A cold silence replaced the music.
“The Marquis is expecting you in the Great Hall, Master Clarke. He expects you to bring your team,” Corin said. “I’d recommend promptness. The Marquis looked restless when the message was relayed to me.”
All eyes fell on me, even Elincia’s.
“You heard Corin, class. Get ready.” I said, and without a second of delay, Firana, Zaon, Ilya, and Wolf rushed through the kitchen door. For some reason, Ginz followed them.
“Are you going to be okay?” Elincia asked.
“It’s probably a strategy meeting. Remember the official invitation? Each noble family can present up to three teams. We aren’t representing the orphanage alone but the whole city. The Marquis probably wants to see us with his own eyes before any public appearance,” I said, hoping I was correct.
We were more than ready if the Marquis wanted to test our skills. It was a shame he had chosen Ilya’s birthday to summon us, but there was little we could do. It was the price of dealing with nobility.
“Alright, everyone. The older kids and I will be gone for a couple of hours. In the meantime, I want everyone to help Miss Elincia and Mister Ginz. Don’t think about cutting the cake without us!” I said with a cheerful tone.
The younger kids gave me their best innocent smiles, but I knew they weren’t entirely true. I knew most of them were little devils disguised as cute kids. Smiling, I left the kitchen to equip myself.
Once inside my bedroom, I put the blue uniform with the rose-and-sword sigil on the shoulder and the new flexible boots Ginz had prepared for us. I strapped the belt around my waist and secured the sheath of my longsword to my left. I also tied the coif to my right, although I doubted I was the one doing the fight today. The uniform made me feel more confident, as dumb as it sounded.
When I left my bedroom, I found Ginz waiting for me in the corridor.
“Use this,” he said, handing me a copper bracelet embedded in the center with the blue light stone I had made the night before. “Copper is a humble metal, but the stone has a mysterious aura. Appearances are important for the nobility. It will serve you well.”
“Thanks, Ginz,” I replied, examining the piece. The bracelet had a knot pattern all over the surface. It was elegant but not luxurious, perfect for my position as a commoner.
“Don’t mention it. The steam lumberjack toy gave me two levels and improved my skill to work metals,” the craftsman said, giving me a slightly manic smile. “I’m the one who owes you. Good luck.”
I patted his shoulder and continued my way. The kids were already waiting for me in the vestibule—Ilya, Wolf, and Zaon with their longswords in their sheaths, while Firana had the Aias Sword on one side and the longsword on the other. Everyone looked at me with a decisive expression. Elincia fluttered around the kids, fixing wrinkles and combing eyebrows.
“Showing the Aias Sword in public will be a strong statement,” I whispered near Firana’s ear.
“I know, but I’m the last Aias, whether I like it or not. The orphanage is my home, and you are all my family. That’s my decision,” Firana said. “If you want me to leave the sword here, I’ll obey.”
“It’s your decision, Firana, and I’ll support you,” I replied. One way or another, she was the legitimate heir of the Aias family. If she wanted to announce she wished to continue with their legacy, so be it. I wasn’t the one to dissuade her.
“The Potato Warriors are ready to go,” she said, trying to hide her worries.
I grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
“The guard at the door should be enough to protect the orphanage, but have the shotgun in hand, just in case,” I said, but I knew Elincia well enough to know she wasn’t worried about herself. “Don’t worry about us. We will be alright. The kids are great fencers, and you taught them how to behave in front of nobility. We did everything we could; now we must advance confidently.”
We kissed.
“Please, not in front of us. That’s gross,” Ilya said, interrupting our ‘moment’.
“I’ll remind you of those words when you get a boyfriend,” I replied, prompting a round of laughter from the rest of the kids.
With the tension defused, Elincia kissed each of us on the forehead before we departed. That little gesture filled me with confidence, and the kids seemed to feel the same. I sneaked a peek into Zaon’s face just in case, and it surprised me to see him completely relaxed. That was a good sign.
It didn’t take us long to reach the city center. Guardsmen and royal patrols guarded the main streets. They looked at us with questioning eyes, but no one stopped us. We must’ve seemed important because people opened space for us to cruise through the sea of merchants and shoppers in the market.
“Winter shouldn’t have treated the royal army particularly well if they had to retreat to Farcrest,” Wolf pointed out. “I arrived in Farcrest the same year the Farlands campaign was declared, and this is the first time the royal army has sought refuge here.”
“Maybe they stumbled upon a monster from the Deep Farlands,” Ilya said as a shiver ran through her body.
“Do you think that’s real?” Zaon asked.
“The deeper you enter the Farlands, the more dangerous it gets. It’s only logical to think that huge monsters exist somewhere out there,” Firana added. “I wonder if royal soldiers will tell us if we ask.”
“Don’t go asking reckless questions. Focus on the tournament,” I said.
In all my trips to the market, I hadn’t heard anything solid about why the royal army decided to retreat for the first time in seven years. Not even Risha had said something about it. There were two possibilities: there was no hidden reason, and the crown prince was just bored and wanted to spend the winter in a city instead of the wilderness, or the information was being suppressed.
