Ciaphas locked himself in his room for about an hour as he tried to understand his current situation.
'' So it appears I am a noble, and a handsome one too as well'' he stated while checking himself in the mirror, removing his clothes so he could wear the formal attires his maid brought him under the orders of his butler.
A mysterious symbol, similar to that of a pagan rune, had appeared on his chest, right above his heart. It looked like a red snake circulating a hand that was trying to reach the sky.
It wasn't uncommon for nobility to have various runes carved onto their bodies since power runes, even though rare amidst the common populace, were quite handy for those who had the coin to purchase them.
There weren't many rune masters in the Kingdom due to the lack of materials needed for their craft so the demand was always sky high. The advantages of a noble with a rune versus someone who was fighting without having one were enormous.
Speed, strength, agility, those were just the most basic ones one could get yet their price and of course, availability was something only wealthy nobles with strong connections could chance upon.
Hiring a runemaster was not an easy task. All if not most of them were already extremely rich, so unless you had a rare material or benefit that could manage to satisfy them, the possibility of actually helping you was usually close to zero.
A noble house that manages to nurture an actual runemaster always ends up climbing the ranks of nobility and becoming a pillar of a kingdom in a matter of years, if not months, while other Houses struggle for decades, even generations, if unlucky.
Being a runemaster isn't the only road to success.
Those born with a sufficient affinity towards magic could train themselves to become strong and mighty characters that could topple kingdoms if they so wished.
There were five stages of cultivation, each divided into three smaller ones. First, we have the warrior stage, where most people with low to average talent spend all their lives in. They usually become soldiers of the Kingdom, mercenaries, or even bodyguards for wealthy families.
Despite being the stage with the most people, it was uncommon for a peasant to reach it since the resources and training required to achieve such a stage were quite absurd for an average family to shoulder.
The warrior class is divided into Elemental, Awakened, and Purified.
Those in the Elemental stage can sense the elements in the atmosphere, enabling them to store them in their bodies, doubling their strength and increasing their life span by ten years. Once a certain amount is stored, one can ascend to the Awakened stage, allowing him to perceive those around him in a radius of ten meters, further increasing his strength by 100 kilograms worth of damage. Those in this realm are also known as rank two battle warriors and are the most prominent force of the nobles.
Favoured by nobles and merchants alike, the demand was always huge since having an awakened Warrior nearly always guaranteed your safety.
A purified warrior was something like a legend to the common folk. Once an Awakened Warrior reaches the Purified stage, apart from doubling his strength once again, he also sheds the impurities from his body allowing him to use strengthening types of magic on himself, making him an unstoppable force on the battlefield.
By reaching the Purified stage and declaring your allegiance to a Kingdom, you automatically get a noble status and land of your own. The strength one can muster in this stage can truly turn the tides of war in your favour so it is always in the Kingdom's best interest to acquire them whenever possible. Apart from a lofty noble status, they can also work as teachers in the most prestigious academies in the Kingdom of their choice, helping numerous new generations of students reach their potential, further increasing their value by leaps and bounds.
There are four more stages of cultivation, one mightier than the other.
After the Warrior stage, you have the Mage stage. Not much is disclosed about them since chancing upon one is near impossible. It is rumoured that the retired King of Tirisea has reached this stage, further increasing his life span and securing the peace of the Kingdom, but it hasn't been confirmed yet by the royalty.
Next, is the Archmage stage, followed by the Saint stage, and lastly The Paragon. These types of existences have not appeared in the world for hundreds of years. The last record of a Paragon was found in an ancient text and was depicting a fight that levelled a city.
Many believe it to be the cause of the emergence of the Dead Plains area, a land deprived of any life for hundreds of miles.
It is the dream of many to reach this stage and have all the world bow to their feet. Riches, women, and good food will always be abundant, their names etched into the books of history for many generations to adore.
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''Strange, I have no recollection of getting a rune'' thought Ciaphas, trying to button his shirt. Even though the clothes of this world were quite tacky and hard to put on, his pride simply wouldn't allow him to ask the help of his butler.
