21 Chapter 21 (1/2)
The sun was just starting to set when Wilfred reached the n.o.ble district. Reminiscent of a gated community on earth, high walls separated the district from the rest of the city and it was the closest to the castle. Guards stood at attention in front of a small portcullis and would watch the people walking by. Making sure to be on time, he had set out earlier than he had to. As the saying back on earth went, if you're early you are on time and if you're on time you are late.
Looking at the two towering hunks of metal, Wilfred wondered how he would get through. Would he just need to introduce himself, were they aware he was coming or would he be admitted at all. Surely they didn't just let commoners walk on through the n.o.ble district. As he advanced towards them the guard put his hand in front of Wilfred and motionned for him to stop.
”What's your business here boy?”
”Baron Lanart has invited me over for dinner and is expecting me.”
Wilfred had the baron's letter with him if worse came to. But then he realized that perhaps these guards didn't know how to read, it was a possibility.
”Uh huh. Please wait here, we'll send a runner to confirm.”
From behind the portcullis, a teenage girl was summoned to the front where the guard whispered orders in her ear. After the guard was done talking to her, she sprinted at an amazing speed down into the n.o.ble's district.
”Wow, she's fast.”
The guard nodded in agreement.
”She's going to be a strong cultivator one day that one. Her speed is one of the fastest I've seen. ”
What felt like a few minutes later the girl returned and brought a small envelope with a green stamp on it.
”Alright, you're good to go. Don't cause any trouble or you'll regret it. The baron's estate is the 14th on the right, you'll see his crest displayed outside of his house. It's a Griffin with two axes.”
Wilfred thanked the guards and proceeded inside. While he wished he didn't have to wait since he was expected, they were only doing their job and he understood that.
Every house here was a ma.s.sive mansion with the owners trying to display their wealth and power. Large fountains and small gardens spread throughout the lots of the estates made for a beautiful scenery. A few plaques here and there would proudly commerotate a donation that allowed the city to build a statue or a fountain and help spread the fame of the family that made it possible.
Before long Wilfred arrived in front of the lanart estate, a tall black building with three stories and a fancy family emblem flowing in the wind. The house had an old money feel to it, the Lanarts were obviously not a new n.o.ble family and had been around for some time. The construction was old but of quality and the estate stood the test of time. Behind the house was a beautiful garden with a wooden gazebo and a small pond, likely man made, resided in the middle of it all.
Wilfred walked up the stone stairs leading up to the main door and using the metal loop, knocked on the door twice. He didn't wait long until the door was answered by a well dressed man who seemed to be in his early forties. He wore a simple dark blue suit with white cuffs and answered politely.
”Ah, you must be Mr.Lamarche. You are a little early but no worry, we have been ready for some time now. Please do come in.”
The interior was very nice as well, rivaling the rooms that Wilfred stayed in at the academy. As a commoner he hadn't seen much of the opulence or the lifestyle of the rich yet. While everything was nice it did not compare to the utility of things back on earth like running water, electricity and the quality of beds.
The butler, at least that was what Wilfred a.s.sumed him to be, directed him into another room. A few chairs lay scattered around a beautiful oak table and a tea set was present on said table.
”Please sit down, Baron Lanart will soon join you.”
The man left the room and closed the door behind him. Wilfred stood awkwardly around not sure where he should sit when he spotted a large section of the wall sporting a library, curious he headed over to look at the collection.
Perusing the t.i.tles, he noticed that most of these were related to magic or cultivation in some way. Very few of them related to history or philosophy. Having recently paid a small fortune for a simple book with a few alchemy recipes really put in perspective the value of this collection and the wealth of its owner. Even though Wilfred had recently acquired funds that would make commoners live well for a generation, for a n.o.ble family it was simply a small part of their yearly budget.
Taking a book on the n.o.ble lineages of the kingdom, Wilfred began browsing it casually. A small section at the start of the book describes the laws of the kingdom for inheritance. Leganon uses an agnotic-cognatic ultimogeniture system for heirs. In layman's terms, this means the youngest male child of the ruler inherits all t.i.tles and in the case of no male child, a daughter can also inherit but with preference for one with a son already. When the ruler lived for a long time this type of succession means the heir who inherits tends to be in the prime of his life. There are disadvantages of course, such as having a regency if the heir should be really young when the King dies.
Skipping a few pages and going into the section talking about the royal families of the kingdom, Wilfred found out some interesting information. The ruling dynasty is currently the Avarte but just a few generations ago it was the Lanart.
Wilfred was disturbed from his reading when a voice called out to him.
”Beautiful collection isn't it? My grandfather started it many years ago. It's a shame that Thomen does not share your pa.s.sion for reading. There is much knowledge to gain from reading.”
”I agree. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Or something along those lines.”
Wilfred put the book back in its place and went over to Baron Lanart.
”Thank you for receiving me.”
”You're most welcome, please sit. ”
Baron Lanart poured tea for two and handed Wilfred a cup. While tea wasn't his favorite, iced tea being one of his favorites however, he could stomach it for the sake of appearances.
”I must say Mr.Lamarche, you are not quite what you seem. For someone your age you seem very thoughtful and your magical ability is also quite extraordinary.”
”You flatter me. But enough with the banter, surely you must have had a specific reason you wanted to speak to me, especially in a place as private as this?”
Tybias' face betrayed his thoughts for but a quick moment. How did this child already know his intentions? After composing himself, he sighed and explained.
”Very well, in the interest of transparency I shall be completely honest. You are quite the prodigy, that much is clear. The people aware of you are only a small number right now but that will grow very fast once word gets out to the neighboring kingdoms. They will try to recruit you for their purposes and I'm sure even some of the other factions within Leganon have already approached you.”
Wilfred nodded, allowing Tybias to continue.
”For a lack of better word, the Mage Corps are in a dire strait. Leganon is much smaller than Nansen and Moburi both in population and land size. As such, we have had to use measures like mandatory time served in the army to help bolster our military. Naturally, most of our resources are spent trying to attract strong cultivators and helping develop our own. Do you know how rankings work for the army?”
Wilfred had a small idea given how power seemed to be the number one indicator of worth in this world. A good soldier however would not always mean a good commander. With n.o.bility in play as well, there would likely be favoritism in choosing generals based on their lineage.
”Well...not exactly, but I a.s.sume that n.o.bles likely get some extra ranks due to being close to the royal family?”
”That's one part of the problem. For fear of commoners rising up and upsetting the status quo, the n.o.bles have managed to influence the King to limit the ranks a commoner may rise up to, no matter their talent. However this exception was waived for cultivators and not even the n.o.bles would dare speak out against them. Due to many mages opting to pursue other paths than being in the army, we have a bad reputation in general. It doesn't help that some mages are more involved in research and not quite good at combat.”
Tybias took a deep breath and continued.