Evan scowled at the visage that greeted him as he emerged from the toilet stall he¡¯d just occupied.
There, reflected in the mirror over the sinks, was the passive expression of William Ashfield, the boy casually washing his hands as he hummed happily to himself.
The prick was clearly happy about something.
He was tempted to call the other man a satyr too, but he knew better than to apply that moniker to a future duchess¡¯s betrothed. Even within the sanctity of his own mind.
It helps that the guy probably isn¡¯t, Evan thought irritably as he strode over to a neighbouring sink.
Rumours to the contrary circulated of course, but they always did. Even about Evan himself, much to his chagrin - given that a new one surfacing invariably resulted in days of questioning from his own betrothed.
Unfortunately, that was just the price one paid for being a man in an academy filled with horny girls.
Never mind the fact that he was part of his fianc¨¦¡¯s retinue and couldn¡¯t go anywhere without at least one of them accompanying him. Sure, technically they¡¯d be his future wives too, but only Marin held the family name.
Thus, the other girls were merely subordinates for now ¨C and his minders.
Even as he washed his hands, he knew one of the girls was waiting outside the heads for him.
Evan was self aware enough to realize that, even ignoring his own political leanings, the fact that the boy opposite him could avoid having babysitters of his own was at least part of the reason for his ¨C indeed most boys ¨C animosity towards the man.
Because, even ignoring William Ashfield¡¯s well documented animosity towards his fianc¨¦e, as well as his frankly foolish re-affirmation of support for the Abolishment movement, it was mostly the fact that he often wandered around unaccompanied that so contributed to the mass of rumours circulating about him regarding his promiscuity.
Ever flitting between different parts of the academy, be it the forges or the alchemy labs. His constant comings and goings had been noticed. As a guy, it would be impossible for them not to be.
And thus rumours circulated in greater and greater numbers.
Still, as a guy Evan was familiar enough with the hallmarks of a girl fabricating an encounter to separate the lies from the truth. Any story involving more than a half-dozen orgasm was typically a giveaway.
He wasn¡¯t infallible of course, but as far as he could tell, William Ashfield had remained ¡®pure¡¯ in his time at the academy.
A surprise for a man so clearly bereft of gentlemanly traits.
Perhaps he¡¯s a sword-swallower, Evan thought with a malicious grin.
It would certainly explain why he was so reluctant to marry a woman who was frankly beyond his station.
¡°I sometimes wonder?¡± Evan said, keeping his tone casual as he soaped up his palms. ¡°Do you reject your lady¡¯s advances because you¡¯re delusional or because deep down you¡¯re aware of just how beneath her you truly are? After all, you come from a house of farmers and fishmongers.¡±
Duels had been called over lesser insults ¨C though only amongst women. Given that was not an option for men, insults between them had a reputation for getting¡ dark.
Yet rather than react, the boy simply kept humming, washing his hands.
Had he not heard him?
Frowning, Evan continued. ¡°Or perhaps there¡¯s a more personal reason for your animosity? Perhaps you¡¯re more interested in me than my lady?¡±
Even as he gave voice to the question he¡¯d pondered earlier, he found himself genuinely curious as to the answer.
Certainly, he didn¡¯t expect the other man to admit it if he were unnatural in that manner, but the weight of his reaction might give Evan a clue as to the truth.
Indeed, his pulse quickened a tad at the thought of being able to inform his lady that she¡¯d been sold a ¡®defective¡¯ stallion.
In doing so, perhaps her gaze might settle on a more appropriate match.
And while Evan¡¯s betrothal to Marin presented something of an issue on that front, it was nothing the power of the House of Blackstone could not overcome.
Alas, even as the wild ¨C if unlikely ¨C fantasy bloomed in his mind, the other man did not so much twitch at his thinly veiled accusation.
As the Ashfield turned to dry his hands, it felt for all the world as if he wasn¡¯t even aware that Evan was there.
That he wasn¡¯t even worthy of notice.
Evan could admit that the thought riled more than it should. He dealt with enough of that from the ladies on his team. Oh, they were quite attentive under normal circumstances, constantly jockeying for his favor, but on any matter of true import that same was not true.
It didn¡¯t matter that he was a cadet the same as them, in practice matches he oft found himself kept as far from danger as possible. Positioned as the very last line of defence. Simply a static guard positioned in front of the mithril-core.
To the detriment of the team as a whole.
Not like the Ashfield. No, he had somehow wrangled himself into the position of team leader.
Of a very successful team.
Never mind that there were two lady elves present. Things like that were apparently as air to the Ashfield scion ¨C a man who simply breezed through life, moving as his whims took him.
Never mind tradition. Never mind duty. Never mind sacrifice.
Evan hated it.
Truly.
Deeply.
¡°Off to invent another cheap trick?¡± he grunted, perhaps more loudly than he intended, moving to stand between the other boy and the exit.
The Ashfield would acknowledge him. One way or the other.
¡°The only reason you¡¯ve done so well thus far is that ridiculous flashbang spell of yours. The one you stole from your family,¡± he continued as the other boy approached. ¡°And I am happy to say that advantage is coming to an end. Your mother sold it as cheaply as she sold you.¡±
He wasn¡¯t lying ¨C though in truth he knew what bargain had been struck between House Blackstone and Ashfield for rights to the spell. Only that he and the other members of the House had been given leave to use it in turn.
Given that it was a spell ¨C cheap or not - that had allowed a team with an orc and a dwarf to succeed over other teams infinitely their superior, Evan could not imagine how high his own team might climb with it.
Indeed, only the other teams of House Blackstone would be their equal on the Floats.
He grinned as the other man paused before him, his words finally registering. To that end, Evan opened his mouth again.
¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re-¡±
Only to pause as the man simply walked around him, still humming some tune or other.
And Evan could only stare after him, blood boiling.
¡°Fuck you!¡± He finally shouted, the invective seemingly the only way to voice his rage as he stared at the other lad¡¯s retreating back. ¡°Fuck you, you cunt!¡±
Yet even still, the boy didn¡¯t even twitch.
As if he hadn¡¯t heard.
As if Evan just¡ didn¡¯t exist.
¡°Fuck you,¡± Evan finally muttered, feeling spent for reasons he didn¡¯t fully understand.
Because he wasn¡¯t nothing.
He wasn¡¯t.
---------------------
¡°Marry me.¡±
¡°No.¡±
Olzenya couldn¡¯t help but laugh at William¡¯s instant response to Bonnlyn¡¯s proposal.
The girl in question laughed too, even as she speared another spoonful of¡
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¡°What did you say this was called again?¡± the High Elf asked.
¡°Paella,¡± the boy said absently.
Paella, a strange name.
Though that was something of a byword for anything to do with William it seemed.
Nevertheless, it was delicious. Strange or not. Which said something given that Olzenya was not normally partial to seafood. Though it was not so delicious that she had any intention of asking for William¡¯s hand in marriage as Bonnlyn did.
¡Though perhaps if he made those ¡®cupcake¡¯ things again I might reconsider, she thought with some mirth.
Though only in mirth.
The human boy might have been attractive enough physically, but his personality could not have been less Olzenya¡¯s type if he tried.
Oh, she¡¯d not turn him down if he offered her an obligation free liaison in the city of the type the rest of the team suspected Marline was enjoying ¨C despite both their arguments to the contrary ¨C but as a romantic partner William fell far short of her ideals.
Both entirely too wilful and stubborn for her taste.
¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining,¡± Verity said as more food was ladled onto her plate by their team leader. ¡°But what¡¯s the occasion?¡±
The high elf could admit she was curious herself. Time was a premium in the academy. So much so that when it came time for meals, most cadets ended up inhaling the food without so much as tasting it.
For William to spend time after evening inspection going down to the kitchen to cook up a late supper, despite the team having eaten dinner not long past, spoke of some prompting factor at work.
Again, not that they¡¯d complain.
The food provided at the academy was hardly poor by any standard, but it did tend to err more on the side of filling than luxurious.
And William¡¯s cooking never seemed to be anything short of luxurious.
If a tad strange at times.
The boy in question just shrugged though. ¡°Nothing really. I just found myself really craving some seafood tonight.¡±
A bark of laughter was quickly strangled, though that did little to save the person of origin from a series of incredulous stares from the rest of the team. Ignoring the implication that William had said was some kind of inside joke, the fact that it had been Marline that laughed was shocking.
¡°What?¡± The dark elf in question asked as she fought down an obvious blush.
¡°Dunno,¡± Bonnlyn said. ¡°Just never heard you laugh like that before.¡±
Olzenya would agree. Even as the other girl¡¯s nominal best friend and closest ally, the most she¡¯d ever heard from her fellow elf was a dry chuckle.
Not¡ whatever that was¡
Marline flushed. ¡°I laugh.¡±
¡°Not normally,¡± Bonnlyn said, gaze turning toward William. ¡°Almost makes me wonder what the two of you did last weekend that has you so¡ giggly.¡±
They¡¯d definitely been fucking.
Olzenya knew it was crass to put it so, but it was so obvious she couldn¡¯t help herself.
I mean come on, what do they expect us to think? The High Elf thought as she eyed the pair. Spending the night away from the team and sleeping in the same inn could be justified once. But twice?
¡°We didn¡¯t do anything beyond enjoy a somewhat subpar variant of the dish you¡¯re currently enjoying,¡± Marline said. ¡°That¡¯s why I laughed. William¡¯s words on the topic were rather scathing.¡±
She was lying. The girl was a terrible liar. Olzenya could see she was lying. Bonnlyn could see she was lying. Hell, even Verity could see she was lying.
¡°Bullshit,¡± Bonnlyn said a second before Olzenya could put it more delicately.
William shrugged, even as Marline looked stricken. ¡°Believe what you will.¡±
It was actually a little annoying that despite knowing William was full of shit, she couldn¡¯t pick up even a hint of it on his face. If Marline was a terrible liar then William was peerless.
Which was just another layer to the confusing onion that was their leader.
¡°I will,¡± Bonnlyn said smugly. ¡°And it doesn¡¯t matter how much you claim otherwise, I know there had to be some other reason you split off from the rest of us last weekend.¡±
¡°Besides an urge to quietly celebrate the success of my latest creation while not being hit on by a horny half-stack?¡±
The dwarf coughed, but rallied admirably. ¡°First of all, I know you love my flirting, even if you are playing hard to get-¡±
¡°Clearly not too hard if I¡¯m apparently sleeping with him,¡± Marline muttered.
Bonnyln stumbled a little as those words registered, before continuing valiantly. ¡°That¡¯s because he clearly has an elf fetish. Which I don¡¯t blame him for, you long-ears have mindwhammied half the men on the continent with that horseshit. I just need to bring him around to the idea that short and thick is infinitely better than long and thin.¡±
Verity snorted. ¡°That¡¯s a terrible analogy.¡±
¡°Quiet, tall and thick!¡± Bonnlyn shot back playfully. ¡°Because you¡¯re as much a rival as these two. For much the same reason I know there was definitely some other reason he begged off hanging out with us last week.¡±
¡°And that is?¡± Olzenya deadpanned, just wanting to get this bit over with ¨C even if she was a little curious.
¡°Verity asked us all to meet her family. And William over here is powerless to refuse her for anything. If whatever he was doing last weekend wasn¡¯t urgent ¨C like satisfying the rapacious desires of a hungry dark elf.¡±
The orc in question turned red so fast Olzenya was actually a little concerned ¨C even as William¡¯s eye twitched. And the less said about Marline¡¯s expression the better.
¡°Rapacious dark elf?¡± The girl seemed to mutter to herself, her tone dark and foreboding.
Not that Bonllyn seemed to notice. Instead she watched William sputter. ¡°I don¡¯t just give her anything she asks for.¡±
¡°You kind of do,¡± Olzenya said. ¡°As much as it pains me to agree with the gremlin on anything.¡±
A feeling that only intensified as said gremlin gave her an eager thumbs up.
¡°He doesn¡¯t!¡± Verity said.
¡°He definitely does,¡± Marline sighed, earlier irritation seemingly forgotten.
Or at least morphed in quiet resignation.
Not that the orc noticed, seemingly stuck looking anywhere but at William.
Who as ever, seemed rather unruffled. Oh, he¡¯d been surprised by Bonnlyn¡¯s accusation at first, but much like a hundred other things did, that seemed to have rolled off his back easily enough after a moment of processing.
¡°Alright, you know what?¡± He turned toward one of the table¡¯s residents. ¡°Marline, you¡¯re a terrible liar. Have we at any time had sex?¡±
The dark elf flushed deeply, something akin to¡ horror flashing across her features as she frantically shook her head. ¡°No!¡±
They hadn¡¯t?
¡°Oral counts!¡± Bonnlyn chimed in, causing the dark elf to glare at her ¨C rightfully blaming her for being put in this situation to begin with.
¡°No oral either. Nothing of the sort.¡±
The dwarf continued to stare at the elf for a few moments before sighing. ¡°Cheh, I guess I was wrong.¡± Though it was barely a second before a mischievous gleam entered her eye. ¡°Though that means the mystery of what the two of you got up to last week remains unsolved.¡±
William just glanced at her. ¡°No it isn¡¯t. Dock-side paella.¡±
--------------------------
Griffith frowned as she stared down at the metallic object on her desk.
The Spell-Bolt.
Which was an objectively terrible name.
Still, terrible name or not, the thing would be of interest to a great many very important people.
A handheld weapon capable of punching through armour at ranges up to a three hundred meters would be a game changer in marine-knight combat. Certainly, a cannon could perform the same feat ¨C and then some ¨C but there was a world of difference between a weapon that needed mounting to the deck of a ship and a weapon that could be held by a single woman.
Naturally, she¡¯d told no one about it. Not even the principle. For though the former royal navy woman aped at neutrality, everyone knew she was in New Haven¡¯s pocket.
Which was fine normally, given that politics was the Academy¡¯s bread and butter, for something like this it was unacceptable.
Once the principle behind the Spell-Bolts operation was out, every house would seek to replicate it.
Oh, they wouldn¡¯t use it openly; no house wanted to be seen as a spell thief, but they¡¯d make copies.
For a fast roll out once the rights were sold to them ¨C or as a weapon of last resort in the event of¡
Well, all sorts of things.
The most likely of which she could think of currently was a civil war given the continued tensions between the Crown and House Blackstone.
Neither side wanted a war, not with the Solites and Lunites waiting in the wings, but the longer things dragged on the more likely it would become inevitable.
House Blackstone refused to back down on the issue of slavery ¨C and at this point the Crown couldn¡¯t either. If they backed down now it would be a tacit admittance that they could no longer enforce their authority on their vassals.
Thus the two were stuck in a continually growing¡. well, she supposed it was a ¡®cold war¡¯ of sorts.
To that end, the weapon on her desk presented a sizeable advantage to the side that possessed it ¨C so long as it was kept secret from the other.
After all, much like William Ashfield¡¯s recent flashbang spell, once the principles behind the device were known, it would hardly be complicated to replicate.
To that end, it was fortunate that unlike the Flashbang, the exact mechanisms behind the Spell-Bolts function weren¡¯t immediately obvious simply upon seeing it in action. Hardly impossible to decipher, merely a little more complicated without an accompanying explanation.
To simply see it fire, one would think the weapon to instead be some kind of spell-aid.
Given all that, William¡¯s conditions for selling the device were both simple and complex.
Not least of all because I have to ask the Ashfields if they are aware of the device without actually saying what it is, Griffith frustratedly thought.
If the Ashfield matriarch could be shown to have no actual knowledge of the device, the ownership of it would default to William and William alone.
Which was something of a legal conundrum given both his gender and membership to said house.
Technically speaking, anything that belonged to him belonged to his house. And as the Matriarch of said house, thus belonged to Janet Ashfield.
Of course, as the saying went, possession was nine-tenths of the law.
And if William truly had developed the Spell-Bolt independently of his house¡ well, it was clear who the Crown would have to speak to if they hoped to acquire it.
¡°All of this will need to be recorded,¡± she said tiredly, running a hand through her hair.
If only to intercept any attempts by the Ashfield family to claim the spell as their own once it went ¡®public¡¯.
As they did with the Flashbang.
Fortunately, unlike with the Flashbang, this time young William would have the power of the Crown on his side. If only because his current course of action benefited them.
For sole ¡®legal¡¯ access to the Spell-Bolt, the Crown would more than happily bend the rules ¨C or invent entirely new ones.
She resisted the urge to snicker at the thought.
Young William Ashfield was essentially using the monarchy of an entire country as an attack dog against his own house.
As a first year cadet.
She shook her head at the ridiculousness of it.
What was worse was that she had no idea if the whole thing was actually borne out of loyalty to the crown or out of youthful rebellion.
Certainly his first conversation with his fianc¨¦e suggested the former, but she knew plenty of instructors believed it to be the latter.
Sighing, her mind turned toward the young scion¡¯s second condition of sale.
He wanted to use it in Float matches¡
The idea boggled the mind. Here the boy had an invention that might literally change how battles were fought across the continent ¨C and he wanted to use it in a schoolyard brawl.
It was a firm reminder that for all his¡ genius, he was still just a young man. One that seemingly had no idea of the wider consequences of his actions.
And why am I being turned on by the thought of that naivety? She thought incredulously, shame flooding her at lusting after a student.
Her student.
Shaking her head, she returned to penning her report ¨C even as her thighs continued absently rubbing together beneath the desk.
Indeed, she was so distracted by her runaway thoughts that she actually jumped a little as someone knocked on her door.
Quickly hiding the Spell-Bolt beneath her desk, she cleared throat. ¡°Who is it?¡±
¡°Private Mckenly, ma¡¯am,¡± a young woman¡¯s voice came through the wood. ¡°I come bearing a message from the Principal.¡±
Frowning, Griffith stood up, moving over to the door and stepping out, making sure to lock it behind her as she turned to look at the academy guardswoman standing there.
¡°The Principal? At this hour?¡± she asked.
The young woman nodded.
¡°Aye, though it¡¯s not just you ma¡¯am. I don¡¯t know the specifics, but it seems like half the Instructors in the academy are being summoned.¡± She leaned in. ¡°Word is that something¡¯s happening down by the beach. Something big.¡±
Well, that was singularly unhelpful, Griffith thought as she nodded before striding off toward the Principal¡¯s office.
With that said, as annoying as this would likely turn out to be, it would at least be nice to be stuck dealing with something that for once was not a result of the actions of one William Ashfield.
The boy¡¯s antics ate up far too much of her time as it was.
Chapter Twenty One
Griffith watched with muted awe as dozens of sailors and fishmongers clambered over the slowly rotting corpse of what had once been a mighty animal.
Mighty enough to have once been thought of as a god.
And now she was dead.
¡°Al¡¯Hundra,¡± Captain Sulla, as she¡¯d introduced herself, breathed. ¡°I honestly never thought it¡¯d happen. Let alone that I¡¯d be alive to witness it.¡±
Griffith hummed in quiet agreement with the city guardswoman with whom she was supposed to be liaising. Which was a polite way of saying that she was present to ensure that none of Al¡¯Hundra¡¯s scales went missing between the time they were pried from the Kraken¡¯s corpse and transported to the palace.
Already a few had ¡®disappeared¡¯ as a result of the actions of a few enterprising fishermen. Women who had happened upon the corpse in the early hours of the morning, prior to the arrival of the city guard.
Given that even a handful of anti-magic scales could see a plebian woman and her family set for life, it wasn¡¯t surprising at all that a number of them were seen fleeing the scene when the city guard arrived to start securing the beach.
If they were smart those women would be halfway to the old Imperial continent by now ¨C their families safely ensconced in their fishing boats along with any prized possessions they might own.
Because any that were foolish enough to stay and attempt to sell their newfound prizes to the local fences would be in for a rude awakening. Griffith gave it a day before the palace guard were knocking down the doors of any man or woman who had even the slightest connection to the black markets.
Never mind that the number of scales that had been ¡®stolen¡¯ would likely be less than even a percentage point of the total number present on the beach before her.
The crown could not afford to squander even the most minor of advantages ¨C and a sudden windfall of anti-magic scales was no small advantage.
Hence why she and a dozen other instructors and guards from the Academy¡¯s Royal House were out here watching over the city guardswomen watching over the labourers.
And it was telling that requests from other Houses to aid in maintaining the perimeter around Al¡¯Hundra had been politely, but firmly, declined.
Griffith glanced up to where a number of airships from the Royal Fleet hung overhead, searching for any more ¡®chunks¡¯ of the great beast that looked like they might wash up.
¡°This¡¯ll throw the merchants into a tizzy for sure,¡± Sulla continued. ¡°You know they actually change their trade routes based on the old girl¡¯s nesting seasons.¡±
¡°Truly?¡± Griffith asked.
¡°Oh aye. Not because of the beast herself - big kraken like her prefer to stick to the depths - but because of her offspring.¡±
Griffith hummed at the thought. She herself was only tangentially aware of the habits of Krakens, but even she knew that the real threats to ocean bound vessels were the younglings.
¡°I would have thought they¡¯d be more concerned about what might have done this to her?¡± the Dark Elf gestured to the corpse.
A corpse that unfortunately provided little enough evidence to her eyes as to what made it that way. A few days spent drifting with the currents had seen more than a few examples of sea-life nibble at the corpse.
¡°Eh, probably a deep-dweller,¡± Sulla said casually.
¡°Deep dweller?¡±
The captain scratched beneath her steel helmet. ¡°Catchall term, ma¡¯am. For what most people are a few different species that prefer to live real deep. No one¡¯s never actually seen one, or at least, not seen one and lived to tell about it, but it ain¡¯t unknown for ships in open water to sometimes come across the savaged remains of Kraken floating about.¡±
¡°And how do they know it¡¯s not another kraken that did the deed?¡± Griffith asked, morbidly curiois despite herself.
She¡¯d had little to no reason to ever in her life board a seaborne ship, but the thought of creatures that actually preyed on creatures as large as Kraken awakened a deep seated dread in her.
¡°Never seen it myself, ma¡¯am, just echoing what I¡¯ve heard from traders. Apparently it¡¯s mostly a lack of sucker-wounds,¡± Sulla said. ¡°Plus, Kraken have relatively small beaks. Pretty hard to bite another kraken in half with just that.¡±
In half!?
Paling a little at the thought, the dark elf quietly decided that given that she¡¯d managed to survive this long without having ever stepped foot on a sea-ship, she saw little reason to ever do so in the future.
She didn¡¯t care if these ¡®deep-dwellers¡¯ never rose high enough to attack ships, she did not relish the thought of sharing any amount of space with creatures that large.
Dragons are bad enough, she thought.
¡°So you think Al¡¯Hundra finally ran afoul of a¡ deep dweller?¡±
Sulla shrugged. ¡°Couldn¡¯t rightly say, ma¡¯am. Heard she was supposed to be protected from that kind of thing because her nest was somewhere a bit more shallow than girls her size are supposed to prefer.¡±
Protection that clearly wasn¡¯t infallible, even if it apparently served her well enough for a few thousand years, Griffith thought as she looked out at the ancient creature.
¡°Mostly the tradies are going to be¡¡± the captain trailed off as something caught her eye. ¡°Oh, looks like the shinies are here. Finally.¡±
Griffith deliberately ignored the guardswoman¡¯s slightly insulting nickname for the palace guard given the ambient animosity between the two groups.
She could admit though that the nickname was apt.
The small group of cavalry women now streaming down toward the beach was quite shiny. Not just their gleaming white armour, but the coats of their unicorn mounts as well.
Given that a unicorn would only allow virginal women to ride them, the mounts were more than just fast and deadly steeds, they were also a symbol of the order¡¯s dedication to their oaths.
Celibacy being amongst the least.
¡°I¡¯ll start getting my people ready to pull out now that the cavalry have finally deigned to show up,¡± Sulla said with just a hint of resentment.
Griffith nodded along though. ¡°And I suppose I¡¯ll go see if my own are staying or going.¡±
Given the strategic value of Al¡¯Hundra¡¯s corpse, it wasn¡¯t too surprising that the Queen¡¯s orders were for the city guard to only remain for so long as it took the palace guard to mobilize for a sortie beyond the palace grounds.
The only question was if those same guards had enough numbers to effectively guard the perimeter to the beach. At only three hundred women strong, Griffith knew they¡¯d be stretched thin trying to guard both the palace and this new resource.
As she walked over to where the leader of the new arrivals seemed to be, she caught snippets of conversation from the crowds present at the perimeter of the beach, held back by a thick line of steely eyed city guardswomen.
¡°¡Idea how much this is going to cost me?¡± One woman, obviously a merchant captain by the cut of her clothes. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to wait around those overgrown squid to decide a new queen bitch.¡±
¡°Then sail around her old nest,¡± her companion, also a merchant, said disinterestedly.
¡°And add days to my trip?¡± the first squawked. ¡°Not all of us deal in ingots woman. Somes of us have perishables. And contracts.¡±
The second merchant shrugged. ¡°Well, you could always try risking her old territory.¡±
This time another woman laughed. ¡°Ha, I can think of quicker and simpler ways to commit suicide. Any kraken within a hundred miles of her territory is going to be in a frenzy. I genuinely pity any fool that happens to be on a return trip right now.¡±
Ah, Griffith hadn¡¯t though of that. Any ship that wasn¡¯t currently aware of Al¡¯Hundra¡¯s death would likely be sailing into a veritable warzone.
Quietely she made a note to see if perhaps one the royal fleet¡¯s smaller airships might be dispatched to warn any incoming sea-bound vessels away from the area.
Provided they flew the Lindholmian flag.
¡She could care less what happened to any traders from Solite or Lunite.
So caught up in her thoughts was she, that she nearly missed another snippet of conversation. From another pair of merchants, ones who looked noticeably less affluent than the first pair she¡¯d seen.
¡°¡Think she can salvage the graveyard with Al¡¯Hundra gone¡¡±
Griffith didn¡¯t bother to listen to any more though.
After all, as the other woman earlier said, there were quicker and easier ways to commit suicide.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
With that said, there would always be fools hoping to attain the ¡®mystical¡¯ treasure of Al¡¯Hundra¡¯s hoard.
Morons the lot of them. One may as well seek to touch the moon itself.
As she continued walking, she reached into her jacket pocket for a rather thick envelope. One containing a letter she¡¯d originally intended to have delivered in the most clandestine manner she could.
Fortunately, the current circumstances allowed her to bypass that issue entirely.
So it was that she put on a practiced smile as she strode toward the mounted palace guardian who was already bellowing orders to anyone and everyone.
At least this way I can thoroughly wash my hands of the problem, she thought. From here on out the Ashfield problem will officially be above my paygrade.
And for a woman who avoided her own fiefdom in the name of staying away from politics, that almost made being forced to stay up all night breathing in the unique aroma of tons of rotting squid worth it.
Almost, she thought.
-----------------
Janet Ashfield was more aware than most of just how expensive having a prolonged conversation via communication-orb could get.
For starters, the actual physical orbs themselves weren¡¯t cheap. Finding the crystals the things were made of, harvesting them, transporting them, before finally shaping them was an expensive process unto itself.
But that wasn¡¯t where the true cost lay.
No, that lay in the infrastructure required to actually make use of the damn things. Because their range was limited. Admittedly, in the tens or hundreds of kilometres ¨C depending on the quality of the crystal ¨C but limited all the same.
The solution to that limitation came in the form of royal-waystations. Each with their own orb. Each manned by a rotating shifts of plebian-mages employed by the Crown, whose only job it was to power the orb they¡¯d been entrusted with.
Plebian mages, admittedly, a step below even mage-smiths, but mages all the same.
Together, hundreds of these waystations, acting as part of a great interconnected orb-based network, served to allow nobles from across the continent to communicate with each other in real time.
Provided they could afford the royal-waykeeper¡¯s fee. And didn¡¯t much mind the unspoken reality that anything communicated via orb would invariably end up reaching the ears of the Queen. Or the fact that said line of communication could be cut at any moment if a call with higher ¡®priority¡¯ happened to need one of the waystations that was currently being used to facilitate one¡¯s call.
¡In short, as miraculous as the waykeeper-network was, there was a good reason conventional messenger based communication still remained in service.
To that end, a call coming all the way from Blicland Academy was not something to be dismissed as inconsequential. She would know, given that she¡¯d just recently paid for a similar call in reverse but a few weeks ago.
It didn¡¯t much matter that the caller was apparently working on behalf of the crown, she was quite sure the waykeeper-network would receive their due regardless.
That thought alone sparked some small joy in her mind as the dark elf opposite her tiredly continued an argument that had already been raging for a good hour at this point.
¡°I¡¯m sorry Madam Ashfield, but unless you can describe your son¡¯s most recent innovation to me fully, I cannot in good faith claim this innovation to be an Ashfield design.¡±
Janet gritted her teeth, as she loomed over her desk. ¡°And as I have said, I cannot explain this item to you until you explain what it is you are asking for confirmation are. Otherwise I can only see this as a pointless attempt by a lowly Instructor to fish for Ashfield secrets.¡±
The dark elf once more raised a hand, gesturing to a letter there like it was some kind of shield. ¡°And I remind you once more that I am speaking to you now not as an Instructor but as a representative of the Crown ¨C chosen only because of my familiarity with the innovation in question.¡±
That was telling. It meant that whatever William had created, it was noteworthy enough that the Crown wanted to keep the number of people informed of its existence as small as possible.
That boy, she thought frustratedly. Where was this innovative mindset while he was growing up?
Certainly, he¡¯d been quietly dubbed a visionary in the kitchen ¨C even if it had ended up being almost completely overshadowed by his scandalous behaviour - but who would honestly believe that same creativity and genius could be applied to spellwork?
Because he¡¯d certainly had opportunities to express himself in that manner if he¡¯d so chosen. Perhaps his education on combat related applications for his magic had been a bit lesser than it would have been if he¡¯d been born a woman, but it hadn¡¯t been absent entirely.
Yet at most, his tutors had decreed his performance as a mage to be fundamentally solid, but with little deviation from the textbook.
Something that hadn¡¯t raised a single eyebrow, given that that kind of performance was perfectly normal for a man. Janet had just assumed that while William was dutifully learning what was required, he had little true interest in it like he did his cooking.
Now she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he¡¯d either been hiding his true talents ¨C for what purpose though!? ¨C or his time spent in the Academy had caused some kind of¡ awakening in him.
Certainly she¡¯d hoped that he might straighten up a bit under the less tender hands of Blicland¡¯s military instructors, but the reports she was getting back from her informants in the facility went so far beyond that it beggared belief.
And now this, she thought.
¡°Representative of the crown or not, I refuse to be baited into revealing hints into the contents of the Ashfield magical library in the hopes of blindly guessing that some of it relates to whatever my son has chosen to publicly unveil.¡±
That was horseshit of course. The Ashfield magical library was far from empty, but none of its contents related to ¡®new spells¡¯, merely educated guesses into the processes behind other house¡¯s proprietary magics.
Something she was sure was the case for a good ninety percent of the houses in Lindholm.
Truly ¡®new¡¯ magic just wasn¡¯t all that common ¨C and the houses did manage to create something new rarely kept it under lock and key for long when it could be used to better benefit them by being used and/or sold on.
Yet her son had apparently created not just one, but two new magics.
Though I can¡¯t help but wonder if this new discovery is more akin to a novel application of existing magics than a truly new spell, she thought.
God, what she would do for a few minutes of conversation with him before she was ambushed like this¡
Though that was likely exactly why she¡¯d been ambushed like this.
The Crown wanted this spell and were clearly not afraid of bending a few rules to get it. So much so that they were attempting to claim the spell belonged to her son alone rather than House Ashfield.
And if it belonged to him alone, well, it would be much easier to pry it from the hands of a boy of eighteen than a noble House.
¡°We do not need to ¡®fish¡¯ or flail blindly,¡± the glasses wearing bitch trying to steal from her family continued. ¡°Your son has already demonstrated the spell in action to me as part of his academic testing process. As it stands, I can recreate it. My role here and the purpose of this conversation is merely to ascertain beyond a shadow of a doubt whom the original creator of the spell is.¡±
Janet shrugged. ¡°Assuming I believed that, William is a part of House Ashfield. Thus, the spell is an Ashfield spell.¡±
Griffith shook her head. ¡°That would be the case if he attributed it as such. He has not. He claims it as his and his alone.¡±
Janet stilled. ¡°¡You lie.¡±
William had his issues with their house ¨C and he was definitely unhappy with her laying claim to his other spell ¨C but surely that wouldn¡¯t seem him go so far as to deliberately snub his own family?
To be a part of a noble house was to owe an oath of fealty to it. Everything Janet had done, from birthing her secondborn to scheming with House Blackstone was part of that oath. To be part of a house was to see it prosper.
She¡ could not conceive of the notion of one of her own family¡ snubbing it like that.
Especially over something as ridiculous as an unfavourable match, she thought hollowly. As part of a duchess¡¯s family, he would have wanted for nothing. Hells, even if he never came to love or even like the Blackstone girl, surely one of the girl¡¯s retinue would have been agreeable enough?
Such was the tacit understanding of communal marriages. Janet had long come to terms with the fact that her own marriage with William¡¯s father had been less about love on his part and more about marrying into her family. Amongst her sister-wives, she knew she had not been the one with whom her husband¡¯s heart truly lay.
That had been fine. Not ideal, but fine. The man had provided her a son ¨C and would have provided her with more if not for his accident.
That was in line with their agreement.
¡Even if she had truly loved him.
¡°I do not,¡± Griffith reiterated. ¡°That is the reality of the situation. William Ashfield wishes to lay sole claim to his latest innovation ¨C irrespective of his familial ties.¡±
That was it. She wouldn¡¯t hear a word more of this slander.
¡°That is enough,¡± she said firmly. ¡°Before this topic continues I would hear from my son. Not the woman attempting to twist one of her charges to her own political ends.¡±
She was sure of it. This was some ploy by an instructor hoping to cash in on her son¡¯s genius by handing it to the crown.
And given the way the woman in the orb scowled at her words, Janet was sure her accusation had found fertile ground.
Yet the dark elf remained calm.
¡°So be it,¡± the other woman said tiredly. ¡°I suspected this would come up at some point in this conversation, though I had hoped to confirm William as the true owner of his innovation first.¡± She gestured to the side as she moved out of the orb¡¯s field of view. ¡°To that end, William has been sat in the room throughout our conversation.¡±
He had?
And sure enough, it wasn¡¯t a moment before the familiar expression of her firstborn ¨C but not heir ¨C slid into view, his expression as stoic as the last time she¡¯d seen it.
¡Which she now realized was when she laid claim to his previous invention ¨C while denying his request to stay with his team in return.
Despite herself, she frowned.
This was likely to be a delicate conversation.
¡°Hello William,¡± she said, gathering herself.
He nodded. ¡°Hello Mother.¡±
It was not a warm greeting. Nor was it scornful, as she might have expected from a bitter child acting out.
It was just¡ cold.
Like this was a chore that he didn¡¯t relish, yet could not avoid.
¡°Please Will,¡± Janet said. ¡°Tell me what it is you took from our libraries. If you don¡¯t¡ well, this can¡¯t be written off as just another youthful indiscretion.¡±
It would be a betrayal of the House, in as stark a terms as could be written.
She didn¡¯t want that. No one wanted that. For all his faults, William was still her son. But if he went through with this¡ it would be a blackmark that would never wash out.
¡°Believe me, I¡¯d like to,¡± he said slowly.
¡°Then do so,¡± she encouraged. ¡°Do not let a moment¡¯s pique overcome a lifetime of love.¡±
And he had been loved. As only a son could be. By both her, his sister and his law-aunts.
Because they were family ¨C and while she could not deny that perhaps her son had suffered more than most in the name of that family when Olivia was made heir over him and the Flashbang was attributed to their library, that was ultimately part of his duty to the house.
That did not mean they didn¡¯t love him. Eventually he would realize that. That his replacement as heir and betrothal to House Blackstone was the best thing for everyone.
Even if he couldn¡¯t see it now.
Yet rather than acquiesce, she watched him sigh. ¡°That¡¯s the thing. I don¡¯t doubt that you love me. Which is what makes this harder than I want it to be. But ultimately, I have to do it.¡±
¡°Why?¡± She didn¡¯t shout, keeping her tone even through sheer will.
¡°You said it yourself. You still think my issues with the Blackstones are borne of some¡ immature difference of opinion. A momentary jerk reflex to the notion of a marriage I didn¡¯t choose.¡± He shrugged. ¡°And why would you think otherwise? After all, I¡¯m just a powerless young man who doesn¡¯t know any better. My complaints, acts of rebellion and arguments have fallen on deaf ears because ultimately they don¡¯t amount to anything. Just words in the wind from a child.¡± He looked at her then, truly looked at her. ¡°Because a man drawing a line in the sand is just a tantrum if he lacks the power to enforce it.¡±
Janet struggled not to say something as he stared at her with those eyes ¨C so much like her own. ¡°Well, now I have power. The power to hurt our family by denying it a valuable tool. And you¡¯re right, that means that my actions can no longer be written off as youthful indiscretions.¡±
He took a breath. ¡°So let me say it now, loud and clear, with the weight of something tangible enough to hurt backing it up. I will not marry Tala Blackstone. I will never make common cause with slavers.¡± His eyes softened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry mom. Truly. Deeply. But it seems this is the only way you¡¯ll understand.¡±
And she did.
For the first time in her life, she did.
¡But it changed nothing.
Because even if her boy had power enough to hurt her now ¨C it was nothing compared to the force arrayed against him.
Still, she couldn¡¯t help the small shred of pride that swelled in her chest as she started to think of new ways to crush this ongoing act of foolish rebellion ¨C heartfelt or otherwise.
¡°So be it, son,¡± she kept her voice steady, as befitted the House of Ashfield. ¡°We shall each act as we think is right. And the victor shall decide whose vision for the future shall be made real.¡±
Chapter Twenty Two
¡°Are you insane!?¡±
All movement in the hallway paused at the sudden outburst, before rapidly recommencing as the cadets present saw from whom said outburst had originated.
¡°Ah Tala,¡± William smiled as he regarded the rapidly retreating backs of his fellow marine-knight cadets. In no time at all the only ones that remained were himself, his team and Tala¡¯s team. ¡°So nice to see you. How are your studies coming along? I hope you¡¯ve not been overstressing yourself, I know exam season is coming up.¡±
Behind him he could almost feel the rest of his team shuffling back as the irate third year marched up to them ¨C not that she had eyes for anyone but him.
Which might have been a romantic thought, in different circumstances, though somewhat undercut in this case by the almost murderous gleam in the older girl¡¯s eyes.
¡°My only stressor is you! You¡ overgrown child!¡±
Ha, ¡®overgrown child¡¯. That was amusing for a few reasons.
¡°Stop smiling!¡± his Fiancee shouted.
He did not. Though he did take a moment to ruminate on just how fast his little disagreement with his mother had spread to their nominal allies. Honestly, he didn¡¯t even want to imagine just how awkward that conversation was.
Sure, technically the Ashfields owed no real allegiance to House Blackstone, but given the sheer power disparity between the two houses, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess who wore the metaphorical pants in their little conspiracy.
I suppose that my mother¡¯s only saving grace in that particular conversation is that the need to talk in code would make her ass chewing more oblique, he thought.
¡Still, the way-keepers were likely earning a small fortune off his family and the Blackstones. Which was a little amusing in that his family was paying the Crown for the opportunity to scheme against them.
Across from him, Tala finally seemed to be pulling herself together, albeit with great effort. Finally, she sighed, before running a hand through her hair. ¡°William, do you truly understand what you¡¯ve done? Being unhappy with our match is one thing, but to go so far as to betray your family in¡ some infantile tantrum?¡±
William ignored the alarmed glances from his own team as he ruminated on the fact that his mother had clearly understated his resolve in relaying his actions to her allies.
¡°Do you even know what my act of betrayal was?¡± he asked slowly.
Tala frowned, discomfort flitting across her features. ¡°Some ridiculousness about you stealing and withholding some spell from your family. Likely from the same annal you got that ¡®flashbang¡¯ spell.¡±
He cocked his head. ¡°How could I withhold a spell if I stole it from a book that belongs to my family?¡±
Tala¡¯s expression turned grim. ¡°I imagine it would be quite easy if one tore out the page it was listed on.¡±
Ah, that was his mother¡¯s approach. As things went, it wasn¡¯t a bad justification for why he¡¯d have access to a spell that had been created by his family, but they didn¡¯t.
¡Though it actually made him look even worse to an outside observer than the truth that he¡¯d invented the spell and was keeping it from his family.
In a way, William was actually a little impressed at the ruthlessness of it. His dear old mom hadn¡¯t been lying when she¡¯d all-but said she¡¯d pull no punches.
¡°If that were true, don¡¯t you find it a little strange that not a single other member of my family would be aware of this spell I stole? Not one?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know how it is with you Blackstones, but our family doesn¡¯t invent new spells every other week. Or even every other generation. Yet not only did my family invent two new spells, they chose to keep them secret for so long that no one currently alive is apparently aware of their purpose, let alone the methodology behind them. Instead, those secrets were left to languish in the family grimoire. To be completely ignored by everyone but me in a book that sees regular use and updates.¡±
Those updates came in the form of the family¡¯s observations of other house¡¯s exclusive magics ¨C though it wasn¡¯t kosher to come out and say as much.
Still, he could see it. The doubt in his fiancee¡¯s eyes as the gears in her mind whirred around.
Before, inevitably, she decided that it didn¡¯t matter.
¡°Return the spell William,¡± she said. ¡°Before things get worse for you.¡±
He could almost hear the stifled breaths of both teams as they waited for his response.
¡°¡Worse how?¡±
He was, after all, genuinely curious.
¡°Your stipend for one,¡± Tala grunted. ¡°It¡¯s cut off.¡±
He laughed. He couldn¡¯t help himself. It just slipped out.
Because she said it so gravely¡ when it was so very much not a problem.
Well, I suppose it might be a problem for a ¡®normal¡¯ noble, he thought after a moment¡¯s consideration.
Because life in the academy was both free and incredibly expensive.
Food was a prime example of that given that the cafeteria was tiered. One could choose to subsist on the freely provided meals the academy made en-masse for the menial staff or one could choose to ¡®pay¡¯ a bit more for food that was a bit higher in quality.
Naturally, the only ones who chose the former option came from House Royal ¨C and not even all of House Royal at that. Mostly it was just those cadets who came from a menial background.
¡William could admit that he was no exception to the rule.
In his defense, it wasn¡¯t like the menial offering was bad per se. Far from it. It was mostly just¡ bland.
Filling, but bland.
By contrast, the premium alternative was usually the same base ingredients, but with the addition of spices, salts and a medley of other items required to impart what the layman might have described as ¡®flavour¡¯.
Even if the need to wolf it all down as fast as possible did often mean said flavour sometimes went to waste.
¡°I think I¡¯ll survive,¡± he said. ¡°A little less red meat in my diet and a few more potatoes will hardly kill me.¡±
Though he did wince a little at the barely audible whimper that originated from team seven¡¯s resident orc at his words. After all, he¡¯d been paying for her too and she¡¯d also come to guiltily enjoy¡ flavour. Plus, he was at least partially sure that she was bagging leftovers to send home. Either that, or she was snacking on them in the dorm.
Beyond that¡ well, to be honest, he didn¡¯t really need his stipend for much else. Perhaps if this had happened a few weeks ago being cut off would be a problem, but most of the components he¡¯d need for his future inventions were already bought and in storage.
¡°I suppose you would be shameless enough to partake of the Crown¡¯s charity where meals are concerned,¡± Tala sighed. ¡°But what of your armour? I¡¯ve been led to understand you¡¯ve also been caring for one of your¡ teammate¡¯s equipment too.¡±
Behind him, Verity flinched as Tala¡¯s eyes flashed over her.
There was no love lost there.
Still, William shrugged. The team¡¯s armour ¨C which unlike academy supplied equipment came with a repair cost ¨C was within his means to repair himself. It¡¯d eat up a little more time than he¡¯d like, but it was doable.
And that assumes I can¡¯t just cut a deal with the Crown as part of the spell exchange, he said.
Honestly, such a caveat would barely even amount to a footnote.
Before he could say as much though, he was cut off.
¡°I think my family can cover the cost of keeping a teammate or two¡¯s equipment in good condition,¡± Bonnlyn spoke up, drawing Tala¡¯s furious gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to phrase it as an investment in my future.¡±
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¡°The same for me and mine,¡± Marline said.
Beyond them, Olzenya hesitated a second before nodding. ¡°Mine too.¡±
Despite himself, William actually felt a little touched at the gesture. Not least of all because, in doing so, his friends were risking the ire of a very powerful house.
Admittedly, both the elves were from Crownlander houses, so they already were enemies in a way, but there was a world of difference between being someone¡¯s nebulous political foe and directly drawing their ire.
Though poor Verity looked both guilty and poleaxed as she looked like she wanted to say something too, but naturally had nothing to offer on that front.
Which was why he shot her a wink after sending the other girls a thankful smile.
¡°Well, as you can see, that¡¯s not likely to be an issue,¡± he said, turning back to his fuming fianc¨¦e. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±
¡°Lady Ashfield is considering pulling you from the Academy,¡± she said.
Once more he ignored the stiffening of his friends, because honestly, as if he hadn¡¯t been expecting that.
Honestly, he¡¯d thought Tala would lead with that rather than attempting the stipend softball.
¡°Well, I suppose I¡¯ll have to worry about that come the end of the semester. After a review process.¡±
A frown creased the girl¡¯s features. ¡°End of the semester?¡±
¡°Yes, the only time a cadet deemed vital to the defense of the capital can be pulled from their academic contract.¡±
¡°Pulled from their¡ you can¡¯t be serious,¡± Tala spat. ¡°That ruling is only for if the capital is under imminent threat. And it¡¯s for fourth year cadets!¡±
William shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s for everyone, it¡¯s only normally applied to fourth year cadets.¡±
Specifically, it was a rule that allowed the academy to basically draft academy cadets into an impromptu militia to supplement the city guard in the event of¡ well, basically anything that might threaten the capital ¨C and by extension ¨C the royal palace.
¡°What threat!?¡± Tala shouted.
William shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I understand some kind of super-kraken died recently. I figure that counts.¡±
Tala seethed. ¡°That is little more than blatant exploitation of an outdated and defunct law. My family will not stand for it.¡±
He didn¡¯t imagine they would. And they had the political power to get such a law overturned.
Not quickly though. Nothing was quick in politics ¨C especially where the law was concerned.
¡°Well, good luck getting that done before the end of the semester.¡±
By which point it would be moot. For better or worse.
Conversation complete, he turned to leave, his team falling in behind him.
And behind them, Tala continued to seethe. ¡°This isn¡¯t over yet, William! Your actions will have consequences!¡±
He waved over his shoulder. ¡°Right back at you, Tala. I¡¯m not marrying you. Because slavery is bad. The sooner you get that, the sooner the pain stops.¡±
With that he walked away.
--------------------------
It was morning PT and William felt great.
Ok, that was a lie, he felt like he was about to cough up a lung, but on the inside ¨C deep inside ¨C he felt great. Which was why he was utterly unbothered by the two pairs of narrowed eyes boring into his back.
¡°All is going according to plan,¡± he gasped finally.
¡°Your plan is insane,¡± Marline responded, not even having the decency to sound winded.
Though as she spoke, she did glance over to the sidelines where a PT Instructor was standing idly, her breath misting in the cool morning air.
She wasn¡¯t Griffith, the Dark Elf happened to be elsewhere this morning. Which was hardly unusual, yet William couldn¡¯t help but think that this particular absence likely related to his own actions.
Still, when the woman¡¯s replacement for the morning didn¡¯t start yelling at them for chatting during PT, Marline continued on.
¡°And needlessly convoluted,¡± she continued on as if the momentary pause didn¡¯t happen.
¡°Yes and yes,¡± he admitted freely.
Because it was definitely true that his scheme was desperately in need of a little KISS ¨C ¡®keep it simple stupid¡¯ ¨C but in his defense, he¡¯d been placed into a very messy political entanglement.
One that if handled poorly could kickstart a civil war. One that was far from guaranteed to end with the side he ¨C nominally ¨C wanted to win on top.
Sure, without the Summerfield ducal throne on their side, the Blackstones were outnumbered two to five by the other duchies, but said duchies were¡ well, ¡®soft¡¯ was a decent word for it.
The militaries of House New Haven and Blackstone had been honed to a razor¡¯s edge by their constant ongoing war with the orcs in the north. And during the Solite and Lunite invasions it had been they who¡¯d lead the charge.
Indeed, to hear it spoken, it had been the current sitting Lady Blackstone herself who¡¯d come up with the ¡®insane¡¯ strategy of meeting the continental powers over open water ¨C a move that had all-but won the two ¡®disparate¡¯ wars before they truly began.
No, William wouldn¡¯t allow his distaste for them morally to take away from his opinion of their competence. And neither would the Crown given just how cautious the current Queen was being regarding the two duchies¡¯ continued resistance to her desired reforms.
¡So, complicated was the name of the day.
A complicated problem required a complicated solution.
With that in mind, he liked to think his plan was flexible. If something went wrong, he¡¯d improvise. Hell, he¡¯d been improvising.
Because I certainly didn¡¯t intend to confront Tala at the end of the first semester, he thought. Nor with a team with two barely magic literate menials on it.
Admittedly he¡¯d lucked out on that front with getting both Verity and Marline on his team, but he¡¯d certainly not planned for it.
And other things he¡¯d not planned for would no doubt occur down the line. Things he¡¯d adapt to.
¡°I just¡ I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so obsessed with this,¡± Olzenya muttered. ¡°Is she truly that bad?¡±
Ah, it seemed his team had also finally realizied just how serious his plans were. Prior to this he wouldn¡¯t be too surprised if everyone but Marline was humouring him because¡ well, his plans made the team better because he pushed so hard.
¡°Slavery is bad. I don¡¯t like it. I¡¯ll have nothing to do with it,¡± he said, words only slightly undercut by his occasional gasps. ¡°The Queen has the right of that much at least and on that topic I¡¯ll back her to the hilt.¡±
¡°As do I, of course,¡± Olzenya said hurriedly.
And he believed her. At least that she was loyal to the Queen, coming from a Crownland house. He just didn¡¯t think she cared much for the woman¡¯s planned reforms. She certainly hadn¡¯t been a fan of Verity when she¡¯d shown up.
Because as much as the South was moving away from orcish slaves being in vogue ¨C in no small part due to the opinions of the crown ¨C racism in its base form was still alive and well.
Then again, Olzenya¡¯s antipathy might have been more a result of the implication of how far she¡¯d fallen for a baseborn orc to be her ¡®peer¡¯.
As for Marline¡ he still didn¡¯t know what the dark elf¡¯s issue with him was when they¡¯d met, even if it had cleared up remarkably quickly.
Glancing forward, he looked toward where Verity was encouraging a flagging Bonnlyn.
¡°Bonnlyn?¡±
Gasping, the dwarf didn¡¯t even turn as she responded. ¡°Don¡¯t like it. Orcs today. Dwarfs tomorrow. Plus, not economically sound.¡±
¡°Ok,¡± he said quickly, saving her from having to give a thesis on the topic and in turn risking having her pass out in front of them. ¡°Verity?¡±
¡°I agree. The Queen wants to end slavery. I agree.¡±
Her words were almost snappish. Which wasn¡¯t unexpected. She tended to clam up tight around politics.
It also wasn¡¯t lost on him that she was pretty uncomfortable with his plans. Honestly, it was almost ironic that the team¡¯s orc was the one who had the least to say about slavery despite being a former slave herself.
It made sense though. At least to him. Verity wasn¡¯t a rebel. She was just¡ getting by. More to the point, the current system had done well by her in her opinion.
Her family was free and she was set to become a Marine-Knight. Something she owed to the current administration.
Beyond that, she had other problems on her plate. More immediate problems.
Because while the circle of favours meant the others had adapted to cleaning clothes and bedding pretty quick, one could hardly pick up an entire magical education in the same time period.
To that end, Verity was still being tutored by the others, even though she had nothing to ¡®offer¡¯ in return.
Something he knew weighed on her, even if the notion was ridiculous. The whole point of the circle of favours was to get the team to think as a team. Olzenya, Marline and him tutoring her wasn¡¯t barter based anymore. They did it because she was a teammate.
In short, Verity had more basic issues on her mind than the fate of her people.
Some would call her a traitor for that. William simply thought of it as normal.
One problem at a time and all that, he thought. Hell, that¡¯s why I¡¯m tackling the slavery issue first - before I even think about the current race based class system.
Did he like the current elven monopoly on power?
Fuck no.
He scowled.
In another life the Blackstones could have been his greatest ally. They were the only house that had negotiated their absorption into the nascent Empire rather than be outright conquered.
And it was doubly ironic that the same mountainous guerilla tactics their ancestors had used against the invading elves were now being used against them by the free orcs.
Nothing can ever be simple, he muttered as he continued jogging.
The only bright side was that the biggest snag in his plans was going to be untangled in the next few weeks.
All they needed was the go-ahead from the Academy administration.
-----------------------
Silence rang out across the testing range as the sound of the Spell-Bolt¡¯s firing finally stopped echoing off the walls.
Lowering the weapon, Griffith watched the many faces of her fellow instructors as they regarded the perforated dummy at the end of the range.
Each of them had been sworn to secrecy on what they¡¯d witnessed here today. With luck, some of them might even keep it secret.
Unfortunately, in order to fulfill William¡¯s conditions, Griffith needed the approval of both the Principal and five other Instructors in order to clear his new weapon for use in the Floats.
Nominally, those five instructors would each come from different Houses. In practice, there was not a hint of either Red or Blue in the uniforms of the instructors arrayed before her. Not a single representative from either House Blackstone or New Haven was present for the demonstration.
And there¡¯d be grumbling about that, to be sure, claims of gerrymandering and bias, but the Crown considered the added secrecy worth it even if it cast a shadow on the impartiality of the Academy.
¡Honestly, Griffith knew her contact in the Palace would rather have skipped this step entirely in the name of keeping the new weapon hidden - but it had been part of William¡¯s conditions for sale.
Conditions they¡¯d been forced to bow to for fear of the boy rescinding his offer and selling his invention ¨C and it was his in truth ¨C back to his own family.
That fact alone was what allowed a single cadet to all-but blackmail the ruling monarchy into following his whims.
As insane and inane as they were.
Honestly, a weapon capable of changing warfare across the continent, and he wants to use it in a child¡¯s training match, she thought.
Proof positive that for all his genius, William Ashfield was still little more than a young man with no greater grasp of the world.
All he saw was the academy.
¡°As you can see,¡± she raised the spell-bolt. ¡°This new weapon, while making use of magic, at no point touches its intended target with magic. By most considerations, it can be seen as simply an extension of the principles behind our already used Bolt-Bows. With that in mind, I would like to put forward a request for its simulated implementation in future training scenarios making use of both the Floats and Skeleton.¡±
She waited for a response.
Though she didn¡¯t have to wait long.
¡°Absolutely not!¡± One woman clamored, followed by a dozen more shouts both for and against her proposal.
Yeah, she¡¯d expected that.
So much so that the testing range was booked for the next six hours.
And it would be a long six hours.
Sighing, she placed the wonder weapon on a nearby bench and pulled over a chair.
Chapter Twenty Three
William smiled broadly as he watched his team whooping and hollering with delight as they made their way back to the dorms.
Though there was no missing the slight¡ gingerness of their movements.
Nor the smell, he thought with some amusement, thankful that he wasn¡¯t downwind of the small collection of young women.
Anyone that believed a girls¡¯ locker-room smelled any better than a mens¡¯ after a hard workout had clearly not spent much time in one. To that end, he didn¡¯t doubt that all of them were eager to hit the showers. Both to get clean ¨C and to soothe the many aches and pains they¡¯d amassed over the last half hour.
Victorious or not, any time spent on the Floats invariably resulted in strained muscles and large bruises.
Something the healers could easily fix if they were so inclined - but wouldn¡¯t. Partially because doing so would be a waste of their time and talents, but mostly because doing so would only serve to undo any gains in physicality his team might have garnered over the last half-hour.
Those who overindulge in healing magic after a workout certainly wouldn¡¯t suffer the backlash that resulted from pushing their body to the limits, but neither would they see the benefits. That was common knowledge.
Though why that was the case was as of yet unknown to the world at large.
Nor why exercising helps build said fitness, he thought. Just that it does.
Theories abound of course, but his readings indicated that as many of those dealt with magic as much as flesh and blood.
That¡¯s the problem with so many things around here fucking with the laws physics on a whim, he thought. It makes it hard to know what those laws actually are.
With that in mind, the somewhat lopsided technological development of this world only continued to make more sense.
Still, ultimately his musings on the collective technological advancement of the world at large was less important than the young woman who was even now awkwardly walking up to him.
¡°I guess we¡¯ll not be seeing each other tomorrow after all,¡± he said, enjoying the way the older girl flinched at his words.
¡°I guess we won¡¯t,¡± the dark elf responded through gritted teeth, her blue New Haven uniform marred by a dark brown splotch across the shoulder where harpy venom had soaked in.
Dry and flaky now, the substance had long since lost its paralytic features after being exposed to air, it would nevertheless be a pain to wash out.
Something William couldn¡¯t take too much pleasure in, given that he had a similar splotch around his right thigh ¨C with an accompanying bruise to match.
With that said, he could at least take some solace in knowing that Royal black was significantly easier to clean than his opposite number¡¯s New Haven blue.
¡°To that end, will I be seeing the dividends of our little bet now or shall I expect them to be delivered to my dorm room later tonight?¡± he asked.
The second-year¡¯s scowl deepened. ¡°The latter.¡±
¡°Excellent.¡± he grinned.
Certainly, he didn¡¯t need more coin per se, but after being cut off from his family¡¯s finances, any influx of wealth to the team¡¯s communal coffers was still welcome.
Better yet, all that the girl had asked for in return was a ¡®date¡¯ if they won.
His smile stilled slightly.
Or at least, she¡¯d phrased it as a ¡®date¡¯. Given her tone and the snickering sounds her teammates had been making when he approached their table, the implication had been that the date would have merely been a prelude to something more intimate later in the evening.
A risk, given who his fianc¨¦e was, but a minor one. They weren¡¯t married yet and given the dearth of men compared to women in this world, a little adventure on the part of a man wasn¡¯t unexpected while he was young.
It was even welcomed in a way, all the better to increase the number of mages in the next generation.
Still, he¡¯d certainly not been the one to suggest the bet.
Nor the date.
Oh, he¡¯d certainly offered one or two up to other second year teams early on in the year as an incentive to humour his requests for practice bouts on the floats, but those had been¡ different.
Training by any other name really, he thought.
He¡¯d effectively offered himself up as a practice dummy for those young women to practice their courting skills with a member of the opposite sex in return for an opportunity for his team to practice their combat skills.
Oh, he had no doubt that those young women would hardly have been opposed if said practice date led to something more but none of them had been expecting it.
¡Apparently the rumours that he¡¯d effectively been cut off from his family¡¯s wealth had changed that dynamic.
To the extent that some people felt they could suggest things they wouldn¡¯t have dared to even think but a few weeks ago.
Opportunists by any other name.
Which was a large part of the reason he couldn¡¯t resist the small vindictive thrill that ran through him as he watched the second-year storm away.
Because, unfortunately for the New Haven cadet whose team his had just trounced, he was no different from her in at least one regard.
He was an opportunist too.
And the opportunity for a fat payday had been one he couldn¡¯t pass up. Not least of all because it had come from a slaver¡¯s pockets.
¡°Cadet Saltmire?¡± he called after the other woman¡¯s retreating back.
The girl paused mid-step, before slowly turning to look at him, eyes cautious. ¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Same time next week?¡± he asked as if butter wouldn¡¯t melt in his mouth.
He could see her considering it, before her eyes flitted over to the viewing stands, where a few a few dozen bored-looking cadets were chatting amongst themselves in small groups.
The stands were far from full, but it was an unexpectedly large turnout for what was essentially just a practice match ¨C especially on a weekend ¨C but his team was slowly developing something of a celebrity status.
Entirely contained to the academy of course; the greater world was still buzzing about Al¡¯Hundra¡¯s death weeks after the fact, but in many ways the academy could be a small world unto itself.
And a first-year team capable of going up and against second-years ¨C and lately winning more often than not ¨C was not to be ignored.
Glancing across the crowds, Willim imagined that some would be here because they were simply curious, while others would be hoping to decipher their tactics so as to better improve their own teams. Others still would be¡ fans was too strong a word, but the fact that he was both a man and the head of a very successful team had caused more people to be interested in Team Seven than they might otherwise have been.
Novelty counted for a lot amongst the nobility, and men were pretty rare in the academy to begin with.
Which was only to be expected given that most of the time men attended, it was as a part of their betrothed¡¯s retinue. Sure, there were men from plebeian backgrounds slated for House Royal, but they had an unfortunate tendency to be snapped-up by young women from other houses hoping to snag a husband and secure their family line.
To that end, ¡®free agents¡¯ like himself were pretty much unheard of. Indeed, William didn¡¯t think there were any male team leaders in the Academy at all beside himself.
And I won¡¯t be team leader either in a few weeks, he thought.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
The end of the semester was looming fast. Which meant either a transfer to Tala¡¯s team or ¨C more likely ¨C his withdrawal from the Academy entirely followed by a shotgun wedding.
With that in mind, he was actually a little disappointed when the New Haven girl shook her head.
Scum-sucking slaver or not, her team had been good. As evidenced by the fact that he¡¯d been limping back to the showers.
¡°It¡¯s not worth it,¡± she grunted before she continued walking away.
William smirked, well aware that the woman¡¯s words could be construed in a number of ways.
His team might not be worth her time, never mind the fact that they¡¯d beaten hers with only a single casualty. Or the risk of drawing his fiancee¡¯s ire might not be worth it, which was bullshit because she¡¯d clearly been happy to risk it the first time. To that end, perhaps the possibility of a date with him wasn¡¯t worth the gold she¡¯d lose if she lost again?
Personally, he thought she was thinking about the cost to her team¡¯s reputation as he saw a number of people jeering at the New Haven cadets as they limped back to their dorms.
That was fine though, that just made it easier to pick his next partners for next week¡¯s practice session.
He just had to pick them from amongst his previous foe¡¯s largest and loudest detractors.
Smiling, he walked over to a particularly tall human woman in Summerfield white, a woman whose jeering shouts morphed into a wide grin as he started talking.
After all, all those previous teams had to be chumps if they were beaten by a first year team led by a male.
Her team would do much better.
And she¡¯d bet money on it.
Though I should probably bet money in return this time, he thought. The team¡¯s doing better, but we¡¯re still only winning most of the time these days.
Against second-year teams.
Against their fellow first-years, it wasn¡¯t even a fight.
Which wasn¡¯t too surprising, given that in combination with his teammates just plain being abnormally talented, absurdly well-equipped, and the fact that his family hadn¡¯t proliferated the Flashbang that far, his wheeling and dealing meant they had roughly double the practice time of their nominal peers.
Time they¡¯d used.
Sure, there¡¯d been a few exceptions, but while his fellow first-years were out on the town each weekend, his team was practicing.
Every evening and every morning too. Above and beyond what the Academy required of them.
It wasn¡¯t sustainable, not even close, but it didn¡¯t have to be.
They just needed to remain¡ sane until the end of the semester. Until that point, he¡¯d push them to the very limit.
Will that be enough to beat Tala though? He thought even as he absently haggled with the Summerfield girl.
Not even close.
Not without some kind of tech advantage.
-------------
¡°You wanted to see me, ma¡¯am?¡± William asked politely as he stepped into Instructor Griffith¡¯s office.
The woman looked tired, even as she absently gestured him over to a seat opposite her desk.
¡°I do.¡± She reached under her desk and pulled out his Spell-Bolt before placing it onto the desk. ¡°Mostly because of this.¡±
He nodded absently.
¡°Do you require further clarifications as to how it functions?¡± he asked politely. ¡°Or proof that I was the sole developer?¡±
She shook her head. ¡°No, your earlier explanation was more than adequate on that front. As far as the Crown is concerned, the Spell-Bolt currently belongs to you and you alone.¡±
William nodded, even as he absently noted that the latter item was likely only the case because it benefited the Crown for him to be the sole owner given his plans to sell the design to them.
Indeed, if he suddenly decided to develop cold-feet on the subject for some inane reason, he had little to no expectation that he¡¯d be able to back out at this juncture. If he did, he had little doubt that some ¡®Royal Engineers workshop¡¯ would ¡®miraculously¡¯ invent something remarkably similar to the Spell-Bolt completely independently of his design.
Indeed, the only real question was whether the Royal Family considered the design valuable enough to ¡®disappear¡¯ him and risk angering both the Blackstones and the Ashfields in the name of maintaining a monopoly over the design.
His gut said no.
The Spell-Bolt was an interesting lateral innovation in spell combat with a single distinct range advantage over other spells, which was enough to make it valuable, but not so valuable that the Crown might risk kicking off a civil war early just to maintain a monopoly on it.
The fact that his request to debut it in an Academy practice match was being humoured was proof enough of that.
The operative word in that sentence was ¡®humoured¡¯ though. As this meeting was likely to prove.
¡°To that end,¡± Griffith continued. ¡°The Crown is more than happy to remunerate you for the cost of buying the design. Quite generously at that, given the strife it has placed on your relationship with your household. Such loyalty shouldn¡¯t go unrewarded after all.¡±
It was actually a little amusing to hear his Instructor repeating words that had clearly come from another¡¯s lips. The phrasing just¡ wasn¡¯t her.
Now, admittedly it was an incredibly small sample size to go off, but between Marline and Griffith, it made him wonder if dark elves had a cultural compulsion toward bluntness.
¡°Of course.¡± He smiled. ¡°I am nothing if not a patriot and a loyalist.¡±
Griffith nodded quickly. ¡°Yes, one supposes you are. Your outspoken support for some of our Queen¡¯s more¡ controversial reforms is definitely worthy of praise.¡±
Again, the words couldn¡¯t have been less ¡®Griffith¡¯ if she tried. With that in mind, it actually made him slightly curious as to why Griffith was still acting as his liaison with the crown?
Sure, at first it had made sense, but by this juncture he would have expected her to be replaced by¡ someone. It had been weeks since he¡¯d unveiled the device to her, which was more than enough time for someone from the Royal Family to make a trip down to the Academy to speak to him in person.
Or just talk to him through orb.
Perhaps they¡¯re trying to lower the value of my innovation in my mind by refusing to show too much interest?
A move that might have been effective against a normal Cadet, but he was far from normal. Not least of all because he didn¡¯t really care what he ¡®paid¡¯ for selling the spell.
It was simply a means to an end after all. Hell, the only reason he wasn¡¯t giving it away was because that would be more suspicious and likely time consuming than ¡®selling it¡¯.
The issue was that his end goal for the spell was likely going to be the sticking point of these negotiations.
Griffith licked her lips. ¡°With that said, the Crown is still ultimately beholden to the Blicland Administration where changes to allowed weaponry are concerned. It can¡¯t simply¡ force things through, not if doing so would endanger students. Which is what many of my fellow Instructors believe this weapon would do.¡±
William resisted the urge to laugh. The Crown had limits, but this wasn¡¯t one of them. They just weren¡¯t pushing very hard, or at all if he were to guess.
Because they didn¡¯t want one of their new weapons unveiled in a children¡¯s fight. They wanted to keep it hidden away as a nasty surprise in the event of hostilities breaking out with the North.
¡°Danger?¡± he asked innocently. ¡°It¡¯s basically just a bolt-bow, isn¡¯t it?¡±
He could almost see the relief in Griffith¡¯s eyes as they turned toward a topic she was more familiar with. ¡°In function perhaps. In capability, I think we both know that your newest creation has more in common with a combat spell. Bolt-bows certainly can¡¯t blow a hole clean through steel plate armour.¡±
She tapped her desk in thought. ¡°You need spells for that. And unfortunately, it¡¯s hard to simulate that kind of destructive power effectively in a safe manner.¡±
William resisted the urge to frown. He knew that was horseshit. Could the Floats simulate every combat spell under the sun? No, not even close.
But some could.
Fireballs and flame-streams leapt to mind. Just use water instead. Sure, a water orb wouldn¡¯t have quite the same range as a real fireball, but it would be non-lethal and ¡®splash¡¯ in much the same way. Ipso Facto, one could assume that any cadet who was soaked to the bone had at some point been ¡®lit on fire¡¯.
A clod of loose dirt could likewise imitate an earth-spike or ice-shard quite effectively.
Indeed, the only really common combat spell he couldn¡¯t see an easy way to simulate was the lightning bolt.
And because of that, no one got to use offensive spells on the Floats.
Because the Floats were ¡®serious business¡¯ where prestige was concerned ¨C and certain houses had a¡ predilection toward certain elements. Their refined aether being particularly appealing to certain types of elemental fae.
The Ashfields weren¡¯t one of them. The bloodline wasn¡¯t old enough or¡ specialized enough. Nor were the Blackstones, despite their name. As a human house, they were just too ¡®young¡¯.
No, normally specialties came about through the selective breeding of very old family lines. Elvish lines. Like most of the current ducal houses of Lindholm. Be it fire, ice, water, earth, air or lightning, each house typically had a specialty.
So, the fact remained that certain houses could be said to have an advantage where certain types of magic were concerned.
Thus, in order to avoid claims of certain houses being given an advantage because only certain elements were allowed they banned them all.
It was stupidity of the highest order to William¡¯s mind, which was perhaps why they didn¡¯t go out of their way to advertise it.
Instead they just claimed the issue was a safety concern.
Which is why I suppose it¡¯s fortunate that my new spell doesn¡¯t have an elemental designation.
Air. Fire. Lightning. Even water. Any of them could be used as the ¡®propellant¡¯ for it.
¡°So they think it¡¯s too dangerous?¡± he asked. ¡°And the Crown can¡¯t just¡ push it through anyway?¡±
Griffith nodded reluctantly. ¡°The Crown has some sway, but all of the Great Houses contribute to the upkeep of the Academy. And without some kind of guarantee that your new weapon could be employed safely, they can¡¯t convince the other instructors.¡±
He smiled. There was an alternative here. One that was blatantly obvious. Indeed, it was so obvious he didn¡¯t doubt it had been left open to him.
¡®Why not just let us use a bolt bow with tips with painted bolts? Have a strike on the armour count as an elimination? Give us each ten shots to account for two charges?¡¯
Simple. Elegant. Safe. It even kept his newest innovation away from prying eyes. People would simply be informed that he was using a secret weapon that had the ability to penetrate armour. One that was being kept secret.
Unacceptable, he thought.
His victory could not be seen to come from a weapon that only might exist. If he did that the Blackstones could call the result into question. Claim they¡¯d been forced to dance around a farcical rule.
Never mind that the Floats were made almost entirely of farcical rules.
No, when he won, he needed to do so in a truly convincing manner. One that left no doubt as to how legitimate it was.
Plus, using a bolt-bow would mean I¡¯d lose out on the extra range provided by the spell-bolt, he thought.
That kind of thing could lose him the match.
¡°So as I understand it,¡± he said slowly. ¡°The issue is that I need to make this new weapon safe. But it can¡¯t be made safe. Because like a spell, it¡¯s too dangerous in its base form for a simulated variant to be anything less than lethal.¡±
Griffith nodded slowly. ¡°It¡¯s as you say. A shot of any kind propelled by a spell¡ it¡¯s too dangerous. A cloth head would just throw off the shot.¡±
William grinned as he reached into his pocket.
¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± His instructor¡¯s eyes widened as her eyes alighted on the object he¡¯d just unveiled. ¡°Tell me, ma¡¯am; are you at all familiar with a substance called ¡®rubber¡¯?¡±
The woman cocked her head as she took in the bullet shaped object. ¡°Rubber? Isn¡¯t that used for Shard wheels? And insulating pipes?¡±
William smiled.
¡°Amongst other things.¡±
Such was the beauty of this world. So many paths untaken. So many applications overlooked, all because magic did it better.
Not always though, he thought. Not always.
Chapter Twenty Four
William struggled not to wince as the door to his alchemical storage room slowly cracked partially open.
¡°Goddesses¡¯ mercy,¡± Marline hissed from behind him. ¡°How is it worse the second time?¡±
¡°Because we added a few things the last time we were here?¡± William said as he unhooked the tripwire attached to the door before pulling it fully open.
¡°The potatoes are what¡¯s making that smell!?¡± Marline hissed as she stepped inside.
¡°Yep. Never underestimate the power of potatoes and a few warm summer days. Plus there¡¯s a few other things in here,¡± William tried not to breathe through his nose as he closed the door behind him after stepping inside himself. ¡°Light. One charge. Instant activation. Right hand.¡±
At his words, the room lit up as his right hand started to glow with an ethereal light. One that revealed¡ three barrels and a crate.
Glancing over, he noticed Marline staring at his hand.
¡°What?¡± he asked.
The dark elf shrugged. ¡°Just seems a bit wasteful is all. Day¡¯s not over yet and now you¡¯re down a spell charge.¡±
William shrugged. ¡°Better that than bringing a candle in here.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
William¡¯s gaze flicked over to a nearby ¨C sealed ¨C barrel. ¡°Just take my word for it.¡±
¡°Well that¡¯s not ominous at all,¡± the girl muttered as she walked over to the nearby crate.
William smirked as he followed after her. She didn¡¯t know the half of it.
Which was probably for the best. Given how she¡¯d responded to the whole ¡®Al¡¯hundra situation¡¯ he doubted she¡¯d take well to learning that the entire room could theoretically go up if an errant spark happened to get inside one of the nearby barrels.
Admittedly, a single candle was unlikely to achieve that, given the barrels had lids on them, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Given just how dangerous just opening the door to this room could be given the booby trap on the door, he felt it was perfectly reasonable to err on the side of caution by not adding any more danger to what was already a fairly volatile environment.
On the bright side, if I ever do fuck opening the door up, I probably won¡¯t have more than half a second to regret it, he thought.
So no, he didn¡¯t feel even a smidgen of regret in making use of a precious spell slot to light the way while they were in here.
Fishing a second key out of his shirt, he ignored his companion¡¯s gags as he unlocked the chest to reveal the collection of mouldy looking vegetables within. Squishing his discomfort, he reached through it to unhook the crate¡¯s false bottom.
Admittedly, said false bottom wasn¡¯t particularly good given that it was trying to mask a space large enough to fit two orbs the size of bowling balls ¨C that glowed ¨C but that was fine. It was simply the last line of defence. One that would only come into play in the event some ne¡¯er-do-well chose to break into an alchemical storage room, get past his booby trap, fail to ignite the contents of the barrels by looking into them, before finally digging through a crate full of rotten potatoes.
Mostly it was there to keep the glow of the orbs from being spotted while they sat at the bottom of the pile.
¡°Like I told you, safe and sound.¡± William said as he pulled out one of the mithril cores before tossing it to Marline.
¡°Ugh!¡± The girl yelped as she caught the thing. ¡°I wish you wouldn¡¯t do that!¡±
He smirked, resisting the urge to point out that the orb she was holding had spent about a decade at the bottom of the ocean being used as a scratching post by a ship-sized squid before they recovered it. A little rough handling wasn¡¯t about to damage it.
No, that would require specialized tools of the kind that could only be found in a shard-workshop.
¡°Are your folks ready to collect yet?¡± he asked, gesturing to the second orb.
Marline¡¯s scowl turned into a pensive expression as she shook her head. ¡°Not yet. When we spoke, she implied she¡¯d be sending my aunts to collect it in person, but I¡¯ve not heard anything since.¡±
William nodded. That wasn¡¯t too unexpected. What was, was that Marline had apparently chosen to communicate her ¡®acquisition of a mithril core¡¯ over orb.¡±
Unless¡
¡°You spoke in code, right?¡±
Given the silver color of her iris, it wasn¡¯t hard to miss the way his teammate rolled her eyes at his question. ¡°Of course.¡±
The ¡®I¡¯m not an idiot¡¯ went unspoken. Because while no one was foolish enough to state aloud that the Crown monitored Orb communications, it was common knowledge that they did.
And while the law around ¡®scavenged cores¡¯ was explicit enough that William nor Marline had any reason to fear censure for how they¡¯d acquired their cores, the Crown would definitely have questions.
Questions William ¨C and by extension, Marline ¨C had no interest in answering for a little longer yet.
¡°Out of curiosity, what¡¯s the cover story for your aunts coming to visit?¡± he asked.
Marline chuckled lowly. ¡°Apparently I¡¯m madly in love with a boy on my team.¡±
¡°Me?¡± he asked, trying not to laugh.
Once more, the dark elf rolled her eyes. ¡°Yep. And given just how out of character thoughts of romance of any kind would be for me, you could say it caught my mother¡¯s attention. Enough that it wasn¡¯t hard to clue her in on everything else while still speaking in code.¡±
Yeah, William could see the dark elf¡¯s mother being surprised by her daughter¡¯s sudden infatuation with a boy. Never mind the fact that he was very publicly betrothed to a very powerful family, he was also pretty certain Marline was gay.
Oh, she¡¯d hidden it well enough, but over the last few months he¡¯d managed to catch her gaze lingering just a little longer than strictly necessary here or there. Not on him. Never on him.
But on the other members of the team to be sure.
Honestly, in retrospect he actually felt a little foolish for not figuring it out sooner.
It neatly explained her discomfort at being forced to share his bed for the geass, as well as her general antipathy towards him when they¡¯d met. Even her refusal to shower with the team could be explained away as some kind of¡ outmoded idea of chivalry on her part.
And as much as he hated to give any legitimacy to the idea of the ¡®man hating lesbian trope¡¯, the fact was, there did exist people who preferred the same sex who also tended to have little patience for the opposite sex.
It was an over inflated stereotype, but it did exist.
With that in mind, he was actually happy that Marline had so quickly managed to overcome her internal misandrist mindset after meeting him.
Actually, with that in mind, perhaps it was more a result of lack of exposure to men than anything else?
In his experience, that tended to be the root cause of most kinds of bigotry. A lack of experience and understanding combined with some other factor.
So yes, if Marline¡¯s mother knew of her daughter¡¯s ¨C likely hidden - orientation, she¡¯d definitely start to pay attention if said daughter developed an interest in a man.
Again, an engaged man.
To a family powerful enough to crush the diminished Greygrass Household without so much as breaking stride.
¡°Does she¡ believe you? That you have a core?¡± he asked.
It certainly didn¡¯t sound believable. Hell, he¡¯d needed to swear a geass with Marline before she¡¯d come around to believing he could acquire one. And even then he was certain she¡¯d held doubts.
¡°Who knows?¡± She said. ¡°We certainly couldn¡¯t talk freely. Still, she knows I¡¯m not the kind for idle flights of fancy, even if our conversation implied as much to any third parties that might be listening.¡±
Her hands slid over across the smooth glowing surface of the core she was holding. ¡°To that end, in addition to sending my aunts to meet the man I was apparently so interested in, she also said she¡¯d be ¡®getting the house ready¡¯, in the event you wanted to visit our estate.¡±
In other words, they¡¯d be getting the ship ready to accept a core.
The dark elf¡¯s expression turned ruthful. ¡°Though make no mistake. She will want to thank you at some point. Needs to, even, given the service you¡¯ve done for us.¡±
William was about to say something, but his teammate cut him off. ¡°I¡¯m serious. What you¡¯ve done for us¡ it¡¯s beyond words. And I¡¯m aware that I¡¯ve not been as vocal in my thanks as I could have been. Especially for a boon of this size.¡±
William shrugged. ¡°We had a deal.¡±
She laughed. ¡°I think we both know that you didn¡¯t actually need me that night. You could easily have accomplished it all yourself.¡±
Perhaps, but it would have been riskier than it might have been otherwise. The boat might have drifted or his decompression spell might have failed, leaving him to surface fully suffering from the bends.
Admittedly, the latter was something he might have been able to work around by controlling his ascent speed, but given just how fast a curious kraken might have been encroaching on the deceased Al¡¯Hundra¡¯s territory, time had been of the essence.
No, Marline¡¯s presence had ultimately been superfluous, but that¡¯s true for most redundancies.
They were useless right up until they weren¡¯t.
¡Still, he knew just looking at Marline that she wasn¡¯t about to accept that.
As far as she was concerned he¡¯d done her and her family an incredible favour while asking for little to nothing in return.
¡°To that end, while I may not be our House Matriarch, I know in my heart that I speak for her now, so listen to me when I say that whatever you need, the House of Greygrass is in your debt. From now until the time our children¡¯s children take their last breath in this world, our swords are yours,¡± she said solemnly.
Part of him wanted to dismiss her words out of hand. To say she owed him nothing beyond her friendship. But that was the old him. The one who¡¯d been born in a different world under different stars.
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The him of here and now was different.
¡°I accept,¡± he said. ¡°And though it pains my heart to do so, I will tell you now that I¡¯ll likely have to hold you to that oath before long.¡±
The dark elf grinned, white teeth glinting in the gloom of the old storage room ¨C as peculiar a place for such a solemn declaration as any William could think of.
¡°I never would have guessed,¡± she snarked as her eyes flitted toward the barrels behind him and the nearby crate.
William rolled his eyes as he conceded the point. Marline, more than most, had seen enough of his secrets to guess that his future plans weren¡¯t likely to stop at just breaking off an unwanted betrothal.
Even if doing so without sparking off a civil war is probably the single most complicated part of my immediate ambitions, he thought.
Because it was a difficult problem.
Were this all just about breaking off his upcoming engagement, it would be too easy. All he¡¯d have to do was provide the Crown with something valuable enough for them to consider war with the Blackstones worth the cost of securing it.
A few mithril cores would probably do it, he thought. I wouldn¡¯t even have to part with any of my tech.
And they¡¯d go for it. They couldn''t afford not to, given that the alternative would mean those cores would end up in the hands of their political enemies.
The problem was that the current administration would probably lose that fight ¨C even without the duchy of Summerfield switching sides.
Though I suppose they could just kill me and take said cores on the sly, he thought.
That would actually be a pretty neat solution to the problem if the Crown could get away with it.
The problem was that then he¡¯d be dead ¨C and he had far too much he still needed to get done before he allowed himself to die now.
So instead he had to take a different route and tackle a much more difficult problem.
¡The problem of making an entire duchy back down from their chance at ascendancy, without so much as a single shot being fired or a drop of blood being spilled.
At least outside of a practice arena, he thought grimly.
All while his family tried to stab him in the back¡ oh, and without him giving away too much of the technology locked away inside his brain.
Because that¡¯d start off a civil war just as surely as the crown interfering in his upcoming nuptials. The possibility of either side gaining too large an advantage would start off a conflict just as surely as him walking up to Tala and shooting her in the face ¨C as the the side that didn¡¯t receive said technology would move to attack before said tech could become widespread enough that the the tides turned against them.
It was an awful tangled mess.
With all that in mind, was it any wonder that his plans to do just that felt more like walking a tightrope over a pond of hungry piranha than anything even remotely approaching sanity?
¡°You ok?¡± Marline asked gently.
¡°Just thinking about how much of a pain in the ass the next few¡ decades are likely to be,¡± William muttered, mostly to himself.
¡°Wow,¡± the dark elf chuckled. ¡°Really making me feel great about the fact that my family is now tied to you for the foreseeable future.¡±
It was actually rather touching that despite saying the words, he didn¡¯t hear even a hint of regret in her tone.
She¡¯d meant what she said. Truly. Deeply. And he didn¡¯t doubt her family would be the same.
¡°Is your skyship flight capable?¡± he asked, changing the subject.
To his relief, the dark elf accepted it without issue. ¡°She¡¯ll need a little work, but nothing more than a metaphorical spring clean. Something our people will have done before my aunts arrive.¡±
That made sense. Even if it didn¡¯t have a mithril core, the hull of a skyship was still a massive investment of money, time and resources. If it was seen to be rusting or falling into disrepair, the Greygrass¡¯s ran the risk of either the Crown or a ducal family claiming the ship ¡®for the good of the realm¡¯.
Oh, said parties would pay Marline¡¯s family for it, but William doubted it would be a particularly good deal.
Though it did make him wonder just how many skyship hulls were sitting dormant in warehouses across the kingdom? He couldn¡¯t imagine too many given the sheer cost of maintaining turning them into little more than a money-sink, but he had to imagine there were at least a few more families like Marline¡¯s who were desperately paying said costs in hopes of reclaiming their former noble status.
Other than that, he imagined the Crown might have one or two hulls in storage, ready to be put back into service in the event of a new mithril core discovery.
¡°Do you think they¡¯ll have any trouble getting here and extracting the core unseen?¡± he asked.
Otherwise they ran the risk of being intercepted by ¡®bandits¡¯ if it was known they were carrying an unprotected core.
Because anything less than being surrounded by a few thousand tons of ship-grade warship armour was considered ¡®unprotected¡¯ in this world.
¡°As things are now, definitely.¡± Marline said, before gesturing to the orb in his hands. ¡°After you unveil this thing to all and sundry? Less so.¡±
She eyed him. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t take a genius to connect you unveiling a previously unknown mithril core and Al¡¯Hundra washing up a few weeks ago. The ¡®how¡¯ will definitely have them scratching their heads, but the connection will remain.¡±
Oh, William didn¡¯t doubt it. Just as he knew he¡¯d be fending off some awkward questions in the next few days.
Fortunately, the fact that he¡¯d be in the public spotlight would keep any parties from just dragging him off into a backroom to pry said answers out of him with a set of pliers.
Neither the Blackstones or the Crown could make that kind of move without being blocked by the other.
After the duel though¡ well, he¡¯d deal with that problem when he got to it.
¡°There¡¯s no chance you could delay this for a few more days?¡± Marline asked plaintively. ¡°At least until my aunts arrived.¡±
He winced. ¡°Would that I could. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t run the risk. Griffith got back to me a few hours ago about my spell-bolt being tentatively approved for use on the Floats.¡±
The rubber bullets he¡¯d shown off had tipped things in his favour for now.
Unfortunately, the moment he¡¯d handed said weapon over for testing, a countdown on how long it would be until the Blackstones were made aware of it began.
If he wanted his little trick to remain a surprise for the upcoming bout ¨C a bout he needed every advantage he could get in ¨C he needed to kick off the duel as soon as possible.
He explained as much before continuing. ¡°I¡¯m also worried about my mother throwing more wrenches into the works.¡± He shook his head. ¡°If this is going to happen, it needs to happen now.¡±
Marline frowned, before nodding understandably. ¡°If you say so. We¡¯ll just have to hope that my aunts arrive soon and they leave before too many people draw a connection between you and Al¡¯Hunda, and them arriving and going.¡±
He shrugged. ¡°With any luck, your little ¡®romantic liaison¡¯ smokescreen will throw things off.¡±
She nodded, though it wasn¡¯t particularly enthusiastic. Still, Marline¡¯s aunts were veterans, and if they were anything like the girl herself, they¡¯d be very capable.
¡Even if technically they¡¯d been part of the generation that had lost the previous mithril core.
He shook his head. He had little doubt they¡¯d spent the last twenty years preparing to make up for that failure.
¡°Alright,¡± she muttered. ¡°What will be will be.¡±
She delicately passed the mithril core back to him, though he was amused to see her almost physical reluctance to do so.
She sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s go see your fianc¨¦e and get ready to lose this thing on an incredibly stupid bet.¡±
He smiled, patting her on the shoulder as he walked past.
¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡±
---------------------------------
The dining hall was never quiet around dinner time.
Unlike breakfast and lunch, which was eaten as quickly as the average cadet could shovel it into their mouths, the evening meal was a much more relaxed affair. One that allowed cadets to unwind a little after a long day.
It even came with dessert options.
Certainly, there was still an evening inspection yet to come, along with a myriad other chores that the average cadet needed to get done, but ultimately dinner represented the end of the service day.
So it was that William wasn¡¯t too surprised by the veritable wall of noise that slammed into him as he stepped into the massive room, long tables filled with cadets of all sorts chattering loudly away to each other.
Naturally, it was strictly divided by colour, with each house sticking to their own. From there it was divided by year group.
The only exceptions being a small back table occupied by a small smattering of instructors whose role it was to ensure that some small smattering of discipline was maintained, if only by dint of them being present.
William was pretty sure said duty took place on a rotation, as he knew for a fact that the rest of the staff ate elsewhere, though he¡¯d naturally never had reason to enter the staff cafeteria.
Still, all that noise fell away remarkably quickly as he stepped into the room. In clumps at first, but it spread like a wildfire as people noticed their neighbours falling silent and turned to see what had caused it. In turn, others looked up as the ambient noise of the room fell away.
In moments, the final voice was silent as the last few cadets finished what they were saying and looked up to see William standing there, his team around him.
But they weren¡¯t looking at him.
They were looking at what he was holding.
A Mithril Core.
And as generally unflappable as William liked to consider himself, he could resist the small animal part of his brain that tried to squawk in panic as he beheld the myriad emotions flashing across the faces that were all now staring in his direction.
Disbelief. Shock. Greed. Lust. Amusement. Curiosity. Anger.
Even the Instructors were no exception, as they seemed stunned in place by what he¡¯d just walked into the room with.
He could all-but feel his team shuffling uncomfortably behind him.
But just as all eyes were on him, he had eyes for only one person present. Ignoring all of them, he strode through the aisles of tables towards the end of the room where the third years sat.
His target hadn¡¯t been hard to find, despite the myriad similarly dressed people around her.
Because the crowd was positioned around her. She was not within the crowd.
It was a subtle difference to see, but it existed.
Tala Blackstone of House Blackstone sat at the head of the Blackstone table in pride of place. A position even more vaunted in some ways than that of an Instructor.
Certainly Willaim didn¡¯t doubt that in many ways the Instructors of House Blackstone did actually answer to the heir. Especially now, in her third year. But one from graduation.
¡°Tala,¡± he said as he came to stop in front of her table, his voice all but echoing in the silence.
Credit where credit was due, the expression of surprise on his fianc¨¦es face had faded before he even reached the table. Now it looked studiously blank as she gazed into his eyes.
¡°William,¡± her voice was as hard as iron. ¡°¡What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±
He actually smiled at that, not least of all because he had genuinely no idea how to answer her question.
At least, not in a manner that would satisfy the girl.
Because it was a question that could have so many meanings.
Still, he had but one answer.
¡°Challenging you, my dear fianc¨¦e. To a duel.¡± His grin only grew as her eyebrow quirked inquisitively. ¡°Tomorrow. On the Floats. With the rising of the sun. I, William Ashfield challenge you, Tala Blackstone to a team duel. For my right to break off our betrothal once and for all.¡±
He saw the flicker of realization in her eyes as she heard his words and her gaze flickered down to the core in his hands. But there was nothing she could do as he continued.
¡°You needed to go this far?¡± she asked quietly, though it carried quite far across the cafeteria.
He shrugged. ¡°I did. I am well aware of how often my lamentations about our upcoming nuptials seem as nothing to your ears.¡± He raised the orb up in one hand. ¡°So this time I have brought something that might make them more receptive to my words.¡±
He glanced around. ¡°And I also made sure to pick a suitably¡ impactful venue for my throwing of the gauntlet.¡±
He could tell she wanted to know where he¡¯d gotten the core. How he¡¯d gotten it. Because the notion that he had one strained belief.
But he did have one and anyone with even a hint of magical ability could sense it as he channelled just a hint of his aether into the device ¨C which in turn started to churn out masses of blue green smoke.
More than any mage could produce, for if the average mage¡¯s raw aether output was akin to a kitchen tap, then a mithril core¡¯s was a roaring river.
Not the kind of thing that could be faked as a veritable stream of lighter than air smoke flew up into the air to waft around the rafters before filtering through the open windows outside.
That, more than anything else, was proof that what he was holding was real.
¡°Well, you have my attention,¡± she said through gritted teeth.
¡°Good, because I wager this core entirely and without reservation, my peers as witness.¡±
He luxuriated in the horrified gasps that spread through the room at his words as he soldier on.
¡°A mithril core for a mere chance to escape the stigma of being tied to a family of slavers. Because I¡¯ll have no part of it. Not now. Not ever. So, one match. Your team against mine. On the Floats. With our ancestors and the gods themselves as witness.¡±
As well as half the kingdom, because the viewing orbs would definitely be booked to capacity for a scandal of this size. Even at such short notice, the news would spread and no one would want to miss this match.
It was like something out of a story book, after all.
All that was missing was finding out that he¡¯d been supplied the core by his ¡®real true love¡¯.
Still, storybook setup or not, he could see others around him smirking or wincing at his words.
Because to them it didn¡¯t sound like a match. It sounded like an execution.
A team of first years going up against a third year team wasn¡¯t a match. It was a slaughter.
Which was why Tala was stuck.
She didn¡¯t want to accept. He could see it. Sure, she wanted the mithril core ¨C who wouldn¡¯t? - but not so much as to jeopardize her family¡¯s alliance with his.
Because a single core was not worth risking losing access to the combined might of the Summerfield dukedom.
¡The problem was that no one but her knew that.
All they saw was a moronic young male from a tiny countship practically serving up a core on a silver platter to her. All she had to do was risk losing a fairly unappealing betrothal. Hell, even if she won, no one would bat an eye if she broke off the betrothal anyway after a stunt like this, taking the core and moving onto a more compliant and appealing match.
No, there was no way for her to refuse this duel. Not without being labelled a coward of the highest order.
A death sentence at her level of politics.
He saw the rage in her eyes as she reached that realization.
¡°I accept, William Ashfield. And know that for all that I will enjoy acquiring another core for the House of Blackstone, that enjoyment will pale in comparison to the joy I will receive from heaping upon you a much needed dose of reality.¡±
William just grinned, even as the Instructors finally managed to shake off the shock that had overcome them and started marching as one towards him and his team.
¡°I look forward to it, Tala. From the bottom of my heart.¡±
If only because this entire farce would finally be over with¡
He had much more important things to do than indulge in childish schoolyard squabbles after all.
No matter how difficult they may well turn out to be, he thought grimly.
Because the dice had now been rolled and he was far from certain as to whether they¡¯d land in his favor.
Chapter Twenty Five
¡°Where did he get a core?¡±
There was no preamble as the Blackstone matriarch appeared within the crystalline confines of the communication orb Tala was stood in front of.
Truth be told, that didn¡¯t surprise the Blackstone heir.
Given just how many Instructors, students and other assorted ¡®sources¡¯ sent reports to the duchess, the notion that one of them had managed to get to a communication orb and relay the day¡¯s events before Tala herself could wasn¡¯t too surprising.
With that said, apparently even she didn¡¯t know where Tala¡¯s fianc¨¦ had apparently sourced this ¡®mystery core¡¯ from either.
