Further Beyond: Ascension

Freeday, 10th of Augustus, 470th Year of the Fifth Era

An old bespectacled man – perhaps in his late sixties – was hunched over his desk going through several documents of parchment. It was late at night and he had to rely on the light coming from the lamp on his table next to the piece of paper he was writing on. The rest of the room was relatively lit from the lanterns on the walls but it was still better to have a source of light next to him for writing purposes.

After another hour of writing and looking over documents, Lorenz felt like he needed a break. He put the quill back into the ink bottle before he stretched his body. A few cracks could be heard as he did so. It was mildly uncomfortable but there wasn't much Lorenz could do. He wasn't as young as he used to be. In fact, only a week had passed since his 65th birthday.

It wasn't a very lively celebration being attended by only his wife and some servants. He was a very private person anyways and wasn't all too keen on merrymaking except for particular circumstances. Well, he's been that way ever since…

Lorenz glanced at a small standing portrait upon his desk. On it was a painting of a dashing young man in a cavalier's uniform. He ran his fingers on the painting as he sighed. His only son wasn't yet even twenty when he died during a dungeon raid. His son was always foolhardy anyways, being the first to charge into any frontlines. It was hell for Lorenz and his wife to even conceive the one child they had. One would think that it would be just as difficult for him to be taken from them but alas.

Der Mensch Tracht, Un Gott Lacht. Man plans while God laughs. It was an old Tohrim expression Lorenz would sometimes hear growing up. Those shrewd yet slimy bankers always had something to say.

The only family he had left was his only living younger brother and niece but they lived a world away in some godless heathen lands. He understood that his brother took his missionary work very seriously but to live out two decades of his life there? Lorenz never ceased sending letters regularly to his brother to come and at least visit his estate. He also wanted to meet with his niece who he had only ever corresponded to through letters.

Lorenz sighed as he got up from his desk and went to a hanger to put on an intricately embroidered black cape-like cloak. He opened the doors behind his study which gave way to a large balcony overlooking his estate's beautifully expansive garden. Even at night, the beauty of the flowers could be seen permeating from them with the help of various lamp stands and the like. At the middle of the garden was a small-ish pavilion with a grand piano in the middle of it.

Lorenz sat down on one of the couches within the balcony as he slouched on one of its armrests. The cold air was relatively chilly and it might have been mildly uncomfortable to a regular person but for someone like Lorenz, it was just right.

As he lounged around while holding onto a cushion, Lorenz saw the letter parchment that he had left on the table in front of the couch. He clicked his tongue before he raised himself back up to open the letter once more.

As always, the king and his royal parliament were pestering him to accept the commission to head the Imperial Military Academy. It was too much of a hassle for him to take the offer. Having to deal with all those pompous brats and sons of nobles were a nightmare. Even as a professor and instructor within the academy, Lorenz himself had a few issues of insubordination from some of the students. Particularly from the children of the higher nobles. And with the talks being held at parliament of a very real reunification of the old Empire, that would mean more nobles to deal with.

Lorenz once again tossed the parchment containing the royal seal onto the table like it was just a piece of scrap paper. He opened up a secret compartment under the table and from it he took out a tall bottle of whiskey and a single shot-glass. He filled the shot glass before quickly downing it and refilling it for another drink.

The burning sensation in his throat was always a nice feeling. Even for a fifth star warrior like him, it was always good to have a good drink now and again. Good ol' Imperial Germanic liquor. It cost a small fortune to import but was worth every last piece of silver.

"Lord Count, if I may."

"Ahhhh!" Lorenz let out a high pitched shriek as he heard the new voice enter into the balcony from behind him. It was the tall figure of an older man around his age in a doublet and a matching robe. The man gave Lorenze a gentle smile and a slight bow.

"Good God above, Robert! Are you a ghost? You nearly had my heart leap out of my throat." Lorenz shook his head as he recomposed himself.

"Many apologies, Lord Count." While the steward of the estate said that, the pleasant smile on his face indicated that no regret was to be had on his part. "Though, one would expect that after two decades of loyal service, you'd grow accustomed to it."

"And one would expect that after two decades of loyal service, you'd stop trying to send your employer into an early grave through shock. Regardless, why did you come here this far late into the night?"

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"I had just received a letter that arrived not long ago addressed specifically towards you."

"And? Who in their right mind would send me a message at this hour? Is it the king? The royal parliament? Who? Is there an emergency? Speak, man!"

Lorenz was getting quite antsy. His steward wouldn't have bothered sending him the letter were it deemed not of any import. But, there wasn't a grave look to be found upon the steward's face. Instead he gave a bemused smile.

"It's a letter from Neacordis. From the Lord Count's brother, the Most Reverend Archbishop of the Hallacklands." His steward answered as he handed in the letter.

