Gaining A Pawn.

"Life…."

"Have you ever considered life to be nothing more than a game and us its unwilling participants?"

"A game where everyone, no matter how exalted, is a pawn while simultaneously able to be a player capable of changing the entire board."

"Yes, that's right."

"Everyone is a pawn."

"Something to be discarded at will."

"Because everyone is a pawn to something."

"Whether that is to power, wealth, a person, a nation or even a people."

"Even those who think themselves players are pawns."

"For a king is as much a pawn to his people as his people are pawns to him."

"As kings can be replaced and discarded if their rule is deemed to be unsuitable to be replaced by another."

"This is the same with ministers, nobles and anyone else in a position of power."

"We must never forget that we are all replaceable and that no matter who we are, we must always serve something."

"This is why a king must always serve his people and become their pawn on their path to prosperity."

"Otherwise, that king's dynasty is destined to fall one way or another."

Reginald Coulan, creator and head of House Aurellion in Dynasties Online.

….

"So, mister pirate man…."

"What will it be?"

Braxel, who had closed his eyes expecting to die and have to restart from scratch again in three months in real life or a year and a half in-game time, was momentarily stunned as he wondered what this young man would gain from letting him live. If they collected on his bounty, this young man could get at least a few hundred gold, which could be used to help hire back the men they had lost to his attack.

Most merchants do this with any pirates they encounter and capture because pirates are the natural enemies of these businesses, and no self-respecting merchant ever turns down the prospect of free gold.

Unless there is something else they wanted, that is.

Something that he could only get if Braxel was alive and would be much more profitable for him in the long run.

Just the thought of such a thing sent shivers down his spine. This person seemed to be able to command a grandmaster-level strategist and master-level fighter and even had another quasi-master who followed his orders like a faithful dog.

This meant that his background was not ordinary at all.

To think that because of his greed, he had been tricked!

Tricked into taking part in a conflict between nobles or even nations. While the cargo on this man's ships is likely one of the reasons that they paid 50,000 gold to him to attack them, their true objective was likely something else entirely.

It was likely that they wanted the leader of this merchant fleet dead for one reason or another and wanted him to be the unwitting pawn that killed him, allowing them to get rid of one of their headaches without them having to move a single finger.

Hell, Braxel thought his patron was even likely to betray his name to the young man's supporters so that they would go after him and kill him in their rage and avenge their young master by that action washing their hands entirely of any future problems that may appear due to this young man's death.

As he thought through the conspiracy, he unknowingly participated in, the moves the players behind him would make now that he had failed so spectacularly. His thoughts were interrupted by the young man who said only five words.

"Tick tock, goes the clock."

Railius said icily, motioning to where Captain Ryman was bleeding out. The blood formed a small crimson puddle beneath the pirate captain, which slowly grew with each second of Braxels' hesitation to surrender. The implied meaning in his words was evident to anyone with an IQ higher than room temperature, let alone a player like Braxel, who had the benefits of a modern education and was a rather talented man himself.

It took only a second for Braxel to realise that he had no choice but to surrender as at least he may have a chance to live if the young man's words were anything to go by because the only other outcome was death today or sometime in the distant future.

Besides, for some reason, Braxel thought that the young man would keep his word and that he would be able to find a way out of this situation with not only his head but that of his surviving men.

Not that too many were left, as his enemies were far too skilled at their bloody battlefield work for them to deal anything less than a fatal blow to his men, being the experienced battle-hardened killers they were.

"Stand down! There's no need for more men to die needlessly and give the order to surrender!"

Braxel shouted, still with cold steel still resting against his throat. Any attempt at a false surrender would be swiftly met with death, for the Pelican Guards take no chances when it comes to the safety of their lord if they can help it and ensure that this man would not suddenly draw a dagger in an attempt to kill their beloved lord which would only lead to the death of not only him but every single man accompanying him.

Because if it were one thing the Pelican Guards would be known for in the future….

It would be their ability to hold a grudge and exterminate anyone who dared to take or threaten the life of any member of House Aurellion's ruling family, whether by hook or crook.

And it would not be the first time someone attempted to kill the lord of House Aurellion this way.

After all, if Railius died for any reason, the grandmaster of loyalty, Leon Mantelon, would go berserk, destroying everyone and everything that even had a slight involvement in the death of his best friend's son. His wrath was something that even the emperor of Chavaria and his minister of war were afraid of.

