Nova Terra: Guardian - A LitRPG/GameLit Adventure (The Titan Series Book 4)

by Seth Ring

  “General, esteemed lords, Prince Wells,” Esme greeted everyone before answering. “The greater devil was granted his power under Karrandras the Betrayer.”

  “How could that be? Our records show that Karrandras was sealed countless generations ago.” A scholarly-looking lord sitting next to the general said, smacking his palm on the table in front of him as he interrupted.

  “You are correct, Lord Elvrin. However, due to the actions of some travelers, the Betrayer was released from his seal not too long ago. This caused the Wolfkin’s blood curse to grow stronger, and resulted in the greater devil who was trying to gain control over them. Thorn fought Karrandras’ corrupting influence in the Wolfkin, cleansing them from Karrandras’ corruption, as well as fighting directly against the greater devil.”

  “And how did you confirm this?”

  “This was confirmed by Elder Havva, the temple master of the Temple of the Moon.”

  “Very good, thank you, dear.”

  The old general smiled fondly at Esme, looking more like a friendly old grandfather than a highly decorated general. After she sat down he turned to Lord Byre and nodded, confirming that he had no more questions.

  “Anyone else? No? Okay, then we’re going to keep moving. We all have places to be and things to do after the hearing so I don’t want to hold this up. Everyone will get a chance to ask their questions to Baron Greymane so don’t worry. We’ll start at the end and work our way down. Sir Trishem, you are not technically on the hearing board, but do you have any questions? Remember, answers to these questions cannot be submitted as evidence for or against the accused, but I’m happy to let you question the Baron if you have any concerns.”

  The Interior Minister’s frown deepened as everyone’s attention turned to him. This whole hearing was a farce as far as he was concerned, and he just wanted it to be over as soon as possible. Rolling his eyes he shook his head and waved for Lord Byre to skip him.

  “Okay, next we have Lord Carey. Do you have any questions for Baron Greymane?”

  Lord Carey was a thin-faced noble with a beaked nose and a sharp chin. Standing, he nodded to Lord Byre and then fixed his sharp gaze on Thorn.

  “My dear Baron, you have been accused of three differnet things. While they are all equally bad, it is quite obvious that the first and third charges are absurd. The idea that you were claiming sovereignty over the Empire’s land by virtue of being the elected leader of the Wolfkin race is foolishness. I see that you registered the Wolfkin as a native race in the appropriate time frame, thereby establishing Fang Valley as their ancestral grounds. This more than takes care of the first point.

  “As for the third charge, you were in fact a known companion of the greater devil before his transformation, but your actions after the transformation as well as your identity as a commissioned knight of the Order of the Flame is sufficient to clear you. Lady Sere’s testimony regarding your help fighting Karrandras on other fronts is further proof that you are not on the devil’s side.

  “That leaves, however, the second charge. This is the only point that anyone could bring up to criticise you for. Though doing so would be mean-spirited and completely contrary to the generous spirit of the imperial law. Still, it could be done. My question is this. As a Baron, you are eligible to control five points in resources. Your military rank permits a sixth. However, there was a period of some time, before you joined the Order during which you had more resource points than were permissible. Could you help us understand this?”

  “I’d be happy to.” Thorn considered getting to his feet to speak, but even sitting he was just about at Lord Carey’s eye level so he just straightened up in his seat. “As you know, the improvements to the valley were made to relocate and rebuild Greymane Keep. The new fortress, Moon Wolf Citadel, now resides at the valley entrance, in between the Twins. This provides a naturally defensible position, virtually guaranteeing that the Wolfkin can grow and flourish in peace.

  “What you may not know is that Greymane Keep was not the only building in the valley. Many years ago, the valley also possessed a large complex that housed both the Temple of the Moon and the Wolfkin disciples who served there. Though Greymane Keep was relocated to the pass, the Temple of the Moon was as well. Moon Wolf Citadel now serves as the Temple of the Moon and is the primary religious center of the Wolfkin race. This has been the case from the moment it was built. As a religious center, it cannot be categorized as a resource by the Empire due to the Wolfkin being a protected indigenous race. As it cannot be categorized as a resource, I believe the imperial records are in error, and I would like to request that the court look into why this is the case.”

  A smile tugged at Lord Carey’s lips, but he quickly repressed it as he looked down the table.

  “Lord Byre, I think it is obvious that none of these accusations will stand, I motion that we dismiss all of the charges outright and begin the counter investigation process without wasting any more time on this farce.”

  CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

  Having expressed his position and made a motion to end the hearing early, Lord Carey sat down in his chair, folding his hands in front of him. Lord Byre stood up with a wry smile and looked up and down the table at the other nobles who were sitting with him.

  “Lord Carey has made a motion to dismiss the accusations as groundless and draw the meeting to a close, do I have a second?”

  “I’ll second the motion.” General Potter was so quick to second the motion that Thorn knew it was practiced.

