Chapter 12

The Breath Before the Plunge

Korelia Castle

“This is the Great Chamber. We could have meals or snacks here. It's probably the best place to hang out.” Audrey introduced the room.

Hannei looked around in amazement. “I see, it’s quite spacious and ventilated.”

The ceiling in the Great Chamber was higher than most rooms. While smaller than the Great Hall, it was less cluttered. There was only one table with accompanying chairs.

The walls were fully plastered and colored pastel white. The ceiling was also white with colorful decorative plants and floral patterns.

The two of them walked across the chamber and proceeded toward the next place.

"And if you follow me, then we’ll reach the Training Hall." Audrey continued her tour guide.

As they approached the corridor that connected the two rooms, they heard echoes of bow string's tension being released and snap back into place.

Crossbow training for the castle's occupants was held indoors. This arrangement started last winter, mainly to prevent damage to the components from ice and build-up moisture.

Despite limited space, the place saw continued usage.

“Oh, you’re here," Lansius called as they caught glimpse of each other.

“Heya, Lord, I’m just taking Hannei for a short tour!”

“Ah, I see.”

Ever since the guests arrived ago, Audrey’s formalities had been taken a notch down. The lord didn’t seem to mind, but the staff took notice.

“Are you doing crossbow training?" Hannei asked.

“Yeah, care to try?” Lansius offered his crossbow.

There were more than a dozen people in training with him. The straw man targets in the corner already looked like a pincushion.

“Nah, I’ll pass. You should ask Felis, she’s good with bow-," Hannei answered, and then she quickly added. “My Lord.”

Hannei knew she wasn’t part of the nobility, unlike Felis who was about to get married to some big shot and thus received some leniency. Here, she must adhere to the formalities.

“Uh, eh, yeah... How’s the room, is it cramped?" Lansius noticed that it was the first time Hannei called him lord.

“No, it’s spacious. I’ve been told that it’s actually your room, My Lord?”

“Yeah… but Felis wants it so..." Lansius shrugged.

Hannei let out a sigh. “You shouldn't pamper that girl.”

“Well, I owed a lot to her.”

“That’s just your perception. Even with her help, it’s still very much your own efforts, My Lord.”

“Gratitude for the kind words, master Hannei.”

“No, it’s me who should thank you for the hospitality, My Lord.”

The two then smiled at each other.

Looking at this, Audrey grinned widely behind Hannei and spoke. “You two looked like a good couple.”

“Wha-?!”

“No, we’re not!”

Lansius and Hannei snapped at Audrey which sent her giggling.

“Come on, there’s a lot of other places I wanted to see," Hannei said while dragging Audrey out.

“See you, Lord- Oh, full armor training same time today, after midday," Audrey said while being dragged away.

Lansius could only smile silly at their antics.

***

Cecile

The Great Chamber was lively. Before the room was seldom used. The lord and his retainers either used the Council Chamber or the Great Hall for all of their activities.

Now there were other guests present, even sometimes a little girl.

But today, the little girl was absent. Marshall Hugo was also absent, he was on an assignment.

Lord Lansius, Captain Audrey, Calub, and the two guests were having a private lunch at the moment.

In regard to this, the Lord and his retainers actually preferred simple foods. They were also quite forgiving about food quality.

However, the guests seemed like coming from the upper class. The staff couldn’t afford to make Lord Lansius look bad in front of honored guests. So the chefs gave their best. Even to the point of consulting chefs outside the castle.

Tap- tap- tap!

Cecile heard rhythmic echoes of footsteps and saw Margo entering the Great Chamber.

The page boy walked past Thomson and stopped near a column.

From the looks of it, Cecile judged that Margo must’ve brought something important. She approached the lord and whispered Margo’s name in his ear.

“Ah, Margo, do you have anything for us?" The Lord took notice of Margo and put aside his plate.

“My Lord, another letter from the Lord of White Lake.”

“From Lord Robert? Bring it here then.”

Margo approached Lord Lansius and offered the sealed letter.

“Do you mind?" the Lord asked.

“Not at all, please proceed as you pleased, Lord Lans," Lady Felis replied while getting another slice of pudding from a silver plate.

The lady wore a striking violet dress tunic which was a sight to behold. A few days ago, somehow she had stumbled upon an old cache containing dresses in the storage. A really lucky find.

Lady Felis’s height suited the dress and no altering was needed. She was indeed tall, similar to the lord and Calub’s height.

Meanwhile, Audrey, Hannei, and Cecile herself were about average.

While Cecile was pondering about their height, Lord Lansius broke the purple wax seal and read the scroll. He nodded his head a few times and then passed it to master Calub.

