Gentleman's Wars 2: A Tower Defense LitRPG Series

by Andrew Karevik

  “In your career as an alchemist,” my teacher, Misses Linduall, had said before a class of chuckling students. “You will find two major sources of income. The first is the treatment of disease, which can be quite lucrative when a deep-pocketed gentleman comes into your shop. The second is contraception. Never underestimate how much a general population needs birth control.”

  “You’ve grown quiet. Is something wrong?” Yoni asked as I inspected the vial, holding it up to the light to get a better view of it. My nose wasn’t wrong here. I had made quite a few contraceptive potions to know that this particular breed of plant was to be avoided because it had toxic properties to it.

  “Where do these potions come from?” I asked, looking at my wife. She went to question why, but the expression on my face caused her to not protest.

  “My midwives craft them. But the ingredients themselves are sent from the homeland,” she explained. “Or what’s left of it.”

  “Could you tell me what’s within it?”

  “Anise for taste and spirit of willow, to quicken my womb,” she said.

  Spirit of willow was a clear, pungent liquid that was easily flammable. It was potent, however, and often resulted in a very pregnant woman after only a few uses.

  Drawing a match, I was careful to pour a small amount of the green liquid onto the table. With a flick of the wrist, I lit the stick and held it above the supposed spirit of willow. No flames, not even a spark. Touching the fire to the liquid caused it to go out.

  “Well shit,” I said. “Pardon my language, ma’am. But uh…” how was I going to put this? Elven physiology seemed no different than human, at least from what I could tell. If she thought she was drinking spirit of willow, a human fertility herb, then it goes to stand that the stoneseed would have the same effect on her as anyone else.

  “You are scaring me with your face,” Yoni said, frowning and touching my cheeks. “Have I been poisoned?”

  “Yes,” I said. “But not in the way you think…this isn’t spirit of willow. It’s stoneseed.” I glanced at her luggage and then at the grandfather clock in our room. It was almost time for our meeting. “Don’t drink anything else until I inspect it. You’re not in any danger but…I don’t know how to say this. You’ve been drinking something that stops you from pregnancy.”

  Yoni did not like hearing such words. Her ears sharply rose upwards, pointing out quite hard. “You are mistaken.”

  “I am not,” I replied. “I know you’re not used to listening to men here, but if you value your future children, you’ll do what I say.”

  The elf-maid placed her hands on her stomach and glanced downwards, a great fear across her face. “Who would do that? To swap my potions for cruel poison?”

  “I don’t know. But send a messenger home at once. Write to Nigel, our First Alchemist and have him inspect your midwives’ supply,” I said.

  “They would never allow a man to inspect such a thing,” Yoni replied.

  “Well, have one of my other wives look into it with him as an escort,” I said. Time was up, I had to meet with Imius. I grabbed my coat and quickly donned it, looking back at my worried wife. This was the first time I had seen her in a state of fear. Her normal relax, aloof attitude had evaporated entirely and…for once it felt like I was seeing the real her.

  I approached her and put my hands around her waist, taking her into my arms and gently kissing her ear. She shuddered at the kiss and nuzzled her ear against my chin. “Do not be afraid, my love,” I whispered. “I am your Landon. I will get to the bottom of this and I will punish those who have hurt you this way.”

  “You seem so confident,” she whispered back, clutching onto me for a moment. I guess fear was the great equalizer here, for she seemed not to worry now that I was a man taking charge. I held her for a moment and then unfortunately had to pry her off.

  “I’m sorry, but I must attend my meeting. It is vital to our survival. Stay strong, Yoni. I will return soon.”

  Chapter 32

  The strange and startling realization about my wife’s potions had served as a distraction from the main reason I was in Lynton to begin with. But despite the severity of such a situation, I had come here to talk to Imius and see if I could convince her to join my side. The deadline was getting dangerously close and I had to find a way to defang the Baron as quickly as possible.