  “We have a second so the motion is on the floor. Are there any objections? No? In that case, the motion to dismiss all of the charges outright and, uh, begin the counter investigation process will be adopted. Let the record reflect this.”

  Though the result was unsurprising, the method by which it had been carried out gave Thorn a new appreciation for the intricacies of politics. He watched the clerks making their records, their pens flying across the pages as they meticulously detailed everything that had happened, and was slightly overwhelmed by the strange mixture of adhesion to the rules and bending of them for personal profit.

  *ding*

  Remember, you need to ask for the court to recognize the token. The timing of this is important though, we need to make sure that you have actually been promoted. Don’t rush straight to the token. Also, be on your toes because it looks like the prince is gearing up to say something and we still don’t know if he is friend or foe.

  Snapped out of his glazed state, Thorn sat up straight. Even without looking he could feel the eyes of the noblemen on him. Carefully controlling his face to show none of his discomfort, he looked at the men seated behind the table and waited for them to speak. Once the scratching of the clerk’s pens had died down, Lord Byre rose to his feet again and gave Thorn a small smile.

  “With this, the part of the hearing that requires your presence is drawing to a close, Baron Greymane. Thank you very much for your time and patience as we dealt with this problem.”

  “It is my pleasure,” Thorn said, giving Lord Byre a half-hearted smile. Rising to his feet he began to bow toward the men sitting behind the long table as if he was about to leave, eliciting a curious expression from the Interior Minister who was expecting Thorn to come after him like a rabid dog.

  Having finished his bows, Thorn turned to leave, only to pause and turn back, his thoughtful expression impossible to miss. Lord Byre was in the middle of sitting down, but paused when he saw that Thorn had something to say.

  “Yes, Baron? Is there something else?”

  “In fact, I did have a few questions, Lord Byre, and it strikes me that this might be the most appropriate place to air them as they may pertain to your continued investigation.” Thorn’s warm smile and helpful look nearly made Lord Carey, who knew exactly what was about to come, break out into laughter.

  “Ah, in that case, the floor is yours.” Lord Byre gestured for Thorn to ask his questions.

  “Thank you. My lords, I must confess that o
ver the last month the false accusations made against me have weighed heavily on my heart and mind. As you know, when I stepped into the capital city for the first time it was to claim the status and resources that are my ancestral right. However, due to the false accusations, Sir Trishem was unable to help me process them.”

  Hearing himself mentioned, the interior minister’s gaze snapped up, locking onto Thorn. Though he was confident that no accusation that Thorn could bring would stick to him, he was wary of the giant. Their previous encounter had gone completely out of his control which made him naturally cautious.

  “My hope today is that Sir Trishem will be able to help me understand if there are any other barriers that I’ll need to overcome before I can redeem my ancestral rights.”

  Rolling his eyes at the way Thorn was referring to the [Nobility Upgrade Token] and legacy deeds as ‘ancestral rights’, Lord Byre looked down the table to the interior minister, who was fiddling with his pen.

  “Sir Trishem, can you shed some light on this issue for Baron Greymane?”

  Gritting his teeth and groaning inwardly, Sir Trishem sat up. He had been hoping to avoid this, but given that Thorn was being sponsored by Countess Sere who never seemed to miss a trick, he should have known it was going to come out. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself down and took his glasses off to polish them.

  “Ahem. Yes. Before we go any further, I should mention, my Lord Byre, that the court has been referring to Lord Greymane incorrectly this morning.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Ah, yes, you see,” pausing to wipe his glasses, Sir Trishem’s lips twitched.

  Though he really had no desire to continue, he knew that if he did not he would be creating an angle of attack for the noble faction which was quite displeased with him of late. Though it would not come to anything, the sheer annoyance of it was enough to push him into playing their game.

  “Lord Greymane’s correct title is actually, Viscount Greymane.”

  Instantly hubbub broke out in the crowd as the nobles in attendance began whispering to each other. Carefully keeping his face neutral, Lord Byre raised his hand and called for order, fixing the interior minister with a serious look.

  “Please explain yourself clearly, Sir Trishem.”

  “Hm. Of course. Viscount Greymane has been promoted due to meritorious service to the throne. Though the announcement has not yet been made, the final paperwork was filed last night while I was away. As you know, I only just got back and so I was as surprised as you are now to find this out. For his services to an ancient and honored race and their smooth acceptance of Imperial rule, or something along those lines.”

  “Well, Viscount Greymane, you have my most sincere apologies.” Lord Byre rose and gave Thorn a half bow. “The court recognizes that it has been referring to you incorrectly. Let the record be amended to reflect Viscount Greymane’s correct title.”

  “Ha, you may want to pause for a moment, Lord Byre.”

  The third prince’s gentle voice instantly silenced the room. All eyes turned toward him, but he showed no sign of noticing as he stood.

  “I think I might have some pertinent information for you, my lords. The reason I’m here today is to deliver some words from the lips of the Emperor himself. When I heard that both Sir Trishem and Lord Greymane were going to be here I thought, how convenient.”

