by K R Zax
“That is the Saint’s Palace.” Lillian told me when she saw how I stared at the building. “The architecture looks… Out of place. But that is only because the original building was destroyed several times through history. And each time that they rebuilt it, the appearance changed a bit. That is why some towers appear to be differ from the others.”
I noticed some priests, male and female, coming out of the Palace. They all had beautiful white robes, decorated with gold and silver.
“Is that Saril?” Lillian asked her brother, which surprised me. Wasn’t she mad at him for some reason?
“Last I’ve heard before my trip to Tolia, was that she suffered from some illness. Was I wrong?”
“It’s confidential.” Gel’Gazar said as he quickly glanced around. “Anyway, the priests said that she was fine now. And she insisted on participating in today's festivities.”
Several priests were holding baskets filled with colorful eggs, while a beautiful elf girl redistributed them to the crowd.
Is that the Saril girl they talked about? She was blond, had nice skin, captivating saint-like smile, and ample chest.
Hmm, delicious.
As I was appreciating her curves, Saril’s gaze met mine. Her pretty green eyes didn’t leave me for a second. I could see how she blushed, and her lovely pink tongue run over her lower lip.
“High Priestess! High Priestess! Someone, call a healer!” The priests were alarmed when the girl fell on her knees while trying to cover her body with her hands, even though she was completely dressed.
“Poor girl,” Lillian sigh. “She should value her health more. But she IS the High Priestess, I doubt she’d miss a ceremony even if she was on her deathbed.”
When the priests took the sick girl back to the Saint’s Palace, we resumed our trip. As we came close the red wall, I saw Imperial Soldiers positioned on regular intervals up there, and even more of them were guarding a gate.
When they saw Gel’Gazar and the other knights, the soldiers saluted and stepped aside while two of them opened the wooden gate for us to pass through.
On the other side of the walls there were beautiful walkways, trimmed lawns and flowers growing in perfectly neat spots. I could see some finely dressed people walking or sitting on benches in the distance.
There was also a big flagpole, towering over the buildings. The two-headed golden Dragon on a red background, waived leisurely on the afternoon wind.
All the soldiers and knights who were traveling with us from Tolia, took a different path and brought the remaining carriages with them. As I could see, they were heading towards some plain looking buildings. That was probably the place where they stayed and trained while they were on the palace grounds.
I watched the scenery as we approached a building. To be precise, it looked like a complex of different style palaces connected to each other.
We dismounted in front of a grandiose fountain, and servants took our horses to the stables. I was admiring the red and gray cobblestones, when the double doors of the palace opened, and a butler appeared, followed by a squad of maids.
“Welcome,” he gave an elegant bow before addressing Gel'Gazar and Lillian. “My Lord, my Lady. Your mother, Empress Sozida, requested for an audience as soon as you arrive at the palace.”
Then he turned to the members of the Demonic Order. “Your family members also said that they wanted to have a word.”
Some girls looked a bit nervous, but they all hurried and entered the palace. I wouldn’t like to be in their skin right now.
“Master Alex,” the butler said when the place was half deserted. “Her Grace is waiting for you and your Lady, If you’d please, I will guide you to her office.”
We followed the guy, and holy crap! Just when I thought that Duke Irval’s castle looked great. But to think it actually pales in comparison with the Imperial Palace. Just how rich are these people? Oh! Can I expect more money in that case?
The deeper we went inside the Palace, the more frustrated I felt. There was Wealth. All over the place.
Wide corridors with soft carpets on the floor. Luxurious crystal chandeliers adorned with gold. Paintings, sets of armor, vases… They all seemed to scream: ‘Look at me! Look at how expensive I am!’
It was so elegant that it made me conscious of how empty my pockets were.
This place was evil!
After taking a few turns through the palace hallways, we arrived in front of a door with floral carvings and gold decorations.
“We arrived,” the butler said as he knocked, and two seconds later, the door opened.
Chapter 6.
There were two women on either side of the door when we entered. They were wearing ordinary brown robes and appeared to be normal servants, but somehow they still looked like warriors. I bet that they had some weapons concealed somewhere on their bodies.
No! Don’t think of their bodies now! You need to focus, there’s a big shot here who wants to see you.
Indeed.
Nalisia Voznesensky, the Warden Empress, was standing in the middle of the room. She was a human woman in her forties, and I couldn’t spot any gray in her abundant black hair.
“I brought you Alex Miller and his lady, Lina, Your Grace,” the butler bowed deeply to the woman and then turned to me. “You are in the presence of Nalisia Sarova Voznesensky, Emperor Ailmar’s wife, and Empress of the Rasik Empire.”
