by Seth Ring
The other mine and the town that Thorn held deeds for were located outside Thorn’s territory in the holdings of another Baron, so Lord Carey called him over. After a brief wait a stout young man puffed his way into the room, red-faced and out of breath from hurrying. Completely overawed by the collection of high ranking nobles, the young man agreed to buy the mine and town from Thorn for a tidy sum that included a stretch of the beach on the northern side of the mountains that ringed the valley.
The last Legacy Deed was for a mansion in the capital city, and here the third prince stepped forward with a small smile. The mansion listed was currently occupied by one of the third prince’s supporters which made it slightly awkward for him. Allowing a quickly rising noble that was not part of his faction to take the mansion right in front of his nose would greatly damage his relationship with that follower.
“Ahem. Earl Greymane, I wonder if you would fancy a trade?” Though the Prince tried to smile, Thorn could see the pained expression hidden in his eyes. “I have another house that is much better suited to the prestige of a first rank title and I wonder if you would do me the favor of swapping with me?”
Looking down at the map of the city, Thorn saw that the third prince’s finger rested on a street that was only a few blocks from the palace’s outer wall. The closer one was to the palace, the grander the house and the higher the social status it conferred. As Thorn was quickly thinking over the pros and cons of making a trade with the third prince, he got a message notification.
Accept it!
This was quickly followed by a second message from Athena.
I have been trying to get a house in that neighborhood for years, but no amount of money can buy them because they are all controlled by the royal factions. Plus the Society of Roses needs a better place to throw parties and fundraising events.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
Suppressing a smile at his aunt’s excitement, Thorn gave the prince an even look.
“Your highness, the mansion you are offering is significantly more valuable than the one I hold the deed to. I’m afraid that such a trade would not benefit you at all.”
“Ahaha, consider it a favor in celebration of your new position, Earl Greymane.” Plastering a fake smile on his face, the third prince cursed Thorn in his mind. He really could not afford to let Thorn try and take possession of the mansion in question.
“Of course, your highness. It is my pleasure to do such a small favor for you.”
Completely twisting the matter, Thorn took advantage of the ambiguity in Prince Wells’ words to make it sound like he was doing the prince a favor. The abrupt shift took the wind out of Prince Wells’ sails and he could hardly stutter out a reply. Before he could recover, Thorn pressed his advantage by turning to Sir Trisham.
“Sir, the third prince has requested a favor from me and as a loyal servant of this empire it is my pleasure to be of service. I wonder, is there anything that prevents us from making the exchange right now? It would undoubtedly be convenient since the clerks are already here.”
Having been on the sharp end of Thorn’s maneuvering once before, Sir Trishem had no desire to repeat the experience and quickly shook his head. Thorn’s ability to seize the particularities of a situation and push them to his benefit was strong, and the last thing Sir Trishem wanted was to get bogged down again with the Titan. Giving the poor third prince a sympathetic look, Sir Trisham asked the clerk to note the transfer down.
Because everything they were doing was going to be recorded as part of Thorn’s hearing, the matter of Thorn doing the prince a favor would be written in ink and enshrined in the records of the empire. Doing so would undoubtedly irritate the third prince as it would forever prevent him from forgetting it, but it was better than having to get involved as Thorn kicked out a noble who supported the third prince from his home.
By the time the third prince was able to process the ramifications of Thorn’s action, he found the newly minted Earl bowing in front of him, causing him to choke on the words he was about to say as Thorn’s presence washed over him.
“Your highness, it is my pleasure to be of service to you in this matter. Though my land is far from the capital and my personal power is weak, I relish the chance to help the royal family.”
“Ah, em, yes, thank you.”
As long as he had been playing the game of politics against his brothers, the third prince had never encountered anyone who dealt with issues in such a straightforward manner. The truly infuriating thing was that he could do nothing about it, despite Thorn’s complete lack of subterfuge. Now that things had progressed to this point, Prince Wells could hardly announce that Thorn had made a mistake of his intentions so he could only let the misunderstanding be.
“With this I believe that we have handled everything. Is that correct Sir Trishm?” Asked Lord Byre. “We want to make sure that we have ample time to address the second portion of this hearing.”
“Yes, Earl Greymane is all set. Once everything is processed, one of my aides will bring the details to his new home and he can familiarize himself with his new holdings.”
“Excellent. My lords, shall we now move to discuss the consequence for falsely accusing a noble?”
“Excuse me, my lord.”
One of the clerks stepped forward and delivered a note to Lord Byre who frowned as he read it. Throwing it down on the table, he sneered and looked at Sir Trisham.
“It seems the rest of the trial will have to be put on hold as the accuser has fled the city and cannot be called as a witness. Do you have any knowledge of this, Sir Trishem?”
“What would I know about the accuser fleeing?”
“Oh, I don’t know, I just thought you might have some insight considering the accusation was made to your office and this hearing was held on a recommendation from your office.”
“Are you accusing me of hiding a witness?”
