519 - 527

Jindoz's Gift

"Old friends are the best gift-takers, new friends, the best gift givers."

I have to jump out of this pit, thought Lorist.

He did what he could immediately and invited Penelope and a few Union nobles to a banquet. After restating his reason for occupying the city, he spoke about the current state of affairs. Since hostilities on had ceased, it was a good time for negotiations to begin. He hoped those present would head to Mauvlin and tell the Union higher-ups to come negotiate.

Lorist also talked about the war.

"This is a war without a victor. Just look at the plains. It's been reduced to a wasteland. We can't hear the herder songs anymore; we can't see the farmers harvesting their crops; nor can we enjoy the sweet fruit of the orchards...

"This war must end. It has only brought destruction and pain. I refuse to believe the city I've lived in for so long is now bereft of life and hope."

Two perfectly, a little too perfectly, timed tears ran down his cheeks.

The crowd was moved by his speech and vowed to bring the Union to the table. Lorist thanked them. He promised that everyone would leave the city and the plains once the war was over.

After sending off the group, Lorist dunked his head straight into the water basin Jinolio brought. Too much powder. He'd put too much powder on his face. He couldn't stop tearing up and his eyes were swelling. Thank the gods they left so quickly.

Lorist weathered seven anxious days until Charade and Spiel arrived with his requested officials.

It had been two decades since the man had left Morante. He now finally stood on the soil of his homeland again. Charade's actual homeland was the now-defunct Teribo kingdom, but he spent most of his childhood here and knew this as his true home.

He'd looked forward to showing it off to his country-bumpkin peers, but Lorist, like a clingy wife, wouldn't let him have the time.

Lorist hid nothing from the group as he briefed them.

"What?! So we get nothing from this?! We just added another burden to our load?" shrieked Spiel. During his voyage to Morante, he had dreamed of getting tens of millions of Fordes into the house's treasury. What shitty city is this?! So much for the number one trading city on the continent!

Charade furrowed his brow. Morante's change was nothing like he'd envisioned. The city felt nothing like the homeland for which he yearned, which he'd tried to recreate in the new place he lived. It was completely foreign to him. Deep down, beneath his love for money, beneath even his loyalty to Lorist, he was a Morante man. But this was not his Morante, not anymore.

After reading the inventory and a few other documents, Charade spoke.

"Your Grace, give me three days. I'll form a unit to investigate the city. Let us decide what we will do afterwards."

Lorist smiled bitterly.

"I regret it now. Had I known, I wouldn't have refused His Majesty's request and left Morante and the five citadels in his care before returning to The Northlands. How nice it would have be to push everything onto him.

"I'm to blame. I shouldn't have used peace as our reason for conquest. We can only wait for the envoys to return and then negotiate the deal. We can only hope to minimize our losses."

Charade laughed dryly.

"Things aren't quite as bad as you think. Look here, isn't there good news too?"

Lorist read the document Charade put on the table. It was a report from the camp that held the captives from the inner city. The tavern there was finally open and was earning tens of thousands of Fordes every fortnight. Part of it was thanks to the decrease in free porridge. Each bowl was diluted with water. The hungry captives had no choice but to buy pricey bread.

"On the one hand, we have to keep our promise as nobles to not infringe on the captives' sacred right to private property. On the other, we have to find a way to suck them dry. This is just a small hustle. Our real problem is the million Morantians with nothing to occupy their time. They've started fighting out of boredom and I doubt a revolt is far off," said Lorist.

"I understand. The issue is finding suitable jobs. But we're not planning to occupy the city for long, so we can't invest too much."

"That's the gist of it. This will only work out if we use the food-work rationing system they had before. We'll pay them with food. The problem is they'll never trust us. We can try to force it, but they'll just riot. We can't pay them in gold either, though--"

Jinolio, burst into the room to report that Els had asked for an immediate audience.

Lorist then left to meet him. Els jumped to his feet to salute Lorist as he stepped into the study.

"Your Grace, can you follow me?"

"You're a close friend, Els. Don't act so formal. Let's go. Jinolio, tell Charade to head to Red Grace Inn and wait there. We haven't seen Old Char for quite a while. It'd be a good place to gather."

"Sigh... My uncle's inn has become one of the rationed inns in the city. Each customer can only drink a cup of wheat ale a day. Even the head chef, McDuffin, left with another viscount because there wasn't any more food to cook," said Els, crestfallen.

"You met Char already?"

Els nodded.

"I went there with Reidy. Uncle looks a lot older now, and he refuses many invitations from nobles who want him to be their knight. He's staying with his kids in peace. Aunt Louise takes care of the inn herself now though they serve nothing but a cup of ale. Reidy and I asked them to move to The Northlands instead. Our lands border each other and they can choose to stay anywhere they want. But Uncle refuses. He doesn't want to leave Morante. I tried to argue, but he chased me out..."

"Can I come with you?" asked Charade as the two stepped out.

Els hesitated for a moment.

"...Alright. But we can't attract any attention."

Els brought the two to the headquarters of his old syndicate. It was a three-story building next to a district with a large garden. An intricate angel fountain and a small forest of thirty or so trees stood in the middle of the garden.

According to Els, it used to be the property of a Teribo noble but it was confiscated by the Union during the War of Glass. It was auctioned off to Jindoz who bought it to use as the syndicate's headquarters.

Jindoz was no noble, but he was in charge of the taxes of three districts and quite well-known in the city. He was waiting for them at the entrance when they arrived. Lorist realized he was alone after entering. Jindoz didn't say a word. He just nodded before taking them to the kitchen. Lorist felt something was off, but followed quietly.

After entering the storeroom next to the kitchen, Jindoz lifted a trapdoor and revealed a ladder. Els climbed down.

"Your Grace..." said Charade, hesitation written on his face.

"It's fine."

The ladder led to a dark room connected to a tunnel. Several burning torches lined the walls into oblivion. Jindoz was the last one to descend and closed the trapdoor before leading the way.

"A subterranean waterway and the syndicate's private tunnel. Thanks to the rationing policy, they've had no choice but to use these routes to smuggle food and supplies," explained Els.

"What are we doing here? It's not like we're trying to smuggle anything. We didn't stop them from doing what they do either," protested Charade.

"Jindoz wants to give you something. There are lots of eyes on the surface and he's worried this will be bad for the syndicate if others find out. He has to hide it here," explained Els.

At Jindoz stopped in that moment and whispered over his shoulder.

"We're here."

They were near a hole dug in the ground, probably to use as a temporary store during smuggling operations. It was four by four meters. There were no supplies inside, just two dead-drunk men.

"Who are they?" asked Lorist.

"The bearded one is Riwald's chief supervisor. He used to be in charge of the rations. We had to kneel and beg in front of him to be given scraps. He was summoned back to the guild's dominion last year. The man behind him is the gold-ranked captain of the guild's guard. He's well-known in the city," replied Jindoz coldly.

"Why are they were in such a state?" asked Charade.

"They came to me and asked me to stir up a revolt. If we did well, they'd submit a request to the Council to make us nobles. I heard they came to us first because we had some ability to fight. I fed them something special when I treated them to a drink, and here we are."

Lorist looked at him with deep interest.

"Jindoz, why didn't you do as he asked?"

"I don't want to be cannon fodder. Not for them. They aren't nobles, but they offer it to us? They can't promise what is not theirs to give! Who would be that stupid? Most importantly, many in the outer city are family. I don't want them to get involved in this. It's easy to stir up a revolt, but people will die while they get to hide.

"They said they were only the first to be sent and there would be more later, so I thought they would still be of use. I'd have buried them alive long ago, otherwise. I'm not trying to get on your good side. We did this because of our brother, Els. We don't want a revolt that will kill many people," said Jindoz with the same cold expression.

"Thank you, Jindoz. I know you don't consider me a brother, but I see you as that loyal, passionate and sincere friend I made all those years ago," said Lorist.

"Oh..."

Jindoz froze and turned to see Els laughing.

"Just take them away. You can't go back the way we came. Someone will be watching. I'll take you to the other exit. It's in a derelict corner of an old slum outside the city."

Auguslo's Trust

"The kind and the polite will never be rulers. They are always trampled into the dust by people who know how to get what they want. Even when such figures may sit on the thrown, they will never be the rulers."

"We've made preparations just in case. I don't think the negotiations will be successful," reminded Charade when he returned to the inner city.

Lorist nodded with a grim expression.

"I don't either. The Union might be counting on Morante to crumble us. If they can get the city to riot, they'll slander our reputation and inflict heavy casualties. They'll have an excuse to turn this into a holy crusade if we put the city down. Once they do that, we'll never get a day's rest until either of us are dead. Most immediately, the people will not hold back and we'll be buried under corpses. We'll be forced to pull out and they can then just march back into the city as saviors, and without spilling any of their own blood.

Lorist was enraged. The Union had chosen the path he'd feared most they might. He was infinitely tempted to hang an official or two to make an example. Riwald's vice-president and one of the rank 1 blademasters that guarded the place would make good sacrifices.

