Volume 6, Chapter 1 – Margo’s Rise. The Introduction
Gardens filled with birdsong flooded the entire perimeter of the estate. Bright sunlight pierced through the tree crowns in rays, lifting dust into the air. The trees swayed under the pressure of a light breeze, and leaves slowly swirled, falling onto the thick grass.
A two-story house, made of stone with carved columns, filled all the free space and hid in the shadow of tall trees. A man with stubble lazily came out of the wide door — yawning, he scratched his chin, surveying his domain. With a crunch, he pressed his hands into his back and stretched, enjoying the pleasant sound and coolness.
The man was dressed only in a bathrobe over his bare body, stained with something oily and with traces of wine.
Unhurriedly, he headed down the steps. His bare feet stepped onto the cold stone with fresh dew still on it — light waves of goosebumps ran across his body, and a contented smile appeared on his face. The man walked to the well and peered inside with interest, finding a lazily swaying bucket on a rope and the water surface that reflected the dark walls of the well. A pleasant smell of dampness enveloped his body, and his soul grew calm.
A moment later, the bucket clanged loudly, hitting the walls of the well, approaching the water. The splash of water from the bucket neared the edge of the well — and as soon as the bucket surfaced, the man grabbed it with both hands and quickly tipped it over himself.
A quiet squeak escaped his mouth. The cold water happily ran down his collar, rolling down his spine like a water slide. His whole body broke out in goosebumps, and the man reflexively shook himself, throwing his black hair back.
"Mits Kansperi. Your breakfast is ready," — a voice sounded from behind the man.
He turned, finding his maid — Margo.
"Good," — Mits cut off, walking past her. "— Wash this," — he tossed her the wet bathrobe.
And in just his underwear, Mits headed back into the house.
Entering the house, Mits navigated between piles of papers scattered throughout the space. Cold light from magical lamps illuminated his body to a sickly appearance — like surgical lamps. He paid no attention to the papers, walking through them, sometimes stepping on blueprints. At the entrance to his study stood Sally with a tray of food, holding a smile on her face.
"Your breakfast," — Sally held the tray out in front of her.
Mits glanced at the tray of food — disgust appeared on his face at the healthy meal.
"Steak," — he snapped and tipped the tray over.
The tray crashed to the floor with a clatter, and the food spread across the surface, filling every crevice. At the noise, Margo ran into the house with the bathrobe draped over her, but a second later understood what had happened and returned to work.
Mits entered his study but stopped and looked at Sally, who was gathering the fragments from the floor.
"Sally," — Mits said.
Sally raised her head, tucking a strand behind her ear.
"Yes?"
"And bring me clothes too," — he added and slammed the study door.
Mits collapsed onto the sofa next to the work desk and stared for a long time at the world map. His gaze froze — and it was as if the whole world paused in anticipation of action. Mits didn't move. Drops of water ran down his body, soaking into the sofa fabric, while he studied — for the hundredth time — the same world map where he'd lived for over forty years. The Duchy of Malevych was his native home — but now he lived in the Duchy of Firkun, whose territories touched the Silent Silence Wall.
The silence ended with the quiet pop of a wine cork — and a second later Mits took two deep gulps of red wine.
—
The backyard of the house filled with laughter and noise.
"He knocked over the tray again," — Sally said, holding a cigarette holder between her fingers, waving away the annoying smoke from her cigarette.
"And I told you!" — Margo snorted, washing the bathrobe in a basin. "— We should have just fried a steak and poured a liter of oil on it!" — she blew on her fringe, and it flew in all directions.
Sally stopped the cigarette holder at her lips and licked her lips with a displeased face, looking at Margo.
"Yeah..." — Sally rolled her eyes and continued smoking. "— We all know that perfectly well. But he himself demands we make him healthy food."
Margo pulled the bathrobe out of the water and started wringing it out with all her might.
"Well, so we need to..." — she thought. "— Oh whatever! We're not the ones cooking! We refused — we told Menni, let him work!"
"Oh! How selfish you are," — Sally smiled.
"Yeah, you two have lost it," — Menni appeared in the doorway, adjusting his white collar. "— Have you already asked what menu to make him for this week?" — he took off his apron and lit a cigarette.
"Healthy food," — Sally and Margo answered in unison.
"Uh-huh..." — Menni snapped his fingers, and a flame flared, catching the edge of the cigarette. "— The steak's ready, by the way. Who's taking it?"
Margo quickly turned away, tossing the bathrobe onto the line.
"Right!" — Sally quickly finished her cigarette, stomping out the butt with her heel. "— I need to bring clothes. Bye-bye!" — and with those words she vanished into the darkness of the house.
Menni sighed, watching Sally go.
