Chương 29: The Peaceful People

"We aren't going back?" I asked the following day after breakfast at the family residence, and my father shook his head.

"We are staying one more day. I wanted to show you more of the city. While my father wanted to orient the people towards war and fighting, I married your mother to preserve the peace we have here. Building this city up as a center of culture, not just trade."

"Would war do that?"

"Yes. They would replace the skills. People would take more survival and fighting skills. People would have lost the accumulated knowledge and talent. There are tradeoffs, of course, but I chose to marry your mother for the people, not out of any selfish desire. We are no longer in the time of the old Eldarin Empire, but a new age, one that all of humanity should fully embrace."

"Protecting all of this is no simple matter. Just like a plant, culture needs nourishment. Come." I followed him outside along with our entourage. We made our way to a large open plaza. People were hawking their wares at various stalls. People stared at us, but no one came near. I noticed that several of the stalls sold food, and that women oversaw them. The duke had stopped in front of one stall selling apples.

"Husbands are often farmers, and their wives are cutthroat businesswomen. Isn't that right, Helga?"

"Of course, Duke Burnstock," the woman said, bowing her head deeply.

"Helga here is from a long line of farming families. They specialize in apple trees and produce amazing apple cider, but also grow other crops. Two apples, please, and a crate to the estate," the duke said and placed a single gold coin on her stall booth. We were each given an apple.

"Thank you, Duke. Of course, I will arrange for the crate to be brought to your residence before noon." We continued onwards.

"You know her personally?" I asked.

"It's a Noble skill that helps me remember names in a territory I control. While I may be near the top of the nobility, humility and understanding are essential qualities that one must never forget as a leader. Too many people think all it takes to rule is a fist, but I find actual understanding is far more important than any social or combat skill." I could understand why my mother had married this man now. It wasn't just for his money.

That was a consideration, of course, but my father didn't forget the people beneath him. The farmers and peasants who made all this possible. The people my mother came from. She had never forgotten her humble background, and I was sure no one else would let her forget it either. We made our way to a large stage and took our seats, which were set up for us.

"Today is the annual poetry reading competition."

"Poetry, really?"

"I know it is probably the single most worthless skill out there. But there are groups of people who compete. While we haven't had an elite bard come from this duchy, it is only a matter of time. Perhaps one day, there will be a legendary bard," he said. People gathered, and several older individuals took to the stage to read their poems to the crowd.

"It is something older people do when their stats fail them, but we do occasionally have some young competitors. It is a way for older people to remain active and engaged in their twilight years without requiring intensive labor. Too many nations follow the Eldarin Empire's history of casting aside elders who have worked hard their entire lives. Something I find distasteful," my father explained. He then got up and made his way over to the enchanted stone that would project his voice across the plaza.

"Welcome, citizens of Burnstock City." There were cheers at this.

"I know you didn't come to hear me speak. So let us start the 47 th annual poetry competition," he declared and went back to his seat. Contestants were arranged by age, and each had a maximum of one minute, so everyone who wanted to speak got a turn. The oldest went first.

"Great dawns the morn. The golden stalks glisten. The wind sways the plants, but they remain upright. Forevermore, this golden field," the first old man said. I felt slightly moved by the poem and clapped along with my father. The old man moved off the stage, and the next old man replaced him. Everyone cheered as they listened to their neighbors, friends, and family members. I was glad I had an apple to snack on. A servant was on hand to take away the core after I finished.

Eventually, the few younger contestants showed up. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. A young girl about my age was the last one to compete, and she strode resolutely forward onto the stage. The applause for her was no less than for the first old man. She hesitated for the longest moment as the crowd quieted down. For a moment, I thought she was too afraid to speak in public.

"The beginning is humble. A farmer in their youth. A dreadful attack. A great descent. A spell sword. A triumphant legend. A heroic supreme. An eternal Warlady," the girl said. The crowd cheered, and the applause was massive.

"What do you think?" my father asked me while leaning over.

"Calling her an eternal Warlady is a bit much because of the negative history of the Eternal Emperor. But it took courage to read in front of such a large crowd," I replied. My father nodded.

"Any favorites?"

"The man who had the poem about flowers, his imagery was striking and almost made me see flowers, and his skill was of the highest level from what I could tell," I replied, and my father nodded again. He then got up to speak.

"Thank you, citizens of Burnstock. As usual, I shall now reward the three winners in no particular order. First, Han. His imagery with flowers is breathtaking as usual," my father said. There was a round of applause as the old man came back on stage and accepted a small pouch of coins.

