When Numisley and Cultrost went outside the temple grounds, they saw the rioters asleep on the streets, many of them collapsed on each other, loudly snoring. Before them was the one responsible, a [Lord] holding a wand with its mana crystal depleted and his entourage, his son and the best [Spellknights] in his retinue.
“I demand to know what has transpired here,” Escribannor said with a heavy voice.
Racieros stepped forward before Numisley could speak, and told him the situation in the briefest way possible, yet it raised more questions for the [Mage Lord].
“So, you are the new patriarch of your family. A shame that I didn’t equip myself in my full panoply of war for I didn’t know the full scope of the threat against you, but as you can see, I had quelled the riots.” Escribannor gestured towards the sleeping crowd. He had expected to participate in the trial, as he had prepared many documents within his Bag of Holding, but the unexpected delays and communication issues had made him late.
“Thank you,” Racieros said. “But I do not intend to govern by myself. My mother is here after all.”
Escribannor stared at the other Commerros being arrested and Dustitoz Gaviolos, descending from the winding stairs that led to the temple. Adriasta led her remaining men and women to maintain order to those who continued to prowl the streets, while some woke up the rioters from their spell-induced slumber.
“Let us speak privately, Numisley, Racieros. And we are in need of refreshments. If you don’t have magical wines, mana potion mixed with juice or water will do.”
When they arrived at the castle, they saw the damage done by the fighting between the Household Guard. Broken windows, cracked walls, and bodies splayed in hallways and rooms. There was a group of [Squires] who had come to receive them, weapons still in hand, who then kneeled before Racieros.
“Forgive us! Half of our number had turned traitor! The Guard Captain too. We shall accept any punishment to atone!”
Racieros was in shock. Another problem to add in this hectic day. Yet his mouth moved in urgency.
“How many remain?”
“Twenty. A third injured.”
“How many [Servants] left?”
“Ten dead and maimed. But the rest…unharmed. They might have hid or fled.”
“I’ll…deal with this later. First, my visitors need refreshments. Find a [Servant] or do it yourself, but I shall need six glasses of magical wine, or mana-infused juice or water within the hour in my office. Go.”
“Y-yes, my lord.”
The loss of men. The loss of order. The loss of money. The loss of trust. The arrest of the remaining Commerros that collaborated. What will happen tomorrow? These issues piled up as they walked into the office. Racieros, Numisley, Cultrost, Escribannorr, Scrivorr, and Strraina sat on chairs arranged in a circle.
Escribanorr demanded a clearer explanation of the events surrounding the trial, which clarified misunderstandings and misconceptions that he had within his head.
“I had intended to arrive several days ago. I even brought my flying carpets with me and enchanted my small party with [Haste]. Yet I found myself delayed by several unfortunate circumstances that I knew were created by a Feat. No doubt someone who intercepted your letters, which might be those Commerros, and most likely that traitor of the crown.” Escribanorr referred to the presence of Dustitoz Commerro in the trial.
“What’s more important is the trial against Racieros, and against me and my brother, and associated parties are now invalid because Racieros’ uncle was the one who requested it,” Numisley said.
“Dustitoz might pursue his charges against you and your brother. Based on what you had said.” Scrivorr added.
“He made a ceasefire. He would not interfere with the Ichoricon as long as I do not disclose what he had done in my homeland and here.”
“Why?” Cultrost was the first to ask before anyone in the room could. One of the [Squires] from earlier brought glasses of mana-infused wine which Escribannor and Scrivorr quickly gulped down.
“By the sound of it, he wants me to taste what it feels like to be nobility before he could bring me down. So it will be more painful for me when I fall, so he says.” Numisley answered.
“Let's get to the real reason why you are here, Marquis.” Racieros addressed Escribanorr. “What reward do you expect after helping us?”
“A permit for our [Merchants] to trade within our port, or at least allow my House a share of Ovespuerte’s annual profits.”
“Because of the Golden Triangle,” Racieros uttered.
“Before that, if I may add. I request your assistance not only for my allowance in the Ichoricon, but I believe Ovespuerte is damaged for trade. If Racieros wishes to give you a share or permit, then you may graciously fund the repairs needed, am I right?” Numisley turned to Racieros.”
