Chapter 22
As the Baron’s caravan was resting for the night on their way back to Bickenstadt, the Baron, Udo, Fergus, and their new comrade Gaius, were sitting around their campfire. Gaius was stargazing, laying flat on his back with his hands behind his head. Fergus was sitting on a log, whittling away at a stick, and the Baron was leaning against a different log reading some homegrown Caprae Loco philosophical literature.
Udo was hunched over a pan on a fire, cooking their dinner. It consisted of some venison they had caught earlier that day mixed with whatever herbs and vegetables they had on hand sautéd in butter from Caprae Loco, said to be some of the best butter in the eastern hemisphere. Udo looked up from his venison and smiled at Gaius, gesturing towards the meat with his wooden spatula.
“You know how to cook, Gaius?”
Gaius stopped stargazing and looked over at Udo, tilting his head in confusion.
“Why do you ask? Is cooking a big thing in the Empire?”
Udo shrugged and went back to their meal.
“Nah, just curious is all.”
Gaius sat up.
“No, I have never needed to cook before, our chefs handled that. I believe that most people in Caprae Loco, with the exception of professional chefs, only know the basics.”
Udo flipped his venison steak with his spatula, smiling as it sizzled satisfyingly.
“Well, I know with the Baron’s money we could just have someone cook for us right now, but I enjoy cooking. You should try it sometime. Who knows, maybe you’ll like it.”
Gaius leaned forward to observe what Udo was doing.
“Perhaps I will. It seems to take some amount of finesse, something us Brayherds are not known for.”
Fergus spoke up absentmindedly as he carved a small bear of wood.
“Depends on wha your cookin’. Soup donnae take nae finesse.”
He finally looked up from his work. It wasn’t turning out as well as he would’ve liked anyway.
“Oh, an’ speakin’ a trades and hobbies, what dae ya do fer fun, Gaius? An’ what ya good at, in general?”
Gaius stroked his goatee thoughtfully.
“I am an excellent fighter, or, at least I like to think I am. As for hobbies...I like to hunt. And archery is much fun, though I freely admit I am not the finest marksman. Other than that...wrestling. I accomplished the silver medal at Olympiad, and of that I am very proud. I hope to someday make gold!”
“I also love wrestlin’! I was the best wrestler in mah warband! Never met a man who could best meh!”
Gaius looked at Fergus with a twinkle in his eye.
“How about a Brayherd?”
Fergus stood up and dusted off his pants.
“Would love tae.”
The Baron spoke without looking away from the night sky. His hands were on his stomach, and his face looked very peaceful.
“Gentlemen, sorry to be a killjoy, but would you mind not starting a ruckus? As much as I enjoy friendly competition, I have a pounding headache, and the only thing keeping that from bothering me is the beauty of the night sky. Perhaps wait until we make it Bickenstadt for such competitions?”
Fergus and Gaius sat back down unhappily.
“Well, ‘e is gettin’ real old now.”
The Baron tilted his head slightly to respond to Fergus.
“I resent that.”
Udo set a plate on the Baron’s chest.
“It’s true though. You’re ancient, man! Surprised you can still move the way you do.”
“Yeah yeah, call me ancient when we literally work with an elf, I see how it is.”
Udo handed plates to Fergus and Gaius, turning back towards the Baron as he spoke.
“Jean ain’t got gray hairs yet, and his back don’t hurt all the time.”
The Baron set his plate on his lap and sat up to eat his meal.
“My back feels fine...most of the time.”
Gaius roared with laughter.
“Baronis! You sound just like my father! Is that what all warriors sound like when they grow old?”
The Baron bit into his venison steak and scoffed.
“Kids these days have no respect for their elder...oh my God.”
The lieutenants howled with laughter as the Baron tried to hide his horror at the revelation that he truly was old as dirt.
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The first thing the Baron did when he got back to Bickenstadt was to gather his lieutenants to introduce them to Gaius. They all met in the same place they met Jean the first time, Castle Bickenstadt's audience hall.
