by M Sisa
Lark unfolded the parchment and read the letter.
Lark’s eyes momentarily shook. “The King’s birthday?”
Alexander nodded. “As thanks for helping me drive away those beastmen, let me give you this crucial piece of information.”
Lark silently listened.
“The King invited all candidates for the throne – all twenty-eight of them,” said Alexander. “You’ve built some terrible reputation for yourself, kid. Most of them will be your enemies, and some may even target your life.”
And there were also those people the original Lark trampled on in the past. Lark was pretty sure that they would love to get back on him once given the chance.
“I see,” Lark slowly said. “This is useful information, indeed. Thank you.”
The letter did not indicate that the other candidates were coming as well. It was better that Lark knew this beforehand. Lark then remembered that time when he was targeted by the assassin sent by Duke Kelvin.
Master Alexander stood up. He fixed his robe. “The tea was delicious. It’s been a long time since I drank something as good as that.”
“You’re going back to Lion City?” said Lark.
Master Alexander shook his head. “No. Yolkshaire Fortress. The Empire started to move. War might break out any time in the Western Region.”
The Western Front was far from here. Even if a full-scale war erupted, it would not really affect Lark’s domain. But of course, if the Kingdom horribly loses and the Empire crosses over, it’ll be a different matter.
“I’ll be going then.” Master Alexander went towards the door. “This trip has been worthwhile. I’m glad to see that you’ve grown up a lot.”
From those words, Lark felt considerable warmth. He bowed his head. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you.” He looked at the letter on his hand. “As for the invitation… I’ll think about it.”
Master Alexander’s eyes shook for a brief moment. “You’re rejecting the invite?”
Lark lightly scratched his cheek. “There’s still a lot of things I need to do here, you see. And recently, I found crude gemstones I need to polish.”
“Crude gemstones, huh?” said the Sword Master. “Power is just a fleeting haze. A title. A name. But that haze will give you enough leeway and lift several burdens off your shoulders. Think about it. If possible, come to the King’s birthday.”
“I will keep that in mind, Sir.”
Master Alexander stared at Lark. The little kid he used to carry back then had really grown a lot. For a moment, he wondered whether the decision of his former student, Duke Drakus, was wrong. Maybe it was a mistake to exile this young man to this town, after all?
With those thoughts in mind, Master Alexander left Blackstone Town.
Chapter Five
For the past few days, Lark kept pondering about the King’s invite. He knew he needed to decide soon, since the journey towards the Capital would take at least several weeks by cart. If he dallied any longer, he would miss the chance to attend the crown’s invite.
He sighed. If he went to the Capital, he would be gone for more than a month. That was a lot of time, especially when considering the fact that he had just began developing the town. This place needed an overseer, someone to guide the people to the prosperous path.
“I can’t decide,” he sighed. He had grown attached to this town.
The brothers with monstrous mana pools had started to grasp the basics of reading and writing. Very soon, they’ll be eligible to learn hexagram formation and magic incantations. Lark could not wait to see if they have even an ounce of talent in magic.
Lark looked out the window of his room. It was almost dusk. Looking carefully, he could see the citizens walking on the streets, their bodies no longer skin and bones.
Those smiles after a tiring day at work.
The merry chatters of children as they played.
Lark had this urge to protect it all.
Was he just being possessive? Maybe. But the reason did not really matter. What mattered was what he wished for this town, for these people.
I should probably talk to them. It might help me arrive at an answer.
After some more pondering, this was the conclusion Lark arrived to.
Lark rummaged through his closet and took out the most ordinary clothes he could find. After donning them, he looked at the mirror on the wall of his room. The silver hair of those from the Marcus Family would stick out like a sore thumb once he went out of the Mansion.
An ordinary face should do.
Mana oozed out of Lark’s body. A magic rune appeared underneath his feet, which quickly broke into numerous particles of light. Soon, his face morphed into someone else’s – a man in his middle thirties with brown stubbles. His cheeks were sunken, giving him the appearance of someone who had not eaten anything for a couple of days. Although he looked emaciated, it was the typical face seen on the streets in any towns or cities. A perfectly ordinary face.
“Good.”
Lark was proud of the face he created himself. He took out a silver coin from his purse, jumped out of the window, and left the Mansion.
He casually strolled the streets, observing the residents walking past by.
Who would have known that several months ago, these people were dying of hunger and cold? That several months ago, this town reeked of dirt and death.
“Hey, it’s about time.”
“It’s that time of the day, huh?”
Lark was wondering why the locals suddenly stopped in their tracks when suddenly, the kalrane stones on top of the wooden posts lit up. Their azure hues immediately illuminated the night.
Lark witnessed his subjects gazing at the gemstones, their eyes filled with awe and pride. Even the children playing on the streets gawked at the glowing lights.
“It’s lit! Time to go back!”
“Hey, wait for me!”
“I promised to help big sis in the kitchen!”
The children of Blackstone Town – and even the adults – used these lights as the signal for the start of the night. The kids started going back home, while the adults started preparing dinner. Workers from the mines started entering the tavern nearby.
Investing a large amount of kalrane stones for the town was the right choice, after all.