Although Numisley’s way of addressing Racieros was uncouth and unprompted, ignoring the social standing of each, the foreign [Trader] was correct in his assessment. Having Naveirei influence was better than having foreign powers semi-occupying Ovespuerte. Despite his inexperience, Racieros suspected that this would not be the end of the riots within his city, and he currently lacks military power because of the Household Guard’s infighting.
“Yes. If you donate to the health of Ovespuerte and honor my friend’s request, I shall consider yours.”
“I shall accept. Provided that I shall also have the permission of Strraina Commerro.” Escribanorr addressed Racieros’ mother.
“Of course.” Strraina accepted. “Let’s further define the terms and conditions before it shall be put to writing.”
Escribanorr could force many concessions that would put him and the Naveirei at an advantage, but his priority was to establish cordial relations with his House and the Commerros in the process of profiting from Ovespuerte’s proximity to the Golden Triangle. With this restriction, he was at a disadvantage that forced him to accept the many conditions imposed on him by Racieros, with the guiding voices of his mother and Numisley. The importance of Ovespuerte as one of the ports that is directly on a path from the wild continent of Libertalia had imposed a certain timidity in Escribanorr’s negotiations despite their House’s wealth.
When the terms and conditions had been put into writing, he stamped his personal margravial seal on the magical contract. It is second to the ducal seal of the Naveirei in importance, and so it is almost as valid as it. Racieros used his father’s countal seal despite the failure of his coronation, for it is now undeniable that he is now the young patriarch of the House. An inert curse had descended between them, sealing the deal, powered by both magic and the significance of both noble houses.
After the agreement was made, Escribannorr and Scrivorr retired to their assigned rooms.
“Splendidly done, [Merchant]. You had done a great service to House Commerro.” Strraina commented. “Yet I fear you do not give my son proper respect. You shall call him ‘Lord’ or ‘Your Greatness’, and never interrupt him or me when you speak.”
“I shall be your equal after all, once I stand trial in the Ichoricon, as a Naveirei to be.” Numisley dismissed.
“Sorry for my brother’s rudeness.” Cultrost winced.
“No, it's fine. My friends do not need formalities.” Racieros said.
“If my son says so, it shall be so. But address me with formality, not familiarity, for Decree’s sake. Especially if you shall become one of us!” Strraina requested, and then she switched the topic. “As gratitude for your service, I shall apply your idea and make it a contest to those who wish to invest in Ovespuerte’s health.”
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The rest of the day was spent counting losses in both people and coin, and the few remaining men and women of the Household Guard had been charged with guarding the Commerros who had schemed with the late Garrenno and the other rioters who were protesting against Racieros, making the dungeons overfull. Racieros further burdened himself with debt to supplement his policing force with the men and women of the city’s Adventurer’s Guild and the [Mercenaries] of the [Merchants] who remained in Ovespuerte, along with the [Soldiers] of the other Commerros, and the armed retinue of Dustitoz and Adriasta.
Just before the sun sets in the northwest to the black border of the horizon, all nobles, [Guildmasters], and [Merchants] who remained in Ovespuerte were summoned to the countal palace in the throne room. Strraina had sat on the padded throne she had always sat on, and Racieros now sat on the throne where his father once sat. [Priests] of Ovespuerte’s temple were present and the officials that remained in the castle. Numisley and Cultrost were also present within the crowd, gauging their reaction. The [Countess] began to speak:
“Ovespuerte had suffered from attacks, both from outside and within the walls of this city. This has driven away [Merchants] who wish to trade within our docks and markets. This has caused our society to be in disarray, with many people afraid to go outside. The survey of our men and women, as well as the Houses who lend their personnel with the effort: Commerro, Naveirei, Kaminor, and Gaviolos, had found out that the docks, plazas, markets, and shops had suffered considerable damage, and even our castle has not been spared from damages. Our household, which was once rich beyond compare, is now admittedly destitute from the [Pirate] raid which killed my husband and my late brother-in-law’s attempt to depose me and my son, as well as keeping the peace despite our lack of personnel and the belligerence of certain crowds. To rectify this, I invite all present: any who shall pledge to the cause of repairing and improving Ovespuerte, whether by coin or manpower, shall be promised the annual profits from Ovespuerte’s docks. The greatest contributors shall be allowed a dock each. These shall depend on the amount and quality of each contribution. Spread the word that Ovespuerte is now once again a place of commerce!”