  I arrived to the meeting chambers, a drab and dull gray room with nothing but two chairs and a table. There were no windows within, nothing to allow for the outside world to see or even hear what was going on inside. Even entering the room required me to place a blindfold on and follow a silent servant. The commander hall was quite serious when it came to creating a secure and neutral ground for nobles to meet.

  As I discarded my blindfold, I was greeted by a mousy woman with an exceptionally pale complexion. She had large round spectacles over her eyes and was clutching a large binder, hands shaking from the nerves. The auburn-haired woman was unmistakably of Juliet’s kin, however, for they looked quite similar, though Imius had a less pronounced nose and far more freckles.

  “Mrs. Imius,” I said, bowing to her. “How kind of you to meet me here.”

  “Likewise,” Imius replied, not returning the bow. She gestured towards the chair, still clutching the binder as tightly as possible. “Please, take a seat.”

  As I sat down, she spoke, trying her best to keep her composure. “How is she? Juliet, I mean? Is she okay? Healthy?”

  A sign of empathy. Worry for her kin. That was something to keep in the back of my head for this negotiation. “She’s doing well. A little frustrated with current events, but healthy. Happy, even.”

  Imius let out a sigh of relief and placed the binder on the table. She relaxed considerably. “I see. That is good to hear. I worry about her.”

  There was no deception in these words, at least not from what I could tell. This could all be an act, to manipulate me, but at the same time, she seemed genuine. I guess I should keep my guard up, however. Damn, I wish that the politics section of my books hadn’t been cut off by Joeth.

  “So, you’re probably curious why I asked to meet you,” I started, clearing my throat a little as I fidgeted in my seat. Despite the woman’s nervous demeanor, she was certainly calmer than I.

  “I assume you want to make some kind of arrangement to prevent the Baron from tearing you a proverbial new one,” she replied with a smirk. It was hard to tell her reaction to this. But she was certainly dead-on about my intentions.

  “Indeed,” I said, scrutinizing her. She betrayed nothing other than a nervous energy. A silence fell over us and I realized that it was my job to provide the details. “So, as you know, your cousin has been in trouble with the Baron. He seized her land and let’s be honest, she wasn’t entirely underserving of such a retribution. She chose her allies poorly and her enemies even more so. Juliet’s conduct wasn’t becoming of her station and as such, she paid the price.”

  Imius nodded along to those words. I continued. “That being said, enough is enough. She already lost her homeland and everything else as well. Yet, Jerem wishes to continue to humiliate her by demanding the Starmetal Signet, one that belongs not to him but to your family. How is that fair? To win and then kick one’s opponent when she’s down?”

  “A common practice,” Imius said. “Total victories are essential to prevent the enemy from coming back and pressing their claims again.”

  “But even if she gives up her claims, by all rights, they should go to you. All of them,” I said. “Including the Starmetal Signet.”

  The little woman scowled at that, wrinkling her face as she pushed her glasses up. “I was never going to get such an inheritance. I was promised all sorts of nonsense by Juliet. I’d be landed if I did so and so, I’d get x amount of territories, etc. There aren’t many of us Eferas around anymore, but the way Juliet acted, it was as if she was the only one left. Drove all of her other family away as she refused to han
d anything to anyone. Tried to do it herself. And in the end, she stood alone.”

  “I’m not saying she wasn’t being unfair to you. Like I said, she reaped what she had sown. But surely you can’t be okay with losing your own name? In giving up everything you rightfully have to the Baron.”

  “Jerem will grant me land and a title. I’ll become a Lady, with an actual manor. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. I’d be happy as a vassal to Juliet, but she…I don’t know. She was just too foolish or too greedy to ever give up an ounce of power. I don’t want to manage a ton of claims. I just want my own little world.”

