A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

"Well, there you go, Verdant. Do you think you can take one down?" Oliver asked. He noticed the way Lasha's eyes flashed with a question as he mentioned that. She seemed to think it impossible.

Verdant shook his head. "I am unsure. Certainly, I would not have been able to without first seeing you fight it… But nor am I confident that I am grateful enough to imitate what you have done."

"I'm surprised you're trying to make anyone else fight that…" Lasha said quietly.

"In a few weeks, I think, it'll be your turn," Oliver said. Even her retainers seemed shocked by that one. They at least knew enough of combat – given what they'd learned today – to realize the magnitude of that.

"Really?" None were more surprised than Lasha herself. The doubt was written across her face.

"Maybe," Oliver shrugged. "It would be a proper battle. But it might be enough for a breakthrough, if you get all the pieces in place beforehand. We'll work our way up to it, but I would definitely say you need something stronger than a goblin."

"D-don't you think that it would be fine to take things slower?" Amelia said. She had trouble keeping her voice level. The fear from the presence of the Hobgoblin still had its hold on. "..Ser Patrick?" She finished meekly.

Her sudden bit of respect was the strangest thing of all.

"It would be fine to," Oliver agreed. "But she's been training her whole life. She's got a belt of experience. She just needs tests, and confidence. Maybe she can break through to the Second Boundary off that."

"The Second Boundary?" Amelia repeated, looking to Pauline, thinking that the girl would explain it. But Pauline shook her head from left to right, indicating that she didn't know that either.

"Again you break their Taboo, my Lord," Verdant said. "It would be wise to not make references to the Boundaries a habit, though in this case, I might overwrite my own advice with my interest. Do you believe it to be possible for her?"

"Possible? Yes. I don't know any more than that, though," Oliver said.

"The youngest Boundary Breaker in the history of the Stormfront, then providing the teachings for another to become the second youngest… It would do much for your legacy."

"Can I?" Lasha said, looking between Verdant and Oliver. "And what does it mean to do it?"

"It means to get what you want, if that's what you're looking for," Oliver said. "But it all depends on you, in the end. Here we have a forest full of tests. At the very least, the opportunity is available should you decide to take it."

The girl lapsed into thought at that, whilst Verdant muttered beside her.

"What about this corpse?" Oliver mused. He squinted at the sky. They only had a little over an hour before it would start getting dark again – they'd not been able to leave for the forest until late morning, and that wasted time was weighing on him. "We've made progress with a couple of problems, but there's still the issue of coin.

I don't think I'd feel comfortable going another week without making progress there."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"The ears, the fingers, tongue and toes. Their price-to-weight ratio is likely the highest," Verdant said. "But we certainly shouldn't leave the organs either, they're even more valuable."

"The trouble of carrying all this. If we wanted to turn this into something more efficient, we'd need more people," Oliver said. "Would any Serving Class students agree to be hired as porters on a weekend, Pauline? Or is that sort of work beneath them?"

"I think it would depend on the payment," Pauline said, her voice croaking as she struggled to recover it. "For a day's work, most would jump at two coppers."

"Gargon was paying Gras and his friends a silver each to build a shop," Oliver noted.

"Those typically take around two weeks to build. A silver is a fair price, despite the wage being less than a copper a day. The consistency of the labour trumps that. If you would enter a contract with some students, agreeing to take them on every weekend, then they'd likely agree to a lesser fee, simply because of the promise of more work," Verdant said.

"Wise," Oliver said, nodding sagely. "Very wise. Damn… I might need to pen a letter to Greeves."

"Greeves, my Lord?" Verdant asked.

"Ah, a greasy merchant that I know. Though, I don't exactly trust him not to wring me dry for any advice that he has to give," Oliver said. "Regardless, I suppose the best bet is butchering this corpse and seeing what we can sell the ingredients for. As ever, I am lacking information."

"What further hunts do you have planned?" Verdant asked.

"I suppose another Hobgoblin or two, depending on how long it takes to find another," Oliver said. "Pauline, Amelia, can I borrow one of those daggers?"

"Uhm, I guess. What for?" Amelia said, sliding it from her side and handing it over.

Oliver didn't see it necessary to give a response. He kneeled down by the corpse and began the laborious process of butchering it. He started with the heart – a messy process. He pulled his sleeve back, but still didn't manage to escape soaking it with blood as he reached deeper.

"Uhmmmmmmm…" Amelia loudly proclaimed, hanging next to him. She was probably more than a little bit irritated by the fact that he was using her newly purchased dagger for a bit of butchery. "Aren't you meant to get someone else to do that?" Discover more content at empire

He looked at her. That wasn't the question he'd expected, but from the expressions on the faces of the others, it was a sentiment that they echoed.

"My Lord, you need not lower yourself to such tasks. My hands are more than enough," Verdant said.

Oliver frowned. "This is not work I consider beneath me," he said. He'd seen Nila butcher many an animal. It was a necessary part of the process. Whilst not as glamourous as the act of making a kill, it was just as important. He'd been around it enough that the grizzle of the task was second nature to him.