The Dreamer's Fall

Chapter 4 - The Bespectacled Mage

"Didn't the emperor already declare war on the Kingdom of Bern half a year ago? What do you mean we're going to war?" Arthur asked curiously.

The Kingdom of Bern bordered Ollerin to the south. It was the latest victim in Ollerin's millennia-long conquest to eradicate the worship of the god Minaan. That was the official reason, at least.

"He did, and the imperial forces were already pushing deep into Bern. But a few weeks ago, the capital was attacked along with six other northern cities. It wasn't a simple attack, either.

"Those responsible slaughtered hundreds to open a portal to Minaan's realm. It took the capital four days to close the portal, even with the Nyrian Guard leading the battle. Then the emperor—" Foster suddenly stopped speaking and tilted his head.

Footsteps echoed down the hallway, and as soon as he heard them, he hastily dashed back to his original position beside the study door.

It was an interesting sight, but Arthur knew why he acted in such a way. He was on probation due to being overly friendly with the aforementioned baron's wife, and he couldn't afford to be seen slacking off if he wanted to keep his job.

A moment after he achieved a perfect soldier's attention stance, two women turned the corner. The first woman was tall with an hourglass-shaped body that most men would sell their souls to spend a night with.

She had short, curly blonde hair and appeared in her early thirties. She was objectively beautiful. Even Arthur couldn't deny that fact despite his utter disdain for the woman.

She was Elyria Yor, and she took the place as the primary wife of Arthur's father after his mother's death. As if channeling all the evil stepmothers from Earth's fairytales, she actively tried to find trouble with him whenever possible.

However, after a failed poisoning attempt against Arthur last year that resulted in the death of one of the cooks, it appeared she'd been reigned in by Edward, at least on the surface.

As Arthur and Elyria's eyes met, an expression of disgust flashed across her face.

"Wow! Aunty, you look so beautiful today!" Arthur shouted innocently as he ran over to her with a child-like smile.

Elyria instinctively stepped back in response as if she were wearing a pure white dress and he was covered in mud.

"Boy, don't bother the lady, be on your way!" The older woman standing behind Elyria snapped.

The second woman was the middle-aged woman he had seen first after his birth. Her name was Merin, and like Senna, she used to be a maid serving Arthur's mother. However, unlike Senna, she quickly ran over to Lady Elyria's side after his mother's death.

In response to Merin's shout, Arthur brought his index finger to his mouth in an exaggerated manner and pretended to be deep in thought for a moment.

"Who's boy? Aren't I a young master? You're too silly, Ms. Merin. Don't you know it's a crime for a servant to disrespect a noble? Ah, you don't have to worry, though. I won't tell on you, but you should really be careful. I wouldn't want such a kind old lady to be flogged over something so silly." Arthur responded as if showing genuine concern for the old woman before releasing a child-like giggle.

Arthur's act had the intended effect as Merin found herself at a temporary loss for words, causing Elyria to step in and save her expertly. "That's enough, Arthur. If there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave."

Elyria didn't bother waiting for Arthur to respond and walked past him before suddenly stopping after a few steps. "Oh, and by the way, I've just spoken with your father... Let me be the first to congratulate you on your new position." Elyria said as she hid a wicked smile behind her dainty hand.