Sorry for the wait, been busy, and needed to do some story planning. As always, let me know what you think.

*****************

                We arrived at Chateau Montevue in the early evening, about four days later. Before I left Karn I made a crate full of ballpoint pens and sent them to the Adventurer’s guild. I figured you caught more flies with honey than vinegar, and a little bit of good will goes a long way. When our small contingent, including Mother, Lily, Ethan, Hope, Aisha and I, arrived we found activity inside Montevue, past the inner walls. The Chateau sat on a hill, and was surrounded by thirty foot high walls. Inside the walls were roads which gave me the impression that there was at least a small town here at one point, though the buildings were long vacant. There were lights hung up around the outside of the chateau and women wandering around enjoying the ambiance.

                “…Mother, I thought this place was vacant.” I said poking my head out the window of the carriage. Ethan was still curled up into a ball next to her, while Hope would occasionally stare at him sleeping from the seat opposite.

                “It…should be.” Mother said looking out at the gathering of women dressed in simple cotton gowns. “It appears the locals are having a ball…” she said curiously.

                “And we weren’t invited?” I ask with a grin. I didn’t really care, but I was curious about the occasion. “Shall we crash the ball?” I asked, glancing toward the others. Aisha rolled her eyes, and Lily smiled. Hope seemed to get excited about the concept of a ball, and…Ethan kept sleeping soundly.

                While the carriage pulled in, I adjusted our clothes as appropriate for a ball. Quite a few people stopped and stared at the carriage, concerned. When we stepped out, everyone outside stopped moving. Our group was comfortable in the ball attire, though Ethan woke up confused that his clothes had just ‘changed’. He stumbled around disoriented for a few minutes, giving Hope the opportunity to latch onto his arm and ‘escort’ him up the steps. Mother frowned, but Aisha and Lily just grinned at each other as he was dragged to a dance.

                Hope and Ethan take the lead while I decided that a suitable entrance was in order. Using the fabrication system I began repairing the chateau’s broken façade, and faded interior. The place had been dusted, but I properly ‘cleaned’ it as we passed. I even repaired a broken chandelier that was laying in the corner, using a solidified illusion of light to lift it into place. As light began to shine from newly enchanted sconces, the decrepit ballroom the gathering of people had taken for use, was restored.

                At first people seemed scared, and a few started scuttling toward the doors, but as the place was renewed around them, most gawked and laughed. With a final touch I went over the simple clothes of everyone present, and…adjusted the materials and styles to something more opulent. Diamonds appeared from stored coal, woven in small quantities of gold. The men were more peculiar given the setting. They were outnumbered at least three to one by the ladies, and were dressed in rags, though the women present had still been hanging off of them…probably work clothes. By the time I finished their clothing I was running low on reels of fabric in my magic bag…I had planned to make uniforms.

                Mother glanced my way with a smile on her face and nodded toward the front of the room. Taking her meaning, I walked slowly toward the front and faced everyone. “Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I am Faith Lusatra, Countess of Montevue. Welcome to my home.” I said warmly.

                People slowly wandered up to greet us, including the small group of women who I guessed had been trying to provide music. Between them they had a couple of cheap looking violins, a flute, and a small drum. 

                “G…greetings countess.” A young blonde woman said. She looked to be in her late teens, and was pressing in toward the front. The men were all hanging back, seemingly relieved as focus had shifted momentarily from them to me. “I’m Lis…I..” Lis said and then did a hasty curtsey.

                I glanced around at the room full of nervous people and sighed, thinking that I was obviously doing a horrible job at being a host. Mother still looked at me expectantly, but didn’t say anything, while Hope carted Ethan around by the hand. She looked like she was showing him off, though Ethan just looked confused.

                “Welcome to my home Lis. I recently acquired the title for Montevue…among other territories.” I said the last as my mind went to the huge stretch of land I’m supposed to now be responsible for. I tried not to think on it for too long, lest I get a headache. “I wasn’t aware that the chateau was being used though.” I said, looking around at the nervous crowd.

