The grand hall of the Proudmantle estate buzzed with the sounds of shuffling paper and scratching pens. Clerks sat at long wooden tables, immersed in their work of cataloging taxes, recording census numbers, and drafting trade agreements. At the head of the hall sat the Royal House of Proudmantle, overlooking the controlled chaos of bureaucracy.
This was no lavish celebration or momentous occasion. It was merely the weekly administrative council, where officials from across the realm gathered to discuss affairs of state. Transactions of grain, policies on magic usage, bridge repair budgets—the minutiae of governance that kept society flowing.
As the most powerful bureaucratic force in the world, the Stratum Nation influenced kingdoms near and far. But it was often through quiet, behind-the-scenes actions. An official’s whisper in a king’s ear about prudent tax rates. Diplomats sent abroad to mediate border disputes. Complex regulations enacted to stabilize prices of goods. Rarely through brute force or coercion.
Lord Proudmantle preferred it this way. Let others wage wars and vie for glory. His family’s power relied on balance, order, and discretion. They were the unsung heroes, the silent gear upon which the world turned. Never overt in action, but always firm in resolve.
The pen, not the sword, ruled the world.
Others, though, did not share his discretion or restraint.
One such ruler was King Aldric Daiyu IV of Daiyudura. His was a kingdom of blended human and elven culture, with a history of fostering artistic expression and trade. In recent times, however, Daiyudura had turned away from open exchange with its neighbors.
King Aldric began implementing increasingly isolationist policies, straining diplomatic ties. He spurned multi-cultural festivals and instead emphasized human superiority in dangerous rhetoric. The economy faltered as he severed trade partnerships. His aggression created turmoil both within and beyond the kingdom’s borders.
Many neighboring rulers called for sanctions against Daiyudura over these actions. But Lord Proudmantle demurred, counseling patience and a measured hand.
Yet even within the troubled kingdom, there remained overlooked corners of dissent. Tucked away in a remote valley, all but forgotten on official maps, lay the small village of Calmo. And within this unremarkable place dwelled an interesting man—an outworlder who didn’t seek grand quests or heroics, an unusual soul who sought neither the sword nor the hero’s journey. An outworlder who caught Lord Proudmantle’s interest.
▬▬ι═════ﺤ
Kaito awoke while it was still dark out.
Moving as quietly as he could so as not to wake up his guest, he slipped out of bed and took the ten steps required to make it into the kitchen area, eager to test a recipe he had been tinkering with recently.
Mana went into the lantern—not too much though, since he didn’t want it to be too bright. He then gathered his ingredients and combed through the pantry, loading his arms with everything required.
Setting his materials on the counter, he got to work. It was nighthoney and spice infused puff pastry twists time!
[Special Technique: Ambidextrous Culinaire]
First, Kaito prepared the dough for the puff pastry with one hand, as the other ground the lovoves into a fine powder, and then thinly sliced the iticao. The smell was spectacular. It felt as if his left nostril was inhaling a warm, earthy aroma, while his right nostril was soothed by a cool, fresh scent. It reminded him of cinnamon and mint.
One hand rolled, while the other sprinkled spices. Once the layering was done, he blew a stream of icy breath that instantly chilled it, then set it aside.
He sliced the layered dough into ribbons, the twitch of a single finger sent the strips self-assembling into twisted forms on the baking sheets.
The twists went into the oven and he started on the nighthoney glaze.
While Kaito spooned out the last of the nighthoney from the jar onto a bowl, he had to admit he had been rather liberal in adding the precious nighthoney to his recipes lately.
Looking down at the now empty container, he made a mental note to come down to Megnaxia soon and get some more.
Though he enjoyed baking simply for the artistry and creativity of it, this morning’s efforts held more meaning. Not for entertainment. Not as a hobby. Today, his only purpose was to bring a small blip of happiness to Zenith’s face. Though these nighthoney treats would hardly relieve Zenith’s larger worries, at least he hoped it would lift her spirits, if only for a moment.
