Chapter 8: Chapter 8 – Cooperation

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"Steward." The man paled as two figures flew passed him, while one stayed in front. He bowed quickly.

"What does the Empress ask of me?" He asked, but he still trembled. These beings just appeared not that long ago, and things had changed rapidly.

"Let go of me!" The steward turned as the lord was grabbed and pulled out of the office.

"Execute him. He's the bandit contact in this town, or even the leader himself. Take his body and leave it in the forest." Nikki frowned slightly. "Wait, torture him first. Take a piece at a time until he spills where all the coins have been hidden. If he doesn't reveal it, take him to the dungeon and let him be eaten by rats until he's nearly dead, regenerate, and let it happen again."

"Understood." The three disappeared into the mists, while the steward shuddered.

"Steward, the Empress has decided that you will take over for the old 'lord', and be given a title. You'll be a viscount." Nikki said. He frowned and lifted his eyes.

"Truly?" He asked.

"True. The Empress is distressed about what has happened to this town, and wants to reverse the damage. Taxes are to be immediately reduced to normal and appropriate amounts. However, due to the way it was taken over the years, the town and its merchants do not have enough coin in circulation to continue to survive." Nikki said, and pulled out a series of rolled parchments.

"Does the Empress have a plan?" He watched Nikki smile, and shivered a bit. Those teeth of hers made him realize that the one backing the Empress was extremely powerful, and it would be in his best interest to cooperate properly.

And wholeheartedly.

 

* * *

 

"Dammit, Steward Kann, you know that bastard already milked everything out of us! Why are you here now that he's gone?" The merchant, Skol, asked in an angry tone.

"To inform you that the Empress has reduced the property taxes down to a reasonable amount. She won't return the taxes, as her people are still out digging it up in the forests." Kann said. Skol frowned.

"You're saying that we no longer have to pay like before?" He asked.

"Correct. Once every quarter, a percentage of your profits. Ten percent as tax to maintain the walls,the guard force, and repair to the roads." Kann watched the man's eyes.

"Road repair. That will make it easier to get goods into and out of town." Skol said quietly.

"Also, the Empress has given me the title of Viscount. As a result, she has given her instructions that I am to get the local merchants to take a tally of the furnishings in the manor, determine their value, as most is of poor quality, and replace with higher quality." Kann said with a slight smile. "All items will be purchased at a ten percent higher value until the illegal taxes are returned to their rightful owner." Skol started to smile.

"I see. By not returning the coin, it shows that taxes are still needed to be collected, but by allowing us to refurnish the manor, and 'earn' it back as profit, we'll stick around a lot longer. We'll also see if things change in the long term, or the short, while putting silver back in our pockets." Skol said.

"Exactly. The silver is supposed to be yours as it was earned honestly. The bandits are gone. The temple is clean, and the lands around the temple are being reopened as farms. There will be mines opening in the mountains as well." Kann saw the smile grow.

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"Food and resources. That will make people come back instead of sneaking out." He said. "Which will make our stores more profitable!"

"And she's allowed me to open a stable." Kann said. Skol frowned.

"A stable? I don't see how that helps you. Horses are a big expense."

"True, but I'll be the only one allowed to bring horses into this area for sale. Carriages will need to stop and be taken care of at my stable. And, she's given permission to build a track to race horses." Kann grinned at the face the merchant made. It was coupled with shock, then excitement.

"Do you need a partner for leather goods?" He said in a low volume, so others wouldn't hear.

"I see you do understand. My track will be the only one that is approved. Which means betting. Riders. Racers. Breeders. Tack. Fodder. Grains. All are necessities for the horses. Even if a rider brings their own horse to race, he'll need to have his tack verified by our judges. With the betting, only our house will be allowed to organize it. If anyone tries to do it outside of our house, they will be removed from the area." Kann knew this was a great opportunity, and so did Skol.

"Alright, so I need to examine the manor, get some capital and profit, and start to bring some goods in. Once the track is under construction, we'll settle on an approved design for the saddle and tack for the horses." Skol held out his hand. Kann smiled and shook it.

"We'll do everything legal, with includes receipts, orders, and proper payments. Once the track is started, we'll design the equipment, and draw up a contract so that your gear is the only stuff approved. The Empress said that your gear will be numbered in a private area that only the house will be aware of. That way, if the numbers don't match to the owner, they will be disqualified." Skol put his hand on the counter and took a deep breath.

"This Empress is formidable. How can anyone think of all these things, and have an answer before the question is asked? This would normally take dozens of hours of discussion, negotiation, and arguing to settle. Have you met her?" Skol asked.

"Only her servants. Capable of destroying the bandits on their own. Each one is worth a hundred heavily armored soldiers. Our town is safe now." Kann smiled, and walked out the door. Skol lowered himself down to a chair and took a deep breath.

"I won't have to run for my life now. I'll get some profit back, hide it carefully, and wait to make sure it's true." Skol sighed a bit. If it was true, he stood to make a ton of silver.

If it was false, he might lose his head. He had to be cautious.

 

* * *

 

"Speak." Lena said as the shadow returned.

"The coins have been recovered, and placed in the steward's care. The merchants are tentatively in agreement." The shadow said.

"As expected. We can't expect them to believe without proof, or without actions on our part. How are the acquisitions for the labor force on the farms?" Lena asked.

"Moving forward. Single women will be allowed to stay at the temple. They will be taught the temple ways over the next few years, and allowed to make their own choices. Some will remain initiates, and never progress to an acolyte. Some already show interest, but we are being cautious, to make sure the temple stays clean." the shadow said. Lena nodded. She looked at the shadow who had her head bowed.

"What is your name?"

 

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