                “Uh…Well, it hasn’t been used in a long time…and we just got men, so we thought a dance was appropriate. We didn’t mean to trespass.” Lis said as a few of the women around her backed away.

                “I don’t mind, as long as you clean…Wait, did you say just got men?” I asked looking at the twenty or so men sitting at the back of the room.

                “Uh…Yes, your majesty…ur, highnest…ur…Countess.” Lis said stumbling over her words. “The armies…they, um.” She said trying to organize her thoughts.

                “Why don’t you start at the beginning?” I asked with a sigh, “And it’d be Lady Montevue, or simply Countess. Highness would be my mom.” I said the last grinning at Mom, who suddenly glared at me.

                After a round of confused looks, I managed to get something like a cohesive story out of the crowd. Quesh had apparently used a mass teleport or gate to move an army in within a week’s journey from Karn. The Imperial military, after suffering heavy damages, had conscripted everyone they could get their hands on, clearing out almost all of the men in the town, along with any of the women who could be used as military assets. Afterwards the battle had leaked over into the town on the outskirts of Montevue, Lotus Field. The population was devastated, but managed to fend of what I could only assume was an auxiliary unit from Quesh.

                Then magical diseases descended, and killed even more people. Then monsters started coming out of the woodworks, likely incited by the raw magic and blood soaked terrain. The last remaining town elder, named Grandmother Celia finally managed to put up wards against monsters, but with only a sixty or so women left in their population, they had to either truck it into Kern, giving up their homes, or try and attract men…most of whom were fighting in a never ending war.

                Lis and a young brunette girl named Abby apparently went into Karn, with a considerable sum of money, looking to entice men to come to the town, and pick up supplies. Even as I looked at the two girls I could see the remnants of defensive magics on their person…probably put up by Grandmother Celia without their knowledge, though they were waning at this point, and seemed to more or less just be repellants. When they arrived in Karn, they were able to purchased deserters as magically bound slaves, and gather supplies before heading back here.

                As the crowd of women managed to stammer out a horrific story of loss, I could see grief flicker on their faces. They had lost fathers, brothers, cousins, sons, sisters, and mothers. Here or there, I could see tears in their eyes, and the men at the back seemed to grow…angry with every turn in the tale.

                Stepping through the crowd of women, I approached one of the men. He seemed a type built for war, and the men behind him seemed to be glancing toward him looking for direction. “You seem to have some feelings about this.” I said staring up at him, looking him in the eyes. “What’s your name, soldier?” I asked

                “Arthur, Countess. Former Lieutenant.” Arthur said grimly.

                “No last name, Arthur?” I asked raising an eyebrow.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

                “Could never afford one. I was raised in an orphanage, then became an adventurer before joining the military.” Arthur said with a shrug.

                “Would you care to share your feelings on all of this?” I asked raising an eyebrow.

                Arthur paused, and looked at the livid expressions from his men, and nodded, before turning back to look at me. “What happened to Lotus Field was criminal. Procedure for enlistment limits how many people can be taken based on population, and it isn’t every able bodied person. They also should have left a garrison here, or at the very least provided guarded passage out of a war zone.” Arthur said, his tone grave.

                There was some muttering and confusion from the women in the room, but I simply stared at Arthur, ignoring the crowd. The men behind him were giving nods of agreement Arthur’s way. “A very adamant speech from a man who deserted.” I said, trying to gauge his response.

                Arthur’s gaze flickered and he frowned, “I don’t fear a battle, but I won’t throw away my life or the lives of my men on pointless and suicidal battles fought purely to garner reputation for madmen.” He said, growing angry. “I served for ten years, and have fought and bled for the empire, and I don’t give a damn what you think. I made the only decision I could live or die by.” He said. The men behind him just stared, a few of them nervous, but most of them adamant.

