Chapter 1: «A New Beginning»
Chapter Text
«MEIN LEBEN» *
Part 1
Hegenwald. A small port city located on the northern coast of the Asura Kingdom. Despite the relatively small traffic flow compared to the southern coast, various caravans still pass here. As you might guess, trade is here forming the local economy. Life here is quite, there are practically no monsters here.
You can say that this is my homeland. However, I cannot accept this statement. My real homeland is not in this city, not in this country, not even in this world. You cannot hide a cat in a bag, so let me be clear: I'm from another world. Sounds ridiculous? I agree. However, I remember a completely different life that ended with multiple bullet wounds.
The new world met me not very hospitably. From my birth in this world and for the next seven years, I lived in an orphanage. Well, at least the psyche was already formed, otherwise I would have broken mentally there. In the past world, my negligence regarding my own fate led to an excessive concentration of lead in my body. Having received a second chance, I had no choice but to conquer fate.
You ask me for an explanation, but in order to understand this whole chronology of events, I will have to tell you everything from the very beginning. Fortunately, I have a good memory, and I remember every little thing, pleasant and painful, happy and not. I advise you to be patient, it will be a long story.
Part 2
My story began a long time ago, from that sunny day when other children were sitting in the dining room or playing in the yard, while I, on the contrary, stood in front of the door of the orphanage rector's office. On that day, I was guilty again, for me it was not the first time.
I plucked up the courage to go inside.
“Oswald, I'm glad you've come,” the gray–haired man put the parchment on the table and turned to me.
“Did you call for me, Mr. Braun?”
Braun. This was the man who, on that winter night, found me as a child, lying near the entrance of the orphanage. He gave me shelter, food, knowledge of this world, even my new name. I am eternally grateful to this man. And I know that I simply could not go against his will.
“Tell me, Oswald, why did you beat those kids?”
“They stole my bread, Mr. Braun. It was the only way out.”
“There is no such situation from which it would be impossible to get out of words.”
“They didn't want to listen. They just laughed.”
Braun walked slowly to the window. I stayed where I was.
“What else could I do, Mr. Braun?” I broke the silence. “Am I was supposed to silently watch as three of them mock me?”
Braun was silent for a long time, after that he said:
“I understand that you did what you thought was right. But there are rules, and you broke them. You will have to apologize to them,” Braun came up to me and got down on one knee. “Oswald, you want justice. But there is very little justice in this world. The sooner you understand this, the easier it will be for you.”
Mr. Braun could not even imagine how unfair the world could be.
Part 3
“I apologize to you for the bodily harm you have suffered. My actions were reckless and I'm sorry.”
Painfully memorized for me these words. I've said it so many times that now it's like it's automatic pronounced. I stopped putting any meaning into these words a long time ago. At that time, it was nothing more than a mere formality.
Braun was standing behind me, and in front of me was that trio. After reading out these apologies, they nodded in unison, indicating that they «forgave» me. Seeing that the conflict was settled, Braun left us and returned to his office.
After a while, I and these guys were already standing in the backyard of the orphanage.
“Didn’t think of anything better than complaining to the rector of the orphanage? You're pathetic, Maurice.”
“Who would say, Oswald! Next time you'll be on your knees!”
“If you would try to get up from your knees.”
“What you said?!”
A moment passed, and Maurice already had a piece of glass in his hands. With a swing, he tried to hit me. With a sharp kick of the leg, I was able to knock out a dangerous object, but I could not escape from the forehead flying towards me. Already with a broken nose, I hit him in the stomach with all my might. He writhed in pain and landed on his knees. It was so ironic. I pushed him away with my foot, knocking him onto his back. I began to look at the rest ones.
“Ern, Till, this also applies to you two. Once again you bother me and I'll hit you.”
They looked at me with confused eyes. Soon, Maurice rose from the ground. He looked at them, at me. Calling to them, they began to run away.
“You'll regret this, Oswald!” Maurice shouted as he ran away.
I was left alone. Suddenly I felt blood dripping from my nose. Wiping my nose on the sleeve of my shirt, I was about to leave, when I heard a barely noticeable sneeze coming from the boxes that were a couple of steps away from me.
Deciding to inspect the source of the sound, I began to dismantle the boxes, and soon noticed the blue eyes of a boy with chestnut curls looking at me.
That's how I met my first friend.
Part 4
It was late afternoon, I was talking with Hajo, the boy that I met in the backyard of the orphanage. He had been sitting in boxes since lunch, wanting to hide from the bustle of the local contingent. When he spotted us in the backyard, out of curiosity, he decided to stay and see how it all ends. He admitted that with my moves I scared him a little. It got a little awkward.
As it turned out, he studied the magic of healing a little, so he helped me to restore my nose. Of course, it was difficult to call it even the beginner rank, but still there was a result. I read about magic in the local library, but did not betray it much importance. What can I say, I did not even try to cast. And yet, even in those books there was no mention of healing magic. Just basic knowledge.
After questioning him in more detail, I found out that for about a couple of months Hajo had been using secret paths leading to the city library. The children were not allowed to leave the orphanage on their own until they were ten years old. Those were the rules. And, I have to admit, it intrigued me. After talking a little more, I took from him a promise that he would show me these ways.
The initiative of willing inspection of the city seemed tempting to me. In addition, I would be able to study the magic of this world in more detail. We agreed to meet him at a designated place. Thus began our joint sorties with Hajo.
Part 5
It's been about two months. Winter has already come.
Hajo and I almost completely studied the catacomb system that we used to get to different parts of the city. As it turned out, these catacombs were built during the Laplace war and were considered something of a refuge. Whether due to luck, or because of the specific location of the region, but these catacombs, fortunately, were not useful. Shortly after the end of the war, it was sealed. Then marauders began to rob that place, the buildings began to deteriorate, and soon everyone completely forgot about these catacombs.
Still, it was a bit dangerous to walk there. At any moment, the tunnels could simply collapse and brick us up there alive. However, in such a case, Hajo and I have already begun to study earth magic. It didn’t turn out very well, but for self–taught the result was quite acceptable.
To be honest, at first, the study of magic was difficult. First of all, for me it was a completely new phenomenon. In the past world, my knowledge of magic was superficial, and was limited only to something like a magic wand, which had to be waved on New Year's Eve so that the evil sorcerers would leave and good would win. Here, magic is a real discipline, which is taught and improved.
When it came to the studying of spells, it took me a lot of effort. I found out about such a property as a mana pool. Something like a certain reserve from birth. In other words, I started to think that I just didn't have enough mana, which made it hard for me to cast.
And yet, even if it was at a late age for learning, Hajo, who was my age, was making progress in learning magic. It seemed unfair to me. Heh, what a funny situation. I, almost 30-year-old, was envious of the 7-year-old because he succeeded, but I didn’t. Thus, I set myself the task of improving my abilities with magic.
After some time of training, I noticed how some spells began to be cast easier for me than before. After, I noticed how I became less tired after the spells. This could mean that, given the same mana consumption, the mana pool itself was increased. This was not written in local books, but then I just thought they were outdated, that's why there wasn't such an information.
Even though I didn’t know then that I had witnessed a unique phenomenon, I still decided not to tell Hajo about my find.
Anyway, Hajo was much better at casting than I was. Maybe it's because he's been practicing much longer than me. Maybe I just wasn't that interested in incantations. For reasons unknown to me, I developed an interest in magic circles. They are practically little used, but the effect from them can be obtained similar to incantations. Moreover, the magic circles are something like prepared programs that begin to operate only thanks to the Mana entering them.
The principle of operation of magic circles reminded me of punched cards and floppy disks. I have to admit, at the university I spent a lot of time studying computers. Perhaps that is why I came up with an analogy with programs. One way or another, this topic seemed interesting to me, and I began to study it in more detail.
“What are you reading?” Hajo asked me, stealthily sneaking up behind me.
“Well, I'm reading a book about magic circles. There are a lot of interesting things here. Want to join?”
“I don’t even know. Magic circles seem complicated. Besides, isn't it easier to use incantations?”
“Of course it's easier. But with the help of circles, you can cast, practically without learning incantations.”
“I see.”
“Yeah…”
I turned to Hajo and continued the talk.
“Nevertheless, I also need to study incantations.”
“Why?”
“The more I practice it, the easier it gets.”
And then silence.
“Listen,” I turned to Hajo, “Could you teach me the magic of healing? Somehow I don’t want to run to you every time with a broken nose.”
Hajo smiled in response. In a way, we really did have a good time.
Part 6
Another month has passed.
Our squad has grown. Ern and Till joined us. It was an interesting story, actually. After that brawl with Maurice, their already decrepit relationship became more unstable. In the end, Maurice just took it out on Ern, to top it off with a whole slop of insults based on his mixed heritage. They did not tolerate it, and decided to join us. After hearing this story, I sincerely apologized to them about the bread incident. However, they did not really take offense, so we came to peace together.
These two are an interesting case. Both were about seven or eight years old. One was half–demon, the other one was an elf. Despite this, they behaved like brothers. Ern was born in poor health: he was often sick. At the same time, Till was strong and healthy, with the exception of his eyesight, because of which he was forced to wear glasses. I must say that our squad really turned out to be some kind of international.
Another one who decided to go on sorties with us was Willy, the youngest of us: he was only five. To some extent, his accepting was a forced measure. One day he found out about our sorties and, almost by blackmail in the form of a denunciation, forced us to take him with us. However, he was not particularly capricious, on the contrary, he tried to behave with us more carefully and tactfully. Oh, I will never forget that surprised face when he saw the catacombs for the first time.
Our outing plan looked like this: After the evening check, we quietly left the dorm rooms, disguising our beds along the way to create the illusion of our presence, after that we reached the rendezvous point – a hole in the fence in the backyard. We carefully hid this passage behind bushes and artificial debris. Further, a relatively short forced march to the entrance to the catacombs, which is hidden at the foot of the hill. Then we spent about thirty minutes going through the catacombs.
We began to go to the library less and less, since we had already taken out a lot of books about magic from there, and there was simply nothing left for us to do there. Of course, I felt that sooner or later we would come around for this, but I didn’t have to think much about the consequences. Most often, we just went beyond the borders of Hegenwald and headed towards the hills, from where, in which case, there is the least chance of noticing us. We practiced magic for about a few hours. Afterwards, we returned to the shelter.
In the meantime, I have mastered beginner rank healing magic. Now I could at least recover on my own after fights. In turn, Hajo seems to have reached the intermediate rank. The more I trained in incantations, the more Mana I got.
However, all of us have experienced one or another success in the magic studying. We have all mastered the beginner rank of attack magic of all schools. I have to admit, it was a joy for me personally. We were all able to achieve a good result on our own, without someone else's help. We worked as a team.
At that moment, I wondered: “Have I really begun to conquer fate?”
Part 7
On one of the sorties, we decided to stay for a while at our base. It was a small room in the catacombs that we decided to equip for ourselves. We've upgraded the walls with earth magic to better hold the cold. We made a fire in the center on the floor to keep warm. Thanks to Hajo and his connection to the kitchen, we always had something to eat.
“You know, we're doing pretty well. Well, I mean, magic and all. Right?” said Till, eating a piece of bread.
“Right! We've trained so much in the last month! Who knows, maybe we can become even stronger?” Ern added.
“Well, I don’t know, guys,” said Willy, “If we really want to become stronger, then only training and cramming will not advance far. We need, I don't know... practice?”
“What practice are you talking about, Willy?” Hajo asked, “Even if we want to, we are still too young. Even our training takes place in secret, under the cover of night. What do you think, Oswald?”
My friends were sad, it was noticeable in their views. Indeed, we were still too young and inexperienced to fully realize our potential. I began to closely study the guys. Almost all of us, except for Willy, were already 8 years old. The plan began to take shape.
“Guys, we can wait another two years before we are allowed to leave the orphanage freely,” I said.
“And then what?”
Indeed, what then? On my way to the library, I often noticed signs leading to the local Adventure Guild. From the same library, I learned more about the adventures themselves. My plan has expanded even further.
“Let’s turn to the guild, and become a real party of adventurers.”
Hajo's eyes lit up with enthusiasm.
“Of course! Then we can show ourselves for real!”
“We can also make money!” Ern added.
“Exactly!”
“Wait a bit, guys,” Till interrupted, “The Guild is, of course, good idea, but you know that they don’t let anyone in there just like that?”
“This is the essence of my plan,” I retorted, “In two years we will be able to firmly master the intermediate rank, perhaps even advanced. And that is an achievement.”
“I don’t even know. How we can prove that we have an intermediate rank? We are self–taught, no one can even confirm our training.”
The question was serious. I honestly didn't think about it, I didn't come up with anything about it. After a few moments, I answered anyway.
“Well, we'll think of something.”
“The answer is ridiculous...”
“I know.”
“…and yet, I like this attitude.”
“Yes!” Ern exclaimed, “For our party!”
“Wait,” said Willy, “Parties need names. Then what will be our name?”
After that, everyone was quiet. Everyone started thinking about the name of our team. Offers poured in.
“Dragon Eye!”
“Iron Fangs!”
“Superd’s thrill!”
However, all offers sounded somehow uncertain.
“Oswald?” Hajo called me.
I began to scroll through the various options in my head. I thought about the name for a long time. Suddenly, I remembered something familiar. Something that made the heart skip a beat and refresh the mind. Finally, I broke the silence.
“What about… Völkernacht?” **
This proposal was the most unexpected, especially against the background of previous ones. It took a long time to get a response.
“Völkernacht… ” Till repeated, “Sounds so–so… But, I like it.”
Soon everyone expressed their approval. So, it was decided. We put out the fire with air magic.
“For the Völkernacht!” the victory cry of our party echoed from the walls of the tunnels of the catacombs.
*in German «My life»
** in German «Night of the peoples»
Chapter 2: «The Rise of Hope»
Chapter Text
Part 1
I hear something… Unintelligible voices, barely intelligible speech…
I hear something familiar…
“Where is the platoon leader?!”
Who is speaking?
“He lies near the fence, about twenty–five meters from the exit in a straight line!”
Wait…
“Is he injured?”
“At least not dead!”
It's… me?
“One asshole with a machine gun sits on the second floor of the building, he shoots at everything that moves!”
“How is he still alive? The mortars of the first platoon were supposed to destroy everything there!”
Wait… It’s a bad idea…
“Our boys are going to shell him again, this will give us a chance to save the leader!”
“What are we waiting for? Go!”
No… Go back… You have to wait for the shelling…
“Bitch, he's still shooting!”
No… I don’t want this…
“Dammit!”
I don’t want this…
“Little f*ckers, who taught you to aim?!”
I don’t want this…
“Okay, venous bleeding… I need a tourniquet! Leader! Can you hear me? We'll get the hell out of here!”
I don’t want this…
“Hey… what the hell are you doing?”
…
“Why are you just standing here, idiot?! Did you get stunned or what?”
…
“Get down!”
Part 2
I woke up in the middle of the night. Before that, I had a dream about something familiar. However, I can't say for sure. The images were blurry. In the end, I just felt something. The feeling was so strong that it didn't even feel like a dream.
Two solid hits to the chest.
I began to gradually come to my senses after sleep. My head was spinning a little. Hands, forehead, everything was sweaty. The blanket was crumpled and thrown at my feet. There were nine other children in the room. They slept. Good thing I didn't wake them up. I carefully got out of bed, trying not to create even an unnecessary creak. I decided to walk down the corridor.
Going to the second window from the door of the room, I leaned on the window sill, either due to fatigue or weakness that appeared suddenly. It was a pleasant winter night. The moon, through the variable cloudiness of the sky, painted the corridor in cold shades, incidentally highlighting the snowflakes of the snowfall going outside the window.
I sat down on the floor, leaning my back against the wall. Raising my head, I silently stared at the ceiling. I don't remember how long I sat like that. After a while, approaching footsteps were heard. I didn't pay attention to them.
“Are you awake?” Hajo asked me, holding a small clot of flame in his hand.
“No.”
He sat down next to me. We both stared at the ceiling. If Hajo was looking for something unusual that he thought attracted me, then I was just looking at nowhere.
“Why are you awake?”
This question was difficult to answer. I didn't even know how to describe it.
“Don’t worry, it's just a nightmare.”
“It's because of our party, right?”
I was a little surprised and looked in his direction.
“Of course not! It’s just… Nevermind. It’s just nonsense.”
“I see… Somehow I can't sleep tonight.”
“Why?”
“All sorts of thoughts come into my head…”
Hajo pressed his head to his knees.
“Have you ever thought about leaving this city?” Hajo asked me.
“About leaving Hegenwald? Do you want to go somewhere?”
Hajo took a deep breath.
“Have you ever heard of the Millis Continent?”
“I think I heard. I read about it in the library. And what's in there?”
“It is beautiful there. Nature is beautiful, cities are beautiful. I would like to visit there.”
“Well, that's a good idea.”
“That's just…” Hajo trailed off a little. “Millis is very far from here. It takes a long time to get there, and it’s also very expensive ... I’m unlikely to get there.”
What a situation. I considered Hajo’s words. He had something like a meaningful dream. And not such a vague dream as mine, but quite tangible. Indeed, the Millis Continent is an indescribably beautiful place. The Great Forest to the north and the Holy Country of Millis to the south. The architecture there is significantly different from the local one in Asura, both in constructive and aesthetic terms.
Such a naive, disinterested dream. And this is the dream of a kid who grew up in an orphanage all his life. What about me? At his age, I dreamed of visiting Lake Baikal. This is a very large lake, the deepest in my world. Mother told me that the water there is so clear that you can even see the deep bottom of this lake. And yet, I happened to see Baikal only on photographs. To some extent, I even felt a little sorry for him. Well, since I decided to conquer fate to myself, I thought that I must go to the end.
I grabbed a little his head and pulled him to me.
“Do not worry. As soon as we sign up in the guild, we'll earn a lot of money, and then we'll all go to Millis together!”
He smiled slightly in response. I hope I was able to at least give him some hope.
“Thank you,” Hajo said quietly.
Part 3
With the onset of spring, I again began to study with Braun. Of course, the program of our orphanage provided for the education of pupils, even the organization of training sessions. But it's hard to call it a full–fledged school education. Most of the schooling at the orphanage consisted of mastering writing and simple arithmetic. So the more effective option was, so to speak, «individual training».
Braun helped me practice my calligraphy. The writing system here is quite different from the languages I know. The alphabet here, for example, is quiet unique, and a little bit hard. On the one hand, this is difficult to study, but on the other hand, it broadens one's horizons and, in general, gives a new experience. We usually worked with Braun for several hours in the afternoon. Basically I rewrote old documents.
“Oswald, may I ask you a question?”
“Of course, Mr. Braun.”
“I noticed how you and the other guys started practicing magic.”
“I assure you, Mr. Braun, we will not harm anyone.”
“I do not doubt that. And yet, you want to learn more, right?”
It was so unexpected, I didn't even know how to respond. I just put my pen down on the table and didn't say a word. Braun walked over to the bookcase and took out a fairly battered book from one of the shelves. It looked like it was many years old. It seemed to breathe awe from the knowledge and experience contained in it.
“Oswald, this book belonged to my friend. My friend has traveled the Central continent for many years, gathering knowledge of magic. You won't find this book in any library or store. This book meant a lot to my friend, and it means a lot to me.”
Braun looked at me, and then placed a heavy book in my hands.
“I give it to you, Oswald.”
Such generosity could not be described in words. Such valuable work, and to entrust it to us? Free of charge? It couldn't fit in my head. I must have earned his trust. But I could not understand it, because I created so much trouble. And it cannot be said that the guys in Völkernacht party had such an impeccable past. And yet, he understood what we needed.
Tears welled up in my eyes instantly. I am deeply indebted to this man, and at that moment, gratitude alone was not enough.
Since that moment, the training of «Völkernacht» has gained new momentum.
Part 4
Summer has come.
During this time, we have not mastered even a third of the book that Braun gave us, there was so much information there. For the most part, it was more of a diary than an ordinary collection of information about magic. It described the life and subtleties of the wanderings of the magician. In addition, there were also descriptions of all sorts of unusual things and places, as well as interesting, sometimes even funny cases.
We used to read this diary at the orphanage. However, we were not afraid to take it with us to our sorties. I wondered if Braun even knew about our sorties and that passage. At that time, it was not destroyed, and this topic was somehow not raised. However, he somehow found out about our magical self–teaching. However, Ern and Hajo were repeatedly shown in public with various magic tricks, for which they earned local fame.
What surprised me most in this diary was the presence of entries about magic circles. Although there were not so many of them, but in the conditions of the extremely limited knowledge in local literature, such a presentation felt like an oasis in the middle of a lifeless desert. The most remarkable thing that I found out from these notes was a description of one of the types of ink used to apply those same magic circles.
Initially, «Azure Blood» is a crystalline mineral. By itself, the mineral is almost colorless, but with sufficient accumulation under the action of sunlight, it takes on a bluish tint, for which it received its name. It can be found almost all over the world, but still its greatest concentration is on the Central continent.
This mineral is quite dense and hard. And yet, with moderate heat treatment, it becomes more brittle, which allows it to be ground to a powder state. Such a powder is mixed with water, and after some time, about 2 hours, and the result is a completely viscous liquid. Apparently, the mineral reacts with water, which leads to a reduction in the volume of the liquid. It is not known for certain whether the presence of oxygen in the environment or other catalysts affects this process. Based on the records, experiments with vacuum were not carried out. However, even this result satisfies the objective majority.
The resulting ink dries fairly quickly. Possibly because of the previously discussed reaction. However, drying can be slowed down by periodically diluting the ink with water.
And now the most pleasant discovery: this mineral is able to regenerate its size. Of course, this applies only to the mineral itself, and not to the powder or ink. Regeneration is possible while maintaining a dense crystalline structure, provided that the mineral is firmly attached to the ground or other rocks. Simply put, lying on the table, the mineral will not be restored. The diary pointed out that this is one of the properties of the mineral, caused due to the large amount of Mana accumulated in it.
In fact, a large amount of Mana is the reason why this mineral is used to create magical ink. Due to the sufficient amount of magical energy, only a small amount of one's own Mana needs to be expended in order for the magic circle to work properly.
The only problem is prevalence. Although I said earlier that the mineral can be found almost everywhere, the number of discovered veins is extremely small. What's more, much of the exact locations data has since been lost, and what is known is most often found in impassable areas.
On the one hand, the knowledge I received inspired me, and on the other hand, it upset me a little. Judging by the well–known reconnaissance map, this mineral is not in the region of my then residence. And yet, in the port of Hegenwald one could always find goods from different parts of the kingdom. But even if I could find this ink there, or if I could get some of this mineral, given its rarity, the price would be prohibitive.
So I had to put off the idea of harvesting «Azure Blood» until I had a chance.
Part 5
Due to the reduction of supervision for the summer period, we were able to conduct sorties during the day. It was still risky to leave the orphanage, but thanks to this, the effectiveness of our training increased.
In one of the sorties, a friendly duel took place. Till became my opponent. The other guys moved to a safe distance. Just in case, Hajo was ready to use healing magic. We agreed to use attack magic of an intermediate rank only at the very beginning. Although we had advanced in the study of the intermediate rank, it was still difficult to fully control it, so we did it for our own safety.
“Ready?” Till called out to me.
“Ready!”
The mood was incredible. Adrenaline surged.
Our fight has begun.
Almost at the same time, we began to run counterclockwise in a circle with an invisible center between us. It looks like our tactics for this fight turned out to be the same. Although I have to admit, casting spells on the go was a bit difficult.
I started with a fairly harmless attack. A small waterball flew in the direction of Till with preemption. He was able to shoot him down with an air strike.
In response, Thiel launched two fireballs in turn. I stopped in place, after which the air stream created by me knocked down the flames.
I started walking towards him. After creating a small ledge with earth magic, I was able to take the height, after which I sent several water balls into him at once. The position was just perfect, he had nowhere to go. A stormy stream of water hit Till.
Being soaked from head to toe, Till looked at me. I had the most self–satisfied smile on my face.
“Well, what about that?” I asked.
Apparently, Till did not appreciate my humor. Unexpectedly for me, the air stream he created knocked me off the ledge and threw me into the newly formed mud. I didn't fully fold, and landed on my side. However, I deserved it.
Starting to get up, I noticed Till holding out his hand to me. At that moment, a thought popped into my head. “Well, no, now you won’t get off so easily” I thought. Grabbing his hand, I threw him into the mud. The fight continued, only now in the form of a mud mess. After a while, the guys still managed to separate us. After a couple of moments, we recalled the incident with laughter.
We cleaned our clothes, after which we all lay down together at the foot of the hill. We looked at the clouds, trying to figure out what they looked like.
At one point I had an idea.
“Hajo, can I borrow the diary?”
I moved away from the guys, preparing to cast a spell. I wanted to try creating a small rock and launch it into the air. As a target, I chose a small tree in front of me. My comrades began to watch me in anticipation of some miracle.
I was about to cast a spell, but the sun that came out from behind the clouds blinded me for a moment. Intuitively, I closed my eyes. At that moment, I was just thinking how to pronounce that spell correctly. I have read it many times and memorized it. Before opening my eyes and reading aloud, I decided to cast the spell in my head.
I began to observe various radiances in front of me. Considering them as a consequence of strong sunlight, I did not give them much importance. When I opened my eyes, my comrades looked at me with admiration. Or rather, not on me, but even sideways.
Looking around, I noticed a massive piece of land floating in front of me. Involuntarily hesitating from surprise, I accidentally sent an earthen clot flying. Arbitrarily jerking my hand, the direction of the earth's movement shifted from the tree to the top of the hill. Crashing into the top, it raised a great pillar of earth and dust.
Everyone was confused. I'm even more so. I was able to create the earth with a spell without even saying it. I honestly didn't understand what happened. Standing silently, we watched as the dust gradually settled, and the earth poured down.
Part 6
After that incident, I wanted to figure out what happened to me then. Over the following months, I began to actively study the phenomenon of silent magic. The author of the diary, fortunately, paid attention to this moment in the notes.
