Sierra Pt3

The surroundings itself was actually a few small farms of grains on one side and winter vegetable on another covering most of a square mile overall.

In between these two sets of farmland, which were not actually enough to sustain the city, was a broad stretch of mostly bare and freshly turned ground about a hundred yards long but only about two hundred feet wide. In the middle of this rectangular property was a three-story square manor that tiered down one story at a time at to stretch the front of the building forward.

The building itself looked spotless and new with pristine white mortar between large red bricks. At the front of the manor were a total of thirty windows displaying both the numbers and sizes of many rooms. The front stretch of building, though, only had two tall and broad floor-to-ceiling windows of pale blue stained glass lined with a variety of bright brassy geometric shapes for panes.

In front of the manor itself was a small courtyard area dominated by a large blue marble fountain decorated with gold trimming in the whirling design of the round fountain. Around this were waist-height hedges of dark colored flowers boasting reds and greens.

This garden of sorts included four other areas at each of the corners, including a small fish pound about fifty feet around, a rock garden full of a volcanic black sand and large porous stones, a simple rest area with a swing and a few benches around a fireplace, and even a small stage area surrounded by tables in the back left corner opposite the fishing pond.

The rest of the land was dark freshly turned and stamps top soil for an acre in front and behind the manor. Beyond that, there were only two long and tall greenhouse style structures dominating the back half of the property. The rest of the land surrounding them and in the front half was merely turned earth waiting for purposing.

As I walked down the long trodden-worn driveway from the front entrance to the property, even the ground around me smelled fresh and new despite the dried topsoil. I could barely even smell the neighboring fields over the earthy smell disturbed clay and ruined plant roots. It was honestly pretty satisfying to take a deep breath halfway through and enjoy the 'roses'.

Before I ever even reached the garden area, the front doors were opened and all of my team dressed in only their Delai family outfits came walking out and waited grandly on either side of the ten steps leading up into the building. In the doorway waited Lady More in her wheelchair with Mr. Harlow standing behind and Lana standing beside.

Lana herself was dressed in a bright white evening gown despite the fact that it was still afternoon. The gown was simple but form fitting about the upper body and upper legs before becoming loose and flowing from the mid thigh down. Overall, she was stunning with a model-esque figure and just enough skin shown about the arms, neck, and chest to be more alluring than graceful.

Only after I had passed through the garden area did anybody leave their places and even then it was only for Lana to start slowly and calmly making her way down one step at a time to greet me. When she walked, a once barely noticeable slit down one side of her lower gown opened up and revealed a single ivory white left that very nearly matched the dress in its smooth flawlessness.

Any other person would have probably been awed by the first sudden reveal, but in my head I reminded myself of the day we met and never missed a step as we walked forward. The briefest flash of her being pulled out from under the wagon by the dog who was further inside the entryway and out of the way was all it took to be numb to any woman's charm.

Seeing her open her arms just before we met at the bottom step, I simply stepped forward and hugged her loosely about the tops of her shoulders while she tightly wrapped me up and leaned against my chest. I almost felt bad for being what I would consider 'distant' but there was also a necessary level of etiquette that at least one of us needed to maintain.

As we hugged, Lady Mara spoke and said, "Welcome back, Life Hack. It's a little hasty and lacking, but once your friends returned we started putting together a welcoming dinner. Why don't you come in and freshen up a bit first? You can tell us all about the success of your journey at dinner."

When Lana finally let go of me a short moment later, I simply held the girl at arm's length for a moment and honestly expressed my current joy and excitement with a smile. It was not just that I was happy and excited to be back from a long and exhausting journey, I was happy to be at the end of this damned quest!

Nodding wordlessly to Lady Mara after allowing myself to share a heartfelt moment with Lana, I let my arms return to my sides before briefly bowing to Lana and hurrying inside. Inside, I made my way through the short entry hall and then inner foyer while spreading my senses to encompass the area. Simply finding an empty room nearby, I hurry out of sight before using water magic and frosty Winter Wood flowers to quickly clean myself and my uniform costume.

As I came out of the room I had chosen, I found the others gathered together between the curving staircases at the for end of the foyer from the entrance. Here there were two broad doors that led to the dining hall and other guest entertainment areas of the manor.

There was actually a small ballroom that could accommodate a few dozen small families beyond the fifty-yard dining hall.

Just as I was reaching their group, Lady Mara makes eye contact with me and nods with her chin subtly while looking up above the doors leading deeper into the first floor. Following her eyes and gesture, I look at the wall above the door to see a number of decorations. Just above the door was a fresh oil painting of Lana in the same gown she currently wore.

Seating in a tall wing-backed chair cushioned in dark velvet or some similar fur material, she had knee crossed over the other and the artist seemed to capture every detail of her exposed skin from almost the middle of her thigh down. Instead of looking at the artist like one would a camera, she was simply gazing somewhere into the distance slightly off to the side.

Her background was actually this very location, as if giving guests or anyone coming in the impression of having a second hostess greeting and looking over everybody gathered at once. The artist also seemed to change her personality, taking out her usual innocent curiosity and replacing it with an upward tilt of the portrait so that it looked like she was looking down on everybody.