Charade coughed audibly.

"What's wrong? Catching a cold?"

"No… You seem not to have heard what I said."

Lorist blushed.

"Apologies, old friend. I was lost in thought. Say again."

"I said we should be patient. If things go as planned, Viscount Penelope and his companions should be arriving at Mauvlin as we speak. If the Union responds, it'll take another ten days for news to get back. As for Jindoz's gifts, they're just another arrangement the Union made before they retreated. They infiltrated the city to gain more information and to incite revolts. I doubt they know we're trying to negotiate."

"Makes sense. I'll have Tarkel interrogate them thoroughly and find out even their most embarrassing childhood secrets. I'll spare their lives until I hear from the Union. If they plan to play tricks, I'll leave them two corpses unlike any they've ever scene. Even their nightmares will be fantastical dreams by comparison! I'll kill everyone we have if they send people to make trouble." Lorist half-shouted.

Charade smiled, shaking his head.

"Tarkel will be blind as a bat if we lose the syndicates' cooperation. We cannot tell Morantians apart from informants. Meeting Jindoz gave me an idea. I need some time to investigate and consider a few things, but it might not only bring us out of this predicament, but unexpected benefits. I must get to work."

Lorist was curious, but the latter left too quickly. Charade left for the city with a bunch of officials the next day. Lorist was just about to call Charade to get more information, two days later, when Auguslo and a bunch of other nobles suddenly announced their arrival.

Auguslo shamelessly demanded a share of the spoils. It was only fair, you see, since everyone had played some part in this glorious victory. Everyone had done their bit, and now it was time they got their reward.

Shameless as he was, Auguslo knew better than to bring the matter up bluntly. Lorist was still the kingdom's swordsaint, after all. He instead put up a tragic performance during the banquet until Lorist brought it up himself.

He first bemoaned the long, bloody, taxing war, then, one teary-eyed noble after another told Lorist of their losses.

Lorist watched the show grimly. His patience finally burnt out, and he slammed his cup on the table, rising like an arrow loosed from a bow.

"Follow me!"

Elated, Auguslo and his cronies followed quickly. Lorist led them to the meeting room and asked the guards to bring him the inventory of their spoils. He tossed them to Auguslo.

"See for yourself. When did I say the city was full of gold and wealth? Well? Everything's there. I've not let anything out. Take your pick, what catches your eye?!"

Auguslo was dumbstruck. Neither he nor any of his cronies imagined the city had nothing to loot. Shazin looked at the accounts pale-faced.

"It's not as much as we'd expected, but 4 million Fordes is still a massive sum."

"Massive sum?" Lorist snapped, "I sacrificed almost my entire fleet to open the seas to Morante! The ships alone will cost more than ten million to repair or replace! Then there's the compensation I have to pay to the families of all the men I've lost! That aside, we'll be lucky to get half of this loot to help pay back that debt. Look here!--" Lorist tossed another document in front of the king, "--The Union left their storehouses bare. We have to use most of the money we got from the city to feed the one and a third of a million people living in the city! This whole endeavor's been a massive loss! I'm shitting money down the long-drop like someone with dysentery!"

Kenmays flipped the new document open.

"Incredible! They made something out of nothing! They're even doing it with cloth instead of coins! They didn't just keep all their money, they even got monopolies over everything!" cried he.

"Wondrous my ass!" Lorist bellowed, "I conquered Morante, I took this city but I get nothing for it! The merchants and their wealth are gone! This stupid rationing system is also now gone and I have to feed the whole fucking city! I'm sitting on the edge of a volcano about to erupt!

"There is good news, however."

"Good news?" everyone asked in unison.

"Yes. Now that you're here I'll pass the city and the surrounding forts to you. You can do with them what you want, I don't care. I took part in this whole mess to end the war. I sank their fleets, took the plains, and even conquered their capital, and I've sent messengers to call for negotiation. My work is done so I'm heading home."

Lorist didn't care that he'd told the king he'd handle the negotiations to make sure things went smoothly. He just wanted to be rid of this whole business and go home, so he shameless tossed everything onto the king's shoulders and prepared to leave. This was one of the nice things about being someone else's vassal, you could just toss stuff to them if it was too much for you.

Auguslo was not about to be given such a hot potato, however. He smiled and patted Lorist's shoulder.

"Locke. You're the kingdom's swordsaint, you're the pinnacle of our power. It won't do to not have you at the negotiations. Your forces have also played a pivotal role in getting us this victory and this opportunity at peace. It would be a slander on your glory if you didn't get to sit at the table as we end this war. The plains and the city were taken by you, so it's only natural that you keep them until the negotiations are over."

With that Auguslo tossed everything back to Lorist. He made him Fieldmarshall and gave him overall command of the front-lines and all the newly occupied territories as well as putting him in charge of negotiations with the Union.

He had to actually help out with the situation in the city, though, so he decided to give all the food stores in Bluwek to Lorist to help him out a little.

Lorist almost fainted. He didn't think he'd not just fail to get rid of this nuisance, but be given every other nuisance the king had. He couldn't find a counter to the king's arguments, however. He was indeed the kingdom's only swordsaint, so he was the ideal pick to be the front-lines' guard dog. He'd never before wished so much to have a peer.

If only he'd killed the enemy swordsaint. He could just argue that it was completely unnecessary to have him sit on the front-lines if the enemy had no counter. But the old bastard had gotten away, so it seemed only natural that the kingdom keep its most powerful soldier on the front to defend against the enemy's swordsaint.

"This sounds all fine and good, Your Majesty, but where will you camp your forces if not in Bluwek?" asked Lorist.

"I do not think it's necessary to keep my men on the front anymore now that you're here and in command. We've all been fighting this war for two years and it's time to rest. I'll return to the capital and the other nobles can go home and rest some while you wrap things up here," said the shameless bastard.

Lorist's jaw fell through the floor.

This shameless bastard, this good-for-nothing dandy was shoving everything onto him! He summoned every ounce of restrained he had to respond calmly, but just as he began exhaling to speak, the king clutched his hands.

"Please, Locke, it all depends on you. We are in the perfect position to end this in our victory and only you can ensure that this ends well. If you can end this war as things are now, with a complete surrender from the Union, then you'll be inscribed in the history books and on every monument, palace, and city and town square in the kingdom as it's greatest noble for millennia to come!

"I believe the Union is no less wary of this war than we are, especially after this decisive strike. I do not think they have it left in them to fight on so there's no need for us all to stay on the front.

"Locke, my brother, please stay just a little longer. You can return to The Northlands the moment the treaty is signed. I'll send food as soon as I return to the capital. I won't let you bear this burden alone."

The visitors left early the next morning, before Lorist could come up with a counter argument. Lorist couldn't let them go empty handed, so he let each pick a single souvenir.

He saw them off with a smile.

It vanished the moment they were out of sight.

Why am I not reaping all the benefits?! Those fuckers pushed everything onto me! I'm a swordsaint, for crying out loud. I'm one of the most powerful people on the continent, probably the most if you count my forces as well. Why, then, am I driven like a common easel? Why must I suffer so many donkey years?

He spent the next day in self-loathing. He didn't even notice Charade coming into his study the next afternoon.

"When did you come in?" Lorist jumped when he finally noticed the figure. "Where have you been in the past few days?"

Charade took two sips of his wine before he replied.

"How long have you been snoozing on your desk? You really have it easy, don't you?"

"Don't get me started!"

Charade tossed him a handful of bound parchments.

"Take a look. It's the idea I mentioned a few days ago."

Lorist flipped the folder.

"What?! You want to form another Trade Union?!"

Charade's Plan

"If you can't kill the old one, just make a new one."

"One hundred and eighty-six years ago, Duke Forde Morante who controlled the Falik Plains made a sudden declaration that caused an immense upheaval that would end with the abolishment of feudal society within the lands he conquered and the establishment of the Union. Uniting with Twinhead Dragon, Wessia, Mayflower, Riwald, Peterson and Chikdor, Forde formed the Forde Trade Union and traded with the other nations from their heartland in the plains. The Union's formation allowed the merchants, usually oppressed by the nobles, to finally have a reliable and trustworthy backing. Their statuses rose considerably as a result. They had a sovereign voice in the continent's geo-politics for the first time in history."

The room was filled with all the house's administrative officials currently in Morante. Everyone had answered Lorist's summons.

Charade stood on the podium and lectured everyone on the Union's history, his proposal, and it's suspected benefits for the House.

To people who knew Morante well and had lived there for more than a decade like Lorist, Els, Charade, and Yuriy, the officials that didn't understand the history and background of the city were rather troublesome. Loze asked why Lorist wouldn't just force half of the citizens to the north, like Yungechandler. His thoughts were simple. They would move half of the population to one place and solve two problems at once.

Lorist smiled bitterly.It'd be great if things were that simple. The Union had fought against the Krissen Empire for at least a century. Its old principles were ingrained in the people deeper than even religion. The Krissen Empire was also their sworn enemies. They'd rather die than become their subjects. The people saw doing such a thing as disgracing their entire family line.

