It took the entire trip to the castle to say a single word to Lady Claes' satisfaction. Maria felt it should have been done a lot sooner, but Lady Claes had continually insisted she was saying the word wrong, and had even asked if Maria was deliberately teasing her. But eventually Lady Claes seemed satisfied with how she said it (even though Maria was certain she'd been saying it right!)… and then, like a swordmaster with a student, ordered her to repeat the word a hundred times to make sure she got it right.
By the time they reached the gates, the word and the sounds themselves had lost all meaning.
"Morning, Zull-kun!" Katarina greeted as they slowed down to be identified. "Hi everyone!"
"Ohayō," Maria said mechanically.
"That means 'good morning' in Ashniago," Katarina said. "I'm having her practice so she stops saying it wrong."
"Ohayō. Ohayō. Ohayō. Ohayō…"
All meaning had been lost. Was this what Hollowing had been like?
"Ohayō. Ohayō. Ohayō. Ohayō…"
"Er, you can stop now Maria-chan, we're here," Katarina said.
When Maria entered the castle this time, she was finally, in her opinion, properly dressed. She wore her commissioned hunter's garb, complete with hardened leather mantle and leather half-cape for parrying, one of her new hats, and the sword she had been given at her knighting hung at her side, with a short-sword opposite it. The hat helped hide the fact some of her hair had burned unevenly.
She received the usual curious and outraged looks from those they passed, but people were quickly distracted when Katarina greeted them, usually by name. Maria had to rush her along sometimes, though she was willing to stop and greet Lord Ascart when they encountered him by chance. Maria and Nicol exchanged amiable nods, leaving Katarina to do much of the talking.
"Your swordfight was amazing," Nicol said, one of the few things he did. He turned to Maria. "Both of you were quite skilled."
"Eh heh he, well, you know, years of practice paid off," Katarina said, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment.
They met with Prince Ian and Lady Berg, and it turned out the crown's support would be able to make up for Maria's failings. The crown would be providing food for the next two years, mostly grain and some dried meat. Field ration materials, basically. It would give Maria time to either deal with the situation or arrange for her own sources. With her new lands, she'd be able to collect the year's rent in grain and other foodstuffs, which would be convenient for her tenants, though possibly a logistical problem.
Still, she'd need money for some of the things she couldn't just get in the form of rents. Carpenters and masons for building structures and beds, for example, linens and bedding material, clothes…
"Ah, about that," Lady Berg set, sitting next to Prince Ian and wrapped around his arm. "Lalatina told me yesterday that her knighthood has managed to collect clothing and blankets for them, so that will be something you won't have to worry about for a while. And the Church of the Sun have raised money in donations, though when you accept it they'll eventually audit you to ensure the money is being spent properly."
"Of course," Maria said. "I will speak to them next then."
"Have you thought of what you will do after this?" Prince Ian said. He seemed warmer, somehow. There was a more relaxed air about him than the first time Maria had met him.
"I shall have to secure more immediate income," Maria said. "Originally, the alchemy display of our nightflowers was meant as an introduction to the product, but due to circumstances, I was unable to use the ball to secure orders and investors."
"I'm sorry for being kidnapped," Katarina said, bowing her head in apology
"I apologize for kidnapping Lady Katarina and distracting you so," Lady Berg said, looking embarrassed. Prince Ian patted her arm reassuringly.
Maria waved away the matter. "What's done is done. I should still be able to arrange something, but after such a delay, I'm afraid interest for it will have cooled. And given the arrangements I still have to make, I'm afraid it shall be some time yet before I am able to properly focus on the matter. Even if I manage to secure requests for such a display, at my current level of resources producing another such will be time consuming, in addition to requiring more raw materials."
"I'm very sorry for being kidnapped!"
"I'm very sorry for kidnapping Lady Katarina!"
After speaking to the Warriors of the Sun and keeping a straight face at the… well, face that adorned all their surcoats, they parted ways, with Katarina staying on to help translate for the rescuees and Maria borrowing the carriage to head for her manor and make arrangements.
Specifically, she headed for the village closest to her manor. Raven's Nest was a large village, likely why the manor had been raised close to it. The place had been hit hard by the former Marchioness, who had kidnapped people from it for her experimentation with Dark Magic. It was also where Rafael had originally lived with his mother. Their home was occupied by someone else now, and Rafael had turned down Maria's offer to have them transferred.
At first, the denizens had been wary of her when she had introduced herself and explained she was their new lady, as the revelation that their own Marchioness Dieke had been responsible for the disappearances of people over the years had been terribly disheartening and enraging. But over the past few months, that guard had slowly lowered. She had no idea why. She'd sometime gone there to buy oil, flour and other ingredients for treats for the children (and Katarina, but that was the same thing) carrying the sacks on the carrying harness for firewood they had, but she seldom spoke to anyone but the merchants and the people who would randomly ask her if what she was carrying was heavy.
They always seemed surprised when she said she didn't need help. Why would she be carrying so much if needed assistance with it?