“Everyone, this is the new personnel I gathered during my diplomatic mission to Caprae Loco. His name is Gaius Bestia Caprae, son of an important senator, and I am hiring him as another lieutenant. His skill set is very similar to Udo’s, except he is adept as a field commander, which I suppose makes him better than Udo in every way, doesn’t it?”
The lieutenants all shared a laugh, Udo included. Hans chortled halfheartedly and eyed Gaius suspiciously, which the Baron noted with more than a hint of annoyance, trying not to show it on his face.
“Now of course I would never fire Udo, well, not never fire him but, you know, we all need comic relief every once and a while. Where was I? Oh yes! Treat Gaius with the same respect you treat each other, yada yada yada, same deal with Jean. Don’t worry Gaius, we will treat you as an equal. We are pretty good at that sort of thing, isn’t that right Jean?”
Jean smiled and nodded.
“Oh yes of course, they ‘ave been quite accommodating to me! And the Baron me pays better than back ‘ome, so I could ask for no better employment!”
The Baron stuck out his chest proudly.
“See?”
Gaius smiled slightly and turned to address Jean.
“How much is he paying you to tell me that?”
“About 100 Reiksgeld a week.”
“Hey! I am not! Jean, tell him I’m not paying you! I’ll give you 50 Reiksgeld if you clear this up!”
The men all shared a laugh together. After taking a moment to compose himself, the Baron put on a more serious face.
“In all seriousness, I expect you men to treat Gaius no different than you would treat any other man of similar rank. If I find that you do not, you will be let go. Dishonorably discharged. Now, allow Gaius to introduce himself.”
Gaius got up from his comically undersized chair and took the Baron's place in front of the lieutenants.
“Thank you, Baronis. As he said earlier, my name is Gaius Bestia Caprae! I come from Caprae Loco, the greatest city in the civilized world! I am experienced in leading men in battle, and I am quite the warrior myself, so I am sure I will be a great asset to the prolific Klarwasser Mercenary Company! I am sure you all are more experienced than me when it comes to leading larger forces into battle. And, unlike many of my brethren, I am not too proud to learn. I look forward to carving out our place in history, together, as comrades in arms!”
Helmut smiled dully, scoffed, and crossed his arms.
“It seems that the Brayherds propensity to monologue is not exaggerated at all. I like it.”
Gaius bowed slightly and inclined his head in thanks.
“It is nice to know that the reputation of my people proceeds us. I hope that my caterwauling does not get too old too quickly, because I assure you, there will be plenty of it. My speech is considered quite measured in Caprae Loco. You should hear my father’s orations at the senate, truly a miracle they get anything done with how werbose senators are!”
Ludwin cocked his head to the side in confusion.
“Werbose?”
Gaius touched his heart in a gesture of apology.
“Braying does not have your ‘V’ sound. I apologize, but I may have trouble pronouncing certain words properly.”
Ludwin smiled and shook his head slightly.
“Oh, don’t worry, Fergus’s accent is much stronger, and we understand him just fine. Your accent is excellent, by the way. You must have put in quite a monumental amount of work on learning our language.”
Gaius again bowed and inclined his head.
“You honor me with such an assessment. Oh, and now that I think of it, if anyone would like to wrestle, I am always willing to test my skills against men of the Empire.”
Udo cringed slightly and his eyes quickly darted between Fergus and Gaius.
“Are you as good as Fergus? Because we all know better than to offer to wrestle ‘im.”
Fergus frowned.
“We donnae ken because the Baron wouldnae let us fight!”
The Baron scoffed.
“Oh would you let that go already?”
“I’ll die mad Baron thank ya very much! Ya cannae stop me!”
The Baron threw his hands in the air in mock frustration.
“Then hurry up and die then! Gaius, you may wrestle anyone BUT Fergus!”
“Ya old fart donnae let tha youngins have fun!”
The Baron smiled smugly.
“Correct. Now settle down and allow Gaius to settle into his room. We can hold some sort of Bickenstadt wrestling competition if you’d like.”
“Oh, that’d be real nice!”
“But you can’t face Gaius.”
Fergus looked genuinely taken aback.