Moving them to his land would do nothing but invite the trouble into his home. Like zealots amongst heathens, they'd spread their beliefs to his people and eventually his own people would rise up against him. He couldn't even take willing people because they'd spread their ideals like a cancer, even if they didn't mean to.

"The time of its founding was very tough," Charade continued, "The surrounding nations refused to have anything to do with such heretics for years. Many sealed their borders entirely, killing anyone that tried to cross the border. For years it was as though the world outside the Union's borders didn't exist at all. The Krissen Empire saw their chance and tried to swallow it up.

"Krissen IV forgot one important thing, however. The Union was a heresy on the way the continent worked, but it was far less of a threat, at least militarily, than his empire. The other kingdoms were more than willing to work with the Union to stop him once he started mobilizing.

"When they joined sides, the Union undid their prejudice enough to let them accept them, even if begrudgingly, and even became somewhat admired.

"The decades of war that followed engrained their beliefs in them like a religious person suffering tribulations. Their final victory made them prideful and arrogant, on top of almost zealous belief in their principles. The people here would often tell me and His Grace that they were 'free men' with giant smirks on their faces. 'Here you are no different from all the other common people', their eyes always said. We can never accept them as subjects. They will never bow their heads to someone else.

"These people are a unique breed. They will never subjugate themselves to anyone. They are also, however, merchants. Gold is their god.

"The big heads in the guilds couldn't have made a bigger mistake by implementing the aristocracy. They wanted to be equals to the nobles from the kingdoms and empires, but they've broken their connection to the freedom-loving people as a result.

"They originally wanted to take land from the empire, but then the War of Glass broke out and their plans changed. The big guilds benefitted from the wars, but the rest of the Union suffered. Then the guilds went and moved their operations to their dominions, destroying the city's economy even further.

"The war with us is actually very convenient for the Union because they can shift blame to us for the suffering."

"All that said. We fought in this war for three years. We took this city to end the war but instead of negotiating with us, the bigwigs just pulled back and are preparing to drag this on even further. These merchants may have the titles of nobles, but they have none of the education and principles, none of the character, that has to come with it.

"I finished my investigation a few days ago. We wiped out all traces of the old guilds in the city, and with it their system to feed the people. As a result that burden now falls to us. If we treat all the old guilds as foreigners to the Union, which isn't far off since they're all now based outside the old Union territories, then wouldn't this basically be the same Union of old?"

What did Charade mean? Apart from Lorist, everyone stared at him blankly. A few realized what he was saying. He was going to form a second, a new, Union. Without all the old merchants.

Was this even possible?

"We can do it," Charade declared, as if reading everyone's thoughts, "Duke Forde did it with even fewer people than we have now. And none of them were as educated and skilled as the million plus we have now. A century of war against kingdoms and empires have sculpted these people into irreparable egalitarians. Why not give them their wish?"

Charade's words stunned everyone. Most were nobles or about to be nobles, how could such thoughts come into their minds. One of the oldest feudal societies on the continent was now discussing how to form a second egalitarian one? What kind of a joke was this? If irony could kill...

"B-but…" Potterfang stammered, "the Union had the support of the six largest guilds. Their support is what let it survive. Morante has nothing like that now. Most of the merchants hate us to the bone as well, as do many, if not most, of the people. Why would they work with us?"

"It is easier to draw on a blank canvas." Charade smiled, "This is exactly why this is the perfect time for something like this. Without any big forces to interfere and stamp their own mark on this, we can shape this new Union however we wish. We can lift the syndicates up to replace the old guilds if need be. Without big guilds holding small merchants and individual entrepreneurs down to hold on to their own hegemonies, I have no doubt we'll see a miracle."

Charade's plan had several key goals. First, uplifting the syndicates to fill in the space left by the now-absent guilds together with the shrine guilds and unions. Second, removing the old restrictions so everyone could trade, make, sell, and buy as they wished. The guilds were previously in control of lawmaking and set up policies that benefited their competing economic interests at the expense of everyone else. Charade would keep these two forces completely separate so the governing body could be objective and make laws that benefited everyone.

The house would only take recruits taken from the southern provinces as laborers, the rest would be used to fulfill his plan's third goal: forming a new defense force to man the city's surrounding citadels and, if possible, the rest of the positions in the plains. This would free up Lorist's legions to return home. It was not good to leave it so sparsely defended.

The fourth goal was to reinvigorate the new Union's industries. First on the list were the shipbuilding and fishing industries. These had the biggest potential for growth because they were now the most desolate. These were previously completely monopolized by the big guilds and had no small competitors. They were thus now completely empty and ripe for new guilds to take over.

Finally, bringing merchants back to the city from the surrounding lands so they could start up shops and other businesses in the city and begin rebuilding its trade economy. At the same time, some of them would be made to focus on farming on granges outside the city so the population could be moved there partially. The city had to be downscaled, and the farmlands repopulated, this was unavoidable.

Everything sounded great in theory, but Spiel knew the practical was far from it.

"And where will we find the money? Our coffers certainly can't pay for this," he asked.

"We don't have to put anything into this. Morante has enough money hidden in it. We just have yet to dig it out of the ground."

Economic Measures

"I went to check Morante's financial records while we were doing our investigation. Can you believe they've collected just 7.6 million gold Fordes in tax over the last three years?"

Charade opened a large sky-blue folder.

"It's all documented here. It's ridiculous. Back when His Grace and I were still students here, the Union collected 30 million every year. The greatest year was 69 million. Now it's just a fifth of that.

"Why? Simple. The Union is run by merchants, but the aristocracy has certain unavoidable consequences inherent in its structure. The Union used to rely purely on trade. But after it started expanding aggressively, trade ceased. It forced the Union to rely mostly on raiding and plundering. At the same time, these riches were sent to and hoarded in the guilds' new dominions, rather than being invested in Morante and put back into circulation.

"It's pretty good that we got even just four million Fordes from the city. It was almost exclusively meant to fund Invincible. My investigation revealed something else as well.

"I was told that when the high officials and the nobles were about to surrender, they tried to have the people leave their possessions behind and take as much of the money instead. If they claimed it was part of their personal property, we'd let them leave with it. They could then return it at a later date once we were gone. Luckily most of the civilians refused and took their personal stuff with them instead.

"Morante is full of riches, but most of it is not in the guilds' safes and coffers, but distributed amongst all the inhabitants. If things are still anything like what they used to be, every household should have about 40 gold Fordes stored away somewhere, whether in actual coinage or in valuable heirlooms. Take Sir Els's old friend, Jindoz. His syndicate earned nearly 100 thousand by smuggling meat into the city.

"The Union didn't resort to rations and handouts because nobody had any money, but because there weren't any resources. They tout their ideals so proudly, but they've nothing but slaves by some other name.

"Reinvigorating Morante's economy can be done. We just need a bit of money and some supplies to kickstart the market. Everything else will follow on its own. If we pump the four million we got from the city back into the economy and make our products available in the market, everything will be done."

Lorist rapped the table with his fist and stood up, stopping the chatter that followed Charade's declaration.

"Raiding and taking wealth is the easiest way to get rich. But as we take wealth away, we also gain grudges and animosity. I eliminated Hanayabarta, executed all its inhabitants, and built a pyramid with their skulls. I plundered their storehouses, coffers, and safes. I erased a kingdom built over a century. I feel no shame, I feel no guilt, I sleep soundly at night because they deserved everything I did to them and more. But we cannot do this everywhere we go.

"You've all heard Charade. Morante's wealth isn't somewhere we can conveniently take it and slip away. We'd have to pry it bit by bit from the hands of the city's people. I know you're itching for a fight, Loze, but how will this get us anywhere closer to a peaceful continent? And I know you would love to fill our coffers with the money we take from the city's people, but with the trade network Morante offers and the markets it has destroyed, where would we sell our products to make a profit in the coming years? We may on occasion act like bandits, but we must not let our foresight be that of bandits as well. My family did not survive for three hundred years by plundering everyone around them. We do not have the history of bandits, understand?

"I am ashamed that rather than banditry being a last resort, and you all jumping at a plan that meant we didn't have to steal from people, you all oppose the plan like a thief being told to do some honest work. You disappoint me, Loze… and all of you that stood with him and supported his call for plunder. Think carefully about the principles on which our society and our position in it as nobles is founded. I want a reflection in writing from each of you. Jinolio, you'll handle taking them in, report to me when you have them all. If anyone doesn't know these principles, please come to me and I'll happily drill them into your thick skulls."

Lorist didn't shout or yell, but his words exploded in his men's ears one by one. Their faces were so red one could swear they were bleeding under their skin. Everyone reflected on his words and quickly realized why he was so angry. Plundering the nobles and the leaders, plundering government coffers, and plundering the peasantry were two completely different things. They'd taken the city from the merchant guilds, so it was fine to take everything they owned, but the peasantry were a different matter. Shamelessly stealing them dry would stain Lorist's name and that of his house forever. It wasn't unlikely that he'd become known as the Bandit Duke.

