A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

Chapter 447 The Beginning of Something Powerful - Part 11

"You really are not fond of the noble folk," Verdant noted, as he went about eating his own meal, with a considerable degree more delicacy than Oliver.

There was a clatter of plates, as another tray was thrust down next to them.

"My lady, we'll make sure to sit right behind you, so just let us know the moment he does anything suspicious," Ameilia said.

"Amelia!" Pauline chided. "You really must stop saying that will get you on Ser Oliver's bad side."

Oliver looked over his shoulder, surprised to feel his energy drop as he saw the same two faces from this morning again. They were pretty faces, it should be said. Amelia with her pale blonde hair, and her skinny fairy-like figure, whilst Pauline had a rounder face, with a kind expression, and short cut brown hair to go with it, hair that seemed to sit just as gently as she.

Pauline dipped her head when their eyes met, a faint blush on her cheeks. No doubt she was embarrassed to have her fellow retainer behaving so impetuously. Amelia, on the other hand, stood bolt upright by way of protest, pointedly putting her hands on her hips as she refused to bow. A troublesome girl, for certain.

"It is customary to bow when you catch the attention of nobility," Verdant said, his voice tinged with the sort of authority that only nobles accustomed to having people obey them would have. Immediately Amelia bent at the waist, with an urgency that suggested it was more instinct than conscious action.

Verdant didn't press them any further. He had the sense to guess what was going on, despite having no other details than their current interaction to go on.

"That is the case," Verdant agreed. "Again, I am surprised that this was not knowledge that you already had, Young Wolf. Troubled, even. Your worldview differs to my own in ways that I don't fully grasp. That troubles me."

Blackthorn looked up, evidently interested in the conversation. Oliver saw agreement in her eyes, but she did not speak it. Was it because Verdant was there? He wondered why. The priest did have a rather intimidating aura to him... and Blackthorn didn't speak much anyway. He could understand being put off by his presence.

"Is it not against the rules or anything for you to be showing deference to a specific pupil, Verdant?" Oliver asked. As a member of staff, he'd expect the priest to have been somewhat more impartial... But the man had directly said more than once that it was Oliver that he was interested in.

"There are duties expected of me. As long as I carry them out, I do expect anyone would complain," Verdant said. "Many staff members come to the Academy – after their graduation – for reasons the same as my own. They seek connections, opportunities, ways forward in their lives, having not decided on it yet.

The role of a staff member at the Academy serves that period of 'unknowingness' at the start of an adult's life quite well. It allows you to do something productive, whilst also leaving your options open."

"Heh..." Oliver said, only half listening. "So anyway, I was wondering, what exactly does it mean to be a retainer?"

He saw Amelia and Pauline's ears perk up from behind them. There was a good metre between themselves and their lady, but with the way Oliver was sitting, they could hear every word, if he wanted them to.

"Well, I suppose it would depend on the noble houses involved. Many have distinct traditions that are separate from the norm. Some swear an oath of loyalty before a God of their choosing in the shrine of the noble's home, and others sign a contract, of the sort that a merchant might use, it depends," Verdant said, still delicately chipping through his food.