A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

"Good," Lombard said, though he seemed surprised that Beam readily admitted it. "Who taught you to do as you did? Who is your master?"

"I was not taught how to break through the Second Boundary, and my master does not wish to be named," Beam said.

Lombard frowned at that. "Your master does not wish to be named, hm? Well, I'd expect not, since he has not shown himself. So tell me, this maser of yours, is he a knight?"

"He is," Beam said.

"So a knight that took a peasant under his wing, is it?" Lombard said. "Ad not only that, you claim to have broken through the Second Boundary without his assistance. Well, I suppose that would make sense – for what other reason would a knight apprentice a peasant? But something about it doesn't sit right with me. What do you think, Tolsey?"

Tolsey looked surprised to be asked his thoughts. "I think it sounds suspicious as well. How old are you, boy? How on earth did you manage to break through the Second Boundary so young, and without knightly training?"

With a nod, Lombard approved those questions. "Indeed. Even with direction, knowing what areas they must work on in order to pass through the Second Boundary, most knights do not get there before their twentieth year, and most only do so after taking on an excessive amount of responsibility."

"My master said it with suffering, responsibility and progress required to break through the Second Boundary," Beam said, fighting to keep the irritation out of his voice, as the steel of the sword continued to tap his throat in Tolsey's shaking hand.

"That is indeed what we are taught, yes," Lombard agreed.

"Then you already have your answer," Beam said.

"Suffering then is it?" Lombard mused. "Do you expect us to believe that you've endured such a magnitude of suffering, or that you've made such progress all by your lonesome, without the intention of breaking through anything?"

"Not without intention," Beam said, his eyes fiery for a moment. "I looked for strength so that I could ease the worries of my family, though I did not find it until recently."

"Soldiers on the battlefield, boy, the majority of them go years without ever touching the Second Boundary. Are you claiming to have endured suffering worse than all of them? That you not only endured it, but you survived it, and that you made progress to boot? I have seen hells worse than you've imagined.

I refuse to believe in your mere short years you have endured enough to earn Claudia's favour," Lombard said.

"Did you say your family was killed, boy?" Tolsey asked, picking up on something that Beam had said earlier.

"In a raid, when I was eight," Beam said coldly.

Lombard and Tolsey shared a look.

"And what did you do from there? Did you live with another member of your family?" Tolsey asked, his voice kinder than Lombard's.

"No. I had no family left. I was enslaved by wartime merchants, in exchange for them saving me from fatal injury after the raid," Beam said. "Do you still disbelieve me, Captain?"

He turned to look at Tolsey, even as the sword was pressed against his neck. He gave him a pointed look to see if he would do anything. Tolsey withdrew his blade, and Beam took off his shirt.

"There, the scars of a slave, are you satisfied now?" Beam was unable to keep the anger out of his voice.

He heard Tolsey draw in his breath beside him, whilst Lombard remained stony-faced. "Put your shirt back on, boy," Lombard said.

Beam did as he was told, but he was unable to keep the scowl off his face. The man had well and truly infuriated him now.

"I suppose I might see how Claudia might favour you, now," Lombard said thoughtfully. "But only if you had the progress to match it, I suppose. I can not see how else you would have managed to pass the Second Boundary so young… So then, struggler, now that I understand you a little better, why don't you explain this situation with this master of yours?"

"I don't how much he'd want me to explain," Beam said. "Nor do I care enough for you that I'd be willing to anger him over it."

"Your patience is wearing thin, is that what you mean to say?" Lombard asked with a sigh. "I suppose you are still a child after all… But nonetheless, you are the child of a peasant. You must know your place."

So Lombard said, but his voice contained less harshness than it had in it earlier. Sensing the change in mood, Tolsey slowly took his sword away fro mBeam's neck, with cautious glances at the Captain all the while. Lombard did not tell him to stop, so Tolsey gratefully sheathed his sword at his hip with a relieved sigh.

"Hm… How about this? Why does your master choose not to reveal himself?" Lombard asked.

"He isn't fond of people. E's also given me the responsibility of protecting this village, so he won't interfere with it unless absolutely necessary," Beam said.

Lombard narrowed his eyes. Something about the way Beam spoke of his master made him seem almost unimaginably strong. Why was that? He thought to himself. He considered it a moment, and then realized it was likely the respect that the boy put on his master's name. A respect afforded to him, even as he treated Lombard with contempt.

Just how strong did a man have to be in order to earn his loyalty?

"Ah…" Lombard and Tolsey shared a look, as the Captain broke out into the slightest beginnings of a smile. "I do recall a time when I was presented with such a task, as a boy.

Though I do not know of anyone that would be bold enough to present the entire responsibility of a village's protection to a child, even if they had passed the Second Boundary – at most they would merely be required to assist in protecting it"