He paused, listening for any sounds of Zenith stirring. Hearing only silence, he continued his work. Though just a small gesture, it was the best way he knew to show his support during trying times.
Recently, her blonde hair had lost its luster, her rosy cheeks were pale and drawn, and her large, sapphire eyes, once full of twinkle, now seemed small and tired—changes that pained him deeply, for he cherished her vibrancy and the joy she normally exuded.
These past months, Kaito had worked hard to avoid the perilous adventures and grand quests unfolding beyond this tranquil village, all to protect the simple life he had built, but he did not care one bit about that anymore.
When he first landed in this world, his original plan was to find a few hobbies and seclude himself from people to stay away from typical fantasy drama. However, beneath all his spells, buffs, auras, and mana types, he was still human. And humans are social creatures.
He sat the jar down, wondering if he would have been better off in absolute seclusion, but he couldn’t imagine himself away from his new family. Not anymore.
Kaito vowed to himself to still steer clear of all the expected heroics, but right now…
Right now, he would certainly venture out into the world’s narratives for his family.
And he would find a way to make this elf—half-human happy again. Whatever it took.
He wondered when exactly his priorities changed, but couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment. Not that he was complaining. It was just, for lack of a better word, ‘strange.’ He’d felt attraction to other people in his previous worlds, but given the fast-pace environment he’d been living; jumping from quest to quest and from realm to realm, it was never like this, he was never able to form deep relationships with anyone, his life was just an endless cycle of training, fighting, gaining abilities, honing skills, battling, leveling up, acquiring items, traversing lands, exploring dungeons, encountering characters, furthering plots, and moving on to the next world before he could truly settle down and create meaningful connections in any one place.
Now, as he glanced at Zenith’s sleeping form across the room, her hair splayed out over the pillow, the steady rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, he felt something stir deep within himself that he hadn’t experienced before—a sense of belonging, of being tied to another person in a profound way.
It was...nice.
It was worth protecting. Worth fighting for. Worth anything.
To think he had been missing out on this aspect of life—
His thoughts were caught off by the sound of Zenith awakening from her slumber. She rose slowly, as if it took extraordinary effort just to sit up in bed.
“Good morning,” he said with a warm smile. “Sorry if I woke you. This place is so small, it’s hard not to make noise when I’m up and about.”
Zenith returned his smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Morning,” she murmured, her voice still thick with sleep. She stretched her arms over her head and stifled a yawn.
“S’okay,” Zenith said through a second yawn.
“Did you rest well—”
Kaito rushed his attention to the oven, removing the tray from within, and filling the small space with the aroma of freshly baked pastries.
He plated twists, arranging them in an artful spiral, drizzling the last bit of nighthoney over top with a flourish.
Done.
“Here,” he said, holding out the plate. “I made these for you.”
She looked at it for a second.
“If you’re going to spoil me with pastries like this for breakfast every morning, I might never leave your house, no matter how small it is,” Zenith said as she took a bite of the warm, flaky pastry twist.
“Well, I’ll have you know I already have plans to expand this place, make it bigger for the both of us.” He winked. “Though I can’t say I’d mind you sticking around more often.”
Zenith leaned over and planted a quick kiss on his cheek, leaving behind a faint smudge of nighthoney glaze.
“Careful what you wish for.”
She then made her way over to the sink—the only sink in the tiny home—and splashed some water on her face to wake herself up before sitting at the table to enjoy her breakfast properly.
Kaito joined her with his own plate of pastries. Together, they ate the nighthoney and spice infused puff pastry twists as the morning sun began to stream brighter through the window.
It was impossible not to smile every time Zenith made a little noise of pleasure after taking a bite. He was glad to see her spirits lifted, even if just for the moment.
“Don’t you worry, we’re going to fix the kingdom,” Kaito said, reaching over to give Zenith’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “One step at a time.”
Zenith nodded. “I know.”
They finished their meal. Then, with full bellies, the two headed out hand in hand towards the village hall to start their day.
▬▬ι═════ﺤ
“Shagal, you’re certain you can get Pronotum in contact with your associates at the capital?” Kaito asked.