“It is a pleasure, Your Grace.” I said while imitating the butler’s bow. That should be enough, right? After all, I am not from the Empire in the first place. Last I’ve heard, adventurers were like freelancers, they traveled to different countries and such. I honestly doubt that many of them would fall on their knees in front of the first noble they met.
Lina, on the other hand, was really nervous. She was quiet as soon as we stepped into the palace, and now I could even see that she was sweating.
“A-a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace.” Lina was about to do a curtsy, but then she staggered and decided to go with a simple bow.
“It is a pleasure to meet you too, Master Alex, Mistress Lina,” her tone and manners were refined. “But lets put aside the formalities for now and have a talk.”
The Empress walked to a small table and sat on one of the two sofas. Lina and I followed suit and sat across from her.
A maid came and served us some tea, while another one brought a tray with cookies. They were small and round, with a dark topping that looked like chocolate.
“First let me thank you for saving the Samran region,” the Empress slightly lowered her head. Considering her position, that must mean that she was aware of how serious the situation would’ve been if Uhra achieved his goal.
“Please, Your Grace,” I said and gave an equal bow. “I only did so because I didn’t want the girls to die.”
“I see,” the Empress beckoned, and a woman opened a side door, from which two burly men came in, carrying a reinforced wooden chest.
“You did a service to the Empire, master Alex.” On her signal, the woman opened the chest. “And We can not be cheap about it.”
Gold. The chest was filled with gold coins. Just how much…
“Ten thousand gold coins.” The Empress said as I looked at the chest like it was a pile of trash, showing more interest in the tea instead. These were some quality leaves, I thought after a sip.
It was all a show. I cannot act like a money hungry guy in front of such a woman.
“I humbly accept the reward, Your Grace.” I put as much dignity as I could in my words, while trying to maintain a humble expression.
Yeeeeeeessss!
Mansion, here I come!
“We thought that it would be appropriate since you will be in need of founds.” The Empress hid her smile behind the cup of tea.
“Founds?” I was confused and irritated. What the hell was she talking about? She sounds like she knows exactly on what I will be spending the money. My money.
“Yes, for your additional reward
.”
Fuck! This sounds like a scam. 10000 gold wasn’t enough of a reward? I don’t buy it. You can literally buy a mansion in the area where the nobles lived. That’s like me buying property near Buckingham’s Palace.
A man and two other people entered from a side room, and I glanced at the window. The glass looked frail, and it had wooden framing. I should be able to break it with a punch.
The guys didn’t appear to be dangerous, but the papers they were carrying
looked troublesome. I don’t want unnecessary ties to hold me down.
“Please, if you plan to run away, you can simply use the door. I like that window.”
“Your Grace, I was just admiring the artwork.”
Man, she’s good. I need to be extra careful around this one. She sure knows how to read the atmosphere.
“This is Lord Bray Walden, he is in charge of the Notaries and Public Servants.” Empress Nalisia said as lord Bray nodded and sat in a chair that a maid brought for him.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Alex.” Bray said as one of his aides opened a folder and put a piece of paper in front of me. It was made of high quality materials and had some decorations around the edges.
“What?” I read the information written there and was momentarily confused. Are you for real?
“Once you sign this document, you will become Marquess Alex Miller, Lord and ruler of the Estaria region.” Bray smiled and pushed the pen closer to me. “It is not as big as the Samran region that you just returned from, but it is a nice start.”
Nice start? I did heard that people get titles if they made an achievement big enough to be recognized by the Empire. And killing an Elder Lich clearly was one.
But a title, money and LAND? A small region? Sorry, but I don’t buy it. If I had won a war with another country, or done anything on that scale, then I could believe it. But defeating an Elder Lich?
“What’s the catch? This smells as fishy as a back-alley prostitute.” Not that I know, but it sounded nice to say.
“How dare you talk like that to the Empress!” One of the women in the room exclaimed when I dropped the formal speech.
“It is fine, Felisy.” The Empress raised her hand, and the woman shut her mouth.
Felisy was staring at me with animosity. I bet she would like to send me to the gallows.
Sorry baby, I don’t care.
As I stared back at her, I could feel slight vibrations. Did this sofa had a massage function? Dude, this fantasy world…
Oh, that’s just Lina trembling in fear.
I hope she won’t wet herself; I don’t want to pay for a new sofa.
“Bring the map.” Nalisia said.
A maid soon brought a big piece of paper and put it on the table. There was the depiction of this part of the world. A red star near the center marked the position of the capital, and there were the names of other cities and towns written on it.
