For a long time, I hated the peasants around me; people who spent their entire lives slaving away at some menial tasks only to die in the same house they were born in. But now that hatred extended to nobility. It wasn't the sex, drugs, or any other depravity I saw. The wild, almost craven abandon with which they pursued the heights of pleasure reminded me of those peasants, trapped in a cage of their own making.
In the end, neither they nor the innocence being abused meant anything to me and didn't affect my goals. The baroness herself was just another deluded mind too perverse for me to understand with any depth, jumping from brilliant deductive intellect to amoral pervert with such unashamed eagerness that I refused to waste time predicting her words or actions.
But I did learn a few things here and there, how she used words and subtle suggestions to manipulate and control people. I would have to practice the skill, but in time, I believed I could master it.
I sighed, looked at my sheets of paper, and reached a conclusion.
After testing, I found platinum was, in fact, not star metal. The only option left was orichalcum, which, from what little I know, was roughly a hundred times rarer than gold. I stood in the warehouse, finishing the last of the bindings, relieved that my work was over. It took almost two days of constant work, and practically everything was operational except for eight objects that needed material repairs. With a stretch and a crack of my neck, I left the stone building and headed to the Baroness's office.
~
"So, it's done?" she asked as I sat across from her.
"Yes, every item has been repaired within reason."
Rennah nodded, "Very good." Then she clapped, "So, our deal comes to an end." The baroness met my eyes with a glow of satisfaction coming across her face. "It was a pleasure working with you, Myr."
My heart didn't race, nor did I feel any amount of dread. I understood Rennah now; she liked toying with people.
It had been almost a year since I had heard my real name. A small chuckle escaped my throat, "So, it's well known now, is it?"
"No, not quite. But a few inquiries here and there, in combination with a bit of luck, and just like that, I now know who you are."
I remained as still as a tepid lake. I closed my eyes, nodding as if I expected her answer. "Any word on the individuals tracking me?"
"Not much, there is no bounty or even suggestion that they are headed here. You must have left quite a trail."
'North or south? Where should I run?'
"Thank you for the warning," I said, then stood to leave. She couldn't hide the disappointment on her face.
"Before you leave, Myr. Tell me, why did you want to become a magus?"
I stood there halfway across the room. "I wanted to be something more than what I was."
“Do you feel more? Above the peasants that walk around you?”
After a few seconds of contemplation, I responded. “Yes, it's hard not to look at them as simple humans.”
“Welcome to nobility, Myr. I have to say what little I learned is rather interesting; from maidstaff to magus. I dare say I would like to hear the entire story.”
“It's not that dramatic, unfortunately. Besides, you and everyone else will learn soon enough.” I didn't want to spend any more time around the woman.
“I suppose I will. But one final question, my dear, what do you want as a reward?”
‘I don't want a single copper coin from you. Not even the enchanted swords I desired to take from this place. I somehow trust Derek and all his cronies more than you. But saying nothing wouldn't do, I need to answer.’
I smiled and said, “How detailed is the information about our time on that hill?”
She raised a well-manicured eyebrow, “Sparce.”
“So, in the end, all anyone can be sure of is that three went up the hill, two died, and one came down. There is so much room for interpretation.”
That sadistic smile stretched across her face. I copied her smile perfectly and continued, “And I’ve helped so many people, dropped crime in my little territory to practically zero.”
‘You love toying with people, and who better to toy with than some of the most powerful people in the empire? You can't give up such an opportunity, can you?’
She took my thoughts and ran forward. “Of course, when they come, destruction could follow. And since it's a winter year, well, many could die. The backlash that would occur from other nobles would be considerable. They don't have that much influence this far south.”
“Secrecy can be a liability in the end. The first person to tell the story, especially one that paints the Magi as cruel and unfeeling, would be the one who speaks the truth. Let me tell you one thing about peasants: we love to complain.”
Once the magisterium learned of all the magical items I created, there was a great chance that everything would be confiscated. All the items that I had created to help people would be gone, and so too would the prosperity. Anger would follow, and with the proper words, truth becomes whatever confirms their bias and anger.
What better mouthpiece than a noble woman? Regardless of her poor reputation, she was still one of the most powerful people in the south..
She stared off into the distance, her mind no doubt whirling with the possibilities. For the first time, I managed to outwit her. Though it didn't last long, she caught on, I could tell.
“Clever girl, you have been paying attention. Regardless, I will do it; it's far too amusing a prospect. This will echo across the entire empire.” She gestured to the chair in front of her desk.
~
After some time discussing what story should be spun depending on a few situations, I stood once more to leave.
“One more thing, dear, you'll need a name.”
“A name?” I questioned.
“Aye, of course, something for people to latch on to, inspiring both fear and admiration.”
I shrugged, not really caring, but Rennah seemed too distracted to notice.
“Given your use of Flaketh the Crimson Maiden’s words and your habit of incinerating people.” She hummed and mumbled as she mused. “Maiden, Maiden, Maiden of…”
She snapped her finger. “Myr, the Maiden of Fire. What do you think?”
