The sun has started to set upon Herzen, bringing with it the multitude of fascinating colors, developing a feeling of relaxation on whoever witnesses it.
Caspar's unique tour of Herzen has already come to an end with a happy Lothar and disgruntled and tired Carsten. The hustle and bustle of the city had started to calm since people had already started to head home to have dinner and spend the night in the comfort of their own homes.
As the trio walk down the subdued streets with Caspar leading the way, Lothar comes to a stop. Caspar, who stopped hearing the footsteps behind him, also stops and turns around to see what had happened.
As he turns, he sees Lothar, with his calm and charming smile, bathed with the dazzling lights of the setting sun, looking at him.
"Thank you, Caspar. This might be the most fun I've ever had in the capital."
Caspar blushes at the blinding sight and lowers his head as he replies in a happy tone.
"Well, I am glad I was able to show you a good time."
At that point, the disgruntled Carsten, whose opinions had been ignored for an entire day, jumps in.
"hmph, your highness, we should be returning soon, it is not safe for you to be outside unprotected at night."
Caspar also nods at Carsten's suggestion, after all, Lothar is a prince, there would be many people that would want his life, be it from within the royal family or outside it.
Under the insistence of both his companions, Lothar relents and decides that it is time to return to the palace. But as the trio end their conversation, they notice an old woman holding a child by the hand, walking out of one of the alleyways.
Both the woman and child seem to be dressed in dirty and torn rags, their faces covered by dirt and soot. The two make their way to an awning of a closed shop, where the woman sits down and pulls the child to sit on her lap.
After sitting down, the child pulls out a piece of bread. From the looks of the boy as he tries to rip the bread in half, the bread seems to be stale. After multiple attempts, the boy succeeds in breaking it as he hands half to the old lady with the purist smile on his face.
"Here you go, Grandma!"
"Oh my dear, Grandma isn't hungry, you should eat all of it!"
The boy frowns as he pushes the piece of bread into his grandmother's hand.
"I can't do that Grandma, you haven't eaten anything all day, Mom said good kids have to finish their food even if they are not hungry so you have to eat."
The grandmother's eyes water at the mention of her daughter, the child's mother, as she accepts the food from the child. The child finally smiles, seeing that his grandmother took the food.
The trio look at the pair in silence for a while before Carsten explains to the Prince.
"Village people are always trying to find a place for themselves in the city, but those without skills or influence will always find themselves at the bottom of the food chain."
Carsten did not intend to deride the pair or scorn them, he was merely explaining the truth of the society they live in, he honestly felt bad for the pair.
Caspar frowns as he shoots Carsten a death glare.
"And the people at the top only look above them, completely oblivious to what happens below."
After saying his piece, Caspar walks to the child before pulling out the food and snacks he had bought... Lothar bought him during the tour and hands them to the child.
"Good men know how to take care of their families. My name is Caspar Hahn, what is yours?"
The boy looks cautiously at the food and then at Caspar before he extends his scrawny arms and takes them.
"My name is Oliver."
Caspar reveals his most harmless smile to calm the child before he starts speaking to him again.
"Hi Oliver, you seem to be taking good care of your grandmother, so you must be a good man."
Oliver raises his head proudly as he smiles and replies to Caspar.
"Of course, Oliver is a good man, just like dad."
Caspar smiles and rubs Oliver's head as he asks.
"Oh, and where is your dad now?"
"Oliver's dad is in Herzen!"
"hmm?"
At this point, the grandmother interjects, she had let Oliver talk to Caspar since he seemed like a good young man.
"We are from a village close to the capital, and Oliver's father is in the army. We had heard that the army is returning soon, so Oliver wanted to come to Herzen to see his father."
At this point, Lothar and Carsten had also come over and were standing behind Caspar.
Caspar frowns for a second before he gets an idea. He turns to look at Lothar with a smile before he tells Oliver.
"This big brother here is a high ranking officer in the army, why don't you tell us your dad's name and we will help you find him?"
The duo looks at the young Lothar in confusion. In their minds, all of the high ranking officers are older men, and that handsome man is too young to be an officer.
Lothar, understanding what their concern was, reassures them.
"Indeed I am an officer in the army, but this uncle next to me is an advisor to the army commander if you tell him what your dad's name is, he would definitely be able to find him!"
Carsten, appalled by how he got dragged into this conversation, looks at the glistening and hopeful eyes of Oliver before he replies in defeat.
sigh, "Yes, I was even in the eastern front myself, I might have even met your dad once or twice."
Oliver gets even more excited as he jumps to his feet.
"REALLY!?"
"Yes"
Carsten replies as he nods.
"My dad's name is Axel Lichter, do you know him?"
The trio think for a while, they do not remember anyone by that name, but if he really was in the army, they would be able to find him.
"hmm... I don't remember him from the top of my head."
At this point, Oliver's excitement dwindles as tears start forming in his eyes.
Panicked for making a child cry, Carsten continues his sentence hurriedly.
"But if he is in the army, we will find him. Until then, would you like to stay at an inn? after all, we can't have the family of one of our brave soldiers staying in the streets."
At this point, the grandmother jumps into the conversation.
"We can't, we do not have any money, and we can't impose on you more than we already have."
Lothar, not willing to take no for an answer, replies to the grandmother righteously.
"Nonsense, Mr. Lichter put his life on the line for this nation, and in return, this nation will not forget his service."
Caspar looks at the energized Lothar as he thinks to himself.
'One day, he will make a great King.'
In the end, Lothar took the Grandmother and child to a nearby inn, booked them a room, and even gave them some money to spend on food and some new clothes.
Soon, the trio leave the two to clean up, eat, and rest for the night. As they prepare to split up and head their own ways, Caspar takes a long look at Lothar before saying with a smile.
"You would make a great King."
The words halt Lothar's steps as he turns to face Caspar. A couple of minutes of silence ensue as Lothar's expression keeps changing until he settles into his usual smile and replies.
"Maybe, but before that, don't forget about the award ceremony the day after tomorrow."
Caspar, confused by Lothar's long silence and weird reply, holds in his curiosity as he answers back to Lothar.
"Of course I won't."