Levi stood near the castle gates, arms crossed as he waited.
The afternoon sun hung low above Ravenholt, casting long shadows across the stone road.
He wasn't entirely sure why he was waiting.
Perhaps he expected the boy to return.
Perhaps he didn't.
then a familiar figure appeared in the distance, the boy, running at full speed.
Levi smiles slightly
behind him were 3 children, then 5, then 10
More emerged from side streets. Then more. Then even more. Like a wave.
Levi's slight smile slowly disappeared.
"...Oh."
The children gather at the gates. Some are barefoot. thin. carrying younger siblings. dirty from sleeping outside. Some look hopeful. Some look terrified. Some don't even know who Levi is.
They only heard
"There's food."
Then the boy proudly runs up.
"My Lord!"
Levi looked down.
"You found some children."
The boy grinned.
"Yep!"
Levi slowly looked past him. At the crowd. At the dozens of faces staring back. Then back to the boy.
"...Some?"
Levi looked over the crowd. Far too many. And yet. Not enough to represent all those who suffered. He simply says
"Follow me."
The children hesitate.
One asks
"Really?"
And then another
"We're allowed inside?"
Levi opens the door to the castle, leading the children.
a male servant walks by and looks at Levi. "Good afternoon Lord"
And he walks by again, then looks over faster as he realized.
"M-MY LORD?!?! W-WHATS WITH ALL THE CHILDREN?!?!"
Levi smiles and puts his arm around the male servant.
"Where's Gaius?"
The servant gulps
"a-at the dining hall..."
he points towards it.
Levi smiles and leads the children to it, with his arm still around the male servant.
the servant asks.
"w-why am i still here"
Levi grins.
"oh you're helping me!"
then he thinks to himself fingers on his chin. "actually..."
the servant eyes shined and tries to walk past.
"alright I'll take my leave the-"
Levi holds the back of the male servant's Collar.
"Call the other servants to the dining hall and help, YOU'RE also included"
the male servant gulps.
"okay my Lord..."
Levi then lets go and starts walking toward the dining hall, leading the children again, as he reached the door, he opens it
"Voila."
as he opens it Gaius is spoonfeeding the younger sister, awkwardly helping her with the soup, then he sees Levi, sees the children, then he sees more, and more. he stared at Levi.
Levi stared at him back with a smile
"i hope you prepared extra!"
arms crossed with a smile. then he turns around.
"now kid"
looking at the older brother.
"Ah right i forgot, What's your name?"
the kid hesitates at first but he says.
"i have no name my Lord."
Levi eyes widen a bit.
"I see... go sit beside your sister, ill go figure that out"
he looks at the other children.
"and you all, go sit wherever you'd like."
he points toward the long table.
servants that was called by the person earlier arrives.
"M-My Lord"
Levi turns around "You're all here, now i need you all to cook and feed these children, clothe them aswell, and clean them."
all the servants are jawdropped one even faints but another catches her.
Levi smiles.
"pay would be double-"
the servants eyes lit up with energy after hearing a raise and start getting to work.
Levi walks outside the dining hall and heads back to his room and sat on his chair behind a desk full of paperworks, he analyzes them, signed a few that needed his signature. As he is working.
General Garrick Valen enters the room, a noticeable twitch in his cheek.
"Levi... whats with all the kids in the dining hall! we dont got enough foo-"
Levi cuts him off
"yet, not enough food yet, I forgot to tell you, a Banquet is being held in 2 days at the Duke's, and i got quite the idea to reel in investors"
A mischievous grin spread across his face.
General Garrick Valen eyes wide and laughs mischievously.
"Good Answer, I shouldn't have doubted you, my Lord"
Clapping slowly as he laughs.
Levi planted one foot atop the chair and puffed out his chest. His arms hung slightly away from his sides, fingers flexing as a mischievous grin spread across his face. "Heh..."
The grin widened
"I SMELL THE MONEYYYY!!!"
Then he threw his head back and laughed.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA."
He brushes his happy tears and looks up again at General Garrick Valen.
"call in the tailor for me, i need to get well dressed after all."
General Garrick Valen smiles slightly.
"you're right, you need to stand out!"
he walks out, laughing
a few minutes went by and General Garrick Valen comes in with the tailor.
"I've brought the Tailor!"
Levi looks towards them and stands up.
"ah you're finally here, pls take a seat madam, What's your name?"
The lady says behind her fan.
"Tessa, Tessa Loomheart, but i go by Lady Threadwright"
Levi eyes widen a bit.
"ah, Threadwright, i think ive heard of you before, well ive got a comission for you, im attending a banquet in two days you see..."
Lady Threadwright smirks slightly behind her fan.
"so you want to stand out?"
Levi smiles.
"yes, of course, i alr got quite an idea for an outfit"
Lady Threadwright snapped her fan shut with a sharp clack. Amusement danced in her eyes as she lifted her folded fan, and gently tilted Levi's chin upward with it.
"You're already quite a looker, my Lord, then again, an outfit is as important"
Levi eyes follow her.
"of course, i need it done before i depart, and i suppose you can do that right Miss Threadwright?"
Lady Threadwright laughs
"I can, so what's this "quite of an idea" you had?"
Lady Threadwright crossed her arms, the folded fan resting in her left hand. Tilting her head slightly to the right smirking.
Levi turns around, arms behind him.
" id want a dark red outfit, one with sleeves of course, and a half coat to the right, and a gold sequince beaded epaulets on the left, and also i dont want it to be some plain dark red outfit of course Lady Threadwright, i need some design, perhaps a few flames here and there, not normal flames, black flames, i hope you're envisioning it well, Ms."
Lady Threadwright drawing quickly on a paper.
"like this?"
she hands over the drawing to Levi.
"its just a sketch of course, but it captures what you said"
Levi eyes widen in shock that she managed to draw a detailed drawing of his idea.
"this is perfect, this is exactly what i had in mind, how much would the outfit cost?"
Lady Threadwright leaned back on her chair.
"i already got the materials in mind, My Lord
the main fabric would be a Blackened Crimson Velvet, Rich dark red. exactly fitting the dark red you described, and it Looks noble. Also heavy enough to drape well.
Inner Layer would be Black Silk Comfortable. Smooth. Doesn't restrict movement. and that gold epaulet you mentioned, it hought it would be just boring to be a normal gold beaded one, afterall your whole idea is fire related A gold-beaded epaulet fashioned in the shape of layered phoenix feathers."
she smiles behind her fan and shuts it again with a sharp clack.
"give or take 2 gold and 50 silver"
Levi grits his teeth and stared at her.
"for clothes?"
Lady Threadwright's eyes twitched, a bit offended.
"My Lord, if you refer to my work as "clothes" again i might have to double the price"
Levi blinked.
"noted... well you got yourself a deal!"
his hand reaches out for a handshake
Lady Threadwright stands up, and shakes Levi's hands
"Good choice."