There were some lines he just couldn't cross, and letting another man dress him up was one of them.
'' I will let the rune be for now'' he thought, wondering how to act before his father. His father was a just man that was always easy to anger when confronted with his unruly son. Being a baron in a poor land with little to no say in the courts was something that always pained him, and his son not showing signs of responsibility only further increased his worries for the future state of his household.
A heavy knock on the door, followed by the voice of his butler nagging him to hurry up, disturbed the tranquillity of his room.
''My Lord, your esteemed father expects you to join him in the living room'' Nathan said quite hesitantly, knowing fully well how his thick-skulled master usually behaved when summoned by his noble father.
A deep sigh escaped his lips, ready to leave when suddenly the door opened and a young handsome man, fully dressed and combed walked out of the room.
''Is something wrong?'' asked Ciaphas, curious as to why his butler kept staring at him like an alien.
''is there something on my face?'' he continued, trying to clean his face using his fancy clothes…
''No my Lord, you look quite good, yes, yes, quite elegant! What a distinguished gentleman, yes, erm…quite distinguished!'' he replied nervously, trying to hide his ecstatic look.
'' The heavens have eyes, finally! The Baron will be truly pleased for a change,'' he thought, tears almost running from his eyes. My Lord finally started to mature!
For years, no matter how hard he strived to teach this unruly son of the Baron how important attending these social events was for him, he was met with contempt and apathy.
It was like there was no drive or motivation to better the status of his family, something the Baron truly needed in these desperate times, especially with the recent uprising near their borders.
Seeing him all dressed up on his own, behaving like a proper gentleman instead of yelling at him for disturbing his peace, something he has gotten used to over the years, was something worth celebrating.
''Do you know what father needs of me? '' I asked, trying to get some information out of this loyal butler of his. Wearing a black and white suit with the crest of our noble house sewed on the sleeves, Nathan was indeed the epitome of what a noble should look like.
''It must be about the party the second prince is about to host my Lord'' answered Nathan, clearly happy that his Lord finally started taking some interest in these complicated affairs.
It wasn't every day his Lord was in such a good mood to speak to him without insulting him or even worse, requesting him to bring him some maids to warm his bed, so he hurriedly asked him to follow him, hoping the sudden change of heart would last until at least the party has over.
Julius Curze, current Baron of the northwest lands of Evramas, having 70km of land under his rule and approximately 800 peasants under his care, tried to calm his nerves before meeting with this useless son of his.
'' The tea went cold'' he thought, waiting for Ciaphas to join him, not surprised by the tardiness of the latter.
''If only your Sister was a boy'', he lamented, trying his best not to allow his anger to overwhelm him.''Sometimes it's best to let nature do its course'' he said, staring at his Noble crest with tears in his eyes…he was already old enough…
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Dressed in fine silk, sporting the crest of the Curze family on his chest,
Julius Curze, current Baron of Evramas and also the father of Ciaphas, stared with surprise written on his war-torn face as his son finally came and greeted him with respect visible in his eyes.
Behind him, Nathan, his son's trusted butler, was about to leave before giving first a meaningful glance to his benefactor, Julius. It wasn't every day his butler was so active regarding Ciaphas.
''The party the second Prince is hosting is quite important, we can't afford to be careless'' The baron suddenly said, acknowledging his son's greetings, gesturing him to sit, trying to figure out Nathan's sudden action.
''With the uproars happening closer and closer to our lands we can't afford to make any new enemies'' He continued, observing Ciaphas as he was trying to take a seat opposite of him. He knew talking to his son about these matters was a waste of time but he had no choice but to try.
The way Ciaphas acted and behaved today was quite surprising, to say the least. Even the way he dressed had an air of a true noble on him.
From the moment Ciaphas greeted his father, the latter knew something had changed. His butler's actions only served to verify it for him.
''He usually complains and tries to get out of these types of events using any means he could think of'' he thought, waiting for Ciaphas to get comfortable before preparing himself for the excuse his son had this time around.
'' I won't allow him to avoid this time's gathering'' He convinced himself,
waiting for Ciaphas to speak.