Lark smiled. With a silver coin in his hand, he entered the tavern nearby.
Surprisingly, the tavern was almost full by the time Lark arrived. Boisterous laughter and chatters were heard as the smell of alcohol permeated the air. Although the owner of the tavern was filled with sweat as he served the customers, a satisfied smile was plastered on his face.
“Hey, did you hear about Arthus?”
“Of course! That damn bastard! I saw it! That guy found a large piece of Kalrane stone in the fifth area!”
“Speaking of the devil. Hey, over here! You earned three silvers today right? It’s your treat!”
Numerous gazes filled with envy followed the man who just entered the tavern. Lark found this cute. An amusing sight. Soon, laughter once again filled the area. In a way, this busy tavern was a reflection of the development of the town. It goes to show that his subjects had enough money to splurge and enjoy themselves every now and then.
Lark sat next to the counter. He slid a silver coin on the counter top. With a deep voice, he said, “Old man, a tombstone beer.”
The old man – the owner of the tavern – frowned. He looked at Lark with judging eyes. Lark looked like someone who barely ate for the past few days, after all. And now, he was here buying alcohol.
The tavern owner filled a tankard with tombstone beer, the cheapest beer in the house. He placed it in front of Lark with a loud thud. “Here you go, sir.”
“Business is going really well these days, eh?” Lark gulped down half of the beer in an instant.
“I haven’t seen you before.” The old man started wiping the mugs. “From Lion City?”
Lark nodded. “Trying my luck. I heard the salary of a sold
ier here’s good?”
“Eleven silvers. And that’s not including the free rent.”
Lark pretended to be surprised upon hearing this. “Wow. The Lord of this town must really be some rich bastard, huh? To be splurging so much money for the military,” he chuckled.
The tavern owner froze. The chatters around them slowly died down. It became eerily quiet and Lark could feel numerous gazes on him.
“You’re from Lion City, so you may not understand,” the tavern owner slowly said. “Just remember, lad. Not all rumors are true.”
“What do you mean?” Lark pretended to be oblivious of the gazes on him.
“You’ll realize the meaning of my words. Soon.”
After drinking in the tavern, Lark roamed the town for a while. Due to the gemstones illuminating the night, there were still a lot of people outside.
Lark saw Captain Qarat. Lark approached the brown-skinned man wearing leather armor. “Soldier.”
The Captain took a step back upon smelling the alcohol reeking from Lark’s mouth. “Sir?”
“Are there any affordable inns nearby?”
Captain Qarat pondered for a moment, his hands embracing the bag filled with bread on his chest. With his free hand, he pointed at a distant cabin. “That one is pretty cheap, but I won’t recommend it because of how bad the food is. But if you’re simply looking for a place to stay for the night, it should be good enough.”
Lark liked how polite the Captain was, despite his current drunkard appearance. It was the befitting attitude of a soldier tasked to protect the town.
“How much is it?” said Lark.
“Around fifteen coppers a night?” said Captain Qarat. “I’m not really sure.”
“For a shabby-looking inn, that’s damn expensive.” Lark clicked his tongue. “They might as well rob me clean while they’re at it, right?”
Captain Qarat frowned. Fifteen coppers was actually a fair price, but he chose to just shut his mouth. There was no need for unnecessary squabble, after all.
The Captain was about to leave when the drunkard started telling him a story.
“I’m from Lion City, you see. Ran away from home. I told them I’ll make some money in this town. Start over again.” The dark circles around Lark’s eyes made everything more believable. “I’m starting to wonder… Maybe I shouldn’t have come? Maybe I should have just stayed in the city and just stuck with my previous job.”
Captain Qarat looked at him with eyes filled with understanding. “You have kids in Lion City?”
Lark nodded. “Three of them.”
“I see.” Captain Qarat paused for a moment. “I’m not as wise as the Young Master but… Mister. We only regret the decisions we didn’t take. Right now, you have no way of knowing if your decision is right or wrong, and that’s perfectly fine.”
The Captain added, “Do not be too hard on yourself. Alcohol is not the answer. You’ll eventually realize if your decision is right. You can choose what to do by then. For now, focus on what’s in front of you, Mister.”
Lark did not expect such words to come out of the Captain’s mouth. He could still remember several months ago when the Captain first applied for the military. That young sprout has indeed grown splendidly.
“The Mansion gives out free wheat porridge in the morning. If you don’t have enough money, I suggest you take advantage of this. I heard that once harvest season ends, they’ll stop giving away the free porridge.”
The soldier lightly bowed his head. “I’ll be off then. Have a good night, Sir.”
Lark watched as the Captain turned into a corner and disappeared from sight.
“We only regret the decisions we didn’t take, huh? Cheeky brat.” Lark looked at the gemstones illuminating the night. It somehow reminded him of when he still lived in the Magic Empire. “These subjects of mine... it seems that they’ll do just fine even if I’m gone for a couple of months.”
After conversing with them, Lark finally came to a conclusion. They were no longer the feeble people from before.
“In the end, they’re all just useless worries.” Lark smiled. He was a bit more confident now in temporarily leaving the town in Gaston’s hands.
