My first year at the Kartier dukedom was rather educational, to say the least. As a privileged slave, I was given permission to enter the duke's study whenever I was summoned. The duchess often raised quite a fuss about this as his grace called on me quite often. Sometimes to feed me and inquire about my new life in his territory, or to simply make me read books about Alkaraz. Both times, I enjoyed the privilege to the fullest. Thanks to him, I've more or less grasped the structure of this magnificent empire.
There are four elite vassals, apart from the reigning monarchs, who've been the cornerstones of Alkaraz's success since its foundation.
Family number one-Duke Kartier, also known as the Minister of foreign affairs. His task is to travel all around the continent to gain new allies, solidify their alliances, as well as keeping their enemies in check. Their family's main goal is for each generation to surpass their predecessors, which imposes a rather hefty load of pressure on their successors. Nevertheless, they always manage to live up to these expectations.
Family number two-Duke Wrotingthon who is the empress' older brother and the Minister of internal affairs. He oversees the security within the empire and implements laws to enforce the safety and well-being of its citizens.
Family number three-Marquis Valentini who holds the title of Minister of Defense. His responsibilities include mobilizing the empire's armed forces in times of war. He trains the strongest soldiers and knights while overseeing the development of new weapons to strengthen the empire's armory.
Family number four-Count Bartrum, also known as the Minister of Education, is in charge of the empire's educational system. He was recently bestowed the responsibility of ensuring the welfare of the common people. It can be inferred that he and Duke Wrotingthon work closely together.
These four giant towers have been surrounding the crown and held Alkaraz together for many centuries which placed this country at the pinnacle of power throughout the whole continent. Their internal solidarity, which has earned them both admiration and envy from their allies, is said to be the main factor that cements them together.
"Fatiiii! Fatitititi!" chanted Clover while gamboling across the pepper field.
Ivy and Clover were two other slaves I met when I first came here. We're often sent on farming duty as a group, hence we naturally bonded. When we first met, they were nameless, since slaves were not allowed such luxury, so I named them myself. The short and energetic one with the pigtails is Clover, and the tall and serious one is Ivy.
"Where have you been, Clover? Get back to work, or you'll get us in trouble again! *sigh* That girl is always slacking off and wandering into forbidden areas." Chided Ivy.
"But I came bearing good news!" Clover pouted as she tilted her head sideways.
"What is it? Spill it out already!"
"I overheard the guards announcing their return."
"Whose return?" I stared blankly.
"The crown prince and the eldest young master."
T-the crown prince? The strongest Sant in the entire world? That crown prince!
"Do you think he'll bring us souvenirs too this time?"
Wait, why is she squealing and not panicking? The crown prince is said to be a self-centered bully who abuses his power for his own selfish gains.
"Don't kid yourself Clover! We are mere slaves, only the masters and household staffs get presents remember?"
At any rate, I must hide before I run into him. It's a good thing we aren't allowed anywhere near the mansion.
"Fati, what's wrong? You look troubled, are you alright. You're sweating quite a lot too." fretted Ivy.
"Oh, I'm fine, I'm fine haha…it must be because of the sun. We are, after all in the middle of a pepper field."
"You're right, let's hurry up and finish so we can go relax at the waterfall."
When God had decided to pour his blessings upon the kings of this world, he created a new generation of earthly vassals known as 'Sants'. These individuals are those who were born with his mark and share in his divine powers. They are known to bear God's blessings at a higher level than any member of the church, including the pontiff himself. The Sants are raised to be warriors whose mission is to eradicate evil and help to strengthen the people's faith in God.
The main aspects of my powers are healing and purifying. Aside from that I can also rely on the elements of nature when fighting. I can attack and defend at the same time or purify while healing. However, I cannot do all four at once. My training began later than usual, so it was difficult to adapt, which was why some people doubted that I was really a Sant. *sigh* It's no use thinking about the past now.
++++++
"Welcome back, your highness! We have prepared your room as usual. Please let us know if you need anything else. Rest comfortably your highness."
"Your kind gesture is much appreciated, duchess Gwendolynn. I bid you good night."
