, “See you tomorrow, future staff I’ll get to know later!”
“O…kay?” the two examiners waved with blank faces as they watched the boy running off.
“Well, since I’m certain he’s gonna keep his word on that, I might as well give you some advice,” said Alsen as he pinched his forehead, “Try not to let him in on any rumors or gossip. He’s the type of kid who likes to get involved in other people’s problems.”
“Er… General, you sound like you’re sure about him passing the written test,” Rona voiced.
“Oh, he’ll pass, alright,” he had a smug smile on his face, “He’s had the best education in the empire, after all.”
While the two examiners continued to stare in confusion, another young man had been listening in on the conversation.
----------------------------------------
“No… way.”
“Y-… You’re kidding.”
Rona and Lester stood in front of the announcement board with their mouths agape, joined by some other students, shocked at what they were seeing.
However, the most surprised of everyone was, perhaps, Fable himself.
“I… got first place?”
Although Fable didn’t find the written tests particularly difficult, he hadn’t expected to be the only one in his batch to get maximum grades, which made him reconsider the city’s quality of education.
“What’s the matter, kid?” asked Flamehart, “Getting first place is no small feat.”
“Well, yeah, but…” the boy scratched his cheek, “I honestly thought there’d be people who would’ve done better than I did.”
He wasn’t wrong to assume that, as Lunasolis would’ve been an ideal place for education as a capital city. However, as he would learn later, the civil war had drastically affected the quality of most jobs in the city outside of the absolute best, another reason why the Empire was desperate for talented youth.
“Just think of it as your hard work paying off,” Flamehart advised wholeheartedly with a chuckle, “Don’t forget, the whole point of this test is to see if you’re at least capable enough to enter. Besides, this is a good opportunity to show the people what you’re capable of. Remember, each paper is checked by scholars who work at the Imperial Library.”
“Well… when you put it that way, I guess you make a good point. But still…”
As Fable agonized over whether to be happy or disappointed, the other candidates began whispering among themselves about the boy with no noble background who had triumphed over the exam.
“Who is that kid? I’ve never seen him before.”
“Do you know what house he’s from?”
“He doesn’t seem to have one. I think he’s a Nameless Child.”
“Seriously? How is he even here?”
Although he was being talked about, Fable didn’t get the impression that it was in a positive light.
“Uh… Al, are you sure this is working?” asked Fable in a skeptic tone, “Doesn’t sound like being Nameless is doing me any favors.”
“Relax, it’ll pass. If not, then you do something grand enough to shut them up, prove to them that your background doesn’t hold you back.”
Easier said than done, thought Fable, before spotting a boy about his age staring at a name that was next to his own.
“So… you’re Frederick Greenwich?” he asked as he approached the boy while trying to appear as friendly as he could, “Fourth place, huh? That’s pretty good.”
Nice! Start with a compliment!
“Not good enough…” the boy named Frederick replied after a rather long pause. Fable then started to worry if he had just created an awkward situation.
“Uh… ” Fable racked his brain to come up with something to say, “Did you know that four-legged magifauna have exposed nerves on their underbellies?”
Frederick let a small groan of annoyance.
Why did you go with that?
“A-actually, what I meant to say was… having friends to study and hang out with can be helpful and emotionally healthy… At least that’s what my moms tell me!”
Frederick sighed, “You’re good. I’ll give you that. But I’m not looking for help, and I’m not here to make friends. Especially not with a Nameless Child.”
The boy walked away from a blank-faced Fable.
“Um… what were you trying to do, exactly?” asked Rona, who seemed to have watched the scene.
“Making friends my age?”
“Ah.” She made an expression of nostalgia, “I remember how much my youth sucked.”
“Please focus on the present.”
“Well, regardless, I think it’s better if you don’t approach him again.”
“Why?” Fable asked with the still-blank face.
“Because while his family is rather infamous here, ‘cus they’re a bit… elitist.”
