Chapter 17
A couple of weeks after their tournament, everything in Bickenstadt province was running smoothly. Jean’s infrastructure plans were ahead of schedule, mostly due to his excellent administrative work and personal oversight and guidance of the worksites. It turns out that decades of experience paired with the body of a man in his early 20s makes for quick and efficient work.
The Baron had been getting compliments from visiting nobles about how smooth his roads were, which always made the Baron chuckle knowing that these people, many of them slave owners he was only hosting out of obligation, were praising Elven roads made without dragging people along on chains. He couldn’t wait to go fully public about Jean. In the current political climate, it was a little too early to begin publicly associating with Elves.
The economy was strong as ever. Bickenstadt was wealthier than Grössenburg, with only around 800,000 permanent residents to their 3 million. Much of the wealth came from the foreign merchants who wished to stay in Bickenstadt for trade and vacation, who were not counted in official population statistics as they are not permanent residents. Their hunger for Imperial goods meant a very consistent source of income.
Pearls from the clams native to Bickenstadt were extremely sought after within the Empire as well as abroad in the Assai’id confederation, though less large and valuable than the pearls which came from Bickenstadt’s neighboring city, known as Regenburg located just 70 miles south of Bickenstadt in the Land of Everlasting Rain. However, the lack of Bickenstadt’s massive docks, and the everlasting rain of the Land of Everlasting Rain’s everlasting rain, makes for pretty miserable conditions for anyone unused to it.
Fishing was always a strong industry in Bickenstadt, with easy access to rare expensive fish like Bluefin Tuna, and more common but plentiful crustaceans such as crab and lobster as well as a variety of different smaller fish. Bickenstadt’s maritime nature meant that they could almost always count on seafood being a very consistent source of income. However, the gifts of the sea were not just limited to seafood.
Coral was also a sought after commodity. It was beautiful, expensive, and Bickenstadt had very easy access to it. Bickenstadt Harbor is built over a massive coral reef. A large chunk of it had been harvested or destroyed over the centuries of habitation, but it was still thriving due to the intervention of Bickenstadt mages who tended to them the way a gardener tended to plants.
There were also a few sources of income that did not come from the sea.
The second largest industry in Bickenstadt was textile production. Bickenstadt was in the throes of industrialization. Factories were becoming more commonplace, and merchants from the Assai’id regularly brought over a large amount of relatively cheap cotton and other raw materials. A decent amount of the Empire’s new cloth was produced in Bickenstadt, as industrial manufacturing methods meant they could outproduce anyone without a similar level of industry.
And a relatively new stimulant similar to modern day adderall was recently created at the University of Bickenstadt’s Chemistry Department. Colloquially known as ‘Parm’, as it had a similar look and taste to powdered parmesan cheese. And since this new stimulant was similar to modern day Adderall, it was very popular with students, factory workers, and artisans. As far as the Baron was concerned, this was both a blessing and a curse. While it allowed people to focus and work longer than usual, the Baron had been too slow at regulating it, and so it had begun to become a problem. People were producing more goods than before, yes, but it was not sustainable. The pace some people were working at would kill them, and there had been cases of factory owners requiring workers take Parm before their shifts.
The Baron had already been forced to create a center for rehabilitation to get people back to work after becoming addicted to the stimulant and nearly shutting down their bodies. He and his son were in the process of creating a proper regulatory body and limiting Parm to being sold in small amounts at officially sanctioned pharmacies, and the Baron was personally seizing the assets of factory owners who were treating workers poorly and forcing drugs on them.
In recent months the Baron had been having trouble staying asleep, unrelated to Parm. He had so much to process, and was dealing with a lot of mental strain. The reincarnation into Johan von Bickenstadt’s body had some strange side effects. His personality hadn’t been erased or overtaken, it had been mixed. Everything done with the qualities of Johan’s felt alien to his otherworlder personality, and the thoughts laden with an otherworld perspective felt wrong to Johan, and they worked together well. He didn’t have two different personalities in his head, it was closer to one single, highly contradictory personality. He wasn’t really sure what to make of it, so when he wasn’t thinking about politics he was trying to unite the disparate elements of his personality together into a more...cohesive unit.
