Two weeks later
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Baron Falconbridge got the evaluation of the tests he had sent to several orphanages two weeks prior. At first there was nothing outstanding to notice, at least until he came to the analysis of the tests originating from the Crystal Fountain Orphanage, where one of the classes had performed exceptionally in all topics but religion and magic, even knowing several languages.
The test had been drafted in a way to judge the tested even without knowing other languages, effectively repeating the same questions slightly different in several languages. He now had an idea of where to go in six months time. Hating to leave things to chance, he had his people create the test and sent it to most orphanages in the capital, hoping to find a child with outstanding intelligence or better education than most.
He had his butler search for the originals tests of the best performing class, annoyed at the corrector of the tests to not have the thought of delivering the most interesting tests directly to him. A day later when he had finally gotten the tests on his desk and was about to work them through by himself, he got contacted by Griel reporting him of the team's success in defeating a pair of Shilks. Really uplifting news as well, as his informants had reported him Viscounts Snaketon’s team was due to succeed in the coming months as well.
The Viscount was one of his of his most bothersome rivals, as well as being the most unpleasant person the baron knew, while normally, he enjoyed a good rivalry between another noble and himself, he really hated the viscounts guts. Having lost way too many nights of sleep over the bothersome upstart, he decided to host a ball to celebrate his victory, finding great glee in personally inviting the Viscount over. He would probably savor the expression he got the moment he told the viscount of his team's success for years to come.
The news that the former Grand Duke of the North would be hosting a party went through the noble houses in less than a day, thus a few hours after the Baron got his news, the hole city knew of his team's success and letters inquiring if the adventurers would be attending as well started arriving at his mansion.
He thought that a good idea and contacted Griel to inquire about his probable arrival. After being promoted in Rhovara, his team could arrive at the capital in about one and a half months, their quest prompting them to travel to his old domain, though they lacked the means of travel the royal guard or a grand duke had access to, so they would need more than two weeks to move such distances.
He told them to be here in two months, and set the date of the ball in three months time. His adventurers had to learn how to deal with nobles after all.
Planning things like a ball wasn't his forte at all though, so he asked his son to do so for him, him being a natural talent when it came to planning events like that, the Baron had no idea where that came from, as planning events like that was something neither he nor his wife or other children had any skill doing. After consulting with his son he decided to invite the more important people personally, setting out and doing just that.
He had other duties to fulfill as well, most importantly upholding an ancient tradition now called ‘The Ceremony!’ by the empires citizens, the ceremony was performed by the head of a noble house every twenty five years, visiting one of the orphanages in the capital to adopt an orphan.
It originated in the empire’s founding years. While the empire had started with nobles supporting it, after Emperor Aulus secured his position, he deprived them of their power and wealth, giving it to his most skilled and trusted advisors instead. Most of these new nobles had been poor once, and they decided to take care of the many orphans emerging from the empire’s rapid expanse. They employed teachers to improve the children's chances in life, taking in the smartest or most skilled as their personal retainers, rarely adopting them as well.
Albeit meant to help the people caught up in Aulus ascent, he was dead now and the empire had relative peace, even though the relations to the surrounding kingdoms were tense. A once beneficial tradition for the poor, now was a way for the nobility to feel charitable, pretending to care about the empire’s normal citizens.
Although the Baron didn't really care how other nobles thought about him, it was one of the very few traditions he liked, while nobles were selfish and didn't care about normal people, they still helped one child every twenty five years.
Focusing back on the present, he saw tests that now were in front of him one by one, wondering how these children got the education a fairly successful merchant’s child would get. He sent for one of his informants, and set him to investigate the issue and report to him if anything unusual came up.
Most of the children were decently smart, taking in the languages like only children could, while doing passable with the rest. Some of them stood out with a beautiful calligraphy, or proving to be a natural in questions regarding math. One of them stood out though, a girl named Mary, proving to be very precise and answering every question with great care. She stood out in calligraphy and math as well, additionally being the only one to have answers in the last category at all. Her obvious indignation about runes was really amusing to read as she obviously had no clue about common magic theory.
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Three months later, the Baron’s mansion lit the night’s sky, ready do accomodate all invited. He had invited, all nobles living in the capital and most of the younger nobility attended. His mages had really outdone themselves this time around, erecting a protective shield over the immediate surroundings of his mansion in order to protect his guests from the frequent rain often coming up around this time of the year. Moreover, they had cast several illusions lighting the sky and pleasing the eyes of his guests.
