by Tamryn Tamer
“Six rel per glass or twenty rel for the entire bottle,” Rose said, smiling wickedly. “If you two split the cost of the bottle you’d…”
“Fine,” Frost nodded. “We’ll take the bottle.”
“Thank you so much!” Rose said, filling Frost’s glass while both he and Sir Wildflower each set ten rel on the table. Rose quickly snatched up the coins and gave Frost a peck on the cheek. “If you need anything else please let me know!”
“I will,” Frost answered as the redhead walked back to her spot behind the bar. He turned his attention back to Sir Wildflower. “So, what did you want to talk about?”
“Right now, the exorbitant wine prices in your village,” Sir Wildflower sighed. “But I suppose I should get down to business. There are three things which King Asmund currently wishes to discuss based on the previous conversations. The first is the proposal to Princess Fiora. After much deliberation he has agreed to meet with her mother and he’s agreed to maintain your lie that he initiated the proposal.”
“What’s it going to cost me?” Frost asked. He really regretted that lie but at the time he just hated seeing Princess Fiora being bullied by her mother over her lack of marriage prospects.
“Desdemona is to receive fifty Ayoyous,” Sir Wildflower answered. “Based on her description, they’re some type of promissory note for time, correct? She’s mentioned them a few times in her letters to the king.”
“That’s right,” Frost said pensively. “He’s willing to marry Princess Fiora for fifty of them?”
“No,” Sir Wildflower said. The dark-haired cavalier smirked as he began pouring himself a second glass of wine from the bottle. “He’s willing to meet with Princess Fiora’s mother because he believes the marriage would be beneficial for both Rilia and Zira. It’ll also serve to temper some of the rumors that he’s simply a vicious warlord. The Ayoyous are in exchange for maintaining your lie that he requested the marriage and Princess Fiora denied him.”
“Ah,” Frost nodded. “That makes sense. I can only do twenty…”
“Fifty,” Sir Wildflower replied sternly. “I’ve already had this discussion with Princess Brynn Hilde.”
“That explains her temperament when I arrived,” Frost said amusedly.
“King Asmund doesn’t believe you have any leverage when it comes to this particular request. Refusing to maintain your lie will neither hurt nor benefit him since the meeting is already arranged. You lied, he can either go along with it or not. But he’s willing to maintain your deception if he can use it to make his sister happy.”
“Fine,” Frost sighed defeatedly. He figured he could minimize the date Ayoyous since they were the most time consuming. As long as she didn’t try to use them too frequently it was unlikely to cause an issue. “Fifty. You said three things.”
“Before we move on, King Asmund has agreed to meet with Grand Counselor Leaucault and the princess in your territory but there is the matter of protection. A Grand Counselor of Zira cannot be without her guards and a King of Rilia cannot be without his guards. We were hoping for a compromise which was another thing I was discussing with Lady Brynn Hilde when you arrived.”
“Each person can have ten guards accompany them inside of my territory,” Frost answered off the top of his head. “The rest can stay on the eastern and western borders respectively. If anybody causes trouble within my territory, I’ll let Cassia run wild. She’s all of the protection anybody needs. And if something does happen, your soldiers are right on my border.”
“That should be acceptable,” Sir Wildflower grumbled. “And you have Calamity Cassia under control?”
“Yes and no,” Frost answered. “Just make sure that none of the villagers are harmed and you should be fine.”
“I see. I’ll be sure to inform the king. Moving along, the second item is relating to one of your previous agreements,” Sir Wildflower’s face started to turn red. The man took another large drink of wine before taking a deep breath. “Desdemona mentioned that you’ve recently been having sex with your high priestess without taking precautions and she’s currently with child. Per the previous agreement, you are doing the same with Desdemona, correct?”
“Hmm,” Frost growled to himself while picking up his glass. He took his time drinking until the entire thing was empty and began refilling it. “Hmm.”
“That’s a no then,” Sir Wildflower shook his head. “Herald Frost, King Asmund asked me to remind you…”
“I got it,” Frost nodded as he realized that he needed to talk with Desdemona about the amount of information she was sharing with her brother. “If I start having babies, I’m obligated to give Desdemona a child. I haven’t had any babies yet though. Let’s cross that bridge when we get to it, alright. You can let King Asmund know that Desdemona will get her baby in a reasonable amount of time if I start having babies.”
“A reasonable amount of time,” Sir Wildflower nodded. “King Asmund is going to consider anything more than a year after the birth of another child very unreasonable. Also,” Sir Wildflower leaned forward as if to convey a secret. “Between you and me, I feel he’s secretly excited at the prospect of being an uncle. If you were so inclined to immediately begin the process and Princess Desdemona were to be with child sooner than expected, it would likely serve to solidify a strong alliance. And based on recent events in Zira I believe you are in need of a strong ally.”
“There was no evidence that I had anything to do with those killings,” Frost said calmly.
“I never said otherwise,” Sir Wildflower said knowingly. “But I’m sure you also noticed that Grand Counselor Leaucault has remained in Blackwater all this time and has yet to be called away. You don’t leave somebody as important as her in a low value territory like Blackwater for no reason.”
