Chapter 21

Eastern Mansion

Lansius

Many things happened in Korelia after the war. Tending the wounded was the top priority, followed by burial and mourning.

We dedicated several places as hospices in town to treat the wounded from both sides. After the battle, Three Hills and Korelia had mended relations.

Despite the massive fire, there was almost no direct casualty from it. After all, the strategy wasn't aimed to burn the troops, but rather to incite panic and rout.

The main goal was to capture or destroy the Coalition's supplies and baggage train. No army could survive without supplies.

Most of the Three Hills high ranking survived the battle. Many of the famed Black Knights were captured alive. This paved the way to improve the relationship between Three Hills and Korelia.

On the second day after the battle, I convinced Lord Jorge and his staff to send fast messengers to Three Hills City to bar Lord Omin from entering the city. I reasoned that there was a risk that Omin would try to usurp the city in a power vacuum.

After they agreed, we sent Hugo and the cavalry to give chase. Instead of tracking Omin in the vast plains, they galloped straight into Korimor using the longer northern route.

I believed that Omin would stop in Three Hills City before continuing into Korimor. While Omin had two days headstart, he was using carts and would stop for resupply.

Meanwhile, Hugo's cavalry was well-rested and was better prepared for a long-range mission.

I counted the matter to chase Omin as ‘solved’ for now. There was nothing else I could do but to patiently wait for Hugo's return.

In the meantime, I moved my court to the eastern mansion. The castle's halls were used for intensive care with the physicians and infirmarians running back and forth.

It wasn't about comfort, it was about not getting the younger staff to be traumatized. Even with the help of Calub's stock of milk of the poppy, the situation was gruesome. Painful cries, random screams, and sobbing throughout the night.

Since the move was abrupt and unplanned, the mansion was still being cleaned and furnished. I left the one wing that was occupied by Hugo and his staff untouched. Luckily the other section wasn't bad either.

I'm thinking to renovate, but that could wait. Right now I just wanted to relax.

The battle had worn me out. I couldn’t get enough sleep. Every time I closed my eyes I’m back on the field of battle which was burning so vividly.

I wished I could get some shuteye, but Hannei was leaving tomorrow.

Lazily, I began to write a report to my benefactor. I also asked about the succession crisis in Midlandia and about the whereabouts of my family in Arvena.

My feelings were torn when I realized it had been so many years since the last time I chatted with little Tanya and Mark. I hoped they were well.

I wanted to go with a few retinues and smuggle them out of Arvena, but the risk was too great. Right now, Arvena was a powder keg, a spark was all it needs to ignite a full-blown war.

I finished my letter and wax sealed it.

When the day was cool near evening, I invited Hannei into the garden.

There were just the two of us walking across the garden. The place was green and large but it wasn't maintained properly. The grass was uneven while the shrubs were growing haphazardly.

“Are you sure I can’t convince you otherwise?” I opened up as we walked.

“Well, aside from the war, it’s been fun in here, but really... I want to go home.” Hannei paused while looking at the flowers of the medicinal herb. “There’s a reason why I retired. Besides, I’m also tending Thomson."

Thomson's injury was serious and I wanted him to recuperate in the Healer's Guild in Midlandia. “I really can't thank you enough for that. I hope he can walk again.”

“I feel the same way, Lans. Rest assured, I count Thomson as my acquaintance," she replied as we reached the small gazebo.

“Hannei, I'm worried about the situation in Midlandia.”

“Haha, I’m just nobody. I’ll keep my head low and live in the shadows," she laughed while sitting on the wooden benches.

“But you’re a Mage, Hannei. People would-“

“A retired explorer, Lans. Nothing more," she cut in.

I nodded, I respected her stance and won't push it further. I pulled an envelope from my pocket and gave it to her.

"What's this?"

"A letter for Lord Bengrieve," I explained. "Only give it to him if the situation is a hundred percent safe."

She accepted it and kept it in her travel purse. Then I handed her fifteen silver coins.

"Oh, Lans you shouldn't have to-"

"Please take it for the journey." I insisted.

"Merci, merci bien." Hannei put the coins in a different purse.

“So are you planning to bring Tia with you?” I had heard about this from Audrey.

"Ah yes, there’s a school in Midlandia that I want her to attend. Will you give permission?”

Tia and her deceased parents were Korelia's subjects, not freemen. She needed permission to leave town.

“The school for the commoners and landless gentry?” I guessed. It was one of the first non-noble schools in Imperium.

“Yes, that one," she replied rather excitedly. "The world is changing, Lans... There are a lot more landless gentries now than when I came to this world ten years ago."

