455 - 461

Swordsaint's Domain

"What they don't know, can kill them easier." ~ Blademaster Shuss

"Tell me what you know," said Lorist, staring out of the window.

There were three people in the study. Charade sat on the sofa, Baron Kriston sat in front of the desk. Kriston had been a security chief on Silowas when he joined Lorist and took charge of the duchy's security forces. He was made an honorary baron two years ago for his contributions in this capacity.

The third person was Supervisor Doboff, the man in charge of the eastern part of The Northlands. He used to be the mayor of Twinmount Town, but, given his contribution to the house in discovering barbarian gold mines, had been raised to a high-ranking official in the house.

Lorist's interference resolved the hostage incident. His men slew the mercenaries on the spot. He'd served in a mercenary band in Morante so he understood their feelings. Anybody would be enraged if someone lusted after their hard-earned wealth. However, they picked the worst possible method to take revenge. Though they only wanted to take back their money, they forced House Norton to kill them by challenging their honor. Lorist had given them a chance to receive mercy; as long as they surrendered, they would be tried fairly. Crimes must be punished. They might have survived at least. Unfortunately, they had refused his magnanimity, so he had to kill them. He could not let the house be ridiculed, its reputation must be upheld.

"Yes, Your Grace," Doboff answered, "Most mercenaries gather in Twinmount Town. Many form parties and settle in the duchy. Most choose the life because they lust for adventure and abhor servitude. Some are retired soldiers, many of whom served the house. They are more skilled with the sword than the sickle, so they become mercenaries; they dream of becoming finding a great treasure and becoming rich overnight.

"Foreign mercenaries have to register for licenses to enter the wilds and sell their catches. Some go to hunt, some to gather, some to peddle wares to the barbarians."

Charade looked at the thick stack of documents.

"We have registered three thousand seven hundred and sixty three and more than sixty parties to date. The small ones tend to be around ten strong and the largest around a hundred. Crimsonflame is considered one of the strongest eight.

"Two-thirds of the mercenaries are foreigners. Some of our retired soldiers occasionally tag along without a permit."

"Chief Kriston," Lorist called, "Are these mercenaries doing anything illegal? How frequent are conflicts between them and my subjects and how are they settled?"

"Conflict is infrequent," Kriston explained, "Normally, the settlements are not in favor of the mercenaries. The towns and villages' garrisons do not like them. They keep a really close eye on them when they're in town.

"Our garrisons are mostly well-trained and seasoned veterans from the army. The house is also famous for its strict handling of any offenses, so the mercenaries are very careful not to step out of line.

"Such conflicts are usually dealt with as civil security issues. Even when the garrisons step in on occasion, they generally hand things over to the local officers. It's rare for cases to be concluded in the mercenaries' favor. They never break the law with their rulings, but they definitely favor your subjects."

Lorist nodded.

"We may have solved the current predicament, but it's clear there is a greater threat. We have failed to oversee and regulate the mercenaries. You three will come up with a solution. Find an effective way to manage the mercenaries."

" Will you start an organization similar to the mercenary guild, Your Grace?" asked Charade, shocked.

Lorist chortled.

"Yes and no. You and I have had some dealings with the mercenary guild in Morante. Though it acts as an intermediary that provides services to mercenaries, it is more like a business that tries to make money off them. The organization I envision will harness their strengths and fight for their rights. We both used to be mercenaries, we understand their pains, let's offer help wherever we can.

"For example, in the future, conflicts between mercenaries and our subjects will be dealt with by this organization. Take, for instance, this incident involving Crimsonflame. Instead of taking matters into their own hands, they should be able to lodge a complaint with the organization and have their case resolved through them instead. Publish a notice that only those who register with the organization may work as a mercenary. It is illegal to work without registering. Non-compliers will be sentenced to three months' unpaid labor.

"Also, any request made by guilds or individuals have to be handled via the organization. House Norton will not be involved in resolving any disputes. I couldn't care less if mercenaries are killed because they took matters into their own hands rather than work through the organization.

"Figure out how this organization has to work. After you create it, appoint Supervisor Doboff as its manager under Charade. Kriston, you will also handle its judicial elements. You have to be fair and unbiased. Don't let either party's relation to us, or lack thereof, influence your judgment.

"I must stress that they work as an extension of the house. All mercenaries must answer any calls we put out in emergencies."

"Understood, Your Grace."

...

Ten days later, the mercenary organization's formation was announced. It was to be called the Assembly of Free Mercenaries, colloquially known as the Assembly. Its headquarters stood in Northsea, with a branch in Twinmount Town. Doboff acted as its chairman, with Kriston its chief enforcer.

Blademaster Shuss arrived on the same day. Lorist couldn't be bothered with a banquet; instead, he dragged him to the training hall for a duel as soon as he set foot in the castle. The two fought for who knew how long.

The fight finally ended when Shuss could go no further.

"A rank 2… blademaster… like me… is a child.. compared to.. Your grace… I couldn't attack… at all..." the blademaster gasped.

"Your swordsmanship improved a lot," Lorist consoled, "You relied on courage and savagery before you broke through. But now your killing intent is hidden and makes you even harder to deal with. I fought Duke Fisablen but even he was not as imposing as you. A fight between you two will be a draw at worst."

Shuss calmed his breathing.

"Can you deploy your Slaughter Domain, Your Grace? I wish to experience it for myself. Word of your domain has spread throughout your dominion after the hostage incident. Count Lower keeps telling everyone you're a swordsaint. He said you enveloped them in a blood-red world. He blinked, and everything was back to normal, save all the mercenaries being dead."

Lorist's lips curled into a troubled smile. He had used his Slaughter Domain to rescue Count Lower and his family. He couldn't help but enveloping them with it when he acted. It appeared the count had blabbed about it to his friends. Lorist could have explained it as a hallucination if the count were the only one who'd experienced it, but his wife and children, and the two servants, had as well. Sharp ears heard the rumors and sharp minds guessed at his true strength.

Tarkel had rushed over to ask him about the blood world.

"Why do you ask?" he'd replied.

"I'm going to publicize it, of course!" the man had answered, "The more impressive Your Grace's reputation, the more stable the house. The nobles who sided with us will also feel safer and our subjects will be even more loyal."

Lorist didn't think Shuss would want to experience it as well.

"Alright," he surrendered.

Shuss took up a defensive stance.

"Ready, Your Grace."

A gust of wind slapped Shuss across the face. He closed his eyes for a moment. When they opened again the world around him was crimson. It almost felt like he was standing in the middle of an old, arcane temple. He had done his best to prepare, but he was still overwhelmed and unnerved. His mind didn't dull, but his body was heavy and unresponsive. The world vanished just as he prepared to try to move. His gaze returned to where his lord had been standing before it all started, only to feel a cold line across his throat. His lord's sword was pressed against his throat.

He dropped his sword, his expression somewhere between depression and despair.

"Is this... the domain? It's too weird... It ended before I could react..."

Lorist returned his sword to its scabbard.

"I don't know if it's a domain or not. I can keep it up for a few minutes at best. My body can't handle any more. I don't know if a swordsaint's domain is supposed to be like this. It's not like there are swordsaints lying around I can ask. I named it my Slaughter Domain because it's the most accurate way I can describe it."

"This is definitely a domain," Shuss said as he plopped his rear on the ground, "I've heard a few slave instructors talk about swordsaint domains. One had personally experienced one. He said Jigda's firesoar swordsaint demonstrated it once. He said it was like his body was dumped in an oven and the entire world was burning. He was so frightened he pissed himself."

"So the firesoar swordsaint's domain has the fire element, right?"

Don't tell me my Slaughter Domain is thanks to my battleforce's blood attribute...

"Yes. His battleforce attribute is fire," Shuss affirmed as stumbled to his feet, "I didn't think Your Grace had become a swordsaint at such a young age. Grindia has never seen such a young swordsaint. This is definitely an occasion worth celebrating!"

Lorist waved Shuss's comments away.

"It's nothing worth bragging about. Keep it a secret for me. I don't want unnecessary chaos. Everyone is just guessing right now, all hell will break loose if you give them certainty. Keep this to yourself. I don't want lines of people begging me on their knees to be my disciples."

Shuss nodded.

"I understand. But please share some pointers with me from time to time, Your Grace."

"Of course. You're one of my people. I'm confident you'll become a swordsaint too, in good time."

...

On the 10th of the 7th, Lorist brought Sylvia, his concubines, and his children to Delamock for a survey and accepted Kenmays's invitation to the party in Sidgler.

After touring Delamock, he stayed at the Dina barony for ten days. He suffered greatly at the hands of his wife and his lover, both wrapt with jealousy. He snapped when his attempts and appeasing them failed and rammed them into the bed for a whole evening.

They arrived at Platinum Beath on the 12th of the 8th. Kenmays organized a grand banquet. There were many familiar faces in attendance. Dukes Handra, Shabaj, and Fisablen were just a few of the names.

"Everyone," Kenmays toasted, "let's eat and drink and make merry!"

Swordsaint's Domain

"What they don't know, can kill them easier." ~ Blademaster Shuss

"Tell me what you know," said Lorist, staring out of the window.

There were three people in the study. Charade sat on the sofa, Baron Kriston sat in front of the desk. Kriston had been a security chief on Silowas when he joined Lorist and took charge of the duchy's security forces. He was made an honorary baron two years ago for his contributions in this capacity.

The third person was Supervisor Doboff, the man in charge of the eastern part of The Northlands. He used to be the mayor of Twinmount Town, but, given his contribution to the house in discovering barbarian gold mines, had been raised to a high-ranking official in the house.

