Chương 41: “Bark to Class (3)”

Cassia watched the Reingarde girl step back from Beatrice Hill, spear lowered. Perhaps the heiress did have her father's blood flowing through her after all. The throw had been an optimal choice and the follow-up was immediate; it was a plain way of fighting, but efficient. It was certainly nothing compared to the fight her little sister and Arthur had just displayed. One thing she didn't understand, though, was the weapon. Celestia had picked two spears off the rack without hesitation, bypassing every sword on it.

Duke Armond von Reingarde was a swordsman. His entire legend had been built on the blade, so why was his daughter using a spear? Then there was the matter of Beatrice Hill's surrender. Cassia's eye drifted to the girl still sitting on the platform. The Hills were a royal family outside of imperial territory, and their bloodline trait, the Eyes of Hill, was well-documented among the mage circles.

Even though Beatrice had just thrown up a barrier that stopped a thrown spear, she clearly had the mana reserves to continue fighting. So why surrender the moment Celestia closed the distance? It was disappointing, any mage with basic combat training would have been able to still fight back. Unless… Was the fight decided before it started? Cassia's eyebrow rose slightly.

'Was she bought out?' It wasn't an unreasonable thought. In fact, given Celestia's reputation, it was the most obvious explanation. Cassia had met the girl several times over the years at debutantes held for other young noblewomen. At each one, Celestia had been the same: overbearing, sharp-tongued, and cruel towards everyone around her. She treated other noble daughters as if they existed for her convenience, and lesser nobles as if they didn't exist at all.

Cassia hadn't attended the imperial ball where the betrothal between Celestia and Prince Damon had been annulled; she'd been occupied with other matters at the time. But she'd heard enough afterward. The rumors varied depending on who told them: some said Celestia had provoked the prince, others that her father had nearly started an incident with the imperial family. Cassia had taken the stories with a grain of salt. Rumors inflated everything, and nobles loved nothing more than embellishing a scandal.

But the core of it—that Celestia Von Reingarde was difficult, entitled, and willing to create problems—lined up perfectly with everything Cassia had seen firsthand. And now this. A spar that had ended before the hourglass had lost a finger's width of sand, against an opponent who had given up the moment Celestia got close. A mage with a bloodline trait, folding without throwing a single offensive spell.

'Even now,' Cassia thought, watching Celestia descend from the platform.

'To save face in front of all these students, she had the gall to stage this.' Cassia exhaled through her nose. Beatrice Hill's drill-curls hung around her flushed face, and a small hiccup escaped her as she finally pushed herself to her feet. More hiccups followed as she descended the steps, head down. She didn't look at anyone as she walked back to her seat and sat down without a word, her friends immediately consoling her.

Cassia was already about to call the next pair when she saw Celestia heading towards her from outside the platform.

"Professor Flamesy," she said, "I'll have to excuse myself for the rest of the class." It was phrased almost as a request. Cassia looked at her and for a moment, irritation flared. How dare a student be so disrespectful? Even her House's squires wouldn't dare talk unless spoken to. But this was Duke Armond's daughter. Whatever Cassia thought of the girl personally, the Duke himself was someone she respected deeply. That respect extended, however grudgingly, to his household.

And besides, there was something Cassia needed to discuss with her.

"Fine," Cassia said. Then she added, before Celestia could turn away, "Come back here this evening. There's something I need to talk to you about." Celestia paused, her crimson eyes meeting Cassia's single black one for a brief moment.

"Mhm," Celestia said as she walked out of Training Building Four. * The carriage moved through the academy's main road at a steady pace, heading toward the campus exit. Celestia leaned against the window frame, watching the late-afternoon foot traffic pass by. Students moved in clusters along the wide stone paths that connected the various buildings and training complexes. However, many trudged along, since the things they were carrying were too heavy, and their next destination was too far away.

The distance between the academy and the city within Summit was enormous. Students who went to the tower and had classes would spend a significant portion of their day simply getting from one place to another, if they did not use a carriage.

'A transportation service,' she thought. A railway with fixed routes that followed a schedule, available to any student. The academy clearly hadn't implemented anything of the sort. Whether that was by design or simply because no one had bothered to propose it, the result was the same: thousands of students wasting time and energy on commutes that could be handled more efficiently. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

And if she were the one to propose and build it, the benefits extended well beyond the service fee. Once the city could see the impact of this, she could get exclusive rights to build the routes around Summit. It also opened the door to levying fees on any other business that wanted to use her infrastructure; merchants, suppliers, anyone who needed to move goods through would have to come to her first.

The details needed a tad bit more work, and she didn't need to worry about it getting shelved by the city officials. Leveraging her family name to push it forward was an option, after all. The carriage eventually came to a stop in front of her office in the business district. Celestia stepped down and saw Paimon and Martha already waiting by the entrance. Martha stood with her hands clasped at her waist, posture straight, and expression composed.

Paimon was beside her, standing with a similar posture that was clearly being copied from Martha. The half-angel girl's back was stiff and her hands were clasped in front of her in the same position, though her fingers kept adjusting as if she hadn't quite figured out the comfortable way to hold them.

