Valkyrie's Shadow

Chapter 22

Polite discussion over the restaurant’s food, the Nobles’ accommodations and the places that they had visited went on for several courses. Nimble was more than happy to stick to these ‘safe’ topics, hoping to avoid any detours onto thorny and hazardous paths. After the last of the entrées was laid upon the table, the staff left them to their meal.

“So you’ll be staying in the capital for another week or two?” Nimble asked.

“Zahradnik will be leaving tomorrow,” Lady Corelyn said, “but the rest of us will be here. There are still many things in Arwintar that we wish to experience and investigate.”

Investigate what, exactly…

Prying into their business was probably a bad idea, so collecting information passively as they went from place to place was the Empire’s only safe option. Going over Imperial Intelligence’s reports as they arrived felt like being forced to helplessly watch from afar as a stranger snuck around one’s home.

“Speaking of which,” Lady Frianne said. “Lady Zahradnik had many questions about the Imperial Army that I felt unqualified to answer. Could you perhaps lend her your expertise, Lord Anoch?”

He eyed Lady Frianne for a moment, wondering what she was trying to do.

“What sort of questions?” He asked, “Is there something in particular that you’d like to know about?”

“We witnessed some of the changes to civilian life that the reorganisation of the Imperial Army has brought about in Engelfurt,” Lady Zahradnik said. “As Nobles and Merchants, what we observed was worrisome. For all of the imperial bureaucracy’s efficiency, it felt a bit too harsh of a change to so suddenly bring about.”

“It’s only the initial phase of the reorganisation,” Nimble replied. “The alternative would be to reduce the size of each Legion, but Legions are that size because the Imperial Army deems it the minimum effective force required to function as an army group. Once the Second and Sixth Legions have achieved their operational objectives we can move forward with the next phase of the reorganisation, which incorporates the civilian populations affected.”

“And since these are military operations,” Lady Zahradnik said, “the details cannot be made publicly known.”

“That’s right,” he nodded. “What you saw is also not as bad as it seems. The seasonal budget surplus created by the changes have been appropriately reallocated: it’s just that the large-scale adjustments of a government take time to implement and private interests react much faster to change as they’re smaller and more manoeuvrable.”

After a brief assessment of the forces being leased to them by the Sorcerous Kingdom, the Generals of the Imperial Army agreed that the Sixth Legion’s expansionary objectives could be handily accomplished. Once all major threats in the targeted regions were neutralised, the Sixth Legion would then switch to a wide-scale operation to clean up the remnants of opposition in the area. While that happened, the civilian arms of the government would be in the process of partitioning the land, laying down infrastructure and guiding economic development.

It wasn’t a complicated plan by any stretch of the imagination, but it had to start somewhere. Since there was a greatly diminished need for border security in the Katze Marches and along the Azerlisian Frontier, the Imperial Administration considered it a waste to continue funding the military in those regions simply to prop up the local economy. In fact, they considered it a convenient sequence of events: citizens affected by the changes in those areas would readily move to take advantage of the new opportunities created in the expanding frontier. There would be no need for major marketing campaigns or the creation of incentives to encourage migration.

“In that case,” Lady Zahradnik said, “I would like to make sure these operations proceed as smoothly as possible to ensure that this next phase happens sooner rather than later. Is there anything you can tell me about General Kabein and the Second Legion that might help?”

Nimble reached out to add more cuts of the excellent Aurochs steak to his plate. He wasn’t sure what Lady Frianne had already told the Baroness, though as a civilian administrator, she probably couldn’t convey any meaningful details.

“I’m uncertain how much you know about advancement in the Imperial Army,” he said, “but I would consider the commanders of the Second Legion the most seasoned out of the entire military. As are many of their soldiers.”

“This distinction doesn’t go to the First Legion?”

“It’s simply a reality of the First Legion’s responsibilities,” Nimble explained. “To be certain, the strongest soldiers and some of the best Commanders are promoted to the First Legion, but exercises and low-risk patrols in the capital region only go so far towards keeping the men sharp. It’s something like the cushy, prestigious assignment that most rank-and-file troops aim for and they become very good at policing civilians as a result. The First Legion does not leave Arwintar and its surrounding territories for any reason, so they didn’t even have the benefit of our annual battle with the Kingdom of Re-Estize.”