Hannei spoke of intellectuals, guild members, or entrepreneurs who stood on their own without farmland to support them. Calub and Hannei identified themselves with this burgeoning new social class. The term landless was a mockery from the nobility, but they wore it proudly.

"Well, permission granted," I said with a smile. My word was as good as a stamp of approval in Korelia.

"Thank you. Oh, I wanted to hug you, but I don't want people to misunderstand."

"Hehe, that's fine." I chuckled.

“Anyway, Lans, how’s your amnesia? Are you still not remembering even your name?" she looked at me warmly as she asked.

Her question stunned me for a bit. “I actually stopped trying. Too much going on, you know.”

“I guess so with the war going on and others." Hannei nodded while dangling her feet freely.

“How about your name?” I asked.

“What about mine?”

“Hannei, you haven’t given me your real name," I protested.

She giggled before suggesting, "Say what, if you remember your real name then we’ll trade names. How about it?”

“Ok, my name is Dicaprio,” I declared with a pose.

“Noo, you’re not!”

“No seriously my name is Dicaprio," I insisted while resisting laughter.

That made her laugh till she was gasping for breath.

The cool evening breeze swept by us. Behind us, the mansion’s many windows were illuminated brightly by chandeliers and fires.

“Oh, Lans… You seemed okay. Audrey and Calub are worried about you. They say you eat so little and don’t get enough sleep.”

“They’re exaggerating things.” I dismissed it since I didn't want to make her worry.

“Yeah, you looked okay. Anyway, since you’re about to wed, let me tell you a few things about the females of this world.”

“What about them?” This piqued my interest.

“Do you know that the woman only bleeds once or twice each year?”

“Oh yeah, now that you mentioned it, I did suspect something about it.”

When I lived on the road with Audrey, she never seemed to experience one.

“It’s quite enviable really.” Hannei sighed.

It was understandable. Getting a period in a world without disposable pads was problematic.

“Anyway, if you want to have babies fast, you need to ask her about it so you’ll know her fertility window.”

“Umm, okay…” This started to feel like visiting a pregnancy doctor.

“Or you can just give her a good fuck all year round.”

And the doctor just suggested something really inappropriate.

“Eww, this french girl is so vulgar." I acted getting grossed out.

Hannei giggled freely. “And one last thing,“ she declared while getting her breath back. “The pregnancy takes more time. I believe it’s a whole year.”

“Eh, not the usual nine months? Now, this is new.”

“Yup, it’s because the humans in this world intermingled freely with the elves at one point in their history," Hannei elaborated.

“You mean the Progenitor?”

“Yeah, technically it’s them. The half-god half-dwarven who revitalized the failing elven bloodline. Humans are their offspring. So you’re familiar with the mythology?” she asked.

“Yea, I read the book.”

“How quaint, I’m pleased to know that you’re well educated, my medieval lord," she quipped out of the blue.

“I can read books just fine, thank you. I heard the alphabet is making you crazy, Hannei?”

“Hey, I told you that I can read, just not the common text," she haughtily corrected me.

I held my laugh until the mage who couldn't read, snorted first.

We had a good laugh. With cheeks reddened from having too much laugh, we walked back to the mansion.

“So, when will you depart?”

“Tomorrow, I can’t let the wounded to wait any longer. Sorry for not attending the mourning.”

“That’s ok. I’m sure everybody understands. We put priority on the living over the dead," I said confidently.

She exhaled deeply. “Look at you, Lans... So comfortably acting as lord, even about to get wed. Oh, so sorry that I can't come to your wedding.”

“Well, that’s okay. You can’t help it.” I reassured her.

She let out a sigh and looked up at the sky. “Here we are, two from planet earth who get ourselves comfortable in this different world.”

“I hope everyone on earth is doing fine," I remarked.

Hannei obviously found it funny because she giggled afterward. She stopped her feet and turned to face me. “Remember to take care of Felis for me.”

“Consider it done," I said with confidence.

“But don’t yield to temptation.”

“... Excuse me?" I protested in a high voice.

The French girl laughed with tears in her eyes and ran away from me. The golden sunset made her blonde hair shimmer.

Today’s chat was unusually very amusing. Before it was usually doom and gloom with her.

Time also changes all of us, eh?

I smiled at the thought and slowly walked to the mansion where a feast was waiting.

***

Audrey

Today was a mourning day. We buried the dead and wept over them.

Yesterday we laid to rest the brave militia and troops; today we laid to rest the men-at-arms and the knights.

As people increase in status, they get better treatment even in death. A coffin was used and a mound was raised.

This morning, we broke the news of Sir Callahan’s demise and Lans was distraught.

He didn’t know Callahan perished in battle. We didn’t let him know about it.

