Both young people could say little in response to my master's words, so in the end, they joined our silent march. I climbed into my master's motheros while Caisam and Irene traveled in mine.

We hastened our pace as much as possible and managed to return by the night of the next day. By then, we had already talked to Briseida about the situation through the communicator in our home. We saw her in front of our house from a distance as we climbed a hill near the Elker mountains. Her small silhouette stood out against the large moon on the horizon, shining with a particularly soft tone that day. She was walking impatiently in the surroundings until she sensed our distant presence. Another figure emerged from the side. It was her husband, Irene's father. We knew he would be present. We didn't say anything about it, but I could sense the discomfort of both young people as we advanced.

The mother scolded her daughter as soon as she was within reach, but they soon shared a warm embrace. The father, on the other hand, kept his distance for a while. He seemed like a man of strong character, but he joined in the happiness of the moment as soon as his wife and daughter gave him a glance.

Later, the two parents began to thank us effusively, something my master handled with great tact and humility. The end result was more due to our timely intervention than our astonishing abilities. If everything went well, it was thanks to Briseida and her determination to resolve the matter as soon as possible; that's what my master said to conclude the matter with a smile.

The mood, however, didn't take long to darken as both parents fixed their gaze on Caisam. They were upset. Who knows what intentions they had or what they were going to say in the next few seconds. Their manners were noticeable, but I doubted that they would contain what they felt. Both Irene and Caisam tried to say something, but my master was the one who ended up cutting the tension of the moment, inviting them cordially to enter our living room.

Both couples sat in their own armchairs, facing each other, while we left our tools and changed our clothes.

I had found Irene's father quite peculiar. He was a brown-haired man, taller than my master and a bit more robust. He had hard features, as if he had worked until the muscles of his face; high-bridged nose, thin lips, prominent cheekbones, bushy eyebrows, and a square jaw. He looked like an extremely aggressive and daring man, or intimidating, in short, but that image crumbled as soon as he couldn't contain the love he had for his daughter. That love, in fact, seemed to prevent him from questioning her reckless decisions.

My master approached me to ask my opinion about that man, Mr. Arbel, but I couldn't please him with my response as I rambled too much about his physical appearance. He scolded me for my poor observational skills and proceeded to point out some key features about the man: military posture, kingdom seal on the right wrist, and high-grade military armor, as well as other small details, such as the scars on his hands that corresponded to the punishments imposed in the military training camps of the Stavenger kingdom.

Upon returning and observing the man again, I could notice what my master had pointed out to me. Mr. Arbel was a soldier, that's what his posture, gesture, and even the careful movement of his eyes expressed. And despite that, Mrs. Briseida still seemed to me like a woman with a strong character whose noble status barely sufficed to disguise her temperament.

When we returned to the living room, the same uncomfortable silence still hung in the air. The father was relaxed but vigilant; he had been the first to notice our arrival. The mother, on the other hand, seemed to be devoured by her own impatience; she was happy to find her daughter, but she couldn't figure out how to react to the stupidity she had committed. Irene alternated her gaze between her parents, her boyfriend, and our windows. Caisam had lowered his head and cast fleeting glances toward the exit door from time to time, as if appreciating its craftsmanship but failing to hide his embarrassment or his eagerness to walk through that frame.

My master headed to his chair without saying anything more. He called me to his side, encouraging me to ignore the atmosphere and sit down. Then, he proceeded to speak without warning, managing to capture the attention of those present. He had begun to eloquently summarize the city's history when Briseida became irritated by that seemingly inconsequential topic, interrupting him when her patience ran out. However, he insisted it was necessary to talk about Elker to understand Caisam's situation.

Leobates Elker was a noble from the Munrich kingdom. He was born as the heir to a modest fortune that had diluted through several generations until it reached his hands. He lacked businesses, contacts, or influential connections. His position among other nobles was also unfavorable. He didn't stand out for his charisma or being a brilliant speaker, but he demonstrated his business acumen by turning his small inheritance into a thriving transportation business. His initial clients were tourists, but he soon attracted the attention of local companies. Over time, Leobates invested in strategic lands and expanded his influence throughout Munrich, weaving networks of transportation and business agreements while gaining the respect of other entrepreneurs.

