447 - 454

Knight Lundmorde

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." ~ Lundmorde, husband of seven, father of seventeen.

Please note that the last chapter of the week will be released tomorrow to make up for our missed release a few days ago.

"I've returned, Your Grace."

Tarkel appeared before Lorist fifteen days later.

He had had no choice in his travel to Morante. He'd been sent to the city in the 8th month of the previous year. Knight Lundmorde, we had previously served on the frontlines as a medic, had gone missing along with his secret bodyguard after being ambushed by a unit of mid-southern forces. When word of it got out, the four wives in Morante at the time set out to look for him, causing the flow of information to stop. Tarkel had to check on the situation personally.

"Did you find him?" asked Lorist.

Lundmorde was a legendary figure in the house. He used to be an honor student in Dawn Academy's herbalism faculty, but he was suppressed because he differed from his professor on a key research topic. Coincidentally, Charade was rallying a force for their move to the north. Feeling he had lost his future at the academy, Lundmorde was swayed and became one of the 36 students to join the convoy.

He didn't make any outstanding contributions during the journey. But he was really responsible with the herbalist team of which he was in charge. His capable leadership had won Lorist's trust by the time they reached The Northlands.

After finally finishing the journey, he became a household knight. He refused the appointment to head of the herbalist teams and instead joined the newly formed female knight unit as an instructor. He said he wanted to teach them some herbal remedies useful on the battlefield.

He shocked everyone soon after doing just that. Barely three months after joining the group, he'd already knocked up seven of the trainees. What was even more shocking, was that they all wanted to marry him. Their insistence drove Pesha irate. She dragged him in front of Lorist and demanded he do something about the man. In the end, Lorist decided his punishment was to marry all the women he'd knocked up.

His life collapsed nearly immediately. On top of his suffering, he became infamous thanks to the records he set.

His first was that he had the most wives of all the household knights — seven in total. Fiercetiger Loze had many lovers, but only one wife: Pesha.

His second was being the most surveilled man in the duchy. His seven tiger-like wives always had him under eyes.

The third was being the most virile knight in the duchy. He had 17 children among his seven wives. He had no choice but to work every waking moment of his life to keep them all fed and looked after. No matter how far into the night or how bad the weather, he could always be seen scurrying down the street carrying his medical kit — of to answer some call for treatment. He naturally became known as the most dedicated herbalist in the duchy. Given his 'talent' and his age, many had ongoing bets regarding how many offspring he'd sire before he turned 50.

His fourth was being the poorest knight of all. His entire income went to his wives. They only gave him one small silver a month with which to feed himself. It was more accurate to say he got an allowance from his wives, than a salary from his lord. And he had no say in the matter. The family was huge and the costs of running it immense, and he was the sole breadwinner.

All Norton knights had rather decent benefits alongside their salary. Even if they didn't make much progress in their training, a silver-ranked knight's yearly salary was around ten gold Fordes. To the knights of other houses, that was enough to live luxuriously and free from worry. But Lundmorde would be satisfied if it kept his family fed.

His punishment meant he couldn't take up other posts either, so he had lost the opportunity to earn a higher income and get better benefits. It forced him to wander around as a freelance herbalist for extra income. It did result in him becoming quite well-known and well-loved in the in the duchy, though, especially because he was willing to treat illnesses for food, fur, or just some fruit.

His fifth record was that he was the most abused knight in the house's service. While others only had to deal with one or two wives, he had to deal with seven. All of whom were talented warriors with extensive training.

While his wives took care of his children, he had to toil day and night to earn a living. His house was always merry. Once one of the wives got some new clothes, the others would want some too. When one broke through in her training, the others were quick to catch up. Lundmorde could only resign himself to his position.

When the last of his wives broke through to the silver rank, he was still stuck at the rank's first star. He had not advanced at all since his academy days. He was also only an average swordsman, so his wives had no trouble overpowering if they got into a fight or if he tried to fight back against their abuse. The greatest blow to his hope of ever being free of his seven demons came when they broke through to the silver rank. Pesha offered them another chance at becoming part of the all-female knight unit, but they turned it down.

His wives were, though horrible wives, at least responsible mothers. The biggest issue was that there were way too many of them — as far as Lundmorde was concerned, seven too many. It was very common to see all seven walking around green-eyed. In fact, they hadn't turned down Pesha's invitation because they had no interest in becoming great or famous warriors, but because they were afraid that if anyone didn't join, they would use the opportunity to bamboozle the others out of their share of the house's finances. Besides, they already had a husband to give them the money they needed, so why take the risk?

At one alumni gathering, Lundmorde had recounted his typical day to his fellow students. They were so depressed on his behalf they all cried together. He didn't have a chance to really enjoy a good chat with his old friends, though, because one of his wives showed up and dragged him away. When she burst into the tavern she shouted at him. He jumped back and hopped over like a frightened hare. That was the moment that everyone understood why his marrying the seven women was a punishment.

When Bullhorn Bay was finished and the trade route to Morante established, he was sent to the city to gather information. Lorist had originally relied on the Peterson guild and Red Grace Inn for information, but that dried up quickly. Lorist soured his relationship with the big-seven on his last visit, so he couldn't trust that the guild, being one of the big-seven, would give him crucial information that might not be very beneficial to the Union. And, considering his soured relationship with the Union's leaders, he didn't want to drag old Char into the mess.

The two had a good relationship, the old man was Els's uncle and rather close to Reidy. Lorist, however, was a noble from a hostile kingdom, and had a sour relationship with the Union, so it was likely that the old man and his inn would get into trouble if it was discovered it was being used as a gathering point for Lorist's informants. To avoid involving Charlando and his family in any trouble related to the house, Lorist set up another gathering spot for his informants. The man he sent to set it up and run it? Lundmorde, of course. He was the most suited for the job, after all.

Firstly, he was a herbalist who had some semblance of a reputation in the city. It was also only known that he'd left the city, not that he had pledged himself to House Norton. Most people just assumed he had left because of his falling out with his professor. It was only natural that he would eventually return and settle down in his home city.

Given his profession, he could also set up his own apothecary in the city's commoner sector and his wives could be his assistants and guardians. They were even stronger than him, so there would be no need to send others along.

He thus set out for the city with four of his wives. The other three stayed behind to raise the children. The three weren't very happy about not being able to go to the city, so it was decided that they would rotate annually. Every year one of the four in Morante and one of the three back home would switch places.

Lundmorde's was really efficient. All sorts of information started to flood onto Lorist's deck soon after the man left. At the same time, his apothecary became quite popular. It was a huge change for Lundmorde. The commoners in Morante were far richer than those in The Northlands and all the profit was his to keep. Given his extra income, Lundmorde himself slowly became rich.

He initially used the Peterson guild to ferry his reports to the Northlands, but as the situation between Andinaq and the Union worsened, they could eventually not be trusted with such sensitive information. Lorist gave him an eagle with which to send his messages out of the city, but that was his downfall. The cover story was that a relative of his who lived far away from the city had sent him the eagle to help them keep in touch. It unfortunately caught the eye of one of the Union's new nobles, who forced him to sell it to him. The eagle, luckily, remembered its training and flew back to the dominion the first time the lord took it out on a hunt.

Incensed, the noble ransacked his house to make sure it hadn't returned to its former owner. He found nothing and had to let the incident go. The noble, however, had every intention of getting back at Lundmorde for this perceived wrong. When the war between the Union and its neighbors started, he made sure the herbalist was forcefully conscripted and sent to the frontlines.

His departure cut the flow of information. Luckily two of his wives knew of his mission and were scheduled to return home soon. They informed Tarkel of the situation and he sent two agents to replace him.

The younger of the two was sent to Lundmorde's side as a relative to keep him safe, while the other took over his position in the apothecary. The latter, unfortunately, did not have Lundmorde's more sensitive, well-placed, and important connections, so the information he could get was mostly of only passing interest.

The last year's 8th month saw the war rapidly deteriorate. One of the enemy's armies assaulted a Union logistics center. It was just a skirmish as far as the war was concerned, something the history books would easily overlook, but Lundmorde and his young guard were involved. When the Union sent reinforcements to clean up the mess, they found Lundmorde and his guard missing. The moment his wives found out what had happened, they packed up and left to look for their husband. Not even Lundmorde's replacement in the apothecary could stop them; he could just send a report back home with all expediency.

Tarkel had mobilized several experienced units and had headed off immediately to clean up the mess.

"We've located Lundmorde. He's been captured by the army that attacked the camp. We can't bring them back, however. The Union's declared him a traitor," said Tarkel with a bitter smile.

"What?!"

Lorist felt faint.

"...The Union managed to capture a few of the Jekhano Kingdom's men, among them was the kingdom's eldest prince and heir apparent. He was severely injured and the Union didn't know of his identity. Lundmorde insisted on treating him and managed to save him. The prince's other subordinates attacked soon after, rescued the prince and took Lundmorde and his guard with them.

"The traces they left behind guided his four wives to them but the Union scout saw the reunion. When he reported what he saw to his superiors, the Union ruled that Lundmorde must have been a sleeper agent and declared him a traitor. They blamed him for camp's loss as well so they didn't have to worry about taking responsibility for their failures."

Lorist didn't know how to react.

"So there really is no way Lundmorde can go back to the Union now. We'll have to bring him back sooner or later."

"Of course, Your Grace. It's just that we haven't found a reliable way to do that yet. We'll have to wait for the war to end."

"Learn anything else on your trip?"

Tarkel hesitated for a few moments before he answered.

"I suspect this whole war is a big conspiracy…"

Conspiracy

"Conspiracy: the fear of the masses and the truth of the elite." ~ Unknown

Within the wide, illuminated meeting room hung map after map of the mid-southern nations. There weren't many people present, only Lorist, Tarkel, Charade, and Kedan, who had replaced Hansk. Reidy, Howard, and Jinolio remained seated to the side.

