The dock hand woke to a trio of bell chimes, the sound loud enough to stir the local staff without becoming overly annoying. Although even after a full year of staying in this lavish mansion, at least when compared to his old living standards, he couldn't think of a more tedious way to wake up. Still, he couldn't deny the convenience of the clever artificer contraption; it had one purpose and did it well. Such luxuries were almost commonplace here in the north side of Saltbrook, where coins could be found under every rock. He still would have preferred to let the soothing light of the dawning sun wake him. It was a less jarring way to start the day.

  He opened his eyes, blinking a few times as he let out a quiet groan. The room was already well lit. Bright sun shafts peeked through the curtains and gave the small chamber a cozy atmosphere. It was still the first month of spring, so the air was a bit chilly, but the warmth of the most beautiful woman in the world tucked by his side made it feel like the summer solstice. Julia stirred, curling up against him as the tolling of the bells ceased.

  Steven fought off the urge to close his eyes once more. He wasn't expected back at the docks today, but that was no reason to fall into bad habits. He rubbed his eyes, letting them slowly adjust as his body slowly worked itself to wakefulness over the next few minutes.

  A soft snore came from his right as Julia slipped back to sleep. The woman he would do anything and everything for had always been more of a morning person, so it was somewhat amusing to see their positions reversed for once. Steven chuckled and gently shook her.

  "Hey, love," he kissed her cheek. "It's morning."

  It took a bit of convincing before her eyes finally cracked open.

  "So early?"

  "Afraid so." He nodded sagely, pulling her close and resting his chin on the top of her head.

  "I don't wanna..." she complained in a childish tone. She nestled her head back onto his bare chest, letting her messy hair tickle his face. "Too tired."

  "I know, love. I know."

  "Make the sun go away. It's not daytime yet." Her words were slurred and borderline incoherent, but he understood her sleep-speak just fine.

  "Oh? And how shall I do that?"

  "You're my big, strong [Laborer]. Pick it up and move it somewhere else."

  He laughed softly. "I'm only Level 5, dear. I think you, little miss Level 11 [Maternal Caretaker], are far more qualified for such a feat."

  She muttered something he couldn't quite make out and didn't seem to even have a proper sentence structure.

  "I love you, too." He gave her a peck on her forehead.

  She made a happy noise and snuggled against him even tighter as he held her close.

  "Didn't sleep well?"

  The question was rhetorical. He was aware she was up in the middle of the night for reasons unknown. The small charm and bell on her nightstand had awoken both of them, after all. She didn't offer any explanation, and he didn't ask, but the look on her face had told him enough.

  He gave her a concerned look, a million fears and worries passing through his mind. Julia was still bound by contract, the collateral potentially only growing as she rapidly advanced her Level. He didn't dare broach the topic, afraid that even hinting at her actual duties would trigger its effects. Not all contracts were equal. He didn't know the limits of her agreement and was terrified of how dire the repercussions might be. Was this contract one of the ones that grew alongside their signee? Was just hinting that the contract existed enough to trigger it? Were there additional clauses attached? He couldn't know.

  He trusted that Julia knew what she was doing, even if he was leery of such partnerships. Dealing with nobles was always a risky endeavor. It was best to never let oneself be tangled up with anything involving the higher classes, especially contracts. The highborn weren't always cruel, but they certainly always played their games, using the lives of lowly peasants like pawns.

  He felt the sheets again his skin and the mattress perfectly supporting his weight, easily a magnitude more comfortable than anything he had ever slept upon prior, yet somehow still insignificant compared to even the cheapest beds the nobles themselves lay in. It was something he would never grow used to, like drinking sweet wine from a poisoned chalice. What cost was Julia truly paying for this? Her rapid advancement only added fuel to his anxiety as he imagined what trials she went through to justify such growth. Some parts were obvious, but it was clear he was missing much. He could only hope and pray she wasn't in any danger.

  She sighed, not bothering to answer his previous question, and settled for making a non-committal noise and letting herself rest against him for a few more minutes. They were silent as the two of them simply enjoyed each other's company. All too quickly, she reluctantly pulled away, draping a blanket over her shoulders and crawling to the edge of the bed, not-quite-yet-ready to face the day.

  He watched her for a moment, trying to hide his worried thoughts. She was a strong woman. She knew what she was doing, and he would be right there with her should anything come to pass.

  Steven followed a moment later, starting with some morning stretches. He let the brisk air brush across his skin, bringing him fully to alertness.

  There was a soft sigh as Julia finally managed to get to her feet and stumbled groggily over to her dresser. Articles of clothing were laid out on the bed as she picked out the pieces of her uniform.

  "Any plans for the day?" she asked, stifling a yawn.

  He grunted as he thought it through. "I may take the kids to the market today. Make a day trip out of it."

  The doting mother looked back at him with interest. "Oh? I thought you hated shopping trips." She smirked. "What's the special occasion?"

  Finishing up his stretches, he walked over and started picking out his own outfit from the dresser. Playfully bumping her out of the way with his hip, only for her to return the favor with a tired giggle and a beautiful, soft smile, her brown eyes singing the most beautiful chorus across all the land.

