Chapter 33: Cutthroat Deal

Lieger leaned over towards Colin, frowning as he spoke in a hushed tone. 

There was a reason for showing my Demonic Spirit other than simply refusing to hide any longer. I also wanted to intimidate him, he who underestimated me! Now that you've seen it, you'll be more prone to deal with me as your equal, won't you, Lord Sequoia?

Artemis smirked as he stepped forward towards Lieger.

Colin moved to step between them, but Artemis's sudden glare towards him shook the solid foundation he stood upon, he felt as if he would falter and trip over himself.

"If I intended true harm to your master, do you think that you would be able to halt my plans?" Artemis raised an eyebrow, chuckling softly. "If you need help in answering that question, the answer is no."

He didn't have anything against the Sequoia House's Knight, he was only teasing. This was only to promote a stronger front towards Lieger Sequoia. 

"You carry a rapier with you." Lieger motioned towards the blade at his side.

"I didn't deem it necessary. Do you want to go again? I'm fine to use a blade."

"No, no, I'm perfectly alright." Lieger waved his hands in a disarming manner. 

Artemis drew his blade in one swift motion, entering a wing stance, his cloak fluttering from the edge of his wrist as he took a step away from Lieger. Colin instinctively grasped at his blade, but flinched as he recalled Artemis's earlier warning. He felt like a failure as a Knight. 

"In practice, I really wanted to become competent with a blade. But I was… predisposed with difficulty." He purposefully avoided mentioning his reclusive habit as he twirled the blade in his hand, resting its point atop his other palm. "So, I chose a thrusting weapon. After all, there are techniques you can employ, but at the heart of it, there's really only one thing you want to do with it… stick the opponent with the pointed end. So, I practiced this one thing, since I didn't really have any method of learning any other fanciful technique."

"And the result?" 

"Actually… I'm quite certain that if I were to fight with my blade, I wouldn't lose." 

Lieger's eyebrow twitched, letting out an annoyed chuckle. "Are you saying that you using a Demonic Spirit Bond was a way of handicapping yourself?" 

"Indeed." Artemis replied casually.

"F-ck!" Lieger brushed back a handful of sweat-laden brown hair, letting out a sharp huff. "I'll need to practice more with you, Colin."

So the genial little Lord can get annoyed…

"I'm just joking, my Lord." Artemis smiled. "I rely on my Spirit Contract for things like this, I've had no formal sword training. The rapier I keep with me is just for decorum. I would look odd without it, perhaps even a bit brutish, considering my size."

"Oh, is that right? I didn't take you for a joking man."

"Aren't all men?"

"You would be surprised. My father wasn't a joking man. He was kindly, sure, but he kept every word of his mouth serious to his death. Even his final words sounded like an official statement. Forgive me, I thought you were the same."

"Do you regret that I'm not?"

Lieger shook his head. "Not at all, you're quite personable."

Artemis's eyes softened. This was not a word anyone had ever used to refer to him.

Ah… it seems acting like this really draws a response from others. Is this what Steward Lias called 'extroversion'? No wonder August is like this, it is both fun and endowing of heart… perhaps even the most burrowing of creatures need to visit the skylight.

"To really think that I lost for once… I truly underestimated you. That was my mistake. Next time, I will fight with my dominant hand."

Artemis smirked, teasing in a manner as August would, "aren't you being too delicate in this matter? You are only second to Lunastre, why did you not ameliorate your chances?"

"I, too, chose to handicap myself. Now I see it was blatantly unnecessary. Why did you keep such a card hidden? Was it a lack of desire to escalate your family's status?"

Artemis shook his head. "From your perspective, maybe it's lacking, but someone of my allegiance cannot simply excel."

This was something he had come to know well during his time in Henem. This dark light shone especially during his wedding celebration. The Runebranded stood opposed like ravens, but more dangerous were the Lightseekers who posed like snakes. The raven who flew was more obvious a threat, but the snake who hid in the grass was easy to miss. While he might narrowly avoid the ire of the Runebranded Houses as he tried to ascend the Starke name in status, he could just as easily be manipulated or otherwise taken down by those of his own allegiance who did not want to see the status quo manipulated. 

It was to be House Pendragon resting above all else, and nothing more.

