I stared at her in stunned silence for several seconds. “What.”

“Most call him ‘He Who Walks With the Painted Crow’. As I said, he is the God that represents the uncertainty and unpredictability of life. Legends say that his crow Hugmun is like a guide that guides him through the fog that shrouds the future, like a lantern.”

“I thought The Mother was your only god though?”

“SHHH!” she shushed me and looked around. “There are many who would call those words blasphemous! Look, the Mother is the one who created every single world from the Void, including ours. The Gods are simply the manifestations of the Laws within those worlds, and many people refer to them as her first children. However, most are forbidden from interfering directly. Luan is one of the few who can.”

“So why would he talk to me and give me this dagger?”

“That, I cannot be sure. What I do know is that he has shown himself to many figures in history, each time influencing them with his words or actions. Some scholars think that he does it simply due to the fact that he sees it as entertainment, but even if that were true, nobody could understand what a God sees as entertaining. Either way, his ‘blessings’ have brought upon golden ages, as well as the destruction of entire nations.”

“Welp. Fuck.” I said as calmly as I could, looking at the beautiful elven weapon in my hand.

“If it weren’t for this thing, I don’t know if I could have beaten Morgaine.”

“[While he does not seem hostile towards you, that could change at any moment. I would advise you to not trust what he says. ]”

“100% agreed.”

“Either way,” Venari continued, “there's not much you can do except try to be cautious.”

“My lady,” Gaius’s familiar voice said from behind us. “I have returned.”

Turning around, I realized that the butler was carrying a tray with a teapot, cups, and a small bowl of sugar in one hand, while the other was holding onto a fine silk pouch.

“Ah, perfect timing,” Venari smiled casually, but I could still see the worry in her eyes. “Please set them down over here.”

Gaius gently placed the items on the table. “If you need anything, you need only call,” he said, bowing, before he retreated to a respectful distance.

“Tea?” Venari asked, pouring out a cup. She took one of the cubes of sugar and gently rubbed it against the lip of the cup, leaving a layer around the edge, before dropping the rest in and mixing it thoroughly.

I shook my head apologetically. “Sorry, I can’t. I don’t think it would sit well with my body.”

“How curious,” she commented, sipping from her cup. “Anyway, let us move on from our previous discussion. I have a few things for you.”

Pulling the pouch over to her, she pulled out the first item: a coin purse that seemed to be almost bursting at the seams. It made an audible clunk when she put it down. “First, your reward of 30 gold coins, along with a small tip.”

I looked at the coin purse skeptically. “Small?”

“Merely an extra 200 gold coins,” she chuckled. “And that’s not all.”

The next thing she handed to me was a beautiful metal pin with the distinctive insignia of the Wild Hunters. “This pin identifies you as someone who has my complete trust. It will allow you to enter and exit the rings without having to wait or pay the toll.”

“That’s…really useful. I don’t know what to say,” I said with gratitude written clearly on my face.

“Hold your thanks until you see your final gift.”

Reaching into the pouch for the last time, she pulled out a large scroll that had been sealed with a golden wax and handed it to me. I recognized the imprinted design as the insignia of the Pithan Empire, a large flower with a thorned vine and dragon wrapped around its stem.

“Go ahead, open it,” she said, seeing my hesitation.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Pulling open the wax seal, I unfurled the scroll and read its contents aloud.

“Evan Vonlichten, due to your actions in deposing the rebel Governor Drusus Stratis from the city of Ocaephis, you have been granted the title of…Baron?!?!”

Venari laughed upon seeing my reaction. “As you may know, several nobles that had supported my brother during his rise to power fled after hearing news of his defeat. But that leaves vacant titles and estates, so I decided to give you one of them. The status of nobility has its perks, including an education at most facilities affiliated with the Pithan Academic System.”

“Wait, so do I have extra responsibilities now or something?”

