Valkyrie's Shadow

Empire in Chains: Act 2, Chapter 18

Empire in Chains: Act 2, Chapter 18

Chapter 18

A break in the clouds offered little in the way of warmth to the clustered buildings of the southern fourth-class district. Instead, sunlight brought with it scenes of the impoverished, ‘safe’ within the walls of the mighty capital of the Baharuth Empire.

People walked as if afraid, yet accustomed to that fear. It was not the wariness of those accustomed to living near Demihuman lands: it was fear of the wrong sort – fear of one’s neighbours; of their fellow Humans and what the unseen hand of those with power might visit upon them. Men, women, and children were as wont to linger in the shadows as the sunlight, and the presence of wealth was received with suspicion and wariness.

The vaunted pride of the Empire did not exist here, nor did the order of its Emperor. Less than four kilometres away from the palatial manors of the First-Class District, a whole other world lay sprawled out in squalor under Arwintar’s curtain walls. It was all Ludmila could do to keep her expressionless mask affixed lest she reveal her disgust.

?So this is the Empire’s ‘meritocracy’.?

There was no doubt that her friends had heard her, yet they remained silent.

?How can they claim to cultivate those of talent when the majority of their population is not even afforded a proper standard of living? I could understand it if this city was genuinely poor, but only a few kilometres from the magnificent architecture and vast estates of the First-Class District is are slums no different than the one that once existed in E-Rantel.?

?Re-Estize is like this too, y’know.?

?That does not make it acceptable. The amount of Human potential being squandered is ludicrous.?

Their carriage slowed to a stop. Ludmila placed her hand on the door handle. Across the cabin, Lady Frianne and Miss Erex’s eyebrows threatened to lift straight off of their faces.

“L-Lady Zahradnik,” Lady Frianne said. “Surely you don’t mean to go outside? The footmen can–”

On the opposite side, Liane opened her door and hopped out. Lady Frianne’s mouth fell open as Florine followed without a trace of hesitation. Ludmila stepped out onto the broken cobblestone road, looking back at the two imperial Nobles.

“Is there something we have to fear from citizens of the Empire?”

?Woo~ Has anyone ever told you that you’re just as feisty as Clara when she gets mad??

Liane and Florine came around from the other side. The latter grinned, though her back was turned to the carriage. Ludmila and Clara joined them as they crossed the street, following the aroma of freshly-baked bread.

?Ahaha, they’re not comin’ out.?

Ludmila glanced over the shoulder just in time to see Miss Erex shut the carriage door. The two Arwintar natives stared out at them through the windows with fearful looks. It seemed that this was as far as the ‘absolute power’ of imperial authority went.

A flicker of darkness caught Ludmila’s attention. She looked down to see that one of her Shadow Demons had returned.

?How is it??

The Shadow Demon gave her a thumbs-up. Ludmila rolled her eyes. The area around them held next to nothing in the way of risks to their party.

?Keep an eye on those two back in the carriage. They’re in the most vulnerable position should our situation change.?

“Scared of their own citizens,” Ludmila shook her head.

“All clear, then?” Liane asked.

“Nothing dangerous was identified,” Ludmila answered. “So, unless there’s someone stronger than a Platinum-rank Rogue or Ranger randomly waiting to assassinate us on our random visit, our security will have detected any threats.”

“We didn’t have any sketchy people following us on the way?”

“No,” Ludmila said. “Even the Empire didn’t send anyone to make sure nothing happened to us out here.”

“They’re just hoping that we’ll leave without incident?” Clara frowned as she looked up and down the street, “Or maybe they just pretend that this part of the city doesn’t exist.”

She wouldn’t be surprised if it was the case. From their behaviour regarding the Sorcerous Kingdom to the attainted to the inequality inherent to their systems, it seemed that the Empire just looked the other way, hoping the problems that were either too large, too inconvenient, or considered beneath them would quietly vanish on their own…or at least leave them alone.

Experiencing the greatest boom in its history, the heart of the Baharuth Empire was a place that drew in resources and talent from its furthest reaches and beyond. The old and unwanted were swept aside to make way for the new. The bright-eyed looks of those who lived in the other districts of the city remained fixed on the Empire that they wanted to see; those left behind in the shadows of progress and reform probably did not exist in their minds.

They crossed onto a cleaned-up section of the street, where a brightly-lit storefront awaited customers. A large sign hung overhead, with the words ‘DEATH BREAD’ carved onto its surface. On both sides of the sign, a stylized Death Knight held its sword arm high. Instead of a flamberge in its hand, there was a baguette.

“I’m still not sure about this sign…” Ludmila said.

