Hohenfels

Jerzy Nowak paced around his cramped office excitedly, mentally planning out lessons for the young Prince who might very well become his much-needed benefactor in the future.

Teaching heresy to young nobles was neither particularly safe nor enjoyable, but it was necessary. Taking apprentices from among the village folk had not been feasible for centuries, no matter how much his… colleagues clung to tradition. It was much wiser to pass on the knowledge to those who weren’t at risk of getting permanently imprisoned or worse, and who would have the resources to teach their offspring.

The Hohenfels heir was in many ways the perfect student. His standing was beyond reproach, his house had distant roots in the Northern lands and no love for the West, and he was opportunistic enough to jump on a chance of getting ahead. Additionally, he might just be willing and able to spend a small fortune on Jerzy’s research if he proved himself useful.

Of course, the start to their relationship had not been optimal. Jerzy had been overconfident, relying on his Heartroot to keep him out of trouble as it had done for almost three decades. But how could he have known about that damnable sword?

Instead of fading into vague memory after mere hours, the four students would now remember him for quite a while. Weeks, even months if he was unlucky. That timeframe would become even longer once he started wearing the amulet as ordered by the Prince.

But it was worth it. Four nobles knowing his name was a risk he had to take if it meant potentially earning the patronage of a major house. Perhaps even two – the Silberthal girl seemed quite attached to Prince Arnold, and her family was famous among scholars for financing research in a vast variety of fields.

With any luck, his long quest to preserve the ancient arts would find its end.

= = = = =

“What about this one? It looks simple enough.”