Lorist's interference resolved the hostage incident. His men slew the mercenaries on the spot. He'd served in a mercenary band in Morante so he understood their feelings. Anybody would be enraged if someone lusted after their hard-earned wealth. However, they picked the worst possible method to take revenge. Though they only wanted to take back their money, they forced House Norton to kill them by challenging their honor. Lorist had given them a chance to receive mercy; as long as they surrendered, they would be tried fairly. Crimes must be punished. They might have survived at least. Unfortunately, they had refused his magnanimity, so he had to kill them. He could not let the house be ridiculed, its reputation must be upheld.

"Yes, Your Grace," Doboff answered, "Most mercenaries gather in Twinmount Town. Many form parties and settle in the duchy. Most choose the life because they lust for adventure and abhor servitude. Some are retired soldiers, many of whom served the house. They are more skilled with the sword than the sickle, so they become mercenaries; they dream of becoming finding a great treasure and becoming rich overnight.

"Foreign mercenaries have to register for licenses to enter the wilds and sell their catches. Some go to hunt, some to gather, some to peddle wares to the barbarians."

Charade looked at the thick stack of documents.

"We have registered three thousand seven hundred and sixty three and more than sixty parties to date. The small ones tend to be around ten strong and the largest around a hundred. Crimsonflame is considered one of the strongest eight.

"Two-thirds of the mercenaries are foreigners. Some of our retired soldiers occasionally tag along without a permit."

"Chief Kriston," Lorist called, "Are these mercenaries doing anything illegal? How frequent are conflicts between them and my subjects and how are they settled?"

"Conflict is infrequent," Kriston explained, "Normally, the settlements are not in favor of the mercenaries. The towns and villages' garrisons do not like them. They keep a really close eye on them when they're in town.

"Our garrisons are mostly well-trained and seasoned veterans from the army. The house is also famous for its strict handling of any offenses, so the mercenaries are very careful not to step out of line.

"Such conflicts are usually dealt with as civil security issues. Even when the garrisons step in on occasion, they generally hand things over to the local officers. It's rare for cases to be concluded in the mercenaries' favor. They never break the law with their rulings, but they definitely favor your subjects."

Lorist nodded.

"We may have solved the current predicament, but it's clear there is a greater threat. We have failed to oversee and regulate the mercenaries. You three will come up with a solution. Find an effective way to manage the mercenaries."

" Will you start an organization similar to the mercenary guild, Your Grace?" asked Charade, shocked.

Lorist chortled.

"Yes and no. You and I have had some dealings with the mercenary guild in Morante. Though it acts as an intermediary that provides services to mercenaries, it is more like a business that tries to make money off them. The organization I envision will harness their strengths and fight for their rights. We both used to be mercenaries, we understand their pains, let's offer help wherever we can.

"For example, in the future, conflicts between mercenaries and our subjects will be dealt with by this organization. Take, for instance, this incident involving Crimsonflame. Instead of taking matters into their own hands, they should be able to lodge a complaint with the organization and have their case resolved through them instead. Publish a notice that only those who register with the organization may work as a mercenary. It is illegal to work without registering. Non-compliers will be sentenced to three months' unpaid labor.

"Also, any request made by guilds or individuals have to be handled via the organization. House Norton will not be involved in resolving any disputes. I couldn't care less if mercenaries are killed because they took matters into their own hands rather than work through the organization.

"Figure out how this organization has to work. After you create it, appoint Supervisor Doboff as its manager under Charade. Kriston, you will also handle its judicial elements. You have to be fair and unbiased. Don't let either party's relation to us, or lack thereof, influence your judgment.

"I must stress that they work as an extension of the house. All mercenaries must answer any calls we put out in emergencies."

"Understood, Your Grace."

...

Ten days later, the mercenary organization's formation was announced. It was to be called the Assembly of Free Mercenaries, colloquially known as the Assembly. Its headquarters stood in Northsea, with a branch in Twinmount Town. Doboff acted as its chairman, with Kriston its chief enforcer.

Blademaster Shuss arrived on the same day. Lorist couldn't be bothered with a banquet; instead, he dragged him to the training hall for a duel as soon as he set foot in the castle. The two fought for who knew how long.

The fight finally ended when Shuss could go no further.

"A rank 2… blademaster… like me… is a child.. compared to.. Your grace… I couldn't attack… at all..." the blademaster gasped.

"Your swordsmanship improved a lot," Lorist consoled, "You relied on courage and savagery before you broke through. But now your killing intent is hidden and makes you even harder to deal with. I fought Duke Fisablen but even he was not as imposing as you. A fight between you two will be a draw at worst."

Shuss calmed his breathing.

"Can you deploy your Slaughter Domain, Your Grace? I wish to experience it for myself. Word of your domain has spread throughout your dominion after the hostage incident. Count Lower keeps telling everyone you're a swordsaint. He said you enveloped them in a blood-red world. He blinked, and everything was back to normal, save all the mercenaries being dead."

Lorist's lips curled into a troubled smile. He had used his Slaughter Domain to rescue Count Lower and his family. He couldn't help but enveloping them with it when he acted. It appeared the count had blabbed about it to his friends. Lorist could have explained it as a hallucination if the count were the only one who'd experienced it, but his wife and children, and the two servants, had as well. Sharp ears heard the rumors and sharp minds guessed at his true strength.

Tarkel had rushed over to ask him about the blood world.

"Why do you ask?" he'd replied.

"I'm going to publicize it, of course!" the man had answered, "The more impressive Your Grace's reputation, the more stable the house. The nobles who sided with us will also feel safer and our subjects will be even more loyal."

Lorist didn't think Shuss would want to experience it as well.

"Alright," he surrendered.

Shuss took up a defensive stance.

"Ready, Your Grace."

A gust of wind slapped Shuss across the face. He closed his eyes for a moment. When they opened again the world around him was crimson. It almost felt like he was standing in the middle of an old, arcane temple. He had done his best to prepare, but he was still overwhelmed and unnerved. His mind didn't dull, but his body was heavy and unresponsive. The world vanished just as he prepared to try to move. His gaze returned to where his lord had been standing before it all started, only to feel a cold line across his throat. His lord's sword was pressed against his throat.

He dropped his sword, his expression somewhere between depression and despair.

"Is this... the domain? It's too weird... It ended before I could react..."

Lorist returned his sword to its scabbard.

"I don't know if it's a domain or not. I can keep it up for a few minutes at best. My body can't handle any more. I don't know if a swordsaint's domain is supposed to be like this. It's not like there are swordsaints lying around I can ask. I named it my Slaughter Domain because it's the most accurate way I can describe it."

"This is definitely a domain," Shuss said as he plopped his rear on the ground, "I've heard a few slave instructors talk about swordsaint domains. One had personally experienced one. He said Jigda's firesoar swordsaint demonstrated it once. He said it was like his body was dumped in an oven and the entire world was burning. He was so frightened he pissed himself."

"So the firesoar swordsaint's domain has the fire element, right?"

Don't tell me my Slaughter Domain is thanks to my battleforce's blood attribute...

"Yes. His battleforce attribute is fire," Shuss affirmed as stumbled to his feet, "I didn't think Your Grace had become a swordsaint at such a young age. Grindia has never seen such a young swordsaint. This is definitely an occasion worth celebrating!"

Lorist waved Shuss's comments away.

"It's nothing worth bragging about. Keep it a secret for me. I don't want unnecessary chaos. Everyone is just guessing right now, all hell will break loose if you give them certainty. Keep this to yourself. I don't want lines of people begging me on their knees to be my disciples."

Shuss nodded.

"I understand. But please share some pointers with me from time to time, Your Grace."

"Of course. You're one of my people. I'm confident you'll become a swordsaint too, in good time."

...

On the 10th of the 7th, Lorist brought Sylvia, his concubines, and his children to Delamock for a survey and accepted Kenmays's invitation to the party in Sidgler.

After touring Delamock, he stayed at the Dina barony for ten days. He suffered greatly at the hands of his wife and his lover, both wrapt with jealousy. He snapped when his attempts and appeasing them failed and rammed them into the bed for a whole evening.

They arrived at Platinum Beath on the 12th of the 8th. Kenmays organized a grand banquet. There were many familiar faces in attendance. Dukes Handra, Shabaj, and Fisablen were just a few of the names.

"Everyone," Kenmays toasted, "let's eat and drink and make merry!"

Platinum Beach

"The beach, like the balcony, has become such a cliché in modern writing. It is so ubiquitous it is easy to forget it all began with the scandalous Duke Kenmays and his love of partially unveiled female figures." ~ excerpt from a lecture by Nico Kendra on modern literary trends at the Nico Academy.

Sunlight danced on the azure waters. Fine white sand glimmered golden on the beach. Platinum Beach lived up to its reputation.

The near hundred nobles and their families present were having fun on the beach and playing along in the water. This was a fresh experience for Duke Fisablen and the three dukes from the plains, it was a fresh experience. They had never played on a beach before. They'd seen the sea, sure, but this was their first time soaking in its water. The bravest among them even tasted its salty riches before spitting it out to a chorus of laughter.

Many clean silks cast patches of shade across the beach. Washrooms and changing rooms dotted the gentle curve of the bay every hundred meters or so. At the peak of the arch several pavilion-like canopies hosted nobles resting out of the sun. Lorist lay sprawled over a footless rattan rocking chair under one such canopy. He dabbled in various delicacies; fruits, nuts, juices and wines. As he lazed — a king of the world he saw — the cool, moist breeze obediently wafting in over the waves, servants danced around him like fairies, refilling the plates and trays silently.

He was joined by Kenmays, filling his stomach with a bottle of fruit wine. The duke clasped a palmful of sand, which he lt flow between his fingers.