It was almost a metaphor for the Empire in a way, as while it is technically a single, unified empire, it is filled to bursting with disparate and eclectic peoples who try, and sometimes fail, to set aside their differences for the sake of unity. A consequence of spreading so wide and imperfectly assimilating people into Imperial culture. The different provinces often had the same base culture, but with different traditions and sometimes contradictory values left over from their days as an independent people.
The Baron was wandering around the halls of his castle, fiddling with his wedding ring as he listened to his footsteps echo down the long hallways. No matter how many times he took in the beauty of his castle he couldn’t believe he owned all of it, let alone that he was the most powerful man in the country aside from the Empress herself. It gave him quite a bit of anxiety, largely stemming from the otherworlder part of him, a fairly regular person in their past life.
However, there was one thing which never failed to calm him down and fill him with hope: The night sky. The otherworlder part of his soul had lived their entire life within cities, and so had only known the night sky as black with a few dim stars blotted around. However, without the wide-scale night lighting of the modern world, the sky was absolutely breathtaking.
He had never been able to see the milky way galaxy before, nor had he ever seen so many stars. The night sky was a deep blue, filled with so many colors and stars he felt he could stare at it forever and still never get a full idea of the sheer size of the everything. Even if he could manage to map out the milky way galaxy, he would still have billions of galaxies to explore, each one unique and beautiful in their own way.
“I guess it’s not the milky way here, is it? 's some other name for it probably.”
The Baron muttered to himself as he stepped onto the veranda. A voice came from the Baron’s side.
“Milky way?”
The Baron’s head snapped to the side and his hand almost went for his sword before he realized who was speaking.
And I’m not even carrying my sword.
“Oh! I didn’t see you there. What are you doing up so late?”
Fergus took a sip from his glass and smiled.
“Same reason yer up, probably.”
Fergus offered the Baron a nearby glass, which he happily accepted.
“Well, you know how it is. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately…so…what are we drinking here?”
Fergus raised a fancy looking bottle containing a deep amber liquid.
“Cognac! Never ‘ad it before. It‘s kinda good, if I’m being honest.”
Fergus poured the Baron a glass and he sat in the seat next to Fergus.
“Your accent is improving rapidly, I’m truly impressed.”
“Well, Jean’s accent is pretty good...makes me feel kinda weird bein’ ‘ere so long and still ‘avin’ such a thick accent. And Ludwin’s a pretty good teacher too! Though...I’m a bit inconsistent ‘bout it.”
The Baron took a sip of his Cognac. It had subtle notes of apple, with a very slight and pleasant spice to it.
“No need to feel inadequate, I find it quite charming, personally. Though I guess that’s kind of patronizing, isn’t it?”
“Yah. I know yah mean no offense by it, but I'm not lookin’ ta be charmin’. I’m a warrior, an’ aye want tae be taken seriously as a warrior.”
“You know, I could find you a professional speech therapist if you want. My pockets have been getting even deeper lately.”
“Nah, I’m ‘appy enough with Ludwin. He’s doin’ a great job so far.”
The Baron shrugged and took another sip of Cognac.
“Well I suppose that’s true. It’s only been a week and I can already hear such improvement!”
Fergus nodded, and his smile faltered slightly.
“Aye, but I donnae think it’s good enough…”
The Baron tore his eyes away from the night sky to address Fergus directly, looking him dead in the eyes to show he wanted to listen properly.
“How do you figure?”
Fergus scratched the back of his neck.
“Well…Jean still cannae understand meh.”
The Baron waved his hand dismissively.
“Don’t mind him. Elves have trouble with all accents, especially the older ones. They don’t have particularly extensive relations with foreigners, so they tend to not get enough practice.”
“Well...Empiresmen still donnae treat me right. A lota powerful folk write me off for bein’ a foreigner.”
The Baron rolled his eyes.