“It’s the best way,” Liane told her. “We’re not trying to sneakily sell stuff to these people: everything is for the impact. They need to know where their goods are coming from and that we don’t give a damn about the stupid rumours they come up with…and they shouldn’t either. Cursed produce, my ass.”

“Plus the mascot is cute,” Florine added.

Her three friends had pooled their efforts to open a DEATH BREAD in every city in the Empire. The one in Engelfurt – which they had visited as well – had few customers, but many of the people there were facing a similar financial situation as those who lived in the slums of Arwintar. Liane held her greatest hopes for the shop in the imperial capital, as its impoverished patrons were the least likely to care about rumours and superstition involving the Sorcerous Kingdom.

The bread and pastries made at each DEATH BREAD were just as good as a bakery in the second-class district. They were a fraction of the price, yet the shop was still profitable with sufficient clientele. Every part of the bakery’s supply chain was cheaper to operate due to various factors stemming from the changes in the Sorcerous Kingdom’s industry and logistics. Once the business started to grow, there would only be one way to compete.

As Miss Erex had noted, using conventional methods to contend with the Sorcerous Kingdom’s industries was a hopeless cause. Simply sitting around hoping that the Empire’s sentiment regarding Undead labour and products derived from Undead labour would shift on its own was foolish when there were plenty of opportunities to encourage change, so her friends had gone on the offence. The Empire would be ‘gently’ pressured to adapt, and the Imperial Administration would not dare intercede with tariffs or other measures to protect local industries.

“Are you doing this in Re-Estize, as well?” Ludmila asked.

“Nah,” Liane answered. “There’s someone else trying to promote our exports there. No point in having overlapping efforts when there are other markets to take care of.”

A young shopkeeper stood up from where he was seated behind the counter at their approach.

“We’re here~” Liane said.

“You’re…you’re Countess Wagner?” The shopkeeper asked, “I wasn’t sure if that letter was some sort of joke. M’lady.”

“Not this time it wasn’t,” Liane smiled. “I brought the whole gang with me, too.”

“The whole gang,” the man’s gaze crossed over them. “Y-you mean…”

“Yep. Countess Corelyn, Baroness Gagnier and Baroness Zahradnik.”

He stared at them for a good dozen seconds, growing increasingly flustered.

“I-it’s an honour…is that what you’re supposed to say? I mean, erm…”

“Relax,” Liane waved a hand, “we’re just here to get breakfast. How are things going so far?”

“Quiet, m’lady. We get a lot of curious looks from all sorts, but we’re only selling a twentieth of what we can make.”

“That’s still something,” Florine told him. “What about the leftovers? Did you contact the Temples?”

The man gazed down at the counter with a dissatisfied look. He absently clacked his tongs in hand.

“They turned us down for, well, you’ve probably heard all the reasons already. At the end of the day, I have the security staff taking home plenty for their families. My wife and kids are eating well, too. It’s funny how people get – the Temples always talk about charity and such, but I guess it’s only the charity that they approve of, just like healing magic.”

“That’s a bit different,” Liane said. “Fees for divine magic go towards their operating costs. You’re right about food, though.”

“Then the orders about destroying food at the end of the day…”

“I know it stinks, but keep at it. The Temples are used to being the ones distributing alms. If you’re seen as muscling in on their territory, they might lash out in some stupid way. We’re walking a fine line here – just because something someone does is dumb doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone’s safe from the results.”

“Yes, m’lady.”

It was an odd exchange, considering that Liane was a follower of The Four. Then again, the faith of many only went as far as one needed temple services. She had a point, however: whether one acted out of ignorance, desperation, conceit, or sheer stupidity, the results often did not care for the circumstances that wrought them.

The Empire was one of the greatest bastions of the Faith of the Four, and the Temples had a stranglehold on the people that they wouldn’t so easily relinquish. If the business pushed its true agenda too hard, it would invite rash reactions and cause problems for everyone. His Majesty’s Royal Court simply ignored the Temples in the Sorcerous Kingdom, and, going by the results, it appeared to be the best way to handle them.

They returned to their carriage with breakfast, and the footmen set up the dining table. After filing in silently, they shut the doors behind them.

“Surprise,” Liane said. “We lived.”

“Are all Nobles from the Sorcerous Kingdom so brave?” Miss Erex breathed.

“That’s right,” Liane nodded, “we’re awesome.”

Liane fished out a warm pretzel, twisting off a piece and popping it into her mouth. Their carriage went back up the way it came, and they settled down to enjoy their breakfast.

“This is pretty good,” Miss Erex said as she worked on a fruit pastry, “but why did we go all this way for something we could’ve gotten back in the second-class districts?”

“People won’t trust you if you won’t eat your own products,” Liane replied.

