“Hrm, you want to help…?”

Sir Leonard asked with a surprised expression. Standing in front of the old man stood Viran with a confident expression on his face in the early morning hours of the estate. Behind the two the rustling of armor and tents could be heard as the many servants and Knights that had accompanied them began to eat their morning meal and drag themselves out of bed. As his own personal teacher and someone with high authority within the camp, Viran chose to go directly to Sir Leonard to inquire what he should do.

“We likely won’t need your help.” Sir Leonard said plainly. “Hrm… But why would you want to anyways? Technically you are the heir so normally you wouldn’t even need to consider doing such plain work, hrm.”

Those words, though unintentional, caused Viran to become somewhat disheartened. It wasn’t the response he had expected. Viran began to get the idea that perhaps he wouldn’t be able help at all, yet he pushed on.

“It may be plain work, but its work. I need the experience… So…” Viran trailed off.

“Hrm.” Sir Leonard breathed out heavily as he massaged the back of his head. “Well… I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to have you try out some tasks.”

The teacher stared once more at his pupil, and curiosity entered his eyes once more.

“That spell earlier… What was it for?” Sir Leonard asked in a firm tone. The old man himself was a scholar by nature and so the search of knowledge was high priority for him. His simple curiosity was more than enough to overpower the old man’s better instincts for not asking others of their spells, such a thing was considered largely inappropriate and rude after all.

“Ah, that spell. It was just something I picked up along the way…” Viran quickly bluffed.

“Hrm. From who?” Sir Leonard asked.

“Ack.” The boy grumbled as he quickly tried to think up an excuse. “Well… Marianne. Marianne did.”

Sir Leonard’s eyes squinted as he stared at the face of his pupil as he tried to act naturally. In the eyes of Sir Leonard Viran was attempting to act as natural as possible, but something the child doesn’t know is that Sir Leonard has dealt with many liars within his years. Through those experiences instincts steadily built up.

Sir Leonard knew that Viran merely lied.

As the old man simply scoffed at Viran, he decided to drop the subject over all.

“Hrm. Well if you don’t want to tell me, then don’t.” Sir Leonard said smoothly as he turned away slightly. “Though, you should remember next time that Marianne isn’t…”

Sir Leonard paused in his speech lightly, and within his voice Viran could tell that sorrow had now taken over the old man.

“Marianne wasn’t an augmenter like you, she was a mage. Like me.”

Somehow the sorrow that Viran heard connects deeply within him. As his emotions resurface Viran could feel a certain emptiness within his gut, something terrible he couldn’t understand. A deep sadness had invaded Viran, and the boy was now unable to do anything about it.

Just as Viran was about to speak again, Sir Leonard quickly walks off with some parting words.

“Go find Elder Nichols, you’ll help survey the land with him. We’ll need good stone and wood to create houses here, but perhaps clay bricks would be better? Further the walls are made out of lime mortar… My apologies, Lord Viran, but I need to get on my way.”

As Sir Leonard sped off with Viran staring directly into his back, he couldn't help but wonder about that reaction. Just how was Sir Leonard affiliated with Marianne?

----------------------------------------

Within a light blue river stood Viran completely barefoot and his trousers folded upwards so as to not get them caught in the river that swirled alongside the village.

“Most of the clay lies within the river, but there are patches of clay as well along the shore and up to the hill nearby. Nearby the forest lays the decrepit lime quarry…” Elder Nichols spoke loudly to Viran, however the young boy merely let the words go into one ear and out the other.

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The emptiness still filled his gut completely, and the boy was unable to focus. His mind was merely concentrating on Marianne, and the sadness overwhelmed him.

“Why’d you have to take away the blessing…” Viran huffed to the Spirit that dwelt in his mind.

After a few moments of waiting, the Spirit finally spoke for the first time today to Viran.

“Because of our contract I owe Ceru now. So instead of owing that damned whelp even more it's best you just get over it.” Ry righteously defended himself. “Just… Stop thinking about her and get over it.”

“Oh wow! Why didn’t I think of that?” Viran sarcastically snapped back at Ry.

‘Yeah that’s easy when you say it, huh.’ Viran thought as a sigh exits out.

Silence descended between Viran and Elder Nichols once the latter realized he wasn’t being heard. Despite the large difference in classes the Elder could be seen as overly rude to someone of Viran’s stature, yet the grace the Elder held himself with caused no one to display their doubts for him. The boy himself hadn’t even realized the constant looks Elder Nichols had thrown at him, not that that mattered. It was clear to all those present that Elder Nichols held strong reservations towards Viran, something that was between apathy and down-right hatred.

“Ah right… Why is the lime quarry decrepit now?” Viran asked after sniffling.

“...” Sir Nichols sighed at the sad sight of the boy in front of him without even bothering to hide his disdain. “... The forest has had monster problems and we don’t have enough individuals to deal with them. It has been like this for decades, yet no help has come thus far.”