The next day, Lark summoned Gaston, Anandra, the Mason, and the other important figures of Blackstone Town. The two brothers – Austen and George – were also included.
Lark went straight to the point. “I’m being summoned by the crown. I’ll be gone for a few months.”
Gaston was the most flustered about this. The old man stuttered, “What, what do you mean, Young Master?”
Lark handed the old man the letter given to him by the Sword Master.
After reading through the letter, the old man’s hands trembled. He mumbled, “From the King… an invite from His Majesty!”
Everyone heard the butler.
“Silver Claw,” said Lark.
“Young Master.” The Mason stepped forward.
Lark handed a stack of papers to him. “Here are the plans for the development of the town. While I’m gone, I want you to coordinate with Gaston. We’ll try to provide you will all the necessary funds and people.”
The Mason started reading the blueprint. After flipping through the third page, he froze. He squinted for a moment then stared at Lark.
The Young Master flashed a grin. “Just do it.”
The Mason sighed, “I understand.”
“Gaston.”
The butler broke out of his trance, “Young Master!”
“About the middle-grade potions we’re supposed to deliver each month,” said Lark. “You know what to do while I’m gone, right?”
The butler nodded his head. “Yes, Young Lord.”
“Good.” Lark was satisfied with the answers of his men. “Anandra, Austen, George. The three of you will come with me.”
Anandra seemed to have expected this, as he simply bowed his head in response. The other two, on the other hand, looked at each other, their eyes filled with surprise.
Seeing this, Lark said, “You want to learn magic, right? I can’t teach you if I’m at the Capital.”
After stating the obvious, Lark added, “You’ll still be paid the salaries we agreed upon. I heard from Melody that you’ve learned a little bit on how to read and write. That should be enough for now.”
The blonde woman who had been teaching the soldiers bobbed her head at Lark’s remark.
“We depart tomorrow,” Lark said to the trio. “Ready your luggage. We’ll leave at dawn.”
Anandra silently bowed his head, while the other two hesitatingly said yes.
“Young Master…” Gaston’s words trailed off. “The Duke… and your elder brother. There’s a great chance that they’ll also be there.”
“I know,” said Lark.
It would not be surprising if they would come into contact with each other in the Capital. After all, even he, the trash of his family, was invited by His Majesty. His elder brother, the pride of the Kingdom, would surely also be invited by the crown.
“Then, I think it would be best if I go with you?” suggested the old man.
“Rejected.” Lark immediately shot the idea down. “If the two of us leave at the same time, what will happen to this town?”
“But—”
“—Enough,” said Lark. “I’ll be fine. It’s not like they’ll be more fearsome than those beastmen, right?”
The butler remembered the time they clashed with the Third Legion. Indeed, compared to that, meeting with Lark’s old man and his older brother would seem trivial.
Lark placed his hand on the shoulder of Gaston. He gently smiled. “I’ll come back as soon as I can, so take care of this town for me while I’m gone.”
The old man started to become emotional. The Capital was far, so he would not see the Young Master for at least two months. He willed his tears back.
“U-Understood, Young Master! This butler shall do his best in managing the territory while the Young Master is away!”
>
“That’s the spirit!” Lark chuckled.
He was confident that this old man would manage the territory well. He started thinking about the summon of the crown.
Why did the King invite him now, of all times?
Chapter Six
News spread like wildfire. The citizens of Blackstone Town learned that Lark was leaving for the Capital. When Mikael heard this, he immediately made preparations to come with him. He left his work at the mines and applied as a coachman. Unfortunately, this was rejected by the butler. It seemed that the Young Master’s entourage had been decided already several days ago.
I cannot fail His Majesty.
Mikael decided to continue monitoring this candidate no matter what. If he was unable to come with them, then he just needed to follow their group from a safe distance. It will be hard, but the retired knight was resolute on doing at least this much.
The day of departure finally came. Lark’s entourage consisted of Austen, George, Anandra, four servants, and six guards. Lark knew that they had to keep up with appearances, that’s why he did not reject Gaston’s offer of renovating the carriages and bringing several servants and guards with him. The three carriages going to the Capital all had the symbol of the Marcus Family engraved on it: a golden rose and a silver shield.
After giving his instructions to the officials of Blackstone Town for one last time, their group moved out of the town. Mikael, riding a horse he rented using an extravagant amount from one of the visiting merchants, quickly followed from a safe distance.
Lark’s group stayed in Lion City for only a day. After getting out of the City, they passed by the Lake of the Full Moon. A large building, which somehow resembled a castle, was being built a good distance away from the Lake. Hundreds of soldiers armed to the teeth were garrisoned there.
“Is that a castle?” George asked his older brother, Austen. The two of them, along with Anandra, was inside the carriage of Lark.
“Obviously.” Austen stared out the window. He gazed at the soldiers stationed there. “But why are they building something like that here? In the wilderness?”
Lark did not bother to explain despite knowing the reason. He simply sat there, gazing at the scenery outside. He heard of the incident from Big Mona: the night when tens of thousands of monsters emerged from the lake and killed the soldiers nearby.