Fable’s blank face turned into one of joyful curiosity.
“Ooh… Family drama?”
Rona face-palmed as she realized her mistake.
On the other hand, as Frederick walked across the hallways of his soon-to-be school, he heard the students gossiping amongst themselves.
“Did you hear? Frederick Greenwich barely passed.”
“Wow, really? I guess he really is as mediocre as they say.”
“Well, it’s not that surprising. There’s no way he can even compare to Sir Edwyn.”
Frederick clenched his fists as he remained silent.
Everywhere I go, I hear his name.
He put everything into holding back his anger, reminding himself that this was nothing compared to what he had to go through in his own house, that surpassing him was the only way he’ll ever be acknowledged.
And he was willing to do anything to get there by his own hands, even if it meant becoming emperor.
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“So, how does this combat test work again?”
Fable stood below the shade of one of the many waiting tents with Flamehart, along with many more applicants anxiously waiting for their turns.
“Don’t worry too much about it. They’ll just do stuff like dummy-fights or maybe even some light sparring with the instructors. Just show them what you showed me and you’ll be fine.”
“…Alright, if you say so,” the boy stayed silent until he noticed something, “Hey, that bell tower…”
“Hmm?” Flamehart’s gaze was turned towards a rather worn down bell tower that looked like it should’ve been repaired a long time ago, “Oh, that. It used to be a landmark of sorts, but tourism isn’t exactly popular right now, so they decided it was best to just demolish it and use it for the academy.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
“It is what it is,” said Flamehart as he checked his pocket watch, “Okay, you stay here and wait for your turn. I’ve got someone to meet. Don’t do anything crazy while I’m gone.”
“Define crazy.”
Flamehart groaned as he began to leave, “Just… do your test and stay put… please.”
“Alright, alright,” Fable chuckled, before whispering to himself: “No promises, though.”
As the boy pretended to take another look at his application paper for the umpteenth time, he made sure to observe the things happening around him. Some of the applicants were being carried away to infirmary tents with bruises, sometimes even broken bones. A number of them were even getting scolded by their guardians for their failure to pass, with some even getting harsh and rather underserved beatings.
Fable had already heard of the mass execution of nobles who had tried to cheat their way in. Although he despised such extreme measures, he understood why they had to do it. This was about the future of the empire, after all.
However, while this approach effectively scared them into complacency, it gave birth to another problem: A large number of children were now being forced to enter a school that had standards beyond their capabilities, regardless of whether or not their parents had their best interests at heart.
Fable’s attention was then drawn to a young girl in cheap clothing being beaten up by what seemed to be her guardian. However, one look at her neck was enough to explain why no one was willing to help her.
A mark in the shape of a broken black wing was burned onto her skin. The Forsaken Mark. She was nothing more than a slave. It was essentially a social death sentence.
The boy’s first thought was to give her master a taste of his own medicine, but right as he placed his hand on his sword’s hilt…
“Don’t always act on impulse, Fable. A good leader thinks about the big picture, as well as the consequences of his actions.”
Remembering one of his mothers’ words, Fable calmed himself and thought it through. As outrageous as it was, slavery was legal for a reason, and it was more than likely that interfering in someone else’s affairs without the proper knowledge or power could end up making it worse.
As he silently apologized to the girl in his mind, Fable noticed that Frederick was entering the arena to commence his combat test.
“Hey, Fred! Good luck with your test! Don’t panic!” he shouted.
Frederick stopped in his tracks for a moment, before taking a deep breath as he ignored him and continued on.
“Oh… he ignored me.”
Alsen walked through a hallway filled with numerous staff, too busy writing records and running errands to notice him walking by. Well, all the better for Alsen, for he didn’t come here to be greeted.
He continued down the hallway until he reached the far end, now filled with pin-drop silence from the emptiness, where a door stood in front of him.
He took a breath and put up his fist.
Three knocks.
A short moment of silence.
“Come in.”
