- <> -

  A luxurious blue carriage adorned with flags at all the corners of the roof was moving on a familiarly styled dirt road, the insignias on the prismarine fabric of those identificators glistening in the sunlight, as the gold and silver thread of the animal on the coat of arms — a wyvern with a crown atop its head — rolled in different shades of white as the light permeated through the metallic shine. The carriage was accompanied by a whole platoon of around thirty fully armoured knights on stallions, which were just as clad in steel as the knights themselves were; the white armour of the Church's order did not fall short of the blinding visage of the carriage that they escorted. At the back, a few meters behind the forward moving carriage was another one, but a less extravagant, yet bigger carriage. It was more grim and straightforward in the design, only brandishing the coat of arms of the house it belonged to.

  The background was an endless expanse of fields, though these ones were worked soil, the yellow grass exchanged for massive spreads of wheat. The convoy even passed a couple curious people who were covered in sweat, staring at the expansive transport with tools in hand as they waited for the carriage to pass, so that they could cross the road to the other side, where it looked like the harvest of produce was happening.

  Inside, however, it was rather cool and dim, the blazing sun blocked by the thick curtains which were pulled together almost completely. The four passengers were all known to each other: her Excellency Marpha Yeterikon, with the usual smile, dressed in her garments consisting of multiple layers of cloaks, young master of the Raressank Ducal family Alladen Raressank, dressed in a more attractive and flared black suit than compared to the one he had been dressed into while he was on duty in Kolanaren, Marriott, the trainee priest under Marpha, adorned in the modest black and white clerical attire that only had mild amounts of gold lining, and finally — the cheerful Countess Faleya Usurbruk with her long, straight silver hair, smug expression, which even looked a bit cocky, round glasses which covered her murkish grey eyes, the thread at the temples of the glasses, weaving back around her neck, drooping all the way below her jaw. Starting from the feet, she wore white leather boots, those were laced tightly — a light blue dress that snagged at the waist, with the sleeves hanging freely at the wrists, the frills the same as the ones at the hem of the skirt of her dress, the surface encrusted by gold patterns near the ends of her limbs and around the frilled collar.

  One of the people pulled away one of the curtains, trying to do it as quietly as he could. "This country is quite vast." Marriott had spoken, staring out of the window with tired eyes, whilst his head was supported by the glass, "We've been riding without halting for more than a couple hours for the last five days." He bemoaned, covering his mouth with a hand and trying to resist the urge to yawn, failing in the process. The Countess did not express the same demeanour as the young man, however, "It is a continent, and as far as intelligence goes, we couldn't get a full map of the place — only the ones that include this kingdom at the center." The glassed woman said with some glee, rolling a ring with a dark gem in-between her fingers, looking at it intently. The other figure of stature looked up at the boy, "Indeed, I was as surprised as you are now, when the reconnaissance group of the Church order returned with such disheartening material I couldn’t help but shake my head, Marriott." Marpha chimed in, recalling the time when her people came back with similarly disappointing results from their mission on the continent. The Duchess looked down at her knees as she spoke; both women sat beside one another, opposite of Alladen and Marriott, their legs crossed in different directions, but away from their neighbour.

  Cutting through the initial conversation, the Duke’s son also had a reminder to make. "Alistet should be close enough by now, I believe." Alladen voiced, the expression on his face staying neutral, like the rather relaxed atmosphere of the carriage. Though, his black hair was braided now, the work of someone with curious hands that resided by them in this confined space.

  "Alis~tet?" Faleya rolled the name of the city on her tongue, scoffing and pursing her lips, discontent with how it was called, and such her expression showed it in a manner of a smirk. "There's no ring to it, how boring." Marpha glanced at the revolting woman, as if it wasn’t the first time she had spoken in such a manner in regards to other settlements, "I reckon that you prefer the sound of your own capital." The Countess chuckled and tilted her head outwards from Marpha, gazing at her from under the smug brows, "But of course, Erteri has pang, tang, ring, ping, and even a bit of ting to it, Alistet is practically flaccid!" She said, tossing the ring with the dark gem to the Divine Duchess, who caught it rather effortlessly, stowing it away in one of the pockets on the inside of her long white robe, “Like my fabulous name, my cities draw the very same amount of appreciation and favour from the people.” The Duchess did not give much of an engaging reply to these boastful exclamations, "You have a unique way with words." She said and returned to savouring the views of the crop fields. "The Countess had infamy for her manner of speech even before she took power." The young master said in good faith, as he leaned towards the idea of ending this escalation with light-hearted humour, but Faleya gave him a mean side eye, "You were just a brat at that time, you've got no right to judge, Alladen."

  "See?” The Duchess spoke, but her face had the very same smile as before, “You go as far as to talk to the son of a Duke casually." That was stated, to Faleya's increased discomfort, so a retort was due, "Says the Head Apostle Chief Priest Divine Duchess Marpha Yeterikon, astral power forbid you from getting any more fancy words stuck to your name... I remember that you proposed this system of titles yourself — It’s frankly garbage. And weren’t you the one who said that it’s purely for show?" They kept eyeing one another from the sides, but Marpha remained unswayed, "I see you still have a good memory." The Countess let out a brief giggle at her words, eccentrically waving her left hand around, "You're the one to speak, hag. I don't care if you're a Luran, sixty three is grandma's age!"

  Instigation continued, but the smooth skin of Marpha's face was yet to wrinkle, not from age, but from emotion. Without looking an eye in the Countess’s direction, Head Apostle Chief Priest continued speaking without a speck of malice, "Fair, for you it would be — a Syph should age far more starkly than a Luran, aren't you twenty nine?” Faleya felt a grudge that she knew what the Duchess would say next, “Give or take ten or fifteen years and you'll look like a human alright, your hair already fits the colour palette." The glasses slid down her nose and stuck at the tip, she let out a long huff and crossed her arms. "You and your racial supremacy...” Faleya clicked her, making sure that everyone in the carriage heard her clearly: “Grow some modesty on those old bones of yours and maybe I'll give you a discount the next time you come to shop in my territory." Her Excellency instantly came to choose the words to poke at the Countess, "My wallet can bear to support the ones in need." It made the other woman tense instantly, going as far as letting a twitch drive the compulsion to shout, "Don't you call me poor, snake!"