There was an awkward silence between the father and son duo, only to be interrupted by the trays full of food the maids brought in.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
The economic situation of his household was quite grave and the various troubles the Kingdom kept facing this last year only served to make things even worse for him and the peasants under him too.
If the baron could secure through Ciaphas the help of the second prince, apart from elevating the household's standing amongst the various nobles that surrounded him, they would maybe even have a chance to get rid of the critical economic problems that plagued his lands.
Thanks to the constant disturbances appearing near his borders and all around the Kingdom, food was scarce for the common folk, and with winter soon approaching, it would be very challenging for a lot of his subjects to survive it.
''At least we have plenty of good food to eat'' he mused, waiting for Ciaphas to start his excuses.
Even though there was barely any money left to better his lands, he at least could afford a rich meal full of delicacies for his household, letting him enjoy these few pleasures he so much loved.
From roasted beef to seasoned deer, he always made sure he and his family had the best to eat, knowing full well how crucial health was for people his age.
Ciaphas knew that attending the prince's party was critical for the survival of his household, but for him, things were happening way too fast so he truly needed to rest and put his thoughts in order.
Inheriting the memories of the true son of Julius, helped him tremendously, allowing him to understand how vulnerable the current circumstances were for his family.
His father had under his rule the lands northwest of Evramas, a small piece of land that had a small village of around eight hundred peasants, surrounded by fertile land and a small lake that went through the Dead Plains, making it almost useless for trading purposes.
Taxes were not high but were not low either, requiring each house to pay around two silver coins every two months. Keep in mind that an average household earns around four pieces of silver in this period, mostly from farming or hunting wild animals to sell in the local market, so these taxes were already a huge burden for them.
With the treasury constantly empty and with the constant needs of the land, the burden the peasants have to face is not a light one.
With the coming of winter, a considerable amount of peasants tend to die from malnourishment or the extreme cold, making their lives even more miserable.
Ten copper coins equal one silver coin, yet not similar to this ratio, a hundred silver coins were needed to equal a gold one.
The infrastructure of the village was as good as nonexistent. Apart from some crude houses made of clay mixed with wood, there was only a spacious square serving as the village's market and a worn-out clinic for those who had the misfortune to get an injury, situated near it.
Since our land can't afford a proper doctor, the one who serves as the doctor is the village's herbalist. Having barely any knowledge of the human anatomy, he is responsible for the well-being of approximately eight hundred souls, so you can understand the disaster this usually brought, especially during winter when supplies were limited.
Trading was also out of the question since nearly all merchants preferred doing their business in places where their wagons could travel since not even basic roads are built here.
This village luckily had good soil, allowing the common folk to farm for their primary needs, giving them some basic income to feed their families and of course, pay their taxes.
Julius, after a lot of negotiations, had managed to convince a shady merchant to do his business here. Giving a short breath of fresh air to the citizens, providing them with some essential items for their day-to-day life, somehow made this Land habitable.
Even though this merchant was taking full advantage of the desperate situation this land was in, he still dutifully came every four months to trade his goods.
Julius Curze, not only a baron but also a veteran war hero just like his father and the one before him, had no clue on how to run his land.
Letting many people take advantage of him due to his lack of knowledge, the noble household of Curze faces extreme poverty compared to other baronies in the kingdom.
A sigh escaped from Ciaphas, thinking of all the troubles he had to face if he were to help with his father's problems and not just run off, trying to figure out the reason for his transmigration to this world.
'' I first have to increase my understanding regarding this Kingdom '' he thought before convincing himself that he would solve the mystery of his existence after gathering more power and information around him.
After Ciaphas ate the last piece of beef left on the table, he took a paper towel and wiped his hands and mouth before saying '' I don't think is a wise idea to attend his gathering, considering the situation near our borders and the stance our actions will signify towards the rest of the royalty, at least not before securing some benefits for ourselves. Our best course of action is to stay low.
Hoping to get a bone from the second prince will not solve our problems and will only accelerate our decline if our actions were to piss another member of the royalty off.''
