Chapter 10
“Let’s see what they were hiding from us.” Lucian stood before a table filled with seemingly random items.
“Most of it is useless, obviously.” Aelia came to a quick conclusion with only a glance.
“That’s to be expected since I just had the men grab anything they thought might be important. But I’m sure somewhere in these items is a clue about who, if anyone, was funding the gangs to help them regrow after our last purge against them.”
“There’s definitely someone. I can smell it.” Aelia picked up one of the few pieces of parchment found in the lairs used by the two gangs.
Not long after arriving in his new world, Lucian had arrested his uncle for conspiring against the crown. During the investigation into his estate, he had seized enough documents to fill a royal carriage.
Going through the stacks of paper had been a huge undertaking, requiring many sets of eyes over several days. It wasn’t something he was keen on repeating.
Perhaps it was fortunate for him that criminals weren’t in the habit of recording their crimes. Though the fact that most of them could barely even read or write was also a huge factor in their decision to forgo record keeping.
Still, it made tracing the gang’s activities far more difficult, which was why he wished that they could have at least seized enough documents to give them a trail to follow.
“Worthless dribble.” Aelia placed the parchment back onto the table.
“All we can do is look through it and see if we find anything noteworthy.”
The soldiers had all been dismissed, so only Lucian and his closest companions remained to sort through the collection of items taken from the gangs. The afternoon sun was well on its way to the horizon, but the few hours of remaining sunlight were more than enough to go through the evidence, considering how little there was.
Emilia, Minerva, and Teflyn were with them, of course. But Sigurd had also remained to help with the task. As the second-in-command just beneath Emilia, he sometimes joined them when needed.
With all of them working together, Lucian hoped that they would at least find something.
But as the first hour came to a close, not a single person had found anything that would clearly lead them to the source of the gang’s funding. Worse yet, the task had gone by even quicker than Lucian expected.
In fact, they were already done.
“Nothing, huh?” Lucian put down a silver dagger that looked more ceremonial than practical. “It’s all just random junk. Although some of it is still pretty valuable.”
“Whoever was funding the gangs was careful not to leave a trail.” Aelia stepped back from the table. “Chances are, they didn’t give them any items or even information directly. The gang leaders may not even know who was truly backing them.”
“That would be a problem because if we can’t find any evidence, then the only other clues would come from the criminals themselves. But if even the gang leaders don’t know, then there’s no telling how hard it will be to find the trail that leads to whoever’s been funding them.”
“I’ve got a few leads from tracking the criminals that fled once they heard we were coming for them. But those leads will likely end with just more sympathizers and not the one providing the coin.”
“Hmm. It’s still too early to get discouraged, so let’s just hope we find the information we need from one of our other sources.” Lucian took a large bag from his waist. “For now, let’s take care of this.”
After grabbing the bag, Lucian turned to meet the eyes of someone who had just arrived at their outdoor table filled with seemingly random items.
“Perfect timing, Liliana.” Lucian held the bag out to her.
“Ah, thanks?” She took it with a questioning gaze.
“One of the gang leaders had a huge sum of coins in his possession. Since we found it during the raid, I was planning to give it to the soldiers who fought with me.”
“Oh! Good idea! I think they’ll be really happy to hear that.”
“Agreed. I’ll leave it to you, just make sure that each man gets equal pay.” Lucian visibly changed gears. “Now, I assume you came to tell me something important?”
“Yes. I’ve received a reply from the Council of Elders. They’ve requested for you to come visit them at their headquarters.”
“Send a reply to let them know I will be arriving tomorrow, two hours before noon.” Lucian rubbed his chin. “Looks like I need to reschedule my mid-morning activities.”
“Alright. I’ll send it right away. Oh, and I’ll count out the coins to see how many each soldier should receive.” Lily took a single, gold coin from the bag.
“Make sure to include yourself in the list, too.”
“Thank you very much.” Lily inspected the coin more closely. “Wow, it’s so shiny. It looks like it came straight from the mint.”
“It might have since I recently sent a large sum of newly-minted coins to–” Lucian cut off his words as something clicked into place in his mind. “Wait a second!”
He and Aelia both stepped up to Lily at the same time, each grabbing the hand that held the shiny, gold coin.
“This coin…” Aelia began.
“It doesn’t just look like it came from the mint…” Lucian continued for her.
“It did come from the most recent batch of coins.”
“And the only transaction I’ve made since minting these coins was…”
Aelia and Lucian met each other’s eyes, both of them nodding at their shared revelation.
“Umm.” Lily looked at her hand, which was still being held by both Lucian and Aelia. “Do you … want the coins back?”
“No, nothing has changed. Give them all to the men.” Lucian plucked the single gold coin from her hand. “Except for this one. I think it will come in handy.”
Lily gave a quick goodbye before going off to complete her new tasks.