“Yes, sir. I’ll make it happen.”
“Thank you. We’ll talk more later.”
Kaito’s chest puffed out as he watched his friends step out of the conference room. Jogid jutted his chin forward, eyes alight. Portia cracked her knuckles. Even the usually timid Angelina stood a bit taller.
Wait, that’s it?
What do you mean?
That’s the big master plan? Sit back and watch while beetle boy makes some calls? All that talk earlier about taking up arms for your friends, and now you just want to sit on your hands and see what happens? What bullshit.
Well, that’s not what we’re doing. We need more information before we can act. Rushing in without a plan would be irresponsible.
Argh, I can’t with you!
He glanced at Zenith, who seemed satisfied with the meeting’s outcome, as he stepped out of the conference room himself.
When he looked forward again, Edweth was standing in his way, her cheeks flushed.
“You’re looking full of energy this morning, Edweth.”
She blushed deeper. “Oh, thank you, Master Kaito. I—” She paused, brow furrowing as if trying to remember something important. “Right, I came to tell you that Mister Neo Proudmantle arrived today. He wishes to speak with you and the mayor.”
“Isn’t it a bit early for a tax audit?” Kaito asked, one eyebrow arching.
Edweth opened her mouth. “Yes, well—”
“Not at all.” A gruff voice cut in from behind her. “Master Kaito,” Neo added with a curt nod.
“Thank you, Edweth, we’ll call you if we need anything. Mr. Proudmantle.” Kaito inclined his head, though his breath caught slightly in his chest. “What brings you back to Clamo so soon? I’m sure that a man as busy as you wouldn’t drop by this remote village without good reason.”
“Of course. There’s always a good reason. We’ve found a discrepancy with the numbers of souls reported on the last tax return.”
Kaito sighed, both internally and externally. “You’re very—”
Neo raised a hand. “No need to panic. I’m sure we can find a solution.”
“Yes, of course. Let us discuss.”
I really like this dude.
The grand hall of the Proudmantle estate buzzed with the sounds of shuffling paper and scratching pens. Clerks sat at long wooden tables, immersed in their work of cataloging taxes, recording census numbers, and drafting trade agreements. At the head of the hall sat the Royal House of Proudmantle, overlooking the controlled chaos of bureaucracy.
This was no lavish celebration or momentous occasion. It was merely the weekly administrative council, where officials from across the realm gathered to discuss affairs of state. Transactions of grain, policies on magic usage, bridge repair budgets—the minutiae of governance that kept society flowing.
As the most powerful bureaucratic force in the world, the Stratum Nation influenced kingdoms near and far. But it was often through quiet, behind-the-scenes actions. An official’s whisper in a king’s ear about prudent tax rates. Diplomats sent abroad to mediate border disputes. Complex regulations enacted to stabilize prices of goods. Rarely through brute force or coercion.
Lord Proudmantle preferred it this way. Let others wage wars and vie for glory. His family’s power relied on balance, order, and discretion. They were the unsung heroes, the silent gear upon which the world turned. Never overt in action, but always firm in resolve.
The pen, not the sword, ruled the world.
Others, though, did not share his discretion or restraint.
One such ruler was King Aldric Daiyu IV of Daiyudura. His was a kingdom of blended human and elven culture, with a history of fostering artistic expression and trade. In recent times, however, Daiyudura had turned away from open exchange with its neighbors.
King Aldric began implementing increasingly isolationist policies, straining diplomatic ties. He spurned multi-cultural festivals and instead emphasized human superiority in dangerous rhetoric. The economy faltered as he severed trade partnerships. His aggression created turmoil both within and beyond the kingdom’s borders.
Many neighboring rulers called for sanctions against Daiyudura over these actions. But Lord Proudmantle demurred, counseling patience and a measured hand.