A startled look appeared on the baron's face, hurriedly drinking some tea to calm his nerves. He did not expect his son to have such a well thought idea as an excuse.'' He truly is full of surprises today.''
'' You won't weasel your way out of this young man.'' Yelled Julius, raising his voice and slapping the table with his palm, trying to appear intimidating, only to disturb the maids waiting to collect the plates.
'' a display of force always worked towards this stubborn son of mine so this should be enough'' he thought, waiting to hear the begging and crying that always ensued.
''Haven't you always wondered why our household was constantly poor while other baronies near us, sharing similar problems with us, flourish?''
continued Ciaphas, knowing full well his father was a smart man, albeit slightly naive.
It was not a secret that all the neighbouring baronies were way more advanced and prosperous compared to his Barony but he considered this to be the cause of the geographical location and easy access to the main roads that lead to the capital of this Kingdom.
Thinking of foul play, even though it had crossed his mind when he was younger, full of energy and determination to make his barony into a flourishing fiefdom, was near impossible since there were not many benefits that would justify it.
''Our lands have nothing to offer apart from some cheap labour and barely edible crops. Even though our lands are fertile, our crops are always bitter and hard to eat. We have nothing worth plotting against for''
replied Julius, reminiscing his late father, remembering the day he asked him the same old questions, certain he could turn the lands his father cherished into a prosperous fief.
''what if that was not the case? what if, Ciaphas continued, our land has more than meets the eye?''
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''I spent most of my life trying to transform this fief into a thriving one.
I followed the steps of my father just like he did with the one before him, tried various methods of making this land usable, only to find out one cruel fact. The only good thing we got is fertile land and even that is half-assed.''
Julius glanced at his son before he continued, a sigh escaping from his lips. ''I am glad you began showing interest towards our lands for a change, but there are times when we have to face reality. This land has nothing of value. Even if it had, we wouldn't be able to maintain our rulership over it for long.''
The true Ciaphas, even though he was a complete scoundrel, deep down wanted to turn his father's barony into one worth talking about.
He had spent countless nights trying to figure out a way to make their fief a prosperous land, learning topography and all the various Lords that surrounded them in the process.
All this valuable knowledge was now part of me. Fusing his memories with mine during the transmigration allowed me to abuse a hidden benefit. Up to this point, I could not forget. There wasn't anything I could not recall in his life. From what he ate four years ago on a rainy Tuesday to the locations of all the farms or abandoned mines this barony had under their jurisdiction, all were now clear as day in my mind.
Using the memories that had flooded my soul and body, I could suddenly realize something the original Ciaphas could not.
From the era of his great grandfather unto the current one, there seemed to be some kind of a continuous sinister plot that greatly benefited the surrounding baronies to the detriment of us. The answer was right in from of him all along. You only had to know where and what to look.
For over a hundred years, the baronies of Prybarrow and Northmill made sure that all roads that led to Evramas were constantly in a horrid state, making trading an almost impossible task.
By checking the local map of the area, more specifically the roads bordering the baronies, you could notice that while the path towards the barony of Prybarrow was easily traversable, the lands belonging to our fief were constantly muddy.
A small lake, that can barely allow a ship to pass through, splits our fief in the middle. The same lake originates from a mountainous area near our border with Prybarrow.
Prybarrow, by digging ditches on their side of the mountain, redirects some of the waters towards our roads, constantly flooding them and making them muddy and hard to traverse.
If that is their only crime, things wouldn't be so dire.
The barony of Prybarrow is famed for its production of steel and various other heavy metals. Taking advantage of the crystal clear waters originating from the mountain, fueling the demands of their metallurgies, the wastes that are left are dumped into the water. Redirected to our roads so they can hide their activities, not daring to pollute the main route of the water as it would be too obvious, they could easily harm our barony while simultaneously benefiting theirs.
All this polluted water is absorbed into the soil and through underground canals, contaminating most of the land in our barony. Our crops turning barely edible is only logical at this point.
Even though this piece of knowledge is common logic to people from Earth, this era isn't as focused on the pursuit of science as they are on wealth.
Having Prybarrow east of our borders, blocking our access towards the main routes is not our only concern.
