"Wait an inspeactor's coming to Alt Village?Why?" asked Helios
"Apparently he's checking on the border nearby"
"Is it because of the rumors?" asked Helios
"Could be, but you know the government, they always try to keep things under wraps to not incite panic" said Joshua
"But wait where did you even get this info from." asked Helios
"Mr. Wallace got a call this morning from the government, you know, believe it or not he's also the village chief not simply the owner of the local tavern." aswered Joshua
'Wait they have phones around here, I may have severely underestimated the technological development of this world.'
"So, you satisfied?" asked Joshua
"Yeah, I will do as you've said I will wait for the inspector right here" answered Helios in a mocking voice
"That's good" said Joshua
'Why do I feel like a child being lectured by his father?'
After saying everything he wanted Joshua gestured to Helios, suggesting he should sit down at the table they have reserved at the corner of the tavern.
As they've sat down the Wallace couple left for the kitchen, the next moment they brought out a plate of meat with some baked potatoes on the side. It wasn't anything otherworldly, but to Helios who hasn't eaten anything for a whole day, it was the greatest dish he could have hoped for.
As the four of them ate together time quickly passed, before they've noticed all the dishes on the table were gone.
As soon as they've finished eating everything they stood up and headed for the exit. It was time to see Joshua off.
Once Joshua finished his preperations, it was time for him to set off. By the time the carriage got to the road a noticeably large crowd has gathered to see him off.
"Hey...so, you really think we'll meet again? I hate being indebted to someone I may never see again." said Helios
"You really are pessimistic aren't you, we will meet again I know it, also I never told you what you actually owe me." said Joshua
"You, actually haven't." said Helios in a somewhat perturbed manner
"You owe me a beer!" Joshua shouted with a delighted expression while his carriage left
"How cliché" Helios proclaimed
Soon as Joshua left, the small village of Alt went back to its usual activities. Some tended to the small fields, that could exist in such valley, while others chose to go to back to the tavern and chat for a while with their friends.
Helios went with the later group going back to the tavern, but not to socialise, but to work. And work he did, he tried his hardest to pay back the Wallace's for their generous meal. He constantly moved from the kitchen to the tables, he would almost have you believe that this tavern was super busy, but that was not the case.
Despite the enthusiasm Helios showed, this still was just a small village near the border. The tavern was almost empty after lunch time, so with nothing to do Helios waited and thought about what he would tomorrow.
'So the inspector is coming tomorrow, is there anyway I can not be found out by him?'
After thinking for a while he arrived at one conclusion. A simple no.
'From how everyone sounded the Pheonix family should be one of the most famous one's in the whole kingdom, if not for how isolated Alt Village is there is no way they would have believed me in the first place.'
'But maybe I am wrong and the members of the Pheonix family are not publicaly known, yes, maybe I can just say I'm from a branch family. Those do exist right?'
'I mean what's the worst that can happen....Isn't impersonation a pretty serious crime? It is where I'm from. That pretty bad.....'
The more he thought about it the more worried he got, so instead of worrying about it he chose to simply put it to the side and get back to work.
Luckly for him, the tavern became much busier by dinner time, so he was able to put his full focus into working.
After being done with work, he had a dinner that was given to him by the Wallace's. Afterward they showed him to one of the guest rooms upstairs.
The room was simple, one desk on the corner, a bed and an outlooking window, though thanks to the geography, the look from the window wasn't very exciting.
This would be, his new home for the new day or two.
Dead tired from working all day, he took no time to change, and instead dove head first into his bed.
Waking up the next day there was only one thought on his mind.
'Today's the day the inspector is coming'
From what he could gather, the inspector would be arriving sometime in the early afternoon.
But that gave him no relief, it's not like he could run, the best plan he could come up with was to try his hardest to apologise with a deep bow, like people in the east did it.
With nothing else to do Helios headed downstairs, for both his breakfast and to start his work.
Once he started time flowed quickly and before he knew it it was time for the inspectors arrival.
He was cleaning the table when sounds of murmur could be heard from outside.
'He's here isn't he' he thought to himself
Though reluctant, he headed to the tavern entrance to see the commotion for himself.
What he saw there was something he had never seen before. He expected to see a white carriage drawn by a white horse, and maybe a few flags of the Holy Kingdom accompanying him. But what he saw was nothing like what he had expected, but very much what he should have expected.
There indeed was a white carriage, but it was not drawn by anything, no, it didn't need to be drawn as the carriage itself had bird like wings. It flew gracefully, as gracefully as a carriage could possibly have.
As the carriage landed a single individual came out of it. The person coming out of it was a person of small stature, but his presence still permeated a sense of a nobility, one Helios didn't carry even a sliver of.
"I am Jack Pheonix fourth son of the noble Pheonix family" said the man of small stature
'Fuck, he had to be from the Pheonix family, I am dead aren't I' Helios by this point was already planning his own funeral. Maybe your average inspector, he could have tricked, but someone from the very family he had impersonated, it was impossible for him to get away with his crime.
"I came to conduct a check on the border, incase..." Jack spoke but much to his surprise the eyes of the people were not on him, no, by this point almost everyone in the crowd have cast their gazes on the young Helios peeking out of the tavern.
'This is it for me' thought Helios to himself
"Good for you Helios someone came to personally pick you up from the Pheonix family" said young Otto
"Pick you up?" Jack asked while staring daggers at Helios
"...Can...we...talk..alone?" Helios staggered while trying to get the words out
"Yes, certainly, family time is important after all" said Mrs. Wallace
"You use your room Helios" she added
"Thank you, then please follow me." said Helios
"But wait I don't..." Jack tried to speak, but along the way his words quieted overwhelmed by the situation
'He may be easier to handle than I would have thought' Helios thought to himself slightly relieved
"Please follow me upstairs, we can have a proper chat in my room" said Helios
"But who..." but before Jack could say anything Helios had already put his hand on Jack's mouth
"Shhh...WE CAN TALK IN THE ROOM" Helios said while shouting quietly
"Okay" by this point Jack was nothing more than a scared little boy left
Once they arrived in the room and Helios closed the door, much to his surprise, Jack seemingly recovered instantaneously and immediately pushed Helios to the floor while having him in a choke hold.
"Who are you? Why are you impersonating the Pheonix family?" Jack bombarded him with the standard questions
"I am..Helios as you've..heard. I am was not...impersonating..the Pheonix family with any malice...I was just...caught too deep...in a lie. Helios struggled to get his words out as Jack's choke hold was stronger than he would have anticipated
Hearing Helios, Jack lightened his hold on him.
"They all say things like this. I didn't have a choice or I had to do it, but they are always lying." Jack said in a mocking manner
"Where is the proof? Huh? "Helios"." Jack asked
"Just ask the people downstairs, I have been working both today and yesterday. If I really wanted to use the family name for something I would have just asked for everything for free!" Helios proclaimed
"Then why even do it? Why commit the crime of impersonation when you have no merit to it? You can't just say that you had to." Jack continued
"I just didn't have a good enough reason to be here so I just said I got involved in a Teleporting accident" said Helios
"A Teleporting accident....but...wait....right...now it all makes sense, why you would commit such a grave crime for no reason." Jack said
"Why?" Helios was honestly afraid of the answer
"You. You are a Newcomer aren't you?"