"People used to think the sand his gold," he said.

"I can imagine," Lorist replied, his gaze still lazily wandering over the figures dancing in the waves.

"They tried to refine gold, to no avail. Complete idiots, don't you think?

"Depends…"

"True, they weren't wrong. Platinum Beach is a gold mine, they just had no idea how to mine it. This spot, right here, is the most enchanting sight in the entire Cursed Coast. It's not a mine you empty of its riches, it's a mine you let others come and fill for you. I've invested nearly two million gold Fordes to get it to where it is now. Any suggestion on how I could improve it further?"

Lorist leaned back in his rocker until his headrest pressed against the sand beneath and closed his eyes.

"There is nothing to improve with the accommodations. The castles, palaces and mansions are perfect. The food has great quality too, but it lacks character. This is the same food you can get in the capital, or with some effort and money, even in The Northlands. Your food should be as unique as this beach. A fish dish that can be made only with what grows and lives here naturally will add to the experience and, if it is good enough, might become a draw in its own right.

"It's also a hassle to get to the beach. Make it easier for nobles to get from their accommodations down to the sea. A mode of transport that will also allow them to enjoy the sites along the way. Replace your dingy carriage with open ones. If you have to, give them a silk cloth canopy. Covered walkways that lead to the beach will also be good. Maybe decorated with grapevine canopies? Souvenir shops would be good as well. Let people take something from here with them to keep reminding them of it and make them want to come back.

"You also only cater to the lords. Most, like me, bring their families along, do something to entertain them as well. On top of that, the lords have fiefs to govern, they don't have a lot of time on their hands, but their families do. Take me as an example. I hardly even have to time to see my family, much less disappear with them for a month or two. Sylvia, however… They can come here for several months every year."

Lorist pointed at his large household as he spoke. They were dancing on the edge of the water and playing in the sand. Even his three-year-old son, Anderbael, was joining in. Dilianna watched on as her seven-year-old Waldbeck lead his half-brother around to catch crabs and play with things they spot along the way. Her gaze lingered on the pair for a few moments before it turned to Lorist's other concubines piningly.

"You don't have anything here to make things entertaining and enjoyable for them. Build playgrounds for the children, or slides and other rides in the beach's shallow areas. I heard from some of the locals that certain sea creatures like dolphins are numerous a little further out to sea and often play with fishermen and swimmers. You could organise trips out to go see them or even raise a few here. You should also build a jetty and a hand railing into the deeper waters."

"Why would I build that?"

"Are you stupid? Did you not notice many of the people here play in the shallows but never go into the sea? Most of them come from inland, many haven't seen the ocean like this before. The open blue awes them and scares them at the same time. Many can't swim but don't want to learn. If you make a jetty they can experience the feeling of the open sea around them without being in the water. And the hand railing will give people the confidence to go deeper into the sea without needing to swim; they can just hold on to the railing."

Kenmays's face reddened. He had thought he'd thought of everything, but Lorist easily pointed out a dozen things he'd missed.

"I'll work on it immediately. Anything else?"

Lorist motioned at the maidservants with his eyes. "Isn't their clothing a little odd?"

"Huh? I don't think so. It's standard servant clothing. Is it not sexy enough?"

"Oh? Are you interested? You don't have to hold back. I can have curtains put up quickly."

"Screw you!" Lorist grabbed a strawberry and flung it at Kenmays's head, "I'm not a dog in heat like you! This is serious business talk. Yes they're wearing standard uniforms, but it's inappropriate for the setting. The guests wear only shorts or undergarments. Some of the kids are even naked. The whole atmosphere is one of relaxation and unrestrained play and enjoyment. The servants destroy that atmosphere with their formal clothes."

"You're right," Kenmays agreed, wiping the strawberry juice off his nose, "We're not hosting a formal occasion like a ball. We can have them walk around naked. I'm sure it'll draw even more people—"

"Fool! Are you trying to start another Paradise Gathering? I literally just told you to stop catering to the men only! Just let them dress more casually so they help create the relaxing, playful atmosphere you're going for here. They could even be a part of the attraction."

"But... but how can I make the maidservants into attractions?" Kenmays said in deep thought, "Maybe let them wear clothes made of only thin veils? I remember the servant at Princess Carey's Paradise Gathering used to dress like that..."

"Give me a beastskin and a pencil!" Lorist barked, his patience running thin with his perverse companion.

He sketched a few simple designs; one-pieces, bikinis, half-n-halfs and so on. Kenmays's eyes lit up as he saw the designs take shape.

"Wonderful! I never thought covering up could be more sexy than revealing! I never new you had a talent for clothing design! You learn something new every day..."

"I'll have the tailors rush these out as quickly as possible."

Lorist didn't know how to react.

"...Make a few with the same kind of cloth for the maidservants. As for the nobles' wives, they are more conservative, so just use silk to make the last one-piece design that only exposes their calves and arms so it'll be easier to play in the water. Best make the embroidery and patterns different too."

Kenmays snatched the beastskin and rushed off. He stumbled to a halt halfway out of the pavilion.

"What should I call these?" he asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Kenmays bathing suits."

I'll let him take credit for this. I don't have the energy to deal with the commotion this'll cause. He already has a reputation as a scandal and a flirt, it makes sense he'd come up with something like this...

Grindia's first bikinis made their appearance the next morning. It cause quite the commotion among the nobles. The lords couldn't help but stare lustfully at the bashful, semi-covered maidservants. If not for their families' presence, they'd have turned the entire beach into a Paradise Gathering. Lorist struggled to hold his laughter as he watched the scene unfold. He didn't fail to enjoy the alluring figures now unveiled on the beach either.

'This,' he concluded, 'was the way to spend a summer.'

He had several duels with his laughter on the way back to his castle when he saw a number of lords walking around awkwardly, bruised and beaten. He had hidden his admiration well so he didn't suffer at his wife's hands as much as those nobles. He did not come away unscathed, however. Sylvia stuck to him like wet clothing, she didn't even let the maidservants serve him.

His lovers finally mustered their courage on the second day to wear the new suits. They weren't bold enough for the bikinis, though, they settled for one-pieces. They were not the only ones. Most of the other nobles' wives were also wearing the bathing suits. The most daring chose suits that revealed arms and even, almost scandalously, thighs.

That's what a beach should look like! Lorist shouted silently. His wife and concubines had tortured him the previous night. His vitality was non-existent today, so the scene he currently witnessed was a welcome recharge.

"Your Grace, Your Grace! Wake up!"

"What's wrong?"

"His Majesty is about to arrive. Duke Kenmays wishes you join him for the reception."

"Huh? I thought His Majesty said he didn't have time for such frivolity?" Lorist crawled up and rubbed his face.

He secretly gazed amorously at the ill-covered servant. Her face, which she did her best to hide, was as red as strawberries.

"Lead the way."

The two dukes awaited the king's arrival in the palace garden. Dukes Fisablen, Shazin, Felim, Forund, Handra, and Shabaj accompanied them along with two dozen marquises and counts. Lorist hadn't dressed formally like the rest. The weather was just too hot, he had no intention of sweating on his vacation. He just threw on some dry shorts, wrapped a towel around his shoulders, and stood with two sandals on his feet. His attire drew countless awkward stares.

His grandfather-in-law, who stood next to him, couldn't stop gaping at him secretly.

"What are you looking at?" Lorist asked.

"Don't you think this is a little too impolite? He's our king. You have to show him at least some respect."

"It's not like I asked him to come. I came here to enjoy myself, not to stand in the sun and wait for him. Don't come here if you want to talk about the kingdom's affairs! Sheesh, can't you guys let me enjoy my vacation in peace?"

The old man couldn't help but laugh.

"For once, you make sense. I cannot argue."

The duke was still trying to recover his composure when the trotting of horses echoed into the garden. Auguslo strode in atop his horse accompanied by Kenmays and his guards.

He stopped his approach halfway and stared at Lorist.

"Locke, what's going on?"

"We're here to enjoy our vacation, Your Majesty. What else would you wear on the beach? We will return to the beach after receiving you anyway, so we might as well spare our clothes."

"This..."

Auguslo's words faded into laughter as he tried to reply. He dismounted and gave Lorist a hug. He tossed his cloak aside and stripped to his underpants.

"What are you doing, Your Majesty?!" everyone shouted, their jaws paving the ground.

"Locke's right. It's only natural to wear less when you are on vacation. Duke Kenmays, bring me some slippers and a towel," chirped Auguslo.

"Immediately, Your Majesty."

The other nobles didn't hold back either. Soon clothes littered the garden and things started looking like a Paradise Gathering after all.

"Come, Brother Locke, show me around. I haven't had a chance to visit yet despite this place's fame."

Auguslo acted really familiar with Lorist, like they were real brothers. The other lords gazed at the pair enviously.

What was that saying again? When someone is being polite, they have a favor to ask. I wonder what in the world Auguslo is planning this time, Lorist sighed.

Refusal

"Throw war to the dogs, I'll none of it!" ~ Norton Lorist

"Whoa..."

The bikini-wearing maidservants shocked even the usually steady Auguslo. His gaze wandered to Lorist.

"I finally understand why you didn't want to wear those gaudy robes... Stripping is very troublesome, yes?"

Lorist did not expect the king to say that.

"This is Platinum Beach, they are House Kenmays maidservants. Are you okay doing the deed in front of so many even if the servants are willing."

Auguslo shrugged.

"You can find a way. The tents around the beach must be your lodging, correct? They are most alluring in their current garb. They match the scenery perfectly."