“Their opinions don’t matter, the old guard are made up of idiots and yes-men. Though, I guess I count as part of the old guard don’t I? I’ve always been a progressive, though, and they have always opposed me. I suppose that’s just the nature of Imperial politics.”
Fergus’s smile fully dropped and he shook his head solemnly.
“Aye, but it don’t make me feel any better. I just wish we could replace ‘em faster.”
The Baron chuckled and went back to gazing out at the night sky, absentmindedly tinkering with his wedding ring.
“Well, I can’t disagree with you there. If only our system wasn’t hereditary, maybe we could get some better men in high positions. I would greatly prefer a more meritocratic system.”
Fergus closed his eyes for a moment, lapsing into deep thought.
“Ya know Baron...you’re pretty powerful now…”
Fergus trailed off, almost wincing. The Baron looked back over at Fergus, whose eyes were seeking approval, looking for a sign to continue.
“Why yes I am...quite powerful. I am...not used to the stars looking so...beautiful…”
Fergus’s face scrunched up in confusion before looking to the sky like the Baron was.
“What do ya mean ‘not used tae?’”
“You know...looking at the stars makes me think...perhaps change isn’t so bad. The stars...never looked so beautiful before, it's all I can say. I never knew the sky wasn’t black. I’m quite enjoying this change. Perhaps I’ll enjoy others.”
“What do ya mean ya didnae know the sky wasnae black?”
“Well…”
Suddenly, a voice came from behind the two men, which caused both of them to flinch and briefly reach for their weapons.
“What are you two doing up so late?”
After getting over the initial scare, again, the Baron turned and saw his son. He gestured with his glass to come sit down and Wolfgang obliged.
“Wolfgang! Don’t sneak up on people like that, it’s bad for the health, both mine and yours!”
Wolfgang took a seat next to the Baron.
“Yeah, yeah. So what are you two talking about? I don't see you two speaking in private all that often.”
The Baron shrugged.
“Oh you know, lamenting the state of the world. Cognac?”
The Baron offered him an empty glass. Wolfgang held up his palm in front of the glass.
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“No thank you. Cognac is not really my thing. Well alcohol in general. It dulls the senses.”
Wolfgang smiled at Fergus. Wolfgang was very good at reading people, especially drunk people, and Fergus was an open book when sober.
Additionally, he knew his father well. Something in his behavior felt off, something unexplainable. He could tell they weren’t just making idle chit chat. However, that could be a good thing. It meant his predictions were most likely accurate.
“So, what exactly is keeping my father and the great Óviðjafnanlegt Berzerkeri up at night? Surely it has to be of great importance.”
Fergus briefly glanced at the Baron, who simply smiled and nodded at him.
“Well, ya know ‘ow things never seem to change really? Alla the men in power stay in power, no matter how stupid they’re, and the men at the bottom stay at the bottom. It’s quite frustratin' if you ask me. An' seein' me n' the lads doing well despite tha lack o' noble blood, well, just makes me feel like they're not really all that needed sometimes.”
Wolfgang raised an eyebrow at Fergus.
“I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, but that’s quite a dangerous train of thought, questing the necessity of the nobility. Our Empress does not take kindly to dissidents, especially foreign ones.”
Fergus smiled, his eyes full of determination.
“Aye, but we Berzerkeri never been too keen on stayin’ safe, have we?”
The Baron crossed his arms and nodded his sagely.
“Audaces Fortuna Iuvat.”
Wolfgang nodded his head appreciatively.
“Fortune Favors the Bold, one of the better sayings of the Brayherds. However, I think it goes deeper than that for you, father. Worried about your legacy?”
The Baron shook his head.
“I have lived my whole life in power, and I enjoyed it for the most part, but I have been warming up to more...egalitarian ideals as of late. My men all come from humble backgrounds, and yet they are some of the finest men in the world. It makes me…question why the people in power are in power, and our system of choosing them.”
Wolfgang rolled his eyes.
“You have been interested in egalitarianism for a long time, dad. Ever since the Elves started their great experiment over 300 years ago those ideas have been becoming increasingly popular. I’ve spent my entire life being told about egalitarian ideas by you in particular. You always seemed very interested. However, I just don’t see why now you suddenly believe in them enough to begin thinking about overthrowing the Empire.”
