As we were about to enter the carriage, I looked around me, and along with my seven guards, twenty others stood at attention. The sight of them took a huge weight off my shoulders. Never again would I wish for a more exciting ride anywhere. Give me mind-numbing boredom any day.

We only got about a kilometer down the road when we suddenly stopped. I tensed for a moment, but there were no shouts. A soldier approached my door and said. "My lord, the hermit Becca wishes to speak to you."

I sighed and got out of the carriage. I figured I really wouldn't have to worry about her after this, so I might as well humor her one last time. I approached the hooded woman and nodded. "Becca, the men said you wished to speak with me."

She held out a small pouch, and I looked at it suspiciously. I did not grab it. "I am not eating your magic mushrooms," I said.

She snorted. "There is no magic in this bag. It is to help with the wolves that circle you. It blends well in soup."

I rolled my eyes and grabbed the little bag. Then I slid it into my inside jacket pocket. "So when you were telling me I needed a dog. Did you mean like an actual dog or like a human?"

She gave me a look like I was insane.

"Well, I mean, like, you know, a wife or something like that," I said awkwardly. It was made more awkward by the fact that a crazy lady was staring at me like I was the crazy one.

"Never mind," I said as I turned and left.

I mean, Lord Cumfrence said she didn't really understand the difference between animals and humans, so it isn't like she would even understand my question. Now, I just had to figure out where to dump the hazardous material she gave me.

I got back into my carriage, and we took off towards Kimton. I pulled out some books that I had brought along, and I began to read them, hoping to distract myself. Reading books I had written wasn't as entertaining, and I had yet to see any of the nobles having stories written on parchment or reed paper.

I ended up trying to edit them to make them more interesting, adding detail and using more metaphors, stuff that I learned in English class but never applied. I just wasn't a very good writer. I was fortunate that neither were most people in this world. I had heard at some of the parties in Vaspar that the seed of the idea I had planted was taking root. There were exclusive women's book clubs popping up. Apparently, they were not just being used for reading books but also for spreading rumors and information.

Only the upper nobility were invited, but when I got my publishing house up and running, I was really hoping that I would be able to spread books far and wide. I had left the small group of scribes in Vaspar to start creating books, but I was still not sure how well it would work or how many people we would be able to reach without a printing press. Once I figured out how to build one, though, information was going to spread—and I would control the information.

And then we build a secret press, print seditious books, and overthrow the government that is oppressing people. That, of course, would get a lot of people killed including me, but hey it was all in the name of progress.

I had more important things to worry about than overthrowing governments, though. Prosperity for my barony had to come first. And that meant surviving the upcoming attack. I hope my Barony can put the new three hundred and fifty people to work. How many would survive the trip north? Would we have enough shelter before the north winds brought the cold? Those people will either be a boon or a curse. Thank the Endless One that I had made so many gold crowns.

According to the sundial in the last town of Newmoor, we made it to the border of the Barony of Ridgeland by about third bell afternoon. This is where Lord Comfrence's men left us, and I had to admit that I was a little nervous. He assured me that there was a knight in the next town who actively patrolled and that we would make it to Ridgeland within a few hours. But, the last experience had unsettled me quite a bit. I would never look at travel in this new world in the same way again. Traveling in this ancient world was a risk. If I weren't a baron, I would have died as soon as we were surrounded.

But I did survive and made it to Baron Sophis's keep. It was much nicer than any keep I had seen so far. The craftsmanship was exceedingly fine, and you could tell that he liked his castle spotless. The grounds were likewise impressive, with decorative plants and works of neatly arranged stone paths everywhere. What made the whole thing really cool was that it was built on a very impressive ridge. It was like a scene straight out of a painting, and my fingers itched to draw it.

Upon pulling up to the entrance, I was surprised to see not only a steward but the Baron himself in an exquisite set of clothing. As I approached, I could tell his Scarf of Station was finely embroidered, to the point that it probably cost as much as the nicest outfit I have.

The first thing I noticed when I stepped out of the carriage was how short he was. He couldn't be over one hundred and sixty centimeters. His straight, glossy black hair was slightly longer than most men I had seen. The strangest thing to me, though, was when he greeted me by name before Benjamin could introduce us.

"Welcome, Baron Amos Bicman," he said cheerfully. "It is so good to finally meet you."