Alsen opened the door to enter a meeting room, empty apart from a woman standing by the window, watching over the training arenas. As she turned around, she put on a smile of hospitality, though Alsen knew all too well how tired she really was.
“Ah, hello, Alsen. I was wondering when you’d return to Complesi.”
“Once again, I apologize for leaving my post at a time like this, your Excellency.”
The woman pouted, “For Sola’s sake, Alsen, you’re not here on duty. Could you please call me ‘Mother’ for once?”
Alsen groaned. He had expected this reaction. Even if she was his mother, Iya Flamehart was still the Lunasolis Empire’s Prime Minister, and Alsen, who had a military upbringing, had a habit of addressing his superiors formally, which Iya had been insisting he work on.
She sighed, “I think you’re a little too much like your father,” she then approached a tea set on the table, “Putting that aside, would you like some tea?”
“Thank you-” Alsen corrected himself as he approached the window, watching over the arenas, “Thanks, but I ate on the way here.”
“Is that so?”
As Iya took a seat and poured herself a cup, Alsen noticed that the office room had an unusual number of flowers. He remembered his mother mentioning something about gardening in her retirement.
Isn’t this a bit much for practice?
“Well, you’ve been gone for three months. Can I assume that you found what you’ve been looking for?”
Alsen paused for a moment before replying, “Yeah.”
Iya put down her cup, anxious as to what he would say next, “And? Where did you find her?”
“…Blackbrick.”
“…I see.”
So, it’s as I feared, She thought.
“Is she…?”
“She’s fine… Well, as fine she can be, anyway.”
Iya was unsure as to how to console her son.
“Alsen… you know it’s not your fault.”
He chuckled, “She said the same thing,” he then sighed as he held his face up as though in reminiscence, “Doesn’t make it better, though.”
“Alsen…”
“We finally ended this civil war, we finally managed to get some form of peace, and yet… we couldn’t fix the lives and futures it ruined… it doesn’t feel like a victory at all.”
Iya watched in silence as he showed a side of himself he hadn’t let out in a long time.
“The mass executions… they might have rid us of the sick bastards who ruined this empire, but that didn’t solve the problem! Even now, people are being forced to give up their dignities to survive, all because of a mark they didn’t even deserve!”
“I know, love…” she agreed, “That’s why the Empress started this project in the first place. That’s why she entrusted this empire’s future to us.”
Alsen sighed as he calmed down, “Leave our future to an emperor who’s not even crowned yet? Is it really worth the time? I don’t doubt you… I’ve never doubted you. But is whatever you’re trying pull off worth the costs?”
Iya hesitated for a moment, before regaining her resolve, “It has to be… I’m sorry I can’t tell you anything more, love… but I promise you, this will work out in the end.”
“…I hope you’re right… ‘Cus I brought someone I’m willing to bet… on.”
“You… brought a candidate?” Iya curiosity was piqued, “Who did you bring?”
But Alsen, who didn’t answer, was looking at something through the glass window.
“…Alsen?”
He turned to face her with a look of concern, “Are tricerabulls part of the combat tests?”
“W-what?” Iya was caught off-guard by his sudden question, “No, they’re just for hard labor, they’re not part of the… tests.”
As Alsen’s face changed to one of horror, she realized what he implied.
“Call the guards!” Alsen cried as he made his way out, “I’ll help any way I can!”
“Go!”
Alsen ran out into the hallway, hoping he could reach the arenas in time to sort out the chaos.
What… what the hell just happened?
Frederick’s head spun as he laid on the ground, his body numb from the impact of who-knows-what. His ears were ringing so loud that he couldn’t hear anything around him. As he slowly regained control over his muscles, he tried to recall what had happened since he entered the arena.
He remembered… sparring with one of the instructors. He couldn’t remember any details, but he remembered using wind spells to enhance his sword attacks. He seemed to be doing rather well, until… he saw something… charging at him… a tricerabull. If he hadn’t cast a wind barrier spell to lessen the impact, he may have experienced something far worse than just a concussion.
