As Valo grew evermore agitated, Sinfree returned with Sil, who was quick to ask what was going on. I don't know exactly what Valo said to her, but Sil clearly wasn't happy about it as she asked Sinfree to force feed me, joking or not Sinfree followed the order.
The way she ripped the bread apart, the way she dropped it in the bowl to absorb the lukewarm soup, the way she crowbarred my mouth open with the spoon and shoved the slop into my mouth.
I think that may be the first trauma I suffered since my first life, ah, memories.
With any semblance of sloth exorcised from me, I spent a moment trying to process what exactly had just happened, twitching at the thought of the experience. Ultimately deciding to block the memory entirely I picked up a listing and told Sil to sit down and pick one. "We're getting a house?"
"You are, I'll be busy with this and that, you need your own space and it isn't fair to make Sinfree keep standing guard all night. Of course I will be crashing on the couch whenever I need to sleep." I could tell Sil was about to argue but Leeson, Halsan and Byurik burst through the door, with the former's commenting that the latter was over exaggerating.
After being instantly thrown to the wolves by Sil, Sinfree and Valo, the other three just sighed and told me I needed to standby doing just enough to keep me sharp without straining me too heavily. As good friends do, they had gone out of their way to come and see me well, but Byurik had apparently said something about the property search.
Halsan threw a scroll at me, which I couldn't even be bothered to catch and let it connect with my head, proving that my sloth was not as gone as I feared, Sil then picked it up and held it unraveled for me to read. It turned out to be a writ of permission, granting me full rights to do what I wanted to the property without asking permission, he then added that on a different note it was clear to them that we weren't who we claimed to be and I blinked away the laziness and stood.
The fictitious origin I had given them had practically been admitted so it was no wonder that after everything I had done at the frontlines of Kanelsia, they were eager to learn the whole truth. Though it didn't feel to me like anything more than friends knowing that there was something wrong and wanting to be in the loop so they could help in some way. It was also true that I would need to be transparent in order to gain trust since the beings of the world seemed to possess some innate ability to detect falsehoods that was far beyond anything I had seen prior.
"No we are not, and I'm really sorry, both for lying and the fact we will never tell the truth. If you don't like it, we will move along." My words were false, I fully intended to reveal everything, but I needed to keep Sil ignorant of that fact. Luckily, I trusted these three to see that and Leeson proved my faith well placed as he moved closer and threw an arm over me, pointing out that Halsan wouldn't have bothered writing the writ if he was going to ask us to leave.
"That's nice, I really do like this town and its people, of course I'll leave eventually, but I have the fifty years or so it will take to evaluate the continent to call this place home." I was surprised when they asked if I was truly timeless then, and I confused them by saying I was by definition not by my origins. I then told Sil that I guessed we were finding a home for both of us after all and asked Valo to take us on a tour of the properties.
Valo looked to Byurik, Byurik told her to just keep me out of trouble, then she bowed to Halsan who complained about feeling like an afterthought.
Several hours later, as we left the fourth property, our impromptu realtor asked if we had any favourites as she noted I hadn't said anything. She looked worried when I told her I was just going to take the biggest, and only looking at the others to get ideas. More so as I held up the writ and told her I had to make the lord regret it somehow, causing Sil to kidney punch me and tell me not to be an idiot. As she did so, my head began to throb and she picked me up as I held it, telling me a headache is karma for the ones I give everyone else.
Wounded in both pride and body, they dragged me around the rest, then Valo told us to sign the paperwork for the biggest as I said I would do. "I still kinda need to know how much it costs, I don't even know how much I have. Or even the denominations of currency for that matter, I know there are copper, silver and gold, but are there others? Do they have different sized versions?"
The women looked at each other, leaving me to pull faces as I struggled not to yawn again, before Sil just said that she had just been assuming that I just didn't care. Leaving Valo to explain properly. "Your guild account is basically the town treasury, between the capture or killing of over sixty high profile bandits, your lessons at the barracks, the guild jobs you completed and the whole putting a war on hold thing. You are the wealthiest individual in the town, maybe the entirety of Kanelsia barring the royals and senate."
I scratched my chin, musing allowed my train of thought as I considered the fact I was essentially hoarding the town's finances, since I never spent anything other than bed and board at the guild dorms. Sil then added that she was made aware when we returned so she has been eating out and commissioning things in order to distribute it as evenly as possible but had failed to even dent it so far.
"Guess I'll open a clinic, can you tell Fala her wish shall be granted." They stared dumbly at me, then I clapped my hands to suggest Sil get to it, stopping Sinfree from following her. Gesturing for Sil to continue when she came to a halt, I told her to keep a close eye on her, warning that spies will undoubtedly be interested in us before long. The truth was I wanted her to be easily persuaded that if she overheard anyone talking it could simply be played off as my orchestration of the testing of her alertness.
Valo asked if I was seriously considering a clinic and I nodded, there were a couple of reasons, the first was I wished to make sure this town's finances were redistributed as quickly as possible, and construction is an easy way to do that. The second was that I wanted to make sure the town had a dedicated medical facility, as well as someone or someones that could effectively operate it. Thirdly, I'm good at it, and it was an easy way to make Halsan's job of easing inevitable concerns about me far simpler.
