Wild Era 3, Ch 8: Estate

When Kelin reached Highmist, he faded back into a physical form and passed through the gates. Then he headed to the guild hall.

“It’s going fairly well,” Jesra said, looking a bit tired as she piled a stack of ledgers and documents on the counter in front of her. 

She pointed at them with a delicate finger.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg, but they’re the records of the most important things I’ve found so far in Verasun’s estate. You have a lot of things now, but the problem is in the transition.

"Not everything is documented, some contracts were through Verasun directly, rather than the estate, and some documents are held by other hands, like his old allies, and I can’t necessarily get a hold of them.”

“They’re making things difficult and trying to hide old contracts?” he asked, feeling unsurprised. “I’ll take care of it.”

He flipped through some of the books and papers, scanning them to get a feel for the type of legal documentation they used in Highmist. 

As he worked, he let his mind consider the various nobles and their interests that had been on display during the banquet. Their desire for the Verasun dungeons was steep and he’d turned them all away, so he wouldn’t be surprised if they tried something.

They had all been thoroughly terrified by Sleset, so it was unlikely to be a physical attack. They would probably try something financial or political.

The roadblocks Jesra was encountering were probably the beginning of it.

There were only a couple of months left until the Decennium, the gathering where the nobles would decide the dungeon tax rates throughout Celadon for the next decade, as well as the influence that each of them held, so they had plenty of motivation to move quickly and to try to eliminate him from the picture.

Titles could rise and fall and Verasun had been a major contender for a big leap in influence. 

Now that power seemed like it was up for grabs.

He didn’t care what the nobles did with their time, and if it had been Silas Crest they were targeting, he would have wished them well, but he had to draw a line when it came to interfering with his interests.

The taxes from the dungeons came from the nobles and their own dungeon teams, not from the regular people, so they would be a good source of income for the orphanage and academy.

He spent some time considering the possible angles they would take, and then he set the papers back down.

He didn’t have enough information here, so he’d have to take a more direct route.

“Who is giving you the most issues?” he asked calmly. 

“Baron Kean,” she said immediately. “He’s a large landholder in the city with a lot of business inside and farms outside. He has a few dungeons to his name, but nothing out of the ordinary and they’re mostly low level, ones near his farmlands.

"A lot of your shipping ran through him and it’s not clear what the status of those shipments are. There could be 50,000 gold or more in them that he’s trying to cover up.”

“I see,” Kelin said. “Who else?”

“Baron Delamere,” she replied after thinking for a moment. “He’s not as wealthy as Kean, but he’s influential in the social circles here and he seems to be leading the charge to turn me away from digging more deeply. He has links to the city guard and some banks here, but not very many dungeons.”

“Give me the details for both of them,” Kelin said with a nod as he marked the names down in his memory. “I’ll take care of it.”

Jesra took a few moments to organize a memory slip with all of the information she had on hand and then she passed it over.

“This is a copy of everything,” she offered. “The real documents here are better for proving contracts, but that’s easier to carry.”

Kelin scanned it and then stored it away with a nod of thanks.

“What are you going to do with them?” she asked.

“I’ll give them a chance,” he said. “The outcome depends on how they respond.”

“Can I help?” She looked at him eagerly.

The idea of her donning a suit of armor and running after nobles with a giant sword flickered through Kelin’s mind, which made him chuckle, but instead of agreeing, he tapped on the books on the counter.

“As you’re looking through things, give me some suggestions on how to make business difficult for them, the harder the better.”

“I know just the thing,” Jesra said with a dark grin. “I’ll make a list.”

“Good. Is anyone else causing trouble?”

“Some of the nobles have been refusing to see me,” she said, “claiming that it’s beneath them to deal with a clerk and they’ll only talk to you. They keep turning away my visits, even with a contract in hand. They aren’t as bad as the first two though.”

“They’re probably still trying to get an advantage on the dungeon taxes,” Kelin said, shaking his head. “Or they’re offended that I ignored them during the banquet and are taking it out on you.”

