For several days, Ansel walked around the town to make mental notes of what needs to be prioritized. While at it, he also counted the number of residents. Although this wasn’t going to be 100% accurate, he counted around 30 people which was a shocking low number for - a town -. At the moment, Ateria was a hamlet.

  “The roads need to be cleared first and foremost,” he mumbled to himself as he explored the town. “And we need guards to man the watch towers.”

  Clearing roads so that supply carts could come and leave more easily and then increasing public security for the town was of utmost importance. Upon returning to the manor, Selena welcomed him warmly who was dying laundry with Clara.

  “Welcome back, Sir page.”

  She began teaching him how to write and read the day he arrived in Ateria, and he already mastered the alphabet. She taught him for a few hours in the evening before going to bed. She was surprised at how quickly he was catching up but wasn’t too shocked since he was a page. Intelligence was always going to be his forte.

  “Anything of note?”

  “The supplies we brought with us are running low.”

  “The baron should be returning at any moment now. We can finally begin normalizing the town once he arrives.”

  The two maids were quite skeptical initially when the butler, Wallace, claimed that Ansel was the baron’s personal advisor, which was understandable since imagining a 11 year-old giving advice to a 43 year-old man was awkward. But, as they got to know him, they sort of understood. His mature manner of speech as well as choices of his vocabulary was certainly not that of an eleven year-old child. And his mature demeanor backed it up. He was certainly no ordinary kid.

  “The town feels like a lost cause, Sir page,” Clara said. “Can we really restore it to its former glory?”

  According to the few remaining locals, the town used to be bursting with life. And, perhaps because of how active the town was, they resisted when Count Rassier approached them. Long story short, their efforts to resist were quite futile as the count easily defeated them.

  “We must. This is our job.”

  Ansel’s answers were usually concise and oddly confident. He radiated an aura to follow him and put trust in him. Maids, by nature, followed a leader, and the maids were quite pleased to have a confident figure even though he was a bit young. However, as much as how confident he sounded, the reality was that their supplies were running dangerously low. What was more alarming was Gavin's absence. He should have already arrived, and this was making Ansel worry a bit. Did the meeting go awry? As a few days passed more, he could no longer just wait. He scrambled all the coins he saved so far.

  “Three iron coins,” he said to himself. That was all he had after two years of saving under Gavin in addition to the reward for conquering Fort Mow. The market or whatever was left of was non-existent. But he did see a wheat field on the edge of the town. Therefore, he headed there alone since there was no one else. Should bandits or monsters attack the town, they were pretty much done for, he realized. The situation was actually pretty dire.

  “Food first,” he mumbled as he headed over to the wheat field.

  “Who are you?” A muscle man demanded when he approached a wheat field. He was with two male children who were probably his sons.

  “Do you sell the wheat here?”

  “Who are you?” he repeated.

  “I work for the new Baron. I was wondering if you could sell your produce.”

  “Fuck you. We were doing fine before you lot came along. Now, look at the place. It’s a shithole now. Bugger off!”

  Ansel didn’t react angrily to his harsh words. Instead, he tilted his head as if he was a bit confused.

  “You are not selling then?”

  “Are you dumb or something?! Bugger off!”

  He asked innocently, “Are you absolutely sure?”

  “Yeah, whatever, bugger off!”

  “You'd better be prepared to leave then. Once I report this to the baron, your landrights will be revoked.”

  He didn’t know such a thing as landrights existed. He was literally talking out of his butt although he assumed that a similar system must exist.

  “Why you little -!” He slashed his pitchfork at Ansel which was deflected easily as he swung his spear. “What the?” The farmer looked surprised at his skillful retaliation. His face got redder and he started to puff. He was really angry. “You little fu-”

  “Dear!”

  A woman’s shout was heard. A woman in her early 30s ran toward the scene. She was probably the wife and the mother of the children. The two children ran toward the woman and hid behind her at once.

  “Are you trying to get us all starved to death?!” she barked at him and hit him in the head as soon as she was close enough. She was much smaller than him, but the man reacted like a child being scolded by his mother. Seeing the situation de-escalate, he withdrew his spear.

