It was always good that I could rely on the Levantine family, one way or another. Of course, on what particular matter I could rely on them tended to vary.

Klaus was a good kid with a kind heart and good head on his shoulders. I tended to feel sorry for the poor kid. He'd had something wrong with him at birth, and while my sister's breast milk made it so he'd actually live a life, it was telling just how bad it was. I'd seen that stuff resurrect the dead if Celestine got to them soon enough.

But the experience still left him physically weak. Leading him to making use of his already intelligent brain into reading and quests for knowledge. Due to his frail physical constitution, he couldn't go far in that sense.

There was no way to deny the boy had potential despite his shortcomings. Celestine and I both knew that.

Graves? Wasn't. It's why he passed off making sure the victims were settled in on Klaus. Klaus's empathy made him far better at the task then Grave certainly would have been. Though Grave himself meant it to be an insult. I was going to have to tell the young man that despite his fathers feeling on the matter, it wasn't an insult.

Somedays, I more than wondered how we became friends in the first place. At least I had been able to talk him out of trying to force Klaus to take his mom's maiden name.

Not like that would have worked long term, given how Klaus and Claudia looked at one another. Grave taking up a new heir like he did stirred up no small bit of controversy, and the fact that at the rate things were going, it would have been for nothing.

The two would be married sometime in the next decade. My only wish was that I would be there to witness either one pop the question.

Of course, Klaus did have his weaknesses when it came to military matters. Claudia would be a blessing in that regard.

Still, Graves had been calling for a military revitalization project since the death of his father. I'd started pitching similar ideas not long afterwards. But sometimes it was difficult to get my sister's ear away from the church and their, everything.

They were very much convinced that they could continue using mercenaries, and to say they were riled up by such a move was an understatement. Almost as much as Ansur was on the surface. Underneath?

Celestine approving had been like kicking a hornet's nest. They couldn't be too upset outwardly, but my ears went deep. It wasn't even that they were concerned that the forces created through this project would be loyal to me or Graves over Celestine.

If that was their concern, then I could at least understand it. Misplaced paranoia, yes, but I could respect that. But no, that was not what had them so agitated. They were upset that this force would be more loyal to Celestine than anyone else.

To say the Church lodged itself firmly into second place behind slavers on my problem solving list would be an understatement. The fact they were upset about soldiers being loyal to the one that was supposed to be in charge?

No, that was a red flag that I needed to investigate years ago. The Church was an organization I hardly had sway over, outside of subsects that I wasn't supposed to be aware of existing. I didn't exactly approve of them either. But if they wanted to go that far then I had no problem escalating.

"I'm a bit surprised you agreed to this, with the rumors flying around about you and Lou Lou," Graves teased, sitting back in the chair in his office. "Though it does give us the opportunity to talk without any of the other useless nobles listening in."

Graves didn't respect anyone who couldn't lift a sword or bow and fight, and sadly, there were many nobles like that these days. Some like Klaus had good reasons for such.

Most didn't.

"I do wish to get the politics out of the way first, before we move on to personal matters," I said, keeping my face even. I wasn't sure who started the rumor that I was I'm a relationship with the Halfling Princess Knight. But I didn't let it bother me much. I wasn't into women, and an extreme reaction would only serve to make it seem more reasonable.

"To politics then, our dearly detested," Graves raised a glass in toast. A toast and sentiment I mirrored.

"To the dearly detested," I nodded, sitting down with a sigh. "I imagine keeping your nobles in support hasn't proved difficult?"

"No, the promise of gold and trade from weapons shipments has been more than enough to placate most of them, the greedy bastards," Graves huffed. "Even with all the noise Ansur is making about cutting off trade for anyone who goes through with following the reforms."

"Yes, Ansur has been hitting that drum for some time now. I do think the merchants are overestimating themselves," I frowned. Ansur was on the far eastern end of the Seven Shields. While it did get a lot of trade from other parts of the continent, its biggest advantage was that it was the closest city to Thorn. Cutting off trade with the rest of the Alliance would hurt considerably.