Yet even within the troubled kingdom, there remained overlooked corners of dissent. Tucked away in a remote valley, all but forgotten on official maps, lay the small village of Calmo. And within this unremarkable place dwelled an interesting man—an outworlder who didn’t seek grand quests or heroics, an unusual soul who sought neither the sword nor the hero’s journey. An outworlder who caught Lord Proudmantle’s interest.
▬▬ι═════ﺤ
Kaito awoke while it was still dark out.
Moving as quietly as he could so as not to wake up his guest, he slipped out of bed and took the ten steps required to make it into the kitchen area, eager to test a recipe he had been tinkering with recently.
Mana went into the lantern—not too much though, since he didn’t want it to be too bright. He then gathered his ingredients and combed through the pantry, loading his arms with everything required.
Setting his materials on the counter, he got to work. It was nighthoney and spice infused puff pastry twists time!
[Special Technique: Ambidextrous Culinaire]
First, Kaito prepared the dough for the puff pastry with one hand, as the other ground the lovoves into a fine powder, and then thinly sliced the iticao. The smell was spectacular. It felt as if his left nostril was inhaling a warm, earthy aroma, while his right nostril was soothed by a cool, fresh scent. It reminded him of cinnamon and mint.
One hand rolled, while the other sprinkled spices. Once the layering was done, he blew a stream of icy breath that instantly chilled it, then set it aside.
He sliced the layered dough into ribbons, the twitch of a single finger sent the strips self-assembling into twisted forms on the baking sheets.
The twists went into the oven and he started on the nighthoney glaze.
While Kaito spooned out the last of the nighthoney from the jar onto a bowl, he had to admit he had been rather liberal in adding the precious nighthoney to his recipes lately.
Looking down at the now empty container, he made a mental note to come down to Megnaxia soon and get some more.
Though he enjoyed baking simply for the artistry and creativity of it, this morning’s efforts held more meaning. Not for entertainment. Not as a hobby. Today, his only purpose was to bring a small blip of happiness to Zenith’s face. Though these nighthoney treats would hardly relieve Zenith’s larger worries, at least he hoped it would lift her spirits, if only for a moment.
He paused, listening for any sounds of Zenith stirring. Hearing only silence, he continued his work. Though just a small gesture, it was the best way he knew to show his support during trying times.
Recently, her blonde hair had lost its luster, her rosy cheeks were pale and drawn, and her large, sapphire eyes, once full of twinkle, now seemed small and tired—changes that pained him deeply, for he cherished her vibrancy and the joy she normally exuded.
These past months, Kaito had worked hard to avoid the perilous adventures and grand quests unfolding beyond this tranquil village, all to protect the simple life he had built, but he did not care one bit about that anymore.
When he first landed in this world, his original plan was to find a few hobbies and seclude himself from people to stay away from typical fantasy drama. However, beneath all his spells, buffs, auras, and mana types, he was still human. And humans are social creatures.
He sat the jar down, wondering if he would have been better off in absolute seclusion, but he couldn’t imagine himself away from his new family. Not anymore.
Kaito vowed to himself to still steer clear of all the expected heroics, but right now…
Right now, he would certainly venture out into the world’s narratives for his family.
And he would find a way to make this elf—half-human happy again. Whatever it took.
He wondered when exactly his priorities changed, but couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment. Not that he was complaining. It was just, for lack of a better word, ‘strange.’ He’d felt attraction to other people in his previous worlds, but given the fast-pace environment he’d been living; jumping from quest to quest and from realm to realm, it was never like this, he was never able to form deep relationships with anyone, his life was just an endless cycle of training, fighting, gaining abilities, honing skills, battling, leveling up, acquiring items, traversing lands, exploring dungeons, encountering characters, furthering plots, and moving on to the next world before he could truly settle down and create meaningful connections in any one place.
Now, as he glanced at Zenith’s sleeping form across the room, her hair splayed out over the pillow, the steady rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, he felt something stir deep within himself that he hadn’t experienced before—a sense of belonging, of being tied to another person in a profound way.
It was...nice.
It was worth protecting. Worth fighting for. Worth anything.
