Industrial Mage: Modernizing a Magical World

16 - He's Changed a Lot

Author's Note:

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Hector arrived with his father half an hour later. They were both dressed finely—exquisite silk cloaks, woven leather belts adorned with gleaming gold, and so on. However, they were smudged in blood and gore. Lady Sefica scowled, a deep frown on her face. Hector's father, Lord Daniel, was as sullen as always, with his somber brown eyes and greyed stubble. He shrugged at his wife. "It was a dirty fight," he grumbled.

She sighed, walking to him. "Alright. You could've cleaned yourselves, though. We have guests."

Hector raised his arms, glancing down at the state of his clothes, and then his eyes fell on Ethan and Roland. "Oh? What are you guys doing here?" said Hector.

"Hector, good to see you." Ethan nodded, glancing briefly at Daniel. Daniel merely nodded in acknowledgment.

"I hope you had an easy journey." Hector flashed a smile, shaking the mud off his clothes, earning another glare from Lady Sefica. "We've been busy clearing things up in Corinth."

"The aftermath of the dungeon incursion?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah," Hector said. "Now, my apologies, Theodore, but I must clean up."

"We need to talk, Hector. I have a proposition. Meet us as soon as you're finished."

***

Roland fidgeted with the hilt of his sword, a nervous habit he thought he'd long broken. The air in the opulent sitting room hung thick with tension (or maybe that was just his imagination)—and he had to admit, it was far too contrasting for him compared to the cheerful small talk he'd just shared with Lady Sefica. Lord Theodore was planning something, and he didn't know what. Lord Theodore had been acting strangely for so long now. First, he turned over a new leaf, which was shocking enough, but then suddenly started caring about his barony and the looming tax collectors. The shock and disbelief hadn't quite settled, though. To make sure that he paid off his debt and tax, Lord Theodore dabbled into something Roland hadn't ever considered Theodore dabbling into: soap-making. The thought alone felt... off. Roland's life recently had been shocks after shocks—so much so that he'd gotten used to it and was on the lookout for the next shock he'd feel. First, Lord Theodore made soap, which somehow was also a remedy for the Blight, and then he started changing more and more. He became a [Mage]—gained power, asked for books (something Lord Theodore would've never done before), and heck, he got a former Red Tower member to be his mentor—though it was a different matter entirely how Derrick had yet to return. Lord Theodore had changed so much that Roland had been debating whether he'd been taken over by some evil spirit.

But then again, Lord Theodore had done nothing... evil.

The strange thing was, Lord Theodore had done so much good in the short span of time he'd changed than he'd done his whole life—so much so that Roland wondered if it was an evil spirit or not. Not to mention all that strange knowledge... Just how exactly did Lord Theodore learn soap-making? How did he make it better than everyone else?

Roland felt as though nothing could shock him anymore. But he was wrong, it seemed. When the door finally creaked open and Hector walked in, Roland straightened, heart pounding in his chest. He'd never liked the scumbag. He'd never liked any of them—Lord Theodore and Hector. Both were scum. Hector was a step above. Roland would even go so far as saying that it was Hector who'd influenced Lord Theodore into becoming what he did. Regardless, Roland stood alert, face impassive. From the corner of his eyes, he spotted an unreadable smile playing on Lord Theodore's lips. Just what are you planning? Roland wondered. Lord Theodore had only mentioned that it was regarding soap's mass production. Nothing else.