Chapter 6


    Lansius awoke to the sight of an unfamiliar ceiling, gradually recalling that he was sleeping in Stefi’s house. As the events of the previous night flooded back into his mind, he took a deep breath, pushed his nket aside, and rose to his feet.


    The room was dark and cold, but a sliver of weak orange light streamed in through a slit in the window. Picking up his bag without bothering to change his clothes, Lansius quietly left his room. The house was silent, and Stefi’s door remained closed. He carefully descended the nearly pitch-ck staircase, feeling his way down and listening to the creaking of the wooden steps beneath his weight.


    Reaching the bottom without a mishap, Lansius headed to the kitchen. There, he noticed more light seeping through the cracks of the door and front window. He approached the firece, where he had hung his old, worn shoes and socks. The lingering heat from the firece overnight had dried them out, freeing them from the previous day’s mud.


    Grateful for dry footwear, he pulled out a chair and sat down to put on his socks. While the wealthy could afford longer socks or <i>hose</i>, Lansius made do with short ones. The cheap wool was itchy, but it was better than the difort of rubbing against hard soles.


    After putting on his socks and shoes, he thought to start a fire. Noticing that Stefi had left the fire-starting kit on the table, Lansius picked up one of the charred pieces of wood from the previous day and began to strike the stone and metal together to produce sparks.


    Despite a couple of unsessful attempts, he persisted, considering this a valuable opportunity to practice his fire-making skills.


    <i>Stefi</i>


    Stefi yawned as she descended the stairs, wearing an off-white mantle and hood over her head. Her face was pale from the cold, her eyes unfocused, and even her lipscked their usual pinkness. Surprisingly, a good night’s sleep seemed to have actually made her drowsy.


    She didn’t even notice the crackling fire and was caught off guard by the warmth and light from the firece.“Morning,” Lansius greeted her.


    “Lans, you made a fire?”


    “Well, you taught me correctly. Turns out it’s not that hard when it’s dry,” he replied with a hint of excitement.


    Stefi chuckled, wanting tomend him but feeling too shy to do so. She approached the firece and knelt, basking in its warmth. Gradually, her pale face regained some of its healthy color.


    Lansius offered Stefi a cup. Without needing to ask, she took it and drank slowly, aware that drinking too fast could provoke a cough since her throat was dry. After months stranded in winter, it had be routine to drink watered wine to keep warm. Soon, more redness returned to her face, especially her lips and cheeks.


    “How’s the weather outside?” she asked.


    “Windy, with a bit of snow,” he said as he sat near her.


    She took another sip. “Have you had breakfast?”


    “Not yet. I was thinking of waiting for you first.”


    She nodded, rose slowly, and approached the cupboard to find her small bag of grain. “How’s your stomach?”


    “Ready for some gruel,” Lansius joked, as it was the only thing they had at the moment.


    Stefi snorted and turned apologetic. “I’ll cook stew tonight. I should be able to get something from the field kitchen.”


    “I’m not sure it’s necessary,” Lansius said in a serious tone.


    Stefi looked at him, puzzled, and Lansius exined, “I’m going to rent a ce tonight. Somewhere close, if possible.”


    “Ah,” she muttered, clearly understanding his reasoning.


    Her face turned a bit sad. Lansius, ever perceptive, noticed and asked, “You’re good with that, right?”


    “What? Oh, sure. I’m just thinking that I’m going to eat alone again,” Stefi admitted, revealing more than she wanted.


    <i>Eh, dang, why did I say that?</i>


    Now, Lansius nced to the side, seemingly perplexed before suddenly announcing, “All right, change of n, I’m staying then.”


    Stefi almost jumped. “No, you can’t,” she said sharply. “Someone will see and start a ruckus.”


    He furrowed his brow in doubt and asked, “They’ll do that, even after a siege?”


    Stefi sighed and tried to exin. “Especially after a war like this when they’re bored and without any entertainment.”


    Yesterday, they had seen several houses lit, evidence that many had stayed throughout the siege. Riverstead was populous enough, and many were affluent families of craftsmen and tradesmen; a siege wouldn’t uproot them.


    “I wonder what they’ll gossip about us?” Lansius mused, a yful tone in his voice.


    Stefi met his gaze, but Lansius quickly looked away, feigning ignorance.


    Finishing her drink, Stefi ced the wooden cup on the table. “My knight master, Isolte, would’ve liked you,” shemented without any particr intention.


    Her cryptic remark seemed lost on Lansius. “Eh,e again? Why do you think Isolte would like me?”


    Stefi’s face softened, and she stifled augh as she recalled Isolte’s entricity. “She was always unpredictable. She outwardly tried to push me into a marriage, but secretly, she always warned me not to because men are all not to be trusted.”


    “That’s a bit confusing.” He frowned.


    “Indeed, she was like that. And it’s not like I could afford it . . .” she quipped, thebination of an empty stomach and wine loosening her tongue.


    “What do you mean?” Lansius asked.


    “Well, the only thing I have is Horsie, and I don’t intend to give her for dowry.”


    The thought of Horsie as a dowry amused Lansius, who burst intoughter.


    “What’s so funny?” She red at him menacingly.


    “No, it’s just . . . Horsie as a dowry,” he stammered betweenughs, unable to provide a better exnation.


    She misunderstood his reaction and stared at him, making him flinch.


    Growing annoyed, she asked bluntly, “Lans, do you need some knockings?”


    “Wait, no, no, hear me out,” Lansius replied quickly, attempting toe up with an excuse. “I mean, in my . . . homnd, it’s men who pay dowry!”