  It wasn’t hard to fault her for that. Any level of ambition was an invitation for trouble. Being a vassal didn’t sound all that bad. You pay your taxes, muster when required to and then let the liege-lord handle all the problems. “I can sympathize there. Becoming a Gentleman of the House has been tough,” I confessed. “And I’d sometimes like to just pass the baton on to someone else to deal with the many headaches, just for a few hours. But…are you really willing to watch your entire family name die off? Just in exchange for some land?”

  Imius shrugged at that, her gaze cast downward. I could see the shame in her eyes at having done something so disloyal. “What other choice did I have? The woman gave me nothing for my service and I can’t live on someone else’s wage forever. The writing was on the wall long enough. Either leave her as soon as possible and get something, or end up just as empty-handed as her. You can’t fault me for picking the winning side, can you?”

  “I suppose not,” I agreed. “So with that in mind, how about you join the winning side again?”

  “I suspected you’d ask me to support you,” Imius said. “But I fear you have nothing to offer me. My reputation is already ruined, so I must rely on my bargain with my benefactor to keep me safe and sound. Someone who abandons their ally in need generates a Casus Belli all on its own. None would dare press that against Jerem, but if I were alone? I’d be invaded within a week.”

  That was a good point. But…I could sense that she wasn’t turned off entirely by the idea of helping me out. Whether it was opportunism or just a strong sense of guilt over what she had done to her own flesh and blood, I could not tell. Either way, she was willing to hear my offer out. Maybe she just needed a voice of reason to convince her to sway sides.

  “Family fights are as old as time, are they not?” I asked. “You worry about your reputation, but returning home and reconciling isn’t something everyone will whisper about.”

  “But I’d be breaking my word to my future liege-lord,” she quickly replied. No doubt this was a thought she already had in her head. Maybe a better appeal would be an offer of safety.

  “I understand, but you could simply claim duress. No one would fault you for such. But allow me to paint a different picture for you, Imius. What if you got exactly what you’ve always wanted? A manor and a title of your own? And on top of it, you’d be reunited with your cousin and she would forgive you. All would be well again and you’d have a dependable liege-lord, one who won’t ask much from you.”

  Imius laughed at that. “You mean you’d be my liege? Thanks, but…I’d take my chances with the Baron.” She paused and sighed at that. “Besides, I’m married to one of his nephews. I could imagine the trouble caused by such a decision to pledge allegiance to you instead of Jerem.”

  “A paltry excuse,” I said. “You don’t answer to anyone just yet. All you’ve done is make a tentative agreement. And besides, why aren’t you landed yet anyway? I mean, the Baron could have given you some title immediately. But instead, he asks you to wait? Seems like you’re in the same situation as always.”

  The woman winced at those words. She pushed her glasses up hard on her face as if I had struck her. “You don’t have to be so harsh,” Imius replied. “I know full well that I’m still somewhat in the same spot I was in earlier. But unlike my cousin, the Baron will keep his promises. Once Juliet has been secured and the starmetal surrendered, I will have what I’ve always wanted.”

  “And if he fails?” I asked.

  The corner of Imius’ lips turned upward, but she fought the urge to laugh in my face. The woman had impeccable manners. “Come now, Richard, you can’t possibly think you could survive an assault against him.”

  “You don’t know what I possess,” I replied, crossing my arms and leaning back. “I may be a gentry and a newcomer at that, but don’t think I’m helpless. Only a fool would make such an assumption about me.”

  “Oh please, save the posturing for the battlefield,” she said. “You can’t possibly beat a Baron alone.”

  “I am not alone. I have recently married into the Kinteli clan, elves who wholeheartedly support my defenses. And I’m sure you know of the Frankinsons by now. They too stand with your cousin and will fight tooth and nail to protect her. Don’t forget, the Baron is trying to get me to collapse and hand over Juliet. Even if the man razes my property to the ground, taking everything from me, he actually gets no closer to capturing what he wants. Because he’ll have to go through the Frankinsons to secure her. And they certainly have a strong defense in place.”

