The next morning arrived faster than anyone anticipated. Before anyone in town could continue on with the day, they received a notification via the power of the Unity Core, acting as a proclamation from the lords.

It’s not every day that the lords would make an announcement to the small town, and it’s not mandatory as it is just to state a few things. Nobody would ever object to seeing this for themselves, so everyone gathered around the center place of the town, where most of the recovery was already done.

While some of the buildings were still in need of repair, having run out of materials needed to make a stable foundation, it was still decent enough to have everyone gather around without hurting themselves, including the children who could finally head out as long as their parents were present to watch them.

The number rose as hundreds gathered, turning the usually bustling town into a massive array of humanity spread all out, right in front of him.

Zeke stood there at a raised platform, gathered and helped by the aid of Val’s soldiers who were asked by the captain for the proclamation. He stood there along with Val and Cloud, Mikella beside them with Clara and Ana in tow.

Myra and their other soldier comrades stood by as well, but mostly beside the platform standing guard. There was no reason to be on guard for anything, but one needs to exemplify order in this town to ensure that the lords, including the town and its values for safety, still hold strong.

Zeke felt his throat dry up as he finally realized that just because the town was a lot smaller compared to other places, that didn’t mean that it was small enough. It looked like a packed convention, everyone dressed like there was a renaissance fair going on on top of that. There was a hint of alcohol in the air as someone decided to party early, and so far nobody objected as that someone decided to be generous and shared the drinks around.

A proclamation isn’t taken so seriously, and since the lords didn’t ban anything other than to just not be dicks to each other, the people were actually starting to have some fun. Though the next few minutes once this proclamation gets started might change that.

Or not. Zeke had always been a pessimist in a way.

“Everyone, settle down!” Val shouted, raising her arms up in the air to call to the crowd.

Everyone, literally everyone, stood silent as she ordered. Zeke had to do a double take–did Val seriously just commanded everyone that easily? It’s no wonder she’s a lord in her own right.

That’s when Cloud came in. He stepped towards the edge of the platform, staring everyone down with those usual striking eyes of his. Everyone stood solemnly at him, expecting to hear something that they had no clue what it was about.

“Everyone, first of all,” Cloud spoke loud and clear, putting a hand over his chest. “Thank you, for all of your patience and perseverance. It’s needless to say that Eve Glade has had it rough the past few months. I will not lie and pretend all is well. The recent events made that very clear.”

The crowd stayed silent, and the mood turned somber. Some drinkers took a swig of their mugs, the memory of the funeral pyre probably playing in their minds. Cloud decided to let that sink in, to remind everyone of what they went through.

Then, he spoke again, this time his tone was higher and significantly vibrant.

“But just like the town, we still stand, and we got stronger still. We have lost our loved ones, but you all know that we still survived for a reason. Whatever that reason is for you, I cannot say. One thing is clear–things cannot stand to stay like this. That is why my wife and I have decided to add another lord to the town.”

Cloud turned to the young man, much to everyone’s surprise and disbelief by the sounds of their gasps.

“Our new lord is none other than the very man who has helped us all this time. A visitor that has just come in recently with his family, but someone that was instrumental in our survival and our ongoing stability. Please welcome Zeke Parlow as part of the lords of Eve Glade.”

The moment Zeke’s name was introduced, he expected the worst. He expected jeers and boos, and in the worst case scenario, a riot.

Though the lords were clear that such a thing wouldn’t happen, Zeke knew that if it was anything like in his country, suddenly adding in a lord who is not only young, but only just recently been added to the town–it wouldn’t turn out so peaceful.

What he didn’t expect was the crowd cheering for his new title. Everyone, from the elderly to the able, raised their hackles in cheers and celebrations. Of course, some were flabbergasted at the news, but they took it well, sort of like receiving a surprise birthday party.

When he turned to the people he knew, Mikella smirked while Clara just seemed to glow in bright cheer along with the crowd. Myra and the other soldiers seem to be puffing up in pride for some reason, as though a friend of theirs received their rightful promotion in a corporation.

Letting them have their fun for a while, Cloud let them be. But once the cheeriness slowed, Cloud continued on as one can easily notice the confusion on some of the citizens’ faces.

