After finishing his breakfast, Enric headed to the Officials' Estate, located just next to the family vil, for his math lessons. The estate was a bustling hub where all the officials and servants lived and worked. The family treasurer's office was also housed within its walls.

  After knocking and entering the treasurer's office, Enric was greeted by the familiar scent of ink and paper.

  "Ah... You're right on time, Master Enric," Treasurer Oswin said warmly.

  Oswin was always kind and welcoming—at least until the work began. He was older than Enric's father, which meant he had lived through the days when the province of Goldfield was under another kingdom's rule.

  The young noble sat down on the other side of Mister Oswin's desk. In front of him, Enric saw a pile of documents.

  "Well, young master? Shall we begin?" Oswin asked.

  This method of learning was nothing new to Enric. A noble needed hands-on experience when dealing with all sorts of documents. The tax reports and old trade deals had been intentionally chosen by Oswin—each one contained some kind of mistake, and it was up to the youngest Goldfield to find and correct them. Typically, commoners Enric's age would struggle to make sense of such documents, but noble children were expected to comprehend and mature much faster. They were given lots of time for self-study, as it was crucial for them to learn how to pull their own weight, meanwhile their assigned tutors were always expecting perfection.

  After three pages of the first document, Enric's mind began to wander.

  Mister Oswin, as an official, had been called by the crown to serve and assist the nobility of their homend. In many cases, officials—having passed rigorous evaluations at the academy—were more capable and competent in governance than the nobles, who were often homeschooled and pampered by their affluent families. Mister Oswin was a capable man, but bound by servitude and old age, he would never rise above his station.

  "Master Enric." Oswin's stern yet calm voice broke the silence of the room. "Your quill has stopped moving. Shall I remind you that you will not leave this office until I finish grading your work? If you're te for your next lesson, you'll have only yourself to bme."

  "I'm sorry, Mister Oswin," the young d replied timidly before returning to his task.

  Enric knew Oswin was a good man at heart, but to his misfortune, the treasurer had received direct orders from Alfred to tolerate no faults.

  It took the boy a good four hours to finish reading, analyzing, and correcting all the documents. After submitting each one, Oswin looked them over, marking the correct answers and noting mistakes in his journal. Following a short lecture focusing on what Enric had done wrong and missed, the lesson ended, and the young noble was free to go.

  Before Enric left the office, Oswin spoke one st time.

  "Your work today was not perfect, but it was satisfactory. I will notify your father of the progress we've made."

  The st sentence sent chills down Enric's spine. If Alfred discovered he had dozed off during practice, it could end with a stern talking-to at best—or additional work at worst.

  But for now, he could finally enjoy a short break—and after that, one st lesson. The only lesson Enric truly looked forward to: Religion and Philosophy.

  Walking out of the Officials' Estate, the young boy finally took a breath of fresh air. He had a break, and then—finally—his religion and philosophy lesson. He enjoyed those lessons, the discussions about virtue, self-discipline, and the nature of free will.

  But what was the point of debating self-sufficiency if he couldn’t even prove it?

  It wasn’t his first day alive. Enric remembered that every time he returned from his math studies, his room was cleaned as if someone were preparing it for a king himself. That meant around this time, his butler and perhaps a few servants would be tidying his room and doing the undry while he was away. What the boy hated most was being pampered and waited on. This time, he would show the servants just how self-sufficient he was.

  Without much thought, the boy rushed back to the family vil. Along the way, some servants he passed gave him strange looks, but he was too focused to even notice. His first stop was for cleaning tools. After reaching the cleaning storage, he quickly gathered everything he needed to sweep. Luckily, no one saw him take the supplies or head up to his room.

  He paused for a moment to catch his breath, standing right beside his door. He listened carefully for any noise, just in case his butler was already inside. After confirming the room was empty, he stepped in. But as he took a good look around, he realized something... He had never cleaned before. He didn’t even know where to start.

