Chapter 78: C71 Winter’s story

The air within the keep was fairly warm compared to the frigid evening breeze. The crackle of the fireplace added as evening approached, and regardless of heat, the fire would be needed to light the room. The sound of servants and guards moving about outside could be heard, albeit muffled by the door. On the far end of the room sat the Baron of this keep. Frederick Cranton, distant relative to the current emperor to the west, and lord of Brenton, the largest and Easternmost city in Damus. Opposite of him was a Goblin, Graf, who sat awkwardly in a chair much too large for him. Next to Graf, sat the Elf, Lorn, and to his opposite side, the Paladin that had just joined them, Stannis. And lastly, to either side of the Baron, sat Sophia and Cressida, set back unto their coils.

"It is truly amazing how this city's population swelled the way it has in the past few weeks. Bringing us engineers, farmers, mages, and skilled laborers from all around to enrich its culture and structure."

 

The Baron spoke over the crackle of the fire. His scratchy voice Illumina to his age and temperature.

 

"But of all things to alarm me, it's not an onset of crime, nor homelessness, nor the competition with my peoples for professional employ."

 

The Baron Cranton leaned forward in his chair, settling an elbow on one of his knees.

 

"It is the worrying incline in officers of my distant cousin's legions."

 

Baron Cranton stared intensely at Graf. Given his position and location, he took great care to not appear detached from the labors of his people, nor sheltered in nature. With the light of the fire hitting the right side of his face, you could just barely see his hair with streaks of gray lining it. His face was adorned with a trimmed goatee. And all topping it off, were the color of his yellow eyes that accentuated his tan complexion.

 

"Why is there a Praefectus and Centurion I'm my presence at once."

 

The Baron's gaze shifted to Sophia, causing the Lamia to shrink slightly.

 

"I'll talk freely as I always do, given seniority by age. If you don't mind that is, Fred?"

 

Lorn interrupted in what would be considered an almost insane manner to the others in the room, save the fact that she'd been with the city since its founding. 

 

"Say as you will, Lorn."

 

The Baron motioned for Lorn to continue, yielding control of the conversation to the Elf.

 

"On our own investigation, it was determined that similar albeit separate instances led to our little Imperial reunion. Aside from either of their accounts-"

 

Lorn nodded to Sophia and gestured to Graf with one of her hands. 

 

"We have managed to confirm that Marcus, otherwise known as 'Graf', hasn't been lying. In fact, that makes it safe to assume why he took up a false alias to begin with. Desertion."

 

Lorn placed a stack of papers on a coffee table centered between them all, during the stack towards the Baron.

 

"I was able to confirm myself. However, the issue with that is, whether you'd trust my word or not, sir."

 

Sophia added, regaining her posture as she did.

 

"I mean not to disparage your integrity, Mrs. Halkias. It is simply the natural suspicion I have of my cousins to the west. Their will is ever-changing. They could simply send a Centuria here with as little of a whim. That's why the Empire is already crumbling. That as it is, any conflict can bring lasting damage, or worse, turmoil in the political environment."

 

The Baron looked to Graf, eyeing him for a few seconds before speaking.

 

"Are you a coward?"

 

Silently, Graf shook his head. Knowing many things of himself, greedy and indecent amongst other things. However, he was not a coward.

 

"I could use an experienced military officer or adviser alongside Mrs. Halkias. We are in a situation of our own. Will you abandon us like you abandoned your-"

 

"I did not abandon them."

 

Graf spoke for the first time in the meeting.

 

"Did I mishear?"

 

Graf shook his head once more.

 

"My legate died in my arms. Most of his advisors along with him. Only I and a select few Centurions along with their men were left. I had no one to command, those that were left were less than optimistic about the proposal. In a way, I was left free to do as I pleased. Desertion was my best option. Leaving to areas with less Imperial presence. With time, I'd been forgotten by anyone that cared enough to recognize me…"

 

Graf turned his head to Sophia.

 

"At Least I'd assumed wrongly."

 

Baron Cranton leaned back into his chair, the wood creaking as he did.

 

"Then you'll work for me."

 

The Baron smiled as he said, motioning to Lorn with his fingers.

 

"Lorn, if you will."

 

Nodding in response, Lorn produced another small stack of papers.

 

"This is non-negotiable."

 

Tossing the papers to the table, Lorn leaned forward onto her knees.

 

"Taking an unregistered job, evading the tax on jobs', extorting a minor, endangerment of minors, given you were somehow too unaware to realize you were being followed, lying to the city guard, evading the city guard, child smuggling, and-"

 

Lorn leaned in as she said her next words.

 

"Kidnapping and endangering a political refugee and protected individual."

 

Graf squinted.

 

"Why do I feel like more of a prisoner than anything else?"

 

Lorn shrugged.

 

"Depends on how you look at it. I mean it's beyond my reasoning to take money from a suspicious child who may or may not be of nobility. Especially when that money is to take a noble child into a dangerous environment and get her mauled. Read the contract."

 

Lorn tapped the paper, imploring Graf to read. Leaning forward, Graf picked up the packet and began sifting through it. A few minutes passed without much being said, only an idle 'thank you' as a maid entered and left a tray of beverages.

 

"This child is a Noble?"

 

Graf asked, raising a brow as he slid the papers back together. Lorn nodded in response.

 

"I've confirmed it. For the time being, she holds a value to the city that may lead to benefitting it. Aside from her relation to the Revenants."

 

Graf sighed before placing the packet down.

 

"So you want us to be a secondary stay-in team, take contracts, as usual, play clean up for this kid when she inevitably fucks up and repeats what she did with us, and play bodyguard if that time ever comes?"

 

Lorn nodded.