"Yeah, hey! I'm a cook, not a maid!" — he protested. "— I don't care — the steak's ready, so come and get it," — Menni added, taking a strong drag and sprawling on the bench by the house wall, in the shade of the trees.
Margo said nothing, continuing to fix the bathrobe on the line.
—
Dust motes swirled above the work desk. Blueprints and calculations were covered in dust, while Mits lay in his underwear on the sofa, sipping wine and studying the world map on the wall. He had no desire to do anything — just lie there and drink. He found neither ideas nor purpose. All he wanted was to be here and drink wine.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Yeah," — Mits answered lazily, not even getting up from the sofa.
Sally drifted into the room, holding clean clothes.
"Clothes, Mits—"
"Yeah," — Mits interrupted her. "— Put them on the table. And where's my steak?"
Sally placed the clothes and stepped toward the door.
"Already ready!" — she looked deeper into the house. "— MARGO'S ALREADY BRINGING IT!"
"Got it."
The door slammed shut, leaving Mits alone with his thoughts and the bottle of wine. A couple of minutes later Margo brought the steak — and it stood on the table all day next to the clothes, never touched by Mits, who continued drinking wine and breathing in the aromas of the fragrant steak and clean linen.
—
Gardens filled with birdsong flooded the entire perimeter of the estate. Bright sunlight pierced through the tree crowns in rays, lifting dust into the air. The trees swayed under the pressure of a light breeze, and leaves slowly swirled, falling onto the thick grass.
Mits lazily came out of the wide door of the house with stubble — yawning, he scratched his chin, surveying his domain. With a crunch, he pressed his hands into his back and stretched, enjoying the pleasant sound and coolness.
Mits was dressed only in a bathrobe over his bare body with traces of wine.
Unhurriedly, he headed down the steps. His bare feet stepped onto the cold stone with fresh dew still on it — light waves of goosebumps ran across his body, and a contented smile appeared on his face. Mits walked to the well and peered inside with interest, finding a lazily swaying bucket on a rope and the water surface that reflected the dark walls of the well. A pleasant smell of dampness enveloped his body, and his soul grew calm.
A moment later, the bucket clanged loudly against the walls of the well, approaching the water. The splash of water from the bucket neared the edge — and as soon as the bucket surfaced, the man grabbed it with both hands and quickly tipped it over himself.
A quiet squeak escaped his mouth. The cold water happily ran down his collar, rolling down his spine like a water slide. His whole body broke out in goosebumps, and the man reflexively shook himself, throwing his black hair back.
"Mits Kansperi. Your breakfast is ready," — Sally's voice sounded from behind Mits.
He turned, finding his maid Sally.
"Good," — Mits cut off, walking past her. "— Wash this," — he tossed her the wet bathrobe.
"Of course," — Sally nodded. "— Also, mail arrived from the Duchy of Malevych."
Mits stopped at the threshold of the house and froze.
"Mail? A letter?" — he asked, returning to Sally.
"No," — Sally shook her head. "— A big box. The courier said: 'Mits has a week to prepare,'" — she quoted.
Mits looked around, studying the trees and the porch of the house, searching for the box. Sally stood next to him in silence. Her work clothes billowed in the wind, flapping from the gusts.
"Where's this box?" — Mits sat on the steps, looking at Sally, whose face was barely visible under the sun's rays.
"In the house," — she answered, adjusting the wet bathrobe in her hands, from which water continued to drip onto the gray stone.
—
With two light movements, Sally opened the big box — inside lay a pile of assault rifles and pistols. And on top was a note with the seal of the Duke of Malevych.
"What's this?" — Mits touched the rifles in bewilderment, illuminated by the cold light of the magical lamps.
Sally leaned in, busily studying the contents of the box, and noticed the letter.
"Hmm... I don't know — the letter might give more information," — she answered, taking the letter and about to open it.
"Stop," — Mits stopped her, tossing the letter back into the box. "— We'll figure it out tomorrow. And where's my steak?"
With those words, Mits walked quickly to his study, toppling the tray of healthy food that Margo was holding by the door to his study along the way.
The door slammed in Sally's face. Margo looked at her from the floor, gathering the food, and a sly smirk appeared on her face.
"Mouth!" — Sally snapped displeasedly and quickly headed to the back exit, pulling out a cigarette and cigarette holder.
Margo made faces at her — and as soon as Sally turned the corner and her footsteps quieted, Margo quickly reached the box and pulled out the letter.
"What do we have here..." — she tapped her fingers with interest on the paper and the seal on the letter.
One movement — and a sheet with text appeared from the letter:
"Esteemed Mits Kansperi... Blah-blah-blah. These items... Blah-blah-blah... Were seized from the new state, the Democracy of Silence (DS), during a skirmish on the territory of the Duchy of Yan... Blah-blah-blah. We also have experience... Blah-blah... This is a deadly item called a pistol, but we don't know the name of the long pistol... Blah-blah. Your task is to learn to use them. And your goal is Lady Tezrian, head of the state Democracy of Silence. She is currently at the Tournament in the Kingdom of Ruma. You will accompany Project Scream.01, blah-blah-blah. With respect, blah-blah-blah."