“Is it important?” Hannei asked while watching Calub read the letter.

“Well, almost every letter is important. But it’s not urgent,” the Lord answered.

“Betrothal letters?” Hannei quipped.

Audrey spitted her drinks, Calub snorted, while the lord coughed abruptly. Felis was giggling while covering her mouth with a piece of embroidered cloth.

“You really should get married, My Lord." Calub teased after taking a sip of water.

“I intend to,” the lord answered flatly after clearing his throat.

Then everybody looked at Audrey.

“No. Guys, don’t look at me like that...” The usually energetic Audrey frowned.

Cecile knew the discussion was off-limit to the staff. Only the lord’s closest entourage was privy to this information.

“Well, no need to rush," the lord said lightly.

“It’s going to be more difficult soon,” Calub interjected.

“Eh, why’s that, Calub?”

“The letter said about a special envoy. I believed that would be Lord Robert’s daughter.”

The chamber went alive at the lord’s expense.

“N-nonsense! Why would he do that?” The lord objected while grabbing the scroll back from his advisor.

“He played it safe," Felis said.

Everybody looked at her.

Felis continued, “Lord Robert send his daughter to meet you first. Then he waits for your reaction. If it went well then he’ll plan for a betrothal. If it went sour, then everything can be wrapped tightly. Even if people speak, there’s no evidence.”

“Hey, that’s surprisingly logical. You learn well, Felis.”

“Thank you, Hannei. I learned a lot from my tutors in Midlandia.” Lady Felis was pleased.

“But why special envoy means his daughter? It could be his advisor?” The lord was understandably still in doubt.

“My Lord, the Viscount went to great lengths about this. Hinting in such a roundabout way about 'someone', not a subject or retinue. Only family members fit the bill," Calub reasoned.

“Ok, no comment. Let’s just wait and see. Probably it’s just a misunderstanding.” The lord refused to share the other’s enthusiasm.

Personally, Cecile wasn’t certain that Lord Robert would make such a move. Lord Lansius's position in Korelia was still perilous.

If she was in Robert's shoes then she would wait for Lansius to achieve victory against the western lords before making such a move.

But then again, Robert was a strategist. The minds of them, strategists, were unfathomable to Cecile.

Now, one of the supposedly scary strategists was enjoying a happy discussion. Casually talking about where they should send the little girl, Tia to study.

He also talked about Calub’s recently purchased house which was currently unusable.

Cecile was more interested in Hannei’s ability, but the conversation didn't touch the subject.

Hannei was the one rumored to be a Saint Candidate. However, she didn't look the part. Wearing a formal tunic like a squire sans the armor, she was giving a wrong vibe.

Blonde, beautiful, and fragile-looking, hinting a royalty. But, unaccustomed to formalities and clad in warlike costume.

Like Audrey's well-worn belt and scabbard. Hannei's were the same, hinting at her proficiency with the blade. Cecile concluded that it was unlikely that Hannei was a Saint Candidate.

It was well known that Saint Candidates lived a cloistered life, guarded and protected from outside threats. There was no reason for them to get accustomed to swords.

However, Cecile couldn’t disregard all the rumors about Hannei.

Once, the staff had reported that Hannei was in the courtyard when it suddenly started to rain. However, Hannei’s clothes were dry while others' were drenched.

Another had reported that the main chamber where she stayed was cool like winter despite being midday in summer.

Cecile herself reflected that sometimes there was a different feeling when she walked around Hannei.

Then there was Oscar, the page who became Hannei’s assistant. He wouldn't tell anyone about what happened in the Calub’s house.

That fueled further speculations and mystery.

***

Lansius

“Thank you, Thomson and Cecile. Try to get some rest before supper time.”

The two nodded their heads a little and then I closed the door. Both were looking sweaty.

As expected, Korelia's mid-summer was quite extreme. The castle's defense-oriented design with few windows was making life harder.

“Ahh...” Audrey exclaimed as she get rid of her black gambeson and hung it on the back of her chair. Her ivory-colored garment was drenched with sweat.

She could relax like that because we were inside the Council Chamber. No staff was allowed inside.

“Isn't it cooler in the Great Chamber?" Calub asked while removing his broken-white jacket.

“Well, Hannei said we got plenty of stuff that’s better kept in secret. Besides, she said she's willing to do 'it' if there's nobody watching but us,” I said while heading toward my bed.

Calub nodded and diligently prepared his scrolls for today's meetings.

“I don’t think I could handle full armor training, tonight. I’m spent.” I told Audrey as I passed.

She clicked her tongue and pouted her lips but didn't say anything.

The bed creaked a little as I put my weight over it.