His mansion wasn't used at all, as everything bad been built outside, even a dance floor out of wood had been built, the baron having to hire a wizard to properly even it out and form the wood in patterns. The wizard had outdone himself, creating patterns of all common monsters in the kingdom. It had later been enchanted, the patterns in the wood now moving in tune with the music the musicians played. About a meter above their heads the shield held a thin film of water using it to project the story of how his team had achieved gold rank, showing all notable fights.
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Countess Foxwood was duly impressed by the show presented to them, she rarely saw such displays of magic skill, it must have cost the Baron a small fortune to hire all these mages. When she had received an invitation to a ball by Baron Falconbridge she had been doubtful, after all while he was a rather talented individual when planning on grand scales, it was common knowledge among the nobility he had always lacked the imagination required to host successful social gatherings, not surprising considering his background.
She attended anyways, as she had nothing better to do, with her father's lands being among the most peaceful lands in the empire, located just shy of the empire’s inner cities. Furthermore the host was way more interesting than most other nobles in the capital, as nobles without actual land to govern were mostly incompetent and relied on their birthright to achieve anything. The competent nobles were chosen to govern the empire’s territory by the emperor. Very few like her were representatives of their parents in the capital. After searching for the host she found him talking to the stars of the evening, all dressed in expensive clothing looking adorably uncomfortable with being here.
“What a delightful ball you are hosting my dear Baron. And congratulations to the winning team, quite an impressive feat you displayed here!”
“Countess Foxwood welcome, how are the Count and the Countess doing?”
“Thank you Countess!” The adventurers exclaimed and excused themselves.
“My parents are doing fine, as you know our lands are among the most peaceful in the empire, we rarely see anything more dangerous than a pack of wolfs fortunately.”
The Baron looked around and then whispered. “I always thought you are one of more interesting nobles, so I’ll tell you a secret Countess: I didn't plan this ball, my son did, he represented me here back when I was still a grand duke and became really skilled when planning such events!”
“I can wholeheartedly return the compliment my dear Baron and i’ll make sure to congratulate your son to the successful ball then! But it wouldn't be fair to occupy the host all by myself, enjoy your ball Baron!”
She found Decius, the Baron’s son later that evening looking at ease with the world and himself in a group of his friends.
“Can I borrow the young lord Decius for a moment, I would like to congratulate him for the successful planning of this event!” She interrupted their conversation. Decius came after his father, being quite tall, nearly reaching 1,90 meters in height, had an impressive physique, blonde hair like most of the empire’s citizens and intelligent, brown eyes, she really liked what she saw. He excused himself and turned to her.
“Of course Countess, you have my full attention!”
“Your father told me we have to thank you for this wonderful party?”
He coughed, “Why would you think something like that?”
“Your father told me, obviously.” She smiled at him.
“I'm pretty sure you know my parents former duchy is at the northern border, so they had to constantly deal with monsters invading our lands and killing their peasants. One time my father even had to take care of a small army of kobolds, so my parents aren't used to have to plan things like this.”
He smiled at her “How do you like the show my fathers mages arranged Countess?”
“It's truly beautiful I was really impressed what was organized in such a short order!”
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Viscount Snaketon hated Baron Falconbridge, he had been one of the nobles to tell the emperor he suspected the Baron was planning treason as he always wanted his own lands to govern. When his spies had catched wind of something, though without proof he instantly reported to the emperor hoping to be rewarded for his loyalty, but instead of being killed the grand duke he had just lost his title!
To add insult to injury the emperor hadn’t even rewarded him at all. He had hoped he would be appointed to govern parts of the now free lands, but when he had asked the emperor he was rebuffed rudely, being told he would get to govern his own lands if he earned it. To this day the lands had got no new grand duke appointed, the emperor appointing several smaller nobles to govern parts of it instead.
And now he had lost the competition as well. From the start of the competition he had known there would be very few rivals, and had sent people to stop the advancement of them, stopping three teams outright and slowing down all but one team considerably, the people he had sent were properly routed and brought to justice by the team as well, only slowing them down by a week, and most likely causing the stroke of luck that followed afterwards, as they had been allowed to jump a rank because of killing a drake instead of a lesser one. His team had advanced not a week after them, but to his peril were not allowed to jump rank as they didn't defeat a higher evolution.
His team had managed to catch up as their rivals went idle for a month or two, but they still had to concede the priority of the advancement quest due to reaching the middle ranks faster.
He clenched his fists and felt his pulse increasing just thinking about the smug grin on the Barons face when he was invited to the ball.
He had to smile at the thought of meeting him in an empty alley, at least until he remembered the reason why the Baron was still alive anyways, causing him to clench his jaw as well. The Viscount started pacing around, like many times before, on how to finally get the better of the other noble. Unfortunately since being forced to move to the capital the Baron had behaved like a model noble, doing nothing one could hold against him.