  Although the Duchess was met with a severe case of anger on part of the Countess, her tone kept level, making it feel like a one-sided quarrel. "Now, now, let us not derive insults in a civil discussion." This sort of reply had always dismayed Faleya... She could never win against the witty hag, and an argument was due to erupt each time they met anyway, a perpetual engine of meet and hate. "Guh...!" She recoiled just as eccentrically as she waved her hand, "Sure."

  "But aging is not really a problem, is it?" Alladen said, prompting Faleya to give him a sarcastic look, "Hah, a spurt of two dragons decided to speak of getting old? Well, I hope you've inherited your father's features and end up looking like an old coot for the rest of your life." The young master gave her an awkward chuckle, and Marriott tried to remain still while the long-living kept going with the jabs at each other's races. Faced with the backlash, Alladen retreated with the safe option — "Let's drop this topic..." The horned young man tried to use this as a means to unwind the tensions, slowly, "Yeah, of course, let's do exactly that!" Faleya exorbitantly exclaimed, rolling her eyes. "Well, then, what's on your mind?"

  The air did ease; everyone returned to a more formal demeanour, and Alladen cleared his throat. "Countess Usurbruk, since you're leading one of the most prominent merchant nets of Ranesairan, I was intending to ask you about the prospects of our economy for the near future." And indeed it was a relevant topic, such that she looked down, sighing, "Not good, the essentials won't get more expensive, that’s a guarantee. But things like seafood, magical items, sophisticated mechanical tools, and all the materials and supplies from the other islands will blow the skies with their prices soon enough."

  The Countess tapped her finger against the door of the carriage, "It won't be longer than a month, I already poured all of my resources to keep the market at a standstill for the time being, but funneling excess funds will not be feasible because I'll run out of the excess!” Of all of Faleya’s previous statements, the words of her losing profits and money seemed to force the most anger out of the Countess. But after a brief emotional outburst, she recollected swiftly and carried on explaining: “So, expect a decrease in magical practice among middle and lower classes until domestic production catches up to the level of old imports." Alladen nodded, throwing one of his legs over the other, the sole of his shoe almost grazing Marriott's pants at the knee, "Thought as much..." He looked Faleya directly in the eyes, intending to add something, "Nobles will only get adjusted pricing from our estimates, don't think of hogging the market before I drop the curtain." Before he could even muster a word, Faleya cut off the suggestion at the base. "Fair enough... Will the additional fees go to fund the curtain, then?"

  Faleya moved her glasses back to her eyes, "More or less, the better part of the revenue will go to the emergency fund of the Countdom.” Faleya pointed at Alladen, ”Unlike your territory, I rely heavily on sales of magical tools: my economy will likely crash without some sort of cushioning. I'm allocating new funds to the manufacturing sector, hopefully I'll manage a nice stream of needed common products to satiate the demand and plug the holes in the budget.” Crossing her hands again, Faleya seemed burdened regardless of how confident her plans sound, “I'll transition the Usurbruk name from being a cheap seller of magical tools into a cheap manufacturer of everything." Out of all of them in the carriage, the Countess really did have the most on her plate. Alladen hummed in agreement, shifting his eyes, searching around the ceiling to find what to say. "That's a sound strategy, will you need any outside help?" The silver-haired woman scoffed and shook her head, "Certainly, but it'll be a concern for when this diplomatic expedition is over."

  "When this is over..." A thought sparked in Alladen's head, as they grew closer to the political goal of their departure meter by meter, "I didn't think much of this earlier, but why wasn't Count Shaezot taken with us?" Marpha raised her eyes at the young man, rubbing her gloved thumbs together, "Gelos has a lot more to do than simply participate in diplomacy, he has give his seal to represent him to the expedition, but, as Kordi is a capital of economic, political and strategic importance, he remained on the island to regulate access to the transport gate.” Faleya overtook Marpha past that sentence, “It wasn't that popular either way, as Heirpejn was a city built on magical practice, only mages ventured there. But, it is still a considerable amount of people to reject and observe, I'd guess." As the Countess concluded her own thought, the Duchess looked away again, resting her right thumb on her lower lip, "But Gelos told me that a few people did manage to slip past the transport stage before a checkpoint was established.” She turned her head back to the other passengers of the carriage again, “Honestly, it is still easier to manage when compared to Count Domialle's or Duchess Kr?stek's situation, as the transport gates under their jurisdiction have vanished entirely."

  The Countess clicked her tongue at the mention of the latter noble, "Has she even awoken yet?" Faleya asked with an annoyed expression, steering her face aside, "I suppose not, but because of her usual negligence and long slumber, she didn't repair the north stage before the incident commenced. Sometimes, negative traits seem to turn to virtue, if given the right circumstances." Both the son of the Duke Raressank and the only member of the Usurbruk house agreed, but not expressing it outright with nods or words.

  The countess spoke next, "Count Domialle took great care to mask the entire disappearance as a quarantine due to a disease outbreak on the other side of the south transport stage, it'll work for a long time before the public catches notice. By the time he will be able to release the quarantine — the cat will be out of the bag." Marpha lowered her hand back down and looked at Alladen. "Going back to count Shaezot: the other reasons why I didn't include him in the expedition is that we don't want to have an entire armed cortege marching unannounced on foreign territory, we are already stretching the limits of the allowed with the Josemm-Narmut order and the Church knights.” After noting that to the young man, Marpha turned to the Countess, “And Faleya is one of the few, if not the only noble who would agree to come without a degree of personal protection.” At her mention, Faleya lifted an eyebrow “I only need a good scribe at diplomatic missions, no?” Continuing with the idea, the Countess felt a pang of suspicion, “Besides, we all spent most of our lives without a single bodyguard, what’s with the obsession now...?” Faleya then stopped talking and rolled her eyes.

  “To flaunt your status, of course. Now I look like a dumbass.”

  While the Countess marvelled at her near-sightedness inside her head, ger Excellency eased back into the soft cushioning of the seat, "Precisely, I took only the necessities.” Marpha interlocked her fingers and directed most of her attention to the young Raressank, “You, Alladen, are the heir of the person who is a central piece of our unspoken military Coalition against the Ranesairan Unification Legion and the Grand Northern Federation.” Soon after followed the change of focus to the lamenting Countess, “While Faleya is the core of Ranesairan's economy, no matter how little her territory sells or produces, her input into the general produce circulation, intelligence and magical market is more than half of the current annual wyst turnover." Marpha stopped for a brief moment, "Although her own profits don't fit the contribution." The Countess groaned without saying anything, gradually returning to her neutral face.