It wasn't really so much that they'd be plundering the peasantry, it was not uncommon for invading armies to clean out the cities they invaded, nobles and peasants alike, but none did it after giving their word that they wouldn't. Keeping one's word was one of the most fundamental principles to nobles, it was the basis of all their authority and standing in society. Their word, their honor was everything. If Lorist stole from the normal cityfolk after vowing not to, and did so without a valid reason for breaking his word, he'd have no reputation left and no way to ever reclaim it because his very integrity as a noble would have been destroyed and no one would ever trust him again.

It would be even worse because Lorist had claimed he'd come only to end the war and bring peace to the ravaged lands where nobles fought for their own ambitions and bled their people dry. On top of all that he had vowed not just as one of the highest ranking nobles on the continent, but as one of it's less than a handful of swordsaints. He stood at the continent's peak in nearly every way, and his honor was held in far higher esteem than anyone else's. To break his word would mean the longest fall from grace ever recorded in Grindian history.

"Money is not like food or clothes or tools. It doesn't have any worth sitting in a coffer. It's only value is in being exchanged for other things. It's only worth something when it's flowing in a market, changing hands all the time. Sigh, talking to you feels like talking to a brick wall.

"I've gone through Charade's proposal, but we can't rush it. We mustn't agitate the Union unnecessarily before we know that they aren't willing to negotiate. Neither can we just sit around and wait for word that may never come. So, I've decided to take the following steps while we wait."

"First, we'll pass the Saw's we captured from Invincible out to the shipyards and hire technicians to turn them into fishing ships. Then we'll put them up for sale. We will encourage the peasants to buy them and start fishing. At the same time, we'll issue permits for fishing in the sunshine seas under Northsea's protection.

"If no one is willing to buy the ships, we'll recruit sailors. I don't doubt that things will pick up once the boys make a few successful trips. Also, the confiscated linen ropes can be used to make nets.

"Second, we'll form two garrison divisions by picking elite soldiers from the captives and let them take charge of patrolling the outer city. Potterfang, Els, that's your baby. We'll source their equipment from Firebird. If they are satisfactory, I will form a few more to replace our forces in the citadels on the plains.

"Third, we'll restore the farmland around Mass and Gypsy and start planting again. We will form granges and hire willing people to build them and sell them to the people left in the city once they're done.

"Pay everyone we hire in half-portions of money and supplies. We'll take the money for everything out of our plunder from the inner city. It should go without saying this isn't charity. I have every intent of making every copper and then some back once things are up and running.

"I have also ordered Northsea to move all the goods here from Silowas. I've seen a good opportunity to sell our stuff here in Morante. Most of the merchants we used to move our spoils to the island purchased a lot of our stuff before heading back. They have expressed their interest in continued trade with us, but complain that Silowas is too far and the seas too dangerous weather wise.

"Since they feel that way, we'll just move trade from Silowas to Morante. We'll ship everything from my lands to the island, and from there to Morante where we'll sell it to the merchants. We couldn't do this before because Chikdor and Peterson wouldn't let us, but they're completely out of the picture now so we can trade directly with the merchants.

"Moving trade here will jumpstart the economy whilst giving us direct access to the southern half of the continent. Both sides thus benefit greatly from this arrangement.

"Finally there's the question of who'll be my ambassador here and handle things on my behalf. I've put Charade in charge of that. He'll work with the council to set up the new government and put everything in place to get the city running again. Once the city is working again, we'll hand the plains over as well. Even if we don't declare this new Union officially formed, by setting up this 'interim' government in the meantime, even if our negotiation go through, we can still cause the Union trouble."

Lorist, Jinolio, and Reidy visited the slowly awakening commercial districts in disguise several days later. Life was slowly returning to the place and footfalls grew ever increasing in number with every day that passed.

The first of the products imported from The Northlands was finally hitting the stalls and shelves. It was a great set-up. Even if products were sold at three times what they'd cost back home, it was still considered cheap here and would sell out quickly. Lorist expected the first batches to result in a stampede sale as people stockpiled everything they could get their hands on, since they didn't know whether this was a once off thing or whether it was here to stay. Things should settle down in a few days and a more normal, healthy sales-rate should take hold.

Lorist was forced to swallow his words in laughter when Tarkel reported some of the discussions he'd overheard in the city. It turned out people weren't stampede-buying because they were unsure of whether it would last, but because everything was so cheap.

Peterson had bought its flower from Lorist at five times the kingdom's price but could still sell it for double that here because of the shortage. This had gone on for years so everyone had come to expect that to be the normal price. A market used to threefold the price they were now getting would naturally soak it up like dry earth soaks up the first rains of the season.

All the hatred towards him and his people built up because of their killings and gruesome displays were slowly beginning to fade. It would still take quite a bit more for them to become just normal foreigners again, but at least things were beginning to head in the right direction.

This slow change was helped along when the first payment cycle came around and Lorist's people paid everyone their full salaries on time.

A non-descript figure grew out of the crowds and whispered something in Jinolio's ear before melting back into the masses.

"Your Grace," Jinolio caried over the message, "Viscount Penelope is back. It's just him out of the group we sent though. He's not alone. It seems he has a Union ambassador with him. It's Peterson's vice-president, apparently."

Response to the Peace Negotiations

"The raving lunatic is a great enemy, but a horrible ally."

Lorist's gut told him there would either be no negotiations, or very bad ones, the moment he say Viscount Penelope.

Jinolio said Peterson's vice-president had come with him. What did this mean? He was an old acquaintance of Lorist's. He could not have come just to talk about those old days, could he?

As expected, Penelope's tone was moaning when he greeted Lorist.

"Revered Lord Norton, I apologize for not having fulfilled my task. I did my utmost, but the Union will not negotiate. They will not stop the war."

"This is disappointing to hear, but your efforts are dearly appreciated. This is not your fault, Penelope, and I do not hold it against you."

Lorist invited Penelope to sit with a warm smile and had Jinolio serve him fruit wine.

What is the Union planning?

Invincible was gone and Morante and the plains were in his hands. Their army was at half strength at best. Most were their elites, but even they could not compare to his men. The Union only held onto what it currently had because he had no desire to plunge his men back into war. Were he willing, however, he could smash through their lines and crush them completely without too heavy losses.

They can't just be doing this just to spite me.

There had to be something more to this. They had to have a trick still left up their sleeve. What, however, Lorist could not guess. Maybe he'd just not taught them a harsh enough lesson. This continued stubbornness angered him. They should just lie down and accept their fate. They were making things unnecessarily difficult for him. They should really just sit down and hand everything over to him. They had no right to be this stubborn.

"I have another confession, Your Grace. My companions became ill on the way to the Union strongholds. They are too sick to return so I had to come back alone. They hope you will release their families so they can reunite soon."

Jinolio clicked his tongue. What ill? They were fully kitted for the journey and they were all silver rank. No silver rank would fall ill so easily. This was nothing but an excuse to get out of captivity. It seemed Penelope was the only man with a good conscience and a working moral compass.

"Such a journey must surely be tiring for feeble silver ranks. I could not expect such weak bodies to come back through the cold so quickly. Don't worry, I'll look after their families carefully and they can reunite safely once the war ends."

"That will do as well."

Penelope was not inclined to argue on behalf of people unwilling to fulfill their tasks to earn their freedom, so he dropped the matter unceremoniously.

"The Union refused to negotiate, but they are willing to keep in touch with your captives and yourself. That's why they've sent Count Kaet, Peterson's vice-president. I am told you've had dealings with one another in the past, before the war, that is. He's come to be the Union's ambassador."

"Vice-President Kaet. Why would he come? Jinolio, quick! Get my old friend in here."

"Yes, Your Grace."

"President Peterson was very helpful when I left Morante all those years ago. I dealt with Vice-president Kaet when we started trading with the Union years later. Do you know what he has come to discuss?"

"I'm afraid I don't, Your Grace. It is a matter of discussion between two enemy factions. I, a captive of one side would not be told, certainly not when I'm a defeated and disgraced admiral. I tried to convey your intentions for peace to the Union, but they were only interested in the particulars of my defeat. I'm being blamed for the Union's current state. Honestly, it's a miracle I was even allowed to come back and wasn't just executed on the spot.

The general's face slowly reddened as he spoke and his heart raced.

"They know nothing of what happened. They know nothing of the circumstances of my defeat. They were so convinced of their superiority and the certainty of their victory that they wholly believe I must be the most incompetent admiral ever to have sailed on the sea, or have lost on purpose."

It could not be denied that the admiral had suffered a historic defeat, but he could not be accused of incompetence. Had the fight been any less one-sided technology wise, Lorist would have lost. Hell, even with his overwhelming superiority on the technology tree the admiral had brought him to the brink of defeat. Had the admiral not charged onto his ship, but one of the others, the fight might well have ended in Lorist's defeat.