The late Callahan was Lansius’ most trusted knight. Thomson was also crippled and most likely Lansius blamed himself.

Now, the Lord of Korelia knelt in front of Sir Callahan’s mound. The gravestone was yet to be engraved.

He brought flowers and a jug of good wine. Margo poured the wine for many of us, Cecile included. Lans took a sip and poured the rest into the earthly mound.

We followed his example.

I noticed that not even wine could return some red to Lansius' face. I knew he had dragged himself to attend the burial despite his conditions.

How I wished I could tell him not to attend.

Nearby, Cecile tried to hold her tears, but she finally wept. Surprisingly, Calub was there to comfort her.

The sun was getting hotter and as soon as this was over, we spirited Lansius back to the mansion. We didn’t want him drowning in remorse or guilt. He brought us this victory. He deserved some happy feeling.

The guy was such a softhearted person. Not in a bad way, but not also in a good way.

I always thought that it was because his background was a teacher or a scribe. But no mere scribe could do what he did.

His knowledge of how a battle could be fought was surreal. It was as if he was trained for war.

But how could one learn about this? As a Squire, we learn how to fight, but how could one learn how to win a war?

I had asked once and he told me that it was all in the books.

Heh, really crazy answer. But no matter, the origin of his ability doesn’t bother me.

The result was as clear as the sun. After the Battle of Korelia, even the usually pompous knights were admiring him openly.

His forte to take command and lead troops into battle was getting recognition. Such a fearsome ability on a person who was so gentle.

And to think that I was going to wed him. It made me nervous.

“Audrey?”

His voice startled me. We were alone in the guest room, just the two of us. He was scribbling something while I was peeling a costard fruit.

“Y-yes?” I replied.

“Why are you looking at me that way?”

“Uh, oh… Nothing, I’m just wondering about… your hair, yeah.” I made up excuses.

“Huh, what about it?”

“Well, there are few strands of gray.” I had noticed them from sometimes ago, but never told him.

“Really?”

“Yeah, lemme pluck one for you-”

“No, no, let it be. I liked grey, better than this… dark brown," he said while trying to pull a hair strand into his eyesight.

“I actually found it great," I remarked.

“No way, you’re joking?!”

“No, it’s the same color as my horse’s mane and I loved it," I exclaimed. Then I put the knife down and arranged the peeled fruit on a platter.

But Lansius obviously thought it differently because suddenly he dashed closer and hugged me from behind.

“Euehh?!”

“Why are you treating my hair similar to a horse’s mane," he protested while tickling my waist.

That made me burst into laughter before I broke free from his arms.

That little wrestling seemed to release some of his pent-up pressure as he panted cheerfully afterward.

I picked up a costard slice from the table and shoved it into his mouth as payback.

“A bit sour…” he complained while munching.

“Well, everything is good in its season.”

“So how’s your appointment with Lady Felis?”

“Urgh…” I let out a groan.

“As I expected." He sighed, knowing full well that I dislike learning about lady-in-waiting stuff.

“Well, should be better this time because I’m going with Cecile.”

“That’s the spirit," Lans commended me.

He seemed so vulnerable that I couldn’t help but roast him. “I’ll ask Felis to include you in the class. Your courteousness seems to lack polish nowadays, My Lordship.”

“Urghh…” This time it was his turn to groan.

“Anyway, about Cecile, do you reckon he’s really into Calub?” he asked curiously.

“Of course, it’s a good matchup. Cecile got the status and land, Calub got the wealth and power,” I explained.

“Well, but how about… you know, love?”

“Mm... That should be fine. She's pretty and blonde. He's well educated, courteous, and in his prime. Lots of people wanted to introduce their daughter to Calub, you know?”

“Really? But nobody offered me-”

Unconsciously I stared at him.

He was taken aback and averted his gaze.

“Ohh, sorry, I didn’t mean to," I blurted out. "Umm... you got two blondes wandering around in the castle and sleeping on your bed. I doubt people would dare to compete.”

“Sigh, I wished they knew that you three took my bed and sent me into the dog house.”

“Dog house? Why dogs need a house?” I asked, but he just waved his hand. Sometimes he used words that were totally foreign.

“Well, at least I got you...” he said with longing eyes.

“Yes, My Lord, you got me. Just make sure to feed me properly.”

“Roast meat for tonight, my dear?”

He said it with such eloquence that made me snort and laughed.

The day passed peacefully. Somehow, I managed to keep him from thinking about the bad stuff. However, tomorrow was a different matter.

Calub had told me about the tidings from outside of Lowlandia. They were especially concerning. News of western border wars, refugees, and famine.

The Imperium never felt so fragile. The things that happened there may happen to Korelia. Nowhere was truly safe.

***