  "And I am the political net of the island, the whole reason why the island is how it is right now."

  “Shoooow ooooooff~”

  Faleya might've thought, but no-one spoke up, the slight smile on the Duchess's face remaining unchanged. With that out of the way, Alladen nodded as he began to speak, "I see, well, that's as reasonable as it gets... I myself felt uneasy when my father told me to take the whole Josemm-Narmut order along with me. Luckily he allowed me to kick it down to four knights instead of seventy." Marriott fought his sleep, and Marpha raised and lowered her eyebrows in an assuring gesture at Alladen, "You are lucky to have such caring and protective parents. It's for the best if you don't frustrate over something so trivial."

  The Countess stared at the dipping Marriott, "Aside from that, my next business will be with the head of the Central Bank." Alladed tapped a finger on his forearm after crossing his arms, "Sennoy Korvel? The Central Bank must be thrilled these days." Faleya chuckled, grinning contently, "All this happened right after young Yunes succeeded his father as the head of the Central Bank.” She scoffed, “If he doesn't manage to steer out of this situation, the Central Bank will collapse! Most of their external machinations were done through sea anyway." Marpha remained stationary, not batting an eye while speaking, "If that were to happen, the consequences would be much worse than all of the nobles dying at once."

  Faleya grumbled, moving her eyes over to Marpha, riding her left knee on the seat as she turned her body. "Obviously, I didn't say that I don't realise the negatives of such a scenario. I simply hate the little prick." Her Excellency switched one hand over the other on her lap, "Dwelling on the past?" The Countess recoiled and flung her face away from the preposterous statement, "As if! He is the one to pester me regarding the past altercations. I only owed to Sennoy Korvel bank, not Sennoy Korvel Central bank. The earlier has been disbanded, and with it the debt! I owe nothing to the Central Bank...!" She threw up her hands, "...Yet he keeps sending me letters demanding I pay the inexistent debts! WITH NEW INTEREST!"

  "I did recommend Sennoy Korvel for the position of the Central bank due to their persistence." — "Touche." In the end, Marpha was right in this regard. "I doubt that we have to worry about any sort of collapse when it comes to the Central Bank, after all, Yunes takes after his father." Her Excellency raised a finger, and a point, "IASA is what should be our main concern." Alladen decided to question this proposition. "What is so concerning about the Adventurer Agency? They aren't the most economically or politically engaged individuals." Marpha lowered her finger and continued to talk, "Adventurers are adventurous; adventurous means that they love exploring, and, if they love exploring, it means that the second some of them discover the continent, expect a lethal outflow of dangerous workers from the island.”

  Her words gradually made the Countess dread this predicament even more than she had already. “Populations of threatening monsters and beasts will increase in a year's time, flow of unfarmable and important ingredients will slow down nearly to a halt, and their migration to the continent illegally would mean a political crisis.” As if this wasn't enough, Marpha added the last point to her conclusion: “A decentralised, independent and nearly unrestricted organisation of the kind can never seize being a thorn in my side. Even though, like many other nobles, I am grateful for what it did for me in my youthful days." She glanced at Faleya, who began to groan.

  “You can say that this is one of the few good things king Ranesairan has left us.”

  "This gives me a headache..." The Countess lifted her glasses and reached to rub her eyes, "Why must something like this happen exactly when my efforts finally began to pay off... I couldn't possibly have karma this bad, right?" Alladen wasn't much more enthusiastic after hearing the reasonable layout of their unbearable circumstances, "That is only for you to try and guess, Countess."

  The capital was as bustling as always — and the palace in the eastern central part of the city was no exception to the busy schedules of the people, the dormant hallways betraying the heavy loads of paperwork that were being carried behind closed doors. And aside from the haste made by the myriad of administrative workers, it was quite peaceful. Though behind one of said closed doors sat the king of this nation, the old man with short grey hair and a thick mustache leisurely sitting on the soft cushioning of his wide sofa, taking a break from the mass of paper on the table by the window.

  Enjoying a pour of cold water, he exhaled as the door to his lodgings was opened without a knock or announcement, ripping the calm atmosphere away from the short moment of rest. His expression turned slightly sour.

  Turning his head to the side to meet with the eyes of the one who disturbed him, the king shook his head at the individual who dared to do so during his break. "Ratoya, did you perhaps forget how to knock?" He asked, setting down the glass of water down on the table. "I apologize, your majesty, but I've come to announce something urgent." The old man raised his right eyebrow while cracking the joints of his knuckles, "Did the envoy from the Confederation finally arrive? It's about time." The young man who entered, with brown hair and green eyes, dressed quite officially but kept a posture not too classy.

  After closing behind himself carefully, the man spoke to the king. "I'm afraid not, it would seem that delegates from an island called Ranesairan have come with a diplomatic mission, they have requested an audience with your majesty." The king recoiled in the seat, correcting the sleeves and collar of his shirt. "What is that? Never have I heard of an island with that name.” He stopped for a moment to clear his throat, “Could they be some charlatans? I don't have the time to tend to some useless people, how were they allowed on royal grounds?" Ratoya was now poised straight as he approached the king, his face not giving a flicker of uncertainty, "That is a possibility, but they arrived with an entire escort of knights and presented seals. We know none of the lineages of the seals and the documents that they have shown, but the quality and appearance of the materials are worth thousands of tish. I doubt a ruse could afford such expenses to mimic authenticity, their messenger was carrying himself rather astutely, too, your majesty."

  The king gave the man a disapproving look, rubbing his face down. "...I see, but, either way it is still suspicious, could a new nation have been formed somewhere, and they sent a delegation to establish a diplomatic channel with our kingdom?" The king stood up, spreading his arms to stretch, "I suppose so, but we can only know if we agree to hold a talk with them." That made the old man rub his chin as he thought in silence for a brief moment, "That wouldn't hurt. Regardless of their goals, I can't just send a diplomatic delegation away without a reason... That wouldn't sound good." The old man went to his work desk and reached to pick up a small bell, flicking it once, the ring made a few maids enter the room. "Allow them into the discussion room on the first floor, I'll speak to the delegation face to face." The maids hurried to bring out some of the more royal attire for the king, while Ratoya bowed and turned to leave the room.

