Before the Storm: Act 08, Chapter 10

What the…

Standing on the westernmost berth of Corelyn Harbour, Liane watched as a motley assortment of passengers disembarked from the recently arrived barge from Warden’s Vale. They were a provincial-looking lot…at least if ‘provincial’ included counting Orcs, Lizardmen, and Goblins amongst their number. Even more strange was that they were all adorned in the same fashion, which consisted of simple, serviceable clothing, thick-soled boots, and a plain leather satchel slung over the shoulder. Depending on their profession, shawls, headscarves, and wide-brimmed straw hats covered each passenger’s head.

Bringing up the rear of the procession coming down the boarding ladder was Ludmila, who wore the usual equestrian outfit that had been granted to her by Lady Shalltear. She walked toward Liane and Clara in an imperceptibly menacing way, her face an unreadable mask. Liane took a step back as Ludmila closed on them, which annoyed Liane far more than she expected.

“Is this an invasion?” Liane asked, “A…uh, frog attack?”

“An amphibious assault,” Ludmila corrected her. “And no. There would be far more Lizardmen with me if it was.”

“Then why all the people? They just visiting town?”

“No,” Ludmila replied. “We are bringing them with us.”

“Wha?”

“I may have done a…thing that led to another thing that led to this being necessary,” the towering Martial Noble said.

“Alright,” Liane said. “When you kinda start sounding like me, I know you did a thing.”

“What happened?” Clara asked.

Ludmila’s gaze wandered their surroundings as if scanning for unseen threats. Then, she took a step closer.

『When I got home last night, Miss Hoffman was in the village square.』

『Y’know, if you were going to use this, what was the point of all that just now?』

『Why was she in Warden’s Vale?』

『The Guilds discovered what I was doing and they did not like any of it. Miss Hoffman delivered a list of unreasonable demands, which I naturally refused.』

Liane exchanged a look with Clara. Given how Ludmila interpreted the world around her, ‘unreasonable demands’ could have meant anything.

『Could you be a little more specific?』

『The industries in Warden’s Vale have grown significant enough for them to decide that they should be the ones who determine how things work. They seem to especially dislike the threat that our industrial production poses to their members and want to regulate everything from marriage to education.』

『That’s pretty normal as far as the Guilds go.』

『Yes, well, they see fit to apply their ‘normal’ to just me and not you two.』

『Probably because you stink at negotiating. I bet you listened to Miss Hoffman rattle off their demands, said ‘I see’, and then kicked her into the river.』

Ludmila silently glowered at Liane in response. She had probably hit the mark.

“Well,” Clara said, “even if that is the case, it should hardly affect your territory. If anything, it hurts the rest of the Duchy as you are by far a net exporter.”

“The other Nobles will be happy about some of their competition being knocked out for now,” Liane said. “They probably won’t be in a couple of years, though.”

“That depends,” Clara said. “How do you plan on fighting the Guilds?”

“By removing them from existence, preferably,” Ludmila replied. “Your plan to transition the guilds out of their self-declared position of authority has clearly not had any effect on how they operate presently. Since they picked a fight with me, I intend to get the most out of it.”

“I dunno if the Royal Court’ll be happy about Merchants being barred from using the Abelion Highway,” Liane said. “Wait a minute, don’t tell me you’re going to bar our Merchants, too.”

An evil smile broke out on the evil Frontier Noble’s evil face.

“I hate you,” Liane muttered.

“We will have plenty of time to discuss this later,” Clara said. “For now, we need to sort out all of these passengers. Florine should be arriving soon, as well.”

“My people already have leaders organising their respective groups,” Ludmila said. “The both of you have already met Chief Esess. Dyel Gan Zu is the Chief of the Orcs – he’s the tallest one standing over there. Miss Gran is with the Goblins.”

Liane’s gaze went to the blonde imperial scion standing in front of a column of the little green Demihumans. They looked more like a Captain with her company than members of a trade delegation.

“Doesn’t Nemel have a buncha Human settlers to represent?” Liane asked.

“Warden’s Vale’s industries are more than enough to fulfil their needs,” Ludmila answered. “I had Miss Gran come along for the experience. She is quite adept when it comes to relations with other races. The Goblins living under her management insisted on providing her with an escort.”

