Valkyrie's Shadow

The Tiger and the Dragon: Act 3, Chapter 10

The Tiger and the Dragon: Act 3, Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Liane squirmed a bit under the gazes of the two footmen who joined them in the carriage’s cabin. They had the good looks that came with being a Noble and being foreigners gave them an exotic flavour that she couldn’t help but be drawn to. Their attention to her was pleasing, but her serious experience with that sort of attention was next to nonexistent and she wrestled with how she should present herself.

Beyond that…

This is weird right? This is definitely weird. Why are they looking at me and not Florine?

Men always looked at Florine. Women did, too. Liane Loretta Dale Wagner was practically invisible in the presence of the unstoppable juggernaut of feminine charm that was Florine Kadia Dale Gagnier.

?Liane, say something!?

?Huh? Oh, uh…?

Since the two noblemen were working as footmen, she was the ranking member in the group and thus had to lead the conversation. A bump in the road gave her an excuse to look out the carriage window and gather her thoughts.

“Worry not, Lady Wagner,” a reassuring voice came from the seat opposite hers. “We have made sure that the city is safe from Beastmen.”

Like Ludmila would leave any for you…

Even if there were Beastmen, Ludmila said that their equipment was good enough that, if the average Beastman observed so far appeared to attack them, Liane and Florine would each be able to win on their own. While they weren’t wearing their dresses, they still had the rest of their accessories on so a part of her wanted it to happen just so she could see how the footmen would react.

“Ah, it wasn’t anything like that,” Liane smiled. “My house is involved in transport so I couldn’t help but examine the roads and the carriage.”

“I-is that so…?”

Was there something wrong with what she said? Though the man had stuttered, their polite masks gave nothing else away.

“We’re not called House Wagner for nothing,” Liane said. “What about you? Come to think of it, the Captain never introduced us.”

“Our apologies, my lady,” the man bent forward in his seat. “I am Zoren Carillo, second son of House Carillo.”

“Agha Binici,” the other man lowered his head in greeting as well, “second son of House Binici. The tall one outside is Emmad Zorlu, son of House Zorlu. The other is Kipler Oras, third son of House Oras.”

She stared at the tops of their sandy-haired heads, each topped with some sort of fez with a white tassel.

“Liane Loretta Dale Wagner, Countess of Wagner…you’ll have to forgive us, but we’ve yet to learn about how greetings are exchanged in the Draconic Kingdom.”

“It is our pleasure to be your guides to our customs, my lady,” Zoren raised his head. “The ones we enact as footmen are traditional, but not too serious. Our Queen dislikes it when her Nobles put too much weight into traditions that she considers pointlessly ceremonial. As Her Majesty prefers functionality over form, our conduct with guests is usually tailored to suit their preferences.”

“Florine Kadia Dale Gagnier,” Florine lowered her head in greeting. “Baroness of Gagnier. It is a pleasure to meet you, Zoren; Agha.”

“Likewise, Baroness Gagnier,” Zoren said. “We were all surprised to see that the members of your delegation were all women, barring the…Royal Butler, is he? Even more surprising is that you hold titles in your own right. The rumours that travel the palace corridors say that you inherited after your new sovereign pressed his claim…is this true?”

“It is,” Liane replied.

“I see,” Zoren nodded solemnly. “Such is our lot in life. Your honourable sires have our respect and our gratitude: they must have cherished you greatly for such vibrant blossoms to flower in their passing.”

The carriage rumbled over an intersection as a moment of silence passed between them. At the least, it seemed that there was a shared respect for aristocratic obligation between Nobles in the Draconic Kingdom and those in the north.

“Thank you for your kind words, Lord Zoren,” Liane said. “…or is it Lord Carillo? I fear to ask after your family given what happened in the palace quarter.”