Lorenz's eyes seemed to have the sparkle of life breathed back into them as he snatched the letter from his steward's hand. It had his brother's seal upon it, a cross on top of a circle symbolizing the Hallack church. It was always good to hear from family, even if only through letters and messages. And even if it was filled with more refusals from his brother to even visit his estate, it was still comforting to know that they were still living well enough to send him letters.

Lorenz opened the letter and started reading from it. It was quite the long letter as well being made up of several pages. Usually, it would at most be a couple of pages long and filled with reports of their well-being along with the most recent developments within the Hallacklands and Neacordis as a whole.

Due to his brother's letters, Lorenz was somewhat aware of the political landscape of the heathen lands of Neacordis.

However, this time, the letter was far more substantial in its contents. The legendary Hallack swordsaint-king of whom even the warriors of Terradome had heard of had passed away. It was a shock to be sure as in the entirety of Orbis, throughout all the kingdoms and empires of the world, the number of swordsaints in existence didn't even reach a significant number. At least not the ones known to the public.

But as if that wasn't news enough, his brother had informed him of the short passing of the Swordsaint's successor not even a week after that. With such chaos within his realms and his position as one of the most senior officials of his kingdom, it was obvious to Lorenz where his brother was headed. Yet another letter and another refusal from his brother to visit him.

In other news, his niece had married the grandson of the late swordsaint. According to both Terradomian laws of Primogeniture as well as traditional Hallack custom, her husband should then now be a king of the Hallack.

Having a queen for a niece – regardless if it was of some small tribal entity – would still do well for Lorenz's prestige. But even without that, he was still happy that the only heiress to the Rappmeister name was now a fully-grown woman and living her own life.

Continuing to read the letter, however, Lorenz was in for quite the surprise. Due to some political machinations and considerations from the side of the Hallack, his niece's husband wasn't granted the rank of king. Instead, he would be sent into a sort of 'self-exile'. And this letter he was reading was a preamble for them to humbly ask for his assistance and support for his niece, her husband, and their band of loyal retainers to be welcomed in his estate.

Along with his niece and her husband, there were more than a dozen other people who his brother had sent over and made letters of recommendation from. Four loyal companions and their wives, a promising young healer, and two young native Hallack clergymen. His brother assured him in the letter of their natural talents and asked Lorenz to use his connections to try and get them into the military academies and universities in the Imperial capital.

These were serious requests his brothers were making and in all the years he's known his little brother, he wasn't the type to pull needless connections. Besides asking Lorenz to act as an intermediary for the church in Feldonia, his brother never really asked much. Being asked anything like this was definitely a first.

Lorenz would no doubt work to the best of his abilities to accommodate his brother's request. It wasn't everyday he could feel useful for his family. Even without his brother's earlier recommendation, if what what he was informed of was true, then the kingdom would only prosper from fostering these young warriors.

Achieving the third star of aura before even reaching the age of twenty? Talents like that were highly sought after within the many institutions of Feldonia, let alone five of them. But most incredible of all was the late swordsaint's grandson. A fourth star aura warrior at only eighteen years old? Unheard of. His niece seemed to have gotten herself a most promising spouse.

He had to make sure to verify this but regardless, his current duty was clear. He had to help his brother and his family in any way he could.

Lorenz quickly poured in another shot of his liquor and downed it before heading back into his study.

"Prepare for me some of my finest parchment and ink, Robert." Lorenz said as he sat back down at his desk.

Without even a moment's delay, his steward had already set a few pages of parchment upon the table.

"To whom are we writing these letters, my lord?" His steward asked, gently smiling as always.

"Quite a few people, Robert, but most importantly to the king himself. It appears I'll be accepting his commission to the rectorship of the academy after all. We have quite a few prospective students coming along with my niece and her husband."

Lorenz didn't notice it himself but he had quite the grin on his face. His solemn demeanor from but a few moments ago was gone, being replaced with a renewed vigour.

"How many rooms are we to prepare here, my lord?" Robert asked "Or would you prefer we arrange for quarters elsewhere?"

"Nonsense. No blood of mine will suffer from want under my provision. My niece will be treated even more splendidly than the royal princesses themselves! We'll have the east wing prepared for my niece and her courtiers."

"Very good, sir. I'll prepare for it with the utmost haste. When are we expecting the archbishop's daughter to have arrived in the capital?"

"Judging from when this letter was penned, I'd wager no more than a couple of weeks from now. It would also set me with plenty of time to prepare for the readjustment of the curriculum."

"I'll get on with my duties then, sir." Robert bowed and was about to leave before Lorenz stopped him once more.

"I almost forgot. Set aside a portion of our stables as well for our guests."

"How many horses are they bringing along with them, my lord?"

"...Who said anything about horses?"