28.11.590 AF (+7 Days)
[Walter]
Adrian has informed me that the Castellan was Sir Albert Dirac, a man from the cadet branch of the Viscounts of Dirac, a nearby viscounty to Riptide Reach. Small Talk with my escort had taught me that Albert has been castellan of Riptide Reach for over twenty years now and is a man in his late fifties. One of the few men who still remember the days of the old Avalonian Empire before the formation of the broken kingdoms.
I found him sitting at his desk with stacks of paperwork that would make any bureaucrat cringe. Grey hair with streaks of black was combed back in a wave as they revealed a face with enough wrinkles to make a septuagenarian jealous. In a world where most people died before the age of fifty, his age was a testament to his experience and competence. No man served as Castellan to a King for over two decades unless he was truly competent.
He took his time to take a glance at me. Considering the best path forward, I decided that I should wait for him to speak first. Until the papers are sorted out, I was just a son of a wandering knight's bastard.
"So, you are Walter, son of Oliver?" He sounded tired, I guess sitting in an office doing paperwork all day would do that to a person. Sir Dirac looked down his nose at me. I was still a ten-year-old despite being tall for my age after all.
"I am, Sir," I mumbled.
Sir Dirac gave me a kind smile as he finished, a rather patronising smile but then again, I was only meant to be ten, not a man with a combined age of 101.
"Let us get to it then. You are here to determine a few things about your new House. Firstly, do you have any idea what name you will take and what your sigil will be?"
I scrunched my eyebrows together as I thought. What is the point of having lived another life if you can't appropriate ideas?
I looked down at my neck. The pendant, that my father gave me before going to war, was present. From an outsider's perspective, it might very well be just an ordinary jewellery, but when looked up closely, it held a blue lion on a field of black. It would make a nice sigil. Simple seemed to be the best way to go considering the sigil will have to be stitched or carved onto a lot of my possessions and banners around whichever lands I am being given.
I am unsure of what name to take though. Many houses take names from things prevalent in or around their lands, perhaps I should do the same?
I spoke in as strong a voice as I could manage. "I would like my sigil to be a blue lion of a field of black. I am unsure of the name however, might I enquire what lands I am to be given to help me make my decision?"
Dirac's eyes widened. Maybe not for the reason that even though I'm just ten, I'm so thoughtful, as that would have ended with a compliment. Must be something with the sigil.
"Is the sigil taken, milord?," I inquired.
"N-No. Not Really." he said with a bit of a stutter, but he immediately amended it and was back to his original face. He continued, "Well aren't you a precocious lad! I will mark down your decision of a sigil. As for your lands, the village of Cardhan west from here on the coast is to be your seat. There is a modest keep there atop a hill. The previous master of those lands died during the Shattering of Empire nearly thirty years ago and the lands have been administered by a local castellan reporting to Riptide Reach directly ever since. With the news of your elevation, he has been removed and an administrator from here has to take over his duties. He is to be your regent until you're of age. I must warn you, these lands are not particularly prosperous, and the turmoil of recent decades has only worsened their condition"
Trying not to come across as older than I am, has always been difficult. Being a man in a child's body is bloody hard. Keeping up a child's act forever is exhausting and after I made a few mistakes I decided to discard the idea. It wasn't worth the hassle just to appear normal. Other than that, I need to look into the sigil thing. I think there's a deeper mystery to it.
As for name. Carnell. I guess that would be my new surname then. It seems similar enough to Cardhan to match up with.
Looking up at him I explain, "I will take Carnell for my House name."
Bruce nodded and jotted it down on the parchment in front of him. "Master Carnell of Cardhan, then, as fine a choice as any. What of your House words?"
As for the House Words, I selected 'Fierce & Unseen', drawing a connection to the symbolism of my blue lion sigil on a black field. These words encapsulated the spirit I wished to instill in my house, conveying strength and resilience tempered with subtlety and strategy
After that was dealt with he spent a few minutes explaining to me the primary details of my new lands and its various resources before he politely dismissed me and I made my way to the temporary chambers I had been assigned. All in all, I thought it had gone pretty well. I had a lot to think about.
First of all, the castellan addressed me as Master Carnell, which reflects the title I am to hold. From what I understand of the peerage system in this world, my rank places me at the very bottom of the hierarchy. At the pinnacle is the King and his family, followed by the Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, Baron, Baronet, and Knight. Below them is the title of Master. Unlike the other ranks, a Master belongs to the landed gentry class—individuals who own land but do not possess full noble status.
Two days have passed since I was granted the title of Master of Cardhan. Today, I begin my journey to claim my estate, accompanied by my appointed retinue. Among them is a landless knight, tasked with serving as my marshal, ensuring the security and defense of my lands. The second is a mage, assigned as my mentor to guide me in matters of wisdom and, perhaps, the arcane. Lastly, a junior steward joins us as my regent, charged with managing the day-to-day affairs of my domain in my stead. Together, they will help me navigate the responsibilities of my newfound position.
When I arrived at the stables to choose a horse for the journey, I encountered Frederick Liveria, the junior steward assigned as my regent. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, with brownish-black hair and a scruffy beard that couldn't quite conceal his youthful, almost teenage look. We exchanged greetings and talked briefly as I made my selection. Frederick shared that he is the third son of a baron. With no inheritance to his name, he claimed to have worked hard to earn a place in the royal palace as a junior steward.
