Chapter 51 Pre-Edit (Patreon)

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Chapter 51: A New Playground

The first thing Nisha noticed was the cozy comfort of a bed.

Buried up to her neck, she was warm and curled together under a blanket.

For the second thing she was aware of, it was the presence of an unfamiliar being in the room.

Albeit unwilling to leave the bed and truly become awake, the elvish girl had no way to know if she was safe here, she fell asleep earlier after all. Her [Spirit Sight] gave her a good idea who might be in the room with her, but relying only on that was not good enough, a lesson that everyone who lived in the Wilderness learned early.

Rubbing the corner of her eyes, Nisha sat up and looked around.

The young Eldrin was currently inside the chamber, carrying a stack of sheets as well as a jar of water.

Seeing that she was awake now, the awkward expression returned to his face.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to wake you up … are you alright?”

Internally the small dragon was about to burn up with embarrassment, not only did she cry right in front of a stranger, she also woke up to him caring about her, preparing things she needed and showing concern.

Barely able to contain her shyness, - and it didn’t help that he was just as awkward about this as she was - Nisha kept her demeanor as neutral as possible.

“My name is Nisha. What’s your name?”

Introducing myself should be a good start. I don’t even know his name yet and already made a fool out of myself in front of someone I’m going to be living with … just great, well done Nisha.

“Ah, how rude, I didn’t introduce myself. My name is Henry.”

Silence fell on the room. Nisha blinked.

Enough to give away what was going through her mind.

He looks so much like an elf! Why is his name Henry of all things?

“It’s an unusual name, isn’t it?”

Smiling a bit against his will, Henry explained.

“I’m only a quarter elf, when I was born I apparently looked just like babies usually do … wrinkly and red, all that.

My father didn’t dislike the idea of giving me an elven name, but mother argued that he was already named after the other side of the family, so she picked the name of one of her ancestors. Henry Dharnas isn’t so bad, isn’t it?”

“Indeed, not very elvish.”

Laughing together about a topic Henry clearly wasn’t the least bit self conscious about helped to wash away the tension.

“We’re about to eat dinner, if you feel ready to come down, just head down the stairs and then to the left, you can’t miss it.

I already heard about your situation from father and your friends, so please just rest up and come down whenever you are ready.”

Leaving her alone with the jar of clear water, the young man exited the room, Nisha  very much aware that he still grieved his grandfather yet still made an effort to make her feel welcome here.

Examining her appearance and being satisfied with her dress and looks, Nisha quickly headed down the stairs after leaving her room.

The dinner room itself was held in a similar style akin to the rest of the house, dignified yet not tacky or opulent.

Seated around a table laden with various dishes that made the dragon’s mouth water with their smell alone were the butler, Luthais and his son Henry as well as Hale, Lydia and Annabelle, Hale had just been laughing about something when the elven girl entered.

“Nisha! It’s great to see that you are alright and up again. You really scared me when you suddenly started crying, I thought that the temple healing was not enough and you were in pain again. Come here, we left a seat open for you.”

Patting the seat right besides her, Hale invited her patient with a kind smile, showing the concern she kept for her.

Henry also gave her a timid smile, overall the atmosphere at the table was lively enough to be called intimate.

I’m really lucky to be able to meet so many people that are friendly to me. I always thought humans were scary beasts like the two nobles that attacked grandpa and me, but ever since I have a hard time imagining that they are all like that.

Luthais didn’t exaggerate the skills of Galan’s wife, who joined them halfway through the dinner - finished with cooking - and everyone involved had a great time.

While the servants cleared the table, the head butler cleared his throat to draw everyone’s attention.

“Since everyone is here right now,  I wanted to take a moment to talk about the schedule for the immediate future.

Lady Nisha will be staying with us, to make sure that her education is up to par with that of her peers when she starts attending the academy next turn, it would be wise if I personally oversee her make up classes.

Is that alright with you, Master Luthais?”

Pondering on the preposition for a moment, the half-elf finally agreed.

“Indeed, that might be for the best. But let’s hear it from herself, do you mind going along with this suggestion, Nisha? I will personally make sure that your friends Lydia and Annabelle here will receive tutelage under an experienced trading house as well, so you can solely focus on your education.

There is the problem of you going out though, I wouldn’t recommend you to wander around the city before you become more familiar with it and finish Galan’s courses, so keep that in mind when you make your decision. Now, what do you say?”

The inquiring gaze of the half-elf made Nisha suspect that this was a test and he expected her to refuse or suggest something else.

But grandpa wanted me to come here to learn more about the world. Even if I can’t go out for a while, if that is what it takes for me to learn about the rules of this city, I’ll just have to do it.

“No, in fact that sounds like a good plan. I am in your care then, Mister Galan.”

Bowing her head to the butler, the dragon didn’t really mind it. Her friends would be taken care of to pursue their dream, she herself was going to be taught whatever was needed to survive in this confusing forest of stone buildings and fulfill the wish that her grandfather left her in his last words to her.

Smiling wide, her decision seemed to nonetheless surprise everyone. Lydia looked like she wanted to add something herself, but her older sister stopped her from saying anything.

“Very well, we will do it like this then. I know it will be hard on you, but once you attend the academy there’ll be a lot of chances to introduce you everywhere as a proper daughter of the Dharnas house.

Now, with that taken care of, Miss Cordia, the carriage has been prepared and instructed to take you back to your lodging.

My wife has prepared a small bag of dessert to take with you, please share it with your fellow officers.”

Galan handed her something that looked more like a packet instead of a small box, but Hale accepted it nonetheless with a smile.

