A Broken World [Rewrite] - Chapter Thirteen - A Proposed World (Patreon)

The long wall was much larger than it appeared from a distance.  To the left and the right of the gate Lucas was passing through, it stretched out into the distance and it towered above him.  Approaching it, horns had blown from the wall top and the thick, iron-bound, portcullis was raised and the gates behind it opened.  Once past those, the entrance seemed to stretch on long enough to be called a tunnel, hinting at the thickness of the walls themselves.  He knew little of architecture, but Lucas was impressed by what he guessed probably was an incredible work of engineering considering the technology available.

Past the gate, the road was lined by soldiers at attention, behind which were cheering civilians.  Not all that many, because as Archi said:

“There is quite a distance from the outer gates to the city proper,” she spoke as she smiled and waved at the cheering civilians with impressive poise.  “The outer wall of Under Lysus is some distance away from the center and between the two is sparsely populated farmland.”

Indeed, there were few structures past the gate.  Beyond those Lucas saw wheat crops stretch into the distance until they met another wall.  If he looked away from the fantasy elements and squinted a bit, he could almost fool himself into thinking he was in Kansas or one of the other grain belt states.  Actually, despite reminding him of his abduction and the demon threat, the fantasy elements were welcome to break that illusion.  Driving through the vast tracts of farmland that made up that section of the United States was enough to bore people to death, literally.  They would fall asleep at the wheel from boredom and that would be it.

“Regardless, welcome to Lysus.”  Archi’s smile was wide and filled with genuine relief, “The first truly safe city in the North.”

“I have to admit that I am quite happy to hear that,” Lucas happened to agree with the young Lady’s relief.  “I hardly notice how tense I am until we reach a Waystation and find myself relaxing my muscles; I will be genuinely glad to not have to worry about getting torn apart and eaten every day.”

“My father will certainly have a grand welcome for you, I have no doubt that the nobility of the entire Duchy will be in attendance!”  Archi was cheerful, nearly bubbly.  Considering she was finally coming home after the dangers this group had faced, Lucas could understand her feelings.  “Ah, I honestly cannot wait to have some decent food for once!”

It was hard for Lucas to be angry at a young girl who seemed to be almost vibrating with excitement, so he let the annoyance that had been simmering behind his thoughts go.  He did not want to indulge in that negativity anyway, so this was a useful excuse.

Looking out over the waves of grain, he did have to voice one of his worries as he rested his head against the window; Lucas’s posture was terrible when compared to the perfect form of his companions.

“Despite my… distaste, for titles and the like, attempting to resist it will be worse than pointless, won’t it?”  Lucas asked that question, but the answer was obvious and Terrasin had made it clear that it would be harder on him the more he fought it.  She would obviously support him the best she could, but to go against an entire society and culture would have consequences no matter who you were.  “Yet, I cannot in good conscience take part in it.  Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say I cannot trust this body not to let passion take over reason.  For that matter, I cannot even trust that passion to be of reasonable proportion to the situation I am in.”

Lucas met Terrasin’s green eyes that seemed to trust him so much and then looked away with a sigh.  For someone who clearly understood people far better than him, Terrasin seemed to overestimate him to a large degree.  She would be disappointed, Lucas knew; a princess had gone looking for a hero, and found Lucas instead.  He was a regular person, more intelligent than average sure, but otherwise normal to a painful degree- he could not live up to dreams.

“As I cannot escape titles and nobles,” Lucas continued with those thoughts running through his mind.  “Then I may as well have a title that I actually earned, one that accurately describes my status- call me Doctor.”

“Was that…  Healer?  No, it wasn’t quite, was it?”  Moru asked in confusion, which was shared by the others in the carriage.  Clearly, the word “Doctor” did not translate perfectly.

“In my world, it is most often used to refer to the people you would call healers- so much so that they are considered synonymous now- but it came into that usage because of how its original meaning was twisted over time.  I will skip the etymology, but it is a title granted to people who have achieved a very high level of education in a field; the highest that can be gained.”

