EPISODE 152: A CHANCE 1
— GREAT EDRYAN, YEAR 7291. SEASON: COLOR FADING.
The third floor of the Temperance Hall wasn’t as boisterous as the first floor, where many inventors revealed products they’d worked on throughout the years. Many of those products worked on the existing technology and pulled power from Mana Batteries to ensure they worked—others worked on entirely new principles that left those entering the hall to invest in, excited about their future prospects. Most of the products took tedious daily processes and helped automate them.
Products such as enchanted looms, that weaved together cloth and could be handed to a [Tailor] to turn into clothes. Dynamos that provided pure power that could be used for many different applications—they were similar to the Mana Batteries. However, their application was more narrowed while mana batteries could be used for a wider range of things. Perhaps one needed pure fire mana to provide heat and fire to a stove, a dynamo would convert the pure liquid mana at the center of the mana battery’s core into the required element.
Carine Holmes knew that he was on the cusp of greatness . There were no other words or feelings he could use to describe it. In the past three days, he’d made more connections through conversation with those in the palace grounds than he had through the entirety of Law School.
“Simply marvelous,” he said, a happy sigh escaping from between his lips.
Around him, conversation was taking place at a gradually increasing rate. Behind him was a detailed board that helped answer questions on his Magi Empowerment Act—a law he wanted to propose to ensure the safeguard of magi-humans once their [Chosen of Madris] conquest began. He took a deep breath, the crowds from below starting to file into the empty floors above. This was expected, but the wait for investors and interested parties left Carine nervous, but excited.
During the past few days, Carine did his best to learn every detail he could about this change in government their prince proposed—and, from the details Carine read, he knew it would be a great opportunity. An opportunity not just for him, but other, like-minded citizens of Edryan who’d always wished to enter the political world but never held the right resources to. What the [Chosen of Madris] was attempting to do was obvious to any with a bit of background in law, or general history.
“Shaking up the playing field, I must not miss this opportunity—if I can successfully become one of the [District Officials] I can advance my career by leaps and bounds. This is perhaps a better option than entering the court,” Carine contemplated aloud.
His Highness Lawruthian was attempting to mitigate the power, sway, and hold the nobility held on all of Edryan in ALL aspects. It didn’t take long for leaked documents regarding how the government system was supposed to look to be spread throughout Edrya. Those who should know by now, knew of it—even the [Common] man knew of it, but they would not understand it the way Carine did.
“Tying business ownership, land ownership, and more all to your tier ensures that those who came after can no longer slack due to their forefather’s efforts. If a genius is not produced every few generations, then a family will fall into decline and be swallowed by the next rising stars.”
Carine shook his head, but he also smiled. A mix of emotions was present as he tied what wasn’t clearly said into the narrative. What the [Chosen of Madris] wanted was excellence at every step. He would not tolerate those below the royalty to continue having their incompetent sons or daughters in charge of vast amounts of territory and land.
“Should this law pass, it will directly remove the hereditary system in some aspects. Your child must make progress in some aspects or their child must—if not, then the fortune that families amassed for generations would be lost. Assets seized by the new government and distributed how they see fit—His Highness is playing on the greed of men! What a brilliant scheme,” Carine sighed once again.
He sat there at his assigned booth, muttering to himself as he thought over the events to come. Carine did not just want this new system to pass for himself, but for the sake of the Holmes family. His nieces and nephews were beginning to branch out into other professions, some included [Law School] like himself. He wanted to be a pillar that would protect them, and give them chances to rise in this upcoming world.
“Of course, those Houses that have existed for thousands of years will be fine for many years—centuries even. Their resources, reach, and more will ensure they remain in power for long—something drastic would have to occur to remove them from play, but… what?”
Carine sat there in silence for a while. Unlike his peers who felt it better to chat with one another as they waited for people to file upward, he felt it was better to wait at his booth. He’d done plenty of soliciting and interacting in the previous days—now it was time to put his all into securing a backer.
“Regardless, I have to ensure the magi stay ahead of any who come after,” he said determinedly.
“ Wise words ,” a voice interrupted his musings. “It is imperative the magi stay ahead. This Magi Empowerment Act of yours is interesting.”