Leobates tried to forge an alliance with the king as soon as possible, but the monarch had already begun to view the noble's growing power over his kingdom with suspicion. That was when King Decanius, feeling threatened by Leobates' ambition, seized the opportunity to twist his proposal, demanding humiliating submission and the surrender of half his assets as a condition to tolerate his existence. But Leobates Elker, a man with indomitable pride, adamantly refused to accept such a deal, leading King Decanius to order the confiscation of all his belongings. His closest friends and partners were forced to turn their backs on him to avoid death punishment, and Leobates was permanently exiled from his homeland. Wherever he went, he would lack the fortune and influence he had cultivated at home. It seemed that from then on, his destiny would be miserable, but fortune smiled on him again when King Kaenius Stavenger learned of his exile and reached out to irritate his rival, the ruler of Munrich. He spread a map of his kingdom on a table and pointed with determination to the southeastern lands.

"I offer you infertile lands on uneven terrain infested with beasts", he said. "If you manage to build something out of nothing, it will all be yours, except for the taxes you must pay to the kingdom."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

That was the deal between the king of Stavenger and Leobates Elker. Twenty years later, the City of Elker stood on the horizon with the most imposing walls, a formidable guard, and an accumulation of wealth that only rivaled the kingdom's capital.

—A fascinating tale of overcoming —my master said, pointing his gaze toward young Caisam, who didn't take long to intervene.

—It's more fantasy than reality —he said—. It conveniently summarizes some things and avoids others. Rumors about its power contributed to the nobles of this kingdom providing him assistance in exchange for something. He made them believe he could build empires out of nothing, and they helped him make it a reality. The truth is: this city is not so rich, nor is my father so powerful. Resources are running out and time is pressing. Maintaining his reputation has become increasingly difficult in recent years.

Caisam paused before continuing. He looked at all of us, then proceeded to speak with his gaze on the ground.

—I had a fairly happy childhood in this place, but my father started to crumble when I entered puberty. More desperate, more stressed. He allowed crime to collude in the city and persuaded King Kaenius to ignore the situation with the fortune he had left. So for a long time, allowing worse things. It was easy for me to ignore it living within the walls of a grand castle, but it didn't take long for him to sell me out to prolong his opulence and maintain his reputation.

Caisam paused again. The topic bothered him, but he could no longer avoid it.

—My father arranged, without telling me, a marriage with the daughter of a very powerful man —he said—. I thought I would study in the kingdom's capital, but he insisted on enrolling me in Elker University. His intention was for me to meet my fiancée so that I would fall in love with her unknowingly, as she lacked no beauty. But he didn't anticipate that my heart would lean toward Irene long before that woman could catch my eye. Later, when he understood that his strategy had failed, he revealed the truth to me. I refused his proposal, but he dismissed my will completely. He's determined for me to marry that woman, no matter what I have to say about it. I no longer have a life here, and I won't allow any fortune to enslave me.

—Is that why you dragged my daughter with you? —Briseida asked, containing the anger that had been accumulating in her throat.

—I suggested that we run away —Irene said—. I didn't plan to forget about you. I was going to contact you as soon as we reached the borders of the Cassinger kingdom.

—And you almost died for that.

My master had already summarized what happened during the rescue on our way back. Both parents had limited themselves to listening at the time, but it was evident that the situation made them as furious as worried. Briseida said she didn't understand them, nor did she believe she could. Mr. Arbel, on the other hand, had listened attentively without saying anything until that moment.

—Does he know about Irene? —he asked without any emotion, like the military man he was.

—I never told him —Caisam said.

—We were very discreet about our relationship —Irene said—. And, for the record, he revealed the truth to me from the beginning.

