This is about normalcy (and Cannons!)

31 June - 11 July 422

I admit that the return to normalcy was something I hadn't expected to see happening so suddenly.

Sure, I had thought that once I had been back bashing my heads onto some proper paperwork that things, and that I could have been blessed with some pleasant calm.

Several days later and I was already coming to regret that I thought this to be a possibility with my busy role as mayor of a city.

Erindor had recovered from the attack from Gusteko, but several things have been left unsettled while I had been absent and some issues had requested my direct intervention to see them solved.

But the first topic I decided to brave was contacting Satella via the mirror, deciding to make use of that silent travel back home to talk with her.

The elf was immensely relieved when she first saw me. Worry and panic had kept her thinking the worst after I had reached the castle, and despite assuring her that nothing bad had happened to me, her reaction to some of my narration was less that stellar.

She was concerned about the fact that I had come so close to monsters, how I risked my life to prevent an assassination attempt (which turned out to be an unnecessary action from my part), and how I had encountered Pandora.

My survival left her surprised, shocked even at the idea that I had been able to not be influenced by the Authority of Vainglory.

The Witch herself was quite terrified by the prospect of fighting someone as frightening as the young girl, stating that her powers weren't enough to match up with Pandora's magical potential.

Something that was both confusing and horrifying, especially since I had thought for so long that Satella would have known more about Pandora.

But this very thought was shattered when the young woman admitted that this 'new Witch' hadn't been around when she was still wandering the world freely.

In fact, the only reason why she was aware of the fellow Witch's presence was all connected to her odd scent and power.

Troublesome news for sure, but this first conversation after so long ended up in a somewhat comedic escalation as I decided to point out the fact that I had refused to accept the crown over the kingdom.

She mentioned all the luxuries and the privileges I would have enjoyed in that position of power, the ambitious plans that I could have concocted to unify the world and... other silly stuff like making mandatory tea-times.

I guess that's a Witch's obsession.

The reasoning I had then presented her seemed to mollify her shock, yet part of her was saddened by the fact I hadn't accepted. Perhaps she had expected for me to free her somehow if I had become the monarch of Lugnica.

Even reminding her that the proposal had been just a test and that there hadn't been truly a possibility for me to become the ruler of the kingdom seemed to soothe her just barely.

Once the discussion had been concluded in quite the friendly but saddened tone, I spent some time thinking about the unpleasant circumstances that Satella had been forced to live into.

Her partially-desperate tone was not only a sign that she openly trusted me, but that she was also hating the 'beautiful heaven' she had been living reclused for centuries now.

It had to have been quite the maddening experience, to stay in that garden of flowers where the sun was always up... and nobody was there to offer some thoughts or even some company.

Disheartening, but sadly there was little I knew that I could do to help her as of now.

The current seals kept both her and her darker self into that limited space, and I knew that playing around with the powerful spell imprisoning her could possibly free the Witch of Envy from her own prison.

Not something I was willing to risk, especially with Reinhard being the only one capable of keeping up with someone of her caliber.

It was infuriating how I couldn't just help her, how impotent I was over saving someone that seemed to be so innocent.

I was confused by many things about the past, about why Flugel did what he had to do if he knew about the duality of Satella, about why Pandora existed and...

Satella was still unwilling to let out answers about the first question. Flugel was the prohibited topic in any discussion and no persuasive argument managed to get through her stubborn resilience over this instance.

The rest of the trip went well and smooth, with nobody having set any ambushes along the way.

I was partly confused by the uneventfulness of this not-so-short trip back to Erindor, but I suspected that Pandora was merely being cautious about attacking me.

Thinking back to how her mind worked, I could see her waiting patiently for me to slip out any major flaws that she could exploit with some of her minions.

I had to prepare for any sudden attack from any of the Archbishops the moment I reached back home. I knew that it would be a matter of time for Pandora to strike back after this period of planning.

I could counter Petelguese and Regulus, the rest being currently too strong for me to elaborate some good plans to beat them with their known flaws.

Still, I accepted the peaceful path back to Erindor as I was graced with quite the warm welcome when I walked beyond the open gates.

Two silver-haired missiles coming to crash at my chest for some quick hugs and I was more than happy to dispense those after so much time had passed since I had last seen the twins.

