“You don’t need to worry so much. The king himself said that the criminals would be rooted out. Your other Shadows and surely numerous other Shadow units will be tearing through the underworld. We might even uncover other noble’s corruption,” Wyen tried to assure Quinn.
The six person group was on the move, racing across the open spaces northwest of the capital. A large portion of the center of the kingdom stretching from the Blackmane Woods in the southeast to the Sunkissed Forest and Metal Peak in the west was a lot of fertile grasslands. As such, much of the region was devoted to agriculture and ranching on a large scale. This area was crucial, since poor harvests meant that food imports increased at the ports around the country. It was fortunate that the kingdom had yet to experience a major drought and it had been nearly two decades since the last famine from poor yields. The people did not know the exact reasons behind such fortune, but the kingdom had incorporated agricultural knowledge from another country that was originally supplied by a hero of old which was certainly playing a contributing factor.
“It was an assassin! We’re lucky they were an amateur,” Quinn retorted, “If it was a noble they would have been difficult to remove.”
When Phillippe had told Quinn of the circumstances regarding the hero’s attackers, Quinn and the others had gone into a panic. While it seemed the hero could stand up for herself in public, she was still a vulnerable woman. Being a hero did not mean you were immortal after all. If they had failed to protect her, then the kingdom would potentially have lost out on her valuable techniques and knowledge.
Before the day that the hero left was over, the three physicians who had harassed her had been arrested and confessed to hiring the assassin and arsonist. They were subsequently sentenced to death for interfering in royal affairs, marking them as treasonous. That may seem extreme to someone from Earth, but it was the way of things in Sengar.
Quinn feared that the event would cause the hero to be distrustful of the Crown, something which he desperately hoped to avoid. As such, they had set out early the next morning to try and catch up to her again. Currently, they were passing through the Perumin territory.
The Perumin house controlled most of the agriculture in the fertile grasslands west of the capital, the direction the hero was seen travelling. They were a beastfolk house, and most of the citizens of the territory were bovids and equids. Both types of beastfolk were well suited to such a lifestyle, and did the heavy lifting of the area. It was mostly because of their capabilities that agriculture on such a large scale was successful.
Due to their unique position of being vital to the country’s well being, the Perumin house held a lot of sway amongst the noble houses. Fortunately, the power they wielded did not give Viscountess Perumin a swollen ego. While they were loyal to the country, the Perumin house was interested more in the safety of its subjects and thus was technically part of the Households faction. It meant that similarly to the former Graywolf territory, the hero was among more dubious influences.
“At least it appears there will be another bountiful harvest,” Adelade forcefully tried changing the subject.
“Yes. Reports suggest that herds should remain stable,” Wyen added.
“Good,” Quinn sighed, “Do we have any leverage we can use against Perumin?”
“Not that I can think of,” Wyen replied, “If the hero leaves an impact like she has elsewhere, we maybe can use that to get them to switch factions?”
“We have to find out what she did ahead, if anything,” Quinn said, urging the horse onwards.
The journey from the capital to the town of Perissartio, which served as the capital of the territory, was not as long as the journey to Gray Den. They arrived after just one night of camping, though their arrival was late in the evening.
“Greetings to you, Your Highness, Prince Quinn,” Viscountess Perumin, “We are grateful to be graced with your presence in our domain. I admit to being curious though about what brings you here.”
The viscountess was a bovid beastfolk, meaning she shared general traits with cows. Bovids had an unfortunate resemblance, particularly the men, to the monsters known as minotaurs and so generally did not interact much beyond their own race. They tended to have horns growing from their heads, had shorter tails, and their feet ended in cloven hooves. Bovids light fur layer had a variety of tones as well. The viscountess’s fur, in particular, featured splatterings of black and white.
“I would very much like to discuss that very thing with you, Viscountess. But perhaps let us move to a more private location,” Quinn said in reply.
The viscountess nodded and led the group into the estate. Entering in, and even from the outside, the estate home felt very different from the typical opulence found in other lords estates and the palace. A faint, but pleasant, smell of straw wafted through the rooms. The rustic, country style architecture made the place look more like a sophisticated barn. Even the furniture and decor reflected a more humble nature. It was unique, yet somehow comforting to the group as they followed the viscountess.
“Your home is quite lovely,” Adelade commented as they settled down in a parlor with a large window.
The setting sun shining over the visible fields of wheat tied the backdrop together.
“Thank you, Lady Ghele.”
“Viscountess,” Quinn interrupted, “I would like to ask if you have had any visitors in the last couple of days. Specifically, this visitor would be a human woman.”
The viscountess took a sip of the tea that had been served.
“Indeed. A woman arrived two days ago, though I have not met her.”
“She is here?” he pressed.
“I believe so. Is she why you have come?”
“Viscountess,” Wyen spoke up, “You have been open and honest with us so far. Yes, she is the reason we have come.”
