I might have spoiled my family with my Construction magic I don't know if they can ever go back to tents. Oh well, It’s good practice for me and they get to be very comfortable at night. If I could make this into a chant I’m sure I could sell it for quite a lot of money. I decided to make it quite larger than normal because of our parties increase in size. I injected the ground with magic and built the ground floor with a place to cook.
I then built stairs and created the second floor with ten individual rooms. In each room I inject even more magic to make an elevated grass bed in each of them. The tenth room’s bed is quite large because it’s Tom and Kaya’s. I thought I would be good for them to have a little bit of privacy for once. As a joke I make a sign hanging from the front that said Inn and stepped back to look at the monster I had built.
It was about the size of a half a football field and I probably made it to large but it was quite nice I had even punched out windows for people to look out from. I watch as the smoke rises from the large chimney for I had already started a fire in the hearth in the center of the lower level. I just really can’t stand that it’s a uniform color but it is pretty amazing. Tom and our original group walk in without much hesitation I feel as if they have sort of given up being surprised at me. The other four are in shock much like Halt was when I made the first house.
“Wow, that’s pretty cool! Ha-ha I just saw the Inn sign! Let’s go inside I want to see how it looks” Rena laughed as her eyes shine with curiosity.
I am pulled inside by Rena leaving the other new recruits outside staring at the house dumbfounded. Rena prances around the fireplace and then pulls me along upstairs and into a room. She looks out the window and turns back smiling with excitement.
“This is really amazing. Teach me please!” Rena pleaded with eager eyes.
“I would but to be it's just earth magic. I haven’t made a chant that would do it. So I can’t teach it to anyone but I have named it Construction magic. The only downsides are that it is uniform in color and it takes a lot of magic power.” I explained as best as I was able
“Oh, I see… I’ll assist with the chant but I want to learn it.” She said not giving up.
“Okay, sounds like a plan.” I said
“Hey, you four come inside already! Why are you standing out in the cold?” John shouted from downstairs.
“I guess we should head down and help with dinner.” I said to Rena.
“Sure thing.” Rena said
We leave the room and head back downstairs to see if we can help cook. John and Tom are in charge of dinner tonight so we are waved off and sent to go sit down to wait. John and Tom are surprisingly good cooks but on nights when Halt cooks with George everything is usually not very tasty. Halt and George usually just skewers the meat and roast it until it's burnt black and then hand everyone a skewer. Because of this they usually are on hunting detail instead of cooking.
I have yet to be assigned to cooking detail but I have learned enough from mother to be competent. The new recruits, with the exception of Rena, are rather distant but after eating they cheer up and come closer to the main group. After eating Rena curled up next to me and quickly fell asleep.
“Today, was the best day of recruitment the royal guard has ever had Aero’s idea worked splendidly.” John said happily
“True, but you could have had more people join if you guys used less strength.” I said looking at the three that just crushed everyone that joined their group.
“Men, should be strong. The men that I fought were too slow.” George said simply
“True, your group was different. They just had huge muscles but they had no control or speed. But Grandma and Father just beat them up quickly. Mother, you didn’t even fight! ” I scolded
“Even if you say that I just could tell from their stance if they were strong.” Kaya complained
“I’m sorry if you find us wanting but we are strong…” Lucy said while looking at the other new members.
“Oh… I know it sounds like I’m complaining but mother wouldn’t have chosen you if you weren’t strong. I apologize if I offended any of you four.” I said as sincerely as I could
“It’s fine! After all it thanks to you that we are staying inside such a place.” Clay said hurriedly
“Hey, why didn’t you apologize to me?” Rena asked
“Obviously, because I tested you myself and anyone who can break my earth magic shackles is very strong.”
“Oh… I see.” Rena said satisfied and curled back up next to me
The other four new recruits get quiet and bury their faces in their bowls. After dinner I carry Rena up to her room and set her on the grass bed. I exit the room and head to my own only to over hear voices coming from downstairs. I hid my presence and slid closer to the stairs to hear what the adults were discussing.
“Those kids are going to be monsters when they get older.” John said
“Of course, Aero is pretty close but that Rena is already one. I don’t know about magic skills but she said she was the successor of the Night-style school at her age.” Halt said
“I have heard of the Night-style but I thought it was just a rumor.” Clay mumbled
“No, it’s just that there can only be two users of the style at one time the master and the successor. In order to succeed the master the successor must wait for the master to pass. The problem was that a lot of students couldn’t wait and try to kill the master in order to claim the position.” George said with John translating for the group.
“After the last pupil the master taught tried to kill her she swore to not train another and let the style die with her generation. I guess that girl changed her mind somehow.” Elena explained
“Wait, you know the master of the night school?” Single asked
“But of course when we were young we traveled together. She was still the successor then but when word of her master's passing reached us we had to return to her dojo. She had to do the burial rights and take up the position. She wasn’t big on the rule that masters have to stay in the dojo so we left until she found her apprentice.”
