Krion stood still for a moment, watg Heove toward the far side of the Hall. Hector had given him some good advice, but there were still a few things he wao ask about. He noticed one of the attendants — dressed in dark, formal, full-body robes with an insignia that looked like a stylized circle on the cap she wore over her short brown hair — finishing up with another s that had been previously in the room. The attendant was busy bent over some papers oable within the booth and didn’t notice when Krion approached at first.
“Excuse me,” Krion said, trying not to startle her. “I was w if you could answer a few questions I had.”
She hurriedly stacked the st feers, then turo look at him. She offered a smile that seemed almost rehearsed, but still polite. “Of course, s,” she replied. “How may I assist you?”
“I was w if you could expin to me how things work here in the Hall of Bonds,” he began. “Particurly regarding the acquisition of a bodyguard.”
The attendant’s eyebrows lifted slightly, but he was not sure why. “Certainly, sir. The Hall of Bonds is the tral hub for ss at the Imperial Academy to secure assistan various forms — be it through bodyguards, servants, or other specialized roles. If you would like to take a seat, I will expin how it all works.”
“Thank you, I appreciate the help,” Krion said, stepping around to take a seat in one of the chairs that stood by the table.
“Of course, sir, that is my role here,” she said before moving opposite him and taking a seat as he did so. “The first thing you should be aware of is the general fees and costs. Rather than imperial , every purchase here is made using currencies awarded by the Imperial Academy itself. Most only costs are tallied in Service s, but occasionally you might be required to spend some of the various Seals as well, depending on the rarity or quality of those who have caught your eye.”
“And what determines quality?”
“Generally speaking, the potential bond’s skill set is what is most taken into at, with the resulting price ranging from a small handful of Service s up to the hundreds of thousands with additional Seals required as well. The only exception to this is for those brought to the Hall of Bonds to fill positions as bodyguards.”
Krion nodded, his i deepening. “That makes sense. So, the bodyguards, what makes their acquisition different?”
The attendant shifted in her seat. “Bodyguards are unique among the bonds offered here. Their purpose is not merely to serve but to protect, often in the most dangerous of circumstahe Imperial Academy, and the Empire as a whole, is signifitly in every s that enrolls. Bodyguards are one of the means to protect that iment, which is why every single one is purchasable with a single Mark of Bonds. So long as their tier lines up with the purchasing s, that is. That is easy to determine, and based on what year the s is in at the Academy.”
“Purchasable?” He tried to be polite, but there was an undercurrent of anger in the question. “So all were sold to the Hall of Bonds for ss to purchase?”
“Seven Princes, no,” the attendant objected, shaking her head. “The bodyguards avaible here, much like every other Hall of Bonds, are sourced from a variety of backgrounds,” she hurried to expin. “Quite a few are volunteers, seeking the prestige and opportuhat e with serving a s. Others are iured servants, fulfilling obligations or debts through the service. There are even sometimes races sidered to be monsters, though those are carefully overseen by the Provost of Bonds.” She took a deep breath, having rushed to expin in respoo Krion’s tone. “paratively, there are only a few that were previously sves.”
“I see. Thank you for expining,” Krion said, some of the heat gone from his tone. “So the bonds have a say iter then?”
“In most cases, yes,” she nodded. “While some few bonds are still assigned based on tracts or obligations, many are given opportuo choose their s. This ensures a base on which to build mutual resped the alig of goals, which are critical to effective service.”
“That’s… surprising,” Krion admitted, his brow furrowing. “I assumed the process would be more one-sided.”
“Most ss that have e from House Bcksword in the past do assume so.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she froze, face going white at what she had just said. “I’m sorry s, I did not mean to imply anything!”
Krion’s eyes narrowed at the attendant’s sudden ge in demeanor. Her initial fidence had dissolved in an instant, repced by a pale, wide-eyed expression of panic. He could see her throat bob as she swallowed hard, clearly regretting her words.
“House Bcksword?” he repeated what she had said, leaning forward slightly. “What do you mean by that?”
The attendaated, clearly torween her duty to answer and her obvious fear of overstepping with a s of an Archducal House. “I… I meant no disrespect, S,” she said quickly, her voice trembling. “Please uand, I did not io—”
Krion held up a hand to stop her. “Rex,” he said, his tone calm but insistent. “I’m not offended, only curious. What is it about House Bcksword that makes you say most ss from it would assume the process is more one-sided?”
