Before the Storm: Act 3, Chapter 10

Before the Storm: Act 3, Chapter 10

Chapter 10

19th Day, Upper Fire Month, 1 CE

“You did what?!”

In the crimson-hued court of Shalltear Bloodfallen, Ludmila puzzled over a piece of paperwork at her desk. She had come for a bit of quiet in the hope that she could sneak some work in before the evening’s events, but instead found Liane already inside. To be fair, it would have probably remained quiet had she not made the mistake of mentioning where Frianne’s party had gone after their visit to Warden’s Vale.

“I sent them north so they could see the rest of the Duchy.”

“You know,” Liane said, “we were specifically trying to keep them away from all that. This is why we don’t let you do any marketing. You suck at it!”

“Because I’m honest?”

“Because you arm people with excuses,” Liane told her. “You may think you’re being fair, but all you’re doing is showing them stuff that gives them reasons to turn down what we’re offering. What do you think would happen to a bakery’s sales if they went out of their way to tell people that their cakes would make them fat?”

“Those who were concerned about it would try to refrain from eating too much cake.”

Liane stared at her. Ludmila stared back. The younger woman simultaneously rolled her eyes and sighed, leaning back into her chaise.

“The western territories aren’t that bad,” Ludmila said. “They’re doing much better than when we were still a part of Re-Estize. Considering that Frianne and her party are imperials, I’m sure they’ll consider those fiefs to be doing far better than mine.”

“Clara,” Liane said, “help me out here.”

“You worry too much,” Clara’s voice rose from Ludmila’s lap.

Clara was the second distraction. Ludmila didn’t know why she thought would be able to get any work done.

“This is nepotism,” Liane grumbled. “Corruption!”

“Seeing how far behind the other territories are relative to us won’t keep them from taking the path we’ve laid out,” Clara said. “Imperials are terribly optimistic when it comes to self-assessment. They’ll think they can do better. Once they get back to their territories, they’ll be focused on how they can make everything work to further their goals.”

“Speaking of which,” Ludmila said, “how is the ‘trade show’ coming along?”

“Nothing’s fallen outside of our expectations so far,” Clara stretched and yawned. “All parties seem to be satisfied and the next faction’s delegation will be arriving just in time to hear Count Roberbad’s people smugly hint about the advantages that they’ve gained.”

“What advantages have they gained?” Ludmila asked.

Clara sat up and scooted up against Ludmila, wrapping a hand around her waist and leaning against her shoulder.

“Temporary ones,” Clara answered. “Once we’re done with every faction, the first set should have a lead of a few months and most of the changes can’t be fully implemented until the next sowing season.”

“And since they’re trying to minimise the impact of the Undead on their people,” Liane said, “they’re going to have a hell of a time trying to spy on one another. It’ll be fun watching how they compete.”

“Fun...” Ludmila frowned across the court at Liane, “Need I remind you that this is going to affect the lives of millions of people?”

“I know, I know,” Liane waved a hand dismissively. “It’s the Empire, so there are bound to be plenty who slip through the cracks, but this sort of competition tends to improve things overall.”

“Assuming they don’t mismanage their gains.”

“That’s the good thing about the Imperial Administration, yeah? Once they catch a whiff of what’s happening – and I assume that Frianne will inform the Court Council about it – they’ll be constantly hounding everyone to optimise everything. The best part about all of this is that it’s the Empire’s problem, not ours. We just sell them what they want.”

She still wasn’t optimistic about how things would play out. The highly centralised systems of the Empire could give rise to monolithic actions for a country that was far from monolithic. It was, however, as Liane said: the Empire’s problem. Whether the Empire’s actions were the Sorcerous Kingdom’s problem was not for Ludmila and her friends to decide...and it appeared that the Royal Court was content to see where the Empire’s path would lead.

“When do you think they’ll get here?” Liane asked.

“Who?”

“Frianne and them.”

“I told them that the delegation from the Draconic Kingdom would arrive this evening,” Ludmila said, “so I imagine they will arrive with ample time to prepare.”

“I’m beginning to feel sorry for her,” Clara said. “They’ve foisted so much work on the poor woman.”

“It’s still to her advantage,” Liane said. “She becomes more and more indispensable to the Empire, plus she can guilt people into working harder after everything she’s done. How are we for time?”