¡°I don¡¯t know, mother.¡± Tala struggled to keep hold of her emotions as she spoke. ¡°His family perhaps?¡±
Her mother shook her head, the thick scar that cut across her chin flexing in conjunction with the deep scowl that slid across her otherwise fair features. ¡°The Ashfields have exactly one airship, the Indomitable. And as far as my sources can tell, it¡¯s still flight capable, so unless the Ashfields have found some way to make a ship fly without a mithril core, we can safely assume that your wayward fianc¨¦e didn¡¯t source his core from there.¡±
Tala frowned. ¡°That does not preclude the possibility of him sourcing said core from some ¡®hidden vault¡¯ on the Ashfield estate.¡±
Certainly, there were laws against countships owning more than a single mithril core, but she knew for a fact that most ¡®low houses¡¯ paid little more than lip service to them. To the extent that it was a fairly common joke that the chances of a house ¡®stumbling upon a lost core¡¯ directly correlated to just how depleted their coffers became.
Or the status of their airship.
A state of affairs that the Crown was willing to let lie fallow just so long as the houses in question ensured they kept said reserves circumspect. For as common as the joke was, the fact was that few low houses genuinely retained more than one core. More to the point, said rule existed more to limit the amount of airships a low house could field ¨C and thus use to threaten their liege lords.
An airship was many things, but subtle was not one of them. Any countship attempting to construct a fresh hull so as to make use of a hypothetical second mithril core would quickly find any attempts at secrecy futile.
Likewise, any attempts at sourcing a ¡®second hand hull¡¯ off the open market would be stymied by the Crown¡¯s iron grip on that particular market.
¡°Possible, but unlikely,¡± Eleanor Blackstone shook her head. ¡°Assuming they had such an asset, they would have revealed it by now to better capitalize on future opportunities.¡±
Tala creased her brow for a second, before she cottoned onto what her mother was both saying ¨C and not saying where unfriendly ears might hear.
If the Ashfields had any cores beyond the one used to power the Indomitable, they¡¯d have unveiled them at the onset of their joint conspiracy with House Blackstone to seize the Summerfield ducal seat.
House Blackstone could have in turn constructed a hull in the intervening years on behalf of the Ashfield countship. Sure, it would have needed to fly the Blackstone colours so as to avoid drawing the ire of the Summerfields or the Crown, but once the Ashfields moved to press their ducal claim, said ship could have revealed its true allegiances.
Admittedly, such an endeavor would require Janet Ashfield extend her nominal allies some degree of trust that they wouldn¡¯t just¡ steal said core, but given both families were embroiled in a conspiracy to commit high treason, that was hardly worth mentioning.
No, Tala¡¯s mother was correct; if the Ashfields did have a core ¡®spare¡¯ they would have unveiled it long ago.
¡°Of course, mother.¡± Tala said, bowing to her wisdom. ¡°A rival then?¡±
The Crown were the most obvious candidates for such a move, though even as she had the thought, she found it rang false in her mind.
¡°To what end?¡± Eleanor pointed out. ¡°Driving a wedge between a ducal house and an otherwise inconsequential countship? Over some ore and wheat?¡±
Because outwardly that was all her engagement was. The seal on a trade deal.
¡Not the lynchpin on a continent spanning conspiracy.
Eleanor continued. ¡°Even then, assuming some third party saw¡ more to this arrangement than there truly is, the risk is enormous.¡±
Tala nodded. At the levels her family operated at, the loss of a single core was hardly the end of the world ¨C but it was hardly insignificant either.
The loss of the Overseer last summer had hurt ¨C and not just because it meant that the damn ¡®free orcs¡¯ now had access to three cores and their respective airships.
Even if they¡¯re more likely to melt both down to build more damnable shards, Tala thought.
Which was just typical of the mangey beasts. Unwilling to engage in a straight fight like real women, they¡¯d sooner continue to engage in their damnable ambush swarm tactics.
Only now they¡¯ll have even more shards to supplement their damned flying lizards.
The only balm to the situation was that the partially finished Eternal Dawn would even the playing field on that front.
The thought of the world¡¯s first dedicated Shard carrier finally taking to the skies filled her with an almost giddy sensation.
Let¡¯s see how the greenskins enjoy being the ones getting swarmed for a change, she thought.
She was jolted from her thoughts as her mother continued. ¡°Unless you think the man stands a chance against you in the arena?¡±
It was all Tala could do not to scoff. ¡°No. It¡¯ll be a slaughter.¡±
In the crystalline features of the orb, her mother cocked an eyebrow, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. It was an expression Tala was well familiar with as she knew the woman wanted her heir to explain her reasoning.
¡°He¡¯s talented,¡± Tala admitted. ¡°To the extent that he¡¯s winning more often than not against second year teams these days.¡±
Indeed, in retrospect his sudden drive to improve made some sense ¨C even if it irritated her.
Once upon a time she¡¯d thought it a drive simply for self-improvement after a lifetime of lackadaisical rebelliousness. One hopefully brought about by the academy providing him a reality check.
Instead, she now realized that this was yet another example of his rebellious nature, albeit, a bit more directed and focused.
¡°Being able to triumph over teams with four times his experience speaks to a little more than just talent,¡± Eleanor said. ¡°That requires effort. Focus.¡±
¡°Luck,¡± Tala grunted. ¡°Or at least the illusion of it. His team is good. Damned good. Even the orc.¡±
Especially the orc, her mind unhelpfully supplied.
¡°Hmm,¡± Eleanor nodded. ¡°It seems that our attempts to garner your fianc¨¦ some prestige have backfired in that regard.¡±
Tala nodded regretfully. In retrospect they should have pushed harder for him to be placed onto a Blackstone vassal team from the outset.
¡°A mistake, but a reasonable one,¡± Tala opined. ¡°His mother said that pushing too hard would only make him dig in more. Perhaps deliberately seek to embarrass me by¡ acting out. A few bribes to place him onto a talented team while giving him the illusion of freedom was a decent compromise.¡±
¡°At the time.¡±
Tala nodded. ¡°At the time. And while it¡¯s unfortunate that he¡¯s used said opportunity to form an unexpectedly dangerous weapon against us, it won¡¯t be enough.¡±
The gulf in personal combat ability between a third year team and a second year team wasn¡¯t quite as wide as that of a first year team and a second, but said gulf did exist.
And her team wasn¡¯t just any third year team.
Certainly, some compromises on personal ability had been made in the name of political considerations, but all of them were talented in their own right.
¡°Well, if you¡¯re sure of your success I¡¯ll leave it at that.¡± Eleanor said dismissively. ¡°Instead we¡¯ll focus on who attempted to throw a hammer into our compressor with this clumsy attack.¡±
Tala nodded. ¡°Do we have any suspects beyond the obvious?¡±
Her mother¡¯s features went studiously blank and it was all the young woman could do not to flinch.
¡°I would have thought you¡¯d have more idea than myself.¡± The Blackstone matriarch said slowly. ¡°After all, he is your fianc¨¦e. Surely you have more people watching him than myself.¡±
Cursing herself for not showing enough initiative, Tala nodded even as she attempted to reframe her earlier laxness. ¡°I do, which is why I asked, as I have little idea myself given how few acquaintances he has beyond his immediate teammates. And his house Instructor.¡±
Admittedly, even without her betrothed¡¯s tales, she¡¯d have known about the latter relationship given the ongoing rumours that the pair were sleeping together.
Something that might have annoyed her more if it weren¡¯t for the fact that similar rumours existed for just about every man in the academy who spent more than five seconds behind closed doors with a woman.
Hell, a man who spent more than five seconds alone with a dusty bookcase risked giving rise to rumors that he was sleeping with it.
¡Of course, that didn¡¯t preclude said rumors about her fianc¨¦e and the dark elf being true.
They¡¯d hardly be the first to cross that line after all.
Though even Tala could admit that it would be out of character for Instructor Griffith. The woman had a stick up her ass large enough to be used as a flotation device if needed.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
The thought annoyed her, but that was all.
She wasn¡¯t marrying William out of love after all. She was marrying him because, without a marriage contract, the Blackstone alliance with the Ashfields was dead in the water.
At least in a legal sense ¨C and that was what they needed.
The veneer of legitimacy.
Without it, the Blackstones had no legal reason to interfere in the Ashfield bid for the Summerfield dukedom.
To that end, the notion that her fianc¨¦ was fucking another woman was hardly worth mentioning. Hell, even in a normal arrangement, such things were expected of men ¨C though they were expected to be kept circumspect.
Like her own¡ liaisons on the side.
She was the heir to House Blackstone after all. Where other women needed to beg and wheedle amidst a press of a hundred other suitors to draw a man¡¯s eye, she simply needed to lie back and wait for them to throw themselves at her.
Social climbers one and all, hoping to snag the position of Lord Blackstone, but they were useful in their own way.
In some ways she was actually a little thankful for her fianc¨¦s disinterest. It made those seeking to replace him try all the harder to earn her favour.
They¡¯d never get it of course, but she enjoyed their¡ spirited attempts all the same.
¡°Fortunately for you my daughter, my sources are in agreement with your own,¡± Eleanor grunted reluctantly.
Personally, Tala didn¡¯t find that too surprising given that she was reasonably sure most of her sources were her mother¡¯s as well.
¡°With that said,¡± the older Blackstone continued. ¡°Said sources agree that the woman seemed as surprised as everyone else when your boy unveiled his core. Which would be a little peculiar if she were the source.¡±
¡°She could be acting.¡±
¡°Perhaps.¡± Eleanor nodded. ¡°But my source with her benefactors suggest our most likely candidates were as surprised by this move as we are.¡±
Tala was a little surprised by the rather oblique reference to her mother¡¯s spy in the palace ¨C the identity of which not even Tala knew. What she did know was that they tended to be uncannily accurate ¨C which suggested they were highly positioned.
¡°So it¡¯s unlikely to be them?¡± Tala frowned.
¡°At this point it would be wise to consider other avenues for how your boy acquired this core,¡± Eleanor said.
What other avenues were there though? What other power could afford this kind¡ of almost random swipe at them?
¡°I¡ don¡¯t¡. who?¡± Tala said finally.
Eleanor¡¯s frown deepened, her scar flexing. ¡°Think girl. What recent event might have given rise to an opportunity for an otherwise powerless young man to attain a mithril core without anyone ¨C even his family, us, and the crown ¨C finding out about it until now?
Recent events¡ the only thing she could think of was¡
She paled. ¡°No, you can¡¯t be serious¡¡±
Her mother looked little happier, though she bore it better. ¡°Discount the impossible my daughter, and if the incredibly unlikely remains the only possible answer¡¡±
Tala couldn¡¯t believe it.
Wouldn¡¯t believe it.
¡°You can¡¯t mean to tell me you think Willaim Ashfield somehow¡¡±
-------------------
¡°¡Killed Al¡¯Hundra?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
It was actually amusing how little Griffith reacted to his admittance.
Perhaps she¡¯d simply become numb to being surprised after dragging him to her office ¨C Mithril Core with him.
His team however had been sent back to their dorm. Under protest. And with an escort.
Though how much of that was out of protectiveness and how much was out of a desire to see him answer a hundred and one questions remained to be seen.
After all, he¡¯d promised answers after his climactic confrontation with his fianc¨¦e.
And his team naturally had a lot of questions themselves. Though it spoke well of them that they¡¯d been willing to accompany him to the dining hall before they got them.
He could only imagine the intervening hour ¨C in which he¡¯d been locked in Griffith¡¯s office alone ¨C had only heightened his teammates¡¯ desires for answers.
As had Griffith¡¯s, given that she¡¯d asked her question within moments of striding into the room, having finished with whatever it was she¡¯d spent the intervening time doing.
Personally, he¡¯d have bet it was a tie between placing a protective detail on this room and his team, while also giving reports to her superiors.
To that end, the fact that she¡¯d left the door open when she burst in was a little surprising.
¡°How?¡± Griffith asked.
¡°I¡¯d rather not say,¡± he said, leaning back into the chair he¡¯d been rather forcefully shoved into.
Griffith was not amused. ¡°This is no time for jokes, cadet! If what you say is true and you genuinely do have the means to kill a kraken in deep water¡¡±
It could change the balance of power across the continent. Ignoring Al¡¯Hundra¡¯s nest, there were other minor nests scattered about the place, each containing cores of their own.
To that end, he didn¡¯t smirk this time. ¡°Which is why I¡¯m not joking. I¡¯d genuinely rather not say.¡±
Griffith slumped tiredly onto her desk, before leaning over to belatedly close the door. ¡°That won¡¯t matter. People ¨C powerful people ¨C have already put together your most likely source for that core. They aren¡¯t going to just accept you saying ¡®no¡¯.¡±
¡°At which point the hot pokers and pliers come out?¡± he asked, determinedly nonplussed.
Something that couldn¡¯t be said Griffith as she winced. ¡°As much as I hate to say it, that¡¯s not an unlikely outcome.¡±
William smirked. ¡°Well, they might want to hold off. Given the last two hours, I imagine my name is a rather hot topic right now, and people might notice if I disappeared off into some torture chamber for the next few¡ forevers.¡±
Griffith cocked her head, clearly slightly put off by his nonchalance. ¡°You¡¯re holding onto techniques that might be vital to the survival of the kingdom at large.¡±
He shrugged. ¡°Yep, and while that might unofficially be a fairly decent reason to torture me into confessing them, it¡¯s not strictly¡ legal is it.¡±
Again, Griffith winced.
¡°To that end, would the Blackstones accept that? The fianc¨¦e of their heir getting dragged off in the night? Somehow, I doubt they¡¯d take that lying down. Hell, I don¡¯t think they could afford to. It¡¯d make them look¡ weak.¡± He paused. ¡°And that¡¯s ignoring that they¡¯ll also be interested in what¡¯s in my noggin.¡±
Griffith opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off.
¡°Hell, beyond that, if things did get violent, the fact that the crown abducted a young man from the academy ¨C where just about everyone¡¯s children go - might make people who might otherwise be leaning south twitch a little more north.¡± He smiled. ¡°So no, I don¡¯t think anyone will be taking me anywhere to ask me anything without a lot of people getting very upset.¡±
Admittedly, there was the chance of someone deciding to risk it all by doing something foolish ¨C but he had one final ace up his sleeve if that happened.
¡°I¡¡± Griffith started to say, clearly lost for words as her eyes darted to the other end of the room¡ for some reason?
Though it didn¡¯t take long for that reason to reveal itself.
Quite literally.
¡°Enough,¡± a woman said as she literally appeared from thin air.
Or rather, the shadows seemed to¡ untangle themselves to reveal the Queen of Lindholm.
He knew it was her. He¡¯d seen her portraits.
With that said, he¡¯d be the first to admit they didn¡¯t quite do the woman justice. For one thing, they utterly failed to convey the sheer¡ MILF appeal the woman exuded in the flesh.
Pitch black high elven eyes creased with amusement, lips upturned into a slight smile. The crown on her head gleamed amidst a halo of platinum gold hair that came down to perfectly frame her angelic features.
Of course, that wasn¡¯t why he wanted to call her a MILF. Gorgeous ethereal features were pretty much the par for the course where elves were concerned.
No, the reason for the MILF comparison came in how her fur-lined black dress hugged her figure. A figure that showed that if nothing else, the Lindholm royal family had some human in their bloodline.
Elves tended to be svelte rather than curvy.
Queen Yelena Lindholm was curvy.
Very curvy, William thought even as both he and Griffith shot up to bow.
¡°Your majesty, what an unexpected pleasure,¡± he said just a moment before his Instructor could, ignoring the not so subtle glare she sent his way from her own bowed position.
And he wasn¡¯t lying. On either account. It was nice to know his little stunt had gotten the attention he wanted.
Plus, elf MILF.
¡°At ease,¡± the woman said, voice tinkling, as she sat behind the desk.
Unable to resist, William couldn¡¯t help but speak even as he pulled up his chair. ¡°Fancy spell.¡±
And he wasn¡¯t lying about that either. He wasn¡¯t aware Fae magic allowed for invisibility. He¡¯d certainly attempted it on at least one occasion. Along with a lot of other things. Alas, Fae magic seemed irrevocably tied to simple elemental or alchemical manipulation rather than more esoteric phenomena.
Certainly, he¡¯d had little to no luck bending light ¨C which was the only way he could think of to attain invisibility like he¡¯d just seen.
Apparently, someone within the royal family had seen more success.
¡Though the fact that that wasn¡¯t common knowledge ¨C and that she¡¯d just revealed it to him ¨C was a little alarming.
¡°As precocious as I¡¯ve heard,¡± Queen Yelena said, a motherly smile on her features as she observed him from across the desk.
Meanwhile, Griffith¡¯s glare redoubled.
¡°I¡¯m flattered you¡¯ve heard of me,¡± Willaim said, a little surprised even if he fought to hide it.
Mostly he was trying to get a gauge on the woman¡¯s personality.
¡°It¡¯s hard not to, what with the way Griffith goes on about you.¡± Her smile faded as she leaned forward. ¡°Of course, that was in a private capacity. I was more than a little surprised when your name started showing up on my desk in an official capacity.¡±
Despite himself, William¡¯s eyes flitted toward a flushed looking Griffith. He hadn¡¯t been aware she knew the queen personally? How had that come about?
¡°Your desk?¡± He returned his attention to the monarch ¨C and now that he thought about it, wasn¡¯t it a little strange she¡¯d come here alone? Even with that ¡®invisibility¡¯ spell?
Though in retrospect, he now knew why Griffith chose to leave the door open when she¡¯d walked in. Indeed, that knowledge was why he wasn¡¯t currently trying to guess between invisibility and teleportation.
He continued. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware my little innovation would draw that much attention.¡±
The woman raised an eyebrow, her motherly demeanour fading for a moment. ¡°A potentially lethal spell that can punch through armor at three times the range of any other spell? Make no mistake, that¡¯s very much something of interest to the crown, especially with the threat of war looming.¡±
Griffith¡¯s gaze shot to the woman at those words, though William chuckled. ¡°I must admit, I wasn¡¯t expecting you to just come out and say it. Sure, everyone knows it¡¯s coming, but no one seems willing to say it aloud.¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry that you don¡¯t have a monopoly on audacity, William.¡± Once more a twinkle of amusement appeared in the woman¡¯s eyes. ¡°Turnabout is fair play after all.¡±
¡°Well, I can¡¯t argue that.¡± He shrugged, wondering for just a moment just how real the personality of the woman across from him was, and how much was an attempt to ingratiate herself with a man who¡¯d swiftly become a national asset. ¡°Though even then, I¡¯m surprised to see you of all people here.¡±
That was certainly audacious. Especially on such short notice. And alone.
¡°You shouldn¡¯t be. My family has always preferred to be ¡®hands on¡¯. Comes from originally being Military Governors.¡±
¡°And yet you¡¯re the first royal I¡¯m meeting? Even after my Spell-Bolt piqued your interest.¡±
¡°Oh that?¡± She waved a hand dismissively. ¡°One might say that was an unfortunate side effect of the family being too hands on. Indeed, there¡¯s been something of a small civil war within the palace over which of my daughters would get to take charge of implementing your idea. They¡¯re all quite interested.¡±
That was¡ unexpected. He¡¯d thought that his innovation was considered too ¡®small beans¡¯ for even a cousin to be sent out.
Instead, it had been effectively deadlocked at the highest levels.
¡°Unfortunately,¡± the Queen continued. ¡°Recent events required me to take unilateral action. Fortunately the Palace isn¡¯t so far away.¡±
She leaned in to whisper conspiratory at that last part.
¡°Still,¡± he asked. ¡°No guards?
This time, when the woman smiled, it seemed to show a lot more teeth.
¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t say that.¡±
She clicked her fingers and where once the office had contained but three people, there were now seven.
One on each side of the Queen.
One behind both William and Griffith.
Indeed, William felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise as he realized that if they¡¯d intended to harm him, he¡¯d never have seen them coming.
¡°My mistake,¡± he said, trying to appear unphased. ¡°It heartens me to know our Queen is so well protected.¡±
¡°And the well wishes of a loyal subject always warm my heart,¡± the woman responded. ¡°Though that does make me wonder why said subject seems so¡ reluctant to share his latest and most brilliant innovation with said queen?¡±
She leaned forward, and there was no mistaking the hunger in her eyes.
¡°Why, a spell that allowed an Academy student to kill a kraken? I could think of all sorts of uses for that?¡±
William simply smiled back. ¡°I imagine you could. I also imagine that a lot of other people could too.¡±
He ignored the tensing of the guardswoman behind him.
¡°Those other people aren¡¯t your queen,¡± the elf in front of him said slowly.
¡°No, I suppose they aren¡¯t,¡± he acknowledged. ¡°But in the interest of being candid, I think we can both agree that that might change in the coming years.¡±
It was almost amusing how synchronised the palace guards were as their hands all moved to the hilts of their swords in unison ¨C with only the upraised turn of their queen¡¯s hands stopping the drawing of their blades.
¡°Dangerous words,¡± the Queen said.
He shrugged, before repeating her earlier words back to her. ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m precocious.¡±
He also thought it was more dangerous to have the woman across from him forget that a counterweight to her authority existed.
¡°I suppose you are.¡± She paused, as a thought occurred. ¡°Still, given, as you said, that your fianc¨¦e might be sitting in my seat one day, you seem quite eager to get in her bad books.¡±
She eyed him.
¡°Why?¡±
Finally, they were getting around to the part of the meeting he cared about.
His motivations.
¡°Well, that¡¯s easy. I don¡¯t like slavery. To that end, I¡¯m giving you the first and best opportunity to ¡®wow¡¯ me into giving my idea to you.¡±
If Griffith had the ability to shoot lasers from her eyes, William was pretty sure he¡¯d be dead a thousand times over.
Yelena though?
The Queen laughed.
Deep and hearty enough that by the end she was wiping tears from her eyes.
¡°Precocious indeed,¡± she finally said. ¡°You know, I think my daughter would like you.¡±
¡°Which one?¡±
¡°Any and all of them,¡± she said, deadly serious once more.
The ¡®wowing¡¯ had begun.
And it was a strong opening bid.
Chapter Twenty Six
Yelena watched the doorway through which the young Ashfield scion had just left for a few moments more as she pondered over the meeting they¡¯d just had.
Precocious indeed, she thought with a smile.
A smile that only grew as her gaze flitted over to her childhood friend¡¯s¡ complicated expression.
It seemed young William¡¯s decision had come as much a surprise to his instructor as it had come to Yelena herself.
¡°He said no,¡± Joana said after a few moments.
Yelena nodded slowly as she reclined into her friend¡¯s surprisingly comfortable chair. Given what she knew of Griffith, the Queen had half expected the thing to be harder than mithril when she first sat down - but it was surprisingly plush.
¡°Not without good reason,¡± Yelena said as she shifted about.
¡°Good reason?¡± Joana scoffed. ¡°You offered him your daughter¡¯s hand.¡± Her eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°You offered all of your daughter¡¯s hands.¡±
Yelena rolled her eyes at her friend¡¯s tone. ¡°And if he¡¯d accepted I would have considered it a bargain.¡±
A minor scandal and the loss of a number of future marriage alliances was ultimately nothing compared to the ability to raid Kraken nests. And that was ignoring that a hypothetical means to slay kraken in deep water would undoubtedly have other applications.
Applications that would be incredibly useful in the months to come.
Though, perhaps, if young William¡¯s plans came to fruition that coming storm could be delayed by a few years.
¡°¡Are things truly that desperate?¡± Joana asked quietly.
¡°They¡¯re not great,¡± Yelena admitted, massaging the bridge of her nose. ¡°The Blackstones¡ I knew they¡¯d resist the reforms, but to threaten open rebellion?¡±
She¡¯d not expected that. Not even in her wildest dreams. Lindholm¡¯s only human ducal house had ever been wilful, and their antipathy towards the Orcs who dwelled in the Sunlands was well documented, but surely even they could see why Yelena was doing what she was.
Regardless of what her critics said, her decision to end the slave trade in Lindholm was most assuredly not the result of ¡®useless sentiment¡¯.
Far from it.
Oh certainly, Yelena had no love for the institution of slavery, for reasons both moral and financial, but that wasn¡¯t why she¡¯d created the abolitionist movement.
With each passing year, the Homeland¡¯s view of Lindholm grew ever more covetous. More and more the Sun Empress and Desert Khan¡¯s rhetoric centred less on their ongoing deadlock with each other and more on the idea of ¡®recovering wayward territories¡¯.
Certainly, that could have been a reference to Old Growth as much as Lindholm, but Yelena doubted it.
Lindholm might have scared the Solites and Lunites into retreating by choosing to engage them over deep water, but ultimately those victories were borne of a lack of conviction on the part of her foes.
Had the two disparate fleets been willing to risk the permanent loss of a small portion of their mithril cores in order to achieve victory and push towards the mainland, they may well have been able to flip the allegiances of a number of Lindholmian houses.
Oh, certainly, the high elves and dark elves of Lindholm might have prided themselves on maintaining the strictures of equality that defined the Old Empire ¨C but with either Solite or Lunite airships hovering over their family castles, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if some might reconsider their stances on their fellow elves.
No, while an invasion of Lindholm would certainly be costly, it was entirely within the realm of reason.
An invasion of the Old Growth however?
There was a reason the Wood Elves ¨C as they named themselves ¨C had managed to remain independent of both the other two, much larger, nations despite sharing land borders with both of them.
Their strange magics might have been muted and weak beyond the borders of their home, but within their territory they were nigh invincible.
No, if there was to be any ¡®reclamation¡¯ of any territory belonging to the old Aelven Imperium, it was likely to come from Lindholm.
To that end, the kingdom could ill afford to keep feeding people and iron into the meatgrinder that was the Sunlands. Could ill afford to keep orcs that might otherwise be valuable mages laboring in the fields under the eyes of watchful taskmasters.
Lindholm needed every mage-knight it could get ¨C regardless of the color of their skin or the shape of their ears.
Yet after year and years of negotiations and attempts to shift public opinion on the matter, the North still remained willfully ignorant of that truth.
¡°Surely they know that even if they win, any kind of division between us will just see the Homeland sweep over them?¡± Joana said.
Yelena shrugged. ¡°I have a feeling that Duchess Blackstone¡¯s victories over both the Lunites and Solites has left her confident of repeating the fact should it come to that.¡±
Foolhardy, in her eyes, but no one had ever accused the Blackstones of being meek. Nor being incapable of backing up their sometimes insane claims. What other House could lay claim to an ancestry that had once beaten back the Old Imperium at the height of its power?
Where other human nobles had been sworn into the Old Imperium on their knees with their battered armies scattered to the winds, the Blackstones managed to resist long and hard enough that the Imperial Legions had been forced to come to the negotiating table.
Ultimately, the Blackstones had still been absorbed into the Empire, but they¡¯d done so on their terms with their heads unbowed.
¡Though it was somewhat ironic that nearly a thousand years on, it was now those same humans in the position of the old Imperial Legion while it was the free orcs who now utilized the same strategies as the old Blackstone tribes ¨C right down to the Wyvern riders.
¡°I could imagine that,¡± Joana muttered.
¡°Is it strange that I think she might pull it off?¡± Yelena said ¨C though only because she was sure that no one beyond her friend and silent guards was listening.
¡°Part of me wants to argue that, but¡ do you think it¡¯s a human thing?¡±
Yelena thought about the Blackstones and the young man who¡¯d just turned down a chance to be king one day.
¡°Perhaps,¡± she admitted.
Personally she thought it was because humans didn¡¯t live as long ¨C and there was more of them. When your life could be measured in but a single century, perhaps you were a bit more inclined towards taking risks that might make an elf balk?
¡Risks like trying to take your first year team up against a third year team in the name of trying to avoid a war.
Or at least delay it.
¡°I still can¡¯t believe he said no to your offer,¡± Joana said, something¡ complicated in her friend¡¯s expression.
Yelena grinned at the sight, though she wrestled down the urge to ask a number of probing questions of her normally straight laced friend, who seemed to have a childish crush on a young man nearly ten years her junior ¨C and her student beside.
Normally she¡¯d be all over a scandal that delicious.
Alas, right now was work time. ¡°I can. He gave me his reasons and they were solid.¡±
Well, solid enough. If you squinted a bit. And tried to think ¡®human¡¯.
Rather than all-but guarantee a war by having the Crown break off his betrothal, he intended to do it himself.
Loudly and publicly.
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And if he won ¨C and that was a big if ¨C he¡¯d all but destroy any kind of excuse the Blackstones might have to declare war in response. Indeed, by being ¡®shamed¡¯ in such a public manner they¡¯d need to spend a few years at least regathering lost support.
After all, who would want to follow a house into a civil war just after their heir was publicly humiliated by a team of cadets two years her junior?
Academy fights weren¡¯t just schoolyard squabbles. They were civil conflicts writ small. A microcosm of the constant jostling and jockeying of Lindholm¡¯s houses.
In other words, they held weight.
If Willaim could beat his fianc¨¦e, Yelena knew she¡¯d owe him more than she could ever truly repay. A few more years of preparation would turn an almost guaranteed defeat into something much more even.
Especially if she could scoop up who knows how many mithril cores that were otherwise just littering the ocean. Ninety percent of them would be of limited use immediately, but a few years would give her time to construct at least a few more airship hulls to house the devices.
All that was required was for William to win.
¡°Solid,¡± Joana scoffed. ¡°His plan is to go up against a group of third years with a team of firsties.¡±
Yelena tried to keep the intensity she was feeling out of her tone as she leaned forward. ¡°You don¡¯t think he can do it?¡±
Joana opened her mouth before hesitating. ¡°I¡ normally I¡¯d say no. Talented as they are, the gap in experience is just too wide.¡±
¡°But¡¡±
The dark elf rolled her silver eyes behind her glasses. ¡°But, with William¡¯s newest invention¡¡± The woman paused. ¡°Son of a bitch.¡±
For just a moment Yelena was treated to the rare sight of her friend laughing. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I thought he ¡®just wanted to use it in a schoolyard fight¡¯,¡± the Instructor said.
¡°Well, he sort of is, in a way.¡± Yelena shrugged. ¡°It just so happens to be a very important schoolyard fight.¡±
Joana laughed. ¡°I suppose it is.¡±
¡°Still, do you think he can win?¡±
Joana straightened up. ¡°I genuinely don¡¯t know. With his new invention he might be able to catch her off guard. If he can skew the numbers in his favor at the start, they might have a chance.¡±
Yelena frowned. Not exactly the ringing endorsement she wanted to hear, but that was part of why she valued Joana¡¯s friendship.
Always had really, even when the girl had first come to court at the age of ten as a potential playmate for Yelena¡¯s daughters and told her that her dress made her look like some kind of tropical bird.
Something Yelena realized upon closer inspection was true.
Ever since, the Queen had made a point of checking in with the girl from time to time, if only for the occasional shot of unvarnished truth.
It was a strange ¡®friendship¡¯ from the outside looking in, but one that got less so as time went by and the age gap became less stark.
¡°Well, let¡¯s hope the human capacity for the nigh impossible isn¡¯t relegated entirely to the Blackstones,¡± Yelena muttered.
Because if it wasn¡¯t, the boy would either have to marry one of Yelena¡¯s daughters or die.
She could not afford the knowledge in his head to reach the Blackstones. To that end, he¡¯d either accept her offer ¨C rolling the dice on the onset of war and all that might come with it ¨C or he¡¯d suffer an accident.
As much as it pained the royal sovereign¡¯s heart to see such a bright and enterprising soul be snuffed out before its time.
Being forced to make such decisions was simply the price of wearing the crown.
¡°Still,¡± Joana said, and Yelena was grateful for the distraction as she looked up. ¡°Will you actually leave him alone if he pulls this off?¡±
Yelena scoffed.
¡°Of course not. If anything I¡¯ll up my offer.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll give him you, myself and half my court if it means getting my hands on what¡¯s in his head.¡±
It was actually a little amusing how Joana flushed at her words, even as she shook her head.
¡°Yes, that sounds a lot more like you.¡±
Yelena nodded. Damn right it did.
Though as she did, a thought occurred to her. ¡°Hey Joana?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°In your reports to me, didn¡¯t you mention the Ashfield boy having some kind of nickname.¡±
The dark elf pondered the words for a moment before stiffening. ¡°Hmm, he does actually. A rather apt one considering. Apt enough that I¡¯m wondering if whatever he used to kill Al¡¯Hundra is related.¡±
¡°Well, don¡¯t keep me in suspense. What is it?¡±
Joana leaned back, her head craned upwards, as if seeking strength from above.
¡°Kraken Slayer.¡±
Yelena laughed. She couldn¡¯t help it.
¡°Of course it is.¡±
----------------
¡°You killed Al¡¯Hundra.¡±
William was still reeling a little from the conversation he¡¯d just had, so he was actually a little caught off guard by a finger being shoved into his face the moment he stepped back into his teams quarters.
Ah, he thought. I promised answers.
Though it seemed that in his absence his team had managed to figure out some of those answers without him.
Glancing past Olzenya¡¯s outstretched arm, he saw Marline shaking her head ¨C as if to vehemently deny she¡¯d told them anything.
She needn¡¯t have bothered, her geass precluded it as an option. Hell, even once everyone found out it would preclude it as an option.
Which was for the best for the moment because now he wasn¡¯t so much trying to hide what he¡¯d done as how he¡¯d done it. Admittedly, Marline didn¡¯t know anything beyond the broadest details, but she knew enough to know that it was some kind of enchantment combined with alchemy.
Now it was possible the forces working against him ¨C or rather simply to profit off him ¨C had already figured that out and he¡¯d hear the alchemy lab exploded any moment now, but he¡¯d sooner put it off for as long as he could.
To that end, he turned to Olzenya ¨C though not before politely lowering her pointing arm.
Something that, to her credit, the high elf allowed ¨C actually looking a little embarrassed by her outburst and thus rudeness.
¡°Honestly, I was expecting something like that to come from Bonnlyn, not you,¡± he said to the slightly flushed high elf.
As he glanced over toward where the dwarf was sitting, she shrugged. ¡°I realize I may not be the most classically polite individual around, but I¡¯ve been a merchant long enough to recognize when someone¡¯s got a trade secret they want to keep close to their chests.¡±
If anything, Olzenya flushed harder, as while she might not have been familiar with trade secrets, she was most definitely familiar with the notion of house spells that needed to be kept secret.
¡°I also thought ambushing him at the door was a little rude,¡± Verity murmured from the back of the room.
Olzenya coughed, before backing up. ¡°Of course, I apologize for that William.¡±
More bemused than anything else, especially as the elf curtsied, he waved a hand dismissively. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Or, understandable, I guess.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Ozlenya smiled, glad for his acceptance¡ before she shouted again. ¡°Because you lied to us.¡±
¡°I did?¡±
¡°He didn¡¯t,¡± Marline said. ¡°He said he had something to bet against Tala.¡±
Indeed he had, something he¡¯d kept hidden under a sheet. After all, he¡¯d not wanted his big surprise to be spoiled by the rumors of his coming beating him to the cafeteria.
And they would.
Rumors in the academy somehow managed to move at light speed.
¡°He implied it was gold,¡± Olzenya shot back.
¡°And you said Tala wouldn¡¯t go for it, but you came with us anyway,¡± Bonnlyn said.
Indeed, he had implied it was gold. Or ¡®something valuable enough to catch her interest¡¯.
¡°To comfort him after she shot him down,¡± Olzenya said. ¡°Instead I damn near tripped over my own feet in front of everyone when he pulled an honest to goddess mithril core out of his ass.¡±
William was actually a little thrown off ¨C and amused ¨C by the sudden display of crassness from the noble girl.
¡°But he didn¡¯t lie.¡± It was actually a little surprising ¨C and heartwarming ¨C to hear Verity speaking so forcefully.
And that Olzenya didn¡¯t immediately snap at her for doing so. The team really had come a long way in just a few months.
Ah, the joys of shared suffering, William thought as he watched the girls bicker amongst themselves.
¡°As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all guessed, I have indeed been less than open about a few things,¡± he said, silencing all of them ¨C except Marline who¡¯d yet to speak in the first place. ¡°With that said, I¡¯ve never once lied to you about my end goal.¡±
¡°Breaking off your betrothal,¡± Marline said finally.
¡°Breaking off my betrothal without starting a war,¡± he said. ¡°If it were that easy, the Queen would have done it for me just now.¡±
¡°You met the Queen?¡± Olzenya sounded a little faint.
¡°I did.¡±
Oh, how he did.
¡°Oh ancestors, please don¡¯t tell me you hit on the queen!?¡± This time Marline sounded a little faint.
And he actually felt a little offended. ¡°What!? Why would you think that.¡±
¡°You¡¯re doing the same thing you do when we talk about Instructor Griffith,¡± Bonnlyn said with studiously neutral voice. ¡°Or Instructor Morline. Or Instructor Flen. Or some of the guards.¡±
¡°Or that one cafeteria lady,¡± Verity chimed in, a little red in the face.
¡°Or the-¡±
¡°I do not!¡± He¡¯d finally had enough of these aspersion on his character.
Across the room, a number of sighs rang out, even from the elves.
¡°At least now I knew why he never checked me out,¡± Bonnlyn said. ¡°He¡¯s got mommy issues. And I¡¯m not old enough to tickle them.¡±
¡°Still, the Queen?¡± Olzenya hissed.
¡°I mean, have you seen her?¡± Marline muttered back. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t agree with him¡ but I get it.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t ¡®perv¡¯ on the Queen.¡± Some part of him died on using such childish language. ¡°We had a meeting about my plans and¡ what occurred with Al¡¯Hundra. Needless to say, the fact that I¡¯m here means she¡¯s agreed to go ahead with them and I¡¯m also to keep quiet about anything I may or may not have had to do with any Kraken going missing. Or their cores.¡±
He deliberately left out the royal marriage offer.
Still, with those words the room went silent. After all, if the Queen had told him to say nothing, he was expected to say nothing. Just because the North in general didn¡¯t have much respect for royal authority didn¡¯t mean the rest of the kingdom did.
Quite the opposite.
¡°Well, if the Queen has commanded you to remain silent, I suppose there¡¯s nothing to be done,¡± Olzenya muttered. ¡°Though I would like answers some day.¡±
¡°Hell, I¡¯d like to know why you brought Marline in on your plans,¡± Bonnlyn said, glancing at the Dark Elf. ¡°You know, and not the rest of us.¡±
There was no missing the hint of hurt there ¨C which he understood.
¡°I can promise you it was purely a matter of convenient circumstance,¡± he said. ¡°And I can promise you, I didn¡¯t confide in Marline for free.¡±
All the girls glanced up as the dark elf nodded slowly. ¡°He¡¯s not lying ¨C though I can¡¯t say anymore. Literally. It¡¯s a price I paid willingly, but one I doubt any of you would be interested in.¡±
Almost as one, he could see the lightbulbs turn on in everyone¡¯s brain simultaneously ¨C except for Verity, who took a few seconds.
¡®Geass,¡¯ thought none of them said it.
This time though, when the girls looked between him and Marline, there was a definite sense of wariness to it.
¡°Well, I suppose there¡¯s nothing else to say then,¡± Bonnyln said. ¡°I guess we should¡¡±
¡°¡Go to bed,¡± Olzenya nodded warily.
William grinned. ¡°Good idea. Big day tomorrow and all that.¡±
That was an understatement, and he could tell everyone was thinking it as they made their way over to their rooms.
Still, it was true all the same.
They¡¯d need their rest if they wanted to stand a chance tomorrow.
Indeed, they¡¯d need every advantage they could get.
To that end, William could only hope he¡¯d stacked the deck in their favor enough to matter.
¡It took him a long time to get to sleep.
When he did awake, in the early hours of the morning, it was to the sound of an explosion.
In the direction of the old alchemy labs if I¡¯m not wrong, he thought with a grim smile.
It seemed someone had decided to investigate his storage room even sooner than he¡¯d anticipated.
Annoying, but it hardly mattered at this point in time.
All that really mattered was going back to sleep.
He had a big day ahead of him, after all.
Chapter Twenty Seven
William was just about to scoop another mouthful of porridge and berries into his mouth when someone scooted into the seat next to him.
¡°Marline.¡± He inclined his head before returning to breakfast.
A breakfast that, prior to his teammate¡¯s arrival, had been blissfully free of noise or interruption.
Which made sense given that the ¡®rise and shine¡¯ bell wasn¡¯t going to ring for another thirty minutes or so. To that end, the cafeteria was near empty, but for a few servants flitting around the place as they set tables or partook of their own breakfasts.
Breakfasts that were something of a step down from what was normally served at these tables, given that the usual heaped piles of hot sausages, crisp bacon and hearty eggs were still being prepared in the kitchens.
Still, on this occasion, that was fine by William. Sure, the main reason he¡¯d told his team to rise a little earlier than normal was to allow them to dine in peace without being harassed by the rest of the rumour hungry student body, but it was also useful in that it somewhat limited some of his more¡ difficult teammate¡¯s breakfast options.
¡°William,¡± the dark elf hissed as she leaned down. ¡°We have a problem.¡±
Despite his early morning lethargy, those words managed to send something akin to a shiver up his spine.
¡°What!? What¡¯s the problem?¡± he asked as he whirled around, remembering only at the last minute to keep his voice down.
Sure, the cafeteria was relatively empty of both staff and students, but it hadn¡¯t escaped his notice that pretty much all of them had had their eyes on him since he sat down.
¡°What do you mean, ¡®what¡¯s the problem?¡¯¡± Marline whispered furiously into his ear. ¡°The fucking alchemy lab blew up last night.¡±
¡°Oh, that.¡± She¡¯d gotten him all worked up for nothing. ¡°Someone¡¯s enchantment probably went awry after being kept in storage too long.¡±
That was a lie and they both knew it. He¡¯d explained to Marline in great detail why trying to gain access to his storage room was a poor idea without him present. To that end, it was obvious that someone had attempted just that.
As such, the old alchemy building was now a smouldering ruin, with dozens of academy guards and at least one member of the palace guard sifting through the rubble when he walked past.
Or at least, they¡¯d been watching over a dozen menial servants as they sifted through the rubble.
Still, no one had been too alarmed by it. It was hardly the first time the building had been destroyed after all.
Alchemy was by its nature a fairly dangerous art.
A form of homeopathic magic that attempted to imbue objects with magical abilities by combining them with conceptually similar items, it tended to both be prohibitively expensive and notoriously unreliable.
Left eyes from forty-year-old salamanders didn¡¯t grow on trees after all. Nor testicles from albino bulls in heat. And that was the kind of specificity one needed to create a half-decent stamina potion.
There was a reason that alchemy was gradually being phased out in favour of the slower but more reliable art of enchanting.
¡°Yes, very unfortunate,¡± Marline said through gritted teeth. ¡°But what about ¡®our¡¯ ingredients that were being kept in the building. It might be¡ dangerous of someone stumbled across them in the rubble.¡±
Dangerous? Gunpower couldn¡¯t explode more than¡
¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about the gift we were holding for your family?¡± He realized.
¡°Yes!¡±
¡°Why didn¡¯t you check last night?¡± he asked.
¡°...I tend to wear earplugs when I sleep,¡± Marline admitted reluctantly. ¡°Given¡ Verity.¡±
William glanced towards the young woman¡¯s long elven ears and thought about their orcish teammate¡¯s tendency to snore like she was trying to wake the dead. The inner walls of their dorm weren¡¯t particularly thick and Marline¡¯s room was right next to the other girl¡¯s.
Yeah, he could see why she might have invested in some hearing protection.
A decent set of earplugs wouldn¡¯t drown out the noise of the morning bell, but they¡¯d be more than capable of drowning out the distant whumph of an alchemy lab going up on the opposite side of the campus.
He momentarily wondered if the noise had caused any of his other teammates to get up, before dismissing the idea.
Strange noises in the middle of the night were far from unusual in a military academy and usually best ignored unless you had a very good reason to think they might involve you.
¡°Well, it¡¯s not a problem,¡± he whispered. ¡°I moved it last night before heading back to the dorm.¡±
The look of relief on the dark elf¡¯s face was palpable, before it gave way to confusion. ¡°Why?¡±
He shrugged. ¡°For the same reason I booby-trapped the storage room in the first place. Once it got out that I had a mithril core ¨C and might have had something to do with Al¡¯Hundra¡¯s death, well it seemed like there was a decent chance someone might go snooping around places I might want to hide something.¡±
And the alchemy lab was just about the first place someone would think of right after their team¡¯s dorm room.
Fortunately for him, there were a few places that were quite impractical for hiding something long-term, but pretty ideal in the short term.
And just so long as Marline¡¯s aunts arrived before next Welday, the mithril core would be safe.
Though as he gazed down at the bowl of porridge in front of him, he found his appetite wasn¡¯t quite what it had been just a few moments ago.
¡°So where¡¯d you hide it?¡± Marline asked excitedly, clearly relieved that her family¡¯s future wasn¡¯t currently buried in rubble.
William paused as he considered how to answer that question. Something his teammate was quick to notice.
¡°William,¡± she prompted. ¡°Where¡¯s my family¡¯s core?¡±
He gazed down at his bowl, still thinking.
¡°William!¡± she shouted as best she could while still whispering.
¡°The safest place I could think of. Somewhere it¡¯d be covered completely and no one would voluntarily look.¡±
¡°Voluntarily?¡± Marline said. ¡°Covered?¡±
Credit where credit was due, no one had ever accused his teammate of being slow on the uptake. At least, where politics wasn¡¯t concerned. So it was that it wasn¡¯t long before he witnessed her expression morph from confusion to horror¡ to rage.
¡°You buried my family¡¯s mithril core in the latrines?!¡± she hissed.
William scratched his chin awkwardly as he avoided her furious gaze. ¡°More like dropped. I didn¡¯t need to bury it because it sank on its own. Which is good given I wasn¡¯t quite sure of the relative buoyancy of mithril in¡ well¡ you know.¡±
In his defence, it had seemed like a good idea at the time. Indeed, if one were to be purely objective about the whole thing, it still was. The core was safely hidden at the bottom of one of the lesser used latrine pits. The bottom mounted¡ storage vats of which were pulled out and emptied into the bay once a week.
It was a fairly old fashioned system, given the existence of indoor plumbing across the rest of the academy. Indeed, he suspected the latrines were only kept around to serve as a form of punishment duty for any cadets that happened to royally piss off their instructors.
¡°They¡¯ll be safe there until Welday,¡± William argued weakly. ¡°At which point your aunts can collect them without anyone being the wiser.¡±
¡°Collect them from the latrine¡¯s storage vats!¡± Marline hissed, slamming her head into the table. ¡°Ancestors, the future of our house is now literally swimming in shit.¡±
Gingerly, William moved to pat the dark elf on the back. ¡°Ah, but at least it¡¯s safe.¡±
Once more he glanced away as two silver eyes peeked out angrily from between the girl¡¯s arms.
Needless to say, he was rather glad for the eventual arrival of the rest of their team ¨C even if Bonnlyn chose to complain at length about the fact that she was going to be forced to dine on ¡®twigs and berries¡¯ ¨C as opposed to the gut busting pile of vaguely food shaped grease she normally chose to partake of in a morning.
Still, at least Marline had stopped glaring at him by the time they¡¯d all finished eating ¨C escaping just before the first of their fellow cadets piled noisily into the cafeteria.
--------------------
It was actually rather amusing, that for all that the coming match had obvious implications for the country as a whole, in theory it was simply another practice match between two groups of cadets.
To that end, there was no great ceremony as the members of Team Seven made their way through the double doors leading to the Floats. There, as per usual, stood the members of the opposing team along with an Instructor from a ¡®neutral¡¯ house.
Never mind that the great bleachers to each side of the faux-ships were filled with eager spectators when they were normally all-but bare. Or that not one of the viewing orbs bolted to the gantries overhead was bereft of the ambient glow that signified they were in use.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Half the noble houses in the country were likely watching the events that were about to unfold through those crystalline orbs. Though William had to wonder if the Queen was one of them or if she was present in person, simply hidden behind whatever magic she used to render herself and her guards invisible.
Still, as he gazed upon the spectacle around them, William couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of just how impressive a construction the Floats were, the stadium sized building hosting not just the ships that made up the field, but room for spectators, viewing orbs, staff and a myriad other smaller facilities that each worked to allow the practice matches to occur.
With that in mind, one notable absence from the building¡¯s usual occupants was hard to miss.
¡°Where are all the sailors and marines?¡± Olzenya asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± William said as they continued walking towards Tala and her team. ¡°Maybe they¡¯re already onboard?¡±
He doubted it though. He¡¯d have been able to see people moving about inside the great vessels or marching across the deck.
No, something was amiss here.
Still, he¡¯d known there was a possibility of House Blackstone attempting something. And the absence of the Float¡¯s usual staff was likely to be related.
Nothing for it now, he thought. Whatever they¡¯ve done can¡¯t be too overt.
The Principal of the Academy might have been in New Haven¡¯s pocket ¨C which made her an ally of House Blackstone ¨C but even her power had limits with the Crown and half the country watching.
¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± William said as he came to a stop before the Instructor from House Summerfield. ¡°Team Seven reporting.¡±
Instructor Halfin, ironically the woman who¡¯d first introduced his team to the floats glowered at him.
¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± she said without preamble, her voice raised loudly enough that it was clear she was aiming her words not just at him, but Tala and the rest of the world besides. ¡°The Academy and the Floats are supposed to be a training environment for the future leadership of the nation as a whole. Not a pissing ground for idiotic adolescents.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t choose the venue, ma¡¯am.¡± Even as she spoke, Tala¡¯s gaze stayed on William.
¡°And I didn¡¯t ask your opinion, cadet.¡± Halfin¡¯s words were biting as she turned towards the third-year. ¡°The only opinion that matters here is mine. Not yours. Not his. Not your mummy¡¯s. And not the rest of these upjumped cretins.¡±
Her hand flew out to encompass the veritable circus that were the stands. ¡°So, with that in mind you can believe me when I say that my only concern is getting through this farce as efficiently and as fairly as possible. I don¡¯t give a shit about what¡¯s on the line or who doesn¡¯t want to marry who. All that matters to me is whether or not you have wax or paint on your breastplate or enough harpy-venom in your system to put you down for the count.¡±
Both Tala¡¯s and William¡¯s eyes widened a little at that.
¡°Wax, ma¡¯am? Paint?¡± Tala said.
The older woman grunted. ¡°You heard me, and that¡¯s all I¡¯ll say on the matter. Let it be known I¡¯m not happy about it. Nor about the fact that half the sailors on base have apparently come down with the shits.¡±
Ah, so that was why the float¡¯s usual crew was missing. Clearly the work of House Blackstone, though to what end William was yet unsure.
Are they trying to delay the match? He thought.
That wouldn¡¯t be ideal for a number of reasons ¨C most of which centred around it giving House Blackstone more time to sabotage him and his team. There¡¯d been a damn good reason he chose to have their match literally a day after he challenged her.
¡°This has naturally affected my ability to run a normal Float match. Normally that would be grounds for delaying this whole farce,¡± Halfin continued, tone darkening as she spoke the next few words. ¡°But it has been ¡®suggested¡¯ to me by a number of parties that doing so would be impractical. So, we shall instead be making use of one of the scenarios available to us that does not require the use of regular crewmembers.¡±
She gestured towards the area between the two faux ships, the football field sized stretch of land normally empty but for a few overhead nets designed to catch falling cadets.
That wasn¡¯t the case today. Instead, the area had been filled with a tangled mess of pre-fabricated structures and various other bits of paraphernalia.
¡°Airship down,¡± the Instructor said, and after a moment¡¯s observation, William realized that the stretch of land really did look like what you might have seen if an airship crashed into it.
Assuming said airship crashed with enough force to scatter its component parts around rather than remain as a fairly battered single object. Which, given the heights said ships could drop from, wasn¡¯t beyond the realm of possibility.
¡°Our third year cadets will be familiar with this scenario, but I will explain it briefly for our first years.¡± Again, there was no mistaking just how unhappy Halfin was with all of this. ¡°In short, an allied or enemy airship has crashed in neutral territory. Both sides of the conflict have dispatched a mage strike team to search the wreckage for the ship¡¯s core so as to deny it to the enemy. Unfortunately, neither side can effectively search said wreckage until the other strike team has been completely eliminated.¡±
Halfin¡¯s gaze turned towards his team. ¡°To clarify, do not let the flavor text of this scenario fool you. There is no core within the wreckage in this scenario. The only way to win is to completely eliminate the opposing team.¡±
Over the woman¡¯s shoulder, William didn¡¯t miss the small smile that flitted across his fiancee¡¯s features.
Ah, so that¡¯s her game, he thought.
Oh, he didn¡¯t doubt she would have preferred this whole engagement be delayed so as to allow her more time to stack the deck, but on short notice simply changing the scenario to this still helped her.
Theoretically.
It reduced the number of ¡®wild card¡¯ factors that might benefit him or his team. No crew members. No orbs to collect. Just a straight up fight between the two teams.
Sure, said wild cards could have just as easily worked in Tala¡¯s favour, but given the skill disparity between the two groups, it benefited her to reduce the number of random vectors present in the coming fight.
Plus, it also had his team attempting to navigate an unfamiliar scenario.
Well played, he thought.
¡°Any issue with that, cadets?¡± Halfin said as she finished her explanation.
¡°None at all,¡± William said before the rest of his team could interrupt, noting the small pout of disappointment that flitted across Tala¡¯s face.
She¡¯d probably wanted him to kick up a fuss and force the match to be delayed for the reasons he¡¯d thought of before.
Alas, she wasn¡¯t that lucky.
No, for better or for worse this was happening here and now.
Sure, it wasn¡¯t an ideal scenario, but he could make it work for him. It simply required him to pull out another trick that he¡¯d been hoping to hold onto for just a little while longer.
Amusingly, Halfin also looked a little disappointed. The woman had probably wanted the match delayed on principle. It was clear both his new weapon and Tala¡¯s interference rubbed her the wrong way.
Though as he had the thought, he was pleasantly surprised to see there was at least one woman in the academy who placed her duty as an educator and impartial judge above politics.
Indeed, if she had a reputation for such, that was likely part of the reason why she¡¯d been selected for this match as a compromise between the Crown and the Blackstones.
¡°Well, if that¡¯s all, then you¡¯ve got ten minutes to check out your weapons and get to your starting positions.¡± Halfin grunted, before she seemed to remember something. ¡°And I suppose I¡¯ll take possession of the ¡®bet¡¯ now.¡±
There was no missing the disdain in the woman¡¯s voice, which actually made William feel a bit better as he gestured over to Verity.
Unslinging the backpack she¡¯d carried all the way over, the girl still looked more than a little awed as she unveiled the glowing metal orb. It was actually a little amusing, the mixture of relief and reluctance that crossed her features as she handed it over to the Instructor.
An instructor who was apparently not entirely carved from stone, as she somewhat reverently accepted the object.
Even the distant stands hushed down a bit as the bowling ball sized core changed hands.
Of course, it was barely a second before the moment was interrupted.
¡°Of course you¡¯d have the orc carry it,¡± Tala grunted, her tone resigned.
Verity flinched back at the words and every other member of his team ¨C including Olzenya leaned forward to argue ¨C but William forestalled them all with a simple raised hand.
¡°Of course I did,¡± he said simply. ¡°She¡¯s a valuable member of my team and I trust her. Far more than certain other individuals present.¡±
A core could also be deceptively heavy despite its ability to produce lighter than air aether and he had no real desire to carry it all the way across campus. It also went unsaid that Verity was best equipped to intercept any¡ opportunistic thieves.
Indeed, he¡¯d have paid to see some enterprising moron attempt to wrestle the bag holding the core off his orcish teammate on the walk over here.
It hadn¡¯t happened of course, the possibility had always been an outlier at best, but given the stakes it had seemed better to err on the side of caution.
¡It had also been amusing to see the myriad emotions that had flashed across the faces of most of the team when he quite casually tossed the bag holding the core to the orc. One would almost think he¡¯d just thrown a baby at her.
Indeed, the only one who¡¯d not been affected had been Marline, who¡¯d just looked quietly resigned.
Which was still fun in its own way.
It was a little childish perhaps coming from a man ¡®his age¡¯, but that same age was what gave him the experience to know that sometimes life was about being a little silly and enjoying the small things.
And what better silly fun was there than teasing a bunch of far too serious kids by throwing around a basically indestructible ball of magical space metal?
Of course, given the flash of irritation that shot across Tala¡¯s face, it was clear she thought his smile was an accompaniment to his taunt.
However, before she could say anything, Halfin scooped up the core. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be holding onto this until the match is over. At which point I shall hand it to whomever I deem to be the victor.¡± For just a moment, her expression softened. ¡°You can rest assured, both of you, that I shan¡¯t let it out of my sight or off my person for the duration of the match. This I swear ¨C even if I¡¯m irritated at this whole situation.¡±
William and Tala both nodded, accepting the solemness of the woman¡¯s impromptu oath.
¡°Alright,¡± she said, slinging the thing under her arm as she returned to her previous acerbic personality. ¡°You¡¯ve got ten minutes to collect your weapons and be at your designated spots for the beginning of the match. Anyone not in the correct place at the correct time will be considered eliminated for the purposes of this match. Dismissed.¡±
With her bit said, she strode away, no doubt up to the judges tower - which had an eagle¡¯s eye view of the entire arena.
Leaving two teams of rather combative cadets behind.
Ten minutes was more than enough time to collect their gear, so William allowed himself a few seconds to simply gaze at Tala¡¯s team.
¡°Finally realizing how outclassed you are, William?¡± Tala sneered.
It was funny, normally that kind of open disdain was beneath her. Sure, she¡¯d yelled at him before, but to his mind that was more of an expression of frustration than animosity.
Here and now though?
She hated him.
And he revelled in it.
Not because he hated her. He didn¡¯t. Even if they were enemies. At worst he¡¯d say he pitied her for her ignorance and worldview.
Much like him and his otherworldly views, she was a product of her environment.
She wasn¡¯t evil. At least not in an intentional sense. Indeed, by the standards of this world she was actually a good person.
Loyal. Dutiful. Hardworking.
Simply in service to an institution that he abhorred.
With that in mind, the reason why he relished in her disdain was simple.
It meant that he was now worthy of it in her mind. No longer an irritating non-factor that refused to play along, his actions now had consequences.
He¡¯d earned her animosity honestly.
He was a factor. A person.
It felt good.
¡°Just counting the numbers,¡± he said. ¡°Some part of me wondered if you might be a team member or two short.¡±
Indeed, the fact that he¡¯d hoped for the murder of a young man or woman last night was something he counted amongst the least of his sins. There¡¯d be a great many more of those to come.
Still, ignorant of his thoughts, the girl stiffened, all but confirming his suspicions as her mind no doubt turned towards last night¡¯s explosion.
It had been her people who¡¯d tried to raid his alchemy storage room ¨C though it seemed she¡¯d not been so foolish as to send anyone on her team to accomplish the job. In all likelihood the unfortunate fools who¡¯d run afoul of his trap had likely been little more than paid off servants or some other kind of catspaw.
Irrelevant in the scheme of things ultimately and chosen for that very reason. Unfortunate, but hoping that his enemy would be a teammate or two down had ever been a long shot.
¡°I¡¯ve no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Tala said. ¡°My teammates are all ready and eager to serve not only me, but to honour their family names as well through that service. Though I know that¡¯s a concept most alien to you.¡±
Around her, four other members of the girls team stood up a little straight, animosity burning in their gaze as they silently regarded his team with disdain.
Disdain his own team was quite happy to level back ¨C if only out of loyalty to him.
Still, it was funny; Tala was more right than she knew. The values of this world were in many ways alien to him despite having lived here for nearly two decades.
¡°I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± he chuckled. ¡°To that end, I¡¯ll see you in the arena.¡±
He took a moment to enjoy the look of puzzlement on his foe¡¯s face at his placid rejoinder, before he strode away, his team falling in behind him.
Though as he walked, he made sure to turn to each of them. ¡°Make sure to double check all of our equipment. If Tala was able to give half the Float staff food poisoning last night, I wouldn¡¯t put it past her to be able to tamper with our equipment.¡±
Each of the girls nodded seriously at his words, no doubt leery of discovering a razor blade or some other such implement in one of their boots. Or that their bolt-bow had a faulty intake valve.
Indeed, the only piece of equipment William could theoretically have been sure of was that which he was currently wearing and the spell-bolts that would have been delivered clandestinely at the last minute by either Griffith or a palace guard.
And even then, what the fuck is this about wax and paint rather than rubber? He thought.
Chapter Twenty Eight
The dull roar of the crowd was only slightly muted by the small alcove they¡¯d been tucked into prior to the start of the match. Rather than starting at disparate ¡®duty¡¯ stations as they would be in a regular match, the team was instead all grouped together.
Assumedly to replicate the idea of us landing nearby a downed airship, he thought.
Glancing back, he watched as Verity finished putting on the last of her kit as Marline helped with some of the straps.
¡°All good?¡± he asked.
The orc nodded. ¡°Everything¡¯s as it should be, except for the¡¡±
She trailed off as her fingers brushed over the bandolier across her chest, careful not to brush against any of the orange tipped bolts it contained.
William nodded. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it. They¡¯re not what we practiced with, but the change shouldn¡¯t make any tangible difference on the field.¡±
Indeed, in some ways the wax rounds were an improvement over his original rubber design.
For one thing, they¡¯d been enchanted. According to the dour looking Palace Guardswoman who¡¯d handed them off to him and the rest of his team, the wax had been toughened so it wouldn¡¯t melt or split when fired - but would do so on impact, leaving a visible mark on the foe.
Which was an improvement over his own design, which would have required the match¡¯s many observers to call out a hit if it wasn¡¯t self-evident.
Still, he thought. Fifty shots. Overnight.
That wasn¡¯t cheap. Indeed, it equaled the entire spellcasting capacity of a mage for seventeen days.
¡Or a night¡¯s work for seventeen mages.
Menial mages to be certain, but mages all the same. Using spells that now wouldn¡¯t be used creating weapons, healing people, growing crops or contributing to the nation¡¯s stockpile of enchanted munitions.
There was a reason he hadn¡¯t thought of enchanted wax himself. He didn¡¯t have the time.
¡Nor did he have the time or knowledge on how to make a conventional alternative, even if he knew such a thing existed.
Not with so many other projects that required his attention.
Still, he couldn¡¯t help but be reluctantly impressed by his nation¡¯s monarch. For he could think of no one else that had the kind of pull to have fifty disposable objects enchanted in a single evening.
Not because of said power, but because of the decisiveness required to make that decision and start implementing it mere minutes after hearing of his plan.
She¡¯ll be one to watch out for, going forward, he thought.
Though it was only a moment later he was shaking his head, his attention turning toward the rest of his team. Thoughts of what would come after this match should be kept for after the match.
Lest they all become moot.
Here and now, he needed to focus on here and now. With that in mind, he spared one final glance at the arena ahead, gathering what details he could from what he¡¯d memorized of the layout, before turning back to his team.
¡°Alright, gather up,¡± he said, prompting the girls to gather round. ¡°I imagine Tala thinks she¡¯s pulled a fast one on us by throwing us into an unexpected scenario, but I think we can make it work in our favour.¡±
To that end, he pulled out a dagger and started chanting.
¡°Mage-Smith: Clay. Steel. Fingers.¡±
¡°William, what the fuck!¡± Olzenya shouted. ¡°We¡¯re about to get into a fight here!¡±
And he¡¯d just ¡®wasted¡¯ one of his three spell slots.
¡°Quiet please,¡± he said as he slowly started to move and shape the steel of the dagger with his bare fingers, the rigid material shifting under his ministrations as easily as clay.
He ignored the looming start of the match. He ignored the crowds. He ignored the upset and puzzled expressions of his team. He ignored¡ how much more upset they¡¯d be when burned another spell charge in a few seconds. And a third not long after.
Though even as he rolled the steel in his hands into a long stick, he couldn¡¯t help one final thought that flitted across his consciousness.
So much for getting to finally use my spell-bolt, he lamented. Still, needs must when the devil drives
------------------------
¡°Activate the crystal network,¡± Tala said without preamble as her team finished kitting up.
¡°For this?¡± Sala ¨C a name clearly chosen to curry favour with House Blackstone ¨C grumbled.
¡°Yes.¡± She snapped, in no mood for backtalk. ¡°For this.¡±
She intended to leave nothing to chance. Not in something as important as this.
Even if it was ridiculous that she was pulling out one of her team¡¯s trump cards against a bunch of first years.
Normally they avoided using the Crystal network if they could. It was far from obvious, but there was always a chance of someone catching onto the idea that her team was more¡ cohesive than they should be.
And they¡¯d wonder why and how.
¡And if they figured that out, they¡¯d be well on the way to replicating the feat.
To that end, Tala¡¯s instructions were only to use it on ¡®important¡¯ matches. Ones that would boost the prestige of House Blackstone over their political rivals and make the politically undecided reconsider their allegiances in the brewing civil conflict to come.
Tapping the side of her helmet as discreetly as she could, she felt the tiny spike of ethereal aether that jetted from her fingertip be absorbed through the grill positioned there. A low hum filled her ear as the orb next to it came to life.
Once the size of a watermelon, the orb in her helmet had been painstakingly shaved down until it was barely larger than a fingernail. A move that made it useless for conveying any kind of image visually, but still perfectly sized to transmit sound.
This, she thought. This is why House Blackstone will reign supreme in the end.
Where elves were content to stagnate and wither with the passage of time, humans only continued to change and adapt.
House Blackstone exemplified that.
The Shard Carrier they were constructing near the capital might have been the largest and most obvious example of that philosophy - but it was simply one amongst many.
Focusing her intent on her nearest teammate, she felt the connection form between their two micro-orbs.
¡°Cherie?¡± she asked.
¡°I hear you,¡± the other girl confirmed ¨C though her voice echoed unpleasantly as Tala heard it both transmit from her orb and in real life.
Though that was a small price to pay for the ability to instantly communicate with any member of her team at will.
¡°Excellent.¡±
Though, it wasn¡¯t perfect, given that she needed to manually cut the connection with her teammate before turning to the next. A move that took precious seconds ¨C and wouldn¡¯t be possible at all if the orb she was trying to connect to was already communicating with another.
The other downside was that every member of her team was now down a spell charge.
Fortunately, that¡¯s less of an issue on the floats, she thought as she connected with her other teammates one by one to confirm their orbs were functioning.
The loss of an extra use of stone-skin or a¡ flashbang was well worth the use of near instant communications.
An advantage that would only grow in the relatively unfamiliar tangle of prefab structures and rubble that was the arena in front of them.
Having turned off her orb, she turned to her team. ¡°Elsie, you¡¯ll swing right at the start. Try to find a good firing angle, but hold back from fully engaging until I orb you to move. Maurine, you¡¯ll do the same on the left flank. Sala and Cherie, we¡¯ll be going up the middle to try and seize that spire.¡±
She gestured to the large jutting watchtower that had been reshaped slightly to look like an airship¡¯s crow¡¯s nest. One that had ¡®fallen¡¯ just slightly wonky. Reasonably well armoured, well positioned and with a commanding view of the battlefield, it was a perfect spot from which to snipe and direct the engagement.
Sure, one could achieve the same feat by simply flying up on a burst of aether, but a marine-knight couldn¡¯t remain in the air indefinitely. And unless they remained moving they¡¯d be an easy target for bolt fire, while simultaneously being poorly positioned to fire back.
Levitating in mid-air not being particularly conducive to forming a stable firing platform.
There was a reason marine-knights tended to perform strafing runs when firing from mid-air ¨C the momentum of the act both acted to help evade return fire while also offsetting the recoil created by the bolt-bows firing gasses.
¡°Understood,¡± her team said as one.
And then there was no more time for talk as the ¡®start¡¯ bell rang out across the arena.
All five of them moved with practiced efficiency as they shot forth, Maurine and Elsie mere inches from the ground as they expertly used their thrusters to skim at breakneck speeds across the ground.
For her part, Tala waited but a half second after Cherie and Sala rocketed up into the air on a parabolic arc towards the spire. Doing so ensured the two girls would be the first to draw fire, allowing her to more effectively get a read on their enemies positions and relay that information.
Where her team¡¯s two flankers normally acted as saboteurs, and were thus equipped with medium armour, the two she was sending up the centre were normally sentinels ¨C on those occasions where the team wasn¡¯t making use of Shards.
To that end, the pair¡¯s plate armour was more than up to the task of deflecting any kind of incoming bolt fire at these initial ranges. And their close range volley-bows would make short work of any first years hoping to also seize the-
A salvo of cracks rang out from across the arena and Tala made out the dull thud of something striking the armoured plating of at least one of her vanguard.
How peculiar? That was unlike any kind of bolt-bow she¡¯d ever heard-
¡°Cadet: Sala. Eliminated,¡± rang out across the arena.
What!?
Her mind roiled, but hundreds of hours of ingrained instinct had her orbing Cherie, even as indignant squawks erupted from Sala¡¯s figure.
¡°Evade!¡± she shouted.
Ahead of her, the other girl twitched mid flight. ¡°Tala? They-¡±
¡°Evade!¡± Tala shouted, putting her own words to action, flaring a burst of aether from her elbow and palm so that she darted to the side just as a second round of cracks rang out.
Four of them, she made sure to count, a quick glancing making out five distant figures barely a step beyond their starting position.
Ahead of her, Cherie had clearly heeded her words despite her confusion, dipping low in order to avoid the salvo. To the girl¡¯s right, Sala was still cursing up a confused storm, but nonetheless had her hands high over her head as she slowly floated to the ground.
Zipping past her on the way toward the cover promised by the crow¡¯s nest, Tala noted a distinct orange stain splattered across the girl¡¯s plate armour.
Wax, her mind supplied near instantly, recalling the once confusing words of the match¡¯s instructor.
Then she was past her ¡®dead¡¯ teammate, slamming into the rim of the crow¡¯s nest with bruising force right next to her teammate.
One hand gripping the rim of the nest while the other held her rifle, she struggled to maintain her grip as the weight of gravity left her dangling for just a moment as the aether blasting from her feet and elbow that had maintained her forward momentum cut out in favor of flowing into the tank on her back.
In moments, the lighter than air gas filled the tank once more and the strain on her hand diminished as she became lighter. Though it was with long practice that she cut the flow enough to keep her buoyancy at that just below a fraction of her actual weight, lest she end up floating up over the rim of the nest.
Another salvo of crackles rang out, but it was more staggered than before as Tala also heard the distant ¡®puff-puff¡¯ of bolt-bows firing.
Maurine and Cherie had clearly come up slightly short of their intended flanking positions in favor of laying down long-range suppressing fire on the relatively clumped first years. The pair would have to be incredibly lucky to score any kind of telling blow at that range, but the risk of it would force the first years heads down and prevent them from easily moving to get a better angle on Cherie and herself.
¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Cherie shouted as the pair clambered into the crows nest itself, careful to keep as low as possible as they surmounted the lip of the ¡®basket¡¯. ¡°Why¡¯s Sala out?¡±
Tala scowled as she peaked over the rim of the basket to get a better view of the unfolding firefight below.
¡°Wax rounds,¡± she said simply. ¡°Apparently the first years have something that can go through plate and they¡¯re using wax rounds to signify it.¡±
And as much as she wanted to cry bullshit on that front, she didn¡¯t doubt that if the Academy was simulating it on a match as televised as this, the capability did exist.
The Crown wasn¡¯t stupid enough for it not to. Not with this many people watching, and the number of stakes that were riding on this match.
Of course, they¡¯d need to prove it afterwards with some sort of demonstration, but for the moment it could be reasonably taken on faith that this weapon existed and the match was ¡®legitimate¡¯.
To that end, this was likely some secret weapon of the Crown they¡¯d presented to William to curry favour. All the better to get their claws into the man who likely had the means to kill a kraken while simultaneously indebting them to him¡
Unless this new capability was William¡¯s, in that this weapon was what he¡¯d used to kill the Kraken?
A human was a far cry from a kraken, but if the capability was scaled up?
She shook her head.
It wasn¡¯t important right now. Later, but not now. For now, she needed to operate around this new¡ paradigm.
What did she know? The weapon was loud. It outranged her own weapon. It had a reasonably slow rate of fire relative to a bolt-bow as far as she could tell ¨C or perhaps it had limited ammunition? Armor was useless against it, but given the limitations of its simulation, or perhaps the realities of the weapon itself, cover was still proof against it.
¡°We need to close range while staying close to the ground,¡± she decided. ¡°Keep it close quarters.¡±
That would nullify the enemy range advantage while only making her own weapons more effective.
¡She also needed an opening to get down from the watchtower as its shortcomings now outweighed its advantages.
¡°Through plate!? That¡¯s such-¡± Cherie was still shouting over the occasional crack of the new weapon and the puffing of bolt-bows, but Tala cut her off.
¡°Quiet! I need to contact Maurine and Elsie. Vent your tank and get ready to drop fast on my order.¡±
------------------------
Maurine nodded as Tala¡¯s voice cut out.
That was fine, she¡¯d conveyed everything she needed to.
The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Mostly not to get shot by whatever was making that ¡®cracking¡¯ sound.
To that end, the plan was shock and awe. The moment their leader peered over the parapet of the crow¡¯s nest and started laying down fire, both Maurine and Elsie were to advance low to the ground at speed while contributing their own suppression.
Under such circumstances, they weren¡¯t expecting to hit anything, but it would give them the best odds of closing the distance, while also giving Cherie an opportunity to drop from the crows nest and advance herself.
With three dangerous targets advancing from three different directions at once, the first years stood a decent chance of being overwhelmed with targets and failing to focus down any of them.
¡Assuming they were even experienced enough to recognize the inaccuracy of the incoming fire and continue shooting rather than duck down in the face of incoming suppressive fire.
A thought that sounded dismissive, but was really just sensible in Maurine¡¯s estimation.
After all, it was an easy enough mistake to make in the heat of combat and a decent part of the reason why their instructors emphasized keeping a cool head. More often than not being able to do so was less about being able to make good decisions and more about being calm enough to be aware of the factors involved to actually make those decisions.
Instead of simply letting everything get reduced to noise and immediate threats.
No, being able to observe, think and then act was what made a decent marine-knight. Which was why neither she nor Elsie had hesitated to deviate from their earlier orders to draw up short and lay down covering fire when Sala ¡®died¡¯.
Yes, now they had to cover more ground than they might if they kept advancing, but there was every chance the match would now be a two on five rather than a four on five.
Three.
Two.
One.
On cue, she caught a glimpse of Tala popping up with bolt-bow in hand before Maurine jetted out of her cover on a burst of blue-green aether. Shooting across the arena she held down the trigger of her bolt-bow in the vague direction of one of the shorter first year¡¯s positions.
The girl ¨C the dwarf ¨C flinched back as bolts clattered against the wood around her and Maurine grinned.
A talented first year was still just a first year after all ¨C and some instincts could only come with experience.
Though that smile dimmed some as a loud crack rang out, something shooting past Maurine¡¯s ear as another figure ¨C the orc ¨C poked her new wonder weapon out, utterly uncaring of the distant shots coming from Marline as most missed and the others simply clattered off her armour.
Still, even as Maurine darted into a nearby bit of cover, she knew she¡¯d accomplished her task. The first years were clumped together and now she ¨C and hopefully Elsie ¨C had perfect flanking shots on the collection of debris the first years were using for cover.
They¡¯d be exposed, and Maurine was close enough for her weapon to be reliable enough at finding chinks in armour.
She slid another magazine into place before poking out, just in time to catch the dwarf trying to reposition.
Only she¡¯d defaulted to using her legs rather than a few bursts of aether.
Amateur mistake, the human girl thought clinically as she fired off a burst.
The dwarf dropped, her wonder-weapon abandoned where she¡¯d dropped it in favour of trying to unlimber her bolt-bow.
A move she barely got halfway through before she¡¯d fallen, dropped to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.
Grinning, she ducked back behind cover just as another crack rang out from the orc ¨C who had actually managed to reposition while Maurine was reloading.
That was fine.
Tapping her ear, she spoke. ¡°Dwarf is down. Pinned down by the orc. Any help?¡±
God, the crystal network kicked ass.
¡°I see her. Don¡¯t have a good shot from here. Cherie and Elsie will keep the others covered. I¡¯ll be descending to help post haste. We¡¯ll finish her and then roll up the rest of the team.¡±
------------------------
Tala smiled as she touched down into cover behind where she¡¯d last seen the orc.
Oh, the first years had tried to shoot at her as she¡¯d descended from the crow¡¯s nest, but Elsie¡¯s continued encroachment on their flank had forced the first years to switch targets lest the other girl get an easy shot on them.
Such was the advantage of the crystal network. Tala had been able to time her descent just as Elsie and Cherie started to move.
Indeed, things were going well after the upset in the opening moments of the match. For one thing, it seemed she¡¯d been right about the first years¡¯ new wonder weapon having limited uses.
From Cherie¡¯s last report, two of the three she could see trying to hold off her and her two teammates were down to using their bolt-bows. Being attacked from two angles, the three remaining first years were perfectly pinned in place, giving her ample time to hunt down the one member who¡¯d managed to break out of the ¡®encirclement¡¯.
Truth be told, she couldn¡¯t even fault William for his approach to the match. Faced with the tangled maze that was the arena, and up against a team with more experience than his own, it made some sense to hunker down and force them to come to him by making use of his new weapons.
The alternative was venturing out to be split up, cut off and destroyed piecemeal.
At least by sticking to his starting location he could keep track of his people and use the backwall of the arena to protect his rear.
And it might have worked if it weren¡¯t for his opening salvo failing to down more than one of her people and the crystal network allowing Tala to coordinate her people even as they attacked from multiple angles.
Admittedly, she¡¯d have been capable of the latter even without the crystal network if she¡¯d used Academy hand signals from her position in the crows nest, but that would have both kept her there and allowed her opponent to read her intentions as she conveyed them.
Certainly, Cherie wouldn¡¯t have been able to make her initial descent if William had the time to command his people to focus her down even with Elsie and Maurine moving up the flanks.
Tapping her ear, she came to a stop as she caught sight of Maurine flitting between cover a few meters ahead.
Theoretically, that meant the dark elf was somewhere between them.
¡°Eyes on?¡± she asked, ducking back as a few shots from the first-years near the entrance struck the cover around her.
¡°Ahead of me. See that upturned shard wing?¡±
She did, though there were a few obstacles keeping her from seeing the base of it.
¡°Her back should be right to you. I think she saw you coming down, but I¡¯ve got her pinned.¡±
¡°Alright. She¡¯s probably watching for me, so we¡¯ll move together on three. I¡¯ll poke out just enough to flashbang her and you move up to finish her while she¡¯s mindlessly spraying in my direction.¡±
Though it was tempting to float up and over the obstacles between them to get a shot, the last attempt proved that ran the risk of her being shot by the rest of the first-years who were still exchanging fire with the rest of her team. Indeed, those shots were likely an attempt to keep her off their teammate who would be utterly ignorant of her approaching ¡®death¡¯.
As she got ready to move, she couldn¡¯t but think that it was a shame the first years didn¡¯t have a crystal network of their-
A crack rang out and Tala flitted back just as she was about to turn the corner. The timing of it couldn¡¯t have been worse though as Maurine had started to dash forward.
¡°Wait, Maur-¡±
Her words were cut off by a loud boom and as Tala turned around the corner she watched her teammate be blasted off her feet by¡ some kind of - some kind of multi-barrel volley-bow variant.
One that made use of the first-year¡¯s new armour piercing technology.
Wax or not, the thing had enough power to visibly blow Tala¡¯s teammate off her feet in a deluge of orange wax.
Tala didn¡¯t wait to hear the girl¡¯s ¡®death¡¯ proclamation before she started to bring her own bow up.
But the orc was already moving. As if she¡¯d been expecting Tala just as she¡¯d clearly been expecting Maurine.
The ingrate had the audacity to throw her weapon at Tala, bolts pinging off it as it acted as a moving barrier between the greenskin and Tala¡¯s shots ¨C right up until it smacked straight into the human¡¯s chest.
And it was not soft.
Still, Tala was hardly a small girl herself while clad in armour and shrugged it off to keep firing at the advancing orc.
Instead of dodging, the savage ran straight at her like a bull, shots bouncing off her heavy armor. Seconds felt like a lifetime as Tala emptied half a clip into the massive beast, blasting aether from her feet to backpedal as she did.
¡°Oh no you don¡¯t,¡± the thing grunted as she grabbed Tala¡¯s ankle, grip like iron as she used it as a fulcrum to bodily slam the Blackstone heir into the floor.
¡°Ugh!¡± Tala grunted, stars dancing across her vision as her helmeted head smashed into the concrete.
The air was driven from her lungs and she could only blink blearily as the monster lifted her once more, only to slam her down again ¨C the human¡¯s aether tank making her light enough for the beast to physically swing around.
Blearily, the human tried to use a burst of aether to escape or¡ do something, but the orc¡¯s grip would not relent. Fortunately, that did at least drain her aether tank enough that she quickly became heavy enough that the orc could no longer fling her about one handed.
Though not before she was slammed into the ground with bruising force a few times more.
With that in mind, it was hardly much of a surprise at all when she found herself able to do little more than lie there and wheeze as her badly bruised body protested the last few seconds.
¡°There, that¡¯s¡ oh shit, you aren¡¯t dead are you?¡± She vaguely heard the orc say. ¡°I, uh, didn¡¯t mean to hurt-hurt you.¡±
Tala didn¡¯t respond.
She wasn¡¯t dead.
In either sense of the word.
The Floats had specific rules around people being eliminated, and beating someone into submission was not counted amongst them. Even if it would have worked ¡®practically¡¯.
¡°Cadet: Marline eliminated!¡±
¡°Aw fuck, really.¡± The orc said, momentarily distracted as she stood up. ¡°How?¡±
Which was all Tala needed as she rolled over.
Because beaten or not, it¡¯d be a cold day in the void when that was enough to make a Blackstone drop her weapon.
-----------------
¡°Cadet: Verity Eliminated!¡±
Elsie¡¯s frustration at the sound of Maurine being eliminated was somewhat offset by the ¡®death¡¯ of her killer.
She had no idea how that had happened. And she couldn¡¯t ask either as both Tala and Maurine were still connected to each other.
The situation wasn¡¯t helped by the rest of the first years slipping the noose.
Though not without losses of their own, she thought as she glanced at the downed form of¡ team seven¡¯s dark elf if she didn¡¯t miss her mark.
The dark elf was a bit stockier.
¡°You ok?¡± she asked, head on a swivel, as she cautiously moved up to Cherie¡¯s crouched form.
¡°Fine,¡± the girl grunted irritably as she visibly resisted the urge to rub her eyes through her helmet.
Two simultaneous flashbang spells to the face couldn¡¯t have been fun. Hell, she¡¯d probably have been killed if hadn¡¯t thought to immediately respond in kind.
¡And been equipped with a pretty ideal weapon for that kind of close-range fight.
The volley-bow might not have had the longevity of a regular bolt-bow where ammo capacity to concern, but the ability to unleash a veritable barrage of shots at a moments notice was not to be underestimated.
Well, that combined with the fact that Cherie being the only member of their team who wasn¡¯t the scion of some noble house.
She was just that talented.
As evidenced by the ¡®dead¡¯ first year sprawled out ¨C and probably glaring at them ¨C nearby. Casually, Elsie stepped over to rifle through the girl¡¯s ¨C the dark elf¡¯s ¨C pockets in search of fresh clips.
For just a moment, she considered the girl¡¯s downed¡ wax-bolt, before dismissing the thought.
Curious as she might have been about the weapon, mid-match wasn¡¯t the time to start playing with new equipment. For one thing, she had no idea how the thing even fired, given that she couldn¡¯t see any kind of aether-tank on the long barrelled weapon.
Standing up, she hustled back over to Cherie. ¡°Well, it¡¯s just two left now.¡±
The high elf and Ashfield himself, Elsie thought as she and Cherie crouched practically back to back behind a pile of lumber.
Tapping her helmet again, she was relieved as the orb-channel came to life this time. ¡°Tala, you ok?¡±
¡°Fine,¡± the girl in question grunted with what sounded like audible discomfort.
It seemed whatever had happened had left her feeling a little worse for wear, though good luck getting their leader to admit that. She also knew better than to ask what happened to Maurine ¨C mostly how the girl had managed to die to a first-year orc in a two on one matchup.
There was a time and a place for that kind of discussion though and this wasn¡¯t it. ¡°We¡¯ve downed their dark but the last two are in the wind.¡±
¡°Wha- How?¡± The girl practically wheezed. ¡°Actually, never mind, what direction did they head in?¡±
¡°East flank. The tower should be between you and them.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Tala grunted, clearly creating a mental map. ¡°You¡¯ve got permission to pursue, but don¡¯t get cocky. Standing orders regarding the new weapon remain. Stay low and close to cover. I¡¯ll loop back towards our starting location and we¡¯ll pincer them.¡±
¡°Understood,¡± Elsie said, closing the comms and turning to Cherie. ¡°We¡¯re going after them. Stay low.¡±
The other girl scoffed behind her helmet as she stood up. ¡°Obviously.¡±
In moments the two were moving, darting around rubble with quick bursts of aether as they kept their eyes peeled. Still, it was somewhat inevitable that, unless their foe was still in flight, they¡¯d see the third years before the opposite was true.
The first warning was a burst of bolts that clattered across Elsie¡¯s armor, though none managed to find purchase in her soft undersuit.
¡°Contact,¡± she shouted, catching sight of a distant figure even as she darted into cover. ¡°Bearing Eleven.¡±
¡°Confirmed,¡± Cherie called back as she too slid to a stop behind cover.
It seemed the first years were sticking to their strategy of hugging the outer walls of the arena. Though given that they were clearly out of ¡®wax¡¯ rounds that was likely a decision borne of strategic inertia rather than proper reasoning.
With that said, there wasn¡¯t really a ¡®right¡¯ option at this point. Outclassed and outnumbered, with their special munitions clearly depleted, this match was all-but over.
With that said, Elsie wasn¡¯t so foolish as to let her guard down as she popped up to exchange fire with the distant cadet. Across from her, Cherie used the opportunity to advance before laying down her own barrage of shots.
They didn¡¯t need to communicate for this bit. It was as rote as could be as they alternately moved to flank the first year¡¯s last holdout. Two separate plumes of aether rang out from the pile the first-years were hiding behind as they fired with frankly horrific accuracy towards both her and Cherie.
Definitely freaked and running on instinct, Elsie thought absently.
Though what did they expect after challenging a team with two years of experience over them?
Clearly, they¡¯d been banking on their new wonder weapon to carry them through.
¡Like idiots.
¡°Final two are cornered Tala,¡± Elsie reported as she slid to a stop just short of the first-years final refuge. ¡°Possible they¡¯re having ammo trouble. Second has stopped firing.¡±
¡°Make no assumptions. Hold position, I¡¯m coming up behind you now.¡± Sure enough, Elsie heard the telltale burst of aether accompanied by the low thud of something hitting dirt as Tala slid to a stop behind her.
¡°Cherie, you move on three. We¡¯ll move on four,¡± the girl reported, hand to her ear suggesting she¡¯d switched orbs to speak to Cherie. ¡°Sequential flashes as soon as you break cover. Cherie. Elsie. Me. Cherie. Care for crossfire once we turn the corner.¡±
Elsie nodded, the last thing they needed to do was blind or shoot each other.
¡°One.¡± Cherie fired off a few rounds.
¡°Two.¡± Then Elsie.
¡°Three.¡± There was a burst of aether as the team¡¯s most heavily armored surviving member rocketed out of cover, the tail end of a spell on her lips.
Which Elsie didn¡¯t hear, nor did she see as she glanced away just as a retina burning flash erupted from her teammate¡¯s position along with a earth shaking boom - instead she focused on chanting under her breath.
¡°Four!¡± Tala grunted just as she and Elsie erupted from their own cover.
The two jetted across the intervening space as they swept wide of the first-years position, Elsie¡¯s voice roaring. ¡°-invoke the power of our covenant. Light and Noise. Flashbang!¡±
Light blasted forth along with an ungodly noise as they sought to deafen and blind the first-years.
¡And that was when something slammed into her back, splattering upwards to strike the back of her helmet.
¡°Wha-¡± she grunted as the unexpected blow forced her flight trajectory down towards the dirt ¨C and given that she¡¯d been skimming but a few inches from it before ¨C that was all it took to send her skidding across it in an ungainly heap.
It was not graceful ¨C and the only thing that saved it from being worse was the fast reactions of Tala that kept her from flying directly into her. Instead, the girl overshot with a sudden flare of aether.
¡°Cadet: Cherie eliminated. Cadet: Elsie eliminated.¡±
And sure enough, as Elsie glanced up she saw that Cherie was likewise sprawled out, an orange stain blasted across her back.
But how!? She thought as she twisted, only to see a single figure silhouetted against the ceiling lights as they stood atop the watchtower, long barrelled rifle aimed and ready.
But¡ there was only two¡
And glancing over, she saw it, as the boy ¨C Ashfield! ¨C rose from behind the pile with a bolt-bow in each arm!
He¡¯d tricked them. There¡¯d never been a second shooter behind the pile. Instead she¡¯d made her way toward the tower¡ which was why he¡¯d positioned himself against the wall!
It put their backs to the tower!
That was¡ such bullshit! Tala should have seen the girl on the way past ¨C unless she¡¯d timed her climb to start the moment their team leader went past.
It was a short window to claim a firing position, but doable with a quick burst of aether and a full tank!
Even if it was absurdly lucky!
Hell, the reason they hadn¡¯t heard Cherie go down ¨C even with the delay between how fast a wax-bow could fire ¨C was because the noise had been drowned out by the fucking flashbangs!
All those thoughts went through her mind in a moment, as she turned towards her leader.
A leader who¡¯d seen her go down - and was now torn between trying to evade the target to her rear and eliminating the one right in front of her.
And that momentary hesitation cost her as both the Ashfield and the highelf fired at once, rounds slamming into Tala from both sides ¨C though not before she got off a shot of her own.
Silence rang out across the arena as their team leader dropped like a stone.
¡°¡Cadet: Tala eliminated. Cadet: William eliminated.¡± The voice sounded almost as stunned as Elsie felt.
Silence reigned across the arena.
¡°Team Seven-One¡ win.¡±
-----------------------
Olzenya felt her body go limp as she practically collapsed, nerveless fingers barely managing to hold onto the spell-bolt she¡¯d just used to¡ wipe out three members of the enemy team.
She couldn¡¯t believe it. Actually, could not believe it.
She¡¯d thought they were done when Marline went down. Hell, she¡¯d thought they were done when she and Bonnlyn had missed their targets in the opening moments of the match.
Losing Marline to a fluke shot had just sealed it in her mind.
She¡¯d wanted to be the bait when William told her his new plan.
Truly.
Anything to avoid the pressure of being the ¡®shooter¡¯. After all, William was the much better shot.
Only he couldn¡¯t do that, because he¡¯d instead chosen to try and perform a miracle before the match even started.
¡°Told you that you could do it,¡± an irritatingly smug voice slurred into her ear. ¡°Like shooting fish in a barrel.¡±
Though how much of that was down to the harpy venom running through William¡¯s veins and how much was down to the¡ peculiar invention he¡¯d created she didn¡¯t know.
She knew for a fact his words were horseshit.
¡°That¡¯s my tutoring coming in strong,¡± Marline grunted, only slightly surly about her fluke downing, but mostly just proud.
¡°Well done Oz,¡± Verity whispered. ¡°I, um, I¡¯m sorry I left you guys in a lurch.¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah. She did great. William had an insane plan that somehow worked. Marline¡¯s tutoring is very helpful. Verity should learn to double tap. That¡¯s great,¡± Bonnlyn slurred. ¡°How long do you think it¡¯ll be until the refs get out here with anti-venom? Because I¡¯ve got a spur poking right into my left ass cheek. Like, right in there.¡±
¡°Right ass cheek?¡± Willaim scoffed. ¡°I¡¯d take that any day. I¡¯m practically doing the splits here.¡±
¡°¡That doesn¡¯t sound so bad?¡± Verity said.
¡°It is if you¡¯ve got a pair of testicles,¡± Marline muttered.
It was all Olzenya could do not to laugh as her team slurred, whined and cheered into her ears. As if they hadn¡¯t just performed the impossible.
Or as if they weren¡¯t speaking to each other from across an impossible distance, As with little to mar their voice beyond a middling crackle.
Were they all going mad? Had they joined William in his insanity?
One of the most important magical innovations in recent memory ¨C and they were using it to complain about how they¡¯d fallen uncomfortably in a fight against a team of third years that they¡¯d also impossibly beaten.
How it worked, she didn¡¯t know. William had just said electromagnetism and vibrations as he practically jammed the small metal bead into her ear.
Into all their ears.
An almost hysterical chuckle tried to slip from her throat.
Instantaneous communication between five people. With little more than a few spell charges and some metal.
Sure, William claimed it¡¯d be lucky if the enchantment lasted an hour, but that was just¡ typical of him.
Do the impossible and then act like it was nothing.
And, as much as she hated to admit it, he¡¯d needed to perform the impossible.
Disrupting Tala¡¯s ambush so Verity could get the drop on her other attacker? Only possible because she¡¯d been able to communicate that need for aid to William.
Their simultaneous three pronged assault on... the armored girl? Even if Marline had gotten unlucky, that breakout had only been possible because they¡¯d been able to move as one.
And finally, her climbing of the tower to get an open shot on their backs? Only possible because William had told her the moment Tala was focused on him. She¡¯d certainly not been able to make that judgment from where she¡¯d been hiding. Aether bursts weren¡¯t that loud.
Finally, timing her shots so they¡¯d not be heard? Only possible because he¡¯d been relaying the timing of their chanting.
Without that¡ well, she might have gotten one, but the other two would have scattered and then it would be a two on two against superior opponents with William practically out of ammo and Olzenya herself completely bereft of a bolt-bow and down to a single wax round.
No, they¡¯d not have won that.
Perhaps if he¡¯d had Marline or Verity at his back it might have been possible.
Not her though.
¡Or perhaps not?
Some part of her wanted to gloat. To preen. To claim her accomplishment as her own and hers alone.
But that was a small part. One that more and more she found she wanted to leave behind.
For just a moment, she wondered if her sister was watching? If she was afraid?
She hoped so, but it was a distant thing.
Because right now all she wanted to focus on was this feeling.
This sense of triumph. Of camaraderie.
Like she could take on the world.
¡Like she belonged.
And that feeling only grew as the crowds around them finally started to cheer. Some because Team Seven had been the underdog. Some because they were abolitionists. Some just because they¡¯d wanted to see House Blackstone be humbled.
Olzenya didn¡¯t care why they were cheering. They didn¡¯t matter. Not really.
Only the people cheering, bickering or just plain being smug in her ear counted.
And she wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.
¡°Speaking of awkward positions,¡± she muttered as she watched members of staff making their way into the field. ¡°Could, uh, one of you direct someone to come and¡ retrieve me?¡±
For some reason her legs just refused to cooperate. It wasn¡¯t the result of harpy venom or anything like that.
They just¡ seemed to be done for the day.
A sentiment she could well get behind.
The next time William needed three-fifths of a third-year team wiping out, he could damn well do it himself.
She was done. For the rest of the year at least.
¡°Our conquering hero everyone,¡± Bonnlyn laughed. ¡°About to be carried down from her lofty perch in a bucket.¡±
Ha, Olzenya didn¡¯t care.