“Looks like I need to speak with someone soon.” Lucian looked at the nearly uncirculated gold coin resting in his palm.
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The next morning, Lucian awoke at his usual time, somewhere between one and two hours before sunrise. Unless there was an emergency, he always slept until he naturally woke up. But since he had a habit of waking at the same time each day, he could easily keep to his schedule, even without an alarm clock.
“Long hair sure takes a lot of upkeep.” He combed through the strands with a brush to untangle them. “Should I get it cut?”
Lucian imagined Emilia’s shocked face if he were to suddenly show up with short hair.
“I get the feeling she’d be disappointed, so let’s not. Besides, long hair is part of my image now.”
Not only was he known for his charming smile and handsome looks, but the long hair added to his perception as a refined and regal young man. Add in his mysterious magic and prowess as a warrior, and it was no wonder some people had begun to spread rumors that he was divinely blessed.
“They’re not wrong.” Lucian thought upon the Goddess. “But I’m not sure if anything that comes from her can really be considered a blessing.”
After making himself presentable, he threw on a pre-selected outfit put together by his maids. Despite it being one of the more casual sets of clothes in his wardrobe, it still held an element of royalty that couldn’t be missed.
Although his morning routine wasn’t complete, Lucian walked to his door and opened it, revealing the castle hall. He didn’t keep guards posted outside his door, as there was no real reason to do so.
The entire wing that held the royal bedchambers had only one entrance connecting it to the rest of the castle. Considering that even the windows were narrow slits barely wide enough to fit an arm through, there was really only one way to get into the hall where his room sat.
That’s why rather than guarding each door, he simply posted several soldiers to watch the entrance into the royal wing. With some specialized tactics and failsafes included, Lucian’s room was one of the most difficult places to access.
Despite that, there was someone standing outside his door. Instead of an assassin, she was more like a guardian. Or rather, she actually was one of his three Guardians.
“Good morning, Emilia.”
“Good morning, Prince Lucian.”
He stepped aside, and Emilia entered. It was common for them to meet up in the morning, and they had both adopted the same schedule, getting up two hours before the sun.
Emilia always tried to prepare herself before her prince, though. That way, she could be there to meet him as soon as he opened the door.
Lucian opened a cooler about the size of a footstool, the small box kept cold by ice held in the walls. It was only large enough to hold a few bottles of wine, but he preferred to stock it with something a bit more useful.
Pulling a pitcher from the cooler, Lucian poured a glass for himself and Emilia. No alcoholic smell filled the room, nor any sweet aroma that one might expect from juice.
No, the liquid held in the pitcher was simple water.
“Thank you.” Emilia took a sip of the pure water, as she did each morning when meeting up with Lucian. “That reminds me, are we still going to the magitech factory today?”
“The meeting with the Council of Elders is my top priority right now, but as long as we can finish in time, then I still plan on stopping by the factory.”
“I wonder if they’ve made any progress lately. It’s been a while since their last report, hasn’t it?”
“They report once a week, which should be today. But since I told them I’d be stopping by, they’re just going to give me a verbal report when I arrive.”
“If they really do succeed, I wonder if everyone will be able to enjoy this in the morning.” Emilia took another sip of her cold, refreshing water.
Lucian followed suit. “That’s the idea. That, and much more.”
A glass of cold water in the morning helped energize them for the day’s difficulties. It also gave them an excuse to spend some time together before any of the people and tasks could draw their attention.
But in a couple hours, the sun would declare the official start to the day. Before that could happen, he had to meet up with yet another person to ensure they were ready for the day’s first task.
“Well, she’s probably already dressed. So, how about we pay her a visit?”
Emilia finished her water, putting the empty glass beside Lucian’s on a nearby table. “Princess Mia rarely oversleeps, so you’re probably right.”
“Today is a bit different, though. It’ll be her first time training under Archmage Vera, so I hope she was able to sleep well last night.”
Emilia trotted up to the door just in front of Lucian, opening it and stepping outside ahead of him. “I know how nervous people can get their first time training with a powerful master. I felt it the day Aelia’s mother decided to teach me.”
Lucian stepped outside, with Emilia closing his door behind him. “If she’s nervous, I’ll think of a way to lighten her mood a bit.”
“As expected of her big brother!”
“Big brother, huh?” Lucian thought upon the strange relationship he had with his sister, who was technically blood related to him, even if he wasn’t the same brother she had grown up with. “I’m just glad she accepted this arrangement. Can’t say I would have been so understanding, if the roles had been reversed.”
“Princess Mia really is adaptable! That’s why I think she’ll do well when training under Archmage Vera.”
Lucian nodded. “Agreed.”
The two of them turned a corner, and Mia’s door came into view.
As soon as he began knocking, the door opened. Standing on the other side was the sister he expected, along with her constant companion, Luna. The young, white cat was resting in Mia’s arms, her hand returning to pet her cat after using it to open the door.