The Baron raised both hands, palms facing Wolfgang, gesturing for him to hold on.
“Woah now, slow down, we never said we would overthrow the Empire. Just that it seems unjust is all.”
Wolfgang, again, rolled his eyes.
“You know as well as I that powerful men like you do not simply ‘entertain the notion’ of overthrowing the system...you are getting quite old, aren’t you? Do you simply wish to leave your mark on the world?”
Fergus frowned.
“Don’t ya think you’re bein’ a bit harsh to your da? Do ya think it so unlikely that ‘e cares for the common man?”
Wolfgang looked Fergus dead in the eyes.
“Unlikely? Yes. I do believe it is unlikely. Putting them in power would mean taking our power away. Aristocrats like us do not tend to fare well when people want them gone and they have had a taste of democracy. The decimation of the elven aristocracy have shown us that.”
The Baron took in a deep breath before speaking.
“Yes, I admit, I do want to leave my mark on the world. But is that so wrong? Can I not wish to make my mark and change the world for the better? You know I have been a lifelong progressive, I have gone to great lengths to instill in you my progressive thought. The elves' current system has fascinated me for a long time.”
The Baron paused to sip his Cognac.
“Of course I thought it ludicrous to attempt their system here, there could be a fundamental difference in thought or psychology in the minds of man and elf that would make their system unviable here, though I truly doubt that. But, recently I had a thought.”
Wolfgang raised an eyebrow.
“Oh? Do tell.”
“If I’m afraid of adopting their system because it may not work, why not simply make it work? We could change their system to fit our situation. As I’m sure you know, I do care about people, deeply. Not just rich aristocratic people, I care about all people. I wouldn’t have raised you the way I have if that were not true.”
Wolfgang nodded. The Baron continued.
“You are incharge of our ledgers, you know how much we spend trying to improve our people’s standards of living. Is it really such a stretch to believe that I wish to better the lives of the people I care about?”
Wolfgang took a moment to think, then soon after downed the contents of his glass and looked to Fergus.
“Well...what are your reasons?”
“You should bloody well ken why! The Empire is just a step away from tryna annex and incorporate us Orkniers like they did ta so many others, and like they're gearin' up tae do down south as well. We’re not gonnae go without a fight, n’ fightin’ in Orkney is downright dirty work. It’s gonna be a lot a’ dead men on both sides. And yer Empress doesnae regard us as equals, she called meh ‘the Baron’s pet from Orkney.’ I will never forgive or forget that! Those words keep playin’ over in mah mind, it’s drivin’ meh fuckin' crazy!”
Wolfgang rubbed his chin in thought for a moment.
“Well then, that’s fair enough. I accept your reasons and throw my support behind you both.”
Both the Baron and Fergus stared at Wolfgang, visibly shocked.
“...wait. That was it? That's all we needed to say to convince you?”
Wolfgang nodded.
“Of course. You of all people should know my politics, seeing how you instilled your own values in me. While I do favor stability over change, the prospect of moving the world in a more egalitarian direction, and cementing our place in history as heroes to the working man, well that’s just too tempting to resist. You’re right, father, your lessons did teach me to believe in the worth of the common man. And the importance of a legacy.”
Both Fergus and the Baron looked almost confused.
“So...you’re in?”
“Of course. If this was just about you making your mark, well, I may have reported you to the Empress. I see no reason to ruin the stability of the Empire and potentially kill thousands of good men over your pride, as her brother did, but if you’re doing it for a better future, well, who am I to deny you?”
Wolfgang looked over his shoulder briefly and smiled.
“Hypothetically, of course.”
The Baron chuckled as he sipped his glass.
“Of course! Well then, hypothetically, what do you think we should start with?”
“Well...I’d say you need to build up allies, a base of support. The Empire is held together by a few threads, easy to sever, hard to maintain. Unless a rabble rouser were to go snipping those threads...well the Empire could last for possibly another 50 to 100 years.”