The two sat back down at the iron-wrought table in the center of the courtyard, Lieger leaning back in his seat as he looked upon Artemis with a new perspective.

"I see. So the reason I hadn't come to know of 'Artemis Starke' well before he arrived in the Capital was because he had been tacitly obscuring himself from the public purview." He spoke of Artemis in the third person, oddly so, considering his immediate presence. 

"That 'Artemis Starke' will now enter the public purview, as long as your assistance in the matter is observed." 

"How would you like me to help? Of course, this won't be something I'll do for free."

"I want you to introduce me to all the Nobles who will be present at this Festival, Saint Cyro's Festival, in two weeks time. Personally."

"Personally? You know I don't mind this stringent line between our allegiances, but others will. If I put myself out there for you, I may incur the ire of my compatriots…"

"You didn't strike me as a man that was afraid of such things." Artemis spoke in a cold tone, his eyebrows furrowing. 

Lieger's entire body shivered. 

"No, it's not like that. I'm just saying that my compensation must reflect the damages that will be done. I may lose out on deals with other Houses or be forced to make concessions to appease them. Not to mention that I can't offer you any assistance in actually making inroads with them, I can only introduce you. Your status as a Crowned Consort might lessen their hatred, but you'll still need to bow to their baser human traits to catch their interest."

"Such as?"

"Greed is often the best one. Most all people seek to benefit, even from the people they consider to be opposition." 

Such as yourself… but I suppose this is the truth. I wonder if my father ascribed to these ideals? The reason I didn't assume such a thing would apply at first was because this is not how I was raised… maybe I was foolish, too bereft of a larger worldview. Maybe I'm diving into a pool I don't know the true depth of, but that's what I've been doing since I arrived in Henem. Even my marriage was engaged out of foolish humour. Now, I do the same, but I will act with preparedness. 

"What can the Crown offer you that will make this an amiable proposal?"

The corners of Lieger's lips curled up, almost in an inhuman fashion.

"That's precisely what I wished to hear." 

Recalling Xerandes earlier point of advice, Artemis jumped in and offered slightly above a reasonable engagement. 

"The Oberon House has many dealings in the liquor industry, does it not? You yourself receive a large supply from them, which you resell in your various shops throughout the undercity."

"We do." Lieger confirmed, raising an eyebrow.

"How would you like all of it?" 

Lieger's eyes widened, unable to keep a straight expression. At the same time, he heard heavy huffs of breath from behind him from Xerandes and Kafka. 

"H-how?" Lieger excitedly stuttered, forgetting himself. 

"As far as I've been able to gather, House Oberon provides other Houses with their liquor stores at a set price, and at the same time provides Naasis with all of its alcohol. However, this is because an agreement has been reached with House Oberon as pertaining to a cycling two-year term. That term is about to end, whereas a representative will have to meet with House Oberon to form a new contract."

Artemis leaned in towards Lieger, speaking calmly.

"What if that contract were to be offered to House Sequoia instead?"

"What? But my House doesn't have a store of-"

His words fell off into the silence of the breeze, his earlier inhuman grin of greed returning. 

"You're saying that House Oberon will have to give my House an even larger supply of liquor to offset the loss of the deal, knowing I'll buy it at a higher-marked price to meet the Palace's demand. You're saying I should burn my ties with this great House and cut them off of one of their largest sources of profit, forcing them into a position where they'll have to sell to me to gain any semblance of benefit."

"If they don't sell to you, the Palace receives no alcohol. If they don't sell to you, their alcohol goes nowhere at all." Artemis replied casually, leaning back in his seat. 

"Do you even have the authority to offer me something like this?"

"Who am I?" 

Lieger hesitated in an answer. He looked over at Colin, and then the servants behind Artemis. 

"You're Crownless." He chuckled. "I understand. These are agreeable terms."

Lieger reached out his hand. Artemis hesitated for a moment, but grasped it with his own.

"We're allies, now. Starke and Sequoia, once more as friends." 

Artemis chuckled. Although it took a business interaction to make it so. It was true, this man only seeks to benefit… this only buys me a foot into the door. Once he introduces me, I'll receive no further help. I'll have to raise the Starke name using my own wit from that point forward.

"Once more as friends."