"Good choice."

Railius said with a wry smile as everything was proceeding according to the plan he had made only a few minutes before. 

It took only a minute for the order to be relayed to the rest of the pirate fleet. As the pirates were disarmed and restrained true to Railius' word, Ryman got immediate medical attention from Aldorus, who managed to use healing magic to save the loyal pirate captain's life, though he was still unconscious and would be out of action for a few months due to his severe injuries. Braxel let out a sigh of relief as he saw it and took hold of the chance to save his own life, but he still felt regret when he saw the lifeless corpses of the three men he had led to their deaths in a vain attempt to save the day.

They were three people, each with their own story, and each became a pirate not due to want but of need and a way out of their poverty before they were taken by slave traders and, like many others, turned to piracy and other forms of crime for a means of survival.

They were three people who were far more realistic than an NPC should be.

They were friends.

His friends.

And now they were dead.

All because of him.

Many people in the real world and even friends he had made in-game would laugh at him for mourning what, to them, was nothing more than bits of code if they knew how he was feeling at that moment, for the player base had long been split on their opinions of the realistic NPC's.

But over the months he spent with his crew, he developed an emotional attachment to each man who served under him, learning their past and ambitions.

He had eaten with them, japed with them and come to care for them.

And now he had led many of them to their deaths, their bodies destined to be returned to the sea that they had lived on for their entire lives.

But such was the burden of leadership, and it was a heavy burden that not everyone could bear.

Braxel even considered that this realistic game where you had to eat, drink and shit in just like you did in real life was designed to help create and guide the next generations of leaders.

While he was pondering and his men were surrendering, the click of the young man's fingers brought him out of his stupor. At the signal, a few of the terrifyingly strong mail-clad soldiers left them and returned shortly after with a table, a tea set and chairs for them both to sit on.

After he had been thoroughly searched and his men had surrendered, the steel brushing the side of his neck was lowered. Braxel let out a sigh of relief as it was quite uncomfortable to have a sword ready to slit your throat and sat down at the table, ready to see what this young man wanted from him for him to host him so well.

The ship's deck, once dyed red with blood and decaying bodies, was being systematically cleaned of any evidence that could give someone even an inkling that a navel battle had occurred. The eccentric young man calmly poured Braxel a cup of steaming hot tea into a snow-white tea cup with golden pelican accents on its bottom, making Braxel slightly narrow his eyes, noting this small detail for later.

The young, dark-haired man put two teaspoons of sugar into his drink from a small glass jar that rested off to the side of the table, letting out a relaxed sigh when he took a sip.

"Sugar?"

The young noble asked with a small smile, or at least that is what Braxel thought it was. Whether it was his confidence or manners, it all screamed to him of a noble upbringing, let alone the exceptionally skilled guards under his command that had so efficiently slaughtered many of his men.

The only question remaining was what he wanted from him. Braxel prayed to whatever gods existed both in and out of the game that it was significantly less dangerous than what his previous employer wanted from him, at least until he had become more powerful that is.

It was not that Brexel had much choice on the matter, as the young man before him held all the cards. Unfortunately, it appeared that, like most nobles, he liked to wait before getting to the point, which was his real reason for sparing him.

"It took me so long to find a tea that is almost the same as Yorkshire Gold."

The young man said more to himself than Braxel, his unfortunate habit appearing when it was most inconvenient —something that would likely get him into trouble in the future, or was it? Braxels eyes widened when the last two words registered in his brain, and he almost dropped the cup of tea in his hands in shock when he realised what those last two words meant about the man before him and caught the seemingly accidental slip-up his opponent made.

Yorkshire Gold is a tea brand popular in the United Kingdom in the real world and has nothing to do with the game world at all, so for him to know about it and how it tastes could only mean one thing….

This young man was a player just like him. While Aldorus and Cedrick on Railius' left and right looked slightly confused, having long been used to their young lord's antics, they decided to ignore it as he had a habit of saying strange things.

"You're a player?"

Braxel asked as the two guards behind the young man's eyes widened slightly but, apart from that, remained steadfast behind their lord.

"Why would I be a god's favoured? Was there something I said that is linked to their world? I've been hearing all sorts of weird things lately from people, and one mentioned this particular tea tastes like Yorkshire Tea or something, and I liked the name, so I stuck with it."

Railius asked before quickly coming up with an excuse for his knowledge of the real world, looking confused and lying so well that even an old fox in a royal court would have trouble detecting the lie.