With the only other trade route would be too close to the Garan border for comfort?

It could bring Thorn alongside. But with Thorn being the closest to the border in the East, did Ansur really wish to hamstring its own defenses through sabotaging Thorn? Having a better standing army would be immensely beneficial.

Ideally, the threat would be a threat and remain as such. But you don't make a threat you couldn't back up with action. It makes you look weak otherwise.

"I've heard reports of the Church having instances of not paying mercenary groups. I hoped they wouldn't be that stupid, but I wanted to know if you've heard anything?" I asked. It wasn't that I didn't trust what I'd heard, but more information was useful.

"When they aren't hiring them out for what in hindsight was a clear suicide mission," Graves commented as it took all I had to retain my dignity and not groan.

Mercenaries worked on a base of contract and a willingness to honor it. The honor part was never the part I could trust. Some put more value in things besides honor.

But sending people on a suicide mission was wasteful.

"So, they're trying to undercut recruitment for the program by messing with mercenaries?" I pinched my brow. Politics. I hated politics. I just wanted to get rid of the stain of slavery without too many complications, was that really too much to ask?

Oh, and help my sister, that too.

"If that's their goal, it sounds like they're failing," Graves smirked, taking another sip from his cup. "A lot of smaller and medium mercenary companies are raising a fuss about how Ansur is more focused on you than the church leaving its contracts unfulfilled. Some are threatening to join the army the first chance they get."

"That is good at least. All the more reason to keep a closer eye on the church in the near future," I nodded, mostly to myself.

"I'm a bit surprised you don't, all things considered. They've had Celestine's ear for ages," Grave noted. "If you need any help, let me know. I'm not completely useless on that front."

"I don't have eyes and ears everywhere, and frankly, I shouldn't," some days. Some days I was tempted to have that sort of power. "No matter how much it pains me. Though I do hope you'd gain some appreciation for subtly after I used it to save your life."

"Ah, so we're moving on to personal matters now?" Grave leaned back. That, covered at least most of what I wanted. The additional information was useful, and if Ansur was ignoring the Church? That was a major wedge I could use. "Still, that does take me back. How many years has it been? Close to twenty? You don't even look like you aged a day."

With a human woman, such a statement would be flattery. For me, it was an accurate statement.

"You certainly were younger back then," I let myself indulge, a nostalgic sigh leaving my lips. "You didn't already have this much gray."

"Stress will do that to a man," Graves huffed, and it wasn't like he'd been wrong.

We'd meet during an incursion. Olga had killed his father, and Graves pushed his forces firmly into the enemy lines, causing a break in the front but got cut off.

My forces that were running infiltration and destruction operations behind the front line were able to get him and his soldiers back to our lines. We'd been friends ever since.

"I know. You do manage to make it look good. I imagine many human women find you quite handsome," my words got a chuckle out of him.

"And more than a few elven women, too," there was a bit of his sad grin on his face.

"You know I only pretend to toe the Church's line on that front," I said sadly. Could it work? Maybe. But.

"I know. My great grandchildren will have likely passed before you have as much as a wrinkle," Grave shook his head. "Still, somedays, it's hard not to think about what could have been."

"I know," it was hard not to imagine what would happen in a world where I was strong enough to love someone that deeply, but outlive them for centuries.

But it was hard not to return to the feeling of my heart ripping in half.

"Enough of that," Graves pushed himself up, leaning forward. "I do have a favor to ask of you, Sol."

"Oh?" I raised my eyebrow, pushing forward as well. This should prove interesting.

"I want you to take Klaus under your wing."

I blinked. That, was not the request I had been expecting from him.

"May I ask why?" I could make a few guesses. Most of them would be accurate. But I wanted to know if Graves would surprise me.