Tarkel was arranging some documents. He stood in front of one of the maps with a wooden pointer.

"The Union has swallowed nine nations, including Teribo, since the War of Glass. Not including Lormo and Mobia, which gave up their sovereignty voluntarily. It has become one of the largest nations on the continent. Most of the other nations have weakened since the start of its rise. Trade routes have been cut and borders sealed. Everyone around the Union is wary of its domineering attitude.

Four years ago, the big-seven guilds organized an effort to increase their sphere of influence by enacting regulations to restore order to trade and resolving some of its internal conflicts. They then turned their attention to their neighbors. They had hoped to smooth over their relationship and get the borders re-opened and be able to start trading again. The neighboring nations did not trust them enough to give them a chance, however. The Union has become the greatest threat to peace, so no one will give them a chance to get stronger."

Tarkel tapped the map in front of him.

"The middle part of the continent has formed its own loose coalition of kingdoms over the last 300 years. While there are frequent conflicts between the 34 member kingdoms, they always stand together when someone outside the coalition threatens them. The most recent such threats were the Krissen Empire, the Romon Empire, and the Khawistan Khanate.

"The two kingdoms that usually faced the last two were Kalia and Jigda. Jigda is separated from their opponent, the Romon Empire, by the Erimalaf mountains and the impregnable Madris Pass. They haven't actually fought much as a result. Kalia is the kingdom that's done most of the actual defending.

"Before this, the windstorm swordsaint used to represent Kalia. The kingdom was adept at balancing relations between the two superpowers and were supported by seven neighboring nations. Until recently, they'd been keeping the peace very effectively; it's been 30 years since the last conflict. Neither of Kalia's opponents were willing to sit by and watch their enemy take over the kingdom. Its fall to the enemy meant the enemy had the opportunity to raid the other kingdoms to the north. Neither side could afford to give the other a chance to gain so much and tip the balance in their favor.

"However, it wasn't the legendary windstorm swordsaint that caused Romon and Khawistan to refrain from invading. The two superpowers each had one swordsaint after all. There were also rumors that the windstorm swordsaint had a really bad relationship with the royal family. Someone involved revealed that the Union had been working on him for seven years before finally getting him to switch sides.

"That is the truth of Kalia's demise. Romon and Khawistan cooperatively divided Kalia's territory among them evenly before going into all-out war with each other. The war has been going for three years now and neither side has much stamina left. Romon currently has the advantage. However, according to intelligence reports from Romon, most of the nobles are asking the king to end the war.

"Jigda became the coalitions front line. Though the 34 stand together, they're actually divided into five factions.

"The Union leads the northernmost faction, the nations on their side are mostly those that fought alongside the Union against the Krissen Empire. In the south is the faction led by Kalia. The other factions are sandwiched in between them. It's almost impossible to figure out what geographical area each of the three controls because it's one big orgy of marriage alliances and chaotic borders. They send supplies, money, and the occasional expedition to whichever border nation is currently facing invasion from outside the coalition, but are nearly wholly occupied with their own squabbles and feuds.

"The old empire fought them and the union on the Falik Plains for over a century. The only reason the union didn't collapse was that the coalition kept on helping them out. The empire collapsed instead. With the threat to the north eliminated, the force that kept the alliance between the Union and the coalition going, disappeared. The War of Glass severed what goodwill still existed between the Union and its former allies, especially after its absorption of nine of the coalition's members. The Union has become another nation filled with ambitions for the coalition's territory, another enemy to fight."

Tarkel took a folder from his aide. It was a report by the Morante Daily from three years ago with the headline 'Coalition's army invades! 300 Union soldiers make heroic sacrifice!'

Tarkel waved the newspaper around as he spoke.

"This is how the conflict started. As the newspaper reports, it was the coalition's army that attacked one of the Union's camps first. We didn't think much about it at the time. And nothing came of it. A year later, however, the Union suddenly marched on the border and stood off against the coalition; 140 thousand men on the Union's side, and at least 200 thousand on the coalition's side.

"When I visited Morante, people in the loop obtained some fresh information. Some say this was because the coalition's army didn't prepare for war to break out at all. They had stationed their troops there only in defense. To the various nations, the Union was a force so huge they didn't dare offend it. Gathering 200 thousand men was only a show of force to have a better position in negotiations. Why would members of the coalition attack if they were too afraid of provoking the Union?

"I've discovered that the unit that attacked the Union first was sent by Jigda. After the war broke out, it used the excuse of the backlash from the other nobles for their drawing first blood to return to their nation. There are a few crucial things worth mentioning. The windstorm swordsaint's departure to the Union as well as the smooth division of Kalia's territory is highly suspect.

"Then, there's also the immediate outbreak of war between the two empires. It was as if they wanted to duke it out first before going for the richer coalition.

"Additionally, with Kalia eliminated, Jigda had to defend against the two, making them the most important and influential nation in the coalition. It's strange that the kingdom isn't worried about the two empires on their border. They were the biggest contributor of forces to the border with the Union before the war started.

"While it's one of the strongest proponents of the anti-Union sentiment, they're all bark and no bite. Apart from sending out the first unit to kick off the war, they haven't provided any substantial aid. Even when the Union's armies completely dominate the coalition, all Jigda does is complain about how incompetent the commanders are.

"Duke Fustat was appointed commander-in-chief and took an army of 200 thousand to face the Union. I think the damage Jigda has done to its neighbors is much worse than what the Union has managed.

"Duke Fustat has also been very passive as of late. He hasn't just completely ignored Chikdor's territory, he's also refused to send troops to reinforce his allies before they agree that he is in charge.

"Chikdor is exposed. It's too far from the Union for it to support the guild. It's also only a kingdom and a duchy away from Jigda. Duke Fustat could easily occupy the territory but he's not doing anything.

"And every time someone tries to bring it up, he either tells them his forces aren't organized yet or says he can't move out until this with Romon and Khawistan calms down.

"Then there's the very convenient coincidence that the Union and Jigda appear to be moving in concert. The Union occupied the kingdoms and duchies bordering them and immediately shifted the bulk of their forces to Chikdor's territory. It looks like they want to crush Duke Fustat's army.

"But now there appears to be a dance going on. The Union invades, takes over some territory, but just as it seems they're about to break through and completely ravage the coalition, Duke Fustat intervenes and pushes them back to Chikdor's borders. People have missed something key, though. Every time Fustat takes action against the union, he also annexed land from the kingdoms and duchies around him. He's already taken over five kingdoms. The Union magically knows where to attack to capture the kingdoms' heirs or rulers. They always vanish or die in the fighting. Fustat than takes over their lands to ensure stability. I have no doubt the kingdoms will be incorporated when the war ends.

"The Union's armies have suffered rather heavily in these engagements, that's why Duke Fustat hasn't garnered any suspicion yet. However, when I was in Morante, I discovered that the Union troops sacrificed weren't the big-seven's forces. They were all always from second or third-rate guilds and mercenary bands. The big-seven's forces will take a territory, then turn it over to the smaller forces to hold. The enemy will attack right after the big-seven withdraw..."

Tarkel used pointed at the map with the distribution of territorial control between the Union and the coalition.

"Because of these six points, we suspect the whole war is a farce, a show put on by Jigda and the Union so they can swallow the other kingdoms and duchies. Jigda might become another superpower like the Union by the end of the war."

That was the conspiracy Tarkel suspected. Everyone in the conference looked at each other, flabbergasted. It sounded a little far-fetched. If it really was so, then the continent was going to change drastically in the coming years. The formation of new superpowers would usher the continent into a new age of struggles. The warring states era would come to an end.

"Are the kings and dukes that blind? Don't they suspected anything at all?" asked Spiel.

"Maybe they do, but I can't be sure. This is all happening quite far away. Furybear can't stretch its claws that far yet. We can't get any concrete information. However, given the chaotic situation they are in, the kings and dukes are probably trying to rake in benefits. Maybe they haven't even considered that they would be the targets of others.

"Then again, it's not like there aren't any clear-headed people in the coalition at all. I visited the frontlines. I got to know the prince of Jekhano through Knight Lundmorde. The prince is quite bright and he also suspects Jigda of colluding with the Union. He was in the midst of his investigation into the matter when his unit was attacked. Fortunately, Lundmorde saved him.

"The prince had prepared to form an alliance with the surrounding nations to defend themselves against Jigda. They wish to break off from the coalition Fustat controls and form their own coalition to defend against both. Maybe they will be forced by circumstances to unite into another large kingdom. The only shame is that we don't have access to their trade routes. They really need military equipment and daily necessities, things we can offer in abundance," said Tarkel.

Lorist stood up.

"Let's adjourn the meeting for today. We've gained a basic understanding of the situation. The war is a little too far from The Northlands, so even if the conspiracy is real, it won't affect us in the near future. I am confident that, as long as we stay strong, we have no need to fear becoming embroiled in any storms."

"Yes, Your Grace."

Helplessness

"A lord's worst enemies are not his rivals — they are his in-laws." ~ excerpt from Principles of Nobility by Duke Fisablen

"Be more wary of your in-laws than your mortal enemy. You at least know what your enemy has in mind — you have no such certainty with your in-laws." ~ excerpt from Treatises on War by Norton Lorist

Howard stood with Tarkel before Lorist and said, "Milord, the results of the investigation are in."

Lorist handed a signed document to Charade, his face stone cold.

"Tell me who had a part in this."

Howard opened the blue folder and took out a piece of paper.

