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An Otherworldly Scholar - 128
🕑 Added 2024-05-23 08:04:44 +0000 UTCI was returning to the orphanage with the package Lord Vedras gave me under my arm and the Invisibility Potion inside my pocket. My mind wandered over the past few hours, and I couldn’t help but think we were more alike than I initially thought. Vedras had thought that giving me knowledge was the better way to gain my trust. And he was absolutely correct. Knowledge was invaluable in the right hands.
His last offering troubled me, though. On my way out of Vedras’ chambers, I had asked Chieftain Alton about the Alchemist Circle of Mariposa. He told me it was the second biggest Alchemist covenant in the kingdom, just after the Alchemist Circle of the Imperial Library. Having Elincia travel to Mariposa for a season would mean significant progress on her Class mastery. Despite cheesing her way up to Lv.40, her titles needed much work to get up to par.
I wasn’t sure I could navigate life at the orphanage without Elincia by my side.
Gray clouds covered the sky, and the festive atmosphere at the market soon dissipated. The Alchemists put their potions inside compartmentalized boxes while the tanners and tailors threw their merchandise inside their rucksacks to seek shelter in the nearby taverns and inns. I raised the collar of my jacket and quickened my pace. The small patch of Corruption on my chest tightened. It seemed it was going to rain.
“We better batten down the hatches, Mister Clarke! My joints are telling me rain is coming,” Corin appeared next to me. Her breathing was accelerated, her blonde hair was made a mess, and traces of wind magic surrounded her feet.
“Got messages to deliver?” I greeted her.
“Messages, letters, parcels, and more,” she proudly said, slapping her worn-out satchel.
“You could’ve asked Ginz to craft one for you,” I pointed out. Half of Corin’s wardrobe was handouts Elincia had forced her to take.
“A serious Courier has to buy their satchel and boots,” Corin said. “Plus, if I go around flaunting a masterpiece crafted by Mister Ginz, people would notice. I would rather normal people tip me generously and Bandits to stay further away. I also want to save.”
I nodded. A Courier wearing an expensive satchel might attract unwanted attention. Even after half a year of living in Farcrest, I still ignored many unwritten rules.
“What are you going to do with your savings?” I asked as we entered the Northern District. A group of royal soldiers were thatching the roof of an inn while a group of lightly dressed women looked from the street.
Corin grinned.
“I’ll save until I reach level ten or thirteen. If I get the right Skills early, I’ll be able to expand my work area to the nearby villages. Then, I’ll associate with a merchant and work as their procurement agent and saleswoman,” she replied, rubbing her hands.
Without a Scry Ledger, merchants needed reliable eyes and ears around their influence area.
“And then?” I asked, just to satisfy my curiosity. Corin seemed to think bigger than Ilya and Zaon used to, but I couldn’t just imagine what the endgame was for a resident of this world.
Corin touched her lips in a thoughtful manner.
“I could marry Zaon, maybe. He seems like an alright guy. But I don’t know, marrying might interfere with getting an Advanced Class, and for us non-combatants, it isn’t all that easy,” she replied.
I wondered if my girls would have something to say about Zaon’s love life. They probably would. I ignored how relationships and marriage worked in this world, but I was fifteen when I met my ex-fiance, and that almost ended up in marriage.
Was getting an Advanced Class the equivalent of ‘focusing on one’s career?’
Before I noticed, we arrived at the orphanage just as the first drops fell upon Farcrest.
“Don’t you have things to deliver?” I asked as Corin cleaned her boots on the doormat.
“Yes, I have several letters, none for you, though. I’m sorry,” Corin replied, holding the door for me.
I assumed Couriers had some sort of no-disclosure rule associated with their Class because she cut the conversation short and entered the vestibule. We walked the corridor to the kitchen. There were no kids in the backyard. As we advanced, music and the kids' laughter reached my ears. For an instant, I forgot about Sir Janus’ suspicions and the dealings with nobility.
Firana performed some sort of tap dance in the middle of the kitchen with a wooden cup in one hand and a wineskin in the other. She opened her arms, and a long stream of wine landed flawlessly over her head and into the cup. The room fell silent as I stood in the doorway.
“I told you not to give the kids booze, Risha,” I sighed. “They can’t drink until they are twenty-one.”
Risha raised his arms, palms forward.