  While walking through the clean and lavish dark green halls of the palace, the man had a weary face, the shoes shuffling across the carpets as he walked. "Things only keep piling up, I should've gotten used to it when I could." He said with a monotone voice, struggling to keep his hands out of his pockets, fighting against the habit. The way to the first floor was long, the corridors of the palace were made as if to delay the way for anyone daring to walk through them, the stairs tired the legs, and the eyes were almost forced to look at the endless array of paintings lining the hallway walls. After another dozen steps, Ratoya was on the first floor at last, the grand hall of the entrance spanning wide and high, the side arch of the stairway leading down from the central balcony. With a tough sigh, he barged out of the palace and onto the square in front of it, where two carriages were stationed, the imposing knights giving off unmistakeable pressure on the man.

  "Just who in the world came here in the middle of my work week? I hope it's worth my while, because I'm the only one who was left to stay behind at the palace instead of going to the Gerad Confederation. I don't wanna deal with something mundane~"

  Wiping any notion of discomfort from his face, Ratoya came up to a boy — Marriott in the flesh — and turned up a few notches for his tone in order to sound more sophisticated. "His majesty the king has agreed to accept your delegation, please, invite the delegation to come with me." Marriott looked up at the man and nodded, "I will ask them to come out of the carriage." The boy turned on his heel and passed through the perimeter of the kingdom knights, which were clad in plate armour, too. However their armour was not as tidy as the one upon the Church knights. Most also chose to keep the visors of their helmets lifted; no spark of conflict between the two parties.

  Marriott knocked on the window of the carriage, and soon it swiveled open, quiet chatter following the movement of the implement. The first to walk out was Marpha, taller than Marriott and about as tall as an average man — thought Ratoya, and then walked out Faleya, her smile slight like Marpha's, but affecting up from her lips and until the brows, making her expression appear softer. The last to walk out was Alladen, who had to lean his head harshly down to avoid getting his horns snatched on the doorframe of the carriage.

  "What is that thing?"

  The man thought silently, not letting the sight of the young master correcting his braid and suit drop the welcoming facade he had adorned his face with, although it was challenging. The group took a short while to adjust their attires and whisper among each other, Faleya and Alladen pulling and tugging at some sort of necklaces, hurrying to hide them under their clothes and only then did they approach the man, who was barely taller than her Excellency. "My name is Ritz Ratoya, currently acting Diplomat of the palace of his majesty the king." He said, trying to keep a straight face, while the stoic mug of the young master stared down at him from two meters of distance. "My name is Marpha Yeterikon, I'm the one leading this diplomatic mission, the others are here as representatives of some of the Island's territories, while the boy you've spoken to first is my personal attendant."

  Ritz nodded, taking a deep breath as the cold eyes of her Excellency were glued to his face. "I see, please, let me lead you to the room where you'll be able to meet with the king." Carefully picking out his words, he turned, but not on his heel, trying not to let the sound of his scraping shoes annoy the guests. As they entered the royal palace, none of the members of the delegation seemed to marvel at the rich position of items and paintings along the walls, and Marriott was also now carrying an expensive-looking chest in his hands. It wasn't that big, but enough to reach from one side of his waist to the other.

  "Part of the delegation?”

  With his back turned to the delegation, Ratoya allowed his face to express itself properly, and it displayed clear dismay.

  “I thought that maybe he was a simple demihuman, but what's up with his eyes? I don't think I've seen horned beasts like him, those women are no better, their hair, eyes, too? Why so discoloured?”

  He was about to turn around and look at them, but a shiver ran down his back at the attempt.

  “I can't put my finger on what region of the world they could be even coming from... Why is she staring into my back so hard? I hate it already..."

  The tandem reached the destination, and a room with two opposing sofas with a wide, low table in the middle was presented. The Countess nodded in some sort of agreement as they entered, while Alladen and Marpha didn't seem to pay much mind as they sat down on the left sofa, Marpha in the center, Alladen to her right and Faleya to her left, with Marriott standing beside the young master, the chest in hands. "His majesty will arrive shortly, before he does, will any of the delegates mind a cup of tea?" Ritz managed pleasantries out of his mouth, but Marpha raised her eyes at him, "No, we wouldn't, please do treat us to some of your beverages."

  Minutes passed, the tea was served, and the king was yet to arrive.

  "This doesn't taste like our tea at all, as expected. It is not unpleasant, but the experience is niche."

  Her Excellency and the rest tasted the served beverage with subtle curiosity, satiating the weak thirst they had accumulated on their way here. The maids stood to the left of their table, relative to the delegation — totalling to four, and Ritz stood to their right.

  "I apologise for my late arrival, It is a busy time for— " The king finally appeared from the door, followed by two guards, unarmoured but armed, their green and black palette outlining the silvery-glistening hilts of their swords on their hips. Consequently, his eyes were immediately wide upon gazing at the delegation.

  “What in God's name are those?”

  Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

  Their appearances were unexpected and plainly bewildering for the sole exception of Marriott. "Uh, nevermind my stutter..." Recovering quickly from his wide eyes and surprised expression, his extravagantly dressed self sat across the table from the group. "I am King Wasuen Odarennette of the Rannette Kingdom.” The king leaned forward slightly, gracing the delegation with an approving nod, “Pleased to welcome the delegation from the island of Ranesairan." He said, leaning into the sofa while Marpha spoke in the stead of the delegation, "I am Marpha Yeterikon, Divine Duchess of the Saruph Ascension Church.”

  “How... Boisterous.”

  “The young man to my right is the son and heir of our respected Duke Raressank, Alladen Raressank, and the woman to my left is Faleya Usurbruk, Countess of the Usurbruk countdom." The Duchess lifted the corresponding hands when referring to the people to her sides, before nodding towards Marriott, "And the boy is my personal attendant, Marriott Asparenci." Wasuen didn't show it, but he was not prepared to be met with such supposedly influential and highly ranked people in the middle of an average day, just when he was planning to relax for a short while.

