They had gone through three pizzas by the time Bryce finally brought up the subject.
When she had invited him for a meal, Nathaniel had assumed she intended to cook. She had apparently assumed that ordering enough food to feed a small squad counted as an equivalent gesture.
He wasn't complaining. The pizzas had been good.
Bryce's apartment was considerably larger than he had expected, spacious without feeling sterile. Everything was clean and well maintained, from the polished floors to the potted plants arranged around the living room. The plants were thriving in the afternoon sunlight streaming through the broad windows, their leaves healthy and glossy. A large flatscreen television occupied one wall, with a well-stocked bookshelf beside it.
For the first time since the awards ceremony, Nathaniel could relax without feeling like he was wearing half a military arsenal.
The Coat of Distinction had been set aside, along with the outer armour plates of his Primed Suit. A few of those had been irritating him throughout the drive, particularly the ones that restricted movement around his shoulders. Without them, he could appreciate the suit's underlying design a little better.
The new back piece was another matter.
It incorporated a cooling system and six storage ports, each represented by a neatly embedded ring. When activated, the rings glowed before releasing whatever item had been sealed inside. Erementaru had commissioned the upgraded daggers stored in one of them, using the original schematics Ginah had supplied.
The other five ports remained undecided.
They were neat additions, certainly. Practical, even. But Nathaniel already possessed an inventory, which made the entire arrangement somewhat redundant.
He had considered dedicating another port to a metric tonne of Jade Light vials.
Another could hold grape and mixed-berry juice.
He had yet to decide whether either idea was sensible or simply evidence that he had too much time to think about storage.
Across from him, Bryce rose from her seat, her red hair slightly tousled. She had discarded her brown bomber jacket sometime during their second pizza, leaving it draped over the back of her chair. She crossed the living room and settled into a brown recliner opposite him, stretching comfortably before turning her attention to the man she had invited into her home.
"So," she began, resting an arm on the recliner's side, "you're technically a noble now."
Nathaniel glanced at her.
"Technically?"
"You won the Azeran Circuit, defeated the royal progeny in front of half the empire, and walked away with your own land and compound." Bryce counted the achievements off on her fingers. "I'd say that qualifies."
"The land is a reward. I don't recall anyone handing me a title."
"Give it time. People love attaching titles to anyone who makes history. Besides, you've got the Coat of Distinction. That alone puts you in a rather interesting position socially."
"An interesting position," he repeated flatly.
"That's one way of putting it."
Nathaniel leaned back into his seat. "And here I was hoping the worst consequence of winning would be the fan mail."
"Oh, no. That's only the beginning."
He gave her a tired look.
Bryce grinned, seemingly pleased with herself, before her expression shifted into something more practical.
"The first problem I'd suggest you think about is staffing."
Nathaniel's attention sharpened slightly.
"Staffing?"
"You're getting a compound, land, and resources. I assume the property isn't going to maintain itself." She gestured vaguely with one hand. "You'll need people to manage the grounds, handle upkeep, deal with deliveries, keep the place secure, and probably a few more people depending on how large the estate actually is."
"I imagine Ginah knows."
"Ginah probably knows," Bryce agreed. "She also can't do everything herself."
That was difficult to argue with.
Nathaniel had seen the amount of paperwork she had helped him navigate at headquarters. Even with her assistance, the process had taken long enough to leave him thoroughly irritated. Ginah had managed the entire ordeal with her usual composure, but that didn't mean she had unlimited time to oversee an estate on top of her existing responsibilities.
Bryce tilted her head, studying him.
"Have you even seen the property yet?"
"No."
"Have you decided what you want to do with it?"
"Not particularly."
"Have you considered that you might need to hire someone who knows what they're doing before you accidentally turn your new compound into an extremely expensive storage facility?"
Nathaniel paused.
"...I ready Have a warehouse and or lab."
Bryce stared at him.
He stared back.
Then she laughed.
"Oh, that's terrible. You actually considered it, didn't you?"
"I considered the possibility."
"You're unbelievable."
"I'm beginning to think this meal was a recruitment exercise."
"Please. If I were recruiting you, I'd have prepared a much better presentation."
"You ordered three pizzas."
"And you ate them."
Nathaniel had no immediate response to that.
"Anyways, I know a few people," Bryce continued. "People who work well, and who might be interested in helping you manage the place."
Nathaniel tilted his head slightly. "You know people who manage estates?"
"I know people who can manage considerably more than that." She shifted in her recliner, crossing one leg over the other. "Have you ever heard of the Kodonaki Estate?"
The name caught his attention, though he gave no immediate indication of it.
"The place is still operational, believe it or not. Has been for a long time, even though its lord disappeared years ago."
Bryce paused long enough to let the information settle before continuing.
"It belonged to Knight Daedric. Akhuta Arven Kodonaki, to be precise. He's now officially declared dead."
Nathaniel's expression grew more attentive.
Daedric was not a name one could casually dismiss. The Knight had occupied a place in the empire's history that few could hope to match, and his disappearance had left behind more questions than answers. The fact that his estate had continued operating in his absence was remarkable in itself.
"Zenith usually checks on the place personally," Bryce added. "So you can probably understand how important it is. It isn't some abandoned property with a caretaker keeping the dust off the furniture. There's a legacy there, along with people who've spent years maintaining it."
She leaned forward a little, her earlier amusement giving way to a more earnest look.