I shrugged, “Sounds a bit dramatic, but peasants love that sort of nonsense. Do as you will.”
“Oh, I will. This will be rather entertaining.” She said in an almost girlish voice.
'I'm not sure how useful this will be in the end. But hopefully, when I no doubt flee, they would find greater difficulty in tracking me.'
~
I left the keep half an hour later, as soon as I left the walls of the upper quarter, I was hit by frigid air and a soft dusting of snow.
'It's a month early.'
An early winter meant a deep winter. I had only ever experienced it once in my life. The bitter cold was hellish; even sitting by a fire wasn't enough to fight the chill.
‘A deep winter, how unfortunate.’
As I reached the lower quarter, I could practically feel the dread around me. Everyone knew, but no one would say a deep winter was coming. Many will starve and die from exposure.
'I suppose that's why the baroness wanted those heaters and ice boxes finished. She knows what's coming.'
I thought about how much meat and food I had stored. It was enough for the winter, but just to be extra prepared, I would double it and also buy a significant amount of coal and lumber. I had more than enough coin to spare.
~
After an hour of walking, I reached my street and paused in confusion. The ever-present dread was absent, and even more stalls crowded the area.
"Sera, good to see yuh well," A cloth merchant said.
"Good day, Jerom," I kept walking. Not interested in conversation. Then he left his carriage and came over with a bundle of lavender cloth.
"A fine, freshly dyed set of sheets for you, Milady. "
It did look rather well-made, thick with a high thread count. "I suppose I could use new sheets for the winter."
I was about to reach into my coin purse before he stopped me. "No, no, milady, this is a gift."
Rolling my eyes, I held out a hand and accepted the bundle.
Before I took ten more steps, I was stopped again.
~
I walked into my home to find Ashe in the middle of a bath. "Hoy, boss, good to see you back," she said from the steaming tub.
"What's happening out there? Where are all these people coming from?" I asked.
"People been talkin' too much. Everybody thinking' if they get on yer good side could save 'em from the deep winter."
'That does make sense.'
"I see, anything else of note?" Then I noticed a large pile of random goods off to one side. "What's all that?"
"Worry gifts, been callin' 'em."
"Worry gifts?" I asked as I examined the pile.
"Rumour is you weren't gonna come back for the winter, so people been leaving things for you, tryin' to get you back."
'The fools are starting to rely on me too much. I am not their savior.'
"Anything good?" I asked.
Ashe stepped out of the round tub naked as the day she was born and reached for a towel, "Some things, it's up to you really. "
'She shaves down there? How odd.'
"I'm going to sleep for a few hours, no disturbances," I ordered. “I’ll go through those items later.”
Ashe nodded, "Aye, boss." She interrupted me as I opened my room door. "What are we doin' about the deep winter? You know it's gonna be bad."
I studied the numerous scars across her back. I knew what lashes were, but even my worst never left scars.
"You and Mar will go to the market. Fill all iceboxes with meat, vegetables, potatoes, and fruit. And any other decent food items you find. Pay double or triple if necessary. We’ll also need fuel, as much wood and coal as can fit in my backyard; again, the price doesn't matter to me. I'll give you coin as needed."
I tossed my sack of silver onto her bed. She looked over to their icebox. "That's a lot of meat, boss."
It was even larger than my own.
"We'll need it for the winter. Unlike everyone else, we'll be spending it in comfort with full bellies every night."
Ashe grinned, "Now that right there is why I like callin' you boss, I'll see it done."
Ashe put on her armor and left with a pep in her step.
I locked my door, activated the circuit that filled my bath, tore off my clothes, and hopped into my bed. After wrapping myself up in my new sheets like a babe in its swaddling blanket, I fell asleep almost instantly.
~
I woke up in the evening. Though I slept for several hours, I didn't feel refreshed. My mind was exhausted from all the binding, magical work and dealing with the baroness. I felt as if I had lived several months in only a few short days. And though I had dozens of ideas for new arcane circuits, the will to begin working simply wasn't in me at the moment.
So, I decided to take the day, perhaps do some leisure reading. Pleased at the idea, I hopped out of bed, threw on a thin bed shirt, and wandered over to my icebox.
I licked my lips and thought about what to cook. Then, I reached for a nice slab of beef and thick bacon, grabbed a metal platter, and left it to defrost.
Walking over to my armoire, I looked at myself in the mirror, still annoyed by my short hair. There were dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep, and my skin was almost ghostly pale.
"My, how you've changed," I said to my reflection. I could hardly recognize Edith within me anymore.
~
I sat down, enjoying the silence of the room and a book about dryads. My stomach was full, and I was ever so slightly inebriated from half a bottle of Arbor West. I was determined to spend the rest of the day like this. Lying in my bed with an air warmer blowing a constant stream of warm air at me was the definition of relaxing.
A series of rapid knocks at my door brought me out of my relaxed revelry. "What is it?" I shouted with no small amount of annoyance.
