I was certainly surprised by the generosity of our Lord. And not just for the high level spells. It seemed that the armor I wore during combat was 'unfitting of one of my station'. It was less effective for armor than what the normal Greycoat members of the Protectorate wore. But to wrap my head around the treasures laid out in front of me, I had to back track a bit to take it all in.
It was not the new armor I had been issued that was the biggest shock that day. We had awoken inside the dormatories of the clinic and in lieu of receiving a message of plans for that day, we were given a different message. That morning we had received word from Sute that the deferment of our Merit had been lifted, as the council had agreed that I was no longer a danger to myself or others due to my condition being managed. We were no longer required supervision, and therefore were free to move out of the dormitories. Additionally, Sophia and I had earned our own dwelling.
I knew of some soldiers who had earned dwellings. Usually they were studio apartments on the outskirts of the Capital, as most of the soldiers I had interacted with in the past were normal Greycoat members of the protectorate.
This was not a studio apartment. Upon arriving at location we found ourselves in front of 'The Winking Minx' a fairly homey Demis Tavern situated on the edge of Haven's Central Park. Sophia and I enjoyed our walks through the park and very often saw that the tavern was always busy, but never rambunctious. It had a reputation of where to go if you wanted great food and ale of Jericho's but without the more excited atmosphere.
Above the Tavern were apartments and shops, which was fairly standard for Haven. Haven always attempted to be very careful with how it built, and maximized its space use while minimizing its impact on the Wild. One need not anger the world. So while its footprint was smaller than other towns, its population was larger than some small cities.
That was when we met Yumi, the government agent who showed us our new home. She walked us up the stairs and when we reached the 4th floor, we were stunned to realize our apartment took up the entire floor of the small building. It had a fully furnished kitchen, master bedroom, master bathroom, and two guest rooms with a shared bathroom. There was a Living Room, Dining Room, and a small balcony. I was enjoying the tour given by Yumi, a short Demis girl with a cute fox tail. I knew that there was a program to help those who were not as combat oriented increase their skills in exchange for service, similar to the protectorate. Yumi must have been a recently plated Demis participating in it. I think it was called the 'plus up program'? Yumi's words took me out of my own thoughts.
"As you know, in Haven, a person's residence is determined by the Merit that they have objectively achieved. This top floor residence is about as nice as it comes without being a member of our Nation's elite. Additionally this residence is to denote those who already live as a couple. I see that you, Master Lark, have listed one 'Sophia' as your partner. Will she be joining us?"
"She already is."
With that, Sophia's shadow jumped out and bowed to a now startled Demis.
"Ah, ok. Alright. Well, according to the paperwork, this is approved, although, I will just change my recommendations on who to go to for furniture needs, decorations, etc."
I smiled, "Don't worry. Yumi was it? I know you are just trying to be helpful, but just treat us like you would any other young couple."
To emphasize the point, Sophia took my arm and smiled at Yumi. The Demis smiled and blushed a little. "Ok. Well for starters…"
Yumi handed us pamphlets on the various state sponsored crafters and artisans for furniture, textiles, and a map of the shops of the district. It was well thought out and there was a star marked on the map for our apartment.
In Haven, many of the citizens who came did so as refugees with nothing but the clothes on their back. To ensure economic development, Lord Serin had decreed that any approved business could be given materials, building space, and start up capital, for the Haven governance being given an irrevocable 10% ownership of the store.
In this way, Haven stimulated economic growth while securing its long term financial needs. The better a business did, the more money Haven would make.
It was one of the more ingenious marketers that decided it might be worth it to advertise these same Haven subsidized stores and industries to those that might need it. A small advertising cost and Haven secured future customers. Of course Yumi handed us pamphlets to all the other stores and shops in the area, but they weren't quite as well made. No system was perfect, I guess.
The stores still had competition, but Haven's partners would always have the first chance to make a good first impression with new customers to an area of town.
I smiled as Sophia intently listened and smiled. Yumi described the atmosphere of the surrounding area. It was a little ways away from the center of town where the Adventurer's Guild was so it was a little quieter. Additionally, the the rooftop doubled as a community garden. I used to love the smell of the hardy plants of his coastal home as a child. I wondered if they would survive here. Yumi then took us for a tour of the neighborhood. We met a few of our neighbors, Sophia returning to my shadow. She usually knew best. I noticed a Skygge cafe. I had never been to this one, but when we walked by they all waved and the owner did a small bow while smiling. After making the rounds, stopping by a furniture shop to commission some furniture, with Sophia making most the choices, we finally made our way back to the Apartment.
When Yumi finished her tour of the neighborhood and returned us to our apartment, that was when the packages were waiting.
"I see you already have some housewarming gifts. I will leave you to it and if you have any questions or concerns, please let me know." Yumi bowed. We said our goodbyes and I started going through the packages.
One box contained all of my belongings that I had brought through with me from my home. A small bag with the mismatched items of my youth, my old clothes that didn't come close to fitting. A small vial of ashes. It seemed that someone at the time save a bit of my mother for me to keep. I was glad. She would have wanted to be buried in such a beautiful place as Haven. I would have to find the most beautiful spot I could. Somewhere with a coast. I had heard that Haven's Ally was a coastal city. Maybe my mother would like that.
The other boxes though were all brand new. There were new uniforms denoting Our ranks and station. Even though Sophia didn't wear clothing, a single set of dress uniform and duty uniform were sent. I was confused until I saw Sophia's shadow shift between uniforms. There were also a few dresses sent from Sute as a 'thank you' for Sophia.
For myself they additionally included an entire new set of battle armor, a set of runestones for skills that were not mana dependent, and a new weapon. At first I thought it was an axe. Then I realized it was not an axe, but a rifle, with an axehead. For most people, an axe that was so heavy would be ineffective in combat as both an axe and a rifle. But for me, that was no issue.
There were additional instructions for disassembly, cleaning,and maintenance, and this new weapon was a 'bolter' which did not need blast powder ammunition. This one was especially made to use Mana crystals, since my mana was too low, and slivers of metal called 'bolts'.
There was a scroll tube that seemed to answer why all the Skygge we had met at the café had greeted me so formally. Inside was what Sute had meant when she said she would make sure none would get angered by Sophia and I learning a new spell. Inside was a royal decree, stating that both myself and Sophia were to be considered members of the royal court. While not able to take a now defunct Skygge throne, we were considered 'adopted' royalty. It was the greatest gift that could be given to a Skygge, and Sute must have made sure the entirety of our people were told. Except us. for us, we were given a surprise. Only a Skygge princess could pull off a stunt like that, I thought.
Other than that there were boxes of tailored clothes, dry foodstuffs, and a cookbook. There wasn't any furniture in the apartment, but I could sleep on the floor. I grabbed a blanket and pillow from the housewarming gifts and made a bed next to the fireplace. Sophia set the logs aflame.
"I am happy Sophia. As much as I enjoyed our time in the clinic dormitory, I was feeling it was a bit stifling. I was not as much a resident as I was a research subject. But here, it is just you and me. We aren't stuck to a schedule, and other than answering calls for mediation, our lives are ours to live. I am so happy that I get to share this moment with you. This house is where you and I will truly start our lives."
Sophia wrapped her arms around me and held me as we laid in the makshift bed of quilts by the fireplace. She was always there for me, and I savored every moment. Her next words, bringing tears to my eyes, would live with me for the rest of our life.
[It's not just a house Lark. It's our home.]
***