Inside of his father's study, Thomas looked at the 3 papers his father had handed him. All 3 were letters from neighboring nobility offering their daughters hand in marriage.
"You turn 15 soon, son. It's time for you to consider your future. Our position in this kingdom is that of a dukedom that covers the Southern quarter of the kingdom. We maintain a strong presence on the southern border so martial prowess has always been key. You, my son, were not found to have a talent for the martial arts. As sad as it is, its not the end of the world. While some noble families would toss you away, so long as you make some contribution to the family, I will keep you."
Thomas heard what he was sure his father thought was a reassuring message. "And if I'm unable to contribute?"
"Then you're out." stated Geoffrey. "You will be given some gold and wished the best of luck."
Thomas nodded, "So in the meantime, who are these families asking to join ours and why would you entertain these talks not knowing if I can contribute?"
Geoffrey laughed, "Plan for the best but prepare for the worst. I didn't want you to think there wasn't a plan C if plan B didn't work out for you. You're my son and I'll do my best to honor the promise I made to your mother to protect you."
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While the meeting with Thomas and the Duke carried on, Gloria was currently soaking in an ornate tub. The soap resting on the edge of the tub, a silent reminder of a past she tried to forget.
"Victoria, why did you leave me?" she whispered to the water. She buried their long forgotten friendship under layers of anger, lashing out at the only thing that reminded her of the loss of her friend.
"Why did I say those things to him? it's because I would rather he hate me than knowing I couldn't save her without losing everything."
Distracting herself from walking further down memory lane, she unraveled the packaging of the soap. He said to use this during the bath but how? I should have asked before confiscating it. At first she attempted to rub the bar along her forearm, finding friction along her skin but not much else. Attempting this with the other arm fared no better. Feeling foolish, she lowered her arms into the water. Seeing a milky substance float to the top of the water, she felt like an idiot. Proceeding to finish with her bath, she gazed at herself in the mirror.
"I wonder if they will notice?" she murmured.
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"Now, let's review the families interested in forming a bond with ours." Duke Geoffrey continued, eager to have his son get a sense of potential matches.
"The first is Lorilei Magnus, 3rd daughter of the Magnus family. Their family has long been proud holders of the strongest mages in the kingdom. Lorilei herself holds a 2nd circle in magic with a particular affinity for Ice magic. Not bad for a 14 year old girl to be at that level."
2nd circle? System, what's the circles of magic?
***Host, the circles of magic are formed after forming your mana core and absorbing mana to fill the core. This has to be done carefully as too fast may cause cracks in the core. If it ruptures, congrats. You know a bunch of spells but can cast none.***
Okay, I'm pretty sure you're getting more talkative.
*** -.-***
"The 2nd family are those of House Aragorn whose 2nd daughter Alice is looking to see if you would be a suitable match. House Aragorn is one of the wealthiest merchant families in the kingdom. They work closely with the other families to procure materials needed for advancement for their soldiers."
Sorry, System. Advancement?
***It's alright host, in order to go from first circle mage to 2nd circle mage and so on; increasingly large quantities of mana stones are required. The sheer mana one would need at the higher levels would be beyond natural limits. Likewise, for knights they would need body tempering materials and manuals on skills. An easier route all things considered but a single mage would account for 10 knights at the same level. Now focus, we can talk magic later***
"Finally the 3rd family is a branch family belonging to the royal family. I had originally placed this application to the side as the daughter they offer has a...reputation. Seraphina von Kaizer fancies herself a "scientist", her words not mine. Even though they are the branch family, this would mean you would leave our family to join theirs.
The term struck Thomas. How many people in this empire would use that term? Either way, she seems to be an interesting candidate. I wonder if she'll be helpful or a hinderance?
"Light magic was used to provide you with pictures, but keep in mind they may be a few weeks old. While light magic exists, teleportation does not."
**pfft, maybe not for you***
Okay, now I'm certain. You and I are going to have a chat later on.
***Certainly, host.***
Looking at the photos arranged by their letters, Thomas saw 3 very different girls. The first had blue eyes underneath platinum hair. The second had matching golden hair and eyes of a golden hue. The final girl had green eyes and raven black hair. Thomas decided it would be best to meet these girls in person to see their temperaments.
"Father, would it be possible to meet with these young ladies? I would not like to agree to a marriage if we end up hating each other."
The Duke looked confused, "Why not? Marriages at our station are rarely for love. They are an agreement of similar goals and a commitment to those bonds. If you insist, I shall send out invitations to all 3 for your upcoming 15th birthday party. It's the final party before you become a man, after all."
"This brings us to your future. No good husband lacks a means to make a living. Have you thought about your future?"
Before Thomas could answer, there was a knock at the door. "Husband? It's me, Gloria. May I come in?"
Geoffrey's gaze darkened, "Gloria I am talking with Thomas right now, can this wait?"
"I am afraid it cannot, husband."
"Fine, enter." Geoffrey relented with a weary sigh.
Sighing because your wife wants to come in? Normally I would feel bad for her but she did call my mom a wh*re.
Gloria entered looking refreshed from the bath she had clearly taken, her skin now radiating a glow and wafting a fragrance subtly into the air.
Geoffrey stood up from his desk abruptly and made his way to his wife's side. "Gloria, you look amazing and did you put on a perfume?"
Thomas took this opportunity that had presented itself, "Actually, Father this is what I wanted to mention to you. You wanted me to find my way and I found a way to make a product that enhances ones appearance both in sight and smell after bathing with it. I call it soap and right now I have it made in a scent-free version and one with lavender."
"Interesting concept, son. How will you manage and distribute the product?" Geoffrey responded with, curious on how his son would respond.
Thomas had a grin on his face as he responded, "I have an idea about that, but I'll need about 50 pieces of gold."
"50 pieces of gold, why would you need that amount?", the Duke was confused. His house did not want for coin, such a paltry amount was the concern not the request.
"I want to buy slaves, like the one I found in the market. 5 years of service and I will free them, wash rinse and repeat. I can't change the system right now, I'm not strong enough. Mark my words, father; I will break this system eventually." Thomas didn't know if this was the correct course of action. He was in a medieval setting thinking with a 21st Century brain. He just knew he wouldn't want to live his days with a collar on.
"A novel idea." The Duke finally spoke, "I will secure the slaves you requested but I will insist the church places a slave crest on them to prevent your preparation method from getting out. This is non-negotiable."
So Friar Davis is involved in the slave trade. This just got a little more complicated.
"It will take about a week to gather the slaves and finish the crests. In the meantime, tomorrow you are to take 100 gold coins to purchase a building in town and pay for carpenters to modify it however you need."
Thomas was startled, "But Father, that's more than I asked for."
The Duke smiled, "I know how much you asked for, this is me trying to get your life started off right. After you purchase the building, meet me at the training field tomorrow. It's time you selected your bodyguard."