Chapter 151

Snow fell everywhere. He stood in some street. His head drenched with snow. He tugged his coat. It was not cold. To Archie, it was not. He had been honing the runes that have merged with his body. So despite the bone-chilling cold, he was upright and stern.

The Capital of the Demesne was at peace. He was now acting as the Proctor of the Princess. So he had been roaming around the capital. There was no thievery or brawls. The streets are clean. The citizens are law abiding. The markets of the city were organized. The water canals of the city were masterfully created, allowing clean water to flow.

In fact, he had seen canoe’s before the water became inaccessible. The whole city, no, the entirety of the demesne was a like haven. The difference between the Freelands and the Demesne was heavens apart. The architecture and shape of the city were made of cement and stone. The houses were made of bricks but were supported by cement. The houses had tile roofs made from precise machinery that shaped them nicely.

He had gotten used to these sights. But he would casually stop sometimes to look at the ten-foot tall walkers. They are two-legged machines with crook cockpits. The walkers are heavily armed with machine guns and short-range artillery. He has seen them in action along with four-legged tanks that could maneuver precisely in any battlefield. The machines are dangerous but they are effective. He could understand why the Templars would copy the technology despite their version being rather inferior compared to the demesne machines.

The Demesne was an odd sight. Ever since he has gotten involved in the defense of Avilla. He felt like his life has taken strange turns. He was just a village proctor once. But now he was a rune-wielding aide of a Princess. It seemed like fate had a way. He could still return to his village. He was able to return awhile ago and since he had nothing there. He bid farewell to his friends and hope that they do well.

The Freelands was his home. But now he was in a demesne, hoping that he can do any difference to this place. Archie had been always a hopeful man. His optimism kept him walking. Still, even with that he still trips and stumbles. Under the rain of snow, he was feeling melancholic.

For all of his optimism, he could still feel sad. It had been months. He had not thought about them. Yet now that he was in a peaceful city. He started to remember those that left him. In his dreams he would remember the nameless comrade that pushed him off a burning airship, saving his life. He would also remember the cheery girl who died like nothing. Not once did he stop dreaming of those two since living in the demesne.

Troubled times distracted him. But now he was able to remember those who died. That’s why under the snow he walked silently, tugging his coat, trying to distract himself from a lonely thought.

...

The house was a two-storied building with six rooms. The inside of the house was furnished neatly with furniture and ornaments. The walls have a striped design and there was a fireplace in the living room where a carpet was laid. On the carpet was a little girl with black cat ears.

She was sleeping with a cat-like posture. He didn’t want to disturb her nap so he walked upstairs and entered his room. He sat on his bed and took a sleep. He woke up later when the snow clearer made a pass through the street of the house.

He walked down and found Leiko lending Kioko her lap. She noticed him as he steps down. She nodded kindly and continued taking care of her sister. Although her hatred towards humans still lingers, Leiko has mellowed out. Archie noticed how this started after meeting Joshua again. Maybe she had realized something. Maybe she was just being considerate of her racism, limiting it only to fools and strangers.

Like Archie, she was a proctor for the Princess. She handles the non-human business of the demesne. She has been good at her job. She was an enforcer in Avilla and she had experience. She adapts quickly. Archie thinks that is wonderful and actually admires how she continues.

Still, he has nothing to talk to her. So he just sat on the table and waited for the kettle to boil. The kitchen was strange to him first. But as he stayed the appliances have become familiar to him. The stove was an interesting contraption that had a dial which he could twist, and the flint would light up the gas that was released.

It was an ingenious appliance. And he particularly liked it along with a box that produces voices. He remembered the voice box called as a radio. It was the same as the miniature boxes that allows them to relay messages. The whole thing was a strange event to him.

Ever since he started living in the demesne. He had been introduced to devices and machines that were far from his understanding. It was a culture shock. But he was taking it better than Barbados who has started studying the books of the Demesne. The Princess allowed him the privilege in exchange for him into becoming her engineer. Barbados was happy to oblige. He was a man with a thirst for knowledge. So how could Barbados miss the opportunity presented to him?

Archie could hear Barbados working on something down the basement. He had made the entire room his and luckily the noises were not heard. It was six feet away from the main floor so there were no bothering noises. The kettle whistled and he stood up. He took the hot water and brewed some fine tea leaves. He put the tea in a pot and poured some for the two. Archie hollered at them if they want some. Leiko and Kioko nodded their heads so Archie took some sweets from the cooling box and put it on the table.

Kioko started nibbling a cookie. Leiko drank her tea while feeling the warmness warm her stomach. Outside of the house, the snow was falling heavily. Archie loved the peace. But how he could know that he would discover something that would put him into a fickle.