Lorist searched awkwardly for consoling words, to no avail. Luckily only a few awkward seconds passed before Jinolio brought the Vice-president into the room.

"Ahah! Vice-president Kaet, my old friend, it's been too long! Are you well?"

"It is a happy day to meet you again, Lord Duke!" Kaet exclaimed as he greeted Lorist, "I didn't think you'd become my guild's enemy. Now you've even conquered our old capital and chased out of the plains. You've done what emperors and an entire empire could not! The world never ceases to amaze me."

"Old friend. I never wanted to be the Union's enemy. I want more than anyone else to end this horrible war and turn everything back to how it was before the war. I want not to point fingers and put blame on anyone's lap. I just want this to end. I have returned to the front-lines for this sole purpose. I had hoped that with this attack I could bring you stubborn boys back to the table, but now you've turned me down again. Tell me, have you grown fond of war?"

"Sigh..."

Kaet didn't know how to respond at first. Once Lorist's words sank in, however, he blasted back with a livid reply.

"Andinaq started all of this. That blasted king marched his men into our lands. You are the aggressors here. You started this bloody war. You were the first to slaughter our nobles, the first to break the age old taboo! You yourself wiped out one of our guilds like dogs. You disgraced us and then you have the nerve to criticize us for not surrendering to you tyrants? Tell me Lord Duke, is your skin thick enough to deny your crimes? If so, I don't know how you get out of bed in the morning!"

"Oh?" an alien smile cracked Lorist's face, "I don't know how the empire's territory became yours. Auguslo, my king, waged a just war to reclaim the lands rightfully his by inheritance. You are the invaders, the foreign settlers. You are the greedy bastards stretching your dog claws into what is rightfully ours.

"Whatever... You merchants know nothing about nobility, and noble honor and prestige. You wear the clothes and spout the words, but you do not live the lives. You do not inherit anything, you know nothing about family heritage so of course you would think something belongs to you just because you could steal it. We're just teaching you how to be proper nobles. Land belongs to you because you have a claim hundreds of years old and a centuries long history and bond with the land, not because you managed to chase the true owners off the land.

"See what you did? I said I didn't want to argue blame, but now you've made me go down that road. I can't sit idly by and watch you monkeys mock us for having tails. I don't know what you're up to, refusing my offer of peace when you're on the brink of being wiped out completely, nor do I particularly care. Tell me, what secret mission do you have?"

"You..." Kaet wanted to argue, but Lorist gazed at him with a murderous gaze, and he knew the man was a swordsaint, so he swallowed his words.

He acted with restraint and respect in their previous meetings, but he always looked down on this little noble from the barbarian north. Now, however, the man was a swordsaint. And one that could go toe-to-toe with the Union's. He could not offend this man.

Kaet dropped the familiarity with which he'd behaved before. His countenance became far and cold. He bowed stiffly.

"I am Count Kaet Wesrena and I serve in this meeting as the Forde Trade Union's ambassador. I greet the bloodblade saint, Norton Lorist, Duke of The Northlands with the respect his title is due. I come to bring the Union's official response regarding your suit for peace."

"Go on."

"The Union is willing to speak of peace, but such talks will not take place as long as even one Andinaq foot stands on our land. We will speak of peace only once you and your king withdraw from our lands, including the seven provinces and the lands of our allied countries in the north, pay reparations for your transgressions, and admit to your crimes. The Union was not comparable to the Krissen Empire when we last fought, but we still won. The war lasted fifty years, but we won. This was has lasted just three, do you really think we will give in now? Do you really think we can not fight you for the next fifty years until you've bled white? Even if we have to fight you for a century, we will do so. The Union is ever victorious!"

Lorist, Jinolio, and Penelope's mouths scraped the floor.

Did this man still have his brains? This sounded more like their declaration of war than a call for peace. What gave the Union their confidence? No. This could not be called confidence. This was a delusion. A collective insanity had swept over the entire Union.

"Nonsense! Men!" shouted Jinolio.

Kaet was being too rude. He'd insulted Lorist. Ambassadors were generally free to speak to their counterparts as equal, regardless of any rank difference so they could openly convey their messages, but this was an insult. Ambassadors, as unfettered as their speech may be, could not shout at their counterparts.

"Duke Norton! I am an ambassador! This is the Union's reply!"

Kaet remained stock straight.

"That all? Nothing else?"

Lorist stared at Kaet with an interested gaze. He waved his guards down. He could tell the ambassador had just recited the message. These were not his own words. There was no point in killing the messenger.

"Huh? You're not going to kill me?"

"Kill you? Why would I? I am not your heartless comrades. I am not an uncultured, uneducated, barbarous merchant. Your reply is perfectly understandable. You can't expect an idiot to speak in proper sentences, after all. I forgive your mistake. You guys are just being sore losers. You want to fight until there's nothing left of you. Fine by me. I'll just wipe you off the face of the continent for good, then.

"A proper noble treats his guest, an ambassador even more so, with all the etiquette and decorum he has, even if the poor sod is a monkey. You don't have to worry, you just barely qualify as a monkey, so I'll treat you properly. Now, tell, me. I know you didn't come here just to give me that little babble. What else are you here for?"

"I'm..." Kaet shook violently, "We're still at war, but hostilities have ceased for the time being, so I've been sent to come get our captives. We are willing to pay a fair price."

Leaving the Camps with Nothing

"Greed is the death of good men."

"Hahahaha..." Charade laughed badly in the couch, clutching his stomach.

It was far too much of a joke and such a foolish stroke would definitely remain one of the staple moments of history.

In the entire two thousand year history of the continent after the magic civilization, even including the millennium-long dark ages, there were countless unexpected results that came about from the interaction of two factions. However, not one was as laughable as the Union's reply. Lorist had suggested a peace negotiation, yet they came back with a declaration of war.

Usually, when nobles were at each other's necks, they would respond to requests or queries politely. If one side proposed peace, even if the other didn't agree, they would still be polite in their rejection. Such was the etiquette. No noble had ever broken this basic rule. The Union was the first.

"A bunch of fools! They don't know what's good for them!" Lorist barked.

Kaet's kamikaze-like attitude made him want to vomit. Did they really think Lorist was a complete fool and would anger so easily?

"They sent him here to piss you off," said Charade.

"I know. I won't fall for it. I don't understand what the Union is trying to achieve. How do they hope to continue this war?"

"They must think they can use the city's people as a bargaining chip. They must think we can't handle them, so if they anger you, you'll vent on them. It'll incite a massive uprising and we'll lose control of the city. Either they then get the city back, or we keep pouring in people to keep control, and we keep losing men."

"Hehe, aren't they idealistic?" Lorist laughed, "We'll make them regret it. Also, how are your negotiations?"

"I came precisely to make my report. I've not come across any problems with the syndicates. They're actually happy to see the guilds gone and are willing to be the new city administrators. Even if it's temporary, they stand to benefit a lot.

"The shrine sector is also responding positively. The 27 shrines couldn't be happier about our invitation. The shrines are the ones most harmed by the rationing system. They despise the guilds for sapping their income so badly. They are all too happy to take over governing the city.

"The two remaining academies aren't as cooperative. Saint William Academy and Saint Molinka Academy survived only because the guilds kept funding them. They're the last of the 28 academies the city used to have. They had a good relationship with the guilds since their students were mostly from the guilds. They've ignored my invitations completely."

"Haha, since they don't want grace, we'll kick them out. We still need a representative for the academy sector though... Have Tarkel track down all the former administrators and teachers. We'll found another academy, several if possible. Put them under the new government. There certainly is still a market for academies, Morante has a million inhabitants and thousands of prospective students. For now we'll offer loans so they can study."

"A good idea, Your Grace," Charade said as his eyes flashed brightly.

The 28 academies used to be open and assimilated all sorts of cultures and methods, making Morante the holy land for furthering one's studies and even earning it its moniker 'academy city', unlike its current state with only two academies that only served to train new personnel for the guilds. They also accepted normal citizens, but most couldn't afford the fees anymore.

"When Morante's economy stabilizes, the people will start to think about education. When we were studying in Dawn Academy, there were 28 academies and 200 thousand students. Morante's population was only 800 thousand. The academy sector used to be the most crowded. You remember when I followed you for patrols one day a student realized there were even quite a few senior students who'd studied in the academy for more than six years and even formed their families and had children in the student dorms?"

"Yeah. Studying a specialized course used to cost six gold Fordes. It was expensive for the average person, but many still paid so their children could study. If they used up their funds, the students could work for a period before resuming their studies and there were many ways to earn money. But ever since the War of Glass and the worsening relations between the Union and its neighbors, most foreign students left. They were also the majority of the student body. It's no surprise the academies closed."

"Even if we sponsor 10 thousand students, it won't cost more than ten thousand Fordes. I can bear that. Let's consider it a memento for my decade here. Alright, it's decided.

"Now that the Union has responded, we can go ahead with our plans. Take over everything trade and administration. We can even change the governing body into a new city council and set Morante up as the capital of the plains." instructed Lorist.