“Don’t look at me, pal. I’m the one who sings while drinking from the wineskin. The dance was all Elincia’s idea,” Risha said with a mischievous smile.
Elincia shrugged and gave me her best child-like apologetic look.
“I guess a dance won’t hurt anyone,” I massaged my temples.
The kids sat at the table, eating nuts, dehydrated fruits, cheese, jerky, and sausage while Zaon and Astrid played the lyre and the violin. Shu danced with Loki in the middle of the room while Elincia cooked her famous apple dumplings. I saw her adding a generous amount of honey to the mix.
“Take a seat, Corin. We are celebrating our first victory,” Elincia beamed.
“I have messages to deliver first,” Corin replied, digging into her satchel and pulling a stack of letters.
Astrid stopped playing the violin and gave Zaon a gentle push to go.
“They aren’t for me,” Zaon said.
“These are for Zaon,” Corin replied, separating three letters from the stack.
Everyone gathered around the elven boy; privacy be damned. The first letter was signed by Baron Rusk. Zaon broke the seal and unwrapped the roll of parchment. The whole orphanage went through the letter except for those who didn’t know how to read yet. It was an invitation to become a low-ranking officer in the Baron’s personal guard.
Zaon raised his head, looking for an explanation.
“I-I’m being poached?” Zaon stuttered.
“It seems so,” I replied, barely holding my smile.
“Oh, no. Can I tell them I’m not interested? Would they be mad at me? How should I let them know? I don’t have money to pay Corin to relay a letter,” Zaon grabbed his head with both hands.
“Worry not, Zaon. I can do it for free if it’s for you,” Corin put a hand on Zaon’s shoulder. “If you want, I can help you write a letter. I have Lv.2 [Calligraphy].”
Sneaky girl.
The other two letters were essentially the same. Another Baron and a Marquis of a small city on the border invited Zaon to join the junior ranks of their respective personal guards. The invitations fell upon Zaon’s shoulders like bags of bricks.
“You can always tell them you are reflecting on your options, and you’ll answer them after the tournament ends,” I said.
Zaon let out a sigh of relief. “I think I’ll do that.”
The kitchen burst into laughter as Risha and Astrid tried to make him understand how great his situation was. None of them had ever received such an offer, not even from the Marquis. Risha had been scouted for the Guard, but the pay was measly, and the chances to climb the ranks slim at best, so he had decided for the army.
Then came the letters for the rest of the team. Ilya was invited to form part of the Rangers from several frontier marquisates, while several lords of the south tried to convince Wolf to join their guards. Orcs were rare further south, so it wasn’t hard to guess they wanted him as an ornament or a curiosity.
Finally, Corin gave Firana a fat stack of letters sealed with a dozen different colors of wax, some even adorned with ribbons and silver edges. Firana went through them with a satisfied expression on her face. Most of the letters were from low-level barons and marquises, although there were a couple of counts and viscount among the mix. Even nobles from the Osgirian territories sent invitation letters to Firana.
“So, are you going to say yes to anyone?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I feel I’ll get better offers after the next round,” Firana replied smugly. “I don’t know if I’d have the heart to leave if a certain Scholar admits I’m his favorite student.”
Ilya smacked her shoulder, prompting a generalized laugh.
“I have one last message,” Corin announced as she unrolled what seemed a royal edict. The decorations in this document went overboard. Even the paper looked expensive just by looking at it.
Corin tried to maintain her severe and professional demeanor, but the edges of her lips betrayed her.
“My dearest Firana. It is with great confidence that I, Lord Pierce the Third, heir of the venerable House Glopfinger, present you this proposal of matrimony. Your skill and virtue with the sword are widely recognized by Ebros nobility, and it’s only fitting that you join me in this noble union,” Corin said with a deep, rich voice that evoked a young and fierce prince. “Our families’ legacies demand such an alliance, and it is an opportunity you simply cannot refuse. I offer you not only my hand but the privilege of sharing in the splendor and power that accompanies the esteemed name of the Glopfinger family, blessed be by the System.”
We exchanged a look of disbelief. Even Astrid, who remained expressionless most of the time, seemed shocked. Corin hadn’t finished.
“I trust you will see the wisdom and certainty of this union, and I expect your acceptance henceforth. Delay is not consenting to this most advantageous arrangement, for our destinies are interlaced in fate and duty,” Corin couldn’t keep her face straight anymore. “Awaiting for your prompt affirmation. Yours dearly, Lord Pierce the Third, Heir of Glopfinger.”