“She’d’ve done better with some household staff. Goblin Maids? Hm…”

There was money to be made in that idea somewhere, but she couldn’t think of anything offhand.

“I just hope we can secure accommodations for everyone,” Clara said. “Florine said that she is bringing a few people, as well.”

“And here I was hoping it would be just us going,” Liane grumbled. “When’s the last time it’s been just us?”

“The last time Lady Shalltear–”

“AHH! Forget I asked!”

“Do you not think that having more than just us in the delegation would better represent the Sorcerous Kingdom as a whole?” Clara asked, “If we continued as we have, people would start wondering if Humans ruled here.”

“We certainly pull more weight on this end of things,” Liane said.

“Which must change eventually,” Clara told her. “It is unreasonable to think otherwise.”

A strange bird call drew their attention to the familiar void of a Gate spell opening over the pavement a dozen metres away. Florine emerged from the portal cradling her nasty little Beastman. Accompanying her was what appeared to be a cross between a slug and a bug. Lady Shalltear and a pair of Vampire Brides emerged behind them. Their liege bore a pleased expression as her gaze lingered on Liane and her friends.

“Good Morning, Lady Shalltear,” Clara said as they curtseyed in unison, “I hope the morning finds you well.”

“It would have been much better if that gorilla hadn’t decided to send you away the very moment I had some time to enjoy myself,” Lady Shalltear sighed.

Their liege perked up slightly as Ludmila produced a preservation bottle from her Infinite Haversack.

“You will have to make do with this until we can attend to you properly, my lady,” Ludmila said as she offered her blood to the Vampire. “Hopefully, things will proceed smoothly.”

Liane rummaged around in her bag for the blood that she had collected over the past few weeks. As she did, she frowned up at the top of Florine’s head.

“What happened to your hair?” Liane asked, “Do you wrestle with Demihumans on an hourly basis? Wait, did it just move on its own?”

“Something is foraging for parasites in her hair,” Ludmila offered helpfully.

Clara rushed to hide behind Ludmila. Liane leapt back several metres, brushing off her dress in a panic.

“I don’t have any parasites!” Florine protested, “This is Liolio: one of the people I said I’d be bringing along.”

“Pip!”

A bird thing with long brown tail feathers appeared atop Florine. Florine gestured to the bluish slug bug thing with her free hand.

“This is Boobeebee, a representative of the Zern. Both have accompanied me for the last few months.”

Boobeebee bobbed her eel-like head, holding her hands together like a mantis rather than a Human. Liane couldn’t read the Zern’s expression at all.

After collecting their blood and inspecting the last of the bottles with a satisfied nod, Lady Shalltear opened a new Gate.

“Oriculon, yes?” Lady Shalltear said, “The girls working at the exclave said that the old landing was no good, so you’ll emerge near the gate to the city.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

Ludmila stepped through the portal first. They ushered the assembled delegates through before going in themselves. The balmy climate of the Draconic Kingdom welcomed them on the other side of the Gate, complete with its sapphire blue sky. Liolio pip’d and fluffed his feathers.

“I don’t get how this place can be so nice at this time of the year,” Liane said. “We’re not that far away.”

“Dame Verilyn said something about the warm currents of the Syrillian Way and the influence of the nearby deserts being the cause,” Ludmila said. “The Draconic Kingdom was founded here precisely because it is perfect for Human habitation.”

“And the jungle next door is perfect for a bunch of people that eat Humans,” Liane said. “How convenient.”

“Lady Zahradnik?”

Nemel Gran approached them from where she had left her Goblins standing on a nearby empty lot. She was dressed as an imperial noblewoman, though that was probably because Warden’s Vale was something like the opposite of a centre of fashion. Ludmila turned to look at her with a question on her face.

“Are we staying here for long?” Nemel asked, “If so, where do we find accommodations? This entire place is filled with cargo containers…”

Liane eyed the rows of metal boxes stacked up around them. They had been careful to raise the land well above the maximum flood mark, but the river had risen past it and now half of the district was submerged. It was a good thing that they were still in the middle of landscaping when it happened.

“What does our itinerary look like, Corelyn?” Ludmila asked.

“Our convoy will finish arriving by midday,” Clara replied. “We have dinner with Queen Oriculus this evening. The time of our departure will be determined by our discussion with Her Majesty.”