                People started muttering nervously around me as Arthur spoke. “Well, you’re all here now, and don’t seem to be cowards. I suppose I could use some soldiers.” I said thoughtfully. With my declaration, the women in the room started to get desperate.

                “No! We just got them! Please!” one woman called out.

                “They’re ours!” Another said, as a group of them started to pour in front of the men.

                Mother cleared her throat, and began moving my direction. When she reached me she leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Faith…what are you doing?” she asked, her voice a bit tense. She looked at the women pressing in on the men in the crowd, apparently trying to put themselves between me and them. The men looked confused, and a bit nervous, but that was becoming par for the course.

                I looked up at mother and smiled, “Trust me.” I said giving her a wink. She frowned, and backed away, but didn’t say anything else. Aisha and Lily were edging through the crowd toward me, and seemed concerned, but I gave them a warm smile, and then turned my gaze back to the former Lieutenant.

                “Given that you’re already staying in my territory anyway, how would you feel about providing that garrison you were suggesting?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

                “We’re slaves.” Arthur said crossing his arms over his chest.

                “Fixable, but only if you and your men agree to be stationed here permanently. It will save me on having to hire additional soldiers to protect a minor location.” I said, thoughtfully. “I can of course provide generous financial compensation to the women here, given what they’ve lost already, and pay you a premium given the…arduous nature of the additional work required.” I said looking toward the woman of Lotus Field, grinning.

                A few of them looked nervous, but most of them seemed to brighten when it looked like I wasn’t dragging the men away to fight in some war.

                Mother cleared her throat and leaned in to whisper in my ear again, “You don’t know anything about these men, baby…” she said glancing not just at Arthur, but the other men as well.

                “Have a little faith.” I said, smiling at her. Aisha and Lily were obviously near enough to hear me, and snorted. Mother just sighed and shook her head, but appeared to put the matter out of mind as being of little actual importance.

                “Do we have a deal?” I asked, glancing at them seriously, and then at the women. Lis and Abby came forward, and consented. Arthur seemed happy, as did about ten of the other men, whereas the rest grumbled, but seemed accepting. I supposed farm work was preferable to guard duty when you’d seen one too many battlefields, but the area needed protection.

                Lis was hesitant, but handed over the contracts she received from the imperial military. I looked the men in the eye, and then tore them apart. Magic cracked like a shotgun, more potent than the last time I destroyed these types of documents. Everyone stared at me with dropped jaws as I let the paperwork fall to dust on the floor, glimmers of light floating from the debris.

                “I don’t approve of slavery.” I said simply, not bothering to justify it further. “As for honoring your service agreement, I wouldn’t suggest trying to go back on your word to me…I’m not someone to be trifled with lightly.” I said, giving them my coldest stare. The men just looked at me with awkward smiles, while Hope, Mother, and Aisha laughed openly. Mother just bit back a smile…ok, not what I was expecting. I decided I needed to work on being more fearsome in the future.

                “As for you Arthur…since you lack a last name, let it be Knight. I can’t create imperial military units without approval, but I can appoint landed titles within my domain.” I said, remembering details from some of the documents that Antoinette had delivered to me shortly after I received my title. “Your territory will be Lotus Field. Serve dutifully, Sir Arthur Knight.” I said, fairly happy with my solution to having to do hiring.

Status Granted: Holy Knight of the Goddess Faith When gods appoint knight protectors, they carry with them a shard of the divine will of their god or goddess. Knights so blessed, gain the status of a Holy Knight, and recognition within celestial courts as servitors of their patron. Additional powers are determined by the domains of their patron.

                Bonus: +50% to all magic affinities

                                Increased Mana Regeneration Rate

                                Perfect Memory

                                Limited Access to Divine Library

                                +50% to Creation Affinity

                Arthur gasped, his jaw dropping, while Hope starting laughing uncontrollably. I cleared my throat and stared at Arthur, leaning in close to him. “Not a word.” I said, staring him in the eyes. He seemed to take me seriously at this point, as his mouth shut tight. Everyone around me just stared at me. I really wish I would get a heads up before risking exposure like that. Hope was still laughing, while hanging off Ethan.