Hans and Fritz looked excited at my presence, incredibly giddy but also quick to politely back away when a certain weary woman made her presence known with a fake cough.

I blinked, staring right up to see the small smile on the face of Hannah Regret as the maid gave me a proper bow. "Lord Bukharin, I see that you have made a safe return home."

"Hannah," I bowed my head, smiling happily at her genuine calm. "Felix sends you his love, and he hopes that the letters have arrived."

She tensed up a little, but the brunette smiled a little more at this comment. "They have arrived, yes, and... I've read that your stay at the castle has been fairly eventful."

I nodded at her, proceeding to start walking with her and the two children towards the patiently waiting Ser Orestes.

"Some minor bumps, nothing truly concerning-"

"I was referring to the fact that my son regards you as a 'big brother'," She interjected mirthfully and I sighed at that.

"He mentioned me like that? I guess he was meaning it when he said it back at the castle," I muttered calmly. "I hope this is no reason to create issues with you."

She blinked, eyes growing wide for a moment. "And why should I? I think it's good that Ferris receives some more affection. In fact, I would daresay that I approve of it."

"Understood," I said while nodding once more at her. "And... have been there any issues about settling there, maybe someone creating any issues."

"If I've to be honest... no," The woman concluded with a sigh. "I admit the new role requires more attention from my part, but the servants seem to understand perfectly how a proper work for each of their roles is done."

Our conversation was then interrupted as we stopped by the old knight that had been watching over the city.

"Ser Orestes, I hope I hadn't been away for too long," I greeted him with a half-apology. "I understand that things have slowly calmed down in the last few days."

"Most of the older problems have, Mayor," The man admitted with a tired smile. "But the rumors of your recent deeds have caused quite the influx of newcomers to settle here in this city."

I blinked in surprise at this development. Sure, I had expected some stuff to reach out and wide in the kingdom, but to actually have some migrants to reach out for the city?

Now I was interested about this topic.

"What kind of people have come here principally? Any similarity among the newcomers?"

"Many are small families groups trying to have a proper place to settle down. Away from the less-safe villages around the county," Orestes replied calmly. "But there has been a strong majority of young people coming here too. Men and women that were quickly introduced to some of the vacant workplaces that you have been commissioning before leaving."

"Oh? So there have been new soldiers-"

"And some helpers for the new construction business," The old man interrupted with a sigh. "The group is growing steadily and new buildings are planned to be build by the second half of July."

"So early on?" I inquired with some awe in my voice. "I thought it would have taken much more than that."

"With the new workers, some project have been rescheduled to happen earlier than initially planned," Orestes pointed out. "But there have been request to expand the first plan to include more projects so that the company can keep everyone busy and working."

I nodded. "I think I can add some more buildings to the queue," I conceded with a sigh, my mind drifting away from the conclusion of the conversation as we started to make way towards the mansion.

The rest of the day was evenly spent between giving attention to the boys and drowning into the paper & ink that has been waiting for me by my desk.

I sneezed a few times during this last activity as I felt like, for some reason, someone had thought me well to be dealing with this annoyance.

Why do I feel like I should curse cousin Joseph?

Groans returned to be noises that would be let out once or twice in a while as I finally resumed something that I had been somewhat missing for sometime now.

The expansion of the current projects was finalized with a proper ordinance that allowed for the inclusion of some little experiment that I had planned to try out early on.

The implementation of greenhouses was something that I had pondered for some time now, and it had been one of the first initiatives I've been wanting to try out in this medieval era.

With magic being a reality, I was able to add some little notes to the document describing the importance of coordinating the expertise of professional mages and experienced farmers in the realization of the 'ideal farm'.

The creation of the perfect habitat, the undeniable chance of making crops without risking any sudden issues created by droughts or dangerous plant diseases.

The quicker I solved the issues of the farms located outside the safe walls of the city, the less damage the Witch Cult was going to cause when they decided to finally strike.

It would give me the chance of modernize the agricultural sector while I planned out how exactly I was going to kickstart an industry within the city.

Magic offered the means to bypass the troubles of using non-renewable energies that could cause several issues, from pollution to the need of having a grand reserve of resources to keep up with the demand, and I was going to abuse the system as much as possible with how 'limitless' the magical potential was.