“It sounds like we will be sleeping on the ships,” Ludmila told Nemel. “In the meantime, I suppose we should get everyone acquainted.”

Clara took Ludmila’s elbow as they were encircled by an assortment of different races. The most concerning-looking of the bunch was the slug bug thing beside Florine. Even the burly Orcs that Ludmila had brought along gave the thing a wide berth.

“I take it that you are acquainted with one another?” Ludmila asked.

“That one is a Zern,” the largest Orc answered. “They’ve been the scourge of the northern tribes since times beyond recounting.”

“We’re all on the same side now,” Florine said with a gentle smile. “I don’t mean to trivialise the history between your people, but I believe that it would be for the best if everyone joined hands to build a prosperous future.”

The members of the assembly responded with silence, though they seemed more clueless as to how to reply to Florine’s entreaty than unreceptive of her words. As Florine went on to coordinate an introduction between everyone, Clara’s fearful look turned thoughtful.

『I think this is a good opportunity.』

『A good opportunity for what?』

『Something like an informal primer on government, perhaps? We have made next to no progress on incorporating the tribes into the House of Lords.』

『So ya want to help each tribe define its interests in the context of trade? Do they even understand trade in the first place?』

『The history of trade in the Abelion Hills stretches farther back than the history of Re-Estize. You’ll have no problems on my end.』

『The Gan Zu Tribe was originally from the Abelion Hills and you already know the Lizardmen.』

Liane lightly drummed her fingers against her thigh. Was it a good idea?

The original assumption for political participation in the Sorcerous Kingdom was that the tribes – or at least the major tribes – would eventually send representatives to sit in the House of Lords. Presumably, this would help hammer out legislation that would gradually reform the Sorcerous Kingdom from a country that used a framework of Human laws, customs, and perspectives into something that worked for its many member races. What that ‘something’ was they had no idea about since the original assumption fell flat on its face.

For the most part, the tribes were content with their current state of affairs. They were promised prosperity in exchange for fealty and no one had to worry about being raided and eaten anymore. Additionally, pretty much everyone in the region – Humans included – had a fundamentally insular worldview so they had no motivation to participate in foreign politics unless they directly involved them.

『In theory, this might be a good idea, but is it actually? The last thing we need is these guys fighting one another over something that they all want.』

『At this level, I doubt that there’s anything so rare or limited that your fears would come to pass. Rol’en’gorek is so huge that a handful of our tribes should have a negligible impact on its economy.』

『Fine. But don’t blame me if they start eating each other’s faces.』

Florine rolled her eyes. They made their way over to the only relatively clear spot in the exclave: a hill upon which several saplings had been transplanted. At the top of the hill was a small pond that fed a shallow brook which wound its way down through the district on its way to the river. At some point, they were supposed to hire a handful of Druids to tend to the local greenery, but development in general had been postponed by the ongoing flooding.

“Thank you, everyone, for agreeing to participate in our discourse,” Clara said after everyone had picked out their spots. “With how sudden this seems to be for everyone, I thought it best to take the time to sort ourselves out before continuing onto the next leg of our journey. Our convoy is ostensibly a trade delegation, so I would like to begin by having each tribe or individual identify the things that they would be interested in importing.”

Clara shifted uncomfortably as her opening address was met with blank stares. Something stirred at Liane’s side.

“Zu Chiru–”

“Holy crap!” Liane leapt in fright, “Where the hell did you come from?”

“Zu Chiru saw many people, so Zu Chiru came over.”

“You still workin’ those futures contracts?” Liane asked.

The Quagoa Merchant responded with a Human-like nod.

“The profits are steady, but boring. Some of Zu Chiru’s disciples will take over soon.”

“In that case, ya got good timing. Uh, what did you want again?”

“Zu Chiru would like to see what ores are being offered. There are many mines in the Draconic Kingdom, but most of what they produce is common.”

“And the ore goes toward feeding your people, right?”

“The finest ores are for the clan,” Zu Chiru replied. “The Humans are more than happy to purchase everything else.”

“What do you do with your profits?”

“Expanding the company. These days, many males in the clan desire the prestige of being a Merchant.”