Valo added that since the members of the guild knew me, she wasn't sure if that would make them more or less likely to use me, then chuckled before telling me she knew of a plot of land near the home I had just purchased.
As we arrived at said plot, I could tell it would be fit for purpose, and its size would mean I could build it as large as I had hoped. Valo, unable to read my silence, suggested that if it were too big, I always had the option of converting the ground floor of our home into a clinic.
A thought crossed my mind. "Well we're only doing this once." That line helped a city survive circumstances no one of his time could predict, and I couldn't help but quote him there.
Valo just nodded with complete disinterest in my nonsense and promised to get me the deed when we returned to the guild, completely taking the wind out of my sails, and admittedly making me sulk the whole walk back. When we got through the door I was ambushed by a very enthusiastic Fala, Rein was present as well, gesturing for everyone to sit down.
Of course Rein wanted to ensure his daughter was going to be well treated and safe, I assured him she would not only receive good treatment and be under my protection and tutelage, I was making her the clinic's inheritor. A fact I had apparently forgotten to mention, judging by everyone's expressions of shock. Though "shocked" might not really do the scene justice, so I reminded them that if it wasn't for her vouching for us, we would never have been allowed entry and likely found ourselves following a very different path.
I apologised to Rein though, I was unwilling to let him steward the estate since he had neither the means nor finances to properly do so, instead naming several in order starting with Sil, who I intended to stroke from the record in short order, then Valo, then progressively worse choices but ones I trusted to do their best.
Valo returned and we made it all official, we only lacked Halsan's seal, since my signature also acts as a national representative's.
With that I asked Rein if he would handle resource procurement, telling him to hand any invoices to Valo, who saw fit to implement a memory jogging assault to the back of my head. "You do remember I am a guild receptionist, not your secretary, don't you?" The fact is I had over the course of the day forgotten that, and my expression revealed that fact and earned me a second, far more violent and effective beating.
When she finally grew tired, or possibly pained, I offered her the job as an open invitation then took Fala to get Halsan's seal, who was more than happy to give it and get the land's economy moving again. Strangely enough, Byurik offered to speak to Valo on my behalf. "I already asked, you think I'm blind? She's a great receptionist and would die protecting Fala, she was my first choice, but she declined though since she works for you."
He seemed confused, but that quickly turned to annoyance when he realised I tried to poach his best receptionist. All I could do was throw my hands behind my head, turn to avoid eye contact and whistle tunelessly as I nodded toward the door and edged my way out.
I remain certain the volume of the insults hurled my way as I fled without urgency that day was the cause of Halsan's Tinnitus.
The next stop was a seamstress, I would need uniforms for when we started and Fala would need several since she was a growing girl.
"Do you think I can really be a healer?" Fala's question was one of self-consciousness clearly born of being a laborer's daughter. Though such things meant nothing to me, I was born to parents who died in the street and no one cared enough to even try to help, but grew into someone who burned half the map. To say origins were of no consequence to me would be a gross understatement.
"Fala, you are kind, caring, and wish to help. You are everything a healer should be. You are more qualified to be a healer than someone who has lost track of the lives they've taken like me." That was the only time she ever questioned her ability to be a healer in the end, even if she did lament her lack of progress on occasion.
When measurements had been taken, I escorted her home then returned to the guild, where Sil, Sinfree and Valo were talking. When I sat they asked if there were things they could do, but I simply told them that Sil's priority was studying and Valo already turned me down. Then Dusk piped up from somewhere and drew the chief receptionist away briefly, followed by a grunt of pain a short while later to add to the diverse ambiance of the guild.
Sinfree then told me they had been observed as I suspected, but I just told them to act normally but sleep in shifts when we move into the new house. Truth be told I was surprised, no one here was stupid enough to cross Sil, I had put her abilities on display for that very reason. To make things more confusing, she hadn't even done anything at the battlefield, though it was a mystery for another time.
The next thing on my agenda was asking Sinfree if treating a demon's wounds and ailments were the same as for humans, earning a raised eyebrow, until I explained my clinic will welcome all species. That started a whole new line of questioning, leading to Sil being tasked with hiring someone from the library versed in nonhuman biology and health care even if only in theory.
I also asked if there was an orphanage in town, earning another raised eyebrow. "I want to hire orphans to deliver medications to patients when I don't have the time."
They asked if I had been thinking about this a lot, which made me laugh as I admitted to only having set this into motion on a whim. Valo was asking questions, as she was overwhelmed with bewilderment, Sil just hugged her and told her not to think too hard about it.
My days soon became hectic again, which made me all the gladder that I had slept for two upon my return, my days were filled with planning the clinic, the parley (or summit as we had begun to call it), inspections of the mine (Playing with Askel), and training guardsmen. For better or worse, I had utterly forgotten about the fact people were following Sil, but that also meant no one had tried anything stupid.