"And before you ask, yes, I know people there. If you're going to be responsible for an estate of your own, you could do a lot worse than hiring people who already know how to run one."
Nathaniel considered that. It was a reasonable suggestion, certainly more useful than his earlier thoughts about turning his new compound into a warehouse or laboratory.
Then Bryce added, almost casually, "Besides, the man himself says you remind him of him."
Nathaniel looked at her properly this time.
"Zenith."
Bryce's smile returned.
"Apparently, Jackson has been keeping an eye on you. And if he thinks you remind him of Daedric, I'd take that as a compliment."
Nathaniel settled back into his seat, his gaze drifting briefly toward the sunlight falling across the floor.
"That's a rather significant comparison to make."
"Which is why I'm telling you about the estate." Bryce shrugged. "Whether you take the offer or not, it might be worth looking into. And if Zenith is willing to vouch for the people there, you probably won't have to worry about hiring an entire staff of incompetent strangers."
Nathaniel was quiet for a moment.
He had expected the rewards from the Circuit to mean more paperwork, more unwanted attention, and a property he would eventually have to figure out what to do with.
He hadn't expected an opportunity tied to one of the empire's most significant missing Knights.
"...I'll discuss it with Ginah," he said at last.
"Good." Bryce reached for the empty pizza box beside her recliner. "Because if you turn that compound into a warehouse after all this, I'm going to be personally offended."
"I already have a warehouse."
Bryce stopped moving.
Nathaniel watched her expression change.
"You're joking."
He said nothing.
"Oh, you're serious." She dropped her head back against the recliner. "I invite you over, feed you three pizzas, offer you a perfectly reasonable solution to your staffing problem, and discover you've already got plans to fill your new property with boxes."
"Not boxes. Equipment."
"That is somehow worse."
Nathaniel's phone began ringing before Bryce could come up with another complaint.
He glanced at the screen, accepted the call, and rose from his seat.
"Excuse me."
He walked through the back doors into the yard, leaving Bryce to follow at a more leisurely pace. The evening air had settled over the compound, and the last traces of daylight were fading beyond the surrounding buildings.
As he stepped outside, Nathaniel swiped his hand across the new brace fitted along his back.
The mechanism responded immediately.
His gauntlets and shoulder plates disengaged from their positions, their segmented components retracting and folding inward. A series of soft mechanical clicks followed as the armour was drawn into the brace, the assembly compacting until it sat neatly against the small of his back. The six embedded rings remained visible, their surfaces catching the faint light.
With the outer armour secured, he took the Empire's Coat of Distinction and slipped it on.
The brilliant white fabric settled comfortably around his broad frame, its black lining and gold accents lending the garment a striking contrast. Even without the armour, Nathaniel was difficult to mistake for an ordinary man. The coat only made that more obvious.
He was about to ask Ginah what she wanted when a beam of light suddenly descended over the compound.
Nathaniel stopped.
The illumination washed across the yard, bright enough to cast sharp shadows against the walls. Its source lay somewhere above him, out of sight, but the beam was unmistakable.
Behind him, Bryce had just stepped through the doors.
Nathaniel lifted his phone closer to his ear.
Ginah's voice came through, composed and faintly amused.
"Hey, Nathaniel."
He narrowed his eyes against the light.
"Look up."
Nathaniel raised his gaze.
Above the compound, an air carrier descended through the night sky, its black hull reflecting the beam of light beneath it. White accents traced sections of its exterior, while gold trim ran along its edges and around the forward structure. It was a substantial craft, far too large to be mistaken for a conventional personal transport.
The carrier lowered itself toward the designated landing area, its propulsion systems generating a steady wash of displaced air. The light beam widened as the vessel approached the ground, illuminating the surrounding yard and throwing the nearby plants into sharp relief.
Nathaniel watched it settle.
"...That's yours?"
He heard Bryce approaching behind him, but his attention remained fixed on the carrier.
The landing gear deployed, followed by a low mechanical hum as the craft stabilised. Its engines gradually quieted, and the beam of light began to fade.
Then he noticed someone standing near the boarding access.
Ginah.
She was looking directly at him, her usual composed expression replaced by a bright, almost unmistakable smile.
Nathaniel stared for a moment.
He had a suspicion he was about to find out why she'd called him outside.
"Come on, to your new estate, winner of the Azeran Circuit."
Ginah's smile widened as she approached, her eyes briefly travelling over the brilliant white coat draped across Nathaniel's shoulders. The black interior and gold accents caught the carrier's remaining illumination, making the distinction unmistakable.
"Although I must say," she added, looking him over, "the Coat of Distinction suits you rather well."
Nathaniel glanced down at himself before looking back at her.
"You brought an air carrier?"
"I did."
"For a property viewing?"
"For the winner of the Azeran Circuit," she corrected, with a hint of amusement. "I thought an ordinary transport would be rather underwhelming."
Behind him, Bryce had finally caught up. Her gaze moved from Ginah to the carrier, then back to Nathaniel.
"...You were planning this?"
Ginah turned towards her, still smiling.
"Good evening, Bryce. I hope you've been keeping him entertained."
"Three pizzas' worth."
"Excellent. Then he should have enough energy for the trip."
Nathaniel looked between the two women.
"I feel like I've missed a conversation."
"Nothing you need to worry about," Ginah replied, gesturing towards the carrier's open boarding access. "Shall we?"