As it turned out, you may use not only conventional spell–casting to cast. Actually, this is the essence of silent spell–casting: to release and transform magical energy, practically, by the power of thought. The pronunciation of incantations is often just something of a preparation for our consciousness in order to tune it to the release of mana. At the same time, it is not enough just to pronounce, it is also necessary to be aware of what has been said. Only in this case the mind will understand what is required of it, and will be able to release mana.
It is noted that such a skill appears in experienced magicians who have worked out various spells to such a degree of automatism that they no longer need to pronounce them out loud. Even though it has not been written about, I assume that having learned this or that spell enough, the consciousness independently adjusts itself so that only with minimal awareness of the task it will be ready to complete it.
Still, being an experienced magician is not a vocation, not a profession, but a state of mind.
After understanding the essence of silent magic, I was greatly encouraged by the potential that had opened up. Of course, my preference for magic circles still remained, but such a discovery could not but arouse indescribable interest in me.
I started to practice.
At first, I practiced the beginner attack magic. After a couple of dozen attempts, I was able to fully silently cast at this rank. Then I began to move on to those spells that we began to study at the intermediate rank. In principle, I succeeded, but for this I had to spend a significant part of my Mana, which inevitably led to fatigue, and once even to fainting. Another reason why I lean more towards magic circles. At least you don't get tired of them.
Part 7
And winter came again.
Völkernacht has received another meaning. So we called our own holiday – the night on which our truly international party was created. In terms of the spirit and atmosphere of what was happening, it even somewhat resembled the New Year. For the first anniversary of the party, we thoroughly prepared. Over the course of the year, we gradually ennobled our base: we leveled the floor, strengthened the walls, and found some old furniture. Everyone brought with them different foodstuffs as far as possible.
“So, who took what with them?” I asked my comrades.
Everyone reached into their bags.
I brought small buns with sugar. My limited knowledge of cooking allowed me to make them. Of course, exactly how I made them is a completely different story. It's not even my fault, though: the cooks just needed to lock the kitchen better.
The guys brought other products mainly from the local market.
Hajo brought a handful of various sweets. Apparently, they were brought from the kingdom of Shiron.
Ern took with him some fried sausages and a knife for cutting them.
Willy brought two loaves of bread. With sausage they gave the perfect combination.
Naturally, none of us had money, so the logical conclusion about how exactly we got it all matures by itself. Even so, we did not have any evil intentions. However, something else surprised me more. The guys did not even coordinate their plans, so everyone got provisions on their own. At that moment, I felt incredible pride in my comrades.
“What about you, Till?” I turned to him.
“Oh, guys! You're gonna like it!”
A couple of moments passed, and in his hand was already a Braun stone bottle.
“Wait, this is…”
“Wine from the southern provinces of Asura! They say the best ones are done there.”
The guys were a little confused. On the one hand, the spirit of excitement was already in each of us, and on the other hand, the realization that we are still children did not give them rest. Well, I wasn't a child, at least mentally. So I quickly got the idea.
“Drink from the bottle? Somehow not in a businesslike way!” I boldly declared.
“No need to worry about, Oswald,” said Till, taking two glasses out of his bag.
We removed the cork and poured ourselves a glass. While checking my comrades by view, I seemed to ask the question “Who else?” Receiving no answer, Till and I raised our glasses up. “For the Völkernacht” I thought.
Not even a few seconds after the sip, Till spat the contents of the glass onto the ground.
“Phew! What kind of rubbish is this? It's impossible to drink! What is that merchant poisoning the people with?”
Soon he turned his gaze to me calmly drinking my glass. Oh, it's been a long time since I drank wine. I thought I had forgotten its taste, but no. I immediately remembered my first time drinking it. Uncle then returned from a business trip from Yerevan and brought with him several souvenirs, including wine. And while my mother didn't see, he let me try to take a sip. I then grimaced in exactly the same way, and he laughed, saying, “you need to grow up to tastes.” Yes, it was nice to go back to childhood.
“Impossible! How did you drink it?”
“Oh, well, just. Tastes like normal.”
“Teach me too! I want to taste it too!”
“I don't even know how!”
As a result, again a small skirmish. In the end, we decided to put the wine away until a better time. Then our main feast began.
At one point, Hajo came up to me, holding something in his hands behind his back.
“Oswald?”
“Yes?”
He held out his hand to me, holding a small bag.
“Take it.”
Picking up the bag and opening it, I took out a small amulet on a string. I began to look at Hajo.
“It's like a protective ward of Milis,” he said. “It also has a small healing property. I think you would like this one.”
Again I had nothing to say. The most unpleasant thing is that even I had nothing to answer plainly. If we take into account how important the topic of Milis was for Hajo, then you can be touched at all. I couldn't say anything, I just hugged him.
“Oswald?” Hajo asked in bewilderment.
“Thank you… Thank you very much…”
Hajo also hugged me.
Such feelings were impossible to describe. Everything is like in that song: "we became dearer than brothers…".*
Thus passed the first Night of the peoples.
* «If You Want to Eat Jam, Don't Catch…»
Chapter 3: «The Wait Was Worth It»
Chapter Text
Part 1
A year has passed.
It felt like it went much faster than the previous one. There is an opinion that the older a person gets, the faster time becomes for him. I would argue with this statement. If we take into account the number of years I lived in my homeland, then for me everything should have flashed by instantly. However, my comrades were looking forward to being ten years old as our goal in the guild got closer and closer.
It's time to sum up our self–study in the field of magic. We almost managed to completely master the intermediate rank. At the same time, Till and Hajo had already excellently mastered some of the advanced rank spells in fire and healing magic, respectively.
As for me, my research on magic circles continued. There was practically no more useful literature from which to draw new knowledge, whether it is books from the Hegenwald library or a diary donated by Braun. So I just had to use the available knowledge and experiment in every possible way.
Let me give you a little lecture on magic circles.
The amount of Mana required for the successful operation of the magic circle depends proportionally on the area of the circle itself: the larger the area, the more Mana is required. This statement is true unless the magic circle was drawn with ink that has a large amount of mana, such as «Azure Blood». Otherwise, the calculation is somewhat different: the amount of Mana necessary for the work of the circle is divided by the sum of itself and its own percentage in the amount of 10 to 45. The percentage is determined from the properties of the ink. In «Azure Blood» this figure is 43.8%.
In turn, the quantity and quality of magical properties directly depend on the area of the circle. More area – more magical patterns can be applied. Logically. The main property of a circle is determined based on the pattern that lies on the circle itself. Such a drawing, as a rule, should be at least a third larger than the rest. Otherwise, the effect will be either not so significant, or completely different.
It is also worth paying attention to the underlying surface of the circle. An important role in the work of the circle is played by the material on which it was applied, and to be more precise, its density and physical properties. Simply put, a magic circle applied to a stone surface will work more stable than a circle applied to a piece of paper.
As for the magic patterns themselves, it can be globally divided into two types: permanent and cyclic. They are named so because of the nature of the magical effect they create. Permanent patterns are applied as continuous lines, and as long as Mana flows into the circle, the effect created by the pattern will act constantly, permanently. In turn, cyclic patterns are applied at intervals, and when the circle is working, they will produce an effect periodically, forming a cycle. The cycle time is calculated from the circumference and the total length of the intervals.
In general, this is the whole basis of the theory of magic circles. One could mention the nature and styles of drawing magical patterns or the principle of overlay, but even eternity would not be enough to fully tell about magic circles. By the way, this is one of the reasons why magic circles have given way to incantations: too much theory.
Part 2
I would like to tell you more about Hegenwald.
The first mention of the local settlements of people date back about three hundred years before the Laplace war. In particular, the small Hegen people are mentioned – a small tribe that settled in the nearby hills near the forest. It is speculated that the Hegens chose to live there in part because the trees trapped the salty ocean air. Once upon a time, a fairly wide forest belt ran along the coast, which was subsequently cut down for several hundred years, until there was not a trace of it left. Local geographers did not come up with anything better than to call this forest area «Hegen Forest» – Hegenwald.
The Hegen tribe is a confusing case. They practically did not leave behind any monuments of culture or life. It is not even known what language this tribe spoke. Nevertheless, based on not too extensive information, it can be assumed that the Hegens were once a nomadic people, who, due to circ*mstances, began to engage in agricultural activities. A hundred years before the Laplace war, the Hegens left their territory, it is assumed that they moved to the northern regions of the mainland. A holy place is never empty, so the empty territories were occupied by settlers from the Principality of Dreor.
By the way, in year of K243 was a war between Asura and Dreor, at the end of which the latter was included in Asura as a region. Modern Hegenwald is one of three municipalities in the Dreor region with city status. Other settlements are villages or farms. In addition to Hegenwald, there are the cities of Gezida and Bamron.
Of all three cities, only Hegenwald has full access to the sea. However, this is in fact the only significant advantage of the city, since in terms of commodity–money turnover and population, Hegenwald is significantly inferior to other cities in the region. Nevertheless, trade is well developed in the city. The main market of Hegenwald is located in its port. There is also a ship repair workshop near the port. However, half of the enterprise is already closed, and there are not so many people working there.
At the same time, Gezida is a kind of industrial center of the region: a significant part of the manufactories and enterprises of Dreor is concentrated here. In addition, it was in Gezida that an extensive accumulation of iron ore was discovered. A whole ring of iron mines surrounding the city has become almost a symbol of Gezida. In general, if you are going to buy something made of iron in Asura, then you should know that there is a high probability that this iron was mined and smelted in Gezida.
Bamron is the administrative center of the region, formerly the capital of the Principality of Dreor. The most populous city in the region. The main occupation in the city is bureaucracy. There are many offices of government agencies and companies in the city, so that countless papers are constantly moving from building to building. By the way, this is the only place in the region where you can legally exchange currencies. At the same time, Bamron is also the main transportation hub for Dreor. This city connects other cities in the region, and also establishes a connection with the capital region in the south and with the Fittoa region in the east.
To some extent, the Dreor region is built in such a way as to maintain an autonomous existence for many years. And yet, there is one flaw – food. Not much of Dreor's land is fertile or suitable for growing crops, and it's not like Hegenwald produces enough seafood to feed an entire region. Therefore, the region has to import food supplies. In this regard, Dreor's key trading partner is the Fittoa region.
This turned out to be my place of residence. If you analyze everything previously said, then it was not the best place for me to be reborn. Although, "no one chooses their homeland." Here I made friends and learned something new, unusual. At some point, the youthful part of me took over me, and I began to think whether I would meet my “first” love here or not.
But every time this thought flashed through my head, my mind met it with a hitherto simple, but at the same time deep question.
“Will I be able to love anyone here?”
Part 3
I had a lot of conversations with Braun during this time.
At each of our meetings, I did not miss the opportunity to once again thank him for the donated diary. And even though every time he said that it was not worth it, I simply could not put up with it.
Usually, by the age of ten, children are no longer taught, since the education program is built with the expectation that by this time the child will have already been taken from the orphanage. Despite the fact that children are taken away from the orphanage quite rarely, by the age of ten there is practically nothing to teach. As you might guess, my spelling lessons with Braun were also over. Although in some places my handwriting cannot be called a reference, in general it turns out to be quite even. In general, we often just talked about all sorts of topics. Often I had to listen to Braun's stories from the past.
As it turned out, once Braun was an adventurer, and quite experienced. And experience here is not even in the rank of the group, because Braun himself said that their party was in the rank of E. He talked about the basics of adventurers.
For a long time, he and his group were in the southwestern regions of Asura. In particular, they were engaged in the transportation of various goods and hunting. He told me about navigating the terrain and using maps. Moreover, he gave me advice on how to survive in the wild. Well, it’s not that we didn’t study this at OBZh *, but it was very pleasant to listen to this again, and not in the form of boring lectures, but in the form of a life story.
However, even as I listened to his stories, I kept waiting for him to mention his friend. The same friend who wrote the diary. Braun himself did not tell the details, and in the diary itself everything is described quite impersonally, even those moments that should be such. It was not even clear who the author was, a man or a woman. By the way, here is another of the troubles of the local language: the verb form does not change depending on the gender of the speaker. A similar system in the language is generally familiar to me, for example, in English or German, which I once studied, verbs also do not change depending on the gender of a person. And yet, I find it extremely inconvenient, especially in this situation.
I could not resist, and still asked Braun about his friend.
He said that he met his friend almost immediately after he left his party. Then, leaving the turbulent life of an adventurer, he preferred the life of a measured, ordinary person. One day this friend tried to teach Braun magic. But, there was no result. However, there was no reason to be alarmed. They continued to communicate, sometimes helping each other to the best of their ability. At one point, they had to say goodbye. Of course, it was a little hard, but as a gift, that person left him the same diary, and said “if you still have a desire to study magic, I think it will be useful for you.”
In general, this is the whole story. Again, not a word about the identity of his friend. I can certainly assume that this was something personal for Braun. I can't judge him for that, of course. In any case, I had a feeling that someday I would find out about this person.
Not that I directly predicted it. Just a fluke.
Part 4
One day, walking down the hallway, I noticed an elderly woman standing near the window. She did not look like the locals: she had straight features, a slightly hooked nose, and her face was much rosier. The conclusion suggested itself – she was not from here.
Deciding to watch her, I hid behind the wall and stuck my head out a little.
She took out of her pocket a roll of yellowed paper and a small fire starter. With a sharp blow with a flint she lit a small fire and set fire to the edge of the paper. Standing at the window, she began to smoke.
“I see you,” she said, continuing to look out the window.
As if I had received a blow, I was overcome by a slight shiver. Although I did not understand why, because in my past life I met such people more than once, why would I be afraid of her? Having mastered the forces, I stepped out from behind the wall and headed towards her.
“Excuse me, are you talking to me?” I asked.
“To you. I don't see any other guys here.”
“I see. What are you doing here?”
She looked at me with both annoyed and tired eyes.
“I smoke here.”
At this point, I decided to play a little fool.
“Can I try to smoke too?”
“You what? You're too young to ask for such a thing. Don’t even think of taking it in your hands or you'll ruin all your lungs!” she said, shaking a «cigarette» in front of my face.
“Is it dangerous?”
She was silent for a couple of moments.
“It’s dangerous, of course.”
“Then why are you doing this?”
She turned away, and then lit a cigarette. Exhaling smoke, she continued to look out the window.
“It doesn't concern you.”
“Alright.”
It seemed that at that moment I began to significantly unnerve her. The idea with playing fool was not the most successful. I needed to get out of position.
“Sorry…”
“Don't worry, I'm not mad at you.”
Feeling forgiven, I decided to start the talk again.
“Could you tell me, please, what is your name?”
She remained silent and exhaled smoke again.
“Anna Weber.”
“I see. Ms. Weber, I…”
“What is it?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Your «Ms.». What is it? No one has called me like that before.”
“I always address adults as «Mr.» and «Ms.»”
“I see. Probably another whim of Carl?”
“Whom?”
“Ah, right. For you, it would rather be Mr. Braun.”
That was the first time I heard Brown's name. Until then I had never heard it. And the rest of the staff always addressed him as "Mr." I became extremely interested.
“So you know Mr. Braun?”
“I have known him since ours childhood. So what?”
“Could you tell me more about him?”
“Why do you need this?”
“I think this way I can be better friends with him.”
She looked at me again, and then looked away towards the window.
“So, who was Mr. Braun?”
“Carl was a very arrogant boy. He constantly got into fights and got himself into all sorts of trouble.”
“Even like that?” I asked, until a slight smile began to appear on my face involuntarily. “Mr. Braun seemed to me a decent person.”
“Oh, you can't even imagine how he even molested girls! There was no such case that he would not have tied up with some kind of skirt. He also tried to flirt with me, but every time I beat the crap out of him notably!”
Weber laughed, tapping her palm on the windowsill. I began to laugh too. Then we both wiped away the tears that had come out of laughter.
“I would never have believed in it, Ms. Weber, to be honest. This is very unlike Mr. Braun. He is a wise and calm person.”
“Well, maybe over the years he has wised up. However, who knows? I haven't seen him much since he left Gezida.”
“So you're both from Gezida?”
“Does it bother you that much?”
“I just have never been there.”
“I see. Well, you don't lose too much, really. This city is so–so. The sun is almost invisible because of the smoke overhead, it's hard to breathe there. Hegenwald is different. There is less fuss here, and the views are good. No wonder why he decided to stay here.”
“We still can't reach Bamron's level.”
“Ha, that's right.”
Being distracted by me, Weber completely forgot that she had a cigarette left in her hand. Noticing this, she inhaled again and puffed out the smoke.
“And yet, why did he leave Gezida?”
“Decided to be an adventurer. Went looking for adventure on his ass.”
“Yes, he told me about it.”
“Hm? And what do you think about this?”
“Mr. Braun was an experienced adventurer.”
“Probably he lied to you several times, it's in his style.”
“By no means! Everything sounded very convincing.”
Weber sighed as she continued to smoke.
“God, so much smoke. It will probably stink for a couple more days.”
“It's not a problem!”
With incantation–less air magic, I created a small stream that blew the smoke from the makeshift cigarette out into the street. Weber looked at me with a surprised look.
“Have you just done magic or something?”
“Something like that.”
“That's the thing. It's amazing what kids are growing up these days. By the way, boy, what's your name?”
“Oswald.”
“Listen, Oswald, have you seen Braun? I've been looking for him since morning, but I still can't find him.”
“He should be in his office. Why are you looking for him?”
“You see, there are a couple of issues that need to be resolved about this orphanage.”
“Orphanage?”
“Yes. I hate to disturb you, Oswald, but things don't seem to be going well here. Less and less money is given out for maintenance from the Treasury, and so every year. I don't know if Braun will last another couple of years.”
“I see.”
“No need to bother yourself, Oswald. This is the business of adults, little depends on you here.”
“I understand.”
“Well, here I go. See you.”
“Goodbye, Ms. Weber.”
Putting out her cigarette butt against the wall, she threw it out the window. She went on to look for Braun. I stayed where I was.
I think it was a useful talk.
Part 5
A couple of weeks after we turned ten years old, Braun invited our team to his place. All five of us stood in front of Braun in his office.
“Hajo, Ern, Till, Oswald, Willy, I called you here for a reason.”
“Yes, Mr. Braun?”
“You just turned ten years old, right?”
Among all of us, only Willy stood out, who was then only seven. Even so, in spite of this, it seems that everyone already understood what this conversation was going to. Braun turned his back to us and took a few steps forward.
“Now, you can leave the territory of the orphanage freely.”
Hearing this, many of us could not restrain ourselves and almost in an embrace, with a victory cry, began to jump up and down. Happiness knew no bounds. We did it.
“Thank you Mr. Braun! We'll be careful, we promise!”
“Of course you will. You've always been careful on night sorties.”
A moment, and we froze. We were surprised and a little confused.
“Sorry?”
“I watched your trips beyond the walls of the orphanage. I watched you train in magic. You acted very tactfully.”
“But, why are you only saying this now?”
Braun took up his beard.
“At another point in time, the effect would have been less significant.”
And yet, Weber was right about something. Perhaps then there was something youthful about him. Even so, it was a little uncomfortable.
“You have advanced quite well in the study of magic. It's time for you to test yourself.”
My comrades and I looked at each other. We could not stand it and ran up to Braun to hug him. Together we crowded around him. In turn, Braun patted each one on the head. After standing like this for a while, we moved away.
“You can go,” Braun told us.
The guys left the office, but I stayed. Braun sat down at his desk and began sorting through the papers.
“Mr. Braun, can I ask you a question?”
“Go ahead, Oswald.”
“Everything is bad, right?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The orphanage doesn’t have enough money, does it? Ms. Weber told me this.”
“Oswald, you don't have to take her words to heart. She tends to exaggerate a little. It's not all that bad.”
Silence reigned between us again.
“Oswald, you and your friends are going to the guild, right?”
“Yes.”
“Understandable.”
Braun got up from the desk and walked over to me, got down on one knee.
“Oswald, you are a good leader. Use my advices. Don't let your friends down.”
After considering Braun's words, I looked at him. Without saying a word, I hugged him again. In response, he hugged me too.
The next morning, we gathered at the gates of the orphanage.
The wait was worth it, we took a step forward towards the city.
* «Fundamentals of Security and Life» is a common school subject in the post–Soviet space
Chapter 4: «The First Experience»
Chapter Text
Part 1
We walked through the streets of Hegenwald. We walked, breathing deeply, without fear that the orphanage staff would notice us. The pleasant, fresh air of the receding winter met our faces.
“We finally made it!” Till shouted enthusiastically.
Indeed, we made it. Two years of training and waiting, and after this, we were confidently heading towards the guild.
“Hey Till!” I called out. “What do you think to do when we earn money in the guild?”
“Earn money?”
“Did you think we were just going there? We will not only show ourselves in practice, but also earn.”
“Well, this is a difficult question. Let me think.”
We walked another dozen paces, waiting for an answer.
“I will buy a house in the capital!” Till answered.
“Ha, you're kidding, right? There people keep houses for generations, are you really counting on something?”
“Why not?”
“Fair enough.”
Till turned to Willy.
“Willy, what are you planning to do?”
“If I have time, I will go to Gezida. Perhaps I can organize a small factory there.”
“Guys,” Ern wedged into the conversation. “Don't you think that this is somehow wrong?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You talk about it like you're sharing the skin of an unkilled beast. It is not yet known whether we will have money at all or not.”
“Don't be such a bore, Ern! Why can't we dream?”
“Your dreams are inflated.”
“Well, so what?”
Till and Ern decided to argue about the appropriateness of such dreams. My attention shifted to Hajo, who was trying to warm his hands with a small flame created by fire magic.
“What about you, Hajo?” I asked, grabbing his hat along the way. “Is the idea about Millis still valid?”
“Huh? Certainly still valid.”
“Have you already thought about how to get there?”
“Well, to get to Millis, at best, we need to work for at least a year. This, of course, if we are lucky with the payment.”
After a while we stopped. Our gaze was fixed on a wooden two–story building standing by the square. Adventurer's Guild. That's where we needed to be.
Part 2
We entered the building. The rays of the sun, passing through the numerous windows, illuminated the vast premises on the first floor. Judging by the layout, taking into account the local climate, in terms of thermal insulation, such a number of windows was impractical. However, a large fireplace fully compensated for the loss of heat.
On the first floor there was something like a bar, or some similar eatery. Tables, chairs, empty mugs. The local contingent was appropriate: at most eight people around the hall, half of whom were sleeping, and the other half were talking languidly about life.
Behind the bar stood a man in a tattered shirt, vest and pants with straps. He looked to be about forty. He was wiping down the mugs, scratching his loose hair and light stubble from time to time. Immediately there was a feeling that he was the head of this place.
The feeling was indescribable. My comrades and I looked at each other, in our views one and the same question was read: «Are we sure we came here?». However, the inscription above the entrance would not lie. There was nothing to do, and I began to approach the bar. Gradually, a table with the names of various parties appeared before my eyes. They were parties of adventurers. Still, we've come to the right place.
“Hello!” I said loudly.
The man looked first at me, then at my friends. I began to catch some strange smell emanating from him. However, I didn't pay much attention.
“Why are you yelling like that?” The man answered in a low voice.
“Excuse me, please.”
“Oh, guys, what do you need? It's so early now, go to school, or wherever else the kids usually go…”
“We don't go to school!” Willy answered.
“Even so. Go, I don't know, play. Just don't irritate my eyes…”
“Sorry, but we want to register our party.”
The man looked at me again. There was boredom and weariness in his eyes. Putting mug on the bar, coughing a little, he went into the back room. We looked at each other again. I decided to follow him.
Entering the room, I noticed how he was rummaging among the boxes. He noticed me.
“Boy, you can't come here.”
“Mister, you smell like a terrible fumes, do you know?”
“What? How do you even know these words?”
“I read books, that's why I'm smart.”
“So be smart and get the hell out of here, take your friends too.”
“I don’t think so. We want to register our party.”
“You are way too small.”
“But we are well prepared.”
“Yah? And what are you good at?”
“At magic.”
To prove my words, I decided to put on a little show. Having created a small waterball, I boiled it with a flame and directed it upwards. Many jets of steam scattered around the room in a parabolic trajectory.
That man, of course, was a little surprised, but even such a reaction faded away after a couple of moments.
“Tricks alone are not enough, boy,” the man said.
At the same time, another man entered the room. About forty years old, too, thin physique. Entering the room, he looked at me, but almost immediately turned his attention to that man.
“Listen, Caleb, we're out of meat. Just checked it, not a single carcass.”
“Not at all?”
“At all. The supplier will arrive only in a couple of days, and in the evening we have a reservation, people from the ship repair will come. What we are going to do?”
That man, Caleb, looked away from his friend and looked at me.
“Listen, boy. I seem to have come up with something.”
“I'm listening.”
“Here's what I came up with: bring the carcass of a wild boar by the evening, and then we'll figure it out about your party.”
Caleb's friend was clearly a bit mad.
“Are you completely crazy? Why are you giving this job to a boy? Is it not destiny to go to the market yourself?”
“Ernest, there is no need to worry so much. If the boys need a job, then let them work. If they won't make it, we'll figure something out.”
“As you wish. Okay, I'll go ahead with the revision. Maybe you stole something again.”
Caleb looked at the leaving Ernest, after that he switched back to me.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Come on, go look for meat.”
“Will be done!”
“By the way, boy, what's your name?”
“Oswald!”
“Okay, Oswald, then…”
“I understand you, Caleb. See you!”
Like a bullet, I ran out of the room towards my friends. Behind me, all I could hear was Caleb's angry muttering.
Unofficially, but we received the first job.
Part 3
It was noon.
We went out into the forest, which is located a couple of kilometers north of the city. Our target was a boar. The famous Hegenwald boar. Local wild boars are somewhat larger than their counterparts from other regions, which is why they are very popular among experienced butchers. There is so much meat in these wild boars that it would be enough to feed a small family for a week. Well, or for one evening, if you are planning a large feast.
We set up a small camp in the forest. Having taken a height on a hill, we had a wide panoramic view of the area.
We have set up several boar traps. Basically, the main part of these traps were fruits, which we found on the market and profitably exchanged for air. The principle of operation was simple: a pit created by earth magic was masked with sticks and a light layer of earth; there are fruits on the camouflaged pit; the wild boar smells berries, approaches the pit, falls into it, after which we finish it off.