Another month passed in a flash, leaving me shellshocked in the process, as foreign dignitaries began arriving. Sil had spent the week leading up to the first arrival heavily practicing etiquette under Halsan's staff, made unofficially responsible for keeping tabs on me after Halsan suggested I study the subject too, except that I refused. Asking why I should treat other lords and ladies special when I didn't even do that for mine.
I think there was a hint of appreciation when I made that point. I'm sure my unique way of ignoring class systems hurt his pride a little, until he knew it wasn't just his I disregarded. Despite giving Sil the role however, he made a point to apologise in advance for any offence I might cause, using the excuse I was too old to change my habits at fifty.
It was a good icebreaker however, the conversation regarding my age would inevitably begin what became a repetitive conversation, and as I wound out of it I would introduce Sil and excuse myself. There was one guest however which was deserving of my attention. A beauty by any measure, Lady Everlith of Abelegia, High Priestess of the theocracy. I didn't know much about anything to do with their belief or structure, but it was obvious she was incredibly high up the power ladder from others' reactions.
I wasn't quite sure why, but something seemed a little off with her, like she was the same as me and simply playing a role she found herself in. Not that it mattered, I had my own role to play and failing to do so would mean disaster for everyone. That said, I still needed to speak with her about the actual cause of the war, so I earned her the ire of several other representatives by showing her a level of respect a cut above what they had received.
Honestly every guest that had arrived up to then had proven far less stuffy and pompous than I had been expecting, a fact most surprising in the world of clichés. It was only when the commander of the Kanelsian force, who had to be put in his place by the Abelegian, arrived that I realised the all the clichéd pomp and obnoxiousness of nobility had been rolled into the obese bundle of gout afflicted flesh that found itself before me. It was not exactly difficult for me to figure out that he had been sent to goad me into violence before the ruling class of the continental hierarchy.
As Halsan began to introduce me, he scoffed and said he remembered me. "Well I'm all rested now, and it seems you need to learn the difference between harmless and peaceful still." I said as I immediately failed to restrain my hatred for man.
The dignitary sent from Abelegia was none other than the daughter of their pope, and had happened to be speaking to Sil when she overheard and approached.
Saying that her father instructed her to ask questions and make this trip educational, then she continued to ask why I would speak to her with such refreshing levity, but took issue with another before adding a jibe about favouring women away from home. I didn't need them to be in front of me to see the reactions of Byurik and Leeson who were undoubtedly stifling their natural reactions.
It was rather intriguing as I realised the true motive of her speech though. The girl was shrewd, rebuking me openly, drawing attention and completely killing the idea she may be biased in my favour.
"Forgive me Lady Evelith, You may have heard but the day I achieved the armistice which made this summit possible, a Kanelsian commander threatened me in my weakened state, allow me to introduce you to the man."
The commander began throwing false accusations, but she shot them all down with a single statement. "Did you forget? It was an Abelegian cardinal that was present to rebuke you. I am well aware of all that transpired that day, though I didn't have a name and was unaware Teacher was the individual."
The Kanelsian commander tripped up, openly insulting Evelith in front of everyone, as well as insinuating that demons should be wiped out as he gestured to Sinfree.
(I was glad that I had thought ahead and marked her with a tranquility brand, and she thanked me after for saving her Mistress from being shamed.)
Luckily Kanelsia's plan had backfired in a major way and paved the way for me to provide him the choice between immediate departure in peace or making me earn my namesake and then departing.
Luckily he chose the second option and I gave him until dawn the next day to prepare before turning my back on him, and apologising for my sincerity causing conflict. Surprisingly, Lady, or rather High Priestess Evelith wasn't done, she asked what I meant by sincerity causing conflict, and if sarcasm was appropriate. I couldn't help but notice a hint of playfulness in her expression. She was publicly calling me out in a high profile area at a high profile event, for no other reason than to gauge my response, which I found strangely endearing as I decided to meet her challenge.
"What I mean is that I will not waste pleasantries on insufferable warmongers, just to be agreeable." I then quoted the motto which was printed on our banner "Corpses make for poor foundations." An unsettling and visceral statement, but that was the point, when paired with our new nation's primary objective "To build peace upon strong foundations." It was not simply memorable but it stuck and practically forced others to consider it.
After quoting it, I described the scene at the battlefield, the way the blood had turned it to a gorey marsh, then apologised for the unpleasant image as I asked if any of them can understand how it felt to be threatened after earning it some time to recover. I could tell exactly who wasn't sold on us, by who now looked disturbed and who looked guilty, catching a wink from Evelith as I observed them.
I then excused myself so that I might rest, using the potential duel to leave before I could cause a stir, but not before I used the courtesy of kissing a lady's hand to mark her with a protection glyph. I was concerned for her safety after throwing fuel onto the fire in a way that was far from subtle.
As promised I left and found my way to bed, but was awoken with my name not long later by Leeson, telling me I had really stirred the pot then dragging me to the gate as guardsmen hurried about the streets.
What I found waiting for me was a military contingent, backed by dignitaries who insisted on bearing witness, whilst a force under Kanelsian banners approached.