Valkyrie's Shadow

Chapter 20

Is this really alright?

Frianne looked down at the volumes of her treatise placed in front of her.

Due to its prodigious length, Frianne had invested a sizable portion of her incomes – derived from the demesne allocated to her by her family and her salary as an aide to the Court Council – into publishing Fundamental Principles of Magocratic Governance. One did not usually attempt to distribute such works so she had little expectation of it selling very many copies, but it still hurt just a bit whenever she thought about just how little interest there was in what she considered the foundation of her magnum opus.

Aside from those who purchased a copy as a courtesy who she was not sure read it at all, there were a few questions posed to her by some members of the Imperial Ministry of Magic about several of the applications proposed. With this being the case, she had dug in to fight the long battle to make her ideas a reality. Little did she know that her ideas had somehow trickled over the border to the Sorcerous Kingdom.

“I can’t help but be curious over how my work reached members of the Sorcerous Kingdom’s aristocracy,” Frianne said.

“Hmm…” Countess Wagner pushed out her lips in thought, “It was back at the thing in the spring, wasn’t it?”

“I believe so,” Baroness Gagnier nodded. “The Imperial Ministry of Magic set up that big pavilion in the main plaza.”

“Ah yeah, that’s right,” Lady Wagner said. “Let’s see…it essentially became required reading for the entire House of Lords once we found out that His Majesty had read it.”

Curiosity turned to dread in an instant. What did that mean? What would happen to her? Her cousin always mentioned the unfathomable intellect of the Sorcerer King.

“H-His Majesty the Sorcerer King read Fundamental Principles of Magocratic Governance?”

“That’s what I said.”

“Do you know what he thought about it?”

“That would probably be a question better answered in person,” Countess Wagner told her. “Oops, I guess I drove up the value of that signature. How about this?”

Another book was placed in front of her. Frianne had all of two seconds to register what it was before Dimoiya snatched it off of the table in a blink.

“This is…!”

Dimoiya held up the book in front of her in wide-eyed disbelief. The title Dreams of Red III was debossed upon its crimson cover. Dimoiya flipped the volume open to its first page.

“I-it’s real?” Her eyes hungrily scanned the text, “It is! Prez, it’s real!”

Dreams of Red was a novel series that had appeared in the circles of imperial nobility early in the spring. Not only had it become highly popular with many noblewomen, but the story was starting to take the entire Empire by storm. There was much discussion and debate over who the best characters were and what elements of the story stood out the most, and it was becoming widely accepted as a broad, literary masterpiece. No one even hid the fact that they were readers anymore, it was strange to not be one.

Forebodingly, at the end of the second book, was a note by the author about how the next might be delayed due to their personal circumstances. Since it had ended at a rather exciting point, fans could only wait with a sense of dread over whether they would ever see the next volume.

“The Sorcerous Kingdom really is the Sorcerous Kingdom,” Dimoiya’s voice was awe-struck. “They can even get the third book of Dreams of Red from the future! A lot of people have tried to find ‘The Dreamer’, but they don’t seem to be from the Empire.”

This was also true. More than a few wealthy individuals had turned the circles of Bards and Sages in every city inside-out in an attempt to locate the author of Dreams of Red to no avail.

“So you’re a big fan, huh?” Countess Wagner asked.

“Of course!” Dimoiya exclaimed excitedly, “I don’t know anyone that isn’t a fan – even my parents read it!”

“Reeeally now. Who do people support in the Empire?”

“Clarence and Ludwig is the most popular pairing,” Dimoiya said. “I’m a bit of a rebel though: Ludwig and Veronica is more my thing. I especially love how brave Veronica is despite her fears. Ludwig is always there for her when she needs him, yet he doesn’t try to keep her caged.”

Personally, Frianne preferred Clarence and Ludwig, but she was admittedly more conventional in her tastes. There were other characters as well, but the series hadn’t contained any major plots that featured them yet.

“What about individual characters?”

“The martial Nobles are all about Ludwig, of course,” Dimoiya replied. “Julian is a favourite amongst both men and women working in the cities – how he just pushes the world forward from behind the scenes is really inspiring. He’s almost like a role model for us.”