I recovered from my shock, and with a smile of my own, returning his nod, I said, "Baron Sophis, thank you for your warm welcome. I am, however, surprised you know who I am."

He chuckled, "My boy, even if you weren't flying the Bicman flag on your carriage, there was enough information to give you away. First, the quality of the carriage and then the outdated armor of your men show that you are from a poorer barony. Next, even though you have a low-quality carriage, you have bronze leaf springs. The springs are a recent invention, and most of the poorer barons were introduced to them when they came to the festivities. Also, the Bicmans are known for their rather large build. If that is not enough, you are on your way to Kimton, and most low-ranking barons stay in their counties for the festivals unless they have a special invitation. And, we both know you have been summoned by the Duke. Most likely to paint his glorious figure."

This guy was a regular Sherlock Holmes.

"An impressive display of deductive reasoning," I said in admiration.

"Deductive reasoning," he said slowly. "I am not familiar with the phrase, but its meaning is pretty clear. I like it. I will have to think on it, and how best to apply it. Now, my boy, it is well past mealtime, but I think I can round up some food for you and your men. Cedric, please have his men escorted to the barrack. Lord Bicman, Steward Benjamin, please follow me, and we shall get you something to eat as we discuss your travels. I received word just this afternoon that you were attacked on the road by the bandits of Kizis."

"Might I say I am impressed with how well-informed you are? You are even aware of my steward's name."

"You, my dear young baron, are an enigma. A baron who survived poisoning when the rest of his family succumbed and then had a messenger of his count come to investigate him. Afterward, the count requested your presence. Your visit put you in the middle of a scandal that nearly got you publicly shamed. But what really caused me to dig into the affairs of your visit was when I started receiving reports of new items coming out of Vaspar."

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

I think he really loved the surprised look on my face.

"You see. When I learned of the leaf spring, the stirrup, the horseshoe, the paper, and the abacus all appearing in Vaspar at the same time. I decided to find out what was going on. The leaf spring and horseshoe were easy to figure out where they came from. Novelties, both of them. Then, the other things started to appear, and all were attributed to Count Vaspar. You are the only irregularity in the household at the time. You also discovered a new painting method that makes your artwork come alive. I took a trip to Vaspar just to see it."

Who was this guy? He was a baron from a different county and had access to the exclusive painting in Count Vaspar's study.

"You are a creative genius. You are not the smartest of barons, but you are definitely a genius in your own right."

"And you, Baron Sophis, are most likely the most well-informed person I have met in my journeys south. But information is worth nothing if you do not know how to use it. And looking around at your beautiful keep and lands, you certainly do know how to use it."

The short man smiled up at me as we walked. "Flattery, my boy, is wasted on me. I am not impressed by it. What I want from you is an idea."

"An idea?"

"Yes, more and more people will be receiving your paintings. With your idea of a publishing house, your books will spread, although I would like to see one of those new ones you have. I hear the paper is as white as snow. So what I want is an idea."

How the heck did he find out about my publishing house idea? This guy was starting to freak me out. Had he been having someone shadow my moves around Vaspar.

"What type of idea are you looking for?"

"A novel one, of course. Something no one else has. Preferably not even you. For an idea like paper, I would give you my daughter if I had one. Unfortunately, I was given three foolish sons who were all off at war trying to earn glory. I set them all up with excellent marriages. All three are now barons, not just my heir, and now one is dead, and I haven't heard a word from the others in almost a year. All because our foolish king can't stop his own campaign for glory. Trying to live up to an image that no one but him and his sycophants cares about."

He remained calm, but his words showed a fury just below the surface. When I saw his lawn, I had an idea but was trying to think if there was something better I could offer him. I had thought about doing this at my manor, but there wasn't enough room. Also, what would he offer me in return?

"I have one thought that you may like immediately. But what are you willing to give me in return?"

"It depends on the idea."

"I have noticed how beautiful your lawns are and how careful they are maintained. I have an idea I believe that even the duke would want to imitate. Lesser nobles would not have the ability or skills to keep it as nice as you can."

"Intriguing, not necessarily what I was looking for, but as long as it is unique, I will consider it acceptable. For such a thing, I will give you access to my herds."

"Your herds?"

