The morning air carried the faint hum of activity outside my study window. It was a sound I had grown accustomed to—a cacophony of soldiers barking orders, masons hammering stone, and hunters returning from the woods with their morning catch. But today, there was something unusual about the atmosphere: it felt... calmer.
I glanced at the stack of reports on my desk, expecting the familiar pang of dread that accompanied the sight of paperwork. Instead, the pile was significantly smaller than it had been yesterday.
"Lord Adrian," Serena's voice called from the adjacent room. I turned to see her emerging with a handful of neatly organized parchments. Her green eyes were sharp, but her tone was level, almost professional. "I've completed the tax amendment drafts. The adjustments to tariffs and exemptions should stabilize revenue for at least the next quarter. I'll need your signature on these before submitting them to the guilds."
I blinked. "You're finished already?"
"Of course." She arched an eyebrow. "This is basic clerical work. It's nothing compared to the arcane logistical matrices I dealt with in the capital."
I didn't doubt her. In the span of a day, Serena had sorted guild reports, amended tax codes, and even drafted a proposal for streamlining supply requisitions—all tasks that would've taken me the better part of a week.
"I… appreciate your efficiency," I said, slightly awkward.
"Someone has to be, given the state of this place," she replied dryly, though there was no venom in her voice as usual.
It's been a few days since her arrival and she has proven true to her word. But her sarcasm still remained strange for my ears. I heard it a lot from my fellow soldiers, but somehow when it came out of her mouth, it always caught me off guard.
At that moment, I was reminded of the females in my family. My step-mother and my sisters... Their cutting words were serious and there were no playful joy in their meanspirited remarks. A very stark contrast to the girl who stood before me.
In addition to that, she has effectively cut my workload in half and suddenly, I found myself with an unusual abundance of free time. I found myself grateful that she was sent here yet I remained remorseful at the fact that she had to stick it out with me for the foreseeable future in this abandoned frontier.
I had to reward her somehow.
"Serena," I said, catching her attention as she gathered her things. "Since you'll be staying here for the foreseeable future, would you like a proper tour of the city? I'd like to show you what we're working to protect."
She hesitated, perhaps weighing the value of such an excursion against her own time. Then, to my surprise, she nodded. "Sure. I was gonna practice magic, but since you mustered the courage to ask me out on a date, how can I say no."
"Please give me a bit of credit. I didn't muster that much courage to ask you out," I chuckled.
"If you say so," she shrugged. "Lead the way, mister."
Our first stop was the city walls.
The masons were hard at work repairing the damage from the last skirmish with Zendarian raiders. Cracks spiderwebbed across the stone, evidence of the relentless assaults the frontier endured. Serena watched in silence as a group of workers hoisted a large block into place.
"It's slow work," I admitted, "but we've been making progress. These walls won't fall easily again."
She nodded, running a hand along the rough surface of the stone. "Function over beauty huh. These stones are as ugly as they come but are ten times harder than what they normally use for city walls in the Central Lands."
"Such is the life here," I chuckled wryly.
From there, we made our way to the food stores. The bustling market area was filled with hunters trading their game for copper coins and bartering with traders for supplies. The smell of fresh meat mingled with the earthy aroma of herbs, creating a lively yet chaotic atmosphere.
Serena's gaze lingered on the hunters. "They don't look like soldiers, yet they carry themselves with purpose."
"Most of them aren't," I said. "They're adventurers and locals trying to scrape by. But their work keeps us fed, and for that, I'm grateful."
"Hmm, it's a good system, but perhaps we can do something better," she muttered.
We continued through the city, passing blacksmiths hammering away at armor and weapons, merchants hawking their wares, and children playing near the well. Despite the hardships, life in the frontier persisted.
Passing by this area, I remembered that it was high time to order new armor and repair the old ones for the soldiers. After a quick barter session, I rejoined Serena who found herself in a heated battle of tag with the local kids.
"Come help me, Adrian!" she yelled, all manner of decorum out the window. "These brats just called me an old hag."
After teaching those children a quick lesson on respecting your elders, I led Serena back to the manor and into the inner sanctum—a secure chamber beneath the main hall.
There, I intended to show her the heart of this city.
"This," I said, gesturing to the centerpiece of the room, "is The Fortress."
Serena's eyes widened as she took in the ancient artifact. It was a massive, crystalline structure, pulsating faintly with blue light. Intricate runes covered its surface, and the air around it thrummed with latent energy.
"It's an artifact from the Dominion's early days," I explained. "It powers the magical barrier that protects the city and enables our soldiers to use magical cannons. But it needs mana crystals to function—like fuel for a fire. That's why we're doubly grateful for monster hunters. They provide us with food and the means to defend ourselves from enemy mages."
Serena approached it, her hands hovering over the runes. "This is remarkable, Lord Adrian. I've never seen such an amazing artifact in my life. But…" She frowned, her sharp eyes narrowing. "Something is off. The defensive spell is much weaker than it should be for an artifact of this caliber. And the way it consumed mana is too inefficient."
"Is it?" I asked, my lack of magical expertise showing. "I've only ever fed it mana crystals and let passing adventurer mages do maintenance on it."
She turned to me. "May I?"
"Go wild," I said with a shrug. "I wouldn't know where to start with magic anyway."
When I said she could go wild, I didn't expect Serena to work tirelessly for the rest of the afternoon.
She deciphered the runes, restructured enchantments, and meticulously recalibrated the spellwork. At least, that's what she explained to me as I watched from the doorway. I occasionally brought her food to ensure she didn't collapse from overexertion. Other than that, I was practically useless.
The sun had begun to set by the time she stepped back, a satisfied smile on her face.
"Are you ready?" she asked, turning to me.
"For what?"
She didn't answer, instead activating the artifact with a single, fluid motion. The crystalline structure pulsed brighter, and a moment later, a radiant aurora-like barrier enveloped the city.
The glow bathed the streets in soft hues of blue and green, drawing gasps of wonder from the people below. Even I couldn't hide my astonishment.
"What kind of magic is this?" I asked, still staring at the shimmering shield.
Serena crossed her arms, her expression calm but undeniably pleased. "Nothing special. It's just simple defensive magic."