The Reluctant Mage: Book One in the Zandar Series

by R. E. Donnellan

  At End Day, Marko woke up with a smile. It was not from the improvement Stranac said he displayed. Today he would hear the lecture from the Merchant’s Guild representative. He could hardly concentrate during his Administration class. Besides, the orphanage often went a semester without a student being chosen for the Imperial Bureaucracy. He guessed it was ok to learn how the government functioned, but the class dealt more with forms and processes than real workings of the government. Not like the Merchants’ Guild. Even the lowest clerk in the Guild could find himself sailing on a ship to Kiev or analyzing the silver yield at some far away mine. Not to mention that it was the Guild Masters who live in the mansions on top of the City’s hills. Not a bad incentive to do well.

  When he walked into the classroom he saw his teacher talking with a man in a green tunic fringed in purple cloth. His teacher waited until all the students were seated before he softly cleared his throat.

  “Class, we are honored today to have a guest lecturer representing the Merchants’ Guild. Joining us today is Journeyman Pollet from the House Lazard. He has been briefed on our progress this semester through the curriculum. I have asked him to focus his lecture on those areas we have covered. Journeyman Pollet will also be taking applications for House Lazard internships. There is no guarantee of employment afterwards, but real-world experience in any Merchants’ Guild House, is not to be passed up.”

  As his Teacher was further introducing the Journeyman and what to expect from his lecture, Marko studied the man. He could not be a day older than twenty-three, he thought. He was very thin and a few inches taller than Marko. His chin and nose reminded him of Maurice and several of the teachers at the orphanage. An aristocrat, he guessed.

  “Thank you, Teacher Machon. I appreciate your kind words. I hope I live up to that introduction.” He smiled and turned to the class.

  “During this lecture, I will explain the structure of our Guild, the role it plays in the Empire, and our expectations of new clerks.”

  “First off, I was recently a clerk myself. I was promoted to the rank of Journeyman only last year. Unlike other guilds, a Journeyman in the Merchants’ Guild does not leave the Guild. Instead, they are given a posting as far away as their clerked office. I began my career in Benkovac. If you have not heard of it, I rest my case.”

  “Merchant Houses exist on charter from the Emperor. There are seven Great Houses and ten Minor Houses. House Lazard is a Greater House. Only House Lazard and House Pitre operate in both Zandar as well as Kastav.”

  Marko and the rest of the class gave a collective gasp. The Journeyman gave a little chuckle.

  “I know I was supposed to keep my lecture to material you have already covered. I could not help myself there. You see both houses existed in Kastav City before the Empire formed. Neither House Lazard nor House Pitre are in contact with any of their former houses in the Kastav territories.”

  “Now, back to where I left off. The Great Houses are tasked with all the vital supplies of the Empire. We specialize in food, weapons, medicine, clothing, building materials, transportation and energy. Each house is ultimately responsible for only one of these, but most are involved via contract with the others. The Minor Houses are involved with all other goods. These include art, liquor, spices, pottery, etc. Each of the Minor Houses is free to trade in any goods with the exclusion of the seven mentioned earlier.”

  “Excuse me, sir,” said one of his students. “Can a Major House trade those goods under contract with a Minor House?”

  “That is a good question. The answer, however, is no. Major Houses cannot be absolved from their responsibilities. Contracts can be made between the two levels for minor trade goods or for the movement of those goods. For example, House Pitre is responsible for transportation. It enters into agreements with all houses for the shipment of goods. I understand you have covered tariffs in great detail. All I will say on the subject is that the Emperor through his Council sets the rates on goods. Rates are generally locked in for one year. Can anyone guess why?”

  “So that Houses can be assured a profit?” said one of the students.

  “I wish it were true,” the man smiled. “No. The Emperor does not guarantee profits, just his justice if we do not deliver our services.”

  Marko tentatively raised his hand. “Is it so that Houses can live up to their end of contracts between each other?”

  “That’s close enough. Unless there is some amount of certainty regarding tariffs, Houses cannot set price. If we cannot set price fairly, then those farmers and manufacturers we deal with also cannot price their goods. The end result is that everyone will increase their rates to deal with the uncertainty. If there is one thing you learn working for a House, uncertainty is the downfall of a society. The Emperor knows this and understands that uncertainty all begins when a man goes to sleep not knowing if they can afford a loaf of bread for his family the next day.”

  The remainder of the lecture produced similar insights. Marko was amazed at the breadth of knowledge the Journeyman possessed. He knew that he had to have the internship his teacher mentioned.

  At the end of the class, Marko waited until all the students left before approaching the Journeyman.

  “Excuse me sir. I would like to apply for the internship you have available at your House.”

  “Ah. The boy who answered my question correctly. I can usually count on that one stumping a class. Now I will have to come up with a new one.”