                Clearing my throat, I started walking back out of the Chateau, heading for the courtyard. People were following me, confusion in their eyes, but I put it out of my mind. I couldn’t *stay* in Montevue, and had no idea if there would be another military incursion. So I needed some way to ensure the health and wellbeing of the populace. Bringing up the fabrication system again, I began pulling a large quantity of coal from my magic bag. As I pieced it together, I started the process of heat and compression, energy pouring into the coal like a sponge. After a few minutes I placed a large diamond statue of myself at the center of the courtyard, atop a fountain.

                As the statue appeared, I could feel my awareness of the surroundings expanding to encompass a full mile from its center. Lotus Field fit in just at the boundary, along with the small ‘town’ that Montevue’s walls encompassed. “Divine Awareness…” I muttered, smiling to myself. As I poured more energy into the statue, I attached a regenerative field and a curative effect for poison and disease to the statue. The energy drain continued, and I felt weak briefly, but after several minutes the investiture stabilized and the spell effect began to roll across the area.

                As the statue began to glow faintly, everyone in the courtyard started to gasp and mutter. I turned around to glance at everyone who turned their gaze from the statue to me, and stared. “This should help with preventing another epidemic like before.” I said, as I decided to continue the party. Everyone was already dressed up after all.

                “Let the celebration continue.” I said as I headed back toward the Chateau. Waving a hand, illusionary explosions erupted from the sky, as I summoned fireworks. The gardens sprang to life, and even in the outskirts near the distant farms, barren fields began to flourish as crops sprouted from the ground, though only I was aware of it given it was night.

                Soft dance music filled the chateau, while people indulged in dance and mead. Hope managed to get Ethan to dance with her, and seemed like he was warming up a bit, though I sensed he was still nervous around Hope. I knew Hope had been trying to reconcile with him for the last week. Personally I would have just given him space, and apologized, but got the feeling Hope was too impatient for that. I made a mental note of talking with Ethan tonight, away from Hope…just to make sure she wasn’t upsetting him. I knew mother had talked with him before, but I kind of felt responsible for him.

                As the party continued, I sensed something stirring at the edge of my awareness. A lithe woman who looked to be in her sixties was literally floating across the ground as she sped toward the Chateau. She was wearing a set of white robes and had a glowing staff in hand, and as she burst through the door to the Chateau, she screamed. “What are you doing?” angrily. Her voice was strained as she rushed through the air toward the ballroom. When she arrived everyone stopped what they were doing.

                “Grandmother Celia! What’s wrong?” One of the townswomen asked.

                “The magic! What are you doing?” Celia asked in a panic.

                Stepping forward from the ball, I looked askance at the matron of Lotus Field. “I placed a healing effect over the area, to protect the town, and threw up some fireworks.” I said looking at her with a frown.

                “You have to stop! You don’t know what you’re doing! The magic will wake them! It’s going to…” Grandmother Celia said, as she stopped and began to stare into the distance through the open doors of the Chateau.

                On the horizon I felt a disturbance, and lightning began to strike the earth distantly. Mana began to erupt in torrents, as the earth cracked. My awareness seeped into the earth, where it met seven tombs. I could sense something harmonizing with my statue’s effect, and a mana surge struck it, causing the curative and regenerative powers to suddenly expand exponentially. I could sense…a plague wind in the depths of the buried ruins burning away as they met divine magic.

                Grandmother Celia stared outward, blood draining from her face as she projected her senses distantly through magic. “By the Gods…You didn’t just wake them…you cure them.” She said, her voice trembling as she clenched tight to her staff. In the distance I could sense power building.

                “Oh…what the fuck now?” I asked with a groan.