"Knight Ziwek's wife, Lady Moya, Supervisor Youkiz's wife Seshla, Miss Krado and Knight Lambord's wife, Lady Darley. They are the ones who visited the Malek household the most. As Milord said, they visit at least three times a week with the express aim of getting on Madam Malek's good side. They all used to be Irina's maidservants from Maplewoods. Even Supervisor Youkiz was a bastide servant."

"What's going on with Ziwek and Lambord? Why have they taken Irina's maidservants as wives?"

Lorist snapped his quill in fury and dropped it. He recalled that the knights used to be refugees. They had joined the northbound convoy. They served as guards and were eventually taken in as household knights when they broke through to the silver rank and made captains of Firmrock regiments. Lambord was even going to be promoted to major for his contributions.

"Ziwek and Lambord were guards when they got to know their wives. They had asked Irina for the hands of her maidservants in marriage, but were refused. Four years ago when Young Master Lysecott was sent to Baron Malek's manor, Madam Irina agreed to the proposals. Their wives asked them to move to Redriver, which is near Baron Malek's manor.

"I recall Ziwek had boasted in a tavern that his new wife was really attentive. Firmrock was stationed in Redriver at the time, so the move wasn't an issue. He said his wife sold her house in Felicitas to move to Redriver because she wasn't willing to stay far away from him. So, moving would make it more convenient to visit her when he was off duty. After Madam Malek was acquainted with the two, and Supervisor Youkiz's wife, the visits became more frequent and they would often have tea and snacks together.

"The informants in charge of recording Young Master Lysecott daily life didn't notice anything untoward. Since they were wives of household knights, they also tried not to pry too deep and avoided them. As a result, they didn't keep a close eye on their interactions with the young lord. When I went to investigate, the two informants only recalled that the ladies seemed to have a good relationship with him."

Tarkel's became quieter as he spoke. It was a huge blunder. Lorist had strictly ordered that Irina not be allowed to interfere with Lysecott's growth and education, yet a small detour was enough to continue with her meddling without anyone noticing. Had it not been for his suspicions, no one would have known. This was a slight on Tarkel, who was put in charge of the house's intelligence network.

"Who is this Supervisor Youkiz?"

Howard checked the folder.

"Youkiz used to be Maplewoods servant, He was a favorite of Supervisor Hansk. His first wife was also a bastide servant. She died in childbirth. Youkiz is a responsible and reliable fellow who does what he is told properly.

"After Young Master Lysecott was brought to Baron Malek's household, Supervisor Hansk suggested Madam Irina let the kitchen's chief maid, Seshla, marry Youkiz as his second wife. At the same time, they made him the chief supervisor of the servants working across eight different manors and used it as an excuse to acquaint him with Madam Malek. Given his wife's culinary talent, Madam Malek invited her over frequently. Lambord and Ziwek's wives were also introduced to Madam Malek through Seshla."

"That's enough!" Lorist roared as he slammed his table.

Documents, a few ink bottles, and some utensils fell to the ground.

"Very impressive. They managed to weave such a huge net without anyone noticing. It's no wonder Lysecott didn't change at all. He even learned how to put up a front..."

Lorist paced around in the study. Charade, Tarkel, and Howard remained silent. They knew the flames of wrath burned in Lorist and they didn't know when they would explode.

"Chief Supervisor Charade, how do you think we should deal with this?"

"Your Grace, is there a need to go so far? You've already all but disinherited Young Master Lysecott. As for Lambord and Ziwek, they are entirely unaware of this. Even Supervisor Youkiz is just a loyal and honest servant.

"This is a conspiracy of their wives under instructions by Irina. No one in the house will accept the punishment of innocent bystanders. Even if it is by your order. If you punish their wives—" Charade paused, "—Your Grace, they are not wrong to worry about Young Master Lysecott. There is no good excuse to punish them. Instead, this would affect your reputation and become a scandal..."

Charade was right. This was not something that could be brought up publicly. No matter who it was, they would believe Irina was only looking out for her son, which was only to be expected.

Lorist continued his pacing, dissatisfied.

"Charade, transfer Ziwek, Lambord, and Youkiz to Hanayabarta for ten years starting next year's 5th month."

For the second time in his life, and the second time in as many weeks, Lorist was exiling people under him in all but name. Hanayabarta was far from the continent, at least a month removed by sea. Charade shook his head exasperatedly. He did not protest, however, he knew there was no further compromise to be made.

"By your command, Your Grace. How shall we treat them?"

"Like everyone else," Lorist replied, before he turned to Tarkel, "The house will likely not deploy any forces for the next two years. We need to let our forces rest and recuperate. It's okay to relax foreign intelligence a little. I need you to help Howard set up an internal security department. First, we have to deal with the various relations within our dominion. Give me a list of everyone who has close relations and frequent contact with the bastide. I'm sure Hanayabarta will appreciate a few more helping hands."

"Understood, Your Grace," replied Howard and Tarkel together.

"Your Grace shouldn't cause such a ruckus over this," Charade advised when the two had left the study.

Lorist sat down and clutched his head.

"Sigh, you don't understand. I already knew something was off when so many people opposed my marriage to Sylvia. The net was woven right under my nose without my noticing. I am shocked. I never expected the little birdie to grow into such an ambitious and scheming wench..."

Charade kept his mouth shut, pretending he hadn't heard anything. After all, this was one of those family matters Lorist was so touchy on. He considered it wholly inappropriate and unacceptable for anyone else to have an opinion.

Lorist looked at Charade's feigned ignorance and laughed.

"That's why I want to cut off all her tentacles. She really doesn't understand what's at stake. She dared to use her maidservants to rope in my household knights. Since she likes it so much, I'll let her weave her net in Hanayabarta.

"You don't have to pretend you can't hear me. I need you to keep an eye on them. Have Howard and Tarkel first investigate the staff in Cherry Blossom Ridge. I don't want anyone with any connections, even if they're two degrees separated through family or friends, with the bastide or anyone in the bastide. Same goes for anyone brought up the ranks by Hansk. Move them somewhere else. I want nothing that can endanger Anderbael or Sylvia anywhere near them."

"Understood, Your Grace," Charade nodded.

Lorist finally sat back down.

"New year's is in a few days, our celebration will start soon. I bet Felim, Kenmays, and Hennard will arrive tomorrow. Is everything ready?"

"Don't worry, Your Grace. We're more than prepared. They might not stay in the mansion, though. Their private manors were recently completed in the special noble sector. Naturally, Duke Kenmays's is the grandest in the city. Rumour has it he plans to host non-stop banquets all through the winter after our new year's celebration ends."

"He's always like that. He loves enjoying himself and making merry. He could maintain another legion with the money he splurges on banquets and feasts."

Lorist sometimes envied Kenmays's hedonistic life. He didn't have any worries at all. Apart from running the salt merchant committee, he didn't have to deal with anything as Lorist took care of everything else. There was nothing Kenmays had to fear.

Year 1784 soon arrived. The house held a grand celebration which lasted for seven days straight. It was the first celebration in two years, so there was quite a bit of ceremony to get out of the way. The duchy had 14 new landed barons and seven honorary barons to enfeoff and entitle. There were also a hundred foreign honorary nobles who'd converted their titles in the last two years.

The house hosted a second banquet after the first ended. Howard and Katrina were the guests of honor this time. Everyone was celebrating their marriage. Felim had declared in front of everyone in attendance that he was giving a new viscounty around Boblige to his daughter. Thi enraged Duke Fisablen and made all the other nobles envious. Luckily the old man kept himself under control and didn't cause a ruckus.

Lorist had not expected the duke to head to The Northlands to attend the celebration, but it wasn't an unpleasant surprise. It wasn't like he could stop him anyway. Even Sylvia couldn't keep him from coming — he was playing the role of Xanthi's chaperone. The girl had no desire to see the old man, but she had little choice but to exchange pleasantries with him. She was still very close to her adoptive mother, but the woman's tense relationship with her husband troubled her.

The whole thing was awkward for Lorist. He had to be polite during the war for the sake of appearances and to keep military cooperation going smoothly. That, and he couldn't be seen to be disobeying his king's orders to get along with his rival. They had helped each other out a few times but he still considered House Fisablen his greatest threat.

What made things even more awkward was that the old man had switched gears completely with Anderbael's birth. He no longer acted like the rival proper as he should; he was now a pitous grandfather-in-law. The sudden and extreme changed completely unnerved Lorist. The only thing he could do to ease his discomfort was to mock the old man for his thick skin. He couldn't believe his rival was now suddenly acting like his senior. Even so, it wasn't like he could chase him away. He gave in and welcomed them with a smile and hospitality.

His visit wasn't just awkwardness, though; he brought with him a two million gold Forde order. He couldn't be bamboozled as he had been last time, however. He absolutely refused to purchase anything at the five-fold increase in price he had to with their last transaction. He demanded market price and wouldn't accept a copper more. If Lorist couldn't satisfy him he would make the deal with Auguslo instead.

The king had just reclaimed eleven provinces. Territories like Handra, Forund, and Farkel had pretty developed handcraft industries where daily necessities could be produced. Though Lorist had swept Farkel's craftsmen clean, if Fisablen really gave the order to him, it would spur the economy on and the king would benefit a lot.

He's a real fox, that bastard, thought Lorist.

House Fisablen's submission and return to the kingdom had completely ruined his plans.

He knew the Duke Fisablen had offered the order as a gesture of friendship. Kenmays was chomping at the bit to close the deal. They wouldn't make as much out of it as they had last time, but it was still 400 thousand clean profit.

This wasn't the only hit the duke would get in on him, though. They had barely finished talking about the first order when the duke hit with his second offer. He offered to allow the salt merchant committee to send an annual convoy to the eastern plains to trade directly with the barbarians. He would obviously handle the convoy's security, but other than that he would have minimal involvement.