“Hello Mia. And Luna, of course.”
“Good morning.” Mia’s hand stopped petting Luna, a decision the cat obviously disagreed with.
As the princess exited her room, she grabbed something that was leaning up beside the door, taking it with her as she stepped out. Like many times before, she lowered the cat to the ground, letting Luna out into the hall.
The cat rubbed up against each of their legs, wanting to join them wherever it was that they planned to go. Sometimes, that was acceptable, like when they were going to a simple meeting or sitting around performing administrative tasks.
Their current destination wasn’t well suited for a cat, so she couldn’t go along with them. But that didn’t mean Luna would be confined to Mia’s room all day. As the princess’ personal pet, she was free to roam the castle as she pleased, even if she did have a small habit of getting into trouble.
“You chose an appropriate outfit,” Lucian said. “But I didn’t know you had something like that in your wardrobe.”
Mia looked down at her skirt, which ended at the knees. “I bought it in case I needed something practical for a journey.”
“Yeah, the shorter dress gives you more flexibility, and the cloak would come in handy for bundling up in bad weather. Is the hairband part of the outfit, or did you just add it to keep your hair under control?”
“All of it is part of the set, including the headband.”
Lucian eyed the object she grabbed while exiting her room. “And the staff?”
“Included.”
“That’s just like you.”
“I like the boots and leggings,” Emilia said. “They make the outfit look rugged and dependable.”
“Thank you.” Mia watched on as Luna rubbed against said boots.
The princess normally wore royal dresses befitting her position as the king’s sister. She had a certain amount of compromise on how formally she would dress, but she maintained a minimum standard, even when she was visiting the orphans.
However, the outfit she was currently wearing was a step or two below that standard, in terms of its fanciful design and flourish. That said, she still looked like the daughter of a powerful noble or wealthy merchant.
“Well, let’s get going.” Lucian led the way toward the only exit from the royal wing. “It’d reflect badly on us if we arrived late after all the times I told Vera not to forget about the training session.”
Luna followed them down the hall, past the soldiers who guard their rooms, and through the castle. Eventually, all four of them stopped at a door. It wasn’t nearly as decorative as the ones in their bedchambers, trading the fanciful design with something a bit thicker and rougher.
“You’ll have to wait here, Luna.” Mia reached down and gave her cat a special treat. “Be a good kitty while I’m gone.”
Whether or not Luna would respect Mia’s wishes was yet to be seen, especially when the castle cooks began preparing the daily meals. But at the very least, the cat wouldn’t follow them through the door.
The special treat was a sign that it was time to separate, something which she had trained Luna to recognize since Mia was sometimes forced to work on important tasks. As expected, the cat wandered off after devouring the treat, leaving Lucian, Emilia, and Mia to do as they pleased.
Beyond the door was a section of the castle that Mia rarely visited. She didn’t have particularly fond memories of what lay in the depths, but neither did she often need to venture within.
“Can’t believe I have to get up so early this morning…” Vera yawned without reserve, something most women would never do.
“It’s not that bad,” Lutz said. “You got at least a few hours of sleep, right?”
“Maybe. I just know I’m going back to sleep after this training session.”
Lucian, Emilia, and Mia stepped into the small combat arena that sat within the castle. It wasn’t large enough to support a full crowd of onlookers, but it could at least hold a dozen students and their teacher with room to spare.
It was still before the scheduled start of the training session, giving them time to make sure everyone was on the same page before they began.
“Just how long did you stay up last night?” Lucian asked as he reached casual speaking distance.
“Research is best conducted at night when there aren’t any interruptions. Then I can skip all the annoying talking in the morning by sleeping in.”
“I can’t blame you for that, considering your priorities.” Lucian gave the arrangement some thought. “There is someone else who might benefit from your teachings. I left her in her room since she’s not a morning person, either.”
“A student who needs afternoon training?”
“Afternoon isn’t quite what I had in mind. Sunrise would probably be more aligned with her schedule, rather than two hours before like we scheduled the training for today. And if that fits yours better, then we can adjust the time to match.”
Vera crossed her arms. “A few more hours of sleep. It’s still not ideal, but I’ll take it.”
“Good. Then starting tomorrow morning, let’s use the new schedule.”
Mia would train alongside some of the noble kids with the highest magic potential, giving Vera a group of students worthy of an archmage.
Lucian wasn’t surprised to see Lutz waiting for him in the training arena. He had accompanied Vera for a long time the day before, and it seemed that wouldn’t change any time soon.
“Good luck on whatever it is you got going on today.” Lutz waved to Lucian, indicating that he wouldn’t be joining him.
“Are you going to help train them?” Lucian eyed the first student to arrive, a noble boy with short, blond hair.