“That apprentice was the one that tried to kill her?” Lucy asked
“Not exactly, she picked up this sweet kid but ended up marrying him before actually giving him much training. They had the cutest son and it was decided that he was to be the successor. She trained him hard and as the tradition when he was old enough she sent him away to learn on his own. Several years later her son returned but he had changed grown power hungry. I was visiting when he returned and challenged his mother to a death match. When his father begged him to reconsider his own son beheaded him.” Elena said with deep sadness in her voice.
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“Oh, that’s horrible mother.” Kaya said
“I’m lucky to have children like you and John dear. My friend wasn’t as lucky with her children as I was. I was asked to officiate the match and watched as the two clashed. It was probably the scariest match I have ever watched. At the cost of one of her eyes my friend cut off both of her sons hands but couldn’t bring herself to kill him. She asked me to place a seal on him to prevent him from ever holding a sword even if his hands were regrown. She then placed her own final seal on him so he couldn’t speak of the Night-style techniques and banished him. After attending to her husband’s funeral she said she would never again teach to anyone. She told me to go and let her grieve. I haven’t heard from her in several years and the dojo was empty when I last visited.” Elena said with sorrow dripping from her words.
“That’s horrible… I wonder what could have changed her mind.” Tom pondered aloud
All I can hear for the next few minutes is the sound of the fire crackling and the burning wood settle deeper into the pit.
“Before we head off to bed we should brief the new recruits on the situation in the capital.” Halt said breaking the sorrowful atmosphere.
“Should we wait for Rena?” Lara asked
“She is going to have a different position as Aero’s aide. They seem to get along rather well and as a successor of Night-style she’s not really suited to guarding. I don’t think the royal seal would actually work on her even if it was put on.” John explained
“So what’s the actual situation then brother?” Kaya asks
“Nine of the twelve noble houses are behind the king’s brother. The remaining three houses are still in support of the king but the only houses we can actually count on are Halt’s house and the newly established Wolf house. Horse house might defect to the other side soon as the heir dislikes the princess since the incident during sword training.”
“If I am killed my brother would rise to power in my house and although he likes the king well enough he will defect to the other side in order to preserve our house if things get too bad.” Halt said
“That said Wolf house would die out before they abandon the royal family. The king is very popular with the common population and due to the queen’s days as an adventurer she is even more popular. For this very reason the nobility hasn’t been able to move openly against the royals for fear of revolt if the king and queen are killed. With the King’s health failing and the Queen’s increased duties things are tense in the capital. The nobles grow more emboldened every day. Simply put the situation is becoming bad and it will only get worse as time goes on.” George said with John translating
“We are telling this to you because you don’t have long to back out if you have changed your mind. Once the seal is on you will have to guard until the king allows your release. It’s dangerous but if we can keep control of the Capital until the King recovers or until something changes we can save the kingdom from the King’s brother. You have heard the stories about why he lost the right to rule and the stories are not only true but they are actually worse. That man should never be in power again.” John said anger seeping into his voice
“He really killed all of those people just because they weren’t human?” Lucy asked horrified
“Not only that but he didn’t stop with just that one settlement… He committed genocide against several magic races not leaving a single child behind. He set the Great forest on fire in order to kill the elves and the beast race.” John said with fury and I could feel the killing intent pouring out from upstairs.
“The old king couldn’t bring himself to kill his firstborn and only cast him from the house. Dragon house took him in but he quickly took over the house after the rest of the house mysteriously died leaving him to claim the house. The king rose to power soon after his brother had claimed his own house.” Halt explained
“Did he kill all of Dragon house?” Lucy asked
“No, he married the youngest daughter of the old house head. She is just as twisted as he is but their offspring could prove to become worse.” John said as his killing intent receded
“I need no further reason to join the king’s royal guard. I had relatives in one of the villages that burned. The king has cut taxes and put a stop too forced military conscription. I would be honored to serve at his pleasure.” Clay said proudly
As the rest of the new recruits gave their agreement Tom and Elena laughed loudly.
“You people listened to the story right? The best case scenario is the King recovers from his illness worst case we all die trying to protect a dying kingdom fighting against at least nine of the noble houses.” Tom explained
“Of course.” They all said at once
“You guys are idiots you know that right?” Elena said
“Yes.” All four of the said together
“Good, idiots are my families’ favorite kind of people right Son.” Elena said roaring with laughter
“But of course mother otherwise I wouldn’t be part of your family.” Tom said joining in with the laughter
“I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I’ll be counting on you all from now on as will the royal family.” John said
“Yes, Captain John!” The four exclaimed
“Alright, tomorrow we set off for the next village to try and strengthen our forces.” John said
“Get some sleep soldiers.” Halt said
I hear them start to file upstairs and quickly slip into my room for the night. Unable to fall asleep I try to process what I had overheard. My family may like idiots but none of us are idiots regardless of what was said. Going up against nine noble houses they must have some kind of plan of action. I’ll just follow orders for now but it doesn’t sound like John is very hopeful. The story of Rena’s style doesn’t have me concerned she doesn’t seem like she’ll become excessively power hungry.
As I drifted off to sleep I dreamed of a small girl crying in a ditch holding onto a small doll. I approach her to try and comfort her but she looked up at me two slit pupil stare at me as two ears covered in mud perk up from her mud covered head.