Eitan sheathed his sword, and Yuriel approached him, offering a towel with a lively smile. He looked at her warmly and took it, wiping the sweat off his face and neck. Lind was growing busier with the ever-increasing amount of tasks for managing the castle, so the young girl was now the one in charge of tending to him as of late. After sufficiently cleaning himself, he returned the towel to her and looked up at the clear sky. The bright sun hung just above him, forcing Eitan to shield his eyes. Now that Beren and Lind were dealing with most of the territory's affairs, the time he could devote to personal matters increased. He had spent the entire morning training, and now even had free time.
Shall I go out for a bit? Since arriving in Saorise, Eitan had rarely left the castle. The only real time spent outside was when he left to recruit Beren. Otherwise, he was buried in work or training. I'll go see how the militia is faring. He made a decision, then subconsciously glanced down at his dusty and sweat-stained clothes. … After changing into something decent. He didn't particularly care about his appearance, but as lord, he had an image to maintain. He let out a light exhale and made his way to his bedroom. After changing into a clean but simple outfit, he departed for his destination.
The militia should be training at this time, so he made his way to the designated training fields outside the castle. As he neared, shouting could be heard.
"Pick up your sword! If you act like that in battle, your head will go flying in a moment!"
Aengus' strict barking was clearly audible even from some distance away. Eitan smiled slightly and approached with steady steps. Dozens of men came into view, some flailing around with wooden weapons, while others lay on the ground like panting dogs.
As Eitan drew near, Aengus' head whipped around, and his stern expression shifted the moment he spotted him. "All of you, pay your respects to the lord!" He quickly shouted as he saluted.
The sparring men hurriedly halted, and the ones on the ground scrambled to their feet, and numerous gazes landed on Eitan.
"Respect to the lord!"
"Greetings to the lord!"
Each of the men shouted out and mirrored Aengus' stance with varying degrees of rigidity. "At ease," Eitan spoke relaxedly as he scanned the group. Many pairs of twinkling eyes looked back at him. He went to Aengus' side and remarked, "Continue on, I merely came to observe."
Some of the men fidgeted while others looked to Aengus for confirmation. After a glance at Eitan, Aengus raised his sword. "Did you lot not hear the lord? Resume!"
The men hurriedly took up their weapons and returned to their activities, although many kept glancing at Eitan as they did so. "How are they?" Eitan's gaze remained trained on the group while he spoke to Aengus.
Aengus naturally followed his gaze. "Likely due to living on the border, they're all quite tough. After the foundation is properly laid, most will be combat-ready." He spoke with a proud gleam in his eyes.
"Excellent," Eitan responded and paused as his eyes landed on one particular man. What caught his attention was that this person used a spear instead of the common wooden sword. There were not yet enough men for multiple divisions, so even though spears were indeed easier to master, Eitan decided that the militia should be taught the more versatile swordsmanship. The other main weapon was the bow, as a few of the men used to be hunters, and Aengus suggested taking advantage of their archery skills, to which Eitan assented.
Meanwhile, the spear-wielder stood some distance from the group and appeared to be ignoring Eitan's presence. "Who is he?" He gestured to the lone man.
"Ah," Aengus immediately noticed who he pointed out. "That man is called Robin. He was a fisherman and insisted that he was more familiar with a spear than a sword. He works hard and does well in formations, so I permitted it. Should I correct him?" Aengus' expression steeled a bit.
"No," Eitan waved his hand. He scrutinized Robin's movements, and his lips curled up. "Call him over. I want to hear him out personally."
Aengus dipped his head and shouted, "Robin, attention!"
The spear finally lowered, and Robin trotted over to Aengus. "Sir." He stood in front of him, hands politely behind his back and eyes straight forward. His tussled brown hair rippled under a slight breeze, and his amber eyes held firm, even in Eitan's presence. Of course, he still bowed his head deferentially under Eitan's piercing gaze.
"Robin, correct?" Eitan began lightly.
"Yes, milord," Robin responded respectfully but shortly.
"Why do you refuse to use a sword?"
Robin shifted slightly with a slight glance at Aengus. Noticing his unease, Eitan put on a cool smile. "Feel free to respond as honestly as you please."
"Well, Your Lordship," Robin finally opened his mouth. "The spear feels more comfortable in my hands. I'm used to using it to jam fish, the sword just doesn't feel the same." He was by no means eloquent, so he purely expressed his experience.