"I've, been doing my best to come to terms that Klaus isn't going to be the man I want him to be," Graves seemed to sink back into the chair. "But our conversation a while back made me, remember that on that front, we are similar."

I sat back, keeping my face passive. Internally, I was grinning. The moments when humans worked their way though things like this were always a treat.

"But I don't know where to go from here. Magic, clearly, but I have no talent for it nor do most of my other connections. Ones that wouldn't be too much for him, at any rate," Graves continued. "You're the only one I trust to make sure he stays safe but turns out, capable."

There was still some bias in his words. I was certainly not magically studious. I would admit that to myself. There were talents I had, but that was all.

But, that being said, I knew enough. Enough to guide, and if I couldn't, I knew people that could. And this was an improvement out of Graves, given the last time we broached the topic.

"I will do everything in my power," I nodded. Having time away from his father would do him some good, anyway.

Graves seemed relieved, releasing a tension in his body.

"Though I do have a request of my own," now it was time for Graves to raise his eyebrow. "Remember that half elf girl? Chloe?"

"The girl that testified at Mandeville's trial? The one that has more balls than most nobles I've met?" Graves put it in the most him way he could. "Yeah, I do. What about her?"

"She wants to become my knight in the future. I want her to know what that properly entails," I frowned slightly. The poor girl had gone through enough. She should just be free to enjoy life.

"And you want Claudia to show her what that'd be like," Graves ran his fingers through the scruff of beard he had. "I can arrange that. A friend would do her some good, and I think you'll be surprised about how stubborn that half elf girl is."

No, I don't think I would be.

That was the problem.

"It sounds like she is turning her eye to the Church at last."

The secret society did not meet often. But when the Goddesses bloody hand was near, many hoped to receive her unwritten instructions.

"Good! It is long past time that she rips out the rot as well. The Church is becoming decadent and weak!"

"She's going to take this slowly, however. The Church is a powerful institution. Even with our aid in exposing it to the public and the Goddess, she will need to get undeniable proof."

"Of course, Sir Graves."

Graves nodded, grinning slightly. The Church was causing too many problems, and had been doing so for years. While Sol would never move against her sister, having the sibling with a greater sense of the world having Celestine's ear would do the Seven Shields much needed good.

"I know my father forced you onto me," Klaus muttered, looking down at his feet.

"Klaus, Graves and I may be friends, but he very much doesn't have the power to tell me what to do," I said with a slight grin. "If you are here, it is because I want you to be. It may have been at his request, but I easily could have turned the request down."

"Really?" Klaus looked up at me, feet shifting uncertainty. "Aren't I useless?"

Goddess, Grave did a number on him. If he was my kid, Grave would very much find himself not welcome in bed.

"Klaus, you're a bright young man. While I doubt you would be able to draw a bow or swing a sword, you already have a powerful weapon right up here," I tap the side of my head for good measure.

"But my father wants me to be a soldier," Klaus protested. "Someone big and strong like him. And Claudia."

I did my best to ignore the blush. The number of future number of effective nieces and nephews is not something I should be planning on in advance.

"And at the end of the day, a soldier is one who uses what they have to the best of their abilities," I smile at him. "Graves and Claudia have their muscles. You have your mind."

"I will be the first to admit Graves has many issues with that, but that still makes you far from useless," there was always that bit of him was taking out his more than complicated feelings out on Klaus. "But I know for a fact your grandfather would love to have you as his grandson."

The look on Klaus's face was like a light going off in my face.

The dark elf girl before her panted heavily, sweat dripping down her face. Claudia wasn't entirely sure what she was doing, the practice sword rattling in her exhausted grip.

"I will!" The rest of the words poured out like a wave, with Claudia catching about every fifth word. At best.

The younger girl charged at her again, trying to connect with her wildly swinging weapon. Only for Claudia to sidestep around the mad charge, the dark elf girl stumbling and falling into the dirt.

Before Claudia could help the girl up, she was already scrambling up to her feet.

"Again!"