“'ow can a man so old be such a child?”
The Baron shrugged.
“I’m a noble, it comes naturally.”
Gaius smiled and patted the Baron’s shoulder.
“Good to know nobility is the same no matter where in the world your trawels may take you. Also good to see how well you get along with your men, it is wery refreshing to see such an important man able to banter properly.”
“Yes, it is what I pride myself on! Uh, among other things. Now, allow us to get you settled into your room.”
“Of course, Baronis. Before I leave, I wish to tell all of you, if you ever have a question to ask me, do not hesitate to ask. I will answer anything I have the capacity to. As I stated earlier, I hope that working with me will be an enjoyable experience for all of you. I could go on, but I will not, I imagine you are all busy men. Vade in Pace, Amicis.”
Ludwin smiled brightly and bowed his head slightly.
“Of course, the pleasure is all ours.”
Gaius acknowledged Ludwin’s head nod with one of his own and left with the Baron to find his room.
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A couple of days after Gaius was introduced to the Lieutenants, the Baron was going mad doing paperwork. There was not as much paperwork as there was when he first gained ownership of Holenstadt, but every time he looked at the pages his eyes melted out of his skull and his brain leaked out of his ears.
There were various projects happening at the same time, and they all needed his oversight, but the more he thought about doing bureaucratic work the more he thought about how much better it could have been if Seamus had killed him in Holenstadt.
“Maybe I need to start a war for my mental health...wow what a statement.”
The Baron scribbled his signature on a piece of paper before realizing he hadn’t even read the proposal, so he had to white it out. His thoughts, or more accurately lack thereof, were interrupted by a knock on his door.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Hans sir, I need to speak to you.”
The Baron set down his pen. He hadn’t finished a single page in 20 minutes.
“Oh, Hans. This might as well happen, I’m making no progress. Come on in.”
Hans opened the door and closed it behind him gently. The conflicted look on his face made the Baron worried. He gesturing to a chair in front of his desk.
“Go on Hans, take a seat. Would you like something to drink?”
Hans shook his head and fell into a parade rest.
“No thank you, sir. I will stand.”
The Baron retrieved a small glass and bottle of brandy from a drawer before pouring just enough to cover the bottom of the glass.
“Suit yourself. Now, what did you come here to talk with me about? Judging by your facial expression, it’s nothing good.”
Hans shifted uncomfortably.
“Baron...I am...leaving your services.”
The Baron paused briefly as he brought the glass to his mouth, setting it back down without drinking any of it.
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“...may I ask why?”
Hans averted his eyes, staring at his feet as he spoke.
“I...I think you know why, sir.”
The Baron leaned forward and rested his cheek on his knuckle. He stared at Hans intently, causing him to avert his eyes even harder.
“Of course I know why, I just need you to say it out loud before I can accept it.”
Han’s face scrunched up like he ate a lemon. He stood in silence for a moment before speaking.
“It’s...because of Jean and Gaius. We have no quarrel with the Brayherds, but I simply can’t abide working with these...nonhumans.”
The Baron sighed and filled his glass up the rest of the way.
“I was afraid this would happen. I would tell you to reconsider, but I believe this is probably for the best. I intend to continue working with nonhumans after all.”
Hans stood in silence for a moment before speaking again.
“Are...are you…”
The Baron cut him off.
“Disappointed? Yes, to an extent. It hurts to lose talent, almost as much as it hurts to lose a friend but...such is the way of the world. I just hope you can change your mind in the future. Your way of thinking is not long for this world, I will make sure of it.”
Hans looked up from his feet.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Shit! That may have been too aggressive!
“I mean cultural change, of course. A shifting of national values. Over time people will sour to the old ways, and embrace the new ways. It’s inescapable. Simply how things work. People will always have differences, yes, and that will lead to strife and social unrest…”
The Baron paused to sip his brandy.
“...However, the true nature of humanity is cooperation, not subjugation. Some of you are just too set in your ways to see that. We haven’t gotten this far by shutting others out, no, quite the contrary. Take what I am drinking now, for instance. This brandy is Elven made. However, this bottle is not Elven.”