“I plan to give a little advice, but I’ll be leaving most of the work to our very competent and extremely energetic archmage here.”
Vera grumbled a response, but Lucian couldn’t pick up on her words.
“Then do as you wish.” Lucian gave a goodbye to Mia, who was already mentally preparing for the upcoming training.
Then, he led Emilia back out of the arena and into the castle’s main section.
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“As for us…” Lucian stared down the hall. “We should meet up with the others and take care of our morning tasks before our meeting with the Council of Elders.”
Chapter 11
“Welcome to the Council of Elders’ headquarters, Your Majesty.” A well-dressed beastfolk greeted Lucian just as he stepped out of his royal carriage. “I hope your trip here was swift and pleasant.”
“It was so.” Lucian’s eyes moved from the council member to the architectural wonder that sat behind him. “And I hope the same can be said for my visit here.”
“I assure you that we have every accommodation prepared to ensure a pleasant visit. Though whether or not it will be swift is out of my control.”
“I’m certain that the five elders will hear the wisdom in my words. Perhaps my visit will be over even more quickly than any anticipate.”
The council member that greeted him wasn’t the only one present. Precisely two dozen others had come as well, each representing the highest rank within the council, other than the elders themselves.
Yet despite the large crowd that had come to meet him, Lucian’s entourage outnumbered them at least two-to-one. And nearly every single person who accompanied him was a battle-hardened veteran, the only exception being Lily, who was an administrator instead of a soldier.
News related to the king always traveled quickly. Town criers trying to be the first to spread news of current events, drunk patrons at a bar retelling a story they heard from another questionable source, and bards spinning tales with fanciful liberties taken to engage the crowd.
It was for those reasons and more that nearly every citizen had already heard about Lucian’s recent battles against the criminal gangs, despite only a single day having passed. Both the attack on Mia’s carriage and the subsequent raid on the neighborhoods was already common knowledge.
Though it was questionable how faithfully the events had been passed from ear to ear. At the very least, Lucian knew the Council of Elders would have a clearer view of precisely what had transpired.
The member who greeted them began leading the group towards the nearby building. Although Lucian had met each of the five elders, it was his first time going to their headquarters on official business.
“So this is the Council of Elders headquarters.” Emilia looked over the heads of the council members and at the building on the other side of them.
“You never came here before becoming a soldier?” Lucian asked.
“No, I only met a representative. After that, Lily became my only connection to the council.”
“It was my job to oversee the trainees, after all.” Lily lowered her voice. “But um, like I said, I don’t have any power in the council, so I don’t know how much help I can be.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure Prince Lucian can negotiate everything he wants.” Emilia looked to him. “Right?”
“From my research and estimations, there’s a high chance I walk out of here with all of my requests met. But there will always be details I can’t account for, so it’s not a guarantee.”
“You’re asking for so much,” Lily said. “Getting me out of the council’s hands, improving the beastfolk’s loyalty to Almekia, and increasing their productivity in the kingdom. I’m still not sure how you intend to get them to agree to all of that, and you never told me what you plan to give in return.”
“That’s because I expect them to simply give me everything I want without making any other demands.”
“Huh?” Lily couldn’t hide her dumbfounded expression. “I don’t think that’s usually how negotiations go…?”
Although Lucian had arrived with a large entourage, only a select few actually accompanied him into the headquarters. Emilia and Lily were two such members, as was Sigurd. Since the rest of his companions were back at the castle, he filled out the remainder of his escort party with several of his more loyal guards, both human and white hair.
If any other king had arrived with so many white hairs, it would likely be taken as a threat, a not-so-subtle hint at what kind of power Almekia’s ruler had at their disposal. Indeed, many white hairs had found themselves brought to the negotiation table for that very reason.
But Lucian was known for keeping company with many white hairs, even on a casual basis. Considering Emilia was his closest guard, it was strange to see him without at least one white hair by his side.
Besides, he believed that such an obvious show of force toward the Council of Elders would only hinder his future plans, even if it did help the current negotiation.
I hope the elders live up to my expectations, Lucian thought. It would make my life so much easier.
Although the Almekian Kingdom had only one ruler–Lucian–there was a separate governmental body within it.
Even if Almekia was a human country, it did have a large population of beastfolk. Sometime during the kingdom’s long history, a period of turmoil spurred the creation of a group who would argue for the best interest of the beastfolk.
That group later became known as the Council of Elders.
It was the council who petitioned the crown when the minority population of beastfolk had grievances, giving them a voice and preventing animosity amongst the two races. Even if the elders had no official power within Almekia’s monarchy, they still held political leverage on the same level as some of the most influential noble families.
As Emilia stated, even she had met a council representative before joining the training camp where she eventually met Lucian.
White hairs were technically beastfolk, even if they were considered cursed. As such, the Council of Elders represented them, going so far as to sign a contract with the crown on the use of white hairs in war.