To think he had been missing out on this aspect of life—
His thoughts were caught off by the sound of Zenith awakening from her slumber. She rose slowly, as if it took extraordinary effort just to sit up in bed.
“Good morning,” he said with a warm smile. “Sorry if I woke you. This place is so small, it’s hard not to make noise when I’m up and about.”
Zenith returned his smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Morning,” she murmured, her voice still thick with sleep. She stretched her arms over her head and stifled a yawn.
“S’okay,” Zenith said through a second yawn.
“Did you rest well—”
Kaito rushed his attention to the oven, removing the tray from within, and filling the small space with the aroma of freshly baked pastries.
He plated twists, arranging them in an artful spiral, drizzling the last bit of nighthoney over top with a flourish.
Done.
“Here,” he said, holding out the plate. “I made these for you.”
She looked at it for a second.
“If you’re going to spoil me with pastries like this for breakfast every morning, I might never leave your house, no matter how small it is,” Zenith said as she took a bite of the warm, flaky pastry twist.
“Well, I’ll have you know I already have plans to expand this place, make it bigger for the both of us.” He winked. “Though I can’t say I’d mind you sticking around more often.”
Zenith leaned over and planted a quick kiss on his cheek, leaving behind a faint smudge of nighthoney glaze.
“Careful what you wish for.”
She then made her way over to the sink—the only sink in the tiny home—and splashed some water on her face to wake herself up before sitting at the table to enjoy her breakfast properly.
Kaito joined her with his own plate of pastries. Together, they ate the nighthoney and spice infused puff pastry twists as the morning sun began to stream brighter through the window.
It was impossible not to smile every time Zenith made a little noise of pleasure after taking a bite. He was glad to see her spirits lifted, even if just for the moment.
“Don’t you worry, we’re going to fix the kingdom,” Kaito said, reaching over to give Zenith’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “One step at a time.”
Zenith nodded. “I know.”
They finished their meal. Then, with full bellies, the two headed out hand in hand towards the village hall to start their day.
▬▬ι═════ﺤ
“Shagal, you’re certain you can get Pronotum in contact with your associates at the capital?” Kaito asked.
“Yes, sir. I’ll make it happen.”
“Thank you. We’ll talk more later.”
Kaito’s chest puffed out as he watched his friends step out of the conference room. Jogid jutted his chin forward, eyes alight. Portia cracked her knuckles. Even the usually timid Angelina stood a bit taller.
Wait, that’s it?
What do you mean?
That’s the big master plan? Sit back and watch while beetle boy makes some calls? All that talk earlier about taking up arms for your friends, and now you just want to sit on your hands and see what happens? What bullshit.
Well, that’s not what we’re doing. We need more information before we can act. Rushing in without a plan would be irresponsible.
Argh, I can’t with you!
He glanced at Zenith, who seemed satisfied with the meeting’s outcome, as he stepped out of the conference room himself.
When he looked forward again, Edweth was standing in his way, her cheeks flushed.
“You’re looking full of energy this morning, Edweth.”
She blushed deeper. “Oh, thank you, Master Kaito. I—” She paused, brow furrowing as if trying to remember something important. “Right, I came to tell you that Mister Neo Proudmantle arrived today. He wishes to speak with you and the mayor.”
“Isn’t it a bit early for a tax audit?” Kaito asked, one eyebrow arching.
Edweth opened her mouth. “Yes, well—”
“Not at all.” A gruff voice cut in from behind her. “Master Kaito,” Neo added with a curt nod.
“Thank you, Edweth, we’ll call you if we need anything. Mr. Proudmantle.” Kaito inclined his head, though his breath caught slightly in his chest. “What brings you back to Clamo so soon? I’m sure that a man as busy as you wouldn’t drop by this remote village without good reason.”
“Of course. There’s always a good reason. We’ve found a discrepancy with the numbers of souls reported on the last tax return.”
Kaito sighed, both internally and externally. “You’re very—”
Neo raised a hand. “No need to panic. I’m sure we can find a solution.”
“Yes, of course. Let us discuss.”
I really like this dude.