Carine glanced up sharply—unknowingly when, the figure of a young man appeared before him. He was tall, standing at two meters, with a simple athletic swimmer’s build. His hair was dark, black even, at least that’s what Carine’s first glance told him. When he truly focused, he’d notice a deep blue, like that of the sea’s depths. His eyes were the same, a deep blue that appeared black unless one looked closely. Behind him were a few guards, although they were dressed commonly, their imposing statures were easily recognizable as such.
Carine recognized those features—how could he not know a color that represented one of the thirty-three Great Houses?
He stood up immediately, his words tripping over one another as he attempted to get them out. “Hell-Ermm-Good-Ahhh—did you hear everything just now?”
He attempted several greetings but his mind and mouth didn’t seem to cooperate before eventually he spit out what was at the top of his mind.
“Not everything, but your analysis of the deeper levels of Edryan politics is impressive,” he said. He looked away from Carine and toward the Magi Empowerment Act and the various features Carine outlined.
“This is an impressive act that can ensure the citizens of Edryan stay protected—however, where are my manners… what is your name?”
Carine perked up at the mention of the MEA. The small guard he held against the sudden appearance of the young man lowered at his words.
“I’m Carine Holmes sir… how may I address you,” Carine asked hurriedly, only now realizing he’d never gotten the young man’s name.
“Tendra, Tendra Lorde—you may refer to me as Prince Tendra”
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Simra studied Georgia Moor as she introduced herself. The woman was tall, taller than her, and stood eye to eye with Law. Her dark brown eyes and black hair were common in Edryan, showcasing that she didn’t hold any special bloodlines. However, that didn’t mean she could be taken lightly.
Law shook Georgia Moor’s hand, and he quickly induced himself and the two women who accompanied him.
“You can call me Lawrence. This is Simra, and Karla, two of my classmates at Imperius Academy.”
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Simra gave her a polite nod as their eyes met, while Karla looked at everything with curiosity. “If such a system was even more advanced, could we not have newspapers sold in every major city in Edryan?”
Law laughed, “I think your vision is too small Karla—imagine being able to provide information to all of Edryan.”
Georgia scoffed. “You have a big vision, but you’re still young. What you’re looking at is the work of over twenty years. I used to be an [Adventurer] and that’s who I had in mind when I created the Signal Transmitter.”
Simra looked her up and down, surprised at her words. Georgia Moor was fit, but more [Adventurers] kept a few visible scars as part of the profession. Georgia held none. “Are you a [Tinker]?”
[Tinkers] were one of the few Artisan-based classes that could easily transition into a combative-based version of itself.
“Something like that,” the woman responded. She neither gave a confirmation nor a denial. Although Simra’s question wasn’t considered rude, it clearly showed that Georgia held reservations. There were reasons most did not share the details of their classes, some even went as far as to hide the name.
“What were your original intentions behind the Signal Transmitter? You mentioned you were an [Adventurer]—was it for better team communication,” Karla asked.
Georgia sighed, and Karla could hear the hints of an interesting story as the woman looked away, reminiscent of her past.
“I used to be a member of the [Red Hands]—but it’s been nearly ten years since we broke up.”
All three students of Imperius Academy had visible reactions. Each was slightly different, but it was picked up by Georgia. “You know of us? Of course you do, look at your ages—we were one of the most famous groups in Edryan and your students of Prince Lawruthian’s academy.”
“You’re that Georgia Moor? The one who was with Wil Silverhand, Sword Saint Aurora—that [Red Hand]?”
A large smile appeared on the face of Georgia, but it slowly faded as she shook her head in confirmation. “That’s the one.”
“I thought the [Red Hands] retired because of the offer a few of their members received to teach at Imperius Academy,” Simra questioned. Law stayed quiet, but his eyes remained on Georgia. As did Karla’s except a notebook appeared at some point in her hands.
“If only it was that simple. We broke up for other reasons—the offer from the Prince was just the retirement package for a few of us. However, that is my business, and, unless you’d like to invest in my signal transmitter, I believe it’s best to clear out the area in front of my booth—I’m not here to reminisce about my past,” Georgia said.
The two young women who were excited and ready to raise plenty of questions drew back. The disappointment on their faces was obvious, but Georgia kept a stern expression on her face. She wasn’t certain of who they were, but the young women’s names were familiar to her—after all, she did live in the capital, and even she had read a story of Imperius Academy Weekly or two.
The two hesitated and glanced at Law, who stood there with a slight smile on his face.