So with the entire first day passed quickly and without much of a problem, I found sleep to be easy to attain... but the resulting meeting with Edna proved to be much more than I had thought it was going to be.

The moment I fell to my slumber, I felt instantly detached from reality as my mind drove me deep in my consciousness and...

I was free-falling into my doom.

My eyes widened in utter panic as I felt the wind coming upward onto my face, the immense darkness welcoming me as I continued my descent into what looked to be an infinite abyss.

I screamed a little early on, the sudden sensation of seeing my body going through that experience, the sense of death approaching as my body braced for a horrible 'crunch' that didn't seem to be actually coming.

After several minutes of confusingly trying to make sense of this utter nightmare, my worries were washed away at the familiar sound of... giggles.

I blinked, my attention turning right to see a smiling Edna enjoying the fall right near to where I was.

"This is so amazing!" The girl exclaimed happily, giddily letting her body move around without much of an input. "Ivan is so right, this is truly cool!"

I groaned at the mentioning of the mad prince, but my immediate interest was the fact that this was all created by Echidna's fragment.

"Edna!"

The loud call seemed to draw her attention instantly to me.

Charcoal orbs stared at me with childish wonder, the white-haired girl's smile almost cracking her entire face but she nodded.

"Hello John!" She giggled again. "It's been so long and- why couldn't I reach you?!"

Edna's sudden mood swing took me by surprise, but I managed to reply quite quickly at her question. "The place I've been staying at was protected by some ancient wards that messed up with long-ranged spells."

A hint of realization struck on her face and she nodded, giddiness returning full-strength in her expression. "I see and... catch me!"

I barely had enough to let the words sink in that I had her headbutt into me, her arms wrapping around my waist, and my fall increasing its speed toward the nothingness.

I yelped a little before having my own arms wrap pull close onto Edna, her head nuzzling close as the fall continued so endlessly and... so calmly.

It was lulling after a couple more of minutes had passed and... I could feel the pseudo-Witch keep close.

"Is everything alright, Edna?" I dropped out with a hum, and while she kept quiet, I could feel her arms tensing up.

"Everything is fine!" She squealed in faux-amusement and I sighed, my right hand moving careful up behind her head.

The tension started to slowly melt away as I kept her close a little while, maintaining the silence as I thought about what I was supposed to do about this very case.

While Edna wasn't Echidna about advanced sociopathy, her lack of connection between her feelings and her logical side rendered her close to a child much to her immense displeasure.

If she felt something was hurting her, the response would be to think to something else that brings her immediate happiness.

Like the 'fun' born from flying senselessly into a neverending blank hole, away from all concerns and worries.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out, my brain kind of messy for how quickly the world was spinning. "I know I should have tried to... do something about it."

...

"It's not your fault," She admitted with a genuine sigh. "I- I can see when you are lying and when you are not. You were telling the truth."

I hummed quietly as the world finally shifted back to the usual bed, with her now resting atop of my chest as I stared down at her pained eyes.

"You missed me a lot, didn't you?"

She blinked and looked away from me for a couple of seconds.

"Ivan is... nice," Edna started to say. "He can be fun, he can be entertaining... but he isn't the same nice as you are."

She moved her chin onto my chest, staring directly at my face. "You can be funny, but you prefer to be caring rather than amusing. My happiness swell all the same, but it isn't out of pure entertainment."

...

"Why?" The girl inquired quietly. "Why is it simple to gain happiness from mere talking? Why extreme actions, those activities that are meant to make people feel alive, just don't satisfy me when you are not here?"

Now, wasn't that a big question?

"Everyone has a limit. Everything is limited for a person despite how 'unlimited' it can be, from writing to drawing, from working to lazying around," I started to explain with a calm tone. "This is why life needs variety instead of a repetitive lifestyle. You can do the things you love the most, but sometime you must stop for a moment and get the chance of experience something else. The novelty refresh your mind and body, it exalts your interest in doing something meaningful instead of dully think how to waste time."

"So it's just because... I grow tired of having fun the way Ivan likes?"

"That's just part of the reason," I answered her query. "There is also the fact that I think you care for me, am I right?"

She blinked. "And why is that important?"

"Because... humans can die from loneliness, but we are better in holding up against it compared to... bunnies."