"Second, we have Henry. While playing an instrument stretches the bounds of the competition, it was quite entertaining," my father said. A middle-aged man stepped onto the stage to accept his award, and the crowd applauded.

"Finally, we have young Denise. Her bravery will hopefully inspire her to an even greater future," my father said. The young girl, who had gone last, hesitantly got back on stage. My father shook her hand and gave her a coin pouch.

"Thank you, everyone. May the System guide you well," he said, and the crowd roared. My father beckoned me, and I followed him off the stage as we made our way back to the family residence.

"You started that competition?"

"One of the first things I did when I became Duke. Dereck won't be continuing the contest," he replied heavily.

"What, why?"

"While he doesn't share the same vision as my grandfather, he has his own opinions on how the Duchy should operate, more focused combat schools. Less focus on the arts," my father said with a slight sigh.

"Ultimately, poetry has no value." I didn't know what to say to that, since that was true. Poetry was utterly useless.

"But ultimately, things change. In the future, I plan to convince everyone of my grand vision of a better tomorrow. While poetry might seem useless, it is a sign of a happy and prosperous society."

"It was lovely, and everyone was quite happy," I said.

"Their smiles make my day. It is easy to kill and destroy, but much harder to build up and create a community where all people can thrive. Not just the nobles," he explained.

"How come I didn't know all of this?"

"It isn't something to brag about or flaunt. Each bit of happiness is another ember for our fire that is called civilization. No matter how strong you become, never forget this one lesson. Even your mother understands this as well. Without everyone in society, from the peasants to the nobles, nothing would function, and it would all break down." We walked back in silence to the family residence, which was nearby. All these places were near the city center. Dinner was a quiet affair, since we didn't go out to eat.

My father had given me a lot to think about. My parents had a lot more depth to them than I realized, especially my father. As we went back to the estate the following morning, I didn't know what to say. My father finally spoke up midway through our journey.

"Thinking about getting a Poetry skill?"

"No. There are countless Tier 1 skills available. I need to focus on what works best for my build as a spellblade. But that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a good poet."

"I always felt that the softer skills have much more use than people realize. There are tales of such individuals, but it is a rare person who can push so far with their skills, since there are no legacies to pass on," my father said with a smile.

"No legendary poets or bards in the past?" I asked.

"Very few. Only a few legends leave behind legacies. Time loses many of them, and they are never passed on, especially higher-tier skills. I had hoped to set a new direction, turning this duchy into a cultural hub that would eventually rise to compete with the College of Advancement and the Last Bastion. An ambitious plan, but ultimately doomed to failure."

"Why doesn't Dereck want to do it?" I asked.

"He prefers things to move in a more martial direction. I had hoped to share enough of my vision with him that he would carry on my legacy, but he chose not to. It would have taken at least three generations to bring the project to fruition and yield results. Now I know how my father felt all those years ago when I ignored his advice."

"You mentioned an enormous project? Can you share what it will be?" I asked.

"It isn't ready yet. Things are still being prepared. However, if I am successful, the world will be a much better place. Too often, people don't remember the past or look towards the future. I plan to do both." Now, I truly didn't know what to say. There was a lot more drama happening on the other side of the family than I had known. My father looked at me, seemingly hesitant, but just smiled at me, not saying anything. It was nice to spend time with my father like this.

While it was sad that the poetry contest was coming to an end, things changed. It was surprising since I thought Dereck was close to our father, but it appeared he had his own ideas on how to run the Duchy. Well, I was glad it wouldn't be my headache. It was nice for me to see how other people lived, and to understand the peasants and common people, however, I had stayed on my path. I would follow in my mother's footsteps to become a spellblade.

It was frustrating that it was taking so long to get to magic and spells, but I needed a proper foundation first. Everyone kept repeating that a firm foundation was the best way forward for someone my age. I understood that in my head, in my heart, I wanted to go into the dungeon using magic to carve my path forward. Getting a day to train under an actual legend was a fantastic experience. I really missed the training sessions I had with Squire Sabin.

While they had been exhausting, I had progressed in so many skills and my physical stats. The Mind stat might help me process and retain information to learn skills, but the more I learned, the more it felt like a chore. Squire Jessica and the other people who had told me so were right. Taking a break from whatever skills I was focusing on was incredibly important. While I kept promising myself to work hard, it was a struggle to keep up that determination day after day, working on the same skills.

My father knew exactly what I needed, a trip to the city, some physical training, and a relaxing day listening to poetry.