  "Well," he started, pulling out a rather plain, off-white tunic. "I was thinking about doing something for the kids. We've been staying here a while, right? Decided to check out the library. I'm not really into casual reading, but I was bored the other day, so I asked to borrow a few books. Spur of the moment and all that."

  The ever-stunning woman next to him yawned, pulling off her nightgown and tossing it onto the bed. "I did notice a few extra books on the nightstand." She furrowed her brows, trying to think through the early morning brain fog. "Something about... Uh, smithing?"

  He chuckled. "Enchanting, and no, that wasn't mine. I brought the kids with me and let them each pick out a book. I think that one was Todd's."

  Realization sparked in her eyes. "Is this about-"

  "Classes, yes," he confirmed.

  She faced him fully, a slight frown donning her lips. "Don't you think it's a bit too early for that?"

  In truth, he did. Affinity and Classes were two sides of the same coin. Affinity could loosely be said to be a measure of how much one resonated with a given concept, their Class. Affinity was affected by countless factors, from how one perceived the world to how the world perceived them in turn. One's thoughts, desires, actions, and more could affect one's Affinity.

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  Having a higher Affinity was the best way to guarantee a path that would go far in life. Higher Affinity meant faster leveling and more powerful skills. But the higher one's Level was, the harder it was to shift their Affinity.

  There was a lot of debate on when the best time to pursue a proper Class path was. Start too late, and a person would struggle with correcting their Affinity more than actually progressing, and opportunities for growth would be few and far between for someone in their later years. Start too early, and they may get a head start, but they would essentially be locking themselves into a path they may later decide wasn't for them. A dead Class was a very real possibility.

  He sighed and looked away as he pulled on a pair of trousers.

  "This position of yours has been good for us, but I don't feel comfortable saying it's a permanent thing. In the last two months alone, three staff members were replaced for seemingly no reason."

  For a while, he had started to believe that servants more prone to gossip were the ones being targeted. He even gave Todd and Talia a stern lecture on keeping their heads down to avoid rocking the boat. But that suspicion flew out the window as both Bella and Losile not only remained as part of the staff, but Losile, judging by the sudden uptick in the quality of her accessories, had even received a raise. These days, she seemed to never want for fuel for the rumor mill.

  He continued. "If things go south, the kids won't get an opportunity to pursue meaningful career. At least this way, they'd have an opportunity to succeed. Let's not kid ourselves into thinking we understand the motivations of nobles. We need to take advantage of the situation while we're here, and have a backup plan when they get bored with us and throw us out."

  Julia wore a complicated expression, not meeting his eye. "They won't fire me. I can't say more, it's... complicated." After a moment, her eyes flicked back to him, the worry evident in her eyes. "But, I agree. Things are changing. Having a backup plan just in case feels like a good call. I don't think we'll need it, but... times are changing."

  Julia grabbed her black and white servant's dress, sliding it over her head. She turned around and lifted her hair so he could help tie the strings up along her back. There was a long silence as he worked.

  When he finally responded, his voice was barely a whisper. "Do you think we should leave?"

  "No." She shook her head vehemently. "We're safe here. What I'm doing is important. It's important for a lot of reasons. They won't let anything happen to us while I'm here."

  were the words left unspoken. Not for the first time, he wondered just who that insect child was.

  Julia let her hair fall back down and ran her fingers through the messy tangles. "Besides, I'm sure you've heard the same rumors I have. Things are getting worse. Soon, the streets are going to be more dangerous than ever. We're far safer in here than out there."

  He couldn't deny that. His own experiences at the dock proved that. Unemployment has been through the roof, as more business fail each day. And more ships have been coming in than ever before, as everyone is afraid to rely on land-based routes these days. Not to mention that city guards were noticeable becoming more scarce, relocated towards escort or protection missions outside the walls.

  With a defeated sigh, he stepped over and pulled her into a deep embrace. "I trust you. Just be careful, okay?"

  "Always, love."

  They shared a kiss, taking a long, long moment for themselves before finally breaking away, a little calmer than before.

  "I'll be heading out a bit later, then. I'll probably wake the kids in an hour or so. Do you want anything from the market while I'm out?" He asked.

  She thought for a moment as she sat on the bed, grabbing a pair of white stockings. "Hmm, how about some of that tea I like. The good kind." She gave him a playful wink as she pulled up the thigh-high stockings slowly in a teasing manner. "Do a good job, and I might reward you later."

  "Oh? Is that so? I might have to treat you to some of those chocolates as well." He finished slipping on his thick leather work boots, a more expensive pair that had an iron plate attached over the toes—an invaluable addition for a dockworker such as himself.

  She beamed at him with narrowed eyes. "You do that, and I'll have to thank you personally. I might even let you have one or two."

  "I'm looking forward to it."

