“Duke, Lord Knell has arrived,” a guard reported to him at once in his study. This was several days after Captain Raem had departed with his men toward a general position recommended by Cezary.
“So, it is just as Sir Waszak said…,” He said as he stood up from his chair. “Lead the way. Have you called Sir Vogel and Sir Waszak?”
“Yes, Duke. Messengers have been sent.”
Aaron had taken a leave of absence and had gone back to Tantan for a family matter at the moment.
“Good. How has it arrived? By an airship?”
“Yes, Duke.”
“Well, he will have some questions to answer …”
It was decided with his council that he would be granted permission to start a new settlement where Lyatan used to be. Of course, it was just a preliminary talk since Lord Knell himself had to accept the idea. Cezary claimed that he would have no choice but to accept. He had been rarely wrong. He also advised him to go hard on Isaac, reminding him that he defected at the very last moment. The main goal here was monetary gain. When Ceres, formerly Laufeld, had a predominantly farming population, it meant that all of the populace was taxed essentially. In contrast, the current city had only about 40% of the population as farmers, meaning over half of people in Ceres were not paying any sort of tax. The concept of sales tax did not exist, yet, and Cezary didn’t like the idea because it would complicate things, such as hiring accountants as well as enforcers to make it actually work. He claimed that it would erode good opinions toward Kamil in exchange for some monetary gains. The other option to bring in more income was making the government act like a company, and the first step forward was the development of Lake Laufeld park where people would need to pay for some services. Additionally, Cezary decided to impose tax on the rich, where a wealthy merchant like Julian was kindly asked to make an annual donation. Now, the reason for their fanatic attempt to raise capital was the rewards Kamil promised to the adventurers who went on to hunt down the dragon. He had already given 15 gold coins to Faro. Sixty gold coins were expected to be given out to Duman and Roseline, each receiving 30 gold coins each. The reason the two people were given twice more than Faro was due to the fact that they were the actual frontline fighters of the mission. Faro was “just” an airship pilot. Regardless, the 75 gold coins had to come from somewhere. Twenty gold coins came directly from the coffers of the city. An additional ten gold coins were “a donation” from Julian. The final forty five gold coins were borrowed from the Lux Fenchel and the Flissing. Overall, amassing the 75 gold coins wasn’t an easy task. Nestor worked fanatically to secure the money and he did.
Not that they don’t deserve it of course, he thought as he walked his way toward the airship platform right outside of the manor. The adventurers took the highest risk ever and paid the price. Out of five, only two returned.
…. Faro Fenchel, huh…
His brother did also return although he lost his left arm. He also took the risk and paid the price. He did notice that his brother wasn’t limping anymore, and the water elementals did inform him that they could heal his crippled knee.
Well, brother. I have done all I can do for you. The rest is up to you.
He did feel he had done everything he could do for him. He decided that he would do nothing more once his brother came of his age, which was happening very soon.
And then there is Abel…
Abel was to become a page once he turned seven. As much as he wanted to help him, his own future was too uncertain to do anything at this point.
Leonhard will be gotten rid of, and I must have coronation to become a king. I guess I will handle the dragon after.
He had to ensure that he became a king first and foremost so that, even if he was forced to leave the world, his succession was clearly in place. He did not even want to think about Flora’s reaction in the event of his passing. He shut his eyes briefly and heaved a long sigh. He was confident that he could defeat the dragon right at this moment. The Age of Darkness could easily be over. Tens of thousands of people were probably being killed left and right in both Atra and Estana. Yet, he was dragging the whole ordeal due to his personal circumstances.
In a sense, I am no better than Karsten who I vowed to kill.
Kamil had a rare opportunity to be able to view the world from both a position of power and a position of a commoner. The former had the powers to bend commoners at will, and the latter was virtually powerless to do anything against higher authority figures. He came to terms ultimately that Karsten had to do what he felt was correct at that time, which was ending war as soon as possible to prevent another. His life happened to be at a similar crossroad unfortunately.
Not exactly what I bargained for … but then nothing has gone as planned anyway…
He was reincarnated to exact revenge against Karsten. Did he accomplish his goal? Ultimately Karsten was killed but in a manner he expected.
I have mixed feelings about that, really…
Where did his intense hatred go, he wondered.
“Ah…, Duke!” It was Heiga’s voice. Snapping out of his whirlwind of thoughts, he turned around to face her.
Huh?
His eyes went wide. It had been a while since he saw Heiga, and she put on some weight. The lean warrior was no more. Instead there was a chubby woman in front of him. Her dress, which looked more like a gown, was hiding most of the bulk, but he could clearly see the added weight from her face, especially under her chin. There was clearly an additional layer.
