Chapter 35: Interlude 7 : Nobility

Duke Vosvelz looked through the papers, sitting in his comfortable seat. Most of them weren't anything unusual, for the most part. Nothing a man of his stature would get questions about if he was found reading them, in fact it would be more unusual if he didn't and let the papers stack up.

He quickly skimmed through a letter from a count, putting it on the side as it contained merely information. Important, certainly, but nothing he needed to do or act on. Another letter, the commoners complaining again about the taxes being too high.

"Hmph. These commoners do nothing but complain." It seems like the message hadn't been communicated clearly enough. He put down on his list to have his warning repeated to the common folk for the last time. "If they do not stop complaining about the tax rate, I shall increase their taxes again."

It shall teach them to work more and gobble less, the gluttons, the duke confirmed, satisfied. He moved on to another paper, thinking about the content a bit. Some baronet was looking for his daughter, apparently, and a viscountess was complaining about it. Nothing he would concern himself about.

Even if he did know where the girl was, he would make more crowns selling her than giving her back. A mere baronet could not hope to offer a better price, after all. He ignored the letter, putting it on the back pile. It would be burned later.

Another letter, from the same woman, he recognized the seal. His bushy eyebrows formed a deep frown as he took in the content, and lightened up as he recognized the soft jiggling of crowns. Half payment in advance. He did a quick bit of mental calculations, and was satisfied. There was a gibbet close to the town, it would do the trick to get rid of the slightly too nosy commoner.

He would rather have the man stabbed in the throat, but the viscountess seemed to want to make the him into an example. He never understood the point much, but he was being paid, so that was irrelevant to him. He signed the paper that had been joined, and put it in a pre-prepared return.

There was a knock on his door, and he put the letter away. The door opened, the middle-aged head maid looking at the ground as she bowed deeply. "An adventurer wishes to talk with you, Your Grace.", she said.

"Send them to the waiting room.", he ordered, the woman closing the door and leaving. The duke considered. While he could deal with the adventurer later, the papers could wait. Plus, depending on who it was, making them wait might not be the smartest idea. If it was someone like the Bleeding-Hands...

Adventurers truly are nuisances to deal with. He got up, and walked to the waiting room.

---

Vosvelz was uncertain who the adventurer could be, and he preferred to keep himself expectation-free when dealing with unknown people. Otherwise, these expectations tended to make things go wrong, and as a man of his stature such behavior was not acceptable.

He looked at the woman, and quickly deduced her identity. He had not expected Qareva's sister to appear before him, and he was unsure what she wanted and what kind of woman she even was. He suppressed his mind, focusing solely on the woman. He would see what she could be useful for once he had a grasp of her. Cart first and horses later.

One thing was certain, however. The young woman, clearly the younger sister, was more powerful than Qareva, and not by a little. Someone he would do well to not cross for no good reason. He sat down in his seating, his dark eyes boring a hole through her.

"Thank you for your patience.", he started to talk. "What brings you here ?", he continued, the woman flinching under his gaze despite the fact she could likely kill him right here and then, and there was little he could do if she decided to do so.

"The maids... told me you had... business ? They weren't very clear... Anyhow, business with my sister.", she started. "I want... answers, and you are the closest thing to a lead I have.", she explained, as he took a sip of his tea.

"I see.", the duke answered noncommittally. He considered what to say. It seems she will not be able to replace her sister. Since he had no expectations of it, however, it did not particularly bother him. On the other hand, he would need to choose his words well. He could still get useful things from her anyway.

He decided on a course of action quickly. "Your sister was indeed a great assistance to me. Her loss has been most damaging to me, and her absence is felt still.", he started. "I, as such, took the time to have her fate investigated, but I have little information."

His plan was simple. He would tell Qareva's sister about the dungeon and the Warden, but nothing else. If she succeeded at avenging her sister and conquering the dungeon, the country would be safer and he might even be able to draw some benefit by association. It was not impossible, after all. She was stronger than Qareva.

If she failed and died, he could recover the properties and sell them as he originally intended to, using his indentured enchanter to set up the inheritance properly again. "She located a dungeon in the Seaguard Greatwoods, and saw fit to attempt to conquer it.", he explained. "She failed, however, and was slain by the Warden".

The adventurer stared at him, as he took another sip of his tea and she nodded slowly. "Thank you for your time.", she said. "I will be leaving, then.", and with that she rose up and started doing just that.

Duke Vosvelz didn't mind too much. He had more important business to attend to, anyway.

