A Grand Duke's Word

"Thank you all for your support." I nodded to the now-calmed crowd. "Before I go, I'd like to give a reminder to the graduates, and a message to each citizen in attendance.

"Even in peace, remain vigilant," I stated. "Always strive to better yourselves. And rarely should you focus on the things you're unable to do. There is more to life than magic and might. It doesn't matter whether you're young, or old; deemed a genius, or called incompetent; if you're living in prime health, or knocking on death's doorstep. Everyone has a niche to fill. Our goal in life is to find, or, choose it.

"In a few years' time, I will return to the mainlands to recruit members for a guild of my own making. I will then lead that guild across Maru. And together, we will breach the barrier and rid Maru of the monsters inhabiting Ulai, once and for all. That is the niche that I have chosen. Consider this an open invitation to follow me on my journey, come the appropriate time.

"For you esteemed guests present tonight, I wish you a joyous ceremony and a safe passage home," I said in closing. "And to you graduates. Congratulations. I wish you the best in your future endeavors."

With a final bow, I backpedaled to my seat and sat through the hours and hours needed for each student to be called and for them to walk up to the stage to receive their diploma.

With hours and hours of torture and a final speech from my Grandfather, the ceremony was finally over.

Grandpa Lich turned from the podium, not even a second after the crowd started moving from their seats. In passing, he curtly told me that he'd see me at the awakening ceremony before disappearing backstage.

Once he was gone, I promptly reached into my Shadow Pocket and turned to the newest additions to hand them their rucks I'd been holding on to for all these years. "Pack your things in these and then take the night off. Celebrate with your friends and family. And be in my by wing by morning. Well-rested and ready to depart."

They seemed all too eager to agree to my orders and went off into the crowd at once to find their families. Leaving the rest of us to return to the guest floor on our own.

Upon our arrival, we all parted off to our wings at once. After arriving in mine, I went straight to the kitchen for a quick meal before I began transferring a few things from my Shadow Pocket into my new carriage. Once a sizable portion of provisions, wood, and stone was stored in the umbral pockets within the carriage, I unleashed the seldom-used function of my Eternal Eye and watched in nostalgic satisfaction as a digitized version of the Empire scaled down to size around my body.

As the many different areas and biomes, I visited during my campaigns came to mind, the map followed suit and panned the terrain to the associated location. Terrain features, flora and fauna, even temperature levels and weather conditions were all represented in the digitized topography. Facilitating my assessment of the various locales for any potential resources before I either panned them away or pinged the area for later.

After roughly a half hour or so, I finally settled on a route and transit method I felt comfortable with and decided to skip my mana manipulation training for the night and settle in early.

***

I took a second to look at each of the six faces sitting around the table in turn before beginning.

Some of them were groggy and lethargic, others were literally bouncing with enthusiasm; though, they all seemed to have a certain glint of passion in their eyes that reflected brighter than the sun peeking into the dining room.

"Good morning, everyone," I finally said, gesturing to the map strewn out across the table. "I figure we give ourselves some time for proper introductions before we begin. Letta Sinclare, my watchmaker." I pointed to her, then shifted my pointer finger over. "Giorno Nojo, my tailor. And Edward Pascal, the chief engineer." I pointed to the neurotic before shifting my gesture towards the veteran vassals. "Toril is my knight. Jaimess is my political adviser. And Jonet is my spy."

Giorno rose his brow as his finger simultaneously made its way to his chin. "A spy?" He softly gasped in apparent admiration.

"All of you work directly for me, but also for each other." I continued, ignoring his comment. "Now, we'll go through the formalities later. For the time being, I'll tell you that your primary focus is to create things of both my, and of your own designs. As of now, I have no bills for you. But I will be giving you all books within the next couple of days. You are to study them in your free time and share them with no one outside of this circle. That includes both my father and my great-grandfather." I sternly warned. "Additionally, I want you all to continue working to perfect your crafts. I want you to make watches, clothes, or whatever you think will aid the rest of us, and always continue training. See to Jaimess if you need any materials or equipment." I gestured to him. "Otherwise, you can more or less do as you please. So long as you don't disgrace my name."

"Understood, My Lord." Giorno quickly said as they all bowed.

"With that out of the way." I sighed. "Tell me, do any of you have any affinity cores?"

"Yes, Your Grace." They all bowed in unison.

'Here we go again." I internally groaned. 'Hopefully, it won't take them nearly as long as the others to drop the titles.'

"Like my father, I was born with Ash Magic, Your Grace." Ed bowed.

