Even though Ogulno had come to Saniya because all the other lords were here, Mayu’s explanation wasn’t something he wanted to hear.
“Although you may have to stay in this place, it would be prudent to remain off the streets as much as possible. Be careful lest you be corrupted by the decadence of the common people here.” Ogulno snorted in derision, though his warning was mostly out of pettiness.
After all, Mayu’s warning about leaving the noble circle was exactly what had happened to him. Before Lord Ogulno’s falling out with Corco, he had been the one of most popular lords in the south, mostly owed to his personal connections and the wealth of the copper mountain.
Now however, none of the lords were willing to talk to him. Not even his birthday celebrations had been visited in the same way they used to be. However, Mayu didn’t seem to feel his uncle’s distress, and provided a callous answer to his stern warning.
“The commoners are not as bad as you’re making out, uncle,” he said. “They might look a bit full of themselves at a glance, but they still know their place. You should see how they run out of the way whenever they see a palanquin come their way.” Mayu laughed, surely with a certain image in his head, but Ogulno remained silent and stone-faced. In the face of his earnest uncle, the young governor tried to explain again.
“Those commoners are nothing. In the end, you didn’t travel on foot because you feared that the commoners would storm your palanquin, uncle. You travel on foot to escape the eyes of my cousin’s people.”
“Nephew, why does it sound as if you have been taken in by the king brat as well? Are your on their side now, under the heel of that little pretender king just like all the commoners in this city? Has your resistance been eroded away entirely, by the precious baubles he provides?”
Ogulno’s words were harsh, to match his poor mood. All the discomfort from his time in the streets had returned with a vengeance. However, Mayu didn’t seem affected by his uncle’s accusations. Instead, he sighed and replied in a conciliatory tone.
“No, I am nothing more than honest. And I can see the truth for what it is,” the governor said. “Unlike the rest of us, you have not lived in this place, and have not seen what this new breed of commoner has added to society. While educating them seems like a risky gamble, and one I am not eager to repeat on my own lands, at least for now it seems to have paid off. After years, the commoners have still shown no signs of disobedience. Even now, they still fear the lords as much as they always have. Rather, the liveliness on the street is nothing I have not seen in Arguna already. You have been there as well, you should know that the commoners in the silver city also try every trick to display their limited prosperity while obeying the law.”
For Ogulno, the reminder evoked images of the overconfident commoners in the empire’s capital, who were just the same as the people here. Maybe decadence just came natural with large, rich cities like this.
“It has been a while since I last visited Arguna. I may have overreacted to what I have seen outside.” Slightly embarrassed, Ogulno picked up his tea and watched the steam rise from the cup. Meanwhile, Mayu continued to show off his cleverness.
“Further, most of the wealth that my cousin has gained for himself has been generated by those very commoners. They do all the work on my little cousin’s many new projects, be it the fertilizer or the flintlock rifles. Without at least some minimal schooling, none of them would be able to do any of this. So if we want to make use of these new ideas ourselves, we need to make do with these commoners as well, at least for a while. After all, that is the reason you are here, is it not? To entice the other lords to join your cause through the money my cousin’s new industries are making?”
Called out like this, Ogulno didn’t know how to respond for a moment. Instead, he finally took a sip of his tea. Surprised by the complex taste that he couldn’t quite describe, he used the chance to change the subject and order his messy thoughts.
“This is quite outstanding.” Ogulno said with a raised brow. As one of the richest lords in the south, he had tasted many teas in his life, but had never experienced anything quite like this. “Where did you get this tea, nephew? It should be a rare blend from Chutwa, correct? How did you get your hands on it?”
Mayu gave him a strange look, before he replied.
“The tea is indeed Chutwa tea, uncle. However, it is one from the Aketzali region, you should have the same kind at home. The reason it is so unique is that the leaves have been infused with some of Saniya’s vanilla. Although I do not quite know how they make it, the powder surely has been refined by the commoners in the city’s manufactories.”
Before he embarrassed himself anymore, Ogulno decided to shut up and quietly drink more of the strange, floral tea while he thought about his next words. Luckily, his nephew was gracious enough to sit and wait while he ordered his mind. When he thought about it calmly, his nephew’s criticism was quite reasonable.
He had intended to bring the other lords in line with his plan by offering them concrete benefits, namely all the goods King Corco had been hoarding these years, the ones he had been making a fortune on. However, if the lords were to stand up against Corco, they couldn’t justify their actions like this. ‘We want your money’ was a horrible reason for risking a civil war, one that would never be accepted by the other lords, or by their warriors.