She¡¯d wiped out three-fifths of a third year team in her first semester. She had nothing left to prove to anyone.
Not a damn thing.
¡°Perhaps being insane isn¡¯t too bad?¡± she murmured as she plucked the metal bead from her ear.
Chapter Twenty Nine
William certainly didn¡¯t remember a dining table being present the last time he was in Griffith¡¯s office.
Hell, how did they even get it through the door? He thought idly as he reached for a buttered scone.
As he did, his eyes briefly passed over the third member of their little post-match meeting.
Griffith was staring at him, as she¡¯d been doing from the moment he¡¯d been escorted in here. Her eyes peered at him like he was some kind of puzzle she couldn¡¯t quite put together.
Which, while understandable, was more than a little eerie.
Still, that was at least a step up from the other person at the table.
Queen Yelena Lindholm was looking at him like a particularly juicy cut of meat. Which he supposed was also understandable, given that he¡¯d effectively just saved her nation from a rather messy civil war.
For a time at least¡
The loss of him and the Summerfield duchy by proxy was a rather large setback to the Blackstone¡¯s plans for an easy coup, but they weren¡¯t quite a deathblow.
Access to the Summerfield duchy would have simply made it a sure thing. Now the results of such a conflict were more¡ hazy.
¡°How long do you think I¡¯ve managed to buy us?¡± he asked casually.
Griffith twitched at the casualness of his words, but in his defence, there was a reason this particular meeting was being kept under wraps. It allowed him a certain sort of glibness he¡¯d never be allowed in a more public venue.
This was a negotiation after all.
Certainly, Yelena could have picked a more public venue to browbeat him into accepting her demands without too much trouble ¨C but that would be a short term victory for her, one that would sour their relationship beyond repair.
And given that the woman had just been given a front row seat to watch what happened to those who tried to force him into arrangements he didn¡¯t much care for...
No, this was about as close to a negotiation of equals as the two could possibly have.
The queen¡¯s smile was all teeth. ¡°A few years, perhaps. Any attempt to declare war now would be seen less as your ex-fiance¡¯s mother championing the cause of her traditionalists and more a petulant attempt to soothe the pride of her heir.¡±
She shrugged. ¡°Few enough ladies, even those deep in her camp, would be willing to pledge ships to such a flimsy cause. Not least of all because the humiliating defeat of the woman¡¯s heir will have shaken their faith in the competency of Blackstone leadership.¡±
William nodded absently. ¡°As planned. After all, if the own woman¡¯s heir is so incompetent that she could be defeated by a mere first year boy, what must the state of her other forces be?¡±
¡°Exactly,¡± Yelena stated with excitement. ¡°Never mind that your ex-fianc¨¦ was a talented mage-knight, one with a long list of victories to her name prior to her most recent loss. The opinion of high society is a fickle beast with a decidedly short memory.¡±
She paused, sobering slightly. ¡°Today that is to our benefit, but tomorrow it will serve to aid our enemies.¡±
William nodded. Indeed, he could already see the narrative forming. Tala would be pulled out of her classes and sent either North or West for a year or more. There she¡¯d achieve a few ¡®crushing victories¡¯ against either orcs or sky pirates and return a conquering hero ¡®redeemed¡¯ through a baptism by fire. Her most recent loss would in turn be blamed on the incompetence of the Academy¡¯s teaching staff.
¡Still, that gave them time.
¡°Two years at least then,¡± he said.
Yelena nodded. ¡°Ignoring any other unexpected upsets, that seems a reasonable timeframe.¡±
¡°Not a lot of time to bring our own forces up to a standard where they could match the New Haven and Blackstone fleets,¡± Griffith said. ¡°The temporary perception of incompetence on the part of our enemies will not make it so.¡±
Neither he nor Yelena could argue that point.
In theory the South held a numbers advantage, at two duchies to three, but that wasn¡¯t strictly two in practice given the Northern Duchesses¡¯ positions as marcher ladies.
Given the constant threat of ¡®pirates¡¯ to the West or orc rebels to the North East, both Northern duchies maintained navies in excess of their southern counterparts.
Indeed, they were required to as part of their liege levy.
In turn, the combined weight of both the Southern duchesses and the Crown was supposed to act as a counter-weight to that power. Plus the historical enmity between the pro-Elvish House New Haven and the pro-Human Blackstones.
No one ever expected the pair to find common cause in maintaining the slave trade.
Nor the fact that the ongoing conflicts with their disparate enemies would strengthen them over time rather than weaken them.
As evidenced by House Blackstone¡¯s performance in the last two conflicts against the Solites and Lunites.
Rather than showing up a tired and wary force, their sailors and marine-knights ¨C hardened by generations of conflict against the mountain orcs of their home ¨C acted as the vanguard in both counter-assaults.
To devastating effect.
It was no exaggeration to say that the House Blackstone won the war near singlehandedly. Burgeoning their reputation to previously unseen heights. To the extent that William couldn¡¯t help but wonder if said victories were what ultimately gave Eleanor Blackstone the confidence to challenge the crown on the issue of slavery but a few years later.
He certainly knew his current opinion on the disparity in military power between the North and South was borne of its performance in that conflict.
¡°Perhaps not under normal circumstances,¡± Yelena said, drawing his thoughts back to the conversation at hand. ¡°Even with access to a veritable bounty of mithril cores provided by William¡¯s invention, the fact of the matter is that the royal hangers currently only have three empty hulls ready for restoration into full airships.¡±
Which would bring the Royal Navy up to thirty-five airships from thirty-two.
Sixteen in the hands of Crownland countesses.
Nineteen in the royal navy.
¡Though that assumed all three of those hulls were slated for the royal navy and one wasn¡¯t being set aside for him. Which was unlikely given his contributions to the Crown.
Just forming a new noble house and elevating him to a count in his own right wasn¡¯t nearly enough of a reward for gaining Lindholm access to dozens of mithril cores.
So, he thought. Seventeen vassal airships, eighteen royal navy ships and¡ assuming a standard loadout, somewhere around seventy or eighty shards.
He frowned.
A not insignificant short term number change, but hardly game changing.
Especially given that both Northern houses would each have perhaps a little less than thirty ships to their name between their vassal houses and ducal fleets.
¡°A tonnage increase of just under a tenth. Less than a twentieth if we include the Summerfield and Southshore fleets,¡± he muttered.
¡°Short term,¡± Yelena reminded him. ¡°Those are just the ships I could have put into service within a week if provided the appropriate cores. More than that, there are at least four other hulls dotted across Lindholm that I know of that belong to houses that have¡ fallen onto hard times. Houses that could certainly be convinced to join our cause by providing them a lease to new cores.¡±
Three, William mentally corrected as he had little doubt Marline¡¯s family¡¯s ship was included in that number.
¡°A fifth or a tenth increase in tonnage then,¡± William acknowledged. ¡°Do you think that¡¯ll be enough to make a difference?¡±
¡°Not reliably,¡± the Queen admitted. ¡°Even prior to your¡ intervention, the loyalist faction already had a numbers advantage. The sad reality is that the current dichotomy in our forces is more an issue of skill than tonnage.¡±
Griffith¡¯s face twitched indignantly, but Yelena cut her friend off before she could speak. ¡°Make no mistake, while I¡¯d happily place my Royal Navy up against either the Blackstone or New Haven fleets, I wouldn¡¯t wager it against both simultaneously. And whichever we left unmolested would likely to cut through my ducal vassals like a hot knife through butter.¡±
The woman leaned back, blowing out a breath in a distinctly unladylike fashion. ¡°For ancestor¡¯s sake, some of their countesses still have wooden hulled ships. Wooden hulls! The damn things are more showpieces than weapons of war.¡±
William acknowledged the point. Certainly, in order for a house to remain a noble house in good standing, they needed to possess an airship powered by an aether core. That was written into law. What wasn¡¯t written into law was the exact level of combat readiness of said ship relative to its peers.
With that in mind, more than a few of the South¡¯s more inland houses ¨C protected from pirates by their coastal neighbours and orcs by their northern ones ¨C had allowed their warships to fall behind somewhat.
After all, the upgrading of a wooden galley into a true ironclad was neither a fast nor a cheap process. And it wasn¡¯t like wooden galleys were suddenly useless.
Upgrades could wait.
¡Right up until they couldn¡¯t.
That was the issue with military equipment. It had an unfortunate tendency towards being useless right up until it became absolutely vital.
Unless you¡¯ve got a constant low-level war going on, William thought.
Which the North did. Attrition alone meant that there ships were newer on average, as craft were brought down, had their cores recovered, and were then provided and given a fresh hull.
Nominally a ruinously expensive process, but the continued growth of the North¡¯s slave trading practices had made the war¡ almost profitable.
Plus there¡¯s the royal subsidies both duchesses received for being Sunland houses, William thought.
Hell, the royal hanger¡¯s strategic reserve of hulls existed to be slated for the Northern fleets prior to the recent rise in tensions.
Yelena sat up. ¡°We can and will build more hulls. The treasury can afford it now that I¡¯m not paying my enemies to build a fleet to oppose me.
¡°But that requires time,¡± William said.
¡°We could see about sourcing hulls from overseas,¡± Griffith said quietly.
Though as she did, William couldn¡¯t help but think about just how far this conversation had deviated from his initial question. Nominally the whole thing was so over his head it wasn¡¯t funny.
Had Yelena simply allowed herself to be swept up into it? Or was this some sort of negotiation tactic on her part?
By showing him just how dire the strategic situation still was, was she hoping to force some kind of concession from him that he might otherwise balk at.
He didn¡¯t know.
¡°It¡¯s worth a shot,¡± the Queen said, giving him no clue as to her true motives. ¡°But doubt we¡¯ll have much luck. My people tell me the Solites and Lunites are gearing up for another go at each other. I figure we¡¯ve got a few months at most.¡±
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
William could believe that. It¡¯d been long enough that a new generation would be just about ready to be thrown into the meatgrinder.
That was generally how the continental conflict had gone for the last eight hundred years. A constant ebb and flow.
At this point it was almost like clockwork.
I actually wouldn¡¯t be too surprised if Blackstones were planning to wait for the next bout to kick off in earnest before they launched their originally planned coup, William thought. Perhaps with the duchess of Summerfield suffering an unfortunate accident to kick off the Summerfield succession crisis.
The Blackstones were ambitious, not stupid after all. There was no point in them overthrowing the Crown, only to be invaded by Lunites or Solites in turn.
¡°Dwarf holds?¡± Griffith queried.
¡°Same problem,¡± Yelena scoffed. ¡°I checked. The waiting list for hulls is measured in years. And don¡¯t even mention Old Growth.¡±
This time it was Griffith who scoffed.
And William could understand why. The wood elves were dangerous enough on their home turf, but the less said about the druid¡¯s abilities outside it the better.
With that said, he did have an idea. ¡°A few mithril cores might change minds.¡±
Both women still, a look of confusion slipping over their features. A state that remained the case for Griffith, while Yelena actually turned contemplative.
¡°Trade mithril for steel hulls,¡± the woman said, as if tasting the words. ¡°That¡¯s insane. Truly deeply insane.¡± She smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.
Griffith looked momentarily affronted as she glanced at her friend, before shaking her head.
Then, though, a change seemed to come over the room as Yelena turned towards him ¨C and William suddenly knew with bone deep certainty that they¡¯d finally reached the true reason for him being here.
¡°That said, as novel as a suggestion as you¡¯ve just provided, I can¡¯t help but be curious as to what other ¡®short term¡¯ advantages I might be able to eke out of you, William.¡±
¡°Short term?¡± he asked.
¡°Short term,¡± the woman repeated as she tapped a nearby crystal orb.
A crystal orb that flared to life to reveal a birds-eye-view of yesterday¡¯s match. The beginning specifically, the one in which he¡¯d effectively jury-rigged an impromptu radio-speaker system from a spare dagger.
On the orb he watched his actions with a vague sense of disinterest.
He¡¯d had three spell slots available to him and he¡¯d used them all.
One slot had been an earth spell, intended to provide him with stone-skin. He¡¯d used that to create a string of ear-beads connected by a thin wire.
They¡¯d needed to be connected so he could enchant them all at once.
The next, a fire spell, intended to provide the propulsion for his spell-bolts. Instead, he¡¯d used it to enchant the connected beads with the ability to receive and then repeat vibrations.
In short, a simple speaker system.
Finally, he¡¯d had a lightning spell, either intended to be used for flashbangs or another type of spell-bolt propulsion.
Those he¡¯d used to make the beads propagate electromagnetic radio waves to both trigger and respond to the aforementioned vibrations.
In short, a simple radio receiver and transmitter system.
Finally he snapped the connected buds from each other, weakening the enchantment in the process. That was fine. The buds didn¡¯t need much transmission power nor ability to create noise. The arena was only so big and the buds would be right in his teammate¡¯s ears.
And sure, by shattering the object into five pieces he¡¯d made it so the enchantment would fade into nothing within the hour, but he didn¡¯t need an hour.
He didn¡¯t even need half that long.
¡°I don¡¯t recognize the rest of it, but breaking an enchanted object is almost considered heresy in some circles,¡± Yelena observed.
Of course it was. The whole point of enchanting an object was to provide some means for a mage to cast ¡®more spells¡¯ than their daily allotment allowed. Something that was rendered moot by breaking the enchanted object as it made the spell within start to fade.
And that was ignoring the fact that physical material made for a shoddy medium for magic. Just by attempting to imbue physical matter with magical properties, the spell could weakened by more than a third.
What was once a devastating fireball would instead become little more than a flash of fire.
Mages got around that limitation by piling spells on-top of one another as best they could, but that meant you were effectively spending three times as many spells slots to attain to attain a result similar to what you could achieve with just one if you cast ¡®in person¡¯.
It was slow and inefficient in the extreme¡ while still being incredibly valuable.
It was no exaggeration to say that a house¡¯s supply of enchanted cannonballs was in many ways more valuable than its treasury.
To that end, enchanting an object¡ just to break it?
Well, he could well understand why that might seem a little confusing from the outside looking in.
¡°I¡¯ve never been much for tradition,¡± William said slowly, allowing the dance to play out.
Yelena nodded. ¡°I suppose not, but surely you know that outside of earth-magic, there are rules against bringing enchanted items into the arena?¡±
He shook his head. ¡°As you said. Bringing them in. I enchanted the item while inside the arena.¡±
In the starting area admittedly, but it counted.
¡°Hmmm.¡±
¡°I¡¯d also point out that by that standard, supplying enchanted ammunition would be against the rules,¡± William said.
Yelena waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Earth magic. Most cadets have enchanted armor to that effect and the rules allow for it. Me enchanting your ammunition to be more¡ effective in its role was simply an extension of that ruling.¡±
Now William had to wonder just who was playing hard and fast with the rules?
¡°Are the Blackstones not accepting that?¡± he asked.
The Queen quirked an eyebrow at him at the obvious change of topic from his radio, before she decided to magnanimously allow it.
¡°Not at all, they¡¯re crying foul play on both the wax front and your new weapon. Fortunately for us, I acquired my permissions for the wax in advance and have ample means to prove your new weapon isn¡¯t enchanted. Mostly through the Instructors who were sworn in on it prior to the bout.¡±
¡°None of whom are from House Blackstone,¡± William pointed out.
The high elf shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t care or need to convince them. Just everyone else.¡±
Yeah, William could understand that. His attack on the Blackstone¡¯s reputation was about hurting them in the eyes of other houses more than anything else.
¡°How long do you think we have before the Spell-Bolt¡¯s design leaks or they figure it out on their own?¡± he asked.
Yelena glanced over at Griffith who sat up. ¡°It will happen sooner rather than later. It was always a risk given the simplicity of the design. Such is simply the nature of the beast. At the very least, our foes will not be able to replicate the design openly which gives us the edge in manufacturing for now.¡±
Once more she was peering at him like he was a puzzle to be solved and it was all he could do not to puff up smugly at her expression. Oh, she¡¯d certainly not tried to hide her disdain at him choosing to unveil said weapon in an academy match ¨C and now she was undoubtedly rethinking that disdain as she realized just how deep his plans went.
¡°¡And that assumes you don¡¯t have other toys to show us,¡± the Queen said, drawing his attention back to the conversation at hand. ¡°Like whatever you did to be able to instantly communicate with your team from across the arena with just three spells. Or the particular means you used to kill a beast that is almost entirely immune to magic, deep underwater¡ and the size of a galleon ¨C by yourself.¡±
¡And whether that method could in turn be applied to other things.
Like enemy warships.
Or fortresses.
Still, this was it.
The meat of the conversation.
And for just a moment William had to wonder just how many invisible guardswomen were in the room with him.
He¡¯d be offended if it was less than six.
Because there was no way he was going to be allowed to walk out of this room without giving away a lot of information.
¡°I have conditions,¡± he said.
Once more Griffith frowned at his glibness ¨C it probably offended her that he wasn¡¯t just performing his patriotic duty and handing the methods over while hoping for a reward for such leal service.
She was a loyal idealist that way.
Yelena had no such expectation. ¡°Of course.¡±
¡°I already have a mithril core in my possession, so it goes without saying that I want to be elevated into my own house.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Yelena said easily.
¡°I also want one of those ship hulls you were just talking about.¡±
At that the woman hesitated, but only for a second. ¡°Agreed.¡±
¡°Land, of course. Somewhere near the capital while I finish my schooling,¡± he said.
The woman twitched. ¡°You still intend to complete your education?¡±
¡°It¡¯s useful to me,¡± he said entirely truthfully.
As a testing ground for his designs, if nothing else. The fact of the matter was that the Academy and the capital in general had some of the best facilities in the country.
He¡¯d need that.
More to the point, he wanted the contacts provided by continuing to attend with other nobles.
¡°Easily done,¡± Yelena said with a slightly quirked eyebrow.
¡°An introduction to the alchemists guild.¡±
¡°The alchemist¡¯s guild?¡± The woman said, no doubt thinking about the positively decrepit organization ¨C and why he might be interested in it.
And in turn if that related to how he¡¯d killed Al¡¯Hundra.
Even if common logic said otherwise. The homeopathic potions created by alchemy might not have used ¡®fae magic¡¯, but they were still magic.
Which meant any kind of explosive or poison would fail if one attempted to use it on a kraken.
Still, it was a clue he was sure his nation¡¯s sovereign was storing away.
¡°Done,¡± she said finally. ¡°Out of curiosity, would this in any way be related to the recent destruction of an alchemy lab and the death of two academy servants who definitely shouldn¡¯t have been there?¡±
William shrugged. ¡°Not at all. As I understand, it was an old building and alchemy materials have a tendency to be volatile. To me that whole thing sounds like an unfortunate accident resulting from people playing with things they really didn¡¯t understand.¡±
¡°Quite,¡± Yelena didn¡¯t quite snort.
He nodded, content, before he moved onto his most contentious ¡®request¡¯. ¡°Finally, I¡¯d like you to give up on whatever plans you have to tie me into your powerbase via marriage.¡±
¡°Impossible.¡± Her reply was instantanious. ¡°At this point in time you¡¯re too valuable. I literally cannot afford to leave you as a free agent.¡± Her tone turned commiserating. ¡°Rest assured though, it will be a beneficial match.¡±
She raised a finger. ¡°All the funds you could want. The ears of the city¡¯s greatest guilds. Fuck, given what I¡¯ve heard of your early years, as many lovers of as many types as you might wish for. Admittedly, whichever of my daughters I match you to might be less pleased about that last item, but they¡¯d understand.¡± She paused. ¡°It¡¯s clear to me you have a love of invention. Accept my offer and I will give you the means to see that dream fulfilled in its entirety.¡±
All under her thumb. Likely ensconced within the Palace somewhere. His words conveyed through the servants there. Whatever resources he created or cultivated ultimately answering to the crown.
¡As would any organization he created.
And he couldn¡¯t have that.
Sure, his goals aligned with the Crown for now, but that wouldn¡¯t always be the case.
Slavery was but one problem he intended to solve after all.
So no, he needed to cultivate his own power base.
One that truly answered to him.
To that end, he needed his own house. As free and independent as possible.
¡°I recall my mother saying much the same thing,¡± William said dryly. ¡°Admittedly not the lovers part, or the inventions bit, but about her wanting the best for me. And I believed her when she said it. Marrying Tala Blackstone would have seen me set for life. Able to live in great comfort until my dying day.¡±
He eyed the high-elf opposite him. ¡°Yet I declined regardless. As I am declining now.¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not an option,¡± Yelena said, and to her credit she sounded truly regretful.
He smiled. ¡°As I recall she said much the same. And how did that work out for her?¡±
Something dangerous flashed across the queen¡¯s eyes, the military woman within coming to the fore. ¡°That almost sounded like a threat, William.¡±
He stared back. ¡°Take it as you will.¡±
The elf sighed. ¡°And here I thought we understood each other. Yet now I am reminded that for all your brilliance, you¡¯re still just a young man. Likely high on your recent, admittedly well earned, successes.¡±
She raised a finger and ten palace guardswomen shimmered into existence around the room.
¡°I am not your mother, William.¡± Yelena said. ¡°I am indebted to you. Grateful to you. I have a duty to reward you for services rendered. Yet, before all of that, I have a duty to my nation. A duty that requires me to place you into my power. Because, unlike your mother, I understand not just the opportunity you represent, but the threat as well.¡±
He was unbothered. ¡°I assume that¡¯s a polite way of saying that without the counterbalance of the Blackstone¡¯s protecting me any longer, there¡¯s nothing stopping you from simply¡ disappearing me if I don¡¯t play ball?¡±
Across from him, Griffith shifted uncomfortably as Yelena looked solemnly regretful. ¡°You know the threat we¡¯re up against here William. One way or another, I¡¯ll have what¡¯s in your head. Just as I¡¯ll deny that information to my enemies. To that end, as much as I¡¯d much rather use the carrot, the fact of the matter is that my duty to my country requires me to use the whip if you refuse to accept it.¡±
He understood that. Truly he did. He could give the woman all the assurances in the world that he was on her side, but this situation was simply beyond trust. His autonomy was simply a variable that she couldn¡¯t afford with the stakes so high.
She would not and could not let him leave this room without a guarantee that he¡¯d soon be encloistered within the palace ¨C either in a guest room or the dungeon.
And that was now.
He wondered how bad she¡¯d be when he really got to work?
¡Fortunately, he had a means of cutting this little power play off at the pass.
¡°Then let me save you a little heartache,¡± he said slowly. ¡°There¡¯s no possible way of you getting total control over my autonomy without also seeing your opponents gain access to the same weapons you¡¯re hoping will give you the means of triumphing over them.¡±
Yelena eyed him. ¡°And why¡¯s that? Because let me assure you, I have a few dungeons in my palace that, while quite nice to live in, wouldn¡¯t allow for even an errant whisper to escape.¡±
¡°Because said errant whisper is already out,¡± he said slowly. ¡°And while it¡¯s contained in a little hidey-hole, it will only continue to do so just so long as I continue to make public appearances.¡±
A sudden chill crept into the air.
¡°You provided the means to someone else,¡± Griffith said slowly.
¡°Not quite,¡± he said. ¡°Just a package to a third party, with some instructions to open should I¡ disappear.¡±
¡°Who!?¡±
William felt himself shoved down into his seat by the two palace guard beside him as Yelena stood up.
¡°Truth be told,¡± he grunted. ¡°I don¡¯t remember the organization¡¯s name. Bonnlyn probably would. Her family set up the meeting.¡±
¡°The Mecant girl.¡± Yelena sagged at his words. ¡°One of the banking clans.¡±
Indeed. One of the banking clans. Based out of the Western Dwarf holds.
And with that knowledge he knew there was not a hint of a doubt in the Queen¡¯s mind that William¡¯s words would come true if he didn¡¯t continue to be seen in public.
More to the point, it wasn¡¯t a group she could bully into coughing up whatever he¡¯d provided them.
Ignoring the natural stubbornness of dwarves, the banking clans were oath-sworn to protect their client¡¯s contracts.
¡°Release him,¡± Yelena said tiredly ¨C and instantly the pressure on his shoulders relented as the two guards stepped back professionally.
Drawing himself up, as he patted down his uniform, William had to resist the urge not to smirk as the two elves stared warily at him.
Finally, after allowing the silence to drag a bit longer, he spoke.
¡°So? Is it safe to say that marriage is no longer on the table?¡± He paused. ¡°Oh, and as an addendum, one of my other conditions is that I¡¯d like to use that orb there.¡± He pointed to the object on the table, one that was still repeating his radio-creating actions on repeat. ¡°I imagine my mother is rather upset with me right now, and if I don¡¯t speak to my younger sister soon, I can¡¯t help but think of what our mother might tell her.¡±
The two elves ¨C and the palace guard for that matter ¨C continued to simply stare at him.
¡°You can even listen in if you want,¡± he said. ¡°I promise not to drop any information that might see our entire nation destroyed by civil war.¡±
Yelena sagged in her seat. ¡°Just¡ do it, you madman.¡± She leaned backward, staring at the ceiling. ¡°Blackmailed by an eighteen year old. Gods above, my ancestors are probably spinning in their graves. I can only pray you¡¯re as much of a headache for our enemies as you are for me.¡±
William said nothing, just smiling, as he leaned over the table to pull the communication orb closer ¨C though he did send an errant wink in Griffith¡¯s direction.
Eliciting a fiery blush.
¡°And quit flirting with one of my instructors,¡± Yelena groused. ¡°Seeing as you apparently don¡¯t want to get married to anyone connected to me.¡±
William resisted the urge to chuckle.
It was nice to know that under all the audacity and agelessness of his nation¡¯s queen, she was apparently also a sore loser.
It was¡ humanising.
So much so that he wasn¡¯t even all that sore about the threat of being kidnapped.
That was just how the game was played after all.
Chapter Thirty - End of Book One
¡°Well done.¡±
As far as first words were concerned, William definitely hadn¡¯t expected those to be hers.
She certainly looked like she wanted to say a few.
¡°My thanks, mother,¡± he acknowledged, about as gracefully as he could. ¡°Please be sure to tell Tala it was a hard fought win.¡±
And wasn¡¯t that the truth.
The whole match had just about gone tits up from the very first shot. His plan had been for that first salvo to take out at least two of Tala¡¯s teammates ¨C and maybe the girl herself as well.
Instead, they¡¯d gotten one before the rest went evasive.
One!
At the time he¡¯d actually been stunned by that, though he¡¯d not exactly had time to dwell on how his supposedly incredibly skilled team had fucked up so hard. It had only been a few hours later that he¡¯d realized that the fault was more his own than anything else.
Spell-bolts were not bolt-bows. They didn¡¯t require as much lead, they had significantly more recoil and the ¡®feel¡¯ of that recoil was different. All factors that a few hours of practice in an open field at night did not come close to ameliorating.
With that in mind, it wasn¡¯t too hard to understand why his team had missed a series of shots he¡¯d have been able to make blindfolded. And as a result, Tala¡¯s team had been able to retake the initiative and practically decide the course of the engagement for the rest of the match.
Proof positive that no plan survives first contact with the enemy, he thought with grim amusement at just how close he¡¯d been to having years of planning nearly go up in flames.
Oh, he¡¯d have adapted to a loss. Made new plans.
But it wouldn¡¯t have been ideal. Not at all.
¡°For some reason, I doubt either Lady Blackstone will be inclined to read any letters I might think to send.¡± Inside the orb, his mother scoffed. ¡°Given just how thoroughly you have managed to shatter the ties between us.¡±
There was no missing the open censure in his mother¡¯s words.
¡°Perhaps. Still, let us not retread old ground, mother. As I recall, we discussed my plans prior to this most recent conflict and I believe your words equated to ¡®give it your best shot and I¡¯ll give it mine¡¯.¡± He eyed her. ¡°Try not to be too sullen in defeat, because my shot happened to be stronger.¡±
The woman laughed at that. ¡°Ah, the tits on you boy. Years of planning gone up in flames over your fit of pique and the closest thing you can summon to remorse is ¡®deal with it¡¯.¡±
William shrugged. ¡°Not all the planning that has occurred over the last ten years has been yours alone, mother.¡±
At that, the Ashfield matriarch stilled, a note of caution entering her gaze. ¡°No, I suppose not. Though you¡¯ll forgive your mother for not believing too heavily in the planning ability of a boy of eight.¡±
And William didn¡¯t blame her for that. Oh, he certainly had his reservations about how she¡¯d made those plans in total contrast to his stated wishes, but not her belief ¨C or lack thereof ¨C in his ability to counter-plan.
After all, he¡¯d been eight when he¡¯d started planning his rebellion.
What kind of person took to heart the threatening schemes of an eight year old?
Certainly, the intervening years of his continued resistance to her plans might have shaken that belief, but he knew more than most how easy it was to fall into the easy rut of contemptuous familiarity.
And even with all that in mind¡ he didn¡¯t believe his mother wrong in dismissing him as a threat.
He¡¯d spent the intervening years cultivating that very image after all.
That of a flighty layabout of otherwise middling ability.
¡°It¡¯s funny,¡± his mother of this world continued. ¡°You were such a bright child. Always asking questions. Always reading. Occasionally spouting out bits of otherwise profound insight. In retrospect, I can¡¯t help but wonder why I didn¡¯t think it odd when all that potential seemed to dry up overnight ¨C relegated only to the kitchen.¡±
William¡¯s eyes flitted across to the other occupants of the room, the Queen and his Instructor, who were each eying him consideringly.
No doubt they too were wondering just how long he¡¯d been planning this little rebellion ¨C and the frightful answers such a line of enquiry gave rise to.
Turning his gaze away from them, he shrugged once more. ¡°A talented youth squandered on youthful rebellion is a common enough tale.¡±
As he spoke, he became aware of just how¡ commiserating he was being.
Perhaps that might have seemed a little odd to others, given the lengths he¡¯d gone to in order to essentially spite his birth-mother. A person who by rights had wronged him gravely in her quest for power.
Personally, William thought that a rather shallow view of things. Certainly, his mother¡¯s plans had worked against his wishes, but would they have harmed him? Truly?
A lifetime of luxury in the bosom of one of the nation¡¯s greatest powers was hardly what most would think of when they thought ¡®harm¡¯.
No, in her own way Janet Ashfield had been looking out for his interests, even as she maneuvered him about like a piece on some great chessboard.
Was he a little sore about her stealing the Flashbang out from under him? Yes. The same went for the myriad other slights he¡¯d endured at the woman¡¯s hands, from the corporal punishments he¡¯d endured to being disowned as her heir.
Still, even with all that mind he couldn¡¯t quite summon up the animosity to be vindictive about it.
¡°Ha,¡± the woman in question laughed. ¡°That¡¯s true enough. Though more fool me for not seeing through my prodigious son¡¯s deception.¡±
There was a hint of bitterness in her words, that of an old wound that had been re-opened.
¡°I take some small personal pride in being difficult to account for,¡± he said quietly.
Janet laughed again, though as she spoke, her words seemed mostly directed at herself. ¡°¡®Some small personal pride¡¯, he says. As if his actions haven¡¯t shaken the very core of the nation a half dozen times over the last month.¡±
She gazed at him. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, my son. Truly. Deeply. Yet at this moment I can¡¯t help but wonder if I ever truly knew you.¡±
That stung. Quite a lot. Because it was true.
Because in some very real way, by being born into this world he¡¯d robbed this woman of her son.
Oh, he¡¯d played the part as best he could, but he knew in truth that he was a poor facsimile.
Because he¡¯d come into this world with the mind of a man fully formed, if not the body of one. And to a man who¡¯d lived a full life prior to this, how could the thought of seeing a woman many years his ¡®junior¡¯ and calling her ¡®mother¡¯ seem anything less than unsightly.
In some of his quieter moments, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if his mad plan was in some ways borne of that creeping disquiet? Had he chosen a path that set him in opposition to his family because it would help free him of their unsettling entanglements?
After all, it wasn¡¯t as if other paths to seeing this nation freed of slavery didn¡¯t exist. Paths that might have been less direct, but equally less bloody and prone to risk.
The truth was he had no answer to those morbid questions.
Only the self-appointed duty he¡¯d thrust upon himself.
¡°If that is the case,¡± he said slowly. ¡°Then I can at least say with some confidence that the fault is not your own.¡±
It was a meagre thing, as an olive branch, but it was all he could offer. Even if he knew it would bring the woman no true relief.
¡°You¡¯ll forgive me if I don¡¯t believe that,¡± she said with a brittle smile.
William didn¡¯t doubt that his blood-mother would spend many a coming night wondering just how far she¡¯d driven him away by trying to thrust this betrothal upon him¡
¡Without ever knowing that the distance between them had always been as inevitable as the rising of the sun.
Perhaps a more open man could have bridged that gap, reconciled the two lives and made new bonds.
That wasn¡¯t him though. It never had been.
He just wasn¡¯t that¡ open.
Too rigid. Too stilted. Both in this life and the last.
¡With one exception.
He coughed. ¡°With that said, if it were at all possible, might I speak with Olivia?¡±
Even if all his other familial bonds in this world were tainted in some way by those that had come before, that one at least remained pure and untouched by self-reproach.
Slowly, those words seemed to rouse Janet Ashfield from her melancholy. ¡°¡You have five minutes. I¡¯ll leave it to you to explain why your coming visit this Winter Festival will be so awkward.¡±
William winced.
He had a feeling that might take a little longer than five minutes.
It also seemed that while he wasn¡¯t feeling vindictive about how this whole charade had gone down, the feeling wasn¡¯t entirely mutual.
Though to be fair, he¡¯d been on the winning side of said charade.
It was a lot easier to be magnanimous in victory than graceful in defeat.
---------------------
Tala sat brokenly as she stared at the ruined remains of the room she was in.
Chairs lay in shattered heaps where she¡¯d thrown them against the walls. Tables were bent and broken. And most tellingly of all, the shattered chips of a crystalline orb were scattered against the back wall.
That¡¯ll be expensive to replace, she thought absently. And it¡¯ll probably come out of my stipend.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
She laughed woodenly.
There was a decent chance she wouldn¡¯t even have a stipend by the end of the week.
Perhaps under different circumstances she might have been able to argue against that. Wrathful as her mother was, the woman wouldn¡¯t want to see their house¡¯s prestige take yet more damage by having her heir incapable of affording basic sundries.
She was pragmatic like that.
Unfortunately, now it was a moot point.
There wouldn¡¯t be any political rivals aboard the Blackstone fleet. Just hard nosed rugged sailors and marines.
What did it matter if they saw that she couldn¡¯t afford the latest fashions? Or to keep her men in decent dress?
Not that there¡¯d be any men either aboard the fleet.
Excepting perhaps a few orc cabin boys, she thought.
And it¡¯d be a hot day in the depths before she lowered herself to touching one of those communal disease piles.
She lay back against the cool stone of the wall before sliding down to sit on the hard tile floor.
Her name was in tatters.
The third year who¡¯d lost to a team of firsties. Worse, a team of firsties with an orc amongst their number ¨C an orc who¡¯d swung her about like a damn rag doll.
Never mind that the first years had access to an otherwise unheard of weapon that was capable of piercing right through armour.
Never mind that her team had all but been taking the first years apart before that.
No, the rumor mill didn¡¯t care for unfortunate little facts like that.
Only that the high and mighty Tala Blackstone had lost.
A lifetime of doing as she¡¯d been told, striving to be the best daughter of House Blackstone that she could be, and it had all been undone in a single day.
The only bright side to the whole debacle was by being pulled from the academy she¡¯d need not hear the taunts of her rivals. It¡¯d only been a day, but already she¡¯d heard more than she cared to stomach as she stormed through the halls.
Even within the walls of the Blackstone dormitory the air was¡ stilted.
Her team would be disbanded, of course. Though they didn¡¯t know it.
Even now they stood steadfastly outside the room, guarding the entrance and ensuring her privacy, even as those in the halls sneered at them.
Loyal even now.
Her mother hoped that by wiping the name she might wipe the shame.
More to the point, those same steadfast friends of hers would find no reprieve from this loss even on fresh teams.
Tala¡¯s mother intended to tar and feather them. Steadfast friends Tala had known since she was old enough to have even a faint idea of the concept.
They were going to be offered up as social sacrifices. The blame for Tala¡¯s defeat aimed at the ineptitude of her ¡®teammates¡¯. Bad luck and ¡®coincidence¡¯ was going to follow them like a plague. Corroborating evidence as to their incompetence.
And Tala was powerless to argue otherwise. Not with the magnitude of her failure weighing on her tongue like an anchor.
And the cause of that failure?
Her fist clenched.
¡°William Ashfield,¡± she muttered, poison practically dripping from each syllable.
She hated him.
Truly.
It was the kind of hate she¡¯d never known herself capable of.
After all, she hated the orcs. She hated the elves. She hated the royal family.
Hate was an old friend of hers.
And yet this sensation was new, painful in its intensity.
This was true hate.
And it was directed at one man.
¡°William Ashfield.¡±
He¡¯d pay.
He needed to pay.
One way or the other, Tala Blackstone would have her vengeance.
And it would be bloody.
¡Though it would need to wait.
For now she would bide her time and lick her wounds. And William Ashfield would enjoy his triumph.
It would only make it all the sweeter when she one day ripped it away from him.
--------------------
¡°Kraken Slayer,¡± someone whispered in awe as William walked past.
For his part, he sighed tiredly as he continued ambling his way back to his room.
He drew a lot of attention as he walked through the halls, but the two academy servants serving as his escort acted to ward away any curious onlookers who might have approached.
After his call with Olivia ¨C which had been understandably tense given the damage he¡¯d done to their house - he¡¯d shared a few more words with the Queen. Mostly vague comments on the means by which he¡¯d killed Al¡¯Hundra. Irritatingly vague. The Queen had not been subtle about wanting to know more, but by the same token she knew she couldn¡¯t push him too hard.
His little fallback plan ensured she couldn¡¯t just take it from him, and that meant she needed to play nice and win him over.
Oh, he¡¯d share the means by which he¡¯d killed Al¡¯Hundra eventually ¨C he needed to if the crown were to recover enough cores to stand a chance against the North ¨C but he¡¯d do it on his terms.
That was a problem for tomorrow though.
For today, he just felt¡ drained.
Mentally, he was exhausted. Emotionally, he felt battered. Physically he felt like both and more.
Still, his building lethargy wasn¡¯t so great that he failed to notice the uncomfortable shifting of the guards outside his team¡¯s room.
For a moment his heart skipped a beat as his mind leapt to the worst possible reasons for it, before reason reasserted itself.
House Blackstone wouldn¡¯t strike at them so openly after their loss. And definitely not within the walls of the academy.
Bonnlyn¡¯s probably just being irritatingly¡ Bonnlyn and they can hear it through the door, he thought.
With that said, if she was up and about he¡¯d be a little impressed. He knew the dwarf had a decent tolerance given how much of her smuggled booze she¡¯d managed to put away last night before hitting the deck, but he had no idea that it would translate to an equally impressive ability to shrug off a hangover.
Or at least, that was what he was thinking right up until he took another breath and gagged.
Christ on a cracker, he thought as he winced at the smell wafting down the hall from his team¡¯s dormitory. Why does it-
He¡¯d barely started to have the thought before he connected the dots.
Ah, he thought. Marline.
Marline and her family¡¯s mithril core.
A mithril core he¡¯d stashed in the outfield¡¯s latrines as a temporary measure.
Latrines that had likely seen a lot of use yesterday, given that a decent chunk of the academy staff had ¡®coincidentally¡¯ come down with food poisoning.
For a moment he wondered if it had been Marline or her recently arrived Aunts that had done the deed of fishing the thing out.
For another moment, he considered turning around and going back the way he¡¯d come.
He didn¡¯t though, as nice as the thought was. Instead, he took a deep breath and bravely strode onward.
----------------------
Sienna sighed as the orb went dead.
Across the ocean, she knew that even now the myriad ocean bound vessels that allowed her to connect all the way to Lindholm would be lifting anchor and moving on.
Like a solar eclipse coming undone, she thought.
Until such time as she had need to speak with her subordinates in Lindholm once more. At which point the many traders and ¡®pirates¡¯ that plied the Eastern Sea between Mantle and Lindholm would ¡®coincidentally¡¯ assemble once more.
Simple. Elegant. And undetected.
¡°It seems the plans of our Lindholmian allies have hit a snag,¡± she murmured dispassionately. ¡°The civil war they promised may well have been delayed for years.¡±
All as a result of one young man¡¯s actions.
A human man.
She sneered at the very thought. That the direction of a nation could be so weak as to be directed by the fumbling of a single male.
¡°It need not be, my empress, simply command House New Haven to push harder for their conspirators to act.¡± Lea said, her advisor¡¯s pale frowning face standing out in the quiet gloom of Sienna¡¯s study. ¡°Short sighted as this Eleanor Blackstone seems, the half-life would surely not require much prompting.¡±
Sienna considered it, before shaking her head.
¡°Half-life though she may be, she is no fool. Ambitious beyond her station, yes, but not beyond reason.¡±
If House New Haven pushed for a war now, the human woman might grow suspicious of her ¡®ally¡¯s¡¯ true motives. No, House Blackstone needed to believe they could conduct their coup without weakening Lindholm enough to invite invasion.
Never mind that that was New Haven¡¯s goal.
After all, not all of the rebel lords had forgotten their true allegiances.
True, the House of merchants was primarily motivated by the gold and power that would be made available to them when the Solites ruled Lindholm, but Sienna knew she did not imagine Lady Faline¡¯s disgust was feigned when she discussed the encroachment of the lesser races on her domain.
No, the woman was a true believer in the Solite cause ¨C merely one that required more than one motivation to act on that belief.
Motivation that Sienna was more than willing to provide just so long as it gave her the opening she needed to expand her nation¡¯s holdings.
Maybe then we might finally crush the damned desert rats once and for all, she thought with a smile.
Ultimately, the delay was unfortunate, but that was all.
She was no half-life after all, that needed to grasp at what precious few moments they had in this life in the hopes of achieving anything of scant meaning.
No, she was a high-elf. Time was her weapon.
To that end, an opportunity would present itself with time. Likely not even all that much of it.
Such was the nature of half-lives.
Ever scrambling.
She need only wait.
---------------------
William was dreaming. He recognized it from the moment he was capable, though he didn¡¯t remember falling asleep.
He rarely did.
Presumably he¡¯d gone to bed sometime after Marline had finished shouting at him for forcing her to go diving into a latrine pit.
As for why he knew this was a dream?
It was hard not to, what with the quiet hum of electrical lighting overhead and the distant sounds of a city outside. Honking horns. Car engines. The occasional beeping of a truck backing up.
No, the dusty warehouse he was currently standing in was something entirely a product of memories of a previous lifetime.
The only exception was one of the occupants.
¡°Puck,¡± he said slowly, using a random name as he generally did.
Puck seemed appropriate this time.
¡°Contractor,¡± the spindly floating spider thing ¡®responded¡¯.
Though he struggled to call what it did speaking. Nor could he truly claim the thing was a spider.
Because it was an ant. With a deep voice.
It was a pixie. With an ethereal tone.
It was an elf. With a man¡¯s voice.
It was an orc. With a woman¡¯s voice.
It was a star. With no voice.
It was an ocean. With a hundred voices.
It was¡ it was¡ It wasn¡¯t worth thinking about.
As a rule of thumb, he found it best not to dwell on the fae.
They were alien. Unknowable. His brain rejected its very presence even as it tried to squeeze itself into something he could understand.
Poorly.
Because it couldn¡¯t understand how he understood.
So he paid it little attention. Instead he focused his gaze on the small terminal that sat in the centre of the room. A small computer on an equally small desk.
He ignored the way the chair failed to make a noise as he sat down, nor the way the computer frayed at the edges, switching between one model and the next.
If he bothered to focus on it, he¡¯d find the rest of the warehouse was much the same. Few things remained solid in a dream.
A mortal mind could only contain so much.
There were exceptions though¡
Weapons, he typed into the terminal, ignoring how the keys lacked letters.
Intent mattered more than actions here.
¡For most things.
After all, not everything here was borne of a mortal mind. Sourced perhaps, but the vector was distinctly inhuman.
As inhuman as the being floating somewhere a few feet behind him and an entirely reality away.
As his finger hit what might nebulously have been called the ¡®enter¡¯ key, the warehouse came alive.
Racks upon racks seemed to fly out of the middle distance, grinding into the soft material of the dream warehouse like a rock shattering the surface of a lake.
William stood up, ignoring the way the terminal and desk just seemed to¡ disappear.
Instead, he moved to walk along the aisles that had formed from the many racks.
His fingers ran over the surface of an ARMALITE AR-10, as he marvelled in the cool sensation of the metal under his fingertips.
He didn¡¯t doubt that if he touched the stock, he¡¯d find a small crack there.
Couldn¡¯t doubt it.
He knew.
He couldn¡¯t not know.
The knowledge was so sure it burned.
He moved on.
His hand brushed over a M68 FRAGMENTATION GRENADE.
His hand brushed over a MODEL 870 FIELDMASTER.
His hand brushed over a FATMAN NUCLEAR FISSION GRAVITY BOMB.
And yet the racks went on and on. Off into the distance, beyond the range of what he knew the warehouse should have been able to hold.
Every weapon that GEORGE STATFIELD had ever seen, touched or even read about - even so much as an errant glance.
Recreated here and now.
With a clarity that no human mind should have been capable of.
Yelena had asked him if he¡¯d ever intentionally engaged in Harrowing.
He¡¯d said no and he¡¯d not lied. Not truly.
Harrowing was the act of asking the Fae not for power, but for information.
Truthfully, it wasn¡¯t actually difficult to do. In most ways it was even easier than the simplest of spells.
After all, one need only ask.
And as he had the thought, he could feel the Fae all-but hovering over his shoulder.
It wanted him to ask. Anything. It didn¡¯t care what. It would honor the terms of any deal he asked.
Within the realm of what it was capable of.
And for all their power, the Fae were no more capable of understanding him than they were of experiencing emotions as William knew them.
To that end, asking one for information was as close to the analogy of a monkey paw as one could get.
As an example, if William asked it for information on how to fly, it was entirely possible he¡¯d get info on how a species from an alien world flapped its wings.
¡Or he might get the entire tech base of an entirely different winged species downloaded into his brain, from the moment of flapping said wings right up until the heat-death of the universe.
And he¡¯d never forget it.
Ever.
It would be seared into the very fabric of his mind ¨C and most likely drive him utterly irrevocably mad in the process.
After all, a human mind had limits.
William glanced over at a Wikipedia page on LATE ERA ROMAN PILUM.
He needn¡¯t have bothered. He already knew the contents.
He couldn¡¯t forget it.
Along with a thousand million other things.
Sighing, despite the lack of air in his lungs, he sat back down at a computer terminal that hadn¡¯t been there a second ago, once more in the center of an empty warehouse.
The fae floated behind him.
And for a moment, he was tempted to ask what question an infant William Ashfield asked it that had resulted in the entirety of GEORGE STATFIELD¡¯S mind being downloaded into his ¨C forever wiping away whatever might have once been the young boy.
He didn¡¯t, of course.
There were simpler ways to commit suicide.
No, instead he simply had to deal with the consequences of that boy¡¯s actions.
That boy who was him.
Those memories that thought they were the boy.
That boy who thought he was the man.
The memories that puppeted the boy.
The boy that used the memories.
He¡¯d long since given up trying to figure out if he was the machine or simply the ghost within it.
William?
George?
He didn¡¯t know.
More to the point, he had more important things to do.
With an errant thought, a sketchpad appeared in his left hand as his other moved what was now a typewriter.
¡®World War Two Fighter Craft / Engines¡¯, he typed.
And then they appeared.
All the Engines.
And William started making plans / And George started making plans.
The fae watched.
With something a mortal mind might have called eagerness.
Chapter Thirty One
Verity struggled to fight down a frown as she watched her teammate ¡®chat up¡¯ a pair of his family¡¯s guardswomen from around the corner.
Sure, he was technically just trying to help his team gain access to the family hangar, but it still wasn¡¯t right!
It just wasn¡¯t¡ proper, for a lad to be acting like that. Being all flirty to get what he wanted.
Not proper. Not proper at all.
¡°What do you think he¡¯s saying?¡± Bonnlyn asked from beneath her own position behind a nearby bush, wincing only slightly as the morning frost coating some of its leaves brushed against her exposed neck.
¡°¡¯Hey, I¡¯ve got a big dick. I¡¯ll show it to you if you let me and my teammates take a peek inside the hangar?¡¯¡± Olzenya said, lowering her voice to imitate their teammate, even as she tucked her hands under her armpits for warmth.
The elf pointedly wasn¡¯t watching the hangar where William¡¯s conversation was taking place, instead her back was to the wall Verity was hiding behind, a severely rugged up Marline not far from her.
¡°As much as part of me thinks that might actually work,¡± the dark elf muttered, her teeth chittering as she spoke to her fellow elf. ¡°I¡¯m pretty certain even William wouldn¡¯t be that brazen. Even if he¡¯s currently on the outs with his family, I¡¯m certain the guards will recognize that he is still part of it. He¡¯s probably just reminding them of that.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t sound certain,¡± Olzenya pointed out.
The dark elf clearly thought about arguing that she was, before honesty compelled her to simply remain quiet as she continued to shiver.
¡°He¡¯s not that bad!¡± Verity grunted, puffs of steam issuing from her mouth as she spoke.
¡°He really is,¡± Bonnlyn said, prompting the orc to send the dwarf a look of betrayal. ¡°What? I love the guy like¡ something complicated, but you can¡¯t deny that he¡¯s a few sandwiches short of a picnic after what happened last year. Hell, have you seen the way his aunts were watching him? They¡¯re as mystified by our team leader as we are. And they raised him!¡±
¡°He¡¯s our team leader!¡± Verity squawked. ¡°He helped us beat a team of third years last semester! Third years! And he figured out how to kill krakens! And¡ a bunch of other stuff.¡±
Even six months on she could scarcely believe it. Not least of all because he¡¯d accomplished the latter items without any of the other members of the team even knowing about it.
Beyond Marline¡
That thought stung a little. Even if she understood the reasoning for it.
¡°And the fact that he had us fight a team of third years in our first year, while simultaneously fighting Al¡¯Hundra for access to her nest, doesn¡¯t do much to refute the shortstack¡¯s point,¡± Olzeyna drawled. ¡°Being a freaky genius savant doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s not crazier than a sack of foxes.¡±
¡°As much as it pains me, given the service he¡¯s done for my house,¡± Marline murmured quietly. ¡°Even I¡¯m forced to admit that his methods are¡ unorthodox.¡±
Traitors! The lot of them! ¡°Well, if he¡¯s so bad, why did you all agree to spend Winter-Fast at his family¡¯s estate?¡±
The high elf shrugged. ¡°Beats going home.¡±
Marline nodded. ¡°Given his recent troubles with his family, I thought it wise to¡ keep him company during his visit. My family were saddened, but understood.¡±
Bonnlyn just made a dismissive gesture. ¡°Same as you. I see my family plenty enough while we¡¯re in the academy. Compared to that, an invitation to stay the week at a noble¡¯s estate sounded much more interesting.¡±
¡°I¡¯m glad to know my family¡¯s estate arouses such excitement in my team,¡± A new voice deadpanned.
Surprised, all four girls turned to see the team leader and only male member of Team Seven had arrived.
Bonnlyn was the first to recover, brushing through the awkwardness with the same bull-headed manner she approached most things. ¡°What did they say!?¡±
William smiled, apparently unbothered by the fact that his team had apparently just been discussing how firm his grasp on sanity actually was. ¡°We can go in. So long as I ¡®swear not to touch anything¡¯. Oh, and they¡¯re sending a runner for my aunt. I¡¯ve no idea why they felt the need to tell me that, but they did.¡±
¡°Awesome!¡± Bonnlyn cried as she all-but dashed towards the shard hangar.
The rest of the team followed along behind, albeit at a slightly more sedate pace.
¡°How¡¯d you convince them?¡± Verity asked in what she hoped was a casual manner.
¡°Well, my recent troubles with my family aside, I am still a part of the family. I just reminded them of that fact.¡± The boy shrugged.
¡°¡®Troubles¡¯, he says.¡± Olzenya scoffed. ¡°Will, I¡¯ve got troubles with my family. You were about two seconds from being locked up when we showed up last night.¡±
Marline elbowed her friend in the side for being so callous, but William seemed unbothered. ¡°Perhaps.¡±
To say the meal that had followed that arrival had been tense was something of an understatement. Which wasn¡¯t all that surprising given that William had absolutely wrecked his mother¡¯s plans by rather violently breaking off his engagement with his then fianc¨¦e.
Needless to say, the Blackstone-Ashfield alliance was now rather dead in the water, and with it, the Ashfield Countess¡¯ plans to claim the Summerfield Duchy once the current heirless duchess passed on.
Plans that had been years in the making.
Admittedly, that whole scheme had required multiple explanations for Verity to understand, but with said context the orc could well understand why her team leader¡¯s mother seemed torn between hugging and throttling her son when the team had shown up at her door.
¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± Olzenya continued, heedless of Marline¡¯s continued elbowing. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it was only the fact that you arrived on a Royal Navy Sloop with a contingent of Royal Marines that kept you from being placed on ¡®indefinite house arrest¡¯ for the rest of your life.¡±
Again, rather than be offended, William just laughed. ¡°Yes, and that¡¯s why I acceded to our Royal Overlord¡¯s requests that I have an escort for our trip.¡±
Marline rolled her eyes. ¡°¡®Acceded¡¯ he says, as if it was a choice.¡±
The boy just shrugged, as if he wasn¡¯t talking about their nation¡¯s ruler ¨C a figure so far above Verity that it made her head spin just thinking about it. ¡°Well, given that she didn¡¯t actually want me to come at all, I¡¯d say the choice was indeed mine, after a fashion.¡±
¡°Honestly, I¡¯m still not entirely sure why you wanted to come out here.¡± Olzenya said. ¡°Part of me thought you wanted to patch up relations with your family, given¡ the whole shitshow last semester, but given how you and your mother are avoiding each other, that¡¯s clearly not on the agenda.¡±
William moved to respond, before being interrupted by a distant shout. ¡°Will!¡±
The quartet turned as one, to see a young girl darting towards them from the direction of the main house ¨C followed by a trio of harried looking maids.
The sight made the boy grin. ¡°I promised my sister I¡¯d visit.¡±
It was actually a strange thing for Verity to see. Normally their team leader¡¯s smiles were a tad¡ fake. Not outrageously so, but it was something Verity had begun to pick up on.
Here and now though? It looked all too genuine.
¡The orc girl glanced away as an uncomfortable flutter ran through her stomach. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice.
¡°It seems I won¡¯t be able to join you for our little impromptu Shard inspection,¡± William said. ¡°Apparently my younger sibling has decided to move our planned afternoon meeting forward.¡±
With that said, the boy gave them each a final wave before changing course towards the half-elf girl. When they met, the young man swept the half-elf up into a great hug and swung around like so much luggage, eliciting great shrieks of glee.
It was a familiar move, one Verity had performed and been subject to with her own siblings ¨C though it was amusing to see just how scandalized the Ashfield heiress¡¯ maids looked as their charge was swung about.
Nearby, Olzenya sighed affectionately, before gesturing back to the hangar. ¡°Well, we might have lost our intrepid leader, but I say our expedition continues.¡±
¡°Aye.¡± Marline smirked.
Slipping past the two guards positioned by the hangar¡¯s entrance, the girls had to squint a bit in the low gloom of the building¡¯s interior. Well, Marline did, given the naturally shaded nature of her silver eyes. Olzenya probably didn¡¯t, given the huge black pupils of her own.
Still, despite the relative gloom of the building, the low lightning did nothing to take away from the majesty of the two craft that occupied the space.
¡°A Drake,¡± Marline breathed as she identified the fighter craft.
Though she needn¡¯t have bothered. There wasn¡¯t a girl in Lindholm that couldn¡¯t identify a Drake by sight. A bit old by the standards of Shards now, the craft still made up the mainstay of the Royal Navy¡¯s fighter capacity.
The small wing tips that jutted out from the edges of the rear-mounted wings made her think of a shark¡¯s fin. An image that was only reinforced by the gleaming silver of its aluminium skin. Though that comparison was only slightly marred by the bulbous brass aether ballasts that ran along the machine¡¯s side. Only slightly though, given that just like a shark, the Drake had teeth.
Four aether-powered-repeating-cannons sat at the very front of the craft, each one more than capable of shredding any foe they came across.
She smiled.
Back when she¡¯d been working on her¡ old mistress¡¯ estate, she¡¯d more than once craned her head to the skies in hopes of catching a glimpse of similar skimmed craft as they darted past on some patrol or another ¨C blue-green aether trailing from the wings of the great machines.
Each time the sight had been enough to make her heart skip a beat.
¡And someday soon she¡¯d be able to fly one of them.
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¡°And a Wyvern,¡± Bonnlyn chirped excitedly from where she was perched on the wing of the craft in question.
Indeed, to the left of the Drake sat a Wyvern, the two seater fighter-bomber design slightly older than the Drake ¨C and significantly less storied. If the Drake looked like a sleek silver shark, then the Wyvern was a fat tuna.
¡°Get down from there you goblin!¡± Olzenya snapped, the moment of awe apparently broken by the sight of their teammate clambering all over the craft they¡¯d ¡®promised not to touch¡¯.
The dwarf rolled her eyes, but did as the high elf requested. Clumsily. Though she continued talking even as she slid off the wing. ¡°I was just trying to figure out the beast¡¯s history. The Drake¡¯s almost factory new, but this girly apparently suffered a bad crash at some point. You can see the weld lines along one of the wings.¡±
¡°That, would be my nephew¡¯s work,¡± a voice called from behind them. ¡°The breaking. Not the fixing.¡±
The girl¡¯s of team seven turned as one, each snapping off a salute at the Marine Knight that had just entered the hangar.
The short woman laughed at the sight as she strode over to the Drake. ¡°At ease, girls. I¡¯m not exactly in uniform right now.¡±
Indeed she wasn¡¯t, clad in a leather jacket and thick brown pants, the crest that identified her as Marine-Knight ¨C and a pilot besides ¨C was still clearly visible on her chest.
Still, the members of team seven relaxed as best they could as William¡¯s aunt turned away from the Drake to take them all in. ¡°So, you¡¯re my law-son¡¯s teammates. I¡¯m sorry that I wasn¡¯t able to greet you all lastnight. Your arrival took a lot of us off guard and I was out scouting for a bandit camp at the time.¡±
¡°Bandits, ma¡¯am?¡± Olzenya asked.
The woman just shrugged. ¡°Nothing worth mentioning. Just the usual winter shenanigans.¡±
As one the, girl¡¯s nodded in understanding.
Seasonal banditry was an unfortunate reality of life. Something that happened each year, but tended to be especially bad after a poor harvest.
As the name suggested, it was generally an act performed by farmers looking to ¡®supplement¡¯ their income through the harsher winter months by preying on nearby trading. As a result, most households tended to intensify their patrols during the colder seasons.
¡°Anyway, I¡¯m Karla Ashfield, but you can all call me Knight Ashfield.¡± Despite her otherwise genial demeanour, there was no missing the slight¡ heat at the end of that sentence. ¡°Don¡¯t bother introducing yourselves. I watched that last bout of yours myself and I¡¯m more than familiar with each of you.¡±
¡°Pleasure to meet you, ma¡¯am¡± Bonnlyn said, her voice so polite that Verity actually had to double check it was actually the dwarf that spoke. ¡°Your law-son speaks highly of you.¡±
At those words, a complicated expression flashed across the woman¡¯s face, though there was no missing the hint of pride that followed it. ¡°Well of course, I¡¯m his favourite aunt after all. I¡¯m not surprised he¡¯s been bragging about me.¡±
Verity didn¡¯t know if she¡¯d take things that far, but she wisely chose not to voice that opinion.
¡°Just so,¡± the dwarf agreed easily. ¡°With that said, I can¡¯t help but notice that these craft are both lacking their cores.¡±
They were? Had that been why Bonnlyn had been perched on the wing of the Wyvern when they¡¯d walked in? Normally the shard-core was positioned directly beneath the pilot and could be accessed by a hatch just under their feet.
¡°Is House Ashfield planning on upgrading its Shard complement in the near future?¡± Bonnlyn continued, her mercantile mind no doubt seeing the opportunity for profit that two empty shard hulls would create in a market that was about to be flooded with mithril-cores as a result of William¡¯s latest invention.
Hell, their team would be interested. Once they got back to the academy, they¡¯d be second years, and that meant Shard training. And while the academy allowed them access to their fleet of Unicorn training craft, for intra-academy competitions teams were allowed to make use of ¡®private craft¡¯.
¡°Not at all.¡± The pilot laughed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s a result of William¡¯s handiwork.¡±
As she spoke, the woman reached into her jacket pocket, and the girls all gasped as she pulled loose a glowing shard of metal.
A mithril-shard.
The thing that powered a shard-craft. Indeed, that was the reason for the name, given that mithril-shards were literally shards of a greater mithril-core. And owing to their smaller relative size, they lacked the power to fill an entire airship¡¯s ballasts like a true core could, but some enterprising engineers had discovered that said lesser output could allow for alternative means of flight in smaller craft.
Verity glanced over at the single propeller attached to the back of the Drake.
Mithril¡¯s ability to continuously produce aether was instead used, not to generate lift through the vapor¡¯s lighter than air properties, but instead to generate pressure that in turn spun the Drake¡¯s propellers.
Oh, certainly it could fill the smaller craft¡¯s ballasts as well, but as a rule of thumb, most of the power would go to spinning the propeller during normal flight.
That propeller, in turn, would generate speed by pushing the air. That speed allowed air to flow over the wings, which generated lift.
Which in turn created flight.
Thus, where an Airship floated through the air ¨C a shard cut through it like a knife.
¡°William, ma¡¯am?¡± Marline asked quietly, drawing Verity back from her thoughts.
The pilot woman cocked her head. ¡°Oh, he didn¡¯t tell you? His last act in this household, and the one that got him sent out to the academy, was to steal one of our Shards for a¡ rescue of sorts. Of two peasants whose boat got caught out in a storm. A noble enough move if it hadn¡¯t been so foolish.¡±
The girls all glanced between each other at those words, more than a little scandalized¡ albeit not terribly surprised.
¡Though Verity found the man somehow climbing even higher in her esteem at the thought that he¡¯d risked his house¡¯s ire to help a pair of normal people.
People like her.
Or at least, like she used to be.
To be honest, some part of her still struggled with the idea that she wasn¡¯t a normal person anymore. She was a noble now. A very minor unlanded one to be sure, but a noble all the same.
¡°That, uh,¡± Olzenya started to say, her opinion of William¡¯s actions no doubt running contrary to Verity¡¯s own. ¡°Was¡ noble?¡±
¡°Stupid,¡± Karla all-but agreed. ¡°Still, as they say, you learn more from mistakes than successes. And it did lead us to developing this.¡±
As she spoke, she gestured to the chain attached to the core she was holding. ¡°We keep this thing and her sister in a lockbox when the shard¡¯s aren¡¯t actively in use. Keeps them a lot safer than they¡¯d be otherwise.¡±
That was¡ actually a fairly clever idea.
She¡¯d more than once heard her more rebellious fellow slaves ruminating on the idea of stealing a shard from the mistress¡¯s hangar and just¡ flying away.
It was a fool¡¯s dream to be sure, more of an idle hope than anything, given the guards on the hangars and the fact that they as slaves didn¡¯t know how to actually fly a shard.
But¡ even that pie in the sky dream would be stymied by the fact that the prize and the means to escape with it had been separated by the Ashfield household.
¡°A brilliant idea.¡± Marline said, admiration on full display as she stared at the vaguely key-shaped shard the woman was holding. ¡°One that I could see delaying a sortie in a surprise, but that¡¯s a minor drawback compared to the added security it provides.¡±
Yes, Verity could see why such a system would appeal to the dark elf given her family history. Sure, William¡¯s actions had resulted in them getting a replacement for it, but a lifetime of ingrained thinking wouldn¡¯t shift overnight.
Indeed, now that they actually had a core once more, the orc imagined the Greygrass family would be all the more fanatical in guarding it ¨C and any shards that were borne of the main core.
¡°Feel free to spread it around,¡± Karla shrugged absentmindedly. ¡°It¡¯s a simple enough thing to do, even if we did have to reconfigure the engine a bit for easy slotting and removal. Did most of it myself to be honest.¡±
That was a little surprising. Verity thought the Ashfields would guard their ¡®innovation¡¯ a bit more strongly.
¡°I¡¯d be interested in seeing that,¡± Marline nodded eagerly.
The woman paused, before something¡ dangerous ¡°Well, how about an in-person show?¡± She moved over to a tarp covered object in the back corner. ¡°You girls are about to enter your second year right? Start on Sshard stuff?¡±
The quarter nodded, poorly hidden excitement pervading their frames at the implications of the woman¡¯s words ¨C even Olzenya¡¯s.
¡°Well, how about I take you up and you could try handle the stick for a bit?¡± The woman asked grandly as she pulled on the tarp.
To reveal a worn-looking but still perfectly serviceable Unicorn.
Verity literally couldn¡¯t say ¡®yes¡¯ fast enough.
This was the best day ever!
-----------------------
¡°We¡¯re going to die!¡±
To say that Verity was panicking as she desperately yanked at the controls of her craft was something of an understatement. The constant spinning of the world beyond her cockpit glass didn¡¯t help matters, as she could already feel a nauseous sensation building in her gut. A gut that seemed determined to force its way up into her chest ¨C along with a dozen butterflies.
All while her shard hurtled toward the ground.
¡°At this rate, yes.¡± ¡®Auntie¡¯ Karla actually had the audacity to sound bored as the orc fought desperately to save them both. ¡°You should probably do something about this flatspin.¡±
¡°What do you think I¡¯m trying to do!¡± She all but snapped at the infuriating woman as she fought with the controls.
But no matter how much she tugged at the flight stick, the damn plane refused to break out of its spin.
Have to get the nose down, she thought franticly as she tried to recall her academy¡¯s theoretical lessons on the subject. Get air moving over the control surfaces.
Unfortunately, the shard refused to co-operate.
¡°I figure we¡¯ve got maybe forty seconds before we pancake,¡± Karla drawled. ¡°Thirty nine. Thirty eight-¡±
Verity moved to yell back, before being forced to swallow both that and a bout of bile as she struggled to fight another bout of nausea from the spinning.
Shit, were they really going to have to bail?
Was she going to be responsible for wrecking the Ashfield¡¯s Shard? On her first flight?
She knew her family didn¡¯t have the kind of coin to pay for it if she did.
Sure, Unicorn Training Craft were designed to be cheap and quick to replace - which was why they were only made of wood, not aluminium - but the two-seater design was still-
¡°Just passed two thousand meters. And I¡¯m taking over,¡± the human woman behind her said.
Almost instantly Verity felt the controls under her hands go slack as Karla engaged the ¡®instructor¡¯s controls¡¯ from her own seat behind the orc.
¡°First, let¡¯s stop the spinning.¡± The shard shifted, as beneath them valves opened and closed to redirect aether from the shard¡¯s mithril core. ¡°Redirecting pressure from props to the right exhaust.¡±
Blue-green gas burst from the exhaust thrusters positioned to the rear of the right wing, arresting the shard¡¯s spin in moments. Not it¡¯s descent though. The plane¡¯s nose was still level with the horizon. And the ground beneath them was only getting closer.
Would they still have to jump!?
¡°Redirecting pressure from right exhaust to rear ballasts one and two.¡±
Another series of clunks rang out as Karla pushed and pulled at some of the levers in front of her, the well-oiled mechanical interfaces acceding to the woman¡¯s demands with only a small amount of pressure.
Slowly, the front of the shard started to dip ¨C revealing just how close the ground really was as it rushed up to meet them.
¡°Ma¡¯am!?¡± Verity shouted in fear. ¡°We¡¯re not going to make it! We should-¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± the brunette responded. ¡°Pressure returning to propellors.¡±
Another two clunks that Verity barely heard over the blood pounding in her ears rang out. ¡°I really think we should bail!¡±
They were supposed to have bailed the second they stalled below five hundred meters! That was what the manual¡¯s said!
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she heard the woman say. ¡°Probably.¡±
¡°Probably!?¡± She shrieked as they continued hurtling towards the ground.
¡°Almost definitely,¡± the human grunted as the orc heard her finally pull back on the flight stick.
The cadet was forced down into her seat as the plane started to pull up, the shard¡¯s wooden frame creaking as the g-forces of the maneuver made the edges of her vision blur slightly. Yet even as the shard pulled up, the ground below them continued to grow larger as they were still on a descent angle.
The wide-open fields beyond the walls of the capital loomed closer and closer.
Even if they bailed now, the rear propellor wouldn¡¯t have enough time to detach! It¡¯d likely shred at least one of them as it cartwheeled loose!
¡Still, she found herself reaching for the release valve on her seat, the aether she¡¯d channelled into the gas-tank beneath her chair primed to blow off the cockpit and send her screaming up into the air with just an errant-
And then they were up - the bottom of their craft all-but skimming the grass off the field beneath them before it shot back up into the air.
¡°See?¡± Karla breathed as the pair continued to climb once more. ¡°We were fine.¡±
The orc ¨C now that she wasn¡¯t the one in control of the craft, nor being squished into her feet by g-forces, turned in her restraints to glare at her teammate. ¡°C-couldn¡¯t you have taken over sooner, ma¡¯am?¡±
The human actually had the audacity to shrug in her seat, her tinted goggles obscuring her gaze from the roc, but doing nothing to hide the human woman¡¯s shit-eating grin. ¡°I mean, you were the one who put us into a flat-spin. I was hoping if I gave you a little longer you¡¯d remember that you had more options available to you than just¡ yanking on the flight stick.¡±
Verity frowned at the words, even as she turned forward in her chair.
¡Some part of her had a growing suspicion.
Was the woman¡ hazing her?
¡°Honestly, if this is the calibre of my darling nephew¡¯s teammates, well, I¡¯m a little worried,¡± the pilot continued.
And all-but confirmed Verity¡¯s thoughts as she did.
Suddenly the Ashfield¡¯s shark-like smirk when she¡¯d revealed the Unicorn made sense. She¡¯d wanted to scare the shit out of all the girl¡¯s hanging around her ¡®favourite law-son¡¯.
And the worse thing was, Verity couldn¡¯t even complain! You know, even if she could get around the staggering difference in rank between them.
Because she¡¯d done the exact same thing to the girls who¡¯d come sniffing around her younger brother back when they¡¯d worked on the farms!
Ugh, she thought frustratedly even as another bout of nausea ran through her.
Her first flight in a shard had been soured by an overprotective aunt trying to scare the shit out of her.
¡Suddenly Bonnlyn¡¯s wobbly legs and frown made sense when she¡¯d clambered out of the Shard after her flight.
¡°Well, we¡¯re back at altitude,¡± the devilish woman said. ¡°Take the controls again whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±
Ugh.
Was it wrong to know that she was glad that she wouldn¡¯t be the only member of Team Seven to suffer this?
Then another thought occurred.
And lucky William is just¡ chatting with his sister while I have to fight to keep down breakfast, she thought with unusual venom.
The lucky lad.
-------------------------
William struggled not to let a stray bead of sweat run down his forehead as he suffered one of the worst fates imaginable.
His little sister was mad at him.
Really mad.
Chapter Thirty Two
William liked to think he¡¯d achieved a fair amount in his new life.
He¡¯d killed an ancient aquatic god-beast in the depths of its lair. He¡¯d lead a disparate team of first years to victory against a team with more than three times as much experience ¨C and triumphed. He¡¯d thrown a spanner into the works of a continent-wide conspiracy, delaying the arrival of a devastating civil war by years. And most recently, he¡¯d sat across the negotiation table from a queen and bargained with her as an equal.
It was not a small list of feats. More to the point, he¡¯d performed all of them without much in the way of either regret or hesitation.
It was a task that needed doing and he had been placed in a position to do it. He¡¯d either succeed or fail and there was little point in worrying about which would come to pass.
An outlook he would admit came across as a little¡ detached, but given that ¡®he¡¯ was likely little more than the memories of a long-dead man puppeteering the body of a traumatized child, a little detachment was probably healthier than the alternative.
Thinking too long or too hard on how he¡¯d come to be born into this world could drive a man mad¡
¡A lesser man of course. He was quite sane.
His goals and methods were simply beyond the understanding of most.
¡°Yes, I¡¯m annoyed brother. Annoyed at you. And mother. But mostly you.¡±
Most, but not all.
His younger sister counted amongst the latter. One of the few in this world, and he treasured her all the more for it.
Inclining his head to his sibling as they continued to walk through the grounds of the Ashfield estate ¨C his sibling¡¯s maid trailing just out of casual eartshot behind them ¨C he smiled.
¡°And may I ask why exactly you¡¯re so annoyed at both myself and our progenitor? As I recall, I¡¯ve broken no promises.¡±
Indeed, he hadn¡¯t. He¡¯d promised to visit for Winterfest and he had.
Which his sister acknowledged, even as her quiet frown remained in place. ¡°No, you haven¡¯t. And make no mistake, I appreciate that you managed to make the trip. I can¡¯t imagine it was easy to persuade your new¡ patron to allow you the freedom.¡±
William resisted the urge to wince at the reminder.
His sister wasn¡¯t wrong. He¡¯d burned a lot of goodwill to make this trip against the Queen¡¯s wishes.
Wishes he well understood the reason for given that he was now quite literally a national asset.
One that was uniquely irreplaceable, given that one of the conditions of his deal with the crown was that the means by which he created non-magical explosives were to be a ¡®house secret¡¯ of the newly created ¡®House Redwater¡¯.
A house that, as of the moment, consisted of just him.
Which in turn, meant that if anything happened to him ¨C be it an accident, a kidnapping or an assassination - the Crown¡¯s dreams of raising a new fleet of airships borne from the contents of once inaccessible kraken nests was doomed in its infancy.
So yes, the Queen had good reason to be leery of letting him out of her sight for even a moment.
With that said¡
¡°Allow me the freedom?¡± he laughed. ¡°Just because the Queen has seen fit to allow me to found my own House in the Crownlands doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve suddenly become her prisoner.¡±
His sister¡¯s expression was unimpressed. ¡°In everything but name perhaps. I know that if I were in her shoes, I¡¯d be leery of letting the inventor of my new Kraken Slaying device out of my sight ¨C lest he let slip the details of its creation.¡±
Young as she was, never let it be said that his sibling lacked a keen analytical mind.
¡°I didn¡¯t invent the Kraken Slayer.¡± William lied. ¡°Ignoring the stupid nickname our aunt saddled me with, I had absolutely nothing to do with the death of Al¡¯Hundra.¡±
¡°Oh, so you just happened to come across a mystery mithril core just after the beast died?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± He said as he mentally went through the agreed upon cover story. ¡°Perhaps it was an exaggeration to say I had nothing to do with Al¡¯Hundra¡¯s death, but it¡¯s still also an exaggeration to say I was involved.¡±
Olivia eyed him. ¡°That is a paradox, dear brother.¡±
He feigned hesitation. ¡°It¡¯s¡ you know why I¡¯m being elevated to lead my own house, right?¡±
¡°The Spell-Bolt.¡± Olivia nodded, before grinning. ¡°At least officially.¡±
¡°It¡¯s the truth. Or at least part of it.¡± He leaned down to whisper, momentarily delighting in the interested expression that flitted across his sibling¡¯s features. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know the details, but when I came up with the idea for the Spell-Bolt, I really was just looking for an edge in the arena. That was it. Same as with the Flashbang.¡±
The half-elf¡¯s delighted expression stilled a little at his words, to be replaced by something altogether more complicated. As his mother¡¯s heir, he didn¡¯t doubt she was aware of the truth of that little exchange.
¡°So, I submitted it to my instructor,¡± he continued. ¡°Patted myself on the back ¨C and then didn¡¯t think anything of it.¡±
¡°You invented a new kind of weapon with more range than any bolt-bow or spell in existence¡ and you didn¡¯t think anything of it?¡± His sister scoffed, before frowning. ¡°You know what, I still think you¡¯re lying, but that at least tracks.¡±
William just laughed.
¡°So, a few weeks pass. Then suddenly I get a royal summons. Naturally, I¡¯m terrified, but before I know it, I¡¯m being patted on the back for the Spell-Bolt and being offered ennobling for my ¡®contributions to the realm¡¯.¡±
Once more, his sibling seemed suspicious. ¡°That seems a little much for just the spell-bolt. It¡¯s useful, certainly, but it¡¯s hardly a peer to something like the Aluminium Refinement Process.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I thought!¡± He said aloud, well aware that his sister¡¯s maid was listening in and would report everything he said to their mother. ¡°But then a few weeks later I get passed a goddamn mithril core and told that my spell-bolt ¡®aided in the completion of an ongoing royal research project¡¯ of great importance to the throne.¡±
¡°The kraken slayer.¡± Olivia breathed. ¡°Your spell-bolt fits into it somehow.¡±
He nodded, without a hint of shame. ¡°Probably, but I wouldn¡¯t share that around. Obviously, the crown¡¯s keeping a lot of the details of the Kraken-Slayer under wraps.¡±
¡°But then why give you a core?¡± His sister asked. ¡°That practically announced to the world that you had something to do with Al¡¯Hundra¡¯s death.¡±
William scratched the back of his head. ¡°Honor. Obligation. Intentional or not, I did help with the creation of the device¡ whatever it is. If it ever came out that the Crown used part of my design in the Kraken Slayer and didn¡¯t compensate me for the result, it¡¯d look bad.¡±
Olivia just stared, prompting him to continue.
¡°Plus, I didn¡¯t exactly make it any secret that I wasn¡¯t a fan of Tala or the Blackstones. Maybe the Crown was just hoping to stir the pot a bit with one of their political rivals by granting me enough autonomy to, if not call off my betrothal, then make trouble?¡±
It was a weak argument and they both knew it. Not least of all because if the engagement had gone through, the Crown would have effectively supplied their enemies in the upcoming civil war with the means to create another airship.
Still, the rest of the story was at least plausible enough that she¡¯d be searching for holes in part of it, rather than thinking the thing was crafted entirely from bullshit.
Not least of all because the story fit with the rumours the Crown had been ¡®accidentally¡¯ leaking regarding the secret anti-kraken weapon they¡¯d developed. Rumours that were gradually pushing the belief that he¡¯d somehow created the Kraken Slayer into the periphery.
Not least of all because it was the more believable option.
The notion of the Crown developing an anti-kraken device before then using the proceeds from it to turn him as a catspaw in an attempt to sabotage the Blackstone alliance was significantly more believable than him generating the device himself, killing the squid, and then showing up out of the blue with a core to challenge his fianc¨¦ to a duel.
A lot more believable, he thought wryly as he considered the tangled web of events that had brought him to this point.
Still, he didn¡¯t doubt some interested parties would still be more than happy to disappear him for an interrogation on the off-chance he knew anything about the methodology behind the Kraken Slayer¡¯s creation.
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Which was why there¡¯d been a half-dozen invisible palace guards on the Royal Navy Sloop he¡¯d arrived with.
Guards that were watching him even now if his eyes didn¡¯t deceive him.
They weren¡¯t easy to spot, being perfectly invisible, but he could see the indents in the grass where at least one of them was standing nearby. Indeed, he¡¯d come to make a game of trying to guess just how many invisible protectors he had at any given moment.
Four was his best guess, given they worked in twelve hour shifts ¨C and he¡¯d seldom counted more than two pairs of indents at any given moment.
¡°I think you¡¯re holding out on some of the details, but I won¡¯t push for more,¡± Olivia muttered.
He smiled. ¡°Good, now that we¡¯ve covered all that, why are you so annoyed at me?¡±
The girl blinked, going from the heir of the Ashfield dynasty back to the fourteen year old girl she was in just a moment. ¡°I was going to be a duchess! And you wrecked it! And you broke poor Tala¡¯s heart in the process! She was really nice!¡±
William winced a little. Certainly, he loved his sister but she was still her mother¡¯s daughter. More to the point, while he¡¯d seen little use in maintaining a line of communication with his would-be fianc¨¦e, his sister hadn¡¯t.
What was worse was that he couldn¡¯t even fault her for it. The two had been set to be allies in the upcoming civil war and the many years that would come after it. It made sense that their mother¡¯s would want the pair to strike up an accord.
Something Tala had apparently been able to do, even with their long outspoken aversion to anything elven.
¡°You might have ended up a duchess. Assuming a bunch of other things went to plan.¡± He sniffed, playing along with his sibling¡¯s childishness. ¡°More to the point, I really didn¡¯t want to marry her. And Mother should have listened to me when I said so the first dozen times. Don¡¯t go whining to me because she forced me into a corner.¡±
Olivia scoffed, before muttering, ¡°we were hoping you¡¯d come around once you actually met her. Saw she wasn¡¯t as bad as you thought.¡±
¡°I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that meeting her only reinforced my desire to have nothing to do with her.¡±
¡°And I¡¯m sure you did nothing to sabotage that meeting.¡± The half-elf rolled her eyes before sighing. ¡°I really wanted to be a duchess.¡±
¡°And I really didn¡¯t want to marry into the Blackstones,¡± he pointed out. ¡°So I did something about it.¡±
The girl twitched, before a sly smile slipped across her features that he really didn¡¯t like the look of. ¡°Well, in the spirit of fair play, I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t mind that I¡¯ve done some doing of my own.¡±
He really didn¡¯t like that phrasing nor the implications of it. For a number of reasons. ¡°Olivia, what have you done?¡±
¡°Fixed what you broke. I¡¯m now betrothed. Though I¡¯m not supposed to tell you that.¡±
His heart skipped a beat. ¡°To a Blackstone.¡±
The girl grinned. ¡°A lesser cousin. Arranging it was a little¡ tense given your actions, but fortunately for our House, the Blackstone¡¯s pragmatism won out over their personal feelings.¡±
That was¡ never mind personal feelings, he could only imagine the hit to prestige they¡¯d be suffering.
¡°You¡¯re only fourteen,¡± he croaked.
Olivia sniffed. ¡°Yes, which is why it¡¯s a betrothal and not a marriage. Nothing will happen until I hit eighteen. So we¡¯ll just have to hope old lady Summerfield doesn¡¯t croak before then¡¡±
At those words, William felt some small shred of relief. He¡¯d rather hoped the fallout from his actions would make any further deals between his house and the Blackstone¡¯s radioactive.
It seemed though that the Blackstones were willing to tank the prestige hit ¨C and the questions that would arise from why ¨C if it meant getting another ducal house in their pocket.
¡Indeed, from another perspective this could be a good thing, he thought slowly.
The Queen had assumed it¡¯d be another two or three years before the Blackstones had sufficiently recovered from the black eye he¡¯d given their reputation to make any kind of open play at instigating a coup.
This ¡®secret¡¯ arrangement though suggested that they were taking a slightly longer approach now.
Something to the effect of four years¡
That was good.
In theory.
In practice, he wanted to kill someone.
Specifically, whichever asshole intended to place their filthy hands on his delicate younger sister.
¡A power hungry warlord in the making younger sister who was an enthusiastic participant in a conspiracy to overthrow the current government, but his little sister all the same.
Still¡
¡°You realize with how deeply my ¡®new house¡¯ is in the Queen¡¯s pocket, that¡¯d put us on opposite sides of any ¡®conflict¡¯ that might occur,¡± he said slowly.
The girl scoffed.
Actually scoffed!
¡°Please, William, you¡¯re a guy. And your new House doesn¡¯t even have an airship yet. All you need to do is hide in your lands while our girls crush the Royal Navy, and then surrender. The Blackstone¡¯s aren¡¯t orcs after all.¡± She eyed him, as if reassuring herself. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡±
William resisted the urge to sigh.
Yes, he loved his sister, but he wasn¡¯t blind to her faults. And while he¡¯d tried to correct them¡ he was still ultimately the ¡®screw up¡¯ older sibling. One whose influence was competing with an entire household full of other people with very different ideas.
¡°I need to speak to mother,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s making a mistake.¡±
Olivia¡¯s smugness dissipated as she turned to him. ¡°Don¡¯t tell her I told you about the betrothal!¡±
He didn¡¯t need to, given that Olivia¡¯s maid had undoubtedly heard everything.
Still, his sister didn¡¯t need to know that now, so he shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t. I was going to have a conversation on the topic of our House¡¯s future regardless. This just makes it a little more urgent.¡±
He¡¯d been somewhat hoping that with their relations with the Blackstones soured, his mother would instead seek to reingratiate herself with the Crown. Something his new position would have aided in.
Instead, it seemed she¡¯d chosen to double down on her ducal ambitions.
¡Still, that conversation was a few hours from now.
¡°Alright,¡± he said, turning to his recklessly ambitious little sister. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough heavy stuff. How about you show me how much your flying has improved?¡±
Grinning like the girl she was, the half-elf started tugging him in the direction of the lake.
And as she did, William made sure to stay close.
After all, his sister¡¯s maid wasn¡¯t the only set of ears listening in on the conversation he¡¯d just had.
And while this hypothetical Blackstone Cousin might have been hard for the Queen¡¯s Agents to reach, his sister was altogether much more vulnerable.
He really needed to talk to his mother.
Before she got his sister killed with her schemes.
He really didn¡¯t want to have to pick between his family and his ideals. Because he knew in his heart of hearts, if it came down to it, which one he¡¯d pick.
He couldn¡¯t not know.
William Ashfield¡¯s existence just wasn¡¯t that flexible. George wouldn¡¯t allow it.
Couldn¡¯t allow it.
----------------------
¡°We¡¯ll be over the drop point momentarily, ma¡¯am.¡±
Griffith acknowledged the sailor¡¯s words with a nod, not begrudging the way the woman stared past at her at the tarp covered object the dark elf was guarding.
Everyone aboard knew the purpose of their mission, and as such were also aware of the cargo they were carrying. A Kraken Killer. Curiosity about it was only natural.
With that said, the orcish woman¡¯s gaze lingered for but a moment before she finished relaying her message. ¡°The captain has requested you begin to prep the¡ device for drop.¡±
Griffith nodded. ¡°Understood, my people will drop the device once we¡¯ve come to a hover above the site. I¡¯d recommend she start getting her divers ready, though be sure to remind her not to launch until we have confirmation the Kraken is dead.¡±
¡°Understood, ma¡¯am.¡±
Satisfied her words had been understood, the noble woman closed the door to the ship¡¯s drop-bay, sliding the newly installed deadlock back into place.
Personally she thought the latter item was a bit much, but Yelena was taking no chances with her newest tool. The absolute last thing they needed was an example of the device somehow getting into the hands of their enemies.
Be they foreign or domestic.
The thought of anyone other than the Crown getting access to the Kraken Slayer and reverse engineering it was¡ well, it wasn¡¯t worth thinking about.
Though with any luck, if the worst were to happen, chances were decent that any faction attempting to reverse engineer the secrets behind the Kraken Slayer would have about as much luck as Yelena¡¯s people were.
Which was to say, not much at all.
Of the Sea Mines William had created thus far, four had been put to use immediately in their intended role, while two had been discretely smuggled into labs in the capital for study.
Griffith had no idea what was going on in those labs, but as far as she was aware Yelena¡¯s people weren¡¯t seeing much success, given her Queen¡¯s mutterings on powders and pig hearts.
Apparently, just having an example of whatever it was that made the weapon work, in addition to a list of the ingredients involved in its creation, wasn¡¯t yet enough for the Queen¡¯s people to figure out the methodology behind their creation.
A methodology that clearly went beyond just¡ shoving all of the ingredients together.
Honestly, it was a headache that could easily be avoided if the weapon¡¯s actual creator would just share his method, but Griffith wasn¡¯t holding her breath on that front. William Ashfield was a stubborn sort, and clearly absolutely determined to hold onto his ace in the hole for as long as possible.
A move that was perfectly understandable coming from a freshly formed House Head attempting to secure the continued existence and power of said house by maintaining a monopoly on a valuable resource¡ but still annoying.
More to the point, given the threat of said resource being leaked to their enemies if the Crown attempted to force him to part with it, there was little the Queen or Griffith could do about it beyond playing the long game and attempting to ferret out the Kraken Slayer¡¯s secret surreptitiously.
I know for a fact that the palace guards accompanying him have orders to attempt to observe the Kraken Slayer¡¯s creation process, she thought absently.
Though in truth she doubted they¡¯d have any more success than the boy¡¯s other minders in the six months leading up to his trip back home. Sure, the Queen¡¯s guards had the power of invisibility, but the boy had proven that said ability wasn¡¯t infallible. And until the boy was sure his lab was empty, he¡¯d simply refuse to work.
Griffith sighed as she pulled back the sheet covering the latest Kraken Slayer the boy had developed. Or as he called it, a ¡®sea-mine¡¯.
And she could understand the theory behind that naming system. After all, she wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with the concept given the existence of Sky-mines.
What she was looking at now though was no hot air balloon attached to a rope tether ¨C though would admit the form was similar.
A massive spiked ball attached to a weight by a chain, the kraken killing device looked more like some kind of obscure melee instrument than a cutting edge piece of experimental technology.
¡°Anya,¡± she called to the nearest palace guard sharing the drop-bay with her. ¡°Help me load it onto the drop ramp. Mary, attach the mermaid net.¡±
¡°Ugh,¡± Mary grunted as she moved past her colleague to grab the rather pungent bag of mermaid guts.
Anya for her part just smirked as she helped Griffith move the Kraken Slayer into place, before moving hastily back from the drop ramp. Something Griffith didn¡¯t blame her for given she did much the same.
Both had menuever-suits on, so neither of them would be too inconvenienced by suddenly being dropped out the bottom of the airship should the ramp drop prematurely, but given said ship¡¯s proximity to the ocean below, there was a decent chance they¡¯d hit the water before they could employ their jets.
Water that will also be filled with mermaid guts and at least one Kraken, she thought with a shiver as Mary finished affixing the net to the mine¡¯s main body.
Sure, there was next to no chance of an adult Kraken rising all the way to the surface to investigate said guts, but even a remote chance was more than Griffith cared to think about.
Kraken had been the boogeymen of elven sailors for as long as they¡¯d been traveling the seas of the world ¨C and even the creation of airships had yet to do away with most elves¡¯ instinctual fear of the great beasts.
She knew for a fact that the captain of the very airship they were on wasn¡¯t particularly happy about how low she¡¯d been forced to bring her ship to safely drop the mine.
¡And William sailed out in the middle of the night on a sloop with just a single other cadet for backup to face down the biggest one in history, she thought with a shake of her head.
¡°Clear,¡± Mary called.
Nodding, Griffith pulled a nearby lever. ¡°Dropping.¡±
Even as she said the words, the ramp slid open and the mine dropped out into the open air, before splashing down into the water below.
She knew from up on deck, many of the airship¡¯s sailors would be watching over the bow to see what would happen ¨C along with the ship¡¯s specially selected diving crew.
They didn¡¯t have to wait long before there was a great explosion in the depths.
Chapter Thirty Three
As William stepped into his mother¡¯s office, he made sure to shut the door behind him. He wanted this to be a private conversation after all. While he¡¯d likely be denied that by virtue of his invisible watcher¡¯s planting an ear to the wood of the door, he¡¯d at least have made it more difficult for them to make out his words.
It was a thick door after all.
Glancing up, he looked over at the two other occupants of the room; his mother and one of his law-aunts.
¡°My son,¡± Janet Ashfield said dryly from behind her desk. ¡°What is it you insist on discussing?¡±
Given the two of them had been carefully dancing around one another for the duration of his visit thus far, it was a fair question.
He idly inclined a head towards his aunt Sophia as he thought of his response. A nod the woman declined to reciprocate. Which was only to be expected really. Given she¡¯d more often than not been placed in the role of his disciplinarian, she likely saw his most recent acts of rebellion as a rather personal failing.
For a moment, he was tempted towards glibness, before recognizing it was an impulse borne of habit rather than logic.
¡°Olivia¡¯s set to marry a Blackstone,¡± he said without preamble. ¡°Why?¡±
His mother eyed him for a few moments before sighing. ¡°No joke? Instead you move straight to the jugular? You truly have changed, my son. Or perhaps your experiences away from home have revealed a mettle long hidden.¡±
The question was a delaying tactic, but he indulged it. ¡°That was the objective in sending me away, wasn¡¯t it? A last ditch effort to get me to straighten up and finally start taking things seriously. So here I am, taking things seriously.¡±
And he was. Though it was a lie to say that he¡¯d ever been anything other than serious.
He wasn¡¯t prepared for that conversation. Not now. Possibly not ever.
¡°To take your duties as a scion of House Ashfield seriously,¡± Sophina grunted. ¡°Not to foment betrayal and oathbreaking.¡±
¡°Oh, an oathbreaker am I? May I ask which oaths?¡± he asked disinterestedly. ¡°The ones to the crown? To Lindholm? To my ideals? To this house? To my mother? To my sister?¡± He glanced about the room. ¡°I¡¯ve sworn a lot of oaths in this life, and due to the actions of you and my mother, I found myself with not a road I might take that left one unbroken. So do not grouse at me because I chose to sunder my honor in ways different from your own.¡±
His aunt¡¯s lips twisted into a thin line as he continued. ¡°Do not play word games with me, boy-¡±
¡°Then don¡¯t try to shame me by surrounding yourself with delusions of selfless duty, oathbreaker!¡± he shouted, voice echoing across the stone walls of the room.
And for the first time ever, he got to see both his aunt and his mother rendered speechless. Not that he blamed them. He was a little surprised himself. He didn¡¯t yell. Not ever. He considered the raising of one¡¯s voice the last refuge of a poor argument.
So where the hell had that come from?
¡°No¡ let us continue without deception, of the self or otherwise,¡± he said as he fought to control his suddenly racing heart. ¡°Why do you refuse to give up on your alliance with the Blackstones?¡±
His mother recovered first, eying him once more like she was seeing him for the first time.
¡°So be it, William, I¡¯ll be frank with you. Why do you continue to speak as if our original arrangement with House Blackstone was a choice?¡±
He frowned. ¡°Are you trying to claim it wasn¡¯t? That House Blackstone threatened you?¡±
¡°Directly?¡± Janet laughed. ¡°No, they didn¡¯t need to. Why would they? When the airship you¡¯re on is leaking aether and you¡¯re given the option to climb aboard another, is a reminder of the approaching fate of your current vessel a threat?¡±
¡°House Ashfield¡¯s not a sinking ship. Its finances are fine. The Indomitable is a little outdated but her mithril-core is still in excellent condition.¡±
¡°Yes, thanks to the efforts of both our ancestors and myself,¡± Janet stated matter-of-factly. ¡°But House Ashfield isn¡¯t the airship in question. It¡¯s but a cabin. The airship is either Lindholm or the south depending on your perspective."