Auguslo was a few centimeters taller than Lorist. The two had the same fit figure. However, compared to the scar-ridden duke, the king's handsomeness and fair unmarred skin caught the maidservants' attention far more effectively. When they learned of his identity, they stepped forward to serve him with fire in their eyes. They flirted with everything they did, whether it was walking, replacing a tray, or filling a glance. It was quite likely that, if not for the many guests, they would have dragged him to a nearby tent themselves.

Auguslo didn't try to resist or object either. Lorist just sat, giggles swallowed, watching the play. Since Auguslo had said they were here to have fun, they did as they pleased. Only Lorist stayed to accompany him. No noble worth his wit would step in and interrupt the two most powerful men in the kingdom. Perhaps they were discussing something paramount.

Lorist dismissed the servants when they were done.

"Locke, do you really like to see me make a fool of myself?"

"I don't. You are the king. The servants don't meet someone of your stature often. Their enthusiasm is understandable. Besides, it didn't look like you were objecting much. I can't match your fair skin, anyway. My hard life has left me scar-ridden, so it's only natural that they have more enthusiasm for you than me."

"Haha, you like to joke, don't you?" Auguslo laughed dryly a couple of times, "Oh, I heard House Norton lent Duke Forund seven million gold Fordes to develop Yungechandler. The term is ten years and ten million gold Fordes will have to be repaid?"

"Yes. I must apologize in advance if Your Majesty would like to borrow money as well. This loan took up most of our funds. We will not have any money to lend until this current loan is repaid."

Lorist wasn't the least surprised Auguslo got wind of this deal.

"That can't be. Seven million is enough to dry up your treasury? I could have offered to double your loan in ten years."

"Don't make these kinds of jokes, Your Majesty. I'm sure you understand I'd never lend you money, even if you are the king."

"Why not?"

"Duke Forund borrowed money to develop the economy of his dominion and improve the lives of his subjects. In ten years, our products will have a market in a developed province. If I lend money to you, you'd use it for war. It's a massive risk. You might break even if you win, but I lose everything if you don't. Duke Kenmays did tell me we could double our loan in three years if you win, but the risk is just too great.

"Business, too, is war. While there are many that can imagine its profits, most either can't or won't think about the risk of failing. Take the merchants and nobles who invested blindly into the factories in my dominion. Many suffered heavy losses and three even committed suicide because of their debts. THat's why Duke Kenmays only resells materials

"Sometimes, when there are too many products, they will cause economic disaster. That is why I am willing to spend ten years to build up a market. We want another outlet to sell our products. The money we loan will go towards this goal. It is a safe investment. We're not even giving them much of the money immediately. They're getting it in steady installments over several years."

"Fine. Please don't lecture economics now. I was just bringing it up casually. I won't really borrow any money. I know you won't give me any face, I won't bother to ask. You are the man that brings me the most sleepless nights, but I cannot help but admire your single-minded dedication to developing your fiefs. I must admit not even a king can match you in that regard."

"You praise me too highly, Your Majesty."

" But... do you really think so badly of my efforts? You know what I'm talking about. Be frank."

Lorist shook his head.

"The Union is now very powerful, they're a match even for the Empire during its heyday. The difference between the kingdom and the Union of today is no different from the Union as it was compared to the Empire a century ago. We cannot match them, Your Majesty. You have received up-to-date reports from the Union, yes?"

Auguslo

"Even you must be surprised by their war with the coalition's outcome. The four year war didn't just not bring them to their knees, they came out victorious. They almost doubled their strength and have a new ally of about equal strength. The most important thing, however, is they forced the trade routes open again. Their economy is back on track and their coffers filling up once more.

"They have the windstorm swordsaint and nearly a hundred blademasters now. Andinaq had less than twenty blademasters by comparison and no swordsaints.

"Each of the seven main guild shave their own armies and they've been trained into elites in this war. The smaller guilds are weaker, but together they still contribute 300 thousand men. All-in-all the Union has at least half a million soldiers.

"Even with years of preparation you've only gathered 300 thousand, and they're nowhere near as well-trained as their Union counterparts. If you threw in every garrison under your command in the kingdom, you'll only match them. If myself and the other dukes join in, you have 800 thousand. But they can't match the Union's experienced troops.

"At best we'll be on par. But it's more likely that, even with a 300 thousand lead, we'll be fighting uphill. On top of that you have to remember that the Union has vast stretches of developed land with a strong economy, our lands — save The Northlands — have been ravaged by war and can't support a prolonged war. You need at least a decade of focused development to fix that."

Auguslo's resolve wavered, though only momentarily.

"No, Locke, you're wrong. Now is the best time to strike. I cannot miss this. We might catch up to where the Union is now in ten years of development, but they will have continued to strengthen as well. The gap will only get wider. I must use this chance to take back our provinces and restore the empire!"

"Oh? Best time?"

"The Union will continue to view us as an enemy, a threat, even if we make no moves to take back our land."

Auguslo's words were true. The Empire had shattered into three kingdoms and numerous duchies and had no official heir, but the Union always held more suspicion and caution for Andinaq than the other splinters. Trade embargos were everywhere. Auguslo was also incredibly hostile towards the Union.

"You know the situation in that part of the continent. The fighting has stopped, but a true end to the war is still not certain. Until negotiations finish, the majority of the Union's forces will be in Chikdor lands, thousands of kilometers away from the Union proper. Three of the Union's four main legions will return and strengthen their borders with us."

"It's simple. When Andinaq wiped out the four central duchies, Madras, and Iblia, the Union's trade routes there were cut off. They will try to force us to open the trade routes. You know my temperament, do you think I will yield? This is not a war we can avoid, and now is the best time to strike.

"Even if I were willing to open the trade routes, it would have to be to a fair deal, and we both know they would never give us that. Certainly not now that they think they are so powerful."

Lorist had to admit that Auguslo spoke sense. It seemed the king was not as blind as he had first thought. The question was why House Norton should participate in this war. Sacrificing his subjects for the king's ambition was foolish. The king could offer him nothing to make it worth his while. There was no rank above duke that was not king, so there could be no promotions. And praise was far from enough.

"I'll admit you have good reasoning behind your decision, but I will have no part in this war. My ambitions do not stretch beyond my borders as yours do. My oath is to ensure a good and peaceful life for my subjects. I have lived by this oath from the moment I set my first foot on the road back home from Morante and I will not break it now. I will live in peace with my wife and watch my children grow up.

"Even if you manage to convince my allies to take up arms, mine will stay in the armory. I remain convinced this war holds no benefits for the kingdom. Of course, if we are attacked I will defend the kingdom, but I will not march beyond its borders. It is unwise to start a fight we cannot win."

The king was severely displeased. Luckily no one had heard this refusal, so his reputation was not harmed. He had prepared himself for this as well. He knew the duke was not easily persuaded. A smile returned to his face naturally.

"We came here to have fun, so let us not spoil the mood with serious talk. Come, let us drink some more. I heard you swim pretty well. Care to teach me?"

"I'm glad to be of service."

Auguslo was really busy in the following days tending the other nobles. This was supposed to be a vacation, but Lorist felt the atmosphere slowly stale. Even the nobles' families slowly lost their relaxed moods. A few nobles packed and returned home. Their grim expression betrayed the thoughts on everyone's minds: war was on the horizon.

Lorist was quite curious. The 9th month was on them. Rallying the army would take at least two months. It would be well into winter before they could do anything.

Don't tell me Auguslo is planning to start the war in mid-winter? Surely not. Even if he purchased all the beastskins from me to make winter clothing, he can only make 30 thousand sets at best. Going against the Union with just that is suicide.

Kenmays, Felim, and Shazin came to visit him. He could tell they'd come to an agreement with Auguslo.

"I will not discuss the war. I already refused the king directly. I will not listen to news of the war either. I will not take part and that's final."

Lorist's Considerations

"There is a point at which determination becomes foolhardiness, where the stubborn become the stupid and the determined the reckless. I'm not too sure on which side Auguslo sits." ~ Norton Lorist

Though it was late, Lorist couldn't fall asleep. He lay on the inclined chairs under the grapevine and let the silvery moonlight shine through the leaves and dance on his skin.

Why am I not willing to deploy troops? Lorist thought, Because I am thinking about the house's future. I admit Auguslo is talented and has a good eye. He can see things clearly and grasp opportunities as they come. But...

Auguslo was determined to take the provinces while the Union's army was held up in Chikdor's territory before the war formally ended and they returned. The Union couldn't turn their forces and march them north while the accords were still unsigned in the south. The only thing preventing open war from breaking out again was their presence in the region. If that went away, the remaining coalition members would lash out. Under these circumstances, the Union had no choice but to negotiate with the king.

While Auguslo sounded audacious, he wasn't prepared to take back the provinces that had joined the Union of their own accord, such as Lormo. He couldn't go too far since he was relying on the Union's willingness to negotiate. If he insulted them too much, and they decided to duke it out, he would lose.

As Lorist had said, the Union wasn't the small merchant state it had been during its war with the empire. It was now a superpower that stood near the peak on the continent. It had rich and developed land while Andinaq was barely anything more than a barren wasteland. The kingdom inherited the empire's legacy, but not its power.

This moment when the Union was distracted was a great opportunity. It was a moment that would vanish the instant the Union signed the accords with Jigda and the coalition. He would instead enjoy the Union's full attention and lose his last hope of re-establishing the empire.

The empire' first prince broke the empire when he rebelled. His entire kingdom, spanning Kanbona, Bodolger, and Anderwoff was now under Union occupation. Bodolger, which boasted a huge mining industry, was now Wessia's territory. The lands bordering Andinaq in the north of the kingdom had also been turned into the puppet duchy Zitram.