The room fell in silence, only interrupted by the rare crack of the firewood inside the stove and the thick drops that lashed against the roof.
Firana was stunned.
“We are refusing,” I broke the silence.
“What? Why?!” Shu complained.
“They don’t even know each other,” I replied.
“That’s very romantic, don’t you think? Firana has never spoken to Lord Glopfinger, but he is already in love with her.” Shu rested her head in her hands, her eyes dreamy.
“No, that’s the opposite of romantic,” I replied. “I will not allow Firana to marry anyone called Glopfinger. In fact, I forbid any arranged marriages with strangers that probably are thirty years older than any of you.”
Firana collapsed in her seat.
“He proposed to me, and not even once he called me pretty…” Firana mumbled. “Am I not cute?”
Before I could say anything, Ilya got ahead.
“Not going to lie, chief. The situation is dire.”
“But you are a great swordswoman,” Wolf added.
“And a great friend,” Zaon said.
I exchanged a quizzical look with Elincia just for Nokti and Virdian to jump forward.
“We believe you are pretty as a potato,” they said.
Firana let out a last ‘damned be the System’ before bursting into laughter. It was my first time seeing a girl happy to be compared to a potato, but since I had arrived in this world, I had seen a lot of things I never thought possible. Elincia gave Firana a tight hug, and the party continued as if nothing had happened. I was happy to sweep the Lord Glopfinger matter under the rug.
The party continued on a high note, with dances, games, and food. The relationship between Astrid and Elincia was still strained, but the presence of Risha and Ginz was enough to smooth the friction. Under the stern mask of the Zealot, Astrid revealed a teasing personality. She made a feint of taking me for a dance just for Elincia to jump in between us.
Luckily for me, Risha was able to disarm any situation.
The party didn’t continue until late. The little kids were used to going to bed at nightfall, and the older ones were too tired to party all night. After my second cup of wine, I started to feel tired, so I announced my departure. I hoped Elincia would stay in the kitchen with the rest of the old orphans, but she said goodbye and followed me.
Elincia dragged me through the doorway before the wave of spicy comments about nightly bedroom activities could follow us. I held her hand as we walked down the dark corridor. Our steps made no sound, and the sound of the rain was enough to conceal the sound of our clothes.
“I still can’t believe the Royal Family will be our patrons,” Elincia whispered, snuggling to my side. “We are set for life!”
I hated to be the bringer of bad news, but I had to tell her about Sir Janus’ suspicions. Maybe the Marquis was working with the Osgirians to betray us.
“I also made a deal with Lord Vedras,” I replied, pulling the Invisibility Potion from my pocket. “We brewed this potion, and he gave me other things.”
Elincia’s eyes quite literally shone in the dark as she took the vial from my hand. Despite the lack of [Identify], she had the skills to appraise potions. I ignored what she was looking for inside the vial, but she seemed to enjoy herself.
“And he invited you to the Alchemist Circle of Mariposa for a season,” I said. “Vedras was Mister Lowell’s disciple before the foundation of the orphanage.”
Elincia stopped and put the potion back in my hand.
“I can’t. There’s too much to do at the orphanage, and I am not going to leave the kids under Astrid’s vigilance,” she quickly replied. What if they get sick or they get burnt by the stove? I need to be here to brew them a remedy.”
I didn’t expect such a stubborn refusal.
“It’s a huge opportunity,” I said, even if I was relieved with Elincia’s response. “Couldn’t you just think about it?”
Instead of replying, Elincia put a hand over my mouth and signaled the vestibule. As we approached, protected by shadows, I heard two distinctive feminine voices. Firana and Corin. I thought both had left for bed already. They seemed to be arguing.
“We should leave them,” I whispered.
Elincia tugged my arm and approached the half-closed door. A single dying light stone illuminated the vestibule, but my [Night Vision] was enough to distinguish the scene. Firana had her arms crossed over her chest, not in a defiant posture but seemingly protecting herself. Corin knelt before her with an intense look in her eyes.
Firana hushed her, but Corin spoke nonetheless.
“If you wish to regain control of the family, I will follow you.”
Comments
Potion
Risha raised her arms, palms forward. -> Risha raised his arms, palms forward.
Elra
o7
Mohamed
Thanks for the chapter
