C4

Standing in an extravagant waiting room was a mother accompanied by her babyfaced yet lean child, sprouting some spikey green hair.

In this world of fantasy, those born with oddly coloured hair are not unusual, take John who has blue hair, as an example. Blue hair is rare in Ashen, but researchers speculate that the colour of hair represents attribute types, blue for water, red for fire, yada yada, you get the point. If you don't understand how this applies to John, John is a bloodborne, has control over blood, which happens to be a form of liquid made up of water.

So an individual with green hair like the child above [which you have already correctly speculated to be Ymdall] is unique. Well at least in Ashen, in elven and druid villages, towns and outposts, green is as common as the surrounding plant life. Anyway, green represents life and nature, but either way, it has an innate control of the environment.

Getting back to the room, it also had some inconspicuous maids, standing at attention but not in the way. Darcia was coaxing Ymdall who is now four-years-old, to leave the mansion. However, she wasn't experiencing much success.

"Does Ymdall want to go to town?"

"Nuh-uh."

"Manners! Nuh-uh is just two nonsensical syllables, Say no, no thank you. Now, after me, no, thank you. Now you."

"Nuh-uh!"

"I'll tell daddy."

"Nooooooooo!"

"After me, no, thank you."

"N-o, than you."

"That will do for now. Also are you sure you don't want to go to town? Daddy will be going there, are you sure you want to miss out? You will get a break from studying."

"I want to go! I want to go!"

"Then, while we wait, do you remember what aunty Lora taught you?"

"Mmm. Mmm, the formula for Magnela octane requires Noir Shade, Maze Fus, and Null Tavia Wul, although it is also made up of nine minor herbs that stabilise the recipe but do not add to the potency."

"And what does it do honey?"

"It cures four heart problems but can be used as a poison causing the lungs to rot and fester."

"Good. [Bell can you dress Ymdall in outdoor clothing, thank you.] Now go over to Bell."

Looking over at her child, maternal care was visible to even the most ignorant bystander, her gaze only faltered when she heard footsteps behind her.

"Are you sure we have to do this. We can still stop, Ymdall would be acknowledged as an outstanding child, both smarter and stronger than his peers. If we go further than this, is he not gonna separate himself further, has he not already shown signs of distancing himself by hiding his intelligence behind childish excuses."

"He is a child. [Ow!]"

"If you want to be pretentious, don't think that I won't pinch you."

"It's for his own good, you know what Lora and the other two witches said right? And if he doesn't learn about the world now, when will he? What will he be motivated by? If we don't show him how small a child truly is, would he not stagnate?."

"But he still is only a-"

Unfortunately, Darcia could not continue and was cut short, but when conversing with Ymdall, her face transformed from tense and worried back to the kind and gentle smile of a mother.

"Mommy I'm done with getting dressed. Let's go. Let's go."

"Your daddy will be taking you, I will be here thou, so enjoy your trip honey."

When looking over at John, Darcia's eyes gave a malicious glare, which disappeared entirely when she turned back.

"Let's go. Let's go."

"See you back for dinner."

...

The rhythmic *Clipity Clop* of horseshoes trotting on stone, rang out across the loosely paved road stretching from the lone manor out towards a settlement of two-story buildings. That's not to imply that all the buildings were two-stories, but a vast majority were concealed behind a five-meter high wall. This wall had taken months to make as it was layered with runes, and the inner segments of the wall were made up of dark iron. Although it was still being constructed.

The count of Clover, aka John, owned several manors. This rural manor has been occupied to facilitate Ymdalls learning, in an environment away from urban disturbances and annoying nobles with superfluous and fake greetings. John owned two urban mansions in Clover, one befitted his status and was the size of a castle, there was also a smaller one approximately the same size as the rural manor and used more as an unknown safe house than anything else.

On both sides of the pavement were bright, open clearings, not naturally occurring but rather hastily created. This undertaking was proposed by the count to reduce the number of highwaymen and gangs. That was not to say the project was encompassing the entire path, areas near bridges, cliffs and ditches were wild with deciduous trees and unkept grass to prevent weathering and erosion washing the road or bridge away. However, to combat that flaw, these areas were patrolled heavily by guards and signs were put up warning travellers of any potential danger.

Nonetheless, adding clearings to the side of the pavement was an already tried and tested experiment gone wrong due to the guards joining the bandits for more pay. Yet, not even a hefty bribes could dissuade the guards of Clover. The guards, especially the garrisoned guards, were in the pockets of extremely wealthy merchants, nobles and possible illegal organisations, unlike other towns who loosely and unreliably paid the guards for their services, it was compulsory for those in the higher income bracket to contribute to the economy. In return, the upper class and potentially criminal organisations gained benefits for this service, but which society can be considered perfect, everything has its pros and cons.

"Dad, whats does Laissez-faire mean?"

"In what context?"

"Economics."

"I believe it means allowing the market to allocate resources instead of the government. It has some other meanings. For example, in business, it relates to how much supervision is given to employees, so if laissez-faire means free market in economics, then it proposes a lack of or no administration with employees... Still, confused? Imagine a bunch of artists with the need to release their intellectual need for freedom in the workplace, demanding them to work isn't gonna create phenomenal pieces of art made once every century by a one in a million prodigy."

Ymdall's tilted head suggested he still did not understand. With a slight hint of frustration.

"Your mum's autocratic teachings is..."

"Lectures and lots of scary work."

"I was going to say the opposite of laissez-faire, but that works, my style of teachings are..."

"Fun and saves me from all the scary work."

"Looks like your manners teacher who is meant to teach you how to speak eloquently, is lacking. Maybe we should change luxury time into manners time?"

"Noooo!"

....

A few minutes later, the plants on either side of the road became sparser. Caravans with several carriages and large groups of adventurers, some on horseback marched down the path with vigour. However, it was hard to tell if these caravans were outliers since it was more common to see groups of five or six almost in cannon.

Less than a hundred meters away from the wall, a hooded man in black and wearing a mask knocked on the carriage door. John, who was sitting next to the door, disembarked the carriage. After a brief period of hushed discussions, both appeared to separate on acceptable terms, and a friendly handshake ended the exchange.

With practised movements, the carriage driver veered the vehicle towards the fast lane, a line accessible to nobles only, allowing the count and Ymdall to avoid the long cue, which was continuing to backlog with merchants, mercenaries and adventurers. A quick conversation with the guards and a subtle nod towards the coat of arms on the side of the carriage quickly got the carriage through the looming portcullis gates.

Putting the book in his hands down, Ymdall stared in fascination at the wonders outside. He had seen them all before, but to a child, a day is a lifetime, a month slow agonising torture. Dwarfs, short yet stout individuals with a temper, gnomes, short yet lean individuals who could rob you blind or enthral you under a spell, halflings, descent with small weapons but were... Have I said short to many times for your liking? Well, tough luck. In this world, anything not conforming to the average quantitative or qualitative qualities of a nation can be said to be too tall, lean, messy, colourful and... Well... Short.

Elves, Dralls, Day-Walkers and half-orcs are examples of relatively tall and human approved species, human approved just means that it is illegal to hunt these species without a bounty. Orcs are still indiscriminately killed due to there gluttony, lust and wrath being a danger to the rights of most species, and only half-orcs are accepted in society due to their more... civil nature.

Oh, don't worry, that is only a small portion of the species indigenous to Theter, the rest will be mentioned... later.

Back to the carriage, it had arrived at its destination.