“Thank you very much. Henry, I’m really looking forward to the competition, I’ll see if I can make up some free time to attend, seeing a future knight contend will be exciting for sure. But I’m sure you will do just fine.

Nisha, let me give you a hug before I have to get back, you don’t really have a chance to spoil someone as adorable as you often on the [Navis Terram].

Make sure to visit every now and then, right?”

With that, the dinner at the Dharnas Mansion found an end.

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Exiting the carriage that brought him back from the palace, Luthais straightened up his shoulders, the muscles protesting as he had tensed them for a very long time while attending a meeting with the king.

Various nobles had already pestered him to introduce them to the newest addition to his House, somehow the rumours of a mysterious elven girl living in the Dharnas Estate had made their way into the high society of [Thurgau].

Now King Cederic expressed his interest in the young lady he was hiding as well, asking when a formal introduction to the court would happen.

Sighing, thinking back how hard it had been to dismiss and talk out his way of these things as they were still too early for Nisha and forcing him to leave the palace early, he almost missed as the one in question passed by him.

“Good afternoon. I’m going out for a bit, grandpa Galan is inside if you’re looking for him.”

Nodding and waving his hand in confirmation, the half-elf only noticed that it was Nisha who strolled out of the main gate with a happy skip in her steps when she already left the estate, staring back at the lively girl.

Unsure what to make of it, the marshal headed inside, only to find his most trusted friend sitting on the stairs leading up to the bedrooms, sighing dejectedly.

“What happened here?”

Finally noticing the return of the head of the house, Galan straightened up his defeated posture and thought what to say.

Only to sigh again.

“Nisha went out to play. That’s what she said at least.”

Still not sure if this was an elaborate prank the two had set up to confuse him, the half-elf waited for the explanation to continue.

“She asked me if there was any place here where she could play a good round of chess. I told her the park might fit her needs, there are some tables with a chess grid set up there.

So I guess, she’s going to the park.”

Aware that this was not the thing he was asking about, Luthais had to address the issue more directly.

“Didn’t we all agree that she wouldn’t go out until she finished her lessons? I mean, I expected her to want to go on an outing a while ago already, no teenager could endure being stuck inside all the time, but it has only been about two moons since we started. Guessing from her fortitude, I really thought she would last longer.”

Somewhat disappointed, Luthais was about to be ready to drop the topic when the butler shocked him.

“No, that’s not it. She said, since she mastered all of the lessons, now this would be a good time to start exploring the city. I tried to refute that, but I really couldn’t, in any way. She completed all of the courses, so I had to let her go.”

Looking down he sighed and said nothing else.

“But it hasn’t been barely two moons yet! How can she already be done with your lessons? Didn’t you tell me, even with the best estimate, she’d only be done a few weeks before the academy started admission?”

In all regards, both of them should be happy for the dragon, who regained her freedom to explore the city and mastered their requirements much ahead of schedule, but the shocking speed in which she did caught them unaware.

“I really thought I had a good reading on her. A bright kid with a will to learn, but this … I trained servants before who really wanted to learn what I was teaching them, but never have I seen something like this. She never needed to hear a lecture twice and always showed up on time, not at any time showing signs of being fed up with being taught.

She even took some time off to play with Henry, it’s a wonder the two of them get along so well.

I don’t understand how she did it and how I could be so off with my estimate.”

Slumping down, the old man looked defeated. Sitting down on the stairs as well, the half-elf tried to console his old friend.

“This much is probably just natural for someone that my father is related to, he also was regarded a genius when he attended court as a magician, don’t worry too much about it.

And she really went to look for a good chess game? Did you know she even played chess?”

Galan only shook his head.

“I think I’ve seen her play with the two other girls one or two times when hey were in their rooms, but I guess a love for chess is to be expected after living with that old bloke for a while … god, I really miss him. It broke my heart to see him go after he tricked me into staying here.

But enough of that. Can I do something for you, Master Luthais? You’re back much earlier than expected, did something happen at the palace?”

Smiling wryly, the half-elf helped the old man stand up, walking him into the office where he kept most of his records.

“You’re not the only one that got troubled by our little miss today. Cederic keeps pestering me to finally formally introduce her and I fled the scene after denying hing as fast as I could.

I guess he already knows how much truth there is to the rumors, but that doesn’t keep him from asking.

Chess.

She’s really going out to play chess.”

Unable to put it out of his mind, the mighty marshal of the kingdom just kept shaking his head at the unbelievable reason and muttered it over and over again.

“Don’t worry about her, Master Luthais. Everything I learned about her so far speaks of a bright young lady that will have no trouble in the city. I’ll send young Edwin to search for her in the park when I get a hold of him, but I have no doubt that she won’t be there anymore, exploring some crook or corner of the city. I think there’s not a spot left in the house she hasn’t seen yet. And she still thinks we have no idea that she sneaked out of her room every night …”

Laughing at the recollecting of the young dragon’s misadventures, Luthais was once again surprised how fast Nisha managed to settle into the house, almost all of the servants had a smile for her when she managed to disturb their work or stole another bite from the kitchen.

Even Galan’s wife developed a soft spot for her, something Luthais never managed in all the time he lived with the old dragon.

Sure, she did like him and he was on very good terms with her, but never got spoiled like the small dragon did.

Finally taking his mind of the matter, the marshal only hoped that whatever adventure the young girl was about to undertake wouldn't turn serious enough so the matter involved the guards and ended up on his desk.

Picking up another scroll from his table, his attention turned towards the Terus’ troops and their stay in front of the gates.