Even if we were dipping our toes into court intrigue just by participating in the tournament, I would rather remain as far as possible from any dangerous conspiracy.
I heard a familiar voice over the sound of the market.
“Scholar!”
Raudhan Kiln’s mocking voice caught my attention. He was standing by the side of the road with two bodyguards dressed in full guardsmen armor. As expected, he wasn’t thrilled to see me. I wasn’t thrilled either, but he seemed to be waiting for us.
“Raudhan,” I greeted with a slight bow, following Elincia’s etiquette lessons. Even if the Kiln were related to the Marquis family, they weren’t high-level nobles but an old founding family with traces of noble blood running through their veins.
The kids greeted him accordingly, without engaging in the conversation.
“You weren’t kidding when you said you wanted to participate in the tournament, Scholar,” Raudhan said.
“At the Rosebud Fencing Academy, we pride ourselves on turning every recruit into a skilled fencer,” I replied.
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Raudhan Kiln turned around and signaled us to follow him through the main gate.
“My friends told me about this ‘Rosebud Academy’ thingy you have going on. I think you met them last night,” he said with a mocking voice. “I think it’s a cute name.”
“Thanks for the compliment,” I replied, clenching my teeth.
Suddenly, the realization hit me.
Raudhan Kiln was so young and his level so low that he had flown under my radar. A young, promising Fencer with an inflated ego was the right profile to try to overthrow his own aunt for the position of Captain of the Guard. I chastised myself for being so blind. Due to our prior experiences together, I knew Captain Kiln trusted Raudhan. Bringing my suspicions to the woman could feel like a personal attack on the whole family if not done right.
He must’ve wanted to take the kids to ingratiate himself with the Marquis.
Raudhan guided us into the Great Hall through the main entrance.
The vestibule was a vast room with tall stone columns made of the same black, mana-charged stone as the inner wall. Despite the dark colors, the room was well-illuminated. White linens hung along the walls, the fabric enchanted with the same runes as the light stones at the orphanage. However, instead of pure white light, the linens emitted a warm ivory light that gave the Great Hall a cozy, whimsical feeling.
Among the walls, the banners of the noble families hung in order of importance, with the royal stag just in front of the entrance and the Farcrest wolf at its right. From the second floor, a small army of courtiers dressed in the colors of a dozen noble houses cast curious glances at us. The Great Hall had quickly turned into a nest of intrigue if it wasn’t already.
“If someone asks questions, let me speak,” I said.
“Good call, Scholar. Associating with the wrong person can be dangerous in the long run,” Raudhan said over his shoulder. I wondered if his words had a hidden meaning. Was he talking about Janus or the new arrivals?
We advanced unimpeded to the audience chamber, maybe because nobody recognized our colors or because Raudhan and his thugs were closely escorting us. The room was just as I remembered it. Naked stone on the left, tall windows on the right, and a wooden throne at the top of a set of stairs at the end of the hall. Whoever had been decorating the Great Hall hadn’t dared touch this room.
Unlike the first time I put a foot here, the chamber was empty. No courtiers, no servants, no guards. Our steps echoed over the stone floor as Raudhan guided us to the end of the hall. We passed by the throne and reached a concealed wooden door that exuded magic. Raudhan dug into his pockets until he found a round wooden medallion with an impaled wolf drawn in red. He raised the medallion, and the door was unlocked.
Raudhan's companions stayed in the throne room while he escorted us inside. We followed the narrow corridor in a straight line until we reached a stone arc. We emerged into a large room with a wooden floor and a low ceiling. Along the walls hung all kinds of weapons, most of them made of wood. There were chairs and benches grouped to the side, but the center of the room was cleared of any furniture. I recognized it immediately. It was a training room.
Two kids, a boy and a girl dressed in the colors of the Marquis, were fencing in the center. It surprised me they weren’t using any protective gear, but at a second glance, I noticed the mana shield around their bodies. On the opposite wall, the Marquis, Captain Kiln, and a young man dressed like a Scholar were overseeing the match. A Fortifier, maybe. Next to them, a group of young kids were practicing with all kinds of weapons.
“Auntie, Uncle, I brought the Scholar,” Raudhan said jovially.
“You should refer to me as ‘Marquis’, ‘My Lord’, –or ‘My Lord Marquis’, if you feel fancy–, during official meetings, Raudhan,” The Marquis grunted. Then, he focused on me. My mouth became dry, and my confidence faltered as I remembered our first meeting.
“I believe we haven’t met in person yet. I’m the Marquis Tauron of Farcrest. Izabeka and Janus have talked wonders about you,” The Marquis said with his deep and rich voice. Despite his stern behavior, his words came out almost friendly.
My mind suddenly became blank. I didn't know what I expected from this reunion, but a friendly reception wasn’t it. At best, I expected the Marquis to ignore us for the length of the tournament. Wasn’t the Marquis plotting against the orphanage to send the kids to the royal army? Why the sudden change of heart?