The Baron showed Hans the bottom of the glass, which showed writing in Dwarvish.
“Humans are not the only ones who produce things of value. And we can see that the only way to bring out the best in all of us, Elf, Dwarf, Brayherd, Orc, Human, etc, is cooperation and acceptance. Progress is impossible if you only have access to a single set of information, a single perspective. That is why I have hired the men I have. Each of you come from fairly different backgrounds, and the closest in upbringing are you and Udo, extremely competent men, with wildly different points of view.”
Hans went back to looking at his feet. The two men spent some time sitting in silence, neither man willing to speak, until Hans finally broke the silence.
“...Baron, do you know why I wanted to work with you in the first place?”
The Baron took a sip of his brandy.
“No. Do you have any special reason? Aside from me funding your education and paying well, of course.”
Hans looked the Baron in the eye, he seemed to have regained some of his confidence.
“Because I felt that you exemplified all of the qualities of the Empire. You are strong. You are authoritative. You are confident. You take regular men and turn them into warriors. You take regular men and make them work together flawlessly. The Klarwasser Mercenary Company is the embodiment of our motto, An Empire of One.”
The Baron waited for Hans to continue, but he did no such thing. The Baron made the universal 'get on with it' gesture, tracing circles in the air with his hand.
“...But?”
Hans balled his fists as he spoke.
“But now you’re working with those...subhumans! You’re not just working with the enemies of the Empire, but the enemies of Humanity! I simply cannot work with someone who would do as such, even if I thought they were a true Empiresman. Just wait Baron, those degenerates will be your undoing! That Messerohr is going to weaken unit cohesion, sabotage weapons, anything to weaken us! That’s their goal!”
Messerohr. Knife ear. Unbelievable.
The Baron took another sip of his whiskey, looking Hans dead in the eyes. Hans couldn’t suppress the shiver that came as he felt the weight of the Baron’s glare, a glare filled with disappointment, anger, sadness, every negative emotion all at once. It filled Hans with fear and dread.
However, more than anything, the glare made Hans feel small. He could feel the Baron’s decades of warfare experience, decades of political capital, more money than Hans could even fathom, he could feel everything he usually didn’t get from the Baron.
If he wanted, the Baron could ruin Hans’s life with less effort than it took to bring a glass to his lips. The fact that he didn’t was simply luck on Hans’s part, a thought that elicited another shiver. The Baron’s frown deepened as he spoke, breaking Hans out of his fearful trance.
“...Get out of my province.”
Hans performed a crisp salute, sending some sweat from his arm flying in the air.
“Yes sir. It was a pleasure working with you.”
The Baron kicked his feet up on his desk and laid back in his chair.
“Of course. And as much as I hate your way of thinking, I will make good on my previous promises and obligations. Your family will continue to be taken care of. You may keep your horse and anything else you received during your time under my employment. However, any future education of yours will not be paid for. Now, get out of my sight before I reconsider.”
The Baron waved him away with a dismissive gesture. Hans bowed his head before turning around.
“Sir.”
Hans left the Baron’s study and the Baron sighed heavily, leaving him to stare at the point he was standing at in complete silence, head held up by the second knuckle of his pointer and middle finger. After a few minutes of silence, the Baron heard the door to his study open.
“I had a feeling this would happen, dad. I say it is a good thing, he would never agree with our vision of the future.”
The Baron looked up at the ceiling.
“Wolfgang, knowing it would happen doesn’t make it any easier to actually lose someone I considered a friend.”
Wolfgang walked over and poured himself a glass of brandy.
“Well, the problem is that Hans never considered you a friend, he considered you a superior. He never truly was a good fit for us. He worshiped you as ‘The Baron’, everyone else respects you as a man.”
The Baron looked at Wolfgang and raised an eyebrow.
“And you?”
Wolfgang shrugged.
“Well, I like you as my father, if nothing else. As a baron you are rather subpar, though I believe you would agree with that assessment.“
Wolfgang gestured to the Baron’s desk and chuffed.