In other words, a bait trap.
The advantage of such a trap is that it is elementary simple. As old as the world, and most importantly, it almost always works.
The disadvantage was that we had to wait a long time for the boar. At first, the expectation did not torment us, but later it began to get on our nerves.
We spent several hours waiting.
I was already starting to worry. We were given a task, and knowing what was at stake, it was impossible to fail it. Strange thoughts began to creep into my head. I tried to drive them away, but the thought that the boar would never appear began to put pressure on my mind.
There was a rustle of branches. We noticed this, lay down on the ground, and began to look.
A boar appeared.
Walking slowly, it passed through the bushes. Suddenly it noticed the berries lying in our trap. Happiness knew no bounds. It noticed our trap. The plan seemed to work.
The boar approached the trap. It and the pit were separated by a little less than a few steps.
Hajo was so fascinated by what was happening that he did not even notice how he crawled closer, there was no fulcrum under his hand. We noticed this, and tried to somehow save the situation. It didn't work out. Hajo fell head over heels.
We scared the boar.
I couldn't leave this situation just like that. Giving a signal to Ern and Till, they ran to catch Hajo. Willy stayed where he was. I ran after the boar.
Making out footprints in the snow, I began to track down the beast. Ahead loomed the image of a fleeing boar. With earth magic, I tried to create bumps in order to somehow delay him. Wagging from side to side, the boar began to hide among the trees. I continued to run after him, avoiding the branches.
At one point, I lost sight of him. At that moment, I felt as if the world had stopped around me. I began to hear the growing sounds of footsteps, panting. At that moment, a thought came to realization.
It was a fatal mistake.
A sharp blow to the side, and I flew off a few meters. The eyes began to darken, the sounds became muffled.
There was silence.
Darkness.
Part 4
What, again?
Am I dead again?
It's even kind of embarrassing.
This is so ridiculous…
Guys, I think I let you down a little.
I can already imagine what kind of hype will be raised.
Don't get too angry, I didn't do it on purpose.
If only Braun did not misunderstand.
Damn, these thoughts are so unpleasant that I want to itch.
Stop.
What's this?
I know, it's my stubble.
How am I touching myself?
It doesn’t matter, what if I go down below…
Yeah, two wounds…
This is my body.
“Yeah, you look completely different from what you are.”
Who is speaking?
“Open your eyes and you will know.”
Open eyes? What?
…
What's the veil?
What kind of place is it?
Where am I?
“This is the spirit world, my friend.”
What?
“That's right. You see, right now your body is… shall we say, a little out of whack. And as long as it stays that way, your soul will spend some time here.”
What are you talking about?
“Just trust me, buddy.”
Who the hell are you?
“You can call me Hitogami.”
What? Hitogami?
“Yes. A human god, to be exact.”
God?
“Yes, God.”
You know, we were taught not to believe in God.
“Believe in me or not, but here I am.”
I... can't see you clear.
“Sorry, that's my nature.”
You know, you are very different from what is written on the icons.
“Really?”
Yes.
“And what is the main difference?”
You don't have a beard.
“What is true is true.”
Yeah.
“You know, Oswald, there is something strange in your soul.”
Just realized now?
“No need to be so rude! Well, it probably doesn't make sense for me to explain this to you. You understand everything, right?”
Yes. I was reborn after death. I was supposed to die from blood loss, but instead I ended up in this world in the body of a baby. But I can't understand one thing.
“What exactly?”
Why can't I remember my «birth»? I remember how the caretakers breastfed me when I was little. I remember how I was taught to speak, to walk. But I can’t remember exactly this. I don’t even remember the faces of my «parents».
“No one remembers this perfectly. By the way, you were at the door of the orphanage almost immediately after birth. Perhaps at this moment you just did not come to your senses.”
It's still not clear.
“Real mystic, huh?”
Are you kidding me?
“I'm kidding a little.”
Bad kidding.
“Sorry!”
Nevermind.
“Oswald.”
Yes?
“It is in your power to build a life for yourself that it will be difficult to even imagine. You can achieve a lot. If you really intend to conquer fate, then if I were you, I would listen to some of my advices.”
Advices?
“Interested?”
You know, when I was young, there was an interesting song.
“Song, you say?”
Do you want me to sing it?
“Go ahead.”
«But you are a man, you are strong and courageous… Make your fate with your own hands… Go against the wind, do not stand still… Believe me, there is no easy way…»*
“Poetic.”
It is impossible not to agree.
“Does it mean «No»?”
I don't need your advices.
“It will be awkward if you refuse. I'm here to help you!”
Do you know that in this world there is a slave trade, poverty, bloodthirsty monsters? Why not help those who really need it?
“Do you have anything against the slave trade?”
I do.
“What do you not like?”
This is contrary to my beliefs as a communist.
“Communist?”
It comes from «Communism».
“And what does it mean?”
Something that should give universal equality and prosperity. The moment when there will be neither poor nor rich. Something that we tried to do…
“And what exactly is contrary?”
Anyone should be free. Bonded labor is the most disgusting creation of mankind.
“So, you do have beliefs, don’t you?”
I do.
“Okay, here's some advice for you, Oswald.”
I didn't ask…
“Sometimes your beliefs can fail you. Be careful with this.”
What are you even talking about?
“Looks like your time has come. Your friends have been waiting for you.”
What?
Where did he disappear to?
What is this… feeling?
Veil…
And again darkness.
Part 5
I woke up from jolts to the side.
“Oswald, wake up!”
“Hey, don’t even think about lying here!”
Lying in bed, I noticed how my comrades were standing around me. I tried to get up.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“We are at the guild tavern,” Hajo replied.
“Tavern?”
“Yes. Mr. Adler found out how exactly we got the boar, found out what happened to you, and allowed us to stay here for a little rest.”
“Wait, so we caught a boar?”
“We did,” Till said. “When we came to you in the forest, the boar was as if dug into the ground, and you were lying unconscious.”
“Did I do it?”
“What?”
“I just don't remember it. Apparently, the boar crashed into me, and I passed out.”
Till took a deep breath.
“You know, Oswald, it was a bit difficult to drag you and the boar,” said Willy, standing at my feet. “As compensation, we divided your part of the payment among ourselves.”
“Wait, did you get paid?”
“Yes. Don't worry, we joked about the division.”
“Come on, Oswald. We are fed there. A lot of people have gathered.”
Everyone except Hajo left the room.
“Hajo, I’m sorry. I should have helped you.”
“Don’t worry. Thanks to you, we can now become true adventurers.”
I went from lying down to sitting up. I sat opposite Hajo.
“Don't tell Braun about it, okay?”
We both smiled.
This was our first experience.
*Film «The Adventures of the Elektronic», 1979
Chapter 5: «Preparation»
Chapter Text
Part 1
Gathering my belongings, kindly arranged in neat piles by my comrades, Hajo and I left the room. We ended up in a slightly narrow corridor on the second floor. Willy, Ern and Thiel were already waiting for us there. After checking the availability of our belongings again, we headed towards the stairs.
The sun was lowering towards the horizon. However, there was enough time before the evening check, so we could afford to be a little late.
Going down the stairs, I saw a tavern hall full of people. These were the same workers from the ship repair workshop that Caleb's friend Ernest had previously mentioned. I must admit there were a lot of people. Almost all the tables were occupied, and those who could not find a seat did not bother to drink and eat standing up. By the way, about food. The smell of fried boar meat mixed with all sorts of herbs was heard throughout the hall. Inhaling this smell, I involuntarily imagined how my comrades were dragging a large carcass of a wild boar from the forest and me in addition.
Caleb and Ernest were at the bar, they were discussing something, looking at some papers along the way and drinking from their mugs.
“Hey, it's you!”
A workshop worker approached us. He looked very drunk. It seems that our appearance did not go unnoticed.
“Sorry?”
“Guys, you got that boar, right?”
“Well, yes, but…”
“Listen here, guys!” the worker turned to the hall. “We owe today's feast to these guys!”
Approving exclamations were heard from the hall. It was both pleasant and a little embarrassing. Looking back, I can say that there was nothing wrong with that. We delivered a holiday to the hard workers, what's wrong with that? Absolutely nothing.
“Come on guys, join us! We will find a place for you too!”
“That would be great,” Hajo said. “But we…”
“Nah! You should have some fun too!”
The worker took my hand and dragged me towards a company. “Resistance is useless” I thought. The guys followed.
We were seated at the same table with other workers. They brought us food and, apparently trying to keep moral guidelines in mind, instead of beer they offered us fruit juice.
We have joined the feast.
After a while, I was able to break away from the turmoil. Leaving my comrades, I went to Caleb.
“Yeah, not bad for a first job, huh?” Caleb asked me.
“Yeah. Was one boar enough for everyone?”
“Enough for most of them.”
“Understood.”
I looked at the chart on the wall. «Völkernacht» was marked there.
“Your friend, it seems, Till, has already received your cards for the party.”
Adventurer's cards, some sort of guild affiliation document. It seems that Thiel was very conscious in the matter of organization. By the way, at that moment, while I was talking with Caleb, Till managed to enter into an arm–twisting duel with one of the workers. Apparently, he was winning.
“You know, Oswald, you're doing pretty well so far. If you want, we can find another job for you. What do you think?”
“It would be nice.”
“That is great.”
I shook Caleb's hand and headed towards the window. The guys continued to have fun. Watching the clouds leaving towards the ocean, I began to think about everything that had happened that day.
We got our first job, and even managed to get paid for it. Even if the revenue that Hajo showed me was not too big, it already meant at least something. There was something nice about it, of course.
However, the more I recalled the events of that day, the stronger the feeling of… uncertainty arose. I don't even know how to describe it better.
Hitogami…
Strange name, really. It's even hard for me to describe what it was like. God decided to talk to me? Who will ever believe it? It occurred to me that it was just a bad dream caused by the shock of being hit by a beast.
On the other hand, was not all this just the result of the delirium of my dying consciousness? Maybe, right now I am unconscious, and they are taking me to a hospital, say, in Tiraspol? In any case, I can't say for sure.
Anyway, the wounds that I received are incompatible with life: two large–caliber bullets, one hit in the lung, the other, apparently, in the left atrium. Almost instant damage to the circulatory system, internal bleeding in the lungs, with this alignment, I would have died faster than anyone could have figured out.
I think I got it right at this point.
«Sometimes your beliefs can fail you». It was hard for me to understand what it meant. And, it is worth recognizing, I did not betray this special significance. I consoled myself with the thought that this was just nonsense, that there was no point in listening to hallucinations. On the other hand, I thought, they say, «what kind of advice is this? How should I use it?» It is worth saying that this Hitogami clearly has problems with the wording.
Ultimately, I came up with that these were all strange habits of my mind.
“What are you thinking about?” Ern asked me, coming up behind me.
It seems that I thought so hard about the events that happened that day that even my face lost all emotions, and my eyes completely became glassy. Why this happened is a mystery even to me. Apparently, this appearance began to excite people.
“Well, I wanted to take a break from the turmoil,” I replied.
“Oswald, we still have plenty of time to spare. You can rest later.”
“Do you think so?”
“Yes. By the way, I think Till could use your help.”
“What, is he out of breath already?”
“Looks like he's about to twist his arm.”
“This is bad. Looks like he's been playing around a bit.”
Of course, it cost a lot of effort to get Till out of the table. Of course, he was slightly offended, but still his unbridled excitement had to be stopped. We sat in the guild's tavern until the evening, and, almost late, we made it to the evening check at the orphanage.
Part 2
Ah, there is nothing better than a nice rest after a hard day's work.
I don't even want to think about anything.
I want to slowly and pleasantly fall asleep…
…
…
…
I think I see something again…
Something… pleasant?
“Not the best idea…”
“Don't worry, you'll like it.”
“We must not leave the garrison!”
“Quiet! If you yell like that, the sergeant will beat off our balls so much that it will even be too late to demobilize.”
“We will have to answer for AWOL anyway.”
“If you follow me and look around, you won’t have to. The passage is already near, so be careful…”
…
“What is NVA doing here?”
“I know these guys, we have been in contact for a long time.”
…
“Ich sehe ihn zum ersten Mal. Ist er nicht ein Spitzel?”
“What he says?”
“He asks if you're a snitch.”
“Of course not! Say so.”
“Vertrauen du mir, er wird nichts ausplaudern.”
“Gut. Kameraden von anderen Stützpunkten haben sich bereits versammelt, also müssen wir uns beeilen.”
“What did he say?”
“Movin!”
…
“Still, it won't hurt you to learn the language. You have another six months to serve here.”
“It would not hurt…”
…
“So hier sind wir.”
“Wow, there are so many here.”
“Yeah, everyone here is from the Warsaw Pact. Romanians, Hungarians, Czechs… The company is big.”
“Aren’t they afraid to sit here like this? Night without a single cloud. All Dresden will see us here.”
“As long as we keep the blackout, it won't.”
“So why are we here?”
“Barter, my friend. I agreed to exchange with Fritz. I give him a radio tape recorder, he gives me a camera. I want to give my brother a present.”
“Profitable.”
…
“Hey!.. Russen!.. Lasst uns… einen trinken! Das ist… oh… guter Schnaps! Genau wie Ihr Wodka!”
“What he says?”
“Nah, he's drunk. Offers a drink.”
“Lasst uns! Es ist… verdammt… wie ist es… Für die Völkernacht!”
“And what does he offer to drink for?”
“For some night of the peoples. Let's go.”
…
“Ich hoffe, Sie haben keine Probleme. Produkt vorhanden?”
“Alles ist vorhanden. Was die Probleme betrifft, so sind wir auf Ihren Säufer gestoßen.”
“Oh, er ist es wieder. Es tut mir leid.”
“Is this the Fritz with whom you agreed?”
“Right.”
“He looks at me so weird…”
“Sein Freund, huh?”
“Tut mir leid, aber er versteht die Sprache nicht.”
“Das ist kein Problem. Er wird passt sich an. Nun, lass es mich versuchen…”
“Sorry?”
…
“Good night, mein Freund. I think we become a gute Kameraden!”
Part 3
It's been a month since the first job.
During this time, we have completed several more tasks assigned by Caleb. At that time, no one else wanted to give it, so we had no other options. However, we didn't complain. After that incident in the woods, Caleb was reluctant to send us hunting, so our job was to transport various goods: delivering letters, food, etc.
Of course we were paid. Not very much, but not too little either. For a month personally, I was able to earn a generally sufficient fortune. At least this amount could be used to make several purchases in the market.
Most of all, it seems, the question of money worried Hajo. Poor boy. Every time he looked at those copper coins, I seemed to see the image of Millis in his mind go away. Well, I have to admit, he tried hard not to lose heart about it.
But who exactly was happy with the money was… Braun. It's an interesting story, actually. While working at the guild, or, to be more precise, at Caleb's tavern, the length of our working day has increased. As a result, we did not have time to return to the orphanage on time.
In order to somehow resolve the situation, I agreed with Braun to give part of the profits received in exchange for the opportunity to return to the orphanage later. In other words – bribery, skidding, kickback, bribe. However, despite how insignificant the amount received was, Braun agreed to take it. Maybe he decided to treat me like an adult. Maybe he took pity. I will never know the truth.
One day I decided to walk the streets of Hegenwald alone. I planned to take something for the guys from the market. Walking down the street, I noticed a person I knew – Anna Weber. Being dressed in strict clothes, she walked calmly, with a well–defined, clear step. I decided to start a conversation.
“Hello Ms. Weber!”
To be honest, my appearance surprised her.
“Oh, is that you, Oswald? You turned ten and now you're running around?”
“Why say that in the first place, Ms. Weber? I'm just walking.”
“Well, I guess I'm walking too.”
“Do you want me to take a walk with you?”
“Hehe, did you decide to take care of the old lady? Lovelace. You need to turn for the younger ones.”
“It's nice talking to you, you know a lot.”
“It is what it is.”
And so we started walking together.
“You know, Ms. Weber, we have found a job.”
“Really? A job?”
“Yes.”
“And where?”
“At the Adventurer's Guild.”
“Still decided to follow the path of Braun, right?”
“We just need to practice, and the money would not be superfluous.”
“And how do you earn?”
“A little, but enough.”
“I see.”
So I told her about my job.
“Listen, Oswald, do you have any hobbies?”
“Why you're asking?”
“I'm interested.”
“Well, I'm interested in magic.”
“And what exactly interests you in it?”
“I like the theory of magic circles. Little is written about it, which makes it even more interesting.”
“Yes, I think I've heard about it.”
“And most of all I'm interested in «Azure Blood». This is a very interesting ink, and even more so a mineral!”
“Ah! Here's what else I've heard. Yes, I also know these pebbles of «Azure Blood». Did you know how many people manage to speculate on them?”
“How?”
“Some sellers contrive to create fakes of this mineral using glass and paint. For someone with a trained eye, there are no problems identifying a fake and a real crystal, but for an ordinary person there are. I know several such cases when people tried to pay taxes with these fakes. I have witnessed this many times.”
At that moment, I had a thought.
“Ms. Weber, where do you work?”
For a moment, she quieted down.
“In the Asura Royal Treasury.”
“Treasury?”
“Yes.”
“And what are you doing?”
“We are making sure that the state’s money goes where it needs to go.”
“Interesting.”
“Not really. There's a lot of paper work.”
“This is bad?”
“Relatively. In fact, thanks to my paperwork, your orphanage is still getting funding.”
“Thanks.”
“What are you thankful for? This is Braun's responsibility.”
“Do you hold any high position?”
“Not too high, but not too low either.”
“I see.”
We have reached a crossroads.
“All right, Oswald, we had a good talk. I need to go on business. Good luck.”
“Goodbye!”
After saying goodbye to Weber, I also went on business: I went to the market, bought something like fried fruit and returned back to my comrades.
Part 4
“[O! So you started learning the language. How is it going?]”
“[A little…]”
“[Are you studying from a textbook, or did you find a teacher?]”
“[It's… difficult for me to speak. I don't speak much.]”
“[Alright. But how do you learn?]”
“[I learn by myself.]”
“[If I were you, I would say «allein».]”
“[«Allein»? Does it mean «no one is around»?]”
“[Yes.]”
“[Alone, that is. Understood.]”
“[Forgive my gewissenhafte Natur, but if you don't fehler korrigieren in time, it might get in the way.]”
“[I… have difficulty understanding some of the words.]”
“[Oh, sorry! I forgot that you're new to this. I'll try to use simpler words.]”
“[Thanks. May I ask a question?]”
“[Sure.]”
“[What does «Night of the peoples» mean? The first time I heard it, but I didn't understand it.]”
“[Ah, you mean that. This is an invention of our coy. Well, mine, to be exact. This is how we call our meetings. You liked it last time, right?]”
“[There wasn’t much of me there, we returned to the garrison almost immediately.]”
“[Alright. Don't worry, there will be more people next time, we'll have a small Fest.]”
“[What?]”
“[Consider it a party.]”
“[Clear. I will try to come.]”
“[I will wait for you.]”
“[May I ask another question?]”
“[Of course!]”
“[I’m sorry that I didn’t ask right away, but… What’s your name?]”
“[Oh, it's okay. I understand. Anyway, my name is…]”
…
…
…
Why?
Why can't I remember his name?
He's my friend.
I could not…
I couldn't just forget him…
Why?
Why can't I remember his face?
What is wrong with me?
I don't want to forget it.
There is no one else to remember but me…
No…
…
…
…
Part 5
We got an extraordinary task. We were instructed to deliver the cargo to Bamron. According to Caleb, a number of documents and a small advance had to be given to the new supplier. For this job we were paid generously.
The problem was that we would have to spend several days on the way. I have to admit, it took me a long time to ask Braun for permission to make this trip. The longer I asked, the more unfavorable the conditions became for me. In the end, I was left with virtually no revenue.
Although, besides money, there was a completely different problem, more important.
Ern was sick.
I have already mentioned his poor health. He had colds almost every season. But then he looked worse. He looked very tired, his skin was pale. On top of that, his thirst was strong.
I had two paths. Either we go to Bamron without Ern, leaving him at the orphanage, or we don't go anywhere at all. I understood that in such a situation it was impossible to leave a comrade. But even so, I really wanted to see another city. Nowhere but Hegenwald, I have previously been.
There was almost a fight between Till and me about this, if Ern himself had not intervened and insisted on our trip.
I promised to bring him a souvenir.
After packing our stuff, having been instructed by Braun and Caleb, we were on our way.
The next stop was Bamron.
Chapter 6: «Bamron»
Chapter Text
Part 1
“[And then the police ran after this Wessi almost to the very wall!]”
“[Ha! Funny joke!]”
“[No, I'm sure it actually happened!]”
“[Listen to yourself! Where does the spy Wessi come from in East Berlin?]”
“[Kriminalunterkommissar personally told me this story!]”
“[He was probably testing your vigilance, or just laughing at you.]”
“[You are a fun–spoiling sausage.]”
“[You sound like a child, honestly.]”
“[Do you understand even that?]”
“[Yeah.]”
“[Well, I have to admit, your language skills have improved a lot. And that's just in a couple of months.]”
“[It's largely thanks to you that I've gotten better at speaking.]”
“[You flatter me!]”
“[It's true.]”
“[If this is true, then thank you. It makes my heart feel better to know that I'm really helping someone.]”
“[…Yes.]”
“[You could have answered more detailed!]”
“[Ay! It hurts! Why?]”
“[For thinking better.]”
“[…]”
“[Listen, I have a question.]”
“[Go ahead.]”
“[Tell me, is it okay to fall deeply in love?]”
“[It will be strange for me, I'm already too old for this. But you are young, cheerful, energetic, you can.]”
“[Old? Are you serious?]”
“[Doesn't matter, I consider myself old.]”
“[…]”
“[Alright, speak up. Who is she?]”
“[So, we met a couple of weeks ago. I ran into her in the park, we had a fun talk, and I was in uniform then, she liked it, and we exchanged phone numbers. Then she called, and then I called her, and it turned out that she lives a few blocks away from me and…]”
“[Easy, easy.]”
“[Sorry.]”
“[So, did you like her?]”
“[Yes! She and I happen to have a lot of common interests.]”
“[Yes?]”
“[Absolutely right. Now she has gone on a business trip to Berlin, but she promised to call me. Maybe I'll propose to her. What do you think?]”
“[Oh, well, that's it. Goodbye our friendship. Get bogged down in marriage and you won't be found at all.]”
“[Don't say such stupid things!]”
“[Why?]”
…
“[Because true friendship cannot be destroyed.]”
Part 2
I woke up in the middle of the night.
We rode in a cart pulled by two gray horses. Hajo, wrapped in a blanket and holding a diary in his hands, Till, lying at random, Willy, with his face buried in a bag, they were all asleep. Only Ernest, our coachman, did not sleep.
By morning we should have been in Bamron.
Carefully making my way through the guys, I sat down next to Ernest.
“Why you do not sleep?” Ernest asked me.
“I woke up, I don’t want to go back to sleep.”
“Alright, sit here for a while. Just don't make noise.”
“Okay.”
There were fields along the road, with trees behind them.
“Beautiful night, isn't it?” Ernest turned.
“Yes. It’s beautiful.”
“And not a single cloud. Look, shooting star…”
“I heard that if you look at a shooting star and make a wish, it will surely come true.”
“Really? Then I wish…”
“You can’t say it out loud, otherwise it won’t come true.”
“Where did you find this out?”
“In library.”
“What kind of nonsense these printing houses do write…”
“You do not believe?”
“Hardly anyone will believe in such nonsense.”
We continued to drive.
“So…”
“What, Oswald?”
“Can I find out more about this supplier?”
“Oh. Caleb decided that if a person is from Bamron, then he is wealthy and reliable. Believe me, I tried to convince him that this is not always the case, but he did not heed my opinion. And now we are going to conclude a contract with this supplier.”
“Contract for what?”
“For meat, booze, anything else…”
Not even surprising. The fact that Caleb often resorted to drinking became clear from our first meeting.
“Why supply meat if we can get it?”
“Do I need to remind you what happened to you last time?”
“Fair enough.”
“Exactly.”
“But if Caleb just needs to sign the papers, then why does he need us?”
“What do you mean why? Who will load the first batch of goods?”
At that moment it became not very convenient. The thought arose immediately, and I voiced it.
“You hired us as handymen…”
“Heh. Yes, don't worry so much.”
“I mean, we can even cast spells, isn’t there a job more serious than delivering?”
“You don’t understand. This is how he cares about you.”
“What?”
“Well, he doesn't want to put you at risk. You are still children. Of course, he will never say this himself, but take my word for it.”
“I see.”
“Okay, Oswald. We sat well. Get back to your friends. You need to sleep.”
I lay down to sleep.
The next morning we were greeted by the city of Bamron.
Part 3
So, as I said earlier, Bamron is the administrative center of the Dreor region. The entire top of the local government is concentrated here. By the way, about the top, I think it's important to talk about it.
Holger Lehmann. Prince of Dreor, formally the head of the region. In general, he is described as a fairly generous, wise ruler and an excellent family man. However, I also know about some non–public aspects of his personality, which I will definitely talk about later.
At the time of entering the city, I knew that Holger had at least two children, which, in theory, could become his heirs. His wife died while giving birth to their second child. However, I did not have more information.
Holger's ancestor, Helmut II, was Prince of Dreor during the war with Asura. The terms of the peace between Asura and Dreor were very unusual: Helmut retained the status of a prince and did not lose power, but swore allegiance to the royal family of Asura.
It turns out that, formally, Dreor is still a sovereign state with its own power, but over the past time there has been such a strong integration of systems that, as such, the borders have ceased to exist at all. Wherever you are, on any map of the world you encounter, Dreor will be shown as part of Asura.
Also, despite the hereditary nature of the status of the head of the region, as well as the prince, formally, this is a position to which the king or queen of Asura personally appoints. Of course, in this case, it cannot do without certain manipulations and agreements behind the scenes of the political theater. However, this is not so important.
I think it's time to talk about Bamron himself.
This is a fairly large city located on both banks of the river with the same with the city name. On the river island, connected to the banks by bridges, there are the Lehmann castle, the office with the local archive, and other institutions of the bureaucratic state apparatus.