“Lord Zoren for the time being, my lady. The four of us are all from other territories and our families were not in the capital. House Carillo is a bit west of Phelegia in the north. House Binici is north of Corrin-on-the-Lake and House Oras is south of there. House Zorlu’s lands are next to Eastwatch. We have not received word from the eastern reach in over a year, but there is still yet hope.”

Chances were that they had indeed inherited, but it wouldn’t be proper to treat them as lords in their own right until things became official.

“In that case,” Liane said, “let’s continue to hope for the best. Since the situation is turning around now, there must be some things that you’d like to help your houses out with…”

Zoren and Agha exchanged looks.

“The needs of our houses should not be too different from the rest of the realm,” Agha said.

“In that case,” Liane grinned, “we’d like to hear all about it. The only things we hear about the Draconic Kingdom up north is how they always get picked on by Beastmen.”

“That’s certainly far from everything about us, my lady,” Zoren said.

“Then let’s head over to a nice restaurant or inn,” Liane said. “Learning more about your country would help make everything go that much smoother.”

Agha opened the window to speak to the men accompanying the carriage outside. Liane watched the citizens going about their business along the street. While they had cleaned the place up, signs of the recent Beastman breach were still abundant. Most notable was the damage that was not so easy to repair: broken windows, missing stretches of magical lighting and pretty much anything that required new materials to fix.

As for the people themselves, they seemed strangely resolute about their situation. There were no overt signs of unrest or distress.

?Doesn’t this city seem super stable for a place that just got ransacked by man-eating Beastmen??

?It is, but it shouldn’t be surprising. You should have a good measure of Queen Oriculus by now.?

?Yeah, but this is a ridiculously powerful effect. It’s way stronger than what we saw in Arwintar. Ya think she’s doing it for her entire Kingdom??

?That would be amazing if she could. I can’t even imagine how much work would go into achieving that.?

?Maybe she gets something special from being a Dragon Lord.?

?I wonder about that…shouldn’t Dragons be on the ‘dominator’ side of the spectrum??

?The ones we know about so far, yeah. But there are a lot of different types of Dragons out there.?

As far as they understood, ‘Lords’ had various effects over those that they ruled. Those various effects varied by race and even within a race as there could be different types of ‘Lords’. Their grasp of things was still extremely rough, but they were slowly starting to make sense of what they saw as time and experience brought new insights.

Several loosely-defined scales had been created to help them categorise a Lord-class individual and how their abilities affected the world around them.

The first that they agreed upon was the ‘civilian-martial’ spectrum, which was evidenced by the differences between Nobles of civilian and martial leanings in Human society. Lords on the ‘martial’ side of the spectrum had qualities that lent towards them being effective leaders in hostile or otherwise adverse conditions, hardening those that they ruled against those conditions and serving as something like a Commander or Champion of their people.

Lords on the ‘civilian’ side of the spectrum excelled at amplifying the effectiveness of their subjects and leveraging what they had at their disposal. This spectrum loosely explained why Ludmila was absolute crap at many things that Nobles normally excelled at: her ‘Lord’ Job Class simply didn’t allow it. By the same token, Liane, Florine and Clara stunk at many things Ludmila excelled at. Their combat and command ability was limited, it was difficult for them to work with very little and their loyal subjects weren’t as resilient.

Trying to make up for those deficiencies through personal development didn’t help, either…well, it was more that Clara and Ludmila asserted that it was harmful. At first, Liane was sceptical since the tenets of the Faith of the Six served as the basis for their assertion, but then Ludmila pointed out that members of the Sorcerous Kingdom’s Royal Court confirmed that it was the case.

‘Build contamination’, they called it: if someone tried too hard to do something that wasn’t in line with their vocation, they would pick up Job Class levels that were fundamentally incompatible with their ‘builds’ – the sum of what they were, as defined by their Class Levels.

Fixing that problem involved dying and losing levels. Liane wasn’t very keen on experiencing that particular solution so she decided that investigating the truth of the matter without potentially putting herself at risk was prudent.

