A Soldier's Life-Chapter 194: Misinterpreting My Situation

We moved into the kitchen, and the men grabbed stools, making lots of noise with their scraping armor, banter, and scuffing boots. I didn’t realize how quiet it had been away from the company. I kind of missed the bustle. Lirkin helped me make the burritos while Mateo grabbed one of the many casks of ale from the larder at my direction.

He came back confused. “How many people live here? There is enough food for two companies in there.”

I was grinding the dried spices with a mortar and pestle to season the meat. “Just me. The Chancellor is rarely here.”

“Why is it so cold in there?” He gestured at the room while prepping the cask to fill mugs.

I didn’t feel in the mood to explain the heat sink, so I just said, “Magic.” Mateo grunted in acceptance and was already passing around mugs.

It took a while to get the first burrito finished, even though I had the tortillas already made. After a week in the city, I learned the company was finally well-rested. Mateo managed to snag the first burrito and talked while he ate, “Our new porter is a dullard, Eryk. He holds his spear backward and farts in his sleep like a bullfrog.”

Lirkin commented as he worked on wrapping the next burrito, “So do you. But at least it keeps the goblins away in the woods.” Mateo looked shocked at the accusation but eventually just shrugged, not denying it, and took another bite. I noted the refried beans in the wrap would be sure to wake the company tonight.

Maveith, seeing it was going to be a while before the food got to him, took a loaf of cheese and herb bread and slathered butter on it. He started chewing, “What is this, Eryk? It is marvelous!”

“It’s a recipe from one of the porter’s wives. It is some type of holiday bread, I think. It is supposed to be coated in a special herb cream cheese and not butter.” I hadn’t had a chance to try all the loose recipes, but this was one of them. I agreed the cheese bread was quite good, with two types of soft cheeses inside and a crusty caramelized cheese on the outside. It was still a pain to bake as I had to manually adjust the oven for the hour of baking to avoid burning it. And now Maveith just consumed the entire loaf—all my labor was undone in less than a minute.

Konstantin had been surprisingly quiet, just observing us contentedly. It was clear he had brought them here as a favor to me, even if he wouldn’t admit it. As the burritos were passed out, he took one and made a surprisingly happy face while tasting it. It didn’t take him long to finish it. He muttered something about me not being a bad cook, but I couldn’t make it out clearly through everyone talking.

The conversation turned to Macha and the rumors of the growing shadow of the larger war. They were unaware of the Boutan Caliphate orcs massing a fleet, and I didn’t tell them as it would ruin the afternoon. They did know about the Esenhem elves, which was common knowledge, and there was a growing outcry to reclaim the Amatalhos Isle.

The doors to the common room opened loudly, and the company went silent at the intrusion. Flora’s voice rang through the apartments, “Eryk! Can you not work us hard today? We can just soak in the tub later to get clean!” The pronouncement was made worse as she was taking off her robes on entering the kitchen, Livia a step behind.

The color drained from Flora’s face on seeing the five legionnaires in armor and the massive goliath. Her eyes were focused up on Maveith as it was probably the first goliath she had seen, at least one this close. Lirkin mumbled, “Thought you said you were alone. And here we felt sorry for you and thought you needed some companionship.”

Mateo tripped over himself to introduce himself first, “Mateo Evander.” He bowed awkwardly.

“They are just mage aspirants here to be disciplined,” I interrupted the group’s confusion and inappropriate conclusions. Only Mateo had made a fool of himself, and the two young mages were just sixteen. Of course, that was a reasonable age for marriage in the Empire. Both mages had started to fill out with their gluttonous appetites and were no longer bone thin. Maybe I would have considered them attractive if I hadn’t thought of them as younger sisters who needed my protection. Now they needed my protection from my friends.

Maveith’s deep voice echoed, somewhat accusatory, causing Livia and Flora to jump, “You have to discipline them, Eryk?”

Before more speculation could be made, I ended it. “They are mages of the college. They got in trouble and come up here to clean every day. I usually cook them something for their efforts.” Some doubtful looks appeared, and the two young women looked lost and mute under the gaze of seven men, clearly intimidated. I ordered them to get to work, “The walls in the west guest room still need scrubbing.” The pair hurried off, glad to escape the uncomfortable scrutiny.