Miss Erex’s chewing slowed down noticeably, then she swallowed.

“Hah?”

“That store sells food made from the Sorcerous Kingdom’s produce,” Liane explained.

Behind her shaded glasses, Miss Erex’s hazel eyes started to tear up. She turned her head to look at Lady Frianne.

“Prez…”

Lady Frianne stared down at the piece of half-eaten milk bread in her fingers.

“Is something the matter?” Clara asked.

“I…I don’t wanna become a Zombieeeee!” Miss Erex bawled.

“Too late,” Liane cackled, “you’re one of us, now. Ow.”

Liane snatched her hand away from the tines of Florine’s fork.

“It’s just bread,” Florine said. “Why do you think you’ll become Undead from eating bread?”

“Because…” Miss Erex sniffed, “because everyone says that. The Temples don’t deny it, either. We’re…we’re gonna turn into Zombies!”

“Nonsense,” Liane scoffed. “We eat the stuff we grow every day. Do any of us look Undead to you?”

?I swear, Liane…?

Miss Erex adjusted her glasses, closely inspecting each of them in turn. Recalling Lady Aura’s observations, Ludmila tried to look as Human as possible.

“I guess not…”

“Mhm,” Liane gave Miss Erex a satisfied nod, then frowned. “Wait–why did you look at me twice?”

“Since you intend on joining the Empire’s diplomatic mission to the Sorcerous Kingdom,” Clara said, “what did you expect to eat while you were there?”

“Uh…”

Unable to come up with a reply, Miss Erex reached out for another pastry. Lady Frianne, however, left her half-eaten portion of milk bread on the plate in front of her.

?This tour’s gonna be all weird if we don’t get Frianne talking again.?

?We all agreed that Ludmila should be doing most of the talking for this part, didn’t we??

?Uh, yeah. Hey, Ignorant Foreign Border Noble A, you’re up.?

The hardest part about communicating silently was that Ludmila couldn’t visibly react to anything lest they clue observers in on what was going on. It was something which she suspected Liane took full advantage of.

Outside, the scenery of the second-class market district sped by, and they ascended the gentle incline to the First-Class District. Their carriage was stopped briefly at the checkpoint into the core of Arwintar. A pair of Imperial Knights in the equipment of Rogues passed on either side, followed by a mage who cast at least three spells.

“Do all visitors receive this level of scrutiny?” Ludmila asked.

“Visitors do, yes,” Lady Frianne answered. “I believe the size of this carriage draws attention, as well. The knights of the First Legion are accustomed to filtering out the capital’s traffic, so a vehicle with plenty of room will naturally be seen as a potential way to smuggle in illegal goods or undeclared items.”

“Has something like that happened recently?”

“It happens infrequently. I can’t recall any major incidents in the past year. For the most part, it’s what you might already suspect. There are the odd articles that are identified as contraband, such as exotic plants and wildlife that some of the more eccentric nobles try to bring into their estates. Occasionally, magic items of questionable nature are confiscated. Of course, there are also the ongoing…‘efforts’ of the attainted as they hopelessly try to regain a semblance of what they have lost.”

The checkpoint finally let them through and the wide spaces of the First-Class District opened up before them. The guest manors in E-Rantel’s central district had always been her point of reference for what a proper Noble’s residence looked like, but the ones in Arwintar’s First-Class District were palatial. Many were hidden away by walls and carefully maintained hedges, and the few she did see lay amidst estates that must have been half the size of E-Rantel’s central district.

?Oh, Ludmila’s really getting into it. She’s the spitting image of a slack-jawed country yokel now.?

?If Ludmila stabs you one of these days, Liane, you only have yourself to blame.?

“Many of these manors don’t appear lived-in,” Ludmila said. “Are they city residences for major Nobles with distant territories?”

“Some of them are,” Lady Frianne nodded. “The smaller ones are residences for high-ranking officers in the Imperial Army and certain affluent private citizens. There are also senior officials from government ministries who travel frequently and members of foreign diplomatic missions. As for the rest, they are formerly properties of the attainted.”

The attainted, again.

Maybe it was because of the specific circumstances of Ludmila and her friends, but the fallen nobility of Baharuth seemed to always drift into her awareness. The very notion of the attainted was abhorrent to them, but, at the same time, a morbid curiosity seemed to grow over their existence.

“Lady Frianne,” she said. “Before we proceed, I feel that I must gain a better understanding of the Baharuth Empire’s recent history. As minor Nobles of Re-Estize, I’m afraid our education on these matters is limited to what is glossed over in favour of subjects covering more immediate concerns. In particular, I would like to know about the rise of your current Emperor.”