Approaching the predetermined rendezvous location, Rosemi De Lumix nonchalantly marched into the local adventurer's hall. Seating herself within the one of the corners of their built-in tavern.
A energetic waitress who simply slapped on a plain apron atop her usual leather gears hopped on over as she quickly eyed up Rosemi's attire. And although the woman wore no apparent armour, no metal plates, no gauntlets and the such. The waitress could instinctively feel a certain coldness tickle her neck, a single thought towards anything hostile and perhaps a real blade would replace such a feeling.
"Hi, I'm Betty~ What can I get for you?"
Rosemi's beautiful blue gems quickly inspected the waitress who sported soft-curly ginger locks. Placing her guild card upon the table, the knight made it abundantly clear that she was both a VIP member of the adventurer's association, and also a high noble; because, even if the girl didn't recognise her family name, at the very least she knew the length of her name represented power and prestige.
All thoughts towards scoring an extra coin here and there by trickery and deceit immediately left the window, as Betty tried to perform a curtsy from her imagination.
"Three portions of your best main, and also three mugs of ale-" Entering through the doors was Clam and Gary, who were dressed in full plate armour. Their metallic boots clanked and banged against the floorboards as they caught on to Rosemi's strawberry blonde hair by its brightness. "-Make that 5 mugs of ale, your largest mugs..."
Betty swiftly pulled out her staff card and tapped the customer's. Her eyes opened wide as she saw how much of a tip the noblewomen before her had designated. Having confirmed the payment went through, she clumsily curtsied once more before heading towards the kitchen to order the cooks into haste. And although it was quite far and separated by walls, the people outside could still make out her shouts. "COOK LIKE YOUR LIVES DEPEND ON IT! IT'S A PRINCESS! COOK YOUR DAMN BEST!"
This was something Asai had randomly lectured her upon, during one of his random rants whilst tipsy. A notion that within a world in which the rich kept and saved their money, only focusing on collecting and making more. The economy of the kingdom would sooner or later fail, as the common and lower-class people would be left without. Therefore, the nobles had an obligation to spend their money, allowing trickle economics to work as the economy was stimulated.
Clam and Gary seated across from the knight, whistling as their gazes had followed Betty's bouncing-behind. Catching sight of Rosemi's curious gaze, they put their hands up in surrender before explaining themselves.
"Hey, we were just enjoying goddess Loha's work of art. It would be a crime not to."
"Here you go lads~" Betty suddenly emerged from their blind spots, bringing their refreshments that were filled to the brim. Her eyes flickered in excitement as she took in their chiselled jawlines, and even though they were clad in armour, she could tell that the two were extremely strong men. Especially if she took into regards the noblewomen they were escorting. "Only the best for the best, after all."
Leaning a tad bit too much on purpose, she revealed a great deal of cleavage to the men. Something Rosemi caught sight of, as she took mental-notes to herself.
"Ahem* Thank you."
Seeing as Rosemi was now grinning ear to ear, as how easy it was to get them excited. The lads were quick to chug down their drinks.
Clam and Gary, the two men who had started from nothing, similarly to the duke of war. Orphans who survived on hardly a meal a day, who now had access to as much food and funding as they required, were now both insanely well-built. Strong and had even ended up growing taller than Asai by a few inches. As they weren't gifted with mana, they had no choice but to face their hardships from a different direction. Rather than magical properties and strength, they were gifted with weight-lifting equipment Asai had once crafted and manufactured from his many factories and projects.
Regarding their flirtatious behaviour, although they were already cuffed to knight's Karen and Ash, even going as far as to having children with them. Polygamy was something that lingered within a grey-zone. For one, since over 50,000+ men had died during humanity's war, battles and survival against monsters and beasts alike, many women were left as widows or single as their husbands, spouses and love-interests were dead.
As such, whilst polygamy was usually reserved for the elite, the nobility and the super-wealthy. As they could afford such a life, whilst fulfilling their obligations to feeding and providing for their off-spring. When it came to the common-people, it was mostly shunned as a lecherous behaviour as the poorest of them evidently wasn't able to provide.
However, Clam and Gary, were only still regarded as commoners because Asai hadn't ever bothered to utilize the authority granted upon him to grant out peerage to his own vassals and knights. The duke of war, who only prioritized and was ultimately swamped with battle after battle, had entirely forgotten about peerage and titles. Perhaps, the young duke simply regarded such titles as meaningless. Take Robin and Chloe for example, although they had been granted peerage and land, the two ladies simply continued on with their lives as if they hadn't.
Hell, even Asai de Trichia, a duke was hardly ever within his own duchy.
Seeing as the two men were already finishing up their first mug and starting on the next, Rosemi pulled out two documents from her [Storage Ring] and simply slid them across to them.
"Lady Rosemi, what is this?" Clam inquired, as his eyes lingered over the topic titles.
"Peerage, land and the start of your own lineages."
Gary looked over to his mug, before looking back over to the papers.
"Huh?" "Am I drunk already?" In their never-ending efforts to improve, for self-betterment. As Asai was ever-fleeting, as a goal in which they wanted to be able to follow one day. The two lads had also entirely forgotten about peerage, promotions and awards. With thousands of knights all looking up to them as role-models, something like a surname wasn't even important to them anymore. The sweat, joy and laughter of their men was.
Leaning back as she sipped upon her own refreshment, her blue eyes flickered before continuing.
"You may chose to craft up a new lineage entirely, a surname unique to only your bloodline, or you may inherit the castle, barony or keep that you chose to become lord over.
Trust me, this is a positive thing, and although the paperwork may appear to be a hassle, this is for the future of your children. I'm aware that you two were planning on having them study at Trichia, to train and grow there. But, you should still give them something to look forward to, a responsibility that will make them mature as they develop.
Anyways, keep those papers. And reply whenever you're ready."
Clam and Gary abruptly stood from their seats, making quite the ruckus as their armour clanked about, before saluting with great respect towards Rosemi De Lumix.
A few of the baronies that were available consisted of lands, castles, villages that were scattered both within Trichia Duchy and Lumix Duchy, whilst also including the recently lord-less Ahkma Barony and also the budding new settlements in Morrisen and Aevraury that were being colonized and blooming. Perhaps, if they waited long enough, even territories in humanity's new vassal-state Par'Talucca would become available.
As such, they had the choice of remaining under Asai's wings, or branching out and growing their names themselves in untested waters. Whatever their decision would be, the two would only make it after finishing another 2 barrels of ale.
...
Rosemi smiled, as she was performing what she believed to be her homely-duties. Whilst Asai, the man of the house was out making the bread, fighting battles and wars. She was home, looking after his manor, his duchy and his men.
kophzi