The chill that had settled in the village never seemed to leave. It hung thick in the air like a second skin, cold, suffocating, unrelenting.
The council room was a cramped room, and an old fireplace stood in the center. A single narrow window rattled in its frame with every gust of wind, letting in sharp slices of the biting chill outside. Flickering candlelight fought against the shadows, casting twisted shapes across the scarred wooden table.
Kael sat heavily on the shaky wooden seat in the council room, rubbing his temples again. The headache was a constant companion now.
Around him, Eldric spread a worn map on the table, the edges curling like dead leaves. Sir Lucas leaned forward, eyes bright despite the exhaustion.
"So, monster attack is inevitable, more than one bandit group that is operating from this territory, and I've got a whole chest of complaints about them." He exhaled loudly. "Anything that I'm missing?
"No, Baron, that's all," Eldric replied, his head slightly bent.
Perfect.
"So, Sir Lucas, how are our defenses?" Kael asked, constantly tapping his fingers on the table.
"It's bad, Baron. We've got a dozen guards and four archers, not counting the men you brought. Two of the towers aren't operable, and the palisade is on its last breath." He paused, taking a breath, "Including your troops, we have 24 spearmen, 6 swordsmen, and 8 archers. We might hold out with this number, but it's far from guaranteed."
Kael forced a dry smile, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "So, basically, we're one wrong step away from a massacre." He glanced up, meeting Sir Lucas's gaze, "Well, that's reassuring."
Might as well try escaping. His headache started pounding harder. I'm just kiddin', chill.
I really need to understand what the oath wants. Is it the vow I gave to the count? Or something else? But there is no time to figure it out now...
"So, can we do anything to increase our chances?" Kael asked, tapping his leg nervously.
"Improving the palisade or even the watchtowers would help," Sir Lucas said, a flicker of hope in his voice, "but we don't have the materials or the time. We were hoping you could improve our chances."
Kael frowned, his leg tapping faster.
How can I even improve their chances... because I'm a mage? Well, they got bad luck, I'm still stuck on the first segment. I can't even improve my chances.
A bitter chuckle escaped his lips.
Everyone at the table just gazed at him for a moment, then slowly lowered their heads.
"Yeah, I'm definitely not increasing the chances by much," Kael said, his frown not easing one bit. A moment later, he asked, "So, what happened to the previous Baron?"
His head still tilted down, Eldric answered, "He died in one of the monster attacks."
How poetic.
"Sir Lucas, find me any way to improve our chances. Find a way to patch the palisade just enough to hold through one more attack. Then come find me. Invite Commander Rhys to the next meeting." Kael said, rising from his seat and striding out of the room.
Kael made his way to his room.
The room was larger than he had anticipated, with sturdy furniture that bore the marks of careful craftsmanship. The bed dominated the room—immense and inviting. He had never seen a bed so big, its heavy frame promising a rare comfort in this harsh frontier.
The first pleasant thing since coming here. Might as well enjoy it, since my life is ending soon.
A bitter smile flickered across his lips before he collapsed onto the bed with a heavy sigh.
What to do... The materials for the repairs are easy to find; we have a whole cursed forest around us. The defence could be done, but it all depends on how skilled the guards here are, and Lucas. The men the count gave me are skilled, so there is no problem there.
The bed groaned softly as he shifted restlessly from side to side, his mind too restless.
Sir Lucas he should be an outhbound Knight, but does he even have enough power to help? I don't even know what the knights can do, hah. I need more information, a lot more. Tomorrow. I need to get all the information I can. But first, I need sleep; my head hurts too much.
...
The first pale light of dawn filtered weakly through the grimy window, casting long shadows across the floor. A soft but firm knock echoed through the quiet room.
"Baron, it's time to rise," a voice called gently from outside the door.
Kael groaned softly beneath his heavy blankets. The headache was gone, and his head was clear.
The door creaked open just enough for a young servant to peek in, his face lined with slight fear. "Breakfast is ready in the hall, and Sir Lucas awaits you for the meeting."
Kael blinked slowly, forcing himself to push away the remnants of restless sleep. "Right. Coming," he murmured, sitting up with a slow sigh as the weight of his situation pressed down once more.
Kael shuffled toward the mirror hanging crookedly on the wall. His reflection stared back—pale skin drawn tight over sharp cheekbones, dark circles etched beneath his weary gray eyes. The black strands of his hair hung damp and tangled, stubborn against the chill.
For a moment, he let the mask drop. No bravado, no forced confidence—just a man caught in the storm. Kael's lips twitched in a bitter, half-smile. "You look like shit," he muttered to himself.
As he met his own gaze, a faint, familiar feeling stirred within him, a quiet recognition from the oath. It was the second time since arriving that he'd sensed its presence so clearly.
Why? What did I finally do right?
"What?" he whispered.
Receiving no answer, he stepped out of the room, where the servant boy waited patiently. Kael fell into step behind him.
They arrived at the dining hall, a vast room dotted with a handful of small tables. At the far right end stood a large, heavy table, worn but sturdy. The room smelled of woodsmoke and freshly-baked bread, mingling with the faint tang of damp stone.
Mounted on the wall above it was a massive fireplace, its fire crackling softly and casting flickering shadows. Above the hearth hung the head of some monstrous creature Kael didn't recognize, its twisted horns and jagged fangs frozen in a silent snarl, a grim trophy of some forgotten battle.
As he entered, the room grew silent; only the crackling fire broke the stillness.
He walked toward the far right of the hall, where Sir Lucas sat at the large table alongside Commander Rhys, the village's guard captain, whose name he still didn't know, and Eldric the majordomo.
They stood and bowed. Kael gave them a strange look. "Yeah, don't do that."
They nodded and sat down, Kael joining them at the table. On the table lay some freshly baked bread and a small dish of dark, sticky jam.
He eyed the jam curiously and asked, "What's this?"
Eldric answered without hesitation, "That's wild strawberry jam. Made from the berries we gather near the forest edge."
Kael tore off a piece of bread, the crust still warm, and dipped it into the jam. The sweetness burst against his tongue, unexpectedly fresh for a place this far out.
No one spoke. The only sounds were the quiet scrape of knives against bread and the muted pop of the fire. The weight of unspoken worries hung over the table, as thick and heavy as the winter air outside.
Kael chewed slowly, his gaze drifting between the others. Every face was drawn, tired.
He didn't break the silence. He wanted to enjoy the meal in peace.
After he finished eating, he looked at Lucas, "So, what did you find?"
He stayed quiet for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "We can make the palisade hold for a few more attacks, we just need to get into the woods and harvest wood. Now that the reinforcements are here, we can actually do that." he paused, "We can even make one of the watch towers usable, if we have enough time, two days. "We could even get one of the watchtowers back in shape if we have the time. Two days should do it."
Kael tapped his fingers on the table, "Just as I thought. Anything else?"
"We found ten volunteers who can wield the spears we have left, and the hunters will join the defence. This will increase our chances tremendously if we finish the repairs in time."
"When do we harvest the wood?" He asked, a small smile playing on his lips.
"In an hour, we'll have thirty villagers cutting wood and five horses hauling it back. Twenty guards will stay to defend the village, the rest will escort the woodcutters."
Kael leaned back in his chair, the small smile lingering.
"Good. Then let's get to work."