Oh, finally some rest...

Summer was taking a toll on all of us. Along with the ferocious heat, the number of work and stress had risen considerably.

Last month, by Felis' recommendation, I had sent a trade delegation to Midlandia. It was to secure our grain supplies while also seeking more information about Midlandia's market.

We also had finalized and sent a convoy to White Lake full of local goods. It was goodwill on our part after Lord Robert had fulfilled his promise by sending a large share of his income to Korelia.

The caches of gold and silvers were now resting inside the castle's vault.

However, they were just a few of many things to do. For summer, I still had to organize field training and archery for the troops. Simultaneously, we needed to sort out the town's militia.

The maintenance work for the ditches also needed to be supervised. I had ended up relegating much of the work to Calub and Hugo, even Sir Callahan.

Man, I desperately needed more capable folks around. Someone educated.

Calub is already overworked.

I had been thinking about recruiting the freeloaders, but Felis was beyond my authority. Hennie was no good, she couldn't even read the common alphabet.

Ouch...

The pain in my arms brought me back from pondering. My muscles were all sore from training.

We had received our sets of full armors around the same time when Felis arrived in Korelia. Turned out the merchant group Felis had joined for the journey was one of our regular suppliers.

Tailor-made plate armors needed one year to be completed and cost a fortune. Even without any decorative stuff, I could only afford tens of them for our best fighters.

Not all were of the same quality. I'm forced to accept lower quality for most of the armors. Otherwise, I could only provide to so few.

Ever since the armor arrived, Audrey was giving me exclusive training every day.

Even midday during summer, inside or outside the castle. Mounted or on foot, I’m forced to learn it all.

Along with other armor recipients, we endured beatings from mock combat and tried to survive.

Sometimes, I felt like she was just venting her frustration at me. Now I knew how Liam and Carla were feeling. So much dread...

The month-old pristine suit of armor had dents and scratches all over the metallic surface. I even needed to repair the visor joints once because Audrey had bashed it too many and too hard.

Every time I protested after she knocked me unconscious, she always said I’m so late in training and needed crash courses to survive on the battlefield.

Because of that, I had ringing in my ears that didn't stop for days. I hope it wasn't permanent.

Ugh, I’m so beat...

Creak...!

The door swung open.

“Thanks for accompanying me.”

We saw Hannei enter the room. Outside, Oscar bowed a little and then closed the door.

“How’s Tia?” Calub asked.

“She’s sleeping soundly after I cooled the room,” Hannei replied while looking around, and then she found me in my bed.

“Heya.” I waved my hand as our gazes' met.

“Lans, do you really plan to sleep here continuously? It's been a few weeks already.”

“Well, my study is too small. Besides, it’s comfortable and spacious in here,” I responded.

“See, see! He likes it here,” Felis chimed in.

It seemed that Hannei had already spoken about her disapproval.

“That’s okay Hannei. I don’t mind it at all." I assured her.

But that made her let out a sigh. “Audrey, you should take better care of him. Otherwise, some girl would exploit him.”

“Yeah, Hannei. Sometimes he’s so naïve,” Audrey replied so readily.

“Wha-” I was surprised. Of all people, I was hearing it from Audrey.

My fellas were chuckling at me.

“This is so embarrassing...” I conceded.

“You know, this reminds me of Lutetia,” Calub said while putting down his quill pen.

“Ah, indeed it’s true. Just without Anci.” Felis clapped her hands while saying that.

“Oh, don’t remind me of that big oaf,” Hannei protested.

That drew chuckles from the rest of us.

"Mm, what happened in Lutesia?” Audrey asked.

“Oh, you weren’t there. It’s the time when we-“ Calub suddenly remembered and hesitated.

“That’s fine. That’s when I was 'with' the slave traders, yes?”

“Sorry Audrey, I remind you of bad memories.”

“Not a biggie, Calub. So... what’s the story?”

“Well, Felis brought Lansius to her place. The lady owned a tavern you know? Hannei and I were regulars and got introduced. Turns out that Hannei and Lansius are from the same origin, so we got acquainted.”

“Ah, I see. I thought something bigger happened in Lutesia,” Audrey commented.

“Hey, planning to rescue slaves going to Navalnia Empire is already a humongous effort, mind you?” I protested.

“Oww- yeah, right. Sorry...” Audrey was taken aback more than I expected.

That was one of our secrets that should never leak out, even to the staff. Knowing the Imperium's situation, the High Council would likely throw us to Navalnia Empire's gate to keep danger at bay.

Not a good prospect.

The discussion stopped and Hannei seemed to notice the heat.