His hearing was now coming back. As the ringing in his ears started to fade, he heard… screaming?
As his vision became clear again, he found himself surrounded by utter chaos. People were running in all directions to escape whatever was attacking the place. It wasn’t long before he saw from what.
A herd of tricerabulls, bulls with large legs and long horns, had for whatever reason gone completely berserk, and were wreaking havoc throughout the arenas. Because their horns were tough and could tear through any structure not properly reinforced, all the people could do were either get out of the way or be crushed by the sheer force of their charges.
He tried to get to up, but…
“Agh!”
His leg was dislocated, and the numbing pain had only started to sink in once he realized the fact. However, it soon turned out to be the least of his problems…
For a tricerabull had set its eyes on him.
Why him in particular, he could care less. If he a direct hit from its charge doesn’t instantly kill him, then its horns would painfully impale him. And with his leg broken, he could not be in a worse situation.
He tried to pull himself out of the way, but his fear had gotten the better of his body, while the enormous bull started to prepare to charge at him.
No, he cannot die here. That would make all his efforts pointless. He would die as the incompetent that everyone believed him to be.
No, his pride didn’t matter now. He needed to survive, by any means necessary.
With whatever strength he could muster, he cried out:
“Help! Somebody help! My leg’s broken!”
But nobody came.
Perhaps no one could hear him amongst all the ruckus, or maybe they were just too busy worrying about their own safety.
The bull charged. For a moment, time seemed to slow down around Frederick, and his life flashed before his eyes.
Am I… really going to die?
As though to answer that very thought, a rather familiar figure appeared in front him, with an oddly small shield on his left arm. They charged towards the tricerabull with the shield, as though to stop its assault, and of course, ended up being blown away…
At least, that’s what Frederick would happen, but instead, the beast was thrust back, seemingly concussed from the impact of its own attack. Then, as it leaned to one side, exposing its underbelly, the figure almost instantly rushed towards it and gave it a strong jab, which sent the bull falling onto the ground, seemingly out cold.
As Frederick struggled to process what just happened, the figure, who turned out to be none other than the Nameless Child, Fable, approached him after making sure the magifauna was no longer a threat.
“See? Sensitive underbellies. Being a bookworm sure pays off!” said the boy with a triumphant smile, somehow unfazed by the whole situation.
“H-how… how did… you…?” Frederick stuttered.
Fable raised his left arm, revealing a mechanically folding shield.
“Repentelite shield. Can reflect all kinds of energy,” he explained before kneeling down to check on his injuries, “Hmm… that looks rough. But… a good healing spell should take care of that. Good thing you called for help on time before-”
Their conversation was interrupted by another tricerabull crashing through some wood walls, to which Fable instinctively drew out his sword. Fortunately, it also seemed to be knocked out… by Flamehart, who was shaking his fist.
“I told you not to do anything crazy,” he said.
“You’re one to talk!” Fable retorted, “There are better ways to take them down than punching them in the face!”
Before the boy could argue, however, they heard a few screams from nearby. A third tricerabull, and a large one at that, was trying to escape as it wreaked havoc.
“Dammit! It’s headed towards one of the market roads!” shouted Flamehart, “We won’t make it in time!”
“Hey Al… You said that bell tower was being demolished, right?”
“Huh? What does that have to-” Flamehart’s then realized what Fable intended, “You can’t be serious, Fable!”
“Well, I’m not waiting for a debate,” the boy said as he… put his sword back in its sheath.
“H-how are you stop it with a sheathed sword?” Asked a confused Frederick.
Fable smiled, “Who told you this was just a sheath? I sure didn’t.”
The boy pulled some small contraptions that Frederick had not noticed earlier, then held the sword and pointed it toward the bell tower. He pulled another small lever on the sheath, causing it to split open in half, revealing the blade. And as soon as Fable started to pour magic into it, the sword inside started to intensely spark with electricity.