Of course, the contract did almost nothing to prevent the king from recruiting white hairs. It only ensured that they would be treated at least as humanely as any other soldier, which was not a high bar in Lucian’s new world.
“The elders await you within, Your Majesty.” The same council member stood beside a door, clearly suggesting for Lucian to enter it.
“Thank you.” He obliged, pushing on the door and revealing the room within.
The council’s meeting room was a familiar sight. Not because Lucian had been in it before but simply because he had been in so many similar rooms that they had all begun to look the same.
However, there was a clear difference between this meeting and most of the others. The ones joining him at the negotiation table all had fluffy ears and tails of varying colors and from a variety of animal species.
The five elders who made up the council weren’t actually sitting at the table, though. Even if they were seen as a separate governmental body, their power and authority was dwarfed by the crown. Even the class of human nobility who ruled the kingdom’s provinces had more leverage, all things considered.
That placed the Council of Elders at the bottom of the totem pole, which often left them fighting for scraps after the king and nobility took the juiciest spoils for themselves. And with the discrimination against beastfolk and white hairs, it always left them wanting for more.
Over generations, that led to a growing divide between the king and council, which had never been fully addressed. The recent economic and social downturn in the Almekian Kingdom only further stripped the beastfolk of their meager scraps as the king and nobles hoarded even larger pieces of a shrinking pie, leaving less for the ones who were struggling most.
Despite their rather poor opinion of the crown, even the Council of Elders wouldn’t disrespect Lucian openly, which was why none of them were actually sitting at the negotiation table. Rather, they were standing in front of it in order to properly greet their king.
“Welcome to the council, Your Majesty.” A man with light brown fox ears gave a bow that would make any noble proud.
The rest followed the first man’s example, with all five of the council members showing their respect, even if it was just for show. Appearances were important for those with power, after all.
“Thank you for the reception.” Lucian returned their greeting with a simple nod, which was the expected response when acknowledging those of high rank within his kingdom.
Decorum and tradition often framed people’s actions, and Lucian was no exception. Were he to completely disregard people’s expectations at every turn, his opposition would be able to use his disrespect as leverage to turn neutral parties against him.
“As I am certain that each of us considers our time valuable,” Lucian motioned to the table. “Why don’t we get started right away.”
Five chairs were lined up on the far side of the round table, which the elders took in an order that Lucian felt was predetermined. Although each elder technically held as much power as the next, there would inevitably be an imbalance between their influence. Though he wasn’t sure if the seating order was because of some hidden ranking between them or if their positioning was irrelevant to rank and just their preference.
But there was another clue, other than their speed and confidence as they took their seats.
The same brown-eared foxman that greeted him sat in the center seat, with two elders on each side. It was too much of a coincidence, letting Lucian know that the elder was considered the leader amongst them.
On one side of him was a small ratkin who held her hands in front of her like a little rodent that was standing up on her haunches.
Even further down the table was a catfolk covered in gold bands and jewelry with eye tattoos and curved ears. She had the gaze of an intellectual, though her body language made it look like she was ready to pounce at any second.
On the foxkin leader’s other side was a bearkin wearing tiny reading glasses. An expense report was laid on the table before him, along with a small abacus. It was one of the strangest sights Lucian had seen after coming to his new world, and that was saying a lot.
On the other end of the bearkin was a two-tailed cat whose tails seemingly had minds of their own. She twirled a coin between the fingers on one hand, showing the practiced movements of someone who had spent more than enough time in a gambling den.
As the elders took their seats, Lucian and his two companions did the same.
Lily sat to his left. As a council representative and a part of Lucian’s inner circle, there was little surprise that she would take a seat at the table. Her very presence gave the elders several clues about why the king had set up the meeting in the first place.
But what the elders didn’t expect was for Emilia to also take a seat at the table. As a white hair, she was essentially forbidden from many positions of power and influence simply due to the stigma that hung over her kind.
Everyone understood that she was Lucian’s primary guard, but many believed that to simply be an excuse to bring a white hair along with him everywhere he went. After all, bringing one to a meeting was often seen as an aggressive statement of power, meant to subtly remind the other party of just what he had at his disposal.
But Emilia made no efforts to appear as a guard and instead joined them at the table, as if she were their equal.
This was, of course, Lucian’s plan. Throwing a wrench into the opponent’s expectations was always a good move to put them on the back foot, especially during a negotiation.
With the first cards laid out on the table, Lucian decided it was time for the meeting to truly begin.
“So, what does the new king have to ask of us~?” The Bastet asked as she put down the ring she was toying with.
“I have but one request to make of the Council of Elders.” Lucian ignored Lily’s confused face. “I wish for Liliana to be removed as a council representative and placed completely under my care.”
