The Northern Noble is a Grinder (Volume 2: Chapter 6).

The Northern Noble is a Grinder (Volume 2: Chapter 6).

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Commissioned by Sivantic

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I stopped and couldn’t help but stare at Anisette as she lumbered through the door, soaking wet, and fell face-first onto the floor as Lord Trelawney walked after her.

Her state of tiredness was one thing, but the scent of a great and terrible beast clung to her like a second skin.

For the first time since I met her, she seemed as though she would make a possible threat if I let my guard down.

“No, you need a bath. Don’t go stinking up the room.” Lord Trelawney lifted her up and shoved her in the bathroom, and she grumbled from within. He swept away the ocean water on the floor and turned his gaze my way. “It looks like the Goddess of Love’s blessings count when taking power from your kills. She can ask them to give her power. No need to make them hate or fear her.”

Those simple words made my jaw drop.

“That’s… a truly divine boon.” I stated, and Lord Trelawney nodded with a light laugh. “But I doubt all her strength came from that. Where did you have her hunt?”

“Just off the continental shelf in the ocean. I told you about it, right? The depths of the ocean hold powers that even gods hesitate to face. She took on their equivalent of a wild dog.” Lord Trelawney undressed before me. I looked away because I knew Anisette would lecture me. He was a young boy, she reminded us often, even though I only saw a harsh taskmaster and a great teacher. “You’re not suited for it. All your spells will make too much heat and light. Besides, you’re plenty strong enough for most opponents.”

“Sometimes, I yearn to hunt powerful beasts, but I hope that the need will fade.” I admitted it to him. Though he warned me, I considered traversing the ocean’s depths where great predators roamed. He finished dressing as an assistant baker just as the fresh water from the adjacent bathroom stopped. A burst of heat emanated from within the bathroom, followed by the scent of flowers, and I realized that she cast a small miracle to cleanse her clothing. Anisette returned to us a moment later. Tired, but clean. “Who knows? Perhaps, I will consider it once I start walking the path towards divinity in a few decades.”

“You’re better off returning North and killing a few demigods than going to the depths. You lose too much of your arsenal. Meanwhile, you hold the advantage up north, and you’ll terrify them much more easily.” Lord Trelawney advised, and I nodded, but if I could avoid going back to his lands… I would. I never wished to return there. Nothing but the greatest of calamities could entice me to return to his tutelage. That fact must have been obvious, as he suddenly smirked. “It’s entirely up to you, of course.”

I grimaced at his words and decided to retreat.

“How did your hunt fare, Anisette?” Even as tired as she was, Anisette gave a bow and a curtsy at my words. I returned her greeting with a proper nod of acknowledgement, while Lord Trelawney rolled his eyes and put on a white cap and left the room. “You have been pushing yourself in a praiseworthy manner, but I must confess that I worry for you.”

She was polite to me, so it was only right that I was polite to her in turn.

“Thank you for your consideration, Lady Argelia. It is difficult, but like any worthy task, it is a labor that I must undertake for my own sake.” Her sense of propriety and adherence to formality soothed many of my concerns. All her strength and potential did not worry me because of her upstanding conduct. Lord Trelawney’s flagrant disregard for such things, his intellect, and his immense power all served as sources of concern. Still, though, some part of me noted that it could all be a mask to shield her true intentions, but I had no reason to doubt the veracity of her conduct. “I asked Lord Trelawney to make me stronger for the sake of everyone here. I do not wish for my homeland to be invaded by another nation, especially with their goal to steal people from us for their own unknown ends.”

I chose to believe in her words and her actions.

Lord Trelawney would call it foolish, but I chose to trust unless given a reason otherwise, despite what I experienced.

“Your aid will be much appreciated.” I told her the truth. Though we were strong as a group of three, strong enough for the enemy to be wary despite their overwhelming numbers, a fourth will allow us to strike against them. Staying on the defensive, keeping our lands secure while reinforcements streamed in, would only work until our enemies mustered enough force to tie us down. Once they did that, then our own normal forces would be on the back foot. The common soldiers employed by our current foes were equal to aspiring knights. The common foot soldier, levied and armed to fight, can only perish against them. “However, I must tell you that if you join us, then any chance of you fading into obscurity will be forever lost. This is a war that will be written into the Empire’s history.”

Anisette’s tired expression gave way in the face of her resolve.

“I would like a life of peace and tranquility, but I will not stand idly while the lives of others are threatened on this scale.” Many saints did not do as Anisette did. They pried themselves away from the ‘mundane’ in pursuit of divinity. Though they had immense strength and power, they secluded themselves to remove the temptation of using their power and destabilizing lives. They fretted that their existence could cause harm, but in doing so they took away their ability to do good. “I will fight with you, Lady Argelia. I wish to do so because I am of the empire, and I wish to save my fellow citizens.”

I was here out of obligation to the crown, and I wished to ensure my family’s lands would be secure, but she did not need to be here. She was not a soldier nor the heiress to a great and vast land that was in danger. She was here simply because she chose to be, after being given the option to leave, and still she chose to fight. Considering everything, her decision to stay here was more laudable than my own.

The only reason why I wished for her to leave was to preserve her strength and character for the empire.

We had need of people such as her, and I was glad that I worked hard to see her for who she was rather than who I thought she was.

“Very well, but I will not have you go unrewarded for your efforts. I will see the fame and glory you earn here better your station. And, of course, you shall be paid for your efforts.” I reached for my purse and retrieved it before producing some coin. I placed it in my pocket before tossing the pouch her way. She caught the bag with alarm in her eyes, obviously feeling the weight of gold within even before she saw what lay within. Her mouth opened to refuse it, but I held up my hand. “Your efforts and work must be properly compensated. It is my duty as nobility to defend this land. You are not nobility, and you have no such duty. Even if you are drafted and called to arms by nobility, you must receive payment.”