“Why would I accuse you of something like that? Are you hiding the witness?”
Growing tired of listening to the words flying back and forth after a few minutes, Thorn coughed.
“Ahem.”
The loud sound echoed around the room, drowning out a biting remark from the interior minister and causing the room to fall silent. As an Earl of the first rank, Thorn held a higher position than anyone else in the room apart from Lord Byre who was a Marquis. Sir Trisham did not even have a landed title, though trying to pull rank on him was practically a death sentence.
“Yes, Earl Greymane?” When Thorn did not speak, Lord Byre prompted him.
“Oh, nothing. I was just clearing my throat. So, are we done here? If the hearing has to be suspended, do you still need me?”
“Ehem, no, we can bring this hearing to a close for the time being. We will need you to return once the witness has been, uh, retrieved.”
“Even if I don’t want to worry the court by pressing charges?”
“What do you mean, you don’t want to press charges?” Taken aback by Thorn’s questions, Lord Byre’s eyes narrowed.
“Honestly, this whole event has been a positive experience for me.”
Thorn calmly scanned the room as he spoke, smiling at the gathered lords. Behind him Countess Sere’s brow furrowed until Athena whispered something in her ear. After listening to her words, Countess Sere’s expression relaxed and she looked at Thorn with a new level of appreciation in her eyes.
“After all, thanks to this hearing I have been able to demonstrate my value and allegiance to the empire. The person who accused me was simply worried about the empire and I think that we can all learn from their example. There is no need to push this event further than it needs to go.”
Collectively, the people at the table had nearly five hundred years of political experience and instantly understood what Thorn was saying. Unlike direct combat, political fights took time and going for the kill would, more often than not, harm both parties. The small noble who accused Thorn was merely a pawn, but even pawns had value, making S
ir Trisham loathe to discard him. By taking a step back, Thorn was creating some space for Sir Trisham’s faction to retreat, and in turn, forcing the interior minister to acknowledge this favor.
“If that is the case, the court will respect your wishes, Earl Greymane.”
Standing up, Lord Byre brought the hearing to a close and dismissed everyone. After thanking the lords who had attended, Thorn left with his aunt and the ladies from the Society of Roses. Countess Sere and her daughter met them at the door and accompanied them back to the Society’s headquarters.
“Sir Trisham seems like an efficient guy, so no doubt your new house will be ready for you to move in soon. Should I send some staff to help the process along?” Athena asked as they rode her heavily reinforced carriage through the streets.
“Sure,” Thorn waved, unconcerned. “Do what you’d like. I’ll be spending my time in the valley, so feel free to do whatever. So long as you leave space for us when we come to visit.”
“Oh, I will.” A wide smile lit up Athena’s face. “That was a nice move at the end there. You’ve obviously been learning well.”
“Haha, I guess my years spent watching you were not in vain.”
The conversation soon turned to how Athena was planning on decorating Thorn’s new mansion and he lost interest quickly, leaving it to Countess Sere and his aunt. Checking through his status, he saw that his new noble rank was listed in his noble title.
Name: [Thorn]
Race: [Titan]
Health: [100%]
Mana: [100%]
Titles: [Battle Mad], [Wolfsbane], [Lord Greymane, the Moon Wolf (First Rank)], [Friend of the Earth], [Inheritor], [Commissioned Knight (Order of the Flame)], [Kingbreaker], [Hero], [Bearer of the Stone Heart], [Gladiator]
Class: [Disciple]
Mastery: [None]
Allegiance: [Temple of the Moon]
Abilities: [Wolf Lord’s Howl], [Avatar of the Wolf], [Call the Pack], [Blessing of the Moon], [Presence of the Wolf Lord], [Martial Form: Dawn], [Basic Weapons Mastery], [Apprentice Orator], [Rallying Cry], [Pack Travel], [Earth Sense], [The Devil is in the Details], [Shadow Dash], [Language Proficiency: Abyssal], [Intercepting Strike (lvl 1)], [Armor of the Earth], [Heart of the Earth ], [Call the Stone Legion]
Title Amended: Lord Greymane, the Moon Wolf [Earl] (First Rank)
As the ruler of Fang Valley, your position has been recognized by the Northern Empire. You have gained the landholding rank of Earl and the responsibilities associated. For a complete list of the privileges and responsibilities associated with your rank, please refer to the Imperial Codex of Law.
Your noble title has been upgraded to the first rank and is now hereditary.
While he was at it, he checked the quest that the noble faction had given him to see if he had made any progress.
Heir to the Ironhold
Advanced in age yet heirless, the Ironhold Duke is looking for someone to carry on his impressive legacy. After spending the prime years of his life fighting alongside the emperor, the Ironhold Duke was tasked with controlling the forges of the empire. Now ready to retire and live out his days in comfort, the duke wants an heir that can protect the empire from external and internal threats.