With a quick glance at each of the elder’s expressions, Lucian concluded that two of the five had already anticipated that Lily would become a focus of the meeting. One of the two was their leader, the brown-eared foxman. But the other one who noticed was quite a surprise to Lucian.
The large man with bear ears chuffed with a headshake. “I saw this coming from leagues away.”
“And there’s no way I can agree with it,” the two-tailed catgirl added. “Liliana is one of our best representatives.”
The bearkin adjusted his small glasses with practiced delicacy. “From a financial standpoint, finding a competent and hardworking representative to replace her would be no small task.”
Lily looked around, her squirrel ears twitching shyly. “I’m not that valuable, or anything.”
“No, they’re right,” Lucian said. “You’ve proven time and again that you’re a fantastic administrator. Even the white hairs respect you, despite not being one of them. I am in full agreement with the Council of Elders. Replacing you would be difficult, bordering on impossible considering you earned your respect during some of the most turbulent time in this kingdom’s recent history.”
“R-really?” Lily still carried a look of disbelief, despite so many powerful and influential people speaking so highly of her.
While Lily was still processing the praise being heaped upon her, the council had already moved on. Their focus was now on Lucian, who had defied their expectations considering his stated goal for the meeting.
It made sense for the elders to speak highly of Lily. They had an asset that the king wanted, so attempting to inflate her value at the negotiation table was completely expected. The more they could claim she was worth to them, the more they would be able to ask for in return.
But the opposite was true for Lucian. If he wanted to remove Lily from the council’s grasp, then it would benefit him to act as if her transfer were a simple formality or security issue, rather than because she was invaluable to him.
Yet he not only praised her alongside the council, he took it a step further than even the elders had. Making such a statement at the negotiation table could only be seen as foolish.
The ratkin girl wrinkled her nose, as if she smelled something strange. “So you see, we can’t let someone like that go cheap, yea?”
The Bastet-looking elder moved her hand around slowly, the gold bracelets jingling in the process. “Even if she’s valuable to the council, she’s not irreplaceable. Perhaps we could consider letting her go–for the right price.”
The ratkin’s mousy ears twitched at the sound of the Bastet’s jewelry. “I like the sound of that.”
“Let’s not be too hasty,” the bearkin added. “Buying out Liliana’s contract with a pouch of gold would do a lot of good for our people, but solving a long-term problem would do us much better than fixing a short-term one.”
“I’m open to discussion on the matter,” Lucian said.
In truth, the king could do whatever he pleased. With the stroke of a pen, Lucian could command the council to hand Lily over to him while giving nothing in return.
Even though Lucian could force their hand, he would have done so from the beginning if that was his plan. The fact that he even came to the negotiation table told the elders that he was willing to make a deal, rather than act as a dictator.
“The rate of disease amongst us beastfolk is far higher than that of humans,” the foxkin council leader said. “It''s difficult for anyone to prosper when illness runs rampant through their neighborhoods.”
“So you want easier access to healers?” Lucian asked. “I''m not opposed, but a large part of the problem is simple prejudice against your people. That''s not something that can simply be fixed with the stroke of a pen.”
The foxkin nodded. “They don''t even want to treat us. And when they do, it''s obvious they charge more for their service. Beastfolk aren''t even allowed to take loans from the banks. At the rate we''re charged for healing, even if the illness is life threatening, many of us can only lie in bed and hope to survive it.”
“It seems that it would be easier to simply solve the fundamental problem itself, which is the lack of healers amongst the beastfolk.”
“It’s hard enough to make a living, much less have a chance to train under a healer.” The foxkin sat back in his chair. “Especially when most of the mages are in the army. The ones who are left don’t have time to spend training beastfolk who can’t afford their fees.”
“As I’m sure you’re aware, we are currently at war with the Esgares Empire. With that being the case, we can’t expect an increase in the number of available teachers any time soon.”
“I don’t expect you to send your soldiers to train us. We could do it ourselves, if we had enough capable healers to teach our own.”
“It takes many years and lots of resources to raise a powerful mage or healer. Even in the military where we’ve streamlined and trimmed it down only to the bare necessities, the cost is still high. Considering the poor financial situation most beastfolk are in, it would take more than just a small effort to increase the number of healers in your communities.”
“There is a simple solution.” The bearkin used his large arm to push up on his small glasses. “We could shoulder all the responsibility ourselves–if we could take out loans from the banks.”
The Council of Elders eyed Lucian, scrutinizing his reaction. Depending on his response, it could vastly change the direction of the negotiations that followed.
Although beastfolk weren’t openly persecuted in the Amlekian Kingdom, there were still some restrictions put on them by the crown. Those limitations were solely to prevent them from becoming a threat to the many humans who held power.
Lifting those restrictions would be very unpopular amongst the nobility and merchants, as they would suddenly have to contend with an entirely new influx of competition.
