It was Karita who stormed into the the office. Her expression was one of hostility and desperation. She was no longer wearing the meticulous white robes that denoted her former station. She had been removed from such service and placed as Grace's magical aid. This meant a few things. Firstly, that Karita was now out of the running for entrance into R&D which is a highly sought after station among mages. Further more, it meant that she no longer was acknowledged as a part of her former institution and now viewed as a form of political aid. This meant that her access to many of the facilities she once had were gone. Worse, that she would be required to personally fund anything she sought to research. Considering that Karita was not of the nobility, this effectively stopped her ability to practice Golemancy. As to why she accepted it, this job was her only real hope to get back in. She had been given a large degree of the blame due to her part in the mess that landed them all here. In fact, the core she created had been confiscated and new regulations made in the regards of their creation. This of course meant that Grizt was utilizing a high grade medical core instead. Though after what had happened, everyone including Grizt was fine with this.
As to why this was Karita's only hope to salvage her career, it was quite simple. It held several opportunities that could bring her back in. She could possibly make some form of discovery in the area of importance to the magical community. She could possibly direct things here advantageously enough to make the type of connections that could get her back in. There also the chance that she could earn the money to invent something of worth.
However, all of this required one crucial thing. The village had to thrive and become a successful town at the very least. As it stood, the general income was just too low in the area to support such things. No money for the proper facilities. There was no way she could afford to make a proper survey team which would still be a huge gamble as there was no guarantee there were any such useful magical resources in the area that might have gone missed since the initial survey that led to this place being settled. It should also be obvious why someone small time would have trouble making connections.
Thus it was that Karita was really left with two choices. Accept the imperial appointment as Grace's aid or go to work in the commercial side of Golemancy that held no such chances of redemption. The commercial sector doesn't do research nor do they allow employees to use their facilities outside of production. Magical research tends to be regulated in Aelunia due to the repercussions of unregulated research in the past. Such research tended to result in one of two things that the Empire did not like. Such research tended to result in mages becoming more solitary and holding onto their knowledge jealousy for power or to create a monopoly. This often led to lost magical secrets and a lot of literal backstabbing. The other problem is that it led to unsanctioned research by megalomaniacs who would greatly disrupt the Empire in an attempt to overthrow it in one way or another. One of the few areas of research that had not been hurt by these practices had been Golemancy. It's true some idiots had made golem armies that were crushed due to golems lacking tactical and strategic flexibility. However, the remains of said golems could easily be studied as is the factory that produced them. Even more so, most Golemancy discoveries held more value being shared than held onto, and due to the ease with which it could be studied by other golemancers, secrecy was not really possible. An example would be something like Graces arm or the toys and knickknacks sold by various civilian companies today.
All of that said, Karita was not very happy. Then again, nor was Grace at the realization that her mother was planning this exile outburst or not. Regardless, that was of little importance to Grace at that moment except to note that Karita was instead wearing a blue business dress. A now torn and singed business dress.
"Your monsters need to be stopped! They are going to destroy the entire manor before the day is through!" Karita bellowed to Grace before slouching and holding her knees while catching her breath. Grace was stunned at the scene before her. All she had done was ask them to clean up the house and make a meal. After a brief pause, Grace's rather angry magical aid looked up," I don't know about you but I would like to have a place to sleep tonight!"
Grace shook her head before getting up from behind her desk. She didn't care about the disrespect shown since in all honesty. They were both in a bad position. There was no reason to pretend otherwise. Jade jumped and climbed up Grace's arm. Once she got to her shoulder, she began to cling on. Grace just had to wonder at what new mess the goblins had gotten into.
Earlier that day during the morning, Grizt had been woken up be the blasted tattoo once more. Grace had placed an order that they had to be up at sunrise back at the palace. She didn't care if it was an order meant to help them get up quickly. Being forced to wake up was never a good way to wake up! Regardless, the flame that lit up within brought her up and her senses into focus. She looked over to the others that shared the bed they used. Yeah, they were left with one bed. To be fair, it was a decently sized human bed that had enough room for five goblins if they slept sideways on it. Unfortunately, that doesn't help when said goblins have bad sleeping habits.
Shritoo had a habit of clinging onto people and things near her. Which was why Grizt had felt so uncomfortable and now woke sweaty. Then again Oaguz tended to kick and punch. Grizt was pretty sure she felt some bruises on her shins and side. The Stranbrai, who would fall asleep instantly, tended to mutter and talk in her sleep. It meant that it took Grizt a while to fall asleep with all of the noise. As for Weye, she was the worst. Not for anything she did mind. No, she was the worst in Grizt opinion for having the habit of somehow being a morning person and somehow not falling victim to the others every night! Just watching her get up easily out of bed with a chipper hum every morning was enough to drive Grizt nuts.
The hell of it is that she couldn't escape this mess. Why? Because it was her own gangs idea despite the Princess's offer for separate rooms. Grizt didn't want to say no to the pleading looks of the others. Which only made it worse!
She groaned as she got up with the others. She smirked as she noted Oaguz walking past her to the chest containing their work clothes. Oaguz's guard was down and she sure as hell was not going to pass up some payback. The next thing the sleep punching goblin knew, she was being grabbed from behind.
"Wha-" she yelped out before horror settled in," Noooo!~"
Her yell fluctuated in pitch as Grizt began to give her friend some tickle torture. She rarely hurt her friends on purpose and only if they deserved it. However, that didn't mean she didn't find other ways of getting pay back. Like the fact that Oaguz was ticklish.
"Punch and kick me in the middle of the night will you!" Grizt growled out as she made Oaguz squirm and spasm.
"~It's not like I woke you up or anything! You sleep through anything!~" Oaguz wailed as her face turned red.
"Nope, not an excuse. I still feel it in the morning!" Grizt yelled back before dropping the an out of breath Oaguz who was no prone and shuddering," The reset of you girls need to work on that if you're expecting us to to sleep like this."
"Why are you glaring at me!" Weye cried out as she noticed Grizt's expression.
"Because you are the worst of the bunch," Grizt growled out before opening the chest.
"I'm sorry?" Weye answered with a confused tilt to her head as the others looked at her," What did I do?"
"Enough," was all Grizt said as she pulled out the silly little uniform they were to wear. It was a special red and white uniform made by their owner. Grizt had to wonder what the girl was thinking making something this weird and useless. The long sleeves weren't even attached to the "dress"! The only thin she felt was functional was the apron and that was also needlessly fancied up in ways no goblin wore their clothing. Heck, these things were different from the ones she'd some other servants wear at the castle. In any case. The day had to start. Soon enough they left their rooms ready for their first day of doing the work that was to be their lives for quite some time. Though Grizt was thinking on ways to make it shorter.
The princess had told them to start cleaning the place up and make a meal for everyone.