It was a petty response, but a normal one for them.

“After your duel, most people are giving in,” Jesra added, “but there are a few shadier contacts that I haven’t been able to get a hold of. Crest had a lot of business partners, both merchants and nobles. The merchants haven’t been too bad, since the city lord has decreed the transfer is legal.

“Those contracts connect to a lot of other cities, and he had a number of magical communication artifacts. Several of them have already shattered. I can’t trace a lot of what he was doing.”

“Where are the artifacts?”

“I’ve sealed the ones we managed to collect away in a spatial bag and sent it to that crafting hall you like to use, which I reserved for you. We have the space, so no one else needs it right now.”

“Good,” Kelin said, nodding. “I’ll go through it later. Go ahead and book that hall for the next month. I’ll keep it as a private workshop for at least that long.”

He needed to search through the rest of Crest’s things, including his mansion and safe houses, but the smuggling and other illegal activities the man had been up to weren’t something he cared about.

The guild could handle it.

“Take some guild enforcers with you the next time,” he said plainly. “Let them arrest anyone who wants to cause trouble. And if they see any questionable items, they can confiscate those too. There’s no need to treat Crest’s things with too much forgiveness just because I own it now. Let the guild clean it out. Send anything you find to the same spot.”

“Got it,” Jesra said, looking pleased . She would get to wield quite a bit of authority on his behalf.

“How are the plans for the orphanage and academy going?” he asked, changing the topic. “How much can we put toward an orphanage and academy without stripping the businesses?”

“If you keep most of the same people in place and let things continue running as they were, about thirty-six thousand gold a year,” Jesra offered immediately. “You could put all of that toward it, if you wanted to, at least from the normal income.

“Beyond that, most of Verasun’s income was from his dungeon teams. I don’t have much oversight on them, but the three leaders stopped by and introduced themselves. They shared their books. They seem more willing to work with you than anyone else.”

“You can be my voice to them unless something comes up,” Kelin said. “Let them continue to do what they’re used to for now, but slowly suggest things that will favor the guild and their own growth. Let them become more independent.

"They’re already guild members, even if their loyalty isn’t here, so if you can bring the two closer together, do it.”

‘Got it,” Jesra nodded with approval. “Those teams have always been an issue for us, since they run dungeons without keeping us in the loop. It would be good to keep better track of them, and maybe they can help in other places.”

“Feel free to give them bonuses out of the annual income and to let them sell the materials to the guild,” Kelin said. “They don’t need to just hand them over. I’m not Crest and I’m not going to take everything they earn. If they want to take that money and retire, let them.”

That would effectively destroy the income that Verasun had been skimming, but it was the right thing to do. 

Adventurers should keep the rewards they earned.

“Some of those dungeons are poor except for specific materials, since they’re run so frequently,” Jesra said. “I can offer to buy the materials at the guild price or a little better and then see if there are channels to sell them locally for a profit. That would keep some of the business in your hands, and it would still be better for them than before.”

“Go ahead,” Kelin agreed. “I don’t mind playing merchant, as long as I don’t have to deal with it personally.”

Jesra nodded as she made a note on a sheet in front of her.

“I’ll see what works best,” she said. 

“Ideally, the majority of them will become regular adventurers over time,” Kelin added. “They could be useful for dungeons that need them, rather than farming those old ones.”

“That would help to alleviate some of our low numbers,” Jesra agreed. “One of the reasons we’re so short-handed is because of teams like theirs. Too many adventurers are working for the nobles instead of for the guild. There are thousands of them.”

She glanced out at the guild hall, which was at perhaps ten percent capacity, and shook her head. 

“This place could be bustling, but it’s always like this.”

“Simplicity and a steady income are appealing to some people,” Kelin said as he glanced over his shoulder, “but I suspect the nobles are forceful in their hiring, whether it’s with threats or bribes.

