Shades of the New World

Evin knew that the political scene was like a spider web that spanned the entirety of the kingdom. If you poke at one weak noble, thinking that there were no consequences, some bigshot from the Capital might come knocking on your door the next week.

It was a complicated system that demanded the attention of whoever wanted to enter it. Evin was still very green in this field and there were a lot of details that he didn't know about. But he at least knew that he shouldn't offend the Arcwall family in the capital and the four Dukes of the kingdom. The four Dukes were assigned to the four corners of the kingdom, with the Earl's family in Smallwall town falling under the wings of Duchess Klavd.

The Duchess of the North was a woman of renown during her time. An extremely powerful World of Water mage who started as a mere commoner, but rose spectacularly to the seat of a Duke after she received the title of a Baroness after becoming a mage. Most of her achievements were from the Southern campaign and in a span of 20 years, she managed to tightly grasp her standing inside the Kingdom.

The kingdom awarded their loyal contributors without holding back, and the patriotism and enthusiasm Klavd showed far surpassed the previous duke. One who was falling into stagnancy and lethargy, because of the peaceful atmosphere of the North-West.

If Evin had to rank the strongest dukes of the kingdom, he would put the Southern Duke in the highest position, and then Duchess Klavd in second place. The Dukes of East and West were more focused on infrastructure and economy rather than battle, so they would both enjoy the two last places.

Evin guessed that the boy's family also hailed from under the Duchess' rule. The boy looked at Evin with evident disgust. But he didn't hurry to shoo the commoner away, since Evin wore clothes that were obviously not for normal commoners. Some of the materials of clothing were only reserved for mages and nobles, so the boy could tell that he was talking to at least a mage.

"Who do you think you are, one so shameless to talk directly with me?"

"I am but a humble mage, willing to dedicate my everything to the kingdom. I hail from the lands under Earl Borna to visit the Northern Tribes and receive my Ivari Horn. Unfortunately, my life was too poor before I was hailed as a mage, so I couldn't find the time to learn of all the Noble families in the kingdom. I ask young master to be the one to start this delayed journey of mine, by imparting me with the glory of your family," Evin said with reverence.

He didn't really care about what he was saying, he just wanted the boy to feel superior. As for getting his pride hurt by this lowly way of speaking… Evin's moments of shame in his previous life greatly exceeded whatever he did in Alvox. A small matter like bootlicking wasn't worth mentioning.

"Hmph, at least you've learned to flatter your betters. Very well, I shall tell you. My Laymont house is under the rule of Marquess Olmar Laymont and I am his eldest son, Parvan Laymont," the boy declared.

"Would young master be kind enough to explain to this lowly commoner the name of your land? I'm afraid I'm still quite uneducated in the field of nobility," Evin asked amiably.

"Our family is tasked with safeguarding the North-Westernmost area of the kingdom from foul beasts and possible enemies from the sea. We come from the county of Morsik," the boy said proudly.

Hearing the location, Evin sneered inwardly.

'What foul beasts? Sharks and octopuses? What enemies from the sea? Lost fishermen from the North?'

The spot was the safest spot in the entirety of the kingdom. The area was rich with resources and blessed with peace. The violent storms surrounding its beaches made it hell for boats to navigate, so no idiot would decide to invade the Kingdom from that side. It was also an area that was closed off by nature, only connected with three great tunnels that were drilled into the mountains surrounding it. Evin guessed that the place was designated as an emergency escape route for the Royal family if the Kingdom ever fell to chaos.

But more importantly, the Duchess would absolutely hate whoever ruled there. Evin knew that the Duchess actively sought out mages from her territory of control to send them towards the South for battle. Evin didn't know what she was planning, but it was obvious that she preferred stronger citizens over the weaker ones. She would definitely not enjoy a certain group of people who lived a life without worry in one of the corners of the Western Kingdom.

And even though the Marquess' title was one level greater than Earl Borna, it was basically a joke title for the ones that didn't live in the South. A marquess was effectively an Earl in charge of border areas. In the Southern border, only the most dependent leaders were sent. The responsibilities were sky-high due to the war, but the rewards were enough to keep those hardworking Marquesses of the South content and loyal enough.

But for the Marquesses of the other regions, especially for the ones on the Western side of the kingdom, it was just an empty title, no better than a normal Earl.

But the most important factor was the Duchess. She should not like the Laymont family. It wasn't a guarantee, but it was very likely. And since Earl Borna was on the same level as Marquess Laymont, it shouldn't affect Evin too much, if he somehow represented the Earl in one way or another.

Evin also guessed that the Earl should not like the Marquess that much. Judging from Parvan, the Marquess' family did not seem to respect commoners so well. But the Earl was more tolerant towards commoners, or at least mage commoners, since he was quite ready to marry Bellaslayn to Evin.

Evin could happily teach this boy a lesson if he ever decides to mess with him. The problem was the mage who was guarding the boy, but he shouldn't be stronger than Rith.

'No Marquess would send a goddamn Lesser-Imposer to guard a boy on his journey to the North. I'm pretty sure that Lesser-Imposers were only available for Dukes or the king himself to send in the first place,' Evin reasoned.

"This lowly one thanks young master of Marquis Laymont for the educating experience. I hope you will have a pleasant journey ahead," Evin said. He knew he had a backing strong enough to not fear the boy, but he didn't bother bullying him.

But he had to probe the boy's background first, or else he could find himself dead outside his doormat. Besides, the boy was still a child. Just look at him screaming at the top of his lungs after seeing a bunch of travelers on a stair like some overexcited puppy. It wasn't the boy's fault that he grew up like this.

"What's your business here in the first place? Weren't you the people who were climbing ahead of us in the morning?" the boy asked inquisitively.

"My grandfather, Ssatsko, is a Northerner, as you can see. And he seems to be friends with the Customs House guard, Purzo. They've been catching up on old times," Evin replied.

"Is that so, well, I wish your group good travels as well," the boy smiled. A hint of something warm filled the boy's cheeks and his natural sneer started to look a bit better.

The boy did not seem too overbearing when Evin talked to him in a way that he was used to. When he first entered the building and noticed that none of the strangers showered him with attention like he was used to, he supposedly took the matter into his hands.

'It's actually kind of cute,' Evin realized, after thinking about the matter a bit.