“I see…is the reason why you consider the Commanders of the Second Legion the most seasoned related to this?”

“The reasons for Commanders aren’t exactly the same. Our Commanders prefer to stick around jurisdictions that they’ve become accustomed to. A Commander in the Imperial Army has many more considerations to keep in mind than regular soldiers. Not only do they need to develop a lay of the land, but also familiarise themselves with the social, political and economic dynamics that are unique to each Legion’s assignment. Transferring to the First Legion means figuring that out all over again, so it’s understandable that they would prefer to stick to their ongoing assignments. Another reason – which is probably the main one – is that most Commanders in the Imperial Army are martial Nobles.”

“And martial Nobles serve for life,” Lady Zahradnik said, “just as they traditionally would in their territories.”

“Exactly. Unlike our regular soldiers who look forward to retirement, martial Nobles have to be carried out from their stations in a coffin. Seats for commanders in any Legion tend to only open up when the person occupying it dies…and it’s usually not a peaceful death.”

Frontier Nobles never died of old age. It was an adage shared across the entire Empire. Despite being generally more powerful and better-trained than the average Imperial Knight, the risks that came with their duties inevitably caught up with them. Regular people could only shake their heads at this grim reality – or perhaps consider them suicidal – but the border lords considered it a point of pride. The foundations of the nation and its security were paid for in generations of their blood: they did not simply work for the Empire, it was their Empire that they fought and died for.

Baroness Zahradnik appeared to digest his words with a thoughtful look. She was reportedly descended from a martial house as well, though Nimble reminded himself that he could never be sure what was really happening with anyone from the Sorcerous Kingdom.

The fact that she was thwarting attempts to gather information about her person lent to the impression that there was something else going on. She seemed Human enough, but the Sorcerous Kingdom’s magic was so advanced that he wouldn’t be surprised if she was a Devil or some other monstrously deceptive creature conjured by the Sorcerer King and sent to worm her way into the military’s good graces.

“What about General Kabein?” Lady Zahradnik asked, “I hear he’s a member of the civilian nobility.”

“He is,” Nimble nodded. “The fact that he still managed to become the General of the Second Legion speaks volumes about his ability. No one considers General Kabein an excellent Captain, but he is an exceptional Commander.”

General Kabein was a far more capable strategist than Nimble could ever be, so he decided to leave it at that. The General of the Second Legion could probably handle her better than he.

With Lady Zahradnik’s upcoming assignment as a liaison officer to the Second Legion, General Kabein was essentially bearing the brunt of her assault. Nimble wanted to help the General as much as he could with what would undoubtedly be a long and difficult trial, but he wasn’t sure whether he should disclose anything about the man. The mysterious noblewoman might be telling the truth and use the information to make things go more smoothly. Or she could be looking for knowledge to employ against the Second Legion creating problems that would serve as justification for the Sorcerous Kingdom to ‘intervene’ in the Empire’s affairs.

As the evening went on and the restaurant staff returned to clear away the remnants of their meal, Lady Corelyn rose from her seat. Lady Zahradnik joined her, then the others rose as well. They filed quietly out of the room.

Restroom, I guess?

Nimble still couldn’t figure out why women went out in groups like that. Surely it wasn’t for their safety. He was now fairly certain that Lady Zahradnik could destroy a good portion of the city and Lady Frianne was strong enough on her own to wipe out entire squads of the Royal Earth Guard. Unless Dragons regularly frequented the women’s restrooms in the Empire, there shouldn’t be a need for them to go together like that.

He turned his attention away from the door. To his surprise, he found that he was not alone at the table.

“Hello…” Lady Gagnier smiled shyly.

Shit!

Focused as he was on Lady Zahradnik, the ‘reason’ why Nimble had been invited out to dinner in the first place had slipped his mind. His thoughts raced as he tried to figure out how to extricate himself.

It wasn’t that he had anything against Lady Gagnier – in fact, she was beautiful in the way that all but the luckiest could only fantasise about – but where she was from was a huge problem. Additionally, Nimble had no desire for family life or anything like that. Unfortunately, this woman could not be shrugged off or politely declined like those who had come before.