  “I am terribly sorry. He’s got a bad temper and is stupid. What’s your name again?”

  “I am Page Ansel. I work for the new baron. I was hoping to purchase some of your wheat sacks.”

  She had no idea what rank “page” was but innately realized that he probably shouldn’t be messed with.

  “I am sorry, but this is the off season. The sacks we have are for our own consumption. We can’t afford to sell them unless we are prepared to starve.”

  “Which is exactly why I am paying for it. You can buy something else to eat, can’t you?”

  Bread was the staple food. Thus, wheat was the most important ingredient before anything else.

  “Maybe. Have you seen the market? It’s gone.”

  He froze momentarily. The woman had a point indeed. Money would be meaningless if they couldn’t purchase anything.

  “The market will come back. I am not asking much. I will pay two iron coins for a sack of wheat.”

  He actually didn’t know the market rate for a sack of wheat. He assumed that two coins for it was probably a lot. And indeed the expression from the woman changed.

  “Well, if you are willing to pay that much…” She looked at her husband. “Bring a sack of wheat and another sack for some veggies.”

  “You serious?!”

  “Do you want us to get evicted?!” she barked back.

  “Fucking nobles…” Grumbling loudly, he went into their home and brought out a large sack and a small sack. The large sack was almost as large as Ansel himself.

  “The small sack is veggies,” she explained. “They don’t last long anyway, so you might as well have some leftovers.”

  “Thank you. Would you mind bringing them over to the manor? Look for the butler, Wallace. He will take them.”

  He was certain that he wouldn’t be able to carry them anyway. And telling them to deliver to the manor was a way to tell them to verify his identity.

  “Very well. I don’t think you can carry them anyway,” she said. Glancing back at her husband, she told him, “Be a good dear and bring them to the manor, will you?”

  He was fuming and livid but complied.

  “Thank you. I will put in good words to the baron.”

  He made sure to spend some time outside and returned to the manor a few hours later. Clara, who happened to be outside, welcomed him warmly.

  “Thanks for the wheat sack and veggies. We won’t go hungry for a while,” she said with a smile. She was far more outgoing than Selena who was much more reserved.

  “Just doing my job,” he replied indifferently, which made her giggle.

  Gavin would return six days later, far later than expected. He arrived in a carriage along with several carts, carrying supplies. Unexpectedly, Ansel saw Finnic leading the convoy.

  “Finnic? Why are you here?”

  “Ehm, hehe….” Scratching the back of his head, he didn’t say much.

  If everything went according to the plan, he should have departed for Fort Mow and started a new settlement. Obviously, things didn’t go as planned.

  “Ansel! I am so sorry for being late!” Gavin rushed out of the carriage and met up with him. The butler and maids were watching them from a short distance.

  “I hope our late arrival didn’t cause too much trouble.”

  “We almost starved to death. Other than that, everything was fine.”

  “Well, I saw the state the town is in. I assume the market isn’t even functioning.”

  “No, sir, but we managed. By the way, why is Finnic here?”

  Glancing back at him, Gavin took a long breath. “That’s a long story. We will talk inside.” Then he walked past him to greet Wallace.

  “Baron, it’s been a while.” Placing his left palm on his chest, he bowed gracefully, and the two maids curtseyed by lifting the helms of their skirts slightly.

  “I, once again, apologize for my late arrival.”

  “No worries, Baron. Your page has saved us from starvation.”

  “He has saved my fate more than once. I knew I could trust him.”

  He wasn’t even joking although the butler and the maids may have understood differently. With men unloading the cargo, Gavin, Finnic, and Ansel went into the manor. Ansel had to lead Gavin to his office since he knew the layout. It was the first time for Gavin and Finnic to have been to the manor.

  “Alright, not bad at all,” he sat down while looking around. Furniture was nothing fancy but, for someone like Gavin who spent his entire life in tents and snobby rooms, they were indeed passable.

  “So, what happened?”

