A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor
Chapter 1393 - 1393: Brilliance - Part 12

"…Maybe I can offer you up another story," Nila said. "Since you told me of your childhood… Maybe I could tell you something silly in return."

"Ah, young Nila Felder," Oliver grinned. "I wonder what you were like?"

"I was a pain too," Nila admitted. "I was too boyish for a girl, and you've already seen how much that troubled my mother."

"Mrs Felder has always had all the patience in the world for you though. You were lucky to have her, and not someone stricter. Else, you might have been glued to a loom right now, cursing the world," Oliver said.

"I realize that…" Nila said. "But it was my father who really began all that for me. It wasn't like he was a hunter, or anything, but he still taught me how to use the bow, whenever he could. Whenever the sheep did not need tending to."

"Ah, yes. He was a shepherd, wasn't he? So we have a goat herder, and a sheep herder," Oliver said in amusement. "That seems a bit too close a coincidence, hmm?"

"Well, at the very least, my father wasn't afraid of his sheep," Nila said back.

"I suppose that chances of that would be pretty small," Oliver said.

"But he was silly too…" Nila said. "He was always laughing, and poking fun at mother. But about his work, he was always quite serious. He realized that, if he lost even a single sheep, it would start to put a strain on our winter budget."

"Ah, a responsible man," Oliver said.

"They had me too young, you see," Nila said. "Both my mother and my father hadn't solidified their positions in the world yet, and money was always an issue. But I guess, you already knew that, huh? When we first met, it was because my family was struggling with money."

"And look how far you too have come," Oliver said. "You're likely the wealthiest in the village, next to Greeves."

"Don't say that," Nila said, blushing despite herself. "It's embarrassing."

"If father was still around, it would have made matters so much easier…" Nila said, trailing off, before quickly shaking her head. "But never mind that. We do not need to speak about the circumstances of the deaths that troubled us. We have avoided doing so until now, likely for good reason. I was enjoying hearing of happier times."

"And I was enjoying hearing of little Nila," Oliver said. "I can imagine you trying to handle a bow too big for you. For the sadder topics, I am sure that there will be plenty of time. We need not rush."

"It's the first time I've managed to get you to say anything about yourself before you became Beam," Nila noted. "It feels like a small victory."

"Well, I'm glad you feel victorious, Nila," Oliver said, standing. His pile of firewood had already almost run out. Nila could see that she was eyeing her rabbit, likely about to point out that the flames were now more than hot enough to cook on.

"Wait, before we shift away from this topic entirely, can I ask you something that I've been wondering for the longest time?" Nila said, deciding to be brave, but not exactly feeling that bravery. She was quite sure she could expect a harsh rebuke for her question.

Oliver eyed her warily. "And what might that be?"

"Before you were Oliver, you were Beam, weren't you?" Nila asked. "You said that was a name given to you, as a slave."

"That is right," Oliver said stiffly, though he had taken that name of Beam that had been forced onto him, and he'd quite contently made it his own. The Beam that Nila knew had caused quite a stir, after all.

"What were you called before then? What did you parents call you?" Nila said. "You seem to have had all these different names… I just wonder, what did they call you in those happier times?"

Oliver pulled a face, as Nila had expected him to. No doubt it was an uncomfortable topic of conversation. That was a reason that he had avoided talking about his childhood until now. She supposed that, given the unhappiness that had quickly followed it, he likely could no longer relate to those childhood memories that he had, and they caused him nothing but pain.

"Do I really have to say..?" Oliver said, looking away.

Nila felt her heart tangle up on itself. She'd seen the scars on his back. She knew how much he had suffered. Her voice caught in her throat when she realized that she was adding to that suffering. Perhaps that too was another cause for her fear. She wondered if she could really be what Oliver needed. She was stood frozen in place, and only managed the barely little thin whimper of a response. "…Not if you don't want to."

"It's just embarrassing," Oliver sighed.

"…Eh?" Nila said, despite herself. That wasn't the emotion she had expected from him, but the look on his face definitely seemed to match up with it more. "Embarrassing?" She said, regaining her confidence to the slightest degree.

"It's not exactly a name that I can be proud of," Oliver said. "I really do not want to have it spread around again. Especially not to Greeves, or Judas. They already know enough about my past as it is. If they find out about this, it really will be the icing on the cake, I'll never be able to live it down."

"…So, you won't tell me?" Nila said. Her curiosity was bubbling over by now. 'Embarrassing? Not painful?' She really had to wonder what would have led to that reaction.

She could see him weighing the options, and then he heaved a long sigh, relenting. "I suppose I ought to put a little bit of trust in you… Not that I don't already do… But if I'm to share this with anyone, it ought to be you. I should just come out and say it. But it's sort of giving you unnecessary ammunition. You're going to tease me relentlessly for it."

"Is it that bad?" Nila said. She was overwhelmed with curiosity now. She was practically jumping on her toes, all of her instincts as a huntress telling her to pursue.