¡°That¡¯s-¡±
¡°The truth,¡± Sophina said flatly. ¡°Queen Yelena gambled and lost. She saw that her northern ladies were growing too powerful as a result of the slave trade and attempted to curtail it by outlawing the practice. A move that saw them both unite against her.¡±
¡°Which surprised everyone,¡± Janet murmured quietly. ¡°Some part of me can still scarcely believe it. The pair have been rivals for¡ ever. Ever since the invasion, when the first Queen of Lindholm granted the Blackstone clans the right of governance over their ancestral lands. Lands the then House of New Haven had spent years trying to conquer.¡±
¡°And lost many family members in the process,¡± Sophina intoned gravely. ¡°Between that and House New Haven¡¯s stance on elven superiority¡ well, the idea that they¡¯ve suddenly decided to take a backseat to the Blackstones regarding the slavery issue is a little out of character.¡±
¡°Only a little though,¡± Janet scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve met Lady New Haven. Her house might be known for their pirate hunting, but we all know they only do it to keep their personal trade lanes safe. Merchants at heart, the lot of them.¡±
Sophina frowned, but nodded. ¡°Just so. Either way, the Queen was clearly gambling on that animosity to keep her two most militaristic duchies from uniting against her reforms. A gamble that didn¡¯t pay off.¡±
William nodded slowly as he came to a realization. ¡°Which set the stage for the coming civil war. One that the South has or had, little chance of winning.¡±
Janet leaned forward in her seat as she stared at him. ¡°The Royal Navy might put up a fight, but the Summerfield and South Shore fleets are comprised mostly of second order vessels operated by nearly green crews. They¡¯re not ready for an all-out war against the North and a few years won¡¯t change that.¡±
William couldn¡¯t find it in himself to disagree. Indeed, to him it sounded a lot like what happened in the early days of World War Two when French and British Expeditionary forces ran up against veteran germans troops fresh off their conquest of Poland.
Though in this example, the Germans wouldn¡¯t be going around the Maginot ¨C they were the Maginot.
¡°Do you see now William why I joined up with the Blackstones?¡± Janet asked sincerely, her eyes urging him to understand. ¡°For the good of the house. For all of us. Yelena lost the war the moment the Blackstones and New Haven united against her. All I could do was try to salvage what I could from the situation.¡±
¡°You mean profit?¡±
¡°Does it make a difference?¡± Sophina asked. ¡°By seizing control of the Summerfield duchy and fleet, the outcome of the war would be a foregone conclusion. Southshore would be offered a chance to be ¡®stalemated¡¯ by our fleet. It¡¯d be a bloodless standoff. With that done, the Northern houses could sweep aside the Royal Navy and take the capital practically overnight. The whole thing would be over and done before any of our neighbors on Mantle could get any ideas.¡±
Janet smiled. ¡°You¡¯d be King as Tala¡¯s consort. Olivia would be a duchess. And there¡¯d be a minimum of blood spilled. Compared to the alternative, it wasn¡¯t even a choice.¡±
William took a moment to digest his family¡¯s words, looking over their hopeful faces. He could see the logic of it. Lemons and lemonade and all that jazz. It warmed his heart a little that this whole thing hadn¡¯t entirely been naked ambition.
Oh sure, there was some of that too, but he could hardly hold that against his mother.
There was just one small problem¡
¡°It really is a neat solution,¡± he admitted. ¡°I¡¯d probably have gone for it myself, truth be told. I mean, if it weren¡¯t for one small problem...¡±
He felt a small twitch in his heart and his mother¡¯s face fell.
¡°¡That being that slavery would get to continue chugging along, alive and well. Probably for another few hundred years or so.¡±
Sophina opened her mouth. ¡°That¡¯s-¡±
¡°Non-negotiable,¡± William said without preamble. ¡°I said it before, and I¡¯ll say it again: I refuse to make common cause with slavers.¡±
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Even as he said the words, he knew they couldn¡¯t understand it. It just didn¡¯t compute. Oh, certainly, he knew neither of them had any love of slavery ¨C but they had no real animosity towards it either.
It was just¡ a thing to them.
Like sweatshops in his own world. Or the homeless. Or any number of other impersonal societal issues. They¡¯d rather be without it, but they¡¯d hardly beggar themselves to be rid of it. And they saw anyone that would as a fool.
Not unlike someone who sneered at a college student for going to Africa to build houses for the poor. Because that person was clearly a soft-hearted moron who was wasting his time ¨C and more to the point was just doing it for the social clout and to fuel their messiah complex.
William understood that.
Truly.
It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d been some paragon of kindness and societal goodness prior to his rebirth.
¡°A shame. Annoying as it was, I thought you¡¯d grown up a bit,¡± Sophina scoffed derisively while his mother just looked resigned. ¡°Instead, I see you¡¯re still the same na?ve child you were before you left. Just a more competent one.¡±
She was more right than she knew.
Which was why William was utterly unbothered by the attempted insult. ¡°Na?ve or not, it¡¯s nice to know why you¡¯re continuing with your alliance with the Blackstones.¡±
Janet leaned back. ¡°Oh?¡±
He sighed. ¡°I ruined a sure thing for you. As you said, the outcome of the civil war was a foregone conclusion, so you picked the winning side and tried to extract as many advantages from that choice as you could. Except, suddenly the outcome of that fight isn¡¯t quite as sure as it was. The Crown unveiled a new Kraken killing weapon and the Royal Navy is suddenly flush with Mithril Cores.¡±
His aunt and mother watched him warily as he continued.
¡°Now what was once a sure thing is a gamble once more. And if you pick poorly, you risk the annihilation of this entire family.¡± He paused. ¡°But what if you had a means to make it not a gamble again? Sure, you can¡¯t make the Crown win the coming war, but you have a means to ensure it loses.¡±
He glanced out the window. ¡°Switch sides. Bring the Summerfield fleet around to the North. And just like that, the gamble isn¡¯t a gamble anymore. Even with the Crown¡¯s new surplus of Mithril Cores, they can¡¯t build enough hulls to make up for having an entire duchy fleet switch sides.¡±
Neither woman said anything. It was clear they weren¡¯t going to confirm his hypothetical.
And that was important. Because that was all this theory was at the minute, a hypothetical. One the Crown couldn¡¯t act on.
Openly, at least, he thought.
Because openly moving on an otherwise loyal house that just happened to have its heir betrothed to their political enemies would kick off the war early ¨C and a lot of otherwise neutral houses would side with the Blackstones as a result.
Which was why the Crown wouldn¡¯t do that.
It would choose a much more clandestine way to ensure that the marriage alliance never happened and thus the Blackstones had no legal reason to aid House Ashfield in laying claim to Olivia¡¯s hereditary claim to the Summerfield duchy¡
¡By removing Olivia.
And Yelena would do it too. In a heartbeat. Because it would be infinitely easier to strike at William¡¯s sister than this hypothetical Blackstone male sequestered away in the North.
Something his mother knew full well. ¡°You¡¯ll breathe not a word of this to anyone.¡±
He shrugged. ¡°Sure, as soon as you break off this betrothal.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not going to happen.¡±
¡°Are you truly so blinded by greed,¡± he asked.
Janet scoffed. ¡°There is no risk. You said it yourself. I either gamble the fate of our house on this coming war ¨C or I do not by fixing the outcome. I choose the latter.¡±
¡°You¡¯re gambling that I will say nothing of this scheme to my patron,¡± he pointed out, eyes moving warily to the blade at his aunt¡¯s side.
His mother just smiled though. ¡°That¡¯s no gamble at all. While I know others might doubt it, I know you love your sister. Whatever else might have changed about you since we last met, that remains the same. You won¡¯t say a word to endanger to her.¡±
It was irrelevant. His invisible watchers already knew. And through them, so would the queen.
Would saying as much convince his mother?
No, she¡¯d just cloister Olivia away as best she could. Or, more likely, send her to ¡®foster¡¯ with the Blackstones. At which point the situation would be entirely out of William¡¯s hands as well.
He sighed. ¡°It¡¯s funny mother, all throughout the many slights you levied against me, I never took them personally. Not being passed over as heir. Not the many lashes to my person. Nor even when you tried to lay claim to spells I developed. This though? My sister? I do believe something akin to hatred is beginning to flare to life in my heart, for you and your schemes.¡±
His mother remained stony faced. ¡°Everything I do, I do for the family. The entire family.¡±
William ran a hand through his hair as he glared at her. ¡°Just not any one member of it.¡±
¡°Now you¡¯re beginning to understand.¡±
He turned to leave, though not before casting a few final words over his shoulder. ¡°Four years. That¡¯s how long I have to change your mind regarding this madness. You¡¯ll see. One way or another, House Blackstone will lose this war.¡±
With that he shoved open the door to his mother¡¯s chambers and stormed into the hall.
This vacation was being cut short. He had work to do. Too much.
Before that though, he needed to convince his patron not to have his sister murdered¡
And that kind of concession¡ it wouldn¡¯t be cheap.
Indeed, he knew exactly what Yelena would demand in return for overlooking the very real treason occurring right under her nose. Treason that could well end up losing her the war, no matter how many cores he supplied her.
No, there would only be one thing Yelena would accept in return for that kind of concession.
--------------------
Privately, Yelena could respect the foresightedness of the move. It really was something of a masterstroke.
A hidden Summerfield heir.
She¡¯d honestly been completely ignorant of it. Which was hardly strange. She was the queen of an entire nation. The internal politics of one minor house amongst the dozens that made up her homeland was hardly something that she could be expected to keep up with.
Suddenly the Ashfield¡¯s planned alliance with House Blackstone made a lot more sense. Through it the Blackstone¡¯s would have a legitimate reason to intervene in the duchy¡¯s looming succession crisis. And with the Blackstone fleet backing their claimant, the Ashfield¡¯s bid would be all but guaranteed.
More to the point, Yelena herself would have no legal reason to intervene. Even as one of her duchies slipped through her fingers and into the waiting hands of her enemies.
Everything that occurred after that would be a foregone conclusion.
And it was prevented completely without my knowledge, she thought with some complicated emotions.
The climactic duel of six months ago. It hadn¡¯t just been about keeping a talented young mind out of the hands of her enemies, nor even about damaging their credibility on the national stage.
It had also been about keeping an entire duchy from falling to a conspiracy she had been completely ignorant of.
It was a discomfiting feeling, to realize just how much she owed William Ashfield.
Not least of all because of what she had to do next. And she did have to do it. No matter how much it tore at her conscience to do so.
¡There were days she really did hate being Queen.
¡°The Kraken Slayer,¡± she said with feigned dispassion. ¡°Not the trickle of devices you¡¯ve provided me thus far, I want the means behind it. That¡¯s my price.¡±
Inside the orb through which she was communicating with his distant ship, she watched William Ashfield¡¯s expression twist. He was alone in the captain¡¯s cabin of the sloop she¡¯d provided for his ¡®journey home¡¯. A trip she¡¯d been very much against, though now she was glad for it given it had provided her this¡ leverage.
William Ashfield cared for his sister. Something that was both surprising and wasn¡¯t, given that the girl had replaced him as heir.
It seemed even that wasn¡¯t enough to completely sever their familial bond. Indeed, it was strong enough that even now William was trying to shield the girl from the consequences of her family¡¯s ambition.
And she was exploiting that.
¡°Has my service thus far not granted me leeway enough for this to be¡ temporarily overlooked?¡± the boy asked.
¡°There are limits.¡± Yelena scoffed. ¡°Even if I were to completely disregard my feelings on the matter of my subject¡¯s scheming treason, there¡¯s the fact that I would be failing in my duties as sovereign to leave this¡ problem to fester.¡±
And that was the hard truth. Ignoring everything else, this conspiracy couldn¡¯t be ignored. The loss of an entire duchy to the enemy would be a death knell to her cause.
She continued. ¡°With that said, given Olivia¡¯s legal age, it is a problem with a guaranteed timetable. An early marriage would be a scandal to be sure, but there are certain limits on how much of a scandal one might commit before it becomes illegitimate. Two years, I¡¯d say. That is the very most the betrothal could be brought forward before it would be considered moot.¡±
William perked up, some genuine hope sparking in his otherwise deadpan expression. ¡°Then give me two years. Two years to convince my family of the folly of this course.¡±
Oh, she really did feel bad now.
¡°I could.¡± Yelena leaned back in her chair. ¡°But, in return for allowing such a risk to my rule to be left floating in the wind, I would require certain guarantees. Advantages in the coming conflict that would make the momentary risk of an entire duchy declaring for my enemy seem less vital.¡±
¡°The Kraken Slayer,¡± William said.
¡°Just so.¡± She smiled.
He sighed. ¡°Given that my new territory has been set up, I can increase production from there, supply you with more of the d-¡±
¡°No.¡± She interrupted. ¡°That¡¯s not enough.¡±
Rising, she tapped the desk in front of her. ¡°If I am to take on this risk on your behalf, I refuse to allow the future of my nation to be tied to a single point of failure. The fact that you¡¯ve managed to sustain that position for as long as you have despite my antipathy towards it is a credit to your skills as a schemer¡ but that state of affairs ends now.¡±
She glared into the orb. ¡°The secrets to the production of the Kraken Slayer. That¡¯s my price.¡±
¡®To allow your sister to keep breathing,¡¯ went unsaid.
He argued. Long and hard. Presented her with alternative magics and technologies that frankly boggled the mind. So much so that part of her suspected he was simply making them up. And she couldn¡¯t have that. Not as a ruler. She worked with what was, not what could be.
¡°The Kraken Slayer,¡± she said finally as he slowly started to run out of steam.
He sagged, the fight going out of him.
¡°I¡¯ll write up the method once I land in my new territory,¡± he muttered. ¡°And present it to one of your palace guard.¡±
The victory felt somewhat hollow given how she¡¯d achieved it, but it was a victory all the same.
¡°This is for the good of Lindholm, William.¡± She made some small attempt at commiseration. ¡°And you have my word on this. Two years. More than enough time to convince your family of this folly.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± he said dryly, more resigned than anything else.
Pausing, she continued. ¡°More to the point, even if it was provided under duress, I will reward you for this. What you¡¯ve done deserves nothing less.¡±
He perked up a bit at that, curiosity pervading his expression.
Yes, hopefully that would lessen the sting. Ignoring her feelings as a person, well, she didn¡¯t want William Ashfield as an enemy.
A mind like his¡
Well, sometimes that was many times more dangerous than even a fleet of airships.
No, he would be well rewarded for this.
Indeed, an idea was already coming to her. Better yet, it would be an excellent chance for him to show off some of those other ideas he¡¯d presented.
Because if even half of them worked¡
Well, it would be interesting to see.
¡°Enjoy the rest of your trip, William. As promised, your new territory is primed and ready to receive you when you land. The alchemist guild in particular are most enthusiastic to repay your interest in their organization.¡±
Almost as interested as she was to see what use William had for them.
Chapter Thirty Four
¡®Ninety percent of sapient communication is non-verbal.¡¯
Truth be told, Piper wasn¡¯t entirely sure where she¡¯d first heard that bit of trivia, but the dwarf woman had never found cause to disagree with it. In her experience, communication, more often than not, was more about the subtle gestures that preceded words than the words themselves.
Especially in politics.
Her current position was a prime example of that fact in action. Stood together with the two other ¡®powers¡¯ of the newly formed Redwater countship, they appeared to their arriving lord as the leaders of the three factions that made up his new home.
Because, behind each of them stood their ¡®troops¡¯ ¨C though in truth, only Lady Stillwater could lay claim to having any actual warriors under her command.
Glancing over at the the crown¡¯s recently appointed interim-governess, the dwarf noted that the aristocratic looking blonde human had a quartet of marine-knights behind her, a platoon of royal marines behind them, and finally a dozen members of the county¡¯s household guard behind them.
Her group, by far, made for the most impressive sight on display. They stood in neatly ordered rows, weapons and armour shined the night before until they practically gleamed in the morning light. Even the county militia in the back rows looked reasonably impressive in their recently re-dyed Redwater red, blue and white gambesons ¨C and a lot less like the motley collection of part time huntresses and trappers they actually were most of the time.
Piper also knew that said motley crew would much rather be standing behind the woman to Piper¡¯s left, rather than where they were currently.
Marine-knight, former interim-governess and now chief-headwoman for the dozen or so villages and the single town that comprised the newly renamed Redwater county, Xela Tern¡¯s following was easily the largest present ¨C and the most disorganized.
More a mob than anything else, the elk-like wood elf¡¯s followers flowed out from behind her like a cape, before looping around the periphery of the landing field and into the many streets that surrounded it.
Dolcaster wasn¡¯t a large town by any stretch, but it seemed a not insignificant amount of both the settlement¡¯s populace and that of the surrounding villages¡¯ had shown up for the arrival of the county¡¯s new lord.
To their credit though, not one of the collection of peasants present for the arrival of their new lord had actually stepped onto the gravel covered landing strip, either common sense or the stern gaze of their village leader¡¯s keeping them from taking that final step forward.
Well, that and a small collection of Regina¡¯s marines, Piper thought.
Because as much as she knew the human would have preferred the added visual weight that would have come with having that extra squad of royal marines added to her numbers, all the subtle power plays in the world wouldn¡¯t make up for their lord being unable to land because some idiot wandered onto the gravel at the worst moment.
¡Or better yet, said lord stepping off the ramp to find one of his constituents smeared beneath his airship¡¯s landing gear.
And if Xela Tern were a more political animal she¡¯d be taking advantage of that fact to throw proverbial mud on her replacement¡¯s name by having a few villagers get unruly.
Of course, if she was a more political animal, she probably wouldn¡¯t have been replaced in the first place, Piper thought as she regarded the wood elf.
Indeed, that lack of political niceties and smarts was likely why she¡¯d been placed into the role of interim-governess in the first place. Despite acting as custodian for these lands for nearly four decades, the woman had never once thought to try to leverage those years of service or the support of the populace to try to elevate herself to countess in truth.
Which was why it had likely come as such an unexpected surprise for the rural knight when Stillwater arrived six months ago with a royal writ appointing the human woman as the wood elf¡¯s replacement.
To be fair, the wood elf had been offered another position as interim-governess in a more prestigious location ¨C replacing a woman whose performance had been lacking ¨C but the wood elf had refused.
Much to Stillwater¡¯s consternation, as it now meant she had a political rival sticking around who was much loved by the populace of the territory she¡¯d been sent to administrate. A rival she couldn¡¯t legally send elsewhere as while Tern had never been officially made a countess, she did still own a small plot of land nearby.
Certainly, Stillwater had other means of removing the wood elf if needed, but using any of them ran the risk of upsetting the local populace with whom she was already unpopular for replacing the wood elf in the first place.
Amongst other reasons¡
So in short, Tern wasn¡¯t going anywhere unless she chose to.
Though whether she was sticking around in the hopes of regaining her old position or out of genuine love for the lands and people with whom she¡¯d been living for the last forty years, Piper didn¡¯t know.
What the dwarf did know was that the knight wasn¡¯t exactly shy about using her new position as ¡®chief headwoman¡¯ to right any wrongs she believed either Stillwater ¨C or Piper herself ¨C to be engaged in.
Which led to the third faction.
Her faction.
The ¡®fuck it all, I don¡¯t care who¡¯s in charge, just let me get to work¡¯ faction.
Hell, she¡¯d have preferred it wasn¡¯t even a faction in the first place. As far as she was concerned, the crown was the one paying the bills, Stillwater had been appointed by the crown, Piper worked for her. Certainly, she wasn¡¯t exactly pleased that the Alchemist¡¯s guild had been uprooted from their old headquarters in the capital proper to be carted across the country as a gift for some¡ kid, but that still beat bankruptcy.
Which was exactly what her guild had been facing prior to Stillwater arriving at her door with a request for her and her people to lead a large-scale construction effort in a nearby county. Something that was well within the skillset of a guild that had been forced to¡ diversify in the face of their growing disinterest in their actual speciality.
Something the Crown was well aware of.
So¡ she worked for the Crown ¨C and their coin.
¡Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t just say that.
After all, not all of the workers behind her had been brought in from out of town. Amidst the small army of blacksmiths, stonecutters, carpenters, alchemists, druids, mage-smiths and who knew what else, there was a small but noticeable population of people that had been drawn in from the local county.
Which made sense, the facilities they¡¯d spent the last six months building were not small, and they¡¯d generated a lot of paying jobs. Jobs the locals were happy to be paid to do, just so long as they weren¡¯t seen to be ¡®betraying the old governess¡¯ by siding with the enemy.
Thus, Piper found herself propped up as the ¡®moderate¡¯ choice between the two factions. A woman who sided with neither side and was focused entirely on the work of building the many workshops that would facilitate the wishes of the county¡¯s new lord. It wasn¡¯t true, of course, but it kept the local workers on track and for that reason Piper was willing to go along with the charade. And so was Stillwater, in public.
Still, as she gazed up towards the airship that was even now venting aether from its ballasts as it slowly came in to land, the dwarf could only hope their new lord would be equally as understanding of the reason for their ongoing deception.
She imagined he would.
He¡¯d arrived on a Royal Sloop after all. And as far as non-verbal communications went, that kind of statement was about as unsubtle as they came.
William Ashfield-Redwater was just like her, a puppet playing at independence while dancing to the tune of invisible golden strings.
----------------------
Xela hadn¡¯t known what to expect of the new lord of Greyriver-
Redwater, she corrected mentally for the umpteenth time. Redwater. Redwater. Redwater¡
The last thing she needed was for the old name to slip out in conversation with the land¡¯s new lord. Oh, it was possible he¡¯d see it for the honest slip it was, but it was also just as likely he¡¯d see it as a form of subtle protest against his rule.
Most noble types were like that. Real nobles. Not like her. The ones that were born to it.
Yeah, he¡¯d definitely think she was being all rebellious when she wasn¡¯t. Mulch below, she¡¯d known from the day she¡¯d taken the post of interim-governess that her time as de facto lady of the land would be finite.
That was just how things were.
With that said, just because she was no longer the hand at the tiller didn¡¯t mean she intended to vacate the wheelhouse entirely. She cared about these lands. These people. And she intended to continue to look out for them.
No matter what some limp-wristed slimy palace toady might prefer, she thought, aiming a gimlet eye in the direction of Lady Stillwater.
Turning her gaze from her replacement, the wood elf watched as the titled, but not yet ritually elevated, Count Redwater approached.
He was handsome. That was the first thing she noticed ¨C mostly because she was a red-blooded woman who knew what she liked. After that though¡ he was less of a wilting greenbean than she¡¯d expected.
Not like most of the men she¡¯d attended the academy with. There was a confidence in his stride that she wouldn¡¯t have normally expected from a young man his age who¡¯d just been effectively shoved into a position of leadership far beyond what might normally be expected of him.
On cue, Lady Stillwater stepped forward to greet him, and though it burned her to let the woman get the first word in, there was nothing she could do about it just yet.
¡°Lord Redwater,¡± the toad began, having to speak up to be heard over the dull roar of the crowd. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you. I¡¯m Regina Stillwater and it has been my privilege to act as the interpreter of your will on our Queen¡¯s behalf for the last six months.¡±
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
¡°The pleasure is all mine, and I thank you for your efforts on our behalf.¡± The boy¡¯s gaze flitted past the woman to the royal marines behind her, before back to her. ¡°And I must begin by apologizing for not having made it out here sooner. As you might imagine, between my studies and other obligations, well, it¡¯s been busy. With that said, my enquiries to her highness always left me assured that everything was well in hand.¡±
Xela twitched a little at the man¡¯s apologetic tone.
A shame, rumours from the capital painted him as much more of a wildcat, she thought.
Of course, those same rumors suggested that his decision to duel his former-fiance over their upcoming nuptials had in fact been instigated by the Queen herself as a means of shaming the Blackstones, so she supposed she shouldn¡¯t have been too surprised.
Indeed, her eyes flitted to where the now famous Olzenya Sumond was standing quietly behind the man, along with her other teammates.
Given that she was the one to singlehandedly down three members of said fianc¨¦e¡¯s team, it was assumed that if the rumor of Ashfield being a royal catspaw was true, then the high elf was all but guaranteed to be his handler and puppeteer within the academy itself. Not to mention the real leader of Team Seven. At the very least, she was definitely the team¡¯s ringer given her decidedly average academic scores prior to that fateful match.
¡°It is no issue at all, my lord. Our Queen was right in her words, and if you follow me, you shall see that work has been well on schedule to see the many projects you requested made ready for your much anticipated arrival. Ahead of schedule, even.¡±
Yes, at the cost of running my people ragged while paying them a pittance for their efforts, Xela thought irritably.
¡°I¡¯ve little doubt,¡± the count said as he turned towards the main reason why most of the labourers set to keeping his requests on schedule hadn¡¯t quit. ¡°Indeed, I¡¯ve been led to understand that the work of Lady Greyfall and people has been invaluable in that regard.¡±
The dwarf twitched a little as all eyes turned to her, before stepping forward in a slightly stilted manner. ¡°A small part, my lord. Given that you apparently asked for the services of my people by name, I¡¯ve been seeking to repay that faith in our guild by¡ giving my guidance to a number of project managers who were unaccustomed to tackling a project of the scale set before them without nearby senior guild oversight.¡±
¡°Unaccustomed?¡± The boy asked. ¡°How so?¡±
Piper shifted uncomfortably before Stillwater slid in with a greasy smile. ¡°What our dear guildmaster is trying to say is that many of the workers her majesty set aside for this task were young talents, simply in need of seasoning and not too set in their ways as of yet. Perfect for the sort of experimental work you¡¯re expected to do here.¡±
¡°How¡ fitting,¡± the boy said slowly. ¡°And I assume said decision has nothing to do with the capital¡¯s current dire need for craftsmen of any description?¡±
Stillwater coughed. ¡°It was a contributing factor yes, though one I¡¯m sure you can understand.¡±
Xela smirked at the woman¡¯s discomfort. It was a secret to no one that just about every guild in the capital was currently being employed by the crown to build everything from nails to entire ship hulls.
Indeed, it said a lot about just how much the Crown felt they owed the new Count Redwater that they¡¯d been willing to part with the number of craftsmen they had ¨C even if they weren¡¯t the most experienced.
¡°I suppose I can,¡± Redwater sighed. ¡°Even if it is irritating.¡±
His dwarvish teammate cocked her head. ¡°Well, given that you¡¯re apparently on track and everything¡¯s not on fire, can we safely assume that William didn¡¯t get a bunch of trainees?¡±
¡°They¡¯re all licensed journeymen,¡± Piper was quick to point out. ¡°As the interim-governess said, current circumstances meant that our coterie is a bit lacking in instructors or people with experience as project leads, but it was felt that my Alchemists could fill in there¡ given our more rounded education.¡±
Which was a polite way of saying that few people actually had much use for alchemists as alchemists and thus they¡¯d had to become a guild full of handywomen.
¡Which in turn begged the question of why this ¡®William¡¯ had asked for them specifically? Did the Kraken Slayer involve alchemy in some way? Was the boy more involved with the project than he let on? Had the work of the last six months been to create a new manufacturing site for kraken slaying devices?
It wasn¡¯t the first time Xela had pondered those questions and she doubted it would be the last. At least until she was given more information on the topic. Because as much as the idea of her home becoming the manufacturing site for some kind of royal secret weapon filled her with a number of complicated emotions¡ it was also entirely possible that William Redwater just had an interest in alchemy. Or the Queen saw an opportunity to ¡®repay¡¯ the boy cheaply by making him the once impressive but now nearly bankrupt group¡¯s head patron.
She just didn¡¯t know. And until the facilities that made up the town¡¯s new crafting district were ready to start production, that would likely continue to be the case.
¡°Well, my thanks regardless, guildmaster,¡± the mystery man said. ¡°For stepping in to take charge of your colleagues and keeping things on track.¡±
He raised his voice to the crowd of craftsmen behind the dwarf, having to yell over the ambient noise of the townsfolk. ¡°And my thanks to all of you for the work you¡¯ve done thus far. I cannot yet say what the purpose of it all was, but I can say that I look forward to working with you in the future to amaze the entire world.¡±
Xela didn¡¯t need to look back to know that all those men and women would be perking up with pride at his words. As Piper had said, they were a pretty young group, and while that youth presented issues, they were also to a woman hungry and ambitious. Stillwater hadn¡¯t been entirely full of shit on that point. To hear her people talk about the newcomers, they were a talented group, just one that had yet to fully hit its stride.
Stillwater smiled, obviously happy that the small blackspot had been overcome as she turned to the new count. ¡°I¡¯m sure you and they will in time. With that said, would you care to take a tour of the facilities we¡¯ve spent the last six months setting up? Lady Greyfall will be happy to answer any questions you might have while we do.¡±
The dwarf visibly held back a scoff, before she took on a more diplomatic tone. ¡°Given that many of the troubles we might have faced due to inexperience were headed off by Lord Redwater¡¯s exceedingly exacting plans for the layout of said facilities, I¡¯ve little doubt my presence will be superfluous. With that said, I do actually have a few questions for him about some of the more obscure workshop items he had us procure.¡±
She paused. ¡°If that¡¯s fine with him?¡±
For the first time since he¡¯d arrived, something akin to a genuine smile slipped across the young man¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯d be delighted, on both accounts.¡± He paused. ¡°Though before then, don¡¯t you intend to introduce me to our third member?¡±
Stillwater visibly frowned and Piper flinched as the boy¡¯s gaze turned towards where Xela was standing, the heads of the various villages behind her.
¡°Ah¡ no need for that, my lord. She and her companions are simply members of the peasantry leadership who¡¯ve turned out to witness your arrival. Hardly people you need spend time with.¡±
Xela felt said people shift irritably around her at the woman¡¯s words, but Xela stilled them with a glance.
¡°It¡¯s as she said, my lord,¡± she said as she sketched a bow. ¡°We are simply representatives of your county¡¯s many villages who¡¯ve come to pay our respects to our new lord.¡±
Though her heart soared as the boy nodded. ¡°All the more reason to get to know you then. I might be your lord, but I don¡¯t yet know these lands. Not truly. Who better to learn from than the people who call them home.¡±
¡°It might be a little cramped in the carriage my lord,¡± Stillwater vainly attempted to intervene.
Which Xela was having none of. ¡°If it would mean being of service to my lord in elucidating him on the realities of his new land and the people that dwell within, I would happily run alongside his carriage unto whatever destination and time he deigned to hear my words.¡±
The boy laughed, though it became somewhat stilted when he realized she was entirely serious.
¡°Well, when faced with such eagerness what response could I give but yes? Though there¡¯ll be no need to go to such lengths. If I¡¯m to be a decent pilot in the future, I imagine me and my team will have to grow accustomed to cramped spaces soon enough. To that end, I¡¯m sure we can fit either yourself or one of your party into my carriage.¡±
He glanced back, at the massive ostentatious thing that Stillwater tended to ride around in ¨C that technically belonged to the county and thus him now. ¡°It certainly seems big enough for it.¡±
Xela bowed once more, hopes for the future of her home growing with every word. ¡°I¡¯m honoured, my lord. I can only hope my insights will prove worthy of your forbearance.¡±
------------------
Truth be told, much of the tour proved of little interest to Xela. She was an outdoorswoman first and foremost, and the endless parade of workshops, tools and machinery didn¡¯t mean much to her.
It was interesting to note that their new lord proved to be rather evasive on what it was all for. Staying true to his word, he dodged Piper¡¯s questions on the subject with, if not much in the way of skill or grace, then consistency.
So either the boy was keeping it close to his chest, or he had no idea what he intended to use it all for and everything had been built on a random whim. And as much as she wanted the latter idea to sound ridiculous, she¡¯d spent enough time in the navy with real blue bloods to know that it was all too plausible.
For his part, the man asked the dwarf only a few questions, usually relating to the skills of disparate craftswomen or their experience with this or that material.
Questions that seemed to be of no help to their resident dwarf in figuring out his end goals for the facilities, given her somewhat puzzled expression as they walked into Stillwater¡¯s office in the town hall.
An office that had once belonged to Xela herself, not that she¡¯d ever used it for much. Being a hands-on person, she¡¯d spent more days than not physically going out to address the issues of the populace, rather than letting them come to her. An approach that Stillwater seemed disinclined to emulate in any capacity given how she practically lived behind the desk present.
Still, desk-sitter or not, the woman had proven incredibly talented at keeping Xela from saying much to their new lord, skillfully inserting herself between them whenever their lord asked a question regarding the county.
Of which he¡¯d had several, many more than he¡¯d asked Piper. Mostly they¡¯d been about the local industries. The farms. The logging industry. The nearby mine. How many people worked at each. How much each earned from trade and tariffs. What they produced. How many people lived in the town. How many in the nearby villages.
Questions that unfortunately, Stillwater had been more than capable of answering.
Still, we¡¯re all in here now, I should have my chance, she thought as they each took a seat around the room¡¯s long table.
Hopefully she could impress upon their new lord just how much his ongoing projects were costing the county in woman hours, coin and nearby resources like lumber and ore.
Which was bad, because if those resources were being used on construction, they weren¡¯t earning coin through trade or tariffs. And while Xela didn¡¯t mean to pat herself on the back too hard, but she¡¯d built up quite a treasury in her time as governess ¨C and as far as she could tell, Stillwater was going through it like a scythe through wheat in the name of fulfilling his construction timetable.
She needed to request that he slow down enough to rebuild the treasury somewhat.
¡Before either he or Stillwater got the bright idea of raising taxes to maintain their current pace.
Greyriver- Redwater wasn¡¯t affluent enough to survive a tax increase. Not without significant pain.
The question now was¡ how to phrase that in such a way that her new lord would listen? She was so preoccupied with the question that she nearly missed her lord¡¯s first words as they settled down. Indeed, they took a few moments for her to register.
¡®You¡¯ve done a great job. I¡¯m pleased her majesty sent you. You¡¯re removed from your position as governess, and I would like you and her majesty¡¯s royal marines to vacate my territory immediately?¡¯
Indeed, Xela didn¡¯t doubt she was the only one wondering if her ears were working as she glanced up to see a stunned room. Even the double pair of household guards and marines by the door were staring.
¡°E-excuse me?¡± Stillwater said. ¡°I think I misheard you, my lord.¡±
¡°I doubt it.¡± The boy just shook his head, utterly uncaring of the confusion of both his subordinate¡¯s and his team. ¡°But I¡¯ll repeat myself anyway. You¡¯ve done a great job, I¡¯m very impressed, I want you gone.¡±
To her credit, the woman rallied admirably. ¡°Given you¡¯ve just congratulated my efforts on your behalf, may I ask why?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do you one better. I¡¯ll show you,¡± the count said before he turned to the door. ¡°You four arrest this woman on the charge of¡ I don¡¯t know¡ arson?¡±
Xela wasn¡¯t surprised when the two household guardswomen stepped forward, though they hesitated the moment Stillwater¡¯s hands came up threateningly.
Bureaucrat or not, the woman was a mage still.
Though the fact that that would make the guards slow rather than speed up irritated Xela. After all, this was an enclosed space and the blonde woman would need a few seconds to chant. If she¡¯d trained her people better, they¡¯d have known that and bum-rushed her the second her hands came up and they weren¡¯t holding a bolt-bow.
Thoughts of a new training regime paused in her mind as she recalled that she wasn¡¯t interim-governess anymore.
Still, the sudden threat of magical violence had her raise her own hands, while Piper dove to the floor and the members of the count¡¯s cadet team brought up their own hands - and for a moment it seemed like a lot of people were about to start chanting.
Right up until the count, who¡¯d remained seated, shouted. ¡°Enough!¡±
Everyone froze.
¡°Enough.¡± He repeated, before turning to the two guards who¡¯d frozen in place. ¡°You two, good job. You may return to your posts.¡±
The two household guards hesitated in confusion, before visibly taking their hands off the pommels of their weapons and walking back to their spot by the wall - where the two royal marines were still standing, and while they¡¯d certainly reached for their own weapons, it was only after the other two guards moved to threaten Stillwater.
Which made sense, they answered to her as the crown¡¯s direct representative in the region.
¡°Does that answer your question?¡± the boy asked as he turned back to the visibly shaken blonde woman.
Silence rang across the room before both the boy¡¯s dwarvish teammate and Piper both shouted at once with an eerie level of dwarvish synchronicity. ¡°Like fuck it does!¡±
Chapter Thirty Five
¡°You know, when we decided to go on a tour of William¡¯s new territory, I had a feeling we might encounter the dungeon at some point,¡± Olzenya opined from her position on a nearby cot, the high elf staring blankly at the concrete ceiling overhead. ¡°Not for any great length of time you must understand. In my experience, once you¡¯ve seen one you¡¯ve generally seen them all.¡±
William said nothing as he studiously avoided the glaring of the rest of his team. Fortunately, that was rather easy as he had an entire cell to himself. That didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t feel just a little guilty as Olzenya continued droning on.
¡°Never did I expect that I¡¯d view said cells from the inside though. More fool on me, I suppose. Really, it was unavoidable. After all, how else was a young man expected to remove a politically inconvenient underling than to dismiss her within hours of meeting her? Before attempting to have her arrested? Before then claiming said attempt was a hoax and that he was merely proving a point?¡±
William winced a little as he sagged against the cold stone wall he was leaned up against.
¡°Wait, what was that point again?¡± the blonde seemingly asked the world at large.
To which Bonnlyn answered. ¡°I believe it was that he was firing said underling because she had access to an entire platoon of royal marines as well as a squad of marine-knights who ultimately answered not to him, but her. And that her loyalty, as well as theirs, was to the Queen first and him second.¡±
A quiet slap rang out as Olzenya¡¯s palm impacted her forehead in feigned realization. ¡°Ah, yes, that.¡±
¡°¡It was a chain of command issue. She was appointed by the Queen and she answered to the Queen. Directly. Above me. That¡¯s not how it works. I answer to the Queen, those below me answer to me. That¡¯s the chain of command,¡± William muttered quietly. ¡°I¡¯d like to point out that the fact that Stillwater had the will, ability and authority to have us all locked up down here is kind of proof of why she needed to go. If I¡¯d wanted to be a prisoner in my own home, I wouldn¡¯t have asked to be made a lord of my own territory.¡±
Both Olzenya and Bonnlyn ¨C in an unusual show of agreement ¨C looked to both be winding up to launch a tirade in his direction when they were interrupted by Marline.
¡°Just¡ leave it girls,¡± Marline said tiredly. ¡°You know how William is.¡±
For some reason, those words actually seemed to be effective as the two young women paused, before sagging in place.
Which was a relief to him, but¡
¡°What do you mean ¡®how William is¡¯?¡± he asked.
¡°She means you¡¯re a drama king,¡± Bonnlyn said.
Olzenya nodded. ¡°A complete drama king.¡±
Hell, even Verity was nodding along until she noticed he was looking, at which point she flushed and glanced away.
¡°I am not a drama king,¡± he said.
¡°Of course.¡± Marline gestured to the nearby cells. ¡°You know, despite all the evidence to the contrary.¡±
Even as she said the words, he knew she was thinking about that night they¡¯d gone out to slay Al¡¯Hundra. Not that she¡¯d known that was the purpose of said trip until the last minute¡
¡Or the time he¡¯d slept through an attempt to steal the core they¡¯d risked their lives to pillage from Al¡¯Hundra¡¯s nest¡
¡Because he¡¯d dumped said core into a latrine in a deliberate show of nonchalance.
¡°I¡¯m not,¡± he denied weakly.
His team remained silent, the muffled sounds of protest outside once more becoming the only sounds in the dungeon.
He¡¯d like to think that said protests by his territory¡¯s populace were related to his wrongful imprisonment by the former governess, and he didn¡¯t doubt some of it was because of that, but he was pretty sure it was mostly about the disappearance of the final member of his team¡¯s cell.
Xela Tern.
For her part, the wood elf hadn¡¯t said much at all in the few hours since they¡¯d been shoved in here. Indeed, even when they were being arrested by Stillwater¡¯s marines, she¡¯d only put up a token amount of protest. Which he was very thankful for. This situation was messy enough without them having gotten into a tussle with the Royal Navy.
Which was part of why he¡¯d commanded the Redwater Household guard and his own team not to interfere after Stillwater left his office, before returning minutes later with a quartet of confused but dutiful marine-knights.
For the moment at least, they were the wronged party. Explicitly according to the law. He¡¯d been well within his rights as lord of the territory to both ¡®fire¡¯ Stillwater and ask the Royal Navy to vacate his territory.
After all, for all its trappings of a more Napoleonic era, the fact was that Lindholm was a feudal nation. Within his territory, he was ostensibly the ultimate authority, such that even the Crown needed to behave diplomatically to avoid an incident.
And this was an incident.
To be sure.
The kind that could really damage the Royal cause if it got out. So much so that he had to wonder whether both of his invisible watchers were here in the dungeon with him or if one was already running to the sloop to call home?
However, all that clear cut ¡®rightness¡¯ can still get a whole lot less clear cut if blood gets spilled, he thought. So the name of the game is reluctant compliance and quiet outrage.
¡°How long do you think we¡¯ll be down here?¡± Verity finally asked weakly.
Rather than him though, it was Xela that answered. ¡°Not long. My people won¡¯t allow it.¡±
As one, Team Seven turned to the marine-knight.
¡°That confident they¡¯ll break you out?¡± William said.
The older woman snorted as she shifted in her battered undersuit; her armour and weapons having been stripped from her when they¡¯d been escorted down.
¡°There worried, more like.¡± The woman said. ¡°That they¡¯ll succeed isn¡¯t in question. Stillwater has a quartet of marine knights and about fifty marines to her name. Dolcaster alone has four thousand souls living in it, and the surrounding villages swell that number to somewhere between five and six thousand. Now, not even a quarter of that is likely going to turn up here and try and break us out, but less than a fifth would be more than enough to get the job done.¡±
¡°It¡¯d be bloody,¡± William said, dread pervading his words as they echoed his earlier thoughts on exactly what he didn¡¯t want to happen.
¡°Hence why I¡¯m worried,¡± the woman said, her eyes still closed. ¡°I¡¯d rather not see a bunch of innocent soldiers, marines and civilians on both sides get butchered undertaking some unneeded ¡®rescue mission¡¯ because Stillwater¡¯s a moron and you felt like being ¡®dramatic¡¯.
Well, she certainly doesn¡¯t mince words, he thought even as another twinge of quiet guilt ran through him.
As much as he refuted the idea that he was some kind of ¡®drama king¡¯ he¡¯d admit that he preferred his actions to have a certain amount of¡ gravitas. Something he blamed on being an ornery old man in a young man¡¯s body.
A perfect storm of wilfulness and impulsiveness, he thought reluctantly.
There¡¯d definitely been other options available to him regarding removing Stillwater. Slower, yes, but significantly less volatile. In his defense though, even in his absolute worst hypotheticals, he really hadn¡¯t expected Stillwater to arrest him ¨C and seemingly her current political rival as a target of opportunity.
Because as he¡¯d mentioned, it was insane.
¡°Fortunately, the reason I think we¡¯ll be out of here soon enough isn¡¯t primarily because of the mob outside,¡± Xela continued. ¡°They¡¯re just incentives for her to hurry up. The reason she locked you up is the same reason she¡¯ll hopefully let us go.¡±
¡°She needed time to talk to the Queen and receive instructions on what to do,¡± Willaim said slowly as he realized what she was saying.
For the first time, the wood elf craned an eye open, brown eyes spearing him with startling intensity. ¡°I would have said ¡®her royal masters¡¯ - likely a cousin - but you think you¡¯re a big enough shot that Stillwater¡¯s answering to the queen herself?¡±
William shrugged.
The elf snorted. ¡°Well shit, I guess the rumor mill¡¯s right sometimes after all. Any truth in you being the one to invent the Kraken Slayer? I know you supposedly got this post because you helped contribute to its invention with your new spell-gun thingie, but if the Queen¡¯s got this close an eye on you¡¡±
William looked away. ¡°I¡¯d rather not say.¡±
For good reason. Still, the antlered woman seemed to take that as confirmation enough as she whistled.
¡°Well shit,¡± she said. ¡°At least that explains why this is taking so long. Can¡¯t imagine it¡¯s easy to just get the queen on the horn on short notice.¡±
She wasn¡¯t wrong. William knew from experience that, as important as he¡¯d made himself with his invention of gunpowder, the Queen couldn¡¯t just drop everything and come to the orb each time he needed to talk to her. There was a good reason Griffith usually acted as the woman¡¯s intermediary where he was concerned, and it wasn¡¯t just plausible deniability regarding his importance to the ongoing creation of Kraken Slayers.
Still, it wasn¡¯t lost on him how the rest of his team ¨C sans Marline ¨C were now staring at him. Sure, he knew they had suspicions about his role in the Kraken Slayer and they leaned heavily in favour of him being its sole inventor, but none of them knew.
And it wasn¡¯t hard to understand why.
It was basically the equivalent of a bunch of cadets at Westpoint suspecting that their classmate had just single handedly headed the Manhattan project without oversight, aid, or state funding.
Theoretically plausible, but vanishingly unlikely despite all the evidence pointing to it being the case.
Need to come clean on that at some point, he thought, even as another part of him shied away from parting with any of his secrets.
Hell, that was the primary reason he hadn¡¯t told them already. Keeping secrets was a habit of a lifetime at this point, practically ingrained into him, and it was a hard habit to break.
Fortunately, his ruminations on the topic broke as the doorway at the top of the stairs leading up to the pseudo-castle above opened and a very uncomfortable looking naval captain strode down.
Instantly he recognized the woman as the skipper of the royal sloop they¡¯d been brought in on. Indeed, the two marine-knights that accompanied her were likewise from the vessel.
¡°Captain Quinley,¡± he called out. ¡°Here to affect a daring rescue of a wrongfully imprisoned nobleman?¡±
The woman¡¯s nose twitched as she reached for a set of keys at her side. ¡°I can¡¯t say there was much daring involved, Lord Redwater.¡±
¡°No? No valiant battle through the halls of my home before confronting my dastardly captor in her evil den?¡± In short order, the doors to his cell were opened and he strode out into the open air while Quinley passed the keys off to her subordinate who moved over to his team¡¯s. ¡°Speaking of which, where is Stillwater? I¡¯ve a few choice words for her if you haven¡¯t run her though.¡±
Once again, the captain grimaced, though she mastered the expression quickly enough. ¡°There was no need for that. Lady Stillwater formally handed command authority over the local marine contingent over to me following a rather heated dressing down by Queen Yelena over orb call.¡±
Stepping through the halls of the estate, William couldn¡¯t help but note that many of the Royal Marines that he¡¯d seen earlier were still present as they stood on guard at junctures throughout the mansion.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
¡°And where is she now?¡± he asked.
It seemed like the captain had been expecting that question, though she clearly didn¡¯t relish giving him the answer as they stepped into his office ¨C the same office he¡¯d been arrested in but a few hours previous.
¡°Lady Stillwater is being escorted to the capital via carriage to answer for her¡ shortsighted actions and misuse of military personnel following her dismissal from your service.¡±
¡°Good riddance,¡± Xela Tern muttered as the group followed the captain up the stairs.
¡°My question wasn¡¯t where she was going, it was where she is.¡± William said as he rather casually moved to sit behind the desk present ¨C pointedly not offering a seat to the captain, even as he gestured for his friends and Xela to sit wherever they wanted.
Still standing, now in front of his desk, the woman frowned. ¡°She departed nearly half an hour ago, so I imagine she¡¯ll soon be entering the lands of Lady Brownmore.¡±
William speared the woman with a look. ¡°Far enough away then that I have no reasonable means of catching her before she leaves my territory, nor any legal authority to do so once she does. At least, not without permission from Lady Brownmore. Permission I¡¯d be unlikely to receive on short notice. Is that my understanding of the situation?¡±
¡°That would be correct.¡±
¡°You could have let us out half an hour ago, but you kept us down there in order for that bitch to get away,¡± Bonnlyn squawked.
¡°Cadet!¡± Quinley¡¯s voice held the whipcrack of command as she turned toward the dwarf. ¡°You will maintain appropriate decorum when speaking to an officer of superior rank.¡±
The redhead flinched back, instincts compelling her to obey, but not before Olzenya of all people spoke up.
¡°We¡¯re not in uniform right now ¡®ma¡¯am¡¯,¡± the high elf said. ¡°And with all due respect, I too am curious as to why me and my friends just spent an extra half-hour languishing in the basement, while the woman who wrongfully put us there was in the process of escaping judgment?¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± William said, drawing the conflict short. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not fine. Not even close. But I honestly prefer things this way. If Stillwater was still here I¡¯d be compelled to dole out some kind of justice on her. I¡¯d rather just avoid that headache.¡±
Quinley subtly relaxed. ¡°I¡¯m glad you see things that way, my lord. That was the Queen¡¯s thinking as well.¡±
William just rolled his eyes. ¡°Did she have anything else to say? Because I¡¯ve got a few things I¡¯d like to say.¡±
The captain coughed, before gesturing to the orb on the table. ¡°Unfortunately, our Lady was in the middle of a meeting with some Solite diplomats when Lady Stillwater¡¯s missive arrived. It was not something she could just cut short. She stepped away for a brief window to make her wishes known, but has likely since returned to said meeting.¡±
Meeting with the Solites? William thought. That¡¯s interesting.
¡°Did she give a time when I might contact her again?¡± he asked.
¡°The meeting should be over within the next hour or two. She has requested that you stay near the orb so that she may speak to you at that time.¡±
Well, that was fine by him. Though it did beg the next question.
¡°Alright, so I can¡¯t help but notice there¡¯s still a small army of marines in my home. All of which answer to you. Given my experiences with the last person to hold that power, I think you might understand why I¡¯d be leery of that.¡±
Quinley frowned. ¡°My Queen thought that might come up. Originally she wanted them to leave with Stillwater, but was convinced otherwise when I brought up the current danger to the manse posed by the¡ mobs outside.¡±
William frowned. ¡°Xela, think you can go¡ calm them down? You¡¯ve got my permission to order about the Household Guard if you need them.¡±
The wood elf grinned as she stood up, though not before Quinley spoke again.
¡°My lord, I feel compelled to comment that¡ parts of the mob are made up of members of the Household guard.¡±
Xela¡¯s grin, if anything, grew wider. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it, boss.¡±
William smiled. ¡°Great. If you can get everyone settled without too much trouble and get the Household guard back to their regular duties, you can have Stillwater¡¯s old job.¡±
The woman stiffened, before eying. ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that, boss.¡±
With that, the gruff woman was gone and William turned back to Quinley. ¡°Marines can stay in place until Xela gets everything back to rights. Then I want them and you gone. I might answer to the Queen, but I can do so without figuratively having her fist wrapped around my scrote.¡±
To his surprise, the woman seemed unbothered by his language ¨C but he supposed she was part of the navy so it shouldn¡¯t.
¡°That¡¯s fine. Preferable even. My queen wished me to stress that the Royal Navy has no interest in interfering in the internal affairs of her vassals and that the presence of her marines here was always supposed to be a temporary measure during this transitional period.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± William deadpanned.
Perhaps that¡¯d be true in another noble¡¯s lands, but Yelena wanted to maintain as much control over him and his actions as she possibly could. An ever present garrison of Royal Marines would serve that purpose just fine.
¡°Either way, you¡¯re dismissed. Nothing personal against you, but given recent events, I¡¯d rather this be the last I see of you, captain, until it¡¯s time for your people to depart,¡± he said.
If he didn¡¯t miss his guess, that would suit the captain just fine too as she popped off a hasty bow, before departing.
Taking in a relieved breath, he settled into his new chair. Then he turned to his waiting team.
¡°Alright Bonnlyn, could you go see if you can¡¯t find Piper from the Alchemist¡¯s guild, I want to speak to her and you about what I¡¯ll finally be putting all those new workshops to work on.¡±
The Dwarf shot up, before nodding eagerly. ¡°Got it!¡±
With that done, she was gone. Turning to the rest of the team, he shrugged. ¡°As for you lot, honestly, I don¡¯t really have anything super specific for you to do.¡±
Olzenya stared. ¡°Well, given that you apparently have no use for us and I¡¯ve spent most of my time in your territory as a prisoner thus far, I¡¯m kind of wondering why you asked us all to accompany you?¡±
¡°Besides the joy of your company as well as your tacit support as I settled into my new lordly duties?¡± he teased.
¡°Yes. Besides that,¡± the high elf noted.
¡°And the fact that you hate your family?¡± Marline pointed out from where she was leaned up against a wall.
¡°Hate is a strong word,¡± Olzenya said without hesitation. ¡°But yes.¡±
¡°I thought it was nice to see William¡¯s new home,¡± Verity murmured. ¡°I mean, he¡¯s lord of this whole area? That¡¯s more land than my former mistress had. I mean, have you seen the size of this house? It even has a dungeon in the basement, sure¡ being stuck in there for hours wasn¡¯t so much fun, but¡ his house is big enough it has a dungeon!¡±
Even as the two girl¡¯s stared at their orcish teammate, William found himself reminded that for all that she stuck out like a sore thumb in most of the gatherings they attended¡ Verity was technically the most normal one present. For her, inheriting new lands and coming into ownership of entire towns wasn¡¯t just ¡®expected¡¯.
¡°It is pretty cool, isn¡¯t it?¡± he said smugly as he regarded the two elves. ¡°And I¡¯m glad you were all here to share it with me.¡±
Marline rolled her eyes. ¡°Alright William, your new lands are cool, whatever that¡¯s supposed to mean. Now, can you tell us the real reason you asked us all to accompany you on this trip?¡±
Pouting a bit at having his fun ruined ¨C though on consideration, he supposed he¡¯d had enough ¡®fun¡¯ today already ¨C he settled back into his chair. ¡°We¡¯ve got two weeks until our second year at the academy starts. That means Shards. As it happens, according to my research, Xela was a dedicated shard pilot prior to being given the role of governess over these lands. Now, I¡¯ll definitely be spending the next two weeks getting all my ducks in a row here before I need to head back to the academy, but I figured this¡¯d be a good opportunity for us all to get some practice time in behind the ¡®stick¡¯ before the school year starts.¡±
Olzenya sat up. ¡°And we couldn¡¯t have gotten said practice time in at our own estates? Hell, does Xela even fly a two seater?¡±
William had expected that question. ¡°First of all, not all of us have estates on which to practice.¡±
Verity sure as shit didn¡¯t. Bonnlyn neither. Marline¡¯s family had sold their shards years ago to pay for maintenance on their downed airship. And as Marline stated earlier, Olzenya¡¯s familial situation echoed his own, but worse.
Which was why he knew the high elf was being difficult for the sake of it. Which was fine. Indeed, the entire team had come to rather enjoy her downright acidic personality.
It grew on you.
Like mold.
¡°Alright, that¡¯s fair,¡± she admitted. ¡°But the two seater?¡±
William shrugged. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have one to my knowledge, but we¡¯re only a few miles from the Capital. I doubt it would be too hard for me to call in a few favours to get us loaned a practice plane for a fortnight.¡±
Indeed, if anything the events of the last few hours would make it downright trivial.
-----------------------
It was barely a few minutes later that he found himself still in his office, but with entirely different company ¨C Marline, Olzenya and Verity having wandered off to practice their magic, sword skills or otherwise entertain themselves.
Which was why he found himself sitting across from two quite animated dwarves.
¡°-have many ways of refining Earthblood. Where other applications of alchemy have become less viable in the minds of the ignorant over time, Earthblood has remained a reliable source of income given its military applications.¡±
William nodded along, trying to ignore how the older woman¡¯s alchemy dress moved in the most¡ interesting of ways when she got animated.
Though given the grousing look Bonnlyn was giving him currently, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure he was proving to have much success. Fortunately ¨C or unfortunately ¨C Piper ¡®just Piper¡¯ was too caught up in trying to sell her guild to him to notice.
¡°That is good to hear. I¡¯ve been led to understand it¡¯s the primary payload for most modern bomber craft?¡± he said.
The woman nodded eagerly. ¡°That it is, and with the growing prominence of shards in Lindholm, the need for Earthblood Incendiaries will likely only continue to grow. Indeed, I fully expect we shall find ourselves quite inundated with requests for the fiery concoction in the coming months, in no small part due to your own contributions.¡±
¡°Mine?¡± he asked. ¡°While I¡¯ll not complain of the compliment, I have to ask why you¡¯d attribute any uptick in Earthblood sales to me?¡±
The dwarf grinned. ¡°Why, your contributions to the Kraken Slayer project, my lord. While I¡¯ll not deny that most of the nation¡¯s focus is on the many new airships that are set to be born in the next few years, many people forget that just as great ¨C or perhaps even greater ¨C mass of shards will be created in the same time period. And those shards will require armaments. A constant supply of them even.¡±
¡°Which is where your guild comes in.¡± William smiled.
¡°Which is where your guild comes in, if you can forgive my boldness, my lord.¡± Piper shifted in her seat, and he couldn¡¯t help but wonder how much of her coming words were borne from seeing what happened to this desk¡¯s last occupant. ¡°We now dwell on your land and exist at your discretion. Make no mistake, any dividends from our work will flow straight into your-¡±
The alchemist¡¯s voice trailed off as the orb on his desk started to chime.
¡°Apologies ladies, it seems this meeting will have to undergo a brief recess. Bonnlyn, would you accompany our dear Guild Mistress out.¡± He paused. ¡°Oh, and while you¡¯re at it, you have my blessing to see how viable it might be to have your family take over or supplement the increased quantities of Earthblood we¡¯ll be needing.¡±
Ignoring the way the dwarf swelled up at the carte blanche to write her own cheques he¡¯d practically just handed her, he glanced at the guild woman. ¡°I assume that wouldn¡¯t be an issue?¡±
The dwarf glanced back and forth between the two students, no doubt coming to her own conclusions, before nodding. ¡°Not an issue at all, assuming the Mecants can keep up with our demands.¡±
¡°That won¡¯t be an issue,¡± Bonnlyn said without preamble, her inner merchant princess coming to the fore.
¡°Excellent,¡± he said as the two dwarves made for the door before exiting.
As they did, he turned and tapped the orb, running a small wisp of aether into it.
¡°Hello, my Queen,¡± he said as Yelena¡¯s irritated expression appeared in the orb. ¡°How has your day been? Well I hope. Because mine¡¯s been downright dreadful.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± The woman scoffed, but there was no real heat in it. ¡°And while I¡¯ll certainly not argue that Stillwater handled it about as poorly as one possibly could, did you really have to rattle her so?¡±
¡°I had a point to make. I made it. All she did in response was prove that I was right to make said point in the first place.¡±
¡°Your motive perhaps. Your method could have used work.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not the first to say as much.¡± He shrugged, though straightened up as the queen¡¯s face became serious.
¡°Why William? I thought we had an understanding. That we were allies. What you did doesn¡¯t strike me as the actions of an ally.¡±
He responded with equal seriousness. ¡°Neither does attempting to make someone a prisoner in their own home. If I was willing to accept that kind of life I¡¯d have accepted the hand of one of your daughters when you offered it.¡±
He eyed her. ¡°Your compromise was to make me a lord in my own right and one of your vassals. So let me be a lord.¡±
¡°You are a lord,¡± Yelena said.
¡°In name,¡± Willaim said. ¡°Less so in reality until a few hours ago. The fact Stillwater had the authority and power to lock me in my own basement says as much. So, with that in mind, let me build my own household guard. Just like any other lord.¡±
The woman matched his stare with her own. ¡°You¡¯re arguing over semantics. What does it matter if my marines are stationed in your territory or a few dozen miles down the road? It doesn¡¯t, beyond their capability to protect you in the event of an attack.¡±
William wasn¡¯t about to be distracted by that line of logic. ¡°It¡¯s the same difference between having a town guard on your street, and one in your house. One is security, the other is tyranny.¡±
¡°Such dramatics.¡± The woman rolled her eyes. ¡°Ignoring all that, am I truly to believe that this¡ tantrum has nothing to do with our last conversation?¡±
His eye twitched. ¡°It doesn¡¯t. And do not attempt to diminish my arguments by equating them to the actions of some kind of petulant child. My mother and the Blackstones did that - and look how it ended.¡±
This time, when the woman turned back to him, it was to regard him coolly. ¡°Were I a lesser woman, I¡¯d think that was a threat.¡±
This time he rolled his eyes. ¡°Then it¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re not a lesser woman.¡± He sighed. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not asking for much. Just the same rights as any other noble in Lindholm. Surely I¡¯ve earned that much.¡±
Yelena stared at him, before nodding. ¡°Fine. But in the future, if you have an issue like this again, contact Griffith and she will contact me. This whole incident could have been avoided if you¡¯d just aired your concerns.¡±
This time, he glanced away. ¡°Well, in truth I didn¡¯t expect things to escalate as they did.¡±
Yelena let out a low throaty laugh. ¡°Such is the impetuousness of youth I suppose. With that said, I would prefer it if this incident remained under wraps.¡±
¡°Because a lot of nobles, both major and minor, would be very upset at the thought of their personal guard being dissolved in favour of marine garrisons?¡±
¡°¡Yes.¡±
¡°Done.¡± He grinned. ¡°In return for a small favour.¡±
¡°William,¡± Yelena grunted, sending him a warning glare.
He held up his hands defensively, even as his smile grew. ¡°It really is something small, I promise.¡±
She eyed him, inviting him to say what it was.
Quickly.
¡°I need a Unicorn or some other kind of practice two-seater to be flown out to us. Just for the next fortnight.¡±
The woman¡¯s eyebrow rose as something like relief flashed across her features. ¡°I assume this is for your team? I can do that easily enough, but do you need an instructor as well?¡±
He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve already got someone in mind for the role.¡±
¡°Ok, it¡¯s your choice. Still, just a fortnight? That seems cheap enough to keep your mouth shut about¡ today.¡±
¡°Oh, that¡¯s not all¡± He said. ¡°That was just the easiest thing. The other is that I need a shard. Permanently. Of any type. I need it to act as a test bed for some new designs.¡±
This time Yelena¡¯s features twisted as she considered it. Sure, given his contributions he knew she couldn¡¯t really deny him, but it just was in the nature of the people of this world to give up mithril of any kind without a fight. Sudden surplus of the material or not, that was a difficult mindset to shake.
Fortunately, he could make it easy for her.
¡°If it makes my request any simpler, I don¡¯t need the shard-core. Just a functioning airframe.¡±
Yelena asked. ¡°Just the frame?¡±
¡°Sure, but as I said, it needs to be theoretically functional. Pressure piping. Aether-cannons. All the bells and whistles.¡±
¡°That¡¯s much more easily done,¡± Yelena admitted. ¡°But I can¡¯t help but be curious why?¡±
¡°It¡¯ll be the test bed for some new ideas I¡¯ve had for the spell-bolt concept. With that said, I need to know how said designs will fit in a plane without affecting other bits of functionality,¡± he lied easily.
¡°Weight is another factor,¡± Yelena said absently. ¡°In flight, even a few extra kilos of weight to the front or back of a craft can totally change its flight characteristics.¡± It was clear she wasn¡¯t really too concerned though and was just speaking academically. ¡°Still, for early testing of basic implementation of new weapon designs¡ well, I don¡¯t see why we couldn¡¯t have an old frame shipped out.¡±
He grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡±
Chapter Thirty Six
¡°I can¡¯t believe you made me get out of bed for this,¡± Bonnlyn groused as the members of Team Seven watched the first of two Shards be wheeled down the ramp of the newly arrived airship.
Marline chuckled as she turned to the eye the dwarf. ¡°Not at all excited to see the shard we¡¯re going to be spending the next two weeks practicing on?¡±
¡°No.¡±
William smiled, as he watched his people walk over to collect the first machine from the quartet of Royal Marines that had carefully wheeled it down the ramp. ¡°Really, you seemed pretty excited to see your first Shard up-close last week? What happened to that Bonnlyn?¡±
¡°She saw one. Three even. It was very moving,¡± Bonnlyn deadpanned. ¡°The first time.¡±
¡°Bonnlyn¡¡± Verity chided, to utterly no effect. ¡°It¡¯s not that early.¡±
The dwarf just sniffed, breath misting in front of her face in the twilight rays of the dawning sun. ¡°Agree to disagree, country girl.¡±
William was about to get in his own bit of teasing, but paused as he caught sight of a familiar figure striding down the ramp after the second shard.
¡°Instructor Griffith?¡± he called out as he jogged over to her, uncaring of the way his team stiffened literally as one behind him.
¡°Cadet Ashfield,¡± the dark elf called back, tugging her uniform jacket tightly around herself as a stray blast of aether billow forth from the ship¡¯s ballasts. ¡°Or should I call you Count Redwater now?¡±
William instinctively moved to say that either worked, before pausing as he recalled the importance of placing the proper respect on his new title. ¡°Count Redwater is probably for the best, Instructor.¡±
The woman nodded stiffly as she came to a stop in front of him, eyes shifting over his shoulder to take in the distant figures of his team and the Redwater Household guard that were present, before shifting back to his face.
¡°In that case, you should call me Countess Griffith in turn,¡± she said. ¡°Back at the academy it will be different, of course, but here and now, we are theoretically of equal rank.¡±
¡°Not Joana?¡± he teased before he could help himself.
However, rather than the instant denial he¡¯d expected, he was surprised as the woman hesitated. ¡°Not¡ in public.¡±
Oh, that was interesting.
¡°Of course, Inst- Countess Griffith,¡± he nodded in the courtly fashion. ¡°In that case, as one Count to another, I bid you welcome to my domain. Though I do find myself slightly curious as to why someone of your standing would be sent on such a menial errand.¡± He paused. ¡°Not that I¡¯m not delighted to see you. I am.¡±
And that was the truth. As far as he was concerned, any day in which he got to see Instructor Griffith rocking a new outfit was a good one. And while he thought the blue-grey uniform of Griffith County was quite nice, he preferred her usual Instructor¡¯s outfit.
¡°As ever, it is my privilege to go wherever Her Majesty commands,¡± she shrugged. ¡°And given the enormity of the gift she¡¯s presenting you, she thought it prudent for it to have a trusted escort, even if my time spent as an escort from the capital to here was measured in minutes.¡±
He resisted the urge to frown at that. Given recent events, he was pretty sure the gift she was delivering was less a ¡°gift¡± and more of a ¡®bribe¡¯ to keep his mouth shut. Still, he wasn¡¯t so uncouth as to say that aloud.
¡°Not that I¡¯d be so uncouth as to discount the value of a borrowed shard or even the frame accompanying it, are you sure your presence alone isn¡¯t the true gift here, Countess?¡± he teased, enjoying the fact that there current circumstances had rendered them ¡®equals¡¯ of a sort.
Plus, the errant squeaking and groaning of the airship behind them served to muffle the sound of their conversation to any curious listeners. Of which there were several, given the marines and his guard had finished unloading the shards and the rest of his team was still watching him.
However, rather than be flustered by his words like he¡¯d hoped, the woman adopted an expression of puzzlement? ¡°The shards? I mean, I suppose they have some value, but surely that is barely worthy of mention against the value of the ship itself?¡±
¡°The¡ what do you mean the ship?¡±
The woman eyed him. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®what do I mean¡¯? Didn¡¯t Yelena-¡±
The dark elf paused, a weary sigh escaping her. ¡°No, of course she didn¡¯t. That would be just like her.¡± She eyed him. ¡°This ship is yours, William. A belated gift of Yelena for the many services you¡¯ve done for our country.¡±
William found his mouth struggling to work as he glanced between the elf and the massive ship behind her, as if only just now seeing it for the first time.
And in a way, he was. Prior to just now it had simply been ¡®a ship¡¯.
Now it was ¡®his ship¡¯.
And it was beautiful.
And big.
Very big.
Perhaps a few dozen meters short of being a true cruiser, it was either an exceptionally large frigate or a light cruiser.
One of fairly unfamiliar make, if he was totally honest.
¡°She¡¯s¡ giving this to me?¡± he breathed. "I mean, I know I requested a ship, but... this is a goddamn cruiser!"
Smiling quietly, Griffith nodded. ¡°That he is. The Core you left in our care has already been installed after the old one was moved into a new frame.¡± The dark elf smiled as she looked up at the massive vessel. ¡°The Jellyfish has always been a bit of an odd-duck in the eyes of the royal navy. He originally started out as an oversized transport, before the then admiralty decided that having a single dedicated transport for large contingents of marines was both a strategic weakness in the event of its loss and less useful than having more guns on the line. To that end they decided to strip out the extra transport capacity, add steel plating to the outer hull and install more gun decks. Making him into a light cruiser.¡±
William glanced up the ramp and saw that her words were correct, while the outer hull gave off the veneer of a more modern steel-framed ship, the truth was it was simply a skin covering the wooden frame. By and large, a fairly common upgrade intended to give older ships more staying power in a fight.
¡°And then he was adapted again,¡± William mused as he glanced at the underside of the craft, where no less than four shard drop-bays sat.
Griffith nodded. ¡°That he was. From a light cruiser into a pseudo-shard carrier. One of the first attempts at such.¡±
¡°Not a particularly spirited one at just four bays. And I still count ten gun ports on this side.¡± William noted.
¡°Yes, hence why the design is still considered an odd duck. The rather lackluster shard complement for what is ostensibly a ¡®carrier¡¯ means it can¡¯t really ensure small craft dominance in an engagement, yet the equally lacking gun complement means that if you move it up from the second line, it¡¯s little more than a cumbersome, oversized and undergunned target.¡±
¡°Which is why Yelena¡¯s pawning it off on me,¡± he decided.
¡°Which is why Yelena¡¯s using the Jellyfish¡¯s rather lacking reputation as an excuse to gift you with a light cruiser,¡± Griffith pointed out. ¡°Make no mistake, off-hand I can think of a number of ships the Royal Navy could afford to lose before this one.¡±
Ok, he could admit she had a point. Poorly optimized for any given role or not, the Jellyfish was a light cruiser by definition. Usually ships of that scale were the domain of ducal fleets or well established wealthier counties. Definitely not the sort of thing that fell into the hands of freshly founded houses like his own.
Hell, just receiving an airship at all was cause for celebration. Creating a new frame for their core was typically the first and biggest hurdle for any newly founded house.
¡°I¡¯m grateful then,¡± he said. ¡°Though I can¡¯t help but ask¡ the Jellyfish?¡±
Griffith didn¡¯t quite roll her eyes, but he could see the temptation was there. ¡°The Royal Navy has roughly thirty six ships in service at any given moment. The Crownlands have a roughly equal number. As does every other duchy on the continent. Not all of them can have names like ¡®Indomitable¡¯.
¡°Still¡ the Jellyfish?¡±
¡°Do you want the cruiser or not?¡± She laughed. ¡°I¡¯m sure we have a sloop somewhere with a far more impressive name. Given the size of your core it¡¯d be a bit of a waste ¨C also a contributing factor in you getting this ship ¨C but I¡¯d hate for you to feel short changed by being provided a vessel with a poor name.¡±
¡°Oh no,¡± William shook his head rapidly. ¡°A cruiser is a cruiser. I¡¯m just wondering whether I could change the name.¡±
Given the way the dark elf visibly twitched, apparently not.
¡°It¡¯s considered bad luck to change a ship¡¯s name,¡± she said slowly, words studiously neutral.
¡°The Jellyfish it will remain then,¡± he sighed, eliciting a look of relief from the woman.
Griffith smiled. ¡°Make no mistake William, this is a princely gift. With that said, it¡¯s nothing less than you deserve. Good service requires equal recompense, and while your gifting of these lands and very full bank account go some way to fulfilling that debt, in the eyes of the Crown, Yelena clearly felt it wasn¡¯t enough to truly even the scales.¡±
William scratched the back of his neck at the honest praise, even as part of him thought about how the ship was likely an attempt to lessen the sting that came from the secret of the Kraken Slayer being forced out of him.
Which he would admit, as he gazed up at the massive ship, this went some ways towards doing.
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Some ways.
Given just how desperate the entire country currently was for ship frames, he¡¯d expected to have to make his own. Something that would have taken at least a year even with his plans to create the smallest one he could reasonably get away with.
To that end, Yelena had made good on her promise to repay him, even if he fully intended to continue nursing a small grudge over the woman threatening his sister. It was unreasonable, but he didn¡¯t have to be reasonable where his sister was concerned.
Even if she was a greedy power-hungry brat, she was his greedy power-hungry brat, and anyone that tried to hurt her would die screaming.
Carefully keeping such thoughts from his face, he turned to Griffith. ¡°Well, I am thankful. To that end, I think we can continue this conversation inside. If we stand out here in the cold any longer, I can¡¯t help but feel Bonnlyn will be most cross with me.¡±
Griffith glanced over to where the quartet of girls was standing. ¡°I would have thought that nearly a year of early morning PT would have cured her of that kind of softness.¡±
He laughed. ¡°Not quite. Merely cultivated both a tolerance and an aversion. She¡¯s well aware we¡¯ve got but a fortnight before the new semester starts and she¡¯s eager to enjoy what creature comforts she might before they¡¯re once more stripped from her.¡±
Griffith scoffed good naturedly, but followed along.
¡°Now,¡± he continued. ¡°The crew-¡±
¡°Are on-loan and willing to act as trainers for their replacements. The Queen has heard of your desire for autonomy and has no desire to¡¡±
------------------------
It didn¡¯t surprise him at all that rather than stick around, his team chose to make themselves scarce the moment they stepped into his workshop. For all that he rather enjoyed the company of the dark elf sitting opposite him, his team were not of the same mindset. Or at least, they struggled to see through the visage of Instructor to the delightful woman beneath.
Their loss, I suppose, he thought.
Either that or they were currently charging out to board his new airship. For all that Bonnlyn claimed fatigue where new shards were concerned, he couldn¡¯t help but feel that a light cruiser might elicit a little more excitement on her part. Certainly, the group as a whole had looked a little¡ stunned, when he¡¯d admitted that the massive vessel occupying his landing field now belonged to him.
Still, he¡¯d not deny he was thankful for it. Teasing Griffith was all well and good in private, but in public they needed to maintain the illusion of cadet and instructor.
Not that it was an illusion, they very much were cadet and instructor, but he liked to think that through audacity ¨C if nothing else ¨C he¡¯d managed to claw out some degree of rapport with the woman outside of the confines of that relationship.
¡°My thanks Xera,¡± he said as he turned to the wood elf. ¡°I¡¯m certain the Countess and I will be fine from here on out. I¡¯ll let you return to your duties. To that end, when you get the chance, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could perform a quick audit of our county¡¯s newest asset. And start drawing up plans for training of a crew for it.¡±
Taking the dismissal for what it was, his castellan nodded stiffly before closing the doors to his workshop.
Idly running her hand over a series of blueprints, Griffith hummed. ¡°Your new second seems a competent woman from what little I¡¯ve seen of her.¡±
William took a swig of a nearby glass as he nodded. ¡°Xera spent nearly forty years running this territory before I showed up. I¡¯ll admit that experience makes my job easier.¡±
The dark elf eyed him. ¡°Stillwater was also experienced. Yet you had her replaced for commanding more loyalty from your subjects than you yourself. What makes her replacement any different?¡±
He laughed. ¡°I¡¯d say there are a few key differences there. For one thing, Stillwater commanded loyalty from a group who very much weren¡¯t my subject. That was the problem. Technically she was supposed to be my subordinate, but she had access to a group that I had no authority over and held more power than my own household guard ¨C which she also ostensibly had command over.¡±
¡°The Royal Marines,¡± Griffith said.
¡°Just so.¡±
¡°Reasonable, I suppose,¡± she admitted reluctantly. ¡°And the other differences?¡±
¡°Structural loyalty vs emotional loyalty.¡± He said without preamble. ¡°My household guard answer to Xera as my castellan and because she has their respect, but beyond that they have an obligation me as count of Redwater. And beyond that they have an obligation to the Queen as citizens of Lindholm. As do we all.¡±
Griffith hummed and he continued.
¡°The Royal Marines? They had personal loyalty to Stillwater and structural loyalty to Yelena. Nowhere in that criteria was I included as Count. If I told them to arrest Yelena, they¡¯d all refuse because¡ of course they would.¡± He shrugged. ¡°By contrast, if I told my household guard to arrest Xera, some would hesitate out of personal loyalty to her, but I bet an equal number would obey out of structural loyalty to my position as their count.¡±
He paused. ¡°Plus, over time I have the opportunity to win the personal loyalty of my people. By contrast, Stillwater could have transitioned out her marines every few weeks if she felt they were getting chummy with me.¡±
¡°Ugh,¡± Griffith grunted. ¡°Talk like this is why I normally avoid politics.¡±
William reclined against a worksurface with a smile. ¡°You brought it up.¡±
¡°I was curious,¡± she admitted. ¡°After Yelena brought it up. Hearing your reasoning now though reminds me why I should stay in my lane.¡±
He cocked his head. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a countess yourself? Your territory is barely a few minutes away from here by airship. Surely you have to deal with some politics.¡±
¡°Less than you might think,¡± she said as she picked up one of the many metal objects on his desk. ¡°My sister rules in everything but name ¨C and I would give her that too, but if it didn¡¯t¡¯ prove useful on occassion.¡±
¡°As our dear Queen¡¯s secret hand?¡±
William didn¡¯t much care that she was clearly trying to discretely pilfer his secrets as he watched. His invisible watchers did the same every time he left the room. Which was why none of the blueprints present were ¡°complete¡±. Each was but a part of a whole, and even then certain¡ elements were left unmentioned or substituted for something innocuous like water.
Piecing everything he had here into something like a cohesive whole would require a grounding in a number of sciences that just¡ didn¡¯t exist in this world.
A clever enough soul might have been able to do it through context clues, but it would require a lot of luck on their part.
¡°No actually,¡± Griffith said as she put down the valve she was holding. ¡°For when the department heads are competing for academy resources. I suppose that¡¯s still politics, but of a more palatable variety to my eyes, given we all ultimately work for the good of Lindholm.¡±
She eyed him, irritation flashing in her silvery gaze. ¡°No, I only found myself pulled into that role of ¡®secret hand¡¯ when one of my students turned himself into a national asset by casually upending the status quo as we understand it.¡±
More than a little amused at the rare show of emotion from the typically taciturn woman, he chuckled. ¡°Sorry?¡±
¡°Accepted,¡± she sniffed. ¡°But only grudgingly.¡±
He watched as she continued perusing his notes and other knickknacks. ¡°You¡¯re being surprisingly open.¡±
She hummed. ¡°We¡¯re more equal here and now. Merely a count and countess in service to our lady, at least here in this workshop. Just as in my office we¡¯re Griffith and William. And just as within the rest of the academy¡¡±
¡°We¡¯re instructor and student,¡± he finished.
She nodded happily. ¡°Indeed, and that level of insight is part of why I allow myself to subdivide our relationship so.¡±
¡°Relationship,¡± he leaned forward. ¡°Is that what we¡¯re calling it?¡±
A bare hint of a flush flashed across her features before she pulled up a sheet, practically using it a shield as she shoved it in front of him.
¡°What¡¯s this?¡±
He eyed it.
¡°Two seconds.¡±
Then he splayed out both hands and sprayed a burst of aether in every direction. Not with any real force, but enough that the small area soon became filled with the vaguely transparent blue-green substance. Ignoring Griffith¡¯s surprised cough, he searched the air for any¡ voids in the substance.
There were none.
Satisfied, he leaned back. ¡°That, is part of a synchronization gear.¡±
Griffith just stared at him through the aether filled air. ¡°Forget that, may I ask what this¡ bombardment was in aid of?¡±
He cocked his head. ¡°I was just ensuring that we didn¡¯t have any unwanted eavesdroppers. At first I tried spraying them with paint, but that just made any paint that touched them turn invisible too. Which I suppose makes sense, whatever method they use to make themselves transparent works on their clothes too.¡±
He waved his hand through the vapor in front of him, as it slowly began to fade from reality, the air getting clearer by the moment.
¡°So, if I couldn¡¯t see them, I decided I¡¯d come up with a method to see everything else.¡±
¡°Gaps in the aether,¡± Griffith realized.
He smiled, happy she¡¯d caught on so quickly. ¡°Just so.¡±
¡°Some might say that was mildly treasonous, to develop a countermeasure to the eyes of The Crown.¡±
¡°Some might say it was mildly tyrannical to have invisible spies following me at all hours of the day.¡±
¡°What if our Queen¡¯s enemies discovered this technique?¡±
He laughed. ¡°I¡¯d be surprised if they don¡¯t already have something better. Otherwise Yelena would probably have marched her people up North and had a few inconvenient malcontents disappeared.¡±
It would be insane to think that the Blackstones weren¡¯t at least tangentially aware of Yelena¡¯s invisible guards. For the reason he¡¯d just mentioned. Indeed, he was pretty sure it was an open secret amongst those of sufficient social rank.
Of which his mother clearly didn¡¯t qualify, given how loose lipped she¡¯d been around him.
Which in turn spoke to a certain level of paranoia on the part of the Blackstones given they hadn¡¯t revealed that capability to their co-conspirators. Though to what end, he couldn¡¯t say.
Perhaps they¡¯ve got their own invisible troops they¡¯d rather keep secret?
And wasn¡¯t that a discomforting thought.
Shaking his head, he continued speaking to Griffith. ¡°It¡¯s become a game at this point. They sneak in sometimes. I push them out.¡±
¡°And if they refused?¡± Griffith asked seriously.
His face went blank. ¡°Then things would get complicated between us.¡±
¡°Ugh.¡± The woman did actually roll her eyes this time. ¡°Must you choose to make everything so complicated?¡±
She turned, grabbing the same blueprint she¡¯d grabbed before. ¡°What¡¯s a synchronization gear?¡±
¡°A means to shoot through a front mounted propellor without hitting the blades.¡±
Whatever answer the dark elf had been expecting, that wasn¡¯t it as she froze, before turning around the sheet and frantically scanning it.
Which seemed odd to him. The notion that synchronization gears weren¡¯t known already. They¡¯d taken all of eight years to be developed on earth, and Shards had been around a lot longer than that.
And the locals weren¡¯t stupid. Sure, magic had fucked with things like the early formation of chemistry in favour of alchemy, but given the importance of Shards, he would have thought more effort would be put into developing a synchronization gear.
Of course, like most things, the answer was rather simple after a moments thought.
Shards with front mounted propellors were rare.
Because the locals didn¡¯t have synchronization gear.
And unlike on Earth where front mounted props were the only real viable option for early plane design, canard designs were quite viable with Shard type planes. The total lack of a big heavy conventional ¡°engine¡± meant canards didn¡¯t end up back heavy, which meant they didn¡¯t end up falling backwards in a stall. Likewise, the fact that all pilots were mages and all pilots had flight suits, meant that every mage had an ¡®ejector seat¡¯ by default. Thus they didn¡¯t risk being minced by the rear mounted propellor if they need to bail out.
With that said, rear mounted props were still vulnerable to fire from rear, and the props hitting the interrupted airflow created by the wings introduced vibrations into the frame, but those issues weren¡¯t quite the death knell they¡¯d been on Earth.
Still none of those issues were considered sufficient enough that a wholesale switch to front mounted props was ever attempted. Some existed, such as the venerable Roc, but they were an exception rather than a rule.
A case of lack of supply creating a lack of demand, William thought.
The need to mount weapons in the wings of front mounted props meant, which came with a whole host of other issues meant few front mounted props got built, and because few front mounted props existed, solutions for said problem weren¡¯t really investigated.
¡°The Crown would be very interested in such a thing¡ if you can pull it off,¡± Griffith said with feigned casualness as she put down the sheet.
¡°No doubt,¡± he said dryly, even as he made a mental note to make sure she didn¡¯t leave with said blueprint ¨C even if it was unfinished.
Looking down at his drink, he laughed. ¡°Do you think I could get another cruiser out of it?¡±
Rather than laugh in return though, he was surprised by the sudden silence that greeted him. Or rather, not silence, if he strained his ears he could make out the telltale sound of shuffling.
Looking up, he froze.
¡°I-I don¡¯t k-know about a cruiser, but I could think of a¡ another type of¡ reward.¡±
Idly, he couldn¡¯t help but note that he¡¯d never actually seen a dark elf with Griffith¡¯s complexion turn quite that shade of red before.
It was an idle thought though. To the back of his mind. Mostly drowned out by the expanse of chocolate brown cleavage that was even now unveiling itself to him, delicious white lingerie serving to accentuate her breasts as Griffith continued to slowly unbutton her shirt¡
It was almost enough to make his mind come to a complete stop.
Almost.
Because¡ white lingerie?
Griffith was many things. Very sexy and tantalizing things.
A wearer of lingerie though?
No. That didn¡¯t seem right.
Not at all.
A very boring sports bra and briefs, that would have made sense.
Lingerie though.
Stupid sexy lingerie?
¡Now, if only he could get his brain down below to stop salivating and listen to him that there was something distinctly off about this whole situation.
¡°Do¡ do you like?¡± she asked quietly, a total one-eighty from her usual personality doing terrible things to his self control.
¡°I do,¡± he gulped. ¡°I really do.¡±
Chapter Thirty Seven - NSFW
¡°With that said,¡± he continued as he slowly forced his rational mind to reassert itself. ¡°I can¡¯t help but wonder why you¡¯re doing this?¡±
The dark elf seemed momentarily wrong footed, almost reaching for the edges of her shirt, as if to pull it back about herself, before she rallied.
¡°I thought this was what you wanted?¡± she said. ¡°You certainly seemed interested in it a few months ago.¡±
Calming his quickening pulse as best he could as he tried not to stare ¨C something the elf seemed to notice as she almost gingerly flaunted more of her lingerie clad form.
¡°Oh, I do. I most certainly do. You¡¯re a rather stunning woman,¡± he admitted. ¡°With that said, I can¡¯t help but be concerned that this is some kind of honey-pot situation.¡±
The elf¡¯s eyebrows twitched, before she laughed. ¡°Honey-pot. The opposite of a honey-spoon. An amusing concept.¡±
William said nothing ¨C not least of all because he¡¯d never actually heard the word honey-spoon before. Was that what they called it in this world?
Griffith wiped an errant tear from her eye as her laughter ended. ¡°Well, in that case I can promise you I¡¯m not a ¡®honey-pot¡¯ William. Just a woman who¡¯s looking to cash in on an offer you made not too long ago, now that it¡¯s an option.¡±
He paused. ¡°Because we¡¯re¡ equals now?¡±
¡°Essentially.¡± The dark elf shrugged, seemingly a little embarrassed. ¡°Though I¡¯d rather have avoided spelling it out.¡±
This time he laughed. ¡°And the nervousness?¡±
This time she glared, though the flush she was sporting did much to undercut the heat of the moment. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry if I was a little nervous. Believe it or not, I don¡¯t make a habit of¡ coming onto young men who are nominally my students. The only reason I¡¯m doing so now is¡ that we¡¯re equals in status. The playing field is leveled here and now.¡±
William supposed he could buy that. On some level. Even if the last part of that statement sounded suspiciously like an excuse.
And¡ more to the point, what difference did it make if Griffith was a honeypot? Were his feelings about her about to change because he slept with her? Children wouldn¡¯t be an issue, because he¡¯d had a contraceptive spell on him since he¡¯d reached the academy - for exactly that reason.
No matter how much this world loved bastards as a cheap source of potential mages, William had no intention of letting someone use his progeny to entrap him.
¡°Just for the record, this¡ thing.¡± He waved his hand nebulously. ¡°Is it supposed to be a one-off entanglement, or are you looking for something more serious?¡±
The irritation was washed off the dark elf¡¯s face instantly as she once more returned to stuttering. ¡°Well¡ the f-former, but ioesn¡¯t have to be¡ j-just the once.¡±
That was adorable.
And he was totally down for that idea.
First though. ¡°So, I just need to confirm? No one¡¯s forcing you to do this?¡±
Griffith paused, her face going blank as she stared at him, as if studying him. When she spoke again, she sounded irritated once more. ¡°No, Yelena¡¯s not forcing me to do this. Nor would she. While she has my fealty in all other things, she could not and would not ask this of me.¡±
He was about to speak, when suddenly the dark elf rushed forward ¨C and he twitched as his back hit the workstation behind him and her hand brushed against the rapidly hardening head of his cock, the fabric of his pants doing little to dull the sensation.
¡°So, I have to ask you in turn? I came here to make due on the offer you made me all that time ago? Are you still willing?¡± She smiled at him, eyes blazing with lust. ¡°Because I grow tired of these questions.¡±
He swallowed, before nodding.
¡°Great,¡± she grinned, before planting a hungry kiss against his throat, hot tongue darting out to lap at his salty skin, while her hands unbuttoned his shirt and practically tore it from his back.
¡°Ah,¡± he hissed reflexively as her warm mouth slid along his neck to his shoulder, a whiff of her hair ¨C spice and caramel ¨C wafting across his senses. The smell of it filled them as she practically plundered his body.
He moved to get involved himself, only for her hands to grip his, pushing him back against the wall.
¡°None of that,¡± she whispered. ¡°No clever words or even more inventions. I¡¯m in charge now.¡±
Her pants slid down, joined a moment later by his. Then her underwear.
¡°I mean, do you know how frustrating it was? To have this sexy little cadet in my cohort who just¡ wouldn¡¯t stop teasing me with that impish little smile of his? With his body?¡± Teeth nipped at his skin, as she casually flicked their discarded clothes away with a foot.
¡°Ugh. The things I wanted to do to you.¡± He tried to say something, only for her to speak over him. ¡°So precocious. So in need of¡ discipline.¡±
She pushed back, face dangerously flushed as she stared down at him. Then one of her hands came up to grip his shirt, before guiding him downwards.
Once more he moved to make a glib comment only for her other hand to place a finger against his lips.
"No talking.¡± She said casually as he looked up at her from between her knees.
He had to admit, the angle did a lot for her. Svelte as elves tended to be, the teardrop shape of Griffith¡¯s breasts stood out against the low light of his workshop, her powerful abdominal muscles below them giving testament to just how in shape the woman was. Her chocolate brown skin practically glistened under the low light, smooth and blemishless, serving as a tapestry to her beauty.
Indeed, he might have taken a moment to compliment such, were it not for the ¡®silence¡¯ imposed on him. Instead, he allowed his eyes to move down to the smooth, hairless mound practically pressed against his face.
A pair of puffy, vertical lips, flushed a slightly darker shade of brown than the skin surrounding them, they glistened with the woman¡¯s excitement.
Instinct took over as he moved his head forward.
"Good boy...¡± The dark elf¡¯s voice said smugly from above. ¡°Good boy. Finally put that to use on something other than vexing me.¡±
Smirking internally, he did as she requested, dragging his tongue across her outer lips. A low moan issued forth from the woman above him, back arching just from that first initial contact.
Clearly his instructor was just a little pent up ¨C and feeling just a little hypersensitive as a result.
So he continued, tongue sliding across the sodden flesh, questing towards the soft, pink flesh between her outer lips, while the dark elf twitched and bucked above him.
If the smell of her had been strong before, down here it was almost overwhelming, the clear fluid of her excitement pungent with it as more and more of the substance splashed across his palate.
Feeling the sensation of her hands coming down to grip his hair, he continued lapping at her hot flesh, enjoying the woman¡¯s low moans as he probed at her womanhood, searching for which spots elicited the most. His tongue explored every crease and crevice, committing the taste of her to memory, occasionally coming up to slide almost teasingly across the engorged nub of her clitoris with his tongue or fingers.
Not too much. Not too little.
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As he did, her smooth thighs continued brushing his cheeks as she rolled her hips in time with his motions. His own erection felt like iron in his pants, begging them to pay it heed, but he ignored it for now. The time for that would come, but for the moment he was focused on¡ repaying Griffith for some of the stress he¡¯d caused her.
To that end, he eased a finger inside of her, the tunnel of damp flesh close around his digit like a vice. Gods, she was tight, the firm muscles of her insides shifting and squeezing at his finger in waves, practically trying to draw it deeper.
Once more, his own erection bobbed at the thought of delving deep into that wet, tight hotness, but he ignored it.
¡°More!¡± Griffith grunted, hands gripping ¨C not quite painfully, but intently ¨C on his hair.
He did as she asked. A second finger joining the first as he plunged in and out of her, the tips of his fingers sliding across the smooth satiny walls within. As he did, his mouth continued working on the outside, lips having joined his tongue in tormenting the engorged and throbbing flesh there.
"Ancestors!¡± Griffith hissed as he moved his attentions to her clit once more ¨C her voice loud enough that he was actually a little concerned about being heard outside.
Sure, the walls and doors to his workshop were thick, but there were two members of his household guard right outside the door ¨C and Griffith¡¯s audible exclamations were only getting louder as her climax approached.
Her toned body was twitching and shuddering, thighs trembling around his head as she leaned back, legs close to giving out as she crouched over him.
¡°I can¡¯t believe I passed up on this last year,¡± she grunted.
He¡¯d definitely gotten a feel for where she liked his affections most now, increasing his pace to match her own increasingly belaboured breathing. The dark elf¡¯s spine continued to arc, the older woman practically using his hair as handholds as he worked his magic on her.
When it came, he both felt and heard it.
¡°Fucking deeps!¡± Griffith¡¯s final utterance reached a fever pitch, as her satin insides seized around his digits like a thing possessed. Spasms ran through her inner walls as she all-but thrust against his questing tongue, sweat rolling off her burnished skin in rivulets.
It was an erotic sight to behold, given the woman¡¯s usual taciturn nature, to see her so¡ raw and uninhibited as she rode out her orgasm for all it was worth. The muscles across her abdomen writhed and flexed before his eyes, legs shaking and twisting before finally giving out as the woman lowered herself to one knee.
Fortunately, she had the foresight ¨C if only barely ¨C to take a half step back and release her deathgrip on his head before she did, lest she end up collapsing atop him.
Panting and near-spent, she simply crouched there a moment, eyes downturned as she took in great gasps of air. When she did finally rouse the energy to look up, it was to find him absently reaching for a nearby rag to wipe her collected fluids from his face.
¡°Needed that did you?¡± he asked finally as he once more discarded the slightly oily and now very damp bit of cloth he¡¯d found.
It was amusing to see, the slight hint of shame and¡ pride that flashed across the woman¡¯s face.
An expression he was all too familiar with, for while certain social norms remained the same in this world as the last, some were as flipped as the gender dynamics. This was an example of the latter.
Which was to say that Griffith was currently experiencing a sensation akin to that of an older man who had just blasted a not inconsiderable load over the face of his younger partner after losing control of his senses enough that he¡¯d resorted to¡ face fucking them.
Shame at the loss of control, pride at the¡ volume of her ¡®finish¡¯ ¨C if William were to judge that was what she was feeling.
He¡¯d seen it before. And he¡¯d probably see it again.
And while he was hardly a man that enjoyed being liberally doused in the excitement of his partners, it wasn¡¯t something he took much umbrage with either. He was, after all, a little proud of himself for having elicited said response in the first place.
¡°I, uh, yes, it¡¯s been a while,¡± Griffith finally admitted, her tone shifting from contrite to almost challenging as she spoke. ¡°Though given you¡¯re the cause of much of that, I¡¯d say you¡¯ve not much room to complain.¡±
He smirked, willing to allow her to once more take on the role of the domineering seductress she¡¯d clearly cast herself as.
Which meant it was his job to play the brat.
¡°Oh? In that case, I do hope you¡¯re not¡¡± He paused leadingly. ¡°Spent? Given all that just happened, I¡¯d not blame you if you had a little trouble staying lubricated going forward. I know that can be difficult for you older women.¡±
The words sounded a little silly in his mind, even after years in this world, but they had their intended effect as Griffith clambered to her feet once more ¨C having just essentially been accused of no longer being able to ¡°get it up¡±.