Edna hummed. "Bunnies?"

"The little fluffy things. The very representation of purity and kindness are actually the ones that suffer the most when they are left alone," I muttered with a tired voice. "Everything loses color, food turns stale, and the world with everything and everyone in it becomes inconsequential."

"That's dreadful," The pseudo-witch mused. "Why is loneliness a thing?"

"Loneliness exists because we know that we care for someone or something," I replied quietly. "It's the ultimate proof that we genuinely care for people and that people cares back."

Her eyes widened at this words and she sighed.

"Is that so?"

But before I could have had the chance of giving her a proper response, I felt myself getting tugged by reality.

I blinked and sighed sadly. "Yes it is and... we will continue this discussion tomorrow."

"Are you waking up?" She inquired in a half-whisper, almost sounding annoyed by this but I hummed.

"I'm waking up... but I want to continue this conversation," I confirmed with some determination. "I think we have lots to talk about, especially since I've got some fun stories to tell you."

Her eyes shone brightly. "Really?"

"Yep," I answered curtly.

Then the imaginary world started to crumble away as I found myself back on my back to enjoy the new morning.

And from there a full week of peace was granted to me.

Some insanity was still there to keep me up on my toes, between the talks with Satella and Edna to the daily troubles rising from new developments either from home or within Erindor.

The city enjoyed some careful planning, and the inhabitants were blessed with some economic boon with the growing activities there.

Mages and farmers concluded their meetings about lying down the plans for their compromise over the 'Greenhouse Project' about two days after my return and the statal construction company began creating the first experimental buildings that were meant to contain the first crops of grain.

Four more days would pass for these to be completed, and the early results of the project gave some optimistic outlook of the near future.

The military force wasn't neglected during this period of calm, knowing way too better that a standing army during peacetime was going to become an important asset in case of conflicts.

My mind was directed at Volacchia and at its non-negligible militarist government.

While the Emperor was the head of state, the other members of the Nine-Divine Generals had something of a dislike for Lugnica.

The rivalry probably stemmed from the continuous clashes by the border, the skirmishes that would then ensue mostly ending in the Dragon Kingdom's favor.

Something that was worrying considering how delicate the current situation was with the King being a few weeks away from passing away and with the Royal Election now something unavoidable.

Said concern translated into a need to modernize the current equipment.

I had planned to bring in rifles, skipping the whole mess that were muskets, but the main issue to this first plan was the lack of precise tools to create adequate equipment.

Smiths didn't have the means to put on reality the concept of rifle, even muskets turning out to be quite the distant utopia with how things were right now.

Erindor was still a remote city compared to many other major settlements near the capital and it lacked the manpower to achieve the degree of modernization I wanted it to go through.

But I didn't desist from pursuing something that would bring a serious advantage in any conflicts and... I found the solution while studying some books in the manor's library.

Looking through some designs left around by ancient scientists of Lugnica trying to introduce the gunpowder as a step forward for warfare, I ended up spotting some rudimentary schemes that seemed to allude to cannons.

The issue with rifles was the lack of precision in producing the small pieces required to make the guns work, but trying to create a cannon proved to be an idea easier to realize.

Six days after my return, I was asked by Orestes to assist to the presentation of the finished piece.

The artillery was tracked by two horses that rode it up one of the nearby hills to Erindor and its target, a large carriage without wheels, was settled on the direction opposite to the city.

The old knight was unsure about the effectiveness and true purpose of the new weapon, but instead of whine about it, he preferred to keep quiet while standing beside me and let the test go through.

Part of me was nervous about the gun missing its target since it was an early prototype for something that was known for its chances of missing.

Yet, much to my surprise, the gun didn't make the usual loud bark as it shot its metal ball and... the explosion made sure to introduce some loud noises to the world around us.

The target was obliterated in smitheerens, incredible smoke covering the general area where the chariot had been.

My jaws dropped low, but Orestes looked to be the most shocked among the military officers studying the experiment and I glanced at the operator, the man now smiling giddily as he approached.

"How was the surprise, Mayor?" The burly individual inquired eagerly. "We decided to engrave some runes to reduce the issue of the loud bark and make some perfect precision. But of course it costed more and-"

"How difficult was to engrave the runes?" I interrupted with a tense voice, my mouth almost salivating at what I had just seen.

