The townspeople all became silent when they heard Zero’s question and turned to look at him in shock. Zero laughed while rubbing the back of his head and said, “Sorry I’ve been in the tower since I was young so I don’t know much about the outside world. We learn about the history of Eoqelon but we don’t learn about its nobles.”
Zero’s answer seemed to get across to them as most looked at him as if they pitied him for not knowing much about the world. The young woman called Pia was tall and slender, with long, flowing hair the color of golden wheat. She had piercing green eyes, and although Zero’s question had poured cold water on her flame of rebellion it didn’t seem to go out completely.
“Earl Torin is the only noble worthy of the title of nobility. He was such a great man but due to the actions of the corrupt royal family, now he’s merely a shadow of his former self. We had a chance to stand with him but we were cowards and now everyone hopes he’ll save us.” said Pia in an angry manner
Zero looked confused so the old man who was arguing with Pia came forward and narrated the story of the fall of the man who was once a duke.
Duke Torin was a great hero of the kingdom, renowned for his bravery, honor, and nobility. He was a skilled warrior and a fair and just ruler, beloved by his people and respected by his peers. Nevertheless, despite his many virtues, Duke Torin was not immune to the machinations of the corrupt king. The king, jealous of Torin's popularity and influence, grew paranoid that Duke Torin might rebel so he plotted to bring him down.
One day, the king set a trap for Duke Torin, luring him away from his castle under false pretenses. The king's men in disguise raided a village in his territory causing him to leave his castle to deal with it. While the duke was gone, the king's men broke into his castle and murdered all the servants, his wife, and finally daughter. They not only killed them but also desecrated his wife’s body and then hung both outside the castle so he could see it clearly.
Upon his return, the duke was devastated by the loss of his loved ones, and he vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. However, before he could act, the king struck again, stripping Torin of his lands and titles and demoting him to the rank of earl due to his failure in dealing with the raiders.
Duke Torin protested against the king's judgment but all the other nobles eager to get on the king’s side supported the king. As punishment for his defiance, the king exiled Duke Torin to a frozen, barren wasteland in the far north, where he would be out of sight and out of mind. He was effectively exiled from noble society and cut off from the people he wished to serve.
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Despite his fall from grace, Duke Torin remained true to his principles, and due to his valor and nobility, all the citizens of the duchy of Torin followed him up north. There he continued to serve his people as best he can, even in his new, humble station.
He never forgot the injustice done to him, and through the efforts of the few remaining allies, he found out the truth of that day. He then sent messages across the lands revealing the news of the king's action to all the peoples of the land in hope of getting them to raise up but ultimately they feared the royal family. They say he hopes to someday be able to return home, defeat the cruel king, and restore his family's honor.
“That’s a terrible tragedy. So he knows who killed his family but has neither the power nor the opportunity to take his revenge.” said Zero putting on a sad face
‘Hmm, he sounds like a good candidate to look after us while we’re here. I’ll head up north after I’m done here.’
“Humph don’t act like you don’t have anything to do with it. If the magic tower didn’t support the current royal family commoners from many different lands would have joined hands with Lord Torin.” said an angry Pia
Zero waved his hands in front of him and said, “No I’m just a low-level apprentice so I don’t have any power. If the leaders of the tower support a tyrant then the king must have offered them something. We’ve never heard of this story so none of the mages in the tower know this. If this Earl Torin is as just as you say then when I return to the tower I will try my best to spread this information. I don’t know if it will help but maybe some mage will join his side.”
Pia turned and looked Zero in the eye and asked, “Why would you do something like that?”
‘What would the mage who died say at a moment like this?’
“Well, we mages joined the tower to uncover the mysteries of the world and learn all that we can. If the tower is keeping this from us to control us then I believe it is only right to inform the others and let them choose their own path.” said Zero
“Enough! We have no right to question what actions another person wishes to take. Sir Zero, I’m sorry for the rudeness of this young woman. I would appreciate it if you would still help us finish clearing the debris.” said the old man
Zero smiled and said, “Think nothing of it. All I wish to do is help. I think I’ve rested enough so I’ll return and the others now. Please excuse me, Lady Pia” Pia however continued to look at him while he walked away.
Zero returned to the destroyed area and used earth lingua to finish clearing the debris but this took a couple of hours since he was pretending to be a human. When he was done, he asked the townspeople for food and water so that he may continue his journey. The old man who was also the village chief insisted that Zero spend the night there since it was already dark and magic beasts were more active at night.
Zero had no choice but to agree to keep up pretenses. The old man leads Zero to a vacant house and says Zero can stay there for the night since the owners won’t be back. Zero with his keen sense of smell noticed that although the house looked clean there was a somewhat fresh smell of blood.
‘Looks like they died somewhat recently most likely during the attack.’
As Zero lay on the slightly uncomfortable bed waiting until the morning he heard someone approach the house. He knew who it was and waited as they snuck into the house. When the figure entered the room, Zero lit a lap revealing the intruder to be Pia.
Pia quickly jumped on top of Zero straddling him and placed a knife to his throat. She then glared at Zero and asked, “Who are you really? Are you here with orders from the tower to hunt me down?”