Requirements:
Meet the Ironhold Duke: 0/1
Impress the Ironhold Duke: 0/3
Become an Earl: 1/1
Prove your strength in battle: 0/1
Reward:
Title: Ironhold Duke
Area: Ironhold Duchy
Sure enough, he was one step closer to the Ironhold Duke. He and Athena had debated the benefits of trying to meet the Duke while he was in the capital, but after weighing the situation they had determined that he would make a better impression if he did not rush it. With the counter-invasion of Rasyn imminent, they were confident that the Duke would be summoning him to fight which would give Thorn plenty of time to interact with the Duke. Lost in thought, he stared out the window until they arrived at the Society’s headquarters where he was surprised to see one of the clerks from Sir Trisham’s office standing on the steps.
“Earl Greymane? I have the details of your new office. Additionally, Sir Trisham would like me to pass on the message that your house will be ready for you to move in tomorrow at noon. Someone will meet you there with a key.”
“How remarkably efficient. Please, come in.”
After they were settled in one of the conference rooms, the clerk gave Thorn a stack of papers and maps. Pointing to the top one, he began to outline the benefits that Thorn would receive from being an Earl. Starting with the maps, he pointed to the area north, east, and south of Fang valley.
“My lord, these areas are all part of your territory. While most of the land is mountainous, it is rich in minerals and fur. You have also traded for part of the coast to the north, and your land there includes a mid-sized fishery and a small town. The town was deemed suitable for a port but progress stalled when funding ran out. In addition to that land, you hold a mine located to the north west of the valley that produces gold. Sir Trisham has granted you the rights to the land in between the valley and the mine to make handling it easier. If you don’t have any questions about your land holdings, I’ll continue on to the other benefits of your rank.”
The most significant was the increase in military strength. Being an Earl allowed Thorn to have a standing army of 25,000 soldiers, with 10,000 specialist troops. This included cavalry, siege engineers, marines, archer corps, and heavy infantry. This was more than enough to secure his new lands and develop a formidable fighting force. His rank also allowed him to bring an army of 10,000 out of his holdings when called by another noble. The remaining 15,000 would stand guard on his land, waiting for the emperor’s call before they mobilized.
It took the clerk nearly three hours to finish going over everything so Thorn invited him to lunch as they were finishing up. Flattered by the offer, the clerk declined and, after giving Thorn a deep bow, took his leave. Watching him go, Thorn scratched his chin.
“Sort of anti-climactic, don’t you think?”
“Hm? What do you mean?” Athena looked up from where she was pouring a drink.
“I don’t know, it just feels like this is going really smoothly. Almost like I am being led somewhere. It seems strange that the natives would give so much power to a traveler. Do you think that the noble faction has ulterior motives?”
“Without a doubt.” Bringing a glass over to where Thorn was sitting, Athena clinked her glass against his and said with a small smile, “You are growing up Thorn, you’re starting to doubt other people’s goodness.”
“If cynicism is the price of growing up, I don’t know that I want to.”
“Oh dear,” putting her drink down on a small side table, Athena wrapped her arms around Thorn’s shoulders, hugging him as best she could. “The world is a complicated place. It is the natural result of putting complicated people together and asking them to get along. One of the marks of maturity is being able to recognize those complications without allowing them to shape the way you live your life. Other people’s actions are their own. We understand them and anticipate them, but we don't let them keep us from being good.”
Letting out a sigh, Thorn hugged his aunt back, and together they went to the dining room for lunch. The longer he played Nova Terra, the more he realized how unbelievably naive he had been when he started the game. Though that naivety was slowly being peeled away, he still found it somewhat shocking to think that other people might have less than stellar reasons for their actions.
There was still a lot to do, so after a hearty lunch Thorn and Athena sat down for a quick strategy session before he headed back to the valley. Rumors were flying that the official mobilization call would come within the next week, so Thorn was on a clock to raise his army. The Ironhold Duke was a no nonsense character, and Thorn was eager to make a good first impression so he was anxious to get started.
“Why don’t you ask Corvo to help the captai
n set up a recruitment drive? I’m sure that you’ll be able to get people to flock to your fighting force. It will take a few days for you to get back to the valley, and they can use that time to filter out the better players. We can also post a notice on the forums.”
“That’s true. But what I’m most concerned about is the structure of the units. I have no military experience and I’m not really sure how to go about putting something like that together. 10,000 players roaming the land without discipline would be a nightmare.”
“True. Tell you what, I’ll look for some players with a solid military record and see if we can put together something.” Athena’s eyes lit up as ideas began to form in her mind. “Just leave it to me!”
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
The next morning saw Thorn well on his way to the valley. Leaving his mansion in Athena’s excited and capable hands, Thorn, Akira, Mina, and Heidi had started on their way. Athena wanted to send a squad from the Society of Roses to escort them back, but Thorn turned her down firmly, saying that they could move faster by themselves. When Heidi had announced that she was going to come along, both Mina and Athena had flinched, but Thorn agreed before they could say anything.