“I see you still have quite the pile of paperwork on your desk. Don’t worry, I will take care of it. You just gather your thoughts.”
Wolfgang stacked the different piles together and took them with him as he left, hesitating and turning around as he got to the doorway.
“Don’t worry about announcing this to the Lieutenants, I’ll inform them of what happened tomorrow. Take tonight off and be Johan, instead of the Baron.”
Wolfgang left Johan alone with his thoughts. Even if he wanted to be angry at Hans, and he really did want to be angry, even furious perhaps, he simply could not bring himself to feel anything but pity.
Pity for the brainwashed youth fighting against his own self interest. A man pushed away from people who have more in common than him than not, even though they were different races. An Elven slave has more in common with a Human slave than an Elven slavemaster, and vice versa.
It was all nothing but a tool used by people like the Empress to maintain the power structures which benefited the aristocracy. The anger the Baron felt was not directed at Hans, but at the Empress, the woman who made him the way he is, the Empire that shaped her into the woman she is, and the systems created to benefit the few at the expense of the many. The Baron balled his fist in anger.
“Empress Reikspal, I will destroy what you and yours have created. I’ll tear down these nonsense systems if it’s the last thing I do. Hans may be too far gone, but I will save the youth of this country from being indoctrinated into your nonsense, even if I have to kill every single one of your supporters to do so. Even if I have to kill me and Wolfgang in the end.”
The Baron squeezed his glass so hard it cracked, a chunk of glass clinking against his desk and a long channel of broken glass formed as he almost crushed it in his hands. He roughly slammed the glass on his desk and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I need to calm down...but I really don't want to. I need to vent my frustrations...maybe I really should start another war..."
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Grossenstadt was just a four day ride from Bickenstadt. Hans never owned very much, so he could move very quickly. As the great gates of Grossenburg came into view he was hit with a profound sense of pride.
This, he thought as he gazed upon the sprawling streets of Grossenburg, This is the monument to my people!
He rode up to the gates and was swiftly let in by the guards. Ever since his meeting with the Empress all those months ago he had had an easier time getting into his hometown. As he traversed the bustling streets of the greatest city in the world, his feelings of pride were replaced by feelings of nostalgia.
He passed by his favorite bakery and immediately spun around to buy some bread, his journey was long and he left so fast he hadn’t had time to gather proper provisions. Soon after he entered, Hans was swept up in a bearhug.
“Hans! It’s so good to see you! Why you back so soon? The Baron give you leave?”
The man was the owner of the bakery, about as tall as Hans, but decades older, with a bald head, twirly mustache, and a noticeable beer gut. He wore a simple white apron over his beige linen shirt and brown linen pants.
After being released, Hans smiled and placed three Reiksgeld on the counter, which the baker took without asking what he wanted. Hans was a regular, when he lived in Grössenburg, and he bought the same thing every time: five slices of pumpernickel with unsalted butter.
“Adolf! The pleasure is all mine. And no, the Baron hasn’t given me leave, I have actually left his services.”
Adolf handed him his pumpernickel and butter and gestured for him to sit down at a table, disappearing back into his shop to retrieve some wine and glasses.
“Tell me about your troubles, Hans, I give you my undivided attention. At least until someone else comes in.”
“Oh, it’s really not that big of a deal…”
Adolf poured a glass of wine and slid it over to Hans.
“Well, I’ve already poured the wine, so you might as well tell me anyway.”
Hans sighed and took a sip of his wine.
This isn’t elven, is it? No, it’s too good.
“The Baron and I have been having some...differences, as of late.”
Adolf raised an eyebrow as he poured his own glass.
“Oh? Do tell.”
Hans sighed deeply.
“Well...he has been hiring degenerates to work for him. And...I don’t know. I have just been getting the feeling he is drifting away from the imperial train of thought.”
Adolf sucked a sharp breath through his teeth and took a sip of wine.
“That sounds rough.”
“It is! I’ve always admired the Baron! He was always so...cool! He exemplified the values of the Empire! But recently...I don’t know. He just feels so...different.”
Adolf’s face scrunched up in confusion.
“Wait, isn’t hiring degenerates illegal?”