"Welcome back, Lady Celestia," Martha said with a bow.

"Welcome back, Lady Celestia," Paimon echoed, bowing a beat after Martha. It was smoother than the last time. Celestia gave a small nod and walked inside. The office was in order. Martha had kept things running in her absence as expected, and the stacks of paperwork on the desk were noticeably thinner than they had been during her last visit. The bulk of it had already been processed.

What remained were a handful of documents requiring her personal review and signature, nothing that would take more than the better part of an hour. She sat down, uncapped her pen, and worked through them. Martha stood nearby, available for questions. Paimon fetched tea without being asked, setting the cup at Celestia's side with both hands. She was learning well. When the last document was signed and set aside, Celestia capped her pen. It was time.

"Paimon," she said, "go to the training grounds and inform Jade that I'm on my way. Have everyone assembled." Paimon straightened immediately.

"Yes, my lady." She turned and left the office at a quick pace, her footsteps fading down the hallway. Martha began collecting the signed documents from the desk.

"Shall I accompany you, my lady?"

"No. Stay here and prepare Sir Ozy's carrier. I'll be taking him back to the dormitory with me tonight."

"Understood, my lady." Celestia stood and made her way through the back of the office, through the corridor that connected the main building to the larger structure behind it. The training grounds occupied most of the rear property, an open space enclosed by high walls that kept the interior hidden from the street. She pushed open the door and stepped out. Jade stood at the far end of the grounds, arms crossed, facing the assembled group.

He turned his head slightly at Celestia's arrival, acknowledging her with a brief nod before stepping to the side with Paimon. Before her, arranged in neat rows and columns, stood nearly fifty people. They were young; the majority were closer to adolescence, and a handful looked to be around Celestia's age. Their clothes were clean, and they stood at attention with varying degrees of discipline. And all of them were looking at Celestia.

Jade had already been briefed on the purpose of their training long before today. He'd agreed to it readily, and Celestia understood why. The adventurer had been just like these children once, a boy with nothing who had to claw his way up in the world. He saw himself in them; the desperate ones who needed a way out, and the hungry ones who wanted to make something of themselves. Celestia walked to the front of the formation, stopped, and looked across the rows. Jade's voice cut across the training grounds.

"Attention!" He stepped forward, positioning himself at Celestia's side.

"This is Lady Celestia von Reingarde. None of you have met her before, but she is your patron. Remember her face well." Patron. Yes, that was the word she had settled on. Being called "master" by a group of teenagers had pricked at her from the moment Jade first used it during their early discussions. It was distasteful considering her modern sensibilities, and she would prefer not to hear it directed at her. Celestia spoke.

"I will not waste your time with pleasantries, so I will speak plainly. Her voice carried across the area without effort.

"What comes next is not for me to dictate, but it is yours to decide." She folded her arms.

"Two paths are available to you. The first is the Tower. Those who choose this will be given a new contract under considerably better terms: higher wages, provisions for equipment, medical support, and above all, an accelerated timeline toward purchasing your freedom. The second is to serve as employees across the businesses I intend to establish. You will not set foot in the Tower.

You will live under the protection of the Reingarde name, earn a steady wage, and buy your freedom at the pace already outlined in your current contracts." She lifted her chin slightly.

"Regardless of which path you choose, every one of you will eventually hold your own freedom in your hands. I give you my word on that."

"The training Sir Jade has provided you thus far has been foundational," she continued.

"For those who choose the Tower, expect it to become far more demanding. Consider carefully. Will you wager your life for what the strength and freedom the Tower can offer? Or will you build your future from the safety I can provide? Neither choice is the wrong one." She turned to Jade, to which the latter continued, "You heard her. Those who wish to enter the Tower, step forward." There was a brief pause until one person mustered the courage to take a step forward.

Like a domino effect, the others also started moving. At least forty of the nearly fifty had moved from their spots. Celestia glanced at those who had not moved.

"The decision you make today is not final. Should any of you reconsider, you need only speak with Sir Jade or with Martha. The offer remains open. The opposite is also true, if at any point you wish not to enter the tower, no one will force you." She continued, and her tone sharpened.

"However. For those of you who have chosen the Tower, understand what that means. You are mine. Your lives are no longer solely your own, and everything you do from the moment you enter the tower reflects upon this House and upon me personally. I did not invest in your futures so that you simply be discarded; none of you are permitted to die under the Reingarde name. You are under my protection, and your lives are my responsibility. I expect you to respect my authority as your patron."

Her gaze swept across the slaves one final time.

"I will pave the way forward for you. All I require in return is that you survive." Jade watched from the side, arms crossed. His expression hadn't changed throughout the speech, but he had a different glint in his eyes towards Celestia now. Celestia turned around.

"That is all. Jade, they are yours." She walked back toward the office without waiting for a response. Behind her, Jade's voice barked across the grounds.

"You heard Lady Celestia! Back in formation! We start again in five minutes, and if any of you thought today's drills were difficult, I have unpleasant news!" The sounds of scrambling feet echoed through the corridor. By the time Celestia reached the her personal office, the training grounds had already returned to its usual activity.