“You may now enter,” a servant explained after he had collected our weapons. “But please keep in mind that everyone behind this door is your superior. So any erratic or detrimental behavior might be punished with death. Well then, good luck.”

With that, the servant left us alone.

Five men, me and the four other Vinetars, remained still. No movement, no comment. Just silence.

All the others had been farmers, and their fear of dirtying the expensive carpet beneath their feet was displayed in their eyes. Golden candle holders bathed the detailed wall paintings in warm light. Silk curtains graced the windows. Not a hole in a wooden wall, but actual windows made of glass. One sheet more valuable than a farmer’s life.

In short, we didn’t belong here.

But while the others had frozen in fear, I was different. Because she waited behind the door. She would listen to my voice. And she would answer me for the first time. Not a dead game character fueled by lifeless animations. But the real deal. The real her.

Hence I took a deep breath, knocked on the door, and entered.

A spacious room awaited us. Just this room alone should be bigger than Thea’s hut. Windows as tall as a man covered the front wall, while a fire in the chimney filled the room with pleasant warmth. Five chairs were lined up in front of a wooden table. Not a coarse one, but a finely crafted display of wealth. The same could be said for the paintings on the walls, the fine silver plate on the desk, and the carpet filling the entire floor.

The owner of this room was wealthy enough to lit a fire in the summer heat.

This was a reminder.

We were just powerless farmers in front of the room’s owner and those on the other side of the table.

Two people. Rhoslyn, my sword maiden. And a slender, even fragile, man I had never seen before. He had shoulder-length, dark brown hair, sluggish eyes, and a nose that was too long for his face. Someone who might appear repugnant, if he didn’t display a friendly smile. But he stood up, his teeth on display, and invited us to take a seat.

“Welcome Vinetars. I’m Bernier, one of Freiherr Houdin’s head servants. I’ll serve as my master’s voice and convey his orders. We might even fight together on the same battlefield. And please pay no mind to my frail appearance, I assure you with my name as Ablazed One that I won’t hold you back. Though it’s barely enough to lit a campfire.”

He laughed and the other Vinetars joined in.

But I sat there shocked. He was an Ablazed One? How much money did Houdin spend to employ a natural gifted magician? And given the joke, his talent should be combat oriented? That wasn’t good. He alone was more than enough to kill all of us. He wasn’t some head servant but an intelligent weapon of destruction.

“This soldier seems unwell.” He interrupted my thoughts. “Please be assured we are on the same side.”

He saw through me? My thoughts ground to a halt. Was I that tense? Or was it the missing laugh? Either way, I forced myself to calm down, flashed a short smile, and concentrated on the topic at hand. There was only one first impression and getting scared by your ally didn’t help.

“Good, good.” Bernier said under four confused gazes. “And I think I don’t have to introduce her. But oh well. Beside me is our maiden of Gladford. The commander of the guard troops, Rhoslyn.”

“Right now, my duty lies with the city’s troops,” she introduced herself in a quiet voice. “But we might fight alongside each other on the battlefield. Please understand that all of us are responsible for our soldier’s lives. So I hope to see camaraderie and discipline under your command.”

She stood up, swept her gaze across all of our faces, and smiled. She smiled at me.

“I have memorized your faces and await results. If you have problems with your duty, you may come and find me in the city’s barracks. But for now, I expect hard work and determination. Show us a display that makes Gladford proud.”

With that, she lightly bowed and turned around.

“Uhm… Ma-Madam… uh… Miss R-Rhoslyn?” A nervous voice stopped her. Not mine, but from one of the other Vinetars. “If you like… would you be so kind… and… uhm… take this?”

Clearly shaking, he presented her a tiny box, wrapped in linen. Jewelry? Earrings?

“I thank you for your present,” Rhoslyn said, but pushed the box back into his hands. “I would gladly accept it. But for now, it would delight me all the more, if I hear the tales of your upcoming successes.”

She smiled at him, nodded once more, and was gone.