Architecturally, the city reminds me of the central districts of Leningrad: houses of low–rise buildings in the style of classicism, small and cozy courtyards, parks, and along both banks there is an embankment made of paving stones and smooth granite.
In the city, instead of large markets, separate shops and offices are widespread, and the most diverse ones. Atelier, grocery stores, pastry shops, butchers. Actually, we went to one of these shops.
There are many horses on the streets of the city. Carts, carriages, individual horsem*n, they all meet on the streets of Bamron. Because of this, cases of difficult movement are not uncommon. In fact, the first thing that met us upon arrival in the city was traffic jams.
Part 4
We arrived at the appointed place. Ernest left us, instructing us to keep an eye on the cart. We began to disperse around. Not that we were too far from the cart, we were still within sight of each other. However, there was a strange feeling at the time. Like the calm before the storm, there was a thrill in the air.
You probably already know what I mean, right? Oh, you haven’t heard this story? Apparently, Lehmann really tried hard to keep this news from spreading throughout Asura. Okay, even if I tell, no one will be offended now. And you can't prove anything, so why don't I tell you? This story is interesting.
There were already rumors that day that something was going to happen to Holger's daughter. The reason for this was her approaching tenth birthday. Major holiday. While people like the guys from the «Völkernacht» celebrate it rather modestly, the aristocrats arrange whole feasts. However, it is not for me now to judge whether this is good or bad.
You may have noticed that in order to influence the internal political arena of Asura, someone often resort to all sorts of, shall we say, sophisticated, sometimes dishonest methods. The kidnapping of the child of a high–ranking official, and even on the eve of an important holiday, in addition, a ransom demand. Yeah, this is certainly a powerful reception. A risky reception, however, for this someone can be sentenced to the gallows.
Yes, you guessed right. Christina Lehmann was also kidnapped at one time. In any case, knowing what character she had then, if I were a kidnapper, I would not only steal her, but also strangle her.
Anyway, the day of her abduction coincided neatly with the very day we arrived in Bamron. Although the whole picture became known to me only later, I felt some kind of bad premonition even then.
While Ernest was talking to the supplier, and the guys were still waiting by the cart, I decided to quietly move away and take a little walk. I decided to explore the city more carefully. I decided to look into every shop window, every sign, every nook and cranny.
And from one such nook and cranny our story begins.
Part 5
“So, we have two more hours. Let's repeat the plan.”
“Okay, get the map.”
Walking through the streets and going into a deserted lane, I heard a conversation between two men. At that moment, I had already walked a few blocks. Their conversation seemed interesting to me, and I decided to watch them.
“Is the cart ready?”
“Yes. Gevlett has already prepared everything. He had to wait for me and leave on command.”
“Good. Look, Lehmann and her escort will be in this salon. There we will watch for them, then we cut them down and then we will drag them around the yards. At this moment, you drive up, pick us up, and we are already driving together to the designated place.”
“Wait, her escort, isn't it a knight by any chance? Or one of the guards? It's a problem if anyone turns out to be one of them.”
“Don't worry, it's just a maid. Information straight from the castle, rest assured.”
“Surely there shouldn't be any problems?”
“Shouldn't. Let's deal with that kid.”
“Okay, get in position then. Good luck.”
“Good luck.”
In that moment, I realized two things for myself. First, Holger has a daughter. Second, a fuss was planning on that day. And, involuntarily, third: the first two were interconnected. One thing was known for sure: these not very good people were going to kidnap a person for their own purposes.
I faced a choice. Should I tell this to my comrades and enlist their help, or act on my own? I realized that I should not leave my comrades, that on my part it would be mean and dishonest. On the other hand, two years of training should have justified itself. Even more, I remembered the promise I had made to myself: if I was going to conquer my own fate, then I can’t count on the help of others. «Go against the wind, do not stand still». My choice has been made.
Those men split up. I began to quietly follow the man who spoke about the cart. Merging with the crowd and periodically disappearing from his field of vision, I tried to follow his trail.
And so I found their cart.
To the noise of a carriage passing by, I carefully climbed inside, under a shed, and hid among the bags and other rubbish left behind.
That day I had my own little adventure.
Part 6
After a while, the cart started moving.
Even though I couldn't see, by my calculations we drove at least a few blocks. Wrapped up among the bags, I tried to lie as still as possible, tried not to make even an extra sound.
Still, it was an exciting feeling. As if to feel like a scout behind enemy lines. It was at the same time wildly interesting, and yet a little scary. The probability of being discovered was extremely high. And I would hardly be able to plausibly explain the reason for my stay there.
But the desire to prove myself, to experience something new, and even the very feeling of excitement took over me. I haven't experienced it in such a long time. One way or another, the feeling of excitement had to be replaced by a feeling of agonizing expectation and boredom. I did not count the amount of time it took to wait until the first stop.
Suddenly the cart stopped.
Several other people got on board. Judging by the sound, there were two of them. They put something on the bench, something that looked like a sack. Again, because of my position, it was almost impossible for me to see what was happening around. But, even with limited audio information, I already knew that the second group of kidnappers came along with Lehmann's daughter.
I began to think about a plan of action. Of course, I should have thought of it earlier.
First of all, I began to think about what would happen if I immediately began to act. What would happen if I gracefully jumped out of the bags, dealt a crushing blow to the baddies, took the maiden in trouble in my arms and rushed to run. In theory, the plan sounded good, but in practice, I would not even have had time to stand up normally, as a conditional blunt object would fly over my head.
Indeed, at that moment the forces were clearly not equal. Even if I managed to cast some kind of spell, the advantage in numbers was on their side. In that case, I just had to sit still and wait for the optimal opportunity to attack. This is exactly what I did.
“Ugh. We got her…”
“Yeah. She even punched me in the face.”
“A naughty girl.”
“Yeah.”
Those people started talking.
“Hey, where's her escort?” said one of the kidnappers.
“Are you talking about that maid? f*ck it, we left her there.”
“What?”
“Well, we left her there, hid her.”
“According to the plan, you had to take both, fools!”
“The boss doesn't need her anyway, why the hell we were supposed to fool around with her? There were more problems with this one. It's easier!”
“Oh, you idiots.”
“You know, no one will worry about some maid, but for Lehmann's daughter – they will. Plus, it's easier to keep just one.”
“Believe me, once the boss finds out, you will not be greeted.”
Those people didn't talk much later, the ride was mostly quiet. I am very grateful to the noise of the wheels, which kindly masked my presence, overshadowing the rustles and creaks that I sometimes made. I still find it hard to believe that I had the self–control not to betray myself with unnecessary movements or sounds.
We spent about an hour on the road. By this time, I suppose, my friends were already looking for me. It was very awkward, but it was too late to retreat. When the cart finally stopped, the kidnappers began to get off it. Trying to listen to the environment, I waited for the moment to get down to task.
Part 7
By the time I got out of the cart, it was already evening. The sky took on a reddish hue and the air became a little dry. A weak, warm wind blew gently under my shirt. And yet in Bamron the air is different. The city is located much east of Hegenwald, that is, further from the coast. The air there is less salty and warmer.
Speaking of where I've been. When I got out of the cart, I found myself in a small semi–abandoned yard somewhere outside the city. There was only one road in sight, along which we seem to have arrived.
There were about three houses in the yard, each of varying degrees of destruction and abandonment. One of them was definitely inhabited, I heard conversations coming from there. They were probably the kidnappers. But I didn't know where Holger's daughter was. That's why I decided to scout the situation first.
By the way, I was incredibly lucky again. There was not a single living soul in the yard that could observe my uninvited appearance.
Anyway, the first thing I decided to do was go to the wooden building. As it turned out later, it turned out to be a barn. According to my hypothetical knowledge, prisoners are usually kept in this way. I thought so, hoping that I could quickly cope with the search, until my expectation was destined to crash into harsh reality. In addition to the remnants of grain and some garbage, there was absolutely nothing. My attention was drawn to the staircase that led to the attic. Climbing up to the attic, I again saw nothing but garbage.
As a result of the inspection of the first building, I did not find a hostage or anything else.
As soon as I was about to leave, people began to disperse from another building to the whole yard. They were approaching the cart. I heard a talk between one of the kidnappers and their leader.
“So, Lehmann already knows what happened to his daughter?”
“Not yet, boss. We are now going to the city. We were just planning to deliver a message.”
“Good. Well, help me a bit…”
The leader took out a cigarette, very similar to the one that Weber smoked. This coincidence seemed strange to me. Another man took out a flint and lit a cigarette. I continued my observation.
“The place is still the same, right?”
“Yes, boss. Without changes.”
“Excellent.”
“What ransom should we demand from him?”
“We just discussed it. It doesn't matter, it's Lehmann, and he’ll pay whatever price we want. Start with a thousand gold coins, then increase according to the situation.”
“Okay, I understand.”
“So, Gevlett stays with me, he will guard the girl. Everyone else go to the city. Stick to the plan, got it? Now go.”
The kidnappers gathered in a cart and went to the city.
Part 8
I spent several hours in the attic.
All because of this Gevlett and his spontaneous inspections of the yard. The man, tall but well–fed, was leaving and entering the building, looking from side to side, as if looking for something. Somehow, thanks to him, I was able to determine exactly where Holger's daughter was located.
Then it was already dusk, almost night.
Having chosen the moment, I decided to go and free the captive.
Carefully making my way through the yard, I went into the building where Lehmann's daughter was being held. Gevlett was asleep, leaning on the table. I tried to pass him unnoticed, without making an extra creak of the wooden floor. Walking to another room, she appeared before me.
Christina lay on the floor, bound. Her clothes, so luxurious that they immediately betrayed her as an aristocrat, were soiled. Her long, black hair was disheveled. She was sleeping, her face looked calm.
I started getting closer to her. At that moment, a strange feeling appeared, and my heart began to beat violently in my chest. And don't get me wrong, it's not about love at first sight. Let me explain.
In front of me lay a rather sweet girl in the most defenseless state. A certain kind of thought began to appear in my head, and I was angry because of it. “You can’t do this,” I thought. “The Soviet soldier is above this.” I began to drive carnal thoughts out of my head.
And I did not notice how she was already awake, how she was already looking at me. She looked at me with an uncomprehending look. Most likely, because of my gaze. A gaze full of concentration and excitement at the same time.
However, there was no awkward pause: there was a forehead blow. Deja vu.
“Don't you dare touch me, you redneck!” the girl shouted out to me.
It was embarrassing, you know. Given that I didn't even touch her, getting hit hard enough just like that was very unpleasant. Well, I even wasn't then a redneck.
“I didn't do anything to you, stop screaming!” I said in a loud whisper.
“Help! Get me out of…”
Before she could scream again, I covered her mouth with my hand. So fast and so unexpected that she didn't even notice. She immediately fell silent. “Are you insane?” I thought. “Don’t you understand that you can’t do this now?” We looked into each other's eyes. Her excessive loudness was beginning to irritate me, and she noticed it.
“If you don’t want us to have problems, I advise you not to yell. Understood?”
There was a nod in response.
Slowly and carefully, I removed my hand.
“Who… are you?” she asked.
“Call me Oswald. What about you?”
“C–Christina…”
She seems to have calmed down. But, at the same time, she became somewhat wary, as if she was afraid of me.
“Don't worry. I've come to help you.”
“Help me?”
“Well, it’s like you were kidnapped here, so I decided to help you.”
“You're from my dad, right?”
“What? Um… no?”
“So why?”
“Sorry?”
“Why did you decide to help me?”
But really, why? What should I have said to her? Honestly say that I decided to test my strength because of the monotony of work? No, it was impossible to say that, especially in such a situation. I should have come up with a more plausible answer. But nothing came to mind either. Decided to get out of the situation.
“I don't know.”
“What?”
“I do not know. I just made up my mind and that's it.”
Still, there was an awkward silence.
“Are you injured?”
There was no response from her.
I began to examine her, and noticed that her knees were damaged. I pulled up her skirt slightly so that the wound was more visible. I should have done it as carefully as possible. She was still a child. Any sudden and careless movement could cost her psyche.
Bringing my hand to my knee, I began to cast a healing spell. A greenish glow emanating from my hands illuminated the room. The healing process took about a few minutes. After all, my level of healing magic was lower than Hajo's. Then the same algorithm of actions was repeated with the second knee.
“Though it won’t fix your tights, your legs are fine now.”
“What was it?”
“Magic.”
“Magic?”
“To be more precise, healing magic.”
“So, are you a mage?”
“Almost. Have you never seen mages?”
“No, I've only read about them in fairy tales.”
“I see.”
I removed the ropes from her and helped her up. We were about to leave when suddenly a barrier appeared.
Gevlett.
He stood at the exit, watching us.
“What the hell is this?” he said, closing the door behind him.
The situation took a completely unfavorable turn. We ended up in a locked room, where the only exit was blocked by this yokel.
Things got even worse when he took a knife out of his pocket. The one that lay on the table while he slept. It was a mistake not to take it. The knife was slightly blunt, rusted in places, but still was sharp enough to inflict serious stab wounds.
It was necessary to act quickly.
I created a fireball and directed it towards his arm. As soon as he began to approach us, the flames hit his arm.
“Damn!” he shouted.
I decided to run up to snatch the knife from my weakened hand.
My reaction let me down.
A moment later, a powerful blow to the face sent me flying off to the nearest wall. With earth magic, I tried to create at least a pebble, just to throw something at him, but nothing happened.
“Bitch, you will answer for this!”
“No!”
Apparently, the blow was too strong. Yet it was the body of a child.
I began to feel blood running down my face.
The eyes began to darken.
What happened next, I don't remember clearly…
Part 9
“Uncle, where are we going?”
“We will help your mother with cooking.”
“Why are we going into the yard?”
“Your help will be needed.”
…
“Well, go get that knife.”
“What for?”
“Now I will teach you, you will need it.”
…
“Look, mom needs meat now. And for meat, the chicken must be plucked.”
“Why are you holding a chicken, uncle?”
“So I'm telling you, we'll pluck the chicken. Can you cut?”
“Cut? No… I won't kill her!”
“«Kill»? What are you saying? It's a bird, not a man!”
“So what? I feel sorry for her!”
“Have you decided to go hungry?”
“I won't, that's all!”
“Oh, kid. Every man should know how to slaughter cattle.”
“I'm a man!”
“You're still a kid, and I'm going to teach you here. How are you going to live in the village then?”
“I'll go to the city like dad!”
“Just don’t start here your «dad». Your dad left us for an easy life, he is not a man.”
“I won't kill the chicken!”
“Listen, you can do that! I can, my father can, his father can, and so does his father. Every man in the family knows how to bring food to the house. Or what, you want your mom and me to starve?”
“…”
“Well, fine. Now look, I'll help you. Here, you take a knife in one hand, hold its head with the other. That's it, yes.”
…
“And now, with a sharp movement… Cut!”
Part 10
I began to gradually come to my senses.
There was not a single thought in my head. I just stood in the middle of the room.
Christina sat in the corner. Apparently, in fear of Gevlett, she hid there. But the fear on her face did not disappear. She was still scared. But, she looked at me.
I felt the blood run down my face again. Most likely, Gevlett managed to cut me. As soon as I reached my hand to my face to erase it, I noticed a knife lying in my palm. Involuntarily I looked down.
Gevlett lay motionless. A fresh wound was visible on the throat, from which a whole pool of blood had already flown out. Fresh blood, not yet clotted. I'd say the wound was about five minutes old.
Then I began to examine myself, my hand, the knife. The same fresh blood. It was everywhere.
I killed Gevlett.
It was obvious.
“How are you?” I asked Christina.
“Your face… it’s…”
Meanwhile, the blood from the wound, which stretched from the upper lip to the right cheek, continued to flow. Throwing away the knife, I began to cast healing. Whether the wound was too deep, or I did not have enough strength, but I could not completely restore my face. And now I have this scar, which is still visible.
You know, I began to think about everything that happened, and I came to the conclusion that after all, I failed the task of preserving Christina's sanity a little. Before her eyes, a man was killed in a rather cruel way, and the one who called himself to help her was standing in bloody clothes with a weapon in his hands. Oh, how embarrassing.
One way or another, having collected my thoughts, I gently took her hand, helped her to stand up, and already together we headed for the exit.
Passing through the yard and approaching the fence, I heard a resounding noise from another house.
“What the hell is Gevlett up to?!” the leader shouted leaving the house.
We managed to hide behind a fence. He went to the house where they kept Christina. Taking advantage of the moment, we began to run towards the road.
The last thing I heard from this yard was the distant angry cries of the leader.
Part 11
Having run a decent distance from the yard along the road, and realizing that we were not being followed, we began to walk at a normal pace.
It was already night.
“It was risky…” I said.
“Hey, you… killed him, right?”
“It just happened. I’m sorry. Otherwise he would hurt you.”
“That's how…”
“Don't tell your father about this.”
“Why?”
“I don't want any more questions to come up.”
“Wait, what are you going to do now?”
“I plan to take you home.”
“Home?”
“Well, yes. You don't want to go alone, do you?”
“I see. By the way, you're…”
“Huh?”
“You're not from Bamron, are you?”
“How did you guess?”
“Your pronunciation is interesting, different, not like the locals.”
“Hmm, alright then.”
“So, where are you from?”
“I'm from Hegenwald.”
“Oh…”
At that moment, her face changed, as if she had ceased to be afraid.
“You're still a redneck,” she said.
“What?”
“Well, Hegenwald is generally located somewhere on the outskirts of the region, so consider it a village.”
“Wait, let me object! Hegenwald is a very good city, even better than Bamron.”
She laughed.
“Why is Hegenwald better than Bamron?”
“We have less fuss, fewer horses, beautiful views, fresh air. It’s normal for you not to breathe here, but we don’t have life but a fairy tale!”
She continued to laugh, wiping her tears away with her hand.
“You are funny, Oswald.”
“Oh, oh, our majesty decided to rate people.”
“Stop it!” she said, giving me a light cuff on the back of the head.
“Hey, for what?”
“You doubted me.”
“Wow, look at that serious lady! And who is it recently squealed like a pig?”
“Fool!”
And for my impudent words, another slap came. Of course, I could answer her, but why? Besides, beating children is not good. Either way, she wasn't really angry. I'm glad I was able to calm her down a bit.
Continuing to talk, becoming to consider the sky, we walked along the road.
We went to Bamron.
Chapter 7: «Lacrimosa»
Chapter Text
Part 1
The total time of our walk with Christina was about an hour and a half. It’s good that we weren’t so far from the city initially: the kidnappers set up their base a little east of Biashord, a village west of Bamron, which is close enough.
While we were walking, we decided to talk about each other.
I have to admit, my biography did not impress her. However, it is not surprising. There is nothing special in the story of the boy from the orphanage. She was also not particularly interested in Hegenwald. Even now this city for her is «somewhere out there», an unknown territory and a wild forest on the outskirts of the region.
Although she liked that part of my story about magic. For her, this was something new. She was interested in listening to my stories about mana, about spells and so on. I had to omit some points, for example, about magic circles or silent magic. Even for me it was difficult to understand it the first time, and for someone who doesn't know like her, it would have become a real torture for the brain.
Anyway, the talk turned to her story. She was surprised by the fact that I was completely unaware of her identity. She even tried to give some arguments, like, do I know who her dad is, or who she talked to, or something like that.
In other words, I had to listen to a whole series of reproaches for «how ignorant I am», and «you need to know this». Interestingly, people close to power always have such a demeanor, or in this case, the essence lies in education? Anyway, by calming her anger, I was able to get mercy from her.
It turned out that she was the second child in the family. The first is Marcus, and he is four years older than her. Based on her story, Marcus is a tactful and serious person. Despite his young age, he already helped his father in matters of organization and leadership.
Now, as for Christina herself. Looking back, I can say that she definitely lacked maternal care. It’s not that she lacked parental care in principle, Holger coped with this successfully, and it’s just that such a detail is very noticeable in a person, in character and his sharpness, to be more precise.
From birth, she lived, practically, without leaving the castle. She was rarely allowed into the city. One way or another, the most colorful memory for her was a trip with her father to the capital – the city of Ars. She did not specify the specific reason for the trip, certainly not a resort. Most likely her father resolved issues with the royal nobility and simply decided to take his daughter with him. However, the capital made a strong impression on her.
Then the talk turned to her maid. The one that was with her at the time of the kidnapping. It turned out that this was not an ordinary maid, but a beastman maid. To be honest, at that moment I first learned about the beastmen. One way or another, it was a fairly young woman who took care of Christina, practically, from her very childhood.
And so, talking about life, we imperceptibly entered the city of Bamron.
Christina told me about the peculiarities of the internal division of the city. In turn, she was told about this by servants in Lehmann's castle. Bamron is divided into districts with their own functions. The bottom line lies in the fact that these districts do not exist formally, i.e. nowhere is the fact of such a division fixed. It is rather a formed tradition.
So, let's start in order.
River Island, also referred to as «Island of the Noble Land», is also a district. Basically, as I said earlier, the administration of the city and the region is located here.
Further, the «banking district». There are banks, firms and other offices responsible for money circulation. The district branch and the regional goverence of the Asura Royal Treasury are also located here.
In the «shopping district» are, oddly enough, companies or their representative offices. Most importantly, there are not only companies from Asura, but also foreign ones. The range of services is the most diverse: agriculture, industry, insurance, cargo and passenger transportation and more.
Although I said that there are no markets as such in Bamron, there is a «market district». Basically, these are shops and stalls, also with a varied assortment. Strong competition is the order of the day here.
There are also regular living districts. The contingent in them varies depending on the distance from the center. Noble people live closer to the center, and farther from the center, well, not noble, ordinary and not very. And yet, they somehow manage to get along together.
Walking down the street, we stumbled upon my guys. Till, Hajo and Willy stood together near the lamppost, clearly out of breath. Somehow, they saw me.
“Oswald!” Till called out to me.
Oh, Christina and I got into such a talk that I completely forgot that I literally disappeared under their noses. It became very awkward. They ran up to us.
“You! Where were you?!”
Apparently, he was so angry that he did not notice either a fresh scar on my face or a bloody shirt. But Hajo and Willy seem to have noticed, and it immediately showed up on their faces.
“Oswald, what happened to you?” Hajo asked me.
“It’s okay, guys. I just…”
“«It’s okay»?! You dumped God knows where! Because of you we ruined the whole day while we were looking for you!”
“By the way, who is this?” asked Willy casually.
“This is Christina, Lehmann's daughter.”
“Good evening,” she greeted.
“What are you,” Till objected. “Did you decide to follow some girl?”
“Choose your words, you redneck!” Christina objected.
“Don't you dare to command me here, no one asked you at all!”
“How are you talking to me?” having said this, Christina's fist flew over the top of Till.
“Hoots!”
As a result of not the most pleasant talk, a brawl began again. However, nothing new. Although this time, Hajo tried to shield Till from excessive assault. On the other hand, Christina did not limit herself in her movements. At the same time, Willy stood by and watched the situation, just like me.
Suddenly, I felt something strange.
“Quiet!” I called out to the guys.
They stopped and began to look at me.
I tried to listen to the surrounding space, as if I was trying to track down something, to discover. My intuition did not fail me. Our presence in the city was noticed.
Suddenly, people appeared from nearby lanes. 4 or 5 man. Or rather, they did not even appear, they ran out. They ran towards us. One by one, they began to twist the guys to the ground, including me.
“There is! Commander, we've got them!”
“Is Miss Lehmann safe?”
“The clothes are damaged, but there are no wounds.”
“What are you doing?!” Cristina screamed in fear.
“Don't worry, Miss Lehmann, you're completely safe.”
“Commander, the carriages are ready.”
“Great, load them.”
Bags were placed over our heads. One thing became clear to me: now we were kidnapped. I began to resist.
“Commander, one is breaking out.”
“So what are you standing for? Knock him out.”
With a sharp blow to the head, I was again sent into an unconscious state.
Part 2
“Are you normal?”
“Hey, why are you hitting?”
“Moron, what are you teaching a child?!”
“Listen, what's wrong?”
“«What’s wrong»?”
“Well, I showed him how to work with animals, nothing terrible happened.”
“Do you understand what you're saying? He's a baby at all, and you put a knife in his hands!”
“You told me to adapt him to village life, so I began to adapt him.”
“Not in that way! Who teaches kids how to kill?”
“Listen, this is what he got from you. Killing is when a person is killed, but an animal is not. They don't even understand it.”
“You need to see a psychiatrist!”
…
“Mom, why are you yelling at uncle?”
“Your uncle is a moron!”
“Uncle is not a moron. He taught me how to get food.”
“Oh, he broke your whole psyche!”
“He didn’t break anything, Mom.”
“Oh, sunshine…”
“Mom, don't yell at uncle. Better make peace, as you taught me, on little fingers.”
“…”
“Mom?”
“Ugh! Enough!”
…
“Listen, you’re great, of course, but you don’t need to get involved in such talks. It's an adult problem, you know?”
“I wanted to help…”
“I believe that you wanted to. That's what I'm saying, well done.”
“Thanks…”
“Listen, well, it wasn’t scary, was it?”
“No.”
“And the broth turned out delicious, right?”
“Yes, it was delicious!”
“Well, fine. You know, don't worry. When you grow up, I'll take you somewhere. You'll like it.”
…
Thank you, Uncle…
…
Part 3
And again I began to come to my senses.
I found myself in a small room, the walls of which were made of stone bricks. There were no windows in it, and the only source of light was a lamp that stood on a table in the middle of the room. I felt like we were clearly below ground level.
I was tied to a wooden chair with ropes. Not so strong that I was completely immobilized, but strong enough that it was impossible to get off the chair just like that.
As I began to look around the room, I noticed that several people were watching my awakening. To be more precise, two: one in a shirt with thread embroidered patterns and trousers, the other in iron armor. The one who was dressed like a noble and sat across from me was about the same age as me. The thought formed immediately, and I voiced it.
“Are you Marcus?” I asked.
“You are perceptive.”
He continued to sit with his arms folded, looking more at the table than at me. He somehow tried to avoid eye contact.
“Where I am?”
“You are in no position to ask questions right now.”
“Yah? Really?”
Marcus' face changed, he became more serious. My words clearly hurt his feelings, or, to be more precise, his feeling of authority.