“You do, on paper at least. Nobles are required to defend their regions and the Empire as a whole from any threat, internal and external. Usually, they contribute men or money to the cause. However,” she said with a sly smile, “with the current rebellion going on, most of the armed forces have gone to support the Emperor, which gives you a convenient excuse as to why you have no soldiers. And although nobles are usually expected to help with bureaucratic work, a baron is of low enough rank that you could be excluded from doing those kinds of tasks.”

“That's…pretty smart actually.”

“However, you would still need to be doing something. If you want, I could task you with the management of a small settlement or village,” she offered.

“Eve, any thoughts?”

“[Taking the title will tie you to this city and the Empire, for better or for worse.]”

“Good point…buuuuut…Baron Vonlichten does have a pretty nice ring to it…”

“Fuck it. I’ll accept this title gratefully,” I declared.

“Are you sure? There is still time to revoke the title without any repercussions.”

“I’m sure.”

“Very well,” she said. Taking the scroll from me, she held her hand up and furrowed her brow. With a brief blinding light, she used her vitae to imprint her handprint onto the parchment. Once she was done, she handed it back. “The title has now been finalized. Congratulations, Baron Vonlichten.”

“Woooooooooo!” I cheered for myself.

“[Congratulations.]”

“C’mon, at least try to sound excited!”

“[...No.]”

“You’re just a hater.”

“So, Evan,” Venari said, interrupting my train of thought, “do you have any preference as to which settlement you wish to govern? I might have some sugges-”

“Maplepost,” I cut her off.

Venari frowned. “Really? That’s a pretty isolated village, and it’s small, even for a Baron.”

“I’m sure,” I confirmed.

“Very well. To my knowledge, no one currently manages that region of the Merca province. I’ll begin the owner transfership process tomorrow.”

“What will happen to the residents?”

Venari looked at me in confusion. “Nothing? Has something happened to them?”

“Uhh, let's just say they aren’t really big fans of me or my golems,” I said sheepishly.

“Hmm. Well, if they do decide to act up, just let me know. If needed, I can send a mediator to straighten out the situation.”

“Thanks,” I replied gratefully. A thought suddenly popped into my head. “Hey Venari, who are you supporting in the civil war?”

“My father had many undesirable qualities that he tried to hide from others,” she replied, shaking her head sadly, “but there was one I could see clearly: His disloyalty to our Lords. I refuse to be like him. I will fight for the Empire.”

I chuckled darkly. “To be honest, from what I’ve seen, this Empire definitely isn’t blameless.”

“Make no mistake, Evan,” she warned. “While the rebels claim that they fight for the people, they are simply propaganda pieces. This is a grab for power, plain and simple. My brother was right about one thing: The Empire has been corrupted. But I plan to make changes from the inside. Not through violence and bloodshed, but through negotiation and discussion.”

“My lady,” Giaus interrupted from behind us. “My apologies, but Lord Nicodemus requests your presence.”

“Tell him I will be there shortly,” Venari ordered before turning back to me. “Anyway, now is no time for such heavy topics. Unfortunately, I am far too busy to see you off tomorrow.”

“Don’t worry, I get it. Actually, if you don’t mind, I’d like to leave one of my golems here in your manor. Since I didn’t have time, I was hoping it could study some of the books in your library for me. Plus, if you need to contact me, you just could just talk to it and it’ll send me a message.”

“By all means. Your golem would be most welcome.”

A long pause filled the air, neither of us wanting to end our conversation.

“So this is goodbye then?” I finally asked, standing up.

Venari stood up with me. “Well, it’s not as if we will never see each other again,” she smiled wryly.

“True. I’ll miss you though.”

“And I as well,” she responded in kind, holding her hand out for a handshake. To her surprise, I instead pulled her into a warm hug. She stiffened for a moment before returning the embrace.

“Goodbye, Evan,” she said when we separated.

“See ya later,” I smiled. And without another glance back, I turned around and left the way I came.