“Fable!” Flamehart voiced his uncertainty.
“And… Fire!”
All the built-up electric magic concentrated into the tip of the exposed blade’s tip, before being fired as an intense ray of light that split apart the bell tower on one side. The rusted bell on top collapsed onto the tricerabull that was attempting to pass through, knocking it down before it could reach the vendors on the other side of the road.
Flamehart and Frederick could only watch the results with their mouths agape as Fable tended to his now overheated sword.
“Yeesh… I need to do something about the overheating.”
----------------------------------------
Frederick found himself sitting in front of Prime Minister Iya Flamehart herself, his leg now healed and bandaged.
Under any other circumstances, this would’ve been nothing short of an honor for Frederick… Were it not for the fact that he was being interrogated.
Prime Minister Flamehart paced up and down the room, deep in thought, while her son General Flamehart stared at him with no visible expressions on his face, at least not on the surface.
After moments of thinking, Prime Minister Flamehart sighed in frustration before facing Frederick.
“Mr. Greenwich, I want to help you. But with no evidence or testimony, I can’t prove that this was an accident. Are you sure you don’t remember what went wrong at your combat test?”
Frederick couldn’t answer. How could he? He was so focused on his own test that he couldn’t remember any details as to why his wind spell made the tricerabulls go berserk.
What was going to happen to him?
“The staff hasn’t found anything?”
The minister groaned, “They’re all too busy trying to sort out the mess outside. We’ll be lucky if we find even a shred of evidence in time.”
If I get expelled before I even get admitted, then…
“I have far more important things to do, boy. Go find someone else to play your silly games with. Or better yet, do something to serve our house.”
“Be just like me? Now, what in the world would make you think you could be even half as great as I am? Perhaps I’m wearing off on you too much-”
There was a knock on the door. The two Flameharts looked at each other in confusion, as neither of them had called for anyone.
“Come in,” said Iya.
The door opened to reveal Fable.
“You guys sound like you could have some tea.”
“Fable? What are you doing here?” asked Alsen, “And how’d you get past the staff?”
“Don’t think too hard about it.”
Alsen sighed, “Look, kid… now really isn’t the time, can this wait?”
“Huh. Well, I was gonna show you something that could help with Fred’s case, but…” he smiled sarcastically, “Sure! I can wait.”
“Hold on! Come inside, now! I want to see it!” Iya yelled before the boy closed the door.
Fable entered the room and produced a closed handkerchief as he approached her. Iya took the cloth and opened it, revealing a few tufts of blue grass.
“Moonlight spark grass?” asked Iya.
“Yeah, I found it in the wrecked stables. Now, normally it’s harmless. But, when certain magifauna are overexposed to it…”
“Their magic systems go out of control,” Iya finished, “In this case, the tricerabulls.”
Alsen face palmed, “I’m not even gonna question how you found this under all that rubble… but… thanks.”
“Yes… Fable, was it?” Iya turned to the boy with a grateful smile, “Thank you so much for this. Now we can prove Mr. Greenwich’s innocence.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Alright, kid. Now get outta here before I call the staff,” said Alsen as he pushed him out the door.
“Geez, you’re no fun,” mumbled a pouting Fable, before complying.
A chuckling Iya then turned to a flabbergasted Frederick.
“Well, Mr. Greenwich… It looks like you won’t be losing your chance at admission.”
“U-uh… I…”
“Do keep in mind, though…” she stopped him, “You haven’t finished your combat test, so you’ll need to try again. Understood?”
Frederick took a second to process everything, before standing up with a posture of determination, at least as much as his one good leg allowed him.
“Thank you. I won’t take this granted.”
“Good. Now then, I’m sure there’s someone else you should go thank, isn’t there?”
“…Right. Excuse me.”
With a bit of struggle, the boy carried himself out of the room, leaving only the two Flameharts in the room, who now wore serious expressions.
