Chapter 123

Mentor

The Lord of Korelia's Camp

Sir Morton, the Black Knight Captain, clad in a stylish black brigandine, was escorted to the Lord's command tent. His request for an audience had been granted.

Walking at a leisurely pace and flanked by several guards, the mage knight entered the Lord of Korelia's command tent. "My Lord, My Lady, gratitude for granting me this opportunity," he said formally.

"Sir Morton, it's good to see you again," Lansius responded warmly.

Audrey added, "May we ask, for what reason do we have the pleasure of your presence today?"

"My Lady, as I promised before in Korelia, I'll be introducing a good mentor."

Lansius and Audrey exchanged glances. Audrey nodded once, and Lansius motioned for his squires and guards to take a break.

When they hesitated, Audrey reassured them, "Go on, I'll be more than enough."

The guards and squires bowed their heads and exited the tent, joining the corps of scribes and clerks who had already taken a break from their duties.

Now alone, Lansius asked, "This mentor, is she a mage?"

Sir Morton answered, "The mentor will be under disguise; she always is. You can regard her as an educator, and none will suspect anything."

Lansius exhaled deeply, aware of Audrey's gaze on him. "Pardon me for being blunt, Sir Morton. But do we have any guarantee she will cause us no harm?"

"Unfortunately, only indirectly, My Lord." The guest paused, gauging Lansius' reaction before explaining, "The Mage Guild seeks to foster good relations with a rising star of Lowlandia. They even wondered if My Lord would become a patron in exchange for a mage in your service."

"So I am a potential client," he mused.

"I believe the Guild wanted to be at your side, My Lord."

Lansius nodded and turned to catch Audrey's glance. Despite her neutral expression, he understood her thoughts. "Very well, Sir Morton. Arrange for her to meet us, hopefully soon, as we are departing in two days."

"She's already in the city. It would be best if My Lord wrote an invitation letter for her, so she could make her way here and introduce herself."

Lansius nodded, and Audrey stood, walking halfway to the entrance and calling for a scribe while keeping an eye on Sir Morton.

Instead of a scribe, Sir Harold dashed inside, hand on his hilt. "Yes? Oh, a scribe, just a moment," he said, managing a smile.

The mage knight smiled at this, commenting, "You have plenty of loyal men at your side."

"Gratitude and I apologize for my men's reaction."

"Think nothing of it, My Lord."

As Audrey was dictating the invitation letter, Lansius suddenly asked his guest, "Tell me, what is she like?"

"I've only known her briefly, but she is among the most experienced in the guild."

Lansius leaned forward. "Sir Morton, I do not wish to sound rude, but are there any quirks, a short temper, or anything else I should be aware of?"

Sir Morton smiled. "She bears the demeanor of a mentor, not a fighter. Also, I've heard she wishes to retire to a vineyard and still needs quite a sum to achieve that."

Hearing such a hint, Lansius felt somewhat relieved. At least now I know where her goal lies.

***

Before midday, Sir Morton had returned to Three Hills City. His audience was brief, yet it sparked considerable gossip. While most speculated it was likely an official errand on behalf of the Lord of Three Hills, others speculated that the mage knight was on a mission of atonement for his actions in the battle of Korelia, where he had slain the famed Sir Callahan.

While the dragoons and cavalry were busy gossiping during their downtime, Lady Audrey presided over a meeting with the merchant representative. No deal was to be made, just a simple meet and greet.

In the Baroness' presence, Dame Daniella skillfully inquired about the nobles and landlords of Three Hills. With just a hint of encouragement from the Lady and the aid of hard liquor, the merchants were more than willing to share their extensive knowledge of connections.

As she had little knowledge of Three Hills, Audrey relied on Daniella to crosscheck the information she obtained from the merchants. The Dame's stay and past dealings in Three Hills had been invaluable, as she already had a good understanding of the hierarchy of Three Hills' landlords and their factions.

Before midday, they had completed their meetings. With Lady Daniella by her side, they returned to Lansius to deliver their reports.

"So, what did you learn from the merchants?" Lansius eagerly asked.

"There are lots of knights and esquires families, but according to the merchants, only three stand out," Audrey began, then turned to Daniella. "I am sure the Dame could explain more about them."

"Of course, My Lady." Then to Lansius, Daniella reported, "They are, respectively, the moneylender, the winery, and the jeweler."

Lansius nodded. "I assume their profitable business enabled them to amass private lands for crops."

"Indeed, My Lord. These three always show up when I talk about powerful nobles in the city besides the ruling House. The person who controls the winery is-"

Lansius raised his hand to stop Daniella. "It might sound odd, but in this process, the less I know, the better."

Daniella looked puzzled but nodded. Audrey chose to trust her instinct and listened attentively.

"From those three, which one is showing grand ambition?" Lansius asked.

Daniella pondered for a moment before admitting, "It is rather hard to tell."

"Which of them is currently building, or has recently completed, an opulent residence that rivals the Lord's palace?" Lansius guided her. "Which one was mentioned by the merchant as wearing dresses to rival those of the nobles, or whom the merchants spoke of in high regard or with a hint of fear? Who among them exhibits jealousy towards the ruling class?"