"Such thoughts could be very dangerous, my new friend, very dangerous indeed, so why don't we start by introducing ourselves? I am Captain Delron, the leader of the mercenaries guarding this convoy."

"Well, I am actually the acting captain, but such a fact is irrelevant at the moment as I am in command. So, may I ask who you are? Please do not lie, as I am sure the Kingdom of Tapaina will be more than happy to have more meat to hang up for the crows."

Railius said casually, maintaining his false identity, though with some bite in his voice. This made Braxel gulp at how little he seemed to care about their lives and completely understood Railius' words' underlying meaning. Yes, he and his men could be useful, but that did not mean this young man's mercy was infinite or that he would not fleece them for all their worth.

'How merchant like this mercenary group is really made for protecting such shameless businessmen.'

Braxel scoffed internally but decided to keep such information for later because one could never know when such things could be helpful for future dealings.

'Captain Delron? Obviously, that's an alias of some kind, but it's not like I am in a position to pry into this guy.'

'Not right now anyway.'

Braxel thought, noticing that not only his mannerisms but also his accent screams of a noble upbringing.

"Braxel Brent, leader of the white hands."

Braxel said succinctly, knowing that sooner or later, he would either have the answers he was looking for or be dead, so he was in no rush.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Braxel. Now, you may be interested in why I have allowed not only yourself but all of your wounded and surrendered men to live. After all, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world."

Railius said calmly, taking another sip of his tea and feeling bile rise from his stomach, which he had managed to suppress for now by swallowing it back down, much to his chagrin, making him slightly more frustrated than usual. Luckily, their ships were not moving, so he was more than capable of keeping any need to vomit down, having months to get used to being seasick.

At least until these pirates were dealt with anyway.

"I am. Most people in your client's situation would take our heads, claim the bounty and be done with it."

The player pirate leader replied. For Railius was sure he was now dealing with a player, not an uneducated NPC, ironically making what he planned to do much easier.

It also showed from the man's manners, as while he had a noble upbringing to use as an excuse, this lowborn pirate leader did not, so for him to be able to speak so eloquently and to maintain such an educated politeness could only mean that he was a player.

After thinking about it a bit more, Railius realised that it would be challenging for lowborn players to keep their identities as players or gods favoured a secret because most lowborn people in the medieval era couldn't read something that every player could do whether they were educated or not.

"Indeed they would, but as I am sure you can see by now, my client is not most men, and while the losses he has suffered as a result of your unprovoked attack are regrettable, your survival presents him with a unique opportunity that only a fool would not take advantage of when compared to mere coin."

"Something which, as you can imagine, he happens to have quite a lot of."

"So, let's start by you telling me all you can about this employer of yours."

Railius finished before taking another relaxed sip from his teacup.

"My employer?"

Braxel was only momentarily stunned before he gathered himself together, confirming in his mind that he had indeed been tricked into entering a shadowy battle between nobles.

"Of course, your employer, man! You honestly can't think I am so stupid that I cannot know that some idiot or two put you up to this."

"After all, unless someone had put you up to this, you would have taken one look at my fleet and ran the other way due to not being willing to take such a risk for you and your men."

"Instead, you decided to take the risk and attack. Admittedly, if you had succeeded, you would have gained a lot, but the risk was large, and I doubt you managed to get so many men under your command if you made many such reckless decisions."

Railius said calmly, looking at the pirate player as if he were dumb.

"They never gave me a name. All I know is that our contact would pay us 50,000 gold if we attacked you and kidnapped or killed the girl."

"He also spoke well, so he was likely the servant or envoy of a noble house."

Braxel replied dejectedly, regretting that he had even accepted that cursed gold. However, he still offered up all the information he could about his employer, even if it was limited, for no man of influence or power is stupid enough.

"Oh, it that so there really was someone coming after my head or at that of my charges I would have thought Amos would not have learned after his last fuck up."

Railius said though the last part involved him thinking out loud again.

'Really need to learn to control that, at least when I am not alone or with people I trust.'

Railius thought, knowing it would one day come back to bite him if he kept this habit while negotiating with someone from another kingdom and accidentally blurted out an insult or gave an enemy information he would rather have kept hidden.

"Wait, you didn't know that someone was after you?"

Braxel said in disbelief. 

