Chapter 9: Ruin
It's been 3 weeks since the beastman left and I earned 3 silver and 15 copper in that time leaving me with a balance of 5 silver and 92 copper. Today was supposed to be a day like any other, taking coins from the townspeople in return for food and drink and chatting with them learning the latest gossip in the town but no, today I woke up to not the sound of chatter but the sound of terrified screams.
I quickly get my robe and staff and rush outside only to be faced with the scene of blood on the street, houses being set ablaze, and men on horseback killing townspeople. Bandits are raiding the village. Having been with the village for a year I've learned most of their names and even made personal connections with them, so would I stay and fight? No, self preservation is first on my list.
Without a second thought I turn around and enter my lab and hide there. The sound of screams disappears with a shut of the door and I sit on a chair and wait as all my friends die. This doesn't mean I didn't care that my friends were dying while I was safe, in fact: the silence was torturous and I leaned against the door for hours on end. I tried to convince myself that this was ok, that they would want me to live but it only made things worse. They were all good people, people that I deceived.
After what felt like an eternity of waiting and wallowing in self pity I finally decided to peak out of the door only to find that the bandits were gone and the village has been burned to ashes, bodies of men, women, and the few children that were in this village were all strewn about and nobody was left alive, nobody was here, I was alone again.
"Should I feel sorry?" I asked myself "No… no I shouldn't" I convinced myself and I summon my spirit servants "I can't waste good materials. Gather all the corpses, put them all in a line" I tell them and they get started.
I wait for a while and after they are all lined up how they are I begin taking them one by one into my lab to butcher them and put them into my inventory.
[You have gained Human Flesh parts] x30
[You have gained Human Skeleton] x 30
[You have gained a Child Human Skeleton] x 4
[You have gained Bucket of Human Blood] x 32
By the time I finished it night had come and so did the morning, I was so tired and had no bed to rest in. I finally close the door to my lab and sit down on my burned porch and must've fallen asleep because the next thing I know I'm being carried by Baron Lockheart.
When I saw his face I just stared at him "Baron.. I-"
"No Varen, don't talk" he said "You've been through a lot"
Upon hearing those words all the shame I felt raised to the surface and I couldn't stop the tears from flowing from my eyes 'I really am just like a child' I thought before I passed out once again. Once I woke up I was in a comfortable bed and I sat up and looked around the room, it's as fancy as the bed I'm in.
A maid walked into the room after a few minutes and gave me a soft smile "Varen, is it? I'm Scarlet, I will be attending to you for the time you decide to be here" she says "You've been through a lot, the Baron was kind enough to invite you into his home and have you taken care of."
"Alright…" I say and get up
"Maybe it's not a good idea to be up and about?" Scarlet says
"I'm fine" I say "Where is the baron?"
She has a worried look on her face but relents "I will show you to him"
We make our way through the hallways of the manor and see that I'm wearing a new change of clothes which confuses me "who changed me?" I asked
"I did" said Scarlet as she looked back and I must've made a face because she quickly adds "I didn't see anything I shouldn't have"
I sigh "that's good" I say as we get to a door
"This is my lord's study" Scarlet says "He shouldn't be busy right now but let's check" she knocks on the door and an older looking man who I assume to be a butler based on his looks answers the door.
"Yes Scarlet?" he looks down at me "Oh it's you, the baron wishes to see you, come on in"
I nod and walk in as he steps aside and Baron Lockheart looks up from the book he was reading and gives me a sad look "You came, please sit down, we have much to discuss"
I sat down on the seat that was on the side of his desk opposite him. "I think now is the time to accept your offer… I have nowhere to go now" I tell him
"You're thinking about my offer even though the entire village burned down? You know you can have more time to think about it if you need-" The baron starts
"No, I have no choice now" I tell him "If you're still willing to have me"
The baron nods "I'm still willing to accept you to the family, I promise you won't regret it"
"I have a request though, I need an allowance" I say
"Done. let's say 10 gold per month?" he offers
I nod "That is more than enough"
The baron takes out a contract and puts it in front of me and I read it over before signing my name on the bottom of it.
"Reading the contract before signing, smart" he says "most kids your age don't do that"
"Thank you.. Now if you would hand over the 10 gold I'll go rest" I tell him
"Now? Do you have anywhere to keep it?" he asks
"Yes, I'll show you" I tell him
The baron obviously doesn't believe me but when the coins he puts in my hand disappears without a trace his eyes widen.
"Spacial magic? Where did you learn this?" he asks
I shrug "I've always been able to do it" I lied "It's what got me into learning magic"
"How much can you hold?" he asks
"As far as I know, an infinite number of items" I tell him
"Alright" he leans back in his chair "We'll have to test your limit some other time but you should probably get some rest" he says
I nod and get up "Yes Baron" I give a bow
"No need to be formal anymore, call me father" the baron tells me
"No" I say simply and leave the room and Scarlet who is utterly shocked snaps out of it and catches up with me, walking me back to my room. On the way to my room I use one of my gold to buy another 30x30x30 extradimensional space. A training ground where I can practice and level up my spells without worry that I'll get caught.
And that's how I lived my life for the next five years: as the son of a baron.