"And I have Chain Magic." Letta cheekily added. "Though, I can conjure other things too. Like gears, locks, and shackles. So, binding magic? I was never sure."

"Interesting." I nodded, then pointed to Giorno. "And you?"

"Severing Magic, My Lord." He curtly bowed in his seat.

"Fascinating." I smiled, biting back the impulse to ask for a demonstration. Instead, I gestured at the map of the Empire to bring everyone's attention to the zig-zag line trailing from the Tower to the outskirts of Odissi. "This is the route we're taking back to Deap Ridge. We'll be flying during the day, and riding through the night while we rest. Along the way, we'll be making two pit stops so that you three can amass a sizable stockpile of provisions and materials."

With a few more words and some breakfast, we assembled by the balcony and I watched as my vassals took to the air or got on the move in their own unique ways.

Instead of just charging himself and disappearing from sight, Toril lifted himself through the air on pillars of fire extending from his hands and feet with Giorno trailing just behind him. Jonet on the other hand, simply jogged towards the balcony and dove over the edge like she was jumping into a pool. With a few waves of the arms, she conjured a colossal ramp of ice that she elegantly landed on and used to skate off towards the distance.

Letta trailed after her. Diving in a similar pose before a chain suddenly burst from her back. The jagged shard attached to the end sort of, melted into the balcony rather than slamming into it as I expected. With the subtle sound of a rattling chain, it pulled tautly. Swinging her off in the same direction as Jonet like a certain, friendly neighborhood arachnid-like individual.

Jaimess simply conjured a large origami bird that he amiably stepped onto before turning to Ed and I with a wide smirk on his face. And with a single gust of his paper hawk, he took off into the distance. Leaving Edward and I to flood mana in our bodies and assume our semi-solid forms of smoke or shadow and play catchup with everyone else.

After several hours of flight and a few restroom breaks, we passed over the sprawling footprint of warehouses and city blocks that was the border town of Emi and continued south for a few ways to descend towards a small clearing near the outskirts of town.

As I somewhat expected, most of the newer additions collapsed onto the snow the moment they came to a landing. Letta and Giorno heaved and panted tirelessly as if they'd just run a marathon while their counterpart stood idly next to them. Unlike the other two, the ambient mana slowly swirled around and into Ed's body to recharge his well like a leaky faucet filling a cup a drip at a time.

Looking at the others, I could clearly see that they all had Slush Wells of varying sizes, with Ed at the lowest and Letta; surprisingly, at the highest. Excepting Toril, of course. As a noble, he was the only one with an Ice-well. And its size was marginally smaller than my own.

Seeing their wells for what they were now, only made me all the more excited to see what they would become after I realized the forced expansion theory.

Though, that would have to come much later. For now, I drew in everyone's attention whilst approaching the middle of our haphazard circle to prepare a campfire.

"For those of you who've never been here, we are on the outskirts of Emi; the industrial capitol of Odissi. That, in the distance, is the quarry." I pointed to the silhouettes of cranes and warehouses dotting the western horizon; then, I jabbed my thumb over my shoulder to the east. "Beyond that woodline, is a logging site. The clothes you were given mark you as my vassals, so you don't have to worry about getting permission to use either site. We." I gestured to first myself, then the veteran vassals. "Will stay here and prepare a meal, while you three are to gather as much lumber and stone as you can until dusk. After that, we'll eat, and then ride through the night to our next destination."

With mixed levels of enthusiasm, they all bowed their affirmations before darting, skipping, or walking off towards the woodline.

Toril offered to take over cooking duties shortly after their disappearance, while Jaimess and Jonet began working to spruce up the place. So, with nothing else to do, I decided to do a little scrying to observe the new additions' magic from afar.

Particularly, Giorno's peculiar severing magic.

With it, he produced mana blades that were remarkably different from the forging technique my mother showed, me years ago. They appeared as crescent blades of solid air; or, as a transparent disk or field, made of green-hued energy that was flung from every swipe of the hand to cleanly sever entire trunks or blocks of stone from their larger parts.

Leaving Letta to spawn chains and pulleys to catch the material in midair and divide it into three piles to facilitate Ed, comically stuffing the large pieces of wood and stone into their unchanging bags.

The rest of us shared a companionable silence in their absence. Toril toiled away with the stew while Jonet had gone off somewhere to play in the snow shortly after the campsite was up to standard. Creating a peaceful camp environment for Jaimess and I to read and write and wait in while the sun continued its slow descent in the southern skies.