"The Herald was just here, so if you see something out of place, let Captain Sandren know. She can pay them a visit and scare them off. Things should settle back to a more normal level if we apply some pressure.”

“I’ll do that,” Jesra said with a nod before she shifted topics. “About the orphanage...do you want to build your own, take over a building, or take over the city orphanage? You’d have to deal with the city lord for the last one, since it’s technically under his authority.”

“Take over the city one,” Kelin replied immediately. “Don’t even ask him. He failed too many  times to improve it. Send him a polite message that I’ll cover its costs in the future and he is welcome to review the record at the guild hall, but that there’s no need to concern himself with it any longer. Then send some guild trainers to take over. If he wants to argue, he can go complain to Yaslen.”

He doubted the city lord would have the courage.

“Tell Yaslen if he causes any trouble,” he added. “The guild’s influence needs to be stronger. She’ll understand and take care of it.”

“Got it,” Jesra replied again, although she looked astonished this time, since he was basically ordering the guildmaster for the entire world around.

“Once the funds start to flow and the trainers have taken over the orphanage,” Kelin said, “expand into the buildings nearby. There are a lot of them there, but with bad streets and a lot of housing for the poor. 

“Buy out the entire area and rebuild it into something that works better. Offer the locals jobs in tending to the academy and orphanage. Try to get their buy-in first, but if they don’t want to stay, offer them a bribe to leave and go somewhere else.”

“It shouldn’t take more than a gold each to get most of them to leave,” Jesra said. “All of this will take some liquid funds to start. You have about fifty thousand gold in your new bank accounts. Should I use that?”

“Go ahead,” Kelin agreed. “Don’t drain it all, since some of the business interests will need it to, or contracts might come due. Leave twenty thousand in there for a buffer. Make sure to transfer it to new accounts that no one else can access.”

“Already did,” Jesra said with a sharp grin. “No one’s going to steal your money on my watch.”

“Good work,” he said, laughing. Then he shifted a few things around and set a small storage bag on the counter in front of her. 

“Here’s another ten thousand to keep on hand,” he said. “Pay yourself something reasonable, document it all, and let me know the progress. Feel free to combine the regular guild training for the locals with the core orphanage classes, whatever is simplest. It’ll be a type of guild outreach either way.”

He tapped his fingers on the counter in thought.

“Use some of the money to buy low-level guild gear,” he added. “Everyone needs enough clothes and food, and those graduating who want to be adventurers should have basic weapons and other equipment. For more than that, they’ll need to attend the guild classes and prepare themselves.”

Jesra nodded.

“For the academy aspect,” she asked, “do you want to base it on the guild classes or something else?”

“Talk to the trainers here, and the captains,” Kelin said, “and then see how much they can scale the classes up. The guild and the academy should be integrated for most of the basic curriculum, with it very clear that they are hand in hand. 

“Then use the guild channels to see if you can hire some retired mages or other adventurers as teachers for the other arts: magical theory, enchanting, dance, music, everything. At least ten subjects besides combat and survival. Hire anyone in good standing with the guild and who can pass some background tests. They can be the first faculty.”

He was planning to make an academy in the Irian style, where many arts came together, not just ones for killing. 

It wouldn’t be his homeland, but it would be a good start.

“They’ll like that,” Jesra said, smiling now as she tucked a bit of hair behind her ear. “I’ll put out some announcements. There are a lot of hidden talents in the guild and even around Highmist. Some might want to teach their speciality.”

“Thanks for arranging everything,” Kelin replied. “ I’ll stop by again between dungeon runs.”

“Wait to be impressed, Sir Knight,” Jesra said, grinning. “This is good experience for me anyway. All of the documents and contracts count separately. Building up the orphanage and academy will be a lot too.”

Kelin glanced at her level, which had leapt up by a dozen since he’d left, from around Level 50 to 62. 

She was rising quickly and would be at the First Evolution soon.

Kelin waved at her and left the desk. It hadn’t taken him long to return to the city, so it was still early evening.

