by Tamryn Tamer
“About slave contracts,” Frost said. “Amaya’s contract. You intend to use it to control her, don’t you? She’ll be educated and cared for by you then you’ll hand her over to Rilia so you have a puppet to control.”
“Is that what you intended to do?” Luciana asked.
“I would have freed her from the contract,” Frost said. “She would have been allowed to stay in Pluma, receive an education, and make her own decision of what she wanted to do.”
“Really?” Amaya’s eyes lit up.
“You were right,” Luciana said to Lady Sarra. “He does have a soft spot for demihumans.”
“I didn’t say it like that,” Lady Sarra said while devouring her dinner like a starving vagrant. “The food here is always so amazing.”
“I’m still curious about something Frost,” Luciana said, grinning playfully as she stared at him. “What is going on with you and Riliandra? Are you stepping out on Shalia? I’ve heard of heralds swapping affiliations in the past. It typically doesn’t end well.”
“Absolutely not,” Cassia said while slamming her fist on the table. “Herald Frost would never betray Shalia for that pretender!”
“I’ll tell you if you sign Amaya over to me,” Frost said, smirking at the herald.
“Alternatively, if you tell me I won’t have your license to be in this country rescinded tomorrow,” Luciana replied.
“If you did that, I might have to tell King Asmund what your class is,” Frost said with an impish grin.
“My class?” Luciana raised an eyebrow. “What do you think my class is?”
“I don’t want to say it out loud,” Frost said playfully. “But I will if you really want me to.”
“What’s her class?” Cassia asked while staring at the woman. “If I know it, we can just kill her. One less herald in the world is a good thing.”
“Cassia,” Frost shook his head at the violet-eyed elf. “I don’t think the class existed in this world before her so it wouldn’t help. What would help is my knowledge of how the class likely operates.”
“Heralds really are interesting,” Luciana said as she leaned back in her chair. “I believe you might actually know my class but I’m not sure how you would if you came from a world without magic. What gave it away?”
“It was a few things,” Frost said. “But it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that we come to an agreement about Amaya.”
“That’s true,” Luciana said while glancing at Lady Sarra. “What do you think of Herald Frost?”
“My opinion remains the same as before,” Lady Sarra said while devouring a piece of cake. “My first impressions are rarely wrong.”
“Very well then,” Luciana said. “Herald Frost, I believe we can come to an agreement but for my own peace of mind, I need you to tell me exactly why you’re here?”
“I already answered that,” Frost said. “I’m here for Amaya.”
“I need the details,” Luciana said while pushing a large bowl of pudding toward the pink-haired Florenne desperately reaching for it. “I have a deal with Niri, Herald Frost. He promised to deliver me to a world with more resources than I can imagine and in exchange I recruit followers for him. If his followers drop below a certain number, he’ll give my prophet all the information he needs to have me killed.”
“Seems like a fair agreement,” Erena said. “He gives you power and you get him followers.”
“Are you trying to get out of the deal?” Madam Gardenia asked.
“No,” Luciana said while shaking her head. “I’m fine with the deal and things are going wonderfully right now. Peace is good for heralds because it means the followers are alive and well. But, if I want to keep the numbers up, I need to avoid a war and seek alternative avenues to acquire new followers.”
“And you’re concerned that I’m here to ruin that?” Frost said.
“I don’t believe you are,” Luciana said pensively. “I know from talking with Amaya that you have some sort of deal with Riliandra and it intrigued me. I’m wondering about the nature of that deal. Depending on the details, I may want to enter into a similar agreement. If I can secure a lasting peace with Rilia, I can live out my days peacefully. You see Herald Frost, I come from a very violent world and by comparison, this world is paradise.”
“Maybe for you,” Jasmine mumbled as the other demihumans agreed.
“Why don’t you tell me what kind of deal you’re looking for. That way I can tell you if the terms are acceptable,” Frost said.
“Riliandra was the one that pushed for the war with Niri,” Luciana said. “I’m sure the nobles also wanted the war but the Herald of Riliandra endorsed the war which means that if she regains power, she may endorse it again. According to Niri, she was very upset at losing control of her followers on the peninsula. I would be concerned that returning Amaya might reignite the conflict. That’s why I would like to come to an agreement with her before handing Amaya over.”
“I see,” Frost said as he leaned back in his chair. “Amaya’s a hostage.”
“Hostage?” Amaya glanced at Herald Luciana.
“It means you’re an important guest,” Luciana said as Amaya nodded and went back to her desert.
“Darius wouldn’t care if you have the prophet of Rilianda, he might actually prefer it since it gives him time to further secure his power,” Frost said pensively. “But without Amaya, Riliandra can’t communicate with her followers or summon a new Herald. So, no prophet, no war.”
“Precisely,” Luciana said as she stroked one of Amaya’s pink ears. “But if Riliandra is willing to make deals with heralds then I could see myself handing this beautiful girl over to you.”
“She’d be very upset if I made a deal on her behalf,” Frost said, although he was intrigued by the prospect of a deal.