Konstantin stood, “Finish your ales, and head back to the Legion Hall. We stank up Eryk’s kitchen enough.” He approached me and handed me a wrapped package. “From the company.” He spoke softly next so only I could hear, “When you join the Hounds, always be aware of your surroundings, and don’t embarrass me.” He turned smoothly and walked out first. I said goodbye to the others as they rushed to finish their drinks, some getting a quick second.

Maveith was last and engulfed me in a quick hug. “Remember you promised to come with me to Stone Mountain Island,” he said gruffly.

“I will.” I pulled the second ring of sustenance I got from Traeliorn. “Take this. It has the same functionality as my ring.” Maveith stared at the ring momentarily before his hand closed around it, nodding gratefully.

“Eryk, I know we will meet again.” The goliath gave my shoulder a last pat and left the suite. The door shut, and all I could hear was the two mage aspirants whispering on the other side of the tower. I looked at the wrapped package and cut the twine. A large package of griffin jerky was on top of some new underclothes and new legion boots. I nibbled on the griffin jerky, which had been seasoned with Kraken salt. It was easily the most valuable thing in the bundle. The boots were new and would need to be broken in.

It was a thoughtful gift, and I moved everything to my crowded dimensional space. I continued to cook, and when the sunset came, my two ravenous dependents feasted. After consuming her first burrito and a side of diced fruit, Livia asked, “Was that a giant?”

“Who, Maveith? No, he is just a goliath. First time seeing one?” I responded, sipping the now warm ale. It was actually pretty smooth and not bitter.

“Goliath? I think one of the gladiators in the Coliseum is a goliath, but I have never seen one—so close.” Flora added to the conversation.

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“Where is the Coliseum?” I asked. I had heard about it in passing.

“The western side of the city in the upper district. It can hold twenty thousand people!” Livia replied confidently. She grew up in the lower city and was familiar with the districts. Her father was a glass blower, and her mother carved corks. When she was in familiar company, she lived up to her name, constantly smiling and congenial.

“Are the gladiators who fight slaves?” I asked, recalling my history of the Roman Empire on Earth.

Livia scrunched her face in thought. “I don’t think so; most are adventurers or professional warriors. But they do fight prisoners, captured orc pirates, Bartiradian soldiers, and fantastical creatures from the Imperial Zoo. It costs five large silver for admittance and only happens on the day of the full moon each month.”

“When is the next full moon?” I asked, curious.

“Day after next, I think,” Flora said immediately, leaning back and rubbing her belly. She had consumed two massive burritos and was having trouble on the third.

We talked for a while about their day. Their harassment had lessened somewhat since my arrival, but they still had their nemesis classmates who tormented them. I patiently let them vent until they expressed all their anger. “You two can use the bathroom and then return to your rooms,” I said, dismissing them. The excited mage aspirants started to sprint but thought better of it after their gluttony.

I cleaned up, and after the two left an hour later, I returned to the alchemy lab and worked on my first potion. I meticulously went through the steps, mixed the purified ingredients, added the sapphire dust, and then added a touch of aether. The potion flared weakly and settled. A strong, minty scent hung in the air. That had not been overly difficult. It had taken nearly a day to brew just a few doses of mouthwash, but I had been successful.

Of course, this was one of the simplest potions. The basic healing salve recipe was among the books Zyna had procured for me. I wrote out the list of ingredients, adding another batch for mouthwash but changing the type of mint leaves I would use. It was close to midnight when I finally settled into my weasel pelts.

The next morning, I woke just after dawn and had to complete my training inside the room rather than on the exposed balcony. A door opened, and the change in air pressure alerted me that someone was in the apartment. I found Zyna in the common room, lounging on the sofa. She looked tired but smiled on seeing me. “I see you fortunately failed to get into any more trouble while I was away.”

I sat across from her, “It has been very quiet. I haven’t seen Renna, but Flora and Livia have been feeding me the local gossip.”

Zyna smirked knowingly. “I will check on Renna today, and you will see her this afternoon. If you have your armor, you can accompany me to class.”

I nodded appreciatively. “Ignis delivered it. It is quite exquisite. A true piece of art.”