Brandon Alvere was a gruff man who the village's mayor and also owned the local inn and tavern, the '8 Metals'. Maria had learned that his daughter Edgewin had been among those taken for the purposes of the Marchioness Dieke's dark ambitions, but thankfully he had directed his anger at the woman in question rather than Maria. Thankfully, the rush of the midday meal had ended, and the mayor had time for her. He listened as she explained that she needed help with getting the manor ready for occupancy by the rescues, and could he find some men, at least twenty, who were willing to come to her estate and help her get it ready? And preferably with their own brooms, to her embarrassment.
"Aren't you worried about someone taking anything?" he said.
Maria waved the concern away. "I had every gaudy thing in there sold so I could provide for the children until I find some proper income. I'd rather not have that woman's tastes remembered to haunt those halls. All that's left is some armor and heavy furniture." She sighed. "And beds too big for a single person. Hopefully no one will mind sharing."
"What, no silverware?"
"Sold. All I have is pewter wares that were for the servants, which I am thankful for, otherwise feeding so many people would be problematic. Though I am woefully lacking in cups," Maria sighed.
"Won't these women have their own?" the mayor asked.
Maria shook her head. "All they have is themselves. The beast who took them kept them naked in their own filth, stripped of all dignity. He's dead now, but his crimes remain. They will have some clothes with them, but not much more. After such an ordeal, I would rather they not arrive at a place they have to clean as soon as they arrive. They deserve that much."
"Hmm…" the Mayor said.
"So please, will you inform the people of the village? I am willing to provide breakfast and lunch, as well as 200 Souls per person for a day's work."
The mayor suddenly started coughing.
"Are you ill? Do you wish me to use my Light Magic to heal you?"
"I… I'm fine, your ladyship," the mayor wheezed. Eventually, he said, "Er, are you sure about 200 Souls?"
Maria frowned. "Not enough? Should I make it 250?"
"It's… a bit much," the mayor said tentatively. "I think 100 would suffice…"
"I don't want to cheat anyone," Maria said. "I pay the caretakers for the children 210 Souls a day."
"That explains a lot," the mayor muttered. He coughed again. "100 Souls is quite enough for a day's work, you ladyship."
Maria shook her head. "It's my money, Master Alvere. No need to concern yourself with the pay. There is much work to be done in five days, and I will need all the help I can get." She frowned. "Perhaps you should also ask if anyone is willing to do laundry. We have linens, but they probably haven't been aired in months."
"I'll… let people know, your ladyship," the mayor said, seeming to shrug his shoulders in resignation.
"Thank you, good mayor," Maria said. "Oh, and please also tell people that they can pay their rent in grain this year, as I will have need of plenty of food for my new wards. If this will cause any inconvenient for anyone, please inform me as soon as possible. I must see the blacksmith and carpenter."
Nodding to him in polite dismissal, Maria left to arrange for hasty orders of beds and missing dining ware. Perhaps the local potter will be able to provide her with drinking cups…
Mayor Alvere stared after their new lady, who had replaced that cranky woman. Everyone had suspected she'd been behind the disappearances, but no one had ever had any proof…
Until one day the woman was gone, charged with treason. Apparently her son had turned on her, sickened by what she had done, and had gone into exile rather than face the shame of living in lands that knew his face. The villages had all been worried, wondering who the lands would go to, throwing around names as if they actually knew anything about the lords and ladies involved.
They'd seen people coming in and out of the old Marchioness' place, carriages coming in and out for months. People said the Prince had taken a fancy to the manor, and was even hiding his secret bastards there, which was a load of dung pies, since everyone and their granny knew the prince was in love with Duke Claes' daughter. The local girls hired to take care of the children said were surprisingly tight-lipped about details, even when pressured by their mothers and grandmothers and great-grandmothers and even a great-great-grandmother everyone called Granny Hollow who was almost more skin and bones than flesh but somehow still keeping body and Dark Soul together.
Then the word came down that they had a new lady, and suddenly the girls couldn't keep their mouths shut, singing the praises of this new lady knight who'd apparently been the one who rescued the children and played with them every week and then done a bunch of other stuff.
"Oh, stop it," someone had said when the girl who had her day off and was visiting the inn had stopped to catch their breath. "I've heard those stories, those are those stories about that Lady Maria woman."
"Yes," the girl had said with a smile.
And then they'd all met their new lady…
Mayor Alvere shook his head, getting the image of a lady carrying a sack of flour on her back out of his head and glared at his customers, who were all pretending not to eavesdrop. To be fair, Lady Maria had spoken very quietly and discretely, but everyone in this town had years of experience listening in on each other's gossip. "Well, you heard our lady. Those with a broom who want to make twelve days pay for five days work, grab their broom and show up tomorrow! And anyone who shows up to try to swindle our lady of her Souls answers to me, understand!"
There were nods all around.
Their new lady was clearly trying to do good, unlike the old dog who'd used to live in the manor. And, well… she was offering good Souls for honest work. Which was more than that old dog had ever offered.