“I see you have completely lost your fear here.” Marcus said, leaning across the table toward me. “You and your associates were spotted next to my sister on the outskirts of the city, exactly at the moment when the search began because of her disappearance. Do you know what it means?”
I decided to listen to him and keep silent.
“That means I can charge you with kidnapping. I can execute you, understand?”
At the same time, the man in armor pulled his sword out of its scabbard a little and put it back with a click, as if making it clear that he was ready to execute the sentence at any moment. But, for some reason, I did not take the words of Marcus seriously.
“What does Holger think about this?”
“Father is away, he will return only tomorrow. As long as he's gone, I'm in power. So your fate depends on me.”
Strong statement. Of course, I didn't want to check it out. Yet, there was no such desire at that time. Still, it was not worth testing the patience of such a person, so I should have handled the situation.
“Look, I don't know what you're thinking, but believe me, I didn't do anything to your sister. Okay?”
“Oh, really?” Marcus turned to me, pointing a small dagger at my shirt. “And what is this? Can you tell me whose blood is this?”
“Not Christine's, that's for sure. If you didn’t know, I saved her, actually.”
“You saved her?”
“I can tell the whole story, then you decide whether to believe me or not.”
“Depends on what you say.”
So, I told him this story. Starting from my arrival in Bamron, ending with a walk from Biashord, I told him the story from my side. He listened carefully. When my story came to an end, we sat in silence for a couple more moments.
“Why should I trust you?”
“Let's ask Christina. Or the guards. They had time to talk to her, right?”
Marcus shifted his gaze to the guard in the corner of the room.
“This is true?”
“Mister Lehmann…”
“I’m listening.”
“Miss Lehmann tried to tell us something, but we thought it was nonsense, a consequence of stress. We didn't listen to her.”
“Oh… and where is she now?”
“In her quarters.”
Marcus looked at me.
“Oswald, right?”
“Right.”
He turned to the guard.
“Untie him.”
Within a few moments I was standing in front of him. It turned out that he was slightly taller than me.
“I’ll trust you, Oswald. But if it turns out to be a lie, you won't see your head.”
So, having gained Marcus's trust, we left the interrogation room. As I expected, we were in the dungeon of the castle. In fact, my friends were in the same place. But, this became known to me much later.
We were heading to Christina's quarters. Although, it somehow sounds pathetic. In essence, we went to her room. The idea was that by that time she would have calmed down anyway, and the conversation would have been more effective.
Quite suddenly, I remembered one important detail of this story. Maid. Christina's escort, who was with her at the time of the abduction. The fate of that woman was unknown to me, which, in some way, alarmed me.
“Can I ask a question?” I asked as we walked down the hallway.
“Well, ask.”
“What about Christina's maid?”
“Are you talking about Rufian? She showed up in the afternoon and, in fact, reported the loss. Until the circ*mstances were clarified, I ordered the guards to keep an eye on her.”
Rufian. Still a beautiful name.
“Well, what's next for her?”
“I planned to execute her.”
“Stop” I thought.
“Could you repeat?”
“By her inaction, she endangered my sister's life. I think it's quite a worthy punishment.”
And again I began to think. “Is he joking now or are the local bourgeoisie all so f*cked up?”
“Listen, you can't do that.”
“Why not?”
“I know how important she is to Christina. You know too. Are you really ready to do this?”
Marcus was silent for a moment.
“If such an act is left unpunished, the consequences will be much worse. You aren’t stupid, you can understand that.”
His words sounded as cold as possible, as if the fate of a person meant little to him. For many years it was difficult for me to get used to the idea that this normal here.
“It's reckless…”
“Why are you worried about her fate? Don't forget, you're still on the list of suspects, so I wouldn't advise you to relax.”
Yet there was a detail peeping through his speech. Something like anxiety. I realized that through this it was necessary to influence him, and in a more favorable position for me.
“Then tell me, who let Christina leave the castle with just her?” I asked in a slightly condemning tone. “You have personal guards under your command. Why then did you let her go only with Rufian?”
Clearly posed question and carefully selected facts. Almost on the verge of reproach. A very good strategy. Once it crushed me, and soon I myself mastered this tactic.
Marcus stopped.
It worked.
“I… I let her go. Did you want to hear it?” Marcus replied, staring at me. At the same time, I continued to look at him. “Usually she asked our father, but he always refused her, saying that it was not safe in the city. But… when my father left and she asked me…”
I felt that every next word was difficult for him. Was I able to break through the armor of his equanimity?
“She doesn’t go anywhere outside the yard. I thought I could give her a little freedom. She asked to take Rufian with her…”
We made eye contact again.
“I just couldn't refuse her, you know? You haven't seen those eyes…”
And so I was able to speak with him on an equal footing.
Actually, I made an interesting observation. Lehmanns are very easy to win over: if there is little intelligence, then strength is needed, and if there is a lot of intelligence, then only a word is enough. And no, I am not saying that Christina Lehmann is stupid. But, it is worth saying, then she really was a frivolous person. Just don't tell her I said that, okay?
One way or another, a sense of justice prevailed over me, and I decided to calm him down. As serious as he seemed, he was still a child at the time. Let serious and responsible, but a child. At least for me.
“What happened is not your fault.”
“That's the thing, it is. I could have gone with her, but I…”
“The ruler should always be near his throne. You're still in power, right?”
He seems to appreciate such a quote.
“You couldn't foresee everything. Be glad everything is fine now.”
After talking, we moved on. I completed the task set for myself, and at least I managed to achieve some understanding. And yet, even just talking to Christina was also important, so after a while we were already standing in front of the entrance to her room.
Marcus knocked on the door.
“Marcus, is that you?”
“Yes, it's me. May I enter?”
“You may… but only one.”
We exchanged glances.
Well, the demands have been made.
Marcus walked into her room. In turn, the guard and I remained to wait for his return in the corridor. Not even a few minutes passed before screams and swearing were heard.
“Do you even know how to think with your head?”
“Christina, what are you doing?”
“Can you imagine how scared I was?! Your guards pushed me into their cart, and then forced me here!”
At that moment, a rattle of crystal was heard from the room.
“Calm down!”
“And what did you do with Oswald! What are you going to do with him?!”
“You don’t even know him for a day!”
“He did more than you that day!”
“You think I didn't do anything here?”
“And which one of you brought me to the city?”
“It's not equivalent!”
Then came the dull sound of something wooden hitting.
“Let him go, now!”
“Listen to me!”
The quarrel continued for some time.
I involuntarily looked at the guard, who, in turn, looked at me.
“Does this happen often?” I asked him.
“Often enough.”
“I see.”
The swearing still hasn't subsided.
This time there was a blow of some kind of cloth.
“Self–satisfied pimple!”
“How are you talking to me?”
“Go away! I don't want to see you!”
Marcus hurried out of the room, closing the door before a heavy object flew at him. Judging by the characteristic sound, it was an iron goblet.
While he caught his breath, we looked at each other.
Panting, Marcus straightened up.
“Not the best talk, huh?” I asked.
“Yeah…”
“So… now what?”
“I think… we should wait until tomorrow.”
“Yes, it wouldn't hurt.”
So, the dialogue with Christina was postponed until the next day.
There were already few suspicions on us, but it was impossible to let us go just like that. Therefore, Markus ordered us to gather for the night in one room. Of course, it couldn't be called a dungeon, more like a back room.
They dragged mattresses from the dungeon, put guards at the entrance.
The guys and I didn't talk much. Although, it was clear from their faces. Willy remained at a loss from what was happening, Hajo pondered what had happened, and Till was offended by me for what had happened.
A little later, I learned that Ernest slept the calmest of all that day. He stayed at a local inn when he ordered the guys to look for me. Apparently, the talk with the supplier went so well that he also did not notice the reduction in the contingent.
So we spent the night at the castle.
Part 4
How good that night was for me.
It was good because I didn't dream of anything.
No thoughts, no memories, just nothing. It was like my mind was switched off.
And how unfortunate that such an idyll was interrupted by purposeful pushes to the side.
“Oswald, wake up!” Christina woke me up in a whisper.
Opening my eyes, I got up and looked around. Christina was kneeling beside me. Somehow she was able to convince the guards to let her inside. What's more, she managed to walk up to me unnoticed by the others, without waking anyone along the way.
“Wake up!” She continued speaking in a whisper.
“Why are you screaming?”
“Shh! Follow me!”
“Where?”
“I'll show you something interesting!”
Pulling me off the mattress, she led me along. We walked along corridors, lit and dim, wide and narrow. Finally, we came to the stairs of one of the towers of the castle. As I walked up the stairs, I felt more and more how high we were climbing. Climbing up, I opened a panoramic view of the city, the surroundings.
“And why did you wake me up so early?” I asked through a yawn.
“It will be something special, be patient a little!”
She pointed to the east. Mountain peaks were barely visible on the horizon.
We began to wait, continuing to look to the east.
Five minutes, ten minutes, half an hour passed… I lost count, to be honest.
“Look!” She suddenly exclaimed.
The sun began to slowly rise from behind the mountains. The rays of the heavenly body began to illuminate the nearby district, fields, houses, trees. Pleasant, fresh air blew.
“It's beautiful, isn't it?” Christina asked me.
“Yes. There is something in this.”
“I come here almost every morning.”
“To watch the sunrise?”
“I like to watch the sun rise.”
“Even so?”
“Yes. It gives a reminder that each new day starts with a clean slate, that there are so many things to do before the sun sets again.”
“Strong thought.”
“Yeah.”
We continued to watch the morning dawn.
“Today’s sunrise is special because it marks a special day.”
“What is it?”
Christina turned to me.
“Today is my tenth birthday.”
Needless to say, this news stunned me. I was so unprepared for it.
“Oh! Well, uh, happy birthday? I honestly don't know what to say!”
“Hee hee, it's all right, Oswald.”
“Listen, I don’t even have anything to give you.”
“You don't have to worry about that. You've done so much already.”
It was a very embarrassing feeling. It was even difficult for me to adequately look into her eyes.
“So what are you planning to do now?” She asked me.
“Well, if they let us go, then we will return to Hegenwald.”
“Are you leaving so soon?”
“It turns out that it is.”
“I thought you could stay a little longer.”
“A little?”
“At least for today!”
“I do not know. What will your father say? And Marcus?”
“I think this nuance can be solved.”
We descended from the tower, and after a while the whole company gathered in the dining room. This is a separate room where the owners of the castle dine separately from the rest. Me, the guys, Christina and Marcus, and a few servants who were standing near the door, were all nearby.
The further fate of our stay there was being decided.
Marcus spoke first.
He stood out among all of us. On that morning he was already dressed in a kind of strict, white dress uniform, so solemn and noticeable to the eye. This is a distinctive detail of the Lehmann family. Such outfits are worn by all men of the family on the occasion of important holidays.
However, people who know history do not experience such a strong awe of these robes. It was this uniform that Helmut II wore at the very moment when he signed the peace treaty with the Asura Kingdom. For such people, this is rather a bashful reminder of those years.
“I have thought about everything that has been said for a long time, and I came to the conclusion that your conscience is clear.”
Marcus walked over to me.
“I can only thank you for what you have done, Oswald.”
“Always happy to help.”
He turned to everyone else.
“I have already explained the legend to the servants, so I will repeat it for you. Nothing happened yesterday. It's clear? Nothing. Yesterday was a simple, ordinary day: Christina did not go out anywhere, and you just came to city on business.”
We looked at each other and nodded at the same time.
“Alright. I'm glad you understood.”
Marcus went to the window.
“You probably don't need to explain. Since there was nothing, then no reward is due.”
It sounded insulting, but, from the point of view of logic, it is fair. We nodded.
“As soon as you're ready, leave immediately.”
“Well, wait!” Christina objected.
“What?”
“Why don't they stay here for today?”
“For what reason?”
“I think it would be a good reward for «nothing». Yet, today is a special day.”
Cristina stepped closer to Marcus.
“Father will return in the afternoon. How should I explain to him the presence of strangers?”
“Well, who said they are strangers? Let's say that these are wandering bards invited to perform a magical show.”
“Magical?”
“Why not? I have already observed Oswald's magic, which means that it should be no worse for the rest.”
At that moment, there was nothing more to say to anyone. Silence.
“If you don’t believe us,” Hajo suddenly said. “We could show you our skills.”
“No, no and, one more time, no!” Till said. “The offer is tempting, but we have to go. It was a pleasure to meet you. We wish you all the best! We return to Hegenwald.”
Gesticulating along the way, Till headed towards the exit.
“Wait!” I exclaimed. “Why such a hurry?”
“Have you forgotten? Adler and Braun are probably already looking for us, and Ern is still in the orphanage, sick. We have already spent too much time here, and I did not plan to stay longer.”
Hajo decided to intervene.
“Till, the northern route to Hegenwald will take at least a day. Even if we leave right now, it is unlikely to affect the time.”
Northern route. This is the poetic name of one of the transport routes of Dreor. It is an arcuate road running along the Erdevol–Berghof–Wildort axis. The same road, by which we, in fact, arrived in Bamron.
“Think about it,” Willy said, coming closer to Till. “When will we have the opportunity to visit a place like this again?”
Till look at all three of us, after which he chuckled.
“Well,” Willy said, turning around. “We agree to your proposal to perform today!”
“But, do we know how to perform?” Hajo asked in a whisper.
“What is there to know? Let's show a few tricks.”
“I don't remember there being such spells.”
“It doesn't matter. The main thing is that it would spectacular!”
Christina clapped her hands happily.
We decided to stay at the castle.
Part 5
We were fed breakfast. Admittedly, the level of food of the nobility is significantly higher than that of ordinary people. The dishes were such that they could not be compared with the stew that was given out in the orphanage.
Until the evening we suddenly had free time.
While the guys went outside to demonstrate their magic spell skills, I was allowed to stay inside. Moreover, I was allowed to enter the Lehmanns' personal library. In the library I found useful, in general, information. In particular, about the features of Dreor before and after the merger with Asura.
First of all, the language. Dreor's dialect stood out from the rest of the continent's dialects. While the rest of the continent's languages merged into the now known human language, Dreor tried to keep its own. Ultimately, the full integration of the region with the rest of the language system of the Central Continent happened only after the war.
What can we say; the very name of the Principality – Dreor – came from this language. While other states were named after their ruling dynasties, the name «Dreor» appeared as a result of an abbreviation of some phrase, it seems, a motto, meaning «common unity will endure».
The most surprising thing for me personally is that, somehow, the Dreor language is very similar to German. Although some grammar rules differ along with pronunciation, in general, similar words can be distinguished.
However, the fully–fledged language of Dreor was preserved only in local toponyms. Dreor speaks and writes purely human language. However, the language did not completely disappear. So, in the north of the region in some villages, like Wanderdorf or Berghof, they use something like a hybrid between human language and Dreor language.
Also, the north and south of the region use a different pronunciation from the rest. In a sense, it is more archaic, similar to Dreor phonetics. This surprised Christina when we met. She is a native of the center, where the «pure» pronunciation.
The influence of human language was significant. Pay attention to the names of settlements in the central part of the region. Zane, Groaton, Biashord, Crepas, Tuglado, and even Bamron are human language names that appeared after the war. They arose because of immigrants from other regions of the Kingdom.
By the way, about Bamron.
In fact, it is a planned city. Initially, only the island of the Noble Land was inhabited, and then it was more like a fortress than a city. It was here that the peace treaty was signed. Then fame began to come to this place, immigrants appeared, the population grew, and now it is the capital of the region.
For this reason, Bamron has a clear block structure, and the streets run parallel to each other, and not chaotically, as in other cities.
As for other cities, the situation is simpler here. I have already told the story of the appearance of the word «Hegenwald». But earlier Gezida had a different name. «Gezid» was the first city of the Principality, the first capital, was and remains the cultural heritage of Dreor. And the modification happened, again, because of human language and its influence.
The human language does not spare vowels.
It is also worth mentioning another feature.
Surnames.
In the Asura Kingdom, people of high society most often have surnames: these are the royal family, nobles, lords and people close to them. In ordinary people, surnames practically do not occur, only first names. Although, it is worth saying that this practice is widespread everywhere.
As you might have guessed, Dreor is a unique place in this regard.
Everyone here has a last name. In ancient times, any family was considered important, regardless of what stratum of society it belongs to, and it was believed that any family should be immortalized with a surname.
If a person in Dreor does not have a surname, then there are only two logical justifications for this. First: a person is a migrant from another region. Second: a person from birth does not have a family, that is, either the family abandoned him, or died immediately after birth, or the circ*mstances of birth are unknown. As you might guess, the second case applies to me. None of the children in the orphanage had a last name.
Because of this, it often turns out that the natives look slightly down on those who do not have a surname. Not that it turns into outright persecution or segregation, but you can still feel some tension.
Although, even this problem is easily solved. You can get married, or make adjustments to some documents. You can, in the end, lie. Plenty of exits.
While I was proofreading all this, I noticed someone enter the library.
As I approached the entrance, a woman appeared in front of me. Young, slender, with ears like a dog and a tail.
Didn't have to guess. And yet, she was the first to start the talk.
“You… must be Mr. Oswald?”
What a sudden turn of events. So sudden it almost knocked me off my feet. Never before have I been treated like this.
“Um… yeah? And you, I guess, are Rufian?”
“Indeed.”
“Christina told me about you.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. Have you come for a reason?”
Her face paled slightly, and she began to breathe faster. Clutching her apron with her hands, she leaned sharply in front of me and said:
“I'd like to thank you for standing up for me!”
She stood hunched over for a few more moments, her tail wagging from side to side. And at that moment, exactly one thought ran through my head: “What?”
“Sorry, but I do not understand you.”
“Your words convinced the young master! If it weren't for you, I would definitely have been kicked out of the yard!”
She didn't seem to know. So that's great. She obviously shouldn't have known what Marcus told me that night.
“I am sincerely grateful to you,” she continued. “I am ready to fulfill any of your wishes!”
It began to dawn on me that the situation was going to the extreme. Not a very favorable extreme. Therefore, I decided to stop the further development of such events.
“W–Wait! No need to worry about this!”
“Sorry?”
“What happened yesterday is not your fault, and you couldn’t have foreseen this anyway! I just told Marcus the truth, that's all! Please, get up already!”
She really straightened up.
“You are so kind…”
“You don't have to say that!”
When we both calmed down, we continued the talk.
“So what exactly happened?”
“Young mistress wanted to pick out her own outfits for today's evening, and she asked me to show her some place for this. I suggested going to Kudou’s House on the right bank. I thought it was a safe place, but… I was wrong.”
I could still see the feeling of guilt on her face.
“As you said? Whose house?”
“«Kudou’s House». This is a well-established company that specializes in high quality clothing. There is a branch in Bamron.”
“I see. So this Kudou is…”
“The owner of this company, yes. In the Kingdom, Kudou has many branches.”
“Interesting.”
I began to look at her face.
“You know, Rufian, you have an interesting accent.”
She blushed a little.
“Is it that noticeable? Sorry. I have been learning the language for so many years, but I still don’t succeed perfectly.”
“It’s okay.”
“To tell the truth, you have an interesting accent too.”
“I'm from the north of the region, that's why it's so noticeable. What about you? Where are you from?”
“All beastmen are natives of the Great Forest.”
“Great Forest? Is that the one on Millis?”
“Right.”
“My friend Hajo talked a lot about Millis. I think you have something to talk about.”
“Oh, what is it? Could you let me see?”
She leaned towards me and began to study the amulet given by Hajo, which had been hanging around my neck for a year.
“This? This is a gift from Hajo, an amulet.”
“This is no ordinary amulet. This is the ward of the Church of Milis. These are usually given by the clergy. Even though it is not made by the hands of a master, it is a rather neat work.”
“Can you understand it?”
“I have seen many such amulets.”
“I see.”
“I have to say, your friend did a great job.”
We exchanged glances.
At that moment, something clicked in my head. A thought arose that I perceived as both paramount and unacceptable at the same time. My mind seemed to be screaming at me to think it over, but it seems that at that moment I decided not to listen to the voice of reason.
Only one thing caught my attention.
Rufian’s ears.
“Can I… touch them?” I asked, looking down at her ears.
“Oh. Of course.”
I gently reached out to them, and began to feel them, touch them. Massaging her ears, I noticed how she closed her eyes, and her tail wagged from side to side. Her ears were pleasant to the touch: soft fur, and under it delicate skin. At some point, she exhaled slightly, a slight moan was heard.
“What the hell are you doing? Stop it now!” I thought to myself.
“S–Sorry!” I said, pulling my hand away from her.
“Oh. Don’t worry.”
“I didn't mean to cause any inconvenience!”
“Everything is fine. I must say, it was even pleasant.”
“Really?”
“Yes. You know, you are somewhat like the mistress. She also likes to play with my ears sometimes.”
She rose to her full height again.
“I’m glad it's all settled now, Rufian.”
“Thank you again, Mr. Oswald.”
At that moment, almost knocking down the door, Willy ran into the library.
“Oswald! Where are you?”
“What? Is it almost evening already?”
“Yes. Let's help us prepare the hall!”
“Hall?”
“Today’s celebration will take place in the main hall,” Rufian interrupted.
“Do you have one?”
“Yes.”
“Come on! We still need to prepare the performance!”
Part 6
The resulting banquet looked wonderful.
Every table, every sit, every dish, everything was checked exactly according to the lists. A lot of things were prepared, and quite a few guests were expected. The guests are very different: other nobles, high ranks and their retinues.
By the way, we ourselves have adjusted ourselves to this level of guests. Instead of wrinkled shirts and trousers, we changed into courtesy borrowed suits to match our legend of the bards. And it is worth saying that during the day we managed to prepare several tricks for our performance.
Away from the evening bustle stood Till.
I decided to talk to him.
“How are you?”
“Fine.”
“Listen, about what happened. I'm sorry.”
Without saying a word, only slightly sighing, Till turned around.
“I’m sorry this happened,” I continued.
“Nevermind.”
I decided to change the topic of conversation.
“Today we will perform in front of the public, right?”
“We will. By the way, are you ready?”
“I have a few tricks that should work.”
“Good. Watch out, don’t kill anyone by accident.”
And again the focus of attention, and again on the ears. Till’s thin, long elven ears.
“You know, when you get angry, your ears twitch so funny.”
Realizing what was said, Till immediately covered his ears with his hands.
“What are you saying!”
“Am I going to lie?”
“Fool!”
I laughed a little. With my laughter, I made Till laugh too. In the end, I managed to lift his spirits.
After a while, near the gates of the castle, we heard swearing. As it turned out later, this was not a very pleasant discussion between Ernest and the guards. Till and I decided to come and have a look.
“Oh, guys, you're still here!” Ernest exclaimed. “I told you! Let me go, I’ll take them!”
“Strangers are not allowed.”
“What a stranger I am to you! Kids, tell this idiot!”
Suddenly Marcus showed up.
“What's going on here?”
“Mister Lehmann, a stranger is trying to enter the castle grounds.”
“I’m not a stranger!”
I turned to Marcus.
“This is Ernest. I talked about him.”
“Is that him? Let him in.”
“Yes,” said the guard.
Looking askance at the guards, Ernest came up to us.
“Oswald, where have you gone? Yesterday you were lost, and today I look, neither you nor the guys are gone.”
He noticed the scar that had formed on my face.
“And what's on your face? Anyway, pack the guys and let's get out of here.”
“But we can’t!”
“Why?”
“Let me explain,” Marcus said. “Dear Ernest, your guys have agreed to perform at my sister’s birthday celebration today.”
Ernest was taken aback.
“Oh. That’s it?”
“That's right.”
“Well, then…”
I decided to join the conversation.
“Perhaps Ernest could attend, too?”
Marcus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“How am I going to explain this to my father…? Well, we'll sit him somewhere aside,” Marcus said in a whisper, after which he continued in his normal voice. “Would you like to attend tonight?”
Ernest was clearly surprised.
“Um… of course?”
“Good. Can you carry it out?” Marcus asked, turning to us.
“Of course. Won't you come with us?”
“I need to stay here. I need to meet one person.”
“Understood.”
We went to accompany Ernest, leading him in such ways as not to cross paths with the guests of higher society.
“Ernest, how did you understand that we are here?”
“Well, last night we… let's just say we had a good talk with the supplier. As it turns out, he has many friends, and his friends are his eyes and ears. And those eyes and ears knew you were here. That's how I found you.”
“It's funny.”
“Yeah. And how did you get here?”
“Let’s just say we did the Lehmanns a favor.”
“This is good. By the way,” leaning towards me, Ernest said in a whisper. “You are paid for this, right?”
“This banquet is our fee for a favor.”
“I see. Eh, you don't know how to bargain. Caleb would be upset if he knew.”
Slyly twisting my face into a smile, I turned to Ernest.
“But Caleb doesn’t need to know about that, does he?”
Taking my hint, Ernest twisted the same sly smile and laughed.
Bringing Ernest to the hall, seating him in a secluded place, Till went back to the guys to prepare for the upcoming performance. I should have followed him too, but instead I decided to head back to the gate and watch Marcus.
Taking an inconspicuous position, I began to observe.
A carriage passed through the gates of the castle walls. At a stop in the yard, a tall man of strong build, in the same dress uniform as Marcus, got out of it. Stepping out of the carriage, he approached Marcus, who was patiently waiting for him.
“Hello, father.”
“Hello, Marcus. I’m not late?”
“No, the festive evening is just beginning.”
“This is good. Sorry for the wait, there’s been a hitch in Sehaug.”
“I understand. The guests are waiting for you.”
“They’ll wait a bit more. I need to go to the office, will you come with me?”
“Of course.”
I continued to watch them all the way to Holger’s office.
“How is Christina?”
“She is doing well.”
“I see…”
“I wanted to warn you, we decided to invite…”
“Marcus.”
“Yes, father?”
“You didn’t sort out the documents, did you?”
“The documents? I do not understand. Maybe I didn’t notice them. Anyway…”
Standing close to Holger’s office, being close enough, I heard the sound of a slap to the face and the subsequent fall. There was silence for a few moments.
“You knew that your father would have a lot to do, but you didn’t even think of simply sorting out a couple of stacks?!”