“She must be very important. Shall I send someone to bring her here?”
“That is not necessary,” Quinn replied, “While she is important, she does not yet recognize her own importance. Your offer would be rejected.”
“So this woman has rejected even the prince. Very interesting.”
Both Fang and Adelade could not fully contain a laugh at the viscountess’s poignant remark. Quinn scowled at both.
“We believe her to be a hero,” Wyen stated.
“Ah. Now your presence and light travel make true sense,” she said with a nod, “You are concerned for her safety and naturally wish to recruit her for the kingdom. Too many would slow you down and make your movements obvious to your enemies within the kingdom.”
“As a member of the Households faction, it could be said that you are one of them,” Wyen countered.
The viscountess laughed, making no effort to hide her mirth.
“I suppose it could be argued,” she chortled, “But we care little for the internal politics of the country unless it affects us. Does the hero possess knowledge related to farming?”
“Not that we have seen,” Wyen answered.
“Then the Perumin house does not stand in your way.”
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Quinn waited, expecting her to continue.
“That’s it?”
“That’s it. When you get to be my age, you might understand that subtly in negotiations is not worth the effort,” the viscountess said with a smile.
“Then we shall retire for the night,” Quinn said.
Quinn was led to the Royal Room at the estate, which was a step up in the quality compared to the rest of the estate’s aesthetic, making it off putting to him. After a short wait, Wyen joined him after being shown his own accommodations.
“It’s too good to be true, right?” started Quinn, “It makes no sense for her to just give us free reign. As much as it benefits us, this is a hero we are talking about.”
“It is suspicious. No noble in their right mind should pass up such an opportunity. But I get the sense that she isn’t lying to us.”
“Run it by me.”
“Let’s say, for the purposes of this analysis, that what she said is true: she has nothing worth deceiving us about. The Perumins have always had little interest outside of agricultural benefits. These two things combined meant that when we mentioned the hero doesn’t possess such knowledge, any interest she might have had gave out.”
“An understandable assessment. But it does hinge on the presumption of her being honest and truthful.”
“We don’t have anything else to go on. Other than a vague Household tie, what has the house done against the Crown? She said they wouldn’t stand in our way, so let’s take it at face value for now. If something changes and the viscountess changes her stance, we’ll respond in kind,” Wyen stubbornly stated.
Quinn was silent, trying to think of any way to better their position.
"Fine. We'll go forward with the presumption that the viscountess is honest with us for now."
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"... and the hero went out to the fields."
Phillippe was giving Quinn an update on the situation the morning after they had arrived. Both he and Vivette had split off from the rest at Quinn’s order to search for evidence of the hero’s presence and had found her here in Perissartio.
“She went to the fields yesterday and again today?” Quinn asked confusedly, “From what we have seen, she has not exhibited knowledge beyond medicine.”
“Could it be she was hiding it?” Adelade posed.
“I do not believe so,” Wyen stated, “She would have done something in Graywolf, Wethra, or even the capital. But she has not. It must be medicine related.”
“I want to see her in action for myself,” Quinn said, rising from his seat.
“You have before,” Fang snickered jokingly.
The others sighed in exasperation at Fang’s poor joke. They had all been present when the hero had cured Fang of the hydra poison, but most had been too distracted to truly take note of the hero’s actions.
They packed light, since the group was only heading out for the day, only taking their weapons and a simplistic lunch. Quinn was hoping that the hero might converse over lunch with them, and that it would be the start of bringing her into their fold.
They opted to walk, given that the particular field that the hero had left for today was just beyond the town. Phillippe led the way, as Vivette was keeping watch over the hero for the time being.
A neatly tended orchard sat to the right of the road out of town which produced fruits similar to apples while a field of root vegetables was sprawling to the left.
“It is beautiful, in its own way,” commented Adelade.
After walking a bit further, a collection of people could be seen harvesting some of the ripened vegetables off the road. Phillippe stopped the group there as a single individual came closer, revealing herself to be Vivette.
“Is the hero over there?” asked Quinn, glancing at the hard-working people.
“She is,” Vivette replied, “She is lending a helping hand to those she has been treating with her skills.”
“What ailments affect these people?” Wyen asked.
“Apparently it is mostly what the hero calls ‘nail infections.’ She says it is because they are in the dirt most days and do not routinely clean their feet.”
To Quinn, the explanation made sense. Bovids and equids, which shared characteristics of cows and horses respectively, had hooved feet which made it difficult to wear any conventional sort of footwear. As such, they typically went without. Even the Viscountess last night had not been wearing any sort of shoe.
“Well, please ask the hero to join us for a simplistic lunch. Do not pressure her. But I think she might respond more favorably if you do it, Vivette, since you have been around her more frequently,” Quinn said.
