Hao Ren and his family happily paid respects to their own graves (no mistake about that) and everyone treated it like some bizarre experience - at least in the books for Lily and Nangong Wuyue. As Hao Ren looked at the majestic, yet solemn obsidian cenotaph, he said to Marshal Ophra, "I actually don't think we should be placed beside these people. It's just not right."
Marshal Ophra took it the wrong way. "But, this is the highest honour that is available according to our traditions. This is only second to the Pope and the king..."
"I didn't mean that." Hao Ren pointed to the statues close to his cenotaph, the closest to him was Bishop Gelton's statue. "These, are the real heroes that gave their lives in the Battle of Beinz. They deserve all the praise that you can shower on them, but us... We are still living. I don't think we have the right to be placed together with them. It just makes me... guilty."
Marshal Ophra gave Hao Ren a surprised look, it took her a while before she led out a shred of smile. "I never thought you would say this. It's rare to find people like you. Isn't it a good thing to be feted as a hero?"
"I'm not short of that." Hao Ren shrugged. "I just feel that this propaganda is just... weird..."
"You'd saved many people, the whole world even. Maybe you think that this is part of your duty, and it is just a small matter. But those who survive cannot be allowed to take it lightly, and everyone should convey their gratitude." Marshal Ophra smiled. "This has probably nothing to do with you at all, it's the matter for us who were lucky to have survived. Regardless... the people must learn to remember heroes. We remember not the truth of a hero, but the ideals and image of one."
Hao Ren pursed his lips as he looked at Lily and Vivian burning some joss paper for themselves. "Well, not that our heroic image is up to snuff anyway."
Marshal Ophra gave a stiff nod and turned away. "Let us not dawdle here too long. New visitors are coming."
A group of brown robed civilians came from behind. They have Hao Ren and the rest a curious glance, and left flowers on Bishop Gelton and Nangong Wuyue's statue before lowering their heads to pray. A young boy pulled the sleeve of the priest beside him. "Mister, mister, have all these people gone to the goddess' side?"
"Yes, they had received her summons, and now enjoy eternal peace in heaven." The leading priest bend down and pointed towards Hao Ren's statue. "All of them are heroes, while nothing were left of them in their fight against the evil god, their spirit will endure long after their bodies had perished..."
Hao Ren's face had turned green and he quickly grabbed Lily and Vivian by the collar. "Lets go. I might get depressed if I stay a moment longer."
The group had returned to Becky's manor and the servants directly from the Royal Court were cleaning the long walkway before the manor. Marshal Ophra nodded at Becky. "These servants are directly under the Royal Court's payroll, and there will be a chamberlain to manage your estate as well. You just need to sit and enjoy life. His Majesty too understand your situation. Being a proper noble is a tiresome thing, and you probably won't get use to it any time soon, so just leave it to the chamberlains and advisors that the court had assigned you. You can ask them anything, or come directly to me. I'm ever glad to speak more with my comrade, on the caveat that I have time."
Becky had scant reaction when she heard the first part of the sentence, but when she heard the last part she immediately leaped in joy, "Really?! Oh how could I ever thank you... I'm sure someone of your station is bu.... Say are you free today? Tomorrow? Or the day after? If not...."
Hao Ren immediately pulled the marshal's fangirl away. Her fangirling could make one doubt where she actually swings. "Oh stop that. Now that you have the time, use it to read that nobility handbook that they gave you. I heard that you need to learn how to attend a noble banquet within a month, and with your current form you will probably take a year. Attending a royal banquet and boasting there is not the same as you doing it in a inn hugging a barrel of beer..."
Becky immediately calmed down after hearing the biggest headache of a question that she had now. Swimming in cold sweat, and then turning towards her manor and the rows upon rows of smartly dressed servants, she scratched her head, embarrassed. "Why does this feel so unreal?"
"All of this is real." Marshal Ophra smiled. "You'll need to learn how to get used to this. A mercenary becoming a noble is not something easy. You have a lot of quirks to get rid of, and those nobles have mountains of rules and protocols that are as stink like dried turd. It is no easier than fighting the evil god mind you."