“Interesting, well, what would you say those threads are?”
Wolfgang crossed his arms and bit his thumbnail as he went deep into his own thoughts, soon after giving his answer.
“There are a couple of provinces that I believe could easily be convinced, those provinces being Holenstadt, Waffenstadt, and Bickenstadt. Bickenstadt is our province, so we already have that mostly under control. If we begin spreading pro-democracy and anti-racist propaganda, well it could make our jobs a lot easier. All we would need to do is stop shutting down secessionist and other radical newspapers, especially in our sister city the Land of Everlasting Rain, and start recruiting them instead. For Holenstadt we would-”
The Baron cut him off.
“Oh, Holenstadt is taken care of. I have been thinking about this for some time now. I have talked with the ruling families of Holensburg and I have told them to stand by, I am sure they got my meaning. If we need them to mobilize they will. All we need to do is give the word.”
“Oh my. Well that saves some time. The last province easy to convert would be Waffenstadt. They are very similar to us, with secessionist groups running rampant throughout the province. The Baron of Waffenstadt, my dear uncle Ingo von Waffenstadt, is either very receptive to secession or unbelievably incompetent, and having met with him personally while you were off playing soldier I would have a hard time believing in the latter explanation.”
“Well then, shall we pay a visit to Waffenstadt soon?”
Wolfgang shook his head.
“I would say no. My assumption is that Ingo is resentful of you for not visiting, though I’m sure that you could try to rebuild the relationship if you begin some sort of correspondence. However, that will take some time. I have softened his anger somewhat, but he is still very upset with you. I suggest we look abroad first before working on Waffenstadt.”
“Agreed. We can’t rebel against the Empire with just three provinces, and almost all others have a very high opinion of the Empire. Liebenstadt would have been an easy mark if the prince hadn’t raised the flag of rebellion and gotten so many of their political dissidents killed. So yes, Wolfgang, we should look abroad.”
Fergus tilted his head.
“Tae the Elves?”
Wolfgang shook his head.
“No, that would be too obvious. the Empress would have a much easier time justifying real action against us. I believe we should move South East towards Caprae Loco and the Brayherds.”
The Baron raised an eyebrow.
“Not to Fergus’s native Orkney?”
“I believe we should test our luck with the harder marks before we move on to the easier ones. If we can’t get help from the Brayherds or the Orcs then I believe any large-scale effort on our side would be doomed to fail.”
Wolfgang crossed his arms and bit his thumbnail as he thought out loud.
“We can only realistically count on the allyship of just three provinces…perhaps four depending on how everything goes down. Holenstadt, Bickenstadt, and Waffenstadt, and perhaps Leibenstadt, if we play our cards correctly. However, these four provinces alone cannot stand up to the might of the Grand Imperial Army. They are some of the strongest and most plentiful soldiers in the world.”
The Baron and Fergus nodded in agreement. Wolfgang continued.
"We need foreign allies if we are to succeed. We can gain them perhaps by offering concessions or the promise of future cooperation, the Empire does have quite a bit of resources that others may want a sliver of. The order in which I believe we should recruit allies follows thusly: Caprae Loco, Orcland, the Assai’id Confederation, Waffenstadt, Regenstadt, Orkney, and finally, the Elves. Does this make sense to you?”
Fergus took a while to think about it. The Baron spoke almost immediately.
“Yes it does, but what doesn’t make sense is how you were able to come up with something so detailed on the fly. Have you considered this beforehand?”
Wolfgang tapped his forehead with his middle finger.
“Of course I have. I know you, dad. I know how ridiculous you can be at times, and how progressive you are. I had a feeling you might do something like this eventually. I have seen you become more radical over time, and I sensed a small shift after the siege of Leibensburg.”
The Baron looked a bit uncomfortable, so Wolfgang gestured with both his palms and made a placating remark before speaking.
“Not too much, but some. It was a subtle change, don’t worry, I doubt anyone other than I would notice. Now, this is the order of business which makes the most sense to me, logistically and politically. From the Empress’s perspective, you are a huge threat. You are extremely powerful and extremely popular. If I watched my biggest threat systematically go to provinces and foreign countries where I am unpopular, then I would become very suspicious.”