The attendaated again, gng nervously around the booth as though expeg someoo appear and reprimand her for her slip. But when no savior came, the handful of other attendants nearby being busy with other ss, she finally let out a soft sigh and leaned forward, her voice dropping to a near whisper.
“You would know better than me, but House Bcksword is one of the oldest and most formidable high noble houses in this sector of the Empire,” she began. “Its ss are renowned for their strength, their ing, and at the Halls of Bonds their reputation for dominance.”
“Dominance?” Krion echoed, his brow furrowing deeper.
The attendant nodded, apparently relieved Krion was not getting upset at what she was telling him. “They are known for viewing the world rgely through the lens of quest. Bonds, alliance, eveionships — it is said that they see them all as things to be anded, not shared.”
Krion sat back, processing what the attendant had shared. When Krion leaned away from her, some can to return to her face. “And you assumed I would be the same?”
“No, s… that is to say…” She stumbled over her words, still somewhat mortified.
Krion held up his hand again, stopping her apology. He’d have to think about what she had said ter, but right now he was here at the Hall of Bonds for a specific purpose. “It’s fine. I’m not angry. Could you tell me a bit more about why the process is the way it is?”
“Of course!” The attendant said loudly, seizing upon the ge in topic like a woman grabbing a floating spar to avoid drowning at sea. “The Academy values bance. A bond that is forced into service without sent is uo perform to their full potential. By allowing bonds say iher they bee bodyguards or not, the Academy hopes to foster stronger, more effective partnerships which will mean more ss alive to serve the Empire.”
“And the Hall itself — how does it manage all of this?” The mairance of the Hall had been busy, but given the size of the areas ected to that area, he expected there to be hundreds of ss here at any oime. Bag up that impression was the fact that, even though the area he was in now was a bit quiet, there still seemed to be a few dozen attendants scattered throughout going about their duties with brisk efficy, especially when ss approached them for assistance. Everywhere he looked, they guided ss to private meeting booths whenever a simple answer was not enough to address questions. The entire pce buzzed with an energy that was both chaotid meticulously orchestrated. Only especially careful ma could make all that possible.
“The Hall of Bonds operates uhe ht of the Provost of Bonds,” the attendant expined. “They, and the team they work with, are responsible for ensuring that all transas are ducted fairly and that both ss and bonds adhere to the Academy’s standards. The Provost also oversees the acquisition and care of new bonds, ensuring that they are made ready for their iable ss.”
“It sounds like a moal task.”
“It is,” the attendant agreed, leaning ba pride. “But the Provost and their team are highly skilled, and the Hall of Bonds is desigo operate effitly. Every detail, from the initial assessment to the final transa, is meticulously managed.”
“Thank you for the insight…?” Krion said, rising from his seat.
“Crissa,” she responded after a moment’s hesitation.
He met her gaze, his tone sincere. “It’s clear you’ve put a lot of effort into helping students like me navigate everything.”
Crissa ined her head, “You’re kind to say so, especially after what I said. Please, if you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Actually, I do,” he said as he stood. “Assuming that the doors along the perimeter of this hall take me to where I could meet potential bodyguards, does it matter whie I gh?”
“Possibly, s, it depends on what kind of bodyguard you are looking for.”
Krioated for a sed but ultimately went with the truth. “Holy, I have no idea what I’m looking for,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “I’m not really sure where to begiher. I don’t suppose you have a reendation?”
The attendant’s eyes roamed over Krion, pausing briefly on his stand the hilt of the greatsword strapped to his back. With a small, professional smile like the one she had greeted him with, Crissa nodded, as if ing to a decision.
“I believe the best door for you would be this way. If you follow me to Assembly Hall Thirteen, you will be able to see some potential bodyguards waiting to be selected,” Crissa said, her tone polite but certain. Standing, she gestured for Krion to follow her to a door he opposite er. Her movements were fident as she led him.
With the initial decision taken out of his hands, Krion was looking forward to seeing the options the attendant seemed to be referring to. Perhaps seeing some potential bodyguards in the flesh would give him greater crity.