Daniella paused, reflecting on her thoughts, before responding, "The House engaged in moneylending fits your criteria. The merchant shared tales of their family manor, lavish with fine marbles, bronze sculptures, and gold ornaments. I've also heard that their banquets are always decadent."

Lansius took a moment before asking, "Did the merchant describe the current House leader as smart and industrious?"

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Daniella's eyes flickered, trying to recall the conversation. "Despite their fear of him, the merchants seem to regard him as a rich fool, one who fancies only leisurely pursuits like collecting horses and exotic foods."

"Ambitious, not bright, and lazy," Lansius profiled the moneylender House.

The two noted the three criteria Lansius mentioned.

"Then, what about the winery House?" he inquired.

Audrey decided to answer, "The winery House also shows some ambition. He is successful and keeps expanding the family business. The merchants talk about his new manor and vineyard."

Lansius squinted his eyes. "I was not aware that Three Hills has suitable land to grow grapes."

"They do not. Their vineyard is located further from town, near the plateau that leads to the Umberland mountain pass," Audrey clarified.

"Ah," Lansius muttered. "So, the winery House leader is ambitious, smart, and industrious."

"He is probably the most competent of them all," Daniella agreed. "Well spoken, well connected, and people like him."

"You're implying he's the most dangerous one?" he asked.

"It might be just my intuition, but I believe he is the most influential and possibly the most likely candidate to lead a coup."

"Not so fast." Lansius broke a smile. "How about the last House?"

Daniella exchanged glances with Audrey before reporting, "We keep hearing that the jeweler House is the worst. The current head abandoned his training after his father's death and now only bothers with poetry, drinking, and gambling."

Lansius rubbed his chin in contemplation. "What do his peers say about him? Do we know anything about him being ambitious?"

Audrey pondered but shook her head. Daniella reacted the same and said, "We do not have any clue about his ambition."

Lansius crossed his arms, and Audrey ventured, "I dare say, he's not ambitious. The merchants seem to have nothing good to say about the man."

Hearing that, Lansius leaned back in his chair.

This prompted Audrey to ask, "Does that mean everyone with ambition poses a threat?"

"Not necessarily. It's just that people without ambition generally do not cause trouble," Lansius paused, then added, "Ambition is good when paired with intelligence." He looked at Dame Daniella. "Being ambitious, smart, and industrious are ideal traits for a command staff."

The dame blushed slightly at the praise but remained composed.

Turning back to Audrey, Lansius asked, "Based on the three criteria, who, in your opinion, poses the greatest danger among the three?"

"The moneylender House is ambitious, not intelligent, and lazy. It is a dangerous combination," Audrey assessed.

Lansius then turned his gaze to Daniella.

"The winery House is ambitious, intelligent, and industrious. I say he is the most dangerous," Daniella gave her view.

Lansius smiled, "Both views are valid. The Jeweler poses the least concern, so indeed it's between the Moneylender and the Winery."

"Shall we summon them here?" Audrey proposed.

Exhaling deeply, he shook his head. "I think not. Ironically, inviting them here will give them more credence." He then turned to Daniella and instructed, "Work with Farkas and try to get more information from these two Houses."

"Understood," she affirmed.

"Focus on the Moneylender House," he added.

The two women raised their eyebrows. Noticing this, Lansius clarified, "I think our fear of the Winery is mostly baseless. He might be ambitious, but he is also smart, and industrious. I see nothing wrong with that."

"Why focus on the moneylender then?" Daniella inquired.

"As the Lady has said, the moneylender possesses a dangerous combination: ambitious, dumb, and lazy."

Daniella was puzzled. "Smart and industrious isn't dangerous, but dumb and lazy is?"

"A lazy fool without ambition will pose no danger. In fact, a happy fool like me is the fabric of society. We are naturally good subjects, perfect for farmers, servants, footmen, or any other roles."

Audrey chuckled upon hearing his quip.

"My Lord, please don't belittle yourself like that," Daniella responded.

Lansius chuckled before turning serious, "However, laziness coupled with ambition is never a good mix. Such a person dreams of grandeur but is too lazy to put forth the real effort required to achieve it. They will look for shortcuts to success. Jealousy, lies, sabotage, and even coups become their tools of choice. We'll do well to protect our House from this kind of person."

Daniella nodded in agreement, and Audrey took it to heart.

"Find out if the moneylender House has in the past tried to arrange a marriage with House Jorge or any of its allies. Also, ascertain the extent of his forces. Does he wield any influence over the city's guards, or have clout with thugs and troublemakers? He'll need muscle if he wants to start a coup."

"My Lord, collecting such information will take a lot of time," Daniella warned.

"Indeed," Lansius sighed, almost resigning. He knew he needed patience and time to solve this but had to march in two days. "I dislike this, but it seems this matter will remain unresolved by the time we depart."

***

Following Lord Lansius' instructions, Dame Daniella gathered information on the two Houses. Early reports revealed that the moneylender House was in its fifth generation of Esquires. The current head is known for his ambition, often speaking about how well he could rule if he had been born a high noble.

