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Kirkwall (Part 3 - Assassins)

'Viscount, just how low is this noble in the hierarchy?' Edvard thought but asked, "What war effort, why fight when you can't even care for your people. Shouldn't they come first?"

"My friend, I do not know where you are from, but that is not a common thought. The kingdom comes first, with the church second. Only then can we start looking to ourselves."

"So, commoners are just slaves to serve your ends?" Edvard pressed without any tack. Causing Boris's fist to twitch and his will to keep his word quickly disappearing.

Seeing the noble not replying Edvard sighed as he realized this was really the viewpoint of the locals.

"What war are you fighting? I came across a small village in the woods, destroyed by knights. Why would you kill your own people?" Edvard continued to press, relations were already sour so he didn't feel like hiding his feelings behind a facade.

Hearing this Boris sighed again and wondered which village had ended up under such cruelness this time. This was far too common. When a village was not managed by a noble house, or at the very least a lord, then they would have no knights, nor soldiers.

This meant they often couldn't defend themselves, and with there being no one of importance; no one cared for their destruction. As long as the group of knights didn't go on a rampage it wouldn't even be investigated.

"They most likely refused to join the war, and as such were deemed heretics," Boris said after a few seconds of saying a prayer for the lives lost.

"For not wishing to die for a noble who treats them like shit. What a shocker." Edvard countered, liking this world less and less.

His hope of finding Yawen was quickly diminishing, along with the hope of making it home. Even if this world was more peaceful it would have still been extremely hard to find a way home.

Yet, in such conditions, Edvard realized he would first need to stage a rebellion. Something he did not think he was capable of. At least not any time soon.

Yes, he was strong. He knew however that he was not invincible. A stray arrow could easily claim his life, as could poison or a dagger to the back.

'This is going to be far harder than I thought, still... I can't give up. I will just have to be patient, I need to learn more about this world and the different kingdoms first. Maybe there is a less barbaric one somewhere?'

While Edvard was deep in thought, Boris was grinding his teeth to fight his anger. Being one of the lowest on the nobility hierarchy didn't help his confidence. Someone giving no nobles any respect hit him even harder than someone just disrespecting him or his family due to their low rank.

"What war requires such inhumane actions?" Edvard brought back the topic after sorting out his thoughts, nearly causing Boris to explode.

The blue-haired man only barely managed to keep his anger under grips as he replied with the pride of a loyalist. "A holy war."

"Why is it holy? Isn't war just war?" Edvard countered, causing Boris to wonder just from where this man came from. It was starting to be clear that he knew almost nothing about Eskrat and their customs.

"It is holy because it is against a different race."

"Such as?"

"Navoi."

Hearing this Edvard paused for a moment, "Hold up, Navoi. What the hell is that?" His confusion was honest as he truly did not know what the name meant.

"Mountain dwellers, great warriors and smiths. But greedy bastards!" Boris replied shortly, angered that Edvard would seemingly take their side in this. They weren't even humans, so naturally, the war was rightful. Was holy.

'That sounds like dwarves, so that is the term for them in this world.' Edvard thought, confused at why humans would get into a war against mountain dwellers, it was not a place humans generally inhabited.

"Why would you fight the Navoi? If they stay in the mountain then they certainly shouldn't be much of a problem to you."

Boris turned to Edvard as if the latter was truly an idiot. "Because they claimed all the mountains for themselves."

"So?" Edvard countered, though he already started getting the picture. If the dwarves, or rather Navoi in this world claimed the mountains and their riches, then humans would most certainly become greedy.

"So!?" Boris repeated exasperated.

"You are calling an invasion of a different race, for greed at that, a holy war. Seems this kingdom is as rotten as the village." Edvard said, already having realized that he would never be able to fit into this world.

The plain insult of his home pissed Boris off even more, nearly sending him over the tipping point again.

Edvard might have hidden his disdain before, but not after the fiasco at the gate and twenty years of isolated survival. He realized he didn't know how to keep his own composure, how to form a facade if he had wanted to.

'I will have to get better at this.' Edvard noted, but he was not willing to try that now. He had long since written this village off as one he would never visit again.

He had also realized what Boris was trying to do. He was not worried though and continued to allow Boris to try and guide the way.

Edvard was confident that Boris himself would be a good enough hostage to get him out of the village. For now, he wanted to learn how fanatical the locals were.

"If they would let us mine in the mountains it would not be necessary! It is their greed that led to this!" Boris countered, unable to stay calm any longer.

"Right, and not mining will cause the kingdom to collapse." Edvard countered, catching Boris off guard as this was what the priests had told him.

"So, you understand?"

"No, I was joking. Why would that ever be the case?"

"Because of the threats."

"Like what, the Navoi you called a war against?" Edvard countered, unable to accept this logic. He also sensed that he was now being followed by a few others.

His sense of danger was beyond human after so long in a living hell. And while the feeling from Boris nearly drowned out the new arrivals, Edvard had learned to not let a single source overwhelm him.

Soon the local manor came into view. In clear contrast to all the other buildings, a building of stone. Smoke billowing from its chimneys and around ten guards in much better armor than those at the gate patrolling its edge.

"So, you decided to not keep your word," Edvard whispered next, causing the hair on Boris's body to stand up as he heard a sword being taken out of its sheath. "It is a shame; I had hoped you would keep it without the need of an oath. I will not make that mistake again."

"No, wait!" Boris shouted, but Edvard was already running towards one of the figures hiding in the shadows of the houses. Seeing this, the three jumped out and readied themselves for a fight.

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