Holy Napoleon and Moltke Sr., this is the wet dream for any artillery-focused general.

A mostly-soundless and precise siege artillery piece!

I scolded myself for forgetting about magic for this crucial instance, but the childish glee at having these big boys roll out now was more than enough to drown down that disappointment.

The entire day fleeted swiftly as I happily went through my duties and my family moments in relative piece, finally having the chance of replying to some mail coming from the capital and... Karsten's domains.

Crusch's letter was one that kept some lingering friendly politeness that appeared to be more like positive formality hiding some careful poking at seeing what kind of responses she would get from me and... I ended up replying positively myself, still keeping a polite and formal manner.

There was no reason for me to drop the pleasantries with the Duchess and I was sure that only patience would get through her shell.

Then there was the dual message coming from Fourier and Felix.

The former could be summarized with three simple words:

I'm bored.

Which was pretty normal considering that Fourier and I have been spending so much time together and... then I realized that there were also five more words about its summarized version:

I might visit soon too.

That was a development I took with mixed emotions. I was glad to have the prince around and all, but I thought well enough that he would have avoided getting to visit so soon now that his father was still ill and in need of some familial support.

And while I didn't know how to deal with this circumstance, I was given the sugar cub by concluding the mail-reading by looking through Ferris'.

The Demi-human wrote with quite the cheerful style, bringing up only the topics that in his opinion were best suited to entertain what should normally be a conversation. I was caught off-guard by such mannerism, yet I couldn't help but chuckle at how he would describe some of the people he was supposed to work with.

Fourier was spared the worst of the cat-eared knight's creativity, being labeled only as 'Fouri', while Reinhard was called 'Reddy' and Julius was 'Pricky'.

I almost chocked at the plum-haired guy's nickname, feeling almost saddened by the 'odd fate' reserved for him, but then I conceded to a full-blown laugh when it came to the part describing Captain Marcus.

I was aware that Felix didn't look highly at the chill Knight Captain, but I had to admit that the childishness of calling him 'Cube-head' was... immensely endearing.

I replied to both young men, telling Fourier that if he needed to ask or say something, that he could still do it through letters and... Ferris was given a spiritual head-pat for giving me a little amusement note to think about for the rest of the day.

With such a delightful day, I expected the one that followed this to be even better.

So, feeling my morale soaring from the very beginning of the morning, I prepared myself for whatever was going to happen and-

A letter came quite early, Ser Orestes personally delivering it to my desk.

It was a formal invitation from a County located just a few miles away from Erindor and the newest ruler had requested my presence to solve some 'incredible mess' left about by the former liege of that land.

I blinked in surprise at the fact that someone was already asking me to make up for my new role as 'Protector of the Northern District', but I wasn't going to shy the request given by a-

...No.

This is- No, I refuse.

I REFUSE TO-

A few hours later, I had everything packed with a little squad of bodyguards following me outside of Erindor and deep on the east where the nearby castle was supposed to be.

I sighed, I groaned and I felt very reluctant that I had to go to do something that I was sure going to detest immensely.

I can already hear the screeches forming in my brain as... my little enourage reached the entrance and stopped so that I could stare at the woman that was standing right by the entrance with her own group.

Chocolate brown eyes clashed against blazing blood-red orbs.

And my brain was already aching at the prospect that I was going to solve whatever issue Priscilla Barielle was dealing with.

Afterthoughts: You thought that she wouldn't have returned until the proper opening of the Royal Elections... but here she is in her full glory.

Goddammit, Priscilla!

...

Do I hear 'Omake'?

Omake 6: Hannah's Arrival

When she stepped outside of the carriage and gave a glance right at Erindor, Hannah Regret had thought that things would have just a little better compared to her previous situation with Lord Argyle.

The welcoming entourage had felt genuine, with the chivalrous Ser Orestes proving to be more than honest in promising her utmost acceptance for her arrival.

It had sounded so odd, yet so pleasant to perceive so early on and the woman had replied with a calm 'Thank you' as she gave another look around and... noticed the two fox-eared heads peeking from the entrance.

Two little boys, both looking to be the twins that Lord Bukharin had mentioned to her, were staring at her quietly and they didn't seem shocked too much to have her glance upon them.