“Julian is no doubt impressive,” Frianne said, “but I think Rinne’s work is just as important. I truly hope she gets more attention soon.”

“That so…” Countess Wagner looked over them appraisingly, “Well, since you two seem to be big fans, I’ll let ya read my copy while we’re here. Since you’re signing our copies of Fundamental Principles of Magocratic Governance, I’ll even throw in two autographed copies of Dreams of Red III when it’s finally released.”

Frianne flipped open the tome in front of her and signed it. She reached out to sign Countess Corelyn’s copy as well. Baroness Gagnier produced one of her own.

“You’re not getting yours signed, Zahradnik?” Countess Wagner grinned.

After a long look at Countess Wagner, Baroness Zahradnik sighed and produced a copy of her own.

“Finding The Dreamer is quite the feat,” Frianne said. “How did you ever manage it? You’re…you’re not The Dreamer, are you?”

“Nah, I’ve just known ‘em since I was a kid.”

“You mean that The Dreamer lives in the Sorcerous Kingdom?”

“Yep. Dreams of Red is our most popular export right now, I guess. Weird how this sells like crazy and everything else gets the stink eye.”

They settled back down again and their carriage resumed its tour of the First-Class District. The day had been slated for the residential areas, with future visits to the Imperial Ministry of Magic and the Imperial Magic Academy. Most visiting dignitaries usually marvelled at the sights of the imperial centre, but the Nobles from the Sorcerous Kingdom seemed more interested in asking Frianne about the Empire and its inner workings.

“How have the politics of the Empire changed in light of its relationship with the Sorcerous Kingdom?” Countess Corelyn asked, “Even to us it was quite abrupt.”

“Everyone was shocked,” Frianne answered. “I hadn’t joined the Court Council at that point, but from what I hear, His Imperial Majesty simply showed up and declared our status as a client state without any forewarning. The entire First-Class District became paralysed at the news.”

“That is understandable,” Countess Corelyn nodded slightly. “What of opposition to the Emperor’s declaration? I can’t imagine that everyone simply smiled and nodded after digesting the information. The Temples of The Four have been stubbornly promoting resistance to every aspect of the Sorcerous Kingdom’s influence that they think they can get away with without reprisal.”

“…would there be reprisal if something happened?”

Countess Corelyn lifted a cup of fragrant red tea to her lips. She remained silent for several moments after taking a long sip.

“Our foreign policy is not unlike what you might find in the other nations of the region. The Sorcerous Kingdom may have a generally benign stance towards its neighbours, but it should not be a surprise if we take issue when anything of ours is subjected to unreasonable treatment. Of course, we understand that cultural reactions are not so easily amended. Everything that is going on with the citizenry is well within expectations – my question was in regards to those with the power to effect change. The Imperial Administration should have long reached its limit when it comes to enacting forceful measures against the aristocracy, yes?”

Once again, Countess Corelyn demonstrated a willingness to cut straight to the heart of the matter. Most members of the nobility – even those newly raised through service in the Imperial Administration – tended to dance around a major issue for a bit before gaining the confidence to tackle it. She was a woman well-accustomed to wielding power, understanding exactly how her talent, resources, and influence were best employed. Even potential adversaries were turned into weapons to wield at her discretion.

“It is as you say, Lady Corelyn,” Frianne replied. “Early in the Emperor’s reign, there was plenty of excess that we could afford to trim away. At a certain point, however, the pace of our reforms had to slow down. Things are not so bad now, however, as nearly all of the problematic administrators have been dismissed from their positions. Raising a new generation of administrators takes, well, a generation; having mediocre administrators maintain the status quo is better than the lands falling into chaos.”

“At this point,” Lady Zahradnik said, “should the Imperial Administration be so eager to replace them?”

“I would think this is also to the Sorcerous Kingdom’s advantage,” Frianne replied. “Should the Empire not strive for excellence?”

“The ‘excellence’ that you strive for is unreliable,” Lady Zahradnik told her. “Even an excellent family can produce mediocre scions. It does not diminish the value of their lineage. The Sorcerous Kingdom is a nation ruled by immortal beings: their perspective extends beyond mortal timeframes. The shortfalls of single generations are easily managed, but the loss of a bloodline represents the loss of every contribution that its members may offer in the future.”

