Chapter 69 Retainer
“He has been learning very well.” Sera explained. Kathrine and Shamesh were standing off to the side staring directly ahead and still enough to be furniture. “Rather than simply teach him to greet guests and keep an eye on the wine, Kathrine has taken to teaching him everything a retainer should know.”
“Thank you.” Isaac told Sera but it was directed to Kathrine as was proper etiquette. Isaac rarely used it but it would probably help Shamesh do his new job if Isaac acted like his status would imply. It would not take long for Isaac to completely forget this and go back to his usual casual ways however.
“It has been our pleasure.” Sera replied with a smile. “His clothes will be finished tomorrow. We are having new ones made that fit his form better and match your specific aesthetic.”
“Oh?” Isaac wondered what that meant exactly for Shamesh’s clothes but Sera just winked at him.
“Tomorrow, my friend.” She told him with a smile.
“Thank you, again.” Isaac said with a nod towards Sera.
“Until tomorrow, duchess.” Lenna nodded a bit deeper in farwell.
“Until tomorrow.” Sera echoed with her own nod that was equal to Isaac’s.
“Shamesh.” Isaac said and turned to leave. Shamesh walked at a slightly hurried but measured pace to reach them and as soon as he stepped into Isaac’s shadow it darkened and pulled him inside. ‘You can tell us all about it at home.’ He told Shamesh before the skeleton and his pinned up sleeves and pants finished vanishing.
—
“After that I was taught how to dust fine objects without breaking them.” Shamesh explained.
“Did you break any?” Isaac wondered.
“I did.” Shamesh said with a lowered head.
“I see.” Isaac replied neutrally. “How did they go about fixing it?”
“I fixed it.” Shamesh explained.
“Oh?” Isaac asked. “How?”
“With magic.” Shamesh replied simply.
“How many spells do you know?” Isaac finally remembered to ask.
“Thirty three.” Shamesh replied. “Shamsha knew more but I do not remember them all.”
Isaac nodded in understanding. “That is an impressive amount regardless.” He praised the skeleton. “So, now for the real question, did you enjoy it?”
Shamesh was silent for a long moment as he tried to understand the complex emotion. “I do not know.” He eventually replied. “I did not dislike it, other than when I dropped the vase.”
Isaac nodded. “That is good enough for now.” He told his creation that was also sort of himself in an odd very detached way. “But I will not lie or try to mislead you, Shamesh, in the end you are an extension of me. I want your existence to be pleasant but regardless of what you want to do with your free time, I will still be dragging you into combat. You are a powerful wizard and you fill a role that neither Lenna nor I can. We need someone who can reliably put down tough opponents at range and someone who can lock enemies down for short durations.”
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Shamesh was silent for a moment after Isaac finished as if he was waiting for more. “I understand. I am your shadow, assistant, aid, retainer, weapon, tool. That is my purpose. Everything else is…” Shamesh seemed to hitch as he tried to understand and find the right word to express himself. “Pleasure? Entertainment?”
“Yes.” Isaac nodded in agreement. “Both words can work.”
“Is my understanding correct?” Shamesh questioned.
“Yes.” Isaac replied.
“Thank you, my Lord.” Shamesh said with a bow.
Isaac smiled. “That was perfect.” He praised the skeleton. “Now, Lenna and I are going to get dinner and then go to bed. With the shrinking of time from your perspective while you are in my shadow it won’t feel like it but we will see you in the morning.”
Shamesh bowed slightly. “As you wish.” He replied and sunk into the void that opened under him.
Once Shamesh was gone Isaac sighed and turned to Lenna. “I have no idea how to treat him.” He confessed. “I feel responsible for him like he is my child or something but his existence is tied to me directly. I feed him the mana he needs to be able to think and move his limbs. He is basically a very lifelike spell but in the end he isn’t alive. I don’t think that the emotions he feels are really real either. It is like he is pulling on the impressions on my soul of how I felt in similar moments but without any context.”
“There are many spirits that do something similar.” Lenna agreed. “He is very lifelike.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry Isaac. I don’t have any advice for you. This is a first for me too. I have never met a sentient golem before.”