“So it is like a single generation noble title granted to soldiers for valor and deeds on the battlefield, only for intelligence and education instead.”  Terrasin concluded, and Lucas was essentially fine with that definition.  She had a thoughtful look on her face as she idly played with a loose lock of her red hair.

“Is there something wrong with that?”  Lucas asked, glancing at Archi and Moru who both shook their heads, unsure of what Terrasin was thinking about.  As royalty, instead of mere nobility, she may have seen something that those two had missed.  Or perhaps it was something that applied to her kingdom and not to Francea, still it would be best to know now.

“I am not sure,” Terrasin replied slowly.  “The Speaker and The Sorceress did not bring titles with them to our world; their titles were the Lord and Lady Hero.  It is an odd title that exists outside the legal framework of the kingdoms and the legality behind it is complex and obscure.  To have two titles, both of which are outside the laws of the Human Kingdoms, I am not sure what the repercussions will be.”

Even after all these days of discussion with the three nobles, Lucas was still aware that he knew very little about the world he was now part of.  International law in his own world was a mess that he barely understood, so the law of this world might as well be the stars in the sky for how likely Lucas was to reach an understanding of them.  After some thought though, Terrasin gave her approval, saying that, if anything, it improved his standing among the nobles of this world.

Still, the discussion almost seemed a little premature.  The distance between the Outer Walls and the Inner Walls of Lysus was quite far; hours passed before they reached the inner gate and dusk had fallen.  Yet, the entrance and the road was brightly lit and lined with soldiers and civilians alike.  When the crowds caught sight of the carriage, a great roar rose up and Lucas was very nearly stunned by the volume.

The cheers were deafening, you would have thought Lucas was a conquering demigod returning in victory instead of a man who had yet to do a damn thing.  It was one thing to academically understand what he meant to these people, but it was another thing to see it on this scale.  It was overwhelming, and not just a little bit terrifying.

“Well,” Lucas mumbled to himself, not even bothering to try and talk to the others with him as they would not hear him over the crowds anyway.  “On the bright side, I won’t lack enthusiastic volunteers…”

He had never really expected an issue from the lower class anyway, though the confirmation of that expectation was nice.  No, his real worry was the nobility, who he would expect to be far more discerning.  Lucas had worked out a plan of action with the help of Terrasin, Archi, and Moru- now he just had to sell it to the gentry, or at the very least to the Duke.

In many ways, this situation was not much different from his meeting with the banker before this whole mess had began.  Despite the higher stakes that Lucas personally had, it would actually be easier to sell his plan to the Duke than to convince the banker of that loan.  He was a lot more certain of the benefits that he could bring here, and that the value of those benefits would be massive.

But these cheers of support did little to encourage him.  Rather, Lucas felt the expectations of the crowds settle on his shoulders as a heavy weight.  Lucas could honestly say- despite the fact that he had volunteered and done more for others than the average person- that he was quite selfish at his core.  His volunteer work ultimately had helped his academic progress and had valuable experiences that he knew would aid his work later.

He could afford to be selfish because, in the grand scheme of things, Lucas was not another Norman Borlaug.  He was fairly certain that millions of lives would not hang in the balance of his choices; that none of the projects he was part of depended on him specifically.  Lucas had aided, had helped things move forward, but they would have succeeded without him as well.  Maybe it would have taken longer, maybe not, but he was never truly vital.

In this world, these people would depend on him- needed him to avoid creeping defeat.  Even the fact he had been abducted did little to lessen this sudden burden that Lucas felt.  After all, it had not been these crowds who had brought him here.  They had just as little say in the matter as Lucas did; they may have wanted him here, but they did not bring him here, and he found that an important distinction.  Lucas could feel the hope and relief that radiated off the crowds.  They were desperate for a savior- a hero.

Even a cynical jerk like Lucas could not pass through this gauntlet and remain unmoved.  He would still extract his due from the nobles, and he would still look for a way back to his world, but Lucas would do his best to live up to this crowds expectation as long as he was here.