  Relaxing in his chair, he drew a long breath. When he and Finnic arrived in the court’s manor in Crisuri, they meant to get everything done as swiftly as possible and go to Ateria with supplies. However, the ceremonies needed to be held for both Gavin and Finnic. Those alone took several days with parties and whatnot. A knight being granted a title of baron was a big occasion indeed. A foot soldier being knighted wasn’t as big however.

  “I see. I didn’t foresee the ceremonies,” Ansel mumbled with his arms folded.

  And things went awry when Finnic brought up the topic of developing Fort Mow.

  “The count asked a lot of questions. We could answer only some of them which prompted him to ask whose idea it was.”

  “So, did you tell him that it was my idea?”

  “Finnic did.”

  “Finnic…,” Ansel grumbled.

  “I, I am sorry. I panicked, sort of. You don’t know what he is like. He may be a young guy but he has the aura of a killer.”

  Finnic was a hardened warrior in spite of his young age. If he felt overwhelmed by an imposing aura, the count must have been pretty capable on his own as well.

  “So, did he reject the whole idea? It was a decent idea though. The count may welcome the idea itself.”

  “He did,” Gavin said. “But he said he’d consider it only if you show up and talk to him.”

  “Then it’s off. I won’t meet him.”

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  Interestingly, Finnic didn’t look discontent. Instead of him, Gavin asked.

  “Why not? It is a good idea.”

  “Baron, if I go to Crisuri, I won’t be coming back.”

  Furrowing eyebrows, he blurted, “What?”

  “The count won’t probably let me go back. He will want to employ me.”

  Slowly folding arms, Gavin fell into thoughts. “Are you certain?” He eventually asked.

  “I am certain. I have a strange feeling that he is looking for an advisor and I feel like I fit the bill pretty much perfectly. He won’t let me go if I show up in front of him.”

  “Wouldn’t working for him be better than working for me?”

  “Objectively speaking perhaps, but I want some degree of freedom. He will work me to bones, probably.” Looking at Finnic, he asked. “It doesn’t look like you are disappointed anyway.”

  “I am not,” he replied promptly. “I have a strong feeling that I would have failed anyway. I’d rather stay as a knight. Well, the baron’s first knight.”

  As Gavin’s first knight, he’d hold far more authority than an ordinary knight. It wasn’t a bad choice indeed. And thus, his fever dream came to an end. It made him realize where he stood. He was a muscle brain and shouldn’t stray too far from his path.

  “Well, the idea is out there anyway. I am sure that the count will develop Fort Mow now,” Ansel said with a shrug.

  “Whatever the case, it looks like we have a big job ahead of us now. The town is in tatters,” Gavin said as he stood up from his chair and facing the only window in the office. They were on the second floor, and the window provided some view of the town from afar. “Status report, Page.”

  “Certainly. The current population is thirty. The iron mine is currently abandoned. The market is gone. The roads are damaged with debris, which I am sure you saw.”

  “Excluding Finnic and you, I have seven soldiers. I will dedicate two of them at the gate to the manor and will give you five soldiers under your command, Page.”

  “Understood, Baron. What is Finnic’s exact position?”

  “He is my guard captain.”

  “I see, Captain Burendo, I will give you three soldiers. Please begin patrolling the town immediately.”

  “Understood.”

  Thus, their monumental task of reviving Ateria began.

  Once word spread that a new baron arrived in Ateria, some of the folks who fled the town started to return albeit very slowly. Additionally, Finnic and his men cleared out some stones and debris in front of the manor. Apparently, Gavin was awarded ten silver coins for his valor during the battle, meaning money wasn’t going to be a big issue for a while. He also had sizable savings, a meager perk for being a knight for over 20 years. Ansel counted his total wealth and it came to 33 silver coins total or 3.3 gold coins.

  “This is a lot of money but then it’s really not,” Ansel concluded.

  “Not enough to revive a battered town like this?”

  “Probably not. But you might get a marriage dowry?”

  Gavin chuckled. “I do wonder who would want to marry an old man like me.”

  “You do have a youthful look for your age and you are a war hero. Don’t degrade yourself, Baron.”