Eitan's brow rose, and his eyes gleamed. The feeling, huh? Here was the question: what was the biggest difference between a regular man and a gifted one? Many answers could be posed, but there was a single, undeniable essence of the matter. Those people called geniuses all had a certain sense that others didn't. What this entailed exactly would vary from case to case. It may be something as simple as having better instincts than most, or someone like Reina, whose sense for making money was unrivaled by any other.
There was a good chance this man, Robin, fell into the gifted category. True, it was normal to feel discomfort when changing weapons, but this was something more. From what Eitan observed, Robin's movements with the spear were far from those of an ordinary fisherman. They were extremely clean, and although his form wasn't exactly standard, his movements carried a certain flow that was usually only formed from consistent training.
"Aengus," Eitan spoke up.
"Yes, my lord!" Aengus straightened his back.
"Take whichever soldier is most experienced with the spear and have them teach this man personally." He instructed firmly. The soldiers in Reidar were all considered elites, so even the squadron that accompanied him to Saorise all used swords as their main weapon. However, he knew a few of them had spent some time in the army, where the cheaper and easier to master spear was the weapon of choice. So, there still ought to be someone among them well-versed in its usage. It wasn't ideal, but if this man truly was talented, it would be enough to fertilize the seed to bloom.
Robin's eyes widened, breaking his staid demeanor. Aengus glanced between him and Eitan and then bowed his head. "It will be done."
Aengus' glance prompted Robin to pull himself together enough to bow deeply and respond, "Th-thank you for your grace." He froze in this position, stunned and somewhat confused, but not unreserved enough to ask any questions.
Overhearing the conversation, a few men cast envious looks at the statue-like Robin. It was considered a great blessing to be able to catch the eye of the lord. Eitan gave a few words of encouragement to the group before taking his leave so they could focus properly on training.
To avoid the hassle of an entourage, Eitan took to the streets without informing anyone of where he was going. Sorry, everyone, it will only be for just a bit. He did feel a tad guilty for his subordinates, who would no doubt become worried upon realizing his disappearance, but he wanted to avoid kicking up a fuss in town.
It was an active hour, so people bustled around while undergoing their daily tasks. He walked at an even pace, observing the area around him. The town's layout was actually reminiscent of a labyrinth, so it would not be difficult for anyone unfamiliar with the area to quickly become helplessly lost. While a pain for travellers, this sort of formation assisted in fending off invasions.
A few people glanced at him strangely, but thankfully, he didn't garner too much attention. This was because, even though he lorded this place, few commoners outside of the militia were actually familiar with what he looked like. Even if they knew his description, who would possibly think such an unassuming young man was a noble lord? His clothes were adorned with minimal embellishments, so aside from the sword on his waist, nothing about his attire stood out. But it was far from strange to observe an armed presence in such a treacherous region, so the only somewhat remarkable thing about Eitan was his pretty face.
Eitan meandered through the streets in peace until a homely smell hit his nostrils, and he swiveled his head to look at a nearby stone building.
"Fresh bread, baked just this morning! Come and get some before it's out!"
A young girl, presumably the baker's daughter, stood outside the shop and waved at passersby. Eitan smiled and gave her a small nod, to which she hastily returned before continuing her promotion. Might as well get a snack. Eitan pushed open the door, greeted by the soft ding of a bell.
"Welcome," a woman behind the counter smiled cheerily.
Eitan's eyes roamed the shop, and he took a deep breath, enjoying the cozy smell of newly baked grains. "I'll have some of whatever was just made," he reached into his money pouch and placed a silver coin on the table. This should be enough to buy some for the children, too. A soft smile bloomed on his lips.
For those who lived on the streets, Eitan knew very well how much of a luxury fresh bread was. The chef regularly slipped the children snacks, but he was sure they'd like it if he brought back a present like this himself.
The woman's eyes shone nearly as brightly as the silver surface, and her smile became even livelier. "It will be just a moment, sir." She disappeared into the back for a moment before soon re-emerging with a bag filled with long loaves of bread. "Thank you for your purchase!" She handed it over to him with a light bow of her head.
Eitan dipped his head in return as he carefully received the bag. The lingering heat from the oven warmed his skin, causing him to relax inadvertently. Just as he emerged from the shop, he caught sight of a familiar face. Oh, damn. It was one of the soldiers from the convoy. Russ, as he recalled.
Russ spotted him almost simultaneously, and his eyes bulged. He immediately ran over and saluted with his sword. "Greetings to the lord!" True to a soldier's discipline, his voice resounded loudly and clearly.