The carriage rolled onward, and the crowds cheers followed it the whole length of the road, all the way to what looked like a giant rock cliff with a huge tower built up the side of it.  In a technical sense, this was not actually a cliff but the side of the Skyisland High Goldengrass.  The city of Lysus was essentially bisected by this edge and this tower was the connection between Under Lysus on Low Goldengrass and Over Lysus on High Goldengrass.

The tower had multiple lifts of a size that allowed them to hold multiple carriages, and Lucas had to admit that he was extremely surprised that this society could manage such a thing at all, let alone that it could run smoothly enough to facilitate the traffic of a city.  The tower was both lift and fortress, the structure itself the headquarters of the military and the top of the tower went up beyond the level of High Goldengrass and the Ducal Palace was built on it.  The lift they had rolled onto was for the exclusive use of the nobility, and it would ascend all the way to the palace itself.

The ascent was not swift, nor was it particularly stable.  Every jitter had Lucas worrying about the safety of the lift and between that and all the other nerve-wracking events that had been occuring, Lucas’s nerves were completely shot by the time they reached the top.  The lift emerged into the night air, and the carriage rolled forward towards a grand manor- the Ducal Palace.

Even in the dark, Lucas could tell that the grounds that led up to the entrance of the manor had lush and well-kept gardens, which must have been built into the tower itself.  Had he not come up the lift himself, he would never have believed that this was at the top of a tower- and he suspected that parts of it were not.

Those thoughts would have to wait for later however, as the carriage stopped in front of the grand entrance and a well dressed servant rushed over to open the door and welcome them.  Lucas once again found himself in a daze and moved on autopilot as he followed Terrasin and Archi out of the carriage and briefly into the cool night air before passing through the doors into an ornate and beautiful entrance hall, filled to the brim with extravagantly dressed men and women of various ages.

“Announcing Her Highness Terrasin deVon Almistraus, Fourth Princess of the Kingdom of Almis,” a dignified voice called out from the side as they passed through the doors, opened for them by yet more well dressed servants.  “Lady Archi deVon Versi, Daughter of His Grace Duke Versi and Lord Alfred Moru, Son of Count Moru, and…”

The servant faltered, and his voice trembled as he announced the final member of the group- Lucas’s name and existence had been sent ahead after all.

“An- And Lord L- Lu- Lucas Jaeger, T- the Lo- Lord Hero!”

Gasps and whispers swept through the nobles as they looked at Lucas, who was undeniably uncomfortable under such scrutiny.  He did not much match their style; he actually looked like a commoner who had snuck into a party far above his station.  Still, he would not be caught dead wearing the tights that were popular among the noble men.  It wasn’t like he had cared about fashion in the first place, but even if he did Lucas would not have thought that tights looked good anyways.

He did not let his posture or manner display his awkwardness though.  This was the start of his evaluation, the start of selling his ideas to the nobility.  Lucas had to show confidence in himself and his ideas, and Terrasin’s coaching had made it clear just how important this was.  To an extent, his authority would derive from the belief in the power of a Hero.  If he acted like he was untouchable, he would be.

“My daughter!”  A powerful voice boomed out, and a strong looking older man with the same platinum hair as Archi- though perhaps with a bit of grey in some places- stroad forward.  His well trimmed silvery moustache and beard were quite impressive and distinguished, Lucas was honestly impressed by the look.  “I am so glad that you have returned unharmed!”

He turned towards Terrasin and gave a very slight bow of his head, to which Terrasin responded with a shallow curtsey.

“Your Highness, I cannot say that I was happy when you ran off with my daughter,” the Duke spoke seriously, but not unpleasantly; it did not seem he was angry with the girl.  “However, I cannot argue with the results you have achieved.  It was I who denied you first when you came looking for my aid, and I hope that you can forgive an old man his caution even as this old man applauds your youth and bravery!”

