No problem! Here's the translation:
My office is on the second floor, so... at the end of the stairs, Maria and Ezabell were waiting for me with serene expressions.
You know, I would die for them to greet me with a smile, honestly.
My office is located to the south, overlooking the main gate. It won't take much time to get there.
During the walk, I noticed other details that I hadn't seen yesterday, such as windows on the second floor, curtains, and what appear to be runes written irregularly.
Upon arriving and entering through the large door, I saw several people already waiting for me, and one person in particular sitting at my desk.
Behind that person, in a frame, rested a jet-black axe, seemingly entirely made of a rough material. That weapon was one of the king's treasures: the ownerless axe.
Directing my attention to the person sitting in my chair, I look at him.
"...Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Blackend," I said.
"Don't take it the wrong way, brother, we had no other way," he responded.
This person is Jacob, my brother and my right-hand man. We're not blood brothers, but circumstances led to this.
His eyes devoid of life, hair falling wildly, and olive skin like mine. Jacob was the living image of someone wild, raised by nature. He dressed like a simple peasant.
"Move, I need to catch up."
Jacob nodded, stepping a few paces away from me.
As I sat down, I saw the faces of eight people in front of me: Maria, Charlotte, Duran, Parlot, Jacob, Ezabell, and two more maids. The last two seemed to be sent with the same purpose as Ezabell... or at least, that was the intention.
There wasn't much to say; everyone had divided tasks to keep the fortress functional all these years. Maria handled cleaning and logistics; Charlotte, finances and logistics; Duran managed military affairs and the defense of the town; and finally, Rah'ce was who administered everything related to magic and magical defenses.
As for Jacob, he held the title of paladin, a title granted to individuals who serve as guardians to nobles. Practically, he wandered around.
Everyone reported their duties, as well as their activities from the past years. Typical things, thieves, drunks, marital fights, among other things.
There was a more important topic to address, but first, we attended to the three maids.
With a warm smile, I asked, "Alright, Maria, can you tell me who these people are?"
I understood their intentions and purposes more or less, but it's better to hear it from them.
"Yes, my lord," Maria proceeded to introduce everyone, starting from the youngest to the oldest.
Starting with Scáthach, 17 years old, the daughter of Ardgeimm, the best warrior of Skye.
With incredible black hair, well-cared-for skin, and eyes as black as the night, Scáthach greeted me.
She's someone I can't refuse. I'm surprised to see her father's name here. Although her father is no longer with us, he was someone who fought on the front against Ventini. Both she and her sister are candidates for Supreme Masters and may someday equal their father.
Next was someone I didn't expect: Avidia, 19 years old, the daughter of Cnadd, the current leader of Votadini. This couldn't be more troublesome, especially with recent events. I also heard that she married Ashton's daughter, Gawl, and they already have their third son.
Avidia had tanned skin and strange grayish hair; her green eyes gave an odd sense of distance. Lion cub, lion will be, huh?
Lastly, Ezabell. Her status couldn't even be compared to the other two, but Ezabell was someone I should certainly be careful with. After all, I saw yesterday that she has enough conviction to do whatever she's willing to do. Unlike the other two, Ezabell has never been on the front lines of a battlefield.
Their motive? To learn about politics and other skills, of course. Ignoring their other motivations, I asked about something that was bothering me. "By the way, where is Rah'ce?" I asked. "He... hasn't left his tower for two years, my lord," responded Charlotte.
Rah'ce is a strange genius even among geniuses. He maintained one of the safest magical defenses in all of Britannia alongside Ashton and Violet.
If it weren't for the form of Rah'ce, Cendrick himself would take him to Eboracum, even with Ashton there.
"I understand; I'll visit him later. Let him know."
After talking with Duran and Parlot about a couple of things, I dismissed both of them.
I stayed in the office with the maids and an attempt at a statue.
Turning my attention to Jacob, I signaled.
"Yes, Leonhart?"
"Find the executioner and the inquisitor; tell them to come in 2 quarters."
"Understood."
As Jacob left, I had one task left before dealing with the paperwork.
"So, Scáthach has been here for 1 year, and Avidia and Ezabell for 6 months. And their motives are..." I insisted.
"Despite being here for a year and completing Charlotte's classes, I decided to wait for her return to become her student and train as a warrior," Scáthach said.
"Avidia said, 'Ezabell and I almost finished our political classes with Mrs. Charlotte, but besides that, I also want to gain experience in leading soldiers since I didn't have the chance.'
María added, 'The problem is she's afraid of Duran, and Parlot wasn't here during this time.'"
Slightly embarrassed, Avidia stepped back.
Even if they had finished, they needed my signature and a letter to send them back, which wasn't possible before.
"I'll talk to Parlot about your request, Avidia. As for Ezabell, I'll have to talk to your father later."
After that, there wasn't much to say since they all knew the rules and customs of the fortress.
"Lord, the truth is that Avidia and I were wondering how to differentiate someone in terms of skill level," Scathach asked.
I looked at Maria and Charlotte, who shook their heads. I thought they would have told her such things.
"Hmm, well, to put it in simple terms, my father told me that there are Apprentices, Warriors, Masters, Sages, and Legends. He said that to reach those levels, one must put in a lot of time, effort, and experience."
"Not bad, Scáthach, but you're wrong about some things."
Showing some resilience, she still paid attention to what I said.
The skill level or rank is divided into: Apprentice, Warrior, Knight, Master, Sage, Saint, Hero, and Legend... and more to come. All levels are divided into their [Initial] and [Great] states, except for Apprentice, Warrior, and Knight, which are only initial.
Master also stands out for having [Great Master] and [Supreme Master] after that.
"And how do you qualify on this scale, my Lord?" Ezabell asked with curiosity.
This strange feeling of teaching others isn't bad.
"Kuh, I'm ashamed to say it, but I'm a Supreme Master."
"But why divide it into parts? Wouldn't it be better to simply say that I'm in a certain rank and that's it?" This time it was Avidia's turn.
"One word that Scáthach said: Experience," I responded.
"Why does a novice differ from a warrior? Simple. A novice is someone without foundations; a warrior is someone who knows how to fight. A knight knows how to wield a weapon; a master knows the secrets of their weapon. The difference between a master and a grand master is that a grand master has already mastered their entire art. And in turn, a supreme master is one who has reached their highest state. More or less like that."
"Then what's the difference between a master and the other levels?" Scáthach asked.
"Unfortunately, I don't have an answer to that. Why not ask a Sage next time."
Finishing with the informative class and having answered their questions, I dismissed them.
Returning to my desk, I saw the pile of paperwork that was hidden behind the desk.
Maybe I won't finish it in 2 quarters.
Ha!
...
In the end, it took 3 quarters.
Lowering the pen and paying attention to the two eccentrics in front of me, they were the two most feared individuals after Duran.
"The executioner Aten greets his highness." He bowed.
Covered in dirty bandages stained with blood and a burly body as tall as Duran was Aten.
An undead from the most rotten spell the Egyptians could cast.
And by his side was...
"Noela at your service, oh prince-"
"That's enough," I said.
With pale white hair, blindfolded eyes, and deadly pale skin, Noela, daughter of Clíodhna, queen of the Banshee, presented herself. She was the inquisitor of the Black Fortress.