The prestige of being a Merchant, huh…

That wasn’t something one ever heard in Human society. To the vast majority, one made an honest living through their land, working as an artisan in a workshop, or toiling away as menial labour. By their logic, Merchants used unscrupulous and dishonest means to get by. The more successful the Merchant, the greater of a no-good scoundrel they were. Even Merchants themselves worked to achieve ultimate goals like owning property in the city or – if they were extraordinarily successful and lucky – purchasing an aristocratic title.

Zu Chiru, on the other hand, was seen as a sort of hero by his clan. He was the main breadwinner – or was that orewinner? – in what the Quagoa considered a desolate wasteland and many sought to emulate him.

Then again, it was still early in his career. Maybe the ideal retirement for Zu Chiru was buying a mountain somewhere to live under.

“Does that serve as a clear enough example?” Clara asked the assembled tribespeople.

Several seconds of silence fell over the gathering. Chief Gan Zu cleared his throat.

“So,” the Orc Chief said, “this, erm, Armatt…?”

“Quagoa.”

“This Quagoa must conduct trade to provide for his people. But my people are not in the same situation. Our land is more than enough to comfortably sustain us.”

“We are in the same position,” Chief Esess said. “The territory granted to my tribe is enough to support many generations of growth. Lady Zahradnik encourages us to participate in trade, but our war with the Guilds seems to mean that our Merchants will stick to local operations.”

“War with whom?” Florine frowned.

“It is a long story,” Ludmila said. “Well, maybe not so long. The Guilds tried to impose its ‘authority’ on Warden’s Vale. I rejected their demands.”

“That’s quite the shock,” Florine blinked. “Given your reputation, I figured they would leave well enough alone. Why would they risk so much for so little?”

“I suppose they thought they could play the same game that they do in every urban centre.”

“That is not the only reason,” Clara said. “The Guilds are confident that their champion will protect them.”

“Their champion?”

“Momon the Black,” Clara said.

Ludmila scoffed.

“That is ridiculous. A seated member of the Royal Court defending the Guilds from a servant of the Crown?”

Clara shrugged in response.

“To the people of E-Rantel, Momon is what keeps the Sorcerer King from razing the city to the ground and slaughtering its citizens. You should see how much they panic whenever they find out he is absent. As members of the aristocratic establishment govern on behalf of His Majesty, the Guilds would reason that Momon will also protect them from you.”

“They should ask the people of Fassett County how that worked out for them,” Liane said.

“We all saw how it was there,” Clara said. “No one was very fond of House Fassett or its subjects. Most were fine with interpreting what happened there as evil turning upon evil.”

“Unlike their entirely innocent selves,” Ludmila grumbled.

“That’s just how it is,” Florine said. “In the city, the Guilds dictate right and wrong just as much as the Temples do. They consider themselves the keepers of civilised society, after all.”

She wasn’t wrong. The Guilds truly believed that everything that they did was in the best interests of civilisation. They established their seats of power in every major economic centre, which gave them a disproportionate amount of de facto influence. What Ludmila saw as illegitimate interference in her fief’s affairs, the Guilds considered their rightful duty to urban society. Historically, no one messed with the Guilds because they could hold an entire country’s economy hostage.

“I’m pretty sure the Guilds just think they’ll flat-out win,” Liane said. “In their minds, Momon’s on their side if you try resorting to violence. You’re pretty much a non-factor in everything else.”

“That’s right,” Florine said. “From their standpoint, your territory is just a source of raw resources with minimal economic clout. I wouldn’t be surprised if they also believe that the Royal Court will back them since the only thing they seem to want the citizens to do is follow the rules and generate revenue.”

“Yeah,” Liane nodded. “You’re basically a puppy waiting to be kicked…hey, where are you going?”

Ludmila looked over her shoulder with a pout.

“Finding an empty container to sulk in,” she said.

Clara went and brought Ludmila back to their place in the circle.

“Your fief is literally designed to withstand sieges,” Clara told her. “Trade embargoes do not do nearly as much to Warden’s Vale as they believe it will. The Guilds frame this conflict as a rural aristocrat trying to infringe on their jurisdiction by chartering a new urban centre without their blessing. Since you never communicate with the Guilds beyond official paperwork, they have no clue that you have an entirely different worldview from theirs. You mentioned that you plan to take full advantage of this. What are you going to do?”