Wheendant pushed the rge door open to the assembly hall, Krion’s breath caught in his throat. The room was both grand and unnervingly ical, a striking juxtaposition of opulend efficy. The space itself was enormous, easily several times rger than the he had been in earlier today. Intricate carvings of what he guessed to be bodyguards were across the ceiling, eaing part of a line being ied by figures in the garb of attendants of the Hall of Bonds. It was beautiful to look at, for all that the walls around the expansive room had no such decorations. Not that the designer had chosen not to decorate them. There simply had not been enough room if that had wao do so.
Every square inch of wall was covered with gss partitions, each framing a separate, fortably furnished cell.
From where he stood, Krion saw that the cells held individuals of varying races and appearances — potential bodyguards avaible for sele by first-year ss. Some stood tall and imposing, clearly seasoned warriors, while others sat quietly, their sharp eyes dartiween the ss in the room. A feeared entirely nont, reing with an air of indifference, while others paced, their restlessness betraying barely restrained energy.
Unthinking, Krion walked deeper into the room, Crissa h close to his side, but keeping silent to let him take in the view. As he stepped closer to the cell, he saw that it was illuminated with soft, ambient light that highlighted the oct of this room, in this case, a young dwarf with arms as thick as Krion’s waist. While the light allowed him a good look at the dwarf, who was gring back out at him, Krion couldn’t help but think the whole setup had a museum-like quality. The furniture in the cells — deep armchairs, small bookshelves, and tables set with refreshments made it clear the octs were not being treated like simple odities but it still set Krion’s teeth on edge.
As he grew close to the ter of the gss partition, a freestanding rose from the floor to float in mid-air. As it came to a hover, the s hovered i lit up to dispy a detailed profile of the potential bodyguard. Curious, Krion leaned in and waved his hand over the dispy, which caused the image to scroll through the dwarf’s history to show things like his fighting style, skills, and even recs of bat demonstrations. It eveed a partial image simir to Krion’s own character sheet.
Name: CreganRace: Hill Dwarf (Drugan III)Css: TBD - Level 5Profession(s): TBD
Fa: Imperial Academy - Hall of BondsRank: Bodyguard (Prospective)
Strength: 19Dexterity: 11Vitality: 17Endurance: 21Intelligence: 11Wisdom: 5Charisma: 4Luck: 2
Apparently, the dwarf, who was named Cregan, was quite skilled with the warhammer for all that he still cked a css. At the very bottom of the s was a button, which he assumed would allow an ied s to speak with the oct.
Seeing Krioending a fio press the button, Cregan began moving his mouth and shaking his head angrily. As soon as the button depressed, a voice came through the s.
“—damned if I’ve tae protect a fekkin’ Bcksword. Keep movin’, scarface, or I’ll gie ye a few more beauty marks afore I’m bound tae ye.”
Krion’s red-gold eyes narrowed, his expression turning cold. His massive frame leaned closer to the gss, and as he did so the angry dwarf took a nervous step back. “You’d do well to watch your tongue,” he said, his voice low, “I have no idea what you have against my House, but I have no i in f loyalty on someo willing to give it.”
Turning sharply, Krion removed his finger and dismissed the now nervous dwarf with a final gre. Putting the dwarf from his mind, his gaze nded on the desk in the middle of the room that he had missed in the wake of seeing all the cells. Circur in shape, it was made of a polished marble streaked with veins of shimmering gold. Behind it sat a middle-aged human woman with sharp features and an air of quiet authority. Uhe attendant who escorted him, her uniform bore intricate embroidery indig a higher rank.
Krion stepped forward, his boots clig softly against the polished stone floor. When he was roughly parallel with the desk, the woman behind it spoke.
“Impressive, isn’t it?” She said, her expression still stern. “Each didate here has been carefully curated for first-year ss such as yourself. May I assist you in narrowing your search?”
Krion shook his head. “Thank you, but I’d prefer to look by myself for now.”
“As you wish,” she said with a nod, her gaze lingering on the crest of Bcksword on his shoulder before returning to her work.
Krion’s eyes went back to the cells, taking in the diverse array of potential bodyguards as he began making his way slowly around the room. He passed a lithe human woman with dark, pierg eyes who leaned casually against the wall in her cell. The s outside her cell lit up to highlight her expertise in espionage and stealth. Again, no css. But that made seo a degree, as none of the first-year ss had csses of their ow, either. When he reached down to press the button, she calmly drew her thumb across her throat. Guess she was another one who had problems with House Bcksword.