“Breakfast should be officially wrapping up soon, but everyone’s involved in negotiations with one house or another. We can expect things to drag on for the next little while.”

“Thank the gods. My face is cramped up from smiling all the time. To think that we’re doing this for the next few months...I hope I don’t end up with some weird condition.”

Her friends were so excited about the event going into it and Liane had been the most excited of them all. It was barely a week since it had begun in earnest and now she made it sound as if she had been playing hostess for much longer.

“Didn’t you say it was going to be fun?” Ludmila asked.

“It is,” Liane answered. “If you’ve somehow already forgotten what it’s like to be one of the living, people still get tired when they’re having fun.”

Would she forget? She was fairly certain that she remembered what it felt like to be exhausted, but it was merely a memory that would grow increasingly distant. Perhaps time would twist that memory or it would become obscured by the mists of eternity. The sensations of the living weren’t like events that could be recorded into history or recalled in folklore, after all.

I should ask Lady Shalltear about it.

Immortal minds had to work differently. She clearly didn’t have a perfect recollection of her experiences as Frost Dragons did, but she also couldn’t imagine that her memory would remain that of a Human. Then again, how she might be able to recall an eternity of memories was also beyond her ability to comprehend.

“What are you thinking about?” Clara asked.

“Memory,” Ludmila answered. “Maybe I will eventually forget what it’s like to be Human. Maybe I’ll forget that we ever had this discussion.”

She jerked as Clara poked her in the ribs.

“Hmph,” Clara said, “you seem Human enough. As for your memories, I admit that would be annoying, but only other immortals would be able to call you out on them. What matters is that we’ll always be together, right?”

“Barring some calamity, I suppose,” Ludmila replied. “Speaking of immortals, how is Florine doing with her...thing?”

“Who knows,” Liane shrugged. “It’s barely been a month since she left for the Abelion Hills. She’s probably forgotten all about it while boobing out there. You’d think someone would be more excited about, y’know, immortality.”

“It’s not necessarily a bad approach,” Clara said. “Many would drop everything else to seize the opportunity she has been granted. Doing so would send a very clear message to the Royal Court that service has become a secondary priority.”

“...so sending Florine to the Abelion Hills with the time and power to do anything that she wanted was a test to see what she would do about the thingy?”

“Maybe not specifically,” Clara replied, “but must it be? One’s behaviour in those circumstances would inform the Royal Court of many aspects of one’s character. They’d understandably scrutinise candidates for traits and behaviours that would be problematic in an immortal official.”

“I guess...” Liane put her elbows on her desk and propped her chin in her palms. “Does that mean I should tone things down to get my thingy, too?”

“Of course not,” Ludmila frowned. “Florine has ‘bitten’ Lady Albedo on more than one occasion; Lady Shalltear, too. She still received her item. Our superiors want people who know what they are doing and are confident enough about it to stand their ground even before the Royal Court. Pretending to be nice and well-behaved won’t do you any favours.”

“Meh.”

“Don’t ‘meh’ me, I know you wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Meh.”

A displeased sound came from Clara as Ludmila rose from her desk. Since she wouldn’t be able to get any work done, it was probably a better idea to have her friends appear before their guests. Their Maids joined them in the antechambers of the court and accompanied them to the castle’s second floor where the visiting Nobles were still mostly gathered in their respective balcony dining areas.

“Countess Corelyn,” several Nobles at one of the tables rose at Clara’s approach. “Countess Wagner. Good morning.”

“Count Roberbad,” Clara smiled. “I trust that I find you and your family well this morning?”

So this is Rangobart’s father...

Ludmila could see some similarities to the Mage Captain, but Lord Roberbad was overall more squarish. To his left was probably Rangobart’s eldest brother, who was a much closer match to their father.

“Indeed,” Count Roberbad nodded, “thanks to your fine hospitality, every day feels more refreshing than the last. I’ll be loath to leave when the time comes.”

“Who is this gallant new addition to your entourage?” The noblewoman to the Count’s right asked, “One of your Knights, perhaps?”

Across the table from Count Roberbad, Count Völkchenheim went into a fit of coughing. The imperial aristocrats around the table didn’t miss his reaction, but Clara only beamed in response.

“I have the pleasure of introducing you to Ludmila of House Zahradnik,” she said.

