"Butchers? You're seriously telling me that the Baron of Gadobhra has over 200 butchers, and he will be training more?"

All pretense of a casual dinner and polite conversation had ended when Bernice and the Kallvek family returned from watching the evening's fireworks. Emilio was mixing drinks, some of which smoked or sparkled, from a collection of bottles he'd picked up in his travels. With any other guest, he would be careful. Not this one. She could drink all of them under the table. The benefit of having both a high constitution and the amazing poison resistance that any high-level noble had to cultivate. Discussion turned to the main topic at hand: Baron William and his people.

Melissa fielded that question; she'd been studying the different classes and skills in the village to identify the goods that Sedgewick didn't produce. "Let's distinguish between people who have the skills to cut meat and those who have their entire class devoted to it. The Baron has over 200 contract workers who have all paid their dues at the local Butcher's Guild in Gadobhra and learned the skills involved in the trade. He also has four contract workers with the class Contract Worker: Butcher."

"But why does he need so many butchers? And don't look all innocent, Emilio. You dropped that tidbit of knowledge into the conversation just to see my reaction, so explain."

Emilio laughed. "I am not being subtle, am I? After your shock of meeting one Butcher, I wanted to see what you thought about two hundred. As to why he trains so many, there are two reasons. The first is the stockyards of Gadobhra, which gather creatures from lands around the city. The Dungeon Lord demands meat for his dungeons, and the Baron needs butchers to kill the creatures and throw the carcasses into the dungeon. Failure means an angry Dungeon Lord who leads an army out to get the meat himself. Baron William keeps the dungeon in check by supplying it. It is a nightly chore shared by many and aids them in getting to the second tier. Secondly, it gives his people more skills to train in, raising their STR and DEX to higher levels, making them more useful. Lastly, it provides him with an inexhaustible supply of meat from the leftover parts."

Bernice picked up on the second point. "Training his workers? He must know about the tax on Tier 2 workers."

The merchants rolled their eyes and laughed, all of them. Melissa added, "Oh, he knows. You should have seen him ranting. He was furious about it when imperial taxmen came sniffing around. From what I gather, they wanted to get their hooks into Sedgewick and failed. They departed, angry and scared. But they made threats, and I judge him as someone who doesn't take threats lightly. We were all surprised he let them walk away. The odds of them ending up in that hellish smokehouse were as high as 3 to 1. One of them even tried to sneak into it. The only person who isn't afraid to go into that place is The Butcher of Sedgewick, and Ozzy is in a class all by himself."

Bernice snorted. "Trust me, I noticed. He could have crushed my hand like a rotten apple when I went for a 'bone-crusher' when we shook. Instead, he was just amused."

Roderick smirked, "You got off easy. I was told a story by General Themis. A rude man said cruel words to the barmaid in the tavern, making her weep. When the man laughed, Ozzy broke his jaw and knocked out all his teeth with one punch. Another fighter tried to draw his sword, but the Butcher tore his arm off and threw Themis into a wall. She said she was lucky she wasn't beaten to death with that arm. He has a temper when people he considers friends are hurt."

"Damn. That's a true story? I heard it at court from someone who doesn't like the general. But I assumed it was an exaggeration. So he has her as an enemy?"

There were some chuckles. "No, they are good friends. You know how warriors are. They can be screaming at each other for generations and yet bond in a moment when they fight against a common enemy. Themis said they fought side by side against a rat the size of a small building. She thinks highly of him."

Bernice was drumming her fingers on the table. "Which is another thing I noticed about him. He's polite but not in awe of me. I try to dampen my Aura of Nobility when I'm in the field, but commoners rarely raise their eyes to me between what little leaks out and the normal reaction to a mercenary Captain. He was totally unaffected. And more, I felt no offense and was comfortable when meeting him. I'd be very curious to know his lineage. He has noble blood in him from somewhere."

Aurelia laughed. "It speaks well of Carl that you are just noticing that. Quite a few women in the village would like to be comfortable with him. But he only has eyes for the little barmaid."

Bernice became thoughtful. "She's another one."

Roderick nodded, but there were questions in the other's eyes. "Another one?"