“Someone was trying to sabotage the tests,” said Iya, who handed the sample of grass to her son, “I know you just got back, Alsen, but could you look into this for me, please?”
“Of course. My vacation’s over, anyway.”
Iya looked to the door and suddenly smiled.
“What is it?”
“Nothing… It’s just…” her smile turned from nostalgic to sad, “That boy, Fable… He reminded me of someone I knew. You said you found him in Blackbrick?”
“Well, believe it or not, she was the one who raised him.”
Iya gave him questioning look, “What?”
After a moment of silence, the two laughed.
“After all that talk about not having kids? Is the moon going to fall over, after all?”
“You should’ve seen the look on her face when she realized it! I had to stop myself from calling her out on it!”
The two calmed down to collect their breaths.
“Speaking of calling people out…” Alsen put the carefully wrapped sample of grass in his pocket, “I need to have a talk with the kid about the bell-tower before he gets away.”
“Alright… Don’t be too harsh with him. He’s still a child, after all.”
“I know. No promises, though.”
As Alsen opened the door to leave, he hesitated, then turned to his mother one last time.
“I… I like the flowers… by the way. They… remind me of… father’s summer house.”
For but a brief moment, Iya was caught off guard by this, before she showed him a genuine smile he hadn’t seen in a long time.
“Thank you, love.”
Man, I hope he doesn’t tell my moms about this.
Fable sat on a bench as he contemplated on his actions. Now that he thought about it, destroying an entire building to subdue a tricerabull was not exactly a smart move on his part. The last time he tested his rail-cannon was at an empty field, so he hadn’t accounted for how destructive it actually would be in practice.
Topaz will kill me if she found out.
As he sighed, he noticed the fat noble child from earlier rushing out the main gates with a blue face and a hand on his stomach, with his maid following him in confusion.
Fable held back a smirk. Looks like the laxative he sneaked into the guy’s drink had already taken effect. If his math was right, he would be spending most of around the next three days in the bathroom.
Of course, this was not going to lessen the maid’s abuse, it would probably resume as the noble was back to noble was back to ‘normal’, but Fable hoped that maybe, just maybe, it would give the girl even a little bit of rest.
“U-um… Excuse me.”
As Fable’s attention was grabbed by a familiar voice, he turned to see a boy with a plastered leg approaching him.
“Oh… Hey, Fred… What’re you doing here?”
“I uh…” he gulped and took a deep breath, “I wanted to thank you for… well… everything you did for me earlier. I… I owe you my life.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“I… also want to apologize for dismissing you the other day. Now that I think about it, it was hardly fitting of a noble.”
“It’s fine. You looked like you had your own problems to deal with. Sorry about your leg, though. I heard the next group of Sun Priestesses will take a while to get here.”
“Oh, this won’t stay for long. My butler knows some healing spells.”
“You have a butler?”
Fable suddenly got closer to his face with unexpected enthusiasm.
“Uh…yeah?”
“Is his name Sebastian?”
“No?”
“No way! Every novel I’ve read has a butler named Sebastian!”
Frederick wasn’t sure how to respond to that. He then took a moment to think.
“Do you… mind if I ask you something?”
“Hmm? Sure, go ahead.”
Frederick hesitated, “Why exactly did you help me? I’m… almost certain you’re here because you heard of all the rumors. If the rumors are, in fact true, then… wouldn’t that make us rivals? I don’t see how helping me would benefit you in anyway.”
“Hmm…” Fable put a finger on his chin, thinking about his answer, “Ideally, I’d say you don’t need a reason to help, but that’d be a bit cliché, wouldn’t it? Alright… how about I answer your question with a question: What’s the most important skill for a king to have?”
Frederick thought for a moment, “Um… wouldn’t that be his ability to lead a nation?”
“Well, that’s definitely important… But no, it’s his ability to make strong and trustworthy allies.”
“Are… allies that important?”