Margo raised her head, studying the ceiling, trying to gather all the information into one thought. A minute later she picked up a pistol and twirled it in her hand, examining it from different angles.
"So... A pistol..." — Margo said thoughtfully.
"WHO'S TAKING THE STEAK?" — Menni shouted, and footsteps sounded in the corridor.
Margo nearly dropped the pistol and quickly shoved it into her pocket. Menni entered the room, adjusting his apron and watching Margo hastily closing the box — her pocket bulging heavily.
Menni smiled and slowly headed toward Margo, who was very nervous, adjusting her clothes and trying to hide the bulging fabric on her pocket. Anxiety ran through Margo's body with each of Menni's steps.
"Stealing?" — Menni smiled, approaching Margo, feeling her hot breath and the smell of shampoo.
"Studying!" — she waved him off, taking two steps away from Menni, ending up on the other side of the big box.
Menni looked at her from under his brow and noticed the open box, covered by a plank. Carefully moving the lid aside and watching Margo's agitation, Menni saw the pistols and rifles with the letter.
"Something expensive?" — he glanced at the pistols and ammo.
"Huh?" — Margo was taken aback, grabbing the edge of the box with both hands, squeezing it tightly. "— T-trivets..."
Menni nodded, skimming the letter lying there.
"Uh-huh..." — he frowned.
"What?" — Margo cried out from anxiety.
"That's a weapon," — Menni stated, straightening back up, drilling Margo with a reproachful look. "— Why do you need this?"
Margo looked away to the wall, and her hair settled on her shoulder, completely covering her face. Menni kept looking at her, waiting for an answer.
Silence.
Margo didn't want to answer and silently waited for Menni to relieve her of the attention.
"MARGO!" — Sally shouted from around the corner, carrying the tray with the steak. "— You can't even bring a steak anymore?" — she protested.
Everyone looked at her — and the smell of cigarette smoke with a light coolness and morning freshness burst into the room. Sally took a few steps, noticing that the tray with the spilled food was still lying on the floor — and that Margo and Menni were circling the open box.
"Um..." — Sally looked at them and noticed Margo's reddened face. "— Don't tell me—"
"Yes, exactly that," — Menni continued. "— Stealing again," — he tapped his fingers on the box.
"No!" — Margo spun sharply. "— I'm not stealing!" — she kicked the box — and the pistol fell out of her pocket.
Catching on the box, it flew to the floor and hit the back of the slide with force.
BOOM.
A loud shot rang out across the entire area, raising dozens of birds from the trees that quickly flew in all directions. Margo and Menni clamped their hands over their ears, trying to restore their hearing — but their ears rang, and everything before their eyes turned to mush. A sharp smell of gunpowder hit their noses, and a small hole was visible in the wall.
Margo collapsed to the floor from the overload, next to the hot pistol, trying to calm her stomach that was begging to come out. Menni recovered from the shot fastest, massaging his ears with his fingers.
Footsteps came from the study, and Mits entered the room in his underwear with a bottle of wine — accidentally stepping his foot into the hot, greasy steak. He quickly looked at everyone, trying to assemble the picture in his head and find the source of the sound.
"Mits..." — Sally jumped up, heading toward Mits.
Mits put it all together in his head, realizing the sound came from the Duke's box — and, raising his hand to silence Sally, he quickly looked at everyone and returned to his study, not wanting to get involved in "this" today.
Sally looked at the door and shifted her tired gaze to Margo sitting on the floor. Margo stared at the floor, recovering from the deafening shot her ears weren't adapted to.
Menni, meanwhile, remembered the revolution and the Malevych campaign seven years ago. It had been just as loud then — but the sound of cannonballs and magical spells was more familiar than this unknown, sharp sound. Memories flooded over him, which he easily brushed aside — and, adjusting his apron, he tapped his cigarette on his hand, tamping the tobacco, and headed for the back exit.
Sally sighed and carefully sat down next to Margo.
"Are you okay?" — Sally slowly stroked Margo's back.
Margo raised her head and looked at her with reddened eyes.
"I just wanted to know..." — Margo said quietly.
"It's okay. Let's go smoke," — Sally stood up and extended her hand.
Margo grabbed the hand, and they headed for the back exit at a slow pace.
"All's well that ends well," — Sally smiled, stepping out into the yard.
"Probably..." — Margo thought, glancing into the darkness of the house, where somewhere in there lay the box with pistols and rifles.
Menni sat on the bench, smoking a cigarette, listening with interest as Sally calmed Margo.