Mar answered, "Derek, boss. He's here personally to see yuh."
'What the hells does he want?'
"Fine, I'll be out in a moment," I said. After spending a minute dressing angrily, I walked out of my room, nodded to Mar, and headed to the door. Opening it, I found Derek with a few of his men standing there expectantly. The bald, blue-eyed man looked as emotionless and stoic as ever.
"Come on in then," I said, then threw a few glances at his men. Derek caught the message.
"Remain here," He ordered, then entered.
"Mar, go patrolling and make sure no one's causing trouble," I said to the young man. He was eyeing Derek suspiciously.
"Alright, boss."After another suspicious glance, he grabbed his sword and left.
"Let's speak in my room,"
~
Derek sat across from me, eyeing the strange steel table and furniture.
Third, "A horse thief with long black hair."
Fourth, "A noble woman bride feeling north from a bad marriage."
Then he looked me in the eyes.” Do I need to explain?"
'Does he think I'm an idiot?'
"A wide search. There are probably hundreds of these letters. Sent to merchants, tradesmen, anyone really. All have silver as a reward; if a large number of them bite on one specific area, they can deduce where I am. With such vague descriptions, we can only assume that they do not want me to know that they are probing."
"Indeed, if this were the summer, I would estimate it to take no less than a month for them to narrow down your location. But with the deep winter..."
'He's right, that is a problem. In the next few weeks, the temperature will drop significantly. Roads will be impassable. Traveling long distances in the middle of a deep winter is a recipe for a quick death to exposure. I should have left, but what I learned from the baroness was too valuable. Now I'm somewhat trapped here.'
"What is your decision?" Derek asked, clearly understanding my dilemma.
'Risk the winter on the road or risk them arriving and not being noticed before I can escape? Hell, there's even the chance they'll catch me on the road. The baroness would spin a tale, yes, but wouldn't lift a finger in assistance if they came knocking. Almost no one travels during the winter.'
I leaned back, staring up at the ceiling.
'It all boils down to how confident I am in my ability to escape. I thought of my stashes around the city, all the traps. Several escape routes. And of course, the final option. I doubt even the Magisterium could stop that.'
"I'll remain for now," I announced after a moment of deliberation.
The bastard actually smiled, "Very good, then are you prepared to fulfil another request?"
"What do you want?"
He pointed to one of the four air warmers littering my room.
"40 of those,"
I blinked rapidly, considering the large amount of iron that would be needed.
"You will have to provide the fuel and spare iron, around eight pounds per warmer. The wood and coal, at least a ton for the entire project."
'I probably need less than half of that, but what would he know? As much as I would like to rebuild my entire energy furnace, making the complex network of runes needed would take days of constant work. The only thing I can really do in a short amount of time is modify the intake circuits and create an expanded network of load runes so I can power many more objects. Even then, it didn't matter, I have at best 20 things to power.'
"Any scrap of iron, yes," he inquired.
"Could be rusted to all hell, it doesn't matter."
'The rust degradation circuit would come in useful.'
"Standard pay?"
"What do you know about orichalcum?" I asked.
He raised an eyebrow, "Other than it being hundreds of times more valuable than gold. Not much, I've never even seen it in my life. That's probably something you ask a baroness." he squinted, "Unless you did."
"An item needed orichalcum to repair, but when I asked her about it, she was rather silent. For her, that's rather strange."
Derek leaned back, his mind working, "They say only a hundred pounds have ever been found. To have a sample even as small as a golden royal would be considered a great fortune. It's so valuable that you need a permit to sell it, and it can only be sold by nobility."
He looked at me, his eyes sharp, "What was the item?"
"A weapon."
"If you could guess, how devastating would it be?"
I leaned back, "The creator, likely her grandfather, failed; however, if it was repaired and built properly, well, it would have been extremely deadly. "
"Yet she didn't want it repaired and refused to elaborate," Derek mumbled. "She must have sold it without proper paperwork."
"She must have more than just enchanted swords from the time when her family were dukes and not barons," I said, mostly to myself.
"That would be the case then. The loophole in the law she will use against the accusation of her purchasing the services of an apostate wouldn't work in this case. I imagine even a single ounce of orichalcum not being in the possession of the Magisterium is a great concern. "
"If that is the case, do you think you could determine who that piece of orichalcum was sold to?" I asked.
"How much orichalcum was it?"
"Around an inch square, maybe a quarter thick."
He licked his lips, "So not that much bigger than a golden royal." He spent over a minute pondering, "Possibly, I'd need some time, but if I can't determine this with enough accuracy?"
"Our standard agreement in that case. A third if you succeed with high accuracy."
He took a deep breath as he considered my words. "It's a deal then. But dear Sera, do you intend to steal it? What will you do if it's in the possession of some count or baron? Or even with a Magus of high standing?"
I speared him with my cold gaze, "Do you know who I am yet?"
‘Risk upon risk, Myr, but I will forge onward.’
He shrugged, "Yes, I learnt it the same time the baroness did."
"Then you know there is nothing I won't do."