Pleased to make your aqcuaintance, my name is Leo and I'm a humble farmer in Achenheim, which is a region controlled by one of the fourteen emperors.
The life as a farmer is hard. Thieves, carnivores and dry days, weeks, months, even years.
Theres constantly a liability you have to care for. Then, every week you have to make a long way to the emperors castle to pay the forced labour… The roads are rough and slim, not even big enough for a carriage to traverse.
Concerning the desperate criminals, that make sly use of my isolated abode, though I do pity them, killing and sending them off to slave traders is the least evil thing I can do. They didn't have a place in this world dying to a lowly farmer like me anyways. Well, but that's just what I convinced myself of to make it easier on the heart.
I just so happen to be quite blessed concerning my physical well-being so I manage to take care of way bigger fields than others may. This allows for me to suck up to the emperor by offering a hefty amount of yields. And then as soon as he takes note of my capabilities, I might be able to make it to a higher position, or at least that's what I'm going for.
.
*at the castle gates*
{Leo}: „Leo from the plateau, I've arrived to submit my work for the week to our emperor."
{Guard}: „Freaking monster. How do you manage to carry that much all the way up here anyway?"
{Leo}: „Haha, don't kid yourself, I'm not that strong."
{Guard}: „Kidding me? Go on and show that talent off somewhere else, your talent is rotting away in this place."
{Leo}: „That's for the emperor to judge."
{Guard}: „On edge as usual, huh? Get that frown from your face the next time I see you, dude."
{Leo}: „And you're as social as always. So, can I proceed?"
{Guard}: *sigh* „Go on."
.
{Leo}: „Thy humble servant has arrived to submit his weekly labour. Am I permitted to enter?"
{Emperor}: „Is that Leo I hear? Sure, you may enter, my dear friend."
{Leo}: „What seems to be the situation in the kingdom I heard you were oh so troubled about?"
{Emperor}: „So even you heard of it?"
{Leo}: „Naturally. Your distress is hardly ignorable."
{Emperor}: „The kingdom to the east is throwing sparks. They say war is a possibility and the king is stressing to say the least."
{Leo}: „Hardly any of your business, no?"
{Emperor}: „Right, that's what I thought too, but living in the west doesn't keep you off the eastern frontlines it seems. Hmm, wouldn't someone like you make for the perfect soldier? It would be better than using that brutal strength of yours on some measly crops."
After all these years there's finally talk of promotion but it's to a fucking foot soldier. It get's hard to repress my disappointed face in situations like these.
{Leo}: „Haha, depends on what kind of soldier, don't you think? I would rather not uselessly dye the battlefront red with my innards."
{Emperor}: „Actually, the king himself has requested the emperors of regions to the west to send troops. you might even end up a royal instructor if they were to recognise your talent."
Royal instructor you said?
{Leo}: „Sign me up. Where do I need to go? Eastway to the kingdom?"
{Emperor}: „I'll write you a letter of recommendation. Just give it to the king and from then on it will depend purely on your talent where you end up."
{Leo}: „Thank you, Aurelius. I will surely come by to visit sometime."
{Aurelius the seventh (Emperor)}: „Remain humble, friend."
The harsh closing of the door rings through the halls and all that remains is silence.
As if! Coming to visit will be the last thing on my mind if I were to actually become a royal instructor of some noble brats. With this I can finally see to my legacy.
Even if my talent is lacking, all I need to do is suck up to someone of high rank in the royal palace and beg them to let me stay. It's almost too easy.
It certainly must be a harsh situation considering Aurelius sends out his top source of food and money to the royal kingdom. I should find out more about it during my journey. If it turns out the land east of ours is stronger than expected, maybe I should retreat, as they would without a doubt send me to the frontlines.
I wonder… if I take the shortest path there, I wouldn't pass any major cities. That would rob me of the necessity to inquire about the situation to the east. I reckon I'll stray from my path, even if only a little, to a city in the center of our land called Eldenhoph.
With this, my journey to the royal capital begins.