  I could see realization flash across her face for a brief moment before she forced her emotions to return to neutral. She had not considered the actual end of this campaign.

  “Would you actually let it get that far?” Imius asked. “To sacrifice your entire gentry on the account of someone who I believe invaded you week one?”

  “She is family now. Under my care and protection,” I replied. “Whatever troubles we had are behind us. And I don’t intend on rolling over to the first threat that knocks on my door, handing one of my own family members off without any resistance. So, I will fight, like hell, to protect my own people.”

  “Even if you’re guaranteed to lose?”

  “There are no guarantees in this life,” I replied. “And if I go down, at least I’ll know that I stayed loyal to those who mattered in the end. Because if you can’t count on your family, who can you count on?”

  Those words were enough to trigger full regret in Imius. She tried to choke back her tears, but failed, allowing a small stream to trickle down her cheeks. “Come now,” she sniffed, “you can’t be so valiant. What’s in it for you? Are you two fucking? Is that it?”

  I laughed at such a question. “Are you so cynical to think that of me? That I couldn’t possibly be motivated by any higher virtue? That my entire moral center is dictated by my libido? Come now, Mrs. Imius, that is quite unflattering of me. Juliet, in truth, is not much to me. But I afford all members of my family the same treatment. Simple as that.” I paused for a moment and lowered my voice. “Though I wonder if maybe your guilt demands that you see my actions as purely self-serving.”

  Imius’ face grew sullen once more. She took off her glasses and placed them on the table, covering her face as she gently sobbed. “I had no other choice. Believe me.”

  “I actually do,” I said. “I believe you did what was best for you. Now, I’m asking if maybe you’d be willing to do what’s best for your cousin.”

  A soft silence fell over us as she pondered. Finally, after taking a moment to collect herself, she spoke, though her face was still hidden by her hand. “What would one have to do, hypothetically, to render aid?”

  “They would have a few options, depending on how much they want to commit. The easiest would be to simply assist me in smuggling some resources out. You probably know your cousin had some caches of Mana Crystals stored away for a rainy day.”

  Imius nodded, then took a moment to put her spectacles back on. “Yes, but she kept her stash location a secret from everyone. Even me.”

  And for good reason too. But I wasn’t going to say that out loud. “I happen to know the location of one. Well two, but I’ve already managed to swipe the first stash. The second one is just beyond my reach. The Baron has a Watchtower set up, meaning I won’t be able to extract without getting caught.”


  “So you would want me, hypothetically, to secure the resources and bring them to you?” she asked. “That would be the easiest way, since the Grid can’t detect individual movements on land. Unless being watched directly of course.”

  Imius seemed to know her stuff here when it came to the Grid. A testament, perhaps, to how vital she had been to Lady Efera’s operation. “That’s the easiest choice, yes. The other option would be to depart from the Baron’s court and renounce fealty, so that he no longer press your claims. This will significantly damage his ability to secure the actual land surrounding Efera Estates.”

  “And without that, his allies will be less than thrilled to support an endeavor to permanently secure one measly piece of land,” Imius said. She frowned. “How did you know I was second in the line of succession?”

  I shrugged. “My Magistrate figured it out. He’s quite skilled like that. So, what do you say?”

  “What can I say? I can’t very well abandon the man who was willing to take me—”

  “Take you in? Like you were a poor, soaking wet vagrant on the side of the road, desperate for a warm shelter? Come on, Imius. The man wanted more land, more power and to destroy his rival. He sees you as little more than a tool.”

  “And you don’t?” she sharply replied, scowling at me. For a moment I could see a striking resemblance to her cousin. “I’m not prone to believe you have any reason to be speaking to me other than to advance your own agenda, so you’ll understand if I’m offended by your words.”

  Asking nicely wasn’t cutting it. Maybe I should just push harder. “If you want to be offended, let me be frank. You are a traitor to your own kin. I’m giving you an opportunity to reconcile with Juliet, wash the guilt from your hands and start over fresh.”