Rummaging through my dungeon diving bag before François and I had to head to the dungeon near Fécamp someone knocked on my door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Damien.” His voice was calm; rather jarring since I’d only heard his training voice this past month.

“You can come in.” I put down the vials I had in hand.

Entering, the knight captain’s iron boots clinked on the garrison’s wooden floor. One thing that he never changed was his attire. I was starting to wonder if he slept in his armour.

“Is that what you’re going to wear?” He walked over to my armour set laid on my bed. I didn’t like the way he was looking at it.

“Yes, what of it?”

Grabbing it, he inspected the leather and soon noticed the cut it received in the macabre dungeon. “This is as good as parchment; you need to get proper armour.” He threw the armour back on my bed. “Go buy yourself something nice before you leave. If you come back with more than two golds, you're staying here.”

Looking over to the armour that had previously been nicely arranged on the bed, I resented how poor I’d been. To think I had worked so hard, saved up two cold coins, and bought that armour only for it to be thrown out a few weeks later.

I still couldn’t accept that I’d wasted a decade of my life in the dead-ends. Anyhow, “What do you have to prepare for?” I asked.

“Um…” He didn’t look too eager to talk about it. “We’ll be intervening in the Count of Maine's affairs soon enough, but don’t worry, there will be many opportunities for you to see the horrors of war soon enough. Right now, you’re still too inexperienced.”

Was that why they were sending me to Fécamp? It was pretty much the furthest I could get from Maine and still be in the duchy of Normandie; well, I wouldn’t complain.

Seeing I understood what to do Damien headed back to the door. “Good, luck and be safe. I’m sure I’ll see you soon enough.” Just like that Damien left my room. He didn’t close the door, nor give me a goodbye. I suppose it was his way of saying not to expect death. He wasn’t a man that seemed to enjoy war. I could only imagine the story behind the scar which consumed half his face, but that wasn’t something I’d ask him about. But knowing he was one of the duke’s highest ranked knights reassured me somewhat; at least I shouldn’t fight in petty conflicts.

Ah! What did it matter now? I snapped out of it. Looking at my old armour one last time, I threw them in the corner of the room.

Leaving my room, I made my way out the training fields and past the castle’s gates.

The castle sat on a large hill in the centre of Rouen. From here you could see a league in all directions. Sitting on a recently trimmed patch of grass, I took a second to admire the city. Although Rouen wasn’t architecturally different from Bayeux, it felt much more alive. Small venders were spread out much further than just the main street and the younger townsfolk ran around with wide smiles plastered on their faces. Even the city’s dead-ends were much smaller than in Bayeux even though Rouen was larger.

But the most noticeable difference were the dozens of sites where builders were digging up the earth in the middle of the streets and in front of houses. Next to these digs, dozens of pipes were stacked a person tall. “What’s all of that?” I couldn’t help but wonder.

“Curious?”

Surprised, my head jerked back. It was the duke, and he was in knight’s attire. “What are you doing out of the castle?” I didn’t know lords could leave their castles. Wasn’t it dangerous?

“What am I doing? This is my town. All of it is mine, why wouldn’t I wander around.” He smiled.

“I don’t know…” His words and expressions never matched what I expected from a high-ranking noble.

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The duke pointed out to the builders. “They’re installing pipes for the city’s future sewage system. Right now, anytime someone shits, it’s thrown out into the streets or nearby rivers. This is how sickness spread.”

For the first I saw sincerity and air of seriousness around him. “Then why aren’t they everywhere?” I asked. If pipes could cure sickness, then I’d go out and dig the holes myself. No, everyone in town should get to work.

“I didn’t invent this; you know of the Romans, no?” He asked but didn’t let me answer. “They had sewage systems, but after the fall of their Empire the local lords, poor in land and men were no longer able to install them. But I’ve been able to increase the gold in my coffers enough to fund this project. Unfortunately, I do not have enough coins to fund such projects in the other cities of my territory. This is why I need more funds, more people, more land, and more servants who may serve me not due to an archaic sense of loyalty, but an alignment in values, dreams, and aspiration.”

“An Empire…” I muttered.

The duke nodded. “An Empire for the people, not for glory.”

I don’t know when, but my hands were beyond sweaty. The words we were speaking would lead to a death so painful the devil himself couldn’t bare watch if it ever reached the ears of the king. But I couldn’t say I didn’t feel a pull to the duke’s words.

And like a devil, the duke continued to speak rosy words. “What would you give for a world where the sick and poor are treated without prejudice nor hesitation? A world where peace reigns and the words war and famine have become a relic of ancient languages.”

I would give everything and anything for that. I couldn’t lie. Defying the king was nothing if it meant a perfect world.

“But this dream of mine will not be easy to attain. I need your help and hope you can be by my side for it. Here.” Frederick pulled out a necklace from a small bag on his side. It was a carving of an eye in which a red orb I knew well sat. The eye of a gargoyle. “I’ve had this made by my best craftsmen.” He held it out to me.

Letting the necklace fall in my hands, a notification popped up.

You have received the eye of ancients.

Containing the essence of Alexandre de Gargoyle, the first gargoyle craftsmen, you are able effortlessly communicate with all gargoyles.

This artifact is compatible with the title:

Leader of Gargoyles.

It combines to grant you the ability:

Absolute order (B rank): When you give an order to a gargoyle it can execute it even if you are on the other side of the world or dead.

Extensive gargoyle detection (B rank): You can feel the general location and distance of the nearest gargoyle.

Artifacts are rare creations which are the synthesis of relics, master craftsmen, and meaning. For obtaining legendary item unique to your class, you’ve gained two levels.

Status

Gargoyle Craftsmen Apprentice (Level 1 class)

- Level 5/15 --> 7/15

Vitality: 14/14 --> 15/15

Strength: 10/10 --> 12/12

Endurance: 14/14 --> 15/15

Dexterity: 11/11

Mana: 17/17

- Abilities:

Absolute order (B rank):

Extensive gargoyle detection (B rank)

Control delegation (C Rank)

Dextrous hands (F Rank)

- Additional information:

Gargoyles: None

Titles: Leader of Gargoyles

“An artifact,” I muttered.

“It wasn’t cheap let me tell you that.” He sighed. “Not to mention, do you know how hard it was to find a first-generation gargoyle?” We had to buy it off the king and have it shipped all the way here. Not to mention that the craftsmen didn’t know if it had enough historical value to be transformed into an artifact, but I’m glad it worked out.”

I stared into the eye of the gargoyle made by my ancestor. The eye was covered in tiny scratches all over, I could imagine him chiselling away at the eyebrows and the small chunks of rocks hit the orb already encrusted into the beast.

“Thank you—” I didn’t know what else to say. I was beyond thankful. Although the class giver had said that the class was more than just my father, it was hard to not have him monopolize that space. But now, I had this. “This means a lot. I think I understand a bit of what you want to achieve, and I think I’m ready to help.”

Frederick tapped me on my shoulder. “Don’t worry take your time. And here.” He handed me a bag which clinked with coins.

“I can’t take it. You’ve given me enough.”

But he smiled and let go of it. “If you’re going to help me, then I’ll help you. After all the money, you already have is just enough to buy armour, you don’t want to sleep in the woods when you go to Fécamp.”

“Thank you.” I bowed. I’d never bowed in my life. It felt natural, the right thing to do. I somehow knew now that this man would become an emperor.

“Then I’ll leave you be.” He jumped up. “Good luck, I’ll be waiting for good news.”

Watching him walk back into the castle, I leaned back into the grass and watched the clouds roll over the sun.

I won’t be back until I levelled up my class. That’s a promise. I ran off to the craftsmen district.