“Of course Duke Versi,” Terrasin spoke clearly and with a regal tone.  She spoke to this powerful man as an equal and her bearing was such that Lucas was convinced that she more than deserved to do so.  “Rather, it is I who must beg your forgiveness for my rash actions.  That we have succeeded does not detract from the risks that were involved and our losses were not small.  You were very much correct that I did not understand what I was getting into by crossing the lines; my respect for your valor, and the valor of your men, has grown greatly.  It is humbling to see how little I truly know.”

The Duke turned to Lucas next, and he was not sure he could match the kind of speech those two had.  Manners and etiquette were cultural things; even if two cultures had different customs, it was often easy to see which customs were meant to display respect and how much.  Being able to observe and understand that was, however, different from being able to display it oneself.

Lucas was born and raised in the United States and he was aware that the customs of the United States did not mesh well with many other cultures.  When he was younger, he had many an interesting conversation with his friends deconstructing just how respect was displayed in other cultures.  The rise of the internet had exposed his generation to more foreign media than any generation before them and his peers had a better than average grasp of history.

They had eventually come up with the theory that the core of American etiquette was the belief in one’s personal value.  An example would be how meeting your conversation partner’s eyes was a gesture of respect; it said that you valued what the person was saying and were giving them your attention.  That this was respectful presupposed, they concluded, that your attention and interest had value that the person you were listening too should be happy that you would give it to them.  Bowing a head and avoiding meeting someone’s eyes were not seen as marks of respect- as saying that you saw the other person as a superior and were not worthy to meet their eyes- but as a display of lack of interest.

In this feudal society, there would be a cultural gap between Lucas and the people around him.  For now, he would just have to lean into his Hero identity to bridge that, but he would have to adapt eventually.  Or somehow find a way to force the people around him to change.  After all of those thoughts, all Lucas could do tonight was to meet the Duke’s eyes as he would anyone else and greet him.

“And you, Lord Hero,” the Duke gave a small bow, deeper than the one he had given Terrasin, towards Lucas.  “It is my great honor to welcome you into my lands and my home.  Anything you need that I can give is yours; my hospitality towards you and yours eternal.”

That last bit had a ceremonial ring to it, Lucas thought to himself.  I will have to ask Terrasin about it later.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Duke Versi.”  Lucas replied, quite proud of himself for having managed not to stutter or falter.  “Unfortunately, I must ask something you almost immediately; the culture and society I am from is much different from yours, and your understanding for the no doubt numerous faux pas I will commit will be much appreciated.”

“A paltry thing!  Of course!”  The Duke gave a great laugh and agreed, before sweeping his arm out in a gesture towards the gathered folks.  “But come, let us celebrate!  My daughter has returned with the Lord Hero, and tonight will be marked down in history!”

There was some clapping, and then the crowd broke up as an audience and the entire affair took an atmosphere like a high class party.  Which Lucas supposed was exactly what it was.  He had never been much for parties, and he had no interest in mingling right now.  After all the travelling he had been involved in, he wanted nothing more than a real bed followed by a real bath and then a real breakfast around the time normal people would be eating lunch.

However, he sensed it might be rude to say so.  Lucas would have to ask Terrasin when the soonest he could leave would be; he was simply too exhausted to handle this kind of thing tonight.  However, it would seem he had little choice in the matter.

He knew that he would not remember a single person introduced to him tonight, but nevertheless tried to present himself well.  The Duke himself was providing the introductions, but Lucas found the whole process both tedious and pointless.  Honestly, if it was not for Terrasin laying a hand on his arm whenever his irritation rose, Lucas likely would have very obviously lost his cool several times during this party.

A glass of wine had been brought to him, but Lucas did little more than taste it.  Alcohol would only exacerbate his current issues, but he wouldn’t mind knocking it back before he went to sleep.  Hell, after everything that had happened Lucas was reconsidering his stance on taking valium with wine.  Sure, there could be complications that would kill him, but the stress would kill him as well.