"Didn't you just confirm that for me? Not that it matters. There's always someone after me, and wealth always attracts vultures who think they can feast while getting away relatively unharmed, but the people who hired you are likely not the same as those whom I would think would want my head the most."

Railius said evasively. After all, there was no need to tell anyone who he really was and which people would want him dead the most, as it would be the same as putting a kill me sign around his neck as he tried to travel with all manner of mercenaries, assassins, and even lords wanting to cash in the Chavarian Emperor's reward for his head, which had only gone up as time passed.

Suppose Nathia was not on such hostile terms with the empire of Chavaria and knew that their lands were the next target for the ambitious Chavarian imperial family. In that case, they may have already handed the last heir of Aurellion over to face the headsmen axe in an attempt to gain favour. Luckily, this was not the case, allowing Railius to create a base for himself in the action kingdom.

Railius' own capability also had a part to play. It was not abnormal for ambitious noble families in exile to join a new nation, lending their skills to help it grow. House Aurellion was well known for not only recruiting some of the best soldiers in the known world in their Pelican Guards but also for being skilled generals, even if it was only founded 20 or so years ago.

"Anyway, now that you have given me any information that may be of use to as I imagine whoever hired you was not stupid enough to leave any distinctive markings, let's get onto the main topic, shall we…"

Railius said, his eyes glinting as he revealed a predatory smile that sent chills through the pirate player and the other captured pirates.

"The reason why I am letting you live even after attacking me and my men."

Railius paused, letting the tension linger. He nonchalantly took another sip before letting out another relieved sigh, seemingly unaware or unbothered by Braxels' hands starting to shake nervously, nearly spilling his tea.

'Why do I feel like death is preferable to being in the hands of this devil.'

Braxel thought a sentiment that many opponents of Railius would feel after falling into his dastardly hands and holding onto every word that passed this young man's lips, whom he suspected to be a player like it was more precious than gold, which in this case happened to be true.

"Firstly, our client wants you never to attack my shipments again. If you see a ship flying our client's flag, you are to let it pass unmolested and offer aid in the event that some stupid or overambitious pirate decides he wants to plunder it for himself."

"All of our clients and those of his allies will fall under your protection when they pass through The Black Flag Islands, and as compensation, he shall give you 10% of the profit he makes from his business endeavours."

"He will also give you targets that we would appreciate you intercepting, though if you give his representative a tally of your strength, he can help to ensure that something like what happened today never happens again, and if you think it too risky, you can abandon your attack without any pushback from us."

Railius said calmly, laying out his proposal that would ensure the safety of his overseas trade, which he knows will become his primary source of funding in the future while making it look like he was negotiating on behalf of his client. He can also use Braxel and his men to disrupt any rivals he may face in the business world in a manner similar to the way he suffered over the last 9 months in the game from his own rivals, not that any were successful, mind you.

After all, it would do no good for soldiers on the level of royal guards to be done in by mere bandits.

"Why am I negotiating with you and not the person in charge of the business side of this venture?

Braxel asked, interrupting Railius, slightly confused, though he had already assumed that this young man was in charge of this convoy but was using another identity for some reason.

"Because he had charged me with the safety of all his assets and is confident in my ability to strike a good bargain; after all, you understand he is a very busy man.

Railius said as if it was obvious, though both knew that the young noble was doing it only for the appearance's sake.

"Of course, should you fail, then we will have to take drastic action to ensure the safety of our client's cargo, and I can assure you that is something you do not want to happen. This will be only the first of many such merchant fleets my client intends to create. Each ship will be as good, if not better, than the ones he currently owns, and he would hate to have to use them to go on a pirate extermination expedition."

"Maybe even some of the nearby countries will be willing to help me in this 'righteous' endeavour as it would be me he charges with bringing you to justice."

Railius said, his icy voice chilling Braxel like a winter storm, making it clear that Railius was more than happy to turn on Braxel and cut his head off if he did not hold up his end of the bargain.

"And finally, once every 5 years for as long as you and your descendants live, you must complete one request my client makes of you. No matter what or how dangerous it is, you will at least attempt it and if we feel like you have not put in enough effort, well…."

"The previous threat still stands."

Railius lightly tapped his finger on the table as he finally revealed his real reason for sparing them, his voice still maintaining an icy edge. While his previous terms were designed to increase the cooperation between him and Braxel and show sincerity in working together, what he really wanted was a pawn, one not directly linked to him, at least at first, that could be used in various ways and do things that he as a noble cannot be seen doing.