---

There was a stirring in the fancy, enchanted silk sheets, as a woman stirred from her sleep, as Countess Umira woke up fully, rising from her bed. This magical bed has costed a small fortune, but it took the worst of the pain off.

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She concentrated, dedicating all of her mana to slowing the curse that ran through her veins. It ate away at her, slowly sipping her life and causing her constant physical pain. It had taken her mother's life, and would take her's as well. Slowing it down would not save her from it, but it would increase her lifespan by a good decade at least.

It had surprised her when the old count had taken her in as his heiress, but she had taken to the lessons swiftly and easily, and her name was now feared in many circles of high power for her ruthlessness, in spite of her youth, dubious origins and curse.

Even when just having come out of bed and the farthest thing from "presentable", Umira still struck the eyes, a very tall beauty, with square bangs and long blonde hair, matched by a deep, intense black gaze that added to her outright mystique, and that was without her cosmetics.

The last dregs of sleepiness fully shaken off, Umira went off to have her breakfast prepared, dressing herself in a decent white gown and walking down the corridor. She heard scuttling in the distance, the staff moving in to prepare the food as they heard the mistress was awake .

She would start the day by reading any letters she may have had received, but to her dismay she had no communications. Has something happened to her ?, Umira asked herself as her letter went unanswered for the fourth day.

That would be a most troubling development. The courtesan's presence was soothing, Umira truly enjoyed the woman's company and services. If something had happened to her, the countess be most distraught. She had had money put aside for the courtesan, for when Umira would be gone. If something had happened, that would have made it all pointless.

"Maybe I should've had it investigated from the beginning...", Umira considered. On the other hand, her reasoning against it was as always the same. If my men get caught... It would be a strong blow to Umira's reputation and standing, and could lead her into very serious trouble. These were the ruleshere, after all. The first to slip up lose, andthose who couldn't or didn't want to compete got pushed out or overpowered.

Umira had many political enemies that wished for nothing more than for her to be slow-hanged like a commoner, and it was no argument among them that she deserved it for her actions. Of course, such an outcome laid on the assumption that her curse didn't get her first.

The smell of food put Umira out of her reverie, and she put her thoughts aside as a maid entered. "I have been told to inform Milady,", she said as served breakfast, "that a demon caravan will be staying in town for three days."

"Thank you for the information.", Umira replied. I'll have to look into it. Maybe they have cursebreakers ?

---

Princess Torjekva rose up, going for a walk in the castle and leaving the papers behind for now. There was nothing in the remaining ones that urgently required her attention, so she could afford to do such a thing.

She wandered through the halls, passing by a few maids. Gossip here ran faster than a destrier, but at this point no one of importance would gain any extra information from it. This is all so tiring. A part of her wished she could simply, as Outsider Brandrew so eloquently said, "flip it all the bird !", but she had responsibilities as a princess.

She could not afford to not do her job – she had an entire country resting on her shoulders, what with her father's declining state both physical and mental. And there was no one she could entrust any of those duties too either. Far too many would attempt to abuse such power for their own ends.

As she walked through the halls, she came across an Outsider. Torjekva had a pretty good idea on which Outsider was who now, and she as recognized Outsider Lyna, with her blonde hair, Torjekva suppressed a sigh.

"Ah, Her Highness", she said, Torjekva politely returning the greeting. What is it going to be this time ?, she thought internally. "I went to help with the horses" Lyna started, the blonde talking a mile a minute as usual. ", but not only was the guy an idiot, he smelled and dressed like one too !"

"Maybe you should not insult people ?", Torjekva said, trying to not sound too forceful. "I had no particular issues with the stablehands or horses, so I do not see if ther..."

"Meh, whatever you say.", the blonde interrupted, deflecting and taking no responsibility. "Not my problem, guy need thicker skin." As long as High Priest Kvutar is in position, I will not be able to remove her from the premises, Torjekva thought internally. "Well, anyway, is there anything I can help Her Majesty with ? I'm booooreeed !"

"I am afraid I have naught but paperwork that requires assistance with," Torjekva answered, the Outsider rolling her eyes in answer and leaving. She has very little tolerance for boredom. It was something of a problem, in fact. She's the kind of person to start petty interpersonal drama and bully people to alleviate it.

Torjekva dismissed the thought, for now. Most of the Outsiders were pleasant, decent folks that truly wanted the best for her country, and she bore no grudge against those who left either. There was one Outsider that she had no information about, a certain Zoemie, and the remaining Outsiders were not very talkative about her either.

Ah well, no point attempting to force them. Eyes and ears were being kept, and it was sufficient for the time being.

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