Thankfully, a whisper from Terrasin to the Duke- presumably at a time when leaving would be socially acceptable- had him announcing that the Lord Hero would need his rest and that there would be another, grander, party the following evening.  Lucas gratefully allowed himself to be guided to a room where he promptly fell asleep in the very comfortable bed.

He did not sleep well though, and the second time he woke up in a cold sweat, he realised that it was his own fault.  Drinking to take the edge off his nerves had the unintentional side effect of giving him terrible nightmares.  Lucas would wake up to throbbing pain in his shoulder and gasping for air, before recognizing where he was and reluctantly forcing himself back to sleep.  Living in a world where monsters were real certainly did a number on his restful sleep.

Still, he felt better in the morning than he had the night before.  This was a good thing, because the morning found him having an argument with the maids.  At the very least, these maids didn’t drop down to the floor when they met him, but Lucas was unsure that their new behavior was an improvement.

“There is absolutely no way I will wear that,” Lucas was adamantly refusing, but the older maid was not nearly as cowed by him as other members of the peasantry.  After his first refusal, she had brought many more options for him to wear, but…  “No matter what they are made of, or what style they are cut in, I am not wearing hose.  Don’t you have something like trousers or pants?  And a shirt without shoulder pads?  At the very least give me something I can dress myself in!”

Lucas had always thought that the idea that medieval nobles had needed servants to help them into their clothes to be a myth.  Sure, he had thought that the grand dresses worn by noble ladies on special occasions might require help from servants, but that was hardly every day.  Apparently, he was wrong.  Horribly, uncomfortably, wrong.

Aside from the general indignity of needing help to dress himself, Lucas had a suspicion that most of the maids were chosen for their youth and looks as a matter of appearance for the Ducal House.  He had not seen many of the servants, so he did not have much to go on, but the maids he was fighting to avoid being stripped and dressed by were probably somewhere around fourteen years old.

Aside from the mortifying idea of being dressed by what amounted to little girls, Lucas would not want to wear the clothes they were offering him anyways.  Some of the doublets were so gaudy and over designed with lace and cloth that Lucas had a hard time telling how they were supposed to be worn.  It was like someone had made a ghillie suit for a fabric store!

Eventually, the servants managed to dig up an outfit for knights that included some actual pants.  It even, thankfully, was a neutral tan color instead of the garish colors they had attempted to dress him up as.  The best of which was a bright red doublet with patterns stitched in green thread that made him feel like he had escaped from a bad Christmas play, and that was the best of them!

Having avoided being dressed up like a fop- or as a coxcomb, which would perhaps be a more appropriate word given what his surroundings were like- he got a better look at the quarters he had been given, which had more rooms than many a small house.  Breakfast was brought to him and served in a small dining room that was part of his quarters, and consisted of a light fare of bread and fruit.  Lucas would have prefered bacon and eggs, but he was hardly about to complain- he had his breakfast served to him in his own quarters on a silver platter, after all.  Besides, customs regarding meals varied from culture to culture, and he had very little idea of how nobles generally ate.  They had ate at the times of soldiers on the way here, and sometimes the same cuisine.

All of this was a mere distraction for what came after though.  After his meal, Lucas was guided to the Duke’s study and found Terrasin and Archi waiting for him there.  Both of the young ladies dress and hair were noticeably more complex and grander than they had been on the road, and although it looked quite nice, Lucas wondered how early they had to get up to prepare that look.  What was the point of being a noble if you could not avoid pains like that?

The Duke’s study was smaller than Lucas had expected given what he had seen outside.  The floor to ceiling bookshelves and the stone fireplace gave the room a very cozy vibe that Lucas found quite comfortable.  Comfort which was reinforced when they sat in the chairs by the fireplace, albeit unlit, rather than with the Duke behind a desk and them in front of it.  Lucas did not let his guard down though, this meeting was of absolute importance and would set the tone for his entire life in this world.