“Excellent! One less problem to address. I am going to nap here for an hour, and you can follow me down to the classroom.” The fire mage closed her eyes and ignored me. She had dark rings under her eyes, and I guessed she might not have slept much recently. I would ask her after the class about the possibility of going to the Coliseum tomorrow. Not because I wanted to watch people kill each other, but because I was hoping to observe some skilled fighters to incorporate into my dreamscape.

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I woke Zyna and then followed her down to the first floor of the tower. I didn’t carry the shield but had strapped on my black blade. Zyna’s demeanor switched from haggard and tired, to stern and commanding, as she entered the classroom. Nine mages in gray robes sat in chairs across the room. One was Renna, and her gaze lingered on me for a moment, but I had my face guard on so she might not realize it was me.

Zyna stepped to the front of the room, a fire whip snapped in the air, causing the mages to jump. “I have returned. I hope you all have gained some competency with your fire magic during my absence.”

I stood next to the door at attention. Zyna gestured at me, “My shiny new legionnaire. If you see him within the college, know he speaks for me and follow all his instructions as you would mine.” She studied the terrified students, picking one with a malicious grin forming on her face. “Mage Rufus, show me your fire weave!”

A young man stood shakily and weaved a spell form slowly between his hands. His face was sweating as a circle of red flame formed after a few seconds with green flashes appearing in it. I thought it was impressive, but Zyna was not happy. Her face clouded in anger, “Mage Rufus, what have you been doing for the last week!? You are still mixing other affinities with your fire! How many times do I need to tell you that when writing out your spell forms for fire magic, you must purify the aether through your fire aspect on your core!”

Rufus stuttered, “I can’t control…I will do better…It is so much smaller…threading a needle…” The fire whip cracked again, cutting him off.

“You will not practice your water magic again until you can show me pure fire magic!” Rufus looked ready to object but wisely closed his mouth and nodded, falling relieved into his chair. Zyna’s eyes traveled over to Renna, who was hiding a grin. Zyna gave her a barely imperceptible nod of encouragement. “Mage Renna, hopefully, you can restore my faith in this class’s potential. Show me your flaming spear.”

Renna stood, her face focused as she formed the spell forms between her hands. It was slow but much faster than Rufus. An arrow-sized line of fire zipped from the spell form directly at Zyna. Zyna’s aether shield flared as the arrow harmlessly splashed against it. The Chancellor’s eyes narrowed, her orbs became flames, and she licked her lips. All the students recoiled at the expected retaliation.

“Not only was that attack weak, but you also formed the spell form much too slowly. In battle, you would have a dozen arrows in you by the time you cast it. You need more focus. Maybe oiling every piece of furniture in my apartments will help you clear your mind. My apartments after the midday meal for the next week.” Her voice dripped with venom. Most of the other gray-robed mages snickered at Renna. I thought Zyna’s acting was a little over the top. Renna was having trouble hiding her smile, happy at the punishment.

The rest of the class proceeded for the next three hours. After High Mage Zyna had assessed each student’s progress, she began actually teaching, albeit with condescension and a harsh tone. The only thing I really understood from the whole lesson was that spell forms for fire spells needed a high purity of fire aether. The higher the fire affinity, the more powerful the spell form woven with fire affinity aether.

When the lunch bell rang, the gray-robed mages couldn’t move fast enough to leave the classroom. I climbed the stairs back to the apartments, Zyna grumbling the entire time about how most of those mages would be dead in their first real battle.

“So, now that people have seen me in my armor, am I free to walk the College grounds?”

The fire mage considered before responding, “Yes, after my other class tomorrow morning.”

“Can I go to the Coliseum tomorrow?” My question had Zyna pause on the steps to look at me.

“Are there Games tomorrow? Figures the Emperor would continue hosting them while the Empire is balancing on the tip of a needle. Keep them entertained and they shall be to distracted to worry.” She assessed me with an studying stare. “Why do you wish to attend?”

“Just curiosity, and mostly to study the gladiators and monsters fighting.”

Zyna nodded and continued up the stairs, “Antonia has a box we can use. We can go together. It has been a while since I attended.”

I cooked Zyna’s lunch, and she left to perform her Chancellor duties. A few hours after lunch, Renna, Flora, and Livia arrived. All of them were eager for their day’s punishment. Renna wore an inerasable grin on her face as I ordered her to work. I finally had something to look forward to myself, after being constrained to these apartments—seeing the Coliseum.

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