"Another lowly commoner living in this village that is more powerful than they seem. People mention her having elven blood, but she's more than that. She's at least half Fae and probably from a greater house. She has more mana than half of the professors at the Academy in Wolfsburg. What kind of sorceress is she?"

"Believe it or not, she's a hedge witch." Emilio sat down after mixing himself something blue with fire on top. "I talked with the master of the local Mage's Guild. She is testing everyone in the village in an effort to convince the Academy that Sedgewick needs a higher-level guild. It took a bit to get the information from her, but she was annoyed by the refusal of her superiors and vented to me. It's amazing what you can learn by simply listening to people. Suzette has a huge amount of mana and radiance, but her only spells are a large collection of random cantrips."

"And yet people in the Hamlet's saw her blasting chunks off the Behemoth with powerful spells. Like I said, another one."

Roderick laughed again; he found the contradictions of Sedgewick endlessly amusing. "That is her staff. It has a blessing from the Goddess of Nature. A gift from Evergreen herself, earned by her admirer, the Butcher. It is a powerful weapon in her hands. He went off on a journey with a Captain from the Smoke and had some adventures. He came back twice as powerful. Baron William was quick to entertain Captain Woodrat and form a trade agreement. Somehow the Fae found out and sent an emissary to negotiate with both of them. This little town never ceases to entertain me."

Bernice started ticking off names on her fingers, one by one. "A Butcher with magic from the Smoke, A Fae barmaid with a blessed staff of magical destruction, A shepherd who can carve through armored knights and trains wyverns, a paladin disguised as a courier, an ice wizard, two Ironwood Princes, a fortress builder, a blessed cook, countless skilled artisans, and two-hundred butchers. What is Baron William building? An army?"

Roderick shook his head. "I don't think so. William is motivated by gold. And not in the way a noble is. He thinks like a merchant. Gold is a tool to make more gold. His people, with a few exceptions, are terrible with weapons. Strong? Yes. Skilled? No. He can't make an army from them, but they are wonderful support for someone else's army."

Bernice narrowed her eyes. "Whose?!"

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Emilio pointed at her and laughed. "So quick to see a plot and miss the crux of the matter. Yours, of course. Or did you so quickly forget a thousand barrels of Sedgewick Sausage? Everyone is wondering what Baron William is up to. When will he invade the South? What horrors will come from Gadobhra? Meanwhile, he makes sausage, kills ghouls, manages the dungeons, and builds the Emperor a mighty fortress. He isn't your enemy, Bernice. Or I hope not. It would make you visit less if war broke out."

Bernice sighed. "Too many years guarding Carl's back. I see plots in so many places, and often I'm right. But let's say I believe you. Why is there such a large group of nobles opposed to him?"

Emilio spread his hands. "Oh. Easily explained. I said he wasn't your enemy; I didn't say he wasn't enemies with the other nobles. That bunch has had it easy for too many generations: protected markets, monopolies on goods, the taxman and merchant sharing profits hand in hand. And now the corporations arrive to challenge them, and Baron William rocks the boat immediately by building roads and fortresses. They will fight him to keep their profits in their grubby hands. And they are in for a great surprise when he begins to fight back."

Bernice grimaced, thinking of the reports already on her desk. "He's already fighting. He's crashed the markets on magical fire staves, sausage, bacon, and cheap meat in a half dozen towns. The guilds are furious, and the mages are backing them up."

Roderick refilled her glass. "Oh, that's just moving pawns into place. When he starts fighting, you'll know. I just hope I'm there to watch. But my family and I are becoming increasingly comfortable in this little, out of the way, backwater. It has nearly everything we need, and what it doesn't have, it soon will."

"And you aren't worried about the reputation of the city? Dungeons overflowing? Dark mana pouring out like rivers?"

Melissa nodded. "I was worried, yes. Any mother would be. But after coming here, seeing the village, and comparing it to the capital, I am happier here. The Baron is managing the dungeons he's found and looking for the others rumored to exist. The mayor said it was worse when they first got here. But since the Baron has taken over, he's taken many steps to control the bad parts of the city. The ghouls have been hunted to a fraction of their number, and the Beastwoods are less crowded. Both the Menagerie and the Pit are under his control. The mayor handles the two dungeons here in Sedgewick. And the dark mana has dropped to nothing."