  But as he was gradually reclaiming his regal demeanour, he was distracted by the sudden movement from Marriott. "As apologies for our rude and unscheduled visit, please accept this gift." As she said so, the boy walked over to the table and gently placed the chest on the table, a maid slid a laced cloth to protect the fine wood of the table from the chest's bottom, and then it was placed and pushed in front of the king, allowing him to reveal the contents himself. Wasuen almost audibly gasped upon lifting the chest lid, quickly calling over Ritz with a spin of his wrist at eye-level, whose reaction wasn't as contained, his face openly widening as a whole when he observed the content, calling for a maid to provide him a velvet glove. Ratoya carefully lifted something heavy within the chest and that made even the king raise his eyebrows slightly.

  "Eight gold bars? Just four of such size would be enough to finance a barony for a whole year, and they had brought double the amount when two would suffice to pay proper respects for the visit...”

  The king stiffened his expression as he leveled his breathing, yet not looking back at the delegates.

  “This gift alone is worth multiple millions of tish... Am I supposed to feel dizzy?"

  Wasuen cleared his throat multiple times and closed the chest, "Ratoya, have the servants transport this generous gift. Under absolutely thorough supervision." The man quickly hurried out of the room, "As for the apologies... I accept them, I can't possibly refuse after you've provided such plentiful compensation." Marpha tilted her head to the side, and Faleya kept to herself, the face still adorned with a smile. “Thank you for your kind appreciation, your majesty.” The Duchess said, and the quiet hung in the air for another couple of seconds, as the king corrected himself in the seat along with his clothes. "Now, it would be most appropriate for your stature to announce the purpose of your visit, if I may incline as much in the regard of this esteemed delegation."

  Marpha was likely content with the way he had phrased this invitation, so it didn't take much more time for her to reply, "Indeed, I shouldn't delay your majesty any more than I've already done." She switched the hands that were atop the other on her legs, and continued, "The reason for our visit is brief, but not less important." Wasuen lifted his eyebrow at the prospect, nodding and meaning for her to continue. "Unfortunately, due to the recent passing of our monarch three years ago, the island of Ranesairan has been fractured into many states, and since then, some of them are much more keen on expanding their influence than the others...” Marpha lifted the cup of the beverage, tasting some and then speaking, “Such, we've come to both warn you of their possible aggression, and subsequently propose a helping hand in case they were to attack your territory, as the tensions have been on the rise recently." Wasuen tensed at the provided context, shifting his weight once again.

  "I haven't heard a nick of their so-called Ranesairan... But, if that woman is telling the truth, her proposition must have some merit."

  The king sat straight for a more imposing disposition, crossing his arms. "I can see what would prompt you to urgently request a meeting with the king of this nation, even without prior planning. But, you must understand that I can't trust you blindly, as I have not heard of the lands named Ranesairan before.” Watching the Duchess carefully, he took a breath to go on, “Therefore, I believe it is only fit for you to provide me with the list of the current nations of the island. I would like to know the scale that I might have to deal with."

  Marpha nodded once, "You are right. I have already mentioned The Saruph Ascension Church, the Usurbruk Countdom and the Raressank Dukedom, but I won't refrain from naming the rest. We have two other Dukedoms besides the Raressanks and Saruph Ascension Church, they are named the Durass-Paren and Kr?stek Dukedoms, as per the other countdoms, then, there are three others: the territories of Shaezot, Domialle and Nukaten.” The Duchess herself did not miss a moment of watching Wasuen’s own face, bringing her hands together and squeezing the together as she added” “The rest of the nations are miscellaneous: The Firestricken Stryky, The Blade Vale, the Commonwealth of Noble Families of Western Ranesairan, the Zatlanem barony and lastly, the two aggressor nations — The Unification Legion of Ranesairan and The Grand Northern Federation."

  “Can't say that it is a few... Quite a bit, I'd go as far as to say. And there are names that aren't as intuitive as the rest.”

  The king silently contemplated the names that she had pronounced, yet, he was unsure of any of them. "I understand the titles of most of those states... But, I'd like to know what are the Stryky and Blade Vale that you speak of?" Marpha slowly turned to the Countess, and after a brief exchange of glances, Faleya took over: "To make it simple — Blade Vale is a spiritual center of the island that used to be under the jurisdiction of the late king and his dynasty, but after his passing the Blade Vale has become a free territory that was entrusted to the Raressank Dukedom for future affairs.” Wasuen listened intently with his hand over his mouth, “And Stryky are the wildlands of the island, roughly put. You can label it a natural reserve as much as you can call it an independent state, although it doesn't have a defined governing body just like the Blade Vale, spanning the westernmost expanse of the island, where it is infested by burning plains and wandering monsters." The countess shrugged her shoulders, her behaviour a bit bewildering for the king, who wasn't used to such casual gestures being used around him. “The latter are not often met, it isn’t a superb place to live.”

  “The things they say get only more ridiculous, burning plains? That's quite the claim.”

  Faleya leaned onto the table with her hands, raising both of her brows at the king, "Stryky are the cursed lands of Ranesairan, but they do contain a lot of valuable materials within their bounds, so their economic value is much more inflated than compared to... Let's say, the Blade Vale." The king grew a tid bit more invested at the mention of materials, but then Marpha quickly picked up the conversation again, returning it to a more official tone to the usual annoyance of the Countess. "Before you ask about the Legion and the Grand North, I believe it is best to explain the situation to you in detail."

  Faleya and Alladen turned their faces away, but soon returned to their old selves, even if their brows and jaws had both gotten a slight twitch."The Unification Legion of Ranesairan is what remains of the Royal collaborants from the short overturn of the Island that took place three years ago.” The tone with which Marpha had pronounced “Royal collaborants” made the king uneasy, but he had to listen regardless, “They fled to the North and established their territory there, aiming to restore the monarchist rule on the island, but with a new king and dynasty.” Wasuen gave a slow and acknowledging hum, so the Duchess continued with her explanation, “The Grand Northern Federation also takes its roots from the recent fracturing that had taken the island by a storm. However, they are mostly just a militaristic collection of expansionist idealists that strive to enrich themselves through warfare. Unlike the Unification Legion, the Grand North consists mainly of the indigenous races of northern Ranesairan and cares not for the abolished Royal lineage."

