After the feast, once everyone had the chance to sleep off their drunkenness, Zarkon again repeated that the prince, or rather the duke now, was fully recovered. The healer would leave the manor, but Varre was welcome to visit him at his laboratory, if any strange symptoms started to appear.

  The twins spent most of the day packing the mysterious and esoteric alchemical equipment into crates, while the old healer watched them like a hawk. “Those things are valuable girls! Don’t you dare break any!” he’d yell over and over again. It was slowly giving Varre a headache.

  In the meantime, Benjamin spent the entire day recalling the servants who worked at the manor before. There were at least a dozen. Gardeners, maids, chefs, simple laborers, even a couple guards! Though Varre doubted any could truly replace the twins.

  Finally, by the evening, everything had been packed away and Zarkon was ready to go. The new Duke of Lindridge was sad to see them leave. The healer was always a little cold, but the twins were different. They were some of the first friends Varre’d made in this strange new world. Still, it had to be done.

  Zarkon shook the duke’s hand. “Good luck. I know that living with amnesia may be difficult, but don’t forget to rely on Benjamin if need be. And come see me if anything changes, alright? Don’t forget!”

  “Understood. Have a safe trip Zarkon,” the former student answered.

  The twins instead gave him a hug. “Good luck Varre,” Perry said, “everything’s gonna be alright!”

  “Yeah obviously. At least now he doesn’t have to worry about your cooking,” Jury joked.

  Perry stuck out her tongue at her sister. The manor would definitely be far quieter without them.

  “It was nice to meet you girls. And don’t let that mean old bastard get to you, you hear?” Varre said.

  Zarkon scoffed, but both twins laughed.

  And with that, they were off. A wagon was called for them, and the driver loaded their assortment of crates inside it. Then, they finally drove away. Varre was officially cured and free to do whatever he wanted.

  It was already evening, so too late for any real work. Instead, the duke sat down at the large sofa in the living room, and sipped wine from a glass. The chamberlain quietly sat off to the side reading a book.

  “Benjamin,” Varre began, “where is this Lindridge place anyway?”

  The chamberlain set aside his reading. “It’s about a week away your highness. It’s a small duchy and not particularly wealthy. But it belonged to your father and now to you.”

  The duke sighed. “And I have to move there now? Why did you recall all of these servants then?”

  Benjamin smiled. “Of course not, my lord. You have administrators for that. They’ve been taking care of everything since your father fell unconscious and they continued until now.”

  Varre blinked. “Wait. So I don’t even have to go there? I can just stay here?”

  “Of course. You’re a duke, your highness. You should be here, in the capital. Where politics are done. You have to expand your influence and leave the boring busy work to your officials.”

  The former student stretched out on the sofa. “So what do I have to? Like actually?”

  “Well,” Benjamin twisted his head, “that’s up to you of course. You can attend court sessions at the castle and try to build connections with the other powerful nobles. You can be like your father and focus your time on careful study. You’ve seen his library after all. You can also visit mistress Elvira like she suggested. Your father was against you receiving any combat training or growing your attributes, but I suppose it’s your decision now.”

  “So many choices. But there’s no rush right? After all, I’ve just recovered. Nothing will happen if I spend all of tomorrow exploring the city right?”

  “Of course not, your highness. You are in charge after all.”

  “Now that’s more like it. Cheers!” he downed the remainder of his wine glass in one go, “then as my first decree, bring me another!”

  -*-*-*-

  The next day, the duke explored the city of Logres. Benjamin went with him and showed him around the noble quarter. The entire district was filled with elegant manors, boulevards, and plazas. There were even a couple cathedrals, though they didn’t particularly interest Varre.

  The shops were more exciting, but he was never a fan of fashion either. Let alone medieval fashion. His clothes were comfortable enough and he had plenty more back at home. If he ever lacked anything, Benjamin would definitely take care of that.

  The highlight of the tour were the local taverns. Merchants and nobles sat around the well maintained tables. They were overflowing with drink, and the air smelled of delicious dishes. Most had musicians playing live music and even those that didn’t at least had a stage. There was no way for Varre to experience all of them in one day, but he made a mental note of their locations. There’d be time for that later.