  The two of them finished getting ready quickly. Their playful banter continued as they prepared themselves to face the day in full. Before long, the two lovebirds stepped out into the common room, hands entwined. They were up a bit later than usual, and a few other individuals were already awake and gathered at a table, chatting. The chefs were noticeably absent, already in the kitchen getting breakfast started.

  Bella called out to them as they entered. "About time you two woke up. Took your sweet time this morning."

  "I was unaware we had a time limit," Julia gave her a playful smirk.

  Steven couldn't help but notice that the usually chipper and overly energetic maid seemed a touch wearied, with faint bags under her eyes, but he didn't comment. She also had an uncharacteristic urgency as she spat out the next part rapid-fire.

  "No, but hear this! Losile says there was a major attack on one of the salt mines. One of their ones. A huge beast led a small pack of unknown creatures into one of the mining camps in the north. Killed almost everyone." Her face paled as she recited that last part.

  Losile, another of the maids, a few years older than Bella, nodded in affirmation. "House Vultez is pissed to all hells. They've all but declared war on House Montenwell for failing to protect the mine. The guards practically abandoned the area the second the attack began, claiming the camp was already lost."

  Reggie, a butler in his late twenties, spoke up. "How did they respond?"

  "They claim it was out of their hands; that they should have hired higher-ranking combatants. Didn't even blame the company, just doubled down. It was so bad, the Travelers' Guild had tenuously broken their neutrality, claiming House Montenwell's mercenaries were 'insufficient protection' for the local civilians working outside the walls. The guild is pushing out a massive call to arms for adventurers to start patrolling the area in more serious numbers. Bounties are being passed out as fast as they can be drafted. I can't even begin to imagine where they're pulling the funds for this."

  "Where did you hear about this?" Steven interrupted.

  "I have a friend working at the guild. Gave me a heads-up before the news goes public. I imagine you'll be hearing about the attack in every storefront by lunch." She shook her head. "It's pretty bad, from what I've heard."

  "I imagine House Gradaway is not very happy about this either," said Luan, the only one of the lot who looks like they'd been awake and fresh for hours, sharply dressed as always.

  Reggie shrugged. "I doubt it. They aren't exactly allied with Vultez, but Gradaway is practically at Montenwell's mercy with all the monster attacks lately. If Montenwell proves to be so willing to abandon their clients, then Gradaway's supply lines have no chance. The only choice they do have is leaning on the Travelers' Guild even more than they already do."

  "It makes me wonder how House Sinfreed is affording their current renovations," Luan added. "They clearly know something we don't."

  '"What do you mean?" Bella queried. Steven was thankful for her asking, as the nuance of this situation was well above his meat head.

  Luan tried to keep his face carefully neutral as he responded.

  "House Gradaway is House Sinfreed's sponsor, the source of their noble title. If House Gradaway was hemorrhaging coin, then House Sinfreed's taxes will soon soar. With most of this House's investments tied up in schools, libraries, and similar academic facilities, it is questionable how the House is even pulling in enough funds to maintain their current position, let alone their projected tax rates."

  Bella paused. "But... This just happened a few days ago. How would the nobles know?"

  "The attack may be a recent occurrence, but tensions have been rising for quite some time. This is not the first such incident, as I'm sure you're aware. Mistress Elara is too sharp to miss the writing on the wall; thus, if she's advancing with such confidence despite that, she knows something we don't."

  There had been a lot of activity within the estate these past months. Massive renovation projects were in motion, with numerous rooms being added or completely remodeled, especially a number of bedrooms; some of them were refurbished storage rooms, not adjacent to any exterior walls. Multiple labs were added as well, with dedicated enclosures for living creatures. Members of the staff were slowly being cycled out, a number of them being replaced with a more diverse range of species; an odd choice for a noble House. And of course, Randell, the reclusive head of the House, suddenly adopted a daughter of an unknown species, and then went completely silent on the matter, hiding away in his study ever since. And there was Elara's apparent sudden bout of sickness. Despite being weeks long past, the blood incident was still brought up from time to time. Given the evident tension between Elric and Elara as of late, some rumors popped up that it was a failed poisoning attempt.

  The sudden buzz of activity around the estate had left many heads on a swivel. The consensus among the staff was that this was a significant push towards making room for a larger staff and pushing the House back into relevance once more. Luan's conjecture only added credibility to that claim.

  Losile spoke up, added a critical bit of context. "I can tell you that Sinfreed's name has been popping up quite a bit in the Travelers' guild as of late. Several big-name adventurer parties have even claimed Randell's monster manuals saved their lives. Newer adventurers have been buying them as fast as they can be inscribed." She winked. " Gradaway has made at least one of the volumes a mandatory field book on some of their routes. Just as a test for now, but it's obvious how that can develop. I think Elara is putting a lot of faith into those books being ."

  "That would do it," Julia said, blinking and leaning back.

  Steven couldn't help but hear all of this and reaffirm his beliefs. Nobles played their games, and the commoners suffered for it. There was no escaping it, only stacking the cards as much as one could. He firmed his resolve in pushing Talia and Todd into a Class sooner rather than later. More valuable pieces were always better off than the replaceable ones.

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