  Marko’s teacher walked up to them. “This was the student I mentioned to you, Alexander. His name is Marko Kunich.”

  “So you’re the famed duelist? From what I hear you have a promising career in the Imperial Army. Goodness knows we need all the capable soldiers we can muster. Why then would you be interested in the Merchants’ Guild?”

  “I have nothing against the army, sir. My father was a kapetan in the infantry. It’s just that the whole Empire operates because of the Merchants. Without the economy you create and grow, there would be no Empire to defend.”

  “Would that more people understood those exact points, Marko. So, you understand our importance. That does not mean you will be successful in our world. With a name like “Kunich” you wouldn’t exactly fit in when having tea with a Master.”

  “Agreed, sir. I don’t come from the aristocracy. But you yourself mentioned the reason, if indirectly, in your lecture. House Lazard must deal with the Minor Houses, farmers, crafters, and others to be successful. Most of all, you deal with the military in the trade of weapons, equipment and clothes. Who better to deal with those groups than someone from their same social class? In fact, by building that social connection to those groups, you will have an advantage over the other houses. Leave the aristocracy to deal with the aristocracy, but bring me in to uh…deal with people like me.”

  The Journeyman raised an eyebrow and looked over at his teacher.

  “I told you, Alexander. This boy’s got a head on his shoulders. He has top marks in his class. Would be a shame to waste him in the infantry. We’ve talked about creating this class of clerks before.”

  The Journeyman turned back to Marko. “I can make no promises, Marko. My Master makes all employment decisions. Still, having a clerk who actually knows which side of a sword to hold can be useful in our convoys. I also think you’re the kind of person who doesn’t mind getting a little dirty, unlike the clerks running around this city. You should know our decision within a week.”

  Chapter XVI: A Change of Color

  All students in the orphanage were required to help its operations in some way. Given that Marko had arrived mid-semester, few jobs remained. He was put on the detail to clean the Administration building. He did not mind, as it gave him a chance to talk with Baltar from time to time. He also joined a group of two other students that were more than glad to have the help.

  Cleaning the offices also allowed him to hear the latest gossip. The faculty at the school often seemed to forget there were students in their midst, especi
ally in the evenings. The topic of most interest to Marko was the progression of the war with Kastav. He overheard about many skirmishes that had taken place the months since he had been at the school. He learned that Kastav had scored a notable victory in a remote pass in the North of Bakar. That told Marko that his village would not be liberated anytime soon.

  One evening, he had just finished cleaning the basement store room when he decided to walk upstairs to see if Baltar was still on duty. When he reached the top, he was disappointed to see that his lamp was off. Marko turned around and was about to climb down the stairs when he heard his name.

  “Marko, is that you? Just the person I needed to see,” said Headmaster Sorrell. “Please come in.”

  Marko walked into the headmaster’s office and approached his desk.

  “I just received a sheet from the House Lazard. It seems that they have accepted your application for internship. Congratulations.”

  Marko almost jumped for joy! His teacher told him not to get his hopes up, but it had been hard not to think about it night and day.

  “That’s wonderful, Headmaster, and thank you. I was hoping I would get it, but Teacher Machon said not to get my hopes up.”

  “As he should have. Did he tell you that House Lazard has never taken a student from the orphanage? We have had students intern and join many of the Minor Houses, but there is a big difference between the two.”

  “No, Headmaster. Teacher Machon just said that Journeyman Pollet had several internships available and that we were to apply if interested.”

  “He didn’t tell you that the Journeyman that came to lecture did it as a favor to his uncle? That uncle happens to be your teacher Marko. By giving you that slot, there is some bureaucrat in the city pretty angry that his son or daughter was not selected. Those few slots are filled by applicants throughout all of Zandar. That is why congratulations are in very good order. That is twice in a month you have brought honor to the orphanage. Keep these up and I will have to put your statue on the wall.”

  “What? I mean, what do you mean about putting a statue of me on the wall?”

  “I forget that you have been here less than a semester. This orphanage has been around for decades, Marko; long before Emperor Rau came to power. King Kastav’s great-great-grandfather started it via royal edict. Through the years, we have had graduates that have achieved great things. Most were in the military, but there are statues of men that made their marks in banking and trade. There is even a statue of a man that went up forty years ago because he killed a man who flirted with the queen. He was a King’s Guard. Most have deserved the honor, though. Have you ever looked at the statue above the back gate?”

  Marko shook his head. “Then I encourage you to go there tomorrow and study the man. He graduated from this orphanage over thirty years ago. Made something of a name for himself in the military.”