“Couldn’t we just have Amaya ask her?” Erena asked. “She’s a prophet.”
“Talking with the bossy lady makes me tired,” Amaya groaned.
“Why do you call Riliandra bossy lady?” Iris asked while staring at the girl.
“Because her name is hard to say and she’s bossy,” Amaya said as if the answer were obvious.
“Can you contact the bossy lady for us?” Madam Gardenia asked.
“It doesn’t work like that,” Cassia said as she put down her salad fork. “A prophet’s ability to communicate is somewhat one-sided. I talk to Shalia every day and tell her everything that’s happened and how much I love her because she’s the most perfect goddess in all the cosmos but she rarely talks back and when she does it’s normally about something I mentioned earlier in the week. Amaya is just discovering her powers so we could be waiting over a month for a response and it might not answer what we’re asking. The only time I’m able to communicate actively with Shalia is when she’s reaching out to Herald Frost.”
“I suppose I’ll have to hold onto her for a few months then,” Luciana said. “Because I cannot allow Riliandra to regain power without assurances that she’s going to leave me be.”
“I might have a solution to that,” Frost said as an idea popped into his head. “I can’t make a deal with Riliandra but I can make a deal with you.”
“What kind of deal might that be?” Luciana asked.
“There’s no difference between you holding Amaya hostage here or me holding her hostage in Pluma,” Frost said. “I can negotiate with Riliandra on your behalf and use Amaya as leverage.”
“And what assurance do I have that you’d keep your word?”
“Herald Frost keeps his word,” Cassia said. “Do you think he’d be here if he didn’t?”
“I would like something more tangible,” Luciana said.
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Frost said, smiling as everything started to come together. “Have you heard about all of the trading companies pulling their business from demihuman vendors?”
“I have,” Luciana nodded. “What’s that have to do with any of this?”
“Well, if I become
their supplier, I’ll be heavily incentivized to keep my word,” Frost said.
“Okay,” Luciana said. “Walk me through it.”
“Yes,” Erena said, smiling enthusiastically as her cobalt eyes lit up. “Tell us everything!”
“No, no, no,” Jasmine whined as she placed her head on the table. “So boring!”
“Jasmine!” Madam Gardenia said as her tails swayed back and forth excitedly at the prospect of discussing business. “We are guests!”
“Bor-ing!” Zinnia agreed.
“Boring, boring, boring,” Iris agreed while bouncing her leg.
“Wake me up when it’s over,” Cassia sighed as she got up and walked toward one of the comfortable chairs in front of the fireplace.
“Will do,” Frost said.
He smiled and began to explain to Luciana how he intended to become the primary supplier to the demihuman businesses as well as his plan to invest heavily in their stores. Madam Gardenia and Erena listened eagerly as he detailed how he would need warehouses, his own ships, his own captains, and his own loyal employees. He intended to start small but over time he intended to grow. Once he finished his explanation, Luciana smiled approvingly at Lady Sarra.
“Herald Frost,” Luciana smirked at him as she wrote something down on a piece of paper. She snapped her fingers and the paper dashed across the table, weaving through the dishes before arriving in front of him. “I think you have a deal.”
“What is it?” Frost asked as he stared at a list of numbers and colors.
“My measurements and my favorite colors,” Luciana said as she rose from her seat. “I’ll be wanting to order some custom gowns for myself. I have no idea who your tailor is but I can tell that they are masters of threadwork.”
“She certainly is,” Zinnia said as her and the other courtesans chuckled.
“Make your arrangements. I’ll be keeping Amaya here with me until you’re ready to set sail,” Luciana said while rubbing the Florenne’s pink hair. “I hope that’s agreeable.”
“It is,” Frost nodded. “Do you want me to sign something or…”
“We’ll work out the details as we go,” Luciana said. “Just be sure to keep up your end of the bargain with Riliandra. I don’t want to be involved in another stupid war. Now, I have a room full of well-built men and women covered in oil waiting for me. Care to join me?”
“Not much into men,” Frost said. “Maybe another time.”
“Your loss,” Luciana said. “Well, I hope to see you again Herald Frost. You know, you’re much smarter than the rumors suggest.”
“I get that a lot,” Frost chuckled. “Anyway, thank you for inviting us and I’m looking forward to working with you.”
“Not as much as I am,” she said with a wicked grin, her eyes glowing as a hint of hellfire flickered behind them. “We are going to get into so much trouble together.”
CHAPTER 33
Over the next couple days, Frost spent most of his time making arrangements with local contacts, occasionally visiting the castle to chat with Herald Luciana and Amaya.
Herald Luciana typically came out to greet him before heading back to her activities which seemed to revolve around spa treatments, lovers, and the occasional relaxing bath while reading a book. The woman certainly wasn’t lying about preferring to spend her time relaxing.
Amaya was frequently playing with various servants and was always happy to see him excited about heading to Pluma. She was especially excited to be able to play with other children her own age since the adults in Luciana’s castle weren’t very good with children.
Frost couldn’t judge them for that since he was still pretty awkward around children.
