hooklinebooks Chapter 365: Difference!
Chapter 365: Difference!
Alaric sat in the estate’s quiet library, surrounded by tall shelves and stacks of heavy books.
The library was modest by noble standards, maybe a few hundred volumes lining dark wood shelves, but comprehensive enough for a merchant family’s needs.
Trade law. Regional histories. Cultural guides. Maps.
Two days had passed since his deal with Vanessia, and he had spent almost all of that time reading, barely leaving except for meals and brief walks through the estate grounds.
He needed to understand the world outside these walls. And to his surprise, the kingdom of Thiaman was very, very different from Vedgard.
As he skimmed through books on history, laws, and culture, a clear picture formed in his head.
Unlike Vedgard, unlike most human kingdoms he knew of, Thiaman operated under a matriarchal system.
Here, women held the real power. They were the heads of noble houses, the leaders of the military, and the ones who controlled the wealth.
Men weren’t oppressed exactly. But they were... secondary.
For the most part, they held lower positions or managed the households.
Expected to support rather than lead. To defer rather than command. Cultural norms reinforced this at every level, from family structure to legal precedent to social expectations.
Slam!
He closed another book on Thiaman’s social structure and leaned back in his chair. Rubbed his temples.
It wasn’t just in the books, either.
He had seen it with his own eyes during his short walks around the estate grounds.
Women were the ones shouting orders to the guards and managing the fields.
Even marriage was different here; it was common for women to have multiple husbands.
Just yesterday, he had learned that the estate’s head maid was married to three men.
Alaric rubbed his temples.
But Vanessia was bit different... Unlike those other women, she didn’t had anyone other than her husband.
Which wasn’t uncommon, but... for a high-profile lady like her, having monogamous relationship was indeed rare.
He was still baffled by it, but suddenly, the pieces clicked into place.
This is why I was targeted so easily, he realized. And why I was almost sentenced without a proper trial.
A man wandering alone, especially an outsider, was an easy target in Ashfeld.
It also explained the confidence of his accuser, Revna.
Vanessia had recently told him the history there...
Revna’s father used to be the vice guild master under Vanessia’s father.
But he had betrayed House Valcieri, stealing their contacts and dropping them from the number one merchant guild down to the top ten. And then used that stolen wealth to open his own rival guild.
And Revna inherited that empire. Along with her father’s grudges. His desire to completely destroy the Valcieri family.
So targeting me wasn’t random. It was calculated attack on Vanessia’s reputation. Her credibility. Her ability to conduct business.
I was just convenient weapon.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. Felt headache building behind his eyes.
"Though I already agreed," he muttered to the empty library, "do I really need to go to that academy?"
Then leaned back in the heavy wooden chair and clasped his hands together, resting his chin on them.
He could already smell the drama waiting for him there.
Where male students would be treated as lesser. Where his abilities would be questioned. Where every interaction would be colored by gender politics he barely understood.
He let out a long sigh. "But there might be something for my mana channels."
He had searched the entire estate library, flipping through dozens of medical and magic texts, but found nothing useful for his broken reserves.
The Royal Academy was the biggest gathering of magical knowledge in the kingdom.
He had to go.
Then suddenly, a soft knock at the heavy oak door broke his thoughts.
"Come in," Alaric called out, opening his eyes.
A servant stepped into the room and bowed deeply. "Lady Vanessia has summoned you, my lord."
Alaric nodded, standing up.
"Okay. I’ll be there in a moment."
The servant bowed again and quietly left the room.
Alaric stretched his stiff back, his joints popping slightly.
"What does she want now?" he muttered to himself and shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Whatever."
He left the library and walked down the wide, carpeted hallways toward the guest parlor where the servant had directed him.
Even before he reached the door, he could hear the sound of women chatting and lightly laughing inside.
As Alaric entered the room, the conversation stopped.
Vanessia was sitting on a plush sofa, a teacup in hand. When she saw him, her face lit up with a welcoming smile.
"Azra! Come here," Vanessia called out warmly.
"There is someone I want you to meet. This is my dear friend, Mirelle Renfeld."
She pointed to the woman sitting across from her.
Mirelle was... striking. A tall, elegant woman in her early thirties in appearance. Blonde hair styled in elegant braids that framed a face with sharp cheekbones and intelligent blue eyes.
She wore expensive clothing, deep green silk dress with subtle embroidery that suggested wealth without being ostentatious.
Jewelry that was tasteful rather than excessive.
Everything about her screamed successful merchant. Someone who’d built or inherited significant wealth and knew how to carry it.
She studied Alaric with the same assessing gaze merchants used when evaluating potential investments.
"And this is her daughter, Callista Renfeld," Vanessia added, gesturing to the girl sitting beside Mirelle.
Callista looked to be around Alaric’s physical age. And just like her mother, she had soft blonde hair and bright, blue, curious eyes.
She was pretty in a way that would mature into genuine beauty in a few years.
She was wearing a simple but beautifully made pastel blue dress.
When her mother gave her a slight nod, Callista stood up.
She smiled politely, giving a graceful curtsy.
"It is very good to meet you, Lord Azra," she said, her voice smooth and practiced.
Alaric blinked but then kept his expression to neutral.
And gave slight bow, acknowledging her greeting without committing to anything beyond basic courtesy.
"Good to meet you too."