Stacks of papers. Unending stacks of papers. No matter where his eyes looked, there were only stacks of papers. This was the life of Count Halmar Adria Hazen. Just unending paperwork. However, the Count would not complain. Life was peaceful compared to the times during the Civil war between the Empress. Count Halmar backed the losing side, and for a time he was afraid that he and his entire family would be wiped out. Luckily for him, the winner of the war was Kaisar, a reasonable and revolutionary leader who understood executing a lot of nobles would just bring instability. If he had known Kaisar’s qualities sooner, the Count would have backed him during the war.

  But still, who would have thought that Kaisar would willingly relinquish his Imperial throne back to Emperor Alexandross when he finally returned from the Parah Desert after the entirety of Azalia thought he was dead there. For a moment, everyone thought there would be another civil war right after the War of Empress had just ended.

  Now, the only war Count Halmar wanted to be involved in was a war with paperwork. The biggest trouble his county was facing was banditry, especially in the countryside. The War of the Empress still showed its scar, many soldiers and deserters from the losing side never returned to their home. Instead, they chose to become bandits instead. Count Halmar couldn’t understand why they would choose a life of crime, but it was a fact of life that banditry was the number one problem most territories in Azalia were facing right now.

  Knock Knock

  Count Halmar’s deep thought was interrupted by the knock. He recognized that knock, it was his butler. They’ve been working together for so long that the Count became familiar with the way the Butler knocked on a door.

  “Come in,”

  Sure enough it was his butler, an old man in his fifties, dressed sharply from head to toe, a role model for any butlers on the land. Behind him, was a lovely young lady with beautiful long brunette hair and dressed in a modest pink dress.

  “Count, the young lady has come to meet you.” The butler informed the Count.

  “Morning Father. Stop working and have breakfast with us.” The young lady, Lady Beaugard Adria Hazen, asked her father gleefully, innocence could be heard in her voice. Hearing his youngest daughter's morning greetings, Count Halmar’s face lit up in joy. “Of course sweetheart. My stomach is starting to grumble.”

  Count Halmar stood up from his desk. He motioned his secretaries who were currently working in the same room to go take a break also. Once they saw the permission to take a break, all the secretaries dropped dead on their desk; they couldn’t care less about breakfast. “Grant, prepare some sandwiches for them.” Count Halmar ordered the Butler to prepare some food for the dying secretaries.

  “Let’s walk Bea,” Count Halmar and Lady Beaugard walked side by side to the dining room. “Father, don’t you feel bad that the secretaries are overworked. You’re also overworked, Father. Brother Kylan always talked about how he is glad he’s not dealing with your work and ended up balding.”

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  Damn that Kylan. If he wasn’t dealing with a serious case right now, he would have faced punishment for making fun of someone else’s hairline.

  “I understand Bea. Father also feels bad for the secretaries. However, finding capable and trustworthy secretaries is no easy task.”

  “How about me, father?” Beaugard suggested herself. This was her original intention for starting the conversation in the first place. “I’m already fourteen. I can handle the work, and I’m trustworthy.”

  Count Halmar considered the suggestion. While she was a bit young to start working with him, Beaugard had proven herself capable of organizational works with her charity projects in the city. And she was also his own blood. He knew his little angel would not misuse her power. However, he did not want to subject his youngest and only daughter to the massive workload that was managing a county. Especially not when his own wife would object to the idea. The last thing Count Halmar wanted was a war with his own wife. He rather fought another civil war.

  “Maybe when you’re seventeen, Bea. For now, focus on your charity work. They’re important work that helped me a lot in managing the city.” Count Halmar tried to persuade Beaugard from being his secretary. “But Father, I can handle both.” Protested Beaugard.

  He was now on the verge from having a war with his beloved daughter. Luckily, Count Halmar was an experienced general, capable of pulling difficult maneuvers. “If you can get your mother's permission you can work as my secretary.”

  Beaugard sulked. She knew how old-fashioned her mother was. It took a lot of convincing and tantrums to even secure her mother's permission for her to do her own charity work. Secretary work? That would take a year full of begging and fighting with her mother.

  Beaugard sighed, she had hoped that her father would just give her the go ahead. In the end, she had to prepare a war strategy against her mother. She’ll thought about it later. Right now, they had arrived in the dining room. It’s time for breakfast.

  *******

  Roasted fish, roots, and mushroom on a skewer, with a side of vegetables and a loaf of bread. What an extravagant breakfast for the street urchins. These past few days, Kisara and the urchins had been fed by Regulus and his Molrrets. What a blessing.

  Kisara was still unsure of Regulus’ identity and whether he was really the source of the ruckus in the city, but she was grateful that Regulus had joined the gang. While his smell was nauseating at first, the street urchins got used to it fast. In fact, when they smelled Regulus coming, everyone became excited, especially Kisara’s girls.

  While it was hard to tell due to his extremely black figure, Regulus had a cute face and demeanor. Regulus also had the speech capabilities and knowledge level of a toddler. The girls took joy in teaching Regulus’ words and common knowledge, it made the often underestimated urchins felt smart.

  Rumble Rumble

  Speak of the devil, here comes Regulus.

  Pop

  “Hey Kisara, you want more eat?” Regulus was now capable of longer speech.

  “Thank you, Regulus. We got enough food for now.” Kisara said as she munched on her fish skewer. She wondered how Regulus got all these food to fed them all. “Regulus, how did you get all these food?”

  “Hunt and found.” answered Regulus. Hunting was straight forward enough… but found? It made sense to be able to found roots underground, and even mushrooms…But bread and vegetables? Where did he found them?

  “Regulus, where did you find bread and veggies?”

  “Kisara want to know?” asked Regulus. Kisara nodded. “Follow Regulus.” Regulus popped back inside the hole he just dug. Kisara finished her food as fast as possible.

  “Girls, want to come?” She invited her girls in case anyone wanted to come with. None of them wanted to, even though Regulus was with them, they still feared the sewer, and they never saw Regulus in action to trust him to protect them. So Kisara decided to follow Regulus alone. Who knows, if they met a Sewer King, she might finally see Regulus’ strength for herself.

  And deep down, she didn’t think that a Sewer King could harm Regulus anyway.