Chapter 51:

The morning found me deep into meditation. I opened my eyes as the light started to shine through my window and got up from my seated position, stretching my stiff legs. This weak body wasn't used to sitting still for so long, and I doubted I would be in it long enough to make a difference.

Even a year or two of training can only do so much, and it was hard training where I wouldn't be able to do much else. Which was just not acceptable in my current situation. So, instead of trying to raise the meager stats into something passable, I instead refocused my efforts on projects that might actually have long-term benefits.

I had been messing with the spells. They were difficult to adjust and very slow, but I made some decent modifications. I now had the ability to leave off the glow of the dance of the jester. Unfortunately, that actually increased the cost of the spell. I expected the cost to go down as fewer effects were happening, but it seemed as if the spell wanted to be seen and to be noticed.

Something about moving against its nature caused me to spend energy or magic or have to spend mana to create the light and then also spend mana to suppress it. I couldn't just remove the effects of the movement the light shows along with the movement. Doing so threatened to make the spell collapse and be completely useless. It still left afterimages, but those could probably be treated as tricks of the eye if I ever had to use it in front of someone.

So far, I hadn't made any progress in my healing spell, but it was arguably more important. But it was just too complicated for me to adjust without more practice. And the movement spell was simpler, so that was fine. But even nudging the healing spell in any direction seemed to destabilize it, and it was all I could do to sort of return it back to its original form before ending my meditation.

Soon after I came out, I found a message waiting for me.

"Baron Ridge requests a hearing," I read under my breath.

"Bring him in," I told the messenger and went to my family's main receiving room.

An older man, squat in legs bowed from a long time in the saddle, came in moments later. He looked like a grizzled war veteran, but still bowed in deference to me.

"Good morning, Count," he said.

"Baron," I greeted. "What do I owe this pleasure?"

I wasn't entirely pleased or displeased to have to deal with something like this. It was a distraction before the King's lunch, but I really had no idea what this was about. Hopefully, it wasn't too big.

"Sir, I would present to you a case. And I would like for you to uphold a Casus Belli I have over Baron Somers," the man said.

I raised my eyebrows, remembering Baron Somers as one of the barons who was a vassal to Count Roderick. This might play nicely.

"And what is this Casus Belli?" I inquired.

The man gritted his teeth in apparent anger, though that was not directed at me. "He killed my son when he could have ransomed him to me."

"And what would you like me to do?" I asked.

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If it was two of my vassals, I could just let them fight, and I would not punish the attacker in this case if they had a valid cause. But attacking another account's Baron would potentially give Count Roderick a valid Casus Belli against me. And if the King upheld or whatever Duke Count Roderick reported to uphold it, I would then have to challenge the King. Well, in some situations, it would maybe give him the ability to attack me, but that wasn't really an issue as he was already attacking me, if indirectly. I was planning to attack him directly, I mused.

I sat in silence for a moment before asking, "And you have proof?"

"Yes, sir," he said, reaching to his side to pull out something from a satchel.

"No, no. It's fine," I waved. I didn't actually need to see the proof if it was enough for him to bring it to me. It was enough for me to make the argument to the King if necessary.

"I'll uphold it," I said, pulling a piece of paper from the desk in front of me and scrawling something to that effect on the paper. I dripped some wax, pressed my ring signet ring as a seal on the bottom, and handed it to him. "See me. Don't leave till this evening. I may need to speak to you before you go right out."

"You won't stop me, sir," the Baron said, surprised that I wanted to talk to him again without the effort to stop him.

"If you have a valid Casus Belli, I would not stand against it," I said, "but this may spiral out of control with a counterattack. And I would ask for your cooperation in making sure that things can be resolved to our satisfaction as a whole. I'm sure I wouldn't want to just attack a lowly baron and end up being seized. Having my land seized by Count Roderick in retaliation. Now, would you?"

The man shook his head.

"If I must, I must. But if I could avoid it, I would prefer that," he replied.

"Good. I may have news for you tonight. Do not tell anyone on your oath," I instructed.

"I swear my oath. I will not tell anyone about our meeting until after you have had a chance to speak with me this evening or tomorrow if you don't show up," the man swore.

"Good," I nodded, checking the clock. I realized that I needed to be heading out. "I will send a message if I'm not able to meet. But start preparing your troops."

The Baron nodded and smiled in satisfaction. "It's an honor to serve so. If I may say so," he said, waiting for permission to continue. I nodded. "You look a lot more like your father than when I last saw you."

With that, he left. I left not that long after for lunch with the King. The man's words still stuck with me. That I looked more like my father. I never knew the man. I didn't even look like myself. But it was just confidence that this body had been lacking. Still, it was gratifying to hear.

The King's lunch was a surprisingly simple affair. It was in a small room with only a couple of guards standing at his sides as we sat and ate a salad.

"Your Majesty," I said after we had dined in silence for a few moments. "I had an interesting conversation this morning with Baron Ridge. I decided to uphold a Casus Belli against Baron Somers, one of Duke Roderick's vassals."

The King smiled. "Hmm. Clever. I approve. I will uphold that as well, in case Roderick's duke ever bothers to come to me with complaints."

"I appreciate that," I said.

"This brings me to my other issue. See, unfortunately, the evidence you provided isn't quite enough for me to act," King said, "not without losing a significant amount of respect and reputation. But it is ample evidence for me to uphold the Casus Belli for you. I would very much appreciate you pursuing that."

I smiled. As much as it would be good for me politically to do this. It was even better for me. This was a perfect way for me to command the troops and get my debt to Loki repaid even faster with pleasure.

"Do it well, and I'll see you rightly rewarded," the King said, "and I would very much appreciate any more evidence about the Aldorian?"

"Good," I said, "Well, I will make sure that we will start our campaign by the beginning of next month."

"Good. I'll have both of those Casus Bellies drafted up to you and sent over before the evening," the King assured.

I stood and bowed, ready to leave. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I plan to leave early tomorrow morning to make sure everything is in order. I have levies to call."

"Very good, Count. You're dismissed. The Crown is pleased with you," the King said.

I bowed low and left.