Eitan groaned internally as an immediate hubbub formed around them.
"Lord? Did he just say the lord?"
"The lord is here?"
"What are you doing here, Lord Eitan?" Russ inquired with a respectful tone. He looked around for a moment before continuing, "and I don't see Sir Aengus or Sir Farrel anywhere."
"I just came out for a stroll," Eitan responded dully, passing over the fact that he neglected to bring any guards.
Russ' expression brightened. "I see, so your lordship came out to inspect the territory personally! As expected of Lord Eitan."
Just keep repeating lord this, lord that, why don't you? Eitan's face twitched at Russ' overt enthusiasm. At this point, the people around seemed to have realized what was going on, and a respectable space had formed around Eitan and the soldier.
"It really is the lord."
"Then is he the one…?"
Eitan tried to ignore the mumblings of the crowd and directed his focus to Russ. "Are you patrolling right now?"
Russ straightened his back. "Yes! As the lord commanded, the soldiers are patrolling the town and nearby villages to prevent any unexpected problems from occurring."
The recent conflict had raised Eitan's guard, which is what prompted him to make such an order. It was also a measure to prevent outlaws from causing trouble, as those hunted by the kingdom would often pass by Saorise before escaping to the wildlands. Beren had suggested leaving such duties to the militia and having the soldiers focus solely on protecting the castle, but Eitan declined. The foundation of the territory was the people, not the castle, after all. He would do everything he could to reduce the harm to his people as much as possible.
"Alright, then be on your way."
"Yes!" Russ bowed firmly before going ahead, albeit still with the occasional glance back at Eitan.
Noticing the nervous air around him, Eitan let out a mild sigh. I should go back to the castle now. He didn't want to cause any more of a disruption to the town's peace. Just as he began walking away, he felt an almost imperceptible tug on his sleeve.
When he turned his head, he saw the young girl who had been advertising the bread. "Is there something I can do for you?"
"I-" The girl hesitantly opened her mouth, but was swiftly interrupted.
The woman from the baker's shop had wrapped her arms around her and pulled her back. "Tilly!" She spoke in a hushed, scolding tone before swiftly bringing her to kneel before Eitan. "Your Lordship, please forgive my daughter's insolence. She is still young, so she doesn't yet understand how the world works." Eitan's gaze darkened slightly at this display, which caused the woman to lower her head with a shudder.
"Please, rise. There is no need for this." It was a cordial, gentle voice.
The woman slowly raised her head but did not immediately get back on her feet. The young girl, Tilly, on the other hand, quickly stood.
"Now, what can I do for you?" He repeated his earlier question with a soft expression.
"You're Lord Eitan, right?"
"That is what people call me," Eitan chuckled.
The woman had also risen now and was watching on with an apprehensive expression. However, she didn't dare interrupt. Tilly took a deep breath and looked up at Eitan with shining eyes. "Then you're the one who cured the plague?"
Eitan was a little taken aback, but after a moment, nodded. "I was the one who shared the knowledge, but it was the efforts of everyone that truly cured it."
At this, the girl suddenly bent at the waist and shouted, "Thank you! Thank you so much! My brother… I was told that big brother lived because of you."
Eitan looked from Tilly to the woman with mild confusion. The woman half-smiled, pulling the now watery-eyed Tilly closer to her. "My son, her brother, contracted that ghastly thing some time ago. We were told it was thanks to Lord Eitan that the cure was discovered and his life was saved." She bowed deeply. "My family is most grateful to you."
Eitan stared at the two for a few moments that felt like eternity before finally opening his mouth. "I only did my duty. As I said, it is thanks to the combined efforts of many that your son was saved. But I appreciate your words." He took a step back, half turning away. "Ah, and," he smiled widely. "Thank you for the bread." With this, he took his leave. Many gazes remained on his back, particularly those of a mother and daughter pair who didn't move an inch even after he moved out of sight.
Eitan calmly made his way out of the town, but just as he reached the castle walls, he halted and looked around with narrowed eyes. However, the only things in his surroundings were the sparse trees around the cobble road. From some branch, the melody of a songbird drifted into the clear sky, and mixing with the warm scent of bread wafting through the air, it created a wonderfully peaceful ambiance. Am I still too strung-up? He shook his headly slightly and continued on his way, but his right hand now rested on the hilt of his sword.
After Eitan departed, the melodious notes came to an abrupt end, and only the subtle rustling of branches could be heard before complete silence blanketed the tranquil road left behind.