He smiled, "Young man, do you not know what the barony of Ridgeland is known for? We breed the Starlight Mar. They produce the finest wool in all of Kimton. You don't have a keep like this just from being a baron with a bunch of farms. I will sell you my female mar at a reasonable price and assist in their transportation up to Vaspar. Know this, though. Breeding them with lesser mar will not produce the quality of wool that a purebred Starlight Mar produces. Fifty heads is all I am willing to sell you, but that is more than any other of the barons in Kimton have."

I liked the idea. Buy the mar, get the wool, and sell it back to this man at double the price using my better looms. "Agreed. After dinner, I will show you my idea."

The dinner was fabulous. Herb roasted kayver and a sweet tomato soup. We discussed everything from the proper care of mars to the trial I had in Vaspar. I could tell, though, that the baron was eager to see what I had in mind. I got my charcoal, paper, and sketchpad from my room and brought them back to the dining hall. I began to sketch and continued our conversation, not wanting to reveal what I had in store until I was finished. This time, I was hoping to glean specific information.

"I have heard rumors of a group that wishes to remove the king from the throne."

This caused Baron Sophis to laugh. "My boy, there has never been a moment in history that a king has not been opposed. Even before a king puts on the crown, he must watch his every step. Even the greatest king in history will have opposition. But concerning this king, there are many who oppose him."

"I am speaking of a particularly large group."

"I know whom you are speaking of. It actually is not just one group. They have not one leader but a council. The council members have slightly different agendas, but it is based on the idea of ending the war."

"Do you know who they are?" I asked. I knew Benjamin said Countess Blackwell was involved, but was she a member of the council?

The baron gave me a smile that showed all his teeth. "I have my suspicions, but, Boy, I do not believe you have enough ideas in your head to pay for the information I have on the council. I will say I agree with some, while others are fools who just want a piece of the kingdom. Some just want to see the kingdom burn to the ground."

I realized that he wasn't going to share any more information about the council. For all I knew, he was a member of one of the groups. He certainly had no love for the king.

I laid my sketchpad on the table and showed him the first drawing. "Are you familiar with the concept of a labyrinth?"

"Yes, I have seen these before. This brings back fond memories of my brother and me designing them for each other. Are you suggesting I put a maze on my property?" He did not seem impressed.

Until I flipped the page and showed him an aerial view of a hedge maze. The next view was a first-person perspective of traveling through a hedge maze. "Think of your guests walking through the maze where, around each corner, they could discover something new. A fountain, a garden, or a sculpture could be placed at various points throughout the maze. Make it visible from a balcony," I said excitedly.

Now I got a smile out of the man. "You are what they say about you, boy. Now, here is what I propose. Walk around my grounds tomorrow morning and observe what is there. While you are in Kimton, design an exquisite maze for me. Do not share this idea with anyone. On your way back north, share the design with me. I will send fifty mar to Vaspar ahead of you. In addition, I will provide an escort for you down to Kimton. Just remember to write them a letter explaining their purpose for moving through other nobles' territories. It isn't necessary, but they will want it on their way back. Some nobles get very nervous when soldiers travel through their lands without their liege."

"I can agree with that," I said.

This ended up being a very fruitful visit. My only frustration was that I did not know if he was involved with the council. No matter how much I liked him, if he was part of the council we would never be friends. The council sent an assassin after Aaron and that I could never forgive.

Captain Yargus of the Falmor Defenders Mercenary Group

"Are we ready to move out?" I asked Brad as he came up beside me.

"We are," He said.

"Excellent, the caravan leader is eager to head out. And I think we have gotten all we can out of Vaspar." I smiled.

"And you are sure the steward will honor the agreement," Brad said doubtfully.

"I have looked over the letter. It says that he is to pay us a copper penny for every person that we successfully bring to his lands. It does not say they have to be the people the king sent to Vaspar."

"The Extra people will make the journey slow."

"It doesn't matter. We are getting paid extra for every person we bring. With all the rumors spreading about free food, we will probably pick up more along the way. These peasants are desperate now that winter is approaching."

"And then they will starve when the winter comes because the barony cannot support them." He said with a frown.

"That is not our problem. We're doing nothing but following orders. As long as the food doesn't run out before we get to Bicman, it will be fine. Besides, the baron was upset when he found out that some of the people were missing. He will be overjoyed when he learns that more people want to come to his barony. It is sad that we will not be there to see the look on his face." I laughed.