"Understood. They will be really delighted to hear they will become the new city council," replied Charade.

"Oh and tell Jindoz to be more loose and let others have a chance. It'll be enough for him to have a tight grip on the two new sentry divisions. Military power is most important during war after all."

Charade nodded.

"I'm sure Jindoz will understand."

Jinolio entered after knocking on the door.

"Your Grace, Supervisor Spiel and Sir Tarkel have arrived."

"Let them in."

Spiel and Tarkel entered.

"I've called you over to get your input. Count Kaet came yesterday. The Union rejected our offer and refuse to negotiate. They've instead demanded we release their prisoners for ransom. I've agreed," briefed Lorist.

"But, Milord, the prisoner still have most of their wealth. They're still spending it at the tavern. We'll lose all of that money!" Spiel griped.

"I know, don't worry. I won't let them leave with their wealth. We're holding Kaet in the military prison outside the city so he won't notice our moves. Charade, start negotiating the ransom with the count, begin with the blademasters and move down from there. The Hidegold Bay nobles will be last on the list. Increase their debts in the taverns tenfold. We'll only agree to paying the ransom once the Union settles those bills."

"As you wish. I shall do my best," sighed Charade.

"Don't do your best. Get it done. The Union is aware of our current situation, we have to keep them talking to stop them getting suspicious. Make us sound desperate. They'll want to drag negotiations on in that case as well."

"Tarkel, tell me about the docks camp."

"There've been 17 brawls and robberies, in the last week. Mostly because captives are preying on one another. They've formed gangs and are competing for territory. We've chosen to ignore everything as long as no one dies. I've given the order that it should be encouraged as subtly as possible.

"That's also what's behind the increase in recent spending. They aren't settling for porridge because they can't afford to become weak and have everything stolen. So they're coughing up the money to buy meat. Our profits should grow to 100 thousand gold a day soon."

Lorist shook his head.

"It's too slow. One tavern isn't enough, set up more all over the camp. Open a casino if you can, or a brothel. Start a few pawn shops as well. We don't just want their gold, we want their belongings as well."

"Your Grace is a true genius!" Tarkel exclaimed, "I haven't even thought of that!"

Lorist rolled his eyes.

"Buzz off. Don't let others know I was the one who came up with it. I just want the people to have as fun a time as is possible under the circumstances. The price is only high because it's difficult to provide everything in war time.

"Also, have Pajik set up another camp for the people who're out of money. They'll get only the normal rations. Kaet can negotiate for those prisoners only. We'll move people over as they use up their money and the Union can negotiate for them then.

"No matter how we do it, we have to bleed them dry. My only condition is you must not disrupt the camps. We can move behind the scenes, but we must not make promises we can't or won't keep."

"Understood, Your Grace," Tarkel saluted, "I know what to do."

Dinag's Encounters

"The conquering king rarely has a faithful wife. The wise king will rule from home rather than take the field."

Dinag used to be a mercenary. When he was fifteen, he took the sword his father left behind and joined his Uncle Wag's small but reputable mercenary band, the Bloodblade Squad. After five years of adventuring, Dinag grew from a rookie mercenary into a seasoned hunter and an expert scout. So, his uncle began to consider his future.

"You should go to the academy to study. There's no way you're going to work as a rough mercenary for the rest of your life like Uncle," his uncle had said all too often.

He hoped his nephew would study for a couple of years and learn something worthwhile rather than just mingling with the rough and rowdy mercenaries. He didn't want him to be a lowly poor peasant for his whole life.

Dinag, however, didn't want to study. He liked the free mercenary life, but his uncle was strict and unrelenting and forced him to go along with his plans. Just as Dinag helplessly resigned himself to becoming a student of Saint Marceau Academy in Morante, the War of Glass began. It changed his fate completely.

Though the hot-blooded mercenaries first banded together to resist Teribo's invasion, they eventually became the invaders like the Union itself. Bloodblade also served as a hired lance during the war and quickly expanded. They fought their way into Teribo and eventually turned into lawless bandits. They committed all sorts of crimes. To them, the war was a rave party. It was exactly the kind of days mercenaries desired.

But the good times didn't last long. The straight-laced Teribo VII suddenly offered huge bounties and turned the battle into a war of angels and demons, a battle in which mortal men had no future.

Dinag's uncle was among the first killed. As the first leader of Bloodblade and a two-star gold rank, he led a group of elite mercenaries and raided Teribo nobles' manors. During one such raid he was ambushed by two blademasters and his entire contingent was wiped out.

Dinag found only his uncle's decapitated body. He was still grieving when the band began to disintegrate. No one could agree how to split their plunder. Disagreements became fights, and fights became duels. Less than half of the surviving band were still alive when the fighting ended, and they left what whatever they could carry. The band was disbanded.

After burying his uncle, Dinag joined the guild army Twinhead Dragon formed, bent on taking revenge. He hoped to fight in the vanguard, to have as many enemies to kill as his blade could fell. He had no chance against the blademasters who killed his uncle, but he could go after the enemy king.

But the entire war was a joke. He never fought in field battles or siege, hell, there were none. He spent the entire war in camp waiting for a chance to fight, only to hear one day that they'd won the war. Rumor had it the king had killed himself. The Union bigwigs split the spoils and land and everything ended.

A single mercenary's hatred didn't matter. He didn't have anywhere to go either. His uncle was his only family, he had no idea what to do now. He eventually remembered his uncle's wish that he study, but he had no money. The survivors of the band had taken everything. He'd earned a good salary while in the army, but he'd blown everything on booze and women.

He had no choice but to keep working for the guild. He fought in all the Union's wars for the next decade. He'd been there for all the great victories and losses, and somehow survived. His track record eventually earned him the name Dinag the Lucky.

He'd need all of the luck for what he now faced.

His current mission was to infiltrate Morante. The guild's chief supervisor, Sloph, had personally met them and promised the president himself would promote them to knights and give them great rewards if they were successful.

More than ten years of experience had molded Dinag into a seasoned veteran. He knew the bigger the reward was, so too were the risks. However, having the chance to become a knight moved him. He had fought in many battles and had quite the reputation, but he was still just a mid-tier officer. He was a mercenary. Even when he had served for more than a decade and was a three-star silver rank, he couldn't compare with the new talent the guild was cultivating. To the guild, Dinag would forever be an outsider.

He didn't care about the money. As long as he could fulfill his mission, he would be promoted to a knight of Duke Cobleit himself. That meant the guild would have accepted him. From that day on, he would be treated the same as the talent the guild cultivated. He would definitely get a bigger salary and a higher position. Even his children would be accepted and receive proper training. His worries would be over.

This was a chance. Not one of his comrades turned the mission down. Dinag didn't think it would be that dangerous anyway. He just had to infiltrate the city and establish contact with his foregoers. From there he'd take them to a secret armory and help them distribute the weapons to the people and incite a revolt.

Simple, much easier than the one when he was trapped on a hill by the midsouthern nations' cavalry corps. He recalled he had been trapped for nearly ten days and even lacked water. He had to drink is pee to survive. To prevent the cavalrymen from discovering he was hiding there, he had to lie on the ground for three whole days.

The hardest thing about this mission, was that he had to survive through the uprising. He knew how dangerous a revolt could be. Especially for him, since the enemy was bound to come after the leaders first.

He chose a mercenary called Ricador as his partner. The mission had eight participants, all of them mercenaries. They split into four groups to infiltrate the city. They'd reunite inside. Sloph told them the city had a group inside already, but they'd been unable to achieve their goals.

The first group sent word that House Norton's tyranny had sparked a sense of resistance among the citizens, but they didn't have any weapons. The informants themselves were also understaffed and couldn't effectively incite a revolt. They hoped the guilds could send them some.

Sloph had said Riwald once transported three ships' worth of weapons from Hidegold Bay. They'd left the shipment in a warehouse in the city and never got around to moving it to their dominion.

Dinag and Ricador wandered for days to shake of any prying eyes suspicious of their activities. They passed through Tedanini Mountains and headed to Callisto Hills, pretending to be mercenaries returning from Khawistan and heading to Morante to sell their catch.

The Norton soldiers by the east gate weren't interested in them and casually let them in. They heded for their rendezvous point, a place called the Red Grace Inn.

A man in his twenties sat behind the counter. He complained when he saw the secret sign.

"What's the deal? The rest arrived days ago. We're only waiting for you."

"I'm sorry, We were playing it safe," Dinag apologized, "We didn't think House Norton's security would be so lax, unlike what you reported. We also saw many people walking about the streets doing shopping. The city seems very peaceful. Where is this revolt you talked about? What's going on?"

"You're a sharp one. You're much smarter than your partners. When they arrived, they started eating right away. They even told us to get them women. They didn't even know what got them. I didn't want to waste my energy here, but I guess you're not the type to yield without a struggle," said the youth as he smiled and put his sword on the counter.

Dinag and Ricador drew their own, retreating towards the door slowly.

"A trap then? The request was fake?" asked Dinag as he observed his surroundings.