Hans nodded slightly and shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, it technically doesn’t apply to him because the Klarwasser Mercenary Company is owned by the Baron, not the state, but no one’s really sure if that loophole actually works. But the Baron’s too powerful for the Empress to do anything about breaking some minor laws.”
“Hmph! Typical noble nonsense. If I sold bread that wasn't up to code I could be thrown in prison! He gets to hire enemies of our gods damned species! Anyways, what are you planning on doing now? You’re a young able bodied man, you gonna to find another mercenary company to work for?”
Hans shook his head as a smile grew on his face.
“No, I actually have an invitation from the Empress herself! I get to work for the Grand Imperial Army. She will hire me as a Beauftragter Offizier, uh, very high rank.”
Adolf finished his wine and patted Hans on the shoulder.
“Well well well, little Hans Volkner, a high ranking member of the army! I’ve always said you were destined for greatness!”
Adolf reached into his pocket and returned the money Hans gave him.
“Your food is on the house today! Next time you come back I’ll whip up something special for you!”
Hans pushed the coins back to Adolf and stood up from his chair.
“Don’t worry about the money, the Baron paid me extremely well. Plus, isn’t your rent coming up?”
Adolf smiled and covered his mouth with a hand.
“Wow! Hans! You’re gonna make me cry! You’re so grown up!”
The two men shared a long embrace before Hans left to find Grossenburg palace, which doubled as the headquarters of the Grand Imperial Army.
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The streets of Grössenburg were just like he remembered. Buildings as far as the eye could see, all built to accommodate the needs of Grössenburg’s nearly three million inhabitants. Crowds constantly moved around the city like ocean currents, throngs of people moving back and forth in long, rough, dense lines. And, of course, the ever present Elven slave details who worked tirelessly to keep the largest city in the Empire running smoothly, fixing any broken infrastructure and constructing new buildings as fast as they could to keep up with the needs of such a large and constantly growing city.
The docks of Grössenburg were even busier than he remembered, with merchants from every country in the world, with the exception of the Elven countries, coming and going at all times, bringing prosperity to Grössenburg only rivaled by the docks of Bickenstadt. And finally, Grössenburg palace, less than 100 yards from the docks, overlooking them all, making it known who ruled the most civilized city in the world: The Empress.
As Hans neared the gates of Grössenburg palace, a guard wearing the classic gray, black, and white puff and slash of the Imperial guard unshouldered his billhook and pointed it at Hans.
“Halt! What Business have you at Grössenburg palace?”
Hans fell into parade rest and looked the guard dead in the eyes.
“I am here to see our magnificent Empress Reikspal! Inform her that a former member of the Klarwasser Mercenary Company has come to seek employment.”
The guard considered his words for a moment before shouldering his billhook.
“Wait here. Klaus, don’t let him outta your sight.”
The guard disappeared into the palace for a few minutes before returning with two, more impressive looking guards. They were the proper Imperial Guard, wearing a steel cuirass, greaves, and vambraces, and armed with a saber and pistol, just like how the Baron was armed and armored.
“The Empress has requested you be brought to her immediately, these two men will escort you to the throne room.”
The Imperial Guards escorted Hans to the throne room, which was relatively empty for the center of power of the largest country in the world, hosting only a handful of guards, a few tables of bureaucrats, Spymaster Brusilov, and the Empress herself lounging on her throne, one leg crossed over the other. Hans walked up to the petitioner's stand and kneeled.
“Empress Reikspal, I am Hans Volkner, former lieutenant of the Klarwasser Mercenary Company, here to offer my services to you.”
Empress Reikspal was wearing a blue velvet waistcoat with black buttons on top of a simple white collared shirt, as well as beige men’s breeches tucked into black cavalier boots. At the beginning of her reign her insistence on wearing men’s clothing was a large point of contention among nobles. However, after seeing how she ruled the Empire, the criticisms stopped.
“I am glad to see you here, Hans Volkner. You may rise.”
Hans did as was suggested, falling into an impeccable parade rest.
“Since you are seeking my employ, I assume you have been ousted from your previous position.”