The Duke offered wine to the ladies and fine cognac to Lucas, though all three of them declined even as the Duke poured himself a few fingers.  Lucas was slightly curious as to the taste of the brandy, but he would need his faculties for this conversation and his rough night had soured him slightly towards alcohol for the time being.

“Her Highness and my daughter have told me a great deal about you,” Duke Versi said as an opener and Lucas wondered what precisely they had said about him.  Well, it was pointless and useless to speculate.  “In particular, they brought up the plans you were making on your trip here.  I must admit I liked what I heard, but hearing something second hand can never compare to hearing it from the man himself.  Do you agree, what was the title again?  Ah, yes…  Do you agree, Doctor Jaeger?”

“Princess Terrasin and Lady Archi have been invaluable to me, and I am certain that they relayed my ideas well as they helped to shape them.”  Lucas was careful to use their titles, no matter how awkward it felt in his mouth.  “However, I am more than happy to explain myself.”

Lucas took a second to gather his thoughts and took a deep breath, making certain to master his emotions.  Lucas’s power was theoretical, and honestly he would have no idea how to wield the influence he possessed as a hero, so practically this was the pitch that would make or break his new life.

“The short time I have been in this world has been greatly disconcerting,” Lucas began, thinking over the events that happened since his arrival.  “Rather than try to be polite, I hope you can excuse me being blunt here; this kingdom archaic.  The level of your agriculture and medicine can be best described as distressing, verging on shocking.  It is difficult to even compare to my own world, because you appear to lack concepts like crop rotation which has existed in some form or another since before my world’s recorded history.”

Lucas turned his eyes to observe the painting above the fireplace.  It showed a view of some floating islands, covered in lush jungles, with rivers flowing through the air between them.  A beautiful work, and one that made Lucas wonder what kind of biomes he might find on these islands.  He would not be surprised to find many different subspecies spread throughout the Skyislands, each adapted to their own island slightly better; Darwin’s finches extrapolated to an entire world.

“Princess Terrasin told me about my predecessors, how they brought miracles and magic to humanity that were used to fight the Demons.  I am not giving you anything like that, I am not a warrior or a fighter in any way- I am a scientist.”  Lucas sighed and turned back towards the Duke, who was giving his full attention to Lucas.  He had not even touched his cognac.  “What I can give you is food and health, enough to cause the population to grow beyond what you can imagine.”

Estimates for human population in Lucas’s world were difficult the further back in time researchers looked, but population estimates from two hundred thousand b.c. to ten thousand b.c. showed a population growth from one hundred thousand to three hundred thousand individuals to four million.  From ten thousand b.c. to eleven hundred a.d. the population grew from four million to three hundred twenty million; from eleven hundred a.d. to seventeen hundred a.d. the population grew to six hundred ten million.

This was around the time of the Agricultural Revolution and in the next three hundred years to the present day, the population increased eleven to twelve times.  Lucas’s grandparent’s grandparents could have lived in a world with less than a billion people, and how could someone from that world comprehend one with seven billion and counting?

“In a year or two, this Duchy will become a land of plenty.”  Lucas said confidently, although he was not mentioning the backbreaking work that would accompany the transition.  “But I cannot do this by myself, the knowledge is useless if it is just held by me alone.  I need to teach it to people, and to do that I would like to have the abandoned academy here in Over Lysus.  Send me the brightest of the peasantry and I will not only teach them what I know, but also I will teach them how to think and reason and improve upon it.”

“So instead of a weapon to wield you will give us an army to wield them…”  The Duke murmured, seemingly lost in thought.  “But how do I know you can deliver this?  If you were anyone else besides a Hero, Doctor Jaeger, I would have thrown you out of the room already for wasting my time with lies and dreams.”