He stopped by the guild shop and sorted out some materials from the dungeon, trading and buying as necessary to get what he wanted, and then he headed for his crafting hall.

When he walked in, he felt himself relax in the familiar and peaceful surroundings. It was the same crystal roof that let in the light of the stars and the three moons, filling the room with a sense of calm focus.

He pulled a comfortable chair out of his storage and set it in front of the work table. Then he flopped down on it and let himself relax as he looked up at the stars.

When he was ready, he inscribed a ward circle on the table and picked up the box of things that Jesra had locked away. He set it inside the ward and scanned it.

Most of the things inside were inert already, their mana faded and empty, but he could sense a couple of signatures that were still present. After assessing that nothing presented an immediate danger, he opened the box and began taking them out one by one.

Most of them were message artifacts, including a ring, an amulet, and a few crystals. 

The ring was a sapphire of some type, but the energy that had once animated it was gone, leaving it dark. 

The crystals were also dead, with most of them broken in half. A pulse of energy from the other side had shattered them. It was a common safeguarding technique for such things.

Only the amulet was still functional.

The Verasun crest was prominent on both sides, engraved into a gold base, and there were small gemstones set around the edge, like a clock. 

There were settings for a dozen of them, but only seven were still filled. The other five settings were broken and the gemstones were missing.

The damage was recent, showing that someone had destroyed them within the past few days.

A few moments of toying with the amulet explained its function. 

The Verasun symbol served as a message node, similar to how a guild badge functioned. Each of the gemstones was a setting for communication to another similar amulet. It was probably linked to a number of other noble families, each of which had their own copy. 

This wasn’t a common artifact, but something they had created for a private alliance, and if it wasn’t related to dungeons or influence at the Decennium one way or another, Kelin would eat his shirt.

He couldn’t tell exactly where the connections led, but he had a feeling that if he discovered the origin of the five broken ones, Keane and Delamere would be two of them.

He memorized the message imprints that were left and then sealed the amulet with a quick ward before he tossed it into his storage.

Perhaps it would be useful later.

He’d already slept back in the dungeon, so he spent some time sorting through the stack of new Second Evolution materials he’d picked up. 

He’d given the guild the entire body of the Shadowflame Drake and the cores he’d obtained from the dungeon.

This was the result. 

It was an almost one-to-one trade for materials that he could use more easily. There were several thousand Fire-aligned drake scales and many other things.

It was enough to supply most of his needs for the Second Evolution, as well as to allow him to study methods for engraving Second Evolution talismans early.

It wouldn’t be as easy as the First Evolution talismans, but it wasn’t that difficult either, at least in theory. He just needed to maintain the mana concentration for long enough to get through the more complex foundational patterns that were necessary.

He spent a couple of hours experimenting with Blaze and condensing his mana into finer lines, but before he could make any real progress, his guild badge hummed with a message.

Then another one, followed by two more.

He frowned, but then he set aside his work and checked the contents.

There were four messages, one from Jesra and the rest from the three mercenary captains that had worked for Silas Crest.

When he flicked a finger, they appeared as shimmering runes in the air, waiting for him to acknowledge them.

He listened to Jesra’s first.

“Sir, your three mercenary captains are here, the ones you asked me to look after. They’ve come with a warning that the nobles are planning some legal ploy that will let them try to take over your dungeons. They’re quoting some obscure local law, but it sounds urgent.”

Kelin shook his head and listened to the next three messages in a row.

Then he stored away his materials and dusted himself off as he headed out of the crafting hall.

He’d thought the nobles would stay in their lanes for longer after seeing the duel, so he’d been planning to deal with them over the next few days, but if they wanted to push up the timeline, he would adapt.

It seemed like it was time to make an example out of someone.

His expression was calm, but there was an aura of golden flames that gathered around him as he walked, one that built with every step. 

It hummed with power like a rising storm, one that promised to break before dawn.