  Wasuen felt a bit more in-tune with the current political climate of the island, "Races, you say?” Looking over the present delegates, the king was not quick and loud to say his next words, “As if you aren't dealing with humans." Faleya chuckled at his words, but it was Marpha who continued to speak, "That is just right, your Majesty, Ranesairan has equal part human population, and equal part inhuman population."

  Wasuen king felt a lump in his throat because those words about various intelligent yet non-human races reminded him of the troubles he had faced with the tribes living north of his own Kingdom, though the current late stage conflict with the human-dominant Gerad Confederation overshadowed the previous misfortunes. "The primary population of the Grand North comprises Zonalls, a people that are akin to humans in appearance and behaviour, yet, are much more resilient to cold and harsh conditions which the north provides." He sucked it up like a sponge, racial conflicts took place before and after his enthronement, they were never pretty, those are the kinds of conflicts that can tear not just the social layers, but individual cliques within said layers, with a considerable ease no less...

  "Inhuman races that I have not heard about, that island is far more formidable than I thought.”

  While he was thinking, the king thought of stalling the talks just for a moment, all so he could get some more time to think. With a raise and shake of his hand, he pointed at the cups in front of the Ranesairanian delegation, pointing to it. The maids took the almost empty cups and loaded them onto platter, afterwards disappearing from the room.

  “I might have to abandon the talks with the Gerad Confederation in their favour, seceding some land doesn't seem that bad now that I hear of territories both aggressive in their own local vicinity, as well as possessive of lands outside their island... Wait, outside?"

  He finally pulled away his hand from his face, raising his chin and speaking: "You've said that you could provide help were those nations to try and attack the Rannette Kingdom, but why would they go for us when their main goal is unifying the island?" But soon he rubbed his moustache while talking, both his eyes gliding over the delegation members, "It is because they are unable to secure the island by themselves, as they are now at least. They do not have the resources needed to win a total war, but their prowess in combat and the unfavourable terrain and climate of the north also disallows us to wipe them out completely.” Wasuen leaned in much closer than before, now resting his elbows on his knees, “So, they would likely try to capture resources from the outside and use their external territories as slave grounds to free more of their own people in order to fill the ranks of their armies." The king was wary of this, he counted fourteen nations on the island in total, yet, two of them managed to keep the other twelve, or, if you don't count the free territories: ten other nations at bay with what sounded like meager resources, that alarmed him beyond belief.

  "This... is challenging to comprehend, but I can't turn away from this easily. What they have told me is still not enough to confirm any sort of danger that might come from those two nations, they might as well be weak and small, while the other two states are simply more numerous and stronger... But, it also means that the variables are too vast. They were able to offer me this much gold as a simple apology, was it a gathered effort?"

  "...pardon my rudeness, but let me ask you something that doesn't regard the current topic of our conversation. Who did the gold you've offered me belong to?" Marpha put a hand on her chest and tilted her head to the side just a little bit.

  "About time for you to ask this."

  "That gold has been taken from my personal treasury, I thought that a moderate amount of precious metals would be sufficient as a price to pay for your time." The king was surprised, but he did not let this feeling go past his mind. He has realised something, and he didn't feel content about it. Wasuen exhaled quietly and straightened his back again.

  "She is trying to play me, what a wicked thing..."

  He nodded in approval of Marpha's words, and the maids had finally brought the requested refill of tea, but this time with some delights to lighten the mood of the delegation a slight bit more. Wasuen stared at them indulging in the pastries, so far they were well received. Everyone acted very regal, of course, their movements were fluid and reserved, not letting a crumb fall from their lips, and the monarch seemed to be keeping a close eye to each of their little actions.

  "Why is she trying to gain the upper hand in the very first interaction? I feel like she is using her money as a pretext for subtle intimidation, and I can't say whether or not she is fooling me... This makes me feel unsure if this is the end of her plan for this conversation."

  Wasuen leaned back as he observed the guests, his breathing deepening and slowing as he tried to grasp at the possible goals of the woman, besides the ones she had stated before. "Is something the matter, your Majesty?" Marpha asked him directly, keeping a level eye contact, "No, I am simply enjoying the moment of the establishment of good relations between our nations." He said with a neutral tone, looking at the face of her Excellency, not wishing to be defeated in the battle of wills. In response, Marpha tugged the edges of her lips just a miniscule amount higher, "That is most wonderful, your Majesty, I am truly glad we were able to come to a satisfactory consensus in such a short period of time."

  "The island of Ranesairan is a fortunate asset in my alliances, no questioning that. No matter what she is trying to achieve, I highly doubt that it's in the interest of the kingdom... But I also do not think that her plans would hurt the kingdom, either. In the short term, at the very least."

  Their battle of wits was kept at a steady interval, unbroken by others speaking or diverting the attention of the two mutual assailants. Marpha lifted the tea cup and slowly took a sip of the beverage, "If you gave me such a generous amount of gold, then, I would be brash enough to assume that the internal economy of the island is quite strong." Wasuen said, and her Excellency moved her right hand upwards and close to her face, gradually shifting both of their eyes towards Faleya. "Countess Usurbruk is at the headmost of all our markets, it would be wisest for you to converse with her if you want to know about the economic details regarding our island." Faleya glanced at Marpha with a hint of an unwelcoming glare behind her glasses, but then poised out to face the king. The intensity of her gaze did not match that of the Divine Duchess, so the king eased as well.

  Wasuen cleared his throat and spoke calmly towards Faleya, "How would you describe the current affairs inside the economy of the island, Countess?" He asked with a tinge of subcontextual sincere interest, but Faleya simply raised her matters of facts with the answer: "Robust, versatile and flexible, I'd say around half a year ago.” This made the king raise one of his eyebrows. “But to be brutally honest with your majesty, the current reactivation of the conflict has certainly had a negative impact on the market. While the necessities like grains and minerals, along with metals aren't affected in any significant capacity..." She slowed to a dramatic halt, "...The same cannot be said about the magical tools and alchemic components of the market, which will force our economy to mobilise a considerable workforce to stabilise the flow of produce in this sector so as to avoid a fatal shortage of research equipment." Wasuen was shafted by their words yet again, but was glad to hear these words. "I thank you for sharing those sensitive details with me. It would really seem like the conflict between your coalition and the two aggressors can impact your integrity even without involving outright combat."