  “Now, on to other things. As an intern for House Lazard, you are expected to report to its Rau City trading house every morning before sunrise. You will be provided House uniforms that you will wear anytime you leave the orphanage property. Your pay will be one silver piece per week. The length of your contract is until the end of next semester. Should you successfully complete your internship, you will likely be offered a full time clerk position. They really don’t have a choice you know. They can’t afford to have someone who understands any part of their operations being hired by another House.”

  “Now as far as the orphanage, you represent an interesting situation for us. Any internship into a Minor House is cause for an elevation for the student. That would automatically make you a brown. No one has even interned at a Major House. The closest example to this was that person I told you to study on the wall. In his case, he was accepted into the Imperial Army with a commission of Cadet. That was the rank of a graduate from the old Royal Academy. That person was a brown and he was graduated immediately.”

  “The army also has an eye on you based upon your performance at the assessment. I am sure you could enlist now if that is your desire, but that would put you at a private. Officially they can’t touch you though, because you have another year to go here.”

  “I talked this over with some of the other faculty and we have come to the decision to advance you to white. Your book skills are at the level of many whites and your steel skills are beyond all.”

  Marko was not sure he understood what this really meant to him. “Headmaster. I don’t know how to thank you enough. How do I actually move into a white? What classes do I take, I mean, what do I do?”

  Headmaster Sorrell chuckled. “Don’t worry Marko. The semester just ended. Several reds are being advanced to white, including your friend Baltar. As a white you no longer live in the barracks. Each white shares a room in the west dormitory. I have already made arrangements for the two of you to share a room. I have asked him to help you transfer your kit. You have the privilege to leave the orphanage on weekends, but remain in the city. Now go and enjoy your weekend. You don’t start your internship for several days.”

  Marko slowly walked down the stairs. He could not believe how the last ten minutes changed his life. He was now on the path to a career. Arguably a shaky path, but a path nonetheless. He told himself that he would not waste this opportunity with House Lazard.

  Once he exited the building, he saw Baltar waiting for him with a big grin on his face. “About time he got through with you! We barely have time to make it!”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Oh, never mind. Just follow me. I want to show you our new room.”

  The west dormitory was not far from the sparring ground. In fact he realized later that he could look down on it from his bedroom window. The dormitory was reserved only for whites; those students that the orphanage believed were ready to enter into a profession in service to the Empire. It had the same red stone exterior, but the interior was framed in wood. As they entered the building Baltar told him the building had caught fire years ago. The orphanage hired the Carpenters Guild to completely rebuild the interior.

  They only walked up one flight of stairs and stopped on a large landing. “Our room is the last one on the right. It is actually the largest room in the building and reserved for two senior whites. Well, those two just graduated into the Army and by some bureaucratic snafu, it was not re-assigned until today.” Baltar looked at Marko with a grin. “Since I am in charge of recommending room assignments to the Headmaster, I guess I am to blame!”

  The two of them walked into a spacious room at least twenty feet square. There were two narrow beds and two desks against the walls. Instead of lockers at the foot of the beds, there were two medium sized armoires. Each had initials caved all over them.

  “It’s kind of a tradition. Whites get to carve their initials when they graduate. I doubt these are original since the building burned down once. Still kind of a cool tradition. I took the liberty of having your kit transferred over.”

  Marko opened the armoire, expecting to see his usual grays hanging up. Instead his eyes opened wide when he saw gleaming white shirts, pants and tunics.

  “The only thing you wear that isn’t white is your boots. Just not practical. The ones you have on will do just fine for tonight.”

  “Tonight? What do you mean tonight?”

  “Advancement party, Marko. We were advanced today with four other reds. They have already left. We need to change and catch up.”

  “Wait. Catch up to where?”

  “Why, the Rusted Crown of course. That has been the hangout of whites for years. And I mean ALL whites. Let’s go!”

  Marko walked through the courtyard with Baltar, still looking at his clothes. He felt self conscious in his white uniform. Even as a boy, he had worn grays and browns. It was more out of practicality than anything else. White was the worst color to wear in a smithy or excavating a cave.

  As they walked out of the orphanage, Marko stared up at the statues lining the wall. “Oh, that reminds me. The hea
dmaster told me to look at a statue on the other side of the orphanage by the exit gate. Said something about him graduating as an officer. I guess he did something heroic.”

  Baltar look sideways at him. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. He was a majer when that statue was cast. He had just put down the Baraque uprising; probably saved the Royal family as a result.”

  “Is he anyone famous?”

  “Ever heard of Rece Rau?”

  Chapter XVII: R&R

  “You mean Emperor Rau!? He is a graduate of the orphanage?”

  “Yep. Every student who turns white is told to go look at the statue. The point the faculty tries to make is that even an orphan can be an Emperor. That is not exactly true, of course, there can only be one Emperor and he really doesn’t want to give up his job. A better point is that orphans are given the tools and opportunity to achieve great things.”