“I suppose you have a point,” Frost leaned back in his chair. “So, Asmund will have our backs if Desdemona is pregnant. I’ll consider it. What’s the last thing you wanted to discuss?”
“Right,” Sir Wildflower reached into his leather messenger bag and pulled out a small pile of documents and set them on the table. He then unfolded a large map covered in various red lines, circles, and crossed out areas. “We’d like your assistance in catching or eliminating the Prophet of Riliandra. We believe he’s currently being protected by nobles in Zira. Naturally, we’re unable to get to him.”
“Why would I do that?” Frost asked while staring at the map. “I’m not his friend but he has nothing to do with my territory.”
“Unfortunately, he does,” Sir Wildflower said pushing the small stack of papers toward Frost. “These are investigative reports documenting the death of various demihumans and monsters throughout Rilia. In all cases the victims seemed to be heading toward your territory from the north. This area was where the Prophet of Riliandra was last hiding.”
“It’s just as likely your soldiers killed them,” Frost said while reading through the documents. If he was to believe what he was reading the elves were captured, bound, and executed. He glanced at the map and noticed that the places where the corpses were found were all in range of a small northern village. “Have you searched that village?”
“Of course,” Sir Wildflower answered. “The villagers have confirmed that the prophet’s soldiers were stationed there but nobody was able to confirm his presence. It’s likely he’s blending in with his soldiers or traveling in disguise.”
“What happened to the village?” Frost asked while glaring at the red circle around the name Mawth. The village was located in the plains a few miles south of the northern mountains. It was around two hundred miles northwest from the edge of Pluma territory, putting it safely within his travel range.
“Don’t,” Sir Wildflower said coldly. “The village has been questioned and those who were found to be supporting the Prophet of Riliandra have been dealt with. Based on our investigation, we believe that the demihumans and monsters were targeted specifically because they were heading toward Pluma territory.”
“It’s also possible that there was no investigation and you’re trying to manipulate me into attacking your enemy,” Frost said, polishing off the last of his wine. “It wouldn’t be unusual.”
“King Asmund has never given you any reason to doubt him,” Sir Wildflower said. “He’s an honorable man. A vast majority of those traveling from Rilia to Pluma territory have arrived safely and if my king didn’t support the migration you would have far more corpses on your hands.”
“Fair enough,” Frost replied.
Frost stared at the bottom of his empty glass while considering everything that Sir Wildflower was telling him. While it was possible King Asmund was engaging in some grand manipulation to do his dirty work, it wasn’t likely. From what he knew about the king, he was an honorable man that faced his problems head on. There was also the fact he loved his sister and Desdemona would be furious at him.
“You said you believe nobles in Zira are hiding him,” Frost asked while staring at the map. “Why do you think that?”
“Right,” Sir Wildflower pulled out some half-charred papers and some melted chunks of wax. “We found these in one of the homes in Mawth. The paper itself yielded nothing useful but,” Sir Wildflower showed him the filthy chunks of half-melted wax. “What do you see here?”
Sir Wildflower pulled out an inkpad and slowly began pressing the wax into them and placing them on paper. While the seal was melted to the point that almost no detail remained, the general shape of the icon was intact. It almost looked like a fat horned bear, but that was only because it was melted. Assuming it used to be thinner and more detailed, it looked an awful lot like a stag.
“I forget their name,” Frost said. “Remind me.”
“Hartley,” Sir Wildflower answered while pulling out another piece of paper. He slid it across the table and Frost looked it over. “As you can see, they own a fair amount of estates not only in Blackwater but also other territories in Zira.”
“And you think they’d risk starting a war by protecting him and his men?” Frost asked, reading the document to jog his memory on the family. They definitely weren’t one of the corrupt families that the Grand Counselor dealt with and on paper they seemed to primarily run hunting expeditions from their various estates. The only thing that stood out about them were their ties to the Herald of Ziralia but half the noble houses had ties to him. “It doesn’t really make sense.”
“A prophet is valuable,” Sir Wildflower said. “We really don’t know what the prophet’s goals are at this point. But, if you were to bring him to us or kill him, we would be grateful.”
“How grateful?” Frost asked. Wildflower pulled out a pen and drew a line from the edge of his territory to mountains on Rilia’s northern border. “That’s a lot of land.”
“I believe with this land your territory’s size would be roughly double what it currently is,” Sir Wildflower said. “Between the additional farmland and hunting…”
“The land is low value,” Frost said. “We both know the land that borders the mountains is regularly under attack from high level monsters which is why there are so few villages up there. It’s not enough.”
“What else do you want?” Sir Wildflower asked. “More land? The southern borders have issues of their own you know. You might not realize it but the only reason that small port village of yours isn’t constantly under attack is because we deal with the pirates that sail the coast from Nir long before they reach it. Not to mention the forests, I’m sure the Arachne can tell you about some of the dangers that lurk there.”
“I want geomancers,” Frost answered curtly. “I think maybe one thousand.”
“One thousand geomancers,” Sir Wildflower chuckled and shook his head. “Why? And for how long?”
“It shouldn’t take more than six months,” Frost answered.
“You haven’t answered why,” Sir Wildflower said.