¡°I think you¡¯ll find I¡¯ve got more than enough ¡®lubricant¡¯ left to drain a brat like you dry,¡± she promised.
Sliding off his underwear at last, he smiled inwardly at the way the woman¡¯s eyes widened at his member.
Slowly, they slid from it to his face as he smirked at her.
¡°Prove it.¡±
As she practically leapt at him, he had a feeling he¡¯d have garnered less of a response from waving a red flag at an oncoming bull.
He let out a groan as she took him inside her, her inner walls squeezing down on his dick as her hips slammed down into his.
It was incredible, and for all that he¡¯d accused her of immaturity a moment ago, he almost felt himself lose control as her hotness enveloped him. As it was, his hips bucked involuntarily up into her, balls slapping against her perfectly toned ass.
Her hand pressed down onto his chest, pushing him to the floor as she loomed over him like a lioness savoring a kill.
¡°How¡¯s that for dry, brat?¡± She grinned, eyes flashing with lust.
Whatever response he might have made was lost as she slowly started to move, hips rising and falling with gradual luxurious movements. Indeed, her gaze only grew more haughty and confident as she leaned over him, breasts hanging before his face.
¡°Like them?¡± she asked. As she noticed him staring. ¡°I¡¯m pretty big for an elf after all. And while that might not mean much compared to a lot of human girls, I like to think we elves make up for it in¡¡±
Her hands grabbed his, moving them up to caress her breasts, which were just as elastic as they looked.
¡°¡Firmness.¡±
She wasn¡¯t wrong, as his hands caressed the soft fullness of them, her smooth skin like silk under his fingers.
"Mm, yeah," the dark elf breathed out, as she started to increase her pace, hands leaving his to finally let her hair down, pulling loose the ponytail it was normally kept in.
It made for a hell of a sight, silhouetted by the mage-light behind her, she twisted her head so as to let it fall in about her like a curtain, appearing even more wild and uninhibited than her already lustful gaze made her seem.
¡°I like this,¡± she whispered, smirking as a flex of her insides made him groan. ¡°You looking up at me. Much better than when you¡¯re being so mouthy.¡±
Now, he couldn¡¯t let that pass ¨C even if it was hard to speak over the pleasure emanating from his groin.
¡°Ah, but would this be as fun if I wasn¡¯t so annoying normally?¡± he gasped.
The older woman cocked her head in genuine consideration. ¡°No, I suppose it wouldn¡¯t. With that in mind, we¡¯ll have to do this more often. If only to make the irritation you normally cause me worth the tradeoff.¡±
Well, he certainly wouldn¡¯t complain if that became the case, as she continued to increase her pace. Indeed, he couldn¡¯t help but buck up into her, both of them driving the other further and further towards abandon, sweat running freely.
Eventually, they reached a similar rhythm, each getting used to the movements of the other. She smirked as he gasped with ecstasy as she ran her nails across his thighs. He chuckled as the flesh of his palms brushed against the sensitive nerves of her hardened nipples.
¡°Ancestors, I love this so fucking much!¡± she grunted as the second orgasm of the day ripped through her ¨C and it took all of his willpower for his own not to follow.
Instead, he slowed, allowing the woman to recover from the overstimulation of her cunt ¨C before he started again.
Not of his own volition, but because she seemed to take it as a challenge. The dark elf was offended that she¡¯d ¡®popped¡¯ before him.
It wasn¡¯t long before he came in turn, with the dark elf practically dragging it out of him as she teased, twisted and thrust down at him.
It wasn¡¯t a mutual orgasm. He felt his core shudder and release, spewing jet after jet of hot cum into the woman on top of him. But he doubted that lessened her enjoyment at all, as her eyes gleamed with triumph as her hungry insides worked to drain him utterly.
When he finally stopped, hips letting out a final few errant twitches as he lay in a pool of chilled sweat, he felt utterly spent.
He wouldn¡¯t be for long ¨C an advantage of his younger body ¨C but for just that minute, as cum dribbled from the seductress on top of him, he felt like he was.
Forget hardened instructor, Griffith looked for all the world like some kind of succubus as she languidly rose off him, uncaring of the way his seed dribbled from her.
¡°Not bad for an older woman?¡± she asked casually.
He could only lay there ¨C the stone beneath his back rapidly cooling as the growing soreness there reminded him of what it was usually unwise to couple on bare concrete.
With that said, as he glanced up at the dark elf, he couldn¡¯t help but feel the resurgence of strength to his groin, as his body exclaimed its willingness to fight once more ¨C bruises or not.
¡°Not at all,¡± he said. ¡°With that said, I recall a promise to leave me drained.¡± He gestured to his resurgent erection. ¡°And I seem to have energy yet.¡±
Griffith¡¯s languid smile stilled for a second at the sight, cockiness giving way to surprise before a look of absolute determination slipped over it.
¡°Well,¡± she said with a seriousness that wasn¡¯t entirely suited to the situation. ¡°Never let it be said I¡¯m a liar.¡±
So it was that William had to struggle down a sense of fear ¨C and excitement ¨C as the dark elf started to advance on him once more, determination clear in her gaze along with renewed stirrings of lust.
Indeed, he was just about to suggest maybe laying down a blanket or something similar¡ when the door to his workshop swung open.
¡And he found himself staring into the very wide eyes of Verity.
Eyes that quickly switched from surprise to fury as they shifted from his prone form to the woman standing over him¡
Chapter Thirty Eight
¡°Did you really waste a spell-charge on that?¡±
William ignored Griffith¡¯s grousing as he gingerly applied his newly created bag of ice to Verity¡¯s shoulder.
¡°How¡¯s that,¡± he asked carefully of the sitting and slightly fidgety orc. ¡°Better?¡±
¡°Y-yes,¡± she responded, slightly flushed and eyes averted as she kept her gaze firmly on the dining room table.
Something he was hardly going to hold against her given the events of the last few minutes. He doubted he¡¯d have handled it much better if he¡¯d walked in on a classmate seemingly being forced into something elicit by one of her teachers, before then moving to defend her honour ¨C and getting his ass kicked for the attempt.
Admittedly, the pseudo judo-throw into a crouching arm-lock hadn¡¯t involved much kicking, but the point stood. Naked, surprised and a little jelly-legged, Griffith had rather aptly demonstrated to both of them why she¡¯d been appointed as an instructor at Lindholm¡¯s leading military academy.
The woman was dangerous.
And how he hated how that made her so much hotter ¨C not least of all because said realization was coming at the expense of his friend¡¯s humiliation. Not cool. Not cool at all.
Attempting to redeem the mental faux pax, he continued.
¡°Anything else I can get you?¡± he asked. ¡°Water? Something to eat? If you need it I could get one of Piper¡¯s people to whip up a healing potion. Or I could get a healer in here.¡±
Shyly, the orc shook her head even as Griffith rolled her eyes.
¡°For ancestor¡¯s sake William, I restrained her, I didn¡¯t take her arm off,¡± she muttered as she drummed her fingers across the surface of the table. ¡°Honestly, you should be more concerned for me given how she came in swinging.¡±
At those words, his teammate managed to drag her gaze away from the table to glare at the dark elf. Meanwhile, he just sighed.
¡°Did she hit you?¡±
¡°No¡¡± the dark elf admitted.
He moved to place Verity¡¯s hand over the ice-pack so she¡¯d hold it in place herself, drawing the girl¡¯s glare away from their instructor as her blush found itself renewed.
¡°Then you¡¯re fine. Which is why you¡¯ll forgive me if my attention is on the person you flung across the room.¡±
¡°She didn¡¯t-¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t-¡±
Both women tried to speak at once, only to be cut off by the other, prompting them to return to glaring at one another. Which was a little ridiculous given they¡¯d probably both been about to claim that didn¡¯t happen ¨C Verity for the sake of her pride and Griffith because regardless of what he¡¯d actually said, she really had only used the minimum amount of force necessary to subdue the other woman.
Again, impressive given the weight disparity present, but William would much rather it hadn¡¯t been needed at all.
¡°Ok, I¡¯ll admit that I exaggerated a little,¡± he said as he slid into a seat. ¡°I¡¯m just feeling a little frazzled. As I¡¯m sure we all are. I doubt any of us were expecting¡ what happened to happen.¡±
Indeed, it was a situation he could have easily avoided if he¡¯d told the household guard outside his workshop to bar entry to everyone until he said otherwise, but given how¡ fast everything had moved he hadn¡¯t thought to do so.
And given they heard the ¡®fight¡¯ and rushed in to see the aftermath, I imagine the story of what happened will have been spread across the entire county by tomorrow morning, he thought. The capital the day after.
Nothing would come of it beyond a little scandalous whispering of course, if even that. Unlike women back on Earth, men weren¡¯t expected to ¡®guard¡¯ themselves to the same degree given that magical healing had basically wiped out STDs in their infancy and a woman hardly needed their husband virginal as the only true-blue way of confirming their offspring as hers prior to DNA tests. Being the one bearing the pregnancy provided that kind of peace of mind regarding one¡¯s genetic legacy.
The only real scandal to be mentioned was the fact that Griffith was his instructor, but given said ¡®affair¡¯ had taken place off academy grounds, the most that would come of that was a few extra eyes on their interactions within the academy to ensure no favoritism was going on.
Or the thin veneer of such, given that the mere notion of impartiality amongst the teaching staff was a joke at best. Nobles would be nobles no matter the setting ¨C never mind the fact that many of the house instructors were quite literally teaching heirs who would likely become their future liege ladies and were the children of their current liege ladies.
Assuming it¡¯s made clear that all this was consensual, he thought. Which is going to open up a whole different kettle of eels.
Owner of his own lands, young, attractive and with a reputation for looseness? Yeah, it¡¯d be open season on him back at the academy, and while he was returning there as much to build connections as develop a more in-depth understanding of how shard combat differed from plane combat, the fact of the matter was that this would make it a lot harder for him to differentiate genuine expressions of interest in his ideas from feigned expressions of interest intended to get into his pants.
Admittedly, the latter was always going to be a problem, but now it was exacerbated.
All because I¡¯m hopeless to resist a hot older woman who knows what she wants, he thought as he resisted the urge to shove his face into his hands.
¡°You¡¯re frazzled!?¡± Verity said. ¡°I walked in on her¡ with her¡ juices all over you!¡±
Griffith audibly coughed, as her own face reddened. ¡°I- my- that¡¯s none of your business! Did no one ever teach you to knock before walking into a room!?¡±
¡°I guess not,¡± Verity sniffed. ¡°A failing on their part to be sure. I guess my instructors were just too focus on other things.¡±
Ooh, even as he wanted to slam his face into the table, William was actually quietly impressed by that. Verity was usually such a cinnamon roll. He hadn¡¯t actually known she had that kind of vitriol in her.
Then again, she did powder a girl¡¯s jaw for talking bad about her family, so I can¡¯t help but wonder if that¡¯s just wilful blindness on my part, he thought.
Ignorant of his internal musings, the two woman continued yelling at each other. ¡°You¡¯re out of line, cadet!¡±
¡°We¡¯re not in the academy right now, which means you¡¯re not my instructor right now, ma¡¯am.¡± Verity glared. ¡°Which is why I imagine you thought you could get away with putting your hands all over-
Sighing, William raised his hand to cut Verity off before Griffith could launch a searing comeback. ¡°No, we¡¯re not. With that said, Griffith is still a countess, Verity. While you¡¯re a marine-knight. A nominal marine-knight at that, given we¡¯re still cadets. She still outranks you socially, so please show her the due respect.¡±
He winced a little at the look of betrayal that flashed across his teammates face, even as a smugness normally unbecoming of her flashed across Griffiths. Smugness he was quick to puncture.
¡°And Griffith? I know it¡¯s not an ideal set of circumstances, but you¡¯re an instructor and a grown woman besides. I don¡¯t blame you for taking Verity down as you did, indeed I¡¯m happy you were able to do so with such swiftness, but can you maybe bring yourself around to understanding why she did what she did? Given¡ what she walked in on.¡±
Griffith sniffed disdainfully. ¡°Perhaps. I was her age once. And I¡¯ll admit these are unusual circumstances. Though I¡¯m still a little offended that the girl thought me the type of woman to use her position to force a man. Who needed to use her position to force a man.¡±
Verity glanced to the side. ¡°Prior to walking through that doorway, I¡¯d never have believed you were. When I saw you though¡ with him¡¡±
¡°You jumped to a conclusion,¡± William said gently. ¡°Not a completely unreasonable one, if one that was a little unfair to Griffith, but not unreasonable all the same.¡± He slid over a bit so as to make sure he caught the orc¡¯s gaze. ¡°And though it wasn¡¯t needed on this occasion, it does make me happy to know that I have friends who were willing to come out swinging on my behalf. No matter the opposition.¡±
Flushing once more, Verity¡¯s lips twitched up into a small bashful smile. ¡°Of course. Always.¡±
William hoped so. He really did. He¡¯d need allies like that in the times to come.
¡°Touching as all this camaraderie between teammates is, what¡¯s going to be done about this?¡± Griffith interjected. ¡°Because thanks to said teammate, your guards saw what went down. Which means that half the country probably knows by now. And half the capital will know by supper.¡± She paused. "Gods, this was only supposed to be quick tryst!"
William¡¯s lips quirked. ¡°A quick tryst? Is that all I am to you?¡±
It was fun to note, despite her domineering status in the bedroom ¨C or perhaps workshop was more apt ¨C how quickly the hardened instructor turned into a flushing maid as he glanced over at her.
¡°Well, I¡ I wouldn¡¯t be opposed to something more official. I just didn¡¯t think¡¡±
He waved his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s just figure it out as we go. I think we can both agree that this whole thing has moved a little faster than either of us planned. To which I¡¯ll make sure that everyone knows that what happened between us was consensual on my part. Vigorously so.¡±
He ignored Verity¡¯s gagging out of the corner of his eye even as he thought of the best way of doing what he¡¯d just promised.
Fortunately, said solution was pretty simple. The fact that Griffifth wasn¡¯t currently being escorted from his territory in cuffs or dwelling in his dungeon would serve as pretty reasonable evidence that she hadn¡¯t tried to force him into something behind closed doors. Sure, it was possible some might think he¡¯d been intimidated by his instructor¡¯s position into remaining silent, but he could waylay that by being suitably affectionate towards the woman at dinner.
¡°Good.¡± Griffith sagged in relief. ¡°I¡¯d personally rather not be known as the sort of woman who uses her position to¡ prey on her male students.¡±
¡°No, you just seduce men half your age,¡± Verity muttered quietly. ¡°No force needed.¡±
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
William shot the orc a warning glance, which the girl visibly ignored. Fortunately for them both, Griffith didn¡¯t hear or notice the byplay as she nervously cleaned her glasses.
¡°Ugh. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve put myself in this situation,¡± the woman was whispering quietly to herself. ¡°With a student. Why? Why did I do this?¡±
¡°Because said student¡¯s a hot piece of ass who think¡¯s you¡¯re damn sexy?¡± Willaim murmured as he moved around behind her, hands moving to massage the older woman¡¯s shoulders.
She tensed at the unexpected contact, before relaxing.
¡°Stop it,¡± she muttered. ¡°And you¡¯re not wrong. This is mostly your fault, you damn satyr. I used to be a respectable lady before you showed up.¡±
She was smiling despite the censure of her words.
The scraping of a chair drew both their attention as Verity stood up quickly, an irritated scowl present. ¡°Well, now that this is resolved, I guess I have to go.¡±
Without waiting for a response, the woman dashed from the room, slamming the door behind her as she did, making both of them wince.
¡°I guess she¡¯s still a little sore about you tossing her about so easily,¡± William said quietly. ¡°She¡¯s quiet, but she takes pride in certain things.¡±
Her athletic abilities, first and foremost. Which made sense, given that her elevation from slavery and the continued livelihood of her family depended on that ability.
¡°I¡¯ll talk to her after she cools off a bit,¡± he said.
And maybe do something nice for her. Or at least, move up something he¡¯d been planning to do anyway.
Specifically, getting Verity¡¯s family moved from where they were currently dwelling and onto his own lands. Assuming they agreed to such of course, but he couldn¡¯t see why they wouldn¡¯t. Verity¡¯s scholarship had effectively freed them from slavery and moved them closer to the capital, but they didn¡¯t actually own the small patch of land they currently lived and worked on. It was rented to them by the crown.
Theoretically, once the orc finished her term of service, she¡¯d be offered said land in perpetuity by the Crown ¨C or if she derived enough interest from other nobles, an offer for an equally sized or larger patch of land within their territory in return for retaining the services of herself and her line.
The basis of feudalism, in other words. One that William intended to pre-empt by buying out her contract in advance and moving her family onto his own land. A not entirely unusual move when cadets found a promising candidate in their time at the academy.
In doing so, he¡¯d tie the orc to himself and his goals as tightly as Marline.
A little Machiavellian perhaps, but that¡¯s life, he thought.
In time the same would become true of Bonnlyn and Olzenya, but the levers of their loyalty were a little more difficult to pull.
If only a little.
Returning from his thoughts, he turned to apologize to Griffith about needing to depart for a meeting, only for any thought of doing so ¨C or much of anything really ¨C to flee his mind like aether on the wind.
Because at some point while he¡¯d been massaging her shoulders, the woman had undone a number of buttons on her top.
¡°Well, if you don¡¯t mind forgetting her for a moment,¡± Griffith all-but purred as she gazed up at him, as smug as the cat that caught the canary. ¡°As I recall, we were interrupted before I could make good on my earlier promise.¡±
She stood up, warm breath tickling his neck, the scent of her hair filling his senses as she whispered into his ear. ¡°Something about ¡®draining you dry¡¯.¡±
He swallowed. ¡°Y-yes, ma¡¯am.¡±
The meeting could wait for a few minutes. Though he did make sure to pop his head out of the dining room just long enough to instruct his guards to make sure no one entered for the next¡ hour.
Or two.
------------------------
¡°You ok, William?¡± Bonnlyn whispered. ¡°You seem a little¡ bow legged.¡±
¡°Fine. Just fine,¡± he said.
He wasn¡¯t. It had been three days since Griffith had shown up and the woman was¡ in a word, insatiable.
He loved it, but their most recent rendezvous was making it a little difficult to stand upright as he oversaw the latest innovation he¡¯d been working on in-between being dragged away for ¡®meetings¡¯.
Or drainings, as the dark elf had become to refer to them as in private. It seemed that she¡¯d come to rather enjoy taking the dominant role between them in the bedroom, finding the act rather cathartic given the trouble he apparently put her through outside of it.
He wasn¡¯t about to complain, even if it did make telling her that he really needed to get to work¡ difficult. Fortunately, she¡¯d headed back to the capital a few hours ago ¨C the recipe for blackpowder firmly in her possession.
He smiled a bit at that. Sure, the Queen had wrangled the method for creating explosive powder out of him, but not all powders were created equal.
Not even close.
Back in the real world though, he found his smile dipping a little as Bonnlyn gave him a slightly queer look, wrinkling her nose as she seemed to realize why he looked a little ragged.
His team¡¯s opinion on the whole ¡®Griffith¡¯ affair was¡ divisive to say the least. And varied.
It seemed that while his predilection for older women was amusing when he wasn¡¯t acting on it¡ now that he was acting on it, it was suddenly less funny.
Fortunately, the dwarf was content to let the matter drop in favor of focusing on the more important task before them. Which made sense, given there was a lot of money to be made in the event it worked. And he¡¯d offered her family a large stake in it.
To that end, he too turned his focus back to the large shard sat in the centre of the massive workshop they and a few dozen other people were standing in.
Wings removed, the machine looked a little comical with its ¡®ass¡¯ aimed high up into the air and its nose facing the floor, as well as its internals open and exposed to the world. Including the two rather obtrusive aether-repeater cannons that had been rather hastily strapped to the ¡®back¡¯ of the machine ¨C and were thus now aimed at the propellers.
He really should have specified that he wanted a front mounted propeller frame when he made his request to the Queen, but at the time the thought totally slipped his mind. As such, he¡¯d received the infinitely more common Drake design.
¡°Verity,¡± he called up to the young woman who was sitting in the cockpit of the machine, acting as the thing¡¯s impromptu aether-core. ¡°Feel free to fire it up when ready.¡±
The girl nodded seriously as she pressed her hand to the metal compartment between her legs where the shard¡¯s actual shard-core would normally be positioned.
He heard rather than saw as she started to summon raw aether on the other side of the metal, A low hiss filling the room as the magical gas slowly started to fill the ¡®engine¡¯ of the shard, rapidly pressurizing the system of pipes within.
Not unlike a steam engine, the build up of pressure didn¡¯t take long to start moving the turbine connected to the propellers, quickly making them spin up. Fortunately, the vehicle was tied down so the force they began to exert did little to nothing beyond fill the enclosed space with the low roar of the props cutting through the air as they tried to drag a plane that wouldn¡¯t move forward.
Always surprises me how quiet it all is, he thought as he watched the leather hoses that trailed from the machine¡¯s wing thrusters to the outside start to inflate.
Naturally, not unlike a steam engine, the insides of the shard could only contain so much of the gas that was being produced, and some of it needed to be ¡®vented¡¯ before a valve or pipe burst. Normally, that excess would be funneled into either the ballasts to make the craft more buoyant and gain more lift before fading from reality after two minutes or so ¨C or it went into the wing thrusters to provide a form of primitive thrust by being blasted out the back, not unlike a rocket engine.
Given they didn¡¯t want the plane to start attempting to float, the valves to the ballasts were firmly closed. Likewise, given that they were in an enclosed space, the thought of blasting it full of aether from the thrusters was not appealing either. To that end, the leather hoses he was currently watching inflate were intended to vent the excess aether outside.
¡°Figure that¡¯s a good speed?¡± he asked as he turned to the nearby foreman ¨C a burly orcish blacksmith.
¡°Aye,¡± the woman said. ¡°For this at least.¡±
He nodded. That was fine by him. ¡°Alright, everyone behind the safety glass.¡±
Ignoring the quiet grumbling of those nearby, William joined the many alchemists and blacksmiths present for the experiment behind the very expensive magically reinforced glass that had been¡ borrowed from the Alchemist¡¯s guild for this test.
Hence why a few of them were lingering around for an experiment that wasn¡¯t really relevant to their area of expertise.
Yet, at least, he thought as he tugged Bonnlyn a little further behind cover, ignoring the dwarf¡¯s pout.
¡°Alright,¡± he called out. ¡°Make sure to duck too, Verity, and then you can fire when ready.¡±
He¡¯d have struggled to be heard over a regular engine, but given the quiet nature of shard-craft, he easily heard the girl¡¯s responding ¡®aye¡¯ as she leaned back down in her seat ¨C for her own protection ¨C as she slowly squeezed the trigger to her right.
This time, the sound was a lot louder ¨C and was accompanied by a little aether ¨C as suddenly a lot of the pressure that had been going to the propellor¡¯s turbine was redirected to the guns.
In a manner not dissimilar from a paintball or air-rifle, a few dozen projectiles were launched from the guns with accompanying puffs of blue-green aether, the pressurized gas propelling the rounds through the air and into the sandbags that had been piled against the back wall.
Where they barely penetrated, which made sense given they were little more than whittled down wooden dowels. That being one of the advantages of a pneumatic weapon system, one could fire just about anything they cared to so long as it fit down the barrel and into the magazine.
Which was advantageous when testing a weapon system that would under normal circumstances shred the propellers they were attempting to fire through. As it stood, if the wooden dowels had hit the props, all they¡¯d have achieved was a few dents and scratches before bursting into wood chippings instead of shredding the props themselves.
Fortunately, neither of those things happened.
¡°Well, fuck me,¡± a voice breathed behind him ¨C likely belonging to the orcish forewoman he¡¯d been speaking to earlier. ¡°He actually did it.¡±
William resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The synchronization ¨C or interrupter ¨C gear was world war one tech. Little more than a piston tied to the propellor, the device functioned exactly as it was named, by interrupting or synchronizing the flow of rounds from the front mounted guns to match the spinning of the propellor.
By doing so, even when the pilot held down the trigger, the guns were literally incapable of firing in the moments when the propellor blade was in front of them. Now, admittedly he¡¯d had to make a few small adjustments for a pneumatic firing system, but the same basic logic remained.
It actually offended him that no one had figured it out sooner, even if front-mount props were devilishly rare in this world.
¡°It¡¯s actually a fairly simple upgrade,¡± he said, turning to the woman. ¡°I¡¯m sure you or someone like you would have figured it out eventually if you had more experience with front-mounted props.¡±
At his words, the woman frowned a little, before saying quietly, ¡°Xela¡¯s shard is a front mount. Ex-Royal Navy. Si- uh, ma¡¯am?¡±
Wincing at the foot he¡¯d just shoved into his mouth ¨C though he did have to try not to laugh at the woman¡¯s mangling of vernacular - he kept his tone commiserating as he moved to an easier topic.
¡°Ma¡¯am is only for women and usually for dames. Which is what Xela is as a knight. And were I just a knight, you¡¯d say sir,¡± he smiled to show he wasn¡¯t offended. ¡°I¡¯m a count though, so count William or just milord or also fine.¡±
Flushing a little, the woman nodded quickly. ¡°Of course, milord.¡±
He nodded, even as Verity fired off another burst ¨C with every round ''miraculously¡¯ missing the propellers.
He¡¯d admit there was a certain temptation to do away with his title ¨C especially after years of being called master William by maids ¨C but he decided against it. He was already railing against enough institutions after all, no point in adding another by changing how people were supposed to address as well.
One or two issues with how things were done could be seen as reasonable by the world at large. Rebelling against everything that comprised society would be seen less as a person having an issue with society and more as that person having issues.
No, it was better to seem reasonable in other ways so as to make his actual issues seem more legitimate.
He winced a little at the thought, even as a third and final burst rang out. Because he¡¯d had admittedly limited success in people understanding his issues thus far.
Part of that was on him, he knew. He¡¯d never really explained his issues with slavery.
But even as he had the thought, he was reminded of why he didn¡¯t. Because why would he bother to write a treatise on the failures of slavery when they already existed? Yelena certainly didn¡¯t censure the practice overnight and neither did the South abandon it purely because the Queen did.
Writings on the topic had existed since the days of the old Elven Imperium.
Yet it remained because certain people had a vested interest in ensuring it remained. Like the North ¨C because it lined their pockets or because it helped pay to continue a race-war thousands of years old. Likewise, there were people like his mother who didn¡¯t like the practice, but would tolerate it if it benefited her. Not unlike a person benefiting from a cheaper phone because it was made in some third world sweatshop.
He scoffed.
Admittedly that last comparison wasn¡¯t quite the same in scale, but it still worked in principle.
No, he wasn¡¯t interested in convincing anyone of his point of view via words. That wasn¡¯t his strength and never would be. He¡¯d let others attempt that. No, he¡¯d focus on the power of a good argument backed by a big gun.
To that end, he smiled widely as Verity clambered out of one example of that plan. Sure, it was back to front and ugly as all sin, but it would bebut a single step on the road to him developing the biggest gun.
Big enough to sway a nation.
¡°Well, I guess we can call this a success,¡± he called out to the nearby blacksmiths. ¡°Let¡¯s see what other improvements we can get started on before I¡¯ve got to go back to school.¡±
A stunned silence greeted him, before a look of determination seemed to flash across the entire crowd.
Perhaps in different circumstances someone might have cheered at the success of the ¡®impossible¡¯ that had just occurred. But given it had been him alone who¡¯d developed it, that failed to materialize. Instead, all it had done was brought to life a flare of competitiveness amongst the many craftsmen.
And he could work with that.
Oh, he could definitely work with that.
After all, he had a great many things planned for the new month. And these would be the people who would need to implement those things into a finished design once he flew back to the academy to start making the connections needed to actually leverage said inventions.
Chapter Thirty Nine
Pausing only to ensure the clearing was clear, Isabella wasted no time in dashing to the log at the centre of it and shifting it aside.
A peculiar sight to be sure, if anyone were observing, given that she herself was invisible. To a casual observer, it would seem as if the log just¡ suddenly decided to move of its own volition. Fortunately for the palace guardswoman, her only observers were a pair of disinterested rabbits, as she dropped into the hole that had been revealed.
Pulling the cover back into place, the woman was plunged into total darkness, the tight confines of the dirt walls around her all but pinning her in place. Fortunately, dropping into a crouch provided her a little more room to maneuver, if only slightly.
Ugh, I hate this bit, she thought as she resisted the faint tingles of claustrophobic dread that tried to rise up ¨C only to be squashed through long experience.
Instead, she focused her energies on the slow, laborious process of gradually turning herself about until she was perpendicular to the ground, the tunnel leading away from the entrance right in front of her face.
Sighing in relief now that the most difficult part was done, she started to crawl ¨C though shimmying might have been a more apt descriptor. Slowly, inch by inch, she squirmed forward into the darkness.
Twelve paces, she thought. Slightly downward angle.
Eventually she hit a wall, and felt with her hands how it veered off to the right ¨C and once more down. She followed, fighting to force her body to squeeze through the tight turn. Then once more on the left.
Which was when she smelled it.
Food.
Grinning, despite the grime sticking to her face ¨C which didn¡¯t matter, she was invisible ¨C she squirmed onwards, turning one final corner and catching a glimpse of her destination.
An opening filled with light at the end of the tunnel. It seemed to take forever to reach it, but when she did, she reveled in the freedom of pulling herself through it and out of the claustrophobic darkness.
Which wasn¡¯t to say the room she was in now was large. The ceiling was low enough that she needed to crawl on hands and knees, and if she stretched out fully, she¡¯d have been able to reach both walls of the circular space.
Still, it was better than the tunnel ¨C and not just because of the pot of stew bubbling merrily in one ¡®corner¡¯.
¡°Andrea?¡± the woman tending to it asked without looking up.
There was little point, given that Isabella¡¯s potion had yet to wear off.
¡°Isabella,¡± she corrected. ¡°Andrea wanted to take the evening shift.¡±
Moving over to the small pile of bedding opposite the stew, the guardswoman set about pulling off her armor. Which didn¡¯t take long, given it was just a breastplate. A simple steel cuirass stained black. Satisfied, she eagerly shimmied over to the pot ¨C though she was careful to keep her hands away from the heating-stone beneath it.
¡°Working on the shard again?¡± Narya asked quietly as she continued to stir.
A small bead of sweat ran down her face as she did. The heating stone might have kept them from filling the entire cavern with smoke while she cooked, but it still put out enough heat that the tight confines of the alcove were just a step below sweltering.
Fortunately, the thing only needed to be turned on long enough to ensure Isabella and her sisters-in-arms got a hot meal.
¡°Alchemy this time.¡± Isabella shook her head. ¡°Something to do with the earthblood.¡±
Narya laughed as she scooped out a portion of the stew into a bowl. ¡°It¡¯s always something with him. Any idea what he¡¯s doing with it?¡±
Isabella shook her head again as she accepted the food and dug in.
¡°Is it too much to ask that you use a spoon?¡± her friend asked. ¡°You just crawled through a tunnel full of dirt and you¡¯re filthy.¡±
Isabella rolled her eyes, before frowning as she noted that she still couldn¡¯t see herself, or the bowl she was eating from. ¡°How could you tell I was using my hands?¡±
¡°Call it an educated guess.¡± Narya smirked as she tucked into her own food ¨C with a spoon.
Isabella scoffed, but said nothing as the two continued to eat. Truth be told, the food wasn¡¯t actually all that great, given they were limited to what supplies they¡¯d brought with them, supplemented by what the three could pilfer or hunt without being noticed.
Still, it was warm and filling.
¡°He¡¯s compartmentalizing,¡± Isabella finally said as she set the bowl aside, watching with some amusement as it flared into existence the moment it left her hand. ¡°Just about every workshop in the province is working on something for him, but none of them know what the end result of each design is supposed to be.¡±
¡°A shard, presumably,¡± Narya said. ¡°Given the first thing he made was that synchronization gear.¡±
Something the Queen would be interested in. But only passingly so. Sure, it presented a powerful upgrade to front-mounted prop shard designs, but the Royal Navy didn¡¯t have many of those.
Still, given the influx of Mithril the crown had just received, new airships weren¡¯t the only thing the capital was churning out. Shards were too, and it was all too possible Redwater¡¯s synchronization gear would serve to make a new line of front-mounted shards more appealing to her lady.
¡°Obviously,¡± Isabella muttered. ¡°Some of the parts we can recognize as being for a shard.¡± There was, after all, only so many ways one could create landing gear or cockpit glass. ¡°It¡¯s the ones I can¡¯t recognize that I¡¯m concerned about.¡±
Nor was she alone in that. Many of the workers creating the parts were more than a little unsure about what they were doing ¨C even as they continued to follow Redwater¡¯s absurdly precise instructions.
If she were being honest, she could admire it in a way. Even if someone were to create copies of all the parts currently being constructed, they¡¯d still need to piece them together bit by bit ¨C without even being sure if they had access to all the pieces they actually needed.
Still, it made her job of keeping an eye on the boy¡¯s plans a lot more difficult.
¡°Nothing we can do about it but keep trying to find his personal notes¡± Narya shrugged.
Isabella scowled, not least because the fact that the boy made getting into his personal workshop all but impossible. She and the others were rightly leery of stumbling across whatever trap he¡¯d used to destroy the storehouse back at the academy last year.
Sure, eventually it was claimed that the explosion was an accident borne from thieves tampering with deteriorating alchemy materials, but the Palace Guard knew the truth.
The explosion was too similar to the kraken slayer in function not to have come from William.
Which is why we can¡¯t be too invasive for fear of ending up a red stain, she thought.
¡°Ugh,¡± she lamented. ¡°I hate it when the targets know they¡¯re being watched.¡±
For one thing, they started making countermeasures ¨C and while William¡¯s had proven a lot less lethal than the Blackstone¡¯s, they were still annoying.
She certainly didn¡¯t appreciate being shooed from rooms like a housecat any time the boy felt the need to have some private time. Nor did she enjoy scrubbing pink paint off her armour, after one of his earlier attempts to counter their invisibility. Because while the paint did seem to disappear when it struck her, that was only from the outside. Even if it turned invisible, she still had pink paint all over her that needed cleaning off the moment her invisibility wore off.
Idly, she wiped at the sweat covered grime on her face, noting the outline of her hand as she did. The spell was starting to wear off now. She gave it a few more minutes before she was fully visible.
¡°Do you think he¡¯s harrowed?¡± Narya asked quietly, apropos of nothing.
Isabella shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s the thousand gold question, isn¡¯t it.¡±
¡°I mean, he has to be, right? The spell-bolt. The flashbang. The Kraken Slayer. And now this?¡±
Isabella leaned back against the warm soil of their little den. ¡°Eh, the bolt-bow and flashbang, I could see them being a derivative of the same concept. It¡¯s just a ¡®boom¡¯ applied in different ways. The slayer¡¯s a bit more of a leap with the alchemy, but it¡¯s still just a ¡®boom¡¯ of a different sort.¡±
Isabella was familiar with alchemy ¨C all of the royal guards were, they had to be to search for poisons or other threats.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
As a magic system, it wasn¡¯t all that complicated. In short, it worked by combining two or more items with conceptually similar attributes. Healing potions for example, needed dragon scales and gazelle hearts. Two potent symbols of health and fertility. Truth be told though, the dragon scale was doing most of the heavy lifting there. The more potent the ¡®conceptual weight¡¯ of the items used the more effective they¡¯d be.
And thus expensive. And few things were more expensive than dragon scales.
Not least of all because they¡¯d been driven to near extinction ¨C along with a lot of other magically inclined beasts that made for good alchemy ingredients.
Which was a large part of why alchemy had grown less popular than enchanting over the years. Yes, alchemists theoretically could churn out as many potions as there were hours in the day if they had the ingredients, but that was the rub. The ingredients.
Which were expensive. Especially when compared to enchanting, where applying the enchantment was free but for the aether spent in the attempt.
She frowned.
Except whatever powered the kraken slayer wasn¡¯t enchanting or alchemy as they understood it. For one thing, alchemy failed near kraken scales just like enchantments or conventional spellwork. More to the point, of the list of ingredients William had handed to Griffith, nothing in them held the kind of conceptual weight needed to achieve the kind of explosive power the kraken slayer held.
Potassium. Sulphur. Charcoal.
Of the three, only the second could even be seen as explosive given their relationship to volcanoes and fires respectively. Beyond that, they were common ingredients, which lessened their conceptual weight.
¡°That¡¯s not alchemy,¡± Narya muttered, unknowingly echoing her thoughts.
¡°As we know it.¡± Isablla shrugged. ¡°Perhaps those rituals he outlined changed the conceptual properties of the ingredients.¡±
Narya stilled, before she glanced meaningfully at a crate, one containing the team¡¯s stock of invisibility potion. ¡°¡You mean like?¡±
Isabella shrugged.
Yes, it was true that one half of the invisibility potion could be considered¡ a less monetarily expensive ingredient, but Isabelle would never consider it cheap. Nor did the palace alchemists who created the potion, otherwise it wouldn¡¯t work.
With that said, it was only used as the binding agent, the other half of the potion was unicorn blood - which was the furthest thing from cheap one could get.
Isabelle glanced down at her hands. ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s a similar cost incurred with the kraken slayer we¡¯re not aware of yet.¡±
Narya chuckled humourlessly. ¡°What a lovely thought.¡±
¡°My point is, two novel applications for magic and a one-off bit of incredible alchemy do not require a harrowing. Just a bit of uncommon intelligence and creativity.¡±
¡°Or it could just be a harrowing at work. Something to do with explosions.¡±
¡°Except he¡¯s not raving mad.¡±
Narya laughed. ¡°Stillwater would disagree with you on that point. As would his family. And me for that matter. Plus, he¡¯s got the signs. All signs say he was a total layabout prior to attending the academy. I don¡¯t know about you, but nothing I¡¯ve seen in the past few weeks screams ¡®layabout¡¯ to me. That kind of change in behaviour would fit a harrowing.¡±
Narya glanced up. ¡°It¡¯d be easy done. Our playboys finds out he¡¯s being shipped off to the academy to straighten up and panics. So he decides to go for the easy way out.¡±
It was a common enough story. No matter how many times people were warned against it, the fact that the ¡®answer¡¯ to any given problem was just a question away all too often proved too much of a temptation for some. The stupid and the desperate.
¡°Except he¡¯s not mad,¡± Isabella reiterated. ¡°He¡¯s wilful and impulsive, but that¡¯s it.¡± She paused. ¡°You¡¯ve¡ not seen a harrowed person. They¡¯re not¡ they¡¯re barely there. Him though, he¡¯s talking, he¡¯s lucid, he¡¯s making plans. He¡¯s aware of his surroundings. He isn¡¯t¡ half elsewhere.¡±
Narya eyed her. ¡°And the bit of nonsense he¡¯s building? It¡¯s all coming out of his head.¡±
¡°Again, all within the realms of someone clever.¡± Isabella shrugged. ¡°The synchronization gear is clever, but obvious in retrospect.¡±
¡°I note you¡¯re making no comment on the other stuff he¡¯s having his people put together.¡±
¡°Stuff that¡¯s yet to be seen that they succeed. They could be experiments on his part. He did claim that was his plan, and it would explain why he¡¯s doing it all in a billion parts. Because he¡¯s not making a single shard, just lots of¡ add-ons.¡±
Narya hummed in consideration. ¡°I still think he¡¯s harrowed.¡±
Isabella snorted as she crawled over to her bed. ¡°Well, I think I¡¯m going to grab a nap.¡±
Narya scoffed, but didn¡¯t say anything else as she set about taking down her cooking equipment.
For her part, Narya couldn¡¯t wait to be back to her ¡®official duties¡¯ as a palace guardswoman. Eating proper meals. Not skulking underground to maintain the illusion they weren¡¯t present to a man who obviously knew about them.
---------
Tala grunted with exertion as she finished pushing yet another orc corpse over the railing. Idly, she watched the body fall, twirling about as it fell, before hitting the forest below and disappearing out of sight beneath the treeline.
Soon enough, it¡¯d be a feast for the creatures within.
Though it might take them a while to get around to it, Tala thought with grim satisfaction. After all, there¡¯s plenty to go around today.
As if to punctuate her thoughts, she glanced up to see other members of the crew leveraging a wyvern overboard, the massive batlike lizard¡¯s corpse proving difficult to shift due to its weight.
Well, that and the sheer amount of blood staining the Judgement¡¯s deck. Even as she watched, one of the sailors started to slip in a puddle of the red fluid, before catching herself at the last second.
All around her, sailors and marines were at work shifting the many bodies strewn about. Mostly orcs and their mounts, but a few blackstone marines and sailors were present too. Naturally, the latter were being treated with the respect they reserved, the honored dead laid out in neat lines on one side, rather than being cast overboard.
No, they¡¯d take the human dead with them when they returned home, to be buried with honour as they deserved.
¡In graveyards already overflush with the dead of the north, Tala thought venomously.
¡°Ack!¡±
Glancing over, she allowed herself some quiet satisfaction to soothe her soul as she watched a pair of prisoners being lead below deck in shackles. The pairs green skin was mottled black and blue where they¡¯d been beaten into submission during the melee, but they¡¯d look worse before the night was through.
That there were only two wasn¡¯t ideal, but it was enough for the brig mistress to work with. Tala knew from experience that the pair would be separated and each used to confirm the answers of the other.
That would hopefully be enough to get an answer on where the nearest orc base was.
Though if they expire before then, there¡¯s likely more prisoners on the other ships in the fleet, Tala thought carelessly.
She was just about to set about shifting another corpse when the sound of someone moving up behind her had her turn.
¡°Some part of me still can¡¯t believe it worked,¡± Captain Hayfield said without preamble. ¡°Normally getting the greenskins to commit to a real fight against anything other than lone ships is like pulling teeth.¡±
Under normal circumstances the woman wouldn¡¯t have been talking to her given that Tala was supposed to be ¡®just another member of the crew¡¯ as per her mother¡¯s instructions. Hence why Tala was shifting corpses along with the menials, while the other marine-knights were toasting a well-earned victory.
In the time since her banishment though, they¡¯d managed to build up something of a rapport with the older woman ¨C owed in no small part to the fact that Tala had never once complained or shied away from her reduced duties - and as such the captain often took a few moments here and there to confer with her future liege lady.
¡°They don¡¯t normally have three airships to call upon,¡± she said as she glanced meaningfully at the two downed and smoking hulls that had crashed into the forest and a mountainside respectfully.
Already gliders were floating down to recover the cores within ¨C and likely the hulls as well given time.
The third was still in the wind, but it wouldn¡¯t get far before they chased it down. And hopefully in the process they¡¯d discover how the orcs had managed to keep the three ships hidden for so long. Certainly, the Snowback mountains weren¡¯t small, but neither were three airships. Yet of the three sorties House Blackstone made into ¡®orc territory¡¯, not one managed to find even a hint of the stolen vessels.
Until now, but that was because the orcs chose to come to them this time.
¡°Nor as tempting a target as we provided,¡± Haysmith allowed. ¡°I¡¯ll admit part of me was worried when your mother presented her strategy. I¡¯m no coward, but the thought of entering the Snowbacks with just three ships certainly had me feeling uneasy. Especially with one of the craft untested. Even if he is a big bastard.¡±
Tala glanced up towards the massive Brimstone overhead, the thing¡¯s bulk dwarfing his two escorts.
¡°Mother¡¯s always been audacious,¡± Tala allowed.
And using their newly constructed carrier as bait to lure the orcs into a real confrontation was certainly nothing if not audacious.
It had worked though. Oh, how it had worked.
¡°That she has,¡± Hayfield laughed. ¡°That she has. Though I can¡¯t say it hasn¡¯t paid off. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m a woman unaccustomed to seeing the skies turn black with flyers, but I can say with surety that this is the first time I¡¯ve ever been happy to see it happen.¡±
Tala smiled in turn. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine the orcs expected their little swarm strategy to be turned back on them.¡±
True, it wasn¡¯t quite the same, given that the Brimstone¡¯s twenty shard complement was still outnumbered by the thirty or so wyverns the orcs had sortied, but that hadn¡¯t availed the brutes any.
A shard was normally a match for any five wyverns, given their improved speed, armament and armour. The only area a wyvern could be said to have an advantage was in agility, and even then, only in low speed turns or deceleration. If one of the massive lizards wanted to catch a shard that was banking away, they needed to be in a dive ¨C which severely limited their ability to turn.
That combined with the fact that their only weapon of worth being a short ranged spurt of natural napalm meant they were only really dangerous when they had an overwhelming numbers advantage and the ability to force a shard into a turn fight.
¡For example, by threatening the airship said shard was expected to escort.
Tala glanced over to where a small patch of sticky liquid fire was still burning merrily against the metal outer plating of the hull. Positioned where it was, it wasn¡¯t actually a threat to anything, and as such was being ignored in favour of other tasks. It¡¯d burn out by itself soon enough.
Still, the sight of one of those batlike head sticking its way through a gunport and bathing an entire gunnery crew in flames was one that all too many Blackstone¡¯s sailors was familiar with.
Along with the sight of some leather clad greenskinned barbarian diving through said porthole a moment after to lay into what was left of the crew with her wicked hooked blades.
That was how the orcs had managed to take three ships. Ambushes involving massive swarms of wyvern-riders. The wyvern would swoop in, strafe the deck a few times with fire to thin out the external defenders, before landing just long enough to allow their riders to dismount. Then the wyvern would return to the fight, the trained beast relying on instinct more than the directions of their riders to chase down the remaining shard escorts. Meanwhile, the boarding orcs would set about butchering the crew, their shamans proving an annoyingly able peer to whatever marine knights happened to be aboard.
It was an effective, if crude strategy. One that had worked for the orcs for years.
Until now.
The Brimstone¡¯s twenty shard complement had cut a swathe through the beasts before they even got close to the carrier or her escorts. What few of the drakes did manage to land, were cut down with their riders in short order, while the shards moved on to savage the orc¡¯s stolen ships with aid from Blackstone-Marine Knight boarders.
¡°Turnabout is fair play,¡± Tala said finally. ¡°And while I don¡¯t doubt the wily beasts might be able to create a counter to our new carrier doctrine, we¡¯re not about to give them the time to let that happen.¡±
No, a storm was coming to the Snowbacks ¨C and with the orcs now missing two of their stolen ships and a significant swathe of their drake population, the greenskins were in no position to resist.
For the next few years at least, the orcish ¡®rebellion¡¯ had been neutered.
This is the end of the greenskin threat to my people and our lands, Tala thought. And as soon as we¡¯re done here, we can turn our attention to the elvish threat.
¡And William Redwater.
Chapter Forty
¡°That¡¯s right, careful now. Nice and easy,¡± Xela instructed her ¡®student¡¯ as they slowly came in to land.
Seated behind the younger girl, the wood elf felt more than saw the rear wheels of the craft hit the runway. Then the front wheel.
Satisfied, the wood elf released her own deathgrip on the craft¡¯s secondary control system as the shard slowly started to trundle down the runway. It wasn¡¯t a particularly smooth ride though. Sure, the runway her count had commanded constructed was serviceable enough in a pinch, but like most spell-wrought creations, it had¡ imperfections.
Indeed, even as the canopy opened and she moved to follow her student in clambering out onto the Unicorn¡¯s wing, Xela made to visually make note of the locations of a number of bumps and divots that she¡¯d felt coming in ¨C and taking off.
Well, that¡¯s the girls¡¯ punishment duty for the immediate future sorted, she thought as her feet hit the dirt. Smoothing out the runway.
At least so long as the boy continued to insist on running take offs and landings.
Speaking of which¡
¡°Do you have any idea why Count Redwater keeps insisting on running take offs?¡± she asked.
Across from her, Bonnlyn shrugged as she slung her booster seat under her arm. ¡°Not a clue. Though knowing William, there¡¯ll be some absurdly clever reason for it. Probably.¡±
¡°Probably?¡±
¡°That¡¯s William. You could ask him, and there¡¯s a decent chance he¡¯ll tell you his reasons, or he¡¯ll do that stupid little smile he does.¡± She shrugged again. ¡°I couldn¡¯t say which.¡±
There was both a feeling of resignation and fondness in the dwarf¡¯s words, but they just made Xela want to sigh.
¡°Great,¡± she stated, before her eyes alighted on something. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll find out which of the two it is soon enough.¡±
Because, unless her eyes deceived her, her liege was riding over to them. Accompanied by a small coterie of Redwater Household guard, the boy approached.
Strange to see him outside of the workshops, the wood elf thought.
¡°Ho,¡± the boy called out as he pulled to a stop just short of them. ¡°I hope today¡¯s lesson went smoothly?¡±
¡°My count,¡± Xela sketched a quick bow, before straightening up. ¡°Well enough. This one at least has a natural enough aptitude for flight. Stone and root, it¡¯s probably the most of the lot.¡±
Moreso than any of the others at least ¨C and definitely more than the orc. The less said about the girl¡¯s skills behind a craft the better. Now, admittedly these were early days, but that thought did little to soothe the marshal¡¯s ire at nearly being slammed into a tree twice in one session.
¡°Oh?¡± William cocked his head, eyes flitting from her to his teammate. ¡°High praise for you, Xela.¡±
¡°It¡¯s the truth,¡± she said, before turning toward her beaming student. ¡°Though I wouldn¡¯t go getting a big head about it. Best of the lot doesn¡¯t necessarily mean ¡®good¡¯.¡±
The girl had talent, but nothing good would come from the girl getting a big head over the fact. Which was why she felt some small level of satisfaction at the way the girl flinched.
¡°No, but the implication is certainly there,¡± her count said quietly, rather neatly undercutting the point Xela had been trying to make as the dwarf perked up again. ¡°Though that¡¯s ultimately neither here nor there. Truthfully I didn¡¯t come out here just to ask about my teammates¡¯ progress.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Xela raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is today the day I finally get to see Count Redwater behind the controls of a shard?¡±
It certainly hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed by anyone that while the boy had set the rest of his team to practicing their flying skills as much as possible within whatever spare time Xela had to act as their instructor in between her other duties, her liege hadn¡¯t even so much as glanced in the Unicorn¡¯s direction, content to let his fellows make use of the training craft.
Which wasn¡¯t totally unexpected, given how busy he was with the many projects that were now underway in the county¡¯s workshops. Still, there was less than two weeks left before the whole team would be returning to the academy. A few hours on the stick would be valuable.
At least when it comes to outperforming the other brats in his house, Xela thought.
It wouldn¡¯t do much to even things up where the other houses were concerned. Most noble brats had been practicing in their family¡¯s shards for about as long as they¡¯d been able to reach the controls. Indeed, it was pretty commonly acknowledged that while the Royal House often performed well in the first year when the focus was on more athletic pursuits, that relative level of skill dropped off sharply in the second when Shards became the focus.
Because for all that even a common-born brat could practice how to fight, most of them wouldn¡¯t have even seen a shard before attending the academy.
Xela certainly hadn¡¯t.
Then again, Redwater used to be Ashfield, she thought. Man or not, he might have some experience with his family¡¯s craft.
It¡¯d be unusual, but not completely unheard of. And William Redwater was nothing if not unusual.
¡°Ah, not today I¡¯m afraid.¡± He laughed easily. ¡°No, I¡¯ve a new project of sorts that I was hoping to get your opinion on before I break ground on it.¡±
¡°Another, William?¡± Bonnlyn chirped, turning her gaze away from where the hangar-minder were wheeling the Unicorn back into it¡¯s hangar. ¡°Don¡¯t you have enough to be getting on with already? I¡¯ll remind you that my family are still waiting on a meeting with you.¡±
To his credit, the boy flinched. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll not deny I¡¯m busy ¨C and I promise I¡¯ll get that meeting done before we go back to the academy. Unfortunately, this particular project can¡¯t wait.¡±
His eyes flitted back to Xela who hummed. As much as she wanted to return to the hundred other tasks that she needed to get done as part of her role as marshal, a request from her liege wasn¡¯t exactly something she could blow off.
If he complained later about the expansion of his household guard being slower than he wanted, she¡¯d just remind him that it was him who¡¯d pulled her away from it.
¡°Alright,¡± she breathed. ¡°Though I assume we won¡¯t be hashing it out on the landing strip?¡±
Grinning, the boy nodded before gesturing to one of the riderless horses his retinue had brought with him.
¡°After you, milady.¡±
She moved to clamber onto the horse, before pausing.
Was¡ was she crazy, or did he check her out just then? It was quick, but she definitely didn¡¯t imagine him giving her a once over as she moved past.
Huh, she thought as she stepped into the stirrups. Perhaps there¡¯s some truth to the rumours of him and that royal messenger from last week.
Well, if the boy wanted to waste her time by excorcising a few of his mommy issues by giving her a good ploughing - she could definitely live with that kind of disruption to her schedule.
-------------------------
Unfortunately, it seemed she¡¯d not been invited into her liege¡¯s office for a good ploughing from the young buck.
At least, not physically.
Mentally and emotionally, she certainly felt like she was being fucked with.
¡°This isn¡¯t a terrible idea,¡± she repeated for what felt like the third time since she¡¯d entered his office.
Admittedly, the first two had been a bit more subtle, but given that didn¡¯t seem to be working she¡¯d been forced to use less tactful language. At this point, it didn¡¯t care if she went the way of Stillwater as a result. This was a terrible idea and that needed to be said.
¡°Eight minutes,¡± the boy stressed. ¡°Eight minutes. All a mage needs to do is activate the core and you¡¯ve got eight minutes before it stops producing aether. Thereafter all the controls for a shard are mechanical. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a plebian behind the controls or a mage. The wings still work. The guns still work. The ammo belts are enchanted in advance. It¡¯s the same.¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s not. No mage in the cockpit means no lightning bolts at close range ¨C and if the shard does get shot down, the poor sod inside won¡¯t be able to bail out without being shredded by the propellers or falling to their death.¡±
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Once a marine-knight got the cockpit open, they could blast clear of the shard on a stream of aether, and thus avoid the grisly fate of being diced by their own shard¡¯s propellers.
Xela was well aware that a lot of mages saw plebians as ¡®disposable¡¯, but she¡¯d be damned if she was one of them. Not after years living amongst them.
¡°The former can be solved by the county investing in front-mounted props. A method of construction I¡¯ve just made more viable,¡± William argued. ¡°The latter can be solved by giving the plebian pilots parachutes. The same kind marines use for airdrops.¡±
That was¡ not a terrible idea. A parachute was a major step down from a mage¡¯s flight suit, but it¡¯d work. And the boy¡¯s new interrupter gear had made the notion of a front mount more viable.
¡°And what if the pilot crashes over water?¡± she asked.
The boy shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll teach our candidates how to swim in the nearby lake. Or at least tread water for fifteen minutes.¡±
¡°Eight minutes then. Seven if you include the time it would take them to take off and land. That¡¯s not enough flight time.¡±
He inclined his head. ¡°That would be true if they were taking off from an airfield, but these plebian-pilots are intended to be a part of an airship crew. Any shard launches would already be at altitude so they aren¡¯t wasting time climbing. They¡¯ll be launching practically into the action. Even assuming we detract another three minutes to clash with other shards in a space between two airships, that¡¯s still four minutes of dogfighting time. By the end of which, I¡¯d expect the shard¡¯s ammo supply to be the limiting factor rather than the fuel.¡±
That was¡ not unreasonable. In Xela¡¯s experience, dogfights were fast. From the outside. When you were in them they felt like forever, but in reality, most fights between shards were anywhere from half a minute to three.
Frustrated, the wood-elf opened her mouth to bring up another argument¡ only to find she had none. Which wasn¡¯t to say there weren¡¯t still arguments unaddressed ¨C the boy hadn¡¯t had an answer to her points about in-flight spells. Still¡
¡°Why are you so interested in this?¡± she asked. ¡°Plebian pilots, I mean, ignoring their effectiveness¡ they¡¯re just not needed.¡±
Even if half of the mages in the country died tomorrow, there¡¯d still be enough to crew every ship and pilot every shard. Sure, some new pilots would need to be drawn from the ranks of the mage-smiths, but rare was the menial-mage who didn¡¯t secretly long to be a marine-knight.
William leaned back in his chair as he regarded her over his desk. ¡°Because in doing so I¡¯d be able to have five members of my team acting as boarders or counter-boarders, while also having two shards in the air. I¡¯d just need one of them to activate the cores.¡±
¡°And in doing so, risk losing the mithril-cores attached to those shards because you didn¡¯t have the best woman possible in the pilot seat,¡± Xela stressed.
Only to immediately feel like cursing as the boy just shrugged.
¡°Fine then,¡± she glanced down at the plans before her. ¡°Assuming I agreed to this ¨C which is a big fuckin¡¯ assumption ¨C it says here you want me to train¡¡±
She doubled checked the numbers to make sure she was reading them right.
¡°Forty pilots,¡± she said numbly. ¡°For a county that currently has two shards. One of which is mine and thus is mine and mine alone to fly, even if I am acting as part of your liege levy. The other of which is a training craft on loan from the Royal Navy and due to be returned within the week.¡±
Rather than be ruffled, the boy just smiled. ¡°Which is why I will be making a trip into the capital later this week. To see the Mithril-Shapers. From what Piper has told me, the core in the Jellyfish is large enough that we could chip away enough material to create two shard-cores with only minimal loss of manoeuvrability. Which is why I¡¯ll also be buying a two-seater frame while I¡¯m there ¨C while Piper¡¯s people will be adding another seat to our little test bed craft. Lo and behold, we¡¯ll have two more pseudo-Unicorns before next Molday.
Roots and Stone help her.
¡°Two training craft,¡± she said. ¡°To be shared between forty trainees. And one trainer. Who I¡¯d remind you, can only fly in one craft at a time.¡±
Unless, Dirt Forbid, the second was supposed to be a spare for when the first inevitable harpooned into the ground.
¡°Which is why we¡¯ll be hire on eight more instructors and having them work six days a week on five hour shifts,¡± the boy said as he slid another sheet across the table to her. ¡°Which gives us four hours each day for maintenance for both craft each day. In turn, this gives our forty candidates each six hours of flight time each week. All we need to do is pad out the rest of the week with theory and other Household Guard duties, and we¡¯ll have a small army of semi-competent pilots by the end of the year.¡±
Semi-competent, she thought acidicly as she read through his plans to hire on two quartet¡¯s of marine-knight instructors for two years,
¡°The county can¡¯t afford it,¡± she said instantly.
He waved his hand dismissively. ¡°The county can¡¯t. I can. The Jellyfish and this title weren¡¯t the only rewards I received for my work on the Kraken Slayer, the Spell-Bolt, Flashbang and Radio.¡±
What the mulch was Radio?
She shook her head. Perhaps it was time to change tacts. ¡°Ok, while I¡¯m pleased to know you won¡¯t be taxing the populace into the dirt to afford this madness, won¡¯t you need those Shards at the academy?¡± She paused, before absently recalling that she was talking to a superior. ¡°My lord.¡±
Fortunately, the human barely even seemed to notice the slip.
¡°Why would we? Plenty of people without access to shards attend to the academy. As I understand it, the academy has a communal pool of shards available for that purpose.¡±
Xela nearly choked on her own spit. ¡°That is- while I¡¯d never speak ill of good Royal Navy craft, there¡¯s no denying that by dint of their mass produced nature, they tend to be inferior to the bespoke units provided to the heirs of other houses by their noble parents.¡±
Xela knew that because she¡¯d been forced to fly in said mass produced planes, against cadets who were flying machines with enchanted frames made from lighter more expensive materials.
At the time it had seemed terribly unfair, but years later she¡¯d realized it was intentional. It was training for the reality of being a pilot in the Royal Navy.
Certainly, the organization maintained a fairly advanced fleet, but it couldn¡¯t replace dozens of shards every time a new innovation in design was invented. Not regularly. Not like a noble house that only had one or two shards to its name.
And while a noble house might allow its airship to fall deeper and deeper into obsolescence, the same wasn¡¯t usually true for its shards. Not when they could earn a house glory both in the academy and in tourneys.
¡°Then I suppose you¡¯ll have to drive my team extra hard in the time we have left to compensate for that material disadvantage,¡± the young man said, as if it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°But if we do end up on a losing streak because of it, well, you learn more from defeat than victory.¡±
She felt like slamming her head into the table.
She thought she¡¯d been onto a winner by mentioning Team Seven¡¯s academy rankings. Root and Stone, the group of first year¡¯s had built a small legend for themselves, even beyond the academy walls, as the team that managed to defeat another two years their senior. They¡¯d proven themselves unbeatable by any of their peers.
That kind of thing didn¡¯t happen by accident or luck. It took sweat, blood and long hours of practice.
¡°¡I don¡¯t understand you,¡± she said finally.
¡°Few do.¡± When he eyed her, this time she got a full view of what Bonnlyn had described as his ¡®stupid little smile¡¯.
It was an apt descriptor.
¡°Why are you doing this?¡± she asked. ¡°Really? Assuming I bought that crock of shit about doubling up on shards and Marine-Knights, why would you need forty candidates?¡±
That question at least seemed to wipe the smugness from his face, as he regarded her seriously. ¡°It¡¯s an experiment borne of a theory. That theory being that sometime in the future¡ there¡¯s going to be a rather violent drop in the number of Marine-Knights in Lindholm.¡±
He was talking about the civil war, she realized. Which I suppose is forward thinking, even if his plan is a little mistaken¡
Coughing, she leaned forward. ¡°If, and I mean if, something violent were to occur, I don¡¯t think it would have the kind of effect you expect. The Lunites and Solites have been fighting for generations now and they¡¯re not putting plebians into piloting positions.¡±
¡°What plebians?¡± he asked.
She leaned back. ¡°What do you mean, what plebians?¡±
He eyed her. ¡°Exactly what I said. What plebians? Neither the Solites or the Lunites have plebians beyond what orcish slaves they import. Other than that and a few groups of dwarves and humans, the Solites and Lunites are all elves.¡±
Which meant they were all mages, Xela realized belatedly.
¡°Ok,¡± she took a breath. ¡°Ignoring the old continent being a bad example, even if the Marine-Knight population were to¡ dip, more would just be recruited from the menial-mages.¡±
The boy shrugged. ¡°Under normal circumstances yes, but you¡¯re failing to remember that we¡¯ve just had a massive influx of mithril into the market. Enough that we¡¯ll likely still be trying to build frames for it all when you¡¯re old and grey, let alone me. Can Lindholm really afford to take those mages off the production lines for new airships and shards?¡±
He tapped the table. ¡°Perhaps. It¡¯d be a difficult decision, but I could see the Queen siding in favor of replenishing her combat losses. After all, what use is more ships and shards if she doesn¡¯t have enough mages left to operate them.¡±
The tap got harder. ¡°Unless an alternative presented itself.¡±
¡°Plebian pilots,¡± Xela breathed as she came to the realization of just how far ahead the man in front of her was thinking.
¡°Plebian pilots,¡± he grinned. ¡°Now, airships will still need captains and defenders to both keep said ships in the air and activate the shard-cores for said plebian-pilots, but ultimately my little experiment might allow our sovereign to avoid our hypothetical future dilemma.¡±
It was genius. It was madness.
It was¡
¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± she said finally, raising her hand to forestall the grin that threatened to slip across her liege¡¯s face. ¡°Part of me still thinks this is a mistake. After all, your hypothetical is still just a theory. I don¡¯t personally think things will ever get that bad.¡±
She paused. ¡°With that said, you¡¯ve convinced me that there¡¯s some merit to this. Unorthodox as it is.¡±
Plus, he¡¯d all-but admitted he wouldn¡¯t be raising taxes to afford it all.
That was what she¡¯d mostly been worried about. Everything else had been inertia and good sense in the face of insanity.
¡°Maybe it won¡¯t come to pass. Maybe it will,¡± Willaim said as he pushed more plans across the table to her. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about what your forty new recruits will be used for. Only that they¡¯re ready when the time comes.¡±
Well, she could live with that.
Though hopefully this would be lord¡¯s last spurt of madness before he went back to the academy.
-------------------
¡°I¡¯m sorry my lord, I think I misheard you,¡± Piper said slowly as she glanced from the boy in front of her to the shard that was slowly being reassembled behind him. ¡°What did you say you wanted me to do?¡±
¡°The aether-ballasts,¡± the madman said as if it was the most natural thing in the world. ¡°Remove them. All but the front one. Fill that with water. Make it as front heavy as you can before it completely unbalances.¡±
Ah, she hadn¡¯t misheard him.
She only wished she had.
Still¡ as her old mistress used to say ¡®the client¡¯s always right. Even when they¡¯re totally fucking wrong¡¯.
At the very least, this request was no more nonsensical than the creation of a good dozen different subcomponents that her people had no idea the purpose of.
The current leading theory was that it was some kind of pump intended to replicate the fire-breathing mechanics of a wyvern or dragon. A theory that was both backed up by their liege¡¯s ongoing stockpiling of Earth-Blood and contradicted by his insistence on a front-mounted propeller refit. Because as impressive as the interrupter-gear was, it wouldn¡¯t keep any propeller from being coated in flaming liquid should one attempt to fire such through it.
Yet now this request for a front ballast to be filled with water seemed to argue once more in favor of a¡ flame thrower concept. After all, if the prototype worked, it would be easy to replace the water with Earth-Blood.
But why remove the ballasts, she thought distractedly. What purpose does that serve?
¡ She was still thinking said question through when a small cough reminded her that the man who posed said question - and held the purse strings of her entire guild - was still patiently waiting for a response.
¡°A-as you wish,¡± she said hurriedly. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to convey your new design specifications to the mechanics.¡±
Chapter Forty One
Piper was an alchemist. A fairly talented one at that. She was the one who invented Bear-Blood after all.
Prior to her enrolment in the alchemist¡¯s guild, the venerable guild had been churning out a variant of Earth-Blood that did little more than burn hotter and longer. In short, a slight improvement on the base asset of the substance at a ruinous cost in reagents.
Ever-Burn, they¡¯d called it.
The Navy named it Demon-Piss.
Personally, Piper thought the latter name more apt. After all, what else could one name a substance that had an unfortunate tendency to spontaneously ignite when unduly jostled? Just transporting the damnable substance from a ship¡¯s reinforced storage locker carried risk ¨C let alone loading it into a drop-pot, mounting it onto a shard¡¯s underside before then carrying it into battle.
Sure, it was powerful ¨C and woe be to any bucket-brigade or hose-handler set to put out the blazes it created ¨C but the cost in friendly ships and shards destroyed due accidental mishandling or enemy action wasn¡¯t worth it.
At least in the eyes of the Royal procurement committee and many ducal martials.
¡®A weapon better suited to the barbarism of the old continent,¡¯ was a line she vividly recalled from her days as a young journeywoman.
Personally, she was of the belief that the damnable substance¡¯s infamous reputation was a large part of the reason for why the invention of carrier-airships was delayed. No captain wanted to helm a vessel expected to carry so much Demon-Piss in its hold.
So, she¡¯d been the one to invent an alternative. One that went against both tradition and methodology. Rather than try to reinforce the nature of a thing, she sought to contradict it by layering two concepts over one another by finding a substance that embodied the contrasts she¡¯d needed.
And she succeeded.
Eventually.
Bear-Blood was an improvement in all regards.
A nuanced mixture of Earth-Blood, bear fangs and gold flakes, the alchemical solution rendered Earth-Blood¡¯s inherent fiery nature inert and safe to transport ¨C until the thick oily substance¡¯s fury needed to be awakened into a fiery cataclysm. Not unlike a hungry bear awakening from winter.
Hibernation was the concept.
Naturally, the Royal Navy had been incredibly interested in a weapon that wasn¡¯t just stable, but actively inert until salmon eggs were added to the mixture. Indeed, it didn¡¯t take long for Bear-Blood to become a staple of Lindholmian navies. And while that alone had not been enough to elevate her to the position of Guildmaster, it certainly paved the way.
Which was all a very long-winded way of saying that Piper was a very good alchemist ¨C and thus why it was so annoying that these days she seldom got to perform any actual alchemy.
Or even oversee it.
Because her boss seemed to think her some kind of jack-of-all-trades who was quite happy to oversee any and every project taking place in the many workshops that populated his domain.
That she was actually qualified to do so didn¡¯t make it any less annoying.
¡°Steady,¡± she commanded. ¡°You¡¯re spreading your focus too thin. I can see deformation in the left wing. We¡¯re just expanding the cockpit, don¡¯t let your mind wander.¡±
And that was fortunate, because Piper had seen the designs for the new wings, and complicated didn¡¯t even begin to describe them.
Forget the insanity that was taking out all but the front ballast ¨C which they were filling with water for some deep-forsaken reason - what kind of madman decided to design wings that fold?
The one she was working for apparently.
¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± the half-elven mage-smith she was speaking to nodded, though she kept her eyes closed.
All the better to help visualize the changes she was trying to make to the frame of the shard on her right, her hand pressed against the wing on her left, her magic requiring a physical connection to the metal she was trying to shape.
Something Piper knew because she¡¯d spent many a month doing the exact same kind of work ¨C or otherwise tutoring her people on the subject.
Which was why the elven mage-smith¡¯s other hand was pressed against the wing of a different shard on her right. The same Unicorn that was scheduled to be returned to the capital within the next fortnight. For now though, it was serving as a reference for the mage as the half-elf sought to replicate the shape of its cockpit and some parts of the body on the Drake on her left.
Even as Piper watched, the large block of aluminium that had been crudely welded to the body of the Drake shrunk, flowing into the frame of the Drake as the cockpit of the machine lengthened in time with the body.
Not perfectly though, she thought as she regarded a small divot that formed in the cockpit ring.
Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t a huge issue and wasn¡¯t worth reminding the girl of like she¡¯d done with the wing. Imperfections like that were only to be expected where mage-smithing was concerned and was part of the reason why most mage-smiths had a small army of plebian blacksmiths and panel-beaters whose job it was to smooth away any such imperfections with more mundane tools.
Most, she thought again, her mind twisting towards a certain freak of nature who standing next to her watching the changes being made to the shard.
To her knowledge, William Redwater¡¯s work, on those occasions he stepped into one of the many workshops in his domain, was to quote one of the mage-smiths she¡¯d spoken to on the matter, ¡®flawless¡¯.
Not good. Not great. Flawless.
That was not a word any mage-smith she knew would use lightly. Not in a vocation for whom flaws were an unavoidable reality. Admittedly, the young woman she¡¯d spoken to was exactly that, young, but the fact remained that William¡¯s talent was rather¡ unnatural.
So much so that she almost wanted to ask why he had one of his subordinates working on such a critical piece of his burgeoning military rather than doing it himself. Because it was obvious it was important to him, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t be present to watch.
She said nothing though.
Instead, the two stood in relative silence as over the next few minutes the frame of the Drake twisted until it was a warped mirror of the Unicorn next to it.
Even ignoring the myriad small imperfections in the former-Drake¡¯s frame, the Unicorn it was at least partially based on had a back-mounted propeller, while the new one had an opening at the front for said propeller instead. Indeed, that was but one of the many small changes her lord had insisted on, resulting in a frame that was both similar to the Unicorn and yet strikingly different.
¡°Excellent work,¡± Piper congratulated as the mage-smith finally took her hands off the machines, opening her slightly bloodshot eyes to smile at her ¡®superior¡¯.
¡°M-my thanks, ma¡¯am,¡± the girl smiled at her, before bowing to the count. ¡°To you and the lord both, for giving me this opportunity.¡±
Piper simply nodded back. ¡°You earned it.¡±
And that was the truth. The half-elf was the most talented mage-smith of the crop the Queen had sent their way. Which was a fairly high bar to reach in truth. None of them had much in the way of experience ¨C hence why Piper had found herself in charge of¡ pretty much everyone despite being theoretically the head of the Alchemist¡¯s alone ¨C but they were all the definition of hungry young talents.
Hunger that had been stoked to new heights by their lord¡¯s development of the long-desired interrupter gear. Which had no doubt been part of his plan.
Indeed, she turned to her lord expecting him to say some words of his own, only to find the boy had barely even heard the words of the young mage.
No, his focus was entirely on the frame of the newly formed frame in front of him, a hint of something akin to¡ nostalgia in his eyes.
Then the moment passed and he snapped out of it.
¡°Yes, excellent work,¡± he said quickly, before turning his gaze to the other occupants of the room, pitching his voice to be better heard. ¡°In fact, let me speak to all of you when I say that though the task set before you was difficult, each and every one of you has surpassed my wildest expectations in a very short timeframe. And though the work on this new design has scarcely begun, it forms an incredible foundation for what is yet to come. I have not a doubt in my mind that, before the month is through, this new design will be soaring through the skies, carrying the next generation of shard-pilots with it.¡±
The small speech got an equally small smattering of applause. Something the boy clearly noticed as his smile became a little stiff, but to his credit he managed not to let it show before he turned to her, even as the mage-smith from before limped away with some help from her assistant.
¡°So, did I say something wrong just then or is there a morale issue I¡¯m ignorant of?¡± he asked quietly.
Ignoring the momentary flush that threatened to slip across her features at the sensation of an attractive young man whispering in her ear, she made a so-so gesture.
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¡°Mostly the former and a little of the latter,¡± she said, making him raise an eyebrow before she explained. ¡°The news of who exactly will be piloting the new craft has begun to make the rounds.¡±
And given that just about every mage-smith in existence wanted to be a mage-knight at some point in their lives, the rumour that a bunch of mundanes might be being elevated to the rank before them was definitely a sore spot.
Piper knew she¡¯d felt a prick of an old emotional wound she¡¯d thought long since scarred over when she heard of her lord¡¯s plans.
¡°Ah,¡± the boy said before frowning. ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll be a problem long-term?¡±
The dwarf shook her head. ¡°Maybe. Maybe not. I think it depends on where exactly you plan to position your new ¡®pilots¡¯ socially.¡±
The boy shook his head. ¡°Household guards by any other name. Just because they¡¯ll be piloting a weapon normally reserved for nobles doesn¡¯t make them nobility. Hell, I¡¯m pretty sure I couldn¡¯t elevate them to that rank even if I wanted.¡±
He could, precedents existed for plebians who¡¯d performed incredible feats, though said nobility was usually awarded post-mortem.
Still, she didn¡¯t feel the need to say any of that as she nodded. ¡°Well, I imagine it¡¯ll be fine then beyond a little professional friction.¡±
Probably.
¡Provided she spoke to the girls about it. Before someone did something stupid.
The last thing she needed was for her guild to be back on the street because some idiot felt slighted about some peasant folk getting to be sky-knights instead of them.
¡°Oh yeah,¡± she said finally, turning back to the new frame that had been created. ¡°I figure the profile of this thing is different enough that it¡¯ll need a new name. You got something in mind?¡±
Because if not she¡¯d have to be the one to name it, and then it¡¯d end up being something like Unicorn-Forward, because she had many talents but naming things wasn¡¯t one of them.
Fortunately, her liege had an answer.
¡°The Corsair,¡± he said, that strange hint of nostalgia in his eyes again. ¡°We¡¯ll call it the Corsair-M.¡±
Well, it wasn¡¯t terrible she guessed, though she did have one question.
¡°What¡¯s the M for?¡±
He shrugged as he watched a blacksmith pounding a dent out of the new design¡¯s frame. ¡°Mithril.¡±
----------------------------
¡°We can¡¯t stay here,¡± Yotul announced. ¡°Sooner or later, the Blackstone will find us.¡±
She¡¯d been expecting an outcry at that, and she was not disappointed, as what felt like half the tribe shouted or cried out their dissent at her words. The noise was cacophonous, bouncing off the walls of the Blood-Oath¡¯s cargo-bay with a vengeance.
It didn¡¯t help that it was a fairly small room containing a lot of orcs. She¡¯d ordered the entire crew assembled, but for a small skeleton staff to keep things running elsewhere.
It wouldn¡¯t do to leave the Screamer unattended after all.
Taking her mind from the duties of those not present, she allowed those who were to voice their complaints for a little while longer. Such was their way after all. But after a good minute had passed without any sign of the noise slowing, she glanced toward her Second.
The older woman¡¯s scowl had only grown deeper and deeper with each utterance from the crowd, and as such she was all too happy to be let loose.
¡°Shut up you maggots and let the captain speak!¡± The woman¡¯s roaring voice cut clear through the cacophony, leaving little more than stunned silence in its wake.
Yotul smiled at the sight. Oh, she knew some members of the tribe sneered at their chiefess choosing an ink-born as her second ¨C let alone one that had served the enemy ¨C but it was in moments like this that Olga showed her worth.
Where others saw a traitor to their race who had spent years serving the enemy, Yotul saw a woman with a wealth of experience in how their enemy operated. One who was tough as nails and had a wealth of experience both operating airships and wrangling crews together.
¡°As I was saying,¡± Yotul continued. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here. Our deceptions have aided us for a time, but with the loss of the Iron-Tusk and Warcry the enemy will soon discover how we¡¯ve managed to evade them for so long.¡±
¡°None would speak!¡± Igubat shouted, the weather old orc shouted, his shaman staff held in a white knuckled grip. ¡°They would die first.¡±
Personally, Yotul rather doubted that. A few years ago she might have believed it, but three years of acting as the tribe¡¯s chiefess had rather eradicated what little naivety she¡¯d still had left.
Still, as she saw the old medicine-man¡¯s wives form up around him, she knew better than to directly contradict him. While the old man wasn¡¯t a rival for her position, the healer held much sway within the tribe, and his voice in favour or against one of her actual rivals could be a large factor in any future leadership challenges.
Something she could ill afford even under normal circumstances, let alone when she was abandoning their ancestral home ¨C even if only for a time.
¡°Of course not,¡± she lied. ¡°I¡¯ve no doubt what few prisoners the Blackstone take will die spitting defiance at our enemy before they reveal our secrets, but the unfortunate truth is that the downed ships will speak for them.¡±
Quiet mutters started at that.
¡°What do you mean chiefess?¡± Urgat asked, the ship¡¯s cook tugging at her tusks in confusion. ¡°How can a ship speak?¡±
Yotul resisted the urge to roll her eyes, not least of all because she¡¯d feel guilty about doing so. Urgat wasn¡¯t the brightest soul aboard, but she worked her fingers to the bone to keep the crew fed and their spirits high.
Instead, the chiefess gestured to the nearest reinforced bulkhead. ¡°By being observed by a soul with even a modicum of intelligence.¡±
And as much as it burned her to attribute a shred of virtue to the monster¡¯s who¡¯d burned down her home, the Blackstones weren¡¯t stupid. This most recent ambush was evidence of that much.
¡°The modifications we made to our captured ships to hide them aren¡¯t subtle,¡± she said. ¡°The Screamer. Reinforced bulkheads. Airtight hatches. Gunports welded shut. Enchanted bridge glass. The list goes on.¡±
Indeed, if she went through every modification the tribes had been forced to make to allow for their great deception, she¡¯d be there for hours.
It had not been fast nor easy ¨C but it had worked. For years. Until those idiots Khurzug and Bula got overconfident and fell for what was an obvious trap.
Three ships, deep into our territory, unescorted, Yotul thought. What else could it have been?
Sure, her heart had burned for vengeance too when she got news of the small fleet burning what villages they found in their path, but that had only reinforced her belief that the Blackstone were trying to lure them out.
Unfortunately, she¡¯d been overruled by the other two captains on the war council and as such had been forced to accompany them. Indeed, it was pure luck that the Blood-Oath had escaped, and bordering on a miracle that they¡¯d managed to lose their pursuers.
Something only possible because of the Blood-Oath¡¯s modification ¨C and their foe¡¯s ignorance of them.
Gritting her teeth, she continued as she saw the light of realization brighten in the eyes of the rest of the tribe ¨C at least, those that hadn¡¯t already reached the same conclusion she had.
¡°Soon the enemy will know how we have evaded them and they will stop searching empty caves and shadowy valleys for this ship,¡± she said.
¡°Let them come!¡± Igubat shouted. ¡°Or try and fail. They can¡¯t reach us here. Not that they¡¯d dare risk their precious cores in the attempt.¡±
Yotul didn¡¯t scream in frustration, but it was a near thing. Instead she schooled her tone into something much more respectful. ¡°As much as it pains me to say, honored elder, while they might not have had the capability before they do now.¡±
¡°They have the Iron-Tusk and Warcry,¡± Olga said, uncaring of how the old man sneered at being spoken to by an ink-born. ¡°Both ships will be in need of repair right now, but the Blackstones won¡¯t require long to get them operational once more.¡±
Nodding, Yotul continued. ¡°And while I¡¯ve no doubt this ship and her crew could defeat twice our number in craft crewed by weak humans and elves, the Blackstone have the means to refit more. It would be a death by a thousand cuts.¡±
Plus, she was blatantly lying about the first part. Ignoring the fact that she wasn¡¯t even sure how the Blood-Oath could fight in their current locale ¨C they certainly couldn¡¯t unseal the gunports ¨C the Blood-Oath had already been part of a much more even three on three battle and lost.
Not that she¡¯d say as much to the old healer, whose fervour had an unfortunate tendency to outshine his sense.
¡°And that¡¯s ignoring their new weapon,¡± Olga said with some finality. ¡°The same weapon that spurred our now lost brother ships into action.¡±
She saw even Igubat pause at that.
The Kraken-Slayer.
They still knew nothing about it, not beyond what it was capable of.
And that was terrifying enough.
¡°So, what do you propose?¡± Ragash asked, the healer¡¯s headwife taking over for her husband as the man seemed to sag in on himself. ¡°We travel halfway across the planet to beg aid from despots little different from our current lot? Taking with us the Free People¡¯s last remaining airship when they need it most? The Council of Tribes would call for our heads and be right to do so!¡±
¡°And that¡¯s assuming we don¡¯t run into any kraken nests on the way over,¡± Yelle, the airship¡¯s lead engineer chimed in absently. ¡°The Screamer might keep the big beasties away from the Blood-Oath¡¯s tasty little core, but that only works so long as we stay away from their nests. The second we stray a little too close, we go from a scary thing to avoid, to a threat.¡±
Yotul nodded slowly, well aware of what she was asking. ¡°That¡¯s true, but I believe it¡¯s worth the risk. Or rather, we¡¯ve no other option but to take it.¡± Turning toward Ragash, she spoke slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve little doubt that should we return to the Council of Tribes, they would demand we stay and defend the Razorbacks¡ but to what end?¡±
She gazed out across the crowd. ¡°The Blackstones will come for them in force, and we now have but one ship to defend ourselves.¡±
Though in truth, even when they¡¯d had three ships to call upon they hadn¡¯t had the means to openly contest the Blackstone fleet if it chose to push on the last refuge of the Free Orcs.
The airships were useful for ambushing lone patrol ships, but it would require years and many more victories and captured vessels before the Free Orcs could contest the Blackstones openly.
And even that would require that the rest of the Invaders stayed away.
No, something drastic needed to be done.
¡°The Free-Orcs will go to ground as they always have. The mountains shall shield us from our foes, as they always have. The Blackstone will search fruitlessly, finding little more than empty villages to burn. The presence of a single ship will not and cannot change that.¡± She slammed her foot down, the sound echoing through the deck of the ship. ¡°To that end, I say we head East. Not to beg for aid from Invaders of a different ilk, but to use their greed to our own ends.¡±
She grinned, as the first signs of interest spread across her audience. ¡°As a hunter might smash Wyvern eggs against the wall of the cave of an orc-eating bear to lure both beasts, we too shall lure our foes to tangle against one another, so that we might profit off their handiwork. Whether it is bear or wyvern who survives the clash matters little. The survivor shall be weary and weak.¡±
She had them, she could see it ¨C until someone spoke.
¡°Only in this case, ¡®baiting the trap¡¯ means giving up our only technological advantage over our foes. Because they¡¯ll want the Screamer,¡± Yelle said in her dispassionate way.
Only, instead of Yotul being the one to respond, she was surprised to hear Igubat speak.
¡°A weapon the Blackstones already have or soon will,¡± the older healer said, some of his earlier energy returning to him. ¡°With that in mind, we lose nothing by passing it onto the other Invaders. No, I like this plan. Wyvern against Bear. Very orcish.¡±
Despite herself, the young woman flushed a bit at his words. ¡°I try, honoured elder. For the Tribe.¡±
¡°For the Tribe!¡± The room, rather than just the man, cheered back.
Well, with that it seemed they¡¯d accepted her idea.
¡Even if it was insane. Yelle hadn¡¯t been lying when she spoke about the risk of running into a Kraken Nest. Sure, the merchant map on the bridge had them all marked out ¨C but recent events with Al¡¯Hundra meant that much of it was now likely wrong as new kraken moved in to fill the vacuum the old goddess had left.
And assuming they even made it¡ they¡¯d be a single ship, far from home, low on supplies, attempting to negotiate with a people that even the Invaders of her home consider barbaric and backwards.
To be fair, those same Invaders thought the same of her own people, but given these were fellow elves the Invaders were speaking of, she was inclined to believe it.
Still, they had to risk it.
¡°Everyone,¡± she called out. ¡°You may return to your duty stations. Bridge crew, accompany me there. We have a course to set.¡±
The roar of enthusiasm from her tribe warmed her heart, so much so that she didn¡¯t even mind too much when barely a second later an icy cold drop of water managed to drop so perfectly that it ran down the nape of her neck.
Scowling as the cold tingly sensation ran down her spine, she glanced up at the offending piece of leaky bulkhead.
Need to get a repair crew on that, she thought as she turned to march out of the room, Olga hot on her heels. The last thing we need right now is to start leaking.
Marching down the hallway, she idly spied a fish flit past the nearest porthole before swimming out once more into the inky blackness of the ocean, the enchanted glass there serving to keep the massive weight of the water beyond out of the ship.
Yes, it would be better to get that leak fixed sooner rather than later.
Chapter Forty Two
Finn Mecant was not a man easily given to bouts of nervousness. That certainly hadn¡¯t always been the case, but after nearly ten years spent delivering goods across kraken infested oceans, through monster filled jungles and over treacherous mountain passes, any notions of nervousness he might once have possessed had been for the most part, beaten out of him.
Now, to be fair, a certain amount of fatalism had risen to take its place, but he preferred to think of that as an inevitability in his profession.
One could only watch so many ships full of precious cargo be sucked under the waves by grasping tentacles before they came to the realization that sometimes shit just went south on you ¨C and there was sweet fuck all you could do about it.
Sweet fuck all indeed, he thought as he glanced down at the wooden peg that now served as his right foot ¨C and the reason why he¡¯d spent the last twenty years overseeing the growth of the Mecant clan from his office rather than from the deck of a ship.
No, his wives, daughters and many other more distant relations saw to those tasks now.
Regardless, he yet had a role to play in the company.
¡°Lord Redwater,¡± he greeted, clambering to his feet as the young man stepped into the meeting room they¡¯d set aside. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to finally meet the man my daughter speaks so highly of. Please, accept my humblest apologies for not greeting you myself in the courtyard.¡± He knocked his foot against the hardwood floor with a small thud. ¡°As you might imagine, this old thing makes getting around a little more difficult these days.¡±
Even as he spoke, he took the young man in.
Normal was the first thing to leap to mind. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. A build that was more athletic than svelte, though that was hardly surprising given his ongoing attendance of the Academy of Lindholm. Handsome enough, the old dwarf supposed, but healing magic meant that was common enough amongst the nobility.
Truth be told, he didn¡¯t really know what else he¡¯d been expecting. Still, to hear her talk about the man, one would think he was Lyle Lysander come again.
¡Then again little Bonnlyn ever had a habit of describing all the boys she developed an eye towards as such, so he supposed that was hardly too surprising. ¡®A girl with a good head on her shoulders, with an unfortunate tendency to listen to the lips below the belt instead¡¯ was how he recalled one of his sister¡¯s describing her niece, and as much as it burned him, he¡¯d hardly been able to refute the point.
Indeed, he idly made note of little Bonnlyn¡¯s presence ¨C her expression slightly nervous and a box of some sort in her arms - coming up behind the human, even as the young man reached out a hand.
¡°No apologies needed,¡± the boy intoned. ¡°Bonnlyn informed me of your injury on the way over. My sympathies.¡±
¡°Ah, the advantages of a filial daughter.¡± Finn smiled as he gestured for the young lord and the daughter in question to take a seat at the nearby meeting table. ¡°I trust she has been an equally conscientious teammate?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± the boy replied smoothly, as he sat down in the one seat present intended for people slightly taller than a dwarf. ¡°I can say without a shadow of a doubt that if it weren¡¯t for her presence on team seven, I¡¯d likely be Lord Blackstone right now rather than Lord Redwater. And while that difference might not mean much to others, it means a lot to me. So I owe your daughter a great deal.¡±
It was empty flattery and they both knew it. Bonnlyn was many things, but a warrior wasn¡¯t one of them. She¡¯d discovered her magic late in life and her attendance at Lindholm Academy was more a result of well-placed bribes than any inherent skill on her part.
Which was not to say that Bonnlyn was without talent. She was as able a merchant and administrator as any of his children, it was simply rather unfortunate that said skills weren¡¯t terribly useful in the role she¡¯d found herself shoved into.
Though given how flushed her face has gotten, he thought as he glanced at the girl in question. It seems she¡¯s chosen to forget that little detail in favour of enjoying the compliment.
¡Again, the big head was subordinate to the lower lips where his daughter was concerned.
Rather than sigh though, the older Mecant kept his smile up as he maintained his focus on their family¡¯s best opportunity to not just break into the noble markets but do so with an advantage.
That was part of the reason he alone was greeting the man, while his wives were off on other errands. Another man would hopefully present something akin to a more¡ sympathetic face than a small horde of dwarven women.
¡°This old man is overjoyed to hear that,¡± he said. ¡°Even as it saddens him to know that her aid was necessary in such a way. It¡¯s a terrible thing when a parent tries to dictate the future of their child against their will.¡±
Even as he said the words, he counted his lucky stars that Bonnlyn had agreed to be sent to the academy. To give up on a role she¡¯d been preparing for her entire life in favor of one she knew next to nothing about.
He genuinely didn¡¯t know what the outcome would have been if she¡¯d refused to embrace the opportunity her magic presented.
¡°Well,¡± the boy shrugged. ¡°Unfortunate or not, I doubt anyone can say it didn¡¯t work out for the best. At least, from where I¡¯m standing. Had my betrothal to those slavers up North not been so abhorrent to me, I might not have focused so much effort into escaping said engagement, and in turn would probably never have caught the Queen¡¯s eye.¡±
Yes, the Flashbang, Bolt-Bow and Kraken-Slayer. Now the origins of the first were in debate and the last he was but a contributor to, the fact remained that the young man across from him was quite a font of clever ideas.
The existence of the Interrupter Gear and Radio was theoretically further proof of that, even if they weren¡¯t known to the public yet. Indeed, even within the Mecants the existence of those devices was limited to him and Bonnlyn.
And the latter had only been revealed to him by his daughter to reinforce to him how important it was that the family get in on the ground floor of whatever it was William was creating.
Finn was¡ less sure.
Rumours persisted that the newly created workshops of Count Redwater ate up resources and spat out junk, with workers spending their days crafting items with no obvious purpose.
In short, exactly what one would expect from a young man saddled with a leadership position he wasn¡¯t prepared for as a result of a few one off innovations that he couldn¡¯t repeat.
Indeed, despite his daughter¡¯s claims to the contrary, Finn would admit that he found it difficult not to believe the chatter pervading the capital.
After all, it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d seen this Radio or Interrupter Gear. He just had his daughter¡¯s word to go on.
And while he wanted to trust her¡
There¡¯s every chance she¡¯s listening to her lower lips, he thought silently as his eyes flitted over the girl.
¡°Well, it speaks well of your talent that you were able to see opportunities in such an unfortunate set of circumstances,¡± Finn said aloud. ¡°So much so that I find myself glad you¡¯ve chosen to set your eyes on the path of magic rather than that of commerce.¡±
As he spoke, his eyes moved to the box Bonnlyn had plonked onto the table when she sat down. The invitation was clear, though subtle enough that it wouldn¡¯t be interpreted as a command of any kind.
¡°Well,¡± the boy said as he obligingly reached for the case, plucking at one of the latches on the side before pulling it open. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯ve entirely abandoned the path of commerce.¡±
The object inside was¡ Finn didn¡¯t know what it was. Some kind of peculiar metal box with a brass funnel sticking out the top and a circular plate below that. To the side, there was a crank, which his daughter obligingly started to turn.
His eyes flitted back to the count, asking for an explanation. Rather than speak though, the boy reached into a compartment on the bottom of the box, extracting from it a metal disk covered in strange concentric grooves.
¡°Aluminium,¡± the boy said, as if that explained anything at all, before he placed the disk atop the one on the box. ¡°Though to tell the truth, glass or even clay would work in a pinch.¡±
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That done, the boy moved to position another lever over the top of the disk, such that the needle it held was placed within the grooves of the disk. Then he leaned over to flick another switch¡ and the disk started to spin.
But Finn barely noticed that.
Because music started to play. Beautiful music. Loud and vivacious, the sounds of an entire orchestra practically leapt from the box.
The dwarf was no real patron of the arts. That was a noble¡¯s game. For his part, most of the music he¡¯d heard in his life was borne from the mouths and instruments of bards and revellers in roadside inns. Individuals or groups of three playing for drunken crowds with more enthusiasm than strict skill.
This wasn¡¯t that.
Not even close.
Finn could hear it; dozens upon dozens of instruments working together in harmony to produce the most glorious sounds. The sort of thing that one could only hear in the most prestigious music halls in Lindholm.
Yet here it was, playing merrily within a small meeting room in his clan¡¯s compound, the absent smell of fish guts from the nearby market wafting through the air.
Incongruous, that was the only word for it.
Eventually though, it came to an end, the stringed and brass instruments of that great phantom orchestra finally winding down. And in the silence that remained, Finn could only stare.
¡°I¡¡± he started to say, before realizing his mouth was dry. ¡°I¡ thank you for that.¡±
The mysterious young man just smiled, even as Finn¡¯s daughter beamed at him across the table, obviously delighted in throwing her normally unflappable dear old dad off-kilter.
¡°I¡¡± the dwarf started to say, before wetting his dry mouth. ¡°Did you know that, in the West, the music halls of the Sunlit city each have access to but a single communication orb. Paid for by the Empress herself, such that she might at any given moment in the day amuse her courtiers by having an entire orchestra play for them from across the city. Indeed, the music halls work in shifts to ensure that, at no moment during the day, the Empress is without that option. It¡¯s considered a matter of some prestige.¡±
Finn raised a single finger as he pointed at the box. ¡°That, is no communication orb.¡±
Was this¡ was this the radio his daughter had spoken of? A means to convey sound across great distances without the need for expensive void-touched crystals? Was that what the boy had just presented to him?
Finn hoped not.
Oh Ancestors, he hoped not.
Radio was a weapon. The kind that Queens and Duchesses would kill to attain ¨C or keep from their enemies.