“But I am interested—how confident are you in expanding the range of your signal transmitter and what type of investment are you looking for,” he questioned.
Georgia Moor looked the youth up and down—there wasn’t anything impressive about him. He looked average, everything about him seemed normal. It was far too normal, in fact, as this was the palace grounds of the royal family. Georgia wasn’t sure who the youth was but if he was hanging around two of the top students of Imperius Academy, then he couldn’t be normal. This observation caused her to hesitate before she responded.
“This is the preliminary device based on creating both a mother and child that resonate with one another. They’re only able to work in a limited range of a kilometer, but my goal is to extend them to at least ten. I believe creating a bigger, stronger version is necessary, but these are created from the beaks of a [Marah Bonded Owls]—they are mates for life and produce a special resonance with one another. It’s through that my signal transmitter works. These creatures are rare and only ever produce two clutches of eggs in their lifespan, which takes upwards of twenty years to raise. What I want is simple—resources that can mimic their ability to bond and locate their partner no matter the distance. I have already narrowed down a list of over twenty materials I’m invested in, but they are not cheap—even for a retired successful [Adventurer].”
“The resources shouldn’t be a problem. How much of an initial investment are you looking for and what are you offering in return,” Law said.
“How much can you offer? Your price determines my capability to expand my work. Perhaps I can hire multiple apprentices who can do the more tedious and mundane research.”
Law chuckled, not phased by Georgia’s refusal of an exact price point. Simra and Karla listen in with curious expressions. Karla was jotting things down in her magical notebook provided by a skill. Simra was doing her best to recall the stories of Georgia Moor and the [Red Hands].
They were a seven-member adventurer group that shortly halted their activities during her childhood. Georgia was the team [Tinker] who made all their weapons and gadgets that helped them on their dungeon runs. Simra couldn’t recall the exact reason why the team broke up, as she was a child and news traveled more or less through word of mouth. However, she did recall a few of the members passing away—specifically Ireife the [Fortress] and Araya the [Servant of Nature].
“One large platinum as the initial investment.”
Simra inhaled sharply, as did Karla next to her. The latter stopped her note-taking and looked up sharply at Law. Both girls had never seen a platinum coin before and if it was just the words alone, then they wouldn’t have held this sort of reaction. However, juggling between the disguised prince’s fingers was a large coin roughly the diameter of a small ball. It shone with a grayish-white hue that seemed to reflect all light that touched its surface.
Georgia gazed at the coin, her eyes narrowed. There were too many options in narrowing down exactly who the young man before her was. There was one thing Georgia found herself certain about.
“What high noble family do I have the pleasure of working with?”
“Before that… how about you answer my question now—it’s only right as I’ve answered yours.”
“Production and sale rights once the final version is completed. Of course, as the originator of the technology, I will take a portion of the monthly sales.”
“How much to purchase your business in its entirety and any other products you may develop when working?”
If she wasn’t convinced before, Georgia was fully convinced now. This was the scion of some high noble house. Her demeanor shifted slightly—it was always best to be careful when dealing with a member of the Great Houses.
“A villa by the sea with all my needs and wants taken care of,” she responded partially jokingly with a half smile.
“What size and color would you like it to be.”
Simra and Karla looked at the two strangely, but their eyes mainly remained on Law. They gave each other a look, and an entire conversation seemed to take place between them.
‘He can do that,’ Karla asked.
‘I think so—this… this is beyond me. I always forget it’s Lawruthian we’re with… he doesn’t act like a prince,’ Simra responded with a shrug.
Georgia’s smile dispersed at his words. “What Great House will I be working with?”
Her expression was serious, and it seemed like, depending on an answer given, Georgia may just well pull away from the entire thing.
Law looked around. Not many people were close by except his guards who were dressed as civilians pretending to be interested in the ongoings of other booths. He turned back to Georgia and his eyes flashed red-gold for the briefest of moments.
“Is that sufficient,” he questioned.
Georgia’s eyes had gone wide in that brief moment, and it took a few seconds for her to recover. She gazed at the two young ladies and suddenly the connections she made earlier all pointed in one direction.
“Well, if the remaining two [Red Hands] are already in your employ—then who am I to deny such a deal.”
Georgia Moor extended her hand. Law smiled as he firmly gripped it.
“Welcome to Law’s Sweet Golems—my researchers should be contacting you shortly.”