Coupled with the two provinces in Lormo that joined the Union, the state occupied five of the empire's old provinces. The king's ambitions would never be fulfilled until they were retaken. While Lormo was a difficult goal, the three provinces occupied by the Union weren't, so he had to, at the very least, get them.

He planned to take the two provinces by force, then fortify the border with Lormo and annex the duchy in the peace negotiations. If he could do this, he would have restored the empire. He could then reform the empire proper, make his family the imperial family again and write his name in the history books as the second founder of the empire.

His plan sounded sound, but nothing was certain. Things could easily go just bad as they could good. Lorist admitted the plan would catch the Union of guard and the minimum goals of taking the three provinces would likely be achieved, but the negotiations thereafter were likely to either fall apart completely or end with far fewer benefits than the king hoped for. Even if Auguslo agreed to reopen the trade routes, the Union would not agree to give up Lormo. He might not even manage to get them to the negotiation table. The Union knew they were far more capable of fighting a drawn out war than Andinaq, even better if it was a war fought with stares and standing armies rather than battles. Their economy could soak up the losses, Andinaq's couldn't.

He had advised the king against this several times. The best scenario was that they negotiated and came to a compromise that led to peace but disappointed Auguslo. The bad outcome was that the Union simply sat across from the border and waited for Andinaq to collapse under the costs of maintaining such a massive army. But the worst case was that they retaliated with force. There was no way they wouldn't deploy their swordsaint if they did, and Andinaq had nothing to counter.

Auguslo was convinced the swordsaint wouldn't go to the front, especially not to target him. He was protected by thousands of veteran soldiers! He believed that, even if he did come out, he would just die eventually.

The king had convinced Kenmays to deploy his troops by promising to make the salt merchant committee the empire's sole business partner. They would be the only guild officially endorsed and supported by the empire and the imperial family. They would get first pick of any business or contract the empire had to offer.

The king promised Felim migrants, financial aid, and tax rebates and exemptions to get him to agree to join the campaign. It helped that Felim was a knight at heart, not a lord. He lived for war and pillaging, not management and careful governing.

Shazin also used to be a knight. Though he was a duke, he governed a piece of land the size of a county. He was still want for a proper duchy. Auguslo gave him written oath that, should he provide his forces, and Auguslo succeed in establishing the empire again, he would get Kribia, the province he had wanted all along. The king's oath and letter of guarantee, the poor fool was roped in yet again.

Auguslo might have thought the three houses would convince Lorist to join, but he would not even listen to their appeals. There was nothing he needed from the king, nor anything the king could offer. The only way he could go from where he was independence, but Auguslo would never agree. He would march every two-legged man in the kingdom on the duchy before he would accept a declaration of independence. Lorist wasn't afraid of fighting him if it came to it, he would win without a doubt, he just had no interest in being called a traitor.

Duke Forund had visited him earlier. He told him he had agreed to deploy his men. The king had promised to return his original duchy to him once the empire was reformed. The land there contained two hundred years of his family's roots, they had built the Summer Palace, even his family mausoleum stood there, he would do anything to get it back.

This through their previous agreement down the drain. The duke wouldn't hold on to Yungechandler as well as his old territory, he would be trading it in. Auguslo would get the province back, and he would not abide by the agreement between the two dukes. The investments made thus far were worthless to the house now, there was no reason to keep throwing money down the drain.

The duke didn't want everything to be canceled, however. He didn't know if the war would end well for the kingdom, and, in that case, he wished to resume the programme. Lorist assured him he was willing to only put the programme on hold and not cancel it outright. The duke was incredibly grateful. He told Lorist that the same offer had been made to Madras, who agreed immediately.

Among the four dukes, Houses Forund, Handra, and Farkel were the first nobles entitled by the founding emperor, Krissen I. Their houses made countless contributions, gradually raising their titles to that of duke despite being only low nobles at first. It was easy to see why they were so sentimental about their territories. Auguslo's move made them willing to serve him despite their animosity. Lorist was surprised, impressed, and slightly concerned. It was never a good thing to have a competent rival.

As for Shabaj, his house was moved to their former lands by Krissen VI and weren't as attached to it. Additionally, it was obvious how badly Jigzai was treated by the alliance and Fisablen. They didn't feel like going back to clean up the mess. Auguslo instead offered them Bodolger. As he shared the same fate as Duke Handra, the duke made peace with Auguslo and agreed to mobilize his forces.

Currently, apart from Duke Fisablen — whose conditions were still unknown — only Lorist had not jumped on the bandwagon. He counted six dukes with 280 thousand men and Auguslo's own 500 thousand made 800 thousand already. If Fisablen joined them Auguslo might have up to a million men.

No wonder the king was so confident. It wasn't impossible that the Union would be wary of a war against a million men and be willing to negotiate. It was far from certain, or even likely, though. And if they decided to continue the war, the million-strong army would bleed the kingdom dry in two years at most. Even if they did agree to negotiate, if the negotiations weren't completed within two years, Auguslo would still run dry and have to agree to whatever was on the table at the time.

Auguslo's decision shocked everyone who heard about it. Luckily there wasn't the added shock of Lorist participating. The primary reason for his decision to stay out of the war wasn't that he thought it would likely end badly, though he did think that, it was that he knew he would be next. Auguslo would never settle for having a duke that could rival him in his kingdom. He would turn on Lorist the moment the war ended and not stop either outright conflict or sabotage and subterfuge until he felt the duke was sufficiently suppressed and obedient.

Lorist actually hoped the campaign was a massive failure. A successful conclusion to the war would signal the start of a protracted cold war, possible even a hot one, between him and the king. But, regardless of his disdain for the reckless man, he had to respect his blind determination to his ambitions.

'Where there's a will, there's a way; the beast that lies in waiting will eventually catch its prey. The heavens won't disappoint hard workers; even a desperate rat can swallow a cat.' Lorist's grandfather from his previous life used to quote these often. 'Always study hard…', 'Always aim high…'. Auguslo must have been one of his cousins from his previous life, he epitomized his grandfather's teachings. He stood up from one failure after another unwaveringly and always continued to walk on the path he drew for himself. There was a certain point, however, at which determination became foolishness. Lorist wasn't sure on which side of that point the king stood.

Having a rival like Auguslo is troublesome...

As his liege, he had learned from his lessons. He had a good grasp of his vassal's temperament and stopped at the right point whenever things were getting uncomfortable. They appeared amiable, even close, on the surface, but they both knew how guarded each was against the other.

Take the king's move on Duke Forund. He appeared to not mind Lorist refusing to join the war, but went and vaporized Lorist's agreement with the duke. It was clearly a show of force. The king could have used any number of conditions to get the duke to participate, but he just to happen to choose the one that screwed Lorist over.

Lorist would not participate no matter what the king offered because the latter could offer nothing short of independence that was worth anything. But he knew how stubborn the man was. He would not let Lorist sit by idly. The only reason he hadn't made his move yet was because he was still trying to find out how he could rope him in.

Lorist got up and went for a walk, feeling the onset of a headache. Half an hour in a light breeze blew by and Lorist stopped dead in his tracks.

"Who's there?! Come out!"

Jinolio, who stood beside him, drew his sword and stepped in front of his lord. A figure appeared from the man-made hill further ahead.

"It's me," Duke Fisablen's voice echoed down the hill.

Secret Plot

"Conspiracies are the life-blood of nobility and the fairy tales of peasantry." ~ Unknown

Duke Fisablen revealed himself to the pair. He stood clad in a nightgown and slippers. Had no weapon. It looked like he two had just gotten out of bed to take a stroll.

Lorist patted Jinolio's shoulder.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"Haha, I couldn't sleep. I decided to come out for a walk. The moon is beautiful tonight. I wandered over without realizing," the duke answered sincerely.

Lorist pouted slightly and glared at the duke oddly.

Who are you kidding, old man? Your villa is three buildings away. You're telling me you wondered by three buildings to my particular garden by happenstance, without noticing? And did so whilst avoiding my guards? Is this your idea of a casual walk? It's blindingly obvious you want to talk to me in secret.

"Let's head to the study."

Jinolio looked like a brute, but actually had quite sharp senses and a strong wit. He entered the study first and lit the candles before closing the curtains.

"Does Your Grace need anything else?"

"Bring us food… and a few bottles of wine from the cellar. You may rest thereafter, it's getting late," said Lorist.

Jinolio acknowledged and left. Duke Fisablen looked around awe-filled.

"Duke Kenmays is more respectful to you than he is to His Majesty. Apart from giving you the best villa, he even hid all the fine wine in the cellar. He made His Majesty stay in an inferior residence instead..."

Auguslo arrived unannounced a few days earlier. Normally, the most lavish residence should be offered to him. But because he came without informing anyone, Lorist had already occupied the best villa. Kenmays didn't bring it up and instead gave his personal villa to the king. Everyone was expecting a commotion but was left speechless. Nobody dared to get Lorist to move out for Auguslo, nor did the latter mind it. He told the other nobles that since he came late as a passing guest, there was nothing he could complain about since Kenmays had moved out of his own villa on his behalf.

Everyone knew Lorist wouldn't refuse to move out of his villa if asked, but would leave for The Northlands when he did. Auguslo could not let him do this, since his plot would not have time to be put into motion if that happened.

"Do you know how many bottles of wine Kenmays drank and pilfered from my place? It can't compare to how many you took, but it was at least half as much."

He offered the duke a seat, which the latter accepted. He'd interacted with the duke a few times now and knew that, despite being a rank 3 blademaster, he was a lustful alcoholic. He didn't know how he became a blademaster. He was just like Kenmays. He couldn't go into Lorist's study to drink there, but had his own ways. He would disappear sometime during the final night of the new year's celebrations and be found near the cellar.