“Here,“ Nalisia pointed at the north-west of the Empire. “Is where the Estaria region is located. More than five hundred years ago, it was a prosperous region with one of the busiest harbors in the Empire. Ships from different countries were coming there to trade.”
Her hand moved to the eastern part. “There is also a huge portion of unclaimed lands, places where top adventurers wouldn’t want to go in. Scholars speculated that there were several dungeons somewhere deep in the wilderness, because the amount of monsters that was coming from those places was uncommon.”
I listened to her story. According to which, strong monsters started appearing more frequently 500 years ago. The amount of deaths among the adventurers increased drastically. The soldiers and knights also suffered huge losses, so the Empire had to send reinforcements.
Farmers and villagers were attacked on a daily basis, as well as merchant caravans, and soon people started moving south. The Empire insisted on holding the bay where the lord’s city, Ragan, was located. But the number of strong monsters was too big for them. Then, in the end, they had to abandon the region completely.
Now, all the goods from the west were coming through Hasburg and Tarsnija, since the border with Gerland was just a big wilderness filled with monsters, as well as the majority of the north-west coast.
Having a secure harbor in Estaria would ensure a cheaper and more diverse supply of goods.
“Over the last few centuries, we tried to incentivize people to move there. Members of noble families who wouldn’t inherit anything, adventurers eager to acquire lands and a title… All kinds of people who tried to reclaim even a portion of the north-east, failed to hold on to anything for more than a year.”
“Sounds troublesome.”
What else could I say? Lord of a region, but I have to clean it up first? Ten thousand gold looks nice, I need that money to buy a residence. But invest it all in an attempt to rule over a region?
Wait, that region had a harbor which also was a city… Ragan, was it?
“How big was the Lord’s castle there?” So, I can buy an average mansion here. Or I can have a Big castle. You don’t have to be a genius to figure in which of those two places you can put more women.
“Hmm, I am not really sure, but I think that it should be as big as Duke Irval’s castle, according to some documents I’ve read. Of course, it is probably mostly in ruins now, but with the help of some Earth Mages, it could be somewhat cheaper than building one from scratch.”
“What about taxes?” I am not sure what the tax rates are here. It would be foolish if I put in a lot of effort, only to be held down by a huge tax.
“Taxes are 10% and the punishment for tax fraud is a death sentence.” She sipped her tea elegantly as she said that. “But you won’t have to pay taxes for three years.”
Gulp. Three years free of tax?
“Your Grace,” I said with the utmost respect. “I could try to reclaim the region, but after I succeed, I wouldn’t have enough competent people to help me. You see, I do not know how to rule over a region. But if I had a little help…”
I could see Felisy gripping the folds of her dress, and I prayed that the fabric would rip.
What? It would be a good show. But entertainment aside, I do need some individuals to take care of the finances, land distribution, tax collection, etc.
“I could provide you with a list of people who could help you manage your territory, but you will have to be the one who will pay their wages. And there will also be a list of people who would migrate there. Many of them are from the slums, as well as from the neighboring towns and villages.”
I’ve missed you ‘Forge of Empires’.
“Where do I sign?”
Lord Bray pointed to the bottom of the document, and I put my signature on the empty space. There were three copies in total, one for the Empires archives, another for the administration, and one for me.
“All that is left, is for you to provide Master Karsol with a description of the coat of arms you will be using.” Bray said, and one of his aides bowed briefly.
“My lord, I’ve heard of your achievements, so I had the liberty to bring several designs that you may approve of. But please, if there is something special on your mind, do tell me, and I will do my utmost to meet your expectations.”
The guy handed me a folder with over twenty pictures. The artistry was impressive; it was on the level of high quality illustrations, the kind you could see on internet sites selling wallpapers and posters. He probably made them using magic. But no matter how great the quality was, I couldn’t see anything that would catch my…
Ooh, I like this one.
“This will do,” I told the guy and hand him the piece of paper that had a silver Demon skull on a black background. It was the only one that looked cool. All the others were too… Vintage?
“This?” Karsol furrowed his brows as he looked at the drawing. “It certainly is very detailed and unordinary, but not something a noble would put on his coat of arms. Excuse me, my lord, I only brought this to be used as a refer
ence.”
“But I want that one,” I insisted. That thing looked like a promising book cover, or a movie poster. “C’mon, you should have more pride in your work. I think that it looks amazing.”
“Goodness! This is not my work. One of my students did this.” Karsol denied fervently while looking at the Empress. “I would never make such a thing. This morning I told my class that they could draw something to be used as a reference for a coat of arms, and I only gave a quick explanation of lord Alex achievements.”
“If lord Alex wants that one, I see no problem with it.” Empress Nalisia said shortly. She didn’t seem to care about that.