  Walking out from behind the table, the third prince stood in front of Thorn, a piece of paper with a golden hue appearing in his hands. Holding it up, he paused as if waiting for something to happen. As soon as the paper appeared, Thorn felt an intangible pressure pushing down on him and the desire to kneel flashed through his mind.

  *ding*

  Kingbreaker

  Your title, Kingbreaker, has broken the influence of the Emperor’s aura.

  As soon as the feeling appeared, it was gone, and Thorn took a small step forward, his heart beating so loudly in his chest that he wondered if other people could hear it. After his encounter with Courdum, the Stone King, his body had an instinctive dislike for people asserting authority over him, a feeling that was only magnified by the Stone Heart in his chest.

  The third prince was rather tall for a human, standing at six feet two inches. Yet, as Thorn towered above him, the pleasant smile on his face showed a slight crack. The golden paper was from his father, the Emperor, given to him for his birthday when he turned sixteen. It carried the aura of the Emperor and had a natural suppressive effect on anyone who saw it. He had brought it out today to try and put pressure on Thorn, only to have it backfire when the giant completely ignored the suppressive aura it produced.

  “Ahem, yes,” after pretending to read it, the prince put the paper away and looked up at Thorn uncomfortably. “The Emperor wants to commend Lord Greymane for the help he has granted to our close ally, Queen Naevyre. In fact, Queen Naevyre herself contacted the Emperor to explain what was going on and made a point of highlighting how incredibly helpful Lord Greymane was. In recognition of this, Lord Greymane’s rank is being advanced to First Rank. From this day forth, the title of Lord Greymane shall pass through your family.”

  In the stunned silence that followed the third prince’s words, Thorn’s mind raced. Though he had earned the title of Greymane, and had even been appointed a Baron, those titles would end with him. It was an entirely other matter to hold a first rank title. The greatest advantage of a first rank title was that they could be passed down from one generation to the next, ensuring the long term growth of a family.

  It was one thing to antagonize a Second Rank, or non-hereditary, noble. Any conflict generated with them would end upon their death. It was an entirely other thing to pick a fight with a noble who would be passing their title, rank, wealth, and political power to their legal heirs. Though there was no direct benefit to becoming a noble of the First Rank, the long-term impact was tremendous.

  As he stood there processing what had just happened, Thorn could see Sir Trishem’s eye twitching. The interior minister had planted himself quite firmly on the side opposing Thorn, but even as he watched, Thorn felt like he could see Sir Trisham reconsidering his position. Turning his gaze back to the third prince, Thorn could tell that he was quite pleased with the impact his words had on the gathered lords.

  “In addition, his majesty has granted Viscount Thorn an increased fief, including two mines. After all, mustering troops is an expensive thing for anyone.”

  “Thank you, your highness.” Bowing his head the required amount, Thorn thanked the third prince. Addressing Lord Byre, he took advantage of the silenced crowds and Sir Trisham’s wavering. “Lord Byre, since both you and Sir Trisham are here, I wonder if I could ask a favor?”

  “Hm? Oh, of course.”

  Visibly blanching at Thorn’s question and Lord Byre’s response, Sir Trisham lowered his head. With the pressure that the noble faction had put on his office, he knew that he would not be able to stop what was about to come. They had planned it too meticulously. The third prince’s announcement was simply icing on the cake, giving Sir Trisham even less of a reason to continue struggling against Thorn.

  “Thank you,” Thorn’s deep, warm voice rolled over the noblemen sitting behind the table. “I simply wanted the court to affirm that I would not have any additional delays or issues as I validate my [Nobility Upgrade Token] and my legacy deeds.”

  “Sir Trisham?” Lord Byre looked down the row at the interior minister who was tracing the wood grain of the table with his finger.

  Though it was only the briefest of moments, Sir Trisham’s mind ran over a thousand different scenarios. Lifting his head, he gave Thorn and then Lord Byre a dry smile.

  “I don’t think there is any need for that. Why not simply register them now? After all, I’m here and the court can record that Viscount Greymane has applied them to his ranking. There is no need to make Viscount Greymane wait. After all, what he is gaining is his by right.”

  After admitting defeat, Sir Trisham called one of the
court clerks over and helped Thorn to apply the [Nobility Upgrade Token] to his rank, officially making him a First Rank Earl. While going from a second rank Baron to a first rank Earl was not the largest jump in status the empire had ever witnessed, it was a massive change, and there was a significant amount of paperwork to process.

  The other lords who were attending the hearing were more than willing to be involved in the hopes that Thorn would remember their good will. Carefully picking a few territories for Thorn to gain control of, they focused on areas that centered on the two mines that Thorn’s Legacy Deeds granted him. One of the mines was conveniently located about a day’s ride from the entrance to Fang Valley, and the wilderness between the mine and the valley was included in Thorn’s expanded holdings with the neat stroke of Sir Trisham’s pen.