  "Seeing how easily they revealed the current weakness of their economy, it would be right to assume that they are desperate. Yet, there isn't a hint of interest in external aid or a request of an armed intervention.”

  Wasuen himself had to refresh his palate after all that talking, so he asked for some tea to be poured for him as well. Only with gestures, of course.

  “If they have a market of magical items that needs a mobilised workforce to keep it at pre-reignition levels of produce, then it means that it comprises a significant chunk of their total economy... That also means that they have no shortage of magicians and else within their territories, as the only mention of damage was about research. The more I listen, the more complicated the matter gets with this island."

  "But, otherwise our main concerns stand solely with the countries residing on the continent of Entau." Wasuen turned to look back at Marpha, who stole his full attention, "So you are going all in with the assumption that the Legion and Grand North will attack us, or, at the very least, one of the continental nations?" Her Excellency nodded slightly at his words agreeing with the sentiment behind them, "Indeed, as I know their leaders personally, this is the scenario we have to be the most prepared for, since we do not want any of our friends to get harmed, no?" The suggestion of already being in close political relations with the kingdom almost made the King chuckle, but he knew better than to laugh, because this woman was not foolish.

  “Such deliberate phrasing, already friends, hm? Will you make us into allies by the end of these talks? How positive.”

  Wasuen felt a certain lightness at the words of friendship, not a frequent term to be used in continental politics. "You are correct, if that is alright with your own ideas, shall I reinforce our coastal defense?" Marpha could only delight at those words, more so than from the sweet pastries, "Utmostly so, your Majesty. That is a perfect countermeasure until the very moment they decide to strike, a properly established coastal defense will act as a great deterrent." The king reached to take a sip of his own tea. "Now that I have proposed my side of the deal, it is solely right for you to suggest your side of this mutual assistance." Her Excellency briefly looked at the members of her delegation and spoke, "We will provide you with the needed equipment, we can arm a significant portion of your personnel with high quality arms without impacting our own military force." Wasuen considered the option, again, his nation was also freshly out of a small-scale war with the Gerad Confederation to the south — additional arms for cheap were a good deal. It was natural to agree to such a deal. "Then it is settled, for now I will reinforce the western shores of my kingdom.” He said, but felt a need to hammer a certain point more than others, “Though I will also have to stress it now, and ask of you to provide some troops from your side. Our own adversaries might breach the short truce that we had established due to negotiations, that is if they notice a decrease in the grouping of our armed forces."

  It was about time Alladen stepped in, this was down his alley: "Your Majesty, the Raressank Dukedom will be able to provide you with multiple thousands of people, but this proposition will first need to get approved by my father.” The young master smiled, and his smile was the only one that seemed purely genuine among the members of the delegation, “The quality of the people and their training is excellent, they possess extensive experience in prolonged combat. If not a force to plug the holes in your defence completely, they will be able to instruct the new bulk of your own soldiers and bring them to a high standard." The king sighed at those words, but it was a sigh supported by both relief and a bit of dislike at how the young master had addressed his desire for additional forces as "plugging holes in defence."

  "I see, that is exactly what we need." Wasuen relaxed at last, with Ritz returning into the room, the chest of valuable metal nowhere to be seen. "With our agreements settled..." He turned to the newly arrived diplomat, "Ratoya, take the maids that listened and the delegation scribe, use their accounts to compile a contract, make it quick." The man groaned with a closed mouth and only in his head, but left with the maids and scribe as swiftly as he arrived. With the tension subsiding, the old man turned his eyes towards the delegation, rubbing his mustache. "You've mentioned that more than half of the people on your island aren't human, does that number include you?" He raised an eyebrow whilst still rubbing his mustache, "Yes, only three territories of the island are governed by true humans."

  “Goodness gracious.”

  Wasuen felt a slip of discomfort ride through his ease, "So... The young heir of Duke Raressank is?" The king pointed at the horns atop the man’s head, "I am a mix of two distinct species of dragon, a True Dragon and a Kianit." Let's say the king was surprised, but not enough to force a spontaneous reaction out of him, as he was expecting something along these lines. "I've never heard of humanoid-birthing flying lizards before." He said before thinking, but quickly realising how rude his remark was, "I didn't mean to insult the Duke and his wife, I hope you bear my slip of tongue." Wasuen nervously apologised, waving both of his hands from side to side, but Alladen didn't seem to mind, "I don't take offense to such words, I know how strange it sounds.” He said, but he certainly takes pride in his heritage, judging from his tone alone, “Ranesairanian dragons possess indigenous properties that aren't likely to be befitting of the continental dragons, that transmutation is a part of." The young master slightly tilted his head forwards, "That also includes myriads of other races, dragons aren't the sole outliers among those who live on the island."

  "Now if this isn't a curiously terrifying revelation, I don't know what is."

  The king slowly digested the information, choosing to dive deeper into details another time, switching to the ladies. "Then, what are the Divine Duchess and Countess, if you pardon my straightforward language?" Marpha rubbed her gloves together to get rid of the crumbs that stuck to them while she ate, and then looked up at the king, "Two races unique to Ranesairan, like many more." She looked up at the king after checking out her gloves in their entirety, no enthusiasm akin to Alladen’s escaping her lips, "I am a Luran, and countess Usurbruk is a Syph." Faleya seemed oddly proud to be spoken of as a non-human, just like the Raressank spurt, "Right I am.” She smugly scoffed, “To condense the particulars of our species — you only have to think of the Blade Vale." As she nodded to herself, she also adjusted the glasses further up, "But, I cannot dive into the details of what races are born from what circumstances, because they are specific to each species and I'll have to start from the very basics of magic theory and up until eugenics..." The Countess awkwardly rubbed the back of her head, "Most of such races have the perk of longevity, this trait is a common trend among the magically adept." Faleya explained with a flick of her finger.

  Wasuen became slightly burdened by the information. Regardless of his feelings, this made the previous mention of the extensive magical market make more sense, so he simply put up with the notion of countless superhuman races residing on the island of Ranesairan. "You speak of longevity. Would you mind revealing the age of your ladyships, perhaps?" That only made Faleya chuckle, "I am only twenty nine, so the effects aren't at all apparent." She did look her age, but far better conserved than humans, so you can say that she looks a few years younger. Wasuen had not been disturbed by the Countess’s words, so his expectations had been skewed going forth, "And her Excellency?" Faleya answered for her, too, pointing in her direction with her right thumb, "She's sixty three." Now this was worthy of the man's criticism and doubt, as she didn't look a nick over twenty five, appearing far younger in skin than Faleya herself, "I see that the age dynamics between the races and their youthfulness is significantly varying... That is a sight to behold." Wasuen's eyes hovered to the young master, who took notice of the intending gaze. "I'm only eighteen." A surprisingly normal age for a man of his stature.