By the time the sixth oct had rejected him ht, Krion was starting to think he might have a problem. Each echoed with the same se: disgust, fear, or ht hatred for House Bcksword. Krion’s frustration grew with every reje, though he did his best to keep his expressioral.
Krion stared at the dispy s in front of the test didate’s cell, detailing his impressive bat skills and profi wind magic. Based on their profile, the young Sky Elf would be an excellent choice for him — a perfect bance of skill and intelligence. But his face twisted into a sneer when Krion introduced himself, and the elf wasted no time in voig his refusal.
“Bcksword? No thanks,” they scoffed. “I’d rather rot ihan serve your lot.”
Krion turned away without another word, looking for the cell that would catch his attention. Even if he received dozens of rejes, the number of cells around the room still offered plenty of options. He would just o keep looking. Crissa, still walking by his side, echoed his thoughts as he sidered his options on which cell to approaext.
“Don’t let it trouble you too much, S Bcksword,” she said her tone back to being calm and professional. “We’ve barely scratched the surface of the options avaible to you. The Hall of Bonds is vast, and there are plenty of didates yet to review. While some may let their biases cloud their judgment, there are many here who will value opportunity over reputation. Take your time — someone suitable is bound to be found.”
Krion nodded, but before he could respond, his attention moved to the far er of the hall, where a small otion had broken out between two ss in front of a cell. He could not see the oct from where he was standing, only a lot of movement within the cell. “What’s happening over there?”
The attendant followed his gaze, a small frown crossing her face as she turned back to Krion. “Ah, that would be Hatsune’s cell. She is a young Leporine, or bunnykin, as they are more only called by many. They’re known for their agility and speed. She seems to be perf a series of extreme dodging exercises. The ss standing in front of her cell are… somewhat less than impressed.”
Moving closer to get a better view past the pair uing ss, Krion couldn’t help but watch as the Leporine bounded with incredible grace around her cell only to e to a halt back before the gss, gring out at the two ss her. Even through the translut barrier, her presence is anding. Standing tall and poised, her long silver-tipped ears twitch slightly, capturing every sound around her. A thin yer of fur graces the backs of her arms, a soft shade of gray with subtle silver highlights that seem to shimmer in the ambient light. Her long, lean legs are flexed with taut muscles, quivering slightly from the exercise she had just finished.
Her eyes shifted over to Krion as the two ss before her cell tio bicker. A vibrant shade of green, he almost stopped in pder the iy of her gaze. There redatory sharpo them, as if she was always evaluating the world around her, weighing people, situations, and the smallest details. Her face was just as striking, with sharp, delicate features. Her high cheekbones were subtly pronounced, giving her a regal appearance, while her jawbone was defined and strong under a small hat was slightly uptur the tip. It added a touch of softo an otherwise anding visage. Framing her face was a cascade of silver-gray locks that fell to her mid-back, sleek and well-kept. The silver strands caught the light in such a way that it seemed to shimmer with her movements. Her thin lips pursed at his tiare.
Which, of course, was when he realized he was not only staring at her but had e to a plete halt while he did so. Krion jerked his eyes to the floor. He felt a blush creeping up the back of his neck. And then the blush deepened as he felt embarrassed about being embarrassed.
When he finally felt like he had the blush under trol, he looked back up at her to see her brow arched. It gave off the impression that she kly why he was there, and that the idea of being observed by yet another s did not faze her in the least.
Tearing his eyes away from her face, Krion took in the rest of her. Hatsune wore clothing that was simple yet funal, dark and unadorned, clearly made for bat rather than ceremony. It ractical design, with no embellishments, just the occasional glint of silver and bck straps that secured it. Though he had already beeed a number of times by other prospective bodyguards, something about Hatsune pulled him to see if she might sider it.
Then, at st, Krion’s ears caught the words of the two ss, and a burning fury ignited within him.
And there you have it, Chapter 50. I hope you are enjoying the story so far, and are excited as I am for the chapter!
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he Royal Road Writathon just ended, and I am currently w oing back up to 10+ additional chapters for those who wish to read ahead. In addition, you will eventually gain access to exclusive short stories tered on characters from the main story that provide additional insight about the Multiverse (which will only be on Patreon), as well as fun articles that will reveal more of the worldbuilding (also only on Patreon).