Most of the time was spent looking into businesses that would be good for his initial batch of investments. Madam Gardenia and Erena eagerly accompanied him as he visited the businesses while the other women visited old friends, shops, and different restaurants.
Frost also made arrangements for a ship to take them back to Pluma. He also worked out a special agreement with Herald Luciana to grant certain ships permission to dock in Kald.
A trio of banker’s guilds representatives were by their side throughout the talks as Frost signed documents and paid various fees. Unfortunately, they were necessary if he wanted to finalize arrangements on the spot. Surprisingly, most of the demihumans immediately agreed to his proposal.
It was almost alarming how few demihumans bothered to have a second person look through the paperwork as they signed off on Frost owning half of their businesses. Although, that was partially due to this reputation.
Rumors had spread throughout the city of his meeting with Herald Luciana and his reputation as a merchant was constantly climbing. A few small shops even approached him about cancelling their contracts with their suppliers so they could work with him.
“You’re spending quite a bit of rel,” Madam Gardenia said as they rode the carriage to the next stop.
“But the investments are good,” Erena said as she sorted through some of the papers. “Assuming that the companies can maintain their current numbers he’ll earn back his investments in six years. Sooner if the costs come down and profits increase. Also, as the supplier he’s double dipping.”
“He still needs to pay for his supply,” Madam Gardenia said. “It’s not as though the villagers work for free.”
“They practically do,” Frost said as he double checked his numbers to make sure he was accounting for all of the costs. “And materials are pretty easy to come by for a lot of these things. Even the restaurants have fantastic margins and we’ll be able to supply them with tons of high-grade meat from Filan.”
“I’m not sure if the Durra are going to agree to that,” Madam Gardenia chuckled.
“I’ll come to an agreement with them,” Frost said. “They’ve been wanting more land for the animals so I’m sure I can figure out a compromise. Also, there’s plenty of land around Mawth for grazing and there are thousands of monsters to hunt.”
“You should start your own trading company,” Erena said as she stared at him adoringly.
“It’s not the worst idea,” Madam Gardenia said. “But it would require an enormous amount of work and you would have to kiss up to a lot of nobles to get the licenses necessary.”
“I’m good for now,” Frost chuckled as the carriage stopped in front of The Hightower.
Frost walked into the half-empty restaurant and was surprised to see it devoid of customers and instead full of workers cleaning up an enormous mess. The area behind the bar was smashed up and several of the balconies were damaged.
“This is horrible,” Madam Gardenia said angrily as she entered behind him.
“Who could have done something like this?” Erena asked unhappily.
“What happened here?” Frost asked the nearest worker. The large Durra jumped as he noticed Frost.
“My lord,” the Durra bowed his head. Several other demihumans took notice and did the same.
“Lord Sebastian,” the owner walked out from the kitchen in a dirty apron and work gloves. He wasn’t even surprised by how good the voluptuous Durra looked in the apron. “W-welcome back. I’m sorry but we’re closed for the next couple days. As you can see, somebody vandalized the restaurant.”
“Any idea who?” Frost asked as he looked around the room. Broken glass was scattered everywhere and the workers all looked like they were on the verge of tears.
“It’s nothing for you to worry about Lord Sebastian,” the woman said while shaking her head, her fluffy tail drooping so low it nearly touched the floor. “It happens from time to time.”
“Is this about the other night?” Frost asked.
“We don’t think so,” she replied. “It’s normal for our businesses to be targeted by humans from time to time. They like to remind us of our place.”
“And you have no idea which specific humans did this?” Frost asked as he began scanning the area. He activated all of his auras and concentrated as he
looked for hostiles. Even if he couldn’t see them, if somebody was watching the carnage, he would sense them. He didn’t sense anything out of the ordinary. “Do you remember seeing anybody suspicious this morning?”
“Lord Sebastian, you really don’t have to go through the trouble,” the Durra said. “I account for these types of vandals in my budget. Honestly, it’s been quite some time since we’ve been hit so we’re still ahead for the year. The only difficult part will be replacing the lost inventory since we’re still looking for reliable suppliers.”
“Speaking of reliable suppliers, that’s why I’m here,” Frost said while looking around the establishment. “I want to invest in your restaurant.”
“Invest?” she asked. “What do you mean?”
“I want to supply alcohol, meat, vegetables, and anything else you need,” Frost said. “I’ll have to look at your current prices to compare and we may have to focus more heavily on wine for a bit until I can figure out how to make the stronger stuff but…”
“Wait, wait, wait,” the Durra’s pushed her hands against his chest. “What do you mean by invest?”
“I mean I’ll buy a stake in your restaurant,” Frost said. “I’ll also act as your supplier although you’ll pay fair prices. And we can discuss what’s fair. In exchange, I also take a percentage of the profits and have a say in how things are run. As for the day to day, that’s all on you.”
“I’m sorry, I’m not really understanding,” the woman said. “Are you saying that you want to be my business partner?”
“That’s right,” Frost said.
“But I heard that you are a friend of Herald Luciana,” the woman said.