Hans shook his head.
“No ma’am. I left the Baron’s services willingly, more or less.”
The Empress leaned forward in her throne and rested her chin on her arm.
“Oh? Do tell.”
“The Baron has hired two subhumans to work for him. I simply could not abide working alongside them. He hired an Elf! An Elf! And expected me to work with him without complaint! And now he has hired a Brayherd! We have no quarrel with Brayherds, but he is simply going too far! I worry he has lost sight of what the Empire stands for! My Empress, I understand that the word of a mere lieutenant may not mean much, but I implore you to watch the Baron closely!”
Hans shook his head grimly.
“The way he worded things when I was leaving...it just sounded...wrong. I wish I could tell you more, but I cannot. I have a strong feeling that the Baron is planning something that could jeopardize the stability of the Empire! Why else would he be working with subhumans? He may not do anything soon, but I am convinced he will do something! What other reason could he possibly have to work so closely with those degenerates?”
The Empress took a moment to absorb what Hans said before turning angrily to Brusilov.
“If Hans has noticed something is off you should have by now. Why have there been no mentions of concerning moves by the Baron in your reports?”
Brusilov idly cleaned his fingernails with his ballistic knife.
“I have seen some very small signs, but nothing important enough to inform you of.”
Brusilov inspected his now clean nails as he spoke.
“Perhaps if you would give me more funds I could do a better job. Training good spies is not cheap, and the Baron is particularly crafty.”
“We both know I give you plenty of funds, Brusilov, do not pretend to be helpless.”
Brusilov clicked his tongue and stowed his knife in his boot.
“Жoпа. You ask too much of me блять. You give me more work but the same amount of funds блять. The Baron is smarter than you think. And Wolfgang is a beast in his own right! If I wasn't spymaster I would recommend you hire him! Bickenstadt is a tough nut to crack, these things can take years. You know that my assessment is true, yes Hans?”
The Empress scowled as Hans nodded his head.
“If Bickenstadt was so hard to work within, why am I just now hearing of it? You’re not hiding anything from me, are you spymaster?”
Brusilov retrieved his cigarette case from his breast pocket and made to leave.
“You question my loyalty? I have served you diligently since you became Empress. Развалюха, I need a smoke, deal with your new toy without me. I will have a formal report for you tomorrow, Шлюха вокзальная.”
The Empress glared at Brusilov as he left before turning her attention back to Hans.
“My apologies, that was...unsightly. Any other man would be drawn and quartered should they act such as he. But alas, he is the best spymaster in the world. I cannot simply rid myself of him.”
Hans grimaced before catching himself and forcing a neutral expression.
“Such is the way of things, I always considered Fergus the same way. He is too strong to let go, despite his barbaric nature.”
The Empress smiled.
“Yes, if I remember correctly, Fergus was the one who killed an elven mage singlehandedly during the siege of Leibensburg, yes? He seems to be quite the interesting character. Now, as much as I love speaking about insubordinate subordinates, we have business to discuss. Namely, your position in the Grand Imperial Army.”
Hans used every ounce of willpower to maintain a neutral, professional expression.
“I know I said I would give you the rank of Beauftragter Offizier, but I believe I can make an exception for you. You may start at the rank of Großgeneral. Oh, and do not worry, if you believe you lack experience and expertise, we will train you, and I imagine there will be no shortage of conflict in the coming years to add to your experience.”
Hans saluted in the Imperial fashion.
“Yes, Empress Reikspal! I will not let you down!”
Empress Reikspal leaned back in her throne and smiled. She was etherically beautiful, her skin pale and unblemished despite her military career, her short, silky hair a beautiful midnight black. However, her ruthless nature clearly showed through her smile. It was the smile of someone who was scheming. Someone who was in total control. It made Hans a little uncomfortable, but he also knew that she just had that effect on people.
This is what being considered by a ruler should feel like!
“We shall see about that.”
She rose from her throne and beckoned Hans to follow her. He found himself following after her before he even registered that she ordered him to.
“Come, we have work to do. And you have officer training.”