“I’m sorry, father…”
“Oh, what a mess. Okay, there’s no time to be angry today. We must go.”
After listening, I did not notice how Holger and Marcus left the office and stumbled upon me standing in the corridor.
“And what is this young man?”
“I was going to tell you about it, father. This is one of the bards we invited. They will perform with magic tricks.”
“Even so?”
“Good evening, Mr. Lehmann,” I said. “My name is Oswald.”
Holger looked at my face for a long time. I honestly didn’t know how to answer this. Marcus, too, was clearly not ready for this. Finally, after standing like this for a little longer, Holger’s face changed. He even cheered up a little.
“Oswald? Good. Are you going to perform at Christina's birthday?”
“T-That's right. Me and three others.”
“I look forward to your performance.”
We parted. Having gathered with the guys a little later, we entered the hall.
Everyone has already gathered: the guests, the servants, and even the hero of the occasion herself - Christina.
After a series of congratulations and solemn speeches, the beginning of our performance was announced.
Part 7
You may be wondering: how to perform mesmerizing magic tricks without having knowledge of high ranks of magic?
The answer is actually quite simple.
So, if you are going to perform magic tricks in front of a high society audience, then first of all you need to relax, because the likelihood that these people understand the principles of magic ranks at all is extremely small, and therefore it is unlikely that they will be able to understand what is in front of they are an amateur.
Next, you need to choose the schools with which you plan to work. In our case, we used the magic of water, fire and air. Earth magic was not used, as it would have been ineffective under those conditions.
And then proceed according to generally accepted practice. Save face, show everyone your confidence. Even if something does not go according to plan, do not show it. Present it as if it was originally intended.
I acquired this knowledge thanks to the year of my stay at the local KVN * of our university. I still remember how I was able to raise laughter among the entire audience, while managing to stray several times from the script. Even if it wasn’t so interesting to me then, now I remember those years of my then youth with warmth in my soul.
The first duet was Hajo and Willy.
«Fire juggling». First, a small fireball was created. The ball, as it were, was thrown from hand to hand, thrown to a partner, forced to «roll» over the shoulders, and so on. Then gradually the number of such balls grew. The speed and density of movement of such balls also increased. Ultimately, a large rotating ring of fire was created from the same fireballs. The ring was of such a size that it almost reached the ceiling. Result: the audience was delighted, followed by applause.
Then it was Till's turn.
«Water Stream». Several water balls were created that began to rotate around. Under the action of centrifugal force, the water lost its spherical shape, turning into a single stream. After that, a single jet of flow can be directed along any trajectory. Along the way, this stream can be divided, shaped. If desired, these streams can be drawn through various light sources so that it is effectively distorted and shimmers on the walls. As a result, the audience also did not remain indifferent.
Then it was my turn.
«Veil». I also created some water balls. With fire magic, I was able to vaporize them. At the same time, with air magic, I tried to keep the resulting steam so that it would not dissolve in the surrounding space. The formed clumps of steam rose upward, sideways, so that upon reaching the height they would dissolve along a palm-shaped trajectory. This happened several times. The final stage was the creation of a large clot of steam, lifting it up and rapidly spreading across the floor with the formation of a kind of veil. The result is applause.
Our tricks didn't take too long, but there were breaks in between so the guests could make speeches, eat, and eventually have some privacy. In this regard, the total time of this procession took about an hour. Still, it's strange that we were introduced as bards, considering that we never performed a single song. But we also could not be called clowns, so there are no complaints.
Compliments poured in Holger's direction for putting on a show.
As a reward, we were given portions from the festive table. We ate in the same place as Ernest, in a corner of the hall, away from the eyes of the guests.
When the festive evening began to come to an end and the guests began to disperse, I found myself alone with Holger at his invitation. We were in his office. The high ceiling, the same high cabinets and wooden walls, plus the warm light from the candles, created an amazing effect.
“I must say, Oswald, it was a good performance.”
“Thank you.”
“I confess that I rarely see mages.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It is very surprising that you were in Bamron at this time.”
Rufian entered the room with a tray.
“Mr. Lehmann, your tea, as you requested,” she said, coming up to us and placing the tray on the table.
Holger's face changed a little. He approached Rufian.
“Thank you very much,” Holger hummed softly, putting his arm around her waist.
“Mr. Lehmann, not here…” Rufian answered in a whisper.
“You're right. Then we'll continue tonight.”
“Okay…”
Rufian left the room. I stayed behind, staring at Holger.
Even such a small scene was enough for me to understand the essence of local relations. Remember, I mentioned that Rufian took care of Christina and, in a sense, was able to replace her dead mother? So, I’m not hinting at anything, but it seems to me that she also replaced Holger's dead wife, at least in terms of marital duty.
Before I had time to think it all through, Holger suddenly turned to me.
“She’s beautiful, right?”
“Sorry?”
“I mean, she’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
“Well, I don’t know…”
“You can talk calmly, it will remain between us. So?”
“You are right, she is beautiful.”
“Undoubtedly.”
Holger took the tea from the tray and went to the window.
“Yes, Rufian is a beautiful woman. She really tries hard to make sure Marcus and Christina are doing well.”
Saying this, he lightly took a sip of tea from his cup.
“Although, it’s worth saying that all beastmen are beautiful in their own way.”
“You think so?”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
“Honestly, the idea of hiring her was not mine.”
“Not yours?”
“That's right, not mine. Sauros suggested this to me.”
“Sauros?”
“Sauros Boreas Greyrat. Lord, head of the Fittoa region.”
“Is that the one east of Dreor?”
“Yes, Oswald. By the way, I invited him to this evening, but, for some reason, he didn't come. Maybe he's busy, or maybe he just didn't read the letter.”
“That’s pity.”
“I wouldn't say so. To be honest, he's pretty noisy. This is a very selfish person. He would obviously have an argument with someone here.”
“Alright.”
“So, where was I? Ah, right. So, one day we met with him. It happened when my wife died after giving birth. He consoled me for a long time, expressed words of sympathy. He suggested that it would be difficult with household chores, so…”
He sighed a little, and then drank his tea again.
“So?”
“So he advised me to go to the slave market.”
At that moment, not even my heart skipped a beat, but my consciousness. To be honest, my opinion of this man was about to change.
“Sorry, I don't seem to fully understand. Did you go to the slave market?”
“Yes. Then I went to the capital. Then I found her…”
“And you bought her.”
“Right.”
There was silence for a moment.
“That might seem wrong to you, Oswald. I can see on your face that you're obviously not happy about this. But, you know, I do not want to treat her like a product or an object. For her and Christina, I created the legend that it was I who hired Rufian, and the ransom from slavery was something of a gesture of goodwill.”
Holger came up to me.
“Is that how?”
“Right. So far, I manage to keep this legend alive. And yet, Marcus knows the whole truth, but does not tell. Can I expect the same from you?”
“You can.”
“Excellent. Thanks Oswald.”
“You said Marcus knows the truth. This means…”
“When I brought Rufian to the castle, he immediately became suspicious of something. Finally, I broke before him. I don't know why, but he has some sort of dislike for Rufian. Perhaps due to the fact that she spent more time with Christina than with him. Perhaps he simply could not accept her as a mother.”
Then he moved away from me and walked closer to the table.
“Understand.”
“Don't get me wrong, I want to rise worthy members of society from my children. Not that I wanted to use the methods of the same Sauros. I have no idea how poor Philip survives with such a father. But I don’t want to forget about rigor and discipline either. Therefore, I try to keep the same temper of Marcus in check.”
Holger sat down at the table.
“Is that why you hit Marcus today?”
“Hm?”
“I heard it in the corridor. Did you seriously hit him over some papers?”
He sighed slightly.
“There were no papers at all. It was just a farce.”
“Then… why?”
“For letting Christine go and for what he was going to do to Rufian.”
I was a little surprised.
“Excuse me?”
“Look, Oswald, when you really want to take care of someone, your eyes and ears will be everywhere. I know very well what happened yesterday.”
“But Marcus said he made arrangements with the castle servants so you wouldn't know anything.”
“Do you think they listened to him?”
“Huh?”
“He thinks he has vast power. But that's just how it seems to him. More to the point, no one would let him actually execute either you or Rufian. But still, he should have been punished for such insolence, if you know what I mean.”
He cheered up a little.
“And now what?”
“What now? Let Marcus remain in happy ignorance. Did I tell you this would remain between us?”
“That's it…”
“That's right.”
“So, you know…”
“Yes, I know who exactly saved Christina. There are no words of gratitude that I would like to say to you, Oswald.”
“Oh, please…”
“Anyway, thank you so much, Oswald.”
“It's not worth it. By the way, have you already dealt with the kidnappers?”
“I sent a detachment to check in Biashord, but there are no results. Apparently they have already fled.”
“I see.”
Suddenly, Christina ran into the office.
“Christina, I told you not to come in without knocking!”
“Sorry, dad! I’m here for Oswald!”
“What?” I asked.
“Come on, I want to show you something!”
“Again?”
“Again!”
Christina pulled me by the hand.
“Oswald,” Holger called me.
Christina and I stopped.
“If you need anything, let me know.”
It was a kind of hint regarding a possible reward. Realizing this, I nodded to him in response, after which Christina again dragged me along with her. Ultimately, she took me to her room.
Before me appeared the consequences of the mess, or rather, what was left of it. Still, they managed to clean the room in a day.
“And why did you bring me here?”
“I want to give you a gift!”
“Gift?”
“I am generous today, so this will be my gratitude to you for today and yesterday. Here!”
She handed me a silver medallion on a chain.
“Today it was among the gifts, but I thought it would suit you better.”
She put the medallion around my neck.
It was heavy but light enough. Felt comfortable on the neck. I looked into her contented face.
“You know,” I said. “Usually, when someone is given something, he replies in kind. So that…”
“Hm?”
I took off the amulet that Hajo had made and hung it around Christina's neck. In terms of performance, it was, of course, inferior to the medallion, but I regarded it as a worthy equivalent.
“I think it suits you too.”
“Hee hee, I will keep it as a reminder of our meeting.”
She quieted down a bit.
“So, are you leaving already?”
“Yes, it's time for us to go back.”
“And I was hoping you'd stay here longer.”
“We've already delayed as much as possible.”
“And that's right.”
I walked up to Christina and patted her lightly on the shoulder.
“Remember to take care of yourself, okay?”
“Good. But…”
“Hm?”
“Can you at least send me letters?”
At that moment, my slyness again took over me, and with the appropriate face, I asked:
“What, fell in love with me or what?”
“Fool!”
As the answer was received a blow to the top of the head.
Even now, I can't understand her mindset back then.
However, after recovering, I asked again:
“Then why?”
“What if we need some help from you? You always have to be in touch.”
“Yeah. Of course…”
She came up to me and helped me recover from the blow.
“Promise you'll take care of yourself too.”
“I promise.”
Having gathered together, once again saying goodbye to the others, we left the city. Hegenwald was waiting for us.
Here is such a story. I repeat, you can believe it, you can not, in any case, you are unlikely to succeed in proving the above.
Part 8
…
“Listen, do you even know what’s going on?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Some kind of crap happened in Berlin, right now all the authorities are on alert.”
“Yeah. The political officer, like if wounded in the ass, is now running around the garrison, demanding that the personnel be checked.”
“What do you think they are going to withdraw us?”
“Eh, I don’t know. They withdrawed our boys from Afghanistan, maybe they’ll withdraw us too.”
…
“Hey, there your German came to you.”
“Yes? Where is he?”
“Waiting for you at the barracks.”
…
“[Hey, what happened?]”
“[…]”
“[I'm actually surprised how they let you through at the checkpoint. Our bosses are worried as f*ck now, you know. Do you need something?]”
“[…]”
“[…]”
“[That bitch…]”
“[Huh?]”
“[When the wall fell in Berlin... She had gone... With some Wessi...]”
“[Oh…]”
“[She called me recently, told me about it and said we were breaking up…]”
“[I'm… really sorry.]”
“[But I, an idiot, transferred almost all marks I had to her… And how much I spent on the ring… I didn’t have even a pfennig left…]” **
“[Listen, well, this is not a reason to grieve because of some kind of whor*. It's not the end of the world. You will definitely find a girl better than her.]”
“[You really don't understand?]”
“[Hm?]”
“[My country is dying… the GDR is bursting at the seams…]”
“[…]”
“[Who will need me? These Wessi will definitely throw me out of everywhere…]”
“[But you are a valuable employee! Consider you an officer! You will obviously be useful… I think…]”
“[What about you?]”
“[Me?]”
“[You said the bosses are worried… Are you going to leave?]”
“[I don't know. Most likely. Besides, my term of service is almost over…]”
“[That's how...]”
“[Hey, where are you going?]”
“[I… will also be leaving soon…]”
“[…]”
“[Hey… Just asking you… Remember about this place, about the Völkernacht… About me…]”
“[…]”
“[Goodbye…]”
…
…
…
Why?
“Damn it! Call the doctors!”
“What?”
“I say, call the medical unit! An unterlieutenant lies wounded on the parade ground!”
“What do you mean wounded?”
“What the hell is going on?”
“I say, the Fritz shot himself!”
“What do you mean shot himself?! How the f*ck did he managed to carry the weapon in?”
“I don’t know, right? Call the doctors!”
“Oh, f*ck!”
“What are you standing for? Call the garrison commander! Move!”
…
…
…
Why did he do this?
Was there really no other choice?
On the other hand, did I do the same?
Wait…
What if…
What if he’s here too?
Can I find him?
…
…
…
I don’t think so…
Part 9
Anyway, a day later we arrived in the city.
The first thing we did upon arrival was report to Caleb. I had to omit some points, invent others from scratch, but he accepted the final version of our small delay. He saw the signed papers, the first batch, gave us a fee for the work done.
Then we returned to the orphanage.
Ern's health did not improve. His face remained the same pale, he was still thirsty. Even his bluish blond hair was no longer so bright. His general condition could be called lethargic, as if he were in prostration.
Naturally, everyone was worried about his health. But Till was most worried about him. He was literally depressed by the grave condition of his friend. So depressed he was that he didn't say a word for the rest of the evening.
I kept my promise to Ern and gave him the medallion given by Christina. Along the way, I told him the true story of the events. It seems that he was pleased with such a souvenir.
I will remember that day forever.
It was already evening. Hajo and I decided to go to Braun.
“Hello, children.”
“Good afternoon, Mr. Braun.”
“So how was your trip?”
“In general, everything was fine,” Hajo answered.
“You know, I was a little worried. Thought you disappeared there.”
“Not that they disappeared,” I said. “There was just a hitch with the supplier.”
“I see.”
On that day, the sky was covered with clouds. Thunder was heard in the distance. Braun looked out the window, watched as the rare drops of the beginning rain began to knock on the roofs and cornices.
“The weather today is bad…”
“You're right.”
“You know, you arrived just in time.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I would like to discuss something with you.”
“We are listening.”
“Have you already thought about what you will do when you become adults?”
“Not yet.”
“In five years, you will no longer be children, and it will no longer be possible to keep you here.”
We got a little quiet.
“But, you can stay here, help and take care of other children. Work here.”
“Are you seriously?”
“Why not? You get on well with the rest of the children. Even you, Oswald, got used to some.”
Then we looked at each other.
“I can report it to the others and ask their opinion,” Hajo said.
“Of course. Go on.”
Hajo left the office. Braun came closer to me.
“I don't want your fate to be unfavorable. Most of the children who leave the walls of the orphanage often do not find a place in life. The worst part is that I can't help everyone. Can you understand, Oswald?”
“I understand. May I ask you a question?”
“Hm? Sure.”
“May I… take your last name?”
“Why is this such a decision?”
“I heard it's hard in Dreor without a last name. So I want to not stand out among the people.”
“Well, what are you talking about? Everything will be fine.”
“And yet, will you allow me?”
“If it makes you feel better, then… of course.”
Before I could answer, I heard the sound of the door opening.
Turning around, I saw several people enter the office. In the center stood an elderly man of short stature, dressed in a robe that covered half of his face. Next to him was a man, he was about thirty then, curly, slender build. In him, I immediately recognized the leader of the kidnappers. He was holding Hajo by the hand. There were two more people on either side.
“You can go now!” shouted the man and tugged on Hajo's arm, freeing him.
The man stared at me for a long time, and then moved closer.
“Well, what, kid,” he turned to me. “You thought I wouldn’t find you?”
He squeezed my shoulder with great force.
“You will answer me for a lot!”
“Eric, you don’t need to do this with the little one,” the old man grunted.
“But father! He killed Gevlett!”
“What?” Braun was surprised.
“Oh, Carl!” the old man said again. “How glad I am to hear your voice again. I'm sorry I can't see you. To be honest, I didn't think I'd find you here.”
“Have we met?”
“What, you don't recognize me as your best friend?”
“It's you…”
“That's right, Carl! You see, we had some problems and we came to fix them.”
“You said softly,” Eric said, after which he turned back to me. “Kid, do you even know how much profit you deprived us of?”
From such pressure on his part, my fist intuitively clenched, my teeth clenched, my heart beat. Immediately, I replied:
“I know. Thousand gold coins.”
“What?!” the old man was indignant. “Eric, what do I hear? Did you put such a low price on Lehmann's daughter?”
“B–But father! I thought that this amount would be enough for us to ...”
“I always knew you were an idiot, Eric. That's why even the kid could beat you.”
Eric chuckled angrily. Hajo looked at me with a wary look. Braun stood silently watching.
“By the way,” said the old man. “Bring me this kid. I want to know his face.”
Eric grabbed my hand and led me to this old man. He began to feel me, my cheeks, nose, hair, lips. It was a blind man who perceived the world tactilely.
“Huh, how young. How old are you?”
“Ten.”
“Well, well, ten years old. And you're already doing this.”
“What you want from me?”
“No need to worry. We just want to talk to you, no one will cause harm. My name is Sebastian Herrmann. And you? What's your name boy?”
“Oswald…”
Sebastian's face changed. His smile faded slowly.
“Tell me, Oswald… Who gave you that name?”
I looked at Braun. There was excitement on his face. Sebastian grabbed my arm.
“I don't hear an answer. Who?”
“Mr. Braun…”
Sebastian released me and I ran back to Hajo. Sebastian, roughly guided by hearing, turned towards Braun.
“I thought you forgot. But it turned out that your conscience tormented you all these years…”
“I don't understand,” I said. “What does that mean? You know each other?”
“Carl didn't tell you? Once, he and I were part of the same party of adventurers…”
“He told. But he said he got out of it.”
Sebastian turned back to Braun.
“Did you lie even here?”
“You wouldn't dare!”
I could not stand it. I exclaimed:
“Lied in what?!”
Sebastian turned to me.
“Do you know why you have such a name, Oswald?”
“Name?”
“Oswald… that was the name of the man who died because of Carl.”
“What?”
“Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, I, Oswald and Carl were ordinary children from Gezida. We had fun, ran after girls, swam in stinky rivers. Life was wonderful. Then, one day, we decided to create a party. We went to the capital, got the cards, and we went to complete tasks…”
He sighed.
“But one day… Carl disappeared. There was a cargo shipment through a dangerous region, a forest not cleared of monsters…”
Sebastian stepped closer to me.
“The three of us could have defended, after all, he was a swordsman. But there were only two of us. And so, driving through the forest, we were surrounded by a flock of monsters. Help was nowhere to be found.”
Braun closed his eyes.
“The cart was destroyed in trash. Oswald was torn to shreds. Miraculously, I was able to get out of there.”
Sebastian took another step.
“Oswald lost his life. I lost my sight.”
Silence reigned in the office.
“For a long time I thought that Carl just chickened out. That he didn’t want to take risks and just ran away... But within a few months, I found out that he was with that girl. Vlad Conde.”
“Who is it?” I asked.
“You don't know? Well, you are forgiven to not know her. It is now at least something is known about her that she is a traveler. And then it was generally difficult to find out anything about her. She twirled next to him, that's for sure. The only thing I know for sure is that she gave Carl some important book. Something about spells. This is very valuable material.”
Braun interrupted.
“Do not judge her work!”
“Do you want me to change my mind because of some whor*?”
“Don't you dare call her that! Or I…”
“Or what? Heh. Do it. Attack the defenseless, blind old man!”
“You…”
The tension in the room grew stronger. In addition, the thunderstorm passing outside the window began to sound stronger.
“Carl was not the man you might have imagined, Oswald. He thought that with you, he could atone for his death. But he just ran away, hid here.”
I looked at Braun.
“Oswald… I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you.”
Hajo was still confused.
“Well, Carl? You are responsible for these children, aren't you? It didn't work out with the Lehmanns, maybe you can make amends for the damages?”
Hajo stepped back. With his elbow, he touched the stand on which he had placed the diary when he first entered Braun's office. The book immediately fell, and Hajo bent down to pick it up. Everyone noticed it right away.
“What fell there?”
“Some book.”
“Look!”
Eric, almost snatching the diary from Hajo's hands, took the book and began to examine the pages.
“I think that's it.”
“What?”
“That Conde manuscript. That's it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. It's almost all about spells.”
“Good… Very good!”
Hajo became angry from such impudence.
“Bring back the book! It doesn't belong to you!”
“Eh?” Eric was surprised. “Boy, f*ck off.”
Hajo began to breathe harder. He stood up, spreading his legs at shoulder level, extended his arm forward. In less than a moment, a fireball formed in his palm, and he directed it towards Eric. Dodging a direct collision and knocking off the flames, he noticed Hajo running towards him. While he was trying to fight him off, Hajo literally grabbed Eric's arm with his teeth.
Screaming in pain, Eric drew a dagger from his hip with his free hand and stabbed it into Hajo's back. He instantly relaxed his grip and fell to the floor. He did not even twitch from the pain, lay almost lifeless.
“What are you doing, Eric…” Sebastian grunted.
While I stood in a daze from what was happening, Braun ran up to Eric. He was about to pounce on Eric, but they ended up clasping their hands.
“Back off, you old bastard!”
Eric pushed Braun, and he stepped back a couple of steps and lost his balance, fell, breaking the back of his head on the table. Blood began to flow over Braun's lifeless body and the wooden surface of the table.
Realizing what was happening, hatred flared up in me. Without thinking about the plan or the consequences, I lashed out at Eric. He did not have time to pick up the knife that Braun knocked out of his hands, so the only thing he could do was hit me with terrible force. I flew back to the wall and again began to lose consciousness.
“Carl, can you hear me? Carl?” Sebastian called out.
Sebastian leaned close to Braun's body, somehow found his throat and began to check his pulse.
“Dead… Farewell, Carl…”
“That kid is also not a tenant.”
“What about Oswald?”
“Lies near the wall.”
“Understood… Take the book, we're leaving. You two, take a look around here, maybe something else will be useful”
Part 10
…
…
…
Braun…
Hajo…
They are…
…
I couldn't protect them...
…
Suka…
What did I even do to protect them?
What the hell have I been doing these two years?
I don’t have normal strength…
I didn’t really learn how to cast…
…
What the hell is going on here?
Why is this happening?
Why is this happening to me?
Why am I here?
Why didn't I just die there, near Dubossary?
“If you just died, it wouldn't be interesting!”
What?
“Yeah, it would be sad to miss such a performance!”
Who the f*ck is that talking?
“Don't you recognize us?" Don’t remember us?
Wait…
Village friend…
Fellow student…
“DON'T FORGET ANYONE?”
Neighbor…
I remember you…
I remember your voices…
But…
Your faces…
Your names…
I can't remember them…
“Hee hee.”
“Hee hee.”
“Hee hee.”
Why the f*ck are you laughing at?
“DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR NAME?”
What?
…
…
…
What the f*ck…
“It seems you have completely lost your memory since rebirth!”
“Fool!”
How…
What happened to me?
“Hey, those two are still in the office, right?”
“I don’t know. So what?”
“They are looking for something, walking, all alone…”
“I'll have fun over them!”
“Huyak!”
“Ha! Excellent! You sealed the door with earth! How many boards did you break?”
What are you doing…?
“Playing with your body a bit.”
“You can't do anything on your own!”
What…
“Maybe we should add a little sparkle?”
“Why not?”
Stop it…
Shut up…
Get the f*ck out of my head…
“You can't kick us out…”
“All because we…”
“Are parts of you!”
Lacrimosa…
Dies illa…
Qua…
Resurget…
Ex…
Favilla…
Judincadus…
hom*o…
Reus!
Lacrimosa dies illa…
Qua resurget ex favilla…
Judicandus hom*o reus!
Huic…
Ergo…
Parce…
Deus…
Pie…
Jesu…
Domine…
“Look…”
“How much fear in their eyes…”
“They are looking at you…”
“How beautiful is the flame…”
“How beautiful it is to look at their pain…”
Stop it…
Please…
I don’t want to…
“It can’t be stopped now, Oswald…”
“They must answer for what they did…”
“Must answer before the fire!”
Dona eis requiem!
Dona…
Dona eis…
Dona eis…
Requiem!
Amen!
* «Club of Cheerful and Resourceful»
** Marks and pfennigs are the currency in East Germany
Chapter 8: «In favilla»
Chapter Text
«MEIN ERBE» *
Requiem aeternam…
Aeternam…
Dona eis…
Dona eis…
Domine, requiem aeternam…
Dona eis…
Domine!
Et lux perpetua!
Et lux perpetua luceat…
Luceat eis…
Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion…
Et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem!
Exaudi orationem meam!
Ad te omnis caro veniet!
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine…
Et lux perpetua luceat eis…
Part 1
It's… really hard for me to explain exactly what happened that day.
Those feelings. This is beyond the boundaries of human understanding. There are no words in the world to describe what happened. It defies all laws of thought and logic.
I was covered by the most diverse range of emotions, from grief to anger, but I could not do anything about it. As if for a moment it became unbearable to feel anything. This something acted on my body, it all came out in heat and trembling.
I can say one thing for sure. Whatever it was, it affected me, my mind. This something felt so strong that it seemed like it was real, like it was right next to me. It was like a powerful clot of thoughts, ideas, and memories.
It sounded in my head. It spoke in different voices, the voices of those I knew but could not remember. Every word that it spoke, every syllable and even every single sound, it all seemed to knock on me, poked at me with terrible force.