  Indeed, the battle of Moshil 877 was one for storybooks because Baron Durrell defied the odds and emerged victorious. It was the very first battle between the Rassier and the Vaze as well which boosted its significance even further. It could be even argued that the victory set the tide of the conflict.

  “The count did his part by announcing that I was looking for a partner during the ceremony. He also exempted Ateria from tax for a decade, but I now see why he did that.”

  Ansel chuckled. “There won’t be anyone to tax for several years at the least. In fact, you should announce that you aren’t going to impose taxation for at least two years.”

  “That reminds me. Can you write and read yet?”

  “I’ve mastered the alphabet and have learned some vocabulary. Grammar is still beyond me.”

  “Ask Finnic to teach you horse riding as well.”

  “Understood, Baron.”

  The town needed laborers and the mine needed to restart as well. The mine was especially going to cause a problem if left unmanned for too long because abandoned caves would frequently become a source for monsters. Therefore, he called Finnic and his men and visited the mine for an inspection.

  “Aw, shit, they are already there,” Finnic muttered, sniffing his nose. “Goblins probably.”

  Goblins had this mildly disgusting smell they emitted. They were often found inhabiting caves as well, thus it came to no surprise that they began living in the mine. The mine entrance was a mess just like the rest of the town. Tools were scattered around, and broken crates were everywhere.

  “Should we clear them out now or later?”

  “We are probably going to need more men for this.”

  Ansel’s weapon of choice, a spear, performed badly in a confined space like a cave. He knew how to use daggers and short swords but he wasn’t really adept at those weapons.

  Glancing back at mere three soldiers, Finnic placed his hands on his waist and sighed.

  “We’ve got no spare weapons and armor also and no healer to boot,” he lamented. “Yeah, this is a no-go.”

  “Any signs of bandits?”

  “Not that we’ve seen. The area is pretty secure. By the way, there is an abandoned tavern by a watch tower. It’s right by the entrance to the town.”

  Ansel mumbled, “It’s been a month now. I figured that some business owners might return…”

  Neither the market nor any businesses reopened. This was going to be an issue. The speed at which people were returning to their homes was way too slow as well.

  “Maybe, the count knew that this would happen.”

  Reopening the mine was important but getting the tavern running was equally important as well. After all, miners would need a place to rewind.

  “Let’s go check the tavern.”

  “This is the tavern?”

  It was a square structure with thatch roof and wooden walls. Two more structures were behind the tavern where one was a stable and the other was a storage building.

  “Remarkably intact in spite of everything else around it destroyed,” Ansel remarked while inspecting the area. He did explore this zone before although he didn’t know this was a tavern.

  The door was locked, but Finnic made an easy work out of it by just bashing the door open. Dusty air embraced them but the interior was mostly intact.

  “We could get this running pretty easily if someone is willing to take over,” Finnic remarked while waving his hand in front of his face to fend off dust. This was when one of the soldiers with them spoke up.

  “Captain.”

  Glancing back, he replied half-heartedly, “What.”

  “My relatives run a tavern in Cavini. His children are all grown up and are wanting to start their own business. I could ask them whether they are interested.”

  Cavini was Ansel’s hometown. His family ran a farm. He had no interest in finding out how they were doing.

  Ansel spoke, “We need to make sure that the tavern is indeed abandoned. It’s going to be problematic if the previous owner comes back and claims it as his own.”

  “Can’t wait forever, you know. Besides, the town’s got a new governor. They won’t be able to do jackshit,” Finnic retorted.

  Couldn’t wait forever indeed. Giving a subtle nod to himself, Ansel told the soldier, “Sure, if they are willing to go through some hardship, they are more than welcome to.”

  “Got it, Page. Can’t send a letter, so I will visit them soon.”

  Postal service wasn’t obviously active, either, in Ateria. When they returned to the manor, Ansel was informed that the first marriage offer arrived. A messenger on a horse arrived at around noon, handing a red wax sealed letter to the butler, Wallace. He immediately paid a visit to the baron to find him reading the letter in his office. After reading it, he handed the letter over to him. “Try reading it. See if you can understand.”