Once Tiatus appeared to be nothing more than a radiant toenail, cresting above the horizon, the tinkerers began to return. One by one, they streamed in, in much the same way as they'd left. Ed practically sprinted to camp, leaving Letta to skip along in the snowfall of his wake while Giorno casually waltzed behind them. Being the last to take a bowl of stew and take a seat in one of the field chairs he'd created.

With an hour or so of companionable silence passing, I flicked a Shadow Bullet onto the ground and pulled my carriage through the pool of darkness. Prompting Edward to leap forth from his seat with unbridled excitement.

"Would you all like a tour?" He beamed at us after orbiting around the thing.

"Please," Giorno said, stepping towards the sloped cockpit.

"I've spent years and a bit of my own money making this for you, My Lord," Edward explained as he opened a butterfly door on the front. Bringing into view, a pair of plush, reclined seats. Reaching inside, he grasped a pair of reigns that'd been pinned in place to a joined yoke and looked back to us while saying. "The carriage can be steered from either seat in the cockpit, and the drivers will be protected by the wind and snow. On top of that." He paused to gesture to a jewel placed at the center of the roof before pointing to a half-wall behind the seats. "The cockpit and windows are heated by enchantments, and it can be sealed off from the interior. "

Closing the door, Ed then walked along the side of the carriage to point out the many doors, boxes, and chutes lining the fenders and side skirts. "These storage units are all enchanted, and contain tools, spare parts, and other equipment meant to keep the carriage running in the worst of conditions. On top of that." He stopped at the rear to ceremoniously open the trunk, revealing a horizontally split compartment. "There's a camp kitchen!

"Complete with an icebox." Ed continued, pointing to the large door on the upper portion before gesturing down to the recessed compartment below. Moving his finger along as he spoke. "As well as heating elements, an oven, a sink, and." He ceremoniously paused again. This time, to hurriedly pull out two pegs from either side of the wagon and set them aside before rushing back to the trunk to pull a plank of wood from under the counter and rotate it out to ninety degrees.

"A butcher's table." Toril nodded in understanding before Ed could get the supports set in. Causing the latter to shoot a dismayed and defeated look towards him before he deflatedly closed up the kitchen and rounded everyone around the entrance.

Without a word, he unfolded a set of steps and entered the carriage. Prompting us all to follow into the surprisingly spacious interior.

Set into the half-wall at the front was a rather unexpected fireplace. Obviously enchanted, and thus nothing more than an elaborate heating unit constructed with carved blackwood and slim, marble tiles. Bordering the fireplace, was a small door on the right side that gave access to the cockpit and a small end table that serviced a bench-seat on the port side. A similar, albeit smaller arrangement, sat just to the left of the door, extending all the way to the rear of the carriage, where a plush, padded loft was situated.

A loft that I naturally seated myself in while the others crowded themselves on the benches.

"In an effort to save space and reduce weight, I installed foldout furniture all over the place," Edward explained in a minutely less enthusiastic tone. Without much more words, he methodically reached towards the floor and unfolded four, L-shaped pegs from the base of the bench, and sprung them upright. Creating a series of flag-like structures that pivoted into small eating tables.

Seemingly ignoring everyone's astonishment, he quickly unfolded the flat surfaces of each upright peg and then reached towards the base of my loft to pull out a thin table that easily fastened into the supports.

Only then, did he look around at everyone's expressions and smile softly to himself. Then, he looked at me and asked. "Is your loft comfortable, My Lord?"

"It is." I pressed the pads around me as I nodded. "It's spacious enough for me to sleep in if I wanted to."

"Excellent." Ed's grin returned to its full vibrancy in an instant.

Nearly leaping forward, he collapsed the table and pegs back to their hidden positions before approaching my loft and pulling up on the base. Erecting a half-wall that locked in place just above my knees.

"The full height of this wall extends to here, My Lord." Ed pointed to the end of a groove at the mid-point of the wall. Then, moved his finger towards a pair of fan-like rails folded along the top. "With these foldout curtains, you can attend to your business in privacy. However, with the wall in this position. This. Can. Unfold." He groaned as he retracted thin poles from each side of my loft and from the low-wall, then came to a full pause to connect them into a box frame. Once done, he unraveled a sheet of what appeared to be weaved bark from the left side drew it across my lap to secure it in the opposing wall.

"And with this." Ed ceremoniously spread his arms. "You have your own eating or working table. Naturally, it can be used while the wall is at its full height as well. And." He flicked his finger over my shoulder. "You have access to the icebox and a drinking fountain from your loft. As well as a private entry from the porthole above."