The worst thing is that I couldn't control it. It was like I was in a nightmare. But the difference is that no matter how terrible the nightmare is, sooner or later you can escape from it, you can wake up. But it was reality, and I never managed to wake up.
I don't know how long it lasted. It felt like an eternity.
And yet, when it ended, and I began to feel the world around me, I found myself in the catacombs, in our base. A light crackle from the fire diluted the completely silent underground silence. Gradually, the vision returned, the vagueness of the images passed, and I was able to see everything around normally.
Ern slept on a worn sofa under a blanket. The warm light of the fire gently shimmered across his face. He breathed calmly, at a moderate pace, but even so, his slight sniffing was heard. Looking closer, it became noticeable that light sweat was dripping from his forehead. Apparently, his condition worsened during the evening, and in addition to everything else, he developed symptoms of a cold.
At the same time, not far away, near the fire, Till was sitting. Breathing deeply, he was in a kind of borderline state between wakefulness and sleep. His gaze through his almost closed eyes was directed to the hearth of the fire. His face, hair, clothes, everything was covered with a thin layer of soot. His shirt sleeves were pulled up, so I saw the image of his forearms covered with fresh scratches.
It was completely incomprehensible to me how it happened that we ended up at our base. I was more indignant at the appearance of Till. I tried to create at least one reasonable version, according to which we ended up there in such a state, but I did not succeed. It was pointless to use logic then: I could not clearly remember what happened to me. The last thing I remembered for sure was Eric's punch. Further, only vague images, and after my awakening in the catacombs. I needed to establish what exactly happened, and, given the circ*mstances, Till became the only source of information for me.
Although, it is worth saying, even though I came to my senses, it was still difficult to think. There was a strong sense of weakness. My head ached so much that I could hardly get up. And yet, I had to stand up. When I got up, Till noticed this: he raised his head and looked at me, although he didn't say a word. It was probably not easy for him to think either.
At first, I realized that something had to be done about the scratches on Till's hands. After realizing that due to my condition, I could not use healing magic, I decided to act in a different way. I approached the corner of our base room. It was always cool there, so we equipped it as a place for temporary storage of all kinds of products. Pushing back the makeshift shutters, I took out a bottle of wine left there a year earlier. Although I was not sure of its suitability for use, I was sure of its preserved spirit properties. Taking a piece of cloth, I moistened it with wine. Approaching Till, I began to wipe his hands with this cloth. While it wasn't a complete antiseptic, it was better than nothing.
“What… are you doing?” Till asked me.
“Wine is alcohol… Alcohol is spirit…”
“Spirit? What's this?”
His surprise is understandable. Here, alcohol is mainly produced by fermentation, and it does not seem that this world comes close to creating a technology for synthesizing spirits. And yet, in the same wine, at least a little ethanol manages to form during fermentation.
“Spirit is such a colorless liquid… It burns well…”
“Burning liquid?”
“Nevermind. Spirit cleans wounds well…”
When I finished cleaning his arms, I tossed aside the cloth and also sat down near the fire.
“Well, how? Is it starting to tingle?”
“I don't know… It seems it is.”
“So, it works.”
His hands were cleaned, so that the threat of possible infections was averted. This feeling was clearly unaccustomed to him. And yet, in this way I managed to bring him out of a half-asleep state. What could not be said about me, since my head still hurt, and the weakness did not go away.
“Oswald.”
“Yes?”
“Why didn't you use healing magic?”
“What about you?”
“Fair enough. But still, why?”
“If you want, I can try…”
I decided to gather my strength. Pointing my palm towards Till's arms, I tried to use healing magic. I did the same thing I did before: cast the spell in my head. But nothing worked. Several unsuccessful attempts, but there was no result. There was no healing, not even a hint of the appearance of a greenish glow. My hand began to tremble, and the voices in my head began to say something, to mumble.
Shaking myself off, I grabbed my trembling hand with the other, and whispered a healing spell. It should have worked. I repeated it several times, chattered it. But nothing happened. I couldn't cast spells. I was familiar with the feeling, having experienced it repeatedly while practicing with incantations-less magic when my Mana was running low. But even so, I could not understand where my Mana had gone. The realization of this plunged me into some degree of disappointment and despair. Unable to bear it, I again fell to the ground.
Till has been watching me all this time.
“I… can't. I just can't”
Catching my breath, I got up from the ground and sat down again.
I was seized by a real misunderstanding. As you know, the unknown has always been a source of fear for people. The unknown of what exactly happened to me made my heart race. Realizing that this could no longer be tolerated, I decided to face the facts. That's why I decided to turn to Till.
First of all, I decided to find out about Ern's well-being.
“How is he?”
“He got worse. Recently, the temperature appeared.”
“Well, it's a cold.”
“And before that, then what was it? Oh, I don't know. How can I treat him?”
“Have you tried magic?”
“Tried, it doesn't work. Thirst does not pass, and the skin remains pale.”
“I see.”
The silence that followed was broken by the sounds of flames.
“I spoke with the orphanage worker about this,” Till said. “She said that in the capital I could try to cure him.”
“In Ars?”
“Yes. I don't know how, but… I have to.”
Ern meant a lot to Till, and vice versa. They practically grew up together in the orphanage, in a sense they became real brothers. I can understand why Till cared so much for him. But in that situation, I had nothing to do.
Next, I needed to establish the reason for the absence of one of us.
“Till…”
“I’m listening.”
“Where is Willy?”
“Ah, this is…”
When I asked about this, Till took a deep breath. He grabbed his head with his hand and began to shake it slightly from side to side. He seemed to be having a bit of a hard time collecting his thoughts.
“I… I don't know where he is.”
“What?”
“There was such a commotion that it was impossible to make out where he was.”
“What do you mean commotion?”
“What are you? Don't you remember?”
“No…”
Till, still sitting, turned to me, tucking his right leg under him and straightening his left. He was clearly surprised by my answer.
“But… The entire orphanage building is on fire right now!”
“What?”
“Everything is burning. The roof, the rooms… The whole territory is on fire…”
“But… how?”
“I don't know. Maybe lightning from a thunderstorm hit, or something else. I can't say for sure anymore.”
Till sighed slightly.
“But… you know what?”
“What?”
“Before the orphanage started burning, I noticed something. I was sitting next to Ern's bed, and I noticed… The candles in the room began to burn brighter, stronger. Even the glass in the single lamp that was not far from the bed was slightly cracked from the fire that had flared up there.”
While Till was saying this, he was actively gesticulating. Then he quieted down.
“Then there was a blow. Lightning either hit the roof or somewhere else. Maybe there were several of them. Don't know. But a moment passed, and everything flared up. I ran out into the corridor, and there was already such smoke that it was impossible to breathe. By the time I pulled Ern out of bed, the flames were already in the corridor. The building began to collapse, the wooden floors began to fall. One of them scratched all my arms.”
My gaze slowly dropped to the ground.
“Then… I found you. You were standing in the corridor, not far from Braun's office. You stood, staring at nothing, and your eyes were wet. I tried to shout to you, but… to no avail. I just dragged you along with me. I brought you and Ern here…”
I didn't have the strength to somehow answer this, just to speak out.
“There… there are still people left. Other children, personnel. Some fell down by debris, but others, like us, managed to get out. I don't know where Willy is…”
It dawned on me with horror what exactly had happened. The realization that this was not a nightmare, but a reality, seemed to squeeze my heart. Those fuzzy images and facts set out by Till lined up in a single chain.
In some way unknown to me, I provoked this fire. However, such a statement may sound unlikely, given that according to Till, lightning struck the orphanage building. However, according to the same words of Till, before that, the candles began to burn more intensely. Considering that no one deliberately, so to speak, «added fuel to the fire», did nothing to enhance the burning of these candles, this means that a different method of influence was involved. Magical. Since there were five people in the orphanage capable of conjuring, Till and Willy had no motive for such a thing, Ern was unable to do anything due to illness, and Hajo was dead, only I remain from the list of suspects.
In a sense, lightning and flame are similar to each other, since both have a plasma-like structure. This is probably the explanation for why lightning, like flames, can be controlled to some extent. In other words, I managed to activate fire magic, which subsequently caused the entire building to ignite further. It is most likely possible to understand why this happened: I was not aware of what was happening, I was overwhelmed with a sense of revenge, and the object of revenge in the form of two accomplices of Herrmann was nearby.
In addition, this version explains the sudden lack of strength that appeared in me. I already felt this when I trained in mastering silent magic. The lack of Mana due to intense casting leads to a general deterioration in the tone of the body.
However, the main question was how I managed to do it. What kind of spell would have to be to arrange all this? And was it a spell in the usual sense? It is even difficult for me to determine to what rank to attribute this phenomenon. The case of maximum entanglement.
After a while, Till asked me:
“Oswald, do you know where Hajo is? It's like you were together, right?”
Of course I did. But such knowledge I would immediately agree to exchange for amnesia due to a traumatic brain injury. In the end, serene oblivion is better than storing painful images of the boy's face forever frozen in pain. And, nevertheless, it was necessary to answer. Another question was how exactly to answer. The concept of death and murder was familiar to me for a long time, in the end, I felt it myself, but I could not predict Till's reaction. Such news might have shocked him. However, this also backfired on me, though, rather, because of the fact of such suddenness and injustice in relation to the fate of people who are not indifferent to me.
I began to muster the strength to answer. Just one single word, but it took so much effort to pronounce. It was one of the few moments in my life when it was so hard for me to talk to a child.
“Dead.”
“What?” Till asked me with surprise.
“Both Hajo and Braun… are dead.”
“What…? I… don't understand… What do you mean dead? How?”
“They were killed…”
“Killed? What are you talking about?!”
“They were killed by a man named Eric Herrmann…”
“Herrmann? Who is this?”
“The leader of the kidnappers…”
Till froze. Shock and confusion appeared on his face at the same time. It was expected. Memories immediately flashed through my head, as I told Till the story of Christina in the castle.
“When we were in Braun's office, people came to see us. One introduced himself as an old friend of Braun, the other, most likely, was his son. Somehow they found me. They began to demand «compensation for damages» from Braun… Then they killed Hajo and Braun, took the diary, and knocked me out… I don’t remember anything else…”
And yet I managed to say it. Thiel was clearly taken aback by this news. He slowly shifted his gaze from me to the ground, then to the fire. My gaze also dropped to the ground. The situation was really tense, and the silence that arose between us only exacerbated the situation. I needed to say something.
And while I was thinking about what to say, thoughts began to flash through my head, a logical chain began to form. If I hadn't stood up against the Herrmanns, if I hadn't moved away from the guys in Bamron and, in the end, if we hadn't gone anywhere at all, then all this could have been avoided. Of course, history knows no subjunctive mood. But at the time it didn't matter to me. I only realized that the fault for all this lies with me. After all, this whole story, in fact, began with my wish to visit somewhere outside the city.
Thus, I did not have to think long about what to say. Already completely devoid of any strength, I only said:
“I'm sorry, Till… Sorry for everything…”
Till, apparently, also just didn’t sit like that, and also thought.
“They died because of you…”
“I know… I'm sorry…”
Till jumped up. There was both anger and trembling in his voice. Like he was going into hysterics.
“If you had just stood there, not trampled anywhere, everyone would be alive!”
“Sorry…”
“Have you ever listened to someone? All you did was telling us what to do! And now what?!”
He lunged at me, knocking me onto my back.
“You killed them! It's all your fault!”
Till shouted at me through anger and tears. Sitting on my chest, he began to beat me in the face, and obviously sparing no strength. I could answer him, but… it didn't make sense. I deserved such treatment. Till spared no effort at all, tried to hit as hard and often as he could. And now, when my blood had already appeared on his hands, a sound was heard from where no one expected.
“Till…” Ern's slightly hoarse, quiet voice reached us. “Don't do it…”
“But…! He…! He is…!”
“No need to quarrel… Please…”
Till got off me and went to the sofa. Almost falling to the ground, Till sat up, pressed his legs to his chest and rested his head on them. A little later I heard his soft cry. I, having risen from the ground, reached the wall opposite the sofa and, resting my back against the wall, sat down on the ground and began to look into the fire. We didn't talk again that evening. Gradually I began to fall asleep.
The next morning, I did not find either Ern or Till near me.
They disappeared without a trace.
Part 2
Gathering my thoughts, putting myself in order, I decided to leave our base and headed to the surface. We slept the whole night in the catacombs. It was the only place where we could certainly spend the night or hide.
Coming out of the tunnels, early morning appeared before me. The sun was still quite low on the horizon. The sun's rays passed through the air, forming sunbeams. There was a feeling as if a cloud lay on the ground. Visibility was limited by what looked like fog. There was a strong smell of soot. These were the aftermath of the fire.
Slowly walking, I went towards the orphanage. Usually the guys and I ran this distance in less than five minutes. But this time the route took much longer. I didn't need to look around to get my bearings, for I knew the surrounding area by heart. Therefore, I only looked at my feet, looking at the grass covered with a layer of ash.
Significant at that time was that Willy, Ern and Till were missing, their location was unknown to me. Willy could be hurt, Ern was sick, and Till's emotional state was clearly not the most stable. And as I walked, I got deeper and deeper into my thoughts. I began to go far into the past through memories. It just so happened, in fact, that I didn’t keep my promise to Braun not to let my friends down, that I didn’t keep the promise I made to Hajo to go to Milis with him either. I significantly let down people important to me and not only.
But still, one detail did not let me go. That evening I learned about Braun's previously unknown biography. And despite the fact that I didn’t have direct evidence of the veracity of Sebastian’s words, I still decided to think. At the time of my rebirth, Braun appeared to me as an elderly, quite strict, but kind person. Perhaps, purely subconsciously, the principle of respect for elders worked for me, which is why I developed such an attitude towards him.
And yet, I had no idea what this person could have been before. I didn’t even think about whether he had always been such a prudent and conscious person. And if we take into account the words of Sebastian, it turns out that no, he was not. Because of his frivolous actions, a man died, and with me, with the fact that he gave me the name of this man, he wanted to avoid pangs of conscience. In theory, I had to hate him, or at least stop respecting him and treat him like an ordinary person. But this did not happen.
I could understand Braun. In a way, my story is similar to his. Let not exactly exactly, albeit not with such details, but there is something in common. My frivolity also led to problems, and I also tried to hide from them, which ultimately led to other problems. It turns out that Braun and I turned out to be quite kindred spirits.
And so, thinking about what happened, I went to the orphanage building. More specifically, what was left of it. To be honest, it was a sad sight.
To begin with, it is worth clarifying what the building of the orphanage was. On the territory of the shelter there were two two-story buildings connected to each other. The foundation of the building was of course made of stone, but everything else was built using planks. At that time, the building was really old, clearly in need of repair.
In the first building there was an administration, a reception room, something like a common hall, and so on. The second housed a dining room, a kitchen, and something like a children's dormitory, capable of accommodating about a hundred people. There was also a small courtyard and a «park», an area planted with trees and not ennobled in any way. The backyard was the name given to the space between the first building and the fence.
I don’t know exactly where the lightning hit, and it’s impossible to establish now. Most likely a roof hit. However, I can say for sure that the fire in the roof led to a fire in the entire building. Since there were no services similar to the fire department in the city, there was no one to quickly start extinguishing the fire. And when passers-by arrived and began to somehow help, it was too late.
The wooden component of the building burned down almost completely, the roof collapsed, thereby raising a mixture of dust and ash that was suspended in the air in the morning.
I came to the remains of the orphanage with a strange purpose. I wanted to make sure Hajo and Braun were really dead. Therefore, I began to walk on the wreckage, looked into all possible cracks. I needed to find at least three bodies: Hajo, Braun and Willy, in case he couldn't escape the fire. All the time I searched, I could not find them. I could only console myself with the fact that the bodies could burn, and Willy could escape.
I tried not to think about how many more people could have been hurt by the fire, how many could have died.
Then I began to walk around the city. I wanted to find Ern and Till because I hoped they were still around somewhere. Several times I walked around the main streets, but after a few hours I was just wandering aimlessly. People sometimes looked at me. They looked in bewilderment, looked at my face, devoid of any emotions.
At one point the voices were heard again. Then I didn't react so much to them. And yet, at that time they sounded calmer, measured, might even say, quiet. They suggested that I look into my pants pocket. At that moment, there was a small ringing. I decided to stick my hand in there, and when I got it out, there were two silver coins in my palm. It was the fee that Caleb paid us for the work we did. The guys decided that this time they could trust me to store the proceeds.
Two silver coins, such was the price of a human life.
These were my «thirty pieces of silver».
Part 3
…
…
…
“You don't like to talk at all, do you?”
“Indeed.”
Why should I talk to you?
“Because you’ll go crazy.”
“Man is a social being, you know.”
“Lack of contacts with other representatives of society can lead to psychological complications.”
“Simply put, if you keep silent - you will go crazy.”
“So, if you don't want to go crazy, you'll have to talk to us.”
I talk to the voices in my head.
Isn't that crazy?
…
…
…
You've changed.
You began to speak differently.
“Our state directly depends on yours.”
“At that moment you were seized by strong emotions.”
“Therefore, our behavior could not be called adequate.”
“Simply put, as long as you are calm, so are we.”
Still some bullsh*t.
Am I calm now?
“You feel guilty.”
“This is another type of category of state.”
“It doesn't affect us.”
“But it has a significant effect on you.”
“But for now, we can't change that.”
You say that like it doesn't concern you.
Even though you said that you are part of me.
…
…
…
Who are you anyway?
My friends?
“Your friends aren't here.”
“They live a quiet life on Earth.”
“Unless, of course, life on the remnants of the Union can be called quiet.”
“No details, please.”
“Anyway, we really are parts of you.”
“Your mind, your feelings, your soul.”
“We are the epitome of it all.”
Then why are you using their voices?
“To make it easier for you to accept us.”
“We didn't choose it.”
So, who did?
“You.”
“Your subconscious, to be exact.”
…
…
…
And now what?
“First, get some sleep.”
Where?
“Don't worry about it.”
“We'll show you the way.”
Part 4
In this state of limbo, I stayed for a few more days.
I had to spend the nights in base. Moreover, it is even difficult to say why it was so difficult to sleep like that, either from the air currents that arose from time to time in the tunnels, or because of the feeling of loneliness that had set in.
One way or another, after a while, the products in base ran out. Realizing the need to fight hunger, I decided to go to the market. I realized that in that case I would have to spend those very silver coins. But at that moment I was able to make a deal with my conscience.
And so, one day I went to the port.
The port of Hegenwald is comparable in size to a third of the area of the city itself. In a sense, this is a city within a city: you can live in peace without leaving the port gates, because everything you need – work and food – is at hand. Between the piers, docks and administrative buildings, the largest market in Hegenwald stretched across a huge area.
Basically, the most common commodity was seafood. Although there were also vegetables, fruits, meat, most often intended for sailors who went ashore to replenish the holds of ships. There were also all sorts of trinkets, and other goods, whether they were toys for children or household items.
At one point, I stopped near a stall. The old man was selling baked goods: loaves, buns, and so on. One loaf, which could be enough for a person for several days, was worth five copper coins. I had two silver coins in my hands. Let's say that if I paid one silver coin, I would get five copper coins and nine large copper coins in change.
But it gave me a slight shiver. Not even because of the possibility that the old man wouldn't be able to exchange such a coin, but rather… I don't even know how to describe it. It just seemed to me that I had no moral right to manage such money. Painfully high price was paid for such coins. But it didn't take long to gather my thoughts.
“Boy,” the old man turned to me. “Well, so what? Will you buy something?”
I would have wanted to answer, like, «thanks, old man, but no», but I did not. I just walked away. Although, this is too mild. I ran. I ran as if I was trying to hide from his eyes, as if I wanted to get lost among all that crowd. But it didn't take me long to run away.
Moments later, I almost crashed into Caleb and Ernest. On that day, they also walked around the market, which was a kind of rarity. It was usually hard to see the two of them in a place like this. But fate turned out in such a way that I met with them on the same day, at the same hour.
“Oh, who's that?” Caleb exclaimed, feeling a push in his back.
“Wait a minute,” turning around, said Ernest. “It's Oswald!”
“Oh, really.”
“How are you, Oswald? I heard you burned down there recently. Are you healthy yourself?”
“And the guys, how are they? And by the way, where are they?”
But at that moment I was not destined to answer this question. Instead, tears welled up again, which surprised Caleb and Ernest.
After they took me to their tavern, I told them the story. Slightly distorting some facts, of course, but the general message of my story remained the same: Braun and Hajo were killed by bandits, Ern, Till and Willy disappeared in an unknown direction, and the orphanage burned down. Let the resulting version differ from reality, it remained sentimental enough to leave no one indifferent.
Without thinking twice, Caleb offered to stay at their tavern for a while. Ernest didn't mind. In return, on my initiative, I agreed to help them. Basically, my help consisted of small work in the warehouse and the kitchen of the tavern, sometimes I helped in the bar. I did not demand a salary, it was enough for me that they agreed to let me stay at their place.
They even gave me a room on the second floor of the tavern. Of course, not too big, but enough for one person. In addition, if recall the living conditions in the orphanage and the quality of my living space in the tavern, then it’s a sin to complain at all. Although, I have to admit, my room in the tavern was indeed of a comparatively higher standard. Both in terms of the convenience of furniture, and in terms of one more important detail. For the first time in ten years of my new life, I slept alone. No extra noise or prying eyes. In general, good for me.
Together with Caleb and Ernest, we worked, ate, rested. During the six months that the guys and I managed to work with them, they began to trust me, because there was no too much distance in relations between us. They were almost ready to accept me as close friend. Well, I liked them as people too. But there was something that didn't give me peace.
A person's life without a goal is meaningless. This principle became clear to me a long time ago, and I tried to adhere to it: I always set myself some kind of goal. It was in my past life. Becoming a pioneer, Komsomol, when I became older, then entering the Minsk Radio Engineering University, re-service in the army, and the only thing I did not have time to do was to join the party. With a new life, I was drawn to explore this world, then mastering magic and becoming an adventurer. But the moment came when I needed to set a new goal.
Eric Herrmann. This name has been echoing in my head for a long time. It was directly clear to me who was to blame for the death of people who cared about me, who decided to cross my path. And realizing that this person is not the best representative of the mankind, I set myself a specific, at the same time simple, but complex goal.
I made it my goal to kill Eric.
Of course, it is worth understanding that there has never been, is not, and will not be such a person who is capable of killing another person in cold blood. A person can deny this, stating that he has no remorse for the murder, he can even believe in his own lie. But the truth is that with all the excuses, a trace remains on the soul of a person, a burden that he will bear for the rest of his life, without even fully understanding it.
But this truth has a nuance, one might even say a gap, a loophole. From the feeling of guilt in the murder of a person cannot hide. However, this does not mean that a person is not capable of dulling and weakening this feeling. This is not achieved in the easiest way, but as a result, from the act done, the person becomes less painful.
The bottom line is that I was able to take advantage of this gap. I don’t fully understand exactly how, but I can assume that this is directly related to my rebirth. When I first killed a man, being in the militia, I could not find a place for myself. But when the machine gun burst hit me, and I ended up here, this feeling of guilt became weaker. The effect took hold in the yard near Biashord. Although, a psychological factor rather worked there, forcing to defend defenseless Christina, however, I still cannot fully state what exactly happened there. In any case, killing Gevlett was much easier for me.
But this is all just speculation. The main question was how exactly to achieve the goal. I needed resources and time. The location of the Herrmanns was unknown to me, and as such, I had no experience of tracking and searching for people either. And yet, I had to do justice to this man. And before doing justice, I needed to acquire strength and capabilities.
In this vein, I began to look for ways of my further development.
First of all, Ernest and Caleb shared their advice about my future.
One day, against the background of the morning dawn, I had a dialogue with Caleb. The essence of the conversation was the need to be able to stand up for oneself, and he also added that magic is not always capable of full protection. Therefore, he casually pointed out to me the possibility of entering the fencing school. In the same conversation, I also learned about the peculiarities of swordsmanship in this world, whether it be different ranks, like ranks of magic, as well as different styles.
The other day, after a casual dinner together, I spoke with Ernest. We talked with him about the need for knowledge and education. Assessing my unusual for years, for well-known reasons, the level of speech, as well as a kind of erudition, he suggested about my talent for knowledge. And since talents cannot be wasted, he advised me to enter the Royal Academy in order to make me a sought-after specialist.
Both of their options pointed me to the capital of the kingdom of Asura - the city of Ars.
I had to make an informed choice. Any choice I made, one way or another, took time. Thus, I began to think about my next steps.
At this pace and thinking, I spent another six months in the tavern.
Part 5
The measured everyday life ended one day when a group of people came to the tavern. Three people, two men and one woman, they all looked to be about twenty. Their appearance and manner of communication made it clear that they were definitely not local. Their clothing was both simple and casual, but at the same time combined the functions of armor.
Sheaths were fastened to their belts, in which their swords lay.
“Oh, we can finally rest,” one of them said.
“I don't know about you guys, but after those monsters, I wouldn't mind a beer.”
“I would take a nap. My legs hurt, they're about to fall off.”
At that moment, it became clear to me that these people were adventurers.
At that time, I was the only one in the room. So I was the only one who had to meet these people.
“Good afternoon,” I greeted.
“Um, hello? Boy, are you alone here? No adults?”
“I am replacing them for now.”
“Okay, I understand. Then we'll have three beers, please.”
For six months, my algorithm of actions was worked out almost to the ideal: I involuntarily memorized the location of every detail, every tap, and so on in the bar. One mug of beer costs three copper coins. In total, I demanded nine coins for the drink. After waiting for them to drink, I decided to talk to them.
“May I ask, are you adventurers?”
“Exactly.”
“And what is the rank of your party?”
“Rank D.”
“Interesting. Where are you from?”
“We are from the southern provinces of Asura. Before that, they were in the kingdom of Shiron and quite a bit on Begaritt. In Hegenwald, we are, so to speak, passing through.”
“And where are you going?”
“To the north, to the kingdom of Neris.”
The man drank from the mug again.
“I'll tell you what, boy. Being an adventurer is very interesting. Yes, it can be difficult, sometimes dangerous, but it's worth it. So if I were you, I'd rather get out of here and travel the world.”