“Some of you are worried. And some of you perhaps might see an issue with this. Please, let me explain to the fullest. As you know, a lord’s duty is to ensure the safety of their daily lives, seeing the town’s needs and helping it grow. Zeke here has decided to be a lord in name only. That means that unlike us, Zeke is everything a citizen is, but his power is added to the town’s main energy source.”

That got some folks to reel their heads back, their eyes widening. That also got everyone who ‘might have an issue’ to immediately clam up, though Zeke has no clue which one did. Apparently, everyone knew what a provisional lord meant, which is basically just a handyman willing to lend his services for free.

Val continued this time, her voice sweet and gentle. “With this, we hope the town will continue to prosper in its recovery, and once again stand proud as it once was, perhaps stronger than ever before. But you don’t need to hear that from me. Zeke, why don’t you say a few words?”

At that moment, Zeke was fully ready to make a fool of himself and highjack his way out of there. He turned back to Val with eyes ready to bounce out of his skull, not expecting this at all.

The damn lords never said anything about making a speech. He readily said that he can’t do that when they first asked him, didn’t he?

He turned to Cloud for help, but like a bastard, he stood there with a smirk on his face. He turned to Mikella for help instead. She only just shrugged her shoulders at him, with Clara not helping at all as her eyes seemed to glow in expectation.

Having no other choice, Zeke retreated into his mind for a few short moments to figure out what to say. In the end, he decided to go for the short and sweet. He always hated to hear long-ass speeches that made everyone go to sleep.

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“I…” Zeke halted for a moment, pressing his lips together to wet them before continuing. “I’m sure everyone here isn’t keen on having someone as young as me be a lord, even in name only. I also know that I’ve only been here for a short time.”

Zeke gathered his courage, deciding to pull out what he truly felt from his core to everyone here.

“But… this town took in my… family,” He tested the word, and it felt right as he continued. “The town, and the citizens, treated us well, even though we were strangers to you all. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I accepted to be a lord for one good reason–I wanted to help.”

Assured of himself, he continued.

“I’ll do what I can. I will do what I can to help this town that has helped my family. To pay back what everyone here did for us. I swear I will do you all right.”

He stayed quiet, letting the moment pass. When everyone noticed he was done, a small wave of cheers and congratulations were thrown his way.

Then, that small wave became a tsunami of cheers as they all accepted the new lord, in name only. He knew he might have fucked up his words, but thankfully nobody had a problem.

He made it short and sweet. Now he wished he could crawl into his bed and pretend none of this ever happened.

Damn you two. I swear I told you I was no good at this stuff, Zeke grumbled to himself, forcing himself to wave and smile at the crowd as a good lord should.

…..

Mikella, along with Clara and their friends, applauded at Zeke becoming a new lord for Eve Glade.

If someone asked her how she felt, she felt a lot of things. Most of which was just shock.

Shock, but a good kind of shock.

When Zeke told her what happened after he was done speaking with Cloud and Val over somewhere, including the hidden room in their house that apparently contained the equivalent of a living heart of the town, Mikella didn’t take it well.

She was embarrassed to admit it, but she got angry that Zeke accepted something so ridiculously important as being a lord without even talking to her first. Then he, along with Cloud and Val’s aid, helped explain the reason.

After that, she kinda realized why. Though she still felt a little bitter about Zeke accepting it so easily without at least consulting her.

Zeke apologized profusely, but Mikella understood why he didn’t bother asking her. She would’ve told him to accept it either way.

Having a barrier around town is just really necessary. Sure, the hit to his rewards as part of being a lord without having any total authority as a lord kinda blows, but Zeke never really cared about the money or authority. At least that way, Mikella understood why he accepted it.

He didn’t care about the authority or the money. He just wanted to help people. She was proud of him for that, proud to have him be part of her family.

Though it was hard to describe what kind of family they had between them. Val would love to say that they were potential husband and wife, but Mikella always ignored her when she delved into that topic.

If she could, she would’ve also accepted being a lord, but she didn’t have any skill like Zeke, nor was her attunement any useful for the town. It was ironic how her attunement being lightning based would’ve been super useful in her old world, but useless in this one.

But as she watched Zeke being cheered for being a lord, a smile crept on her face. Everyone really started relying on Zeke, especially the past two months. He’s been working tirelessly to help heal the injured, to help build the town with his barriers, re-working on the runes to help everyone thrive in these hard times. She knew there would be some who wouldn’t accept him–that was just the way of the world. But if anyone has a problem with Zeke, then they have a problem with Mikella.