Lady Mara probably paid a lot of good money for that portrait and my honest appraisal was full marks. Lana really was a beautiful young lady and the person who painted this had a godly hand.

Above the portrait was a banner or crest of sorts displaying a coin bearing Melpomene's mask above a pair of crossed fuller bastard swords. Above the coin and below the swords were the words 'Delai Family' and 'Enrichment'. To either side of the banner were an actual pair of our original signature steel bastards.

Rising up the wall from above either pair of swords were a pair of long silver framed mirrors angled to reveal everything down the middle of the foyer, and then gatherings of framed documents for achievements and awards. There were only a few on either side, but they all were based on the short-term success of several small business outlets and even a hand-written notice of some kind of verification from the region's baron making an even more minor nobility.

However, above the short banner between the mirrors and documents was a noticeably long empty space. After a few glances, it was clear to me that it was actually this empty gap that the old lady was looking at while Mr. Harlow was singing Lana's praises about the above awards and notices.

As if she knew I had realized what she was suggesting, Lady Mara suddenly asks, "Young Mr. Hack, do you know why I chose to occupy this locations?"

"The land was as cheap as the dirt it was made of and it was secure in its isolation?" I ask curiously with a slight smirk, feeling awkward without my masked helm.

"No, these happen to be the grain and other farms that support the major local businesses so the land is actually not cheap at all," she says with a small smirk of her own and now eyeing the crest banner. "But, that is part of why I chose this location. I used to have a hand in the food and distribution industries, so some of my old friends helped some of Lana's ventures along. Of course, there's no such thing as free lunch…"

By now, everybody was quietly curious while listening to her all the way up until her quieting. After an exaggerated sigh, she goes on to explain, "Behind all of their myths lies the simple fact that divine artifacts carry and exude divine power and that divine power can enrich the lands and people around it. Here, something like the Mantle of Aegis will consecrate at least a mile of land around it which will cover this entire farming district in about one or two weeks.

"The yields here in a single season will become twice as fast and twice as bountiful," she goes on the explain with a little more volume and flair for emphasis. "The granaries and other storage in the city have always ever been half full but in two years we could fill all of the city's stores. In situations like the one we find ourselves in now, this would be an incredible blessing to Sierra and its children scattered about the region. Would you mind if we started the process now?"

Nodding my head slowly in surprise, I reach up to remove the magically affixed cape from the shoulders of my armor and say, "Of course, if it would help protect the future of the city then I really have no choice."

Wheeling herself forward, Lady Mara briefly accepts the cape from me which automatically folds up once it leaves me hands. However, instead of giving the cape to Mr. Harlow when he steps forward to take it and put it up on the wall, She stops and places it in her lap. A few seconds later, without turning around, she says, "PapiChurro, I have a question for you. When, exactly, was it tat Life Hack told you about this so-called cape of resistance?"

"The night before we left Sier-" Papi starts to reply while looking dead at me, outright grinning while answering the old lady. Up until Go realized what was going on, stepped forward, and slugged the grown man with the full Strength of his character and more than just Force Strike behind it.

If such a blow was landed even while holding just a butter knife, Papi would have died with only his retainer costume for protection. As it was, Papi was only knocked off his feet and most of the way across the foyer back to the entry hall as his health bar appeared and drained out to around thirty percent.

Completely ignoring the fact that this part took place, Lady Mara waits a moment as Papi dazedly lies and moans on the ground before saying, "Not long after I gave you the test of loyalty, Hack, you failed. Do you have anything to say for yourself before I explain to you the consequences of your actions?"

"Whatever you're about to say and do, loyalty cannot be your excuse," I state a little briskly. "I told you when you gave me the mission that I would be telling my people why we're risking our lives in the wilderness and reminded you on different occasions. The only thing you can hold me accountable for is insubordination and you are not my primary superior to begin with. Baronet Lana Delai is the lady I serve."

Nodding slowly, still without turning to look at me or check on Papi who was tiredly sitting there on the floor by the entry way recuperation, Lady Mara looks to Lana who was still in shock from Papi being knocked the fuck out. Then she says, "Well spoken. No, there is not much I can do to punish you. However, the fact that I can carry this divine artifact means the legacy of my last son and husband gives me adverse rights to it.

"You, Life Hack, will not be receiving this Mantle of Aegis," she states in a harsh whisper that seemed to softly thunder in the otherwise silent foyer. "This divine artifact and the knighthood that comes with it will be going to somebody who has proven themselves trustworthy to me."

Having had no idea that this was even a possibility, I look over toward Papi who was also in shock from the reveal, I say, "Listen, lady, if you intend to give that to that back stabbing bastard then I swear everything but Lana will end here and now."

"HA!" Lady Mara barks loudly and harshly, the sudden sound booming in comparison to the whispered penalty."If you really think I would be foolish enough to hand this artifact and the many benefits that come with it to that buffoon then you've gone too far in insulting my intelligence! The only person here I can trust and can bear the responsibilities it will bring to her household is my niece herself! If he were still young, I might even consider bestowing it upon Harlow and reassigning him to the Delai household."

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