Kenmays almost wanted to bite off Lorist's leg so he could run around hugging it all day. His eyes bled the blood-wine mixture in his veins.

"Do you have any idea how much money we'll get from this?"

Lorist kicked the leech away.

"Fine, you win. I agree."

A Peaceful Year

"Andinaq's nobility had very contradictory views on peace. On the one extreme sat the then Duke Norton Lorist, his famous quote "The only justification for war is a desire for peace", and on the other extreme was the then King Andinaq Auguslo, who was known to say "Peace is only a preparation for war". In time, these two opposing views would be tested thoroughly." ~ excerpt from On Peace and War by Nico Oljiess & Freycia

1784 was a rare year where Lorist got to spend his time in comfort and peace. The house was moving towards prosperity and there were no longer enemies in the region. He had toiled without rest to protect it in the past, from building up his military, to preparing for battle, to developing the dominion non-stop, to leading the troops to defeat one noble house after another...

Finally, he could spend some time in the dominion, quietly. Most matters were on track and didn't need his oversite. The once desolate and rural Northlands had turned into a symbol of prosperity. Developed residential areas, busy city squares, newly opened shops and workshops, and endless fields of golden crops painted a mural of hope and peace. In contrast, his enemies and rivals were ridden with famine and chaos. He was certain the rest of the year would be quite peaceful.

Auguslo was busy managing his new gains. Naturally, he cared more about expanding his armies than appeasing the populace. All his resources were spent on his forces. It slowed the return of civilian life to normal and the provinces' repair. The king even had to buy 400 thousand gold Fordes' daily necessities from House Norton.

According to Furybear's informants, there were only 350 thousand people left in the eleven provinces. The king was relying on the seven still in decent shape to form seven field legions and two garrison legions, nearly 350 thousand men in total. He was obsessed with military expansion

He had changed some of his tactics, though. Instead of keeping the soldiers in barracks all the time, he allowed them to farm part-time. They had to till the soil along with their normal military training. He had learned at least part of the lesson. He intended to create a well-trained force this time rather than the ragtag militia he had used in the past. Their upkeep, however, drove his entire demesne, from peer to peasant, into extreme poverty.

Charade reminded Lorist that he shouldn't be careless in light of the king's expansion. He might change his mind and turn on them. Lorist just laughed. He told Charade that their king wouldn't be that irrational. Besides, even if Auguslo wished to go against The Northlands, what threat could he pose with just 300 thousand average troops? The Northlands wasn't directly connected to the king's demesne. Even if he wanted to launch an attack, he would have to occupy Southern. This would immediately warn them of his intentions and not do any direct harm.

House Fisablen's changes shocked Lorist the most. The duke returned to Eastwild after spending the winter in The Northlands. Upon his return, he started a complete reorganization of his armies. He disbanded the three frontier legions and the garrison legion in Crouchtiger Castle, and formed two garrison legions, each around 28 thousand strong, as well as two cavalry legions around 45 thousand strong. He stationed one garrison legion and one cavalry legion in Eastwild and Goldcreek respectively.

In some sense, Duke Fisablen's reorganization could be taken as down-sizing of his forces. He had 20 thousand men less in his forces after the reorganization. However, it served to decrease his neighbors' hostility and wariness. The frontier legions were known for their surprise attacks, after all.

Kenmays's salt merchant committee sent a large convoy to the east in the 6th month. They continued to trade for four months. The convoy returned triumphantly in the 10th month with more than two million gold Fordes in profit. Kenmays had barely set foot back in his domain and he was already gathering up the goods for the following year's convoy.

Lorist wasn't that surprised. Given how large the great northeastern plains were, the number of grassland barbarians living there was surely hard to count. House Fisablen was considered the plains' hegemon, but it only occupied the southeastern part of the plains, a third of its entirety at best. They controlled the trade routes tightly and without their permission, no convoy could enter the plains.

The house had, in the past, bought large quantities of goods from the salt merchant committee and resold it to the barbarians at two or three times the buying price. That was also one of the reasons Lorist had attacked them. He wanted control of those routes instead. On the one hand, he wanted to suppress the house's expansion, and, on the other, he wanted a bite of the cake.

Before Kenmays set out with the convoy, Lorist reminded him to check the records of their sales to House Fisablen in the past. He shouldn't bring what he thought the barbarians needed over there and should avoid selling the same things House Fisablen had bought in the past. These things had already been sold to the barbarians and wouldn't fetch as good a price. It was best to take things they didn't have.

Kenmays listened carefully to his friend's advice and closely analyzed the list. His analysis revealed two golden opportunities. The first was that the products House Fisablen had purchased from them were durable, they could withstand lots of punishment and still work. Such things usually sold for very little. The second was that House Fisablen only bought three types of consumables: salt, tea bricks, and linen.

Kenmays came to a simple conclusion: there were different social classes even among the barbarians. He should cater his sales to each of the different classes. He thus focused his loadout on luxury goods and strong liquor. As expected, they were incredibly popular and the fierce demand raised the prices mani-fold. He grinned so broadly he couldn't close his mouth.

Unlike Kenmays, who only wanted to focus on forming convoys and doing business, Lorist turned his attention to Wild Husbandry. The province neighbored The Northlands and the bridge House Kenmays had built connected the provinces on either side of the river. This was another way out of the proverbial island of the north.

So far, Houses Norton and Fisablen's borders in Wild Husbandry was the Soxius River. House Norton occupied two-thirds of the province, House Fisablen the rest. Their reorganization, however, saw them withdraw all but a few small garrisons from the entire region.

Lorist had wanted Wild Husbandry solely for trade with the barbarians. If the province was completely under his control, he could build a huge window in the market in Eastwild. It wasn't on the same scale as the annual trade session House Fisablen allowed the salt merchant to commit. Instead, it would be a year-long open market. The potential profit was immense.

However, before he could confirm the province belonged to him, he couldn't realize his dream. The province was supposed to be under House Fisablen's rule in name. This was neither Auguslo's order nor second prince Iblia's decree. It was instead the honor bequeathed by Krissen VII after Duke Fisablen expanded the empire's territory into Eastwild. Krissen VII made Eastwild House Fisablen hereditary fief and gave them jurisdiction over Wild Husbandry as well.

This meant that the reason House Fisablen had three provinces under its control had nothing to do with Auguslo. Wild Husbandry and Eastwild were given to them by Krissen VII and Goldcreek was new territory they had conquered on their own. There would be no problem for them to rule those territories for the foreseeable future.

That was the problem. If he wanted to take Wild Husbandry, even if Duke Fisablen was happy to give it away, Auguslo wouldn't allow it. He would never allow House Norton to take yet another province as long as he had even a peep of say in the matter. If Fisablen relinquished his claim on the territory, Auguslo would claim it for himself.

It's all that old fox's fault. It'd be great if he were still enemies with the alliance. At the very least, he could've waited until I conquered the whole province before going into talks...

If he had conquered the whole of Wild Husbandry, he could have forced House Fisablen to cede land during the ceasefire talks and Auguslo wouldn't have been able to do anything about it since it was awarded as a spoil of war between noble houses in conflict. There would have been no way he could have meddled.

It was good that the duke had made a gesture of amity to the alliance and had even decreased the size of his forces. It was good news to the alliance as they no longer had to worry about him as an enemy, especially since he was Lorist's grandfather-in-law and his wife's grandfather. There was a saying in his previous life, something along the lines of 'it's hard to work against someone closely related'. Lorist believed this was the perfect example.

Having no way to deal with the duke, Lorist could only turn his attention to teaching and guiding his three disciples. After getting his permission, Reidy happily strapped Jinolio onto the rotary device and began the spinning. Three months later, Jinolio managed to develop man-made dynamic vision.

The sight of Jiniolo on the ground, snot leaking out of every hole that had it, was so terrifying it made Freiyar give up on the idea of getting his 16-year-old twin sons to become Lorist's disciples. He decided to keep his sons by his side and teach them himself instead. Though taking Lorist as teacher was something of which to be proud, Reidy told Freiyar that all of his disciples had to suffer the hell he had just witnessed. The twins shrunk after seeing the incessantly vomiting Jinolio, much to Reidy's disappointment.

Lorist trained a lot and accompanied Sylvia and his four concubines these days. He also played with his infant son Anderbael, who loved to crawl around, and taught his three disciples. The days passed quickly and the year's end soon came 'round. Charade was preparing to organize another grand new year's celebration.

Lorist felt the year wasn't really all that productive. The only thing worth mentioning was that he had impregnated Arriotoli during her visits. When she realized she was pregnant after returning to her family barony, she penned a letter and launched into a long stream of curses before declaring. She ended the letter with the declaration that the child would have her name, Dina, not his, and demanded that he leave a barony to the child, be it boy or girl.

To the house's many officials and knights, however, 1784 wasn't a peaceful year at all. They suffered through a massive purge. Every household knight and official with ties to Maplewoods was reassigned to either Hanayabarta or some rural corner far away from Ragebear. Those with key positions in the house were also given only peripheral positions at their new postings.

Lorist brought his wife, concubines, and sons to pay respects to his ancestors during the 8th month. While staying at the bastide to visit Whitedeer Mound, he taught Irina and her two sons a quick lesson before ignoring them completely. He left with his entourage for Nico Academy as soon as the ceremony was over. His visit the bastide and what he did to his ex-concubine and her offspring also informed everyone why he had conducted his purge. The bastide was quickly isolated from the rest of the house, avoided by the officials, and feared by the peasantry.

Kenmays brought a guest with him when he came for the annual celebration: Duke Forund of Yungechandler province. The duke had come to participate on the surface, but the real reason was to ask Lorist for a loan.