"Yes. After we catch you, we will send another saying you're all idiots who got caught by the Nortons. Seven of you died and ne escaped. The revolt never happened. We'll ask for another batch of reinforcements," answered the young man.

He drew his sword from its scabbard lazily.

"You can bring out all your hiding friends," said Dinag.

The young man shook his head.

"Nobody is hiding. Don't worry, I'm the only one. You see that small door behind me? If you can defeat or kill me, you can leave through there safely. Nobody will stop you. As for the front door, forget it. My senior apprentice brother is outside and if you can't even defeat me, you'll have no hopes of escaping."

"You have a master?" Dinag squinted.

"Yes," the young man sighed, "Actually, I don't really like fighting and killing. But my master wanted me to come and said I could use the free training partners. This is much safer than fighting on the battlefield, he said. Alright, come on. I'll give you a chance. You're talented. Won't you serve House Norton?"

Ricador charged forward without saying a word. When Dinag saw the glow on the hot-blooded Ricador's blade, he cried loudly and charged as well.

...

The windstorm swordsaint's residence still stood atop Brinn Hills. It was now Lorist's residence.

Tarkel stepped onto the balcony hurriedly. Lorist lay on a chair in a corner.

"What's wrong? Jinolio fine?"

"He is, Your Grace. He captured the last informants. It's just he took longer than usual. Reidy's already scolded him. We just got a message from the capital."

"Oh. Didn't our king return already? Did he cause trouble again?"

"Well..." Tarkel hesitated. "I don't know how to say this, Your Grace..."

"What's so hard to say? Just read the message."

"Okay. The queen is seven months pregnant," said Tarkel, hiding his smile by lowering his head.

"The queen's pregnant? Great news. I guess we'll have to prepare some gifts to celebrate… Wait, seven months?!"

"Seven months?!" Lorist repeated.

"Yes."

What a scandal! Auguslo was gone from the capital for three years and had only just returned. Clearly the queen had had an affair! His crown was green![1] What was he going to do? He might normally just execute the woman, but she was a Fisablen.

"The letter says the queen didn't welcome the king when he returned. She tried to hide from him saying she was ill, but the king went with a bunch of nobles to check on her. The moment he saw her, the king realized she was pregnant. He slew her four servants on the spot. The queen fainted at the scene."

Lorist was speechless.

"The king won't be ascending to the imperial throne for at least two years..."

[1] Wearing a green cap is a popular Chinese saying of being cheated on. It's a reference to people losing their lovers to other men during their time in the military, hence the green cap. In this case, Auguslo was literally on a military campaign...

Protest

"Remember that old saying. 'If you want to steal properly, make your target give you their stuff voluntarily.'" ~ Unknown

"I protest! I express my strong objections House Norton as a representative of the Union! You have violated your promise to respect the sacred right to private property and lust after the wealth of the family members of the merchant guild members! You are limiting their freedom..." Count Kaet was fuming with rage as he glared furiously at Charade, his voice hoarse from his outburst.

Charade dug his ear with his finger.

"Lord Kaet, please don't be so emotional. I acknowledge your protest. Then should we continue to discuss the transportation of the captives after you pay for their ransom? If you send carriages over, then each carriage will have to pay a toll of one gold Forde. If you hire us to transport those captives, it will cost two gold Fordes each if you include the food they will consume throughout the journey. We have already discounted this by half for you, our old friend. If someone else had come, we'd charge them three gold Fordes minimum without even including food."

Kaet sank into his chair angrily. It felt as if his fist had caught nothing but air. Not only did he not strike his enemy, he even injured his back in the process. He clutched his face and sighed deeply.

Who's the merchant here? Didn't they say nobles only care for face and merchants only care for profits? Why is it the opposite with House Norton? Do they not care about their reputation at all? It's all gold Fordes, gold Fordes, and more gold Fordes in their eyes! They're more merchant-like than merchants!

He'd thought the negotiations were going well, initially. The sum of two million gold Fordes would include the ransom for all surrendered blademasters, gold ranks, high officials of merchant guilds and their family members, attendants, as well as the guards that came along with them, numbering around two thousand people in total. However, the bill he received caused him to jump with anger.

"I wouldn't believe even if you killed me that two thousand people consumed more than 800 thousand gold Fordes in the span of 50 days! 80 thousand is more like it! Show me your menu! I want to see what they eat daily!" cried the count.

"Apologies, Count Kaet, you should know the state of Morante now. Actually, we spent lots of effort to provide for the food and drink as well as the parties these esteemed guest of ours hold. I I'm sure you understand how much ingredients of that caliber cost. Apart from this bill, there are around ten other blademasters' tabs. That's another two million. We won't release the blademasters in question until these tabs are settled. You pay their salaries, so just deduct it from their salary."

"Ridiculous! You even set up casinos!"

"That's not a big deal. You understand how terrible it must feel to lose one's freedom. They are our captives because of your incompetence. These people have big but brittle prides, so we gave them things with which to entertain themselves so they suffer as little as possible."

"Stop! Just stop!" Kaet looked at the tabs and quickly noticed something odd. "Tell me, why are these debts only for blademasters? Why does no one else have any debt?

"We don't allow them to make any debts. We trust the Union will foot the blademasters' bill, but not for anyone else. You might just choose to leave them with us."

It sounded bad, but it did make sense. The Union was hoping to put the elites to work, the blademasters were worth the debts they had, but no one else would be worth it if they had large debts.

The negotiations finally closed. Kaet hoped he could strike while the iron was still hot and ransom the rest of the inner city's residents. Most were family members of the Union's mid-tier military and guild officials, so getting them back would improve the forces' morale.

Charade wasn't against it, but the negotiations dragged on once again. They eventually settled on one gold per child and elder, two for women, and three for youths. Charade was about to have men go out and count the people to get a detailed price, Kaet declared he'd pay a million regardless of their number so there was no need for a survey.

"Deal!"

Kaet's face nearly exploded when he saw the first batch, however. What inner city residents was this? These were fucking refugees! They didn't have anything but the clothes on their back, some didn't even have that! The only difference was they were plump and fat!

Kaet quickly learned what had happened. The three thousand leapt at him like he was their father. Some accused House Norton of intentionally jacking up food prices while others asked him to go back and take back the goods stolen from their peers. Some even asked him to treat them to a good meal.

He had to be escorted out of the crowd, only to realise his clothes had been stolen in the turmoil. Even his wedding ring had been stolen. He couldn't even get angry. He was completely numb. He didn't forget his duty, however, and demanded to speak with Lorist.

He'd been housed outside the city in a small compound. The compound was completely surrounded by guards and Kaet was not allowed to leave it, even for meetings, everything happened within the compound.

He'd initially complained, but was told it was for his protection since the city was very unstable.

The few people he was allowed to meet described seeing fires in the city frequently, and fishing ships frequently sailed past the prison ships to go fishing. Everything matched what Charade had told him so for a while he was convinced it was true. It seemed House Norton had not gained anything from the city and was now losing men and money by the day. Now, however, he learned what was really happening from the released captives.

House Norton had defaulted on their promise to respect personal property rights and had started taking the property of the inner city residents. Their schemes were clever, so it wasn't blatant robbery, but it was still against their promise. Kaet could not let them do this.

He planned to give Lorist an earful and demand everything be returned, lest he return to the Union and they take military action. Lorist, however refused to see him. Charade also stopped visiting for three whole days.

When he finally saw the scoundrel again, Kaet unloaded on him like a catapult. Charade just kept saying they'd not broken their promise. The people had chosen to give up their riches on their own by using the services they'd offered.

"Is your situation in the north so bad that two bowls of watered-down porridge counts as a decent free ration?" Kaet laughed, both furious and disdainful.

"It is!" Charade replied shamelessly, "You must not know how lucky they are to get even this much. Things are so bad they've even started eating the bark of the trees in and around the city! Anyway, that's not important. I'm here to talk about the fees for transporting the people. We won't be feeding the people we've released, they're in your care now. If you want to keep them here, you'll have to send food yourself, we can sell you some, 50 kilograms of potatoes is one gold Forde. If you want to send them back to your territory, you have two options. If you want us to send them off, you have to pay the fee. If you transport them yourselves, you'll have to pay the toll."

Kaet inhaled deeply and forced his anger down.

"One question. Why did you offer to transport the first batch for free? I thought the transport fee was included in their ransom."

Kaet was referring to the blademasters, gold ranks, nobles, officials, and their familis. The two thousand people were transported to the new border for free.

"Don't take me for an idiot. That was just two thousand people. We're talking about 100 thousand now. We don't get the carts and drivers for free. We have to recoup the costs."

"I already paid the ransom..."

"Yes, the ransom. That's all we negotiated and all you paid. We're talking about the costs of transport now."

"You... You're shameless! I... I protest!"

"And I acknowledge your protest. Now, have you decided? Will you use our services or your own and pay the toll?"

Kaet did not have the energy to get angry again.