“It has… been a while, Heiga,” he struggled to get his words out initially due to the initial shock, and she seemed to have noticed his reaction.
“I do know that I’ve put on some weight,” she said. “But going on a diet is not an option right now.”
Obesity is a sin, was a common phrase spoken within the Fenchel. It was meant to remind nobles that, if they became fat from consuming too much food, it meant that someone else was starving. Of course, asking a pregnant woman to cut down on her diet was a tall task. From his own memories, he noticed neither Fionara nor Flora became chubby.
But then, what do I know about women.
Internally shrugging, he beamed a subtle grin at her and changed the subject.
“How goes life?” he asked. The sudden change of the subject made her blink a few times.
“My life has been fine,” she replied, sounding a little taken back. “How is yours? Lady Fenchel seemed a bit worried.”
“She is worried? I wonder why.”
The only reason he could recall was his recent collapse, which had nothing to do with his health in fact. The elementals wanted to talk to him in absolute security.
“She seems to think that you are working too hard. However, I don’t believe you are in a position to take a break at the moment.” Her eyes scanned him keenly. “I don’t think you look tired.”
“I am not.”
“Regardless, she must have a reason to be worried.” Her eyes were piercing him as if she was interrogating him.
“Look after yourself, Heiga. I must take my leave.” Sensing that hanging out with her longer could cause only problems, he chose to opt out. However, she wasn’t willing to let him go. When she was just about to call him out, a guard dashed toward them from a distance.
“Duke! They are waiting!”
That’s my cue.
She had no choice but to let him go.
When Kamil reached the landing platform for airships, Lady Knell was already there, embracing her husband warmly and crying her eyes out. They had been apart for only a few days, and she was acting like she hadn’t seen him in years.
Either she is a really good actress or she does love him dearly, I guess…
It was quite hard to trust nobles’ actions at their face values because they were educated to lie on spot if required. He’d never find out whether Lady Knell loved her husband truly, and it wasn’t his business. Meanwhile, Cezary and Nestor were already present and were watching them from a short distance. They were presumably waiting for him to arrive. There was also Wiara, clad in her dark brown leather armor. She was also armed and was with about five guards, also waiting from a distance. The presence of guards did remind him of the fact that this was an enemy lord they were dealing with. Isaac noticed his presence quickly and pushed his wife away, and her butler took her away from the scene swiftly.
“Lord Knell! I welcome you to Ceres,” Kamil declared. “I wish that the circumstances were more pleasant.”
Isaac walked toward him and kneeled down. “I, Isaac Knell, surrender,” he declared. By surrendering as soon as he could, he diffused a potentially tense situation. Subsequently, Wiara seemed more relaxed. He glanced at Cezary who returned a subtle nod.
“Let us talk inside, Lord Knell.” Approaching him, Kamil extended his hand, allowing Isaac to take his hand and stand up, formally accepting his surrender for the time being at least. Soon enough, they were in his study. Kamil, Cezary, Isaac, and Nestor were present at a wooden round table.
“I’ve heard of your mountain manor, Duke. It is impressive, security wise,” Isaac remarked. Having highly controlled entrances and exits meant that it was almost impossible for any unauthorized person to enter.
“Let us discuss the matter at hand, shall we?” Ignoring his remark, Cezary spoke.
“Certainly. It is my understanding that you have already made a resolution for my case.”
The trio glanced at each other for a second before Nestor pulled out a small rolled paper from his sleeve, unrolling it on the table. It displayed a small map where his new settlement was supposed to be.
“You’d be right,” he said. “Do you need an explanation?”
“No, I don’t. But I would like to ask: What is the catch?”
This time, Cezary pulled out another small rolled paper. He tossed it over the paper Nestor placed. “10 years of tax exemption. After that, 50% of your income for the next 75 years.”
Grimacing, Isaac rubbed the bridge of his nose as he heaved a long sigh. He didn’t have much, in fact any, leverage to pull. Refusing this would mean becoming an unlanded noble or even worse. He was an enemy lord after all. Still he had to negotiate. Fifty percent of income was steep no matter what angle he looked at. The length of the contract was an issue as well. Seventy five years was two generations worth of years after his term. He was certain that he could manage even with such a heavy burden, but would his children be able to? And his grandchildren would need to carry the burden as well. He had to make a tough decision.
“I would like to adjust the terms,” he said gravely.
“Lord Knell, I hope you realize that you have no leverage,” Cezary replied.
“I do realize.”
“Then speak your piece,” Kamil said with a heavy face.
“Seventy percent and fifty years.”