"Wow." I gasped, following his pointer to the sparse starfield staring down on me through a half-meter pane of glass. "You did an outstanding job, Edward. You have truly earned your position. As have the rest of you." I added, looking past him.

"I am honored. Thank you, Your Grace." Ed bowed. Then sprung up again to collapse the table and reach below my loft to pull down a sort of garage door.

Eliciting shocked gasps from the others that all but forced me to crawl forward and investigate.

"The kitchen is reversible." I gasped in astonishment.

"Yes, My Lord." Ed proudly nodded. "For maximum comfort and accessibility, the kitchen and icebox can both be accessed from the in and outside and even used whilst on the move. Additionally, the carriage contains a ten-liter water tank, and has ice enchantments in the sleighs, as well as shadow enchantments in the undercarriage and in the interchangeable wheels, for maximum riding comfort."

"Don't get me wrong, this is incredible." Toril gasped after a few long moments. "But, this must've cost a fortune."

Either embarrassed or flustered, Ed sort of… squawked in awkward laughter and began itching the back of his head feverishly. "Well." He squawked again. "Most of the materials were provided by Our Lord, or by the school. Though, I did burn through most of my savings to get the brass and enchantments."

"What are you, a noble?" Letta spat in either sarcasm or contempt.

"No." Ed squawked again. Rubbed his head a bit more feverishly. "Though, my parents are successful merchants. In fact." He turned to face some ambiguous direction. "I was born in Emi. But, I don't remember much of the place. I went to the Tower when I was five, after all."

"Regardless, your work is outstanding. I expect nothing less than this, going forward," I said to him, then waited for his acknowledging nod before I opened the hatch. "Now, pack up camp and pick someone to drive for the first four hours. I'll be right back."

With that, I leaped from the roof of the wagon and dropped right into the shadowfell.

As always, the decrepit and gloomy environment contained little sound or light for uncountable leagues in every direction. Only rotten forests, crumbled boulders, and perpetually cloudy skies were found for as far as the eye could see. Though, I've since come to learn that many creatures still called this foul place home.

After forming a bond with one of these creatures, I was taught a peculiar method to beckon my mount to me. A technique that gave me quite a bit of insight into the skill I'd long since had my eyes set on.

Though, the moment when I could test that skill was still far from at hand.

Regardless, I did as I was taught years ago and pulled shadow mana from my well, guided it through my body, up to my torso, and into my throat before gently saying, "Karu." And like a stone thrown into a pond, the energy within my word sent a visible ripple through the pervasive darkness of the Fell.

Moments later, a pair of small, moon-yellow disks panned from behind a tree to stare at me for a long, uncomfortable second before its owner lunging forth with a bloodcurdling caw. Within a few strides, it was before me, its long, feathered neck arced up to tower menacingly above me before it snapped down with the quickness of a viper. Enveloping me in a tight embrace that dug dozens of jagged quills into my amorphous body.

"I missed you too, buddy." I hugged him in turn. Digging the quills deeper into my shadow flesh until I pulled away. "Come on." I tugged on his reigns towards the closest region of somewhat darker darkness. "Let's go for a ride."

He cawed eagerly and excitedly on the entire way to the physical plane. Causing a few of the others, particularly Giorno, to jump backward or even scream in shock or horror.

"My god!" He quite comically screamed. "What IS that!?"

"This is Karu. A night ave, and my mount." I phlegmatically explained as I led Karu to attach him to the wagon. "He lives in the Shadowfell. As such, he hates all light but has absolutely no tolerance for sunlight. He'll return to the other dimension at the first sight of dawn. Other than that, he's like any other ave."

"What's an ave?" Letta asked, reaching her hand towards Karu.

"Three meters tall, flightless birds." I snorted, gesturing to the creature in question. "Any ave can outrun and outpace any horse in existence. And a night ave's quills are venomous, so I wouldn't do that."

She seemed almost heartbroken as she pulled her arm away and turned, arms hanging, to step inside the carriage. Seeing it, I couldn't help but shake my head and laugh. And then forced myself to hide my amusement before descending through my porthole and settling into my loft.

"I assume you two know the route," I called up to the front.

To which, Edward held up a map while Jaimess turned over his shoulder and gave an exaggerated nod. "Of course."

"Good." I grinned, raising my half-wall. "Everyone else, get as much rest as you can. We'll be at our destination come sunrise."

With that, I quickly sealed off my loft and fell into a state of meditation.