The second spectrum that they fleshed out had to do with the fundamental nature of a Lord’s race. This was developed by comparing the different peoples that lived in the Sorcerous Kingdom that they encountered while Florine wandered about. It was more like a set of measures that helped them figure out where any particular race sat in the grand scheme of things. This included how social they were, whether they were ‘collaborators’ or ‘dominators’ and their inherent strengths as individuals and as a species.

Quagoa and Goblins, for instance, were more social than Humans. The Quagoa were more on the ‘dominator’ side of the spectrum and tended to behave aggressively against other races when left to their own devices. Goblins were on the ‘collaborator’ side, capable of easily fitting into the order of other societies.

While they had distinct racial advantages, Quagoa were not especially strong relative to Humans. Goblins were generally weaker than regular Humans. ‘Lords’ of both races had Skills and Abilities that reflected these traits. A Quagoa Lord could invoke a berserk state over their people that exploited their resilience in their natural environment, turning them into a difficult-to-break wave of frenzied soldiers. Hobgoblins – which might be considered a sort of ‘Goblin Lord’ – brought together and transformed the various Goblinoid species and their ‘ecology’ into the organised and disciplined ranks of a Goblin Army.

The third major spectrum for Lords-class individuals had to do with the organisational bracket that they filled. There was the ‘tribal’ bracket, which could be seen in the most common sorts of Demihuman Lords – or minor Nobles, in the case of Human Kingdoms and Empires. Above them were ‘Highlords’, which were the rarer ‘High Chiefs’, ‘Warlords’ or petty kings of tribal confederations, or the High Nobles of Human countries. Higher up were ‘Sovereigns’, consisting of Kings, Emperors and other analogous roles.

When compared with the Human ‘Sovereigns’ of the north, Queen Oriculous was far more impressive in terms of apparent mastery over her Lord-type Classes. Whether consciously doing so or not, she displayed powerful abilities both directly and could be seen reflected in her loyal subjects, which somehow appeared to be all of them. Rather than a regular ‘Queen’, she was probably better categorised as a ‘High Queen’.

One might ask where Ainz Ooal Gown, the Sorcerer King, sat in all of this. Understanding, however, only required a shift in perspective. Like the living, the Undead had ‘Lords’ too.

According to Lady Shalltear, Ainz Ooal Gown was an ‘Overlord’ – the highest existence of the Elder Lich ‘line’. Elder Liches were often coined as ‘Lords of the Labyrinth’, ‘Lords of the Undead’ and Commanders of Undead armies who exerted their influence through arcane might and necromantic domination. Additionally, as a Necromancer of the highest calibre, Ainz Ooal Gown was a ‘Ruler of Death’.

When the various spectrums that they had come up with were applied, it framed the Sorcerer King in a reasonably understandable way. He was the highest rank of ‘Sovereign’, belonged to the ‘dominator’ side of things and displayed traits characteristic of his race. These notions were loosely proven by how he affected those around him.

Without exception, everyone could feel the dark majesty of the Sorcerer King when they were in his presence. Depending on one’s relationship to the Sorcerer King, that dark majesty could evoke different feelings. To ‘outsiders’, he was a personification of Death: the unsettling sensations that the living felt in the presence of the Undead were amplified. With respect and loyalty, however, came awe and reverence.

As an Undead ‘Lord’, the Sorcerer King also had various effects on the Undead under his command and did things to naturally occurring ones. As far as they had observed, the more ‘Human’ types of Undead – particularly the females – fell helplessly in love or at least lusted after him. Those further removed from being ‘Human’ – including Skeletal Undead, Incorporeal Undead and Zombies – were exposed to other sets of emotions.

Broadly speaking, the Undead became more like the living around him, experiencing emotions and reactions to a degree that was normally not characteristic of the Undead. It was a strange phenomenon that allowed the Undead to become closer to the life that they emulated.

Their carriage started moving again, going around a city block and heading back up the way they came. Liane concealed a frown at the change in direction: they wouldn’t be able to see much of the city if they just stayed around the palace.