  Next, Benjamin brought him to the center of the city. This area was intended for commoner merchants. The people here were dressed in simpler clothes, though a few nobles and wealthy merchants walked in between the crowds. The shops were also more interesting. Besides commoner clothes, there were bakeries, shops selling spices, and various goods from across the world. Most unusual were the stores intended for adventurers. They sold fanciful weapons, armors, and even magical items. Varre spent a couple hours just browsing the shelves.

  Apparently, the city had an entire guild for adventurers. It was an uncommon profession, but one that was necessary to deal with monsters and other threats that roamed the countryside. That was unexpected. Then again, I am in a fantasy world after all. Maybe, I’ll join one of these guilds and go on adventures on my own someday, The duke thought to himself.

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  Benjamin brought him to the guild square. The two stand out buildings were the aforementioned adventurers’ guild and the mages’ guild. Varre was supposed to come meet Elvira at some point, but he decided to save that for another day. Instead, he took a look at their neighbor. Armored knights, shady rogues, and robe wearing magicians sat around on benches inside the adventurers’ guild. The duke looked a little out of place, especially with his chamberlain in tow. A lot of the local warriors gave him curious looks. Rather than face the awkwardness head on, he left and decided to return alone, another day.

  The taverns here were not as lavish as the ones in the noble quarter, but far livelier. People laughed loudly and joked as they drank their ale and beers. This was more in Varre’s taste. He made sure to eat his dinner here, though Benjamin looked distinctly uncomfortable the entire time.

  Afterwards, the pair quickly passed through the craftsmen quarter. There were plenty of carpenters and blacksmiths here, though nothing really stood out to Varre. The city also had a slum, though the chamberlain strongly insisted that they should stay away from it. One look at the crumbling buildings was enough to convince the duke as well. It definitely looked like a dangerous place to visit.

  Satisfied, Varre returned to the noble quarter, and spent the rest of the evening in one of the taverns.

  The next day, the duke considered visiting the mages’ guild and talking to Elvira. He was also interested in checking out the castle again, in more detail. But the most important thing, was to investigate the taverns. Who knew what secrets they held. After all, he had the time. There were no essays to be handed in, no tests he needed to study for. Why not enjoy myself a little bit, he told himself, there’d be time for work later.

  The following day, passed the same way. And so did the next. After all, he heard from one of the patrons that a world renowned flute player was going to visit one of the taverns. Varre couldn’t miss that, obviously. He had to blend into the local culture. Slowly, before he realized it, several months had passed on such entertainment.

  At least it wasn’t fruitless. The duke made some new friends in the process.

  First, there was Nilo. They met at one of the taverns in the noble quarter. It was a surprisingly busy night, and a stranger decided to sit next to the Duke of Lindridge. Over the night of drinking, they became friends. Nilo was the son of a wealthy count. Just like Varre’s own fief, Nilo’s lands lay far away from the capital. His parents lived out there, but they wanted their son to build connections in the big city.

  Lucky for him, he stumbled upon a royal prince. The two men enjoyed each other’s company. Varre didn’t know it at first, but apparently Nilo’s family was very wealthy and influential in the Western part of the kingdom. Still, having direct connections to the royal family would be an even greater boost to their prestige.

  Together, the two men spent each night exploring the various taverns of the city. They had a similar taste and often preferred the livelier merchant quarter taverns to the more stuck up noble ones.

  They managed to meet the third member of their group in one such tavern. Lester was the son of a wealthy merchant and an expert on various wines. He met them one night and took them on his ‘journey across the seven kingdoms’ as he called it. It was a true marathon, where the men tasted an assortment of wines from many different regions across the world. Lester introduced each one, and explained its unique taste and qualities. They had to make sure to invite him on their future escapades.

  Lester was a true expert and could always suggest the best wine for each occasion. He knew a lot about other alcohols too. Something Varre particularly appreciated, as he was far more used to drinking beer back on Earth. Wine was fine, but sometimes he wanted to feel the taste of home.