He only realized how impoverished his new fief was when he arrived. He tried to forage some minerals to begin developing it and tried to develop part of Egret Swamp into farmland. Unfortunately, he only had a little under a million gold Fordes, far from enough to keep his fief afloat. He had come to ask for a loan of three million gold Fordes.

Kenmays was fine with lending him money as long as Lorist agreed, but he could only give him half of what he needed. Since House Norton was currently pretty well-off, Forund could ask them for the rest. Kenmays was certain, given Lorist's obsession for development, he would be willing to chip in.

Joint Development

"A true leader is not a perfect man — for no such man exists — but one with the awareness to recognise his shortcomings and faults, the humility to admit them to himself, and the wisdom to surround himself with people who can make up for them." ~ Duke Forund

It was Duke Forund's first visit to The Northlands. He was shocked when he traveled through Delamock. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the various fiefs' clearly defined borders, the wide expansive streets, and the farmland beside the road where criss-crossing irrigation routes could be spotted; it all completely turned up-ended his previous impressions regarding the province.

Wasn't the highway supposed to be the empire's worst? The most costly, the longest, and the most indirect? I heard that in order to not infringe on the various nobles' lands, its construction was changed multiple times. It snakes across the land like a drunk reptile. I heard it was so expensive that all the nobles involved were rich by the end... What's with this flat and wide highway? Did Duke Madras build it?

He hadn't passed through Southern, Winston, or Delamock on his way to Yungechandler. He'd instead gone through Egret Swamp. It was a harder road to travel, but twice as fast as the alternative. The other dukes had also passed through the swamp.

Kenmays had told him that everything he saw was thanks to Duke Lorist's efforts.

After conquering Madras, the duke had relocated all the nobles to Winston and invested nearly two million gold Fordes and 100 thousand captive soldiers in the new highway's construction. It had taken two and a half years to finish. He also built irrigation channels. Once they were finished, he redrew the various domains' borders before sending over the fiefs' new lord.

"... Why would House Norton invest so much money in developing a territory only under their jurisdiction?"

Duke Forund was completely speechless. Had House Norton really splurged two million gold Fordes on a province they only governed, but did not own? Who knew how many years it would take to recoup their expenses? While they controlled the territory, it belonged to their vassals. All they got from the land was a tenth of its agricultural and resource yields in tax.

Usually, highway projects of such magnitude were undertaken by kingdoms. House Norton could rightly demand financial aid from their king. However, when he thought of the king's personality, he knew it would never happen.

House Norton really is rich...

Kenmays laughed.

"You think this is a huge investment? You might not know this, but House Norton invested nearly twenty million in The Northlands and another twenty on their military. How do you think their elite troops were born? Pure money!"

Kenmays believe Lorist spent too much on his forces in the same vein Lorist believed he spent too much on leisure. He had heard Lorist mention before that half the house's annual income was spent on its military. Lorist had to be paranoid. He spent so much money on his military that it exceeded even the kingdom's military strength, no wonder the king was jealous.

He could easily estimate House Norton's income. This was how he came to the conclusion that they spent at least three million on their military every year. Then again, the shade was always the best under a big tree. The stronger House Norton was, the more assurance he could get from hugging Lorist's leg. He could rely on the great tree to earn his money in peace without worry of anyone else setting their sights on House Kenmays.

Duke Forund was completely dumbstruck.

"So... so much gold... How did they get so much money?"

"They took it."

Kenmays understood Lorist's background well. He had heard many stories about the northbound journey several times while drinking with Charade, Loze, and a number of others, and knew they had raided the whole way to The Northlands.

"You're joking, right? How could they possibly take so much money?" Duke Forund shook his head.

"Hehe… When that fella was still studying in Morante, he formed a convoy to return to The Northlands to inherit his title. On the way, the nobles wanted to take advantage of him, so he slaughtered his way through their fiefs. In the entire journey, he never lost a single battle. He raided everything he could along the way. His convoy grew powerful enough to clean out all of Andinaq at His Majesty's request when they came to the kingdom's borders. He was the one that helped His Majesty ascend to the throne.

"You can only imagine how much he must've taken. He cleaned out nearly a hundred nobles! They continued raiding through Madras and the Duke of The Northlands' door. They took everything — from gold to men and women, to even the young and old. They even raided Windbury. The biggest incident was when he completely annihilated the slave kingdom Hanayabarta. That alone should have netted them at least 30 million gold Fordes."

Duke Forund's jaw dangled on his feet.

"Really?"

"What would I get by lying to you? Even Lorist and his goons talk about everything in broad daylight. Just look at their expressions when they mention raiding. You'll never understand how terrifyingly efficient Lorist's men are at raiding. The places they've raided are cleaner than fresh parchment when they're done."

Kenmays spoke of House Norton's raiding with a tone of mocking and envy. He licked his lips.

"That fella even robbed me of my 100 thousand gold Fordes..."

Lorist had just returned to The Northlands at the time, without his convoy. The first house he dealt with was House Kenmays. Not only did he set fire to their viscounty, Redriver Valley, he even swept it clean of everything and anything valuable. Not even Kenmays's 100-thousand-gold-Forde stash in his secret room was spared.

Though he now ran the salt merchant committee and dealt with millions of gold Fordes and spent more than 100 thousand gold Fordes on his luxurious life every year, the thought of his lost stash still drove knives into his heart. It was money he had siphoned from the house's guild over a decade! Even his father didn't know of it.

That he had never benefited from all his hard work pained him eternally. The thought of him living so frugally after joining the guild to put each and every coin into his stash after wiping it clean only for it all to end up in Lorist's hands enraged him. He couldn't wait to fight Lorist at the time even if it meant losing his life. Regardless of the casualties his house suffered, he insisted on reclaiming Firmrock Castle. His stubborn insistence nearly led to a revolt.

However, his greatest trait his ability to keep a clear mind when dealing with official matters. After he understood he couldn't match Lorist, he heeded his father's advice and changed his tune completely, turning from Lorist's enemy to his friend. He even hurriedly submitted to him and ended up getting his current impressive position, allowing House Kenmays to get the whole of Sidgler.

Duke Forund had properly stepped into The Northlands when he put foot to ground on the north back of Metroupolis. Along the way to Ragebear, he finally got to see the changes brought by the tens of millions of gold Fordes' investment.

Is this really the rural and desolate Northlands? It's all endless stretches of livestock, farmland, highway, and tightly packed villages...

He felt the same awe now as he did when he first visited the great Andalou Plains where the imperial capital was. Actually, the awe from that visit couldn't compare to the awe he felt now. The closer he got to Ragebear, the busier it got. It was already winter and large feather-sized snowflakes drifted down from the white heavens but the streets were bustling and merry.

Kenmays told him gleefully that the southern part of The Northlands wasn't the most prosperous in the region. The truly rich areas are the older Norton lands like Felicitas and Northsea. The former was one of the first areas to be developed and the latter was part city. Apart from having a mansion in Ragebear, the largest mansion in the eastern special noble district, Kenmays also boasted the largest building in Northsea.

House Norton is incredibly rich.

Forund was quite assured he could borrow some money. However, after hearing Kenmays's introduction of The Northlands, an idea suddenly popped into his head. He had to ask the duke if he could survey his domain to see for himself what results House Norton's investments had wrought.

The annual celebration was the largest House Norton had ever hosted, both in terms of budget and attendance. More than 1500 nobles and their families were attending. Lorist felt Ragebear's inner city was a little too cramped. It seemed an expansion was in order, he might even need to replace his castle with a palace!.

The budget was much larger this time to accommodate the many high nobles attending. There were the four dukes from the alliance and Duke Fisablen and his lover, Blademaster Xanthi. They were in a great mood. He also seemed to have the intention to build a manor in the noble sector to be close to his granddaughter and great-grandson, though he hadn't made the choice yet. Tradition dictated that Lorist should be the one offering him a manor near his descendants. It had to be at least as grand, if not grander, than Kenmays's.

Duke Forund was also participating in the celebration. Though they used to be enemies, he had submitted to Auguslo and they were now all fellow vassals of the king. Lorist couldn't just turn him away at the door. Quite the contrary; it was proper etiquette to hold a grand reception to celebrate a former-enemy-now-friend's first visit. They had been fighting the day before, but now they had to welcome each other with smiles and open arms. This was all too common in the world of nobility.

As for Duke Forund's request which Kenmays brought up, Lorist agreed to it without a second thought. Naturally, that money wasn't going to be lent out without compensation. Money lending among nobles was not so different from high-interest loans. There would also be a different interest rate it the loan was paid back within the stipulated date. For nobles on good terms, the rate was usually 9:11. In other words, one would have to pay back 11 thousand gold Fordes for a loan of ten thousand, of which only nine thousand was paid out.

Stingier nobles would charge it at a 7:13 rate. Only seven thousand gold Fordes would be given out for a loan of ten thousand. And 13 thousand had to be returned in the end, almost double the amount lent in the first place. However, the rate Lorist charged Duke Forund was 9:12 for a period of three years, much to the latter's delight. After that, the duke brought up his intent to survey The Northlands after winter before signing the deal of the lone. Lorist agreed to that without much consideration at all and even tasked Reidy with the duke's safety.

The duke began his tour with the rainy season's end. Reidy escorted him with a squad of guards. The trip lasted around two months. Upon his return to the capital city, he asked to meet Lorist again and requested new terms. He hoped the house could give him manpower and skilled laborers in addition to a loan. He was willing to greatly increase the interest on the loan to compensate for the additional labor.

The deal had changed drastically. It was no longer a simple loan. The duke was now asking House Norton to send experts to survey his domain and propose a detailed plan for its development. He was basically asking the house to develop his lands on his behalf. This was the first time such a request had been made in the entire history of the continent.