 

"If you can avoid letting her know you're following her, and keep intervention to emergencies only."

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Graf scratched the back of his neck and groaned.

 

"It's not like I have much of a choice… the money would be nice… fine."

 

Leaning back in his chair, Graf seemed aggravated for obvious reasoning. Sophia spoke once more at seeing this.

 

"Marcus, you're taking this surprisingly easy, it's unlike you to roll over in a situation like this."

 

Graf sighed, rubbing his temple soon after.

 

"After leaving the legions, for the first time in my life I went hungry. I've gone days without food. Now that I have two others in my care, I don't intend to just let that happen. The goal of taking up adventuring was to earn money… this doesn't NOT work in my favor…"

 

Graf looked back to the Baron.

 

"What of the whole 'you'll work for me' thing? I can't be a stay-in adventurer AND an adviser."

 

Baron Cranton smirked at Graf's question.

 

"Who do you think finances stay in teams? The guild couldn't afford more than one. Your employ is directly under me, granted, you answer to Lorn first."

 

Baron Cranton's smirk turned to a frown.

 

"Your time will come, We'll explain the situation further as time permits… and trust. For now, maintain your cover."

---

Six months later…

 

Winter was now in full swing, as all the thick vegetation gave way to heavy blankets of snow, whilst only evergreen and redwood held any of its foliage. It was cold, and the sun was nearly always obscured by a thin veil of overcast. The wind blew across the plains and through the forests nearly unhindered. The time after I’d snuck out to get the Azur-lace was surprisingly calm. I never questioned exactly why at the time, but Mother didn't have a punishment waiting for me. By the time I came to ask a week later, she simply said ‘I’ll say when, for now, we wait’. With a slick-ass Cheshire smile that scared me to my core, all I could think was-

 

This is fuckin cruel. F-f-f-f-fuck me, this is like some shit I did to smoke soldiers after the war.

 

It was when the first snow fell that she said ‘soon’. Fast forwarding a month or two and blizzards were striking one after another. Piling of snow, lack of reports of larger monsters, all the cold-blooded species vacating and moving north along the mountains to warmer weather, all of them compiled until the moment was right.

 

“Kiyomi, I think it’s time you learned to hunt.”

 

Those were the words to pass through Mother's lips before sending me out with Chessa.

"S-s-so c-c-cold…"

 

I found out why my Mother took her time considering my punishment. The cold, the harsh, unforgiving cold. If there ever was a way to make a punishment constructive, this was it.

 

“You’ll be warmer if you think about something other than the cold, Kiyomi. Like catching the tracks of that Elk we spotted.”

 

Chessa, as usual, spoke in a detached manner. Two years was roughly what it took to come to the conclusion that she just couldn't interact around me the same the others could. The thought of me taking Yui’s place still was eating at her. I garnered that much from eavesdropping on her and Callum when they drank. She dropped saying anything long ago, now only remaining detached. 

 

“I would If you could at least teach me instead of dragging me along. I could trudge through this stuff way faster if you just let me walk normally!”

 

I looked down to point at the snow shoes that held me up to the surface of the snow. Chessa rolled her eyes in response.

 

“If you took those off you’d sink up to your waist in the snow. The issue is more so keeping you from freezing to death. We can take them off once we get back on the road. But until we kill that Elk, you're wearing them. Geeze, normally you just go with it.”

 

Chessa summoned a small mass of mana in her palm through a thick glove. 

 

“You can’t very well use magic, but I can use this as an instructional tool.” 

 

Chessa tossed her hand into the air, dispersing the mana randomly into the air.

 

“Now, where were you headed?”

 

Chessa spoke to herself before pointing.

 

“Over there! See that glow?”

 

Chessa asked, pointing to a faint light emitting from the ground. Approaching the light, it was mana sticking to the remnants of some tracks.

“The thing must have been bigger than we thought.”

 

As we approached, the tracks seemed larger than normal, but not abnormally so. 

 

“With so many different megafauna around, I wouldn't be surprised by a trophy-quality mule being out here.” 

 

Chessa kneeled and brushed her hands over the mana, the light dissipating and flowing into her arms as she did. Revealing the raw tracks underneath, they were difficult to distinguish from the rest of the ground unless you were above them. 

 

“How would you normally find them?”

 

I asked, kneeling next to Chessa. 

 

“Well, normally, you’d want to observe migratory patterns if it's for the long term. Then you know you can just skim over an area from time to time. Though if it’s out of season like right now, you'd go by visual cues. Any upturned snow, unnatural ruts in the surface of the snow-”

 

Chessa nudged my shoulder motioning for me to look up at a tree roughly twenty meters away. 

 

“See those scratches?”

 

Chessa asked in a confident manner. Looking closer, it appeared as if something was scratching the tree in a strange manner. 

 

“Are those from it trying to rub its head against the tree?”

 

I asked, squinting at the sight.

 

“It’s mating season now, he’s marking his territory. Our mark must be one hell of a bull.”

 

A semblance of a smile could be seen forming on Chessa’s face.

 

That's rare of her to actually let one slip.

 

“By the way, why are we hunting an Elk? If it’s meat for the town, why aren't we hunting one of the bigger species that's easier to spot?” 

 

I’d be lying if I wasn't a little curious. Mother sent me alongside Chessa for the hunt, she didn't send Chessa herself. For the first time ever, I got to witness Chessa hesitate. At first, it started with her clenching her teeth, only to relax shortly after and be replaced by a soft smile.

 

“It’s all I really have to tie to my roots… Elf culture, I dunno if you noticed Kiyomi… It may as well be dead.”

 

Chessa nudged me as she finished her sentence. 

 

“That’s why I accepted bringing you along. Now let's get going, we have a Bull-Elk to kill.”

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