Vivette gave a respectful nod and rushed back over to the group of farmers in the field. Meanwhile, Fang, Wyen, and Adelade set up the picnic they had brought with them. The use of magic made it possible to transport food and keep it fresh or warm for longer, similar to a refrigerator or hot plate as the need required. However, their spread consisted of nothing that required such magic today for their short journey.
Vivette returned followed by the hero. While Vivette was certainly not in her conventional black leathers, the hero’s attire certainly stood out to the group. Firstly, she was wearing a rugged looking pair of pants of a blue material. They came up past her waist and seemed to be held up by straps over her shoulders. Her shirt was short sleeved and comfortably loose, though the pant-straps did make it somewhat form-fitting, which differed greatly from the two typical styles that shirts tended to take for commoners. Her hair was tied back, albeit loosely, and a sturdy yet worn-looking leather hat with a wide brim all around sat atop her head. She also wore leather boots that came up to about mid-shin.
“Your Highness,” Vivette began, stopping herself from calling her the hero, “The young woman you asked to meet.”
The hero removed her hat, allowing the sun to fully shine on her blonde hair. Her hazel colored eyes had a gentle look as she gave a polite bow.
“We meet again, Your Highness. I suppose I must apologize for any rudeness I expressed when last we met,” she said simply.
Quinn and the others were still processing her appearance. Previously, most had only seen her by candlelight or lamplight. Quinn was, for the first time in the presence of a non-familial woman, speechless. While compared to some of the young women and noblewomen at the party the other day she was not the most physically gifted, she was certainly greater than average.
“Um, Your Highness?” the hero asked confusedly.
“Excuse me,” Quinn snapped back to the moment at her inquiry, “I am pleased to finally meet you properly, although I do think the setting could be better. Think nothing of the last encounter, you were focused on saving my friend.”
Fang gave a little wave, which brought a smile to the hero’s face, stunning Quinn again. There was an uncomfortable lurch within his chest he had never experienced before, but he was too distracted to truly notice it.
“I’m glad he’s alright,” the hero replied, “I was worried that I wouldn’t have the necessary skills to treat him.”
The shift in her manner of speech surprised the group, as it was a style more acquin to their private discussions in Quinn’s office rather than the formal tone she had started with which one might use to address the crown prince.
“Indeed,” Quinn pushed through his surprise again, “I apologize for bringing this up, but your garments are quite interesting. What are they made of?”
The hero looked quite confused as she glanced down at her attire.
“I mean, I guess. I did have to make the material with magic since I couldn’t find any at the markets. That shouldn’t be super surprising though given the technology of the kingdom but it was irritating to wear the things you all do normally. Oh, wait.”
She looked sheepishly towards everyone else in turn, “Sorry.”
“There is nothing to apologize for,” Adelade said, “But I am certainly interested to learn about how you did that with magic. It could have great impacts.”
“It could? That isn’t what I want to be known for! I’m a doctor!”
She started getting a little frantic, startling Quinn.
“Yes, we understand!” he said quickly, “Let’s move onto something else. Please, join us for lunch. Help yourself to whatever we have here.”
While Fang, Phillippe, and Vivette kept watch, the hero joined the remaining three on the blanket set out beneath one of the nearby orchard trees. Instantly, the hero started doing something again that unconventional.
Taking one of the small bread rolls, she split it in half and placed several thin layers of the cheese and smoked meat they had brought between the two halves. She then happily bit into the strange combination.
“Could use some lettuce for a nice crunch,” she murmured at the lack of vegetables.
“Is that good?” Adelade asked, pointing at the hero’s creation.
“A sandwich? Yeah.”
Adelade mimicked the hero’s creation and bit into it with gusto.
“It is!”
“You really don’t know what sandwiches are?”
“There’s more?” Adelade asked, fascinated.
“Well, sure. I mean, you can make all kinds depending on what you have to put between the bread. And some things work well together while others don’t. It’s almost impossible to go wrong with a meat and cheese combo though.”
Wyen and Quinn exchanged questioning glances, but copied the sandwich recipe. They too were as excited after biting into the creation.
“So what was it you wanted to talk with me about, Prince?”
They had gotten so caught up in the simple marvel of sandwiches that they had not even done proper introductions.
“Before that,” Quinn started, “Allow me to introduce us. This is Wyen. He is my closest advisor and will be my prime minister when I ascend the throne. Though you have already met her, this is Lady Adelade, my future court mage. And I am Crown Prince of Sengar, Quinn Sengar. Please though, for right now you may simply call me Quinn.”
The hero nodded as he pointed to each and took in their names.
“May we have your name?” Quinn asked.
“My name?” the hero asked quietly before falling silent in thought.
“Yes,” Quinn said, “It would be beneficial to know who I am speaking to.”
“Yes. I just… Wait a minute! How come I didn’t realize that I can change the spelling? I’m so stupid!” the hero shouted suddenly while smacking her forehead repeatedly.
The others were too stunned by the outburst to intervene.
“My name...” said the hero with a smile as she calmed down, “...is Rebecca.”