His request caused quite the uproar in the House's management. Approval and disapproval echoed in the halls with equal fervor and volume. The biggest doubt was whether the duke was capable of repaying the loan at his proposed interest rate. He was practically bankrupt and his lands weren't worth much at all at the moment, hence his request for a loan to have it developed. Despite the risk, however, if the loan was allowed to sit for long enough, and the development was successful, they could repay it, though it would take several decades.

Lorist's impression of the duke was rather good. The duke hadn't burnt his stores of resources when he abandoned his dominion. He was so beloved by his people that a hundred thousand volunteered to follow him when he announced he would be leaving the duchy permanently.

Lorist was even more impressed that he was willing to incur such a debt so he could develop his lands. Though he had every mind to provide the duke with what he needed, he could not make such a heavy decision without first seeing what he had to work with for himself. He and the duke agreed that he would first survey his land before making his final decision.

On the 3rd day of the 7th month, Year 1785, the duke of The Northlands mobilized his experienced men to do a complete survey of Yungechandler and initiated the first joint noble dominion development venture in the continent's history.

Contract Singing

"Money is not something with intrinsic value. It's not worth anything sitting still in a warehouse. It's sole value lies in its ability to allow value to be transferred from one item to the next. As such, it is only worth something as long as you're doing something with it." ~ Norton Lorist

"...To the north of Yungechandler are Liden Mountains and Yunsge Hills on the coast. There isn't much arable land. South of that is Egret Lake, surrounded by a swamp. The only arable land is the long strip between the two. Not many people live there. Records indicate it should be around 580 thousand people if we include the new arrivals; among them 145381 youths fit for work..."

"...We've discovered three iron ore deposits around Liden and Yunsge, two of which are medium to high in quality. There's also a moderate gold deposit. All-in-all it should give Duke Forund 500 thousand gold Fordes a year. We've also come across seven low capacity copper deposits. Besides ores, there are 20 other resources that the area can offer, the most plentiful of which is white clay. It could be used to start up a crockery industry..."

"...If we build a large dam in Egret Lake, we can turn Yungechandler's swamps into millions of acres of good farmland. In that sense, Yungechandler can not just become the biggest agricultural province this side of the Union, but also have a strong fisheries industry. Ideally, we'd want to plant flax so the province can get started on linen and textiles as well..."

"...It'll take about five years if we use 400 thousand laborers, a few years longer if we only use 300 thousand. Either way, it'll likely cost around seven million. Besides jumpstarting industries, we'll also have to revamp their infrastructure..."

On the 16th day of the 12th month, Year 1785, Baron Shadekampf, the one Lorist had put in charge of surveying Yungechandler, returned with the province's duke and made his report.

Shadekampf had been Lorist's personal attendant from his childhood, but had since risen to become quite the figure in the house. He'd stepped away from his lord's side and now spent most of his time out in the field managing a portion of the countless projects the house always had running. He'd been given an honorary peerage as a baron a year earlier. He'd risen from humble servant to honorary noble thanks both to his own efforts and his lord's recognition.

He'd gone to Yungechandler with an entourage nearly a hundred strong and scoured the province for four months. It would have taken much longer, but he'd been willing to sacrifice a few pounds of his flesh to make things go faster. His stalwart attitude had also earned him Duke Forund's admiration. The duke couldn't possibly be unawed at the sheer mass of talented and dedicated people House Norton had.

All that said, seven million fords was not a small price even for House Norton. Spiel objected to vehemently they had to wash the floor when he left. He was adamant that the house could only spare three million. That three was the house's emergency reserve. It wouldn't grow by just laying in the treasury, so in principle lending the duke the spare change was only beneficial.

But seven million was more than double what they had to offer up front, and more than half of the house's entire static wealth. It was too big a risk. The house had a total static wealth of just 13 million, and that included the money they would be spending to build the new palace in the capital. Grandmaster Ciroba was already designing it. His estimate of the project's cost thus far was three million.

Spiel didn't dare to let the house have only three million in reserve given his lord's penchant for impulsive spending. Not to mention the possibility of some natural disaster requiring emergency spending! Normally, three million gold Fordes was enough to last a noble household a lifetime, but House Norton was not a normal noble household by any metric. It had over two million subjects, a lord who bled money — and did so on rainy and sunny days alike — a massive military, and three allies that frequently needed money. He had to fight for every penny, not so the house could be rich, but so it could stay afloat. His life was a constant battle against the forces of evil, the foremost of which was the man known as Duke Norton Lorist.

"Your Grace, why are you building a palace so suddenly? Thank the gods we're finally at peace, but you can't spend money like it grows on trees," asked Charade, unable to suppress his doubts anymore.

Lorist smiled bitterly. This was one of the fundamental limitations of the times. Charade was already an astonishing achievement in the continent's circles of nobility. Even Auguslo pined for a supervisor or knight as capable as him. Unfortunately, as great as the man was at wartime economics, he was terrible at the same in peacetime.

Even in the midst of the wars Lorist had fought over the last couple of years, the various development projects continued full-steam. Their latest influx of new subjects had solved their manpower shortages so they could develop as quickly as their managers and supervisors could keep up. This development created great demands that private industries fulfilled and lived on. The current generation of projects was slowly coming to an end, however, and with their end, the market would collapse.

"Have you read Spiel's report and Baron Balk's analysis?" asked he.

Old Man Balk had stepped up to fill the spot Hansk had previously occupied. Lorist had also made him a baron. He was the penultimate servant of the house, the idol to which all others should strive. He started as a common peasant, but, through his service to his lord he had become a massive figure in the house and a noble.

"I have. The house's income is decent and our reserves have grown another two million. This is the first time we've been this well-off. I've also read Baron Balk's report and the number of workshops and factories in the dominion has gone up by more than 1300, with most set up by honorary nobles and merchants. The investments almost doubled our profits in the industrial sector. Its growth is also really consistent. It's expected to reach new heights this year as well." Charade's memory was good as always. He could clearly remember even the minutest, obscurest details.

Lorist shook his head and took out another folder.

"Read this," he said, handing the folder to Charade, "I had Howard send someone to investigate this for me."

Charade saw it was a thorough report compiled by Furybear on the industries in the house with a focus on their stocks.

"40 percent, 38 percent, 32 percent, 41 percent… Your Grace, this is..."

His eyes suddenly light up as he realized something. Lorist lifted the bottle of fruit wine on his desk and poured some for himself before he gestured for Charade to help himself to some as well.

"These past two years our ferocious economic development has been predicated on Duke Fisablen's large orders and his permission to trade with the grassland barbarians. The value of these goods last year was about a million, the same was two million the year before.

"Our houses internal demand has also been a major dependency. The 400 thousand refugees we moved over have settled down and gathered some savings, so they will purchase some daily necessities. There's also Supervisor Kedan's traffic revamp. The amount of meat and wheat ale consumed by the mountain barbarians working on it isn't miniscule.

"The private sector's expansion has been built on these demands. Our industries cater to these demands—" Lorist downed the whole cup. "—Do you remember what I said earlier? Most merchants are short-sighted profit-mongering idiots. Many of the honorary nobles are actually merchants who wish to take advantage of the peace here and our large demand to make profit.

"While having lots of local investment is good, it can't be good when it all relies on just two huge business deals. If you read this report, you'll discover that the businesses the merchants set up are mostly what we already had. If there are too many people producing the same thing the prices will collapse when demand lowers. The business will bankrupt themselves and the entire industry will collapse. The merchants will leave and we'll be left to clean up the mess."

"Has something gone wrong with Duke Fisablen's order?''

Lorist nodded.

"The orders have been a show of goodwill. I told you they don't really need so much. They resell most of what they buy to the grassland barbarians. The last two rounds of direct trade have confirmed my suspicion in this regard.

"Everything has its limit. Just like House Fisablen's orders, there is a limit to the trade with the barbarians. They are quite numerous, but most live in extreme poverty. Whether it be the goods resold by Duke Fisablen or the products the committee brings over, there is a limit to how much they can consume. They can't consume more.

"A few days ago, Duke Fisablen made it clear that their orders won't be over a million in the future. Duke Kenmays also confirmed future trade with the barbarians will at most be worth just over a million a year.

"That's why I had Howard investigate the businesses that keep on borrowing money. They'll realize too late that they've made more than our economy can absorb. And their collapse will affect the entire domain severely. One look at this map will show you our products can only be sold to our neighboring provinces, other places can't afford our products or don't have a stable market for them."

"I believe I understand now, Your Grace. The palace's construction is actually a way to keep the demand up and the economy stable?"

"No, that's only a small aspect," Lorist said with a smile, "I will announce House Fisablen's order in the 1st month of next year. I believe the news will cause many businesses in our dominion to panic about the possibility that they won't be able to sell their produce. Your job will be to rectify and support them.

"By rectify, I mean we only have to maintain two to three units. Split the order among those retained businesses so they will compete against each other to ensure quality.

"By support, I'm referring to the financial support of any new and unestablished industries. Encourage them to grow as large as possible. Currently, the house isn't in any tight predicaments, nor do we have any enemies. This is an incredibly hard-sought time. We have to give up on redundant production and encourage the growth of new businesses.

"For example, the palace's construction will need high-quality materials. Given that we are no longer at war, the peaceful lives the peasants lead will raise their standard of living. So, we need new production units for some more luxury goods. It will allow us to maintain our grasp on the market initiative and earn us lots of money.

"Other than that, the reason I agreed to develop Duke Forund's dominion is so we can turn it into a market for our goods. Think about it: five years from now when Yungechandler's development is complete, we will have another market to dump our surplus produce into. Money must flow through the market for it to be useful. It shouldn't be kept in the treasury for emergency use like Supervisor Spiel thinks."