What would happen if he refused her advances? What would it mean for relations between the Empire and the Sorcerous Kingdom? Would a pair of Death Knights explode out of the walls to drag him away?

He continued to stare silently at her as his mind worked in desperation. The young woman’s smile remained. Her attractive blush grew until she rose from her seat and fled from the room with her face hidden in her hands.

What–

Imminent danger filled Nimble’s senses as the threatening feeling from before returned. He gripped the arms of his chair in a panic as his eyes darted around to look for the source. Near his head, a piece of the wall slid open.

Nimble jumped up with a shout of alarm. A pair of eyes glared out at him from the darkness.

“Nimble!” Ellen hissed, “What the hell are you doing?!”

That should be my question!!!

What was his older sister doing inside the wall? Had she been there the entire time? He had wondered why she was suspiciously absent from the manor…

“Wait a minute,” Nimble said. “That feeling since I got here…it was you?”

“Don’t dodge the question! How could you drive her off like that?”

“I didn’t drive her off. Also, I’ve told you that there’s no point in me getting married. My title isn’t hereditary.”

“The point is to have kids. A family. Your title not being hereditary is perfect since it won’t cause any complications.”

Despite his resistance, he knew that his sister was right. Having a family and passing on one’s bloodline was a concept drilled into every Noble from a young age. Marriages between Nobles were carefully calculated to not cause issues with rights and inheritance, but if he married one of the Nobles from the Sorcerous Kingdom, the children would follow a foreign, matrilineal line and thus not have any claim to imperial titles nor enjoy highborn privileges in the Empire.

“…so you’re telling me to marry into her family.”

“Obviously? Look, I get that you’re hitting it off with that Zahradnik girl and she’s great too, but one of the others would make for a better balance. Mother and Father say so as well.”

Once again, Nimble wondered how many people were plotting to assassinate his single status. He hoped that the Emperor wouldn’t stick his head out of a different wall, waving a flag to cheer him on.

“I don’t see why you’re–wait, are you eating in there?”

“I’m hungry.”

She shoved a slice of Aurochs steak into her mouth, chewing away with gusto. It was definitely the same food that they had been served. What was wrong with this restaurant?

“Anyway,” Ellen said after she washed down the mouthful with a sip of red wine, “the way I see it, we’re stuck to this Sorcerous Kingdom for the long term so it’s best to make some inroads. This is a golden opportunity – it’ll be good for the family and it’ll be good for the Empire so don’t screw up.”

Ellen’s fist came out of the hole in the wall, making a gesture commonly used in the Imperial Army.

For the Empire.

The panel slid shut. Cheek twitching, Nimble stared at the seamless spot on the wall for a good, long moment before walking out of the room. He made his way along the exterior, trying to figure out how his sister had gotten in.

“Um, hi.”

He turned at the sound of Countess Wagner’s voice.

Damn this Sorcerer King…

Unlike Lady Gagnier, whose ample figure and demure demeanour would haunt men with fantasies of her warm embrace, Lady Wagner was slender with a friendly and energetic personality that drew people to her side. All four of the Noblewomen were undeniably attractive in different ways, so Nimble felt like the Sorcerer King was stabbing at him with four different weapons. He may have been Undead, but he knew exactly how to use women against men.

He smiled politely at her greeting, resisting the urge to turn around and see if Ellen was watching him from one of the walls. Lady Wagner quietly twirled a loose curl of hair hanging beside her cheek. Her mouth opened, then closed again. Then, like Lady Gagnier, she started to blush furiously.

“Dammit!”

With a frustrated shout, she turned around and fled into the room.

A wave of murderous intent washed over Nimble, causing him to cringe where he stood. A few moments later, the rest of the women came back. Lady Frianne looked at him briefly, then glanced into the room. Lady Zahradnik frowned slightly as he straightened himself from under Ellen’s oppressive aura.

“Is something the matter, Lord Anoch?” The Baroness asked.

“I-it’s nothing,” Nimble answered. “I just came out to stretch my legs.”

“I see,” Lady Zahradnik smiled. “Shall we return to our table? The evening is yet long and we’ve looked forward to your company.”

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