“Roads and defensive fortifications,” Frost answered. He also planned on having them cultivate farmland and survey areas for precious metals. “The land and one thousand geomancers for a period of six months.”
Sir Wildflower seemed to be mulling over the proposal. The Rilian military would have to pay for the geomancers whether they were sitting in a barracks or being put to work so it really wasn’t much of an expense for them.
“In the event of an emergency the geomancers can and will be called away,” Sir Wildflower countered. “Assuming you’re fine with that stipulation I believe the deal would be acceptable. Obviously pending King Asmund’s approval.”
“Obviously,” Frost said. “Also, do a better fucking job protecting people traveling to my territory.”
“Excuse me?” Sir Wildflower scoffed. “Do you have any idea how large Rilia is? The people traveling to your territory are taking unprotected backroads to avoid the guards and…”
“We’ll put an embassy in Verguard,” Frost interrupted while thinking through the logistics. “That way no matter where they’re coming from, they’ll be using main roads toward the capital. From there they can travel from the capital to my territory. It’ll be easier to monitor that way.”
“That may be acceptable for the demihumans but there are gorgons, slimes and werewolves traveling to your territory. You even have a giant.”
“Yama’s only a quarter giant,” Frost said. “She’s mostly an Oni.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Sir Wildflower said. “We will not allow them to enter the city. It would cause riots.”
“Put the embassy just outside of the city then,” Frost suggested. “And make sure the villages and soldiers in your territory spread the word that if they are located to the west of Verguard they should stop at the embassy before continuing.”
“We don’t kill your monsters but now you expect us to protect them?” Sir Wildflower shook his head. “That’s absurd. If you want them then they are your responsibility, not ours.”
“Well those I’m responsible for are being killed in your country,” Frost said while tapping the map. “You’re a soldier Sir Wildflower. Let’s say a convoy of merchants are passing through my territory and they all mysteriously die. What do you think would happen?”
“We are not at fault.”
“I didn’t say you were,” Frost said sternly. “I’m solving an issue. If they use main roads, they’re less likely to be harmed. If you’re worried about the embassy you can place it outside of the city. I fully expect bandits to be active and accidents to happen. I just wish to minimize casualties. If King Asmund offers an alternative solution I’ll be happy to hear it. But until then, I think this is a good solution. Don’t you?”
“I’ll give King Asmund the message,” Sir Wildflower answered with a heavy sigh. “But the people already don’t like our alliance with you. Not to mention the concerns regarding your aggressive growth and the belief you’re assembling an army of monsters.”
“Which seems like a good reason to be friends,” Frost chuckled. He stood up and started talking toward the door.
“You’re leaving already Herald Frost?” Rose said worriedly. “But it’s not even nighttime yet? I’m sure you can stay around for another drink or two?”
“I have to check on things around the village,” Frost said. “Brynn will be busy for a while so it’s a good time to check on people. Don’t worry, Sir Wildflower will probably want some food and drinks in him before he leaves. Isn’t that right?”
“Are there less expensive places?” Sir Wildflower asked judgmentally.
“If price is a problem, we have cheaper bottles!” Rose said while grabbing a bottle of wine that looked similar to the one they previously drank, confirming that the only difference between wine was the nonsense she spoke about it. “I also have steamed vegetables, boiled vegetables, vegetable soup, vegetable platter, a fruit and vegetable combination platter, the berry platter, the bread and cheese platter is pretty popular, and a whole variety of sandwiches!”
“Something inexpensive and filling,” Sir
Wildflower answered. “Probably the cheese and bread with some soup. I’m on a stipend.”
“Wonderful,” Rose said while gauging how much rel he had by the size of the bag. “I’ll get that started for you. Have a wonderful day Herald Frost! I don’t suppose you’d also like some special service while you’re here? My bedroom is in the back.”
“Maybe another day Rose,” Frost smiled at the crimson-haired tavern keeper as he left. “I’m pretty busy.”
CHAPTER 4
It would be a while before the new arrivals were checked in so Frost figured he could explore the village to see what had changed since he left.
Frost made it a habit to walk the village after returning from a trip. It seemed he was always returning to newly completed buildings and new villagers he hadn’t yet met. Even after brief visits to Blackwater he’d find two or three new homes complete and at least at least a couple new faces.
It was strange. He knew that construction should take longer than it did based on how long it took in his own world, but when he watched them work, he wondered why things took so long in his own world.
He attributed it to the game-like ability system of the world. Woodworking was a good example since they were building so many homes. Once the laborers all knew the pattern they were working with, they could all work independently without measuring anything to complete the project at breakneck speeds. It was similar to games where crafting a piece of furniture happened with the click of a button.
In their cases, the laborers would see the pattern and immediately start work. There were no delays or reviews. Everybody knew exactly what they needed to do and completed it as if they were assembling a children’s puzzle. It was remarkable.
“Herald Frost,” a violet slime woman excitedly approached him.
Frost knew of two varieties of slimes. The first was the standard slime, a formless blob of thick goo that could take on whatever form it wanted. It could take the form of a man, woman, or animal if it desired but generally preferred to relax in its blob form.