Hey, what about me? Shouldn’t his have been my moment? My smile? Why did she leave already? Wasn’t I supposed to to speak with her? To leave an impression behind a face that fades into obscurity within days?

“Alright. And with that out of the way.” Bernier let out a sigh. “Time to start with this meeting.”

Well, she wasn’t here anymore. Time to concentrate on the meeting and leave a good first impression with Bernier. Weapon or not, he seemed to enjoy the Freiherr’s trust. And any good impression I left on him would surely travel from his eyes to their ears. And I could always return later to speak with Rhoslyn.

“As I said before, I’ll act as the Freiherr’s messenger.” Bernier continued his speech. “As of now, the five of you are commanders of your own troops. With a handful of recruits remaining as reserves, each of you will command twenty people during your first mission. The instructor already divided the recruits between you five, so you can meet your soldiers later.”

“Over the following days, we expect you to mold an operational unit. Those soldiers will become your sword and your shield, so use the remaining training wisely. You have free reign over your troops, but we expect results. Their failures will become your failures. And speaking of failures.” He looked at us with exaggerated movements. “We expect you to survive. My Freiherr didn’t invest his money to see you guys die. I don’t care if you bought stupid presents or drank that money away, but I see only two new pieces of equipment in front of me. And both aren’t worth their money. So if you want to impress anyone, start by following your orders.”

He sighed. Another exaggerated display of emotion.

As if he knew anything. I had bought equipment, I just didn’t present it. He wouldn’t understand it, anyway. So no need to argue with him. A simple nod, an affected look, and he should be satisfied.

Bernier watched our display for a few seconds, nodded, and continued.

“After your last training days, each of your troops will protect a merchant caravan during their travels. We expect you to repel any danger and report unusual incidents after your return. Any avoidable damage to the merchandise will be your responsibility. So please take this duty serious. More seriously than your last task.”

So it was just an escort mission… Wait? Wasn’t this weird?

“Excuse me.” I raised my hand to get his attention. “Shouldn’t we protect the villages instead?”

“Of course, of course.” He nodded at me. “It’s just as Rhoslyn said in her speech. We’ll protect humanity. But we don’t have enough troops to defend all villages, so we have to locate the leprechaun’s main force first. So far, we only have clashed with small groups, most likely their scouts. Therefore we’ll use the merchant caravans and the food they carry as bait to attract their attention. If you encounter any leprechauns, report it at once. Afterwards we can force a battle with their main force.”

Hmm. So we would scout the area for their main force? That made sense. Kind of? Wait. Didn’t the sword maiden say they already knew their whereabouts? This didn’t add up.

“Wouldn’t it be better to scout by ourselves?” I raised my voice once more. “We can only stay on the major roads if we follow the merchant caravans. And the leprechauns should hide deeper in the woods.”

“It’s commendable to think for yourself, but leave such things to more experienced commanders.” Bernier replied, one eyebrow raised. “What will you feed your soldiers with? Berries and nuts? Or mushrooms? During the summer? You’ll escort the caravans, because they carry your rations. Or can you conjure food up?”

Silence.

Embarrassed Silence.

And the other looked at me with gazes of pity. Don’t stand out, they seemed to say. It’s your own fault, their eyes mocked. And I stood there in silence and waited for him to continue. It still felt off to escort some merchants despite the apparent danger to the villages, but I forced my mouth shut. So much for my first impression.

“I understand your concern,” Bernier continued with a softer voice. “We all fear the leprechauns. But we should do what we can do and not lament what we can’t do. Their scouts will have the same problems. They also need food and water. So even if they hide deep inside the forest, we’ll just lure them into our trap and annihilate them. So for now, trust your comrades and follow your orders. And we’ll soon celebrate our victory.”

Afterwards Bernier continued his instructions. I would guard a merchant named Fabien on his way to Haithabu, starting five days from now. A journey that might take multiple months to complete. But first I had to meet my new comrades.