"Nothing? How?"

"Several ways, it seems. I've been talking with the mayor and the mages guild. The local sedge grass soaks up the mana from the city, and the sedge beasts eat it. But the biggest change is how the Baron cleverly drains off the dark mana and uses it. And before you jump to conclusions, he brews beer with it and the Butcher uses it as an ingredient in his sausage."

Bernice remembered the dark, rich beer she and her men had been drinking. "Oh hell, is that how the mana content in that beer is so high? But it doesn't seem unnatural. It was just beer!"

"I asked the same question." Aurelia had been less than thrilled to find her husband drank dark mana each night. "The explanation is simple: it aids the brewing process. Dark mana accelerates the fermentation of the original ingredients as part of the brewing process. I tried to ask the Butcher how it helps the sausage. He launched into a complex explanation of Heat and Smoke that revolved around different principles of magi. I'll summarize all of it with, The Smoke soaks it up."

Bernice laughed long and hard. "Oh, that's just hysterical. People complain to Carl daily about what horrible things Baron William is up to. Meanwhile, he makes the city safer and sells beer and sausage to the rest of the empire. It's just like the damned roads, the fortress, and taking in refugees! He's doing something good and turning a profit. No wonder some of the other Barons hate him."

She looked around at the circle of Kallveks. "And you four saw all this happening and put yourself in the best spot to profit from it. You can build a merchant empire from here. Well, another merchant empire. You aren't doing so bad with what you have now."

Roderick smiled. "So glad you noticed. And glad you came for a visit. You should bring your lovely husband some time; he needs to get out more."

That got a long sigh from Bernice. "Not much chance of that. Despite having a better perspective on things now, this is still going to keep us busy. And now the Emperor himself is coming by for a quick visit in only a week. He's celebrating his birthday with a tour of all four duchies. We get to entertain him for the evening after he's been to the other three. I was lucky I was already on the road when we found out. Otherwise, I'd be hip deep in the planning."

Emilio handed her another drink. "I sympathize with you. I like the man, but standing for hours in court is not what I like to do."

Bernice accepted the glass, downing half of it just at the thought of a high court affair. "Being bored at court drove me to be a mercenary Captain, but I must return to work soon. We leave for Wolfsburg as soon as the horses are rested."

Roderick refilled the glasses one more time and led a toast. "To a good journey then and a boring high court! But before you leave, you really should see the new armor I am selling." He snapped his fingers, and two of his oldest children marched into the room, each wearing a complete set of hardened leather armor dyed a beautiful shade of red.

Bernice got up and examined it closely. "Since when are you needing armor for your children?" The pieces of hardened leather were thick and made from the hides of a bull or other similar creature. Each piece of Cuir bouilli had been cut from the tanned hide and then boiled in hot oil before it was formed into hard plates. Thin metal plates reinforced critical areas on the body and throat. A detachable girdle with hanging leather strips added protection to the upper legs.

Melissa frowned a bit, then shrugged. "Since they turned sixteen and told us they were going adventuring to gain skills and levels before they become full-time merchants. I'd object, but they have a point, and the Bunny Barrow is about the tamest dungeon I've ever heard of. But it doesn't mean I'll neglect their protection."

Her eyes widened as she examined it. "This is from a Tier 2 creature, but with the added enchantments; it's better than what my troops wear. And it has resistance to fire? How much did it cost you for these sets? What is it made from?"

"The leather workers start with the thick hide of a Sedge Bull. They boil it in oil made from the fat of Hellpigs. The metal is dark steel. The lovely color, which would match your banner so well, is natural and won't fade. Every Legion officer that sees it is ordering a set of this leather. Very popular."

Bernice examined the leather further, scowling more and more. "This village is costing me more every time I turn around. How much for each set?"

Melissa looked at her husband and winked. "I paid 1500 gold for each armor set, including personal fitting. I'm sure I could lower the price to only a thousand per set if you ordered fifty-two sets."

More money was transferred from one bank account to another. Bernice wondered if she could make it to the teleporter without spending more.