Monde was a world where there was always ‘something’ happening. This week's flavor of gossip was all centered around the aetheric explosion that nearly flattened Old Liadan. Nearly ruining Lloyd’s attempts to bring the city back to life. Fortunately only one of the walls had fallen but those were always hard to rebuild, taking thousands of tons of aether enriched stone and concrete to complete. Requiring hundreds of thousands of gold dollars so that the city could attract magisters to come and redo the wards.
Other less talked about news was the sudden disappearance of a good number of Meallan’s bandits. Though new groups and gangs popped up like prairie weeds, most of the biggest groups had mysteriously disappeared. Some said there’d been some kind of war amongst the robber clans. Others put it down to the efforts of few up and coming companies, especially a certain corporate group, known as the Bone Tree Company that also apparently made good magic tools and medicines.
The cause didn’t matter, what mattered was that trade was now going crazy. With the roads cleared, overhead costs and wasteland losses were down and a few enterprising merchants were making a killing from it. With fortunes rising and the difficulty of trade in Meallan falling a feeding frenzy had been started. The only one’s not getting a cut were the normal rank file hired swords.
A growing number of mercenaries were finding themselves needing to either look elsewhere for work or simply look for other work. The merchant’s inhouse security was now generally enough to deal with whatever they ran into on the road. Which could very well mean that the old status quo would soon be back in play. As the name raider had been synonymous with the words “unemployed soldier” since the fall of the old empire.
*****
Enzo Maynard sat on the desk of his roommate Darlene, eating an apple, feeling a bit like asshole because A) it was Darlene’s apple and B) he was feeling foiled.
“And you weren’t able to find any clue of where they were?” said Enzo.
“No, sir. The messengers we’ve sent the past few weeks have been saying that the house they live in seems to have gone dark.” said Darlene. Pulling another apple from within her desk, shining it with a napkin and then taking a bite.
“Damn...From what our intel says, they might be out on a job since they apparently still operate a mercenary company, handling requests for the KOG.” said Enzo.
Darlene didn’t interrupt, aware that her boss was mulling things over, letting him sort things out on his own in much the same way a parent would.
This went on just long enough for her to run out of patience and decide to give him a little hint.
“Why don’t we just leave them another message at the guilds, sir?” she said. Her expression doll eyed, chockful of a faux innocence that would fool strangers but filled those who knew her with chills.
Enzo just frowned, pointedly not meeting her eye, because he ‘really’ didn’t want to see the expression she was making.
“We tried that, they barely ever answered. When they finally ‘did’ get back to us, it was to the negative.” said Enzo. Getting more depressed as he talked about it.
“I don’t understand why they wouldn’t want to do business with us. We’ve checked and don’t seem to be working with any of the Maynard families rivals. In fact I’ve done a little asking around and it seems that aside from one minor business arrangement selling potions and charms to the KOG and their account as an EITC vender, they’re not in business with anybody...I wonder if there might be something they want...or maybe don’t want? Perhaps they’re just not used to having other companies ask after them like this?” said Darlene. Still wearing her faux innocence.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
For a moment Enzo just looked annoyed and impatient, then he stopped and looked thoughtful.
“Are you saying I was maybe a bit too obvious in my overtures?” said Enzo. Frowning with a mouthful of unchewed apple still in his mouth.
She just shrugged. Still doll eyed and looking like some princess who’d never been let out of the castle before.
“I don’t know, sir. I’m just a humble secretary. What I do know is that some ladies don’t like it when a gentlemen comes on too strong in his approach.” said Darlene.
Besides the fact he almost choked on his apple when she said she was “just a secretary” Enzo found sense in her words.
“Oh?...Oh! You mean. Maybe I should pull back a little, woo them from afar a bit, maybe get in as just friends and then when we’re close..wham bam thank you ma’am. I’m on the inside where the those sweet, sweet crystal towers are?!”
The innocent look dropped and Darlene peered at her employer with cold eyes and a flat expression. Then she rolled her eyes and simply sighed, her usual sardonic grin slipping into place.
“Yes, sir. That approach might be better than just endlessly showing up at their door.”
Enzo nodded.
“Mhm...I’ll get right on it then. Let’s just have our guys keep a lookout so we know when they’re back in town.
“Yes, sir.”
*****
Over in Neriah, the Primus was playing chess again. This time he was actually winning, he was just about to back the head of the Ministry of Public Order, into a corner when an attendant walked in.
“Your grace, one of the grand neophytes have come to see you.” said the man, bowing, with his eyes closed, for only the chosen and the worthy could look upon the face of the most high and holy primus. A silly tradition in Alphonse’s book. One he’d unsuccessfully tried to do away with a few decades back.
Alphonse heard the attendant’s words looked up from the board, a flicker displeasure travelling across his face.
“I’ll be right back…’You’ don’t go anywhere.” said Alphonse as he got up from the table. Putting on the oversized head dress and veil that had come with his position. The main reason he’d tried to get rid of that old tradition.
“Oh no, no. That’s quite alright, your holiness. Something tells me you’re going to be busy for a while. How about I come back and we have another game, then?” said Ophelia. Her face impassive though the glee in her tone was clear.
Alphonse grumbled something unsuited for someone who sat as head of the church of the gods and didn’t bother giving her a second look. Following his attendant, aware that his grand neophytes, the future generation for the church leadership, wouldn’t come speak to him directly without damn good reason for doing so.
“Mhm...Looks like these old bones of mine are going to be getting busy soon.” he said, grumbling at the heavens. His eyes on the reliefs that were painted on the ceiling of his palace.
*****
Head Administrator Ophelia watched her old friend go, psychically calling for the Attache Dennis who served three purposes, acting as her assistant, bodyguard and taxi. He teleported beside her and put his hand on her shoulder.
Within a second, with neither a flash of light, a boom of sound, nor a stirring of the aether, they were gone. She found herself in the Office of Public Order for the city of Albrecht.
One the biggest offices for the ministry though in truth they weren’t actually centralized anywhere and she would generally hit all their main offices during her quarterly tours.
“Ma’am.” said a junior Ministry worker.
“Ma’am.” said a senior one.
They all stopped what they were doing, standing to salute before returning to their tasks. She headed to her office, her heels clicking as she walked across the hard tile floor.
Each tile glowing slightly as she passed it, one of the many countermeasures that each Ministry possessed to keep the number of successful spying attempts down to a minimum. Her office was always the biggest one and she had hundreds across the globe.
“Get me, Keyair.” said Ophelia, frowning, swiveling her chair around and looking at painted depiction of the old world splendor. A picture that had been copied and sat at the back of all her offices. A reminder of what they were supposed to be working for.
The attache nodded, hand pressed to his temple as he concentrated, going through their network of telepaths. Five minutes later his gaze cleared and he stopped, wearing a frown as he looked up.
“Ma’am. It’s seems Operative Keyair failed to report to the Office in Liadan. Our people think he’s likely another one of the casualties of the Liadan operation.” said Dennis.
Ophelia frowned, nodding curtly.
“Okay then. Since Operative Horne is no longer with us, who else did we have on the ground?”
“There was a Minerva Watkins present, ma’am. A junior staffer working under Keyair, I believe.” said Dennis.
“Good. Then get ‘her’ here then. I don’t know about you, but from what I’m hearing the world nearly ended today. I have questions that need answers and I want to do this face to face.”