It was not the kind of thing his family wanted anything to do with. Not now. Not until it had been proliferated across the country in sufficient numbers that it was known by all.
He needed it out of here.
Now.
He needed to make it clear to both this madman and his foolish daughter that he¡¯d never seen this device and had no idea it existed.
The alternative¡ the alternative didn¡¯t bear thinking about.
¡°It¡¯s not a radio, dad,¡± Bonnlyn said slowly, drawing him from his worst imaginings.
¡°It¡¯s not?¡± he coughed.
¡°It¡¯s not,¡± the boy said. ¡°For all the reasons I¡¯m sure you were just thinking about.¡±
¡Well, at least the boy had some sense. Drawing himself up now that he was sure his entire bloodline wasn¡¯t about to be wiped out for being made privy to a secret that would shake the nation, he eyed the box once more.
¡°Then what is it?¡± the man asked.
¡°I call it a gramophone,¡± the boy said. ¡°And it¡¯s not unlike a music box.¡±
Ah, that made more sense. And with that sense, the man could feel excitement build in his chest at the possibilities this¡ handheld orchestra held.
¡°Ah, then does that mean the disk you held before, the aluminium one, functions in a similar method to a cylinder drum?¡± Finn asked as he leaned forward to inspect the many grooves the disk held.
The boy for his part actually looked a little surprised, either by how quickly the merchant had changed gears or that the man actually had insight into how his new device worked.
¡°Yes actually,¡± the boy said, smiling as he gestured to the needle holding arm of the ¡®gramophone¡¯. ¡°These grooves function in a similar way to the raised bumps you¡¯d find on a cylinder drum.¡±
Finn hummed. ¡°Only infinitely more complex. They¡¯d have to be to produce such varied sound.¡±
In his experience, music boxes were a delight to listen to, but they held a very simple tune, one that repeated every few seconds. Nothing at all like the¡ sweeping crescendo he¡¯d just heard.
¡°How does it produce sound?¡± The dwarf asked. ¡°The raised bumps in a music box are there to pluck a comb within.¡±
Part of him expected the young man to clam up, seeking to hide some of the methodology behind the machine¡¯s function. Instead, the boy¡¯s grin got wider if anything.
¡°Ah, I¡ have you ever run your finger across the rim of a bowl or glass?¡± he asked excitedly.
Finn nodded, even if it had been many years since he¡¯d done so, not since he was a lad. Indeed, these days his experiences with such things was more often kept to instructing his youngest not to do as the boy just mentioned.
¡°It produces a sound. Like the echo of a cave.¡±
The boy nodded eagerly. ¡°That sound is caused by vibrations resonating in the material of the bowl. The needle on the gramaphone works in the same way. By running along the grooves in the disk, it vibrates to produce noise and that noise is then transferred up the needle and amplified by the funnel on top.¡±
That was¡ genius.
There was no other way to describe it. How did¡
Finn resisted the urge to shake his head. It was best not to question how geniuses ¨C and the boy was one for sure ¨C figured out the things they did.
No, he was a merchant and he¡¯d focus on what he knew.
¡°If that¡¯s the case,¡± the man said thumbing his chin as his brain went to work. ¡°The true cost of this machine isn¡¯t in the gramaphone itself¡ but in that, I believe you called it a record?¡±
The boy nodded, casually waving the likely priceless thing about, making the old man¡¯s heart skip a beat. ¡°Sort of?¡±
¡°Sort of? I apologize if this old man has failed to understand something here¡ but based on what you¡¯ve described to me, the creation of a ¡®record¡¯ would require nothing less than a master smith.¡±
The carving of grooves in such a manner so as to make the right sound. Just figuring out how to carve them in such a way would be the work of years or decades. And then the skill required to actually carve them out correctly? Even with magic, Finn couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine the sheer level of focus required.
Then again¡ Bonnlyn did say the boy was something of a prodigy on that front, Finn thought idly.
Rather than the boy, it was his daughter that spoke this time ¨C and she was holding another priceless disk! ¡°Not necessarily. I wasn¡¯t there when William made that first disk, but I was for this one.¡±
Placing this new disk onto the gramaphone, Finn readied himself for another bout of enchanting music¡ only to wince as something far more warped issued forth from the machine.
¡°Oh, come on!¡± Bonnlyn shouted over the sound from the machine. ¡°My singing isn¡¯t that bad.¡±
Finn dared to disagree. His beloved little Bonnlyn shared many traits with her dear mother ¨C and singing ability was one of them. He loved Annelin with all his heart, but the woman could make a Kraken flee when she tried to sing.
Bonnlyn was little different in that regard, as a stilted attempt at what might have been the Orichian national anthem issued forth from the Gramaphone.
Fortunately for all of them, having made her point, Bonnlyn lifted up the needle-arm of the machine with a huff, bringing the sound of her singing to an end.
Still, the point was made. Finn sincerely doubted a master smith would spend any amount of time recording¡ that, if it actually required any real effort to do.
If anything, part of him was a little annoyed at the waste in aluminium said disk now represented.
¡°You said you were present when William ¡®made¡¯ that?¡± the older man asked. ¡°How?¡±
Rather than answer with words, his daughter simply leaned into the funnel and mimed ¨C thankfully! ¨C singing while spinning the disk below.
Even then, it took Finn a few moments. ¡°Vibrations.¡±
This time the boy was beaming. ¡°Bonnlyn said you were smart. I¡¯m glad to see where she gets it from. You¡¯re right. If the needle vibrating can produce sound, then sound can make the needle vibrate. And, if it¡¯s running across a disk like this when it does, it¡¯ll cut the right grooves to recreate that sound.¡±
Ignoring the way his daughter was blushing again, Finn turned to the boy. ¡°You¡¯d need a sharp needle to cut aluminium like that. A different one from the kind you use to ¡®play¡¯ the sound back.¡±
The boy nodded idly. ¡°Diamond.¡±
Yeah, that¡¯d do it.
Still¡ as incredible as all this was, it begged the question.
¡°Why?¡±
The boy seemed surprised. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, why what?¡±
Finn gestured to the gramaphone. ¡°Why bring this to me? Why explain it? With a device like this¡ the world is yours.¡±
Sure it wasn¡¯t radio or some other kind of weapon, but that made it in some ways more valuable, not less. The Count could freely sell it not just to his allies in Lindholm, but overseas as well.
And people would buy it. Nobles from across the land would practically fight over the right to purchase one of these wonder machines and the ability to have an entire orchestra ready to play for them on demand.
Sure, others would produce gramophones of their own, but that wasn¡¯t where the real money was. If William could hide the method to produce new records, he¡¯d be able to maintain a monopoly on them ¨C and charge absurd amounts for new ones. Special limited variants could be made and the nobility would fight amongst themselves for the prestige of having access to them.
And their squabbles would only serve to drive the demand higher and fill the boy¡¯s pockets with more gold than he could ever spend.
¡And yet he¡¯d come here.
Sure, the boy was his daughter¡¯s friend¡ but this¡
The boy stared in incomprehension for a few seconds, before realization seemed to hit him and he shrugged. ¡°You said it yourself. I chose the path of magic, not commerce.¡±
He idly ran a finger over the record in his hand. ¡°I designed the machine. I can make more. And I could probably sell it on¡ but it¡¯s not my area of expertise.¡±
He leaned back in his seat, before slowly sliding the disk across the table towards Finn. ¡°So I figured I¡¯d hand all that crap off to someone who actually knows what they¡¯re doing.¡±
Ignorant or uncaring of the incredulous stare he was getting from the older man, the boy idly stretched out his arms as he fought down a yawn. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve got more important things I need to do. Running my county. Working on new shard designs. Upgrading the new cruiser we¡¯ve got. Nah, I figure it¡¯s better for me to hand this stuff off to you, let you run with it, and then just take a percentage of the royalties.¡±
He clicked his fingers as if an idea had just occurred to him. ¡°Oh, and you¡¯ll need to be in charge of the manufacturing. My industrial capacity is kind of maxed out at the minute. That¡¯s part of why I told you how it works. I mean, I¡¯ll explain it in detail later, but for the moment I wanted to make it clear that it¡¯s not that hard to make this stuff, even without mages.¡±
Finn just stared, eyes dipping from the record now in front of him to the madman who¡¯d created it ¨C and was now practically giving it away.
Because he couldn¡¯t be bothered to make more or sell them.
It didn¡¯t compute.
He didn¡¯t understand.
And as his eyes flitted over to his daughter for some¡ any kind of explanation that made sense, he found her expression was filled with nothing but compassion and understanding.
¡°You get used to it,¡± she said.
Absently, for a lack of anything else to say, the dwarf just nodded.
What else was there to say?
Beyond¡
¡°What kind of percentage in royalties were you looking for?¡± he asked finally, banking on what he knew to maintain some small grip on reality.
When the madman finally answered, it was all Finn could do not to choke on his own spit.
Chapter Forty Three
Clarice smirked victoriously as she clambered out of her family¡¯s shard and onto the solid tarmac of the academy¡¯s landing field. Ignoring the clouds of blue-green aether that served to obscure the landing area as other shards came in to land, the half-elf took a moment to soak in the many looks of envy, disbelief and confusion that were being sent her way from the crowd of students stood pressed up against the landing field¡¯s boundary line.
¡°Dear sister, I do believe we¡¯ve caused something of a stir,¡± Marcille said from behind her.
¡°I think you¡¯re right.¡± She nodded in acknowledgement to her twin as the girl finished clambering out of the Basilisk¡¯s rather cramped rear-gunner position.
And it was true, for despite the many shards even now coming in to land ¨C including a venerable Fairy ¨C all eyes on the boundary line were on the craft behind her.
Though it wasn¡¯t hard to understand why.
The Basilisk was a sight to behold.
If not for the sheer size of the craft, then for the fact that it had not one, but two engines ¨C each equipped with a mithril shard core.
And both were needed to lift the veritable dragon of a shard off the ground and into the air. Part of that was down to the weight of the fuselage, but it was mostly a result of the armament. The Basilisk held no less than twelve heavy repeater bolt-cannons. Eight in the nose and four mounted to the ¡®ball¡¯ turret mounted in the tail of the craft ¨C just between the two-rear mounted propellers.
That wasn¡¯t where most of the weight came from though.
No, that came from the Basilisk¡¯s payload.
A single thousand kilogram fire-javelin loaded with bear-blood. Firepower sufficient to kill or cripple a light frigate in a single pass ¨C and put considerable hurt on anything bigger.
Clarice¡¯s smile only grew at the thought. Because the Basilisk represented a new dynamic in shard warfare.
For years the focus had been on making craft that were lighter and more nimble, better able to dodge incoming fire and dogfight with other shards. But there was a trade-off to that approach. The more agile the fighter, the smaller bomb load it could carry, and thus, the less effective it would actually be at combating enemy airships once the air was clear of opposing shards.
As a result, Shard design was a constant game of carry weight vs agility.
The Blackstone¡¯s new carrier design was an attempt to mitigate that issue through sheer weight of numbers ¨C which was such a typically Northern approach to things.
House Whitemorrow was but a countship ¨C for now. So it had decided to take a different approach. One that was both cheaper and more efficient.
To that end, the Basilisk wasn¡¯t designed to combat shards. It was designed to kill airships.
It didn¡¯t dodge or weave. Truth be told, it flew like a brick, with a turning circle that was just this side of laughable. But that didn¡¯t matter when it was tough enough to simply shrug off incoming fire, while returning the favor with interest using either the nose cannons, or more likely, the rear guns.
Guns that had a near perfect one-eighty degree firing arc due to the ingenuity of the pneumatic powered ¡®ball mount¡¯ system their family had come up with.
¡That wasn¡¯t necessarily why her peers were envious of her and her sister though.
The Basilisk was eye-catching. It was new. That was all there was to it.
Like a debutante debuting a new outfit, by arriving in such a unique design, House Whitemorrow would be on everyone¡¯s lips by this time tomorrow. Naturally, details on the actual design principles behind the Basilisk would be forthcoming eventually, but for the moment, all that mattered was that they¡¯d caught people¡¯s interest.
Moreso than that snake Plumgarden at least, Marcille thought with a shake of her head at the thought of her family¡¯s rival for the Summerfield duchy.
Indeed, it didn¡¯t take long for a quick look to reveal the snake. Still clad in her flying leathers, the effete brat was already whispering poison into the ears of her little coterie.
¡°Well, shall we sister?¡± Marcille asked. ¡°I do believe some of our watchers may just die of curiosity if we don¡¯t start making the rounds.¡±
Clarice made to nod, before she heard something both familiar and unwelcome.
Barely audible over the noise of the crowd and incoming shards, the fourth year still managed to make out a distant thrumming sound. One that could never be mistaken for anything but the thrumming of an airship¡¯s massive propellers.
Now, to the uninformed that might not have seemed that odd. This was the capital after all, and as such was never without a significant airship presence in the form of the Royal Navy. The noise of an airship passing overhead was not at all unusual while moving through the streets of the city.
The sole exception to that rule was the Academy itself. Which, while strange at first, only made sense after a little thought. Nowhere else on the continent could more noble heirs be found than the massive learning complex ¨C which naturally made it a tempting target for malcontents of all stripes.
To that end the academy normally maintained a no-fly zone for airships above its airspace.
A no-fly zone that a particularly peculiar looking cruiser seemed set to violate as it roared towards the landing field. Indeed, it was only the lack of panic on the part of the nearby staff that kept Clarice from grabbing her twin and making for anywhere else at a brisk pace.
Instead, she watched as the flag-woman stood atop the control tower twirled her colored flags in an attempt to direct Shards into a holding pattern around the academy. Waving off other shards coming into land, forcing them to circle.
Which meant the airship was both coming in to land and had permission to do so.
¡°Someone¡¯s trying to outdo us,¡± Marcille commented absently as the pair of sisters hurried out of the way.
A statement that caused Clarice to frown as she realized that her sister wasn¡¯t wrong. Because, for all that arriving in a Shard derived from entirely new design principles would normally have caused a stir, that paled in comparison to someone arriving in a cruiser.
After all, showing up in a shard was, under normal circumstances, a show of wealth and prestige. Not only that a house had said machines, but that they had enough that they could afford to essentially lend one out for a semester. The more expensive and powerful the shard in question, the better.
The only year exempt from that kind of showboating were the first years, given said year was focused entirely on personal combat ability and other fundamentals.
Well, House Royal too, she thought absently as she watched the behemoth come in to land, blasts of aether bursting from the ballasts as the massive vessel descended. One can hardly expect plebians to have access to personal shards.
¡Indeed, it wasn¡¯t a coincidence that while said House tended to do fine ¨C or even above average - in the first year, they invariably ended up lowest in the rankings thereafter as they were forced to rely on the communal shard pool in inter-house competitions.
Then again, she thought. Not every member of said House is a plebian, are they?
Indeed, with each passing moment she became more sure of the identity of the one arriving via airship.
She could think of few others with the pull with the Royal family to make such a request ¨C and the audacity to do so in the first place.
Void, even with permission from the Crown, what Matriarch would allow their family¡¯s airship to travel beyond the borders of their land on a glorified joyride?
No, there was but one person with that kind of freedom ¨C and that was because he had no matriarch to answer to anymore.
¡°Is that¡ music?¡± A nearby elven girl asked ¨C and indeed, she wasn¡¯t wrong as Clarice also caught the telltale notes of something melodic.
It didn¡¯t take long for it to grow in volume, blasting across the landing field as the massive ship finally touched down. The music was both brass and bold, ringing through the air with a volume that was downright unnatural.
¡°Really, he brought an orchestra with him?¡± Marcille asked rhetorically, something akin to admiration in the girl¡¯s tone.
Clarice just wanted to shake her head. The airship was statement enough, but to bring an entire orchestra with him to announce his arrival? That was just¡ tacky. The kind of thing one might expect to see done by some Solite trollop across the ocean, not a proper Lindholmian gentleman.
It was a shame. Like just about everyone in the academy, she¡¯d been aware of the brewing saga that blossomed within their halls.
It was after all a story that would tug at any woman¡¯s heartstrings. The tale of a man passed over as heir for a bastard before being set to marry a barbaric Northerner. A fate he resisted with all his might, despite the futility of it. Yet hope blossomed anew as, somehow, either through the kindly hand of a noble monarch, his wits, or sheer good fortune, he instead found himself in possession of a mithril core.
And rather than seek to bargain for his freedom by parting with the princely gift, he instead challenged his betrothed to a duel ¨C for his freedom and the core both.
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A duel he went on to win, before the eyes of the entire nation and against all odds.
His betrothed was banished back up North, and for his bravery he was gifted a home anew, away from the House that had passed him over.
It was a stirring tale to be sure, made all the more so for being true.
It was just a shame that rather than be modest in victory, it seemed the boy seemed intended to crow it to the world with his return. Not that the boy having an ego would keep many a girl from trying to hop into his bed and family register.
After all, he was an unmarried man in possession of a landed title. To a second or third born daughter, that was a prize worth going after with both hands. Void, even the first-borns would be tempted. Sure, as countesses, none would be able to lay claim to both titles at once, but it would allow any children they had an opportunity to inherit one each ¨C effectively allowing them two ¡®heirs¡¯.
In that regard, the boy was rather fortunate that it hadn¡¯t been made known that he¡¯d be receiving a landed title until the end of his first year. It allowed him to spend the time after the duel in relative peace, with those who might have been interested in him fearful to move for fear of Blackstone reprisal.
¡°You know what, that¡¯s actually kind of hot,¡± Marcille murmured as the ramp of the airship started to lower. ¡°I like a little ego in a man. Especially when they can back it up.¡±
Clarice tried not to roll her eyes. ¡°Well, make sure any fantasies you have about acting on that interest remain just that. I¡¯ve no interest in losing out on a ducal seat because you were thinking with your cunt.¡±
Certainly, no man expected a girl to come to his bed a blushing virgin, but it didn¡¯t exactly look good for said girl to be fooling around with someone while her family were actively looking for betrothal opportunities for her.
And they needed those betrothals for the upcoming succession crisis. Marriages with powerful houses who would have the strength and the will to help them push their rightful blood claim over those Plumgarden scum-suckers.
¡°Clarice,¡± her twin said as she turned to her. ¡°He¡¯s got a cruiser.¡±
The half-elf waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Yes, I know. And while I¡¯m sure the thought of a man with access to his own warship gets you all hot and bothered, we have more important things to satisfy than your fetishes.¡±
Honestly, where¡¯d he even get such a thing? Was it a gift from the Crown? If so, it was as powerful a statement of support as one could possibly make, especially in a time where airship hulls were almost more valuable than mithril cores.
¡°Like making sure one of us marries a boy from a powerful family who can back us up militarily later,¡± Marcille continued, speaking slowly for some reason. ¡°Because they have a powerful warship. Not a shitty wooden hulled thing.¡±
Nonetheless, Clarice nodded. ¡°Exactly. Just because there aren¡¯t any ducal matches available doesn¡¯t mean we can be careless. A countship marriage may only give us access to a single airship, but there¡¯s still a world of distinction to be made in the size and quality of said airship from house to house.¡±
¡°So¡ ideally, you¡¯d want me to marry someone with not just a steel hulled airship, but a big steel hulled airship?¡±
Why was she asking this? Clarice knew her sister tended to be less¡ academic than herself, but the girl wasn¡¯t dumb. Prone to thinking emotionally rather than logically, yes, but hardly dumb.
¡°Yes,¡± Clarice said slowly, eying her sister.
¡°Like that one?¡± Marcille said as she gestured over her shoulder.
¡°Well, yes. Something like a cruiser would be-¡± Clarice¡¯s mouth slammed shut partway through her sentence, much to the amusement of her sibling.
Not that Clarice noticed. No, the older twin¡¯s focus was entirely on the second year who was now marching down the ramp of his cruiser, that strange music still accompanying him. Yet¡ There was no orchestra present. Just a strange box with a funnel held in the arms of his dwarvish companion.
Was¡ did she invent some kind of¡ musical device? One that could imitate the sound of an entire orchestra? Because that was what it looked like.
¡Was that why he¡¯d arrived via airship? To show it off?
It was an effective tactic, she¡¯d admit.
Shit.
Fuck.
Void.
That just made him more valuable! Indeed, as Clarice glanced across the lines of girls around her, she realized just how much work she had cut out for her if she intended to snag this guy ¨C and his cruiser!
Shit, she needed something that would make her stand out from all these other sluts!
Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t take her long to think of one as the Redwater Count continued walking down the path, visibly preening at the shrieks and yells he was eliciting from his fellow students as they tried to gain his attention to ask about the ship, the musical funnel or any other number of things.
Sighing, Clarice turned to her sister.
Her twin sister.
That bit was important.
¡°Sister, you know how we promised each other we¡¯d never do¡ certain things to entice a guy,¡± Clarice fought down the urge to cringe even as her soul screamed. ¡°I think¡ we might have to rethink that promise.¡±
The way her twin cringed was a pretty apt mirror of Clarice¡¯s own feelings on the matter.
------------------------
The ambient hum of Wagner wafted through the dorm room of Team Seven, though the bombastic music of another world proved to be of little succor to the souls present.
¡°I think¡ I think I might be dying,¡± William opined from his position on the floor.
Across from him, in a similar state, Verity made a sound that might charitably have been called agreement.
The team had been back at the Academy for all of two days and in that time they¡¯d been thoroughly disabused of the notion that they were ¡®ready¡¯ for the frantic routine that so characterized the first few weeks of any given year.
¡°William?¡± Olzenya muttered, her blonde hair plastered to her head, even as Marline ¨C the least affected of the team ¨C tried to absently fan her.
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Please can you use your penis to make Griffith be nicer to us.¡±
¡°Olzenya!?¡± Marline hissed, scandalized by her fellow elf¡¯s words.
For his part, William just giggled.
¡°What?¡± The high elf said unrepentantly. ¡°If we absolutely must have a satyr for a leader, we may as well take advantage of that fact.¡±
¡°I have a healthy libido. I¡¯m not entirely sure that makes me a ¡®satyr¡¯,¡± William said in between chuckles. ¡°With that said, no. As much as I like that idea, I¡¯m pretty sure trying to use my relationship with our Instructor to garner preferential treatment would just result in worse treatment. And she¡¯d definitely break off our little engagement.¡±
¡°I think you should try anyway,¡± Verity muttered.
William wisely didn¡¯t respond to that, instead he focused on the only other person in the room besides Marline who didn¡¯t currently seem to be questioning their choices in life. Which was impressive, given she actually looked worse than the rest of them.
¡°What are you grinning about?¡± he asked Bonnlyn, who was sprawled out on the couch. ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining.¡±
¡°Do you have any idea what these idiots are offering me for a gramophone?¡± the dwarf said, a giddy smile on her face. ¡°Scratch that, do you have any idea how much some of them are offering for me to make records with their favorite songs on them?¡±
¡°A lot, I imagine,¡± Marline said dryly as she returned to fanning her fellow elf.
William was in agreement. He was also happy that he¡¯d decided to hand the gramophone off to Bonnlyn when they¡¯d arrived. Because as a result, most of the students at the academy assumed she was the inventor of the device. As such, over the last two days she¡¯d been getting enquiries about selling the thing pretty much non-stop in those few short moments she was available between being dragged about the academy with the other second years by Griffith.
Glancing over, he could see that Olzenya had levered her head up and was now quietly staring at the music producing machine. Naturally, just about every member of team seven wanted one also once it had been explained what it was and what it could do, and as such had been promised some of the initial production run. Once the Mecants got the method down.
¡°Actually, on the topic of recording music, I have to know; when did you find time to record this?¡± The high elf asked. ¡°Beyond that, who¡¯s the orchestra?¡±
William shrugged as best he was able from his prone position. ¡°I recorded it when I was in the capital last week to buy new shard frames. As for who they are, I¡¯ve no idea. I chose a random music hall down by the docks for my first recording.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Marline asked. ¡°You don¡¯t even know who this is?¡±
¡°Not really,¡± William lied. ¡°It was one of those dumpy little traveling minstrel places and at the time my main focus was seeing if the machine worked rather than who I was recording.¡±
Marline looked like she wanted to say something, before sighing. ¡°Yeah, that sounds like you.¡±
¡°Hey William,¡± Verity chose that moment to speak.
¡°Yes, Verity?¡±
¡°Why are you here?¡±
He stared up at the ceiling. ¡°It¡¯s one of life¡¯s great mysteries isn¡¯t it? Why are any of us here?¡±
He heard, more than saw, the orc roll her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be a smart frog. I mean, why are you back at the academy? Wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to be back in your county¡ running things? It¡¯s not just because of Griffith right?¡±
¡°That¡¯s actually a good question,¡± Bonnlyn chimed in. ¡°I mean, if I had the option to avoid all this shit, you sure as shit know I would.¡±
¡°If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles,¡± he said. ¡°If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.¡±
Silence greeted that statement.
Until Bonnlyn grunted. ¡°And that means?¡±
¡°It means that if he¡¯s going to design new shards and shit, he needs to know how other shards perform,¡± Olzenya of all people said.
¡°Not exactly how I¡¯d have put it, but she¡¯s not wrong,¡± he admitted.
¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Marline asked.
¡°What do you mean, ¡®that¡¯s it?¡¯ This is an academy. I¡¯m here to learn,¡± he said. ¡°Well, mostly.¡±
¡°Mostly?¡± Verity asked ¨C and he had a feeling she was thinking of Griffith.
Fortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case.
¡°I also need to do some networking. You know, the other reason people attend this shithole.¡±
Now that Tala wasn¡¯t leaning over his shoulder, he actually had an opportunity to make some inroads with the other nobles here. Which was good, because his eventual plans would require at least some degree of support from others. Because like it or not, he couldn¡¯t conquer an entire country with a single county¡¯s worth of troops and a single airship.
Fortunately, his long term plans had neatly come to align with a new short term one.
¡°You¡ networking?¡± Olzenya scoffed.
He actually felt a little offended. ¡°What? I can totally network.¡±
¡°Name a single other person in our year. Full name and one fact about them,¡± Marline said.
William winced, not least of all because it was Marline of all people asking him. The girl who¡¯d spent her entire childhood training to be a magical shock trooper in the name of redeeming her family¡¯s fortune.
Well, that and the fact that the more he thought about the more he realized he couldn¡¯t actually name any of his classmates¡¯ names. At least, not with any degree of surety.
¡°I was busy last year,¡± he muttered lamely. ¡°Networking wasn¡¯t important then.¡±
¡°And it is now?¡± Bonnlyn asked.
¡°Sure.¡±
Because he needed to keep his beloved and stupid little sister from killing herself via accidental slit throat. Which meant he needed to convince his family that trying to gain control of the Summerfield duchy was a bad idea.
Mother¡¯s going for the duchy and the Blackstone alliance because with it she sees not just our ascent to ducal power as guaranteed, but our position on the winning side of the civil war afterward, he thought.
In short, she was willing to risk making a power grab because in her mind it wasn¡¯t a risk. Olivia¡¯s position as a claimant was as of yet unknown and when it did become known, her alliance with the Blackstone duchy would make defeating the other claimants to the position easy.
So all he needed to do was make the Ashfield claim to the Summerfield duchy less of a sure thing.
¡By backing one of the other claimants and ensuring that his sister lost the succession war.
It was genius.
And it was going to be awkward as hell.
If his beloved little sister had been annoyed at him before, this was really going to set her off. Nevermind that he was doing it for her own good. The less said about the rest of his family the better. To be frank, a disowning was likely the best possible outcome. The most realistic outcome was a blood feud.
He resisted the urge to sigh, b. Because said genius plan had another caveat.
The only way I¡¯m legally going to be allowed to interfere in the succession is if I¡¯m¡ married to one of the claimants, he thought.
Fortunately, three of said claimants were fourth year students at this academy.
Unfortunately, three of said claimants were fourth year students at this academy.
Which meant they were twenty three.
Twenty three.
More than that, I¡¯m going to have to convince the one I manage to¡ seduce to effectively engage in the medieval equivalent of a green-card marriage with me, he thought. After spending all of last year trying to get out of a marriage, I¡¯m leaping back into one.
¡And then there was going to be the awkward conversation with Griffith he¡¯d need to have regarding their fairly nebulous relationship status and its ability to survive him marrying another woman.
Temporarily.
Hopefully.
¡°Yeah,¡± he muttered to his blissfully ignorant team. ¡°Networking is going to be really important this year.¡±
Chapter Forty Four
¡°The Drake,¡± Griffith said to her tired audience of Marine-Knight cadets, her voice echoing off the walls of the massive hangar they¡¯d just entered. ¡°Considered old, but far from outdated, the Drake is the workhorse design of the Royal Navy and the craft most of you will fly should you be fortunate enough to be chosen as designated pilots for your future postings.¡±
It said a lot about the almost mystical reputation of shards that, despite the fact that many of the cadets present were still covered in sweat and heaving from their recent run, they nonetheless perked up to gaze around the room eagerly at the many shards on display, including the one Griffith had just stopped in front of. For his part, William was too busy trying not to hack up a lung to pay much care about any of the planes on offer. When it came to Drakes and Unicorns, as far as he was concerned, once you¡¯d seen one example of each design, you¡¯d seen them all.
Though he didn¡¯t miss the way some of the noble-born members of House Royal scoffed ¨C quietly ¨C at their Instructor¡¯s words. Nor was it hard to understand why as William straightened up to look at the nearest machine.
His gaze sliding up over the four guns mounted in the nose, he took a moment to admire the gleaming aluminum frame before focusing on the craft¡¯s ¡®birdcage¡¯ canopy, which served to partially obscure the rear-mounted propeller beyond. Between those features, the fore-mounted stabilizers and the wings sat to the back of the craft, the Drake was as typical an example of a shard as one could find.
Which was precisely the problem. In a world dominated by bespoke machines and limited production runs, the Drake was a standardized design intended to be easily maintained, repaired and replaced. Which, relative to the competition, also made it cheap.
Which, as far as the aristocracy was concerned, meant it was bad. A fact reinforced in their minds by the fact that, more often than not and given that it was the Royal Navy¡¯s Shard of choice, the knights piloting said machines were of common birth.
For a noble house to choose the Drake as their own Shard of choice was to tacitly admit in the eyes of the aristocracy that they couldn¡¯t afford better.
¡°An aluminum frame. Four repeater cannons. Three ballasts. Storage space sufficient to load one thousand two hundred rounds of ammunition,¡± Griffith continued, voice smooth and commanding, somehow utterly untroubled by the fact that she¡¯d been leading the morning¡¯s PT. ¡°And all of it irrelevant if the pilot doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s doing.¡±
Glancing up, William could see that the other members of his team were now listening with rapt attention, even as their exercise clothes stuck to their sweaty forms. Resisting the urge to sigh, he made sure to straighten up too, for fear of being called out for not paying attention.
If nothing else, the past two weeks back at the academy had shown him beyond a shadow of a doubt that his position as their instructor¡¯s secret booty call garnered him no kind of preferential treatment. Not that he¡¯d have been in any position to act in that role if it were requested. The mind might have been willing but the body was spongy and weak.
¡°To that end, class, I ask you this: what is the most important factor in an aerial battle between shards?¡± The veritable succubus cum terminator continued, unwilling to wait for a response before pointing at a random girl who was pretty much immediately wrong footed.
Which was hardly unexpected. Yes, they¡¯d spent the last two weeks on theory, but none of it had actually related to combat. The poor girl would have been better prepared if the question had been on how to effectively fill out a maintenance request or correctly file a flight report.
¡°Armor?¡± the girl hesitated.
Griffith nodded. ¡°A reasonable guess, but entirely incorrect.¡±
The girl wilted, but seemed relieved that no punishment was forthcoming as Griffith instead continued on with her speech.
¡°Since the first magical contract positioned the mage as the queen of the battlefield, the defensive capability of combatants has consistently been outpaced by that of their offense. Certainly, some breakthroughs like that of Kraken scale armor championed by Houses like New Haven have made to shorten the gap between the shield and the spear, but that is all they¡¯ve achieved. A shortening. And rarely for long.¡±
The woman¡¯s hand came down to the side-arm at her hip. ¡°As evidenced by the invention of the bolt-bow as a direct counter to anti-magic. A weapon which, as I¡¯m sure you all well know by now, is perfectly capable of piercing anything short of plate armour at under a hundred meters. And at ranges far beyond that with the newly developed Spell-Bolt.¡±
More than a few eyes made to turn in his direction at the dark elf¡¯s words, but they didn¡¯t linger long as Griffith roared. ¡°Eyes front!¡±
Every head present snapped back to the front with enough force to give the owners whiplash as their instructor continued.
¡°This universal truth of offense being more potent than defense is even more true for shards. Backed up by the power of a mithril-core, the larger caliber weapons sported by shards possess significantly higher velocity than a handheld bolt-bow, allowing for both greater range and killing power.¡± The woman¡¯s hand patted the extruding barrel of one such repeater mounted to the nose of the Drake she was standing in front of. ¡°Make no mistake, whether an aluminum or wood frame, a dedicated burst of repeater fire will shred a shard in very short order. Either through destroying its flight surfaces, its internal aether-piping¡ or killing the pilot.¡±
¡°I¡¯d be tempted to say weapons then, but agility seems the correct answer here, ma¡¯am.¡± Another black-clad cadet spoke up. ¡°The potency of a weapon relative to a shard¡¯s armor is irrelevant if the weapon can¡¯t hit.¡±
William resisted the urge to shake his head.
¡°A not unreasonable answer,¡± Griffith hummed consideringly. ¡°One corroborated by the design principles of most shard manufacturers. For years we as a nation have quested to make craft lighter and more agile. Better able to out-turn foes and get on their tail by cutting inside their own turn circle. Better able to dodge incoming fire while strafing Airships and castle walls. Still, even with the lightest craft in the world, that agility isn¡¯t born from nothing. There¡¯s yet another factor that facilitates agility.¡±
¡°Speed.¡± Said another girl whose name William didn¡¯t know. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how tightly a shard a shard can turn, if it¡¯s going slow enough then it¡¯s a sitting duck.¡±
Griffith raised an eyebrow, prompting the girl to continue.
¡°I mean, that¡¯s what my aunt says. She says that¡¯s why orc wyverns need numbers to stand a chance against shards despite being so much more maneuverable. Because while they can change direction with a flap of their wings, it doesn¡¯t much matter because all shards have to do is fire a burst from beyond the range of their breath. Then they just peel away and the wyverns can¡¯t catch them.¡±
¡°Would I be correct in assuming your aunt is a navy woman?¡±
The cadet nodded and Griffith smiled. ¡°Well, I will say that is a most insightful answer, but one that is only partially correct for it fails to account for another facet of a three-dimensional combat environment.¡±
¡°Altitude ma¡¯am.¡± William said finally.
¡°Yes!¡± Griffith said, whirling to face him ¨C and to her credit, her eyes only widened a little as she realized it was him that had spoken. ¡°Explain.¡±
He took a breath. ¡°In aerial combat terms, altitude and speed are both subsets of the same base function: Energy. Altitude being potential energy and speed kinetic. For a shard, kinetic energy is expended with every turn, climb, roll and twist. Each time one of these maneuvers is performed, a shard loses kinetic energy and thus speed. A shard that loses too much risks either stalling, or in a combat environment, falling prey to other attacking craft as it languishes lethargically in the air.¡±
He idly noted some of the other high born starting to nod along. ¡°Fortunately, while kinetic energy is a fairly limited resource, there also exists potential energy in the form of altitude. By throwing a shard into a dive, a pilot is able to convert potential energy into kinetic energy. The same, naturally, is true in reverse. By placing a shard into an incline, a pilot may convert their current kinetic energy into potential energy for later.¡±
And then some. Naturally, with the aid of gravity a plane descending could move faster than when it was flying level.
To that end, he idly had to wonder just how many shards have fallen victim to Wyverns attacking from above while engaging in low level passes through the mountains?
¡°Though at the risk of leaving themselves vulnerable in the process,¡± Griffith finished for him. ¡°Hence why the first action of a shard launched from an airfield will be to climb as high as possible before the enemy reaches them. And likewise why an airship will always try to reach its maximum altitude before launching craft.¡±
She tapped the nearby Drake again. ¡°A shard in possession of a higher energy state than its foe has the power to dictate the engagement. Should the foe attempt to flee, they have the power to catch them. Should a foe engage them, they have the power to escape them. Speed and altitude are what allow a pilot to choose when and where to engage a foe who lacks either. A pilot that lacks either and thus languishes on the deck has no option but to die.¡±
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Well, that wasn¡¯t strictly true, William thought.
While a higher energy state was valuable in the opening moments of an engagement, a pilot at a lower energy state did actually have a few options in how to respond. The most obvious of which being to kill speed and force an overshoot, thereby allowing the defending pilot to blast the attacker into oblivion from their now reversed positions.
Again, he had to wonder how many shards had fallen prey to that maneuver the moment a drake opened up its wings like parachutes, forcing the fixed-wing craft to overshoot.
He shook his head, he had a feeling all that would come up later. For now though, it seemed Griffith was just trying to emphasize the age-old adage.
¡®Speed is life. And that means altitude.¡¯
As lessons went, it was a good one.
¡°If you learn nothing else over the course of this semester,¡± the woman continued. ¡°Know this: An aerial battle is slow. It¡¯s not a battle of twitch reflexes and hand-eye coordination. It¡¯s a battle of positioning and decision making. Of understanding the capability of your shard and that of your enemy, your relative levels of both kinetic and potential energy, the current state of the battlespace and other shards in it. It¡¯s about deciding on a course of action that provides you the maximum advantage while diminishing that of your enemy. Can you out turn them? Can you outpace them? Can you outclimb them?¡±
Everyone was listening raptly as the woman slapped the Drake for a third time. ¡°Which leads us back to the Drake and the unfortunate reality that every foe you come across will be well aware of your specs - while you may not yet know the abilities of whatever monstrosity they¡¯ve just pulled out of their family workshop.¡±
She grinned, all teeth. ¡°Fortunately, being aware of the Drake¡¯s strengths does nothing to nullify their existence. To that end, while the Drake is certainly less agile than more recent designs, with a wider turning circle, the added weight of the design means that in a dive¡¡±
William listened as intently as any other person.
This was why he was here after all.
To know his enemy.
-----------------
¡°Why are you looking to set up a meeting with the Whitemorrow and Plumgarden heirs?¡±
William paused midstep. Turning slowly, he cocked his head towards his teammate as he idly shifted the basket full of laundry he was holding. ¡°Marline? I thought you were heading out to the baskets?¡±
That was where most of the year was headed despite this technically being a free period. Accessible only to second years, the baskets were a series of shard cockpits that had quite literally been ripped from old or trashed shards. Rather than being repurposed for new machines though, they¡¯d been converted into what were basically budget simulators. Albeit, simulators that literally only simulated a control interface to practice with. With that said, the many buttons, levers, switches and pedals were useful for cadets hoping to practice their take off and landing checklists.
Which for the moment, was just about the entire population of House Royal and a few members of other houses as well, given that the Trainee certification tests were at the end of week three ¨C and failing them would mean that the cadet in question wouldn¡¯t be allowed to fly the following week when practical flight training began on the Academy¡¯s unicorns.
¡°I will, but I have a question first,¡± the dark elf said. ¡°It¡¯s been niggling at me. It¡¯s out of character for you. And that¡¯s usually dangerous.¡±
¡°How¡¯d you even find out I was trying to set up a meeting?¡± he asked.
¡°You asked Bonnlyn. She¡¯s not subtle.¡±
He considered that for a moment, before he shrugged. ¡°They¡¯re twins. I¡¯m a satyr. What more need be said?¡±
¡°You ignored them last year.¡± the elf said.
He shrugged. ¡°I was busy. Impending nuptials put a bit of a damper on the old libido.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± she deadpanned. ¡°And the Plumgarden girl?¡±
He thought for a second before grinning. ¡°Well, they¡¯re rivals. I figure if I go to her after the twins¡ Well, a little competition only makes a girl try that much harder¡¡±
The elf stared. ¡°You know, a year ago I might have bought that. More to the point, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d have cared that you¡¯re obviously lying. Unfortunately for both of us, I know you better now William. You don¡¯t do anything for shits and giggles.¡±
He grinned. ¡°Did you actually just say ¡®shits and giggles¡¯? Void help me, I think my vocabulary is rubbing off on you.¡±
The girl sighed in what was likely disgust. ¡°William. Please. Why are you trying to set up a meeting?¡±
¡°Why do you care?¡± he asked finally.
¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡±
¡He didn¡¯t know why that surprised him. But it did. A lot.
¡°I¡¯m¡ looking to support one of them for the Summerfield claim,¡± he said finally. ¡°Maybe¡ marry one so I could intervene legally when it all pops off?¡±
The dark elf eyes widened before leaning in close to whisper, glancing around for hidden listeners. ¡°Has¡ has your family not given up on your sister¡¯s claims? Will the Blackstones be helping them, only using her rather than you to make it legal?¡±
He shrugged. ¡°Something like that.¡±
¡°Fuck,¡± the girl hissed before eyeing him. ¡°And your plan is to¡ what? Pit two counties against a dukedom and another county and assume you¡¯ll come out on top? Two airships against the entire Blackstone fleet?¡±
William smirked. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be the entire ducal fleet. They¡¯d need to keep some in the North to maintain appearances. I figure it¡¯ll be a third of a ducal fleet. Plus, I figure we could team up with the claimant I don¡¯t pick ¨C you know, before turning on them once the Blackstones and my family are dealt with.¡±
He could do it. It¡¯d be tight, but the Jellyfish would be retrofitted in two years and his small fighter fleet would also be more or less ready. Between that and a few other tricks he could think up, he wagered better than even odds he could come out on top.
Theoretically, it was less risky than his fight against Tala and her team last year.
¡Though one wouldn¡¯t know that given the strangled look his teammate was giving him.
¡°Ok,¡± she said after a moment of visibly collecting herself. ¡°Assuming that somehow you could actually take on a third of the fleet that¡¯s currently a match for the Royal Navy - what if Blackstones decide to err on the side of caution and send more than a third? A half? Two thirds?
¡°They need to-¡± he started to say before he was cut off.
¡°They¡¯re trying to overthrow the monarchy!¡± Marline hissed. ¡°And taking the Summerfield duchy would be the second to final move. Do you think they might be willing to risk overtipping their hand a bit if they thought there was even a slight possibility of you affecting the outcome at that point?¡±
He¡ maybe? But¡
¡°What other options do I have?¡± he asked finally. ¡°The other option is letting the Queen kill my sister.¡±
And that wasn¡¯t going to happen. Ever.
Marline gripped him, leaning in closer to ensure her words were quiet. ¡°Really? You have no other option? Have you considered telling your mother what you just told me? That the Queen¡¯s well aware of her conspiracy and she¡¯s going to lose a daughter long before it comes to fruition if she doesn¡¯t back off?¡±
He shook his head. ¡°She¡¯d just send Olvia up North. Have the Blackstones foster her until the marriage.¡±
And the Blackstone clearly had some means of keeping the Crown¡¯s invisible assassins at bay. Likely better than he could.
¡°And you know that for a fact? Really?¡±
He shrugged. ¡°They¡¯ve managed to disappoint me every other time I¡¯ve given them an out.¡±
¡°Ok,¡± Marline said, eerily calm now. ¡°Assuming your mother does exactly what you¡¯re worried about¡ is that a problem? For you, not Lindholm. After all, your sister¡¯s now safe and Queen suddenly has less leverage over you.
He¡ supposed¡
¡°Then I¡¯d have no way to stop the Summerfield coup?¡±
¡°Except for falling back on the same plan you¡¯re currently trying to go through with ¨C supporting another claimant and beating a ¡®third¡¯ of the Blackstone fleet in open combat with just two counties. Somehow.¡±
He considered it.
¡°William,¡± the girl continued, eying him seriously. ¡°Do you ever think that you might be looking for a fight? It¡¯s like you go out of your way to pick the most batshit options available to you.¡±
He scoffed only to see that she wasn¡¯t smiling.
¡°William¡ Are you Harrowed?¡± she asked finally.
He all but jumped back. ¡°Why in the hells would you think that?¡±
¡°Aside from that queer turn of phrase you just used?¡± she said softly. ¡°There¡¯s the fact that you keep inventing shit. Now, one or two innovations I could understand. But you just keep pulling more and more absurd ideas out of your ass.¡±
It was actually a little strange to hear the normally taciturn dark elf speaking so coarsely.
¡°Do I seem insane to you?¡± he asked, grinning.
Rather than joke back, the girl continued staring. ¡°No, you don¡¯t. At least, not at first.¡±
His smile turned decidedly plastic. ¡°At first?¡±
The dark elf shook her head. ¡°At every opportunity, it seems you pick the hardest option. The riskiest choice. The one that endangers you and whoever happens to be in your path.¡± She ran a hand through her white hair. ¡°I mean, I know we joke about you being a drama prince¡ but that joke got me thinking. It¡¯s almost like you seek out conflict. Sure, you couch it in jokes, dramatic gestures and hard choices¡ but sometimes it almost seems like you¡¯re blind to the alternatives.¡±
George twitched.
That wasn¡¯t true.
He was fine.
Those were the best choices.
The most efficient ones.
Stealing the Shard. Getting kicked out of his House. Banished to the academy. Challenging Tala. Killing Al¡¯Hundra. Developing the Bolt-Bow. Beating Tala. Blackmailing the Queen. Calling out Stillwater.
And now this new plan¡ it was¡ what he needed to do.
¡°Harrowing,¡± his teammate ¨C the kid! ¨C was speaking softly now. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, I only know as much about it as the next person, which is why I know what the signs are. People like that, they can¡¯t forget the things they learn. Ever. It¡¯s always on their mind. Even those that don¡¯t go mad immediately, the more lucid ones¡ makes them¡ static. Unable to change. And those ideas, those memories, they want to be used.¡±
She paused. ¡°Truthfully, if you are Harrowed, you¡¯re the most stable example I¡¯ve ever heard of¡ but if you are, I¡¯d bet your mind¡¯s full of¡ weapons or something. Because the way you¡¯re acting, it¡¯s like you¡¯re seeking out an opportunity to make use of them.
That was¡
That was¡
In the silence that followed, she spoke again. ¡°Do you trust me, William?¡±
No.
The thought was instant. An instinctive reaction. She was just a kid after all. He could use her. Manipulate her. Tie her to his cause. But trust?
He couldn¡¯t trust her.
Nor anyone else.
Not on this world.
It was him alone.
¡And he didn¡¯t know why those thoughts surprised him. But they did.
¡°I thought not,¡± she hummed, a sad smile on her lips. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I get it. I¡¯m the same. Once you get used to keeping secrets, it¡¯s a hard habit to break.¡±
¡°Y-¡± He coughed, his throat strangely dry. ¡°You do?¡±
She smiled softly, some genuine mirth in her tone. ¡°Ah, I¡¯d say that¡¯s another mark against you really being a ¡®genius¡¯ if you haven¡¯t figured it out by now. With that said, this isn¡¯t about me.¡± She paused. ¡°With that said, if it makes you rethink this latest bit of insanity, I¡¯ll tell you. Happily.¡±
Her hand came down to grip his ¨C the sensation surprisingly warm against the¡ cold clamminess of his skin. ¡°What else can I do?¡±
The girl¡¯s smile brightened. ¡°Oh, want to know my secret that badly?¡±
He shook his head. ¡°No. No, you don¡¯t need to tell me anything. I¡ want to trust you.¡±
He did.
He didn¡¯t.
The grip on his hand got tighter. Not painfully. Reassuringly.
He wanted to shake it off. He didn¡¯t need this. He was a grown ass man.
It felt nice. Comforting.
He hated it.
¡°Then please¡¡± she said slowly. ¡°Just speak to your family first? At least try to talk to them before you throw yourself into the fires of a conflict that we might have a chance to avoid. If they refuse, I promise I¡¯ll be right beside you when we board that first Blackstone cruiser.¡±
He hesitated.
He didn¡¯t know why.
After all, she was right. If they turned him down, he¡¯d just continue with his plan. Nothing changed.
Because they would turn him down.
He was sure of it.
Wasn¡¯t he?
¡°Ok,¡± William said finally, ignoring the sickly sensation of something twisting in his guts. ¡°I can do that.¡±
Chapter Forty Five
Contrary to popular belief, William¡¯s mother didn¡¯t actually spend every hour of every day inside her office. Despite the presence of his many aunts, he knew that the head of the Ashfield family spent much of her time riding about the county seeing to many of the issues that might require her attention as the head of a small territory.
Admittedly, a great many of those issues involved long debates over the minutiae of property lines or livestock ownership. However, given those details were of some real importance to the farmers to whom the aforementioned items belonged, William was of the opinion that it spoke well of his progenitor that she felt the need to show personal interest in them.
He knew for his own part, he¡¯d been somewhat¡ lax on the subject in his own brief time as head of Redwater county. In his defense, Xela Tern was much better suited to the task of seeing to the needs of the nearby farms than he¡¯d ever be, but the fact remained that as an actual landlord, his own efforts could best be described as¡ distant.
After a few moments thought on the subject, he realized he didn¡¯t actually know the names of the many villages surrounding the newly renamed town of Redwater. Which wasn¡¯t exactly an ideal state of affairs for any lord. Though, given that he saw the territory itself as little more than a convenient vehicle for weapon production, it wasn¡¯t entirely unexpected.
He shook his head at the thought, as he momentarily wondered if Marline¡¯s words on the subject of his ¡®harrowed¡¯ mindset had some truth? He¡¯d long thought that he¡¯d gotten lucky in how he¡¯d come to be ¡®born¡¯ into this world ¨C but now he was being forced to consider whether or not such fortune had come with drawbacks of a less obvious nature.
Fortunately he was saved from any lengthy kind of rumination on the topic by the arrival of his mother, as Aunt Sophina ¨C who had been content to spend the intervening half hour between him calling and his mother arriving in stony silence ¨C moved aside to let the Ashfield matriarch slide into view.
¡°Well,¡± Janet said as wiped an errant lock of hair from her eyes, a move that suggested she¡¯d rode at some speed back to the estate. ¡°I hope this is important William. Because as much as I¡¯d like to thank you for pulling me away from the council of little old ladies, I¡¯ll be forced to make it up to them with another meeting later. And they¡¯ll have even more to argue about by the time that rolls around.¡±
¡°Ah, I assume they haven¡¯t mellowed any in the time since I left?¡± William asked as he vacantly recalled his mother¡¯s many complaints about the ¡®council of landowners¡¯ that served to represent the many farms and villages around Ashfield territory.
¡°Not in the slightest. And they¡¯re worse than usual given it¡¯s now the tail end of winter.¡± She shrugged. ¡°As a lord yourself now, I¡¯m sure you know how it is.¡±
He struggled not to wince as he realized he didn¡¯t. The closest he¡¯d come to meeting the local landowners of his territory had been when they¡¯d shown up in support of Xela on his arrival at Redwater.
Since then, his dealings with them had been entirely through the wood elf herself.
Which wasn¡¯t exactly great. If anything, the reminder of just how much he¡¯d effectively shoveled onto Xela¡¯s plate did have him make a mental note to follow up on her. Last they spoke she¡¯d made a request to hire on some of her old war-buddies to act as additional trainers for the plebian pilot cadre he was starting up. A request he¡¯d granted, along with the funds to follow through, but he¡¯d heard nothing on the topic since.
And given it had been two weeks since he¡¯d come back to the academy, said training program should have started by now.
¡°Still, as I said, we¡¯re both busy,¡± his mother continued. ¡°If anything, I know from my own memories of the academy that your time is probably more precious than mine at the minute. So much so that your willingness to spend thirty minutes waiting for my arrival is a cause for some concern. If the topic wasn¡¯t urgent, I¡¯d have expected you to leave a message or set a time to call back on a later date.¡±
Well, she wasn¡¯t wrong. Say what one would about his mother and her almost blind ambition, she could be fairly quick on the uptake when she chose to be. More to the point, she was entirely correct. If Marline hadn¡¯t insisted on taking the team¡¯s laundry off him, he wouldn¡¯t have had time to make this call.
Which was a fairly absurd consideration for a conversation that might well shape the future of the nation, but that was Academy life. At least, on those occasions in which he couldn¡¯t call upon Griffith to grant him an exemption. Of which this most definitely was, given he was in a rather explicit way currently engaged in an act of treason.
¡°Well, I suppose I¡¯ll just come out and say it.¡± He took a breath. ¡°The Queen is aware of Olivia¡¯s secret heritage and, as a result, what her engagement to a Blackstone male would mean for the future of Lindholm. Needless to say, she has zero intention of letting said betrothal come to pass.¡±
Well, it was done now. Given orb calls were monitored by the Queen¡¯s people, he figured he had until the end of the call, plus thirty minutes for it to filter up through the chain of command, until Griffith or someone else in Yelena¡¯s employ was dispatched to ask him ¡®what the hell?¡¯.
Fortunately, he had a plan for that, but prior to that coming to pass he fully intended to get his money¡¯s worth for shoving his neck onto the chopping block ¨C by getting his moronic younger sibling off of it.
¡°She¡ what!?¡± His mother breathed after moving through a number of expressions.
Surprise. Anger. Disgust. Dread. Resignation.
It really was a rather amusing tapestry, one he might have felt guilty for enjoying if it weren¡¯t for the fact that his mother had most certainly brought it all upon herself. What little filial piety he¡¯d managed to cultivate in his time in this world did little to mitigate the schadenfreude he was currently feeling.
¡°You,¡± she finally breathed, eyes narrowing as she glared at him through the orb.
¡°No, actually. Though I can fully understand why you might think that,¡± he said as he reclined in his seat.
¡°Then how?¡± Janet spoke through gritted teeth.
He shrugged. ¡°Our dear queen might have been blindsided by the Blackstone-New Haven Alliance, but that doesn¡¯t make her incompetent. Merely fallible. And the merely fallible have plenty of ways of ferreting out information once a situation has been brought to their attention.¡±
¡°Brought to their attention?¡±
¡°That¡¯s guesswork on my part. It¡¯s not like I have the woman¡¯s ear in any real capacity,¡± he lied. ¡°I only became aware of her discovery of your little conspiracy when one of her agents called me aside to ask a series of rather leading questions on what I might know. From there, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess at her intentions.¡±
¡°And what did you tell them?¡± she asked with narrowed eyes.
¡°Nothing,¡± he scoffed. ¡°Not that it matters. They clearly already know. Questioning me was simply good spy-craft. Further confirmation and all that. Indeed, I¡¯d say they were probably sniffing around less to learn about you and more to see if I was involved in any way.¡±
He grinned. ¡°Fortunately, given my actions last year and my other work on the Crown¡¯s behalf, it¡¯s pretty clear that I¡¯m not.¡±
Janet chewed her lip. ¡°If not through you, then how else could the Queen have found out about our plans?¡±
He rolled his eyes. ¡°Honestly mother, the Queen is clearly not without means of her own, means she clearly saw fit to employ once you made it clear something was going on behind the scenes at our estate. Well, you and the Blackstones.¡±
¡°Me!?¡± Janet hissed.
¡°And the Blackstones,¡± he said dryly. ¡°Firstly by refusing to drop the engagement when I did just about everything I could to publicly shame my fianc¨¦e short of dropping my pants and servicing half the mess hall.¡±
Again, he felt his lips quirk up in amusement as his mother winced at the image. Strained relationship or not, no mother wanted that image fluttering across their imagination.
He coughed before he continued. ¡°Certainly, everyone knows that the Blackstones prefer to keep their bloodline human only, and males of the right age and breeding don¡¯t exactly grow on trees, but there¡¯s an upper limit to what that means they should be willing to tolerate.¡±
Limits he¡¯d well and truly cost by snubbing Tala at every opportunity.
¡°Especially from a countship,¡± he added. ¡°I imagine that was the moment when the Queen might have begun to wonder if there was perhaps a reason why her sworn enemies would be so willing to hang onto a marriage with a frankly tiny house deep in the territory of their supposed enemies.¡±
Rather than immediately refute his point, his mother hesitated, no doubt thinking over every communication she¡¯d had with the Blackstones since he¡¯d started attending the academy ¨C and which of them might have been intercepted if the Queen truly had developed an interest in what might be being said.
Given the way she sagged, he imagined there were quite a few. Which wasn¡¯t unexpected. Like most conspiracies, its main defense was in that no one but those involved knew about it.
Though it was interesting to note that his mother truly did seem ignorant of the Queen¡¯s invisible agents. Which the Blackstones clearly weren¡¯t. Otherwise they¡¯d all be dead by now.
Was it pure paranoia that kept the ducal house from informing his own of the crown¡¯s capabilities? If so, it seemed shortsighted. Indeed, given the only other reason he could think of for the Blackstone¡¯s remain quiet on the particular capability was if the Blackstones themselves had something similar.
Which was horrifying for all sorts of reasons.
¡°More to the point,¡± he continued. ¡°When said marriage fell through, you didn¡¯t immediately attempt to ingratiate yourself with me and the crown through me. Nor did you seek out potential matches, and thus alliances, through Olivia. Indeed, you¡¯ve actively rejected what few have been offered. For a woman with but one heir, no allies and the ire of at least two major powers, that would strike even the most inobservant of onlookers as peculiar.¡±
His mother scoffed, though there was no heat to it. ¡°A minor house going quiet until a major scandal blows over is hardly new. And Olivia still won¡¯t be of marriageable age for five more years.¡±
He inclined his head. ¡°Marriage. Betrothal. The difference is minor but for the topic of the law. To that end, perhaps your decision to lie low might explain an unwillingness to seek out marriage offers. It doesn¡¯t serve to explain why you¡¯d be rejecting those that came to you.¡±
From what he¡¯d garnered from Griffith ¨C and through her the Queen¡¯s people ¨C it wasn¡¯t like the offers being extended to his mother were bad, considering the circumstances. If anything, one had been quite good. Another countship to be certain, but an affluent one that would have opened up new markets for Ashfield County.
¡°And Olivia¡¯s parentage?¡±
This time it was his turn to scoff. ¡°The rite of Droit du Vassal is common enough. Given the timescale, it wouldn¡¯t be hard for our monarch to guess where you might have sourced the elven half of my sister¡¯s blood.¡±
His mother colored a bit at that. After all, just because it was the ¡®done¡¯ thing when a woman needed a magically capable heir didn¡¯t mean she wanted to explicitly discuss it with her son. Nor did William particularly want to dwell on how his mother had likely gone on bent knee to request a ¡®night¡¯ with their liege lady¡¯s then living husband.
¡°Well,¡± the woman said, finally straightening up. ¡°Whatever our Queen might believe she knows about your sister¡¯s future marriage plans, the fact remains that this isn¡¯t the Elven Imperium. Olivia had the blood claim to push for her rightful position as the duchess of Summerfield, and though they may not have the Queen¡¯s good favor at this point in time, there¡¯s no law against a betrothal to House Blackstone.¡±
William nodded. ¡°That is true, and by the letter of the law, Olivia is perfectly safe. But we both know that what is likely to occur to Olivia if the Queen feels she is a threat to her position as monarch will have nothing to do with legality.¡±
Janet paled, her momentary bluster pierced like a balloon.
¡°And,¡± he continued. ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of having my sister ¡®foster¡¯ in the safety of the North, I¡¯d recommend against it. Doing so will likely only hasten an outcome we both want to avoid.¡±
¡°¡I¡¯d not be quiet. I¡¯d make it known to every House in the land that she murdered my baby girl,¡± his mother hissed. ¡°The Blackstones wouldn¡¯t even need to storm the capital. The other houses would do it for them.¡±
Willaim rolled his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be obtuse, mother. Words are as wind and I doubt the Queen¡¯s agents would be so sloppy as to leave evidence of their misdeeds by acting openly. Pirates. Bandits. Even a rogue dragon. The list of tools available to them are as myriad as the houses that have employed those self-same techniques throughout time.¡±
Attacks of the kind he described happened every other week as nobles great and small played the great game amongst themselves - and he¡¯d bet as few as one in three were legitimately what they portrayed themselves to be.
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His mother knew that. He knew she knew that because of the way she slumped in her seat.
¡°So¡¡± she asked, defeated. ¡°¡what you mean to tell me is that regardless of what I do, my daughter is doomed? Entirely as a result of my unchecked ambition?¡± She laughed, a hollow humorless sound. ¡°To that end, is this call a form of commiseration or gloating?¡±
William didn¡¯t even bother to respond to the barb. After all, it wasn¡¯t untrue. And he was not so pure of heart that he didn¡¯t feel some degree of sadistic pleasure at seeing his mother feel some degree of consequence for her reckless ambition. Ambition borne of opportunity and the perceived altruism of allowing a coming civil war to be reduced to a relatively bloodless coup, but ambition all the same.
¡°Neither, I¡¯d remind you that I¡¯m taking a rather considerable risk myself by informing you of this. I figure I¡¯ve got maybe half an hour after this call ends before I¡¯ll have the Queens agents barging down my door.¡±
This time it was a considerably more complicated feeling that flashed through his chest as his mother paled once more at that reminder.
Before she could open her mouth to say¡ something, he interrupted.
¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Focus on Olivia. You seem rather certain she¡¯s doomed,¡± he said. ¡°Couldn¡¯t that be avoided by simply calling off her secret betrothal and accepting another?¡±
Of course, he already knew the answer, but there was a script to be followed here ¨C even if only one of the actors present was aware of it and the other was mildly surprised to find it was being followed regardless.
Slowly recovering from the now realized possibility that she might lose both of her children, Janet took a moment before she straightened up, analytical mind at work as she shunted her feelings to the side.
¡°No. Now the Queen¡¯s aware of the threat Olivia represents, she can¡¯t afford to leave her as a loose end.¡± She winced. ¡°More to the point, she¡¯d never trust me to honor my word on the matter, even if I arranged another betrothal. There¡¯s always a chance I¡¯d go back on it.¡±
¡°Even with me as a hostage?¡± he asked. ¡°My territory is barely a few miles from the capital and I¡¯ll be attending the Academy for the next few years.¡±
His mother winced again. ¡°No, our¡ antipathy is too well known at this point. Yelena wouldn¡¯t risk the possibility that I¡¯d consider a ducal seat worth the¡ loss of a son.¡±
Went unsaid was the very real possibility that that was the case. Admittedly, it likely hadn¡¯t been true prior to last year, but his continuous ¡®acting out¡¯ against the family had put a considerable strain on their already distant relationship.
William knew that, from the perspective of his family, he was, in a very real way, the dog that kept biting the hand that fed it. Of course, it didn¡¯t much matter that from his perspective he was biting because said hand was feeding him bullshit. All that mattered was that he was going against the family¡¯s interests.
¡°A geass?¡± he suggested.
She laughed. ¡°I¡¯m the matriarch of a countship at peace, with a strong core of law-sisters behind me. The loss of my magic would be inconvenient, but something I could easily survive.¡±
William had figured as much. ¡°Then what if you were to place Olivia in the care of one of the Queen¡¯s allies? Foster her with them, as you were about to do the Blackstones?¡±
She considered it reluctantly. ¡°And leave her in the hands of the very person threatening her life? I¡¯d not put it past the woman to have her removed anyway to be on the safe side.¡±
William could see why his mother might think that. She had no idea how much sway his opinion held with Yelena, given that most of his ¡®advancements¡¯ were being kept under wraps or attributed to others. No, Yelena wouldn¡¯t kill his sister unless she had no other option, because doing so would guarantee the end of his loyalty to her.
Unfortunately, he doubted his mother would be willing to believe him if he suddenly said as much. Mostly because it sounded like the sort of thing an older man might say to ply a young woman back on Earth. The usual claims of her being special, unique and worth being listened to.
Fortunately, he had no intention of going down that route.
¡°Not entirely true,¡± he said slowly. ¡°There is one ally of the Queen who is both guaranteed not to be party to your conspiracy and would never hurt a hair on Olivia¡¯s head.¡±
Janet¡¯s features creased in thought. ¡°Who?¡±
¡°I¡¯d have thought it obvious,¡± he said. ¡°Me.¡±
It was amusing, the number of emotions that flitted across his mother¡¯s face.
¡°I¡¡± she started to say, before she paused in genuine consideration. ¡°Swear.¡± She spoke slowly, staring down at him. ¡°Regardless of the wrongs our House has done to you. Regardless of the role Olivia unwittingly played in them. Swear to me as her brother that you will keep her safe.¡±
He resisted the urge to snort in derision at the rank hypocrisy of it.
Fortunately for his family, while his sister might have been a fairly na?ve bloodthirsty little brat, she was one of the only beings on this planet whom he loved unconditionally.
Nothing was going to change that.
¡°On my life,¡± he said.
Janet continued to stare at him for a few more moments before sagging.
¡°Great, now I just have to convince the rest of the family that not only is the jig up, but that the only safe place on the continent for the heir to our family is in the care of the brother whose position she usurped.¡±
William had little sympathy.
¡°¡I¡¯d remind them that said brother has his own title now. Earned through his own merits. And as such has little need for Ashfield county.¡±
For the third time since their conversation began, Janet winced at the quiet venom in his tone. Still, she nodded.
¡°Aye, that might help,¡± she muttered.
William didn¡¯t much care, just so long as she convinced his aunts. To that end, he reached over to cut the orb¡¯s connection.
¡And then just stared at it.
Holy shit, he thought. Did that just¡ work?
Sure, there was every possibility that Janet had just lied to him and she was currently scrambling to load Olivia into a Shard headed towards Blackstone territory, but he doubted it. Say what one would about his progenitor, while she was all too willing and capable of lying to the world at large, where her progeny was concerned she tended to be distressingly honest.
Indeed, despite the weave of bullshit he¡¯d spun wholesale about arousing the Crown¡¯s suspicions, the fact of the matter was that he¡¯d have been utterly ignorant of the Ashfield-Blackstone Alliance¡¯s revival if his mother hadn¡¯t chosen to be honest with his blabber mouth of a sibling.
No, he had a feeling Olivia would be arriving at the Redwater estate within the week. Which would be¡ interesting. Because if she¡¯d been pissed before, she¡¯d be even moreso now.
Definitely worth having a sit down with her to explain the facts of life once she¡¯s outside of our mother¡¯s sphere of influence, he thought.
Still, those were back of the mind considerations. For the moment he was mostly just stunned that¡ he hadn¡¯t had to fight an entire fleet. Or even murder anyone. He hadn¡¯t even had to invent anything.
He¡¯d just¡ talked.
And that was a possibility he hadn¡¯t even considered prior to Marline bringing it up.
Was¡ was it really possible that he hadn¡¯t gotten away with his harrowing as scot-free as he¡¯d thought? Because, for the longest time, he¡¯d believed himself lucky. Fortunate that the information he¡¯d received from his patron was¡ compatible with the vessel it had been installed into.
Sure, said information was him as far as he was aware, but the fact remained that he¡¯d considered it a case of the right software in the right hardware. Only now he was being forced to consider whether there were¡ bugs in the system.
Feedback loops.
Logic-gate errors.
Backwards compatibility issues.
George shook his head. It wasn¡¯t worth dwelling on. He was fine. Marline was overthinking things. He¡¯d just let his own personal biases regarding his home influence his thinking.
¡Yeah, he was fine.
William stood up, stretching his arms above his head as he felt the kinks in his back pop agreeably. Perhaps part of him was a little disappointed that the whole situation had been resolved so easily ¨C he¡¯d been looking forward to unveiling some of his new toys ¨C but this way he¡¯d be able to save those surprises for the grand finale.
Stepping over to the door, he tapped the enchanted symbol near the handle to break the vacuum gap between the room and the outside world, allowing the sounds of the academy once more filtering through the walls and into the room.
Stepping out into the hall, he actually jumped a bit as he found himself face to face with two rather identical looking women.
Ok, identical is a bit of a stretch, he thought as he regarded the two.
Physically, yes, they shared all the same features, but it was clear both had put a little effort into differentiating themselves from the other. Which was hard to do in a military academy given the mandated uniforms, so their efforts had mostly been relegated to their hair.
The older twin ¨C Clarice ¨C had her hair down, shoulder length, with a notable pink streak running through the blonde. By contrast, the younger twin ¨C Marcille ¨C had chosen blue highlights at the tips of her hair, tying it up into a ponytail.
As visual language went, even William could tell what said clothing choices meant ¨C not least of all because such dye-jobs would have required a permit from the Academy.
They were a pair of individuals who happened to be twins. Not to be treated as some monolithic singular entity. Indeed, that perspective was only reinforced by their positions as he came out of the room, the older standing prim and proper in the hallway, while the younger leaned up against the wall, arms crossed.
And as she drew herself up to stand, he noted that he¡¯d been mistaken in his initial assessment of them being physically identical. It was subtle to be sure, but Marcille¡¯s build seemed slightly more athletic than her older sibling.
The heir and the spare then. The former¡¯s education was probably more administrative while the latter was more martial, he thought.
¡°William, right?¡± Clarice spoke gently, a wide smile slipping across the fourth year¡¯s features. ¡°Sorry to ambush you like this, but your friend told us you were looking to set up a meeting of some sort?¡±
Where Clarice¡¯s tone was soft, her sibling was slightly more gruff, though not aggressively so. That just seemed to be her default tone. ¡°And your other friend told us a few minutes ago where you¡¯d be around now. Seemed it be easier to grab you now than when you¡¯re being swamped at lunch.¡±
William smiled awkwardly a bit at the reminder. Yes, he¡¯d certainly become popular since his return to the academy. And while that was beneficial in the long run, in the short term it had made it a little difficult for him to meet certain individuals who he wanted to speak with.
¡°Is that so,¡± he said slowly as realization dawned on him.
Said realization being that¡ did he actually need the twins anymore? He¡¯d kind of just¡ resolved the issue which had given rise to his need for them. Rather anticlimactically at that.
¡Did it really matter who won the Summerfield Ducal Seat at this point?
Of course it did!
The thought was like lightning through his brain.
Sure, he couldn¡¯t fight the Blackstone fleet over the seat now, but that didn¡¯t mean there wasn¡¯t an opportunity here. An opportunity to both gain an ally and place them into a position of considerable power. All he had to do was help his chosen candidate beat out the other contenders ¨C of which his sister now wasn¡¯t.
Yes, having some allies for after the Blackstones were dealt with could only be useful.
Still, I better move fast, he thought. I¡¯ve not got long before the Queen¡¯s people show up. Probably with Griffith in tow.
To that end, it would probably be wise to move this conversation away from the scene of his most recent crime.
¡°Yes, yes I did,¡± he said, affecting his most innocent ¡®young man¡¯ smile. ¡°I realize this is likely a bit forward of me, but I happen to be something of a budding engineer myself, and when one of my friends mentioned that my¡ well, it¡¯s a little embarrassing to say it, but newfound popularity, might be able to garner me an opportunity to get a look at that fascinating new Shard House Whitemorrow had developed¡¡±
He trailed off, as if embarrassed by his frank interest.
Fortunately for him, both girls clearly ate it right up. And wouldn¡¯t they? On Earth this would be the equivalent of a girl fawning over a guy¡¯s expensive new ride. More to the point, said girl happened to be a wealthy heiress with deep pockets of her own.
¡Not to stretch the metaphor too hard.
¡°I think we can arrange that,¡± the older twin said. ¡°There¡¯s not much time left until lights out, but Marcille and I have an¡ arrangement with the academy guard. They won¡¯t give us any trouble if we linger a bit.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
The younger twin grinned as she gestured down the hall. ¡°Really. It won¡¯t be a problem.¡±
William followed after the pair as they started walking in the direction of the hangars, as Marcille ¡®casually¡¯ struck up a conversation.
¡°With that said, as fancy as our Basilisk is, I think your ride pretty nearly blew him out of the water. I mean, showing up in a Shard you designed is one things, but not many of the cadets around here have the pull to arrive in their own cruiser.¡±
William scratched his neck bashfully. ¡°Ah, my friends told me I should ¡®go big or go home¡¯. You don¡¯t think it was too much do you?¡±
¡°Oh, not at all,¡± Clarice said, her shoulder ¡®casually¡¯ brushing against his as she walked alongside him, perfume wafting across his senses as she did. ¡°Not at all. A new county like yours needs to be bold if it wants to garner the right sorts of people as allies. Other people with ambition, you know?¡±
William nodded along absently ¨C even as most of his mind was on how Yelena was going to react when she found out about his ¡®betrayal¡¯.
Well, hopefully she¡¯s in a good mood, he thought.
-----------------
Yelena sighed, sagging into her throne as the last member of the Lunite delegation stepped out of the room and out of sight. Thus the only witnesses left to her less than Queenly behavior were her guards, who¡¯d seen much worse over the years.
Praise be to geass enforced loyalty, she thought as she stretched idly.
Standing up, she shook her head.
¡°Honestly, do they really think I¡¯m just going to give-away the Kraken Slayer because of a few veiled threats?¡± she muttered quietly to herself.
The whole thing had just been a giant waste of time, made worse for the fact that it was basically just a repeat of the same ¡®conversation¡¯ she¡¯d been forced to have with the Solites a few days ago.
Both nations had heard about the Kraken Slayer.
Both wanted it.
She¡¯d die before she let that happen. And regardless of how difficult the North was being, she knew they¡¯d stand with her to keep it from happening.
Ugh, all I want to do is get into the bath and have this day be over, she thought.
Fortunately, there was nothing left on the docket so provided there wasn¡¯t some kind of emergency in the next few minutes, she figured she¡¯d be¡
And there¡¯s the door opening. and that¡¯s a very worried expression on Janna¡¯s face, Yelena thought with quiet resignation as one of her hear clerks all-but flew into the room, determinedly striding in her monarch¡¯s direction.
Well, whatever it is, hopefully it shouldn¡¯t be too bad, she thought in a moment of rare hope.
----------------------------
Thupa winced a little as a dull roar echoed forth through the doors leading to the Queen¡¯s throne room.
So uncivilized, the Lunite ambassador thought as she strode through the halls of the pretender-queen¡¯s pitiful excuse for a palace.
Then again, what else could one expect from the half-breed leader of a rebel backwater? Albeit, a backwater with an irritating tendency to birth novel new ideas.
The Shard. The Bolt-Bow. Aluminum-Refinement, the dark elf thought as her bodyguards opened the door to her decidedly rustic quarters. And now a device capable of killing Krakens.
Each of them as crude and unrefined as the place that spawned them, but useful all the same ¨C after refinement by more civilized hands.
Barely even sparing a glance at the two centurions, she stepped inside, hearing the door close behind her.
However, rather than finding her room just as she left it, she was both unsurprised and irritated to see a distinctive purple letter placed carefully on her desk.
And now I¡¯ve gotten a visit from the fucking Frumeratii, she thought acidly. Likely to ask why I¡¯ve yet to ¡®acquire¡¯ the Kraken Slayer for the Empire.
As if that was ever going to happen through anything other than the cannons of an invasion fleet. Something that was unlikely to happen so long as the damned colonials persisted in their suicidal strategy of intercepting reclamation fleets over open water. A stance that had likely only been reinforced by the fact that they could now actually recover said the cores of any such ships that happened to fall there.
Stepping over to the desk, she picked up the letter, noting the intact seal, before addressing the room at large. ¡°I know you¡¯re still here, would it kill you to simply announce yourself like a real person rather than play this cloak and shadow game?¡±
Predictably, the wolf-cloaked spy that was undoubtedly present somewhere in the room remained silent.
Thupa rolled her eyes.
The Empress¡¯s personal agents were as fond of their theatrics as they were competent in their spy craft. A lesser woman might have been impressed by such, but the countess had long since grown inured to them.
Still, whatever irritation she might have felt at receiving a missive in such a manner, quickly started to fade away as she read through the contents of the report ¨C and her new instructions.
Well, it seems the colonial¡¯s habit of coming up with strange new ideas isn¡¯t relegated only to the Southern parts of it, she thought with a smile as she incinerated the letter with a brief mantra. Must be something in the water out here.
She smirked at her little joke, even as she set about thinking about how best to fulfill her newest orders.
Chapter Forty Six
¡°It¡¯s so smooth!¡± William¡¯s muffled voice came from within the confines of the Basilisk¡¯s rear-gunnery position, the bulbous pod twisting back and forth in time with his manipulation of the foot pedal controls. ¡°And responsive.¡±
Twenty minutes or so ago, that kind of praise would have filled Clarice with pride. And to an extent, it still did, but said swelling only served to equal that lost by her feminine ego.
¡°What gave you the idea for a pneumatic control scheme over hand power?¡± The second year continued.
¡°Landing gear,¡± Clarice said. ¡°Marcille was complaining about how difficult it was to move the guns about in our original design, and how limited the firing-arcs were.¡±
Marcille chimed in, her own voice barely audible from outside the Basilisk, standing as she was, just behind William as he manipulated the controls. ¡°At which point one of our law-mothers started complaining about how soft our generation was and how hers had to hand-crank their landing gear up and down while trying to land.¡±
¡°Which got us thinking about how we now had pneumatic systems for that ¨C and if they might be applicable in other circumstances,¡± Clarice finished.
At this point, neither twin much cared that, in showing their guest all this, they were essentially giving away the ¡®secrets¡¯ of the Basilisk¡¯s design. Over the past few minutes they¡¯d come to realize that William Redwater¡¯s reputation as some kind of scientific savant wasn¡¯t just hype. As evidenced by the way he¡¯d been correctly able to guess at pretty much all of the methodology behind each aspect of the design just by laying eyes on them.
It was¡ pretty intimidating in a way. Given their role in designing the Basilisk, neither sister could be considered ¡®unintelligent¡¯, but seeing William in action has served to remind them how wide the gulf between merely ¡®gifted¡¯ and true ¡®genius¡¯ really was.
Which only made it all the more imperative that they secure his support before the Summerfield Succession Crisis truly kicked off. Never mind his cruiser, having someone of his insight aid with further development of the Basilisk design would be worth the cost of admission.
Of course, before any of that happens we kind of need him to stop focusing on the Shard for a second and notice the two hot girls all but draped over him, Clarice thought heatedly.
Unfortunately, despite the ¡®show¡¯ she and her sister were putting on for the second year¡¯s benefit ¨C they¡¯d both already lost their jackets and were each down a button or two on their shirts, exposing an immodest amount of cleavage ¨C their paramour for the evening only seemed to have eyes for their ride.
It was¡ mildly infuriating.
Not least of all because both sisters took some not insignificant pride in their respective abilities where the opposite sex was concerned. They weren¡¯t first or second years. This was their fourth year in the Academy and the capital and as such were no longer blushing virgins.
Because for all that many of the noble boys around the academy were watched like a hawk by their paramours, the same was less true for those of the more common variants of masculinity one might find on a brief tour around the city.
Indeed, it was an open secret that a number of ¡®establishments of ill-repute¡¯ formed an almost perfect ring around the academy itself ¨C catering to the many cadets who were both flush with coin and enjoying their first taste of life without the parental oversight of their family¡¯s estates.
Fortunately for their own pockets, neither Clarice nor her sister cared much to patronize said establishments.
More than once at least, she thought with a frown as she recalled her first and last visit to one such locale last year.
Sure, she was as randy as the next woman, but all said visit had done was leave her feeling distinctly in need of a shower. A sentiment awkwardly echoed by her sister the morning after said visit.
To that end, while Clarice had nothing against the practice of prostitution in and of itself - and had never gainsaid those of her year who flocked to the places as frequently as a horse to water ¨C she was of the opinion that the transactional nature of the thing was a poor facsimile of a proper night of passion with a truly willing body.
She smiled at the thought, even as William shifted the guns again over, requiring a bit of strategic reorientation on her part to keep her tits in his sightline.
Yes, a truly willing body was significantly more difficult to come by for even a woman of her stature, and usually involved roughly the same amount of coin, but in her opinion it was all the sweeter for the very real possibility of failure. As any woman worth her salt would tell you, a buck you hunted yourself was infinitely sweeter than any one might purchase from a vendor.
To that end, over the years she¡¯d wooed many a man while prowling the nearby drinking establishments for lonely souls looking to indulge in a bit of whirlwind romance with an attractive noble girl with coin to spare.
Sailors. Farm boys. Serving staff. She¡¯d carved more than a few notches into her bedpost.
In short, seduction was a skillset she¡¯d honed.
She took some pride in that.
And she knew the same was true for her sister ¨C though they¡¯d long since come to the unspoken agreement to avoid whichever hunting ground the other happened to be frequenting on any given evening.
Indeed, now that she thought about it, she realized she¡¯d never actually seen her sister ¡®attempting to put the moves on a guy before¡¯ and was more than a little surprised by how different they were in their approach.
Where she¡¯d been all subtle comments and eyeline direction, Marcille seemed more focused on ¡®casual¡¯ brushes and brazen innuendo.
¡Not that either end of the spectrum seems to be availing us with this target, she thought.
¡°Well, you¡¯ve done an incredible job with it. Honestly, the Basilisk has none of the jank you¡¯d normally expect from the first iteration of a design like this¡±, William continued happily.
Indeed, Clarice had a feeling her twin¡¯s tits would be smushed against the back of the boy¡¯s head by now if the movements of the turret didn¡¯t make such an action foolhardy at best. She knew that, because, despite her best attempts at giving him an equally spectacular view of her own assets from his raised position, she couldn¡¯t actually get close enough to do so without fear of being smacked by the turret¡¯s guns.
¡°I¡¯ve just one question, if you don¡¯t mind?¡± he asked as the whirring of the turret¡¯s pneumatics finally stopped.
¡°Just the one?¡± Marcille teased as she leaned forward, draping her arms over him as she pressed her assets against his back.
¡Which was perhaps a bit more of an escalation than Clarice herself would have engaged in, but at this point she could hardly hold it against her sister.
¡°This thing is supposed to take hits, right?¡± he asked, seemingly utterly unbothered by the fact an older girl had practically draped herself over him.
Ignoring the hint of irritation, that flitted across Marcille¡¯s features, Clarice nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the idea. Not for long mind you, just long enough to get the payload off before returning to land.¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you a little worried, Marcille?¡± he asked, turning to gaze up at the surprised girl. ¡°I mean, as the two of us are demonstrating, it¡¯s pretty cramped in here. A round punching through would struggle not to hit you. And with the turret positioned where it is, you¡¯re right in the firing line.¡±
Marcille¡¯s face went through a series of emotions, before she leaned forward ¨C seduction momentarily forgotten ¨C to tap the reinforced armored plate that protected most of the enclosure from the chest down.
¡°That¡¯s what this is for,¡± she said.
It was a weak defense ¨C in more ways than one ¨C and neither twin expected the boy to buy it after the insights he¡¯d shown already. The fact of the matter was that while said armor offered some protection, it wouldn¡¯t stand up to sustained fire. More to the point, even if it did, any round that went through the glass above it, even if it missed Marcille¡¯s head, had a decent chance of catching her with a ricochet.
In short, the turret was vulnerable. A fact that had kept Clarice herself up a night or two.
¡°Plus, it¡¯s the most efficient spot to shoot back at an attacker,¡± her sister continued. ¡°The fact of the matter is that the Basilisk can¡¯t out-turn planes, so unless we give them a reason to break off, once they get on our tail they¡¯ll be able to stick there indefinitely.¡±
Clarice expected a few responses to that statement. None of which he actually gave.
¡°Sure, if your sister flies like a moron.¡±
Both twins froze at those words, unsure if they¡¯d just head the second year correctly.
¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Clarice said, struggling not to let her irritation show. ¡°Could you expand on that a bit?¡±
Uncaring or unbothered by the sudden shift in mood, the boy continued on blithely. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not wrong. Am I? You said this thing isn¡¯t supposed to dog-fight because it can¡¯t turn. So don¡¯t dogfight and you won¡¯t have the issue of things sticking on your tail.¡±
Marcille¡¯s eyes caught Clarice¡¯s as the twins stared in incomprehension. Something ¨C miracle of miracles ¨C their guest actually seemed to pick up on.
As opposed to the hints they¡¯d been shoving his way for the past twenty minutes¡
¡°Look,¡± he said, voice still muffled by the pane of glass between them. ¡°You said this thing is heavy. Which is why you have two cores to give it enough power to carry its payload, armor and turret. Unfortunately, more power or not, all that extra weight means it shits away energy in a turn?¡±
¡°¡Yeah?¡± Marcille said hesitantly.
¡°So don''t turn,¡± he said. ¡°Put this thing into a dive, even a shallow one and it won''t take long to reach top speed. Then just don''t lose it.¡±
He eyed Clarice through the glass. ¡°You just have to fly straight. Sure, some shards might catch you with a few rounds as you go past, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to catch you.¡± He shrugged, tapping the armored plate. ¡°And that would be what all the armor on this thing is for. To let it absorb a few rounds as you fly past enemy escorts.¡±
Clarice wet her lips as she considered his words. ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡¡±
¡°Climb on approach. Enter a shallow dive towards our target. Make minimal adjustments on approach to maintain speed. Drop the bomb. Then just¡ keep going,¡± Marcille breathed, glazed eyes clearly imagining it. ¡°This thing can reach, like, six hundred kilometers an hour in a dive. And it can maintain it pretty decently. Our issue was that we always lost it all the moment we started trying to fight. S''not a problem if we just... don''t fight."
Clarice could see it too. And William wasn¡¯t wrong. They''d already noted that other Shards couldn''t keep pace with the Basilisk in a straight. Even when they dove with him, those other shards couldn¡¯t retain their speed for long once they leveled out - while the Basilisk just needed to open up his two massive engines."
Absently, she heard William speaking, a wide grin on his face. ¡°Exactly. Then you just keep going straight until you¡¯re outside of any pursuer¡¯s weapons range ¨C and only then do you start pitching up again. Rinse and repeat.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡¡± Marcille¡¯s muffled voice murmured.
It went against doctrine. Shards were to either secure aerial superiority before bombing airships or make a bombing run before turning back to rearm and repair at their airship before relaunching to secure aerial supremacy.
A strategy like this? It was new. More than that, many would decry it as cowardice. Not insofar that engaging in such a way left a foe no real means to meaningfully fight back, but that in order to fight effectively with such a doctrine a shard would need to, in effect, abandon its airship while it fled the combat area.
It¡¯d be a hard sell. Assuming said strategy even worked in practice. Because if nothing else, her time spent working on the Basilisk had shown her that theory and reality were two very different beasts.
The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Still¡ the idea wouldn¡¯t leave her ¨C no matter how politically unpalatable it was.
¡°So you think we should do away with the turret entirely?¡± Marcille said, drawing Clarice from her thoughts as her twin and the second year clambered out of the Basilisk. ¡°Maybe use the spared weight to increase the bomb payload?¡±
For all that the girl was trying to sound analytical, Clarice knew her sister well enough to pick on the faint hints of bitterness she was trying to hide.
Bitterness that was all too understandable. The pair of them may have been twins, but it wasn¡¯t hard to remember that Clarice was the heir. All as a result of being born but a few minutes earlier. Certainly, Marcille handled that reality with aplomb, but Clarice knew it ate at her sister sometimes.
Indeed, part of the reason the pair were aiming for the Summerfield seat was that it provided an opportunity to¡ rectify that issue on some level. It was far from the only reason, and Clarice knew House Whitemorrow would be pressing their blood-claim regardless of the existence of her or her sister, but it was a factor in the decision.
¡°Well, no,¡± William said, once more surprising the pair ¨C Marcille¡¯s downcast expression shifting to surprise. ¡°Because battles tend to be messy and there¡¯s no guarantee you¡¯ll always have an altitude advantage at the start of an engagement.¡±
Glancing back at the machine, he continued. ¡°As your sister said, the Basilisk can¡¯t turn for shit. Which means that it¡¯d be a sitting duck if you were ever caught low to the ground and slow. Sure, the double engines means you¡¯ve got more power, and you¡¯ll pull away from any other craft eventually so long as you fly straight, but that¡¯ll take time. Time in which they¡¯ll be able to cut you to pieces if you don¡¯t have some means of keeping them honest. And all of this is only compounded if your enemy is the one to start with an altitude advantage.¡±
¡°On top,¡± Marcille muttered in realization. ¡°It¡¯d mess with the aerodynamics a bit, but I¡¯d have a lot more metal between me and any attackers.¡±
Clarice¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯d also have a three sixty degree view.¡±
¡°Albeit with two blind spots where the two vertical stablizers sit,¡± William pointed out, his own enthusiasm rising to meet theirs. ¡°But they¡¯re already off center, so you could still shoot directly behind you. Just wouldn¡¯t be able to shoot down. Which, as stated, is less of an issue for you because if someone¡¯s below you then you already have the means to escape them.¡±
Clarice stared. First at the Basilisk as her mind whirred with possible changes she could make, before flitting back to William. Then to her Sister. Who was staring back at her.
And while the idea that twins had some kind of magical link was as bogus as much of the other superstitions that seemed to float around her and her sibling, the fact was that they didn¡¯t need to speak to know what the other was thinking.
If they¡¯d wanted William for his resources before, they needed him for his mind now.
Well, that and the cruiser, she thought.
That thought in mind, she was about to do something¡ reckless, when a small noise had her pause. Turning quickly, a rebuke on her tongue for whoever dared to enter her House¡¯s private hangars at this hour, she qualled when she saw now just one of the Academy¡¯s Instructors, but an entire squad of the Academy¡¯s guards.
Said rebuke died on her tongue as her heart skipped a beat.
What were they doing here!? Sure, technically neither none of them were supposed to be in here after lights out, but people broke that rule all the time! Even when they got caught, most just a small smack on the wrist.
They certainly didn¡¯t get entire squad¡¯s sicced on them.
¡°Ah, Instructor Griffith,¡± William said, entirely too relaxed for a second year staring down an angry Instructor. ¡°I assume ¡®she¡¯ wants to speak with me?¡±
Instructor Griffith, that was the woman¡¯s name. And she more than lived up to her reputation as her scowl somehow deepened. ¡°You¡¯d be correct, cadet. Urgently. To that end, I¡¯ve been sent to collect you.¡±
Wait, so this wasn¡¯t about them breaking curfew?
¡°Well, I won¡¯t argue, ma¡¯am,¡± the boy said, taking on a more serious tone before he turned to Clarice and her sister. ¡°Ladies, it¡¯s been a pleasure. And I really do mean that. Alas, it seems that I¡¯m needed elsewhere.¡±
Stepping in the direction of the Instructor, he paused just short. ¡°Oh, and before I forget. I¡¯d love to meet again to speak about the Summerfield issue. I remember you raising it before I got¡ distracted. Needless to say, it¡¯s a topic of some interest to me as well.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Clarice nodded nervously, glancing in the direction of the Instructor¡¯s party. ¡°We¡¯d be happy to. Whatever time is convenient for you.¡±
¡°Delightful,¡± he said before he left, the Instructor¡¯s and guards leaving with him.
Clarice and her sister stared after them, realization dawning that the woman had really come just for William and wasn¡¯t sticking around to give them shit for being out past lights out.
That was¡ worrying. Not least of all because it suggested that whatever William was being called away for, it was above the usual rulings of the Academy.
¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯m a little worried about who ¡®she¡¯ is,¡± Marcille said quietly from her right.
¡°Yeah,¡± Clarice breathed.
Because whoever ¡®she¡¯ was ¡®she¡¯ had the authority or connections to have an Instructor sent to collect William.
After hours.
¡Hopefully he¡¯d be ok, though given how relaxed he¡¯d been about the whole thing, she couldn¡¯t imagine he wouldn¡¯t be.
Either way, it was time for them to skulk back to the dorms themselves given that their bribe to the door-guards was apparently now moot.
Though even as the pair of twins made to do that, both of them found their thoughts whirling with ideas and designs for the Basilisk. Nothing concrete, yet, just ideas that needed to be tested. After all, William¡¯s thoughts, while interesting, required testing.
To that end, Clarice made a mental note to request some free flight time for the weekend.
¡Maybe if they were lucky, they¡¯d be able to entice William to come along.
And next time, Marcille and I are going to make sure that his attention is on something other than the Basilisk¡¯s flight profile, she thought firmly.
----------------------
William looked through the window of the carriage he¡¯d been stuffed into as it trundled through the moonlit city streets. He was idly aware that he was missing out on valued sleep right now, but there wasn¡¯t much to be done about it. Hopefully this would prove to be a short meeting.
Fortunately, the palace wasn¡¯t far from the academy and soon enough he was being escorted through the halls of the massive building by Griffith and a quartet of palace guardswomen.
¡°So, the Whitemorrow twins?¡± Griffith said idly as they maintained their pace. ¡°They seemed interested.
¡°Jealous?¡± he asked.
The woman scoffed. Truth be told, she was probably a little jealous, but it wouldn¡¯t be outstated. In this world there were always going to be other women. More to the point, their relationship, such as it was, was of the more nebulous variety.
Indeed, if one were to call it friends with benefits at this point, William wasn¡¯t entirely sure he¡¯d have been able to argue.
¡°Aren¡¯t they a little young for your tastes?¡± she said.
He laughed, amused that his predictions were known to the woman even if he¡¯d never actually spoken of them.
¡°Perhaps,¡± he admitted.
Twenty-three was on the absolute lower end of his personal spectrum after all. Still, it wasn¡¯t as if he found young women repulsive or anything. He just hated how it made him feel like a creeper to be around them.
¡°Did you know they designed the ball-turret themselves,¡± he said, changing the subject. ¡°Sure, it was the aid from a few other scholars in their estate, but it was mostly their own work.¡±
He¡¯d been impressed by that. No doubt. Prior to that discovery he¡¯d thought of the two young women as essentially just¡ tools for him to get an in with a future duchy. But their enthusiasm for Shard design had been¡ infectious. So much so that it was hard to see them as just tools.
It certainly made the thought of forming some kind of marriage alliance more tolerable than it might have been otherwise. Say whatever else one wanted about the two, he¡¯d not do them the disservice of thinking of them as ¡®just¡¯ kids.
¡°Hmmm.¡± Griffith hummed thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s not totally surprising. Whitemorrow is a small house but they also have their name on a shard workshop here in the city as well as one on their estate. They¡¯d have been all-but raised on the workshop floor.¡±
Whatever else William might have said to that became moot as their party came to a stop in front of a pair of imposing double doors.
¡°Try not to get into any more trouble,¡± Griffith whispered as the doors started to open. ¡°And¡ good luck.¡±
Then he was through, the doors closing behind him as he strode toward the throne ¨C and the woman sat atop it.
And she looked pissed.
¡°Do you have any idea why I¡¯m annoyed?¡± the elven queen asked as he sketched a quick bow.
Yes. Definitely.
¡°Nope,¡± he lied, head still bowed. ¡°If anything, I¡¯d have thought you pleased. After all, the problem presented by my family is now resolved. Bloodlessly I might add. And much quicker than the two year deadline you presented.¡±
Which still somewhat surprised him. The bloodless bit, that is.
¡°Possibly,¡± Yelena allowed. ¡°Or perhaps, now that they¡¯ve been tipped off, the problem of your family has now escalated beyond my or your ability to resolve. Indeed, there¡¯s a decent chance that, as we speak, your sister is being placed into a two-seater shard along with one of your treacherous aunts and will soon be headed North. Beyond your reach and mine.¡±
¡That was entirely possible. After all, just because he hadn¡¯t thought his mother was lying when she claimed to believe his threats of what would happen if she attempted such, didn¡¯t mean she actually did. Given they were talking via orb, she¡¯d have known the Queen was listening so it was entirely possible she was lying to buy time.