“Ludmila of House Zahradnik...” Count Roberbad furrowed his brow in thought, and then his eyes widened. “You mean this is the Baroness Zahradnik from whom we received the invitations to this exposition?”

“What are you proposing?” He asked.

“Rather than a proposal,” Clara answered, “it is merely an observation. The Emperor favours the Imperial Army as a matter of necessity, but new realities will force the Empire to reassess what is truly necessary. The Imperial Knights may conquer new frontiers, but who is it that develops them? Who manages the bulk of the Empire’s industry, wealth, and trade? Every house in your party has sons and daughters who serve in the Imperial Administration: is that service less worthy than that of an Imperial Knight? Without the participation of your houses, imperial expansion will be a pale shadow of what it could be.”

“She’s right!” A nobleman standing next to Count Roberbad said, “As much as the Emperor suppresses us, we are still essential for the Empire! The frontier will remain a frontier without our houses providing the Empire with seneschals and bureaucrats for the administration. Our children should be afforded the same considerations as the children of the martial aristocracy!”

Heads nodded in agreement throughout the crowd. If Ludmila recalled correctly, their children in the Imperial Administration did receive the same considerations as the martial scions who joined the Imperial Knights, at least as far as financial compensation went. The main difference was that an Imperial Knight had more opportunities to do something flashy that landed them a title. To a Noble, that difference was everything.

“I believe you already have all of the tools necessary to achieve what you desire for the future of your houses,” Clara said. “The proper application of everything you have at your disposal will make it clear that you are indispensable to the Empire.”

Of course, leveraging what the Sorcerous Kingdom had to offer would make it even more the case, but everyone seemed to understand that implicitly. The excited discussion continued even as Liane appeared with the next set of imperial guests. Ludmila shook her head as they, too, were infected by the newfound fervour of Count Roberbad’s party. Clara had to have timed things on purpose.

Liane came to stand alongside Clara and Ludmila, her eyes going from guest to guest.

『Uh...what did you do?』

『I gave Count Roberbad’s group one last little push.』

『Little push? It looks like you’ve swept up the new people, too. They didn’t even get our presentation yet!』

Clara only smiled in response, allowing the activity in the hall to continue uninterrupted. An interruption did finally come, however, in the form of Frianne Gushmond. As one, the Nobles hushed at the appearance of the Imperial Princess. Frianne sent Clara a small look of confusion, coming over to speak in low tones.

“Are they plotting something?”

“That’s a silly question,” Clara answered. “How was your tour of the western duchy?”

“We actually spent most of our time in E-Rantel,” Frianne replied.

“We even saw the Sorcerer King!” Dimoiya gushed, “He’s super nice!”

“I’m glad you feel that way,” Ludmila smiled. “I only wish that everyone would realise that.”

“Wow, I’ve never seen her smile like that before!”

Ludmila wiped the smile off of her face. A silly madness always took root in her whenever she thought about the Sorcerer King.

“Did we miss the Draconic Kingdom delegation’s arrival?” Frianne asked, “I still don’t know what all that excitement was about.”

“They should be here soon,” Clara answered. “Since you’re the only member of the Imperial Dynasty present, I suppose you should be there with us when they arrive.”

“Did you bring your liquor?” Liane asked.

“I did!” Dimoiya said, “Hopefully it will be enough to get the Queen. Rangobart, help me carry it!”

“What...”

Viscount Brennenthal obligingly walked off after Dimoiya. When the time came for the Draconic Kingdom’s delegation to arrive, they gathered in the west garden. In the space between the wooden benches at the centre of the garden, Liane and Dimoiya arranged their wine bottles in a pair of concentric circles.

“Prez,” Dimoiya said, “what do you think of this formation?”

“I can’t believe you’re doing this,” Frianne said. “Never mind doing it with liquor, the Queen of a country isn’t a summon.”

“I gotta maximise my chances! I’m on a roll and I’m not about to let it end!”

“Dimoiya seems much more energetic than before,” Ludmila noted. “Did something happen?”

“It’s complicated,” Frianne said. “Or maybe not. Either way, the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs is going to be thrown into chaos when we get back.”

After fussing around with the formation of wine bottles for a bit, Dimoiya and Liane returned to the group. Then, at the appointed time, Draudillon Oriculus, the Black Scale Dragon Lord and Queen of the Draconic Kingdom, appeared right in the centre of the formation.