Lorist hadn't bought his collection. They were spoils of war. Most were from his conquest of Hanayabarta. He'd brought back ten thousand bottles. He had wanted to split it with his men, but Charade wouldn't let him. Even the cheapest wine was several gold Fordes per bottle; the most expensive could go for upwards of three thousand.

In the years since, between the celebrations and Lorist's normal consumption, there weren't many left. And the last couple of years Fisablen had stolen a good portion of what there still was… He would steal at least three bottles every day while he was present.

Three hundred bottles went missing every time he visited. Spiel, who was responsible for keeping an inventory of the cellar, cursed the bastard to hell and back every time.

"Why are you here in the middle of the night?" asked Lorist as he pulled up a chair.

"Nothing, I was really just taking a walk."

"Do you think I'm gullible?"

Fisablen slumped into the couch.

"I had nothing serious in mind. I just wanted to ask why you won't take part in the war."

"Do you even have to ask that? Why would I send my men to die for the king? He gave you guys great deals, sure, but what has he offered me? He can't offer me riches, he's poorer than me. He can't offer me a promotion, I'm just one step below him. And he will never offer me more land, not even in his testament. I will not accept talk of 'restoring the empire' and 'building honor through contributions'. I will not send my men to their deaths in a war that does not concern them."

"I see. You make sense," agreed the duke.

This was the keystone of any and every noble decision — benefits. Relations were only sour when there were conflicts of interest. Even if an exchange promised benefit, they would carefully weigh everything up, even if the other guy was their brother or father or son. People who honestly believed in loyalty and generosity were known as fools.

"What did His Majesty offer you?"

"I haven't agreed to mobilize," replied Fisablen.

"What?! Why not?"

Fisablen, whom Lorist thought would be the first to answer Auguslo's call, actually hadn't agreed to mobilize. Lorist's curiosity was piqued.

"I told His Majesty that if you don't deploy, neither can I. We've always considered each other great rivals. How can I leave my home unguarded if all your forces are sitting on our border?"

"You… Pops, I am being roasted already. And now you're using me as a frying pan?!"

The duke hadn't refused because he honestly believed he couldn't leave his demesne open to Lorist. He obviously didn't like the conditions and Lorist's refusal was just a good excuse.

"Well played. Then again, do you think His Majesty will believe you?"

"I don't know. I know I do."

Lorist gave the old man a thumbs up.

"Old Man, you're far too shameless. You've been coming to the new year's celebration and stealing my wine. Do you think His Majesty doesn't know? What kind of fool do you think he is?"

"So what? Don't forget, I'm Sylvia's grandfather. What's wrong with visiting my granddaughter? Besides, the king doesn't care about me drinking my granddaughter's wine, he's worried that we're working together now. I've already admitted to him that the alliance forces me to buy lots of daily necessities and refuses to sell me military equipment. He's asked me to endure and avoid conflict, to consider the bigger picture..."

Lorist was speechless.

As expected from the old fox. He managed to cut our relation clear with just a few words. He even spun it so he is only attending our new year's celebration out of obligation. He made it sound like we're working together to suppress him. And of course that dimwitted fool believes him...

Lorist sighed.

"You really are frivolous. You were the mastermind behind the second prince's founding of Iblia, and yet the king believes you more than he does my loyal house. How ridiculous..."

"Hahaha..." Fisablen wanted to say something, but a knocked on silenced him.

Jinolio entered with a few bottles of wine. A couple of servants trailed behind him with some snacks. Lorist dismissed them when they were done. Lorist poured himself and the duke each a cup.

"Tell me, what unacceptable offer did the king make?"

"He promised another 200 thousand civilians."

Lorist snickered.

"I figured it would be something like that. He can't come up with anything better than that. Don't forget that if House Norton ever falls, House Fisablen will be the next biggest thing on His Majesty's mind."

"That's why I used you as an excuse. If the sky falls, you'll be there to bear it for me. He actually thought he could get me to slave away for just 200 thousand people. He dreams big."

"Then tell me, what do you want?"

"I want a province in the inner kingdom."

"Ugh..." Lorist started so bad he almost flung his cup at his grandfather-in-law. "—Is that even possible? Dream on, Old Man. It's about time you went to wash up and sleep. You're drunk."

"Of course it's possible. The king will agree if you'll cooperate. I haven't even drunk a bottle yet. How could I be drunk?"

"That so? You sure sound like you're drunk. Think about it, you're just like me. We each have one hereditary title and two territories we only govern. Aren't we big enough already in his eyes?" mocked Lorist.

"That's why this is the perfect opportunity. We both know what he plans. It's entirely possible no huge conflict will break out. He's trying to pressure them to the negotiation table with his million-strong army. The plan has a decent chance of succeeding so the risk isn't too great. The problem is we need benefits he isn't really willing to offer. He will, however, have no chance but to give in if we work together."

"I will not take part in this war and that's final."

"So you're not interested in Wild Husbandry?"

"Haha, and what of it if I am? His Majesty won't give it to me. What are you planning? Don't forget Wild Husbandry is technically yours."

"Something that will benefit us both. The king will come to negotiate with you again soon. Just tell him you want Wild Husbandry."

"You make it sound simple. How will I justify this?"

"Foolish kid! Just tell him you want it as a buffer between us. If you have it no one can attack directly at your core territories. It's entirely in line with your wants. As long as you insist, the king will eventually have to give in."

Lorist smiled.

"And you'll ask for an inner province as compensation for giving up Wild Husbandry. There's still one thing I don't get. You're developing the north-east very well. Why do you want an inner province? Splitting your house might make you an easy target."

"You'll understand the real troubles of a family head when House Norton's branch families get stronger. If the house were in an inner province I would have sent the branch families to the plains. But we aren't so I can't.

"My house has a thousand members at least. Naturally there are both good and bad apples. And everyone is constantly fighting for a better footing. Even as the rightful lord and title holder, I can only do so much without the family's permission. I want to kick the bad apples to the inner province. Sending them there will make it look like we're strengthening our bloodline by spreading out, but it's actually a purge."

Duke Fisablen downed the last of the wine and stood up, holding two more bottles in his hand.

"Well, now you're informed, it's time I left. Just remember to insist on Wild Husbandry. The king will come to me and I'll deal with the rest. I won't give him a choice, hehe, he'll have to agree to my conditions as well. He has no confidence in this war without us!"

Fisablen left as unnoticed as he came. Lorist's study was illuminated until daybreak.

Deal Sealed

"Silence, too, is an answer."

"Why go to such length so we will do something we have no desire to do? Even without House Norton, you still have a million-strong army. You should have no trouble achieving your strategic objectives," advised Lorist with a troubled smile.

"Locke, my friend, are you really going to sit back and watch the war? You'll let House Norton be nothing but a spectator? What if your descendants ask about this? Would you tell them you did nothing but watch the show?"

Lorist rubbed the sides of his arms; he could feel the goosebumps.

"Stop. Doesn't that sound gross to you? It's making my hair stand on end! When did Your Majesty become a traveling poet? I will tell my descendants I was watching a bunch of fools tumbling around fighting each other, and it was quite a show."

"You..."

Auguslo glared angrily, not that the latter minded. He pretended to not notice anything.

"House Norton must deploy their forces. As Duke of The Northlands, you have to contribute to the kingdom!"

"Alright. As Duke of The Northlands, I am willing to serve the kingdom. How about this, I'll go to the front-lines myself and charge the enemy myself. You may order me around as your vassal, but you have no right to order the needless sacrifice of my men. By the same token that you may order my person around, I may refuse any unreasonable orders where my subjects and domain is concerned."

"Ugh..."

Auguslo tried his best to release his anger. Lorist's argument was airtight. He couldn't do anything to him.

What's this about going to the front-lines yourself? It sounds impressive but it's just an excuse to avoid deploying your troops! You think waving your sword and killing a soldier or two means you've fulfilled your obligations? You think you can just go back and watch the rest of the fight? How's that different from not doing anything at all?

"Fine, Brother Locke, tell me what you want. As long as it's something reasonably, I will agree."

Auguslo seemed to have surrendered. All would be well as long as Lorist agreed to deploy. The conditions could be discussed later. In the worst-case scenario, he could just delay the fulfillment of his promise the best he could.

"I want a sense of security."

"Sense of security?" Auguslo's eyes widened.

The hell is that? I haven't heard of anyone asking for this before.

"If you agree to give me Wild Husbandry, I can send my men to war."

"Wild Husbandry?! Impossible!"

"Then there is nothing more to be said. Jinolio, please see His Majesty ou--"

"Wait! Brother Locke, we can talk about this." What the hell?! You can't send people off without giving them a chance to respond! Nobody negotiates like this!

"I return to The Northlands tomorrow. I wish you success in your campaign. Godspeed," said Lorist as he shook his head.

"No, Brother Locke, please tell me what you meant by safety. What does this have to do with you wanting Wild Husbandry?"

The king wouldn't leave until he understood what was going on. Lorist glared at the man like he was an utter idiot.

"Locke, what's the meaning of this?"

"If you don't understand, please turn back and take a look at the map," Lorist sighed deeply.

"Map?" Auguslo turned around and saw a map of House Norton's dominion on the wall. Different territories were rendered in different colors. What did they mean?

Auguslo got up and walked over.

Hmm, The Northlands is green, the ocean blue, Delamock and Winston light green, and Southern and Sidgler light yellow. The provinces around the capital and the eleven central provinces are golden yellow. Only House Fisablen's Eastwild and Goldcreek are dark red. Wild Husbandry is light red. Magical Dragon Mountains and the wildlands are gray-black.

What is this?