“But is he really even sentient or is he just following some automatic but complex sys-” Isaac clutched his head in pain. He had felt the headache coming but plowed on regardless. He groaned in pain. “I was really hoping to finish that one.” He whimpered as his world spun slightly from the pain.
Lenna rubbed his back. “Regardless of how he functions, treating him well shouldn’t lead to any dissonance between you. At the very least, treating him like you would a servant or hired guard should be fine. You don’t need to feel like you are obligated to give him anything akin to love, Isaac, do you understand?”
Isaac nodded as he listened to her through the slowly dissipating pain. “I know. He was right, at the end of the day he is a tool, but so is a sword and we clean, polish, and sharpen them to make sure they are functioning properly and won’t let us down when we need them.” He explained more to himself than to her.
Lenna patted him on the back. “Good. You’ve come to a conclusion.” She said and stood up. “Are you good to walk? I am hungry.”
The following day when they had arrived at the Arbencroft estate for the second time, to pick up Shamesh, Isaac and Lenna had been suitably impressed. Shamesh had received a set of clothes that very much matched Isaac and Lenna. He wore a black coat with black pants and shoes. His buttons were all silver and his shirt was a deep red wine and a band of braided orange, black, and silver cord wrapped around his head as if it was denoting who he belonged to.
“This is excellent work and you were correct.” Isaac told Sera. “It does match us very well. How much did it cost you?”
“In all? Only ten gold. Most of it was fabric. Dyes are expensive but not overly so when shadow-wolf shadow glands and blood can be used to make both the red wine color and black.” Sera explained. “Consider this set and his training as a housewarming gift.” She told the pair. “I’ll think about charging you if you suddenly show up with a dozen maids and cooks that need training and clothed.”
“Actually, I would like to buy another nine sets of that same uniform for him. In all likelihood he will end up wearing them into combat at some point.” Isaac told her.
Sera nodded. “Alright.” She agreed. “You can pay-” She cut herself off as Isaac pulled a handful of exactly ten platinum coins out of the air. He then pulled out a small but empty pouch and poured them inside.
“That is ten.” He told her. “Whenever they are ready is fine but I would prefer to at least have the second set soon.”
Sera nodded. “That will not be a problem.” She assured him. Sera then turned to Lenna. “Lady V’Nova, what do you think?” She asked and gestured towards Shamesh.
“The clothes fit well, and even though I cannot see the different colors properly, it looks good.” Lenna replied. “The brighter color on the band stands out a bit much to my eyes.” She looked to Isaac for assistance. “How does it look to you?”
“It looks fine to me.” Isaac replied. “It is silver, orange, and black.” He explained. “The color of our eyes and your hair, the color of your fire, and the color of my magic and hair. Yes, those colors would not usually be put together like that but it helps anyone who sees him know who he is with.”
Lenna nodded. “I understand.” She replied. “It is all very nice.” She told Sera. “Thank you.”
Sera smiled at Lenna a bit bashfully. “I must apologize, my dear.” Sera confessed. “I had completely forgotten that your eyes are not adapted to the light.”
Lenna chuckled. “You do not have to skirt around the term.” She told the duchess. “I am color blind. It is unfortunate now that I live in a world that is always so bright but unlike you I am not blinded by the very environment that we live in. It is all a trade off. I know many humans treat color blindness as a disability but if I were to do that the other way around then all of you would be disabled for not being able to see in the dark.”
Sera listened attentively to Lenna until she finished her lecture. “I see. Yes, I had never thought about it like that.” Sera hummed in thought. “Perhaps, I wonder, could we allow you to see colors in the same way that we are able to see in the dark?”
“With a potion?” Isaac wondered.
Sera nodded. “Yes. There has never been a very large demand for something that is entirely just for a slight increase in quality of life for a very small amount of the population but I am sure that it is possible.” She informed them.
Isaac nodded along. “I would ask Jala, she is the best alchemist I know, I am sure of it, but I honestly try not to bother her more than necessary.” He explained.
Sera smiled. “I will ask around a little the next time I am in the capital. It will give me an excuse to leave behind the rest of the noblewomen and talk to the court mages.”