Becky spat her tongue out as she mumbled towards Hao Ren. "I was hard carried in my fight against the evil god...."
Marshal Ophra did not understand the lingo and simply just smiled. Looking up and with a snap of her finger, a servant immediately came with the reins of her horse. "I'll be off then. Enjoy the new place for tonight, and as agreed, I will come with Cardinal Orben tomorrow, and we'll head to the sealed grounds.
As soon as she finished, she smoothly turned her horse around and galloped away, leaving Becky fangirling as she fawned over the marshal's heroic pose. "She's just soo cool... No... I need to properly dress up once we get back. I cannot be meeting her in this patched garb anymore."
"That's for tomorrow." Hao Ren patted Becky on the shoulder and woke the fangirl from her fawning. "Before that thought... lets go to a basement and find a proper place for us to set up the teleporter."
The Kingdom of Holletta was situated on the most fertile of lands on the continent and it had a long agricultural history. The people of Holletta had a long held tradition of storing food in their cellars or basements and it influenced the kingdom's architectural designs. Many locals have very large and intricately designed cellars and Becky's new manor was a typical Holletaean manor, beneath the three storey manor was a two storey cellar.
Almost as if it was an small underground fortress of sorts.
Becky was still not familiar with the directions of her place and had to rely on the guidance of the servants to find her way. The grey-haired butler who exudes an aura of calm and reliability led the way to the cellar's entrance, and he was obviously trying to make a good first impression on his new master. "Mistress, this is the entrance to the cellar, I can lead the way..."
It took Becky a moment to realise that the 'Mistress' was her, and she quickly waved her hands. "There's no need. We're off doing some private business. Oh right, just to let you know. The lowest level of the cellar is now a forbidden area. No one is to enter without my express permission."
The butler nodded and stepped away. After seeing the butler in a distance Becky spazzed again. "Mistress hehehehehe. Mistress. I'm a rich person from today! I have no regrets!"
"Right. Just look at you." Even Nangong Wuyue couldn't stand her and with a snort she headed downstairs.
The cellar's design was rather simple and it did not take long for Hao Ren and his ground to reach the wine cellar. Becky froze the moment she stepped into the room and gawked at the various barrels of liquor and wine bottles in the room. There was also a long-necked silver jars on the table, the magically infused stones within them that let out a mesmerising glow, and the smell of sweet liquor filled the room.
This was part of the reward it seems.
Becky quickly took a few deep breaths. "HNGHHHH.... THIS... THIS IS PARADISE! I never seen so much fine liquor before! My God... this is Holletta Honey Liquor! The Cressyl Flamebrew! And it is stored in a limited edition crystal bottle! Oh my goodness! The Great Southern Malt, a whole barrel of them! This is enough to buy the whole inn I usually patronise. And this silver decanters, Imperial Snow Velvet Wine! The mayor of Lamberg had only two small bottles... and I HAVE SIX BIG ONES!!! HNGGGHHHH!!!"
Becky fell backwards in a fit of euphoria as she sniffed with all her might. Her voice was so distant that she sounded like she was on the other side of River Styx. "This is paradise! I can just drop dead here!"
Hao Ren pulled out the teleportation device and ordered the automatons to install the device in on of the cellar's corners. Looking up towards Becky, he mumbled. "I never thought you were such an alcoholic."
"Nonsense, there's no mercenary that doesn't drink! Liquor makes man brave, and the first time I took a bounty to clear some bandit lair, I depended on the dwarven hot ale to beat the snot out of the sentries by the road.
Lily immediately sensed something was wrong. "Why did you beat the sentries? I thought you were fighting bandits?"
"Well f*ck, I was drunk and I whacked the wrong dude." Becky got up, slightly embarrassed. "That got me locked up for two months."
"Right, your glorious past aside." Hao Ren clapped. "The teleportation device is all set up. So your place is now the Space Administration's substation on Holletta. The direct route of this place is Alamanda on Tannagost. Look after this.... actually there's no big deal if you don't anyway. The device is encrypted and no one else can use it."
Looking at the shiny device before her, Becky's euphoria finally faded away. "Oh right, you guys are heading back to Earth after this, and I'll be standing guard here."