chsdbacks Chapter 5 Departure
Chapter 5 Departure
Another full day of cleaning work. Fafnir was even busier today, wiping the floors of the first-floor corridor and lobby multiple times.
Today is an important day for Lord Lorraine, the Lord of Lorraine and Viscount of the Holy Kingdom of the Elves, to bid farewell to Bishop Zero Andre of the Church of the God of Death.
The banquet that night seemed quite grand. Fafnir heard the melodious and pleasant sound of the orchestra playing in the corridor, which made him feel a little less tired.
The prayer bells rang again at 9 p.m.
Fafnir Beckett took his seat at the table right on time.
"My little Fafnir, tomorrow will surely bring you good fortune," Elisa wished Fafnir well.
"My little Fafnir, if you are not doing well, please write to us immediately, and we will bring you back right away," Clint said solemnly.
……
A copy of "The Commandments of the Church of the God of Death," two sets of old robes, a fountain pen, and a stack of worn-out ledgers for writing...
There were also two silver shields and a handful of copper coins of varying denominations, worth a total of three silver shields—a huge sum for Fafnir.
That's about it, Fafnir thought. There's nothing else to take. He'll just have to wait until tomorrow morning.
……
At 6 a.m., the prayer bell rang, and the servants in the basement got up, changed clothes, and gathered in the lobby on the first floor in an orderly manner.
Clint and Elisa led Fafnir to the butler, kissed him on the forehead, waved to him, and watched as Fafnir and the other two children walked toward the square not far away.
Goodbye, Mom and Dad!
"Take care of yourself, my dear little Fafnir!"
"My dear little Fafnir... Goodbye! Everything will be alright."
Fafnir followed behind the butler, then looked back at his parents, feeling a pang of sadness.
The steward led them to Andrei in the center of the square, where they bowed respectfully to the bishop.
"Lord Andrei, these are three volunteers prepared for you and your students. Please wait a moment, I will bring the students over."
Fafnir and his two future colleagues also bowed to Bishop Andrei.
Andrei grunted to the butler, then waved to Fafnir and the others, signaling them to stand aside and wait.
Fafnir looked around. In the empty square, there was only Andrei and a knight in full armor, who seemed to be Bishop Andrei's guard—the armor covered his entire body, including his head.
Not long after, a group of young children, about 20 in total, were brought over by the housekeeper.
Fafner assumed they were all students, around his age, but they were dressed in clean and tidy robes that looked to be of good quality and made of fine materials.
Fafner guessed that they were probably the children of knights who had sworn allegiance to Viscount Lorraine, since grammar schools were not places for the children of slaves, laborers, or small artisans.
Andrei and the fully armored knight led the group for a while, across the square, where several carriages were parked on the main road of the manor, bearing the emblem of the Church of the God of Death—a raven feather with the Elvish variant of the word "death" attached.
Most of the children knew each other, and they huddled together in twos and threes, excitedly talking about something.
Fafnir followed quietly in the group, occasionally glancing at his surroundings.
However, some people kept their heads down and trembled—Fafner could clearly see the fine beads of sweat on the faces of his two new colleagues; they must have been very nervous.
"Please get in the carriage, five people per carriage, we're heading to Ryan City right away."
The knight in full armor spoke in a loud voice, giving orders to the children present.
Fafnir knew very little about Ryan City. He had never left the Lorraine family manor since birth, only hearing from his parents that Ryan City was the heart of Lorraine, a large city with tens of thousands of inhabitants.
The Lorraine family usually lived in their manor a dozen miles west of Ryan City, while Fafnir's parents, as the manor's treasurers, occasionally had contact with the financial officials in Ryan City.
After Fafnir and his two new colleagues and the other students had boarded the carriage, they got into the last empty carriage, probably because no one wanted to sit with the three unfamiliar servants.
It was Fafnir's first time riding in a carriage, and he was both excited and hopeful for the future.
The four-wheeled carriage was spacious and the interior was not simple. The seats were cushioned, and Fafnir found it very comfortable to sit in.
The carriage had glass windows that allowed for good light transmission, so Fafnir could clearly see his two new colleagues sitting directly opposite him.
The boy on the left looked rather thin, with messy brown hair plastered to his forehead, freckles on his cheeks, and his hands tightly gripping the hem of his shirt.
His eyes would glance out the window one moment, then quickly sweep over Fafnir the next;
The girl on the right looked thinner, with her flaxen hair tied into two thin braids that draped over her shoulders. Her expression seemed calm, but Fafner noticed that her fingertips were constantly rubbing the hem of her clothes.
"Hello," Fafnir began, his tone light and cheerful. "I'm Fafnir Beckett, I'm seven years old. And you?"
The boy shifted his gaze to Fafnir, but quickly looked away, his lips moving slightly as he whispered, "A... Allen, I'm nine years old."
"Martha is ten years old. Alan is my younger brother." The girl's voice was more composed.
"Where in the castle did you work before? We might have met," Fafnir asked.
"I...I sometimes help out in the kitchen, and sometimes I chase away birds and insects in the fields of the estate." Allen's voice was muffled and full of tension.
"I work in the laundry room," Martha replied briefly.
Fafnir nodded; it seemed that all three of them were menial laborers.
"I mop the floors," Fafnir chuckled, "from morning till night, from the first floor to the fourth. So, may I ask why you...?"
But just then, a loud voice rang out from nearby:
"Attention everyone, the carriage is about to depart."
With a "click," the carriage door opened, and Fafnir saw the fully armored knight board, close the door behind him, and sit down beside him.
"Haha, kids, hello there! Don't be nervous. What's with the 'Why are you talking about this?'? What are you all talking about?"
The fully armored knight said cheerfully, "Didn't I tell you five to share a carriage? Why aren't you sitting with the other children? Well, I guess I'll have to take this one with extra seats."
Alan was trembling with nervousness, and Fafner was about to speak...
With a "click," the carriage door opened again.
"They are all volunteers. The students don't know them and don't want to sit with them."
Zero Andrei also got on the car.