Chương 71: Chapter 2.8: A Happy Family

Favius was about to leave his room, but paused. Should I actually arrive on time? It would be the polite thing to do, but it might also be interesting to see how everything settles when I'm not involved. He nodded and settled down, deliberately writing down some thoughts he had on organizing the production of paper in the future. After a quarter of an hour by his sand clock, he nodded to himself. Well, now it's time to take care of this.

He walked down the corridors with a smile on his lips and soon entered the dining hall. Like all the other inner courtyards, the garden lay dead and was closed off with sailcloth. Braziers burned around the opening in the roof, providing warmth and coziness that weren't entirely in line with the mood in the room. The two long tables from the feast had been shoved together. Hesnia formed one pole at one end.

Marcus and Lia, now again in the hands of Hesnia's favorite nursemaid, were sitting next to her and playing with toys Hesnia had obviously brought for them.

"Bribery," Favius murmured under his breath before remembering to maintain his smile. The other side of the table was Marcus's domain, and he was flanked by Caliga and Serran. But Caliga was engaged in a discussion with Brutus and Urania, unlike her Father, who was talking animatedly to Serran. Sirrana sat in the middle of the table, stiff and upright, and swiveled her head slowly from side to side. She's trying to make sense of this. Not that I can blame her.

His eyes lingered again on the scar running across her eye and how it contrasted with her otherwise unnaturally unblemished skin.

"Greetings." Favius raised his voice and inclined his head to Marcus before walking up to a chair next to Brutus and opposite Sirrana. A household slave stepped forward and filled his cup with wine. He nodded, took a sip of the fruity drink before grabbing one of the olives that had been prepared as an appetizer. After he was done chewing, Hesnia cleared her throat.

"Ah, Favius." He instinctively tensed, but let a bit of pneuma run through his muscles. Relax. You don't even know what she wants yet, and friendliness costs nothing.

"Yes," he responded, and after a short pause, added, "Mother." She smiled brilliantly at him.

"I have yet to congratulate you on your victory in Cindrath. From what I've heard, it was quite the fight." Favius inclined his head despite the bitter feeling in his stomach.

"Thank you. I did my best, despite how unexpected the whole affair was," he added.

"Oh, there is no need to be humble with family, Son." Son. She leaned forward conspiratorially.

"From what I heard, you delivered justice with but three quick blows." Marcus laughed out loud.

"Indeed, the pompous fools thought they had the advantage, but only maneuvered themselves onto the cliffs of defeat." A short pause followed, and Sirrana cleared her throat.

"Indeed, Young Master, I also shan't forget to congratulate you on that feat. Though from what I hear, it was not but the natural outcome of talent and"—she glanced at Brutus—"training." Favius nodded to her, noticing his bodyguard's glare. There's something strange about her. And the way Brutus acts right now... He briefly glanced over to his protector, who seemed more tense and attentive ever since the woman had arrived.

"Thank you. And please, call me Favius. We are of the same clan, after all." She nodded.

"Thank you, Favius." The conversation was interrupted by servants bringing in platters laden with food. Favius only had to sniff once to figure out which of the foods held spirituality and which were merely mundane delicacies. A large bird the size of a turkey was the centerpiece of the meal, and its rich smell, along with the sizzling of oil on the heated stone plate it was served on, filled the room. Caliga grinned broadly.

"See? That's why it's so much better when you are home. The food is much more delicious." The Senator laughed.

"And here I thought my dear daughter was missing me because I am such a kind Father." She sniffed and made a haughty gesture.

"Well, that is important as well." Hesnia's laughter was surprisingly pleasant, like bells of glass.

"Well, now that I am back again, I will certainly make sure that my oldest daughter doesn't suffer from bad food anymore." This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. All the kids turned to Hesnia, and Favius replayed the words in his mind. Is she... I can't catch an insult there. Is she trying to be friendly now? Oh, well. She said she wanted to teach me political acumen with her actions, and as much as I hate her... He let out a breath.

What she has done has acclimatized me to the politics here. Not that I'll forgive her. The conversation continued between the adults, with both Hesnia and Marcus taking turns sharing their experiences in Cindrath and on an estate near a smaller city. Meanwhile, Brutus, Serran, and Sirrana kept asking polite questions. Favius focused on the food, enjoying the sting of spirituality and the rich flavors. Soft bread, preserved vegetables, and fresh meat. Dipping bread into a thick sauce, he noted one detail.

Interesting. Apparently smaller cities are run by a council and not a Senate. Only the major cities in the Republic have one of those. The meal continued, and Favius followed his sisters in making the right noises and comments at the right times. But after honeyed puddings were served, Marcus clapped his hands together and shifted his head to the new arrival.

"Now, I believe we wanted to learn more about my children's new tutor." Sirrana paused a bite but a handspan from her mouth and put the pickled apple down again. Hesnia's smile grew brittle.

"I shall endeavor to sate the Senator's curiosity." But instead of asking questions, Marcus gestured at the children.