This one worships The Six…

Baroness Zahradnik’s accent already gave rise to this suspicion, but the way she constructed her case clearly expressed her beliefs. Followers of the Six Great Gods were extraordinarily rare in the Baharuth Empire, and Frianne had never interacted with anyone from the Slane Theocracy or other lands that followed them. As far as the Empire was concerned, the tenets of their religion were quaint and their views superstitious. Their military power and level of advancement, however, was undeniable.

A part of her wondered why any religion was allowed to exist in a nation ruled by an Undead sovereign, but it didn’t change the fact that even more so than the Theocracy, the Sorcerous Kingdom was not to be offended.

“The Sorcerous Kingdom may have this luxury,” Frianne said, “but it is one that regular nations such as ours cannot afford. Re-Estize is a prime example of what happens when a nation does not regularly perform housekeeping.”

“So you’re saying that, even after all of the Empire’s reforms, the issues of the past continue to manifest themselves?”

Frianne winced internally. They had done it again. She did not believe herself to be ill-equipped to serve as a representative of the Court Council or the Imperial Dynasty, but it felt like her inexperience was showing. No – inexperience aside, these Nobles seemed to be far too experienced for Nobles from minor houses of an age with her. The worst part was how they seamlessly worked off of one another to achieve their desired results.

Corelyn appeared to be a masterful ringleader. Zahradnik was the inciter, easily knocking others off-balance and creating openings for the others to exploit. Wagner always seemed relaxed and affable, yet she still served as Zahradnik’s opposite number, tempting them into pitfalls with illusions of reprieve and various distractions. For the time being, Gagnier seemed nothing more than a fluffy ball of comforting warmth, which terrified Frianne as to what role she might actually play.

She had told Dimoiya that Corelyn was probably a match for any of the Dukes, but together these Nobles might even be able to stand their ground against the Emperor.

“Rather than referring to them as issues of the past,” Frianne said, “it is what it means to be Human, yes? The qualities that bring forth these problems stem from a nature common to us all. Constant vigilance against it is required at any point in time, and not all can be masters of their own nature.”

“I do not deny that,” Lady Zahradnik said. “I am just pointing out that you are using Fireballs to prune your vineyards.”

“How does the Empire balance these issues while they wait for new people to fill administrative positions?” Countess Corelyn asked.

“The usual ways,” Frianne answered. “Minus the geld for the annual war with Re-Estize, of course. The nobility does not have the strength to stand in direct challenge to the Emperor, but they can still accumulate enough influence and wealth to make small strides in the political arena. This is generally in the form of competing for imperial favour, so the Emperor is free to pick and choose who rises and who falls.”

Despite all of the reforms that the Empire had undergone, this was one aspect of life that never seemed to change. No matter the excellence or background of those selected to lead the Empire and work in the Imperial Administration, ambitious individuals willing to play the games of power always appeared.

“The reorganisation of the Imperial Army seems to be a change in which many can find common cause,” Lady Zahradnik said. “Its effects appear to be widespread and are apparent enough to everyone.”

“Directives from the Royal Court of the Sorcerous Kingdom do not pose any problems on the political end of things,” Frianne told her. “In fact, they are the least likely to result in any sort of resistance. I think it’s gotten to the point where His Imperial Majesty offers to redirect any complaints to the Royal Court of the Sorcerous Kingdom and everyone simply shuts up and works.”

Frianne smiled slightly at the memory of her cousin telling that to the Court Council for the first time. The four Nobles from the Sorcerous Kingdom, however, frowned.

“I don’t understand,” Lady Gagnier said. “We occasionally interact with members of the Royal Court. They aren’t unreasonable people. We even speak with the Sorcerer King once in a while. While he must of course act as a sovereign, he is personally very nice.”

Was this a joke? Or was it a trap? No matter how hard Frianne thought about it, she couldn’t figure out where any response she could render might lead.

“From our perspective,” Frianne replied, “it is very difficult to discern the disposition of a foreign court. All we have are the accounts from the Imperial Army and, as was mentioned, cultural reactions are not so easily amended. The Sorcerous Kingdom’s patience in these matters is greatly appreciated.”

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