“It worked?” Liane said.

Dimoiya’s mouth fell open.

“Hm?” Queen Oriculus looked at her feet, “What’s this...”

Beside the Queen, Marshal Saroukhanyan knelt to retrieve one of the bottles and presented it for the Queen’s inspection.

“Oh,” Queen Oriculus’ expression brightened, “someone has exceptional taste!”

“Dimoiya Erex here prepared it for your arrival, Your Majesty,” Liane gestured at the ecstatic imperial scion.

“Is that so?” The Queen peered at Dimoiya, “Hm...what a curious soul. Soruel, give her a bottle.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Salacia Soruel came forward with a large black bottle cradled in her arms. Dimoiya’s eyes widened.

“Is that...”

“Umu,” Queen Oriculus nodded. “Black Scale. We brought quite a bit to help spice up Countess Corelyn’s event here, but that one is yours.”

Dimoiya sucked in a gasp, her eyes welling with tears.

“I’ll serve you forever, Your Majesty!” She cried.

“O-Oi, don’t go betraying your country so easily! We don’t want that blonde brat hating Us more than he already does.”

The small group that had appeared with Queen Oriculus left the circle of bottles. They were all familiar faces: members of the Queen’s palace staff that went on to assume positions in her court.

“Will you be attending the reception, Your Majesty?” Clara asked.

“It’s a function for Nobles, no?” Queen Oriculus answered, “Royalty showing up would put everyone on edge. Besides, it appears that I have many new friends to make an acquaintance with.”

Ludmila knew that Queen Oriciulus had an appreciation for liquor, but it was the first time she had ever heard anyone refer to wine bottles as ‘friends’.

“In that case,” Clara said, “I should at least make one introduction before you leave. This is Frianne von Gushmond, the new Imperial Head Court Mage.”

Frianne lowered her head in a deep curtsey.

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Majesty,” she said. “I wasn’t aware that you were such a powerful magic caster. Teleportation is magic of the Fifth Tier.”

“By the measures of your magic, yes,” Queen Oriculus said. “But Primal Sorcery – what you may know as Wild Magic – does not have ‘tiers’. There is only the desired effect and the cost. Something like this is trivial to figure out once one puts their mind to it.”

“The cost...I’ve heard that Wild Magic consumes souls. Is that true?”

“It does and it doesn’t. Overall, it’s a simplistic way to put it, but I suppose the true terminology or concept does not exist in your language or perception. If I were to frame it in similar terms, my ‘passengers’ here all contributed to the cost of the effect.”

“You took their souls?”

“Just a bit,” the Queen shrugged. “It’s not as if I was casting a spell meant to wipe out a country. The missing stuff will probably be back by the time they finish dinner.”

Frianne fell into a deep silence after that. The members of the Draconic Kingdom’s delegation looked perfectly fine, so they could only take Queen Oriculus at her word. Clara bid her footmen to deliver their guests’ luggage to their suite before turning back to converse with Queen Oriculus.

“This may sound a bit strange, Your Majesty,” she said, “but you have grown an unbelievable amount since we last saw one another.”

Ludmila eyed the Queen. She was preoccupied with their surroundings so hadn’t taken note of it yet, but her appearance was a bit too different from the one she remembered. She was no longer the pubescent girl that they had met in the Draconic Kingdom, but a young woman three or four years older. Ludmila’s first thought was that it might be an illusion cast by the Queen, but her Truesight didn’t reveal any alternate forms superimposed over her present appearance.

“Pretty good no?” Queen Oriculus smiled and placed her hands on her hips, “Our subjects no longer need to be lolicons, so We are working to adjust things a bit.”

“I see...” Clara said, “How have your people been faring?”

“The food situation is tight even with the Sorcerous Kingdom’s generous assistance,” the Queen replied, “but we will recover as we always have. Above all else, the people are glad that they won’t be subjected to Beastman raids anymore.”

“Have the security patrols encountered any Beastmen since we left?” Ludmila asked.

For the first time since her appearance in the garden, Queen Oriculus’ warm and lighthearted atmosphere melted away.

“They have not caused us any trouble since they were driven out,” she said, “and I fear that their troubles have only begun.”