“Is there an establishment you’ve decided on?” She asked.

“Yes, my lady,” Zoren answered with a nod. “One of the finest restaurants in the city – it is high in the palace quarter and commands a most wonderful view of the river and the east of the city.”

“We have chosen it more for the atmosphere than the food,” Agha said. “With the city harbouring over twice its usual population, the common establishments are cramped and squalid. Additionally, the rationing measures in the city affect all, so we beg your understanding in the matter.”

“That shouldn’t last for much longer,” Liane replied. “Well, everyone might be eating oat bread, oatmeal, oatcakes, oat pastries and other oat derivatives for a while but at least you’ll have plenty of it.”

The carriage went through a series of hairpin turns leading up the eastern side of the palace quarter, bringing them to a flat residential area with the restaurant in question at the end of the road. Each manor along the way was in various states of disrepair, displaying damage more pronounced than in the streets of the common areas below. Unlike the common areas, little effort had been made to clean things up.

“If the city is overcrowded,” Florine finally found the courage to speak, “would it not be prudent to open the palace quarter to the citizens?”

“Such proposals have been made, Lady Gagnier,” Zoren replied, “but there are other considerations we must see to first. Every residence here belongs to a Noble house or other important personages. The Beastmen may have taken the staff and valuables, but what is valuable to Humans is not necessarily valuable to Beastmen. Every manor is filled with paperwork, sensitive documents, vaults and hidden chambers. We presently do not have the means available to secure everything or manage the population should they decide to engage in criminal acts. Having people filling the quarter is a recipe for disaster, especially when times are so desperate.”

“If that’s the case,” Liane asked, “how are the people being managed right now?”

“Very carefully,” Zoren’s dark eyes glinted as he offered her a lopsided smile. “The people believe in the grace of our Queen and will go to great ends to serve her. They would even sacrifice themselves for her sake. We must maintain this state and work to avoid anything that might adversely affect it where possible.”

?Is it just me, Liane, or did that come off as not quite right??

?Whaddya mean? Makes sense to me. They’re upholding the dignity of the Queen and the majesty of her reign, yea? Normal aristocrat stuff.?

?That feels right and wrong at the same time…?

The carriage came to a stop in front of a hastily-cleared walkway. Pieces of debris and refuse were piled up some distance to the sides. One of the footmen outside – Emmad – opened the cabin door and unfolded a small set of steps.

“We informed the proprietor in advance of our arrival, Lady Wagner,” Zoren said, “so it shouldn’t be long until their preparations have been made. In the meantime, please enjoy the view from the gardens.”

Emmad lowered his head slightly, silently extending a hand to Liane. Out of the four footmen, he was the most handsome by far. He was two metres tall with a dusky complexion and sturdy frame that might have been the result of being from a border house in the east.

?That smile of yours is silly.?

Liane unsmiled.

?I-I can’t help it! It’s not every day that people pay more attention to me than they do to you. Can I use your shawl, by the way??

?No.?

They disembarked from the cabin, finding Rose and Tierre already awaiting them on the walkway. Their Lady’s Maids had followed them in a second carriage which was about as ‘nondescript’ as theirs. Like Liane and Florine, their Maids had donned a set of local attire that complemented their own.

“Shall we go ahead and check the premises, my lady?” Rose asked.

“I shall accompany you, as well,” Emmad said in a deep voice.

Liane’s gaze met that of her Lady’s Maid’s.

?Take one of our Shadow Demons too.?

The Shadow Demon went from Liane’s shadow to Rose’s, and the three disappeared into the restaurant. Zoren guided Liane and Florine to a garden walkway offering a view of the city’s eastern riverfront. Every few metres, they passed a giant splotch of dried blood on the cobblestones.

“Erm…this wasn’t what I had in mind,” Zoren said sheepishly.

“Don’t mind us,” Liane said. “Don’t throw up, though.”