Not that it would help. After all, his last visit home had shown Olivia¡¯s future betrothal to be an imminent threat to the queen¡¯s rule. And while there weren¡¯t so many invisible agents that she could have positioned one everywhere, she certainly had enough to place at least one near his sister.
¡°All because you went over my head and risked the fate of our entire nation to warn your family of a threat they themselves created through their treasonous actions,¡± Yelena finished.
He nodded, acknowledging the point. ¡°Except we both know there¡¯s no way your people would let my sister board a shard unexpectedly. Unless you think that your invisible watchers in Ashfield territory are so incompetent that they¡¯d not consider my sister being bustled into a shard in the middle of the night sufficient criteria to fulfill whatever contingency plan you have for her.¡±
Yelena stilled at the rather unsubtle accusation there.
¡°You don¡¯t know that I have people watching your sibling.¡±
He nodded again, head still down. ¡°No, but given the threat she presents, if you didn¡¯t have people in place to watch her, I¡¯d say you kind of deserved to fail. And so would I for trusting you.¡±
¡°Have a care for your tone, William. Greater men and women have been beheaded in this hall for less than you¡¯ve done today.¡±
Finally he raised his head, regarding the queen dispassionately. ¡°If that is your decision, then I implore you, bring out the headswoman¡¯s block. I¡¯ll wait.¡±
Yelena said nothing, regarding him coolly. When she spoke, it was less angry and more¡ calculating. ¡°And the possibility that I might do that very thing does not worry you?¡±
He had no idea what she was getting at, but he answered all the same. ¡°It¡¯s more that I know that the contingency I put in place to keep such a thing from happening is still a factor in our ¡®negotiations¡¯.¡±
Yelena blinked slowly. ¡°The recipe for explosive powder? The one I already have? As a result of the last time I chose to spare your sister¡¯s life?¡±
He acknowledged the point, before continuing. ¡°And your enemies don¡¯t. Something I imagine you¡¯d prefer to keep that way.¡±
Again, the monarch seemed to regard him. ¡°Very well. Since threats are pointless, I will speak plainly. Do you know why I am annoyed?¡±
He did. ¡°I went over your head to warn my family of your knowledge of their plans. In so doing, I undermined your authority and might possibly have given them cause to transport my sister north, where you will be unable to reach her and thus will have no means of keeping her from seizing the Summerfield duchy in time.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Yelena said. ¡°So, given you understand that much, why didn¡¯t you speak to me or Griffith about this plan before you undertook it?¡±
He cocked his head. ¡°Because you¡¯d have said no if I asked? And you¡¯d have been right to. As I said, from your perspective, warning my family is an unnecessary risk. Hells, the only reason she¡¯s still breathing is her importance to me ¨C and my role as a strategic asset to the crown. If it weren¡¯t for that, she¡¯d already be dead.¡±
The queen hissed as she massaged her temples. ¡°And here I was somewhat hoping that I¡¯d have an opportunity to dress you down for being a short-sighted fool. But no, the reality is worse.¡± She eyed him. ¡°Do you even realize how much worse it is that you understand all that and did it anyway?¡±
He shrugged. He¡¯d given his reasoning.
The queen actually groaned. ¡°What am I to do with you William? Brilliant inventor or not, I can¡¯t have a subordinate who undermines me, blackmails me, and shifts the balance of power in the realm on a whim.¡±
Once more he shrugged, though his tone was at least apologetic. ¡°With all due respect, your majesty, I don¡¯t really see what choice you have. You need me. Or at least, what¡¯s in my brain.¡±
She laughed humorlessly. ¡°I can¡¯t argue that. We finally finished installing your ¡®radios¡¯ onto those royal ships chosen for them, and the captains and admirals that have been sworn in on them can¡¯t praise them enough. My daughter included.¡±
There was a hint there, but given his lack of reaction, she moved on. ¡°Between that and the Kraken Slayer enhanced munitions we¡¯re now churning out, the war situation is looking a lot less dire.¡±
William resisted the urge to snort. Less dire wasn¡¯t the same as ¡®good¡¯. It was just that.
Less dire.
And perhaps that was good for him because if the Queen didn¡¯t need him he had little doubt she¡¯d have done away with him. Perhaps not in the biblical sense, but a shotgun wedding and house-arrest was amongst the kinder possibilities.
Fortunately for him, while explosive shells were useful, it wasn¡¯t like the locals didn¡¯t have them already. One just needed to enchant a cannonball with fireball or lightning spells. Sure, said enchantment would initially be one third as potent as said spells, but that just meant you needed to layer the enchantment three times for the same effect.
Then repeat that a dozen more times and soon enough you¡¯d have a shell capable of blowing holes in the armored hull of even a steel framed ship.
¡Of course, even a single layering of enchantments would take up the spell casting capability of a mage for a few days ¨C just to make just one cannonball with that capability.
Which was exactly what most ¡®combat¡¯ mages spent their days doing when they weren¡¯t using said spell slots to train. No, most combat mages spent their time enchanting munitions for the next war.
Indeed, while not quite on the level of their airship or shards, a house¡¯s stockpile of enchanted munitions was usually its next most valuable asset. Which made sense, given that it was oftentimes the result of generations of work.
He frowned as he recalled his own house¡¯s stockpile. Hundreds of rounds. More than enough to see the Indomitable up-armed for at least a few battles.
The sad fact was that while his gunpowder munitions did away with the ¡®mage¡¯ bottleneck and would theoretically allow the queen to keep lobbing explosive shells long after the other houses were reduced back to solid shot, that advantage didn¡¯t mean much if she lost the war before things even reached that stage.
All it would take would be a few good battles and the North would be able to reach the capital.
And while that dynamic might change if he raised the idea of using said explosive powder to propel munitions further than compressed aether could, he really wanted to keep that in his back pocket for the day when the Queen was less an ally against slavery and more of an obstacle to democracy.
¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± he said finally.
Yelena continued to stare before she sighed. ¡°It¡¯s late. I¡¯m tired. Consider this your last warning William. I can tolerate some degree of rebelliousness in return for a talented subject, but there is a limit. Pray you do not find it.¡±
It was a non-threat and they both knew it. Still, William said nothing, as he stood up and turned to leave, the dismissal obvious.
Still, as he stepped through the outer doors, a thought did occur to him.
If his mother had been truthful when she agreed to send Olivia to him and not North, would she know to do so via ship or carriage rather than something more¡ alarming?
Like a shard.
¡He should probably get to an orb to make sure she knew that. He¡¯d hate to have to commit regicide because of something as silly as a mistake.
Fuck me, I¡¯m never going to get to sleep tonight, am I? He thought as he resisted the urge to break into a jog.
Chapter Forty Seven
If anyone had ever told Xela that she¡¯d be sitting in a Shard being piloted by a plebian one day, she¡¯d have struck them for the insult.
And it was an insult.
Though I can¡¯t help but wonder if the fact that the plebian in question is pretty decent behind the controls makes it better or worse, she pondered idly as she reached down to grip the secondary controls.
She didn¡¯t think she¡¯d need them, as the craft seemed to be coming in for a smooth rolling landing ¨C but she preferred to err on the side of caution. She¡¯d already had a few close calls this month and was less than inclined to experience another if she could avoid it.
Fortunately, despite her caution, no input or correction was needed from her, as Private Shelly¡¯s deft manipulation of the Shard¡¯s controls soon had the wheels touching down. Indeed, she did so with such skill that there was barely a jolt as the Shard started rolling down the dirt runway they¡¯d set up. What few bumps Xela and her student felt as the Shard slowly rolled to a stop were entirely a result of the fact that said runway still wasn¡¯t entirely even.
Fortunately, that would be changing soon enough, as the Alchemist¡¯s guild were finally scheduled to start putting down tarmac in the coming week. Proper tarmac.
Assuming our lord¡¯s latest ¡®request¡¯ hasn¡¯t delayed that, Xela thought as she glanced at the distant shape of the Jellyfish ¨C the great airship covered in scaffolding and moving figures.
She¡¯d seen the plans for the new ¡®flat top¡¯ that was being installed.
She wasn¡¯t a fan.
Because she wasn¡¯t stupid. It wasn¡¯t hard to see the commonality between her liege¡¯s request for his new air-corp to practice rolling landings exclusively and the new design being implemented on his airship. In her opinion, rolling landings were already more complicated than they needed to be; the notion of performing one on a moving ship a few thousand feet up in the air bordered on insane. An opinion she had every intention of making known the moment her liege lord returned for his ¡®check in¡¯ next weekend.
¡°Good job Private,¡± Xela congratulated the woman as the pair clambered out of the machine. ¡°A textbook landing.¡±
¡°Ah, my thanks ma¡¯am,¡± the brunette young woman blushed at the honest praise.
Xela just grunted. Her feelings on the matter aside, she couldn¡¯t fault any of her students¡¯ enthusiasm for the role they¡¯d signed up for.
Which is only to be expected, Xela thought as she gestured for the young woman to return to her fellows. I¡¯d be pretty damn enthusiastic too if I was plebeian and I got given the opportunity to fly a tree-damned Shard.
That kind of shit just didn¡¯t happen. For obvious reasons, given that a shard core would only produce aether for eight minutes without a mage to ¡®prompt¡¯ it to continue. Oh, William could talk about how deleterious the coming war might be to combat-mage numbers until he was blue in the face, but Xela just couldn¡¯t imagine a world in which any house got so desperate for bodies that they¡¯d be throwing plebeians into pilot seats.
Still, her''s wasn¡¯t to question.
Well, it was. She¡¯d questioned loudly and at length, but ultimately her Lord had given the order and she obeyed.
Even if the fool boy¡¯s set on wasting my time, and his coin, she thought as she glanced out toward a distant hangar where one of her former Navy buddies was giving the rest of the cadre a lesson on aerodynamics with the aid of a large blackboard.
Likewise, off in the distance she could both see and hear the dull drone of Redwater County¡¯s second training Shard ¨C the one that had, until recently, been little more than a science experiment, before rapidly being converted back into a two-seater training craft.
Two people. That had been all she¡¯d been able to get on short notice using her contacts. The rest either hadn¡¯t responded, were retired, were off playing mercenary on the continent, or were still serving in the Royal Fleet.
So, she only had two. Which, while not nearly enough for what she needed, was still a not insignificant drain on the county¡¯s finances. Even just two veteran mage knights pulling down salary was a considerable expense for a small territory like theirs.
She knew that for a fact given that she¡¯d been responsible for said finances for five years. She knew better than anyone what the median tax yield of the county was after the Queendom took its cut.
And William had wanted her to hire on even more? In addition to the small army of craftswomen they were already employing?
Oh, she¡¯d received assurances of the fact that there¡¯d be some kind of new income stream on the way, but her liege¡¯s reassurances on the subject had been more than a little lacking in details.
Which was¡ both in character and not. The boy loved to talk about his little innovations ¨C even if most of them didn¡¯t do anything, to hear the workshop workers talk about them. But he also liked to keep his plans close to the chest. Which was part of the running theory that said workshop creations were but a part of some greater whole that none of the workers had been able to figure out as of yet. Assuming it even existed.
Much like this supposed revenue stream, Xela thought.
Fortunately the issue of hiring on more instructors, and the expenses that would entail, had become a moot point. Oh, she could have gotten more if she¡¯d needed ¨C because she¡¯d be damned if she was about to train up forty pilots with just the help of Sandals and Merry ¨C but in the end that hadn¡¯t proven necessary.
¡°What the fuck are you waiting around for!? A fucking written invitation? Stop wasting daylight and get in the fucking Shard already!¡±
Xela winced a little at the shouting, before turning with weary eyes to see a terrified Guardswoman turned pilot trainee practically sprinting in her direction. Or rather, in the direction of the Shard the wood elf had just vacated.
And behind her, stomping forward with an intensity that would have made actual Academy Instructors jealous, came Lady Sveta Greygrass.
¡°Why your Lord thought a worthless piece of refuse like yourself would ever be worthy of piloting a Shard is beyond me. But I¡¯ll be damned if you waste his mercy!¡± The dark elven mage knight shouted at her human charge ¨C even as the latter woman clambered onto the wing and towards the cockpit. ¡°Good. Now I expect you to be able to read off your pre-flight safety check flawlessly by the time I clamber up after you or you¡¯ll wish your worthless moon-cow of a mother never managed to catch your daddy¡¯s eye.¡±
Xela didn¡¯t bother to look and see if the trainee responded, instead she turned to greet the dark elf with a wry smile.
It was not returned.
¡°Marshal,¡± the other woman nodded. ¡°Anything to report regarding the operational status of the craft?¡±
It should have been a fair question, given said machine had been running pretty much day and night for the last few days ¨C as instructors worked in shifts to give as many of their students as much flight time as they could. Which was also why a number of technicians had also jogged out and were quickly giving the machine a once-over before it went up again.
The reason why Xela thought it should have been a fair question was simple.
¡°Given you¡¯ve asked me that every time you¡¯ve relieved me, don¡¯t you think I¡¯d tell you unprompted if there was something like a shudder in the airframe?¡± she asked.
¡°Perhaps,¡± Sveta said, completely unphased. ¡°With that said, as an instructor it¡¯s my job to ensure that any craft I take a student up in is both safe and flight worthy. To that end, I will continue to ask ¨C rather than assume that you would see fit to inform me of a given issue.¡±
Xela stared. ¡°You know, I had the privilege of acting as your daughter¡¯s flying instructor for a few weeks a while back. She¡¯s intense too. I think I see where she gets it from.¡±
Something akin to pride flashed across the other mage-knights features. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡±
Xela hadn¡¯t really meant it as one. She hadn¡¯t meant it as an insult either though. It was simply an observation that the Greygrasses were a bit¡ high strung. Indeed, even though she couldn¡¯t actually see the other Greygrasses about, the wood elf had little doubt that the two other knights that had arrived with the woman in front of her were off haranguing someone.
Which, while useful in a fellow instructor, was more than a little irritating in a colleague. A few nights ago, Xela had made the mistake of asking the Greygrass half of their contingent if they wanted to hit the local tavern with her and her Navy buddies. The reaction she¡¯d received had been¡ well, quietly scornful was probably the best way to put it.
¡°Well, in regard to your question of flight worthiness, I can say that Unicorn One is still holding up strong,¡± the wood elf said.
Satisfied, Sveta gave what might have been a smile on someone else, before storming off towards the craft in question. As she went, Xela whispered a quiet prayer for the poor trainee that was about to spend the next thirty minutes with the woman.
Because for all that the plebian-pilots would only be capable of eight minutes of flight time themselves, Xela and her people would be damned if they were forced to restrict their practice sessions to that kind of time. Even with them practically throwing a new trainee into the pilot seat each time they sat down before taking off again, a mere eight minutes of flight each would have them spending about as much time standing on the tarmac as in the air.
¡Though after spending the last four hours sitting in a pilot¡¯s seat, Xela couldn¡¯t say she¡¯d have begrudged more breaks to get out and stretch. Indeed, that very thought reminded her.
¡°I need to take a piss,¡± she muttered.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Seeking to put words to deed, she mentally tuned out the sound of yelling that started up as a result of the recruit behind her obviously not reciting her pre-flight safety check to the satisfaction of her dark elven instructor.
Still, I¡¯ll not deny I¡¯m a little curious as to what hold William has over House Greygrass to get three mages working for him practically for free, Xela thought.
Talented mages at that ¨C as much as it burned her to admit it. Xela didn¡¯t exactly consider herself soft, but she could freely admit that she¡¯d let her instincts dull a bit on the fighting front over the last five years.
The same could not be said for the Greygrass gals. Which she supposed was only to be expected, given they¡¯d somehow managed to wrangle up an airship core from somewhere just a month ago.
And while the official story claimed they¡¯d ¡®found it¡¯, everyone knew that the unofficial story would have involved a lot of blood ¨C and likely more than a few dirty deeds done in the dark.
Again, they were talented knights.
Probably a betrothal of some sort, but if that was his groom-price he¡¯s definitely wasted it on getting them to train a bunch of plebians to pilot Shards, Xela thought derisively.
Something they¡¯d made abundantly clear they thought of as equally foolish ¨C though that hadn¡¯t stopped them from throwing themselves into the task with a fervor.
Indeed, the enthusiasm they were showing almost made Xela sad that the program was probably going to come to an end sometime in the next few weeks. Roughly around the time the esteemed Count Redwater realized that his team couldn¡¯t compete with the other house¡¯s Shards using just the Academy machines.
No, this training program would wither on the vine just as soon as she got the orders to convert Unicorn One and Two back into competitive frames and ship them up to the Academy.
----------------
William was having the time of¡ well, this life. All was right with the world as he pushed lightly on the control stick of his Shard, sending the plane into a shallow dive. A thrill rushed through his chest as the mild acceleration forced him back into his seat. Though he didn¡¯t have long to dwell on the gloriously familiar sensation.
No, his focus was on the outline of the craft in front of him. A craft that, moment by moment, crept closer to the crosshairs of his machine. Not directly into it. That was folly. No, he wasn¡¯t aiming for where the craft was ¨C but where it would be half a second from now.
There, he thought as he squeezed gently on the trigger of his machine.
In less than a second, dozens of bolts leapt forth from the Unicorn¡¯s four nose mounted bolt-throwers, each one heralded by a momentary spouts of blue-green aether. Fortunately, for his vision of the skies around him, said aether quickly vanished beneath his craft as a result of the extruding barrels being mounted south of the machine¡¯s horizontal centre line.
And while four of every five shots was all but invisible to the naked eye, the fifth blazed with an unnatural glow, allowing it to stand out even against the evening sky as it plunged through the air in the direction of his target.
Only to miss, barely skimming the left wing of the opposing Unicorn as it banked to the right.
¡°Not enough lead,¡± a deadpan voice from the seat behind him informed William of what he already knew. ¡°Bolt-cannons pack a bit more power than a hand-held bolt-bow, but even with that extra velocity you¡¯ve got to account for distance and speed.¡±
¡°Aye, ma¡¯am,¡± William said, vocally acknowledging the instructor¡¯s words.
She wasn¡¯t wrong. Bolt-cannons were a bit more potent than bolt-bows, being powered by the Shard¡¯s internal mithril core ¨C but at the end of the day they were still just gas powered machine guns.
Essentially more energetic air-rifles, with all the drawbacks that entailed. Indeed, the only upside of the design was that the lack of a casing to eject allowed for a seriously wicked fire rate.
Though in the world of dogfighting, where a pilot¡¯s ability to squeeze the trigger before running out of ammo could be counted in seconds, it was debatable how much of an advantage that truly was.
With that in mind, he resisted the urge to try for a follow up shot as the enemy Unicorn banked away. He also felt the temptation to turn after them, but he resisted that too.
They were both in Unicorns and they had the same specs. Which meant the same turn-speed. His foe had gotten out of the sight of his guns by juking after William missed, and so long as he kept turning she¡¯d be able to remain there ¨C with William fruitlessly turning with her.
As Marline was so aptly demonstrating in the distance, albeit as the defender rather than the aggressor. The two Unicorns were all-but sat on the deck as they spun in a sluggish circle.
Both were sitting ducks for anyone coming in from the outside. A fact William¡¯s opponent had tried to take advantage of after losing William himself in the clouds above them.
Now though, said opponent had been forced to bank away from that direction to escape William¡¯s fire. She¡¯d need time to come around again, and even then said turn would have cost her precious speed.
She couldn¡¯t catch him now, as William dove towards her teammate and his own.
Ideally, this¡¯d be the moment he radioed Marline to inform her of his plan, but the Shards lacked that capability. They had flags that could be raised, but they were for communication in low speed cruising, not dogfights. If he attempted to raise one now it¡¯d probably snap off.
That was something he intended to rectify once the inter-house matches started and they transitioned from two-seater Unicorns to single-seater Drakes. Certainly, the fact that said machines still came from a communal pool meant he wouldn¡¯t be able to modify them, but there was nothing stopping him outfitting his people with radio ¡®chest packs¡¯ that they could bring into their Shards with them. It¡¯d be cramped and uncomfortable to be sure, but it¡¯d also be well worth it.
Indeed, only the fact that radio was still supposed to be a secret while Yelena installed it onto the ships of her most trusted Captains and he had an instructor in his Shard kept him from bringing radios with him today.
So it was that it likely came as some surprise to his teammate when his Shard shot past her own, weapons blazing to stitch a line across her opponent¡¯s hull.
A quite visible one at that, given that the practice rounds they were using were made from reinforced wax.
And barely a second later, William was rewarded by the sight of said Shard starting to trail roiling black smoke as a result of the instructor inside pulling the release cord and declaring the vehicle ¡®dead¡¯. Indeed, a moment later it started ¡®falling¡¯ from the sky as the Instructor took over the controls from her, likely rather annoyed, student. The woman would simulate the Shard falling just until they were beneath the thousand foot flight floor, before leveling out and heading off back to the airfield.
Which meant that William and Marline now had their foe outnumbered two to one.
Unfortunately, Marline was still slow from her circling. Doubly unfortunately, William¡¯s own opponent had come around and was bearing down on her. Which meant she was about to experience a fate not unsimilar to that which had just occurred to her opponent.
Fortunately for William, that gave him the time he needed to bank up, converting the speed he¡¯d built up back into altitude without fear of being shot in that moment of vulnerability. At which point he¡¯d once more have the altitude advantage.
And in a prop? That meant victory was all-but a foregone conclusion.
On that note, good game, he thought as he watched his opponent race towards Marline.
------------------
¡°You used me as bait!¡±
¡°You used yourself as bait,¡± William said offhandedly as the pair headed towards the hangar changing rooms. ¡°I just took advantage of it. Don¡¯t like it? Don¡¯t get into a turn fight with a Shard with the same energy state and turning capability.¡±
Even as he said the words, he wasn¡¯t really focused on them. Instead, his gaze was on the Shards they¡¯d just vacated, where a ground crew was in the process of refilling the ammo-bins.
Nearly a year ago he¡¯d thought himself clever when he¡¯d thought to create an item, enchant it, then break it into many pieces. Sure, in doing so he¡¯d reduced the efficacy of the enchantment and turned it from permanent to temporary, but at the time it had been worth it to create multiples of something he only needed for less than twenty minutes.
Of course, he¡¯d not been so arrogant as to think he was the first to come up with that idea. After all, he¡¯d read about the concept of shatter-enchanting in a textbook in the Ashfield library. With that said, he¡¯d thought himself amongst the few to come up with practical applications for that brand of spellcasting.
¡°Harden. Harden. Harden. The world shall not break you. The elements may not take you. Harden,¡± one of the crew members ¨C and the only mage - was chanting as a long spool of paper covered wax rounds were pulled out of a nearby crate.
Through his magical senses, he felt as the enchantment took place, an almost ethereal pressure brushing up against him. He also felt it when said enchantment was shattered, as the wax coated string that connected all the faux bolts was pulled loose.
That¡¯s probably why we were supplied wax rounds in the final match of that duel, William thought.
At the time he¡¯d thought it was a special consideration. And in a way it was. Enchanted ammo was still more expensive than harpy venom. But not as much as he¡¯d been thinking. Instead the wax rounds had likely been pulled from the Academy¡¯s pre-existing stock.
¡°Impressive, isn¡¯t it?¡± Marline said from beside him, having noticed the direction of his gaze. ¡°That the Academy has enough mages employed to pump out two batches of rounds like this each time some cadets go up to practice.¡±
Indeed, as if to prove her point, the menial-mage turned to a second box and pulled out another ¨C smaller ¨C belt of rounds.
¡°Burn. Burn. Burn. Bright. Sunlight. A blinding blaze. Let all who see you know the sun¡¯s splendor.¡± Almost instantly, the woman needed to look away as the belt became a string of mini-torches.
Eyes averted, she continued. ¡°Harden. Harden. Harden. The world shall not break you. The elements may not take you. Harden,¡± she said before handing the belt off to another crew member, who set about loading it, along with the other, into the ammo bin of the Shard.
¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± William said.
With those three enchantments, that mage was done for the day. And nearby, another mage was likely performing a similar spell on the other Shard¡¯s ammo. That was the spellcasting of two mages for an entire day. And multiple Shards went up in a day. Indeed, William found himself wondering just how many mages the Academy employed just to enchant ammo?
It couldn¡¯t have been a small number. And it only served as further evidence of why the Academy held such renown ¨C and why it was also the only one of its kind in the country. The kind of funding required just to keep it operating was likely only available to the Crown.
¡°I didn¡¯t know about the enchanted ammo belts,¡± he said finally.
¡°Really? Even though you did that¡ thing last year?¡± Marline said.
He shrugged. ¡°I read about it in a book.¡±
The dark elf hummed. ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s not too surprising. Enchanted ammo belts are fairly new. Both here and in real combat.¡±
William glanced over. ¡°Really?¡±
Marline nodded eagerly ¨C the expression of genuine excitement on her features at odds with her usual taciturn disposition. ¡°Oh yeah, it used to be that most pilots wanted to go into a dogfight with a full roster of spells on-hand so they could pull off a handy drive-by lightning bolt if need be. And some still do. A lot of the of the new generation though prefer shoving a bunch of enchantments onto their ammo belts instead. Mage light. Heat metal. Fireball. That kind of thing.
Tracer. Incendiary. High Explosive, William mentally translated. Not totally dissimilar from back in my world. Just a different vector.
¡And he¡¯d been completely ignorant of it until now.
¡°Huh, I¡¯m surprised I didn¡¯t know that,¡± he said, fighting down the frown that threatened to spill across his features.
Marline nodded. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a fairly new practice. At least, as a standard practice. And I don¡¯t imagine you were privy to a lot of military secrets back home.¡±
¡°Well, no,¡± he admitted. ¡°The only pilots on the Ashfield estate were my family, and given I was a guy, one who wasn¡¯t supposed to be anywhere near the Shards, they were less than inclined to share stories or tips.¡±
Marline patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Well, now you know. I mean, that¡¯s why we¡¯re here isn¡¯t it? To learn?¡±
Well, he couldn¡¯t argue that. In fact, that reminder actually made him feel better about coming back to the Academy rather than remaining in Redwater County to focus on developing it.
Know your enemy and know yourself, he thought.
Well, now he knew one more thing about them.
¡°How much longer until the inter-house Shard duels start, you think?¡± he asked as he turned once more in the direction of the changing rooms.
¡°Two weeks, give or take, I¡¯d say.¡±
¡°Great.¡± He grinned.
Chapter Forty Eight
As William stepped into his office, he couldn¡¯t help but feel that just maybe some of the people inside were annoyed with him.
There was his sister, who was sitting on the couch with her arms folded grumpily over her chest.
Xela was¡ looking a bit haggard. Which was to be expected given she¡¯d both been de facto running his territory while also overseeing the training of more pilots than any other person on the planet beyond the principals of each nation¡¯s flight academies. And while she was training significantly less people than those venerable institutions, she also had access to significantly fewer resources.
Then there was Piper. Easily the least frazzled of the bunch, but hardly what one could call happy. Which, again, was to be expected given that she was to her knowledge working very hard to make sure a bunch of workshops spread about the country continued to churn out machine components with no as of yet discernable purpose.
Then there was his Aunt Karla¡ who was visibly admiring the gramophone ¨C the second prototype - that sat in the corner of the room churning out its umpteenth rendition of ¡®Ride of the Valkyries¡¯. A song he was growing thoroughly tired of, but as of yet had no alternative to given that he¡¯d yet to make any other recordings.
And while he had the capacity to magic one-up with ease, that would only lead to more awkward conversations as to where he¡¯d gotten it.
¡°William, William,¡± his aunt chirped excitedly as he stepped into the room. ¡°You have to tell me how this thing works! And how you came up with it! I mean, it¡¯s playing music. But there¡¯s no magic.¡±
He smiled. Karla had always been his favorite aunt. Mostly because she was both a bit of a rebel and about as disinterested in politics as someone could be and still be a noble. That she was likely here acting as a spy on behalf of his mother did little to dim his pleasure at seeing her again.
¡°I¡¯m afraid the details are as of yet something of a trade secret,¡± he said, ignoring the grown woman¡¯s overexaggerated pout.
¡°Even to family?¡± Karla whined.
¡°I can say that I stumbled across the idea during my research of the Flashbang and Spell-Bolt.¡± It was more than he''d told anyone else.
Karla frowned. ¡°I know things are a bit¡ tense between your mother and you, but House Ashfield still has a fair amount of production capability. Certainly more than those merchants you¡¯re working with. If you sent the details back home we could practically print money.¡±
Across from the woman, Olivia winced in her seat.
For his part, William¡¯s smile thinned. ¡°Given that the secrets to the Flashbang spell and the Spell-Bolt can apparently be found in the annals of the Ashfield library, at least according to my mother, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to figure it out without me with just a little reading.¡±
Karla paled a bit at his dry tone, recognizing the foot she¡¯d just shoved into her mouth. One of the unfortunate downsides of being the ¡®fun, devil-may-care fighter pilot aunt¡¯, he supposed, was gaffes like this.
Still, neither of those choices had been his aunt or sister¡¯s decision. ¡°With that said, if either you or Olivia wanted one of your own for your personal use, I¡¯m sure my business partners would be happy to provide us with a few early prototypes ¨C along with a few new songs.¡±
It was a small olive branch on his part, though it was less aimed at his aunt and more at his sister, whose eyes widened with excitement at the thought before she recalled that she was supposed to be mad at him and sank back into her ¡®grumpy¡¯ posture.
Glancing over, he could see Piper clearly wanted to say something, even though the dwarf was holding back. Likely some question as to why he was outsourcing the production of such a clearly lucrative product when he had dozens of workshops churning out junk with no real discernable purpose.
Which was a state of affairs that couldn¡¯t last forever. Certainly, while his people were thankful for the employment he provided ¨C the Alchemists most of all ¨C the fact remained that said gratitude would only keep them motivated for so long in the face of work that seemed pointless.
For one thing, he already knew that some of the more curious workers were already trying to piece together the end result of what the many workshops had been working on. Even if he¡¯d not seen it. That was just how engineers were. And even without any kind of knowledge of internal combustion, some of them would be making progress, if only by treating the the many prefabs as a jigsaw puzzle.
¡°That would be a queenly gift,¡± Karla said finally. ¡°One I know that both Olivia and I would be very thankful for during our¡ sabbatical at your estate.¡±
¡°Yes, super thankful,¡± Olivia drawled, eyes narrowed at him. ¡°Sure, it¡¯s not exactly a duchy, but a little box that plays music is almost as good. Almost.¡±
Ah, sassy teenage sarcasm. How he thanked the lord that the only one who really engaged with that on his team was Olzenya.
Still, he could see the puzzlement that blossomed in the faces of those present who weren¡¯t his family as they registered the half elf¡¯s words.
¡°A Duchy?¡± Xela asked.
Before anyone could say anything else, Karla spoke up in an act of savvy normally far outside her wheelhouse. ¡°Olivia, dear, perhaps statements like that should wait until it¡¯s just family present.¡±
¡°S¡¯not like it matter now anyway. I¡¯m here aren¡¯t I?¡± The girl huffed, before jumping from her seat and storming from the room in a huff.
Karla had moved to grab the girl at the last moment, only to pause. For his part, William had tensed more than a little, eyes flitting about for signs of invisible watchers turned assassins. It was an irrational fear he knew, but he felt it all the same.
Indeed, it was with that thought in mind that he made to follow, only for Karla to call after him. ¡°Give her some time, William. The last few days have been¡ tumultuous for her.¡±
William frowned, before glancing to Xela.
¡°I gave her an escort the moment you arrived. They¡¯re just outside the door and will follow at a discreet distance.¡±
He nodded, belatedly recalling the slightly larger number than average guards that had been stationed outside when he¡¯d walked in.
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And there were things he still needed to discuss with the people present here.
Xela¡¯s plebeian-pilot training program. How Piper¡¯s refinement of their Earth-Blood supply was proceeding. As well as the state of the workshops.
Reluctantly, he decided to heed his aunt¡¯s advice.
Though speaking of her, he thought as he glanced at the woman. If she¡¯s here to act as Olivia¡¯s chaperone as well as a spy, I¡¯ll be putting her to work on the plebian-pilot program.
No program could ever have access to too many competent pilots. And even with the unexpected offer of aid from House Greygrass, William was still woefully short of the numbers he wanted.
I also need to get the alchemists started on making ammunition for my new planes now that the workshops are running properly, he thought. Which means somehow convincing them to go under a geass.
Which would be an awkward conversation all round. It wasn¡¯t like he could just order them to do it.
Hell, not even the Queen could do that.
¡And he only had a weekend to do it.
Yeah, Olivia will probably need to wait a bit before I can get around to her. So I suppose it¡¯s fortunate that it¡¯s not like she¡¯s going anywhere, he thought with grim amusement.
-------------
It was barely thirty minutes after he¡¯d finished his tour of Redwater county¡¯s many workshops that he found himself alone in his ¡®lab¡¯ again.
Though there were a few new additions present. Prefabbed parts straight from the workshops stood strewn about the floor like so many discarded toys.
And connecting each of them was a bit of steel wire. Haphazardly welded in place, it crisscrossed the room, making the whole ensemble look like some kind of absurd spider web ¨C with engine parts playing the role of flies captured within.
And as William raised the hood of his welding mask, he hummed in triumph as he inspected the weld he¡¯d just made on the final piece.
I really hope this works, he muttered to himself as he moved to sit in the center of the room, hands reaching out to grasp the nearest wire.
¡°Steel. Warp. Hands. Mental Model. Engage. Instant,¡± he chanted, feeling a sudden hollow form inside him as one of his magical charges flowed out of his soul and into the void.
Where a hungry Fae was ready and waiting to enact his will upon reality in return for the morsel of emotional energy he¡¯d just provided.
Indeed, it was barely a moment before the world shifted around him. Through closed eyelids he ¡®saw¡¯ the entire web of parts around him. Hazy and indistinct, but there all the same.
Anything that was steel and connected to that which he held in his hands.
Which was a little absurd. What he was holding wasn¡¯t just steel. Steel was a carbon and iron alloy. But the metal in his hands undoubtedly held other impurities too. Byproducts of the forging process. Yet unlike the other bits of engine part that were made of different materials - copper wiring and rubber tubing - that seemed as a void to his senses, anything he considered ¡®steel¡¯ was clear to him.
And thus malleable.
Because magic was as much about ¡®feeling¡¯ as reality. Which made sense, as Fae were the ones who were really doing all this - and they were all about feelings. It just so happened to be that they were using his mind as the interpreter for his will.
So, he could manipulate steel ¨C even if it wasn¡¯t all atomically iron and carbon.
He smiled.
This¡ this was why even with his ability to ¡®cheat¡¯, he¡¯d been forced to set up proper workshops for his creations rather than just using his own magic to churn them out with this little trick. An engine was more than just steel.
Well, that, and the innate limitations of metal-crafting. Mass was a factor here, which was why mages didn¡¯t just land on enemy ships and turn them into origami with a little creative metal bending.
Creating a hole to breach through is much more doable however, he thought before he returned his focus to the task at hand.
An undertaking that would have required minutes or hours for anyone else was the work of moments for him.
Corsair Radial Engine.
He could see it. More clearly than if it were right in front of him. Every nut. Every bolt. He could see it all.
And he could see how the metal he could feel in his hands wasn¡¯t that.
So he made it so.
Slowly, the parts around him started to move, pulled together by the wire connecting them they dragged across the stone floor of his lab. It was not fast. Nor was it easy, even with his gifts.
Tendrils sprang out from the mass of parts, each made of the same steel that comprised them - and each worked to better facilitate the process of pulling the pre-fabbed parts together into the right configuration. And though William had his eyes closed, he knew damn well what it looked like.
Like some kind of¡ metal variant of John Carpenter¡¯s Thing, he thought with an amused grimace.
In the end, it required nearly four hours for the task to be done ¨C but it did get done.
When he finally opened his eyes, bones sore and creaky and his front peculiarly wet, he found the blurry image before him matched what he¡¯d been remembering.
¡°Corsair radial engine,¡± he croaked from a throat that was inexplicably sore.
Sure, he¡¯d had to fix a few minor defects in the parts he could feel, and it¡¯d need testing, but for the moment the basis of the engine existed.
Wiping something from his lips, William smiled.
And despite the throbbing in his head, he was only one spell-charge down. He still had two more left.
¡°Two more engines,¡± he whispered.
His smile widened as he looked at the veritable mountain of parts piled up in one corner of the room.
--------------
Piper actually jumped a bit when the boss of all people stumbled into her office just as she¡¯d sat down to start the day.
Void below, what the fuck happened to him? She thougth as he stumbled over to her desk, his bloodshot eyes vivid against the pale skin of his face, which in turn too was marred by the remains of crusty blood around his nose.
Not that he seemed to notice any of it as he smiled widely at her.
¡°Did the conversation with your sister go that poorly?¡±
The words were barely out of her mouth before she was kicking herself for them. She needed to get a healer over here, not make smart-ass remarks.
Or maybe the guards? Had he been assaulted on the way over? It wasn¡¯t likely, but she didn¡¯t see his guards with him.
And it was the crack of dawn.
Yeah, I should call the guards and a healer, she thought.
Indeed, she was just about to put those thoughts to action before the boy spoke with an absurdly chipper expression ¨C albeit with a voice that sounded like sandpaper.
¡°Piper, just the woman I wanted to talk to,¡± he said, barely seeming to have heard her opening remarks. ¡°Earlier you said you wanted some kind of explanation as to what I¡¯ve had your people working on all this time.¡±
Earlier? Did he mean¡ yesterday?
¡°I¡¯d be happy to offer that now,¡± he continued. ¡°To you and a few of your colleagues.¡±
Despite the circumstances of his arrival and the fact that she was still definitely getting both a healer and the guards, the dwarf¡¯s eyebrow quirked with interest at his words.
Though that interest rapidly shifted to worry at his next words.
¡°Though before that, I have to ask, does your guild ever employ geass to protect guild secrets?¡± he croaked.
Taking a deep breath, she chose her next words very carefully. ¡°I¡¯d say that depends on the secret, my lord.¡±
And it¡¯d have to be a hell of a secret for her to even consider asking her people to be bound by a geass. While a mage-knight might still be somewhat effective without the ability to cast spells ¨C given they could still operate a shard, power a float-suit and use a bolt-bow ¨C a mage-smith who lost her ability to contract the fea was basically just a plebian.
If anything, his grin got wider. ¡°Well, come with me. If you don¡¯t think what I¡¯m about to show you is worth a geass, I¡¯ll¡¡± he paused, an expression of genuine befuddlement slipping across his haggard features. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t really know what I¡¯ll do. Be surprised, I guess.¡±
Indeed, he seemed about to walk out the door before Piper called out.
¡°Ah, as excited as I am by the prospect, how about we wait here for just a moment? I¡¯ll need a moment to get my people together. And I can see you¡¯ve had an¡ interesting night. You might benefit from a spot of breakfast and a chance to rest your legs?¡±
He paused, reluctance written plain across his features. Finally though he seemed to look down at himself.
¡°Is that¡ blood on my shirt?¡±
Piper nodded slowly.
¡°Ah¡ yes, I suppose that wouldn¡¯t be a terrible idea then,¡± he said sheepishly. ¡°I, uh, I really don¡¯t know how I didn¡¯t notice¡ all this.¡±
He paused, before eying her. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to have a shower around here would you? I think I might need one before I do¡ anything else.¡±
Piper smiled in relief.
Fortunately for both of them, this being a building for alchemists and thus filled with dangerous chemicals of all varieties, a shower of any kind was usually not too far away.
Chapter Forty Nine
Well, at least he doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s about to keel over anymore, Piper thought as she followed her liege lord into his personal lab.
Indeed, after a shower and a nap, the young man seemed almost sheepish about the state he¡¯d been in when he¡¯d stumbled into her office.
Fortunately, for him, Piper was one of the few people whom he could have stumbled into that understood. Sure, his was definitely something of an extreme case, what with the crusted blood around his nose, but she herself was no stranger to pulling all-nighters while working on some new innovation.
So¡ she got it, even if she had little desire to see a repeat.
¡°Well, here we are,¡± William said as he turned to shut the heavy duty door to his lab closed behind them.
And while under different circumstances the dwarf might have considered it mildly scandalous to be locked into a room alone with an unmarried man, in this case that idea was about as far from her thoughts as a thing could be.
No, her attention was entirely on the sheets upon sheets of notes sprawled about on shelves and work surfaces or otherwise pinned to walls. Likewise, the boy¡¯s tools were in little better condition, strewn about the floor like discarded play things.
Again, she¡¯d seen worse. From senior alchemists and initiates alike. Which was why her gaze didn¡¯t linger long there, instead pivoting up to the center of the room.
She recognized it as being made from parts the county¡¯s workshops had spent the last two months working on instantly.
Only now they were assembled, forming an uneven circular shape. Which couldn¡¯t have been a quick process given the evident complexity of the device.
How long did it take him to piece it together? She wondered ¨C though not before wincing as her foot stepped into a small pool of some manner of viscous fluid.
A lubricant of some kind, given the way her foot had nearly slipped out from under her.
¡°Ah, sorry about that,¡± the boy said as he handed her a rag. ¡°Had a bit of a spill in here the other night.¡±
¡°Quite fine,¡± Piper said honestly. ¡°Stepping in strange fluids are something of an occupational hazard for an alchemist.¡±
Indeed, she was actually a little curious as to the makeup of the liquid she¡¯d just stepped in and had to resist the urge to kneel down to inspect it. That could come later. For now, she kept her focus entirely on the¡ device in the center of the room.
And the parts connected to it.
Indeed, a small network of tubes and wires splayed out from the back of the machine, connecting to a vat and some other small trinkets.
It was an interesting sight. Not least of all because, while biology was hardly a main focus of hers, she had engaged in more than a few dissections in her time while seeking out greater insights into the alchemical processes behind the function of certain beasts.
To that end, she¡¯d once had cause to remove a wyvern¡¯s entire digestive tract, splaying it out on wire racks so that she might see how food traveled through the entire system. A display that ended up taking up an entire room at the time.
This reminded her of that.
The question now is, what kind of beast does this system belong to, she thought.
¡°Well, please do tell me if you see any start leaking out of this,¡± the boy said as he excitedly skipped over to one of the wire trinkets. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure there aren¡¯t any leaks in the lines I¡¯ve set up, but you never know.¡±
He paused. ¡°And suffice to say, a leak would probably be bad right about now.¡±
¡°The dangers of unknown leaking fluids are also something I¡¯m quite familiar with as an alchemist,¡± Piper said. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to keep you informed if I see anything¡ untoward.¡±
As he said, even if she didn¡¯t know what she was looking at, she could at least be reasonably certain that stuff leaking out of it would be bad.
Grinning, the boy nodded before he flipped some kind of switch on the wire trinket he was holding and suddenly the close confines of the lab they were in was filled with the most unholy roar.
It seems my animal comparisons weren¡¯t entirely off-base, she thought as she resisted the urge to cover her ears.
Hell, the ¡®creature¡¯ even breathed, as it belched forth a plume of black smoke. The origin of which she was quick to identify as the acrid smell pervaded her senses.
Earth-Blood. Burnt.
She thought she¡¯d smelled it when she walked in, but the odor had been hidden under too many other chemical stenches to be easily identified. Now though, she knew. Whatever this device was, it burned earth-blood as a byproduct.
This was the more refined version. Not the base product. Her dwarvish sense of smell confirmed it.
Which made sense. It was barely a few weeks ago that he¡¯d asked her to provide him with a variant of earth-blood that was ¡®hardier¡¯. Less prone to igniting as a result of pressure. Fortunately for her some research on that topic had already been conducted by the alchemists guild while attempting to create a kraken killing poison. An attempt they¡¯d failed in, naturally. But at least they kept the recipe regardless ¨C and in doing so had saved her from having to create a mixture from scratch.
¡®Deep-Glow.¡¯
A fairly uninspired name, but one that fit given that it, well, glowed. More importantly though, the creation of the substance wasn¡¯t all that expensive; only truly requiring earth-blood, silver and the pulped remains of a species of deep sea bioluminescent worm.
The boy had requested they stockpile a vat of it in addition to the crude earth-blood and bear-blood they were already amassing. At the time, she¡¯d not thought much of it. Just one more seemingly nonsensical request amongst a myriad he made daily.
Only now, as she watched with awe as the propellor that had been affixed to the front of the massive ¡®disk¡¯ start to spin with unnatural speed and power, did she realize that said request was perhaps less nonsensical than she¡¯d thought.
For in her mind¡¯s eye, she¡¯d already replaced the tiny fan with the propellors of a shard.
¡°This is a mithril core,¡± she realized, uncaring of the notes that new blew wildly around her as a result of the machine¡¯s backdraft. ¡°An artificial mithril core.¡±
The holy grail of magic, stood right in front of her, inside a tiny little shed in the middle of some backwater county.
The boy ¨C no, the man ¨C hadn¡¯t heard her words. Stone, she could barely hear herself over the roar of the rushing wind and growling of the artificial core.
But given the way he smiled, he clearly understood her amazement.
Flicking the switch in his hands again, the core¡¯s growl cut faded to nothing near instantly, the spinning of the propellors losing their intensity as they too started to slow.
Piper almost protested.
She¡¯d wanted to see more. To investigate. To see how it could possibly do what she was seeing.
Instead, she turned to her liege. ¡°How?¡±
¡°Explosions.¡± His grin turned positively devilish. ¡°Little ones, admittedly. Hell, more short-lived fires than anything else, but explosions all the same.¡±
¡°¡Contained explosions?¡± she breathed. ¡°Little ones? Using the Earth-Blood?¡±
¡°Yep.¡±
The idea boggled the mind. Moreso as she realized that said explosions had just been happening less than a meter from a container filled with the same substance that was supposedly being used as fuel for said explosions.
A substance prone to igniting when placed near an open flame. Or even just sparks. Of which an explosion produced both.
And her employer was stood right next to it.
As if it were normal.
¡°You¡¯re harrowed,¡± the words slipped out of her before she could stop them, her tone colored by both horror and awe. ¡°This¡ all of this. It¡¯s too much. Too different. Too complete.¡±
¡°Ah,¡± he said, his features twisting into an expression of resigned yet wry amusement. ¡°I assumed you¡¯d figure it out once you saw this.¡±
He didn¡¯t deny it, she noted. And how could he. This¡ system. It was too complex. Too complete. She¡¯d seen the parts that made up this ¡®fake core¡¯ and even with all of them laid out before her she¡¯d not been able to see the end result.
Because it was too much of a paradigm shift from what she knew. The idea of using earth-blood to create a¡ contained explosion...Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Truth be told, she still had a little trouble envisioning it ¨C even though the evidence of its efficacy had been twirling merrily away in front of her but moments ago.
¡She wanted to understand though. More than anything. She¡¯d dedicated her whole life to alchemy. Because she honestly believed it was alchemy, not enchanting or elementalism, that which would propel mortal-kind into a new golden age of innovation.
And here in front of her was evidence of such. A substance made from alchemy being used to power a fake core.
Provided to her, wholesale, by a madman that wasn¡¯t mad.
She understood, in that moment, the mindset behind the mad magisters of the old imperium. Why they¡¯d dragged common-born mages kicking and screaming into the divination chambers by their dozens. Why they rebuilt those same divination chambers over and over again each time one of those common mages asked the fae not what they¡¯d been told to ask by those selfsame magisters, but how to make those that had consigned them to a fate worse than death suffer.
Piper had never had cause to see it, but word was that some of the locations that had once housed said buildings were as of yet unlivable to this day. Lifeless barren patches of land where nothing grew.
¡Because despite knowing that, Piper still found herself tempted.
Because the answers to her every question were out there. They weren¡¯t even far away. One only needed to dream. To ask. To make a deal.
And while William was no fae, given his harrowed nature he was the closest thing one might find to one on this plane of reality.
¡°To be fair though,¡± he continued. ¡°I think we can both agree that I carry my burden with more grace than most?¡±
Piper just said, nothing. She just stared. At the ¨C no, two ¨C impossibilities that stood in front of her.
Because he wasn¡¯t wrong. And she was interested, she¡¯d admit. How he¡¯d managed to retain his faculties where so many others hadn¡¯t.
But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that was secondary to another question.
So it was, that she finally spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll swear a geass. Any geass. I¡¯ll get my people to sign geass too. As binding as you like. All you have to do in return is tell me everything you know about Earth-Blood. And this ¡®artificial core¡¯ of yours.¡±
She was surprised, but not too surprised, to find she didn¡¯t care about anything else.
What his plans were.
Why he¡¯d kept this all a secret.
Why he was building so many ¡®fake cores¡¯.
What he intended to do with the many pilots she now realized he was training to fly his¡ alchemy-shards.
Those were passing worldly concerns. Politics and ambition. Transient things. She¡¯d ignored them all her life.
Because they would ultimately be made moot with the flow of time. Queens and Empires faded and died. Knowledge though? The ideas used to facilitate those schemes? Well, that would last forever.
Still, transient or not, it was a little amusing to see a hint of surprise flit across her employer¡¯s features at her words.
Then he laughed, a deep belly laugh that had almost had him keel over. Eventually though, he straightened, wiping a stray tear from his eye. ¡°A woman after my own heart. And I¡¯d be happy to tell you all I know - just as soon as you¡¯ve sworn your geass.¡±
She nodded, even as she reached into her alchemy robes. ¡°I¡¯ve got a sleep drought with me. It should knock us out for an hour. We can take it now.¡±
Once more he paused, before his smile widened. ¡°Yep, definitely after my own heart. Let me grab a blanket.¡±
It was amusing, the thought of ¡®sleeping¡¯ with a boy William¡¯s age might have titillated her but a few minutes ago.
Now she didn¡¯t give a fuck.
There were greater things at play here.
-------------------
¡°Depths, are you ok, boss?¡± Anya whispered quietly during a conversational lull.
Piper glanced blearily over at her second in command, turning her attention away from the ongoing argument occurring in her office.
¡°I¡¯m fine, I promise,¡± she muttered, whispering just loud enough to be heard over the other department heads, but not so loud that they¡¯d hear her. ¡°Just¡ a late night.¡±
One she didn¡¯t regret for a moment. Of course, given the bloodshot nature of her eyes and unkempt hair, she realized the irony of mentally chastising William for showing up in her office in a similar state barely a day ago.
How times change, she thought.
Because right now she didn¡¯t much care how she looked. She¡¯d strode into this meeting feeling like she was walking on air ¨C though exhaust fumes might have been the more accurate descriptor.
Indeed, she was still feeling downright chipper as the department heads across from her, finally stopped muttering to each other and turned to her.
¡°So you¡¯re saying the last two months were a giant waste of woman-hours and resources?¡± Annie Hearthland, Redwater¡¯s lead mage-smith, muttered.
Piper made a so-so gesture. ¡°Wasted is a strong word. I¡¯d say that our workshops learned a lot from the experience. As did our lord in regards to one of his more ambitious projects.¡±
¡°A project we still don¡¯t know the details of, or even the purpose of the components we were creating for it. Even though it¡¯s now being shut down,¡± another woman complained.
¡°Downsized. Not shut down,¡± Piper corrected. ¡°A number of workshops will continue making the same components they are right now.¡±
Predictably, there was more complaining at that, but Piper shut it down with a wave of her hands. Most of them were just putting on airs. It wasn¡¯t like they¡¯d not been paid for their time, even if the work they¡¯d been doing was ¡®pointless¡¯. It wasn¡¯t like this was the first time a noble had invested a ton of gold into something useless. The Bloatwater¡¯s flying castle still served as a cautionary tale to a lot of Lindholm on the dangers of investing too hard in unproven concepts.
¡°Ok, then, what does the lord want to transition to next? I don¡¯t know how much stock I put in it, but I¡¯ve heard that music box is of mundane-make?¡±
Around the woman that had spoken, a few faces perked up with interest.
Interest she quickly punctured.
¡°I¡¯m afraid not. Though I can confirm that said music box is indeed entirely mundane in its construction, it¡¯s not actually our lord¡¯s invention. Rather it was created by the family of a teammate. A teammate that has access to their own production facilities.¡±
A sigh seemed to ring out across the room.
¡°What then?¡±
She grinned. ¡°Air frames. A new design certainly, but one that is still well within our skillsets.¡±
Instantly, the mood of the room turned downright jubilant. And why wouldn¡¯t it? Shard creation was about as prestigious a task as a smith could work on, perhaps below only that of creating a new airship. And even then, it was debatable.
¡°Well, I don¡¯t know how much he lost over the last two months, but I could see creating new airframes as a way of recouping it quickly enough. Crown¡¯s buying up all the frames it can get. Quality don¡¯t matter. Not saying we won¡¯t be making quality.¡± Annie grinned. ¡°Either way, it¡¯ll be damn good to be working on something that actually makes sense again. Something simple, ya know?¡±
Piper¡¯s own smile twitch a little as she thought of the new blueprints even now sitting in her desk drawer.
¡°Yeah, simple,¡± she said slowly.
Though even as the other smiths in the room started debating what design they¡¯d now be working on ¨C and the merits of each therein ¨C the dwarf was thinking about how she was going to explain why they were building shards with everything except internal aether piping.
Or maneuvering thrusters.
Or even a proper reinforced housing for the core.
At least the hollow voids in the wings and front of the craft will look like it still has ballasts, she thought.
Sighing, she glanced out the window to where work teams were already clambering over the exterior of the Jellyfish ¨C the great airship¡¯s frame covered in scaffolding where the new ¡®flat top¡¯ landing runway was being installed. Likewise, she knew for a fact that inside the massive craft, the transport elevator was being expanded to be able to traverse three more decks.
Via the cutting of holes through said decks.
And the less said about the expansion of new ¡®water tanks¡¯ the better. Finding space for them had been a nightmare. And while, sure, the gun decks being removed meant there was more space aboard, that space had pretty much been immediately set aside as ¡®marine berthing¡¯ by William.
And while some of it might actually be used as berthing for crew of some descriptor, I have a pretty good idea as to what most of that extra space is really being set aside for, she thought. Given, you know, the lack of internal bulkheads.
She¡¯d had her suspicions before, but now she knew for a fact that said space was being set aside as hangar space.
Still¡
She winced at the slapdash nature of the whole thing. Then again, that was a pretty good descriptor for just about everything William Redwater did. The man had a bad habit of trying to make his projects run when they really needed to crawl.
Here¡¯s hoping that doesn¡¯t come back to bite us all in the ass, she thought.
---------------------
Olivia couldn¡¯t help but feel some small amount of betrayal as the door to her room remained stubbornly closed. It had gone dark hours ago, and yet her brother had yet to visit her. Indeed, he¡¯d probably returned to the academy by now.
Leaving her here. A prisoner in his estate.
Oh sure, her aunt and mother had tried to dress it up differently, but everyone knew the truth. Olivia was now out of the running for duchess ¨C before she¡¯d even had a chance to actually fight for it.
The question was, was it a result of her brother¡¯s actions?
In a hurried tone as she¡¯d been loaded into a shard, her mother had told her that the Queen was now aware of Olivia¡¯s father and her upcoming nuptials, and that she¡¯d be living on her brother¡¯s estate for a while for her protection¡
Protection she needed to avoid the Queen¡¯s wrath.
Because Olivia was a threat to her rule.
She¡¯d wanted to fly North. To hide with the Blackstone¡¯s until she had the opportunity to sally forth to claim her birthright.
Her requests had been denied. First by her mother and then by her aunt on the flight over. She was going to her brother¡¯s estate, where she¡¯d be held as a hostage until such time that the Summerfield succession was decided.
¡And it wasn¡¯t fair.
Was this her brother¡¯s revenge, for usurping his birthright was he now denying her access to her own?
It was an unworthy thought. Her brother loved her. She knew that. He didn¡¯t care about the fact she¡¯d displaced him as heir. Or if he did, he¡¯d never once taken it out on her. He loved her.
And she loved him.
Yet still¡ some part of her whispered vile theories as to just how the Queen had found out about their conspiracy.
She¡¯d told no one but him.
That had been part of the reason why she¡¯d stormed out when they reunited, even though part of her had been happy to see him again after so long.
That damn niggling doubt of hers¡
She pulled her knees to her chest as she sat on her bed, her nighty keeping her warm while the mage-light on her bedside continued to flicker brightly.
Why? Why would he do it, when all he needed to do was remain quiet and we both could have inherited-
Her thoughts were interrupted by the door to her room exploding off its hinges and a trio of masked figures in black bursting into the room.
She screamed, even as one of the figures rushed forward to shove a rag into her mouth. With quick practiced movements, the young half-elf was tied and gagged, before being thrown over one of the figure¡¯s shoulders.
And then they were moving out into the hall.
Aunt! Aunt Karla, she thought, wondering where her protector was.
And then she saw her, collapsed in the hall ¨C void, there was so much blood! It pooled around the mage-knight, staining her night clothes. The woman¡¯s sword lay nearby, the blade still in its sheathe.
She was so still. Her eyes closed, as if she was only sleeping.
Aunt Karla!
Olivia screamed, though it was muffled by her gag as she was carried through the halls and out of sight of her murdered aunt.
The girl tried to struggle, bashing her bound hands and knees against her captor¡¯s chest, but the woman barely seemed to feel it. Indeed, all Olivia achieved was abrading her knees and hands on the rough scale-like black materials of the woman¡¯s cuirass.
So it was that with each passing step, she cried out, hoping that some of her brother¡¯s guards might hear her.
Yet none came, no matter how she howled, and soon enough they were out into the night, her captors¡¯ boots crunching against the gravel path as they ran. Bare moments later, they came to a stop up against what Olivia realized was a black carriage.
¡°Get her in. Gentle now,¡± one of the other black clad figures instructed with an accent that sounded oddly familiar. ¡°Watch her head.¡±
Olivia could care less for the woman¡¯s concern, glaring hatefully at the trio that had murdered a member of her family in cold blood, as she was shoved onto the seat of the carriage.
Then the door was slammed shut and Olivia was left alone in the dark.
A few moments passed, the silence broken only by the sound of her labored breathing and the sound of a whip being cracked outside as the carriage started to move.
Then a voice spoke.
¡°Hello Olivia, I think it¡¯s time we had a chat.¡±
Chapter Fifty
William sighed as the crystal orb on his desk returned to its usual blue hue.
¡°She¡¯s going to make you pay for that,¡± Xera opined from over his shoulder.
The count of Redwater county just shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve little doubt. Still, needs must. As tempting as it might be to slink back to the academy rather than stay here and ¡®face the music¡¯.¡±
And it was quite tempting.
The instructor he¡¯d just been talking to hadn¡¯t seemed all that surprised by his request to take a ¡®sick day¡¯. He imagined she¡¯d already fielded a few similar calls that morning, the vast majority of which would be from servants covering for hungover young noble scions who had partied just a little too hard on the weekend.
It wasn¡¯t an unusual story. Still, it was behavior the academy attempted to curtail. Hence why the instructor¡¯s final words on how he would ¡®make up the time lost¡¯ sounded so ominous. Because he had little doubt of their authenticity. The time he¡¯d lost would be recouped somewhere else during the week and it would be done at a time that was as inconvenient to him as possible.
He didn¡¯t spend long lingering on the joys the coming week would bring though, not when the reason for his decision to linger at his territory beyond the weekend chose to make herself known.
¡°Got a set of lungs on her,¡± Xera opined quietly as a series of muffled invectives issued forth from beyond the wooden doors.
William nodded. ¡°Aunt Karla typically doesn¡¯t yell much, but when she does¡¡±
Another shout issued forth, this one with a tone of finality, just before the doors to his office burst open, the woman in question striding inside with an imperious expression on her face.
For a moment William was tempted to point out that she needn¡¯t have bothered with the yelling or her grand entrance, given that the guards had been instructed to give her free access to his office in advance. Indeed, he was reasonably certain the only reason his aunt didn¡¯t know that was because she¡¯d started shouting before said guards could speak and finished her tirade by bum rushing the entrance.
¡°What the fuck did you do last night, William?¡± Karla spat, red in the face. ¡°Why the fuck did I wake up to find my night clothes covered in red paint and Olivia weeping at my side.¡±
¡°Well, in order, because last night at dinner you were dosed with a slow release sleeping draught. Then, after you went to bed, you were summarily dragged from your room and tossed into a puddle of red paint. As for Olivia, the reason for the aforementioned actions was that they set the stage for Olivia¡¯s fake ¡®kidnapping¡¯. Which in turn, served as a striking prelude to a rather important talk.¡±
He saw the slap coming. He¡¯d been dealt enough of them over the years that the motions were familiar to him. Never from Aunt Karla though.
He didn¡¯t dodge.
He didn¡¯t need to.
Because Xera was already moving, her hand came up to catch his aunt¡¯s wrist in an iron grip.
¡°Don¡¯t.¡±
It was a single word, but it held weight as the wood elf stared into his aunt¡¯s surprise expression. Because whatever the former navy woman¡¯s feelings on what he¡¯d asked her to do the night before, he was still her lord.
And a woman had just attempted to strike him right in front of her.
Of course, it took but a moment for his aunt¡¯s surprised expression to morph into a snarl. ¡°Unhand me right now!¡±
¡°I will.¡± Xera¡¯s tone was unyielding. ¡°As soon as I believe you are no longer a threat to my liege lord.¡±
In that moment, William was glad he¡¯d instructed Xera to keep her kraken scale cuirass on, or rather arrive with it, for this confrontation. Because without it had a feeling the sparks currently flying between the two women would have quickly become far more literal.
¡°He¡¯s my law-son,¡± Karla spat back.
Though whether that insinuated she wasn¡¯t a threat to him or had a right to strike him at her discretion was a little fuzzy.
Maybe a little of both?
Still, it proved a good segway into the point he wanted to make both last night and now.
¡°True, but I¡¯m also her liege lord and the lord of the territory in which you dwell. Not the rebellious teenager you seem to think I still am.¡±
It was clear what she wanted to spit back in response to that, but as she finally pulled loose her wrist from the wood elf holding it, she instead chose to take a different tact.
¡°Is that so? If that¡¯s the case, what should I see your actions last night as? An ill-conceived prank from a teenage boy towards his family? Or the criminal actions of a lord towards his noble guests? Because either way, I¡¯ve half a mind to fly Olivia and myself back to the Ashford estate.¡±
¡°How about the disciplinary actions of a warden to two rebellious prisoners under his care?¡± he said slowly. ¡°Because while you both certainly have the right to leave my estate, your right to continue breathing once you do becomes a lot more fuzzy.¡±
Karla paled as Xera grinned.
Which made sense. For all that she was working for him now, the wood elf was a royal navy woman. Indeed, she¡¯d only agreed to take part in the fake kidnapping once he explained a few details of why Olivia was staying on his estate. Thereafter, she¡¯d gotten a bit more enthusiastic about the plan.
¡°Make no mistake, just as kidnapping Olivia served as a prelude to the conversation I had with her about the realities of your little conspiracy and her current place in the world, last night¡¯s events also served equally as a prelude to this conversation with you.¡±
He sat forward. ¡°My sister is a fourteen year old girl. You and my mother made her the lynchpin of a grand conspiracy to overthrow the crown! You made her a target. You put her in danger. And apparently, at no point did any of you sit down with her and explain the dangers of what your grand scheme entailed. Or the consequences of what would happen if it all went to shit. Which, I will note, it has.¡±
That was what he¡¯d talked about with Olivia last night. He¡¯d made her aware of the fact that this wasn¡¯t a game. How much danger she was in. And how much danger she would have been in regardless of his actions. Because even if he was the one originally slated to marry into the Blackstones, Olivia was the lynchpin to the whole scheme.
If the Queen found out about her parentage at any point prior to the coup and put two and two together¡ Well, the kidnapping he¡¯d just faked would have paled in comparison to what a team of invisible assassins could and would do.
Truthfully, he had no idea how much of his point Olivia had actually absorbed, between kicking his shins, but hopefully he¡¯d dissuaded her from doing anything¡ foolish in the near future.
Like trying to escape.
Because he wouldn¡¯t put it past Yelena to use that as an excuse to tie up a loose end.
The very thought of it made his blood boil as he leaned forward. ¡°To that end, you have no idea the lengths I¡¯ve gone to and the enemies I¡¯ve made to keep her and yourselves from suffering the consequences of you and my mother¡¯s idiocy.¡±
He enjoyed the way she flinched. Because while he might not have enjoyed last night¡¯s conversation, there was a catharsis in this. Sure, Karla might have been the fun aunt and likely the one least involved in the conspiracy ¨C but she was still an adult woman and had been involved.
¡°So I will reiterate what I said politely when I spoke to my mother. Stop spying. Stop scheming. Stop rebelling. And for god¡¯s sake, don¡¯t try to run.¡±
His aunt stood in silence for a few seconds, her expression complicated, before she spoke.
¡°What enemies?¡±
He cocked his head, confused that that would be what she¡¯d honed in on.
¡°The queen for one,¡± he said offhandedly. ¡°The secret behind the Kraken Slayer was her price to stay her hand when she was made aware of Olivia¡¯s parentage and your plans.¡±
¡°The Kraken Slayer¡ how¡¡± Karla choked.
Nearby, he noted the way Xera raised an eyebrow, which made sense given this was news to her too.
¡°The Kraken Slayer was my invention,¡± he said. ¡°Alone. And the secret behind it was a valuable bargaining tool for me. Until I was forced to give it up.¡±
¡°I¡ how?¡±
He made a so-so gesture. ¡°The Flashbang. Spell-bolt. Basically just byproducts of the Kraken Slayer. And that¡¯s all I¡¯ll say on the topic for both our sakes.¡±
He could see her mulling over his words, not entirely sure he was telling the truth but unable to say he was lying either.
¡°Ultimately though that¡¯s irrelevant,¡± he continued. ¡°Consider this me laying down the law. I¡¯m not your law-son here. I¡¯m not another noble hosting you. I¡¯m both your warden and only protector. My estate is the prison you¡¯ve created for yourselves until such time that someone other than Olivia inherits the Summerfield title. Don¡¯t cause any more trouble for me or yourselves.¡±
Finally, his aunt had had enough. ¡°Trouble? There wouldn¡¯t be any trouble or danger if you¡¯d just married the Blackstone girl. Hell, with the secret of the Kraken Slayer the war would have been all-but won already!¡±
He scoffed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to know the insanity in Olivia is not entirely of her own making. Because you seem to be under this illusion that your plan was the safest route for our family. And perhaps it would have been, if everything went perfectly.¡± He gestured about the room. ¡°The fact that you¡¯re standing there and I¡¯m sitting here is proof things never go perfectly. And what happened last night was a very real possibility regardless of my own actions. The Queen is not a fool. Sure, she was taken off-guard by her enemys¡¯ willingness to team up against her to preserve the slave trade, but she is not without intelligence assets of her own.¡±
Again, he made a mental note of the fact that the Blackstones hadn¡¯t informed his family of the existence of Yelena¡¯s invisible guards. And he was still sure the Blackstones knew of them.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
So the question was why they were keeping that detail so close to the chest?
¡°I¡ understand,¡± Karla grunted. ¡°I¡¯m not happy about any of this. Not even close, but I understand what you¡¯re trying to say. There¡¯ll be no trouble from me while I¡¯m here. Nor from Olivia.¡±
¡°Good. You¡¯re dismissed,¡± he said without preamble.
Karla made it halfway to his door before he spoke again, the words slipping out of him. ¡°And for what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m sorry I made my point the way I did. I just¡ needed to hammer home that Olivia needs to stay out of trouble. Yelena¡¯s just looking for an excuse to take her off the board.¡±
Karla paused, eying him.
¡°I guess I¡¯m sorry we pushed you this far. At least, in general. Last night was a step too far. Especially when a conversation would have done more than enough.¡±
Her bit said, the woman left. Willaim stared after her.
¡°I don¡¯t disagree, you know,¡± Xela opined, tone disinterested, as if she were talking about the weather. ¡°I mean, I did as you asked because I¡¯ve got little sympathy for traitors, but¡ given you supposedly love that girl¡ Well, when those other girls called you drama-king, they weren¡¯t kidding.¡±
¡°I get it. I get it. I took things too far,¡± he muttered to the room at large.
And now he was left wondering¡ why? Why did he¡ not just talk to Olivia?
¡®Because he needed to make his point heard¡¯, was the almost instant rejoinder.
¡Except, he could have done that without all these theatrics.
Slowly, his mind circled back to Marline and her words, yet even as he had the thought, he struggled not to dismiss it. Indeed, it was almost unnaturally hard not to do so.
And that clinched it.
Fuck, he thought. The harrowing really is affecting me.
Resisting the urge to slam his head on his desk, he spoke. ¡°I¡ think I should try and make it up to her. Olivia. I mean, I still stand by my reasoning, but you¡¯re right¡ this was all a bit much?¡±
Xela laughed. ¡°The fact you sound unsure about that is concerning. Yes, this was insane.¡±
Well, double fuck.
What to do though?
Food. The idea jumped into his head without prompting. He¡¯d make her something nice. Something new. Maybe something South American? Or French?
¡°Should I ask for a carriage back to the capital?¡± Xera asked as he stood up. ¡°The Instructors will probably still give you the void for missing the morning, but it won¡¯t be so bad if you manage to arrive for the afternoon.¡±
¡°No,¡± he said as he moved out from behind his desk. ¡°I¡¯m heading to the kitchen.¡±
Of all the things Xera might have expected him to say, that clearly wasn¡¯t on the list as she cocked her head. ¡°The kitchen?¡±
¡°Yeah, I¡¡± he started to say as he reached for the door.
Then paused as he realized he didn¡¯t actually didn¡¯t know where the kitchen was beyond generalities. He knew which wing of the estate it was in, but he¡¯d never actually gone in there.
¡°Huh?¡± he said.
Actually, when was the last time he¡¯d done any cooking? Once upon a time he¡¯d done it pretty much every day. Now he couldn¡¯t actually remember the last time he¡¯d stepped into a kitchen.
Not since killing Al''Hundra... or at least thereabouts...
¡°Huh¡¡± he said again. ¡°That¡¯s interesting.¡±
--------------------
Tala resisted the urge to scowl as she followed her mother into the captain¡¯s cabin. ¡°This goes beyond our own ambitions and concerns Lindholm as a whole. We should inform the crown of the submersible capability of the orc craft we¡¯ve recovered. Not least of all because there is still one ship still unaccounted for.¡±
Contrary to the rest of the ship, which was little more than bare steel devoid of decoration, Elanore Blackstone¡¯s cabin was a riot of colors. Captured banners, swords and trophies of all sorts decorated the walls, while rich purple carpeting dominated the floor.
¡°One ship is not a threat,¡± the Blackstone duchess dismissed as she moved to sit behind her desk. ¡°Not even to those soft southerners.¡±
Personally, Tala begged to differ. Ignoring the threat it presented to coastal villages, she could well imagine the damage a single broadside from the vessel might do if it chose to surface right inside a city¡¯s bay. Oh sure, it likely wouldn¡¯t get off more than a salvo or two, but that would still leave a lot of innocent lives lost that could have otherwise been safeguarded with just a few words in the right ears.
The notion was made worse by the fact that such an attack would be entirely in character for the beasts. A final act of spite against their betters before being consigned to oblivion where they belonged.
Indeed, with each passing day with no sighting of the vessel above or below the waves ¨C as limited as their ability to search the latter was ¨C the more she feared that was their plan.
Still, that wasn¡¯t her primary reason for wanting to alert the other houses of Lindhom of this new ship type.
¡°Perhaps not, but if orcs can come up with a concept like this, so can the elves,¡± Tala argued.
That comment made her mother pause, the older woman pausing her writing to think it over.
¡°Assuming our coastal defenses were unaware of the capability, I suppose it¡¯s possible it might give the knife-ears a way of making landfall without us engaging them over the water like last time.¡±
¡°Exactly!¡± Tala said. ¡°We can scarcely settle the score with Yelena if half of the south falls to an invasion fleet before we¡¯re ready to act.¡±
Elanor took a breath, considering her words before she spoke. ¡°That is a risk, but a small one. Had the elves a means of avoiding Kraken attack prior to now, we¡¯d have surely seen them use it against each other.¡±
That was a point. Indeed, Tala knew that both her mother and the crown had a number of informants overseas whose only job was to report on any new weapon developments created in the two race¡¯s constant blood war.
¡°More to the point, this new type of vessel represents a clear opportunity for us. This is a new dynamic in warfare. Amphibious combat. And if properly applied, it might allow us to end our war with the Queen more cleanly than we had earlier hoped.¡±
Tala frowned. ¡°Do we truly have the need? With the Summerfield duchy on our side-¡±
Elanor shook her head. ¡°Not too long ago I received news from our informant in the palace. The Ashfields have turned on us. Yelena is aware of the half-breed¡¯s true ancestry and she has since been hidden away somewhere. Assuming she isn¡¯t dead.¡±
Not for the first time, Tala felt the old urge to curse the Ashfield name. They¡¯d been little more than an impediment from start to last.
¡°Do you think it was William?¡± she asked.
Elanor shrugged. ¡°Your former fianc¨¦? It¡¯s possible. There¡¯s no denying he is the Queen¡¯s creature and he might have overheard something.¡±
Tala fought viciously to keep her temper under control. ¡°Still, I knew he was a traitor to his family and race, but to sell out his own sister?¡±
Tala had exchanged more than a few letters with the half elf and it was clear she adored her older sibling. So much so that Tala had allowed herself some small excitement at the thought of meeting him herself, despite his clear antipathy to their match.
After all, if the man could apparently forgive the girl who¡¯d displaced him as heir, then surely Tala herself could overcome whatever issue had apparently come between her and the boy she¡¯d never met.
And we know how that went, she thought resignedly. Clearly the boy was biding his time to remove his sibling and Olivia had never truly known him.
The thought brought a small pang to her chest before she wrestled it down.
¡°So, with Olivia off the board we¡¯re back to a conventional war rather than the semi-bloodless coup we were hoping for,¡± Tala muttered.
¡°Exactly, a war that not only invites the risk of elven invasion ¨C submersible craft or not ¨C but also our ¡®allies¡¯ getting ideas,¡± Elanor said coolly.
Which Tala understood.
The alliance between them and House New Haven had always been an uneasy one, borne more of a mutual distaste for the crown¡¯s overreach into their affairs than any true solidarity.
Indeed, as staunch elven supremacists, the fact that the duchess of New Haven chose to approach them had been a surprise to all of Blackstone.
¡°There¡¯s every possibility that once the Royal Fleet and the South are defeated,¡± Elanor continued. ¡°New Haven will turn on us by rallying the now pacified elven southern houses to their cause.¡±
The plan did, after all, call for the Blackstone fleet to tangle with the Royal Navy, while the New Haven marine and air fleets looped south.
It was the strategically correct choice given the fact that New Haven had access to a much larger transport fleet for their marines, but that still meant that Blackstone would be tangling with the more difficult target.
Oh, they¡¯d win of course, but that would still leave them in a poor position in the event House New Haven had ambitions beyond just preserving their trade lanes.
¡°Do you ever grow tired of this scheming?¡± Tala asked. ¡°Our greatest allies might well be our greatest enemies in time, while the crown, our actual enemy, needs to be preserved as an ally against our other enemies across the sea.¡±
¡°Oh, you have no idea girl,¡± Elanor laughed, the fleet admiral giving way for just a moment to her mother beneath.
¡°Yet we keep scheming all the same.¡±
¡°For the good of our race,¡± Elanor said. ¡°Never forget that. Would that the Queen had her way, it¡¯d be but a few years before everything we and our ancestors have fought for would be rendered moot. Orcs living amongst us, defiling our men. Multiplying beyond control. The Royal Navy even more rife with treacherous greenskins just waiting to turn their cannons on us and ours. And us, shackled by the law and powerless to stop any of it.¡±
Elanor shook her head. ¡°No. Yelena forced our hand with these reforms.¡±
Sighing, she turned back to her writing. ¡°Which is why we¡¯ll keep the orc¡¯s capabilities silent for now. At least as best we can. Just as I have spies in the South, it¡¯s all but guaranteed the Queen has spies in the North. So we need to move fast before the secret inevitably leaps. We¡¯ll both repair the ships and convert another squadron to be outfitted similarly. And through them we¡¯ll hopefully be able to bring the coming war to a swift end.¡±
¡°And if the Crown discovers we knew about this new ship type and confronts us about it?¡± Tala asked.
Elanor snorted. ¡°We¡¯ll claim we considered it beneath their notice. What¡¯s she going to do, declare war on us? If Yelena had confidence she could do that and win, she¡¯d have done it by now.¡±
Tala didn¡¯t argue. Even with new ships being put into service as a result of the newly harvested mithril cores they had access to, it would be years yet before the crown enough hulls combat ready to make victory against the North a guarantee.
¡°At least now we don¡¯t have to wait for the half-breed to come of age,¡± Elanor muttered.
And once more, Tala felt a pang. Half-breed or not, Olivia had clearly taken after her human side more than that of the elf. She¡¯d¡ liked her, after a fashion.
Once more, the low simmering hatred she had for William Redwater threatened to flare up. Once more she forced it down before speaking. ¡°Nor arrange for the reclusive Summerfield duchess to have an accident when the girl did.¡±
¡°No, I suppose not,¡± Elanor said. ¡°And the last six months have done much to recover our reputation in the eyes of the fence sitters after your¡ loss last year. Our crushing of the orc resistance at long last has certainly helped on that front.¡±
Tala grinned. ¡°How long do you think it¡¯ll be before we can move?¡±
Elanor hummed. ¡°Between refitting our new ships and bringing a few of the houses that got cold feet back into the fold? Another year? Maybe less?¡±
Tala grinned, and as she did she hoped Olivia was smiling up at them from the Void. For though her death had made the coming conflict more difficult than it might otherwise have been, it had also brought victory one step closer.
And Tala fully intended to reap a bloody vengeance in the half-elf¡¯s name.
Starting with the man who had ultimately caused her demise.
William Redwater.
¡Though she knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy. She¡¯d underestimated the cad once and paid for it. Why, she¡¯d bet that even now he was cooking up some manner of nefariousness¡
-------------------
Team Seven was more than a little surprised to find their team leader present when they tiredly tromped back into their dorm.
And not just present, he was cooking.
Both surprising because William didn¡¯t cook, and because the dorms weren¡¯t really suited to it. The small kitchenette they had was basically only suitable for warming up a bowl of stew and little else.
Yet there William was, a few different items on the go as he stirred something frankly delicious smelling around in a small pot.
¡°William?¡± Verity asked as she unslung her flight gear. ¡°The Instructor said you were sick?¡±
¡°Or hungover,¡± Olzenya added as she curiously peered at the small collection of other items that had been piled onto the table.
¡°Something like that,¡± the boy in question said as he pulled something off his singular stove. ¡°Fortunately, it let me come to a few realizations.¡±
¡°Realizations that lead to you cooking?¡± Marline asked as she poked at some kind of¡ fluorescent jellyfish like thing. ¡°God it''s been ages since you''ve made anything."
¡°I know right?¡± the boy said with a wide lopsided smile. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t seem rusty,¡± the dark elf pointed out.
He favored his teammate with a look. ¡°Ah, some things you never forget.¡±
For some reason, those words seemed to make a look of realization come over the dark elf as she once more gazed at the smorgasbord of food. Personally, Bonnlyn wasn¡¯t too interested in figuring out why. All she wanted to do was dig her fork into a nearby stack of¡ something with rice.
¡°That¡¯s¡ good?¡± Marline said.
William shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve found it relaxes me. Lets me take my mind off¡ other things.¡±
Once more there was that queer look of realization. ¡°Oh, then that is good.¡±
The boy just smiled. ¡°Now, some of this is for Griffith and some is for the Whitehall twins, but there¡¯s plenty for my team.¡±
None of the girls could move fast enough to sit down, barely waiting before tucking in.
¡°Oh, also, Verity?¡± William continued a moment later.
The girl in question glanced up in alarm, some kind of frosting already smeared across her lips. ¡°Sorry! Was I not supposed to eat that bit!?¡±
¡°No, nothing like that. I¡¯m glad you like it.¡± William smiled. ¡°No, I was just going to ask how you¡¯d feel if I bought your family¡¯s contracts? Or yours, specifically? Then had them come live on my land. I¡¯ve already got a patch of land set aside. To own in perpetuity.¡±
He paused, a complicated expression coming over his face. ¡°Truth be told, I was going to just¡ do it without saying anything, but it occurred to me it¡¯d probably be better to ask.¡±
Silence fell across the room, the sound of all chewing stopping instantly.
But for a small sound.
A low squealing that seemed to be emanating from a certain green skinned young woman.
Chapter Fifty One
Absently, as he clambered off the wing, William glanced at the line of flower shaped wax stains that had been stitched along the side of the Drake he¡¯d just dismounted.
¡°S¡¯alright kid,¡± the instructor called from her position in the co-pilot seat. ¡°You flew as well as you could. Sometimes the odds just aren¡¯t in your favor.¡±
William nodded seriously at the very rare show of encouragement. Instructors, as a rule of thumb, were sparing with praise and generous with criticism. Before he could dwell on it though, he was forced to shuffle out of the way as a small swarm of servants descended on the shard brandishing mops and other tools. Stepping away from them, he started walking towards the hangar.
As he did, he was a little surprised by how frustrated he was with how the last thirty minutes had gone.
Olzenya had gone down to an early head on and he¡¯d been pretty systematically hunted down afterward. Now, if his opponents had been in Drakes, perhaps he might have been able to turn that around. Maybe. Unfortunately, this week marked the start of inter-house matches and as such his opponents were in a Harpy Three and a Firebird.
In short, the kind of high agility craft that were impossible to shake once they got on your tail.
Now, if that added nimbleness was their only advantage, he might have been able to make things work. But it wasn¡¯t. They were also lighter, more responsive and retained energy better while climbing and in turns. By contrast, the only thing Drake had going for it was a higher wing tear speed and a higher top speed in a straight line.
Which he could have leveraged to gain some distance to maybe turn things around, if hadn¡¯t been forced to keep making course adjustments to avoid long range fire. Which killed his speed and allowed his two pursuers to catch up and riddle him.
Running his hand through his hair as he stepped into the slightly cooler, warmer interior of the hangar, he mused that while this reminder of his own mortality was frustrating, it was hardly the end of the world. After all, you learned more from loss than victory, and while he wasn¡¯t entirely sure what he was supposed to learn from this particular lesson, other than the fact that his opponent¡¯s had been flying craft which were infinitely better designed for this kind of small unit engagement than his Drake, he was sure he¡¯d eventually think of something.
¡°Sorry William,¡± Olzenya called out to him as she jogged over, her flight helmet still on but with her goggles up and mask down. ¡°I swore I had her.¡±
William shrugged as he grabbed a wooden cup of water from a nearby table of refreshments. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. The Drake has better guns and armor. You should have had the advantage.¡± He sipped his water. ¡°You just got unlucky.¡±
The high elf¡¯s expression was still slightly sour, but she at least seemed somewhat mollified by his words. ¡°My instructor didn¡¯t seem to think so. She gave me a right bollocking for pulling off such a ¡®brain-dead maneuver¡¯.¡±
Bollocking?
William smirked a bit at the incredibly un-Olzenya-like language. Maybe she¡¯d picked it up from Xela or Bonnlyn? He could easily imagine either of the two using it.
¡°I mean, the Academy has rules against that sort of thing for a reason,¡± he said carefully. ¡°Planes crashing into each other in mid-air is bad for their reputation.¡±
Healing magic could cure a lot of things, but being reduced to a puddle in a high speed aerial collision wasn¡¯t one of them.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t have crashed,¡± Olzenya scoffed in a rare show of rebelliousness.
He shrugged. ¡°Our lessons say that against an aluminium frame, aether cannons are considered effective at three hundred and fifty meters. And while they can be dangerous at over six hundred meters, we only have so much ammo, so it¡¯s best to save our shots until we¡¯re likely to do more than scratch paint.¡±
Plus, at six hundred meters you really needed to start arcing your shots. And the travel time for said shots would start reaching the point where an enemy pilot could actively dodge the incoming rounds.
You¡¯d also need to worry about convergence if you were in one of the designs he was making back at Red Water, with the guns in the wings. Which meant you¡¯d only be hitting with half your guns, while the other would be spraying off into the clouds. But given everything here had rear mounted propellers, guns were in the nose so setting a convergence distance wasn¡¯t a factor.
He shook his head to dismiss that strange side tangent ¨C even as he made a note to remind Xela of the issue, even if she likely already knew it.
Like she already knew about wax rounds, he thought.
Last he¡¯d checked, the woman had already got a rotation set-up to make enchanted ammo belts for the upcoming practice duels for the plebian pilots.
¡°Your point?¡± Olzenya asked, drawing his attention back to the topic at hand.
¡°My point.¡± He coughed. ¡°Is that in real combat, in a head-on-engagement, you¡¯d only realistically start shooting at someone when you¡¯re all of two seconds or so from actually colliding with them - assuming they¡¯re also engaged in a head on. At that range, even if you kill the pilot, shred the props and dislodge their core, there¡¯s a decent chance the possibly flaming wreckage of their shard is either going to miss you by the slimmest of margins as it flies past, or it¡¯ll slam into you with the force of a vengeful god. At which point, you¡¯re both dead.¡±
In short, getting used to taking head-on-engagements was not a good practice for anyone.
¡°I¡¯d dodge.¡±
He scoffed. ¡°What if the enemy has damaged your flight surfaces during the head on you¡¯ve just engaged in? It¡¯s pretty much a given they¡¯ll have clipped you a few times at least. And I¡¯d wager the first warning you¡¯ll get that your plane now turns just that little bit slower would come moments before your opponent¡¯s slammed into you.¡±
Olzenya grimaced at his words and the image they presented.
He continued. ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying before. That head-on might have been a move that advantaged you in your Drake, but head-on engagements still aren¡¯t smart. Because they¡¯re more likely to kill both pilots involved than not.¡±
Hell, shards here didn¡¯t even have the ¡®advantage¡¯ of having a giant fuck off engine shaped mass of metal to hide behind when taking a foe head on. The shard-core was usually kept just under the pilot seat, so the only thing in the nose was the guns and forward aether ballast. Neither of which were well suited to stopping rounds.
¡°Alright. I get it,¡± the high elf grumbled as she turned to look at where the craft they¡¯d just landed in ¨C now cleaned and with fresh cadets in them ¨C took off again. ¡°Maybe the old bag had a point.¡± She sighed. ¡°Still, what else are we supposed to do? Can¡¯t out-turn a Harpy or Firebird. Definitely can¡¯t out climb them. Void, we can¡¯t even outpace them unless we stick to a straight line, at which point we¡¯re an easy target even if they have to arc their shots. You proved that.¡±
William frowned because he didn¡¯t have an answer.
¡Or rather, he did, and he was doing his level best to ignore it even as they ate at his brain like a million adrenaline fueled inchworms.
Detachable rocket boosters.
Turn the aether-cannons into budget spell-bolts by moving the explosion to the back of the round to act as a magical version of a chemical propellent.
Supply the team with handheld radios so we can communicate better.
Those ideas and more started racing through his mind unbidden. Like lightning across the skies of his psyche.
But he resisted all of them.
Because while they were a solution to his problem, they were¡ too much.
Too much.
People would see them and they¡¯d develop their own. Either by themselves or by stealing the designs. Sure, they¡¯d not be able to use them either way without running afoul of the stigma against stealing family-magecraft, but they¡¯d still develop them in private. Then use them in the upcoming civil war.
¡And part of him didn¡¯t care.
It just wanted to win.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said.
Olzenya groaned.
¡°So, to avoid thinking about our likely to become ongoing pasting during inter-house practice bouts, what kind of food do you think Verity¡¯s family would like?¡±
¡°Food?¡± she squawked. ¡°You just admitted to the fact that we¡¯re likely to keep losing and you¡¯re thinking about food?¡±
William shrugged. ¡°Better than driving ourselves nutty thinking about a problem without easy answers. Besides, they¡¯re just academy rankings.¡±
¡°Just academy rankings!?¡±
--------------------
William had a feeling Olzenya still hadn¡¯t forgiven him for that comment even four days on.
¡°Huh, this is actually quite nice,¡± William opined as he stepped out of the carriage and into the morning sunlight.
Behind him, Olzenya and Verity made noises of disagreement and agreement respectively. Neither of which surprised him.
Located barely a few miles outside the capital walls, the land in front of him was little more than cottages and farms for as far as the eye could see.
Small farms, he noted as the trio started to walk the stone road. Just big enough for a family to support themselves while garnering a small profit each season.
Perfectly sized for retiring royal knights and their families. Or, in Verity¡¯s case, a place to put the families of knight-trainees for the duration of their service term. Assuming she both graduated and survived the entirety of her service, the land given to her family on a temporary basis would become hers in full.
It was a very Roman approach to military service and compensation, but with a few unpleasant caveats.
For one thing, the land wouldn¡¯t be Verity¡¯s permanently. It would belong to her family for no more than three generations, at which point said family better have produced another mage capable of garnering a knighthood or they were out on their ass.
A condition William couldn¡¯t help but note advantaged elves tremendously given that the timescale was in ¡®generations¡¯ rather than ¡®years¡¯. Three generations of elves could span three to five hundred years. Three generations of orcs, humans or dwarves might only take less than a hundred. And half-elves varied depending on which direction their blood was thickest.
In short, this system, while ostensibly a form of social mobility, served to favor the nation¡¯s ruling caste most of all. Just one structural issue amongst many William intended to solve once he had enough power to do so.
¡°I know, right?¡± Verity opined loudly as she practically jogged in place. ¡°Though, uh, I¡¯m sure the spot you¡¯ve picked out for my family will be just as nice, William.¡±
He smiled. ¡°Nicer.¡±
Or at least, bigger. He could do bigger. Nicer was subjective.
For one thing, the land around Redwater wasn¡¯t too kind to crops. The ground was too tough. Hence why most of the industry prior to his arrival had been in mining, hunting and sheep.
¡He could provide sheep. And if Verity¡¯s family were farmers, then surely they¡¯d be able to figure out sheep.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
¡°Nicer, eh?¡± Olzenya murmured as she came up behind them. ¡°Is that a promise you¡¯re making to everyone who enters your service?¡±
Ah, he¡¯d been somewhat curious as to why Olzenya had offered to come along. If he hadn¡¯t offered to pick up her contract, she¡¯d have been set to inherit a plot of land around her just the same as Verity.
And while said land was definitely a step up for a former slave, it was something of a step down for a noble daughter ¨C even if she was something like sixth in the line of succession.
¡°It is,¡± he assured the elf. ¡°We can discuss it in more detail once we get back to my estate if you want? Maybe tour around the territory to find something that appeals to you both?¡±
Both girls nodded with varying levels of eagerness.
William made a mental note to speak with Xela on the subject, given she had a similar deal with him. He had no idea where it was, but he knew she owned a plot of land on his territory, given to her when she was installed as interim governess. Technically, he could revoke it at some point, given said land was granted by the crown rather than him prior to his instatement as count.
At which point the Crown would be obligated to reimburse her said land from an estate here. Ironically, she and Verity could end up switching places.
Not that that would ever happen. Xela was simply too competent for him to lose, and regardless of her former affiliations, Xela had made it clear through her actions and words that she was loyal to the Redwater ¨C and by extension him ¨C beyond them.
Loyalty he was hoping to strengthen before long. He¡¯d had an idea in that direction, but he needed to air it out with Griffith first.
And the twins, he supposed.
Walking down the road, the trio passed workers laboring in the fields as Verity led them in the direction of her home. They didn¡¯t garner much interest as they walked, said workers likely used to the coming and going of Academy students. Indeed, it wasn¡¯t impossible some of the older women William could see might well have been academy students once upon a time.
To that end, it wasn¡¯t long before they found themselves before a set of otherwise nondescript wooden doors ¨C the noise from within giving no doubt as to the presence of occupants.
¡°Uh,¡± Verity said hesitantly, a feeling that had only grown the closer and closer they got to her home. ¡°I, uh, I¡¯m sorry if my family is¡ uh¡¡±
It was clear she was searching for something to describe them with and coming up short.
¡°It¡¯s fine, Verity.¡± He patted her on the arm. ¡°I¡¯m sure if they¡¯re anything like you, I¡¯ll love them.¡±
He knew those were the wrong words to use the moment they left his mouth, given the way the orc flushed deeply.
Ah well, there was nothing he could do about it now. Instead of clearing up the subtle misunderstanding, he turned to wrap three times against the wooden door. It didn¡¯t take long for someone to answer, the sound of his knocking translating beyond whatever bedlam was occurring within the small cottage.
Though it¡¯s not really that small is it, he thought as someone started to open the door. Huge families in this world means big houses.
The cottage was only small by the standards of this world, and that couldn¡¯t have been made more evident as the door opened and William came face to face with no less than four sets of eyes.
¡°Verity?¡± the slightly frazzled orcish woman standing there said, the three green-skinned children literally gripping her skirts remaining silent. ¡°What are you? Oh-¡±
¡°Hey Ma,¡± Verity said sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m back for the weekend. And I brought friends. This is Olzenya and William.¡±
The first syllable of his name had barely left the girl¡¯s mouth before Verity¡¯s mother ¨C though clearly not biologically given the older woman¡¯s short stature for an orc ¨C was taking a knee, her other hand forcing her children to do likewise, her flour coated brown dress brushing across the floor.
¡°My lord, my, uh, greatest apologies for not saying hello with all the, uh, proper courtesies and¡ stuff.¡± She was clearly floundering in both surprise and attempt to speak ¡®properly¡¯.
And if William hadn¡¯t already spent nineteen years in this world, that might have discomfited him. As it was, he was used to it.
¡°It¡¯s not a problem at all, ma¡¯am,¡± he said softly, making sure to smile. ¡°Please don¡¯t feel the need to stand on the usual courtesies. I¡¯m not here today as Lord Redwater, but as a student and friend of your daughter.¡±
He knew better than to try and throw out social convention. Instead, he found it was usually better to reframe his position when talking to his social lesser.
¡°I, uh,¡± the woman said as she glanced over at her daughter, who looked faintly mortified. ¡°If that¡¯s so, then please let me welcome you to our home. We don¡¯t have much, but anything you might wish to have that is ours we can offer. It¡¯s only suitable repayment for the kindness you¡¯ve shown our daughter.¡± She paused as she carefully clambered to her feet, pulling up the youngest child with her, before hastily adding. ¡°And to you as well, young lady.¡±
Olzenya, who¡¯d been slightly annoyed at being ignored in favor of him, nodded. Not that she could complain. Theoretically, she held the same rank as Verity right now ¨C though only in theory - whereas he was a titled lord.
Sighing, Verity stepped forward, absently ruffling one of the younger girl¡¯s hair as she did so. ¡°Well, you heard Aunt Franny, please come in. Grab a seat at the table in the room on the left and I¡¯ll start gathering the family.¡±
The older woman, caught somewhere between wanting to reprimand her daughter and glancing nervously at him, had her eyes widen at her law-daughter¡¯s words.
