A few days went by, and everyone was enjoying the new bathhouse. It was the biggest thing in the town now, and even though it didn't generate revenue, it generated smiles.
Raze wasn't there to see those smiles, though. Behind the manor, close to his favorite tree, he stood with his hands stretched out. A fire arrow formed and shot out into the distance; then he opened his hands and the fire arrow exploded.
"I've come far from first casting it. I can control what happens to the spell after a certain distance."
He raised his second fist, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.
"So if I do this." He muttered and then cast two spells simultaneously, one fire arrow and one water arrow. After they travelled a few meters, he closed his hand and their direction changed; they moved towards each other and collided, creating an explosion of steam.
"It worked," he said with a smile.
"Young master," Elaine called from a distance as she approached. He turned around to see her.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Your father wants to see you," she said.
"I guess it's time. He hasn't spoken to me since three days ago after the bathhouse was completed," Raze said. He picked up his book from under the tree and led the way.
"Young master, your brothers are also around and might be with your father. You should be careful," she said.
"I understand your worry, Elaine, but my three brothers are simply not worth the preparation," he said.
He arrived at the manor and walked in, where he saw his mother and sister about to leave.
"Mum, where are you headed?" he asked casually.
"Your sister and I are headed to the bathhouse. It's good to socialize with the people you know," she said.
"Haha, Mum, if you want a bathhouse, we can make one at the manor, you know?" he said.
Her eyes widened when she heard that. "Really? You can?" she asked.
"Yes," he responded, and then his face shifted into an evil grin. "You just have to make Father pay for the materials," he said.
"I'll make sure he does. But for now we are headed there. Also, your brothers are here, be nice," she said and left.
Raze headed up and arrived at his father's office. He knocked twice on the door and walked in. Inside the office were his three brothers: Andrew, Michael, and Riker.
Andrew, the eldest, had a seat on one of the chairs opposite his father; he was the oldest, the strongest, and the heir to their father. He had the same hair as his father, a sharp expression, and eyes that stared into the soul.
He was twenty years old now and was getting ready to take the seat of Baron. The second was Michael; he looked like Andrew, but a slightly younger version with a calmer expression. He was two years younger.
Finally there was Riker, who was also two years younger; he had a soft expression and looked like a scholar for the most part. He leaned against the wall while the other two sat down.
Raze paid them little to no attention when he walked in. He looked at his father and gave a small bow.
"Father, you called for me," he said.
His father looked at him for a bit and then spoke. "Your brothers got word of what you did, and they came to me to find out the details of what happened," his father said.
"Uhhh, uhm, I'm confused why I was called then," Raze said.
"You were called here because you did something like that without any of us knowing," Andrew spoke. He turned his head, looking at Raze with a cold glare.
Raze raised a brow when he heard that. "Forgive me, but who is in charge of the barony, my elder brother or my father?" he asked.
Andrew frowned, knowing what his brother was saying.
"When did you get a sharp mouth, or the confidence to speak back at me? Do you think because you built something in the town it now gives you the right to speak to your brother that way?" Andrew asked, his tone raised.
"I'm right here; there is no need to shout," Raze said, sticking his finger in his ear and twisting it.
Andrew's face twisted into one of anger. He gripped the edge of his chair hard; he wanted to smash Raze's face in now, but he couldn't do that because they were before their father. He couldn't act rash here.
"Raze, what Andrew is trying to say is that you could have at least spoken with him before you did something like that. After all, very soon this will belong to him," Michael said, trying to be the voice of reason.
"Why? Why would I do that? Your way of reasoning confuses me. Why should I use him to go through for something that he had no power over? Or is he trying to say he is more important than Father, that he should have the final say, or that his say is more important than Father's?" Raze asked, using the only words to set up Michael and Andrew.
Michael opened his mouth to speak, but he felt the gaze of his father lingering on him; he knew that any reckless words here would be an issue, so he shut up.
"Listen, what I did didn't affect what any of you are doing; instead it bettered the lives of everyone in the town and even made the people respect Father more.
You three might not have been here for the last three days, but you came back, haven't you seen the happiness among everyone? That's because of what I built.
Life isn't all about strength and knowing how to fight; sometimes try something else. Maybe open a book," Raze said, then looked at his father.
"I beg to leave, Father. I'm planning something new and, like the other, it will benefit you," he said.
His father nodded, and Raze walked out. He shut the door behind him.
"Young master, how did it go?" Elaine asked.
"I handled it," he replied.