This message was then spread outside Ovespuerte in the form of letters distributed by the Courier’s Guild of Ovespuerte. Many undercover [Spies] and agents of the many powers within the kingdom were scrambling for more information, information brokers like Numisley profited from this in the following days as the only ones who could provide the most accurate information regarding this deal.
A banquet took place after that announcement, with the attendants being those summoned. It was a modest banquet, with costs not exceeding the castle’s coins on hand, and limited by time. Yet Strraina’s ability to organize such events and her related Feats had made this party bearable for its highborn guests, despite the lack of extravagant decorations and entertainment. She capitalized on the fresh seafood that Ovespuerte produced for this feast.
Numisley had mingled in the banquet without Cultrost, for his brother knew that his non-Human presence would offend the attendants. Cultrost watched Numisley from a corner of the hall as he struck up conversations with the [Merchants] and some of the nobles. The brothers were both taught by their father that making connections was the essence of being a [Merchant]. Once, Cultrost was the one who struck up conversations with the people of the Satyr tribes back home, endearing himself to them for their father’s company to have better relations with them; while his brother had spoken with Humans and other peoples back home. Yet again, he was reminded that he did not belong in this place.
Then he saw Numisley being sequestered by his blood uncle, disappearing in one of the doors that led to a hallway. The two of them now walked within a silent hallway, with Escribanorr declining to cast anti-eavesdropping spells because of his mana exhaustion.
“I came to tell you that if we plan to buy properties near Ovespuerte’s docks to use as stations for trade, my nephew shall be the Naveirei stationed in Ovespuerte. Whether or not you are accepted by the Ichoricon, you shall be his right-hand man.” Escribannor uttered.
“I feel like that’s not the only thing you want to say…uncle.”
“I should not twist and turn with my words. But, if you want to become one of us, I have some conditions for you, for your existence will…may throw the order of not only our House, but the other Houses who may have designs against us. If your heritage is known, then the succession plan will be subject to change, to put it lightly.”
“Is it because I’m the son of my mother?”
“Precisely,” Escribannor confirmed. “When my mother and I did not know of you, with my sister gone, I was going to the one who shall inherit the position as the head of the House if my mother dies, and Scrivorr shall be next if I perish. Now, you exist, and by the laws of ichorial legitimacy, you would be next in line after my mother dies, for, despite your curse, your pedigree is still closer to royalty than even me; at least according to the [Priests] of the Ichoricon. Here’s my first of my many conditions: you shall say–publicly during the Ichoricon–that you won't interfere with the current line of succession.”
“I have no problem with that.”
“Second–and the most obvious one–you shall not go against the interests of the Naveirei.”
Numisley nodded in agreement.
“Third. You shall be tutored in the ways of etiquette.”
“What? You mean I will have to be taught how to be polite? I’m already polite. Sociable, even.”
“No, you are not. Like right now. I’m a Margrave-Magus of the House. You’re a [Merchant]. You should always address me as ‘Lord‘ or ‘Sire’ in normal circumstances, but I gave you leeway for you are my nephew, and I understand that you are raised in Libertalia. Your vocabulary may be enough for commoners and [Merchants], but not enough for the more touchy nobility of this kingdom and other lands. I won't have you making more enemies just because a [Lord] would use your rudeness as an excuse for a plot against our House. I would have you speaking proper Torregornian, not the trade-cant you are speaking right now. ”
“If that’s so important, then fine.”
“It’s not the only thing you shall learn. You shall learn the ways of politics, history, economics, system theory, and the Six Energies from my personal tutor.”
System Theory. These two words had caught the notice of Numisley. It was the principle that is applied to his father’s brown book. How to use Feats and Roles efficiently. How to create Feats, Roles, and other functions of the system that governed the world that Numisley knows. How these applications apply to society and even culture. He had studied the encrypted text religiously every night, scrutinizing every word and definition within its pages until his candle run out. Yet many of its pages, much to his chagrin, remain encrypted despite knowing the cryptographic language his father taught them.
