章 80: Search group
It was early the next morning. Frederic was having breakfast with his family in a spacious and elegantly decorated room. The long table accommodated him, his wife, their three sons, and two daughters.
"I could eat this for the rest of my life," Willian, the youngest son, declared, savoring a burger. Adelaide, the youngest child, sitting beside him, shook her head. "Uh-uh, pizza is better."
"Hamburgers have lots of meat, and Father says I should eat meat to grow strong!"
"Stop, both of you!" Their mother interjected, using the tone they all recognized. Frederic, unfazed by the scolding, turned to his oldest son. "Godwin, how is the device coming along?"
"I expect it to be ready for use by noon, Father." Despite his youth, Godwin was already bearded and well-muscled.
Frederic had already received an update from his counselor the day before but still wanted to confirm the progress with his son.
"Good. I have another task for you. With the printing press operational, I need you to make a list of what should be copied and present it to me in two days."
Godwin and Eruin exchanged glances. "I understand. The list will be completed." Frederic detected a hint of annoyance in Godwin's voice but knew that decisions had to be made, even if they weren't always popular.
He looked at his second son, who sat beside Godwin. "Eruin, you will assist your brother."
"Yes, sir," Eruin responded promptly, his demeanor mirroring his older brother's seriousness.
They continued their breakfast until a servant approached Frederic and whispered in his ear. "Excuse me, I have some matters to attend to." Frederic wiped his mouth with a napkin and left the room, his family watching him go.
"Ella, my dear, are you alright?" Avice asked her daughter. "You haven't spoken all morning, and you seem distracted."
"Oh, it's nothing," Ella replied, taking a large bite of her pizza to avoid meeting her mother's gaze.
The door at the opposite end of the room opened, and two elderly men in simple brown robes with green stripes on their arms entered.
"Good morning, Baron Frederic," they greeted in unison before sitting down.
"Good morning, priests. What brings you here?"
"You probably know why we're here, but I'll state the obvious. It's been over a week since the high priest traveled south, and we fear something might have happened," one priest explained.
"We're here to request a few soldiers and scouts to assist in the search for him," the other priest added.
"Hmmm... Are you certain something has occurred? Perhaps he decided to extend his stay in other cities."
"We don't believe that's the case. The high priest is known for his punctuality, and the longer we delay sending help, the slimmer our chances of finding him."
"If something has indeed happened," Frederic said, finishing the priest's sentence. The priests exchanged concerned looks.
"What do you mean by that? Do you know something we don't?"
"You can be assured, I am as much in the dark as you are. I don't know why he's delayed and share your concerns." Though Frederic and his family had privately distanced themselves from the church, he still attended religious festivals publicly to maintain appearances.
Worried, my ass! Forgive me, Lord, for these thoughts! This man and his family should be imprisoned for abandoning their faith in You. They even reduced their contributions! one of the priests thought.
"We've come not just to discuss but to request a group to head south to search for the high priest. We only need a few scouts and soldiers to protect them."
Despite their lack of faith, the church is still more powerful than I am. The pope could have the king strip me of my lands and title. I have no choice...
"I understand. I will allocate two scouts and four soldiers from our security forces to accompany and protect your group during the search."
"Only six men? Do you think us fools?"
"No, I do not think you're foolish. It's simply that in these times of war, diverting more men would compromise our security."
"Tsk... We will wait for your soldiers at the southern part of Calistoga in one hour."
Rafael slept until 8 a.m., waking to servants ready to clean his room. "I'm sorry for interrupting your sleep. We'll return later."
"No, no, it's fine. You can clean now."
He wandered the mansion's hallways aimlessly, unsure of where to go. I have a nice room and bed, but I'm still restricted to the inner circle. What can I do to pass the time? Hmmm...
Rafael left the mansion and wandered through the garden behind it. Though small, it was filled with flowers, plants, and the cheerful songs of birds. The weather was mild with clouds partially obscuring the sun.
Rafael settled on a wooden bench, relaxing as he took in the serene surroundings. ... My book... It will be troublesome to retrieve it because of Frederic. Hiding it will be difficult, and there's a chance it could be taken away like before.
He remained there for several minutes, lost in thought, until a voice interrupted his reverie.
"Robert?" Ella called from a few meters away. She had spotted him while passing by.
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