Isaac’s goal was simple in concept. He wanted his grandchildren to be free from the burden. He would need to teach his heir, whether that was going to be a son or a daughter, to live very frugally. It would last only one generation after him, however.
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“May I ask why?” Kamil asked.
“I am uncertain whether my grandchildren would be able to handle the burden. I am certain that I can and I am confident that I can teach my heir how to handle it. Additionally, this benefits the both of us.”
“Oh?”
Cezary folded his arms at this point, looking somewhat displeased. Regardless, Isaac continued.
“In seventy five years, I am certain that the city will grow large. Yet, my grandchildren would be very displeased with this contract. They could form a faction with other displeased lords. You want less disgruntled lords, not more. You have a chance of one less with my suggestion.”
Kamil narrowed his eyes and considered his proposal. He wasn’t wrong to say that his grandchild would be displeased with the austerity. Additionally, with the rather close proximity with the Egra of Elsos, they could easily form an alliance against his future kingdom. He felt that Isaac did have a point. Glancing at Cezary, who looked displeased, he realized that Isaac somehow found leverage. Letting him go, making him an unlanded noble, was not an option in his mind, for he was too good. He would find a job as an advisor elsewhere and could scheme against them easily. It was better to tie him down where he could be monitored easily.
“Lord Knell,” he called out.
“Yes?”
“Why did you defect?”
It was a genuine question. Isaac held on as if he was going to go down with Leonhard. Defecting at the last moment was either his plan or something happened. Unexpectedly, Isaac chuckled.
“I didn’t mean to defect. Lord Karsten asked me to look after his son…” He blinked his eyes a few times as if he remembered something. “How is Elsos?”
Kamil, Cezary, and Nestor glanced at each other.
“Elsos stands,” Kamil replied. “But Lord Karsten was killed. His daughter, Lillian, succeeded to the seat.”
Isaac stood up at once with his eyes wide and mouth agape. He tried to say something, but no words came out. Sitting down eventually after a brief moment, he heaved a long sigh while placing his hand on his forehead.
“He is … dead? I can’t believe it …”
“He stayed behind after letting his daughter escape,” Kamil continued. “He died honorably.”
Isaac did tell Karsten that there was no chance that he would succeed in defending Elsos. It turned out that he was proven wrong. Karsten did protect the city. In fact, this was the first time he was proven wrong in his entire life. He stood up from his chair once again and walked to a random spot. Kamil and the others weren’t quite sure what he was doing. He got down on his knee and placed his palm on his chest while looking up.
“Lord Karsten,” he said solemnly. “I admire your courage and grit. You were indeed the conqueror. You bested the odds.”
Looking back, what Karsten had accomplished was indeed admirable. His whole life was a war-ridden one, and he was never once defeated. He did deserve the nickname, the conqueror. His passing should have been publicly announced and should have been treated more respectably. Alas, the timing and circumstances weren’t ideal. Besides, he died a vassal, not a king. Not to mention the fact that his son, Leonhard, was about to go down. Isaac returned to his seat shortly after.
“Let us continue,” he said. Whether intentional or not, him paying respect gave Kamil and the others some time to think over.
“Very well,” Kamil replied as he crossed his fingers on the table. “Lord Knell, I ask you: Will you be able to handle 70/50?”
Isaac grimaced. “It will be hard. I will admit that much, but I do not want the austerity to pass onto the third generation. That’s just too cruel.”
Nodding, he glanced at Cezary and Nestor. The latter seemed to approve Isaac’s new suggestion whereas the former looked somewhat discontent. As for Kamil himself, he felt sympathy toward Isaac’s situation. Being under an extremely tight budget for the initial 75 years was indeed excruciating even on paper. In his opinion, food was the foundation of basic happiness. Once the basic need, hunger, was taken care of, then money came into the play: Luxuries in other words. When he imagined himself in his shoes, being forced to cut 70% of his budget, he had to grimace as well. He could not make it work. Even at 50%, it was going to be so excruciating that he might as well give up. For a year or two, he felt that he could manage, but for 50 years? He would not accept it, but Isaac had to because he had no other choice. Accepting it was one thing. Carrying it out was an entirely different matter as well. He felt strongly that the deal had to be reasonable to work for the duration of the contract.
“Sir Waszak, isn’t 50 / 75 just too cruel?”
“It is,” Cezary admitted easily. “But would other lords accept it if Lord Knell wasn’t given some form of punishment? He is being given a potentially good spot to start a new city. He may be being punished, but his future is going to look bright.”
Isaac defected at the last moment. Cezary wasn’t wrong that other lords would feel discontent toward the matter if he didn’t receive any meaningful punishment. Frowning, Kamil crossed his arms. The matter seemed to be at an impasse.