  "Well, if you don’t know what to do, just do whatever!" he excimed, grabbing the broom and starting to sweep the floor.

  It took Enric about thirty minutes to sweep the floor clean, then another twenty to dust the shelves. After that, he polished the mirror and gathered the dirty clothes for undry. Of course, he did everything in the wrong order. His running around the freshly swept floor had already made it dirty again, so he had to sweep it a second time. And, as expected, he would never have enough time to finish the undry—his break was already coming to an end.

  The most noble of cleaners was still satisfied; he took all the wins he could get. Just as he gathered the supplies and was about to leave, the butler and a maid entered the room, clearly surprised.

  "What the—" both said in unison.

  "Now this is just mean, young master!" the butler said, half-joking and half-serious. "Do you really want to take our jobs? First, we go early to wake you up, but you're already prepared. And now you race us to your room and clean it yourself? I’m truly happy to see such initiative, but if your father discovers you no longer need us, he’ll fire us!"

  "That’s why we’d better keep this a secret," Enric said with a devilish smile. "I want to prove, once and for all, that I don’t need supervision. I can take care of myself!"

  The maid and the butler exchanged worried gnces.

  "If we trust you, we’re risking Alfred’s wrath. You understand that, don’t you?"

  "Yes, but if you agree to this, both of our lives will be easier," Enric replied.

  The butlers composure remained unchanged, but a drop of sweat could be seen on his forehead.

  "Very well," the butler said with a smile. "You are the one I was assigned to serve, so I will be loyal. You’ve grown up to be quite shrewd, young master."

  After deciding on what to tell Alfred about the boy’s behavior, Enric felt as though he had challenged a great force today—and won. Even if Enric’s father never found out about what had happened, the mere fact that some things could escape his knowledge gave the young boy a much-needed sense of hope.

  The nobleman’s day was not over yet. He left the vil once more and headed for the chapel. The final lesson of the day was about to begin.

  As he made his way through the vilge, he had a chance to calm himself and reflect. He had finished all his morning chores and lessons, and the butler seemed to be on his side. Still, there was no guarantee that some of the other servants wouldn’t report to his father, so he knew he had to be smart about this.

  Enric understood that he wouldn’t manage this alone, but he had one sure ally in the province: the priest from the chapel.

  "Well, hello there, Master Enric. I was beginning to worry you wouldn’t make it today. Was something holding you up?"

  "Greetings, Father Leofwin. It’s kind of a long story. You see..."

  Father Leofwin was a chapel priest sent from the local monastery. Those who are tied to the church operate under a distinct hierarchy and work mostly outside the jurisdiction of the nobility. Because of this, Leofwin had no obligation to report to Enric’s father. Over time, Enric had found both a friend and a mentor in the vilge priest.

  After Enric’s expnation of his cleaning adventure, Leofwin took some time to ponder. Eventually, he turned his understanding gaze to the young boy and spoke in his calm, measured voice.

  "You’ve really outdone yourself, Enric," the priest began. "You’re walking a fine line at the moment. You’ll need to be both smart and resolute. But before I say more, I must ask: Is this truly how you want things to be?"

  "Yes, Father," Enric replied. "I’ve always tried to do as much on my own as possible. But now, with my sixteenth birthday approaching, I want to send a message to my father. I want to prove that I can be more than just my family crest."

  “Very well. I already have some ideas, but if anything goes wrong, you must let me and the butler know!"

  "Of course," Enric replied with a smirk. "If we get caught, I’ll make sure you take the bme."

  Leofwin chuckled, shaking his head. "I see you’ve taken well to your noble heritage after all." Then, after a brief pause, his tone shifted. "Now, before you get any more clever ideas, let’s begin your lesson. Tell me, how was the Church founded?"

  “After King Aldemar, the first of kings, received a vision from the Fme-Touched, he waged a grand war to unite the warlord cns around him. With the prophet’s guidance, he established a new state and formalized the Church, enshrining the prophet’s teachings as the state religion.”