  He couldn’t but was able to pick up keywords because he was specifically learning words related to diplomacy.

  “... Babara Hills… 18 years old … from Casv. A marriage dowry of 10 silver coins. His father’s rank is a baronet.”

  “Good. I am assuming that you are picking up keywords.”

  “Yes, Baron.”

  “So, what do you think?”

  “Rejected of course. You can do better than this.”

  Gavin’s face looked troubled. “Am I going to marry someone in their late teens?”

  His concern was somewhat valid. He was going to end up marrying a woman who was young enough to be his daughter most likely. As for Ansel, he had absolutely no idea how this whole marriage stuff worked. All he knew was that the offer came from a baronet. Therefore, he was rejecting it solely based on that. His knowledge was unbalanced in favor of warfare. Perhaps because of that, he asked Gavin earnestly.

  “What are you looking for? Give me a list of your demands.”

  “What? It doesn’t work like that … Well, whatever, fine. Honestly, I want a woman who is over 25 years old. Even that makes 18 years of difference. Ideally, older but no older than 35.”

  Ansel nodded along.

  “I want this to be her first marriage but I don’t expect her to be a virgin. I honestly don’t care about her family’s rank, but I assume their rank should be at least baron. I don’t care about anything else. Ugly, beautiful, I don’t care as long as she can give birth to my children ASAP.”

  “Alright, Baron. I am going to send one of my men out and spread the word. I am sending another man to gather data on available noblewomen in the Moshil region.”

  “We need to recruit more soldiers,” Gavin noted.

  “We need more in everything, Baron.”

  “Right…” He rubbed his face with a long sigh. “Not easy, this.”

  Upon leaving his office, he saw Selena waiting for him.

  “Yes?”

  “Sir Page, could I have a moment of your time?”

  She led him downstairs to the main lobby where the main entrance is. Looking around as if making sure that no one was around, she approached him and lowered her upper body a bit to reach his hair.

  “I think the butler and Clara may be having an affair,” she whispered.

  Ansel blinked his eyes, not fully understanding the gravity of the situation. He wasn’t old enough to know sexuality and how it mustn’t interfere in professional environments.

  “What’s wrong with that?”

  This time, she blinked her eyes in confusion but soon realized that he was too young to see the fault.

  “Perhaps, we should bring this to the baron then,” she concluded.

  “They … WHAT?!” Gavin stood up from his chair at once, bashing the desk. “Are you absolutely certain?!”

  “Yes, I am. Clara and I share the same room. I noticed that she was sneaking out of the room after midnight. I followed her once to find the butler and her having an affair.”

  “We are barely a month in and they pull this?! Bring them to me at once!”

  Bowing, Selena excused herself.

  “I thought men and women are meant to get together?” Ansel asked innocently after she rushed out of the office.

  Growling, he glanced at him before sitting down and rubbing the bridge of his nose. “As far as I know, Wallace is already a married man. And, Ansel, you do not fool around while working. And it is absolutely taboo for a butler to fool around with a maid.”

  “I see. Interesting.”

  “Lad, you are just too young to know. Give it a few more years, and you will understand.”

  In a moment, Wallace and Clara entered the office. Ansel was by Gavin, standing with both of his hands on the back.

  “Mr Wallace and Clara, is this true?”

  Wallace dropped his head, silently confirming it.

  “It wasn’t his fault!” She raised her voice while taking a step forward. “I pushed him into this!”

  “Why? Explain.” Gavin’s voice was cold. It was the same kind of voice before the operation to infiltrate the fortress a while ago.

  “It was … too boring!”

  The funny thing about this scene was the proud look on her face. Even Ansel could tell that what she did was awkward because it was clear that they were at fault. What was to be proud about?

  “Boring…?” Gavin looked flabbergasted.

  “Baron…, she isn’t entirely wrong,” Wallace admitted with a weak voice.

  “Am I hearing this right? You two had an affair because you were too bored. Wallace, you have a wife and a kid.”

  “WHAT?!” Clara exclaimed and turned to him. “You said you were SINGLE!”