The council understood exactly how unlikely they were to negotiate such a trade, considering they were only offering to release Lily from their service. As important as she had become to Lucian, nobody truly believed he would jeopardize his own rule by agreeing to such a risky trade.
“Let’s keep that in mind for now.” Lucian visibly changed gears. “Are there any other suggestions on what you believe would constitute a fair trade for Liliana’s service?”
The Council of Elders hid it well, but Lucian could still see traces of disappointment on their faces. Their expectations for striking such a deal were low from the beginning, but just mentioning it shows how important it is for them to have access to the same capital as the humans around them.
It was difficult for a beastfolk merchant to compete against a human one, when they didn’t have any way to borrow coin from a reputable source. And as many had learned throughout the generations, loan sharks weren’t a replacement for a bank.
When it came to other aspects of life, borrowing money was often a last resort. But even though nobody wanted to go into debt to cure an illness, it was still better than death. Yet the beastfolk couldn’t even do that, legally.
“Perhaps~” The Bastet-looking catgirl twirled a golden necklace around her finger. “There is something else.”
“I’m listening.”
“The Council of Elders can petition the crown on behalf of the beastfolk, but we don’t actively receive requests for input when a new decree is signed. We learn of new laws from word of mouth, and it’s up to us to reach out to the king and ask for representation each and every time we think it’s necessary.”
“So you wish for your input to be taken into consideration more actively. Do you have a proposed solution?”
“It’ll be easy.” The ratkin girl scratched at her ear. “All we need is a copy of the decree delivered here for us.”
“I see. That is a simple solution. It will keep you informed and allow you to quickly petition me if you believe a new decree will negatively impact the beastfolk.” Lucian shook his head. “But I won’t be doing that.”
“What’s wrong with it?” The foxkin leader could barely keep the annoyance from his voice, though a few of his fellow elders failed to do the same in regard to their expressions.
“Because it creates a system that encourages re-examination of decrees that I’ve already signed. If you want to stay informed of any decisions I make, we’ll need a more efficient solution.”
The Council of Elders showed obvious doubt that Lucian would concede to their wish to be kept in the loop on his decisions. They already petitioned him when they thought necessary, so an official copy of his decrees would barely change anything.
However, everyone at the table understood the reason why the council had never received such reports before. The less reliable their information, the more difficult it was for the elders to successfully petition the crown.
It wasn’t just the wording of the law but also the time that elapsed between Lucian signing it and the council asking for a petition. The longer that gap, the less likely that the elders would be able to make any changes.
Even just a simple copy of his decrees could lead to Lucian having to take the petition more seriously, both because the council would arrive better prepared while also showing up more quickly.
There was another fact that all the participants knew to be true, one that couldn’t be said openly without causing the air to thicken with tension.
Liliana was a spy for the Council of Elders.
To say she was an undercover agent placed by the elders would be a lie. Lily didn’t have the personality for such a mission, considering her somewhat anxious tendencies. It would be far too much for her to handle, and everyone knew it.
Although she had displayed her backbone many times, she always did so in a straight-forward manner. Back when she distrusted Lucian, she even stood up to him to ensure the white hair trainees she oversaw would be treated fairly. Calling her a coward would be the furthest thing from the truth, but that didn’t mean she could handle the stress that came with spying on her king.
No, she wasn’t a spy by choice. But when the Council of Elders asked questions about what was happening in Lucian’s inner circle, Lily often knew the answers. She was a part of that inner circle, after all.
Even if she didn’t answer them directly, her body language and choice of words could give away a lot of information to those who were competent enough to understand. And without a doubt, Lily could be read like a book.
Hence, Lucian was prepared for the council to request some sort of compensation that would allow them access to information, since that was what they would lose when giving up Lily.
The elders believed that the king had seen through their plan, which was true. And they also believed that Lucian would never give them what they wanted, access to inside information on his decisions, as it would mean giving the council that much more power and influence.
“I have a better solution.” Emilia attracted everyone’s attention, the elders turning to her for the first time since the negotiations began.
“You do?” The two-tailed catgirl asked, almost in disbelief that she would even speak up during the meeting.
“Yes. If a system that encourages re-examining decrees is too inefficient, then we should just get rid of the need to petition His Majesty in the first place.” Emilia pointed to the table where everyone was sitting. “And we can do that by giving the council a seat at the table where the laws are signed.”
“You’re … serious?” The two-tailed girl looked between Emilia and Lucian. “There’s no way he’d agr–”
“I agree,” Lucian said.
“What!?”
“Emilia is right. If I’m going to take the beastfolk into consideration, then I might as well do it from the beginning, rather than dealing with petitions. This will save both of us a lot of time and paperwork, so I don’t see a problem with it.”
Even the experienced members of the council couldn’t hide their disbelief. Direct representation had been denied to them many times by former kings and their cohort of nobility. That was why they opted for an indirect approach that would still give them some additional leverage.