And one that he can discard if needed.

After all, there are many things and information that Braxel, as a pirate, will encounter, as well as actions that Braxel can take that Railius himself cannot, from intercepting his enemies' overseas trade to having ships that he can call to arms once every five years if he needs to.

Simply put, one act of kindness or mercy here could give him tremendous benefits in the future, but only if Braxel kept to his end of the agreement.

'He is a player, however, so I must be careful in my dealings with him.'

Railius thought as he reflected on his conversation with this pirate player, who revealed his identity when he asked him outright if he was a player and picked up on his reference to Yorkshire Tea.

'To think that I could use a habit of mine to ferret out players.'

Railius thought with a wry smile.

Many people thought that Railius blurting out things at random was but a personality quirk.

It is an oddity or weakness, and while that is true in certain aspects, the young university student also uses it to ferret out players just like he did to Braxel. After all, only a player at this time in the game would be familiar with anything connected to the real world.

Railius makes vague references to things in the real world, and then, when asked if he is a player, he quickly denies it and comes up with an excuse while outing suspected players.

After all, most players ask whether the other is one, and then they start to get along using the fact that Dynasties Online is a game as an icebreaker, though anyone with a brain would know that players are likely to be far more fickle in their loyalties than most NPCs, more than happy to betray even their closest of friends in exchange for benefits whether that be in the real or virtual world.

NPCs, on the other hand, do not have the same issues. If one can get an honourable NPC to owe them a favour or join their faction, they can ensure they stay loyal and not have to deal with the pressure that may be exerted by powers in the real world. This is why Railius will always trust his NPCs more than any player friends or allies he may make during his rise to power.

In the real world, Railius was a business student and could somewhat foresee how Dynasties Online was going to rock the business world. Companies, especially those that do not appeal to the upper strata of society, will be forced to invest in the game to stay competitive in the market.

And as soon as this happens and these powerful people enter the game to compete for resources, Railius would not put it past them to use bribes or even threats against a player's close family to get them to turn on their friends and force them to obey their orders.

If there is one thing that Railius can trust, then it's man's seemingly insatiable greed and selfishness.

The silence had lingered for thirty seconds as both Braxel and Railius were thinking of different things; however, this silence was interrupted, bringing both men's minds back to the negotiation at hand.

"So, do you agree to my terms?"

Railius asked calmly while he took a last sip of his tea before stirring the remaining hot liquid with a spoon, the metal rattling against the china cup.

Braxel was no fool. He understood what agreeing to this 'Captain Delrons' proposal meant for him. It meant being bound in some respect to him, and while he was given extensive freedom, he did not want to have his dynasty permanently in debt just for saving his life and showing mercy.

"You do realise you are asking me and my line to become your client's pawns indefinitely, right?"

 Braxel asked, annoyance clear in his voice.

"Of course I do. There would be no reason to keep you alive; otherwise, if you had no use to me, I would exchange your head and that of your crew for many golden coins!"

Railius replied, though the last part was said dramatically in an effort for the young lord to amuse himself, which made a vain appearance on Braxels' head, who was starting to become increasingly angry at him because he was treating this deal as if it was a joke but kept it in check to save his head from a spike.

"3 favours."

Braxel said, his eyes shining now.

"3 favours?"

Railius asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, three favours. Instead of potentially doing something for you every five years, I will do three things, missions or whatever, for you without question but no more; all the other terms are fine."

Braxel finished.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Railius' finger continued to slowly rhythmically thrum against the table as he considered the counteroffer. Braxel barely breathed as silence settled, with only the seagulls interrupting the peace and tranquillity that appeared. Braxel's stomach churned due to his nerves, and he tried to gaze calmly at the teenager who would decide his fate.

"It appears we have an accord, sir."

Railius said as they shook hands. Immediately after they did so, system notifications appeared before the young player, a satisfied smile playing on his lips as he read them.

[You, under your alias Captain Delron and in the name of Quinten Quality Goods, have made an alliance with The White Hands, exchanging a percentage of your company's profits in exchange for protection from pirates in the Black Flag Islands]

[The leader of the White Hands, Braxel Brant, owes you three favours, and it will be up to you to punish him if he breaks this promise. These favours will allow you to force him to accept quests that you create unless he breaks his promise.]

[Due to House Aurellion controlling the company Quinten's Quality Goods, they are now allied with the White Hands as long as they use them as a go-between.]