    His exnation took Stefi aback. Her previous annoyance faded, reced by curiosity as she nervously asked, “How much is this dowry?”


    Trying to suppress hisughter, Lansius offered a number. “Probably more than three years of pay.”


    Stefi nodded, her brow furrowed, as she tried to calcte the sum.


    <i>That’s huge, definitely huge. They pay educated men more thanmon footmen or lowly squires.</i>


    “How about it, suddenly interested?” Lansius teased.


    <i>Only if they’re well behaved, strong, but not brutish.</i>


    However, Stefi soon realized that Lansius was the only foreigner she had ever seen in Riverstead. There were no other ck-haired men around.


    She paused to look at him and found him watching her so innocently with a faint smile. That made her wonder if this was his way of subtly proposing.


    <i>Is he really into me?</i>


    She couldn’t help but think that marrying an educated man like Lansius would be a blessing for a dead-end, masterless squire like herself. And now he might even pay the dowry.


    She also noticed that Lansius had be bolder since they first met.


    <i>Is it because he saw me naked once . . . ?</i>


    It was easy to tell that the man had no experience with women, but that only made her more protective of him. Despite howmon it was, Stefi couldn’t bring herself to exploit such an innocent, sweet guy. With so many thoughts racing through her mind, Stefi chose the approach she was trained for. She chuckled menacingly, rming Lansius.


    “All this talk about marriage so early in the morning. Maybe we’re too drunk, and a morning training session is needed to clear our heads.”


    Lansius jumped from his seat, shuddering and shaking his head. “Wait, what? No, calm down. We don’t have swords, and yours isn’t dull.”


    Stefi grinned maliciously and threatened him. “Sooner orter, you’ll need to practice against a real sword. Today is as good a day as any.”


    “Uh, ah . . . Oh, remember we need to hit the shop and buy some clothes!” Lansius said, trying to change the subject.


    Stefi maintained her gaze, contemting what they could use for sparring.


    Lansius quickly added, “Maybe buy some breakfast too? I’ll treat.”


    She blinked, her eyes softening a little. “Mm . . . bribery huh. I doubt you have the money, but I know just the ce.”


    “All right, let’s go then. I’m hungry,” Lansius said, urgency edging into his voice.


    Stefi could tell what he was doing, but decided to let him off the hook. “Let me change my clothes first,” she replied.


    Lansius immediately rxed, clearly relieved.


    <i>Lansius</i>


    For over three thousand years, Riverstead had been a silent witness to the rise and fall of numerous kingdoms and all three Imperiums. This ancient city, having been resurrected multiple times from the ruins, was strategically nestled among three rivers that flowed toward the Great River.


    Despite the rivers’ presence, the surroundingnd wasn’t blessed with fertility, but rather with mineral wealth that had been mined since ancient times. As a result, generations of craftsmen had made their livelihoods here.


    With ess to the Great River, Riverstead maintained direct trade links with the Far East kingdoms and also served as a crucial trade hub for the northern provinces of the Imperium. Through the city, goods, particrly from the industrious province of Mindia, flowed northward and eastward.


    The city streets were paved with gray cobblestones, and the vastness of Riverstead was apparent, boasting hundreds, if not thousands, of buildings, including several multistory structures. Lansius found it fascinating that some of the buildings bore architectural resemnces to ancient Greek or Roman styles.


    This morning, Lansius apanied Stefi to the bustling market area, where they encountered open stalls teeming with people. Even in a city scarred by war, people needed to eat, and stall owners always found a way to make ends meet.


    Stefi chatted with some of the stall owners who eyed Lansius and madements about him. She either shrugged or waved them off, then returned with a wooden te filled with various foods. One particr dish caught Lansius’s attention—a yellowish-white,yered square.


    Lansius took his knife, rubbed it on his inner clothes, and tried to get a taste, but he couldn’t manage it. The food was slippery.


    Seeing him struggle, Stefi used her spoon and thumb to pinch off a piece of thesagna and fed it to Lansius. Once he tasted it, he found it to be simr tosagna, withyers of pasta-like dough, and salt and cheese, but without tomato sauce.


    <i>Pretty good. I wonder if they have macaroni or spaghetti.</i>


    As the two ate standing in the street, the city slowly began to stir. The market was still recovering from the war, but those stalls that were open were crowded.


    “Fortune favors the brave,” Stefi remarked, noticing where Lansius was looking.


    Lansius nodded andmented, so casually, “Profit makes the world go round.”


    “So, you’ve heard the lore about the Ancients, huh?” she asked.


    “What lore?” Lansius was intrigued.


    Stefi furrowed her brow. “The round world?”


    “You know the world is round?” Lansius asked, surprised, seeking confirmation.


    She looked at him quizzically. “It’s a children’s story. Everyone knows that the Ancients transformed into dragons and soared around the world, outpacing the sun in a race. I suppose you foreigners don’t have that tale.”


    Lansius shook his head. “Marc never mentioned it, and I’ve never heard a bard sing that song.”


    Stefi chuckled. “It’s a children’s story; bards don’t usually sing those. Try asking a wet nurse next time.”


    “Wet nurse? What’s that?” He was certain of his vocabry, but nothing came to mind.


    Stefi justughed it off. “Come on, we still have things to do. Finding you a new tunic is a priority.”


    With that, she led him deeper into the market, where shops lined both sides of the bustling streets. As they browsed various cheap stores, excitement sparkled in their eyes. The day was still young, but things didn’t always turn out the way they wanted.