The last outcome they expected was to have the king himself request for them to take a seat at the table where he decided on laws.
“Hah…?” The ratkin asked with a surprising amount of elegance, considering her bewildered tone.
“I already receive petitions from the council and a horde of self-serving nobles with ideas that far outweigh their stations. In a way, this is as much to benefit me as it is you. I don’t want to waste my time arguing details on laws that I’ve already signed.”
“We accept.” The foxkin cut straight to the finale before anyone could interject. “But I want the deal signed here and now, with all of us as witnesses.”
“That’s precisely what I intended to do.”
Emilia was the one who brought out the quill and parchment, laying it on the table. Although she hadn’t been tutored in calligraphy as a child, she was currently being taught by someone who was trained by the best.
Princess Mia.
With a quick motion, Emilia laid out the decree in the usual style and format that Lucian’s official calligrapher used. Although it wasn’t a perfect match, it was close enough that it would hold up to scrutiny, if challenged.
“So,” Lucian drew attention back to himself while Emilia was writing. “Let us restate the conditions of our deal so we’re all clear.”
“We will release Liliana’s contract with the council,” the foxkin said. “She will be free to contract with the crown or anyone else of her choosing.”
“And in return, I will guarantee the council a seat at the meetings regarding legislation.”
Emilia had already finished writing most of the contract, including the terms and conditions for each side of the deal. But while she put the finishing touches on it, there was one more topic Lucian wanted to discuss.
“There is one problem.” Lucian’s sudden statement caused an air of doubt to fall over the council, who still expected the deal to turn sour at any moment.
“What would that be?” the foxkin asked.
“You said it yourself, the beastfolk are economically depressed compared to humans. The worse their living conditions, the more you will have to fight to make laws more favorable for your people in an attempt to close that gap.”
“Isn’t that normal? A noble petitions for decrees that benefit his province over any other. Why should it be any different for us?”
“It’s not that it’s a bad thing. Actually, I think having a representative government that fights for the best interest of their people is a good system. However, I think there’s a way to avoid many of the battles we will likely have in the meetings.”
The foxkin raised an eyebrow. “How is that?”
“By providing a path for the beastfolk to direct their energy and resources. A way that will let them take their futures into their own hands, instead of relying on me or charity.” Lucian looked around the table. “Beastfolk will have access to loans from our banks.”
“You’re making it legal for us to take out loans!?” The bearkin with small glasses sat so far forward in his seat that his large body nearly began pushing the table across the floor.
“If you can take out loans, you can compete with human merchants more easily. With the additional wealth from crafting and trading, you can begin improving your living conditions over time without anyone else having to provide any charity. This will turn my kingdom’s beastfolk from a liability that requires coin to upkeep, into an asset that generates wealth. No matter how you look at it, this would be a victory for both of us.”
Emilia had already written the trade agreement, including the change in law that would allow beastfolk to take out loans. She handed it over to the foxkin, who reviewed the contents alongside the rest of the council.
Lucian watched as the elder’s eyes moved along the page, taking in each word while looking for potential traps based on the language used or the structure of the sentences. However, Emilia had written it with plain language and didn''t use any political jargon to hide duplicitous meaning.
So, when the foxkin reached the bottom of the page, he didn’t show any signs of suspicion. However, there was a bit of confusion on his face.
“We can only use a single bank?” The bearkin asked in the council’s stead.
“For now. It would be much easier to centralize the beastfolk loans into this one bank until I can make a few, sweeping changes to the financial laws. Since the crown uses this particular bank for our national loans, I can guarantee that it will be able to meet your needs.”
“I can see the logic in that.”
“Then if there are no objections to the agreement…” Lucian held his hand out, and the foxkin handed the parchment back to him. “I have no problems signing it right now.”
He took the pen from Emilia, placing it on the line where his signature needed to go. However, he didn’t begin writing. Rather, he simply removed his fingers from the quill, leaving it standing on its own.
As if held by a ghostly hand, the pen moved across the parchment, ink covering the formerly blank space above the signature line.
Before the council could even register that they were witnessing Lucian’s Command Magic for the first time, the quill had already stopped moving, going back to the ink jar seemingly of its own free will.
He held the parchment back out to the still bewildered council, who took it after a longer than normal delay.
Five signature lines were below Lucian’s, one for each of the elders. One by one, they took turns re-reading the agreement, looking one last time for anything that could be a trap.
But in the end, none of them found anything suspicious. That would naturally be the case, since Lucian didn’t put a trap inside it.
Eventually, all five of them signed the agreement. It was a rather short negotiation, but he had gotten what he came for, and the Council of Elders received far more than they ever expected.
And, Lucian thought. This sets the stage for my revenge.
Nobody targets Mia and gets away with it.