The Baron looked like he suddenly remembered something.
“I feel I should inform you, the Empress offered me a deal, or more let me in on a plan to split the Empire in half to save on resources and manpower. I told her I would consider it, but obviously I plan to decline her offer. She shouldn’t be too eager to make any overt moves against me until we really begin to move against her.”
Wolfgang crossed his arms and bit his thumbnail agai before smiling and shaking his head.
“That is excellent, but I still think my plan is best, in fact, in that case it may work even better. If we could act more brazenly and arouse less suspicion in her mind, then we may be able to win the hypothetical conflict much quicker and shed far less blood than if she were prepared for it.”
Fergus rubbed the back of his neck.
“Still...startin’ with tha Brayherds? Ain’t that a little weird?”
Wolfgang nodded.
“Exactly, it is the move we would be least likely to do if we were planning on rising up, mostly because it is a poor move, at least in her eyes. Unless she is expecting us to do something unexpected, then she would at most be confused. While you are abroad in Caprae Loco I will think of the most disarming excuse I can for why you are there. Does that sound good to both of you?”
The Baron nodded.
“I have no better ideas”
Fergus smiled.
“I got none.”
Wolfgang nodded appreciatively.
“Well then, tomorrow I will begin preparations for you to depart to Caprae Loco. Depending on the response of the Brayherds, you should be able to go in a month's time. Who do you wish to bring with you?”
The Baron took a moment to think, sipping his glass idly as his eyes wandered lazily to the sky.
“I want Fergus and Udo to come with me. In the meantime I want to send Ludiwn back to Bvarian province to gauge how they feel about the Empress.”
“Have you told Ludwin or anyone else about your plans?”
“Oh...no I haven’t. You two are the first.”
“Well then, who do you think would be the most receptive to your message or willing to rebel?”
The Baron’s eyes glazed over as he thought deeply, again messing with his wedding ring as he considered the temperments of his men.
“I would start with Ludwin, Udo, or Helmut. They are all far more loyal to me than they are to the Empire. Ludwin seems loyal to me and his family, but Udo and Helmut show no signs of caring about the Empire. Udo even seems to have some anarchic tendencies, and Helmut doesn't seem to actually care about much. Jean most likely has no love for the Empire, and has contacts to the Elves that could be very useful, so it would be safe to discuss it with him as well.”
After taking another moment to think, the Baron shook his head disappointedly.
“Hans is very questionable. I saw during our meeting with the Empress that he is truly loyal to her and the Empire. He also seemed very uncomfortable when I talked about Jean, even though they have yet to meet. I believe he has bought into all the propaganda against Elves, he may be some form of a true believer.”
Wolfgang shook his head solemnly.
“You should consider letting him go then, before he can catch wind of any of our plans.”
Fergus chuffed.
“Aye, that seems wise. Never really liked ‘im anyway. He’s nice an’ all, but ‘e’s got the Heilaormur attitude.”
The Baron looks a bit taken aback, but soon after nodded his head in acquiescence.
“Brainworms. Colorful term, but I can’t necessarily disagree. I have spoken with the lad at length. He is very talented, however he is extremely loyal to the Empress. I should let him go, but…well that feels like I'm betraying him.”
“Well, you are. But this is bigger than him. This is more important than fairness and honor. If you feel too bad about firing him, give him a generous apology gift. Make sure his family live a good life, he seems to care very deeply about them.”
The Baron’s shoulders slumped.
“Yes, of course. It’s only fair. He has done good work for me.”
Wolfgang nodded and stood up from his chair, touching his fist to the Baron’s shoulder as he walked past.
“We can iron out the details properly tomorrow. We haven’t even begun to talk about what the government will turn into or how we will convince the population of our cause. At the moment, I feel like passing out.”
Fergus and the Baron raised their glasses at Wolfgang.
“For the Empire.”
Wolfgang chuckled slightly and mimicked raising a glass.
“For the Empire.”