  The last member of their group was Alastair. Varre’s friends’ met him during a horse race in the capital. It was a rare event, so Nilo insisted they had to go there. Varre decided to bet a little money on the races and unexpectedly won, even though he knew nothing about horses before. He assumed it was one of the effects of his unusually high luck stat.

  Alastair instead assumed the duke’s winnings came from his expert knowledge of the animals. He knew he just had to talk to Varre. As it turned out, Alastair was the son of a local knight. His family lived just outside the capital, which is why he spent most of his time in the city. Though his father was fiercely against it, he planned to become an adventurer someday. He was fascinated by armor, weapons, and especially horses.

  During their conversation, Alastair explained each upcoming race and which horse he was certain would win. Varre decided to trust the expert. He bet some money on the suggested rider and lost. At least now he knew that his luck wasn’t all powerful. As an apology, the embarrassed knight agreed to buy the duke an ale in a nearby tavern and slowly the men became friends.

  Though he wasn’t as wealthy as the others, Alastair was definitely the strongest and the most experienced fighter among them. As the son of a knight, he received combat training and actually built up his physical attributes. He even obtained some real abilities. With his backing, the men could venture into the slightly shadier and more dangerous taverns in the city. After all, those were often the most fun. Though even with his protection they stayed away from the slums.

  Varre would probably have continued like this for years. He would spend each night visiting the city’s taverns, drinking and enjoying the entertainment. This was the most fun he’s had in his entire life. He was finally free of responsibilities! His rule over Lindridge provided him with a steady source of income and he didn’t even need to work. Some faceless administrators were taking care of everything for him. He could just relax and enjoy the spoils with his friends.

  But one fateful night changed everything.

  It began rather simply. Varre was invited to the king’s birthday party. It was a small event. Only the closest family members were to attend. At first, the Duke of Lindridge had intended to go. But there was a problem.

  “Varre, you’re not gonna believe this!” Lester yelled excitedly, “Esteban the skinny is coming to town!”

  The other two friends cheered, but the duke was confused. “Who is that?”

  “How do you not know?” Nilo rose his hands in exasperation, before facepalming, “right. The amnesia. I forgot.”

  “Esteban is this legendary elf bard. He travels across the world visiting various towns and playing his music. His ballads are absolutely amazing! And he’s coming here tomorrow!” Lester explained.

  “Tomorrow?” Varre cocked his eyebrow, “is he coming to for the king’s birthday?”

  The wine expert chuckled and leaned closer. “Oh no, no, no. He’s not that kind of guy. His ballads are a little… controversial?”

  “How so?” the duke asked.

  Nilo too leaned closer. “Well, let’s just say he likes to make fun of powerful people. And he’s not afraid of anyone. Not even the king. Not even in his capital, on his own birthday. I bet he’ll have something truly extraordinary planned for tomorrow,” he rubbed his hands excitedly.

  Varre shrugged. “I can’t make it. I’m Mikkel’s nephew, remember? I’m invited to that birthday.”

  Lester leaned so far back he almost fell off his chair. “Awww man. That’s… terrible! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity… But I get it.”

  Nilo was so devastated, he took his face in his hands. “What a disaster. Man, I feel so sorry for you. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.”

  “Is he really that good?” Varre slowly glanced at each of his friends.

  “Don’t look at me,” Alastair held out his hands defensively, “I’ve heard he’s absolutely legendary and worth any price. But I’ve never seen him myself.”

  “Yes!” Lester confirmed, “he is! Absolutely! I’d miss my own wedding to go see Esteban!”

  Nilo frantically nodded in agreement.

  “How about this then?” Varre pulled out a coin out of his pocket and showed it to his friends, “heads, I go with you. Tails, I go to the castle.”

  The duke flipped the coin and everyone stared at it in anticipation. It went high. Higher than he intended to throw it, but that only added a note of dramaticism. It fell and he quickly covered it with his palm.

  “Well? What is it?” Lester asked leaning closer.

  “Gentlemen,” Varre finally revealed the result, “looks like I’m coming with you. This elf better be as good as you say!”