More concerning was the news that his sister had once been offered to Sir Arius, but the arrangement fell through. Coupled with reports of a large number of armed men and influence in various sectors of the city guard, this information alarmed Lansius enough to assign additional men and equipment to Daniella.

Unexpectedly, Lord Jorge readily gave his permission, and it was decided that Daniella would not join the campaign to Umberland but would instead remain stationed in Three Hills with two hundred Nicopolans.

Lansius had hoped for a larger garrison but was cautious of risking the ire of the populace, who had yet to trust him fully. This situation could potentially be exploited by the perpetrator to rally the crowd against him.

On the last night before departure, Lansius wrote a letter to the moneylender, suggesting cooperation and proposing ideas for lending or banking services among Grand Alliance members.

"Do you think this will work?" Audrey asked after the scribe had left, leaving them with the important letter on the table.

"It's probably futile," Lansius admitted as he inspected the letter, finding it to be of high quality. "Such a man is unlikely to be intelligent and industrious enough to realize the potential. However, I hope it might distract the House enough to prevent them from launching a coup in Lord Jorge's absence."

Audrey patted Lansius' shoulder, saying, "Don't doubt yourself. This letter might be more effective than a large garrison."

Lansius smiled at her comment. "Let's hope so."

"Ah, I forgot to ask." Her gaze fixed on him. "I heard from Carla that you declined the merchant's offer. Are they still quoting a bad price?"

"Not at all. They offered a fair price," Lansius replied.

"Then why refuse?"

"I'm merely acting as expected. If they offered me a price and I readily agreed, then it would seem as though there's a plot at play. I'm simply showing that we might or might not need it. By giving them some doubt, I hope to save us from a price hike later on."

Audrey pouted, reflecting, "True. We still need a lot of grain to defend Umberland."

"Correct. We're not just taking Umberland but defending it through winter and spring. We'll need a lot of grain to survive. That's why securing a solid, long-term contract is crucial, not a half-baked one."

Audrey sighed. "Thinking about the grain situation makes me want to eat even more."

"Permission granted," Lansius quipped.

Audrey chuckled at his jest.

They were having their supper and not expecting anyone when Carla entered the inner part of the tent. "My Lord, My Lady."

"Yes, what is it?" Audrey inquired.

"Sterling mentioned the guards have someone with your invitation," Carla reported.

...

Escorted by Sterling, a woman in her late forties, decked in lustrous grey attire, entered the tent. She carried no staff or wand, only a traveling bag. A similarly fashionable headscarf covered her brown hair. Her clothing and makeup helped maintain some of her youthful appearance.

She stood and glanced at Lansius only briefly, appearing stunned. The sight of his black hair might have been unexpected or noteworthy to her.

"Introduce yourself," Sterling urged.

"My Lord, My Lady, I am Ingrid, an educator from East Centuria."

"East Centurian, huh," Audrey muttered before asking, "What subjects do you teach?"

"I am well versed in etiquette, poetry, and also medicine."

"That's a vast range of knowledge," Audrey said approvingly.

Watching them, Lansius said to Sterling and Carla, "Please prepare a tent for her, and then you can take a break."

After the squires had left, Audrey said to Ingrid, "Sir Morton spoke highly of you."

"Gratitude, My Lady. Sir Morton is a prodigy. The guild hoped, he has showcased how beneficial a member of our guild can be to your force."

Lansius exhaled sharply. "Indeed, he has, although, unfortunately, it was against my own forces."

"My condolences," Ingrid bowed her head apologetically.

"There's no enmity between us and Sir Morton anymore, so please," Lansius gestured for her to proceed.

"Gratitude, My Lord. The guild instructed me to serve as a mentor for the Lady, and I'll also be working in a limited capacity as a mage until you decide to become a patron."

"What will happen if I become a patron?"

"Available candidates will be trained for your service."

Lansius and Audrey exchanged glances. Before they could react, Ingrid took something from her purse and offered it with both hands to the hosts. The small object, possibly a ring or a necklace, was inside a small purple velvet envelope. "A gift of a jewel from the guild. A gemstone of might as a token of the guild's confidence in your rule in Lowlandia."

Audrey, out of caution, grabbed Lansius' hand, asking the mentor, "I've never heard of this."

"It is a rare item, only found on the old continent. It will grant the wearer momentary power akin to that of a mage, though only physically."

Audrey took the velvet envelope and opened it, revealing a small, inconspicuous gem-encrusted silver necklace. "Why would the guild readily part with such a valued object?" she asked as she inspected it.

"Because they learned from Sir Morton about your grand plan to pacify Lowlandia. The guild wishes to lend their support to your endeavor."

Lansius was intrigued. "But why? Why would a powerful guild have interest in a no-man's-land like Lowlandia?"

Ingrid seemed troubled by the question. She had the answer but had yet to decide whether she could trust the Lord and Lady. Unexpectedly, the Lord of Lowlandia wasn't distracted by the promise of a mage in service or even by rare magical items that should appease even the most powerful men.

***