“Duke, then perhaps an indirect punishment is needed,” Nestor chimed in.
“An indirect punishment?”
“I do agree that 70 / 50 is just too harsh. Even 50 / 75 feels painful.”
“What is your suggestion then, Sir Vogel?”
“Duke, you’ve talked about establishing a village, Bronn. Place Lord Knell in charge of constructing the new village within twenty years. In addition, let us do 40% and 50 years.”
Isaac would have essentially ten years to build a new village because he wouldn’t have anything to work with for the first ten years. A benefit of this “indirect punishment” was that the budget was going to be flexible. He could call in favors, and his negotiating skills could reduce overall bills for him. Having agreed that Nestor’s suggestion was better, both Kamil and Nestor turned their attention to Cezary, who still looked displeased but waved his hand away in defeat.
“Fine,” he conceded flatly. Of course, Isaac had to give his consent as well, which was a non-issue. He wiggled around and got the best deal he was hoping for probably.
“I was informed that you had 2,500 people with you. Where are they?” Kamil asked. Isaac arrived in an airship, meaning his people must be out there in the wilderness still.
“We ran into Leonhard’s army, two thousand strong. We resisted and prevailed but with a crushing loss. They were too demoralized to go on, so I told them to hide in the mountain.”
Cezary replied, “We’ve sent an army to the general location, but it looks like I will need to send an airship there with updated information.”
“I would like to get back to my family for the time being.”
It would take some days to draft a formal contract for his situation either way. Once Isaac was escorted out by guards, the three men in the room breathed a sigh of relief in unison.
“It was wise to seal the deal quickly,” Nestor said, wiping his forehead. “The longer it went on, the more leverage he could have found.”
“He was good, I admit,” Cezary agreed. “But we knew that.”
“He did have points, though. Did he not?” Kamil asked, just to make sure.
“He wasn’t wrong, on paper at least,” Cezary responded. “But, should Lady Egra remarry young Lord Flissing, I don’t see it as an issue.”
But then they were trying to predict events two generations ahead of them. It was probably better to be safe than sorry.
“Anyway,” said Kamil while sighing and folding his arms. “One down, one to go.”
“Leonhard will go down, rather easily,” Cezary predicted.
“Once he is dealt with, what next?”
Nestor replied, “Your coronation of course. You will call a royal party where your vassals will once again swear the oath of vassalage in front of others. You will be crowned the king of your new kingdom shortly afterwards.”
Kamil nodded along.
“We will be officially granted our new fiefs also during that period,” Cezary said. He was to be granted Altzel, and Nestor was going to be granted Keviel. Additionally, Raem was going to be given nobility and would be granted Fadin.
Well, it looks like everyone around me is leaving…
It had been a long journey although strictly speaking it hadn’t even been a decade working together.
“It’s been nice working with you,” he said with a smile. “I hope that you will continue to serve my children well.”
“Duke, you sound as if you are going to leave or something,” Nestor replied with a grin, thinking it was just a joke.
“Well, I will need to deal with the second dragon. Who knows what will happen?”
“You’ve defeated the first dragon with ease,” Cezary added, his eyes studying him. “Unless you are withholding something.”
Should I tell them?
Both Cezary and Nestor were told that he was the Betrayer of the Wheel who was someone reborn with his past memories intact. In a way, they knew him more than his wife, Flora, did. He could keep his concern hidden until the end. If he was just a simple man, he would have. However, he felt that somebody needed to know what was going on for a smooth transition in case he would not be able to return after defeating the second dragon. Inhaling deeply, he started to tell them what the elementals told him in his dream.
“Long story short, I won’t probably die but I won’t be a mortal also. What does that exactly mean and what will happen to me is completely unknown.”
His biggest fear was simply turning into a wind elemental. His memories would be fragmented, and he wouldn’t be himself.
It’s something I will need to negotiate with Gods, I suppose…
How, he didn’t know. He looked up at the two men who were in thoughts.
“Nobody will raise arms against you or your kingdom in any foreseeable future whether you are here or not,” Cezary said eventually, breaking the uneasy silence. “You’d be the savior of mankind. Your next of kin earned her place rightfully.”
“I agree,” Nestor said. “But it won’t be all smooth.”
Flora would need to take over his mantle in his absence, and no one in the study felt like she was suited for the tough job; she was simply too soft.
“We could appoint a regent…,” Nestor trailed off. There would be two choices: Edmund Fenchel and Baptiste Flissing.”
Not just anyone could be appointed a regent. For example, neither Cezary nor Nestor could become a regent because they did simply not have the required rank and seniority.