Of course, to Ogulno, the move was not out of greed, but out of desperation. After he had been cut out of southern Medala’s political landscape, his bratty nephew of a king had begun to systematically undermine his family’s power. First, he had drawn his previous allies among the lords towards Saniya with lucrative trade deals, then he had ruined the copper market through his cooperation with the Villca House. By now, the once mighty House Ogulno was politically isolated, and as good as broke.
This was no longer an issue of honor or respect. If this were to continue, his family’s entire future may be in danger. However, this wasn’t a good enough reason for the other lords to join him in his endeavor. Them, he had to offer something more concrete, since they were quite content with their current lot. In that case, the most obvious thing to offer them was indeed money.
Everyone could see just how much the southern king was making with his various ventures, not least with the fertilizer, which threatened to develop into an irreplaceable lifeline for every single lord in the south. At this thought, finally, it felt like Ogulno had grasped something, so he put down the half empty cup of vanilla tea again, a sly smile on his face.
“No, of course this is not about the money. How could something as base as money motivate the noble lords of the south?” he finally answered Mayu’s implied question. “However, the deals that the southern king has forced upon the lords puts them into an unreasonable subordinate position. They are lords after all, same as the king. The king is only the first among equals, and not above us in status. It cannot be right for a king to treat his equals like his servants, to force deals upon them they dare not decline. If nothing else, the lords should be allowed to participate in the production and distribution of the fertilizers. For most of us, crops are still the greatest source of income. Having the output of our harvest controlled by an outside force is unacceptable, even if that outside force is our king.”
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Mayu thought for a few seconds, but Ogulno could already see in his nephew’s face that he was moved by his argument.
“That could work, but it will not be easy,” the youngster said in the end. “What’s your exact plan? With the benefits and your solid argument, we can get a halfway decent alliance together, but it won’t help much. Just putting some mild pressure on my little cousin is not enough. Corco controls the wealth of the lords with his strangulating trade contracts, and everyone is afraid of being frozen out.”
“That will not be a problem. At that time, the lords will have more immediate problems than some trade deals in the far-off future. I have already discussed this with some other allies. While we apply pressure from the inside, they will apply equal pressure from the outside.”
With a deep frown on his face, Mayu wondered what sort of support his uncle could have found.
“Who, Pacha?” he asked. “He won’t be much help. The northerners cannot break through Qarasi Castle at the narrows. Not to mention, the two northern kingdoms are mostly busy with each other. Why would the Central Kingdom ever start another war with the south?”
A bit troubled at his own plan, Ogulno’s words grew quieter, and vaguer.
“No, not from the north, from the east.”
“From the…” Mayu’s mumbled words trailed off. Realization stiffened his body and paled his face. “Uncle, don’t tell me you’ve struck a deal with the Orientals!”
“Why not? Who else would still talk to me besides them?” he replied in defiance.
As if stung by a wasp, the governor jumped up from his seat, and began to pace the room.
“You can’t do this!” he shouted. “It is madness! The Orientals are not to be trusted, everyone knows this! Not to mention, we will be ruined if this news is ever released!”
“And what do I have to lose? The king, my own nephew, has already taken everything from me! Not even you will support me anymore! Who should I turn to!?”
Shocked, Mayu stared at his uncle, mouth open and jaw slack. After a few seconds of recollection, he ordered his face and sat back down.
“I apologize, uncle,” he said. “You are right, and you bear no fault for your actions. That only lies with my heartless cousin.”
Still too emotional, my nephew. Like this, you will never be a true leader. Ogulno could barely believe that a governor was so easy to manipulate. The previous Lord Saqartu would have never been tricked like this. Though of course, this was very much to Ogulno’s liking.
“I understand your worry, nephew. However, I have long worked out the details, to guarantee minimal risk for everyone involved. In my plan, none of the lords will have any direct contact with the Arcavians. In fact, they will not even know that they are cooperating with them. All of this is remarkably simple. In time, the Arcavians will march from Port Ulta to attack the borders of the southern kingdom. They will lead an army through the central midlands and begin their assault on my lands and others on our eastern borders. We will desperately resist, and then call for support from our king. After all, the king should be responsible for the protection of the borders, should he not? However, who can he still protect at this point? His troops are all bound in his war out west, far away from his own home.”