“Well, if so, then I'm already an adventurer.”
“What? Seriously?”
“Yes. I even have a card.”
“Come on, show me.”
Having got my card, that man began to consider it.
“Hehe. I never thought I'd see such an antique dealer.”
“Sorry?”
“Well, how to say. Such cards have not been used for about ten years.”
“How is it not used?”
“Here, look at mine.”
He handed me his card. Unlike my card, it was slightly smaller, and its metal plate material felt much lighter. Moreover, the text on that card was created, as I later found out, with the help of magic, and not ink, as mine was. Then we exchanged back.
“This is an old-fashioned card. The Guild doesn't issue these anymore. I don't know who gave you that, but it doesn't mean anything.”
“I see.”
“But, listen, this is not a reason to be upset. There's more to come, you know?”
“Well,” the woman turned to me. “Good luck to you, guy.”
The guests drank the rest of the beer and went outside.
The rest of the day I was in a little turmoil, from which I planned to get out. And so, during dinner, I decided to correct the resulting inconsistency.
“Mister Caleb, can I ask you a question?”
“Go ahead.”
“This guild isn't real, is it?”
Ernest and Caleb put down their cutlery. The atmosphere had clearly become uncomfortable.
“I knew it would come to this,” Ernest lamented.
“I after all from the very beginning offered to tell everything.”
“What could I do? It was impossible to do so.”
“Well, now deal with it.”
I decided to intervene in their conversation.
“No need to quarrel. Better tell it like it is.”
“Good. Caleb, tell him.”
Caleb straightened up, sighed.
“About ten years ago, there really was a guild here. I worked here back then. People came, here they were given tasks. But then the leadership decided that this city was too small, which was not suitable for the placement of the guild. That's why it was closed.”
Ernest sighed slightly.
“And the tavern?”
“The tavern was then, just then it directly cooperated with the guild, and now it is our own.”
“And what about the signboard, the board with the parties?”
“We decided to leave it as a reminder of the past, and besides, it created a good entourage. Of course, there was a risk that we could be accused of taking someone else's name, but, as you can see, so far no one has complained.”
Caleb leaned back to the table and was about to continue eating his dinner.
“But why couldn't you tell right away then? We really thought it was a guild.”
“I wanted to tell you. Actually, I wanted to tell you when you would return from the forest. But after hearing what happened to you, seeing how sincerely your friends were eager to create a party, well... I couldn't refuse. Then Ernest suggested not to tell you for the time being. Everyone was looking for a better moment to tell, but, as you can see, it didn’t work out.”
Caleb continued to eat.
“I'm sorry it happened, Oswald,” Ernest continued. “I really didn't think it would turn out like this.”
“Don't worry, it's okay.”
Life seemed to go on at its usual pace.
But be that as it may, it became for me a kind of signal to action.
But for this I needed help.
And I knew where to look for it.
Part 6
One morning I was standing opposite Caleb and Ernest on the ground floor of the tavern.
“So you're leaving?” Caleb asked me.
“Right. I'll go to the capital, I'll gain my wits.”
“And where exactly?” Ernest asked.
The choice has already been made.
The most important thing in any world is knowledge. Fencing is also a good thing, but it makes no sense to swing a sword in a world that you don’t understand at all, you don’t know. It is impossible to find a person in the world without knowing the world. And I knew only one place where I could get this knowledge, so I didn’t have to hesitate for a long time with the answer.
“I will go to the Academy.”
“Heh.” Caleb said slightly annoyed.
“Come on,” Ernest objected. “He made a good choice.”
“I do not argue, but it would be better to go to fencing.”
I moved closer to them.
“Everything will be fine.”
Instead of a sentimental hug, I decided to take it easy by shaking hands with both of them.
Before leaving the tavern, I decided to take another look around. My eyes fell on the blackboard where the names of the parties were written.
This tavern, which I once blindly perceived as a guild, had nothing to do with me except memories, and nothing connected me there. In order to put an end to my “childhood” period, in order to somehow knock down a heavy burden from my heart, I went up to this board, stood on a chair, and erased one line with a rag.
On that day, the «Völkernacht» officially ceased to exist.
Saying goodbye again, I went out into the street, where I was met by the pleasant weather of the end of spring and the carriage waiting for me.
Before getting into it, I decided to take out of my pocket the paper that I received a few days earlier and briefly reread its contents.
Part 7
Greetings,
To be honest, we were a little worried. There was no news from you for so long that we already thought that you were gone. When we received a letter from you, then, I will say without exaggeration, Christina almost jumped with delight, although she tried to hide this fact.
I remember our agreement. But let me tell you, your request was unusual. I was already nervous, I thought you would demand the hand of my daughter, but you turned out to be even more decent than I expected. I agree to pay the tuition fee for the Academy. But I want to warn you that you will have to take the entrance exam yourself, so you can rely on yourself in this regard.
It is also worth considering that upon arrival you should not shine my name, since your biography does not present a completely clear picture, and questions may come to me. In a sense, you act in a semi-incognito position. I'm glad you were the first to point this out in your letter, so the paperwork for Oswald Braun is nearly complete.
But, I couldn't imagine you going to Ars alone. Therefore, on my initiative, you have been assigned a curator who will accompany you. I decided to raise some connections in the state apparatus, and one person responded who agreed to such a peculiar, unofficial mission: Anna Weber, deputy head of the Gezida district department of the Asura Royal Treasury. I hope you find a common language.
I hope for your success in your endeavors.
Best wishes,
Holger Lehmann
* in German «My legacy»
Chapter 9: «Cover Break»
Chapter Text
Part 1
It's already evening. We were moving relatively close to the coast, therefore, periodically peering into the distance, I watched the sun setting over the horizon of the ocean. Our last stop was Wanderdorf, to the next destination - Zane - we were supposed to arrive in the morning. In the meantime, I rode in a carriage with Weber.
Our carriage was made of fairly good oak, covered with black paint. It was quite spacious inside, the carriage itself was not too bulky. The quality of the glass in the windows, leather on the seats, door hinges were acceptable. Simply put, not too luxurious, but not too poor means of transportation. Weber and I were destined to spend at least a few more days there.
As for Weber herself, this trip was very calm for her. At least she had something to do. From time to time she took out some papers and documents from her bag and read them, sometimes making notes in them with a pencil, after which she put them back. At the same time, the periodic swaying and shaking of the carriage did not interfere with her in any way.
As for me, to be honest, I was bored. I had no other kind of activity, except for viewing the surrounding landscape. In my small bag, given by Ernest, there was an envelope with a letter and some coins. Therefore, in order not to go crazy with boredom and the monotonous clatter of hooves and the grinding of wheels, I decided to start a conversation with Weber. Well, the occasion was, for me, suitable: the last time we talked with her was in the Wanderdorf area.
Just at that moment, Weber was rereading yet another document. Her deadpan air, I must admit, had a good effect. In fact, that was the first time I saw her in this form: she was wearing beige shoes and trousers, a white shirt was tucked into her trousers, and a vest was put on over them; she was wearing glasses and had her hair pulled back on her head.
“Ms. Weber, may I ask?”
Weber took off her glasses and hooked them onto her shirt; she put the papers aside.
“Go ahead.”
“How did it happen that you became my curator?”
“Are you that interested?”
“I would like to listen.”
“The story is not that interesting. I came to the district branch, and almost immediately the chief called me to him. He said that the case is rather unusual, requiring good competence. He handed me an envelope sent from the governance. Nothing unusual, just documents in the form of a transfer. But then I noticed a familiar name and surname in the list of faces. And… here we are.”
Weber was already reaching back for the papers.
“You agreed to such a trip because of me? I must have seriously put you off the schedule.”
“You don't have to worry about it. The staffing table will not change in any way from the fact that I will not be in the office for several weeks.”
“Weeks?”
“Something is wrong? I am bringing a number of important papers to the capital. And no one canceled the annual reassessment of qualifications there. Besides, you still need to be arranged in the capital. I can hardly do all this in a few days.”
“Clear.”
Weber was about to put her glasses back on and start going through the documents again when a slight smile appeared on her face.
“Still, I’m amazed. You did a good job getting the Treasury to take care of you.”
“Well, if the situation had developed differently, then not only the Treasury could.”
“What do you mean?”
“As far as I know, the request to accompany me was delivered among the entire state apparatus.”
“What kind of kid are you, Oswald? How did you manage to do it?”
“Let's just say I had good connections.”
“Alright then.”
There was silence between us for a while.
“So you want to go to the Academy?”
“Right.”
“Pretty bold move.”
“Why?”
“Usually the children of lords, nobles go there… I don’t want to offend, but you hardly fit into these ranks. Are you sure you belong there?”
“I don't think there's anything to worry about.”
“I see.”
Weber sighed slightly.
“Listen,” she said. “I think I have something for you.”
She pulled one folder out of her bag and handed it to me.
“Here. Maybe it will come in handy.”
“What is it?”
“Your personal files from the orphanage. Braun gave them to me.”
“Our files?”
“A personal file was kept for each child in the orphanage. For you too. He handed them over to me for safekeeping a little after your departure from Hegenwald. He promised to prepare some more documents, but then I did not have time to pick them up: there was hopeless work in the south of the region. And then, well, then you know.”
“But why did he give them to you?”
“Just in case, he said.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes. I do not know what he had in mind, but such a case has come.”
There was an awkward pause between us.
“I’m sorry. I mean…”
“It’s okay.”
“Oh, I definitely should have dealt with this earlier.”
By that time, the sun had already disappeared below the horizon.
Gradually I began to fall asleep.
Part 2
Zane.
Village in the western part of the region. Administratively, it is part of the Gezida district.
In terms of development in Zane, low-rise construction of stone, less often of brick, prevails. Wooden buildings are also found. The houses are located relatively close to each other, and are connected by simple dirt roads. However, sometimes there are gravel roads.
Zane is one of the few places in the region adapted to growing crops. The village is surrounded by vast fields of wheat. Against the background of the morning dawn, such fields acquired a pleasant golden hue. It was nice to see such a sight.
That day I woke up driving up to Zane. Weber at that moment sat in a half-asleep state. Moving from a lying position to a sitting position, I began to gradually drive away my drowsiness. By saying good morning, I also made Weber finally wake up.
After a while we stopped.
“We'll be here for a couple of hours. Since we are on the way, I need to solve a couple of questions.”
“As you wish.”
“That is great. Sit here or take a walk. The main thing is to be close, understand?”
“Understood.”
And so I was left alone.
I decided to find something to do to pass the time. I didn’t particularly want to talk with the coachman, and it would hardly be interesting for him to talk with me, so I first decided to look around the area.
What can I say? Zane is a village typical of this world. I found nothing there that might interest me. And the village, in principle, does not surprise me, how many of these I saw in my childhood in Moldova. The most that neither is the province. However, in a sense, Hegenwald is also a province. However, this is at least a city, and it is felt there.
Realizing that the fresh air did not seem so enticing, I got back into the carriage. After sitting for some time, looking at the interior of the carriage, I began to think what I should do now. My eyes fell on my bag, which was used by me as a pillow for the night. Picking it up, I grabbed the folder underneath.
Of course, I had a desire to know the background of my comrades. But I didn't want to ask them directly. It seemed unethical to me. After all, I also assumed they wouldn't tell. And yet, everyone had one or another reason why they ended up in an orphanage.
And so, opening the folder and starting to pull out the papers, I began to study the past of the guys.
It is worth clarifying what these files were. It was not some kind of organized documentation, but rather a series of notes left by the orphanage staff, including Braun. In particular, in such notes, Braun described his assumptions and thoughts about children or their parents.
I managed to find out the following.
One evening, a girl with a baby came to the shelter building. Braun described her as quite young, beautiful, but depressed. The girl insisted on talking to Braun alone. She admitted that she could take care of the child on her own, if not for the uncertainty and «lack of strength». When he asked about the father of the child, the girl decided not to answer. Braun suggested that the girl had been sexually assaulted. Anyway, he agreed to take the baby. Finally, the girl said the name of the child, after which she left. After a while, news reached Brown that the girl had been found dead in a local guesthouse. It is assumed that she died of food poisoning. However, Braun did not rule out the possibility of suicide.
Thus, a boy named Hajo appeared within the walls of the orphanage.
Braun described Hajo as a quiet child. He did not contact with someone so often, he practically did not enter into conflicts. But even so, Braun noted that Hajo benefited from friendship with us. As for the possible adoption, the candidacy of Hajo was considered at the age of five, but there was no result. Perhaps such an outcome could also affect his character.
The next day, a young couple showed up at the orphanage. When they got married, they counted on a happy future. But time passed, the once bright spark of feelings began to fade, expectations did not justify themselves, and then it came to a divorce. Each of them was already thinking about how to start a new life, career, find that very person. But there was a problem. The couple already had a child. None of them was going to take on such a burden, each of them thought that the other would take care of the child. And in order not to leave the child to the mercy of fate, the couple decided to give him to an orphanage.
Braun agreed. The parents have gone in opposite directions. Braun asked the child what his name was. The almost two-year-old boy with difficulty, but answered – Willy.
As for character, Braun noticed Willy's repeated attempts to build relationships with other children. Sometimes he succeeded, sometimes he didn't. Braun found Willy an optimistic child, even if the first time in the orphanage could not be called happy for him. The most interesting thing is that Willy could have been adopted, but he insisted that Braun let him stay in the orphanage. He justified his decision by the fact that he does not want to leave our party. Why he didn't tell us such a thing before is a mystery. However, having learned such attachment to the idea, to the team, I regretted that I had not paid due attention to him earlier.
One day a man came to the orphanage. It's still unclear whether he was a full-blooded elf or a half-elf, though that doesn't really matter now. Some time ago, the man had a divorce. The situation is typical, banal - treason. The wife was not as faithful as they promised to be to each other. The man was left alone with the child. He tried to find a way out of the situation, but he did not make new acquaintances. As a result, he began to look for a way out in alcohol. His child was there, and it turned out to be an additional burden. Ultimately, the man realized that he himself could not give the child a normal life, but the orphanage could.
And so, Till appeared in the orphanage.
Till tried once again not to show his true feelings. Braun generally noticed in him signs of distrust of people, in particular to elders. Perhaps even at that early age he managed to remember his father's alcoholism, which could have had a significant effect. Perhaps that is why Till tried to seek help more from his peers than from adults. One way or another, no matter what happened to him in the years before the orphanage, he managed to form a moral compass. In this regard, Braun noticed our common features with him.
The other day an old man came to the shelter. He told how he was traveling from one region to another, when he suddenly noticed an overturned cart on the side of the road. He began to look around, there was no one to be seen nearby. An old man noticed a boy sitting near the cart. The boy was so scared and so tired that he could hardly speak. The boy told how he was driving with his parents, and while he was sleeping, something happened that overturned the cart, and when the boy got out, neither his parents nor anyone else could be seen. The old man didn't rule out the possibility of monsters attacking. One way or another, the old man realized that he could not keep the boy at hand forever, so when he was driving through Hegenwald, he decided to give him to an orphanage.
Who exactly were Ern's parents, what were their names, and whether Ern had any other relatives, could not be found out. On the other hand, at that time Ern was very small, and he was hardly interested in such details. Another mystery was the reason for his poor health and frequent illnesses. However, Braun assumed that Ern used to live in warmer regions somewhere in the south, and the more northerly position of Hegenwald and proximity to the sea made themselves felt. But a more interesting story can be called the beginning of friendship between Ern and Thiel. Once, during another illness, Till, passing by, decided to simply cover sleeping Ern with a blanket that had fallen from him. Suddenly, he woke up and thanked him, noting that none of the children had ever done such a thing for him before. Till, who did not hear words of gratitude for a long time, was also surprised. As a result of the ensuing conversations and the fact that they were not like the others, they became friends.
This knowledge gave me a clearer picture of my comrades, who they were, and how they got to where they were. Now I regard it as a relatively rewarding experience, but then, to be honest, it was a little difficult to calmly read it.
But one detail confused me. This folder did not contain my papers. At all. Weber mentioned that Braun was going to give her some more documents. Perhaps it was also about my files. Most likely, these papers remained in the orphanage. It appears that Braun's thoughts about me, and possibly the details of my early biography, were taken up in flames and reduced to ashes.
I gathered all the papers back into the folder and put it aside.
Weber returned to the carriage a couple of hours later.
“Have you been sitting here all this time?” she asked.
“No, I took a little walk.”
“Alright then.”
“By the way, what do you have in your hands?”
“Well, I decided to go to the local market. We didn't have breakfast, come to think of it.”
“Do you offer food here? Right here?”
“Any problems? If you're afraid of getting something dirty, then don't worry, it can get worse with these carriages.”
“I see.”
Weber was about to start unpacking the pouch, but she put it aside, leaned out the window she had opened, and turned toward the coachman.
“Moving!”
Part 3
We arrived at Gezida.
Technically, it was an intermediate point in our route to the capital, but, nevertheless, a point of considerable importance. On the one hand, it was also a transit point in order to gain strength for a further trip, on the other hand, another job for Weber, which she had to do along the way.
The stories didn't lie to me. Indeed, many mine buildings were located around the city. To some extent, they really form a ring around the city. Smelters and other workshops are located a little further away, where the mined ore is processed. Because of this, a significant amount of smoke is produced, so it is sometimes really difficult to breathe there.
As for the local architecture, it is really characteristic of an industrial city. The buildings are located close to each other, the streets are built in such a way as to get to the enterprises in the shortest possible time. You can hardly notice any frills on wooden or stone buildings. With such a situation, it is even hard to believe that this city was once the capital.
Our carriage stopped in front of the building of the district branch of the treasury.
“Oswald, you sit here for a while. I'll be right there in a couple of minutes.”
“As you wish.”
Weber stepped out of the carriage and was about to close the door.
“Weber, stop right here!” a man called out to her as she walked along the street.
It turned out to be Chief Weber, who was also the head of the entire district branch.
“Something happened?”
“Nothing yet, but maybe. Anyway, I caught you just in time.”
“What?”
At that moment, curiosity got the better of me, and I also got out of the carriage.
“You haven't left for the capital yet, have you? Your help is required.”
“What kind of help?”
“The cash collection units again messed up with the documentation, and now they cannot make a report on the quarter. So go ahead and deal with them.”
“What do you mean «go ahead and deal»?”
“Understand, I would do it myself, but time is running out.”
“Wait a minute, but I…”
“Weber, I understand everything. I know what kind of idiots are sitting there. But you already have experience with them.”
The chief went on.
“Come on, Weber,” the man clapped his hands and squeezed them. “Don't let me down!”
And so we were left alone. Weber grabbed the bridge of her nose and sighed, barely opening her mouth. I could only verbally support her. However, that was the only thing I had to do.
“Work again?” I asked.
“Work again.”
“So, now what?”
“Come with me,” Weber answered in the voice of a tired person.
We ordered the coachman to take a place in the parking lot, and we ourselves went into the Treasury building.
The district branch of the Treasury is a fairly massive two-story building, made mainly of brickwork with additional arrangement in the form of plaster and wooden beams. The height of the floor is approximately three meters. Large high windows provide good illumination of the premises during the day, and at night candles are lit in the corridors. The building is adapted to the conduct of bureaucratic activities, the collection, cataloging and storage of data, as well as the storage of currency in specially equipped protective conditions.
Entering the building, Weber almost immediately called out to a passing worker and told him to look after me. On the one hand, it was a shame: there was a feeling that she wanted to get rid of me as soon as possible so that I would not interfere with work. On the other hand, Weber can be understood: she was suddenly entrusted with a lot of things, and I would really get in the way under my feet in this scenario.
Weber walked towards the stairs. The worker, a young man, stared at me. «What are you looking at, office clerk?» I thought. In his eyes, both indignation and a kind of charity were read. However, it is not surprising. I also fell like snow on his head.
“What am I to do with you?” he whispered.
«I don’t know, you think» I thought.
In the end, he took me with him. As we walked, he gave me a little hint about my appearance and the need to correct it. It was rude of him, of course, but it was impossible not to agree with him. The clothes given to me at the orphanage a few years earlier were, to put it mildly, not very good, and it cannot be said that my skin was a standard of cleanliness.
So the first thing he did was take me to the shower. It may seem strange, but in principle it makes sense to place such bathrooms in government institutions. However, the place where I was taken can hardly be called some kind of luxurious bathroom, but rather a utility room, tiled, with something like a drain and washing accessories.
I was given a towel, and I went inside. There was no one but me, so I was left to my own devices. I was lucky enough to get a couple more moments of loneliness. I took off my clothes, scooped up the amount of water I needed from a barrel in the corner into a wooden basin, took soap and proceeded to put myself in order.
At that moment, no special thoughts about something serious came into my head. I was busy washing myself. It was my first opportunity to have a proper wash. But even so, the concept of swimming in a basin did not really please me. Noticing a small indentation against the wall, I decided to try to fix a bucket of water there at an angle. The result was successful, and I made a uniformly flowing jet. Now it definitely looked like a shower, which I immediately took advantage of.
Having begun to wash off the remnants of soap from my head, thoughts immediately appeared in mind, mostly of a comic nature, such as «there were fair-haired hair, but turned black».
Draining the remaining water, drying off and dressing, I left the bathroom. In the end, it took me less than ten minutes to do everything. That worker was waiting for me near the exit. After walking with him, we went up to the second floor of the Treasury, and went into the staff lounge. A couple of sofas, a tea table, cabinets. The minimum set for relaxation of employees of the regional department. I sat down on the sofa and took something like caramel from a plate on the table. It seemed to taste good. That man left me in the room with instructions not to go anywhere, and went on to do his job.
It didn't take long before two female co-workers entered the room. Either they were so engrossed in their conversation, or I was sitting so quietly, in any case, they did not notice me right away. Only after closing the door and walking a little, they noticed me. My presence was clearly a surprise to them.
“Oh boy, who are you?” one of them asked me.
“Ugh, I'm… Well…”
“What are you doing here?”
“I'm waiting here.”
“Did you come here with someone? Who are you waiting for?”
“Weber.”
The girls looked at each other, looked at me, then turned away and began to talk in whispers. However, their whisper turned out to be too loud, since I could hear everything perfectly from a fairly close distance.
“Do you think this is her son?”
“You are crazy? Have you seen her? It is unlikely that this is her son.”
“Then, maybe a grandson?”
“Would he call his relatives by their last names? They are unlikely to be related.”
“Indeed, unlike her, he still at least looks pretty.”
“What are you talking about?”
They were still engrossed in their conversation.
“Do you know Weber?” I asked.
They turned around and looked at me.
At that moment, I realized the stupidity of my involuntary question. Naturally they knew Weber, they literally worked in the same building.
“We know, boy,” the girl answered, while they both sat down on the sofa opposite from me.
They stared at me. Not that they bored me with their eyes, but my figure was clearly the center of attention for them.
“Another question, how do you know her?”
“I met Ms. Weber in Hegenwald. She agreed to accompany me from there to the capital.”
“Well, for you, she will not be Miss, but Mrs.”
“Even so?”
“Right. She even has a son. But that's not much we know.”
“Why?”
“Because practically no one mentions this, and no one talks about it.”
“And if they mention what is known?”
“She hasn't spoken to him in a long time. Years ago they had a fight among themselves, or something like that. After that, she only immersed herself more diligently in her work.”
“If there is a son, then there must be a husband?”
“There was a husband,” the second girls answered. “But as far as I remember, he died in the mine.”
“It turns out that she didn’t have much relatives left.”
I tried to continue the conversation.
“And what kind of relationship does Weber have in the team?” I asked.
“She doesn't usually talk to anyone. If she talks to anyone, she does it briefly and to the point.”
“What about the other workers of the branch? Weren't they trying to strike up a conversation with her?”
“There were no special reasons for this. Plus, she rarely shows up. Most often, she sits directly at the head, and there, believe me, few people want to go there purposefully.”
“And how do you personally feel about her?”
“To be honest, almost nothing. She comes to us only to give or check the work. And so, well, she doesn’t make life difficult for us on purpose, and thanks for that.”
“Thank you for sharing this information with me.”
“You're talking way too seriously. Are you really a child?”
“I grew up early,” I replied with a small smirk.
“Oh, even so?”
“Yes, I know a lot of adult things.”
“Which ones?”
“Jokes, for example. Let's say, here's one: Pupa and Lupa went to get paid, but in the accounting department everything was mixed up, and it turned out that Lupa received a salary for Pupa, and Pupa ...”
At this moment, I seemed to be stuck, my speech was cut short in mid-sentence. At the same moment, the voices in my head in unison began to lament to me: «You just now realized that this joke cannot be grammatically told in this language?».
“Pupa… what?” she asked in slight bewilderment.
Well, I should have expected such a reaction. What can I say, I had to somehow explain.
“Um, it doesn't matter.”
“What?”
“I forgot how it goes further.”
“Ugh… okay?”
At that moment, no matter how comical it may look from the outside, Weber entered the rest room. Looks like she's already finished her task.
“Oh, Oswald, are you already here?” she asked me.
“Yes, Mrs. Weber.”
Weber felt a little embarrassed at this treatment, apparently due to the presence of other people nearby. However, she quickly shifted her attention from me to the employees.
“Why are you sitting here?”
“We have fulfilled the plan according to the agenda, and so we are resting.”
“Then finish your rest. New forms of accounting were brought to the fourth office, disassemble and sort them.”
“Yes, ma’am…”
The girls got up from the couch with slightly disappointed faces. As they approached the door, they turned around and waved their hands at me. I answered them the same. After that we were left alone with Weber.
“Well, how are you here?” she asked me.
“It seems to be interesting. May I know what exactly happened?”
“The cash collection units mixed up the entry forms, which is why the data for the quarter could not be entered into the accounting log. This is how we edited the records.”
“I see… You probably have a hard time.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You are completely immersed in work. I dare to assume that you have almost no rest at all.”
“You shouldn't be so worried about me.”
“Well, this is the way I am.”
Weber smiled slightly.
“Okay, let's go.”
We went out into the street, where we were met by the evening sky, imperceptibly advancing for us.
Having gathered, we got back into the carriage, and drove off.
A couple more days, and we reached our goal - the city of Ars.