"Well, ask away. Interrogate her to your satisfaction." He grinned, and everyone chuckled. Favius again threw a brief glance at her scar and milky eye before lingering on her perfect skin. Before he could muster the courage, Caliga blurted out the question.

"Why do you look that way?" Urania elbowed her in the side, and Caliga hissed, "Ouch." Marcus threw both of them a stern gaze, but Sirrana chuckled.

"I don't mind you asking. Everyone does, after all." Favius threw a brief look at his sisters, who were engaged in a contest of vicious glares, and shook his head.

"Well, what happened to you?" Sirrana leaned back in her chair. As she stretched, her right hand again twitched into a quick fist, though this time she instantly breathed out, obviously using pneuma to control her arm.

"I was on garrison duty near the southern border. There was an ambush," she began, and Brutus hummed beside Favius as if tasting the words. Her expression was flat and sterile, as if she was reciting a report.

"Our patrol encountered an enemy unit centered around a Pyrii mage." She patted her side, and for a brief moment, confusion flickered over her face. She's missing her sword, isn't she? She sighed.

"I ran the churl through, carved him open. But his bodyguard..." She touched her scar with gentle slowness.

"He nearly split my skull. And then," she continued, her voice still bare of emotion, "the dying dog detonated his supply of grenades, scorching my skin and ruining my arm." She glared at her fist.

"But how are you... fine?" Surprisingly, it was Urania who ventured the next question. The woman chuckled dryly.

"If not for the Matriarch's mercy, I would have suffered the indignity of life as a cripple, or, more likely, death. But..." She ran a hand over her unblemished cheek.

"By the grace of the Warrior, I survived, and by the grace of the Mother, I was healed. I was sent here to serve the clan and to recover." The room fell silent for nearly a minute as everyone digested the story. Brutus was the first to speak, his voice bare of his usual humor.

"Quite curious for a Cultor Mentis to rush an enemy mage and their bodyguards." Sirrana paused briefly, then replied with an icy smile.

"We all serve the Glory of the Republic as best we can, don't we? Slayer of a Hundred Men." Brutus laughed in response.

"Indeed." Urania tilted her head.

"So if Grandmother healed you, why do your eye, arm, and the..." She swallowed. Sirrana chuckled.

"I asked her not to remove the scar. I shall keep it as a reminder of my failure. That I should have trained harder, could have been better. That there would have been a way, if only I had been more merciless to myself, to fulfill my duty without nearly laying down my life." Marcus nodded along with everything, and Favius narrowed his eyes. I see. I think he has heard all of this already. Well, it makes sense that if they went on a day-long carriage ride, he interrogated her thoroughly.

Sirrana continued after a short pause.

"As for my eye and my hand... I do not claim to understand it, but apparently the senses and the mind's control over the flesh, of vitality through ethereal essence, requires a more subtle and long-term approach to healing. Thus, during each season I train you, I must leave for a few days to meet the Matriarch in Cindrath," she informed them. Favius nodded, as much in agreement as to himself. That's a convenient arrangement for her to report on our activities. Not that she couldn't just have sent letters...

That was when Hesnia cleared her throat.

"I wasn't aware of major skirmishes on the southern border." Sirrana looked at her, her gaze coldly assessing before she shifted her body and smiled. Yet the smile failed to make it into the tone of her reply.

"All those who needed to be informed were informed. The affair has been handled to the Senate's satisfaction." Hesnia opened her mouth, but Marcus coughed loudly. She froze. She's a military veteran and got crippled. Still, if I understand things correctly, a Pyrii uses chemical grenades. Stuff like explosives, chlorine gas, and quicklime from what Brutus told me. The fact that Aelia could heal her, even though she's still injured... He shook his head.

Dinner wound down slowly, and soon he, his sisters, and Brutus left for their quarters. The door closed, and they walked in silence until Brutus spoke up.

"So what do you all think?" Caliga was the first to speak while Urania yawned.

"She seems fun. Much better than Cassian." Urania nodded.

"Well, we haven't seen her teach. I'm really curious to see what an actual Cultor Mentis of her rank can do." She grinned at Favius.

"Want to make a bet? Maybe we can set her up to show we can calculate better than she can." Favius chuckled.

"Where exactly would be the fun in that? You just throw a logarithm at her and she would be stumped." Urania sniffed.

"Well, I like mathematics, but winning is more fun in the end." Brutus cleared his throat.

"So was there anything else you noticed about her?" The siblings remained in thoughtful silence as they entered the corridor to their rooms. Well, Brutus is suspicious, but...

"Obviously she's served in the military," Favius ventured, and Brutus returned a dark grumble.

"Oh, she was certainly in some military." He said the last word with something that wasn't quite venom, but also far from patriotic pride.

"What do you mean?" he asked, but Brutus only shook his head.

"No point in telling you now. I'll give her a few days to arrive. For now, the three of you ought to catch a good night's sleep." Favius entered his room and undressed for bed. Well, whatever's up with Sirrana, we'll see. Tomorrow I'm going to have to see if the workers figured out the sizing and post-processing for the paper. He jumped into bed with a broad smile.