“Accelerate our society’s transition away from the Guild System, I suppose,” Ludmila replied. “Just as importantly, what I do will hopefully shift the Sorcerous Kingdom away from its Human-centric starting point.”

“Just in case you didn’t notice,” Liane said, “that’s already something we’ve been doing.”

“I know,” Ludmila said, “but some highly problematic issues have been evolving while that happens.”

“Such as the economic and social marginalisation of the vast majority of the Sorcerous Kingdom’s population?” Clara said.

“…you have no idea how annoying your ability to instantly figure out things that take me forever to realise is,” Ludmila muttered.

“Well,” Clara smiled, “you said ‘evolved’, so it was easy to deduce from there.”

“Easy my ass,” Liane said. “Also, things have always been like that. Why make a huge fuss out of it now?”

“Because of the ‘evolution’ that I mentioned,” Ludmila told her. “Human society tends to order itself by wealth and vocation. The Sorcerous Kingdom is undergoing a transition wherein Human labour is making the shift towards artisanal professions. At the same time, Human perceptions of the local tribes categorise them as savage brutes with little value beyond their use as menial labour or a way to deliver previously untapped resources to the cities.”

“I see,” Florine said. “So you’re saying that if things are allowed to remain as they are, non-Humans will be relegated to the lowest rungs of society.”

“But do they even care?” Liane said, “Just going by what your two Chiefs said, they’re content with what they have. They have no need for the rest of society.”

“You misunderstand us,” Chief Esess took a step forward. “What we said is that our lands are sufficient to sustain our people, so we do not need to trade for our survival. That does not mean we wish to live in isolation.”

“That’s right,” Chief Gan Zu said. “Baroness Zahradnik told us that she wishes to have all of her subjects become members of the greater community that she is building in her territory and nothing my people have witnessed suggests that she does not mean what she says. By comparison, these ‘guilds’ insist on forcing everyone to become one of them. Those who do not are targets to be exploited according to rules that the Guilds fashion for their own benefit. To me, this is worse than being raided: at least those being raided are allowed to defend themselves.”

Liane raised her hands disarmingly.

“Fine, I get it, I get it. But what’s your strategy here? The Guilds’ve practically locked you into your territory.”

“That is what they believe,” Ludmila said. “In reality, the way that they weigh and measure the world around them has left them blind to reality. Gagnier, have the Guilds sent any representatives to the Abelion Hills?”

“No.”

“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding m–”

“Why is that?” Ludmila asked, “More of the Sorcerous Kingdom’s citizens dwell there than in the Duchy of E-Rantel.”

Florine sighed.

“Because the Abelion Hills have no economic significance.”

“If things are left as they are, how long do you think it will take for the Guilds to ‘spread civilisation’ to the Abelion Hills?”

“Even if our citizens want it, I can’t see it ever happening unless someone forces the issue. Our history suggests that the tribes living there are a threat to Human civilisation and the Guilds will base their assessments on that. The Abelion Highway will only be recognised for the economic potential that direct access to the western ocean represents.”

“So your plan is to create an adjacent economy,” Clara said.

“Yes,” Ludmila replied. “Not only with the people of the Abelion Hills, but also with any population being overlooked by the Guilds. His Majesty desires prosperity for all of his subjects. The machinations of the Guilds only lead to the creation of a class of urban elites. It is clear to me that the Guilds must be ousted as quickly as is reasonable.”

“I agree,” Florine said. “There is no reason why any of the Sorcerous Kingdom’s citizens should suffer this sort of treatment. The beneficial aspects of the Guild System are not necessarily exclusive to the Guilds. In fact, regulation and representation are much better handled by our officials.”

Liane’s gaze moved back and forth between her friends as they discussed their new ‘war plan’. She didn’t care how things played out either way, but…

“Don’t you think you’re trying to move things a little too fast?” Liane asked, “How about letting the Guilds know what they’re doing wrong and let them correct the problem?”

Ludmila tilted her head, bestowing a confused look upon Liane.

“I believe that is the silliest thing I have ever heard from you, my dear Lady Wagner,” she said. “Why would I interrupt an enemy who is in the midst of making a mistake?”