With the palace quarter on the western side of the city, the eastern districts stretched two kilometres along the banks of the River Oriculon. The shadow cast by the palace quarter shrouded the riverfront in darkness, making it difficult to discern the state of its port facilities.

“What’s the condition of the city’s eastern port?” Liane asked, “Is it comparable to the west?”

“Oras,” Zoren said, “weren’t you patrolling there today?”

“Yes, Lord Zoren,” the shorter man said. “The wharf district has always been a bit on the seedier side, but the facilities themselves remain functional. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the vessels moored there.”

“Baroness Zahradnik mentioned something like that in her reports,” Liane said. “The Beastmen were sinking ships in ports all along the coast. I guess they didn’t want their food to sail away.”

Grave looks appeared on the faces of the men standing across from them.

“All of them?” Zoren frowned, “That’s not good. The river trade is crucial to the Draconic Kingdom’s economy. Not only does it facilitate efficient transport, but it is difficult for Beastmen to disrupt.”

“It probably shouldn’t take long to repair…”

“If it were better days, yes. With our supply chains effectively collapsed, we’ll have to cannibalise a lot of ships. Materials in general are scarce with the strain of the recovery effort.”

“What about magic casters?”

The three footmen exchanged looks.

“May I ask what you mean by that, my lady?” Zoren asked.

“Magic casters can cast spells to repair stuff, yeah?” Liane answered, “Low-tier Mending-line spells should be able to tide you over until real repairs can be made and new ships built.”

“Such things are beyond our knowledge,” Zoren replied, “but it sounds like powerful magic that we wouldn’t have access to.”

?I said low-tier, right??

?You did.?

“I’m sure you can consult with the Guilds on that,” Liane said. “A city of this size should have more than a few magic casters.”

“In better times, that might be the case…”

?I have a feeling we’ll be hearing that a lot.?

“…but magic casters are purposely targeted by Beastmen. I am uncertain how many remain after this latest attack.”

“I guess we should add timber to our shipments,” Liane muttered.

Of all the things one needed, wood was probably one of the easiest to get. She couldn’t think of any instance of Human-managed territory losing its copses or not having any forests, but it might be different in the Draconic Kingdom where Beastmen could just pop out of the trees and eat people.

“My lady,” Rose returned from the restaurant, “the restaurant is ready to receive you.”

“Find anything interesting?” Liane asked.

“Not as such. The usual set of divination spells revealed nothing of note. Nor did we discover anything on the mundane end of things.”

They were led inside through the restaurant to a balcony on the other side. Sconces set with torches lined the walls and pillars, supporting a structure fashioned from polished cedar. In the middle of the balcony was a long table set with golden utensils and tall beeswax candles.

Once they took their seats, a short man in a white chef’s uniform appeared to greet them.

“Welcome, lords and ladies, welcome. I am Chef Remlay, proprietor of the Dragon’s Roost. We are most pleased that you have chosen our establishment this evening.”

“Remlay,” Zoren nodded, “It’s good to see you healthy. When we heard what happened to the palace quarter, I feared the worst.”

“You are too kind, Lord Zoren,” the Chef replied. “By the Queen’s grace, we managed to survive. My staff and I locked ourselves in the cellars when the Beastmen overwhelmed the city’s defences, but we’re not quite sure what happened next. By the time we grew brave enough to come out again, the invaders were gone.”

“Hmm…does that mean that some of the palace quarter’s residents might still be alive?”

“It’s been four or five days since the attack began, so they should have reappeared by now if so. Speaking of residents, I don’t believe I’ve met these lovely young ladies you’ve brought with you today…”

“Ah,” Zoren rose from his seat and gestured to Liane, “this is–”

“Wagner,” Liane stood up and stuck out her hand. “Liane Wagner. My partner here is Florine Gagnier. These are our attendants, Rose and Tierre. We’re Merchants from a place up north.”

The Chef instantly latched on to her introduction, clasping her hand.