  “ENOUGH!” Gavin shouted. “You two fight elsewhere. I shall have none of this nonsense. Wallace, you are fired. Pack your things and leave before the end of the day. Clara, you are fired as well but you don’t have to leave by the end of the day. You will leave as soon as you are prepared however. Leave. I don’t want to hear from you two anymore. If you must have my attention, go through my page. Get. Out.”

  With shoulders sagged, the two left the office.

  “Ansel, you act as a butler for the time being. There isn’t much to do anyway.”

  “Baron, can Selena alone take care of the manor?”

  “Of course, not. Tell her to work on active sections of the manor only. Hire two more maids.”

  “May I ask why you gave the maid more leeway?”

  Gavin crossed his fingers, supporting his chin on them. “I always try to be lenient to women. One of the knight’s codes. That’s all.”

  “I see.”

  The punishments were the same for the both of them in the end. Wallace did leave on the clock, and Clara left several days later. According to Selena, she didn’t really want to leave since she was fired without a letter of recommendation, meaning she was unlikely going to get a new job as a maid.

  “But you reap what you sow,” Ansel said to himself, holding a sealed letter in his hand. Several days passed since, and he received another marriage proposal letter. He was heading to Gavin’s office at once.

  “You read it first,” he told Ansel and he crossed his fingers.

  Unsealing the letter in front of him, he tried to read it but he was more used to picking up keywords instead of reading comprehensively.

  “Ehm…, everything looks good, Baron… except for one aspect…”

  Gavin seemed to have understood what the “one aspect” was. He asked, “I see… Let me ask… How old is she?”

  “Sir, this offer is from Casteel. It’s from a viscount.”

  “How old is she?”

  “There is only one viscount in the region, sir. This is probably going to be the best offer you are going to get.”

  Gavin raised his voice. “How. Old. Is. She???”

  “Ehm…, fifteen, sir.”

  Bashing the desk, he spoke up angrily. “That’s no woman. It’s a girl!”

  “Sir…”

  “And I see that you are seeing nothing wrong with it.”

  Indeed, he didn’t. Ansel saw no issue with the age difference. What mattered was the willingness from both houses. He didn’t consider the girl’s feelings because it didn’t matter in his mind because the wife of a nobleman was to give birth to children. They served no further purpose than that in his mind.

  “Ansel, I don’t know how to get it through your head, but she is almost as young to be my granddaughter if I married early. You are more fit to marry her.”

  “Sir, age is just a number. If they are willing, if she is willing -”

  He interjected, “Ansel, I can bet my balls that she is not willing. It’s her father. Anyway, I am not going to, no, I cannot accept it.”

  Sighing, Ansel had to accept his decision. “If you say so, Baron.”

  “You sent out men to search for my potential wife. Let’s go with that path.”

  He did. He sent out one man to spread words that Baron Durrell was looking for a wife while also looking for two maids. Another was specifically sent out of the region to gather information on available noblewomen. While at it, he was also asked to seek out a mage to test Ansel’s potential as a mage. Originally, Gavin was going to hire a mage from Crisuri. However, given the possibility that Count Tristan Rassier may be keeping taps on Ansel, he decided to find a mage outside of the Moshil region.

  About two weeks later, a middle-aged man in a modest robe riding a horse arrived at the Durrell manor. He had straight silver hair swept backwards with refined facial features along with ocean blue eyes. Anyone could vaguely sense that he was no ordinary man. Ansel was informed immediately and came down to greet the stranger. He mimicked what Wallace did. He placed his left palm on his chest and lowered his upper body slightly.

  “Greetings, I am Ansel, a page serving the baron. May I ask your name?”

  “Gadric Asvete. I am a semi-retired mage serving Duke Grimhill. I was told about a peculiar boy from a soldier.”

  Ansel had to assume that it was the man he sent out.

  “That’d be me, sir.”

  A subtle grin emerged on his handsome face. “I can tell. It has been a while since I saw someone like you.”

  “Oh?”

  “Only a mage could probably sense the void within you.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Greetings, Voidkin.”