“I’m Robert Clarke, Scholar,” I said, nearly forgetting all the etiquette training Elincia had drilled into my brain. “I’m sorry, My Lord, but I think we met once before, during the audience, to request a traveling permit.”
Telling the truth from the beginning seemed to be the best approach. At least Captain Kiln was present in case things turned sour. I didn’t expect the Marquis's reaction.
“I’m afraid I don’t remember you, Robert Clarke. Don’t take it as a personal affront. I dispense dozens of permits daily and meet hundreds of people every month,” The Marquis said with a tired voice. Dark circles surrounded his eyes, although disguised by his naturally tanned skin and a layer of make-up.
I didn't need to think about my following words.
“He’s the Scholar with a hundred titles who refused your invitation to the Imperial Library. You were grumpy for the rest of the day,” Captain Kiln came to my ‘aid’.
My blood froze.
The Marquis raised an eyebrow as he examined my face for a trace of familiarity. Then his eyes fell upon my uniform’s crest. “Well, I can respect a man who would rather be a big fish in a small pond than a nobody in the big city, and I truly respect a man who can impress Izabeka. Let’s call that a false start.”
The picture of the Marquis as a mustache-twisting villain slowly started to crumble. Being complimented by the same person I had been blaming for the state of the orphanage felt strange. Almost conciliatory. I tried to focus on the facts. The Marquis hasn’t moved a finger to help the orphanage. Was he actively seeking its demise, though?
I bit my tongue. Despite being one of the primary beneficiaries of the kids getting conscripted, the Marquis might not be the mastermind behind the hostilities against the orphanage. Captain Kiln believed so, and my suspicions had moved towards Raudhan and Kellaren. Both had a lot to gain by winning the Marquis's trust.
I wondered if befriending the Marquis was the best solution to solve the orphanage’s security issues. It would be hard to tell right from wrong without knowing the mastermind behind the attacks. It wasn’t the moment to talk to Captain Kiln either.
“May I ask why I was summoned, My Lord?” I asked.
“Yes. As you know, the tournament isn’t a small festivity to raise the city's morale anymore. Nobles around the kingdom will bring their most talented youth to gain prestige before the crowned prince and the three big ducal families. And so do we,” The Marquis said. “Your team is registered as a guest, but Izabeka and Sir Janus told me you should participate as part of the Farcrest team.”
“Is this an order, My Lord?” I asked, looking at Captain Kiln for support.
She ignored me.
“By royal edict, you are a free man, Robert Clarke—one of the perks of being involved in a teleportation incident. Technically, I can’t order you anything. Instead, I want to offer you an accord,” the Marquis replied.
Not an order, a deal.
“If you represent Farcrest, and perform well in the tournament, I’ll prevent your kids from getting conscripted by the royal army,” the Marquis said with a confident tone, as if someone had informed him of my intention of partaking in the exam for the Imperial Academy.
I looked at the man, searching for any sign of deceit, but I could not read him. Was he setting me up?
“Can I ask why the sudden change of heart, My Lord?” I cautiously asked.
The Marquis massaged his temples like the answer was obvious. “Don’t get me wrong, Robert Clarke, I don’t care about your kids on an individual level. If you ran a city of thousands, you would understand that the well-being of the majority is more important than the individual's,” he said, looking over my shoulder and examining my kids. “If your students show me they are useful here, I will not allow their talent to be wasted in the royal army.”
I nodded in silence. The Marquis’ words were soothing, actually. For him, this situation wasn’t anything else but a resource allocation problem. The rules were plain and simple. Be useful here in Farcrest, or be useful in the army. Despite my hatred for people who instrumentalized kids, there was a logic to the Marquis's actions I could understand. A game with clear rules was easier to play.
“What if we win the tournament?” I asked, suddenly emboldened. If we were going to play, I wanted to know the rewards.
“I remember you now, Scholar. A reckless one,” the Marquis replied. He was smiling. “If you win the tournament for me, I’ll grant you a title and a fief. That will give you and your progeny, even the adopted ones, a certain level of political immunity, although with obligations towards me and the royal family. Taxes, mostly.”
The Marquis knew what kind of bait to use against me. Even if I was a free man, my kids weren’t. I sighed. It seemed I would be playing the game I had avoided since arriving at Farcrest.
“I have one more request before sealing any agreement,” the Marquis said, detecting my imminent capitulation. “You managed to impress Izabeka and Sir Janus, but you haven't surprised me yet. I hope you understand I can’t have subpar performers using my banner.”
“My students are ready, My Lord,” I replied with my best confident tone.
“I would like to see one of your team members against one of mine,” the Marquis said. “Istvan! Come here! I want you to show us your skills.”
A younger version of Raudhan quickly crossed the room and stood by the Marquis's side.
“Don’t tell me I will have to fight the Microscopic Gnome,” the kid said mockingly.
The Marquis clearly wanted to test the weakest link of my team. I hid a smile. It was the perfect time to show them that my team, in fact, didn’t have any weak links.
“Ilya, you are the team’s captain. You are in,” I said.
Everyone was surprised.
Except for Ilya.