“…Merchants, you say? Might that mean that goods are arriving in the port?”

“You betcha,” she grinned. “We’re currently negotiating supply arrangements with Her Majesty.”

“That’s…” Chef Remlay swallowed, “If you’ll please excuse me for just one moment…”

“Sure!”

Chef Remlay scampered away into the restaurant. The four footmen cast curious looks at Liane as she sat back down.

“I don’t understand, my la–Miss Wagner. Why would you…”

“We didn’t lie to ‘em,” Liane said. “We are Merchants.”

“But–”

“What she means to say, Lord Zoren,” Florine rolled her eyes, “is that we are from Merchant houses.”

“I see…no, I don’t. I still don’t understand why you would choose to introduce yourselves as Merchants rather than Nobles.”

The sound of heavy breathing preceded the Chef as he returned to the balcony.

“Apologies, my lords,” he said, “there was an urgent matter that demanded my attention.”

“Of course, Remlay,” Zoren’s voice was uncertain. “What is this evening’s menu? We’ve had a long day seeing to the order of the city.”

Chef Remlay launched himself into a flowery rendering of what was pretty close to what they’d been eating for the last day or so. The only notable difference was the wine, which was some sort of decade-old red from the far end of the Oriculon Reach. Once the Chef confirmed their satisfaction with the content of their dinner – Liane and Florine stuck with the wine since they had just eaten – he disappeared into the restaurant again.

“So you’ve all been performing duties with the city militia,” Liane said, “how’s that been working out for ya?”

“They can hardly be called proper militia,” Zoren snorted.

“Indeed,” Agha joined him in his mirth. “Remember Emmad’s first watch? He equipped his men with spears and half of them nearly stabbed themselves. I think a few of them did.”

The men’s laughter rose around the table. Emmad scratched his temple, casting his eyes down in embarrassment.

“That is the least of the problems, though,” Kipler’s almond eyes glittered with amusement. “The commoners have little sense for law. We spent more time dealing with our men than with any problems created by the citizenry. They judge things based on whether they believe good or evil is being done, not what is lawful and unlawful.”

“It should be expected, should it not?” Florine said, “We ourselves were not born with the law instilled in us, but we all have a sense of good and evil.”

“True,” Zoren said, “true. But it goes a long way in explaining why they do so many nonsensical things. They have much in the way of ‘common sense’ but everything else is…”

Zoren leaned back in his seat and raised his hand, making a swirling gesture with a look of resignation.

“I don’t envy you guys,” Liane said. “Recovering from this giant mess is going to take a good, long time. Well, since you all basically have your foot in the door now, do you plan on seeing things through and securing positions in the Royal Court?”

“Hmm…that is a good question. Normally, we would all be ecstatic at such an opportunity. Given how things are, however…Oras, what do you think?”

“It would depend on the state of our houses,” Agha said. “If we end up inheriting, we would have to take care of things at home. Should the territories fall apart, there would be no country for the ministries to manage.”

“I doubt my lord father has perished,” Kipler said. “He’s so obstinate that, if he were eaten, he’d crawl right back out. The Judiciary is not for me, though – I would prefer the Treasury.”

Agha’s look turned sour.

“You would have to fight that Delerose for the position…”

“I don’t think you could win,” Zoren said. “She is close to the Queen and more talented in finance than you besides.”

“I-I don’t mind working under Delerose…”

The three men turned suspicious looks at Kipler.

“What?” Kipler said.

“Nothing,” Zoren looked over to Emmad. “What about you Emmad? Back to Eastwatch, I suppose.”

Emmad nodded and took a sip from his wine.

“As expected of a son of House Zorlu,” Zoren raised a fist. “Considering the help we are receiving from the Sorcerous Kingdom, perhaps you should aim for Marshal instead?”

“There will be others more suited to the position,” Emmad shook his head. “The cities of the north still stand, so the Nobles commanding their defence would be a better choice than I.”