“I understand,” Mayu said. “The king’s duty is to protect the borders of the kingdom, but Corco could never expect the eastern border to be threatened. His response will be slow, if he shows a response at all.”
“Correct, it is not a problem our king can handle in a short time. Thus, the foreign invaders will continue to maraud along the edges of our kingdom, while the lords desperately defend their own lands. Once the king fails in his duties as the kingdom’s defender, the lords have enough excuse to accuse him of neglect. In fact, once the people suffer from the war and the lords on the edges of the empire are hit hard, the brat’s good reputation among the commoners and part of the nobility will finally suffer as well. With some diplomatic efforts and the right benefits, we can form a league of lords quite easily. Together, we can argue that the king is overburdened by various duties, and thus cannot fulfill all of them. This is not a breach of etiquette.”
As Ogulno continued, a smile crept onto his face. “Then we can offer to selflessly take some of those duties off him, to share his pressure, like equals should. For example, the king cannot be expected to produce all that fertilizer by himself, can he? This argument will be hard to resist by Saniya, especially if we can unite enough lords under us. Thus, all we need for the plan to succeed is a strong league of like-minded lords, strong enough to force Saniya into compromises. That is where I need your help, nephew. At the moment, I am just a shunned and exiled noble. No one will talk to me, much less consider a plan of mine. You are the Governor of the South, and you are a Saqartu, well respected among your peers. If nothing else, they will have to listen to you. All you need to do is lay the groundwork early. Once the Arcavians begin their assault, negotiations for a league will move very quickly.”
After his explanations were done, Ogulno leaned back, content with his eloquence. However, Mayu sat there with a frown on his face for the longest time, slowly measuring his options. This was much to take in, so Ogulno was in no hurry to interrupt him.
“The plan is good, and thorough,” Mayu finally said. “Though it still feels too dangerous. Are the Arcavians to be trusted? Would they not lead their troops to attack us for real once they see our weakness? In that case, we could end up in yet another war, and no one wants that. Even worse, we could be caught red-handed, cooperating with the enemy. These are not other Yaku, they are foreigners, which would make us no less than traitors. Even if the other lords don’t know, we still do. We would be shunned. This plan is too risky, and not something I can agree with.”
Although Mayu’s words sounded firm, Ogulno wasn’t worried. He could feel that his nephew’s refusal wasn’t as final as he made it sound, and not only because of his long consideration. Mayu had always been easy to bait, and the benefits from Ogulno’s plan had successfully baited him. Now, he was just asking for his uncle to put aside his last reservations, and push him into the right direction. His uncle was happy to oblige.
“Not to worry, nephew,” Ogulno began. “If the foreigners want to start a real war, let them. When have the lords of Sachay ever needed the help of some king to defend our own lands? We are not afraid of them, not at home. Just watch them lug all of their supplies across the midland hills of Sachay. How many men can they supply like this, a few thousand at most? Even without our mighty king’s help, those are numbers our warriors can repel with ease. As for the threat of the plan’s exposure? That is a problem that only concerns me, and me alone. I will be the only lord with any contact to the Arcavians, and after today, there is no more need for us to talk. You will organize the league of lords, while I will handle the rest. Aside from your servants, no one knows that I have come here, so there is no connection between us, and no reason to blame you for anything. If anyone ever finds out about my involvement with the foreigners, the punishment will be mine and mine alone.”
This time, Mayu really looked tempted, shifting around on his chair a bit. Ogulno decided to use his trump card, for one final push.
“In the end, you do not want to submit your family’s position in the south to that little king, do you?” He asked. “And our chances of success are good. While the king wastes all his time and resources on his wifey’s new kingdom, we can operate safely, without his knowledge. By the time the war breaks out and the league forms, he may rush back from his wife’s kingdom to take care of his own. But by then, everything will be too late.”
As Ogulno spoke, Mayu retained a thoughtful expression at first, as he weighed his uncle’s words. However, at the mention of Queen Sumaci, his hands clenched and his face darkened. The loss of his love had been a sharp hit to his pride, Ogulno was well aware of that. Reminding him of the pain Corco’s betrayal had inflicted on him would only incite the prideful and emotional governor.
Sometimes, Ogulno was frightened by his own wisdom. With his ego stimulated and lured by the benefits, Mayu’s support was as good as won. At last, Ogulno’s bad mood from his walk through the city disappeared. Soon, the haughty commoners would return to reality, and learn to be humble again. Soon, their false bravado would fall apart, and the world would revert back to its natural order.