Auguslo soon noticed the color legend on the bottom of the map. Green was for the safest areas under the Lorist's direct inheritory rule, mostly the duchy. Light green was for safe areas only under Lorist's jurisdiction. Blue was the ocean. Yellow marked the safe territories of allies, golden yellow territories under the royal family. Dark red areas were danger zones, and light red areas those to be monitored closely. Grayish-black zones were unexplored frontiers, the threat level of which was unknown.

The map's clarity was immediately apparent. He soon felt a little uncomfortable.

"Why are the areas under my control not marked as safe areas or those of allies?"

"You tell me, Your Majesty. These categorisations aren't decided on arbitrarily, nor did I or any or my people have a hand in deciding what went where. This map was drawn based on feedback from hundreds, if not thousands, of merchants. This is how they evaluate the different areas based on their security and stability."

Auguslo couldn't find a retort. He understood that due to his efforts to rally his forces, he had focused most of his attention on the military. He hadn't paid attention to the civil side of his rule. It was good enough that his subjects stayed alive so they could join his army. Crimes like robbery and murder had gone unchecked and grown rampant. No wonder his lands were mediocrely rated at best. One could only feel relatively safe if one carried a weapon on ones person at all times. Merchants could not operate without escorts and had to travel in large convoys.

He finally understood what Lorist meant by 'sense of security' and how it related to his desire for Wild Husbandry. The Northlands had four routes connecting it to the outside world. The maritime route started in Northsea. The three others were over land. One went through Winston and one through Delamock. The final went through Wild Husbandry. Both Winston and Delamock were under Lorist's control. He had worked hard to stabilize the situation, so they were now rated as safe. Only Wild Husbandry was light red, an area of low safety that had to be carefully monitored. The recent war between House Norton and House Fisablen had plunged the province into poverty and lawlessness and without control of the area, Lorist could not feel safe about the crime possibly spilling over into his lands. It was also a route House Fisablen could use to attack him, a place where he had no buffer.

Haha... I didn't think Lorist would really treat Fisablen as his most dangerous enemy even though they've signed a ceasefire. It seems Fisablen's claims about the alliance forcing them to buy daily necessities and open up trade routes were true. They're trying to squeeze all the gold Fisablen gets from Goldcreek. Hmmm, not bad. The more conflicts between them, the deeper their grudges will be. I might get a chance to exploit this if I play my cards right.

Auguslo paced back and force in front of the map. He only snapped out of his reverie after several minutes.

"Brother Locke, didn't Fisablen sign an armistice with you? I also heard trade is doing really well. You are both Andinaq nobility, you've even married the duke's granddaughter. I don't understand why you still see Fisablen as your enemy. Don't you think this is inappropriate?"

It was quite unnecessary for Lorist to want Wild Husbandry.

He just has to cut the suspension bridge. With the bridge gone, Fisablen can't attack him without either spending several months building another bridge, or detouring through a lot of Norton land. Fisablen has long withdrawn his forces from the province as well. It's basically yours already. Why do you want to force me to recognize your control formally? Can't we just shut one eye and have a tacit agreement?

Even if we ignore the fact that Fisablen has full legal rights to the land, there is no precedent for this, this has never been done before. No noble has ever had more than two territories besides their hereditary fiefs. But you want three? You're just making trouble for me! Wild Husbandry isn't a great province either. It might be a lot of land, but hardly anyone lives there and the few that do are raided by barbarians frequently. My forefathers use to exile people there, but you you actually WANT it? Do you have so much free time you feel like trying to govern that shithole?

Lorist smirked.

"If not for my alliance forcing Fisablen into a corner, do you think they would be so easy to handle, they would have submitted to you? Have you already forgotten it was Fisablen that drove the founding of Iblia? Do you think you can trust his loyalty just because you married one of his offspring?

"House Norton never forgets its enemies. Ceasefire or armistice or not. We remember well they were the ones who sent the barbarians our way, who killed tens of thousands of my people. Fisablen bled my men for Wild Husbandry, now I want to see his face as I tear it from his hands without losing a single drop of blood. I will build a monument to my men there, where he can stare at it across the border as it mocks him from sunrise to sunset and throughout the night.

"I've already contributed greatly to your cause. My endurance of these losses, my making peace with that man… that is my contribution to your war, and it is a far greater contribution than any of my armies can get you on the battlefield. My men will sit patiently at their posts, waiting for our opportunity. Whether you agree to let me take that and or not doesn't matter. One day Fisablen will turn his back on you, and we will march over the river and pry Wild Husbandry from his cold, dead hands."

Auguslo was overcome with joy. He finally caught a glimpse of the true hatred Lorist felt for the duke and finally understood he really wanted the province to placate his conscience and wipe away the shame of his loss there.

Hahaha! It seems I have nothing to worry about. There's no way he will ever work with Fisablen. This kind of hatred can't be faked. Letting Lorist take Wild Husbandry forcefully will shame Fisablen as well. They'll hate each other to the bone and look for every chance to slit a few throats.

Trading a useless barren expanse for House Norton's participation in the war and adding trouble to House Fisablen at the same time was ideal. As for the limitation of each house having only one fief and two jurisdictions, Auguslo could circumvent it. The province wasn't technically his, after all. It would not be him, as the king, giving Lorist jurisdiction, he would only be acknowledging the exchange. It would not adversely affect his reputation, and he paid no other price for it either.

It wasn't that simple, however. Since the land was not his, he could not just give it away. He had to convince the rightful juris prudent to hand it over. Luckily, he felt confident in his ability to convince the duke. He had all the leverage in that relationship. Fisablen was being suppressed by the alliance and could only stand by the king's support. He could just threaten to withdraw it.

He knew the duke would demand compensation, however. How would he compensate the man?

I can't have Lorist deploy and Fisablen stay. Lorist won't stand for it, even if he has Wild Husbandry. He'll either withdraw from the offer, or only deploy a token force. I need his men to achieve my objectives.

"I can agree to let you administer Wild Husbandry but the land isn't mine to give. It belongs to Fisablen. I cannot forcefully give you the land either, even as king I do not have the authority or the right to. I'll have to convince Fisablen to do it voluntarily but I promise I'll get him to agree. Just give me three days before you leave, okay?"

Lorist bowed deeply.

"I shall do as Your Majesty pleads. If you can get Fisablen to hand over Wild Husbandry, I will move my men to the front and join your offensive."

Auguslo left in a hurry. Lorist cracked a smile. Perhaps Wild Husbandry was just a barren wasteland in the eyes of others. But to Lorist it was precious trade territory. His most profitable partners were the grassland barbarians. He didn't just want to trade with them, though. His wanted to make them pledge themselves to him and become his subjects. He would nurture them into yet another foreign market for his goods.

The villa complex near Platinum Beach was quite rowdy for the following three days. The nobles learned by gossip of Lorist's conditions. Kenmays, Felim, and Shazin each paid him a visit but he kept silent. Silence, too, however, was an answer.

On the first day, Auguslo went to negotiate with the duke. Rumor had it the old man was so pissed he yanked his sword out of its scabbard and tried to march right over to Lorist's villa.

'Wild Husbandry is MY land. I won't give it to anyone else even if I have to kill them or die for it! That brat is going too far! Let me go kill him!' he was said to have said.

Luckily, he barked loudly but only nibbled. He would not really challenge Lorist. Auguslo only had to put in a sliver of effort to stop the duke. He refused to listen to Auguslo's advice however and locked himself in his room for the rest of the day.

The king visited him again the next day. The old man had cooled down somewhat. He listened to the kind silently. He didn't say a single word for the whole visit.

The king made his third and final visit on the third day. This time, the old man was far more relaxed. He was willing to give Wild Husbandry and join the campaign if he was enfeoffed a province in the centre of the kingdom.

Auguslo agreed after pondering for a few minutes. He didn't promise a territory he currently controlled, however, but one that he would if the war ended well. He promised that, if the first phase of the war was successful, Anderwoff, one of the reclaimed provinces, would be given to Fisablen.

Fisablen wasn't the least bit surprised. Promising to give something in the hands of the enemy was a habit of Auguslo's. He agreed, nonetheless, but had him sign a letter of oath. The duke went to Lorist's villa and handed over control of the province formally after he got the king's signed oath. Auguslo also signed the document to officiate it. After the procedure, Fisablen flung the quill he used to sign the agreement and left angrily.

On the 32nd day of the 8th month, Year 1786, Duke Fisablen, under the eyes of Andinaq's king, Auguslo I and the nobles present, transferred the writ of Wild Husbandry to Duke of The Northlands, Norton Lorist, allowing House Norton to be the only landed noble house to have one direct dominion and three other jurisdictions.

Prepare for War!

"I never understood why people blame the soldiers and the generals for war. Is it not the nobles that start it all? Should it not be the kings and dukes that are hated for their arrogance, selfishness and ambition?

Most soldiers fight only to protect their homes, they join armies only to feed their wives and children. Nobles have no such problems. They stuff themselves with meat and wine and empty themselves with poor wenches. The soldier wishes only to return home safely to his loving wife, with enough coin to tide them over until the next harvest. The noble, however, lusts for power and fame. If only we could get the nobles to fight their wars themselves. When a commoner has an argument, he solves it with his own fists, when a noble has a disagreement, he sends others to die on his behalf.

Sod noble 'dignity', to hell with aristocratic 'honor'. I will respect it the day the nobles are willing to shed their own blood for it. Until then, I stand by my words: the basest of all life is not the peasant, nor even the slave, it is the noble."

~ excerpt from "On Honour" by Nico Telesti

15th day of the 9th month, Year 1786. Lorist, just returned from Platinum Beach, called a war council.