The Barony of Northmill constantly has skirmishes near our borders, claiming to fight the rebels that encroach both our territories only to demand some land to rent from us as payment, further decreasing our power. As to why they have not asked for the ownership of these lands, I am not so sure myself.
Knowing my father, if I were to reveal to him how these neighbouring barons were taking advantage of us and are the ones behind our impoverished state, he would gather all the peasants capable of holding a sword and march to war. Demons run when a good man goes to war but this war would be doomed to fall, considering we can't even afford basic troops as guards.
The strongest warrior our fief has is an Awakened Warrior, Nathan. Even though he is strong, he is over eighty years old. There is a limit on what he can do.
How Julius Curze encountered Nathan and convinced him to stay in this backyard place isn't a complicated story. Nathan's son was working as a farmer when a pack of wild wolves attacked his home. Immediately after the Baron heard about the attack, he lead a group of capable men and hunted down these animals, exterminating them in the process. No sane Baron would allow these predators to run wild into their fief.
Nathan's son was a hard-working man but due to the grave injuries he received from the wolves, he didn't have much to live.
Noticing Nathan's potential he made a deal with him. Julius would use all the resources he currently had to try and save Nathan's son and in return, Nathan, despite being quite old, would train into a warrior.
His son didn't make it in the end. Nathan stayed true to his word, working for the household of Curze all these years.
''With you getting older and my sister being away, I can understand your worries,'' Ciaphas said, getting up from his seat.
Walking towards his father holding the insignia of his house, Ciaphas apologized.
Julius was surprised because he expected him to stay silent or even to curse at him, but he straight-up walked to him and apologized instead.
Julius was always strict with Ciaphas because he knew the sheer amount of responsibilities his son had to face once he stepped down from his position.
Even though he always looked tough, deep down he knew he was just a weak baron with little to no power in his name. His only desire was to make his fief a flourishing land that many would love to visit. To salvage some of the pride his ancestors had before him.
''Since you don't wish to attend the party the second prince is holding, so be it. I won't force you. From tomorrow onwards you will be the next Baron of Avramas. I won't interfere with the methods you will choose to govern our fief and whether you will fail or succeed, whether our household will have a standing in this world or not, will solely rest on your shoulders and your capabilities. I am too tired of playing these games, so if these actions of yours are just so you could avoid your social responsibilities, may God help this Household.''
A huge burden lifted off Julius's shoulders and right onto Ciaphas, allowing him to finally enjoy some peace of mind after so many decades of struggle. Since this son of his showed some signs of maturity, whether it was to avoid the party or not, it was none of his business.
''I will retire to the capital. I will bring some maids with me to help me settle down. Apart from that, I will ask Nathan to stay with you and help you with the necessary paperwork. I hope I don't regret this.''
Adjusting his pillow so he could relax his back on the chair, Julius took out a small silver case he had in his pockets and handed it to this son of his.
''This is our family's Heirloom. It belonged to your great grandfather and it was passed down from father to son. Since you are the next leader of the family, it is your turn to have it.''
Inside the silver case was a small bronze emblem depicting a wolf biting the moon.
Ciaphas, still in a daze from all these happenings around him, tried to stay calm.
Without uttering a word, he reached his hands towards the silver case, wondering what would happen if he were to hold it. ''Looks like I am still influenced by all the anime I have been watching,'' he thought while holding the case.
The moment he opened the case and laid his eyes on it, he felt as if something was calling him, asking him to take it. It was a feeling he had never sensed before, it was otherwordly but at the same time, familiar. Not able to resist anymore, he reached his hand and finally grabbed it.
Holding the emblem in his hands, a sudden rush of power travelled through his veins, causing the rune that was engraved on his chest to pulsate for a moment before fading once again.
His father stood quietly, eyes glued to his son, having nothing else to say to this troubled youth.
''I hope I didn't make a mistake'' Julius prayed silently, watching as his son was holding the emblem.
''It's just an old emblem, you don't have to hold it like it is your long-lost lover, return it to its case before you damage it'' Julius snapped, trying to hide his temper.