The very next morning, Josh and Elaria, with Leo acting as a coachman, set out for Daim Village. This time, no guards accompanied them, as Elaria insisted that she was enough to keep him safe.

To be fair, I think I even prefer it that way. I already have two dead men on my shoulders.

The memory of that night still haunted him. The two young guards died just so that he could be safe. And they did it for what? To protect a Lord of two days. A Lord who can’t even properly remember or say the names of the guards who gave their lives for his.

Out of nowhere, Josh just started to laugh manically, running his hands through his black hair. Elaria, with her eyebrows knitted together and eyes clear with concern, asked, “Ward Josh?”.

“It’s nothi- “as his laughter interrupted him. “It’s nothing, Lady Elaria.” he wiped down the tears of laughter from his face before adding, “I just remembered how funny life can be sometimes.”

Elaria just threw a filthy side-eye on him, and boarded the carriage. The side-eye she gave him said more than any words would have.

***

As the journey approached its end, they could see the walls of the village. Hundreds of serfs blocked their way as they worked on repairing and building new roads. Leo had to get out of the carriage and shout for them to scatter.

“Is that why you wanted me to postpone my wage, Ward Josh?” Elaria asked as she gazed at the serfs scattering. “To build roads?”

“Kind of,” Josh scratched his chin. “There’s a popular saying back in my old world. ’All roads lead to Rome’. Which kind of means that everything starts with roads.” he took a breath as he added, “I think at least? It might have meant that everything leads to the same final destination. But anyways, roads are a vital point of any civilization.”

“Vital enough for you to go into debt?” Elaria replied.

Josh nodded, a serious expression on his face. “Yes, because having the people living in my lands accept me as their leader is way more important than a couple of gold coins of debt a year or two in the future. It will all be paid off.”

“I’ll take your word for it, Lord Josh.”

“Thanks,” Josh replied.

Wait, she called me a Lord. Does that mean I won her approval?

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“Where do you want to go now, Milord?” Leo interrupted the chatter after they entered the village.

“Leo, I would love to go straight to the village hall,” Josh replied.

Leo just grunted in affirmation and picked up the pace.

Not long after that, they stopped before the only stone building in the village, better known as village hall.

Leo stopped the carriage in front of the hall and turned towards its passengers.

“Milord, I’ll go get the village chief.”

“No, it’s okay. Let’s not force the busy village chief to come out all this way. You should just look for a place to park the carriage. At the same time, Elaria and I will go visit the village chief, “Josh replied while disembarking the carriage together with Elaria and heading straight for the entrance of the village hall.

“Halt! State your purpose,” a young guard shouted at them as they entered the stone halls of the village hall.

It seems not having Leo, might have backfired. Actually, I think I got this.

“How dare you stop your Lord within his own lands,” Josh shouted back as he slightly bowed towards Elaria. “Lady Elaria please forgive this ones servants. They didn’t know any better.”

“Forgive this one, Milord. I’ll go get the village chief. Please wait a second.” the guard shouted nervously before rushing off.

“This lady’s honor has been torn into pieces. What are you going to do, Ward Josh?” Elaria asked Josh with her arm covering her mouth.

“I’ll have that young man quartered by the horses, my lady.” With exaggerated hand movements, Josh replied. “Jokes aside, I don’t think we should wait. If I’m right, he doesn’t have the permission to stop me anyways?”

“Technically, yes. But it would dishonor the village chief if you were to rush in,” she replied.

Josh chuckled. “That’s what we are here for.”

Following the young guard's steps, they entered the next room, which had the village chief, several public servants, and servants all around serving them a table at tea. They either listened to the young guard's report about Josh and Elaria or chit-chatted within themselves.

As Josh was about to shout to announce his presence in the room, Elaria was one second faster.

“[Draconis Praesentia],” she chanted, as a dragon’s presence descended into the room. Pushing, the servants who were standing to the ground, unable to withstand the pressure. The people who were sitting fared a bit better, but not by any means well.

Josh nodded thankfully towards his mentor and shouted out.

“You have half an hour to get all the ledgers and documents regarding the four villages in front of me.” As he approached the table, he said, “I think you don’t need to know what will happen if you fail, do you?” With his most menacing gaze, he looked straight into the eyes of the chief.

The sweaty, plump chief's face just nodded.

“Elaria, may you?” Josh, getting the memo, asked her to dispel the spell.

Instead of replying, Elaria waved her hands around and dispelled her last spell. As soon as the spell landed, the village chief and his entourage scuffled away, leaving Josh and Elaria alone. She turned towards Josh.

“Are you sure that was the right way?”

Hell nah I'm not sure about anything I’m doing so far.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure,” Josh replied.

Elaria just shrugged to his reply and sat down at the table. Josh, with a contemplating look, joined her.

***

Leo barged into the room Elaria and Josh were resting with a shout.

“Milord, care to explain?” He demanded some answers.

“I’m just doing my duty as your Lord,” Josh replied with a sigh.

“Your duty?” Leo slammed the table. “Does your duty include accusing a man who has been loyal to this land and family for decades?” he pointed threateningly at Josh. “I even entrusted the family treasure to you. Yet you repay me like this,” Leo said while throwing glances at Elaria.

Josh stood up and walked towards Leo, putting his hands on top of Leo's shoulder.

“Leo, it’s not that I don’t trust you.”

“Then what is it, Milord?” Leo grabbed Josh’s shoulder.

Josh sighed. “I don’t know any of this, being a Lord, a Mage, a Knight. All of that is something I never even thought that I’d be. And this world… it’s different to say the least. The place where I’m from advocates equality before all and here? I’ve seen Gaius, no I’ve seen the village chief servants body whose body was riddled with bruises and her eyes filled with anguish.” Josh stepped away and took a deep breath. “So, you see Leo. It’s not you that I don’t trust. It’s this world, it’s just different.”