?Think we should tell him that they’re only standing because they’re being kept fresh??

?Don’t do that! He looks so gallant right now.?

He did, but knowing the truth made Liane want to laugh at his tragically-misplaced humility.

Chef Remlay and his staff arrived with the first of their courses: a thin fish stew with pickled vegetables that was at great odds with the crystal bowls that it came in. Still, the four footmen conducted themselves in a manner appropriate to the setting rather than the food.

“At any rate,” Zoren said, “seeing order return to the city brings us great satisfaction, but many things will demand our attention in the future.”

“Speaking of the future,” Liane said. “What do you think the best measures would be to help get the Draconic Kingdom on the road to recovery?”

Zoren took a few spoonfuls of soup with a thoughtful expression.

“Since you are unfamiliar with our country,” he said, “There are a few fundamental things that you should be aware of. One of them is that the Draconic Kingdom is structured as a product of our relationship with our neighbours. We are regularly subjected to Beastman raids and the way that we recover from their predation has been refined over generations.”

“That sounds interesting,” Liane leaned forward. “How does it work, logistically speaking?”

The footman emptied his bowl, dabbing at his lips with a napkin before speaking again.

“At the centre of everything lies our Queen,” he said. “Both legally and logistically speaking. Every city in the Draconic Kingdom is under the direct rule of the royal house. We are not like the countries of the north where great houses rule over cities. While there are High Nobles in the Draconic Kingdom, there are no great houses as you would recognise them – only provincial lords.”

“I see,” Liane said. “So whenever a territory is attacked by Beastmen, the Queen sends support directly to the lord that needs it through her cities. The system is set up in such a way that each city acts as a branch of the central administration.”

“That’s right,” Zoren nodded. “Hmm…I was expecting that this would require a more in-depth explanation. My father always bemoaned the ignorance of northern dignitaries. They always asked for the lord of whatever place held their interest so that they could negotiate directly with them for licences and such.”

“The Sorcerous Kingdom’s central administration holds absolute authority,” Florine explained. “Legally speaking, this is not the case, but it is in practice. The destructive factionalism that you might hear of in the north is pointless in our country.”

“Speaking of factions,” Liane said, “do they exist here?”

“They do,” Zoren said, “but they are provincial factions rather than what northerners would call ‘court factions’. The administrators of each area in a province band together to more effectively represent their interests.”

“So what happens in a situation like the one you’re in presently, where everyone needs everything at the same time?”

“Our hairs turn grey before we reach the age of twenty,” Agha grimaced. “Maybe Kipler has the right idea.”

“What do you mean by that?” Kipler frowned.

“Nothing,” Agha smiled slightly. “What will probably happen is that support will be distributed in an equitable fashion across all provinces. Everyone will request as much as they can, of course, but, at the same time, they should recognise that we all share the same circumstances and trust in our Queen’s wisdom.”

?This makes it reeeeeally easy for us. Suspiciously easy.?

?Well, it’s a good system. Why would you think we’d be the first ones to think of it? Especially when they’re the ones that have to deal with this all the time. Still, it existing before we proposed it might be bad for us.?

?But it’s effectively a bigger, time-tested version of what we came up with.?

?That’s the problem. They’re very…queeny. It’s as if everything is set up with Queen Oriculus at the centre. If we do something similar, we may be seen as undermining the influence of the Crown.?

?Mmh…if that was the case, wouldn’t she have said something about it??

?I don’t think it’s the Queen we have to worry about.?

Liane eyed the handsome young noblemen sitting across the table from them. They were indeed very ‘queeny’. From what they had seen, all of the Draconic Kingdom’s subjects were. They might have difficulties between themselves, but the Queen was simply above it all. If anyone targeted the Queen for a reason, it would be to shower their adoration upon her.

She glanced over at Florine, who was smiling gently as she watched the restaurant staff lay out the next course.

?Y’know, just this once, I hope you’re wrong.?