On the 4th day of the 2nd month, Year 1786, House Norton and House Forund signed an agreement to jointly develop Yungechandler. House Norton will provide seven million gold Fordes over the course of five years as funds for development and send Baron Shadekampf to be the chief advisor to aid House Forund in their dominion development. Five years later, House Forund will start to repay House Norton at a rate of two million gold Fordes a year for five years, paying back ten million gold Fordes in total.

Hostage

"There can be no negotiating with idiots." ~ Norton Lorist

"Good news, Your Grace. Blademaster Shuss is back..." said Jinolio with ragged breath as he rushed into the study with a white silk cloth.

It was an eagle message from Silowas.

"Let me see it," said Lorist, shooting to his feet.

Shuss, who was guarding Silowas, went to the island's mountains four years earlier to break through. He left a letter saying he wouldn't return if he couldn't become a rank 2 blademaster. While Lorist was worried, the recent war broke out soon after he left. He didn't have any time to visit the island since his return. He forgot about the old man. He couldn't be happier to hear Shuss was returning.

The letter was penned by Baron Hector and Pajik. It said the fire crystal foraging team on its way to the volcano angered the white-headed sea condors. They were surrounded and attacked when Shuss showed up and killed their seven attackers. The report said he broke through to the second rank two years earlier but had stayed in the mountains to stabilize himself. He bumped into the team and helped them. He would join Lorist in a few days.

Apart from Lorist, the house also had Engelich and Shuss, both blademasters. Reidy was also now equal to a rank 1 blademaster. Lorist didn't include Engelich in his force count, however, the old man was a coward and wouldn't ever be of any real use. He wasn't just living in 'retirement' at his home, not contributing to the house at all, he pushed every once of responsibility he could onto others. Besides, he had grown so weak even Reidy could defeat him now.

In contrast, Shuss used to be a dueling slave in Hanayabarta. He spent years struggling to survive, living in slaughter. His bloodthirst and killing intent were among the strongest Lorist had ever encountered. Even as a rank 1 blademaster back then, he was on equal standing with a rank 2 blademaster. His breakthrough added substantially to House Norton's might. He was the best sparring partner for Reidy, at the very least.

...

Tarkel entered the study with a large stack of documents.

"Your Grace, something big's happened in the war in the south," said he the moment he was inside.

"What's wrong?"

The war was in its fifth year, yet nothing had changed in the last two. The nations to the south of the war-zone, those being led by Jigda, were completely disorganized. The union swallowed up three and turtled. Everything was peaceful on the border, like there wasn't a war.

"Romon and Khawistan signed an armistice not too long ago. The fighting there has ended. Khawistan suffered slightly more and gave up a part of Kalia's land. Their new border is the Kesarubi River. Back with the Union's war, Jigda swallowed seven nations stormed by Union forces. Their territory has doubled. They now rival Romon in size. Some of the remaining 13 countries finally woke to the scheme. Jigda and the countries suspicious of its intentions are now at war. The coalition army disbanded as a result.

"The Union signed a peace treaty with Jigda and recognized their sovereignty over all the land they now control. All the trade routes are now restored, and they signed a mutual defense agreement. Other than that, the Union gave Jugda a 15 million gold Forde loan, without interest. Our informants have yet to infiltrate their internal councils so we don't know too much.

"The 13 remaining independent countries are split into two factions. The five neighboring the Union have formed a union of their own, called the Morunzik Union of Kingdoms. They're preparing to negotiate peace with the Union. Maybe they think they can't keep fighting the Union and are trying to protect themselves? Either way, they want to end the war.

"The eight countries nearest Jigda will continue to fight. They made Jekhano's first prince, Yorksem, their new commander-in-chief and are launching a new campaign against Jigda. Duke Fustat is in command on the other side and is leading 100 thousand men against the former's 140 thousand. They're expected to clash in what used to be the kingdom of Odma. We expect it will be another stalemate.

"Lundmorde is still in Jekhano with that prince. Also, the Union have yet to reinforce Jigda per their treaty. They've sent out envoys to negotiate peace instead."

Lorist choked on his tongue and laughed. What a joke! Who would have imagined this? It was flabbergasting. The initial 24 countries that formed the coalition had united against the Union. But now Jigda had betrayed them and eaten up at least a third of the coalition. Rather than unite to pool what strength they had left they turned on each other. The coalition was now two broken factions. To top it all off, the Union was now playing the nice guy? How laughable! Nobody could make this prediction when the war started, hell, nobody could predict this three months ago. They might as well just have skipped the fighting altogether. Just sit around a table and negotiate a few concessions.

Lorist walked over to the map of the continent hung on one of his study's walls. He updated it with a pencil to match the information Tarkel had just given him. Jigda's current size took Lorist aback. This was the most complex and impactful plot he'd ever seen.

"What is it, Your Grace?" asked Tarkel.

Lorist shook his head.

"See this? You were right. This whole war was just a farce. It's finally been exposed, but it's too late, Jigda is one of Grindia's superpowers. The guy who came up with this must be a genius..."

"But, Your Grace," Tarkel said with some dissatisfaction, "Don't you think this was a little rash, absorbing seven countries? Everyone now knows what Jugda is up to. They can't do this again. It feels a little to bumbling to have been carefully planned out. They should instead have simmered their prey and taken them in slowly. They wouldn't be facing any backlash that way."

"You're wrong. Your suggestion will only work if Romon and Khawistan kept fighting. Unfortunately, the two countries are at peace. They'll go after Jigda the moment they recover.

"Jigda can't keep fighting in the north. They must focus on stabilizing their gains and building their military strength back up. If not, there's no way they can stand up against the two empires when they invade. They forcefully absorbed the last seven countries so they can prepare for the inevitable invasions as soon as possible. The relationship between them and the Union is also very obvious now, so it's best that the Union sends no reinforcements. If they did, the remaining countries in the coalition will fight even harder to spite them and the war will just drag on.

"This is the only reason the Union is sending negotiators. It's the best move they can make. This will save Jigda's strength so they can better resist Romon and Khawistan. If negotiation go well, the coalition will also form a deep grudge against Jigda, so they won't make as much trouble for the Union. The Union at least fought them openly and honestly, Jigda is a snake, a traitor deserving of all the contempt in the world. This will also make sure that Jigda won't have any energy to spare to have plans for the Union.

"Despite Jigda becoming a superpower and gaining a lot of land, they didn't really get much. They now have a lot of territory with people that hate them, they are the sole opposition to two empires, and have at least eight countries in their backyard that hate them and can't wait to get in a good jab. The Union, they are the real beneficiaries of this whole debacle. They got three countries' territory, force the trade routes to open again, and got a strong buffer between them and Romon and Khawistan. The coalition are the real losers. They lost half their countries and are now split in two weaker factions and have another superpower on their borders."

Lorist 'tsked' audibly.

"They're all burning the midnight oil, huh? None are idiots. Tarkel, increase our surveillance on the Union and Jigda. Try to find the mastermind behind this."

"Understood, Your Grace."

...

Jinolio entered the room with a gold-gilded invitation card.

"Your Grace, Duke Kenmays sent an invitation to the summer party. It'll be on the 15th day of the 8th month at Platinum Beach."

Lorist suddenly remembered Kenmays wanted to build a grand palace there. He wanted to make the beach a tourist destination. So he had finished the palace and was now holding the opening ceremony...

I must attend. There're two months before the party. I have nothing better to do. Might as well go and relax. Oh, I should bring Sylvia, the girls, and the kids as well!

"All right. Tell him I'll bring the family along," answered he.

"Yes, Your Grace. Will you travel by ship?"

Lorist shook his head.

"I'll go by land. I'd like to visit the Dina barony along the way."

Arriotoli had given birth to a son named Dina Terryke almost exactly a year ago. She wrote Lorist saying the kid would be turned into the most impressive knight in the history of her house and Lorist had no say in the matter. He could only pray the kid would survive his mother's demonic claws.

"Understood. When will Your Grace leave?"

Hasty footsteps stopped Lorist's reply. A moment later Howard burst into the room.

"Count Lower's whole family's been captured!"

Count Lower? Who's that? wondered Lorist.

Howard caught his breath and explained. Count Lower wasn't a member of the house. He was a noble from the capital. He'd bought his title of count from Auguslo several years ago. The count moved to The Northlands when he realized he couldn't do business in the capital and had even bought a commiserate title from the house. Lower had decent instincts. He had quickly realized House Norton's shade was a lot better than the king's.

He moved to The Northlands five years ago and bought a plot of land in the second special noble district. He also partnered up with a few people and built several factories and even started a merchant guild. It specialized in leather, wine and other foodstuffs. His factories were already well-established when Duke Fisablen made his massive order two years ago and got the biggest slice of the pie. He had trouble finding places to store all his gold. His business expanded rapidly and his partnership soon had ten more factories.

Unfortunately for him and his partners, Lorist announced that the volume to be traded with House Fisablen would be cut in half overall, daily necessities was the section hardest hit. The coming years would be hard for the count.

While the factories could be closed and skilled workers fired, their money lay in warehouses as products that could now not be sold. This story rang true for most merchants all across the duchy. They either had to sell at trash prices, or hope to sell things off over several decades.

Charade's revamp project was also now in full swing. He closed many duplicate production units and arranged new jobs for the fired workers. His efforts were showing signs of stabilizing the duchy's economy. Their swift action limited the damage to the merchants.

Lower had made the choice to keep his produce. He hired a mercenary band to keep watch on his warehouses, but most of them were killed off during an excursion to hunt ironspine crocodiles. They demanded he compensate them for their losses but he had no money. A fight broke out and the band had taken the entire family hostage.

"Baron Ovidis and the local garrison have surrounded the manor and Sir Charade will be on-site shortly. The mercenaries insist that they won't let anyone go until their ransom is paid. They even demanded we leave, apparently this has nothing to do with the house," reported Howard.