Briseida struggled to make her daughter see the mistake she was making, reminding her of everything she would lose by that decision. School, friends, even her own family, all of that would vanish before her eyes. Wherever she went, she would start from scratch: no money, no acquaintances, and no protection of any kind. The look of sadness on Irene's face was undeniable; she must be devastated. She wanted to articulate words, but ultimately chose to remain silent. She had no intention of giving in.

The father, on the other hand, turned to the young man. Although his expression remained as imperturbable as ever, there was a glimpse of sadness in his eyes.

—I'm an orphan —he suddenly said. Those two words triggered a profound silence that filled the room—. During my early years, I was fortunate enough to receive two meals a day at my table. Then, after turning eight, I joined to the 'job' my peers did so we could survive. I started by stealing from small stalls, just to ensure a meal and sometimes a little extra to share. As my height increased, so did my skills and audacity. Soon I was stealing from the pockets of passersby in crowded squares... Then I joined in violent assault against nobles, merchants, and anyone who seemed well-off.

He glanced at his wife, then at his daughter. They didn't seem surprised, so they probably already knew the story, but they paid as much attention as if they had never heard the details.

—The day came when they caught me, me and my companions —he continued—. Our sentence was to be death, as they told us from the arrest. I was in a cold cell until then, as gloomy as any of our hideouts. When the day finally arrived, they took me to the outskirts of the city, to the top of a desolate hill. There, in that sad spectacle, there were murderers, swindlers, and other criminals. Some showed their wickedness in the pure features of their faces; others conveyed it through the gestures on their faces. That's when I realized how similar my friends were to those people. I also understood that I had to be the same. I observed the executions while counting the people left before my turn came. Many of my friends died that day; some cried, others pleaded, others faded away as they waited for their inevitable fate. I, on the other hand, was in a strange emotional limbo. I had no strength to cry or plead. In reality, I wasn't sure what to feel. I had never known the normal world and didn't know what I was missing. I resigned myself to my fate as I walked towards the center. I assumed we deserved that. I only felt sadness for what my life could have been, but it wasn't enough to cry... When the moment came, a rough hand took me by the neck, lifted me as if I were a rag doll, and forced me to kneel in front of the execution field, right under the pool of blood that had dripped. The man in front of me was the commander of Durkmon. He didn't seem merciful, but he touched his heart as soon as our eyes met. That day, he offered me an alternative. I could die like the other criminals... or join the army. There wouldn't be buffets or much fun, but I would belong to something. I had always moved according to life's push. At that moment, I understood it was the first time someone offered me the opportunity to choose, to forge a different destiny.

Mr. Arbel paused.

—Since that day, I've been a soldier —he said—. I took on the roles of janitor, cook, tailor, builder, nurse, and even a doctor as I ascended. When I became a guard, I was responsible for several nobles. Physically strong, socially influential, powerful in the mastery of shpabishyss, indeed, but useless in many other aspects. They wouldn't know how to cook whatever came their way, nor would they have the stomach to swallow it. If they were left naked, they would need a store to dress again. If left in the open, they'd barely know enough about material restructuring to put a roof over their heads that any gust of wind could snatch away. When it comes to injuries, their chances of survival are much more pessimistic. They live in their own world and pay many to continue enjoying their fantasy. They don't know hunger, thirst, stress, despair, or anything else many must face at some point in their lives. Some don't even recognize the price of a meal, others completely ignore the dangers faced in the streets, let alone in the forests. Beasts, criminals, carnivorous plants, venomous bites. They believe their money and fame will chase and protect them wherever they go and under any circumstances, but it's not true. I'm not just speaking for Caisam, but also for my daughter when I say they're not prepared to do what's necessary to survive, nor do I believe they know what that entails."

Mr. Arbel had described the situation the young ones had ended up in: lacking the knowledge to build a decent shelter and unable to heal a potentially fatal wound. Both lowered their heads. There was no coherent way for them to maintain the posture they desired.

—I wanted to give my daughter all the comforts possible, but this situation has shown me how unhealthy that idea was...

Mr. Arbel paused again. It seemed like the man was about to express his outright rejection of the relationship for the first time, but his next words surprised us.