Their ears shared a brief collective twitch as she slowly was led inside the manor, with the rest of the servants following closely behind her.

"The house has been properly cleaned, Madam Regret," Orestes mentioned quietly. "There is a regular schedule that has been approved by Mayor Bukharin and-"

"I think that makes me less useful if the cleaning schedule has been already been decided, good Ser."

The interruption almost made the weary knight trip on his own feet, but the man merely blinked in minor shame.

"I didn't meant to devalue your importance, Madam Regret," He commented tightly, careful to not 'trip' again before her sight. "I wish to apologize if-"

"I'm no Madam, good Ser," The maid interjected with a melancholic tone. "I'm but just a lowborn servant."

She had thought that her comment would have had him trip again... yet he surprised the woman with a sudden tension in his posture.

Instead of showing embarrassment, there was some upset in his eyes.

"I was made Ser by my merits and my loyalty, not out of noble blood like many others," He retorted in quite the stern but forgiving voice. "I was but a farmer's child, a young and naive fellow that worked to gain this position and wisdom."

Hannah's eyes widened in surprise as the knight took a step closer, but he didn't sound menacing with his looming figure. Rather he looked fiercely determined in his expression.

"So I shall consider you Madam Regret," He concluded with a nod. "As I know that the title is more than deserved."

It wasn't.

Her years of service as a loyal servant to the Argyle Family had all crumbled and turned into a bad omen instead of a boon.

The house had betrayed the kingdom, all for the sake of a foolish man's desperate plan to keep his honor intact before his wife. Hannah Argyle had discovered the deception committed behind her back, the unfaithfulness that had saw the birth of the 'unique' Ferris.

Emotions were never something the Lord Argyle was known to restrain, and in a moment of passion what was left of his family perished by his mindless hands.

He had paid dearly for his betrayal, the righteous royal tribunal was known to spare no mercy for murderers and traitorous lords, and while it wasn't the direct plan she had wanted to go through with, the old maid knew that justice was unavoidable now.

But while she mused over the sad nature of her survival, by the hands of a seemingly-kind Mayor that cared well for her child, the next scene drew a new color in what was going to be her new life here in Erindor.

She felt a subtle tug by her left arm and her eyes were granted quite the fascinating sight as the twins were standing in front of her... holding what looked to be a couple of silver roses.

Hannah blinked, surprise swelling from within her chest as she glanced at the nervous looks on both boys.

"Pretty flowers for a pretty lady," The child without glasses proclaimed quietly, getting a wide-eyed stare from the weary old woman.

The two demi-humans were smiling, trying to show some positive effort in this first contact and... her tears quivered down her cheeks.

A sob died quickly, she didn't want to scare the two poor children and she quietly took the gorgeous roses in her hands. "Those are... really some pretty flowers."

Her comment got wider smiles from both boys, but before she could continue with her words at such a delightful act of kindness, the woman tensed up when she felt a robust hand carefully grasp at her arm.

"Madam, perhaps you require something for you tears?"

The query felt oddly stronger than it seemed to be, her heart skipping a beat as she glanced back at the concerned look on Orestes' face and...

She blinked.

He was handsome alright despite the age, possibly close to hers, but what made her cheeks flare in a traitorous red was the genuineness of his worries.

Was this- Could it be-

But no. Not now, at least.

Emotions barely kept at bay, she silently nodded at him as he slowly led her back to where the kitchen was and Hannah felt somehow enlightened by this mere introduction to her new life.

None of the dull walls of the Argyle's mansion, instead this house seemed to be filled with hints of colors that she had long lost after becoming ward of the now-deceased family.

A time when she still had her mother and father, when her older brother would chant the entertaining adventures of becoming a knight and serve the king.

Happier times, times that were slowly bringing her back to a state of humanity she had long thought lost.

Maybe, perhaps...

No, it had to be so.

Her life, which had been pretty worthless and forfeit until a few days ago, seemed to regain the value she had given to it before surrendering her soul to the horrible deception ordealed by a mad nobleman.

The tears flowed pleasantly, no longer out of pain... but out of joy.

For the first time after decades of hateful self-imprisonment, Hannah Regret was set free before a prettier world.