“Unfortunately, Duke Versi,” Lucas sighed, knowing that this was the weakest part of his case.  “The proof of my potential to deliver would essentially be the title ‘doctor’ itself.  I have two Doctorates; one in microbiology and one in genetics.  I am aware that these words mean nothing to you- they will not translate- but the basis for my education traces itself back to the techniques I would be teaching.  I have thirty years of education, twenty of which were dedicated to understanding the exact function and makeup of life itself, in a society that outstrips yours in terms of technology and knowledge so much that it almost defies my ability to explain.”

Was that arrogant to say?  It was the truth regardless of whether it was arrogant or not.  Getting on an airplane to travel across the world and browsing the latest news on his smartphone connected to the internet through a satellite orbiting above the Earth was a mundane experience for Lucas; how would he explain that to the people in the room with him?  Sure, he could describe it, but could they understand it?  Lucas doubted it very much, some people in Lucas’s own world refused to believe that space existed so what hope did such a primitive society have?

“My family will guarantee his success,” Terrasin chimed in.  What she said must have meant more than Lucas was aware of, because the Duke was surprised by the declaration.  “Having head the Doctor speak at length about these subjects, about what he could do, Doctor Lucas has my full confidence and support.”

“Lord Father, I agree as well,” Archi added.  “Lord Doctor Jaeger’s understanding of agriculture is of a depth I would never have suspected the subject had and his medical knowledge will save lives without a doubt.”

“With such a glowing commendation,” the Duke chuckled.  “How could I possibly say no?  The academy is yours, and I will make certain you have all the funds and resources you need.  Spare no expense if you need something to make these dreams a reality.  Which brings us to the final part of this discussion, your price.”

“I do not think it would be unreasonable to ask to be paid,” Lucas said.  “Though depending on whether or not my expenses are paid by the Duchy itself, it need not be much.  Frankly, I doubt there will be much I want in terms of material possessions so having monetary pay at all is partially just a matter of formality and partially just a matter of security for myself.  The only extraordinary request I have is that I wish to learn magic.”

“Ha!  Hahaha!”  The Duke burst out laughing, “Consider it done!  To ask such a paltry fee, are you sure I am not taking advantage of you?”

Lucas did not join in the Duke’s laughter, his thin smile did not reach his eyes.  “The only thing I truly want is to go home, Duke Versi.  I am not a man with many vices to begin with, and this world lacks the few that might be able to tempt me.  If I asked for more, what would I even spend it on?”

“Very well,” the Duke tossed back the rest of his brandy with a satisfied sigh and agreed to Lucas’s demand.  “I will arrange an emolument for your position, and a teacher for you in regards to magic.  If you can do half of what you say, it can’t even be called a bargain!  Will you be going to inspect the academy grounds right away?  It will take some time to arrange workers to renovate the building, but I would hope you could begin as soon as possible.”

“The Church has a requested a meeting with Doctor Jaeger,” it was Terrasin who replied smoothly.  “I imagine that meeting will be much longer than this one; it may be awhile before the Doctor can make it to the academy grounds.”

Lucas had opened his mouth to say something, but promptly closed it again.  What was Terrasin, his secretary?  Well, he trusted her to do a good job and guide him through the unfamiliar territory of this world’s politics- he would not complain.

“Ah, yes, of course.”  The Duke’s tone soured, though he hid it well.  “I presume that means you will be heading to their monastery?  What am I saying?  Of course you will; it is not like they would come out of it.”

The conversation ended shortly after that, with Terrasin and Lucas leaving for their next destination and Archi staying behind with her father.  Lucas took the opportunity to express his apprehension to Terrasin.

“I am not sure I really want anything to do with the Church, Terrasin.”  He admitted, “although I imagine it is not something I can avoid, is it?”

“The Gods are of utmost importance,” Terrasin said with a surprising fervor.  “Especially to someone like you, Lucas, who is blessed by them.”

“Blessed?”  Lucas had to hold himself back from a rude snort, “In what way?”

“The ritual, it is not just magic.”  Terrasin explained, “it is magic and miracle woven together; the Gods supporting and protecting man by helping to send us a Hero in our time of need.”

Like much he had experienced in this world, Lucas had no idea how to respond to that.