Many question why the nobility exists.

It does so to refine a bloodline into potent weapons of war, to prepare minds and bodies for the wars to come, and to die when the time comes to die for the nation.

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Interlude: Anisette, Demigod of Love

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“If you’re going to just use that money for charity, you’re an idiot.”

“Lord Trelawney, you should watch your tongue around a lady!” I turned to face him and found him with a basket full of dinner rolls. Stoically, he was eating one after the other. “And what are you doing spoiling your dinner!?”

“I can eat the whole pantry, and it wouldn’t spoil a thing.” He took a seat next to me. The castle was largely devoid of troops. It was a place for us to base our operations out of. Since it was likely that the enemy’s finest would come here, it was avoided by officers and soldiers alike. Those who remained with us and tended to our needs were wizened individuals who aimed to make the most of the extra pay involved in braving the hazard. None questioned the boy who aimed to risk his life for more coin, though. “You should use that coin to buy something from me instead.”

“There are many who need this.” I told him simply and wished for that to be the end of it. The orphanages would not need money for months with this princely sum. Over twenty golden coins was enough to feed the children and even provide them with shoes. “I am strong enough, especially with the blade you’ve given me.”

“Go ahead. You’ll feed them for a few months, then die, and then they’ll get nothing.” Lord Trelawney’s words were coarse and unrefined as always, but there was no disgust or hate in them. He spoke arrogantly, but not with anger. If I insisted on the matter, he’d wash his hands of my decision immediately. All that he wished to do was convey his thoughts and beliefs. “Or, you can get some armor to protect your neck, a charm to keep your ears from popping, and maybe something to keep you from being blinded. Then, you can use your next couple of paychecks to help more people for a longer period.”

Though I felt a scowl threaten to break across my features, I felt myself concede to his point, and I offered him the heavy pouch.

“Pleased to do business with you.” He placed the trinkets in question in my hands without a moment of hesitation. The bag of gold slipped beneath his basket, from which he produced some butter and jam. He offered me one, and I offered him a weak glare but took the warm bread. I almost forgot how fresh bread tasted, as I had grown used to rations. “Everyone else has protective measures already. It’s just enchanted straight onto their clothes. You don’t have that luxury, so you must go through this song and dance.”

I put on the two bracelets and the necklace. They were simple and composed of steel. His power lingered on them. He made them himself and very recently. Did he wish to protect me or take the funds given to me by Lady Argelia?

Knowing him, it was most likely both.

“So, you shall be taking your pick of my purse in the coming weeks, I suppose.”

“Yep.” He admitted the fact freely and with a sharp nod. He lathered his bread roll with enough butter and jam for an entire loaf before scarfing it down with a hum. The food vanished into him. Despite his voracious appetite, he was on the smaller side of boys his age. His looks lent themselves to presenting himself as an orphan in need of funds. “If you want, you should investigate how much other people would charge you. Or, what favors they’d ask of you. I’m giving you these things at cost, basically.”

I considered his words, then recalled some words he shared with me with Mother’s presence lingering over us both.

“You spoke of artifacts and blessings bestowed on me by my mother. And, you were surprised to learn that nonsuch things existed. Is that truly the norm amongst the demigods of the north?”

“Why would I lie about that?” He raised an eyebrow at me, and my thoughts paused as I felt a blush creep up my features. “Don’t be embarrassed. Stop dancing around the subject. Ask what you really want to ask.”

“I… It’s about duty. Lady Argelia told me that I should receive this because helping the empire is not expected of me. I thought that as someone who lived in these lands, I should work to help my people.” I confessed. It felt silly to say such things to such a boy. Lord he might have been, but he was a boy. Still, he was well-read. “The demigods you faced in the north fought for their people. They underwent pilgrimages and became acknowledged, then they fought you for the sake of their tribe, no?”

“The savage gods of the north are different. They’re cruel, capricious, and only understand strength. They reached their current position and maintain it thanks to being worshipped by their people.” I listened mutely as a chill went up my spine. To become divine was to reach a realm where you would interfere with mortal lives if you persisted in the physical world. It was to assume a mantle of responsibility after many long years of effort and training, while also preparing the next generation for when you are gone. The gods of the tribes in Lord Trelawney’s land did not sound like the gods that I knew. “They’re not like your mother, who achieved everything on her own and now shares her power; they’re… part of the tribes.”

He gave a hum before speaking again.

“As for the nobility, Argelia’s right. Their purpose is to be assets in the event of conflict. They lead from the front, fight there, and they’ll die there for their nation and people. It’s honestly the most commendable thing about being nobility.” He scowled as if admitting such words physically hurt him, but then he turned to me. “You were born to normal people as far as the law is concerned, even if one of them is a goddess. You have no obligation to the people of the Empire. Only to yourself, if you follow the rules.”

“But with all this power and strength, do I not have the responsibility to help others?”

My words seemed to greatly amuse Lord Trelawney.

“You can decide to do that, sure, but you’ll be miserable. There’s no shortage of responsibility to shoulder even as a normal person. With your power and strength, well, you’ll be able to take on more… and you’ll be crushed beneath it soon enough.” He finished the rest of the bread rolls before I finished eating mine before standing up. “It’s your power, and it’s your body. You have the right to fuck it all up. Just don’t come crying to me for help if you do. Well. At least not without any money. I have people to protect, you know?”

With those words, and a complete lack of satisfaction at his answer, he left me to ponder the matter on my own.

Mother, won’t you give me a sign on what I should do with the power that I now wield?

You couldn’t have intended for me to simply be a tool of war, right?