"Florette my dear, say goodnight to his highness."
"Good night, your highness! Sweet dreams!" she curtsied perkily.
He replied with a simple bob of his head and quietly entered the room. He hardly even spared her a glance.
~Meanwhile…
"Haaa! Rest at last."
I should probably spend a month here before going back to the capital. I'm sure these geezers can't wait to badger me into marrying one of their daughters. *sigh* There is also the matter of…these scoundrels. How should I go about dealing with them this time?
Hm? Giggles?
"Shh! Lower your voice, you'll awake the masters. We'll definitely get flogged if that happens, and you know that."
The other voices are somewhat muffled, but this one I can hear loud and clear.
"Who would hear us from all the way out here? I could let out a loud fart right here and not a single soul would hear."
"Your farts are quite deadly, so please spare us, Clover!"
My, what a vulgar child she is-wait why am I laughing right now?
"Hahaha! Fati!"
"Haaa! Either way, tonight's bath was especially relaxing. I never knew mud could be used as a cleanser. My skin so smooth I can literally hear the squeak of cleanliness when I rub it. See? Check it out Clover! It really squeaks, I tell you!"
She's quite lively, that Fati girl. She sounded young, possibly around eleven or twelve years of age. Her speech had a certain finesse to it, and her accent sounded strangely familiar. Where have I heard it before…
"It seems I still have much to learn about being a slave. I'm sorry you two had to endure so much on your own. I promise to protect you from now on so that no harm may befall you. Sleep tight Ivy, and Clover."
A slave with a noble heart, a peculiar speech and accent. Now I'm really curious.
~The Next Day
Upon the crown prince's and the young master's return, the duke was suddenly summoned to the imperial palace. However, I heard his highness chose to lengthen his respite at the duchy indefinitely. Which means we will probably run into each other at some point. I had been keeping my hair tucked in and my divinity mark hidden under a patch of dried mud. Though all of that would be useless if we were ever to meet up close. The farm is where we spend most of our time working, as it is quite a long distance from the estate. Thus, I am counting on that for the time being, since I heard the prince dislikes walking in the sun.
"Shall we take a break, Fati? I think we picked most of the ripe tomatoes, thanks to Clover. She's been more energetic than usual lately."
"Could it have something to do with the return of the young master?" I queried curiously.
"Possibly. She's probably expecting some kind of treat from him as usual. I told her many times to kill that habit since the mistress gets irritated very easily." groaned Ivy fretfully.
Ivy's concerns weren't exactly without reason, based on the scars I saw on their backs. She has been secretly abusing these children ever since they stepped foot on this estate. Now that the master will be away for God knows how long, I can't help but feel restless.
"Clover! We're taking a break under the big oak tree over there. Hurry and come join us!" yelled Ivy as we headed towards the forest, which was a mere walking distance from the farm.
"Coming!" she replied energetically while wiping off the sweat off her face with a towel.
The air inside the forest was noticeably different from that of the farm. Humid but fresh because of the cool breeze that frequently blows through the tree branches. The birds were chirping livelier than usual too.
"Should we just take a nap here? I don't want to go back to the scorching sun." whined Clover as she rolled on the green grass.
"The mangos should be ripe by now." I chimed in.
"Don't be ridiculous Fati, mango trees take a long time to grow, let alone bear fruits."
I guess that's why no one's ever checked on it. We planted a peculiar mango tree together last spring when I first started working on the farms with them. Usually, it takes roughly three to four years for those to grow, mature, and bear fruit. Then an additional six months for such fruits to ripen, however, it suddenly began to sprout abnormally fast.
"Shall we go take a look?" I suggested cheerfully.
I'm getting excited.
"Good idea Fati!" exclaimed Clover.
The forest pathway was paved because it was chosen as a primary traffic route for the masters. Thus, we knew to be very cautious when attempting to cross over to the other side.
"Fati! Run! Run Fati!" shouted Ivy with tears in her eyes.
She was frantically pointing at something, and when I shifted my head to the direction of her finger, I came face to face with a giant black horse on its hind legs neighing in panic.