Though his words were confident, I could sense the story didn't quite hold up. His expression and tone betrayed a bitterness he tried to mask. From his demeanor, it was clear he wasn't thrilled about being assigned to a remote estate like Cardhan. Perhaps his performance in the royal court hadn't been stellar, but as the son of a noble, outright dismissal wasn't an option.
As we mounted our horses and made our way to the courtyard, I studied him further. Whatever the truth behind his assignment, I can only hope Frederick has the competence to oversee the village's affairs effectively. My success as Master of Cardhan may depend on it.
In the courtyard, I met the man who would serve as my marshal, a tall figure standing at least six feet. He appeared to be in his late thirties, with blonde hair that had begun to gray at the temples. A scabbard hung at his side, marking him as a knight, though he was landless—a status not far removed from mine in terms of peerage.
Our eyes met briefly before we both bowed in unison.
"I'm Walter Carnell, Master of Cardhan," I introduced myself with a polite smile.
"The pleasure is mine, Master Carnell. I'm Sir Tristan Nadein, assigned as Marshal of Cardhan," he replied, his tone matching my civility.
I appreciated his formality but wasted no time getting to the point. "Well then, Sir Tristan, where is our last companion for the journey?"
Tristan glanced toward the corridor, his expression faintly amused. "Lukas. He'll be here soon. He has a habit of arriving late to important occasions—ah, there he is."
He gestured toward a figure approaching briskly from the shadows of the corridor. A young man caught my attention as he approached from the corridor. He seemed to be in his early twenties, with a distinct playfulness in his gait that set him apart from the formal demeanor of the others. As he came to a stop before me, he bowed briefly and said, "Master Cardhan."
Straightening, he added with an air of casual pride, "I'm Lukas. Yeah, just Lukas. I'm an Expert Water Mage."
Ah, a Water Mage—that makes sense. Mages are valuable assets to any nation, and it's rare for one to be assigned to a minor noble like me. I had been surprised when I learned a mage would join my retinue, but the doubt faded upon realizing he specializes in water magic, often regarded as the weakest in terms of raw firepower.
From what I can gather, Lukas has recently been elevated to the rank of Expert Mage, likely a newly three-core mage. It's an impressive achievement for someone so young, but he may have reached his peak. As a commoner mage, advancing further will be difficult without vast wealth to purchase rare skill books or access to a noble bloodline to unlock more powerful abilities.
Still, a Water Mage is better than none. I'll do what I can to ensure his talents are put to good use in Cardhan.
"Greetings, Expert Lukas. I'm looking forward to your service in Cardhan," I said with a nod.
He smiled and nodded in return. Before long, we set off from Riptide Reach toward Cardhan. A wagon was provided for our journey, accompanied by a teamster—a merchant from Cardhan, who would not need to return after delivering us. I tied my horse to the wagon and took a seat in the back, alongside Lukas and Frederick. Tristan and Lukas took turns guarding the wagon every two hours, ensuring our journey would proceed without incident.
With winter upon us, the sun hung low in the sky, offering just enough light to make our journey manageable. Cardhan was about 48 kilometers (30 miles) from Riptide Reach, and I was eager to arrive and survey my new lands. My domain stretched from Cardhan itself, with its surrounding forest to the north and west, reaching the Silverstream River in the east, and a cave in the south. These natural landmarks were common ways to define a noble's lands, as they were practical, visible, and tied to the land's geography.
The journey spanned three days, covering 15-20 kilometers each day. Every evening, we camped by the wagon, sleeping beneath the open sky. Though not the most comfortable, the long hours of travel made it easier to fall asleep quickly. As the fire flickered and died down, exhaustion settled in, and we all welcomed the quiet of the night, ready for the rest needed to continue our journey to Cardhan the next morning.
During the journey, I learned many things I hadn't known before. Magic isn't something everyone can wield, though everyone has some Arcana within them, as it's essential for life. Only about one in ten people possess enough Arcana to perform magic. Even for commoners who have the potential, it's rare to find access to skill books, as they are mostly controlled by powerful families, dynasties, and organizations. Teaching magic to outsiders is seen as taboo. While there are skill books available in the market, they come at outrageous prices. To put it in perspective, one copper is worth about $20 in our world, and the cheapest skill books—those that teach basic skills like scribing—sell for around ten silvers, or $20,000. This makes it virtually impossible for a peasant to afford such a luxury.
Lukas, though a commoner, was born a bastard to a Baronet. His father trained him in the art of Water Magic, though his lessons were inferior compared to those given to his trueborn siblings. At sixteen, Lukas was given a small sum of silvers and told to leave the family home. Thanks to his magical training, he was able to advance in his craft. After forming his second core, he joined as a C-Rank Mercenary, taking on various tasks such as escorting merchants and eliminating bandits. When he formed his third core last year, Lukas applied for a position in the Royal Palace. After passing a series of tests, he was accepted into service.
Lukas's story, though compelling, was not as extraordinary as it could have been. Being a commoner who rose through the ranks would have been a remarkable tale, but his status as a noble's bastard made more sense. Still, it was nothing short of miraculous that he had managed to create a core on his own in just five years.
Curious, I asked, "Do you think I can perform magic?"
He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "It's rare for commoners to have enough Arcana to use magic, but who knows? We can test it out once we reach the castle. There should be an Arcana Detector there."
That answer seemed reasonable. I had never given much thought to whether I might have the potential, but I was eager to find out.
Before long, the signs of settlement came into view. In the distance, I could make out vast stretches of agricultural land, with farmers tending to their fields. It was clear—this was an agro-focused village, just as I had expected.