Viran’s eyes squinted as he stared at the Elder.

“I doubt that. Nearby lies the County of De Met and their land has been growing explosively in recent years. They’ll need massive amounts of limestone to keep up with construction. Not to mention the fortifications near the Southern border… Limestone is a lucrative business.” Viran said in quick succession.

The deep glare that was directed at Viran did not deter the young boy at all, he was right in the end. The construction of forts to fend off wild monsters and defend the frontier of the Empire has and will always be a costly business, and oftentimes the frontier lands have a deficient amount of materials to get the job done. Importing materials was a lucrative business for the many merchant groups of the Empire. Limestone in particular was a much sought after material for any kind of building. Whether it be in the creation of bricks or adhesive, the material was strong and was able to be put to use in many different ways.

“Heh. I hadn’t only asked the local magistrate who takes our taxes every year, I have even asked those of nearby cities. My requests never stayed within the Idicium territory as well, I had even sent requests towards governors within Count De Met’s territory. None responded.”

“It’s funny how they have the audacity to collect our taxes every year when they can’t even defend us from the monsters that prowl around us at night.”

“The Turin Company offered to help us as well… But I don’t feel quite safe being seen as a simple number on their bosses’ sheet. The difference between the monsters and that company are slim at best.”

“So please, enlighten me, Lord Viran. Tell me how much you doubt all of that. Though I’m sure you’ll make a petty excuse, just like the others.”

The ranting of the Elder ceased within a second as Viran gazed into the pain that inhabited the old man’s eyes. The disdain he showed was as real as it could possibly get, but so was the pain he felt as every day passed and yet no help arrived. For the villagers here it wasn’t a simple matter of defending yourself, simply moving away, or getting help. Their options were always slim at best, a common similarity between the lowest class of the Empire.

“How impudent!” A Knight standing alongside Viran roared loudly as his sword slipped out of his scabbard. Though the same Knight had mocked Viran the night before, that much wouldn’t stop the Knight from doing his job correctly.

“You either show respect towards Lord Viran or you stay quiet!” The Knight roared once more.

Elder Nichols only smiled coldly towards the remarks of the Knights, yet he dared not resist at all. He had gotten his full say in on the matter directly towards someone of much higher power than him, and he was completely satisfied with only that much.

The Elder had seen too many of his own people die over the years, such a large pain had dwelt within him for so long. Even this small victory was enough euphoria for the old man to accept even death without much of a fight.

“Do what you will.” The Elder’s sudden words were filled with a serenity that momentarily stunned the Knights and their will to kill the simple commoner in front of them.

Those simple words echoed deep within Viran’s heart. The boy was shameful to admit that he wasn’t too experienced in the real world, but even so the boy was sure that the Elder spoke the truth.

‘These Knights are willing to cut down an old man simply because of some light words and snide remarks… Even though they themselves mocked me with tears in their eyes… ’ Viran thought disdainfully, but the boy could still tell the hesitation the Knights held. Their reservations with killing a defenseless old man.

The Knights hands shook as he lifted the blade high above his head, no mana was disturbed within his body. His physical strength would be enough to give a painless death to the old man in front of him. The Knight did not want to do it, but that was merely how life in the Empire was.

As the blade descended it met its match in the form of a dark grainy blue blade that stood triumphantly within its way. The blade quivered underneath Viran’s hands, and hastily the Knight threw his sword to the ground.

“My! My Lord?” The Knight said fearfully. Though Viran was the one to throw his blade in the way of the Knight, such a thing was still considered treacherous.

By the will of his Lord, the Knight could be put to death for such a thing. Just as easily as a commoner could be killed on the spot for simple disrespect.

“You’re fine… We still need Elder Nichols for his knowledge, and killing him would only make the villagers hate us. It’s not worth it.” Viran quietly said. “But… Don’t do that again.”

The Knights all began to sheath their weapons once more, yet the look within Elder Nichols eyes only grew worse as his death evaded him once again.

“By your will, m’lord!” The Knight called out as he wiped his blade on his scabbard before slipping it in.

Viran nodded slightly to the Knight before lightly wiping his face and turning towards Elder Nichols.

“...We’ll clear out the forest.” Viran said lightly as the Elder merely nodded once more in response.

Just as the situation was quelled and Elder Nichols began to go into depth about the surrounding terrain once more, Ry speaks again in his mind.

“How brilliant of you, now those Knights will only spread good rumors about you!” Ry said in an excited fashion.

“Shouldn’t you be happy about me actually stopping him from killing some old guy?” Viran bluntly replied back.

“I don’t see how that ‘Elder’ concerns me. But that’s besides the point, focus on what the Elder is saying now!”

Viran could only sigh reflexively. He was beginning to get the sense that the Spirit was a good person, only for that impression to crumble easily again.