Without being asked, she chanted a prayer in french. The air began to circulate faster and then a whiff of fresh air breezed from the window. There was no blinding light, just the sound of wind rustling inside.

The room gradually became cooler to the point where it almost felt like on top of a mountain.

Everybody was looking much more relaxed.

"Gratitude, Hannei."

"Thank you, master, thank you."

"You're welcome, Calub, Audrey," Hannei replied with a smile. Then she sat next to Felis.

Using magic like this was an extravagance, but a well-known practice.

The Imperium high nobles employed their mage-knights precisely to do these kinds of things. Bodyguards and also walking air conditioners, even refrigerators. Rarely did they put their precious mage-knights into harm's way.

In retrospect, the mages in this world were fundamentally different. There was no making fire or water out of nothing. No mana or magic circuits inside the body. And absolutely no hindrance to wearing heavy armor.

Mages couldn't control the elements. The only closest thing to it was using the 'magic' to infuse the air and control it to a degree. In fact, it was mainly used to empower the body.

Healing followed a radically different mechanism. A closely guarded secret of the Healer's Guild.

"Anyway, Lans," Hannei called. Perhaps, she noticed that I'm looking at her unconsciously.

"Aye?"

“I need to tell you about Midlandia.”

Her words jolted my brain. "Eh... I totally forget about it,” I said while rising up and reaching for a seat next to her.

“You look busy, so I don't want to put more trouble. But it doesn't seem like you'll have a break anytime soon."

"Well, that's summer for you. So many things needed to be done. So what happened?"

"The Lord of Midlandia position has changed hands.”

I paused when I heard those words from her. “What?”

The room was getting tense.

“It’s not official yet, but I heard it from Lord Bengrieve.”

This is more than bad news...

“But why... and so sudden. Is he ill?” I asked trying to grasp the situation.

“I don't think so, Lans. He did relinquish his claim. I heard it involves a Saint Candidate named Nay.”

“... Then who’s the new lord?”

“I never heard of him before. The name is Lord Stan.”

“Must be from a branch family… Is the support solid?” I asked again while trying to find that name in my memory.

“Unfortunately not, few of the powerful knights already left; taking many retainers with them. Even Bengrieve isn’t sure anymore.”

Hannei's words sapped the spirit out of me.

“Does this means, we’re alone?” Calub broke his silence.

“No, Bengrieve told me that Lansius should proceed with his mission. The success in Korelia would reflect well on Bengrieve and the new lord," Hannei stated firmly.

Full price on weaponry, armors, and supplies. Also, no trained recruits for troops replacements-

I shook my head. “I'll try, but this is going to be hard,” I replied in earnest.

“Till the matter is settled, Bengrieve told me to keep Felis in here. He feared someone will capture Felis as a bargaining chip," Hannei concluded.

A succession crisis is always a mess...

“Well, anyway, I’m surprised you could be bothered from your hermit life,” I said to Hannei about her involvement in this.

“Felis is like a sister to me,” Hannei replied much to Felis’ delight.

Knock-knock!

Knockings on the door alerted us.

Calub looked at me and Hannei. Aside from the cooled room, we're properly dressed. Nothing strange, so we nodded.

Audrey didn't seem to care and waved it out when Calub looked at her.

“Come in,” Calub answered.

“My Lord, ladies, masters, forgive the intrusion, but it's urgent. The agent from the west,” Thomson said as soon as he opened the door.

I felt uneasy upon hearing it.

"They sent words that the army has marched toward Korelia," Thomson finished his report.

When it rains, it pours!

“How many and when?” I asked in reflex.

From Thomson's face, I could tell that this would not be good. “Six thousand-”

We were all stunned by the number. Korelia didn't even have a thousand.

"This was three days ago, My Lord. The messenger rode all night, resting only around midday to let his horses rest.”

“So eleven days minus three. We’ll be at war in eight days, or possibly seven,” I said so calmly that I frightened myself.

“I’ll get Hugo. He'll summon the bannermen.” Audrey stood from her seat.

“I’ll alert the castle and the town. Mind if I take Thomson with me?” Calub asked as he walked toward me.

“You guys, it’s six thousand..." I conveyed my worry.

“My Lord, we’ll do our part, so you can concentrate on your plan,” Calub said to me while patting my arm.

“But the numbers-”

“Lans, we’ve seen what you can do. I trust you once and it served me well. We’re in a better position now.” Calub confided in me.

Unintentionally, I looked at the door and saw Audrey who gave me a nod.

Their enthusiasm in face of danger was giving me hope. Even the ladies, Hannei and Felis were looking sharp.

“Fine, let’s try something. Let’s not go down without a fight.”

***