"...His Majesty will split the army in two. Our alliance will be in one of them together. We'll attack Anderwoff and Bodolger from Majik. His Majesty will meet up with Dukes Fisablen, Forund, Handra, and Shabaj and the minor nobles and head for the two southeastern provinces.

"He intends to clean up the northeastern area first and eliminate Zitram before striking Kanbona in a three-pronged assault. Lormo's provinces, Malivia and Yamanya, will be won through negotiation. The war will be over once we hold those provinces, and the empire will be whole once again."

Lorist tapped on the large map with his wooden pointer.

"The king is convinced this war will be no more than a year. More accurately, he cannot let it last more than a year. This is where we come in. For this to work, the attack has to happen when the enemy least expects it, and when it can least respond: winter. We are the only ones on the continent who can fight effectively this time of year. The rest are too soft!"

Everyone sneered.

"The king at least has this much wit. He knows Blizzardblitz, the poor imitation of our forces he trained cannot match us. We could have told him this even before he tried though…"

Another round of sneers.

"It's likely we'll have to fight most of this war on our own. I doubt he'll take Kanbona before we're done. We might well have to press into Kanbona and then sweep back north to help him out in Zitram."

"It's nice that he knows we're so much better than him," Charade jeered, "But he's given us the bone and chosen the meat. Don't you think a single province is a little meager for everything we're expected to do?"

Charade wasn't wrong. House Norton had to take two provinces, one of them Bodolger, the current dominion of Wessia, the guild well-known for being the Union's principle weapon supplier. Their army would definitely be well-kitted and fully armored. They had also only deployed a small portion of their army to join the Union's war in the south-east, most of their army still sat in barracks in the cities and on the border. House Norton's forces had the mobility to attack in the dead of winter, but their mobility was largely useless against an enemy that only had to hold the towns in which they sat and didn't have to move out into the frozen winter wilderness.

The officers and commanders chattered amongst themselves in hushed tones. No one liked the deal. Lorist tapped on the table and the voices quieted. If they were allowed to continue, they might even veto his decision to join the war. Loyalty to their king didn't factor into this concern. As far as they were concerned their only sovereign was Lorist.

"Stop complaining. There is nothing more the king is willing to give in return. The man only agreed thanks to Fisablen's machinations. And what is done is done, anyway. Alright, listen up. Here are your assignments. I want everyone to do their best. We cannot have delays in our development projects because of the war, and we cannot be seen to be doing a half-arsed job of our part in the campaign either."

Lorist swept his gaze over his subordinates and vassals.

"Firmrock and Tigersoar will deploy together. You will take Anderwoff as quickly as possible. Spare no one who resists, I want only obedient subjects and corpses left for Fisablen when you move on. Once Anderwoff is taken, Tigersoar will clean it up and hand it over to Fisablen.

"Firmrock will roll straight ahead into Bodolger and take Frederika. Once the forces in Frederika are wiped out Wessia will only have dispersed garrisons and small patrol forces left. They stand no chance at retaking the city so you'll wait for Tigersoar inside. The scattered remains of their forces pose no threat to us so we can take care of them after you regroup."

"I must object, Your Grace," Josk interjected, "Why aren't we deploying Jaeger?"

"We already have control of Wild Husbandry, but the province is a complete mess. Jaeger is to clean it up. Wipe out the gangs and the barbarians roaming and raiding the countryside. I clean province ready for development to great me when I return from the front-lines. However, don't just kill every barbarian you see. If they're willing to submit and become my subjects, then leave them be. Ideally they'll become no different from our current stock of sedentary subjects. Teach them husbandry, build small towns and settlements for them.

"Kedan, I'm making your the province's administrator. Make this happen…" Lorist ordered as he glanced at the aging man.

"I am not holding Jaeger back because I doubt its abilities in a fight, there is just too much to do, and the weather isn't fitting for Jaeger. It's a light cavalry legion. Horses do not do well on snow, and Tigersoar and Firmrock are much better on foot. Neither of them, on the other hand, can fight the barbarians anywhere near as well as Jaeger can on Wild Husbandry's plains and rolling hills."

"But fighting the barbarians is no fun at all," Josk complained, crestfallen, "I want to fight on a proper front-line again for once."

"Fine, if you can clean everything up in Wild Husbandry before year's end I'll let your join us on the front with a few of your guard."

The man had spent several years training Jaeger by now, so it was only fair he be given a taste of proper action again.

"Thank you, Your Grace," Josk said as he pulled Els along by his collar, "Come on. Let's go finish this quickly."

"Sit down… Sheesh. You have more than enough time, a few hours spent in a meeting won't make you miss the deadline," snapped Charade, "Your Grace, how many men is Fisablen sending out?"

"The duke is deploying as many as last time; one frontier legion and one barbarian reserve legion. He's holding two garrison legions and the second frontier legion back. They won't be full-strength, though. Fisablen told me he plans to pull men from the three to make a 30 thousand strong garrison legion which he'll station in Anderwoff once it's handed over."

"Will this not affect our supply line?" Charade enquired.

Lorist shook his head.

"No. Fisablen has agreed to only move the legion over after the rainy season. They shouldn't arrive before the 6th month next year. They'll be escorting House Fisablen's branch families over.

"He plans to create one marquisate, three counties, seven viscounties, and more than 40 baronies in the province, all of which will be given to members of the branch families. The new legion will also be split between them. They'll pose no threat to us. This is also why Fisablen wants us to clean the province up before they arrive."

"I understand. I can't help but get the disturbing feeling the duke is actually sincere in his desire to keep a good relationship with us. Well, for the duration of this campaign, at least. But are we really going to help the old fox for nothing in return?"

"Of course there will be benefits. Anderwoff has 600 thousand inhabitants. I promised the duke we won't ravage the place. We'll only take the noble's wealth and one sixth of its population."

"Don't the four houses in the alliance tread the same path? Do we have to split this between the four of us?"

"They get nothing. We are all three fighting this war together, true, but they have nothing to do with this conquest or this deal. They will only join in after the rainy season. Since we will take the provinces alone, we get all the benefits. They're only responsible for showing up and using their numbers to pressure the Union during the negotiations. The same actually goes for all the other nobles involved. We and the king are the only ones expected to do any actual fighting."

"I'm still convinced we got the short end of the stick. No wonder the king kept pestering you to join the war. We're fighting almost the entire campaign. We might as well just march in and take everything for ourselves for all the work we do. That blasted king no doubt wants to be able to push all the blame on us if this fails."

"We don't have to pick this bone with him. The enemy can't gather up a force capable of fighting us as equals. Actually, the bulk of our benefits will be here."

Lorist tapped on Bodolger with his pointer. "Frederika is Wessia's headquarters. Everything they own will be ours if we take it. Wealth is only a small part of the benefits we will gain. Talent is the biggest thing I'm aiming for.

"The province's population has exploded to 800 thousand people since they took over. They've moved in thousands of artisans and other skilled labor. Almost the entire guild now lives in and around the city.

"We tried to start trade with the Union about eight years ago, but Wessia crushed our plans. They deal primarily in weaponry and other military equipment, so of course they wouldn't let us encroach on their market. They are both our public and private enemy.

"Why not wipe this pest off the map while we have the chance? Even just the chance to rid ourselves of this nuisance is enough of a reward to deploy. A snake's head should be cut off when you fight it. With the guild having concentrated itself around this one city, we can not just cut off its head in one strike, but toss it into the fire-pit entirely. Even if the Union wins the war in the end, Wessia will be done for. The big-seven will be the big-six when this is over, no matter how it ends."

"How has the king told us to deal with Bodolger and Wessia?"

"The king was too preoccupied with getting Fisablen to agree to the deal to think about that. I suspect he doesn't think we can take Frederika quickly. It does have a 48 thousand strong military presence after all. This is nothing like when he took the city. It was only guarded by about one fifth the forces then.

"Besides, he's already promised the province to Shabaj. Whether the province is in ruins when we let it go or not doesn't affect him at all. Maybe he also thinks we won't dare offend the Union too much and so will restrain our urges. Unfortunately for him, and luckily for us, he knows nothing of our grudge with Wessia."

After a few laughs, a stern expression returned to his face.

"Firmrock will stay in Frederika and oversee our extraction of Wessia's people. The province also has about 800 thousand inhabitants. Strip it down to 300 thousand. I entrust this to you, Potterfang, Malek. Understood?"

The two generals stood up and saluted.

"Understood, Your Grace."

He returned to pointing his stick at the map.

"Today is the 15th of the 9th. We still have three months before we launch our attack. The road is long though. We have to cross Winston, Southern, Rimad, Messen, Jigzai, Freewood, Perolina, Wesstwood, and Deramak to get to Majik. If not for our ability at traveling on snow and ice, it would have been impossible to be ready in time.

"Camorra, you are in charge of our move to the front-lines. Shadekampf will be your aide. Set up a reliable supply line from here to there in these three months. I want at least one supply depot in each province. You don't have to worry about interference, I've already cleared this with the king. You have full authority to set up camps as and where you see fit. Freiyar I'm putting you in charge of security.

"I picked two divisions from the forces in Delamock and two from those in Winston. Form them into a temporary guard legion and keep the supply line safe. Put around a brigade at each depot. The rest will patrol the route and escort our convoys back and forth.

"I've also freed two divisions from the south of The Northlands. They'll fill in for Tigersoar and Firmrock and hold Anderwoff until Fisablen can take over.

"Also, Terman, your knights will move to Vanades just in case. Wait there for further orders. I may need you on the front-lines if things don't go as planned. Charade, as per the usual, you will be in charge of the household while we're off on campaign. Supervisor Spiel, help him with the migrants. Everyone understand their responsibilities?"

All the household officials and knights stood up and saluted.

"We understand, Your Grace!"