  “You got that part right, be now more specific. What is the name of our faith? ”

  “Yes, the church’s name is The Emberfaith. It symbolizes the Eternal Fme that binds all souls together. In the king’s w, it is written that no other faith shall take root in our kingdom, for division will snuff out our fme.”

  “Indeed. Now, tell me of the Prophet’s first miracle.”

  “Prophet Eryndor, chosen to be God’s speaker, called forth a fme from the heavens to light the Sacred Pyre, which has burned without ceasing for a hundred years. It is said that as long as the Pyre burns, the kingdom will remain united.”

  “And what is the duty of the crown in all of this?”

  "The crown is the guardian of the Fme’s light. It is the king’s sacred duty to protect the unity of the realm and ensure that the Pyre never falters.”

  “Well said.” The priest leaned back, his weathered face softening. “But remember, the Fme’s light shines brightest in the darkest times. Let us pray it never comes to that.”

  Leofwin gave Enric a nod of approval, his eyes lingering as if weighing the young noble’s soul. The faint scent of incense filled the air, mingling with the warm glow of candlelight. They still had some time, so the rest of their session was spent in prayer and quiet conversation.

  “You’ve hinted that you have little interest in noble obligations. Am I wrong?”

  Enric hesitated, his gaze dropping to the polished floor. “No, you’re not wrong. I don’t really enjoy the privilege.”

  “Then what will you do when you officially earn your role in the Goldfield family?”

  “I… don’t know,” Enric admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

  Leofwin studied him for a moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he leaned forward, his voice low and measured. “You see, Enric, there might be a way—a path less traveled. But it will be… tricky.”

  After hearing that, the young noble’s eyes lit up like the stars in the night sky. "Father, tell me more! If it's possible, I have to know!"

  Leofwin took a breath, “See,” he said slowly, “not many nobles take that route. There is an alternative offered by the Church for individuals who feel called to serve the Fme in a different way. Commonfolk and academy graduates are often presented with a choice to join the Church as apprentice priests. From there, they may rise to become Emberweavers, who travel the savage nds to spread the faith; Ashwardens, inquisitors who hunt heretics and root out corruption; or even Keepers of the Fme, the high priests who administer the Church and advise the king himself.”

  Enric leaned forward, his voice trembling with excitement. “And I could do this? I could leave behind the Goldfield name and serve the Fme directly?”

  Leofwin’s gaze softened “It is possible, yes. But priests lead lives filled with sacrifice and service. The job of the Ashwardens is at times revolting and undervalued, and the Emberweavers encounter countless dangers in the great outdoors. Even the Keepers of the Fme are at many times burdened by the kingdom's spiritual and political duties. I do not promise an easy life, just a diffrent one."

  For a brief while, Enric's excitement waned but the sparkle in his eyes persisted. "I'll take a chance if it means I can live a more purposeful, independent life."

  After examining him for a while, Leofwin slowly nodded. Excellent. But be aware that there is no going back once you set out on this path.

  After seeing Enric’s determination, Leofwin felt it was now or never. He leaned in slightly. “You see… in the case of nobility, the family head must give permission by severing the ties of blood. That means you will have to convince your father, Alfred.”

  Enric’s face turned pale as a ghost. For a moment, he looked as though he might faint. After a brief moment, he shook himself out of it. He straightened his back, his posture set with resolve. “It will be the most difficult challenge yet,” he said quietly, “but it’s worth the shot."

  Leofwin nodded, his usual warm smile returning. “A wise decision. The Fme guides those who are steadfast, Enric. Remember that.”

  But as Enric turned to leave the chapel, he didn’t see the way Leofwin’s smile twisted, the warmth draining from his eyes like embers snuffed out by a cold wind. That smile was bearly considered human... Who, or what was that? Enric would never know.

  Gbro