"I... I demand an audience with your duke. I will complain to him personally. Is this what you Nortons consider sincerity? Barbarians are more sincere! You've been away from civilization and mingling with the barbarians for too long. You don't know how to behave properly anymore! I warn you, the civilized people of the rest of the continent will not stand for this, you'll pay!"

Charade shrugged.

"Frankly, His Grace only met you because you had ties with us from before the war. You're just a count, don't get too big for your station. Even if His Grace was not a duke, he is a swordsaint, he is far above you.

"As for us paying for this, you're welcome to march your armies here. We'd be more than happy to hand the city over. It's just that if we're imminently handing over the city, we might not bother with putting out all those fires. Ah, I'm rambling. Send a letter to the Union and ask them to come for the city. The winner gets to keep it, how about that?"

When he finished, he noticed that Kaet was shaking his head forcefully, his mouth shut.

Shocking News

"Gossip is the woman's weapon."

Lorist was incredibly busy with training and paying attention to the developments of the scandal of Auguslo and his pregnant wife. He was really interested in how it would turn out. If something like that happened in a commoner's or knight's family, Lorist would not be nearly as interested.

But this happened to the king. Lorist's craving for gossip shot through the roof. He lamented that Morante was too far from the capital and the gossip would take a day or two to arrive. So, when Charade placed the letter of protest Kaet spent three days penning in front of him, He crumpled it and tossed it into the rubbish bin.

"Protest my ass! All bark and no bite like a useless guard dog! If the Union really has any bargaining chips left, they would've sent their troops instead of sending an envoy. Ignore him."

"I know, but we should at least leave him some face," Charade answered, "Actually, this letter is quite well-written. I didn't know he had that kind of talent. He wrote it over several days and it has several good points. I was quite surprised that it doesn't openly criticize us. He's implied everything instead. It's a shame you want to throw it away without at least reading it."

"You can take it out of the bin if you want. I don't care about his talent. Talent that doesn't serve me is worthless. There are no problems with your arrangements, are there? How much did you squeeze out of the Union?"

"Everything's going fine. The people we released are settling in by the port. Kaet has agreed to use us to transport the people to the border and is buying the food from us as well.

"He should thank us for releasing them in small batches. He's already struggling with that along, if we released them all at once he'd collapse. He's blind to his blessing and protesting us only releasing the people that have no money left.

"The Union has given us 6.3 million of the ransom and the bills we slapped on them. Kaet complained about this as well. He mocked us for being rural bumpkins that only care about money and nothing for our reputation. He's also complained about being forced to cover his own expenses, but I've been deaf since he arrived.

"Spiel is personally managing the camp near the port. Tarkel secretly spread word that only those who spent all their money would be released, so everyone's rushing to get rid of their money. Tarkel spread two other rumors as well, that their wealth would be confiscated by the Union even if they managed to leave with it, and that, if they won the red betting chip in the casino, they would be released and House Norton would even ensure their personal safety and wealth. Two casinos have been overflowing for two days now.

"We've earned three million in the last ten days. Spiel's so happy he can't stop smiling or keep his mouth shut. He said the captives alone can give us ten million. Tarkel also had people put up a show at the port two days ago. He gathered two thousand outer city citizens and twenty buckets of cow and goat blood to put up a show on how our troops are trying hard to suppress a revolt. He wanted to scare the stubborn old folks in the camp so they think the city is very dangerous and won't try to escape, and so they'll believe we're barely keeping everything under control."

Charade's report made Lorist laugh. It all started when Jindoz handed over the two infiltrators, Riwald's chief supervisor, Mendauk, and the gold-ranked swordsman, Vingoff. The two didn't even last two days against Tarkel and spilled everything.

Lorist knew he could play this well. Since the two planned the whole operation, he would have them continue to send word back to the Union and ask for supplies and reinforcements. He wanted more training dummies for Jinolio. The kid had a good character, his only shortcoming was a lack of motivation; the kid barely touched weapons at all. He never strove to win and, at best, fought hard enough to get a draw.

Lorist's three disciples had been the center of attention since he'd become a swordsaint. His first disciple, Reidy, was already equal to a rank 2 blademaster and had a strong bloodlust. Howard was equal to a three-star gold-ranked swordsman and was calm and calculative. And his third disciple was tall and graced with a magnificent figure and was a peak three-star silver rank. In stark contrast to his physique, however, Jinolio had a soft heart and delicate handwriting, perhaps because he spent lots of time with his female tutor in his childhood.

Lorist was quite troubled by this kid. How could a pirate like Senbaud give birth to a good-boy son? The old pirate had sailed the seas to raid, kill, and commit all sorts crimes. Many of Lorist's knights were even ashamed to be in the same unit as him. But his eldest was loved by everyone. He was genuine and had a great temperament; his loyalty was also second to none. His aversion to combat was his only shortcoming.

Sending Jinolio to fight on the battlefield was too risky right now. Even a swordsaint could not be certain of his fate. And sparring with the guards was pointless. Jinolio didn't care about winning, and he couldn't be put in a real life-or-death situation that way. Having him fight Union operative trying to infiltrate the city was the best option. Hopefully, they would give him some spark of insight. The men would seriously aim for his life, whilst the situation meant Jinolio would not get ganged or surrounded as might happen on a battlefield.

Lorist didn't expect that Charade and Tarkel get involved as well. The two wanted to convince the Union they were really in trouble. They could buy more time for the new Union to stabilize and prepare the Union for a fatal blow once they met on the field.

"Alright, go all out," Lorist smiled, "Morante needs time. Let the Union think we are having a hard time dealing with the people and suffering severe losses. When they finally move on the city in force, we'll cut their head off. Morante needs just half a year then we can begin withdrawing. How about we call it Let's call it the Morantian Plutocracy? I want to see where the Union hides its shameful face next. Can they really still be called the Forde Trade Union after losing their headquarters? Once that's done we'll help the Plutocracy fend of the Union's invasion. I'm sure many will be too shocked to even react when the time comes."

"The Union will regret this. If they knew things will turn out like this, they would've surrendered long ago. Isn't a little too cruel, though, Your Grace? You're not just giving them a hard blow, you're completely uprooting them!"

Lorist shook his head.

"They asked for this. They want to enjoy the privileges of nobility, but won't uphold the dignity and honor that comes with that? They want to be both merchants and nobles? They can't have their cake and eat it too. They resisted outside forces because they were of singular purpose, but now they're fractured. Morante's deterioration is their fault. If Duke Forde Morante knew what would happen to the city, he would probably never had joined hands with the guilds. We have to turn the city back to how it used to be."

"Your Grace is right. Oh, has there been any news from the capital?"

As a staunch opposer of Auguslo, Charade was really interested in the scandal. He'd been pestering Lorist since he'd heard of the whole affair.

"Nothing new. The last news is that the cheater's been found. No details on him yet. The king's apparently threatened death on anyone who as much as thought a word on this matter. The funniest thing is people celebrated the king having an heir when the news first spread, you know, before everyone realized she must have cheated."

The two laughed together, schadenfreude filling the room. This scandal was the greatest entertainment they'd had in years.

Tarkel burst into the room as the two wrapped up their laughter.

"News from the capital!" he shouted as he waved a small piece of parchment around.

"Let's hear it," beckoned Charade.

"The queen cheated with the palace guards' vice-captain! Wicksas, a 27-year-old two-star silver rank."

"Wicksas? Two-star silver rank at 27? Which house? How did he become the palace guard's vice-captain?"

Lorist's first guess was that he had relied on secret connections to get his station. His station was usually occupied only by people in the gold rank. The rule was made even stricter after the blademaster breaking several years ago during Lorist's recovery. Auguslo had reorganized the palace's defenses in his rage and made sure all three hundred members of the palace guard were at least silver rank.

"Wicksas isn't a noble. He's just a squire. His adoptive father was a retired royal knight."

Tarkel's eyes suddenly popped out of his skull.

"Y-y-your Grace... The l-l-letter says W-w-wicksas is actually... the king's... illegitimate son..."

"What?!" Lorist snatched the letter from Tarkel and put it on the table.

Charade squeezed in to get a look as well.

It was true. Wicksas was indeed rumored to be Auguslo's bastard son. It was unproven, however. It was, however, fueled by the fact that Auguslo didn't kill Wicksas once he was discovered; he just locked him up.

Lorist's informant was a loyal and dutiful commander. He'd gone to great lengths to verify the rumor. He was told by a former servant to the king that when the king was 17, he had an affair with his father's maidservant which bore a child. The servant disappeared with her child soon after. There were no traces left over the years, so it wasn't certain whether the man was indeed the king's bastard, but his age did match.

Holy shit! This just keeps getting better and better! So Auguslo had an affair with his father's maidservant, and the son from that affair now had an affair with his father's wife, which also now bears a child! God, I bet this kid will have an affair with his own mother or sister, that family just keeps getting worse every generation!

"Tarkel, ask Glacia if she knows anything about this bastard of the king's."

"Understood, Your Grace," replied Tarkel.