Lorist quietly took his sword.

"Let's go look," said he.

Rescue

"A fool he is who dies without knowing his death was coming." ~ The Northlands proverb.

The special noble district wasn't far from Ragebear. From the city center to the first manor was just 15 minutes by horse. One arrived at the district's central lake immediately after crossing the moat outside the east gate. Stretches of green grass and fragrant orchards covered both sides of the road.

There was such a high demand for noble housing that the house was building eight special districts instead of four. These districts had the continent's most expensivea land. They were also the house's most profitable. Its sale alone had netted Lorist six million gold Fordes thus far. Charade and Spiel also nagged Lorist to build yet another two districts.

All that was left was to build the final districts around the gourd-shaped lake. Two of the eight districts were for nobles, two for high-class commoners, one for luxury commerce, and the final for a variety of services.

The four noble districts were completely sold. Half of the fourth district's manors were still being constructed, but the other three districts stood completed. Many of their windows already stood lit in the evenings. Only public facilities and final decoration work still needed to be done.

The high-class residential area was also already completed. Five-floor apartment buildings filled the district. Each unit had three bedrooms and two general purpose rooms. Merchant guild supervisors and high-ranking accountants or factory managers made up the bulk of the residents. A few nobles yet to get land in the noble districts also lived there.

Most attractive of all the districts was the luxury commerce. The house owned all the shops, nothing was for sale, only rent. Clothes, jewelry, accessories, ingredients, spices, and rare herbs lined the roads. If you couldn't find something there, you would not find it anywhere else on the continent, save maybe Morante itself. Of the two hundred guilds licensed to do business in the dominion, a hundred rented buildings in this district. The things sold there were the highest quality possible, but also twice as expensive as anywhere else.

The general district was much larger. The various facilities and sports arenas took up a lot of space. Northing was finished because they took longer to build. Though estimates said the district would be done by either the 7th or 8th month of the following year.

Charade and Spiel didn't know if they should turn the high-class residential district into a noble district or not. It would save the house a lot of money. They had to finance and build the apartment blocks, but nobles built their manors themselves. It wasn't that simple, however. They could fit many more people into the district through apartments, the overall sales income would be higher, and the businesses serving the district would do much better. They could make more money from renting shops.

Lorist took Howard and Jinolio with him to the second noble district where Count Lower's mansion stood. Nightingale Manor, as the count called it, was surrounded by many busybodies whom chattered in quiet hushes. Lorist discovered the roofs of the surrounding manors were filled with people enjoying either a cup of macks or tea.

Do they think this is a show?

Lorist dismounted located Charade. He was being crushed by the crowd and the angry Ovidis.

"Shut up! What's going on?" shouted Lorist.

Everyone saluted and shut up.

"Ovidis wants to force his way in, Your Grace." answered Charade.

"Why? Where's the hostage?"

"The mercenary is impolite. He insulted the house. I want to teach him a lesson," explained Ovidis.

Do you have a clear picture of the situation?"

"They have seven hostages, Count Lower, his wife and children, and two servants. Two other servants are dead and the rest escaped. Their captors are thirteen strong," explained Charade.

Lorist was pissed.

"How did thirteen armed idiots get into the noble district in broad daylight? Explain this, Ovidis."

Ovidis was in command of the city's guards. This was entirely his fault.

"They passed our patrols on Count Lower's carriages. The guards believed they were acting on the count's orders. They noticed nothing untoward. This is on me."

"How did Count Lower and the mercenaries become acquaintances? What demands did they make?"

Charade answered this time.

"They belong to a band called Crimsonflame. It's about a hundred strong. They registered with the house seven years ago. Usually, they operate around Twinmount Town. They only recently showed up in Northsea. We learned they often take on missions in the Magical Dragon Mountains and Blackmud Marsh, and occasional escort missions. Their commander is leading the group in the manor, he's a three-star silver-rank swordsman. Everyone considers them one of the top bands in the duchy."

Crimsonflame was similar to a band his trusted subordinate, Knight Jim, used to be in. Such bands were average in Morante, but since there weren't many mercenaries in The Northlands, they were near the top here.

"The leader is called Lind," Charade continued, "He used to work near the imperial capital and is an old acquaintance of the count. The count ran into him when he came to The Northlands to set up several businesses and hired him and his band. Wesde, the count's merchant guild, deals with furs and leathers, and run a shop in the luxury district. They need a lot of high-grade fur. The two worked together for five years and trust each other a lot. The band even invested most of their savings in the count's ventures. Count Lower accepted an order for horse armor and needed ironspine crocodile leather. He hired Crimsonflame to get it.

"The band was wiped out while on this mission. They brought back the leather, but only a few survived. They learned of the count's financial losses when they returned and panicked. Worried that their investments were all gone, they kidnapped the count to force him to pay everything back.

"Unfortunately for both them and the count, he does not have their money. It's all been invested in the products sitting in his warehouses. We understand he told them he couldn't pay them back now, but that his business hasn't failed yet; he needs more time. When they heard it would take them thirty years to get their money back, they lost it. He couldn't even pay the fee for their latest mission.

"The count believed his long history with the band and his close relationship with their leader would make them trust him and be patient, but that didn't happen. The group kidnapped him and brought him here, hence our current predicament."

"How much money do they want? Have you sent anyone to negotiate?" asked Lorist.

"I did. The count owes them four thousand gold Fordes. His partner's have agreed to pay the ransom and the mercenaries have calmed down somewhat, but they've become cocky."

"How so?"

"They're demanding ten thousand now instead. They say it's interest. When the count's partners agreed to mortgage his shop to pay the ten thousand gold Fordes, they increased their demands to 20 thousand and told us to scram. Apparently this is a matter strictly between them, the count and his partners and we have no place butting in. The captain even threatened to make trouble in the dominion if we don't leave them alone. This is an affront to the house I can't let this stand," muttered Ovidis.

"Where are the hostages now?"

Ovidis pointed at the manor.

"We knew they're in the guest hall on the second floor. It's the room with the balcony. The mercenaries have two men keeping watch. When Sir Charade went to negotiate, they brought the hostages to the balcony with blades pressed against their necks.

"The manor is encircled. Most are on the second floor, in the back. A few are guarding the sides though. They'll see us no matter which side we attack. Our best shot is to sneak in during the night," Charade interjected.

Lorist shot Charade a glance.

"If you understand the situation, why are you trying to go in?"

Ovidis lowered his head.

"I... I couldn't stand that the bastards insulted us. They recently violated the two maidservants in the guest hall by the windows so everyone could see. They forced us to listen to the two women scream in pain and them laughing like devils..."

Lorist stiffened. He patted Ovidis on the shoulder.

"I understand. I'll go have a chat with them. Stay here, don't follow me."

A path ran on the other side of the back gates. It was wide enough for three carriages and connected to a semi-circular plot of empty land. Three carriages stood parked on it, the gray-white mansion behind them. Its entrance protruded from the wall, the space above it forming a balcony large enough for two tables.

Two mercenaries sat on the balcony. They shouted at a man clad in a black cloak approaching the door beneath, bows partially drawn and arrows pointing at him.

"I am Norton Lorist, Duke of The Northlands. Bring your leader out," the figure said.

Its voice wasn't loud, but echoed throughout the manor.

Six people stepped out onto the balcony. A tall, lanky man stepped forward. When he recognized the face beneath the cloak, he shivered.

"It's... it's really D-duke Norton... Y-y-y-Your Grace... d-d-d-don't come here!"

Lorist's footsteps didn't stop.

The man's eyes widened and his pupils dilated.

"H-hostage... The hostages... B-b-bring them out now..."

Count Lower, his wife and children finally made their appearance. Two naked, weeping women were dragged out behind them, clutching scraps of cloth to try to cover up as best they could.

The tall man grabbed the count and pressed his sword against his throat.

"Y-you... Stand still! If you don't, I-I'll kill him..."

Lorist stopped five meters from the entrance and stared up at the group, sighing.

"You're Lind, right? I used to be a mercenary as well. I understand how you must feel. Unfortunately, you chose the wrong way to solve your issues. You even got innocent people involved. You have two options. Either surrender, in which case I guarantee you a fair trial, or continue resisting, in which case your friends and family won't even have a corpse to bury."

"I-I choose neither! Y-you can't fool me..."

Lind shook Count Lower around emotionally. The bruised man moaned in pain. A thin line of blood oozed out of his freshly cut skin.

"This bastard took the money we put our lives on the line for! We want our money back! Y-you can't threaten us! You might kill me, but I'll make sure they all die with us! They'll only survive if you swear on your ancestors you'll let us leave your lands with our money safely! If you don't they'll all die and House Norton will be a laughingstock! Are you willing to gamble with your house's honor?!" cried Lind.

Lorist smiled.

"Yes."

Lorist was less than seven meters from his prey. They were well within Slaughter Domain's range.

I am the god of the space around me! It is my world!

A crimson veil covered his eyes.

"W-what did you—"

The mercenary's words were cut short. A wave of energy surged from below. It covered the balcony and everyone on it. The sky turned red. Lind's body only heard a single heartbeat in his ears before his body deflated like a sack of water poked with dozens of holes. He collapsed and life left him.

They weren't lying. The duke really is a swordsaint...

He hadn't believed a word of it at the time, but now, in his final moments, the truth was revealed to him. He died believing every word he'd heard.

Lorist sheathed his sword and smiled at Count Lower. The man stared blankly at his rescuer. Lorist waved at the crowd across the street and Howard come rushing over.

"Go. Don't spare anyone."

The family burst into tears. They cried like they'd just woken from a terrible nightmare.

"By your command," said Howard as he drew his sword and rushed into the manor.