- Ah, the simple joys of a refreshing morning's exercise.
- Oh, hey Lorenz. Kinda early for you, isn't it?
What are you doing here?
- In truth, I was waiting for you, Leonie. I merely
[cdb]decided to fit in a spot of training in the meanwhile.
- For me?
- There's something I was hoping to speak to you
[cdb]about. Do you recall our last conversation here?
- You said the day may come that more commoners
[cdb]begin to make their own choices. Begin to live
[cdb]without relying on the nobility.
- Sure, I remember. What about it?
- Well... Your words were quite shocking to me.
I've spent no small amount of time turning them over
[cdb]in my mind since.
- If you speak true, I wonder how I, as a noble,
[cdb]should proceed.
- Huh. And? You reach any grand conclusions?
- Well, it is an ironclad rule of the nobility that the
[cdb]commoners living on our land fall under our
[cdb]protection.
- And yet, some still slip through our fingers. That is
[cdb]simply the state of things in today's world.
- In a way, you are one of them, though you did choose
[cdb]this path of your own accord.
- Hold on, did you really have to put it like that?
- I didn't slip through anyone's fingers. I jumped out
[cdb]all on my own.
- Well...yes, I suppose you did. My apologies.
- In truth, I find it exceedingly difficult to stand in the
[cdb]shoes of the everyman while also pushing matters
[cdb]forward as a noble.
- But if I'm unable to do exactly that, I have no hope of
[cdb]preserving the stability of my territory.
- As such, I am looking to bring an exceptional
[cdb]commoner into the ranks at House Gloucester,
[cdb]to act as my advisor.
- That's a surprise. I thought there was supposed to
[cdb]be some huge boundary between nobles and their
[cdb]people.
- I assure you, such a boundary still exists. But I've
[cdb]come to realize something of late.
- As we proceed into the uncertain future, more and
[cdb]more commonfolk will begin to break free of their
[cdb]defined roles.
- Such an era will be upon us before long. Your actions
[cdb]are proof enough of that.
- Whoa, slow down there. I don't think I'm some kind
[cdb]of great trailblazer or anything.
- Heh. I've simply interpreted the meaning behind your
[cdb]words. I thank you for leading me to this realization.
- Yeah, still not seeing it. I don't need your thanks.
- Leonie. I had this idea with your story in mind.
- As for the commoner I would invite to House
Gloucester, the proposal I mentioned earlier...
- How would you like to fill that role?
- I appreciate the invite, really.
- And I know it's supposed to be this huge honor,
[cdb]but there's other things I wanna do in life.
- My dream is to become a mercenary just like the
[cdb]captain, and I'm already on the road to making that
[cdb]happen. I can't abandon that. I won't.
- Very well. I suppose I would not want to stand in the
[cdb]way of your dreams.
- In that case, I pray you succeed in your endeavors.
But I'll be here should you ever change your mind.
- Good to know I have a backup. Thanks, Lorenz.