  "So it turned out that the Duchess is older than me, I can't not possess slight envy over her young appearance at such an age."

  The king had a critical eye fastened around the delegation, as the more calm mood was bestowed upon the room, and the eyes of the mustached man wandered to the last member of theirs: Marriott, who was standing with his hands behind his back the entire time. Falling out of his prostration and noticing that the king was looking straight at him the boy quickly caught onto the topic of the current smalltalk, "I'm human. My sixteenth birth took place four months ago."

  Marriott turned out to be the respite that the king needed after being confronted with such otherworldly concepts in such a short period of time. The conversation carried on.

  The white carriage was on course towards the west, the platoon of knights accompanying them. Still, the second carriage had not once been opened. Marpha, Faleya, Alladen and Marriott were seated in their old configuration, glancing at one another from time to time.

  "Maybe I will be so bold as to incline that this diplomatic mission was a success, your Excellency?" Alladen spoke first, the boy to his right was rightfully asleep, and the woman with short hair moved her gaze away from the window of the carriage door, "No, it went accordingly, there wasn't a mistake within my expectations." Marpha crossed her arms, her breathing measured. "He was a capable king, that is why it was right to prepare beforehand." That little smile tugged at her lips moreso than usual, "Diplomacy is a game of preemptive action, rarely do I improvise, unless the opponent themselves are unpredictable and erratic in their decisions. That is my advice to you, Alladen." Faleya rose in her seat as well, yawning, "It was a long day~" Her exclamation did bear any substance.

  "What we did was a gamble, but this meeting had to be concise with the results, so the risks were justified. However I doubt that this sort of manipulation will pass a second time, exactly because I called him a capable king beforehand." Marpha looked at the Countess, who did seem to be similarly in favour of her words, "I did my part, so you've got to pay up when we come back, my acting is not cheap." She rubbed her fingers together, keeping stern eye contact with the Duchess. "Everything is in order and due process, you will receive all we agreed upon when we arrive back on the island." Meanwhile, Alladen seemed concerned, if still proud of the endeavour. "Was all that really necessary?" The young master exhaled worriedly, raising his eyes to Marpha, "It was, judging from what I had learned about him in this short debacle. I have no confidence that this man would've agreed to any sort of deal without a thorough investigation, unlike Ranesairan, he is a responsible monarch, as much as I may dislike the sound of such words." She covered her mouth with her right hand, slowly sliding it down back to her lap after less than a minute.

  "Humans have a naturally low tolerance to machinations of the sort, it was a foolproof plan, although right now he might be plucking hair out of his grey head." Faleya gave the room of the carriage one of her witty chuckles, "But, we've got the original contract, he can tear the copies all he wants — I'm sure that Wasuen will act in the interest of the placed obligations." She turned to look over Alladen, and gradually moved her head to look at her Excellency, "Although that concerns us as much as it does him." She paused on Alladen again, "Be sure to explain the details to your father, do not leave anything out, his participation is vital for the future interactions with the Rannette kingdom." The young master nodded. The Duchess returned to gazing out at the darkening fields, and Marriott didn't snore. His dreams were somewhat audible as the slim shoulders heaved.

  "Obviously, he will try to establish a network of spies on the island, just like we're doing, not that they will be able to efficiently learn the language in a meaningful timeframe." Marpha spoke, "But you should look out for his cockroaches no matter what, a little money will resolve their communicatory issues swiftly. We will familiarise with his country, while he will familirise himself with our island, and eventually, that will lead him to discovery of the true circumstances of the island." Her eyes drifted a bit lower on the glass, watching as the gravel passed her field of vision, "After that takes place, the strategy will have to be suited to the new realities of that moment. Most importantly we have to build up an appropriate buffer until then, because we cannot guess what he will do in case of a full intelligence breach." The young man furrowed his brows at the suggestive tone of her Excellency, clicking his teeth quietly, "That plan will only be enacted in an unavoidable and unsalvageable situation, your Excellency." Marpha replied to him without looking. "Of course, you don't have to worry about false starts. I have my own goals within the continental territory, and I will not do a single rash thing before I am finished..."

  "...I hope that we are on the same page in this regard." Faleya looked at the floor as she listened to the Duchess, cracking the joints of her fingers, "Being near her was never pleasant, let alone talking to her. What you proposed is disgusting, but I understand how valuable that thing is, so I'll do anything with her if it means forcibly restoring the stability of the island." Alladen and her nodded solemnly, while Marpha reached to her cheek and rubbed it with her thumb. "All you need to do is observe it from the technical point of view, and it won't disturb you any longer." Her eyes closed slowly, and a gentle turn made her face the others, "My expertise doesn't lie, you are aware, therefore always bet on my gambits."

  The young master shut his eyes and huffed, lowering his head, and Faleya couldn't pose against her. "I'll still be in charge of keeping the public in the dark, right until we have a proper route to inject the news without causing mass panic, that includes my full freedom in the methods which I can employ, is that clear?" The two others nodded, "Faleya, I trust your reputation." Marpha rotated her head to look at the Countess specifically, but she didn't receive the usual mediating glare, "So act as stated, same goes for the young master." Alladen gave her a brief glance, before moving them back to the floor and nodding once.

  "I will notify the rest once we return, and that will mean the restart of our altercation with ULR and GN, this time around they won't get away, and we will finally get rid of the last bits of the monarchists, and the north could finally turn back into a peaceful region." Marpha shut her eyes and leaned back into the cushioning. "Now, if you allow me, I will take some rest while we can."

  "With the beacons I've installed, her location should be easily found out, unfortunately... I won't be able to ask the other one because I doubt she'd like the way I treat their kind. Rest is crucial, so I put my faith into your swift recurrence..."

  "Even the world cannot be an insurmountable obstacle. I will find a way to get my hands on you again."

  - <> -