“That’s…good to know.” Numisley hid his curiosity and excitement that threatened to surface from his words and countenance when he heard those words.
“What I will say next will be painful for you.”
“What is it?”
“Your leg. Your ‘brother’, as you kept calling that Satyr you bought in this castle. These are the ones you must discard to become one of us.”
“He is my older brother. And before you say anything, my father did not lay with another Satyr woman after my mother died giving birth to me. My father–we, adopted him. As far as I’m concerned, he is my family.”
Escribanorr raised an eyebrow, but he did not dare contradict Numisley’s speech.
“Still, I shall say this. Your lamed leg is easiest to discard out of the two. Simply cutting it off would do if you want to subject yourself to the Ichoricon. If you had said you had lost your leg in an accident or a war, then their Ichorvators wouldn’t bar you from the ritual. As for your ‘brother’, as early as tonight, you shall cut off ties with him, for I intend to bring you to the temple where the Ichoricon shall take place within the week.”
“I rather cut my leg off than to abandon my only family.”
“If you want to become part of our family, then you have to discard your previous family.”
“That’s not fair!” Numisley blurted out. He could not believe what he had uttered. As if he was still a child being forced to do chores. Yet he regained his composure, remembering what he had learned about Thewardn’s copy of the kingdom’s laws. “Sorry. However, I had read up on your kingdom’s laws. In the Articles of Knighthood in the Compact of Torregorn, Provision 25, that a non-Human is eligible for knighthood in the following conditions: that he is of good character, that he had possessed the Role of [Knight] and any adjacent Role with this keyword, and that he is sworn to loyalty under a Bloodbound Contract or a higher-grade Feat-based contract to the noble Human person that gave him knighthood. Upon knighthood, any undue and criminal action the non-Human [Knight] will take is grounds for the removal of titles of both the non-Human [Knight] and the Human noble who had knighted him.”
Numisley had finally said the line he had recited night-by-night when he had found out of the loopholes within this provision. It is with the simple fact he could bestow any Role with the knowledge he gained from the brown book he possessed, and therefore, make Cultrost his [Knight] in both Role, and soon in name.
“You will make your adopted brother a [Knight]?” Escribanorr said and quickly used a Feat that recalled that specific provision from the same code of laws that Numisley had read to confirm it.
“Because when I set foot here to claim my heritage, I knew that I had to create a place for my brother when I saw how other peoples are being treated in your kingdom.”
Escribanorr could not deny the truth despite having the urge to. It is simply a fact of life in this land that even in the kingdom he serves, where it receives trade from the other races in the Six Lands more regularly than the other Human kingdoms, discrimination against the other races is still prevalent.
Cultrost had heard everything behind one of the stone pillars behind Numisley and his deepest fears that he had ever since he had set foot in Torregorn were proven invalid. The banquet did not end when the visitors had retired to their homes and rooms within the castle. It ended when Numisley, Cultrost, and Racieros had shared a toast with the castle’s remaining wine, with bread to go with it, before retiring to their quarters.
On that night, Numisley had let himself rest, instead of studying the brown book and coming up with plots. Then, finally, he had received what he deserved from this entire ordeal.
[Feat - Locate Loophole (Minor), developed]
[Feat - Inciting Words, developed.]
[Rare Feat - I Profited From Ideas I Gave (1% Profit), developed.]
[Feat - Swift Interception (Scheme), developed.]
[Rare Feat - First to Hear, First to Sell, developed.]
[Feat - Bribe Individual, developed.]
[Feat - Improved Planning, developed.]
[Feat - Adviser’s Trust, developed.]
[Feat –
This had made Numisley wake up in the middle of the night. He was in disbelief at how many Feats he had received from the Voice of the World, and so he decided to study the brown book, however, he remembered that he hid the brown book somewhere outside his reach. Then he remembered the letter he received from Raudaeiz, and now he could not sleep with worry.
Numisley was not the only one who received the blessings of the Voice of the World, as Racieros, Cultrost, and everyone who participated in this conspiracy, whether or not they were loyal to Racieros or against him, had gained a Feat or two, or more.