And Mikella always has a solution to her problems–she just brings out her sword.

Well, maybe not in this context, but it made her feel better.

Cloud continued on, getting everyone’s attention while turning to Zeke.

“Alright, Zeke,” Cloud said, his smile widening. “How about you get to work?”

Zeke smiled back, nodding as this time, he was fully ready to do his duty. The speech from earlier made him so flustered, Mikella couldn’t help but smile deviously when he looked at her for aid.

He looked so cute, looking like he was ready to crap himself.

But that nervousness was gone the moment his duty was brought up. Now, all Mikella saw was a man with resolution written on his face. His back stood straight, making him slightly taller than usual. His head held high as he raised his hand, mostly as a show rather than for being useful.

At this moment, Zeke looked like he was in his element. Mikella watched with an awed trance as Zeke cast his magic.

There… right there, she felt it. In fact, she knew that everyone felt it. The air shifted, and something suddenly ‘turned on’.

She felt the mana converge around her, swirling and condensing to the point of creating a small marble of pure turquoise light appear in the middle of the air, a few feet above Zeke. The ball of light kept flying higher, until eventually it reached so high that they could barely see it anymore.

There, the ball of light exploded, and a dazzling array of turquoise light spread all across the sky, seemingly covering their entire world.

Everyone stood silent as they watched the creation of the barrier that will protect Eve Glade from future threats. Even the lords looked in awe, their mouths slightly agape with Val’s lips curling into a smile. The children all screamed in delight and wonder, especially Clara and Ana as they raised their hands up, as if they could capture the barrier in their tiny hands.

Mikella watched as the barrier slowly expanded and slowly covered the entire town. But despite the barrier sealing them up in a way, she didn’t feel nervous at all. She knew she could escape from this town whenever she wanted, barrier or not.

The barrier just felt… so satisfying to see. A feeling of enormous relief swelled in her heart as security took hold, seemingly multiplied compared to just being in Zeke’s protective dome.

Everyone else must have felt this, as every adult who’s heavy in their magical build could sense the mana swirling around them. She didn’t have the Mana Perception skill yet, and she was trying hard to get it, but somehow she could sense the amount of mana being poured into the barrier.

The barrier soon completely covered the town, finishing it up completely. Everyone just ‘ooed’ and ‘awwed’ as they all clamor in cheer for the creation of Eve Glade’s barrier.

Especially when some folks realized that having an official barrier created would be ten times more expensive than anything they ever received. Suddenly receiving a working barrier entirely for free from one man–well, those folks practically rocketed sky high in delight.

As they cheered for Zeke’s title and barrier, Mikella smiled. She felt a lot of emotions whirling inside of her. Pride for Zeke, relief for Clara, jealousy for being put out of the lord title for no good reason really.

Seeing the barrier, she kept thinking how useful this would’ve been during the raid. She remembered the deaths that followed in her wake while trying to save Clara and Ana. She remembered their heads rolling, their life snuffed out from their eyes. She would wake up in a cold sweat, her body shivering at the potential souls screaming as they were absorbed into the void of the afterlife.

Clara noticed this during their sleep, helping her sister calm down from whatever nightmare took hold. She talked it over with Zeke, and despite thinking that he should’ve felt disgusted over her actions, he was gentle and told her that she did the right thing. There will just always be consequences no matter what decision one makes.

In just half a year, she went through the process of being greedy for power, gaining that power, and realizing what that power achieved. As she watched the scene, she looked back at herself.

She should really focus on something else other than combat. She wasn’t sure what it was, what it is that she wanted to do outside of it. She likes to fight–it was the same type of obsession she had when she trained in gymnastics.

It filled her with a sense of growth that she can’t explain. It made her feel free. She knew that there would always be time for combat, even when she had no other choice but to take lives if need be.

But does that mean her entire life would always be for combat? After seeing Zeke doing his best with his barriers, she realized that there should be more than that.

Though right now, she put all that in the back of her mind. She had a long life ahead of her, especially if she still planned on getting stronger.

That meant that there was plenty of time to figure out what to do outside of poking her enemies with a sharp stick.

Suddenly, she giggled out loud, making Clara confused as she tilted her head. She just imagined herself poking Zeke with her sword, causing him to make that usual shrill sound.

She really did like messing with that man.