“Lord Baptiste would be more fitting since he is the father of Lady Flora,” Cezary spoke, “But I don’t believe that he is suited to be a regent. He will cause friction because I feel he is just too biased.”
Nestor added, “At the same time, appointing Lord Edmund will also cause friction, primarily with the Flissing. Lord Flissing will demand to become a regent.”
In other words, neither was the perfect choice. Kamil’s presence was going to be required for the foreseeable future for the new kingdom to stabilize.
Well, that’s given, isn’t it. It’s not that I don’t want to return. But it’s clear that the choice is not really up to me…
Thus, he had to do whatever he could to solidify the future.
“Put in the writing that Cecilie will be the crown princess with a condition that, should a son be born, he will become the heir.”
“Understood…,” Nestor replied while having a bitter grin.
“Flora will become a regent meanwhile with Lord Fenchel and Lord Flissing as advisors.”
God, this is awkward…
He wasn’t even twenty years old and he was discussing what a dying king should have been doing. Understandably, neither Cezary nor Nestor was practically thrilled. Alas, this was something that needed to be done. Otherwise, the kingdom he worked hard to build could crumble just as it began.
“Will you tell Lady Flora?” Nestor asked.
Kamil crossed his fingers on the table, looking uncomfortable. “I will leave a letter.”
I don’t think she can handle it.
Given the fact that she cried her eyes out when he collapsed, he didn’t believe that she would be able to control herself. Meanwhile, Cezary had been quiet with his eyes downcast. He was in deep thoughts.
“Duke,” he eventually spoke up during Kamil’s discussion with Nestor. “If you don’t think you will be able to return, then I have a suggestion.”
“Yes?”
“Let the Age of Darkness go on as long as it can.”
Frowning and tilting his head, Kamil blurted, “I beg your pardon?”
“Resist fighting the dragon until almost all mankind is wiped out. The less people there are, the easier it will be to control.”
He could see why he made such a suggestion. If only a few cities remained, he wouldn’t need to worry about his people acting against his kingdom. It was a pretty logical suggestion except the fact that it could cost lives of God knows how many people.
Now, that’s really evil… or is it?
He didn’t want to consider such an option but couldn’t shake off the feeling that it was a sure way to set the foundation firmly.
“Atra is almost done for either way,” he continued. “Estana is holding pretty firm but regardless they are being pushed to the blink.”
“There is no hope for Atra,” Nestor added. “As for Estana, they may be forced to move into our territories at this rate.”
“At which point they must surrender.”
“It’s not that simple, is it?” Kamil argued. “The king of Estana is my father-in-law. And, if Estana loses all of its territories, what will happen to Heiga’s children?”
The last thing he wanted was a succession fight. If Heiga was to lose her kingdom, then her children would be entitled to his titles, invoking a potential fight between her and Flora. This was becoming intertwined.
This is the worst feeling ever.
Tens of thousands of lives were being discussed like nothing amongst three men around a table. And they were preferring their death in favor of their own circumstances. This was the position of power where he could control the lives of many. He finally understood Karsten’s position.
He was never wrong, was he. I don’t think it was about right or wrong to begin with. This is … something else.
It wasn’t time to be benevolent but it didn’t mean he was discarding people’s lives. A decision had to be made. Sacrifice more to form a more firm foundation for the future or risk chaos later.
Was Tom’s life sacrificed for peace?
He recalled how powerless he felt after he closed Fionara’s dead eyes. Sadly, he could no longer recall clearly anymore but could still vividly remember the rampaging rage and the determination to exact revenge. Come to think of it now, his life was nothing more than a mere dot in the grand scheme of things, and he died meaninglessly as well. If he was truly determined to exact revenge, he should have fled and worked his way up to kill Karsten and not borrow Gods’ powers.
“I do not care about Atra,” he declared. “But I cannot overlook Estana. It was a marriage I did not want, but she is nevertheless pregnant with my children.”
“Duke, you need to be firm on this. This is for the sake of your lineage,” Cezary warned.
“I am aware, Sir Waszak. But you do know that I am not that kind of person.”
He had already spared Lillian Egra and allowed Karsten to outlive in spite of his creed to kill him by his own hands. Edmund Fenchel lived, who could be a direct threat since they were closely related. There were so many potential threats already. At this point, he felt that it was just better to do what his heart desired.
My stance has always been the same: I am going to look after my family.
It pained him that he was unlikely going to see his children grow up. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to think of something cool to speak to them, but there was none. Opening his eyes back up, he told the others with a firm voice.
“Let’s get back to work, everyone. A lot to do regardless.”
They nodded along. It was never over until it was over.
Right or wrong, I must do what I feel right.