“Of course! A kingdom isn’t defined by its king, it’s defined by its people. A king’s role is to find the most talented among them and make use of their talents to improve the lives of the very people he leads.”
“Huh… I… didn’t think of it that way.”
I really didn’t think this through, did I? Even with all the privileges I had, I didn’t even bother-
Huh? Wait a minute…
“H-hold on…” Frederick shook his head in confusion, “Something doesn’t add up. I’ve only been watching you for a day, and I’ve already seen how capable you are; swordsmanship, magic, zoology… but you don’t teach all that to just… anybody. So, all things considered, how come you… don’t have a house of your own?”
Fable looked to the floor with a sad smile.
“I’m sure you’ve heard things about me… particularly about how I was raised by… women of the night.”
Frederick hesitantly nodded.
“Well, believe it or not, those women taught me everything I know. Now… I bet you’re asking: if they’re so great then… why are they… women of the night?”
Frederick already figured out the answer.
“The Forsaken Mark.”
“Yeah. It doesn’t matter how smart, strong or talented you are, that Mark makes you the lowest of the low. Your body is stripped of magic, and healing spells would be pointless. And even if you do somehow find a job that's even remotely decent, chances are you won’t be paid enough to sustain yourself.
“So… the only option left is… to either sell your freedom and hope your master treats you well… or sell your body to whoever’s willing to pay to sleep with you.”
“That’s… that’s horrible. I… can’t even imagine.”
“Well, despite all that… they still took me in as a baby, taught me to be strong. But… having to raise me only added to their burdens…
“So… when I heard the rumors, I thought… if I could become emperor… maybe I could do something about the whole Mark thing. You know, like… remove it or change the law or something.”
“And… what if you can’t? What if… it’s really just a rumor?”
Fable’s smile came back as he shrugged, “Oh well, I can still get a good job and save up to buy a mansion. If growing up in Blackbrick has taught me anything, it’s to never be unrealistic.”
Frederick… wasn’t quite sure what to say to all of that. This guy had grown up in what was essentially a hellhole, and yet… he had the skill and education that he had been so desperately looking for his entire life.
I… could learn a lot from him.
“About… that group study thing you mentioned. As you… saw earlier today, my zoology is not as thorough as I would’ve liked. Is… the offer still up?”
For a moment, the boy before him looked confused, before his face lit up in excitement.
"Does... does that mean you wanna be friends?"
"I... I guess."
"Then let's shake on it! Remember, you can't take it back!"
Frederick, now finally showing a smile, took the boy's hand with a chuckle.
"Here's to... uh... working together to fulfil our desires!" Fable enthusiastically declared.
As if to signal that it was time to end the conversation, Fable’s stomach growled.
“Argh… that railcannon always takes so much magic out of me,” the boy winced as he wrapped his arms around his stomach, “I don’t know about you, but I could eat a whole buffet right now.”
He then turned to leave, “Well, I’m not gonna bother you any further today. You should get some rest and focus on your makeup exam-”
“Fable! Where are you? We need to have a talk about the bell tower!”
As soon as the boy heard the voice of General Flamehart calling out, he ran back towards a now confused Frederick.
“On second thought, lunch would be a great time to have group study! In fact, let’s go right now!”
“Huh?”
Before Frederick could inquire as to why Fable had suddenly changed his mind, he found himself being carried in his arms.
“Wait… What?”
“Just bear with it for a while, okay?”
“Huh? Wait, Fable, this is not what I had in mind for a study group!”
As the onlookers looked at them in confusion, the two boys (with one carrying the other) rushed out the gates while General Flamehart chased after them.
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Afterword:
Hi! I'm Star-TS, and thank you so much for reading chapter 0 of A Trial of Emperors!
If you enjoyed reading this little "pitch prologue", then please share it with others and let me know your honest thoughts on it. It would mean the world to me to know that there are people who enjoy what I write and want to see more of my work!
Again, thank you for reading, and just have a good day!