¡°Family?¡±
Smiling as comfortingly as he could, William refused to take the final step across the house¡¯s threshold quite yet. ¡°Just so. While I¡¯d normally need no excuse to want to visit a teammate¡¯s lovely family, on this occasion there¡¯s a topic I¡¯d like to discuss with the clan as a whole.¡±
The woman started to pale, who knew what kind of scenarios flashing across her mind, before Verity took pity on her and gently grabbed her arm. ¡°It¡¯s fine, ma¡¯. It¡¯s a good thing, I promise.¡±
That at least, seemed to calm the woman some, trust in her daughter finally making headway against her panic at the thought of hosting a ranking noble. ¡°I, uh, if you say so, your, uh, lordship.¡±
Amused a little at the way the youngest child was gazing at him with wide eyes, William just nodded as he turned to the woman.
¡°Lordship is fine, but Count William or Lord Redwater or also perfectly acceptable.¡± He gestured to the room Verity had indicated. ¡°With your permission, may my teammate and I make use of your dining room?¡±
¡°Of course! Of course!¡± Franny said eagerly as she stepped back, allowing him proper entry.
Nodding in thanks, William and Olzenya stepped inside.
The interior of Verity¡¯s home was¡ homely, or at least, those were William¡¯s thoughts as he strode towards the dining room. For all that they¡¯d not been here long, they¡¯d clearly made it their own. Various knickknacks, tools and rustic toys were strewn about the place, but not in a way that suggested untidiness, merely a result of the place being lived in.
Everything seemed both worn but well cared for in a way he respected. In short, it was exactly the sort of home he imagined a girl like Verity growing up in.
¡°A lot of chairs,¡± Olzenya noted idly as she took a seat at the frankly massive table dominating the center of the room.
¡°You¡¯re an elf and a noble besides,¡± William said back quietly, more than aware of the curious eyes even now gathering in the doorway ¨C more young and older kids.
The elf considered her words for a moment, before nodding as if that was a sufficient explanation. Which, admittedly, it was.
William didn¡¯t know whether there was magic involved, a lack of interest on the part of elven males, or just low fertility on the part of the elven race, but by and large elves didn¡¯t reproduce all that fast.
Not like humans, dwarves and orcs who inevitably ended up as huge clans as multiple women gathered around the few available men.
Despite that, it wasn¡¯t long before the adult members of Verity¡¯s family were all gathered up. Sweaty from the fields and looking keenly aware of it as they sat across from him, each and every one of them looked nervous as they regarded him. A sentiment that clearly wasn¡¯t shared by the multitude of girls peeking through the doors of the dining room, whispering loudly back and forth while occasionally giggling.
¡°Alright, your lordship,¡± a woman who¡¯d introduced herself as Deadra said as she sat at the head of the table. ¡°Verity says you¡¯d like to speak to us.¡±
Despite being inwardly pleased at the fact the head of the family seemed less terrified than her law-sister, William would admit to being a little distracted by the man sitting next to her.
And he was a man. No doubt about that.
During his time in this world, he¡¯d gotten if not comfortable with, then accustomed to men being less¡ manly. Not effeminate, per se, just less classically masculine. The builds were typically slimmer. Boys took less risks. Men didn¡¯t have scars.
Just¡ less manly. It wasn¡¯t like they were wearing dresses or anything.
Clearly though, Verity¡¯s father didn¡¯t get that message.
Regarding scars and muscle, not dresses, William thought as he blanched a little at the mental image of the massive man in a dress. Is this what a man looks like who grew up without the protection of nobility in a slave pen?
Belatedly, he realized he was staring, a frown passing over his face as the behemoth of muscle opposite him deferentially lowered his gaze.
That just felt¡ wrong.
Not least of all because said deference wasn¡¯t born of cowardice. Just good sense.
Determinedly keeping his feelings off his face, he smiled lightly as he turned to the clan matriarch. ¡°I do actually, though nothing onerous I assure. And this is an offer, not a demand or anything like that.¡±
Some of the tension seemed to bleed out of the room at his words, but that wasn¡¯t to say Deadra or her sister wives relaxed fully. ¡°We understand.¡±
¡°Right, well, I suppose I¡¯ll just come out and say it. I was hoping to buy out Verity¡¯s contract with the crown,¡± he said simply. ¡°In doing so, I¡¯d be obligated to provide her with an estate of similar quality to this or better somewhere within my own territory. And I can assure you, it will be better. In return, once she graduated she would come to serve me in a similar capacity to what she would have done the crown. Something she¡¯s assured me is not abhorrent to her.¡±
Practically enveloped at the back of the room amongst her relatives, his teammate nodded eagerly. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be. Assuming abhorrent means what I think it means.¡±
¡°It does,¡± Olzenya drawled absently.
Ignoring the two, Willliam continued. ¡°To further sweeten the deal, I¡¯d also be willing to extend the three generation leasing of the land chosen for your new home into outright ownership ¨C not to be voided or interfered with by me or any of my descendants.¡±
Which he could see being a problem for someone in his line a few generations distant, but to be frank, he didn¡¯t give a shit. Hell, ideally his descendants wouldn¡¯t even have a claim to the land by that point, given his end goal was a democratic society.
His bit said, he waited patiently for a response.
One that wasn¡¯t forthcoming. There was nothing but silence in the room. Even the girls in the doorway had ceased their whispered gossiping.
Which was when he heard it. Growing in volume at the barest edge of his hearing.
A low whistle, one which didn¡¯t take him too long to pinpoint the origins of.
Huh, he thought. Turns out it¡¯s her dad¡¯s side of the family she gets the whole¡ whistling thing from.
That was¡ surprising.
¡°Perhaps you should pull out that cake you brought?¡± Olzenya whispered. ¡°While Verity¡¯s family¡ think over your proposal.¡±
He glanced down at the box he¡¯d brought with him.
¡°Ok.¡±
Though he¡¯d barely reached for the clasps before a number of people started shouting at once, all thoughts of decorum forgotten.
¡°We accept!¡± ¡°Please!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Ancestors be praised!¡± ¡°Please take care of Verity!¡±
-------------------
Yotul scowled as she awoke to the familiar sight of her cabin¡¯s ceiling. Climbing out of her bed, she cursed the sticky heat that made the sheets attempt to stick to her skin.
¡°This continent is no place for a free orc,¡± she muttered as she started throwing on her clothes for the day.
Moving through the halls of the Blood-Oath, she tried not to wrinkle her nose at the smell of passing tribeswomen. Even after being here for weeks, it seemed that not a member of the crew was adapting well to the heat. Not after a lifetime in the soothing chill of the Razorbacks.
Stepping onto the bridge, she noted the relief in her second¡¯s eyes at the thought of being relieved of watch.
¡°How many attempts during the night?¡± Yotul asked without preamble.
¡°Just the one,¡± Olga responded. ¡°The invisible ones again, presumably, given Arka¡¯s claims of something trying to get into the screamer-room despite there being two orcs on the door. Two orcs who corroborate that something they couldn¡¯t see was pulling at the handle.¡±
¡°Anyone hurt?¡±
¡°No,¡± the orc shook her head. ¡°At least, not from our side. Kraka claims she felt something when she lashed out with her spear, but no amount of shuffling found blood or an invisible body, so clearly said strike hit armor and the invisible spy got away.¡± The former navy woman chuffed.
Yotul shivered at the thought of what such a foe could do if they chose to stop playing ¡®nice¡¯. Rumors had always persisted of invisible assassins back in the Razobacks, but most considered them tall tales used to scare young pups.
Now it seemed, they were real ¨C albeit, not in service to humans.
¡°They know the price of truly testing us,¡± Olga said, seeing her discomfort. ¡°They need the screamer for their scheme.¡±
Yotul nodded as she slipped into the captain¡¯s chair. ¡°We can only then hope that their interest in the Kraken Slayer remains higher than that of our Screamer.¡±
More to the point, she hoped that their ¡®hosts¡¯ continued to believe that she would destroy the screamer before allowing it to fall into their hands.
Unfortunately, such a threat was rather all or nothing ¨C and thus why their hosts continued to test her through their attempts to gain access to the device.
Though as attempts went, this one was rather clumsy. The one involving the wood elf stuck to the outer hull had been far more inventive. It was almost enough to make her believe their liaison¡¯s paper-thin excuse that these attempts came from a multitude of rogue elements within the royal court seeking an advantage.
The end result was that Yotul and her crew of free orcs were in a ship essentially under siege. And that would remain the case for months more.
Naturally, tempers were running high as a result of that, the heat and being so far from home.
Fortunately, while Yotul couldn¡¯t leave the ship unguarded or even undermanned, she had managed to negotiate the possibility for limited shore leave for the crew. They just needed to go in shifts.
Unfortunately, allowing her people some freedom from the Blood-Oath had helped less than she¡¯d hoped.
Because the Blackstones took slaves but didn¡¯t keep them. Nor did New Haven. There was too much risk.
No, they sold them.
To places like here, Yotul thought as she glanced out the recently restored bridge windows.
Outside, through the blinding sun, she could see the city of Mirahesh, westernmost city of the Lunite Khanate and gateway to the New World. Gleaming towers and sleek looking airships dominated the skies, while the city below was a riot of different colors as traders from across the known and unknown world plied their trade. Humans. Elves. Dwarves. Some manner of fish people she¡¯d since been informed weren¡¯t wood elves but were from some land across the sea ¨C or under it, according to some of her other crew members who¡¯d crossed paths with the strange scaley people.
It was fascinating. It was beautiful. And it was horrifying. Because even from here she could see them. Orcish slaves working the docks in place of their elven masters. Loading and unloading ships. And more still would be manning the many shops and taverns that made up the trade district.
It was a stark reminder of the kind of wyvern she¡¯d lashed herself and the Blood-Oath too.
Needless to say, enthusiasm for her plan dipped considerably since her people had also been given that reminder. That just because these new elves weren¡¯t their usual oppressors did not mean their hands were free of orc blood.
Unfortunately, we¡¯ve little choice now, Yotul thought as she reclined in her command throne. The Empress won¡¯t let us leave. Even if we gave her the Screamer, she¡¯d kill us all to keep us from spreading it to her enemies.
For better and worse, they were stuck on this path. Her only consolation was that at the end of it lay a poisoned chalice.
Until then, she still needed to work with people she¡¯d sooner have stabbed through the guts.
¡°Get some rest, Olga,¡± Yotul said. ¡°Just be ready to take over command again when our liaison deigns to show himself.¡±
¡°As you command, my chieftess,¡± her second said before leaving the bridge.
Watching her go, Yotul wanted to sigh. She hoped Olga got a long rest, because that would mean her own ¡®tour¡¯ of the refit yards would be put off that much longer. And in turn meant she could avoid having to hear her liaison¡¯s snide remarks as she was forced to watch orcish work gangs being whipped by uncaring elven masters as they worked on designs created by free orcs.
¡°Freedom. From the Blackstones. From Lindholm. From Lunites and Solites,¡± she murmured to herself.
Chapter Fifty Two
William supposed it was inevitable.
He chose the Corsair as a design to replicate for two reasons. Firstly, because its folded wings meant he could store more of the machines in a ship that was never really designed to act as a proper carrier. Secondly, because of the Corsair¡¯s historical eleven to one kill ratio against the Japanese in the pacific theater.
While shards most definitely weren¡¯t Mitsubishi Zeros, they shared many of the same performance principles. Those being a lightweight frame and excellent turning capability.
With that said, the Corsair was not without flaws. Not least of which was the nose.
It was long.
Which meant it obscured the pilot¡¯s vision when they were coming in to land. A trait that was more inconvenient than dangerous on an airfield, but on an aircraft carrier ¨C or airship ¨C it could be downright deadly.
¡°You say she misjudged the angle?¡± he asked as he looked over at the nervous young woman sitting in the hospital bed in front of him.
Well, to call it a hospital bed was a bit of a misnomer. It was a room in his estate that occasionally functioned as an infirmary. One that was now occupied by him, Xela and one mildly-maimed pilot trainee.
He said mildly, because while the young woman¡¯s foot was definitely not the shape of a foot under all those bloody bandages, it was technically still attached. Though that would likely only remain the case until the healer outside got the go ahead to break out her hacksaw.
¡°Aye,¡± Xela grumbled, glaring heatedly at him. ¡°Which I might have corrected, had an unfortunate gust of wind made that impossible in the time before impact. Twas¡¯ all I could do to pull the ejector handle before the Shard hit.¡±
That was a little concerning, even if it was a relief that Xela herself was ok. He genuinely didn¡¯t know what he would do if he lost access to her abilities at this juncture. Hell, the only thing that might be more crippling would be losing Piper.
¡°I thought the instructor¡¯s ejector handle was linked to the forward seat as well? Did hers not function correctly?¡±
¡°No,¡± Xela¡¯s single word answer was as dry as sand. ¡°Blacksmiths went over the wreck once they peeled your Corsair off the deck of your ship¡¯s new ¡®flat top¡¯, and while they can¡¯t be sure, they think the release valve for the front seat jammed.¡±
Which meant that the sudden blast of aether that should have been directed from the engines up under the seat and cockpit glass in an attempt to blow both clear of the Shard failed to materialize for the front seat.
With that in mind, it was actually rather impressive that the only lasting injuries the woman in the bed before them had was a single mangled foot. Oh, she had bruises galore and more than a few abrasions, but those were temporary.
No, the reason he¡¯d been called in here immediately after arriving back at his estate was the foot.
That was a crippling injury. One that would see the young woman across from him removed from the flight program and likely just about any other kind of work that might be available to a peasant.
Something she was clearly well aware of given her downcast and terrified expression. It was a fairly significant fall from the heady highs of a few days ago, where she¡¯d been set to become one of the planet¡¯s first peasant pilots ¨C a veritable knight of the skies.
Now the life of either a burden to her family or a beggar in the streets was just about all she could hope for.
¡°I would have thought we¡¯d have tested the ejector seats to make sure they worked correctly when we made the Corsair-M undergo its first refit?¡± he asked, turning back to Xela.
¡°We did,¡± the wood elf said. ¡°Briefly. Both seats worked then. Unfortunately, it seems that either the valve was damaged in flight or, more likely, during a repair cycle in the time since then. An error that an extensive review cycle would have picked up between flights, but¡¡±
¡°¡But we¡¯ve had to cut those short to maintain each trainee¡¯s flight quota,¡± William hummed.
¡°Exactly.¡±
It was clear from Xela¡¯s tone what she wanted. To either downsize the training cadre or slow down the pace of their training.
Not because the trainees themselves couldn¡¯t keep up, but because the techs were being run ragged keeping the Sshards the trainees were practicing on operational. It didn¡¯t help that said machines were a totally new design. Mage-smiths often spent years familiarizing themselves with every nook and cranny of a design so that they could magically reshape it without fear of accidentally warping some part of it in the process.
That unfamiliarity was likely how the issue with the ejector valve came about, some mage¡¯s mind wandering just slightly during the repairs and warping a component.
¡°I know what you want,¡± William said. ¡°And I can¡¯t do it. Put simply, we need the pilots. If that means the training cadre suffers some degree of attrition as a result, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s simply the cost of doing business.¡±
Down in the bed, one such ¡®casualty¡¯ flinched, and Xela looked like she wanted to slap him.
¡°With that said,¡± he continued hurriedly. ¡°While we can¡¯t afford to lose time by slowing down the program, we likewise can¡¯t afford to lose partially-trained pilots to otherwise trivial injuries.¡±
The trainee pilot¡¯s head shot up so fast he was a little worried she¡¯d need treatment for whiplash in addition to her other injuries. Across from her, Xela frowned.
¡°This¡ isn¡¯t trivial shit, William. Otherwise Suthers would have fixed it by now.¡±
Suthers was his personal physician, though in truth the Lord of Redwater rarely saw the woman. In addition to her quarters at his estate, she also had a small clinic down in the town itself. One that operated for minimal profit that the young woman established while Xela had been in charge. As he understood it, she spent most of her time there, seeing to the ailments of those she could.
Which unfortunately, wasn¡¯t everyone, as the case in front of them proved. As he understood it, ¡®healing magic¡¯ operated on similar principles to mage-smithing ¨C in that a healer needed to properly visualize what they intended to fix and how.
Which required decades of study, given the potential for harm should anything be¡ amiss.
Which is why it¡¯s not a coincidence that most healers are elves, he thought.
Suthers wasn¡¯t. She was as human as him. And only a journeywoman besides. Which was fine for setting broken bones or fixing stomach aches, but for something like a more or less pulped foot?
¡°Then we¡¯ll hire a master. On commission or permanently.¡± He shrugged. ¡°We have the coin.¡±
Or they would in time, once the gramophone business really started up. As it was, his once flush treasury was beginning to look more empty than not as a result of his many ongoing expenses. Between the workshops and his plebeian training program, they were operating so far in the red it wasn¡¯t even funny. And while the payout he¡¯d received from Yelena for his creation of the Kraken Slayer was kingly ¨C it was still finite.
In the bed, if the trainee¡¯s eyes shone with hope before, they gleamed with awe now. By contrast, Xela¡¯s expression only grew more complicated.
¡°May I speak to you outside, milord?¡± she said finally.
He nodded, having some idea as to what this would be about. Though as he turned to leave, a hand shot out, aborting from grabbing his sleeve only at the last moment.
¡°I- ah, I¡¯ll repay you for this, Lord Redwater. We, all of us, appreciate this opportunity you¡¯ve given us. To be mage-knights. It¡¯s a childhood dream come true. One I thought over until just now,¡± the young woman¡¯s words burned with fervor. ¡°I promise, you¡¯ll have a loyal servant in me until the end of time. Thank you.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
He hesitated, before plastering on a smile. ¡°See that you do. Practice hard. Redwater will have need of you and your fellows before long.¡±
He left, making for the hallway outside before the woman could respond. He didn¡¯t want thanks. He expected at least one fatality from a crash before things were through.
Likely two, he thought. Because assuming no more valve failures, if a trainee fails to eject before impact, that likely means the instructor failed to bail too.
All because he wasn¡¯t giving his craft enough maintenance time.
Oh, he could resolve that issue right now. Or within the week. The first Corsair frames would start rolling out of his workshops next week. More or less complete, but for the cores and weapons. All he¡¯d need to do was cycle out the machines acting as training craft.
Swapping cores between machines was hardly any work at all, and it would allow each one more time for maintenance and safety tests.
But he wouldn¡¯t. Because those machines needed to be sent on for renovation by Piper¡¯s slowly growing group of sworn-in alchemists and mage-smiths. For the installation of new weapons and engines.
Combustion engines.
That wasn¡¯t a quick or easy process. At best, he figured he¡¯d be getting two craft a week. An absurdly high number for a pre-industrial society, but one that was within the realm of capability for one backed up by magic.
For a moment, as he turned to regard Xela as she filed out after him, he momentarily considered banning Xela from continuing training the plebeian pilots from the cockpit, before he decided against it.
He couldn¡¯t afford to lose her at this juncture. Hell, that was half the reason he¡¯d spoken to both the twins and Griffith the other day. Part of the reason he valued her so highly was that she¡¯d never agree. She was dutiful like that.
¡°Training¡¯s going to be slowed down for a few days while the crashed frame is repaired,¡± the wood elf said.
William resisted the urge to scoff. Any plane from Earth that had been involved in a crash like that would be a total write-off. Not here though, not with the ability to literally fold metal back into place. In fact, it was even easier than making a machine from scratch, as if the metal remembered the shape it used to be.
With that said, it¡¯d still take a few days. Unless he intervened.
¡°I have time.¡± He said. ¡°I can at least sort out the frame before I return to the academy tomorrow.¡±
Team Seven was still on a losing streak when it came to Shard fights against other houses, so Olzenya wanted them to get in some extra practice time on the weekend ¨C and had traded some favors to get some flight time in with another team using the academy¡¯s communal shards.
¡It wasn¡¯t the best use of his time to be sure, but he wasn¡¯t about to risk the high elf¡¯s ire by begging off to spend yet another weekend toiling away at his estate.
Just most of it, he thought wryly. The match is scheduled for the evening, so I should be fine so long as I set off back to the Academy by lunchtime tomorrow.
¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡± His second hissed. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything in there, because I was hoping sense would prevail after seeing that girl, but clearly that didn¡¯t happen.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°You need to stop these running landings. They were annoying but harmless on a runway, but attempting them on a flying airship is dangerous. Between the wind, the swaying and the absurdly fucking long nose you¡¯ve shoved into that new design of yours, it¡¯d be risky for veteran pilots. So, unless you give me a decent reason for why all our pilots need to be trained for running starts and stops, I¡¯m putting my foot down.¡±
Well, he figured this day would come, fortunately, he was reasonably certain there weren¡¯t any of the Queen¡¯s spies about. The arrival of Olivia and his aunt meant that the small three-woman detail he¡¯d picked up seemed to spend more time following them than him.
Oh they still followed him about sometimes, but right now he wasn¡¯t seeing any of the subtle indicators of their presence. Like a third set of boot-prints, given that both he and Xela had come here straight from an inspection of the airfield.
¡°They¡¯re not needless,¡± he said, remaining calm in the face of the woman¡¯s ire. ¡°Which, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already guessed, otherwise you¡¯d have kicked up a fuss weeks ago, rather than the token whining you¡¯ve given me up until now.¡±
The antlered woman scoffed, but didn¡¯t deny his words. ¡°I wasn¡¯t entirely sure. I suspected, but it was only after Piper stopped complaining about the retrofits you¡¯re making to the Jellyfish that I became sure.¡±
Huh, he¡¯d not considered that flaw in his geass-sworn secrecy. The magical compulsion kept someone from talking about the combustion engine ¨C overtly or otherwise ¨C to anyone else not sworn into the secret. To do otherwise risked them losing their ability to cast spells. With that said, he¡¯d never once considered the idea that someone might be tipped off to something being suspicious by one of the secret holders suddenly going silent on the topic.
¡°She¡¯s sworn a geas,¡± he said finally. ¡°But I imagine you¡¯d already guessed that as well.¡± She nodded so he continued. ¡°And as you might imagine, if you want me to share the details of why our pilots need to be trained for rolling starts, you¡¯re also going to have to swear one.¡±
¡°I¡¯d point out that at this point, I already have a pretty good idea of what the secret is, even if I¡¯ve no fucking clue how you pulled it off. If I was going to share anything, I¡¯d have already done it. Just the implication of what you¡¯re talking about would be of plenty of interest to a number of people with deep pockets and to whom I ostensibly owe my fealty.¡±
¡°Ostensibly?¡±
¡°I swore an oath ¨C and I meant it. Liege. Queen. Country. That order. You¡¯re my liege. My loyalty is to you first,¡± she said seriously, eyes catching his. ¡°Though I¡¯d much prefer not to pick between them.¡±
He smiled. ¡°I¡¯m no ally of any of our Queen¡¯s enemies. Blackstone or New Haven. That I can swear to you as part of the geas.¡±
And that was technically true, though only because he deliberately excluded the free-orcs from that statement.
Time stretched between them, as Xela digested his words, thinking long and hard.
¡°Bleh,¡± she said finally. ¡°I barely use my magic anyway. And I can still fire a gun and pilot a Shard without it, so fuck it, yeah, if it means I¡¯ll finally know why I¡¯m risking the lives of my colleagues and students on these running landings, I¡¯ll swear, but only to keep the secret.¡±
He nodded. ¡°Only that.¡±
It was in everyone¡¯s best interests to keep geas contracts as simple as possible. Anything too broad and you ran the risk of either party breaking it accidentally, given the adjudication was being performed by a fae.
¡°Bargained and done,¡± she said, sticking out a hand, which he shook moments before she surprised him by beaming with a set of pearly white teeth. ¡°Not going to lie, I¡¯m pretty excited about all this. I¡¯ve been trying to figure out what the secret was for weeks.¡±
William smiled back, the woman¡¯s sudden enthusiasm after such a tense conversation was infectious. It suddenly reminded him of a thought he¡¯d had but a few days ago. A way to tie the woman even closer to his cause¡ and perhaps give them both a little fun as well.
¡°You know Xela,¡± he said. ¡°It occurs to me that I¡¯ve asked a lot of you since I became the Lord of Redwater.¡±
The woman¡¯s mirth faded as she eyed him, suddenly wary as if he was about to spring some kind of trap. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll not deny it. You certainly know how to keep a gal busy. And on her toes.¡±
He nodded commiseratingly, brain changing gears away from thoughts of politics or machinery as his eyes trailed across the woman¡¯s obvious curves. The pilot suit didn¡¯t exactly do much to display them, but there was no doubting that the wood elf was very much a woman under her outfit. Perhaps not beautiful in the conventional sense, but she cut a striking figure all the same. Less svelte than most of the elves he¡¯d seen, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised to learn she had some human ancestry.
The gold-flecked irises of her eyes in particular seemed to catch the light as he gazed at her, before his attention flickered over to the exotic sight of her antlers. Rather than spread out as one might expect, the two horns peeled back, twisting around her head as if in imitation of a crown of some kind.
She really was an attractive woman.
¡°Something in my teeth?¡± she asked, eyebrow raised ¨C causing him to realize he¡¯d been staring.
¡°No, just thinking about how best to reward you for putting up with my odd requests for so long,¡± he said. ¡°How about dinner?¡±
Whatever she¡¯d been expecting him to say, it clearly wasn¡¯t that.
¡°Dinner?¡± she asked. ¡°With me?¡±
Perhaps if he¡¯d been talking to Griffith, he¡¯d have been treated to some deliciously adorable flushed stammering from the otherwise hard faced woman. It seemed though that underneath her own hard-coated exterior, his second in command was made of tougher stuff.
If anything, after a moment to process his words, she seemed almost amused.
¡°Yep.¡± He nodded. ¡°Me and you. Somewhere nice. In the city.¡±
She cocked her head, and he suddenly felt a little small under her regard as something like a switch seemed to flick on inside her.
¡°Like a date?¡± she asked with an outward nonchalance that failed to hide the intensity under it.
¡°If that¡¯s what you want to call it,¡± he said.
¡°And if I do?¡± she asked, something akin to a growl entering her voice.
He was a little surprised by the sudden intensity. Had it been a while for her?
¡°Then I suppose it¡¯s a date,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Unless the thought of being involved with your liege lord in such a manner is uncomfortable for you. If so, I¡¯m sure I can think of some other way to reward you.¡±
Though he¡¯d be very disappointed. Not least of all because this new side of his subordinate was¡ doing things for him.
Unexpected things.
First Griffith and now Xela, he thought. Maybe it¡¯s less ¡®competence¡¯ and more ¡®dominance¡¯ I¡¯m attracted to?
No.
Surely not.
He¡¯d certainly not had inclinations of that variety in his last life.
¡°No,¡± Xela said, suddenly leaning over him, her breath tickling his nose as she leaned in. ¡°No, that¡¯s no problem at all for me. If anything, I think it might be interesting. Maybe even fun.¡±
She was staring into his eyes.
¡°Ah,¡± he said, turning away, a sudden heat creeping up across his face. ¡°Then, how about tonight? We could sort out the geas issue afterward.¡±
For some reason, the woman looked smug as she straightened up. ¡°Tonight is more than fine. Though you¡¯ll forgive me if I meet you in the city itself rather than travel with you. Been a while since I¡¯ve been somewhere fancy and I¡¯d like to grab a new outfit for the occasion.¡±
The image of the woman across from him in a dress flitted across his vision, the dichotomy between it and her flight clothes forming a glorious tableau.
¡°No problem at all,¡± he coughed.
¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll see you then,¡± she said as she turned away.
Or rather sauntered, rolling her hips in a manner he hadn¡¯t known the mage-knight was capable.
He watched her go, before a sudden pang of irritation flowed through him.
That wasn¡¯t how that was supposed to go! He was supposed to be playing the confident playboy here!
Not her!
Tugging on his collar, he made a vow. He¡¯d turn the tables on the woman tonight. One way or the other!
This was war!
Chapter Fifty Three - NSFW
Lindholm was a mess of anachronisms to William¡¯s sensibilities ¨C and never moreso than at night. Sword wielding guards in the royal colors of black and gold marched the streets in pairs, their steel breastplates gleaming in the pale light of the gas-lamps lining the cobblestone streets. Horses and carriages filled the roads, while overhead massive airships drifted through the skies, occasionally dropping down to dock with the massive sky-towers that dominated the skyline.
Pretty much all those vessels carried the colors of the Royal Navy, but a few held sigils displaying their allegiance to various countships or duchies, visible due to the spotlights of the towers or other vessels.
Elves, humans, dwarves and even orcs from all stratas of society occupied the moonlit streets, coming to or from the city¡¯s many workshops and factories. And while not many in number, working boys of every race but the first loitered outside brothels, watched over by small groups of stern-faced women armed with clubs and knives. Meanwhile, merchants of all stripes shuttered their store doors or packed away their stalls.
Much like the architecture that surrounded him as he walked through the streets, the whole thing felt like some strange seamless mixture of feudal, renaissance and napoleonic sensibilities.
"Hey pretty boy," a voice called from a passing band of factory workers. ¡°What are you doing out all alone at night? In need of a little company?¡±
William raised an eyebrow, as he turned to regard the speaker, the orcish woman¡¯s red face showing that she¡¯d clearly managed to drink something potent in the short time between the end of the workday and now.
¡°Anna, that¡¯s a noble! He¡¯s got a bow-pistol,¡± one of her companions hissed. ¡°He¡¯s probably an academy kid.¡±
Those words made the first woman pale, as she glanced down to confirm that, sure enough, William did indeed have a pistol at his belt. Quickly, she turned away, the group of women practically scampering down the road.
William watched them go with some amusement.
He would admit that, as a young man, he was taking something of a risk by choosing to walk to the restaurant, having asked to be dropped off just short so he could stretch his legs a little and take in the sights properly. It was a small risk though. This was a fairly affluent part of the city. The presence of so many patrolling guardswomen was evidence enough of that. Indeed, the last brothel he¡¯d passed had been of the higher class variety. The kind where ¡®escorts¡¯ or ¡®companions¡¯ was the parlance rather than ¡®johnnies¡¯ or ¡®whores¡¯. And while the woman who¡¯d just accosted him had been a blue collar worker, the shard insignia on her lapel signified her as an employee of some kind of shard producing workshop and as such placed her as a trained professional a cut above most menial workers.
Albeit, one who apparently has something of a drinking problem, he thought.
He was still shaking his head in bemusement when his date for the evening chose to make herself known.
¡°William? Where¡¯s your carriage?¡±
He turned, ready to make some glib remark, when he found himself lost for words.
Xela looked incredible. True, the dress she was wearing was but a few loose stitches away from being outrageously scandalous, but she wore it with such confidence that it might as well have been armor.
The slinky black number clung to the wood elf¡¯s curves like a second skin, though strategically placed slits along the sides meant plenty of actual skin was on display as well. The skirt could barely be called such, exposing almost the entirety of the woman¡¯s delicious thighs and ensuring that any attempt on her part to bend at the waist would surely reveal the exact coloration of their owner¡¯s undergarments.
Assuming the wood elf chose to wear any.
She certainly hadn¡¯t bothered with a bra, as brazenly displayed by the fact that the v-neck of her dress dipped all the way to her navel. Which was pierced, the gleaming golden orb there glinting in the streetlights. Though it certainly wasn¡¯t alone in that. The tight nature of Xela¡¯s dress and her aforementioned lack of bra meant he could see that her nipples likewise held some manner of adornment beneath the fabric that fought bravely to constrain them.
This was a dress that wasn¡¯t so much designed to titillate as proudly announce to the world what the owner had to offer.
What they¡¯d cultivated, given the woman¡¯s clearly exposed lean muscle structure.
The female equivalent of a gym bro¡¯s tight tank top, he thought faintly.
Swallowing down his surprise, he flushed slightly as his gaze finally moved up to his date¡¯s face and saw the woman had both clearly noticed his staring and was both amused and smug about it.
¡°Like what you see?¡± she asked.
¡°It¡¯s a little bold isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked.
Another woman might have been offended by that. Xela just laughed.
¡°I¡¯m a ¡®shock and awe¡¯ kind of woman,¡± she said as she strode up to him, linking her arm with his.
He twitched as he caught a whiff of her perfume. Pine trees and peaches. Fitting.
¡°With that said,¡± she continued, her eyes trailing over him appreciatively as they started walking. ¡°You don¡¯t look so bad yourself.¡±
Yes, well, he¡¯d certainly planned for some shock and awe of his own, though it had unfortunately been undercut by Xela¡¯s own entrance.
His jacket was open, displaying the shirt beneath which was tighter than it needed to be, serving to show off the defined musculature of his chest. Along with a few slits that served the same purpose more directly. Likewise, his pants were uncomfortably tight. Tight enough that he was more than a little worried they¡¯d split every time he bent over more than a few inches. He was also wearing a sort of ¡®shoe-sandal thing¡¯ that he¡¯d been assured during his recent shopping trip was quite fashionable right now. To his mind, the footwear seemed less like footwear and more some foot fetishist¡¯s idea of lingerie.
In short, the entire ensemble worked together to give off a veneer that was just a little slutty by the standards of Lindholm. Not outright, but close enough as to be eye-catching.
And not for the first time, he found himself thanking the gods that, for all that some social mores were reversed in this world, it hadn¡¯t truly extended to clothing. Oh, certainly, women¡¯s clothing was a hell of a lot more practical than it had been in this time frame on Earth, but by and large, fashion remained much the same.
Women wore dresses. Men wore suits. The only real difference was that said dresses were usually designed to be easy to move in and with a number of belts and pockets for weapons. Indeed, despite the rather sparse amount of fabric available for Xela¡¯s dress, the design had still managed to leave room for both a sword-belt and a shoulder holster. Both of which were in use, with a bolt-pistol filling the latter slot and a naval saber filling the former.
¡°Black with red and blue highlights,¡± Xela murmured as she ran a finger boldly along the stitching of his jacket. ¡°Someone¡¯s wearing their allegiances on their sleeve.¡±
¡°A fortunate coincidence. Despite the image our house colors might present, I¡¯m normally a man partial to more subdued colors.¡±
That was another factor in this world¡¯s fashion, he supposed. Men typically wore bright, eye catching colors while women wore more subdued ones. He wasn¡¯t a fan. With that in mind, he was actually rather lucky that the Royal color was black.
¡°Huh, I can¡¯t say I expected that, given how bombastic your usual behavior tends to be.¡±
He laughed. ¡°What can I say but that I¡¯m full of surprises.¡±
¡°Well, I can¡¯t argue that. My time as your second has been interesting if nothing else. Though I have a feeling the biggest surprise is yet to come.¡±
He smirked. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. I fully intend to blow your mind tonight.¡±
He saw it.
A slight stiffening in her gait as she nearly missed a step. Her wide eyes glanced back at him, trying to decipher the exact meaning of his words and what they might be in reference to.
¡°It¡¯s a hell of a secret after all,¡± he finished innocently.
Satisfied in finally getting one over on his date, he ignored her irritation as they stepped into the restaurant. As promised, it was a fairly fancy place, and as such the wait staff were prompt and professional in guiding the pair to a table. If they were at all perturbed at seeing an academy student out with a woman more than twice his age, they gave no indication of such.
Though to be honest, that was likely because they were accustomed to seeing similar pairings. Sugar-daddies had been a thing back on Earth and sugar-mommies were most definitely a thing here as well. Elves likely only made it worse.
With that said, his date did look a little uncomfortable as she sat down. Though clearly whatever quibbles she had about their age gap weren¡¯t quite enough to dampen her libido.
The two quickly ordered, neither truly interested in the meal itself.
¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I find myself a little curious,¡± he said as the waiter retreated with their orders. ¡°I was a little surprised when I made my offer earlier, I half expected you to decline on account of some previously unmentioned sweetheart. You¡¯re a knight after all and were the interim-governess of Redwater until recently. So, nobility, but not so ennobled that a match with a commoner would raise eyebrows. To that end, some part of me imagines you¡¯d have a small fleet of local lads banging down your door hoping to be the next Mr. Redwater.¡±
The wood elf snorted, eyebrow raising at his opening question. ¡°Low nobility or not, even I know it¡¯s in poor taste to needle a woman about her lack of romantic partners.¡± She sighed. ¡°Still, you¡¯re not wrong. Once upon a time I did in fact have the, uh, proverbial pick of the litter. As you said, a real noble might be out of the range of a common lad, but a knight isn¡¯t.¡±
He nodded, before a thought suddenly occurred to him and a wicked smile slipped across his features. ¡°You overdid it, didn¡¯t you?¡±
The elf sagged, as if he¡¯d physically struck her.
¡°Yeah, pretty much. I went from village to village and did a lot of sleeping around.¡± She eyed him, as if to see if that admission bothered him.
After all, while a woman¡¯s virginity was hardly the trophy it was back on Earth during this rough time period, there were certainly men here who avoided women who played the field too much. Much like a playboy might be on Earth, the perception was that those same women would be too likely to stray once actually in a relationship.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
William, for his part, simply maintained his quietly interested expression, given that he really didn¡¯t care what his partner¡¯s did prior to his metaphorical engagement with them. It wasn¡¯t like his own record was clean in any way, shape, or form. Nor would it be after he got involved with a girl, given that he was expected to both form a harem and sire bastards when the opportunity presented itself.
All in the name of producing more mages for the good of the nation.
¡°Naturally, when you¡¯re taking a new lover in pretty much every village, it doesn¡¯t take long for the locals to realize that you have no intention of settling down and marrying any of them. For the most part, I¡¯ve been getting the cold shoulder from the locals on the romantic front since.¡± She scoffed. ¡°I mean, what did they expect? I was fresh out of the navy and only forty. A bunch of guys throwing themselves at me? How the fuck was I supposed to resist?¡±
William chuckled.
¡°For the longest time I thought Redwater would be a temporary thing. Some dumpy little town that was somehow a backwater while right next to the capital. Dirt so stony you¡¯d struggle to grow weeds from it. Or trees so dense and with roots so deep you can scarcely shift them even with magic. And the people are much the same.¡± She swished her wine in her glass. ¡°Of course, it grew on me. Like mildew. Even after my suitors dried up. These days I struggle to imagine leaving. Though I¡¯m also struggling to imagine spending my entire life there. Still got a hundred and sixty years left in me after all. And there¡¯s a lot of world left to see.¡±
She eyed him. ¡°So yeah, you can say I was a little excited to receive your offer. Even if I¡¯m pretty sure this whole thing is just a means of buttering me up if your little secret proves to be less mind blowing than you hope.¡±
Before William could respond, the waiter returned. "The main course, lightly broiled depth fish in a butter-garlic sauce with a side of seasonal vegetables."
It smelled incredible ¨C and better yet, given it wasn¡¯t entirely comprised of ingredients one might find on Earth, so William wasn¡¯t immediately bombarded with thoughts on how he¡¯d have done it better if it had been him in the kitchen.
¡°So,¡± Xela said as she speared a chunk of fish. ¡°Is all this just a prelude to you unveiling your secret? Because I believe I was promised a proper shot at you?¡±
¡°A shot at me?¡± he laughed. ¡°Am I some stag to be hunted to your mind? With language like that, I can¡¯t help but wonder how your suitors lost interest.¡±
¡°Outwardly.¡± She smirked. ¡°Plenty of those I ¡®hunted¡¯ found themselves coming back to me in secret to be hunted again.¡± Her expression soured. ¡°At least until you arrived and the cowards scarpered like a school of tuna because I suddenly had a few more eyes on me ¨C worried for their ¡®reputation¡¯ and all that tripe. As if a guy has anything to worry about on that front.¡±
¡°More than you¡¯d think. We may not have to worry about suddenly ending up pregnant like you girls do, but we do have to worry about our future or current wives getting annoyed if they feel they¡¯re being ¡®outperformed¡¯ by another woman,¡± he pointed out. ¡°While I know it¡¯s heresy to say, sex isn¡¯t everything. A good relationship with a group of local girls you¡¯ll likely end up marrying is worth more to most than the occasional enjoyable evening with a woman who has little time for you otherwise.¡±
Xela harrumphed, but did acknowledge his point.
He sipped his wine again. ¡°So, now that you¡¯ve painted your recent romantic history in vivid detail, I hope you¡¯ll have no issue with me switching the topic to something a little less recent. I mean, if you¡¯ll forgive me asking, how does a wood elf come to Lindholm?¡±
Xela went to answer, before stiffening as she felt¡ something against her leg. His foot specifically, as it moved up her thigh.
It was funny, back on Earth, a woman ¨C or a man ¨C would be well within their rights to call a first date right then and there after that kind of unprompted touching. Or at the very least quite explicitly ask the one doing it to stop.
Here though?
Well, men were rare. And as Xela¡¯s story showed, she was both feeling pent up and incredibly horny.
So she didn¡¯t ask him to stop. In fact, she went very still as his foot crept along her thigh to somewhere altogether more intimate.
And as silly as William felt playing what to his mind was traditionally the woman¡¯s role in playing ¡®footsie¡¯ that sensation was more than drowned out by his amusement at just how quickly the woman¡¯s silky feeling undergarments slickened under his touch.
¡°Xela?¡± he asked innocently.
The woman let out a breath she¡¯d apparently been holding as she sent him a look that promised his brazenness would not go unpunished before the night was out.
¡°Y-you asked how I came to be in Lindholm?¡± Her voice had a small quiver in it as she tried to focus on something other than his motions below the table. Amusingly, she didn¡¯t move away though. ¡°Same as most e-everyone else. I suppose. Kicking, screaming and covered in goop. My parents though, they came here in a ship. Though to hear them tell it, theirs wasn¡¯t too dissimilar from my own experience.¡±
¡°Rough trip?¡± he asked.
¡°Standing room only to hear them tell it. In water-ships.¡± There was no missing the mage-knight¡¯s disdain in that last word. ¡°Going from the Old Growth to here must have been a hell of a culture shock for them.¡±
¡°Old-Growth,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s part of the Old Continent isn¡¯t it?¡±
Truth be told, he didn¡¯t actually know all that much about the traditional home of the wood elves. Which he was hardly alone in. Few people did and misinformation was rife.
¡°It is, though I¡¯ve never been. Only heard stories from my folks growing up.¡± She poked her antler-crown. ¡°Though I imagine you know they don¡¯t practice void magic over there. They use what they call spirit magic, which is apparently different somehow. For one thing, it only works in the Old-Growth itself. Calls on the power of the land or some shit.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Which seems basically the same to me though. You need something done and you call on some otherworldly beasty to do it for you.¡±
¡°Shit like this,¡± she said as she tapped her antlers again. ¡°Apparently, it¡¯s part of the contract the first wood elves swore when they became wood elves. Which seems a little unfair given I¡¯ve never even called on the land for magic. I mean, I don¡¯t hate being a wood elf or anything, but these things can be fucking annoying when I¡¯m trying to sleep or¡ do other things.¡±
He smirked as she shifted a bit, pressing against his foot now.
¡°I know my mother certainly wasn¡¯t happy about it.¡±
William winced. ¡°You mean?¡±
¡°From birth, yeah?¡± she muttered. ¡°Which, I¡¯m not going to lie, worries me too. Sure, whichever kid I have could have scales, hooves, rabbit ears or some easy shit like that, but there¡¯s a decent chance they¡¯ll have horns like me.¡±
¡°Huh, so the specific trait isn¡¯t always inherited?¡±
¡°It¡¯s magic,¡± she said. ¡°According to the alchemists, us Wood Elves are literally just regular elves that have some kind of magic happen to us in the womb. Even if we¡¯re born overseas.¡±
Willaim frowned. ¡°All that from a thousand year old contract? That¡¯s some powerful magic for it to persist that long.¡±
She shuddered, her timbre growing deeper as she shifted in her seat. ¡°I can¡¯t argue that. A-apparently druid magic is some really top tier shit when the situation is right. There¡¯s a reason neither the Lunites or Solites have tried more than once to take the old growth. It might not have as many warmachines as the dwarves, but that doesn¡¯t matter much when the fucking trees can move. That forest eats armies and shits out fertilizer.¡±
¡°Ever thought of going there?¡± He asked, almost forgetting that he was in the process of stimulating his date with his foot.
¡°Nah,¡± she grunted distractedly, definitely pressing against him as both her hands gripped the table. ¡°They¡¯re all cunts.¡±
She was getting close.
¡°Cunts?¡±
¡°V-void magic,¡± she hissed. ¡°I¡¯m tainted. By that and ¡®technology¡¯. Whatever the fuck that means. Horns or not, if I showed up at the Old Growth I¡¯d be treated as just another invader. Probably get impaled by a walking tree. It¡¯s happened before to wood elves hoping to ¡®return home¡¯.¡±
Huh, that almost made the forest sound less like an army and more like a body¡¯s immune system. One that reacted violently to anything that seemed foreign. It was possible the wood elves didn¡¯t even actually control it. Which would fit with the whole ¡®nature¡¯ vibe the wood elves had going.
Or they were all just xenophobic isolationists of a more conventional variety who had total control over their ¡®tree army¡¯ and chose to kill any of their returning kin.
Either option was possible. Or it was something entirely else, given he was working off a half-baked theory he¡¯d concocted while playing footsie with the wood elf providing his information.
A wood elf that seemed more interested in getting off via said foot than speaking ¨C or keeping a low profile, given her¡ shuffling.
His foot was now thoroughly soaked as her slick thighs practically pressed down it.
Still, this behavior was a thorough reminder that for all that they were both competent older women, Xela wasn¡¯t Griffith. For all that she¡¯d become a bit of a succubus, her transition between arousal and duty tended to be one filled with reluctance and embarrassment.
If he¡¯d played footsie with her, she¡¯d be whispering at him to stop while looking around and secretly getting off on it. Xela¡¯s response to him effectively fondling her under the table was to dive into it, totally uncaring of any onlookers.
Ah, if Griffith¡¯s like Marline then Xela¡¯s a Bonnlyn, he realized with some amusement as he glanced at the slightly flushed wood elf.
To her credit, her impending orgasm wasn¡¯t totally obvious. Her face was slightly flushed and her gaze was smouldering as she stared at him across the table ¨C but it smouldered with challenge.
As if daring him to up his game. To send her over the edge.
So he didn¡¯t.
Instead he enjoyed her affronted look as he withdrew his foot, sending her innocent smile.
¡°William!? What are you-¡±
¡°You know, I¡¯m not much feeling dessert. I¡¯ve other appetites I¡¯d rather see fulfilled. And as those of knowledge, conversation and food have been quite thoroughly quashed, I can see only one remaining.¡±
It was admirable, how quickly the wood elf switched gears, leaning forward ¨C almost aggressively, as she might leap over the table at him.
¡°I could help with that,¡± she said.
He was aware they had eyes on them. More than a few had been attracted during his little¡ conversation with Xela. Some looked disgusted. Some disdainful. Some interested.
One table in the far corner was party to both, with a rather nicely dressed dark elf disdainfully glaring at him while her dinner partner ¨C a much more scruffy looking human woman ¨C seemed barely a moment from loosening her belt in the name of enjoying the show.
He didn¡¯t dare look at the wait-staff as he realized that, yes, he¡¯d made the right decision in cutting this little escapade short.
So instead he turned to his date for the evening who was waiting for his next words with bated breath.
After all, it would be the ultimate dick move to end the evening here, to leave her both frustrated and wanting more, in the name of furthering some kind of power game.
He didn¡¯t say that.
He said the one thing he knew would ensure the rest of the evening was most interesting.
¡°If you think you¡¯ve got the energy for it?¡±
------------
¡°How Crass,¡± Anaria muttered as she watched the boy practically be dragged from the restaurant by the wood elf woman.
Then again, what else could one expect from an impure and a non-elf. An impure¡¯s follies spoke for themselves, practically animals, while it seemed the humans only trait worth mentioning was their ability to reproduce like rabbits and occasionally produce a mage of middling quality.
Unfortunately, quantity so very often proved to have qualities of its own. If it didn¡¯t, both her nation and the Solites wouldn¡¯t be importing as many greenskins as they could get their hands on. Nor would the dark elf be speaking with the reprobate opposite her.
¡°Shame the show¡¯s over,¡± said reprobate grunted as she leaned back in her chair. ¡°I bet you she¡¯s going to ride him ragged before the night¡¯s done. Big gal like her.¡±
¡°I¡¯d prefer not to think about it,¡± Anaria grunted as she turned to the pirate. ¡°I¡¯m just thankful I don¡¯t need to be subjected to it any longer.¡±
Indeed, she¡¯d been half a second from demanding the serving staff throw the pair out before they¡¯d thankfully stopped of their own volition and decided to leave for locales more suiting their low-class disposition.
Which was saying something, given that this establishment was already pretty low-brow by Anaria¡¯s standards. Even prior to her instatement as the Lunite Ambassador to Lindholm¡¯s assistant, she¡¯d been accustomed to dining in far more refined establishments.
And dealing with more refined people, she thought.
¡°You should loosen up love,¡± Kanna Velinsky crooned in her colonial accent from across the table. ¡°Maybe enjoy a bit of what the boy¡¯s no doubt about to get. I¡¯d even be willing to help you out on that front. That little show¡¯s got my sails flying and while I might not have the parts, you¡¯ll find a woman¡¯s got ways of compensating for that. Helps to know the plumbing.¡±
Anaria didn¡¯t try to hide her disdain. ¡°I¡¯m married.¡±
¡°Invite him too. Never had a dark elf before. Male at least. Hell, invite the sister-wives. I¡¯m sure I can round up enough gals to make it even numbers and then some.¡±
¡°I¡¯d sooner die than allow my husband within a thousand yards of you. So can you just shut up and agree to the terms already. They¡¯re more generous than they should be already to hire on a water based fleet, so don¡¯t even try to barter any higher.¡±
She¡¯d normally have been more diplomatic, but the pirate¡¯s constant chatter, insinuations and propositions had been fraying her nerves all evening. The actions of the wood-elf-human pair had just been icing on the cake.
Not for the first time, she cursed the ambassador for setting her to this task.
She didn¡¯t even know why the ambassador suddenly wanted to hire on all these water-based ships. The exact details and payment for the operation would only be handed over a few days before¡ whatever it was the ambassador had planned.
The downpayment Anaria was to hand over tonight was just a downpayment to keep said pirate fleets in the area.
More to the point, this meeting was but one of several she¡¯d need to carry out over the next few months.
¡°Aw, come on,¡± the disguised captain opposite her continued, her sunbleached blonde hair shifting to partially conceal her startlingly green eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. A little exoticism in the bedroom can bring a marriage closer together. A little spice and all that. I mean, it seems like you need it. A girls that¡¯s getting fucked on the regular shouldn¡¯t be as tightly wound as you.¡±
Anaria resisted the urge to slam her head on the table.
It didn¡¯t help that the damned human was at least partially right.
Korvell hadn¡¯t touched her in months. Instead he focused all his time and energy on those sluts Teela and Meyla.
¡°Struck a nerve did I?¡±
Anaria didn¡¯t scream but it was a close thing.
Chapter Fifty Four - NSFW
¡°Well.¡± William smirked as he closed the hotel door behind him. ¡°I suppose we should-¡±
He¡¯d barely started speaking before Xela was on him, all but slamming him into the door as she pounced. The wood elf¡¯s hot breath tickled his skin as she whispered, "You''re in for it now, you little satyr. Spending all evening getting me worked up? I''ll show you why you shouldn''t tease your elders."
Her hand didn¡¯t hesitate to grasp his erect member through his pants, the fabric standing between it and her fingers proving to be little barrier as her fingers eagerly probed the length of his member.
¡°Ugh.¡± Part of him wanted to fight. To take charge. To dominate.
He pushed the sensation down.
Above him, Xela hummed in consideration as the stiffness that had pervaded his whole body when she touched him faded.
In all places but one.
"Though maybe that''s what you wanted?¡± she mused, hand still playing with his rigid shaft. ¡°For a woman - a real woman - to take you in hand. In ways that dark elf or those little girls of yours never could."
Before he could respond, she kissed him. Her lips were soft and her tongue hot as it plundered his mouth, seeking out his own tongue and wrestling it into submission. All the while her hand continued to play with his member, sparks shooting up his spine with every movement of her talented fingers.
She knew what she was doing. He was almost unable to think straight.
Finally, she broke the kiss, smirking at his slightly dazed expression.
¡°Let¡¯s see what we¡¯re working with,¡± she murmured before sliding down his pants and underwear in one smooth motion.
His erection sprang free - and her fingers wrapped around it.
¡°Nice,¡± she hissed, eyes lighting up as she took in his length. ¡°Very nice.¡±
For some reason, he wanted to look away. He didn¡¯t want her to stop, but his every day confidence seemed to leave him as the elf admired his exposed cock.
She started to move, her skin like velvet against his, with a firm grip that was as soft as it was unyielding. Her movements were slow. Tentative. And William couldn¡¯t help himself. In an effort to thrust deeper into her hand, the human tried to buck his hips, but the wood elf held him firmly in place, seemingly deriving pleasure from his futile attempts at movement.
¡°None of that now. You had your fun earlier, but now I¡¯m in charge,¡± she hissed.
Once more, he felt that urge to make some glib comment, to wrestle back some control, but none came to mind.
¡Fuck, maybe he really did prefer to let someone else take charge in the-
Xela bit down softly on his neck, sending tingles through him and interrupting his thoughts, the wood elf chuckled as a shiver ran through his body.
"You like that do you?" She waited for a reply, but he remained speechless, unable to form coherent words. ¡°The thought of me being in charge? Of being my little human fucktoy?¡±
Finally, he grunted in denial, the voice unwilling to be ignored, even as his back arched.
"I do," she continued as if he¡¯d not made a sound, squeezing his erection. "Elves are nice, but the thought of having some rebellious human buck beneath my hips? Riding him into submission? It gets my heart racing."
William groaned out as she tightened her grip, pumping his member slowly and torturously, applying just enough pressure to keep him frustrated and needy without providing any true relief.
"Christ," he gasped out between pained breaths, "I¡ I need..."
¡°Need what?¡± Her breath was hot on his shoulder, brown eyes staring unerringly into his as the movements of her hand increased.
She looked down at him, and he flushed, looking away. He wasn¡¯t about to beg.
"Oh, there¡¯s some of that earlier spirit," Xela continued. ¡°Shame it only makes things more fun for me.¡±
William let out an involuntary noise of surprise as she forcibly pushed them both onto the bed; his knees buckling upon impact with its wooden frame. Her svelte form now lay atop him - the thin nature of their current attire allowing full transmission of her soft yet warm flesh as if their bare skin was touching.
As Xela''s hand began moving faster around William''s shaft, he instinctively started matching her rhythm by thrusting upward to meet each downward motion. He felt something rising within himself: an electric sensation through every muscle as low moans kept escaping past pursed lips...
"I... I..." He stammered out incoherently between pleasured gasps.
He couldn¡¯t help himself as he finally went over the edge ¨C spurting thick jets of cum up Xela''s waiting arm.
An arm that continued gently milking through his orgasm. Wave after wave.
Finally, when he was spent, he fell back into the sheet, stars dancing across his vision. He felt utterly dazed as he lay in a bed that felt more like wispy clouds of aether than fabric and feathers.
Not that he had long to enjoy the moment, for it was barely a second later that he felt two powerful thighs wrap around his midsection and he was unceremoniously rolled onto his front ¨C with Xela lying beneath him.
Instinctively, he breathed in her scent, unable to ignore it as his face was practically shoved into the older woman¡¯s cleavage. Honey and salt danced across his palate as her heaving breasts completely covered his face in pillowy softness. Naturally, his hands came up of their own volition to delve deep into the pliant flesh ¨C which easily filled his palm, escaping like dough between his spread fingers. Idly, they played over each of the woman¡¯s nipples, the small buds hard as pebbles beneath the fabric of her dress.
¡°Hmmm. That¡¯s nice,¡± the wood elf hummed distractedly as she finished idly wiping his fluids onto the sheets. ¡°But nice isn¡¯t what I¡¯m here for.¡±
Once more though, his chance to quip back was interrupted by her grabbing him by the shirt and pulling him up until his lips met hers in an obscenely deep and passionate kiss. Once more, the woman¡¯s tongue invaded his mouth aggressively, seeking out his own to repeat the dance they¡¯d engaged in but minutes ago.
Once more, his tongue was soundly defeated on the field of battle, as the organ was once again forced to play the role of submissive supplicant before its aggressive and domineering opposite number.
The room was filled with the sound of their passions as they continued that way for a while, Xela¡¯s hands roaming under his shirt to play across his side, front and back, while his own, far more tentatively, slid over her hips. His erection, barely having dipped in the time since its release, had already grown to iron hardness once more, pressing against the woman¡¯s exposed stomach.
Eventually though, Xela brought the kiss to an end, her lips breaking away from his own with an audible wet pop.
¡°Wha-¡± William murmured, actually feeling a little dazed, so intense was the woman¡¯s ministrations.
In a rather impressive show of dexterity, the woman reached down for the hem of her dress, before lifting it up and off her in a single motion ¨C all with William still atop her, pinned in place by her unmoving thighs.
Not that he was trying to move. Indeed, his attention was almost entirely taken up by the sight of the wood elf¡¯s bare breasts bouncing enticingly as they were freed from their fabric prison; engorged nipples protruding prominently outward.
"You¡¯ve had your fun. Now it¡¯s my turn," the navy woman purred as she placed a hand on his head and he found himself sliding down her bare abdomen as her thighs finally relaxed ¨C but did not release ¨C their grip on him.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Two rows of chiseled abdominal muscles slid past his vision, the woman¡¯s sun kissed skin had a thin layer of perspiration that made it glisten deliciously in the moonlight. He had just a moment to lay a kiss upon her navel, enjoying the shiver that ran through her before he found himself face to¡ lips with a small bush of neatly trimmed curls...
¡°You know what to do. Use that saucy little tongue of yours,¡± the voice above instructed. ¡°I want to feel it on my girl.¡±
Well, he had no intention of keeping the lady waiting as he pressed closer, feeling the smooth skin of her inner thighs brush against his cheeks as he did. Both the heat and the smell were incredible as the intoxicating scent of Xela¡¯s excitement filled his nose. The ache of his hard cock between his legs only grew in response, but he ignored it as his lips finally made contact with Xela¡¯s own.
¡°Ugh.¡± She shivered.
She tasted of copper and salt, a tangy sweetness that intoxicated him. Parting her lips with his fingers, he felt her slick juices coat them and his lips as he pressed his tongue deep into her yielding softness.
¡°Oh, yes!¡± she hissed. ¡°Finally!¡±
He lavished her tender folds with his tongue, even as her thighs clenched around his head, keeping him captive as he licked and kissed her steamy cunt.
"Put your fingers inside me," she instructed breathlessly. "I need it!¡±
Well, shy about making what she wanted known she definitely was not. Still, he was nothing if not an obliging partner. He slipped a finger into her warm, velvety passage, grinning as the silken muscles engulfed him, almost sucking on the digit, as if straining to draw him deeper. It was so very wet and hot.
Almost scalding. Was that a wood elf thing?
Unbidden, his mind leapt to what it might feel like once he finally inserted his cock.
"Faster," Xela hissed, and he belatedly realized he¡¯d slacked in his duties.
He redoubled his efforts, feeling the creases and bumps of her flesh drag against his skin and tongue.
"The¡ the clit! You know what that is right? The n-nub thing at the top.¡±
For a moment, he actually felt a little offended that she felt the need to specify, but he didn¡¯t hesitate in doing as she asked. Probing upward with his tongue, it wasn¡¯t long before it had slid up over the sodden outer petals of her exposed sex to brush against the firm bud of her clit. Soon to be joined by his lips.
"That¡¯s it," Xela groaned, hands coming down to grasp his hair. "Don¡¯t be gentle."
He wasn¡¯t. He drew the stiff nub into his mouth, sucking and swirling his tongue around it. He felt Xela shiver violently, the sensation transmitted through the thighs clamped around his head, as she gasped, her grip on his hair intensifying as she sought to grind his face against her womanhood.
"Don''t stop, keep that up," she panted, her thighs tightening ever further around him. ¡°I¡¯m close.¡±
His grin widened ¨C right before he pinched her sensitive pearl between his teeth and tongue.
The shriek was instant as the sudden mix of pain and pleasure pushed the elf over the edge, her orgasmic cry bounced off the walls of the room as her back arched. For a few moments he lost the capacity to breathe as his date twitched like a thing possessed, muscles spasming across her whole body as she held him firmly against her cunt.
Then she collapsed, as sweaty and disheveled as he¡¯d been but a moment ago.
William pulled back, wiping his mouth.
Normally he¡¯d have avoided the whole ¡®biting¡¯ thing, even if it was little more than a brush of his teeth against the sensitive nub ¨C but she¡¯d told him not to be gentle.
As he looked over the sweaty limp elf, he wondered if perhaps, now was his chance to turn the tables. To take charge and really show his date what he could do.
Yet, he found he didn¡¯t want to. It was¡ nice not to have to be in charge. To just¡ do as he was told.
To that end, he waited ¨C despite the throbbing of his member between his legs ¨C for Xela to recover, idly kissing the burnished brass of her thighs as she blearily propped herself up on her elbows, her breasts jiggling enticingly as she did.
¡°Don¡¯t go acting sweet as a d-dove now,¡± she said as he continued worshiping her delicious thighs. ¡°Not after biting my poor girl.¡±
¡°You seemed to like it,¡± he said innocently.
Huffing, she smiled, before glaring at him playfully. ¡°Seems I¡¯ve still got some sass to drain from you.¡±
Pulling him by the wrist, he was once more dragged onto the bed as she loomed over him straddling his waist. Powerful elven thighs bracketed William''s waist, muscles rippling in concert with those of her abdomen as she rolled her hips against him, teasing his cock by grinding her slick sex along its shaft. All the while, her breasts hung beautifully before his eyes, nipples hard in the cool night air, framed by the moonlight as they swayed gently above him.
Her fingers wasted no time in unbuttoning his shirt, moving with a speed and steadiness borne from a hundred bowlines aboard a ship. Once more, he got to see her eyes widen as his shirt finally flapped open, unveiling his bare abdomen.
¡°Hmmm,¡± she moaned, hands trailing across the taut muscles of his abdomen. ¡°The Academy does good work.¡±
¡°I could say the same for the Royal Navy,¡± he murmured back as the wood elf¡¯s roiling hot sex once more slid across his member ¨C the warmth all-but wafting off it in proof of her arousal.
¡°I bet you could.¡± Xela grinned wickedly down as she reached down to grip his throbbing shaft, finally repositioning it so that the head was firmly between her slick outer petals. Groaning, she rubbed the sensitive head against her entrance, the touch raw and unfiltered, setting his nerves aflame as he squirmed beneath her.
And just when he was close to begging, she sank down onto him, engulfing his member in her warm wetness as she took him to the base in one smooth motion.
He saw stars - gasping in pained pleasure as the wood elf¡¯s pillowy walls enveloped him completely.
The pair groaned in unison at their joining, his hard shaft now trapped in her velvet prison.
It wasn¡¯t long before the slick muscles within clenched along his shaft, gripping him tightly as his captor started to roll her hips. Not gently or slowly. It seemed she¡¯d been as good as her word when she promised to ride him into submission.
He could only lie there, sparks shooting up his spine with every movement as Xela increased the speed of her merciless pounding, pinning William beneath her as she rode him in search of her own orgasm.
¡°Yes! Yes!¡± She grunted as she squeezed him tightly between her legs, a smug smile on her face. ¡°This is what I wanted.¡±
Her hands pressed into his chest, kneading the muscles there as she pounded down onto him. His cock burned inside her, pulsing and twitching as her slick insides slid against it.
His hands moved up to grab her hips in an attempt to either urge her on or slow her down ¨C he didn¡¯t rightly know which ¨C but with almost contemptuous ease, Xela leaned over him, pinning his wrists against the sheets as she continued to dominate their encounter.
She continued riding him mercilessly, slamming down on his throbbing shaft as she leered at him. His cheeks flushed hotter under her piercing stare, groans slipping from his lips involuntarily. His legs felt like jelly beneath him as a low, primal gasp escaped his lips, another intense orgasm building inside his straining cock.
"Xela, slow down," William begged breathlessly. "I can''t... Ah!"
He trailed off as she released one of his hands, gripping his face instead. Her fingers dug into his flushed cheeks, angling his head so her suddenly predatory eyes could drink in every flicker of pleasure crossing his strained features.
There was an insatiable hunger burning in her gaze that surprised him. In that moment, she was a beast of nature, subsuming him under the weight of her passionate rutting. The cruel intensity of it¡ was actually kind of hot.
"I want to see your expression when you come inside me, boy," Xela growled, her voice dripping with lust. ¡°I want you to imagine it when you do. My stomach swelling up with your young. Some bastard half-elf babe. And you, their father.¡±
That image did it. The visceral illicit thrill of it.
As her yellow eyes glared down at him with all the desire and greed of a wolf staking a territorial claim - his cock erupted inside her.
And Xela drew out his climax with wicked fervor, setting his head spinning as her insides milked him with almost clinical intensity. She pressed down on him as he writhed and squirmed beneath her powerful form, trapping his throbbing shaft deep inside her twitching depths. Her silken muscles clenched around him rhythmically, milking every drop from his pulsing length until he was utterly spent.
By the end, the human¡¯s emission was leaking from the wood elf, joining with her own juices as they dribbled out to join the growing puddle on the sheets.
William simply lay there, limp on the soft bedding, totally drained after Xela''s cruel ravishment as the woman in question rolled off him, a satisfied sigh escaping her lips.
Had tobacco been in any way popularized in this word, he had a feeling that would have been the moment she would have lit up a cigarette of some description. Instead, she simply lay there, fingers idly playing over her dripping sex, as she teased out the last remaining wisps of pleasure she might get from their joining.
¡°Not bad, kid,¡± she murmured happily. ¡°Not bad at all.¡±
He chuckled. ¡°You weren¡¯t too bad either. That was¡ intense.¡±
She laughed. ¡°I warned you. I¡¯m a shock and awe kind of gal. And you¡¯re half to blame for teasing me all evening.¡±
The two lay in silence for a few minutes, each simply enjoying the moment. When William spoke again, it was hesitant. "Just to confirm, dirty talk aside, you''re on pregnancy blocking potions, right?"
"Yep," Xela confirmed with a smirk. "Just wanted to mess with you."
"Some would say that was a pretty fucked up bit of bedroom play," he said, shaking his head in disbelief.
He heard more than saw her shrug nonchalantly. "Some would also say it was hot as hell." Her hand slid down between her legs once more, fingers teasing over slick folds in remembrance. "Besides, I definitely felt you get harder when I said it. Didn''t see you trying to pull out either." She looked over at him, smiling wide. ¡°Did you like that thought? Pumping an elven woman more than twice your age full of half-human brats?¡±
A flush crept up his neck as he tried to hide his arousal at exactly that. Which was¡ interesting given that in his previous life, he¡¯d never had kids. Never wanted them either, nieces and nephews aside.
Yet here and now¡ he found there was a certain thrill in the idea of getting the woman across from him pregnant with his child...
Not least of all because it would tie Xela¡¯s loyalty to him in ways that would make her loyalty to him in the event of a conflict with the crown a foregone conclusion. Though it would certainly be inconvenient for her to disappear for several months while she was carrying his offspring.
Perhaps once the first cadre training is finished, he started to think before mentally shaking his head.
He didn''t want to think about potential future complications right now.
Except his traitorous mind couldn''t seem to stop itself... as more and more ideas presented themselves.
Irritated, he tried turning his mind in a different direction entirely, hand coming up to slide along the wood elf¡¯s thigh.
"Do you think we''d get in trouble if we raided the kitchen for whipped cream?" he asked with an impish grin.
After all, what was the point of staying at a fancy hotel if they didn''t take advantage of some decadent amenities?
Xela raised an eyebrow questioningly at the sudden subject change. "Whipped cream?"
He grinned at the sight. It seemed he had some new things to introduce to his ¡®oh so worldly¡¯ older companion for the evening.
The Corsair engine could wait till morning.
Chapter Fifty Five
The conditions for dream-meetings between mages weren¡¯t complex. Physical contact while both individuals slept was really all that was needed. Such meetings of minds had to have a host though.
It was a reasonably coveted position. Dreams in and of themselves weren¡¯t usually pleasant places to be for conscious minds. The landscape was nebulous and ever shifting, while the objects and creatures within tended to be warped in ways that were both unsubtle and unsettling.
To be the host provided one some level of protection against that sensation. It was, after all, one¡¯s own mind. And while the sensation of having an ¡®invader¡¯ in such a hallowed place could provide some level of discomfort for some, it was generally accepted that it was better to meet a stranger in a familiar place, than to be the wanderer in an alien and sometimes hostile landscape.
Fortunately, hostile, doesn¡¯t necessarily mean dangerous, William thought as he sat at his ¡®desk¡¯.
Discomforting and sometimes frightening, yes, but at the end of the day this was still little more than a dream. The denizens within could do no real harm.
Well, with one notable exception, William thought as he very deliberately didn¡¯t glance back at the thing hovering over his shoulder.
¡°Fuck me, would it have killed you to think up a hallway?¡± A familiar voice grunted as the woman it belonged to physically pulled herself through the doorway to his office.
¡°I thought I had?¡± he responded.
¡°Well, think a little harder on the subject next time. Because getting through the ¡®estate¡¯ was a bitch because most of the rooms don¡¯t connect to the rooms they¡¯re supposed to. I had to get in here through the kitchen. A kitchen with floors that my feet kept sinking into.¡±
¡°Noted,¡± William deadpanned as he fully took in the creature that had just stepped into his office.
And it was a creature, for all that it held Xela¡¯s voice and carried her consciousness.
Looking not totally unlike a wendigo of myth, if lacking the usual skull-face, Xela¡¯s dreamform was more than a little unsettling to look at as she walked over to his desk.
¡°Fuck me though, I know you¡¯re supposed to be an old soul and shit, but I didn¡¯t think you were being literal,¡± she continued, hot breath wafting over his face from her massive maw as she leaned down to examine him.
For his part, he knew he looked like George. Right down to the liver spots that had started to develop in his later years. Personally, he thought it was a better dreamform than most got.
Marline had more or less been herself, albeit with features so angular that she¡¯d looked like some kind of¡ sword person in the most uncanny of ways. Piper had been herself - if someone had doused her with acid and set her on fire. And while the flames she¡¯d given off had been quite pretty given the exotic colors involved, it still hadn¡¯t been pleasant to see the flesh constantly melting off her.
By contrast, him appearing as an old man when he was barely twenty ¡®in reality¡¯ seemed positively mundane to his sensibilities.
¡°Yes, well there¡¯s a reason for that,¡± he deadpanned. ¡°One that¡¯s slightly more complex than whatever kind of body-image issue you¡¯ve got going on.¡±
¡°Body image issue?¡± Xela scoffed. ¡°My dreamform¡¯s great!¡±
¡°You¡¯re drooibbling onto my carpet.¡± He deliberately didn¡¯t look at the copious stream of¡ fluid running down the woman¡¯s leg from her¡ oversized genitals.
Again, he had to remind himself that this was a dream - things tended to get Freudian even when the participants hadn¡¯t just had sex. Indeed, said ¡®stream¡¯ was likely a dream-like manifestation of sensations Xela¡¯s body was still experiencing in the ¡®real world¡¯.
Something Xela clearly knew as well as she eyed him. ¡°I¡¯d say that¡¯s as much your fault as mine.¡±
Well, he couldn¡¯t argue that. Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t here to argue with her about who had stuffed whom with which fluids.
He was here to get a geass formed. As evidenced by the second creature that was hovering over Xela¡¯s shoulder. One he was avoiding looking at as much as he was his own. Just as Xela wasn¡¯t looking at his.
After all, it was considered good sense amongst mages not to look at the fae. In the same way it was generally considered good sense not to stare at the sun. It tended to have a deleterious effect on the viewer.
As a single glance at the spinning rotoscope behind Xela confirmed. Because it wasn¡¯t a rotoscope. It was a dragon. Made of squares with seven sides that sounded like purple-
He tore his gaze away.
Yes, it was good dream etiquette not to look at the fae.
"Fair enough. Shall we move on to the real reason we¡¯re here?" William asked as he rose from his desk, only to find himself standing in a field.
"Fuck me. I hate when that happens," Xela muttered.
William, however, barely registered the change. One of the perks of being the host¡ªthe transitions were smoother, less jarring. Especially since this shift hadn¡¯t been deliberate. His mind had simply decided the new setting was more appropriate and he¡¯d not consciously thought to stop it.
"If you hate it, close your eyes. This¡¯ll be the last transition, I promise."
Xela didn¡¯t argue. She simply shut her inhuman eyes with a mutter.
William smiled, and a moment later, they stood in the midst of a familiar scene - a small outdoor caf¨¦ from George¡¯s hometown. The hum of passing cars filled the previously unnoticed silence while the rich aroma of food from nearby kitchens mingled with the tang of exhaust fumes. His fingers brushed against the texture of the table he now sat at, only then noticing that the desk he¡¯d been sat at before lacked it. Likewise, he could suddenly feel the pull of gravity anchoring him to the chair.
Details, thousands of them, suddenly came into focus - each one more vivid than the last due to their absence.
Xela noticed it too. Slowly, she opened her eyes, blinking at the unfamiliar yet tangible world around her. Her fingers reached out to touch the fabric of the caf¨¦''s closed table mounted umbrella.
"It feels... real," she murmured, taking in the vibrant colors and branding adorned to the fabric.
¡°Yep,¡± he agreed.
It wasn¡¯t, but unlike the liminal space they¡¯d occupied just moments ago, this place could be mistaken for the real thing.
He¡¯d made that mistake a few times. When he was ¡®young¡¯. Never for long, fortunately, but there¡¯d been a few moments in which he thought he had¡ returned.
Because this wasn¡¯t just some rough imitation of the world cobbled together from imperfect human memory. Or at least, not just human memory alone.
The fae hung over his shoulder and he ignored it.
Even if it was the true architect of this scene. Earth - rendered in more depth and detail than any human mind could ever fully process. Albeit, with a catch. Said catch being the reason he¡¯d never believed the lie of this place for long.
William¡¯s eyes drifted to a nearby table, where a cup of coffee shifted slightly, as if moved by an invisible hand. He also knew that if he looked through the windows of a passing car, he wouldn¡¯t see a driver behind the wheel.
This world was perfect in every detail - except for the lack of people. Or animals.
At least, any living ones, he thought as a tray floated over to deposit a plate full of bacon and eggs in front of him.
Morgues likewise had occupants as he¡¯d discovered on one particularly morbid fact finding mission.
¡Graveyards too.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
"So, this is where your harrowed knowledge comes from," Xela finally said, taking in the scene around her.
Credit where it was due¡ªshe looked only mildly surprised. Which, under normal circumstances, might seem incredible, considering the sheer wonder surrounding her. But one had to remember the world she came from.
Back home, technology resembling this existed, though in far cruder forms. More importantly, she had grown up in a place where the existence of other worlds¡ªsome more advanced, others less so¡ªwas an accepted truth.
Harrowed knowledge often came from those other realms, extracted from different races and civilizations. And while those who returned with such knowledge were rarely left coherent enough to describe those worlds in any meaningful way beyond fragmented, maddened ramblings, the fact of their existence was never in question.
Many of those worlds were far stranger than this one.
That, at least partially, explained why William remained sane despite everything.
Still, there was a flicker of awe in her eyes as she watched a bus rumble by.
"You¡¯re not wrong," William said, taking a sip of his coffee. Dream or not, it still tasted good.
"So, you¡¯re just admitting it now?"
"You already suspected.¡± He placed the cup down. ¡°You would¡¯ve pieced it together even if I hadn¡¯t shown you all this. Besides, this is actually more convenient. I can show you things in here without having to go through the hassle of dragging you all the way back to the estate."
As he spoke, a Vought F4U Corsair appeared across the street, materializing out of thin air. The cars on the road adjusted seamlessly to its appearance, navigating around the new obstacle without missing a beat.
"That¡¯s¡" Xela began.
"Remarkably similar to what I have your people practicing with?" William finished for her.
"Aye,¡± she said tentatively. ¡°Does it have a core?¡± She eyed a passing car. ¡°Do those... land-shards?"
"Nope. I¡¯ll spare you the technical details, but suffice to say it runs on an alchemical process, somewhat like a lantern. Unlike aether, though, the fumes it produces aren¡¯t lighter than air, so it can¡¯t hover."
Once more, he was reminded of the fact that ¡®primitive did not mean stupid¡¯ as the elf quickly turned his words into actionable intelligence. "Which is why you¡¯ve had your plebeians practicing take-offs and landings on solid ground."
"Exactly."
¡°¡Do those cores require mages?¡±
¡°No.¡± He eyed her. ¡°They do not.¡±
The elf sighed. ¡°Fuck. That¡¯s going to upset some people back home.¡±
He shrugged. ¡°I imagine it will. The fact that plebeians might soon be able to lay claim to the title of pilot where it was once relegated to mages alone. I suppose they¡¯ll have to content themselves with the ability to fly on command, heal with a touch and the ability to fling elemental death at anything that happens to annoy them.¡±
Xela snorted at his words, but it was clear she was thinking. William was content to let her, simply enjoying the ambience.
This wasn¡¯t home. No matter how much it looked like it. But he¡¯d be lying if he claimed he¡¯d not spent many a proverbial ¡®day¡¯ here simply¡ indulging his nostalgia.
¡°How are you not insane?¡± Xela asked after a few minutes. ¡°You¡¯re harrowed. You should be either flinging shit at the walls or dribbling in a room somewhere.¡±
"That¡¯s your question?" William asked, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You¡¯re not curious about a vehicle that can fly without a mithril core?"
Xela waved a hand, dismissive but with a flicker of curiosity in her eyes. "Oh, I¡¯m interested in it. Very interested. But at the end of the day, a tool is just that. A tool. It¡¯s simply a new way of doing what we already do. What matters, in the here and now, is the intent of the person holding said tool.¡±
William chuckled softly, a little taken aback by the display of insight from the normally brusque woman.
"Fair enough,¡± he murmured as he leaned back, the chair creaking under him as if acknowledging the shift in mood. "As for how I¡¯m not insane¡ well, I¡¯ve never not been harrowed. I imagine that helped with the transition. That, and luck, I suppose."
A brief thought crossed his mind as he considered how lucky he¡¯d been, and for a moment he found himself wondering if, in this world, sudden infant death syndrome was just a side effect of kids harrowing in their dreams without realizing it.
Because that was¡ grim.
Mentally shaking said thought off, he instead gestured around them, his hand sweeping over the bustling street and the sound of engines rumbling in the distance. "This is a human world. I¡¯m a human. The technology is human. The vector by which it was implanted in my mind was also human."
Xela¡¯s eyes followed his hand, lingering on the seamless flow of traffic, the hum of the city blending with the faint clatter of cups in the caf¨¦.
After a pause, she said, "You could win the civil war easily. Hold off the Lunites and Solites indefinitely."
Ah, now they were shifting to a topic he was more comfortable with, and the corner of his mouth curled into a knowing smile. "True. But I¡¯m aiming a little higher than that."
She raised an eyebrow, worried. "Higher? How much higher?"
"Ending slavery is just the start," William said, his voice low but steady. "At this point? I want the only way I can see the human/orc conflict ending is through the orcs having their own homeland. They''ve been fighting over that same stretch of land for so long now that neither side will ever know peace until it¡¯s settled once and for all."
Either with one side dead, or one side gone.
And while there was plenty of space for humans in the rest of Lindholm, the same wasn¡¯t true of orcs. Or at least, not the Northern tribes.
¡With that said, it definitely rankled that his plan called for the creation of what was essentially an ethno-state. Creating an orc homeland sounded a lot nicer than societal segregation.
Still, that was the best solution his engineer brain could come up with. Neither side would back down ¨C and one side had nowhere else to go.
Xela¡¯s expression darkened. "The Blackstones will never give their home up."
Her tone was sharp, certain.
"Exactly," William said, his gaze heavy with a mix of resignation and calculation. "Which is why it¡¯s convenient they¡¯ve positioned themselves to be crushed as a House. Once they¡¯re gone and done, a new power will need to step into the vacuum.¡±
And he intended to be that power. Temporarily at least.
Xela leaned back slightly, arms crossed, considering. "Still¡ as far as I can see, all of this keeps you in line with the Queen¡¯s interests."
William barked out a short laugh. "Not really. Freeing the orcs means carving off a piece of her kingdom. A not insignificant chunk at that. The Queen would never agree to it."
Oh, she was in favor of ending the slave trade, but only because it served to free up more manpower for her. His plan would do the same, but it would also lose her a large chunk of territory.
"Even if you handed her solution to all her problems on a silver platter?" Xela asked, her brow furrowing in challenge.
"Coming from someone harrowed, any help I offer wouldn¡¯t be seen as aid - it¡¯d just be a resource being exploited. Something to drain me of before I inevitably expire, lost in my own delusions." His voice turned cold for a moment, a bitterness surfacing before he pushed it down. "And the amount of tech I¡¯d need to give her to win this war could only come from a harrowed person.¡±
He thought of his new territory. ¡°Which is why I¡¯m building myself up instead. Making my own powerbase. So when it becomes obvious to everyone that I¡¯m harrowed, I¡¯ll be in a position where I can¡¯t be ignored or dismissed as just another madman with a few tricks up his sleeve.¡±
And that time wouldn¡¯t be long in coming now. A single aircraft carrier and forty planes would have been insignificant back on Earth ¨C here though? It was a force multiplier beyond compare. Not enough to decide any fleet engagement by itself, but the Jellyfish would provide any fleet it was part of a significant advantage.
Indeed, in his mind¡¯s eye, despite the Queen¡¯s doom and gloom on the subject, he considered the civil war practically won already now that the Jellyfish and his Corsair fleet was near completion. Between that and giving Yelena access to his gunpowder recipe, new mithril cores, and radio, the Royal Fleet would have a clear technological edge in any fleet engagement.
The Blackstones and New Haven? They were already finished. They just didn¡¯t know it yet.
The real game wasn¡¯t about winning the war¡ªit was about what came after. Which was why his focus was on positioning himself to profit from the peace that followed, not propping up a monarch who might one day stand in his way.
Xela didn¡¯t need to know all of that. Not yet. Not until she was committed to his side, locked in so tightly she couldn¡¯t back out.
As he watched, the woman tilted her head, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Alright," she said at last. "I don¡¯t love any of this. I spent plenty of time fighting orcs myself back when I was in the navy, and the thought of just¡ handing over a chunk of the kingdom to them sits ill with me. But I¡¯m sworn to you.¡± She shrugged, a resigned sort of acceptance. "Mostly at this point I¡¯m just glad to know I¡¯ve not been wasting my time teaching plebs to fly.¡±
Well, that was good to know. Even if it wasn¡¯t quite the resounding cry of support he¡¯d been hoping for.
He nearly said as much, before he saw the wood elf¡¯s lips curl into a sly smile as she leaned forward. "Now come on. Enough heavy stuff. Think you can conjure us some skies to fly that beast through without melting your brain? You can tell me all about how this engine of yours works while we do."
William grinned, standing as the world around them shifted. The caf¨¦ dissolved, replaced by the familiar sight of a long, sunlit runway stretching into the horizon, the scent of jet fuel sharp in the air.
"I think I can manage that," he said, his eyes glinting with anticipation.
¡ª------------------
Xela was in a good mood as she stepped out of the carriage.
She found as the morning wore on, that she¡¯d gone from feeling tepid about William¡¯s plebeian pilot plan, to almost excited. Her concerns with his schemes aside, she couldn¡¯t deny that she was excited to be part of something so¡ groundbreaking.
With that said, as she felt something akin to an itch between her legs, she found she did have a question.
¡°So, all the other stuff aside, now that I¡¯m ¡®one of your women¡¯,¡± she said casually. ¡°I suppose we should get around to getting us all together to divide shit up?¡±
The boy paused, frozen on the doorstep of his home.
¡°¡®Us?¡¯ Divide ¡®shit¡¯ up?¡± he asked, obviously completely clueless as to what - or rather who - they were talking about.
The wood elf smiled. ¡°Who gets which days? Birthing order? How many other women we¡¯re going to allow in? Actually, do you think I could argue that the twins, as a pair, should have to share a day?¡±
It was amusing, the way the color drained from his face at her words.
Clearly, despite being very familiar with a woman¡¯s body, he¡¯d not much experience with actual relationships.
It was actually nice to know in a way. Under all that Imperial scheming, there was still a flesh and blood mortal. Because, possible harrowing induced insanity aside, she found to her surprise that she did want to stick around for a while.
Before, her duties to the boy had mostly just been a job and residual loyalty to a community that she¡¯d called home for years.
Now?
Now she wanted to see what happened going forward. Whether this mad scheme worked out or whether it all ended in tears.
In which case, she fully intended to shield Redwater as best she could.
¡And maybe get a few more ¡®dates¡¯ before it all goes to shit.
After all, everyone knows the crazy ones are the best in the sack, she thought as she sashayed through the door - leaving her speechless employer behind.
Chapter Fifty Six
William shot a quiet glare in Xela¡¯s direction as he felt the sensation of her foot sliding against his leg under the table. It had been three months since their first tryst, and in that time, he had learned one undeniable truth: she was every bit as voracious in her passions as another elf he knew.
And not nearly as inclined to subtlety.
Now, while he might have indulged her flirtatious invitation under different circumstances, such inclinations were at least somewhat stymied in his mind by the fact that said ¡®other¡¯ elf was currently sat with them. Nor was she alone. In addition to Griffith, the twins and Verity were also present.
They were ostensibly having a "picnic," though it bore little resemblance to the quaint idea that word typically conjured. Instead of a woven basket and a cozy blanket on soft grass, a full dining setup had been arranged - complete with tables, chairs, and a small army of attendants who rotated between delivering dishes and clearing them away. Guards in the livery of the Academy, Whitemorrow and Redwater hovered at a respectful distance, maintaining a watchful perimeter.
The only discernible difference between this and a formal banquet, as far as William could see, was that it was outdoors.
¡°Are you all right, William?¡± Griffith inquired, her head tilting slightly as she observed him.
¡°Perfectly fine,¡± he replied, forcing a calm smile and willing himself to ignore the amused smirk tugging at Xela¡¯s lips. ¡°Just a small bug crawling up my leg. I¡¯ve flicked it off now.¡±
Xela¡¯s smirk soured into a pout at the veiled jab, and she huffed irritably before joining the others in directing her attention to the "battle" overhead.
Above them, a mock skirmish was unfolding. Marline, Olzenya, and Bonnlyn were acting as enemy combatants for his pilots in training in a mock duel.
Now, it wasn¡¯t exactly within the Academy¡¯s regulations to allow cadets to take their shards beyond the bounds of the academy. But rules like that could be made more¡ flexible with a few whispered words in the right ears.
After all, what was the point in seducing one of your instructors if you didn¡¯t use that connection to bend a few rules to your advantage?
Apparently just sex and companionship, he thought wryly.
Because Griffith had outright refused him. Which really shouldn¡¯t have surprised him.
So, he¡¯d gone to Yelena instead. Though at the time, he¡¯d half-expected her to decline his request, given the tension lingering from their last interaction. Instead though, after yelling at him for wasting her time on such a minor matter, she had either decided the request was minor enough to entertain or she was extending an olive branch in the thin hope he wouldn¡¯t burn this one.
¡A thought that, admittedly, made him feel a little guilty.
¡°I must say, for plebians¡ they aren¡¯t terrible,¡± Clarice murmured in a tone that danced on the edge of disinterest as her eyes followed a drake maneuvering into position to take a shot at one of the corsairs.
William followed her gaze and frowned a little. He¡¯d done his best to give his plebeian pilots as much flight time as possible, adhering to the method modeled by the Academy¡¯s own training regime, but at the end of the day there was no denying the stark difference in quality between the pilots overhead.
His program was merely a pale imitation at the end of the day - an "academy-lite," so to speak - and it showed.
Nevertheless, outmatched as they might have been, his people weren¡¯t embarrassing themselves. Gradually inching closer and closer into his own team¡¯s gun sights, but still occasionally throwing out an unexpected reversal. Indeed, as William watched, the second corsair swooped in to cover the first, forcing the drake to abort its run.
A small smile tugged at his lips at the sight.
Would his cadets ever rival the academy''s elite? Probably not. But they didn¡¯t need to. If he could knock out one plane of the enemy for every three of his that went down, he¡¯d still be in credit. Which was why William had emphasized teamwork so much to Xela, presenting it as a counterpoint to the individualistic dueling style typically championed by the Academy. Fortunately, said cooperative approach aligned well with the Royal Navy''s own methods, which meant it was a system Xela was already familiar with.
Perhaps if he had the time and the inclination, he¡¯d have involved himself by introducing some of earth¡¯s strategies. As it was, he saw little need to. While this world lagged behind on the technological front, he couldn¡¯t strictly say they functioned any worse on a doctrinal level.
The ongoing transition from ships of the line to carriers amongst the new craft the Crown was developing spoke to that.
¡°The whole program seems like a waste of time and resources to me,¡± Griffith remarked bluntly, her words cutting through the ambient noise with characteristic directness.
Xela¡¯s scowl deepened, but she refrained from speaking. As much as William knew her natural inclination would be to defend her efforts ¨C even if she had her own issues with the program ¨C the wood elf was also keenly aware of the hierarchy at play here.
Xela might have been an accomplished knight, she was still ultimately only low-nobility. By contrast, Griffith was a countess. And while this picnic was a casual gathering, Griffith had made it clear that she was present in her noble capacity by introducing herself as ¡®Countess Joana Griffith¡¯.
Admittedly, William knew that was less an attempt to flex her rank and more one to distance herself from her more contentious role as an ¡®Instructor¡¯, given the minor scandal surrounding her relationship with him.
Nonetheless, her aristocratic rank carried weight, even here, and that weight silenced all the dissenting voices present ¨C with one exception.
¡°Joana,¡± William interjected smoothly, relishing the subtle twitch of her long ears at his casual use of her first name. ¡°As much as I appreciate your sharp tongue when it¡¯s aimed at my own shortcomings, and I do, I must remind you that the plebian pilot project isn¡¯t entirely a result of my own initiative. Others invested time and energy as well.¡±
Griffith paused, before realization flashed across her features. ¡°Not to say they aren¡¯t wonderfully trained!¡± She said, flustered. ¡°What you¡¯ve managed with¡ limited resources is genuinely impressive, Dame Tern.¡±
Xela grunted in acknowledgment, her irritation tempered by the near apology but not entirely extinguished. Still, that was the best she was going to get.
Off to the side, the twins were clearly trying to suppress their amusement at the rare sight of Griffith stumbling over her words. William, for his part, found the moment thoroughly enjoyable. While Griffith was a formidable instructor - capable and driven ¨C he¡¯d slowly come to realize that said traits were less an act and more¡ simply how she was. Blunt.
Which meant that outside of formal situations wherein the roles were clear and the topic obvious, she had an adorable tendency to stumble over her own words. It was an endearingly human trait.
Or elven, he supposed.
¡°I think the project has some merit,¡± Marcille chimed in, the more outspoken of the twins turning her attention back to the ongoing aerial duel. ¡°How many times have we heard stories of a mage being incapacitated, leaving their co-pilot to launch without them and their shard left fallow? It¡¯s a rare situation, sure, but having even just one plebian pilot per ship would provide a valuable backup in the event of the unexpected.¡±
As she spoke, William didn¡¯t miss the way her eyes darted over to him. He suspected the ¡®encouragement¡¯ was more influenced by a desire to impress him than any true faith in his plan.
Which was fine. It was a shit plan if you didn¡¯t know about his artificial cores.
Engines, he reiterated at the accidental use of what would no doubt become the local term. They¡¯re engines.
Turning his attention back to the twins, he gave them each a small smile and nod of thanks. A move that visibly pleased them.
Which was good. At this point, a formal betrothal between him and the twins was practically inevitable. Though it had to be said, the arrangement was more a matter of politics and practicality than romance. Each had something the other wanted.
They wanted military support for their bid for the Summerfield duchy ¨C and he wanted an excuse to give said support. And the support of whichever of them became duchess in the aftermath.
Having that would turn him from a bit-player with a lot of leverage into the core of a true power bloc. One that couldn¡¯t be ignored or dismissed.
Plenty of marriages had been built on far less. He¡¯d dare say most were. Given a man would have multiple wives, it was entirely possible in his mind that while he might have a close personal relationship with one or two, the rest would be just¡ business.
With that said, there was no real reason it had to be, he supposed.
This picnic, then, was an attempt to bridge that gap. Originally, it was supposed to be an intimate outing between William and the twins, but word had spread. First Xela invited herself, then Griffith, and finally¡ Verity just showed up.
He glanced over to where the orc was watching the overhead duel with rapt interest. She¡¯d not said much, or anything really, since she sat down. Likely she was intimidated by the ranks of the others present. Yet she¡¯d sat down all the same.
It was admirable in a way. Annoying in another.
Mostly because he had a feeling the day he¡¯d need to sit down with her for a difficult conversation was growing ever closer and closer.
Oh, nearly forgot another uninvited guest, he thought.
William¡¯s gaze drifted toward where a "core-less" corsair sat awkwardly on a tarp in the nearby field. Rather than the hangar where it was supposed to be. The change in location was Olivia¡¯s doing, of course. His sister had, over the past two months, developed an uncanny knack for getting her way, leveraging a lethal combination of cuteness, her perceived authority as his sibling, and a level of determination that bordered on the absurd.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
One of her latest hobbies was painting art onto the finished corsairs. Of course, she normally did that in the shard hangar. Not outside, perched just close enough to eavesdrop on his meeting with his romantic prospects without appearing too obvious.
As one might expect, Olivia was not a fan of any of his romantic prospects.
Fortunately, the young girl wasn¡¯t alone. A nervous gaggle of aircraft technicians hovered nearby, ostensibly to aid in the painting, but mostly to make sure the girl didn¡¯t break anything in the process of applying her artwork to the shard¡¯s hull.
Clarice¡¯s voice pulled him back to the table. ¡°So, when are you finally planning to sell off that stockpile you¡¯ve been hoarding?¡±
William winced. Despite his best efforts to keep it under wraps, news of his workshops producing shard-frames had spread like wildfire. It was inevitable, really, but it still irked him how quickly the secret had leaked.
People were interested in any source of shard frames and as such he¡¯d been receiving a lot of quiet expressions of interest. Quiet expressions that only continued to grow in volume the longer he continued to stockpile new frames rather than sell them.
¡°The Basilisk might be taking up Whitemorrow¡¯s shard-core capacity for now,¡± Clarice continued, ¡°but having a few additional frames ready to swap in for it if anything were to happen couldn¡¯t hurt.¡±
¡°It¡¯d also be a show of support,¡± Marcille added.
William shook his head with a slight smile. ¡°When the time comes, I think we both know I¡¯ll be able to provide a far more substantial show of support than a few replacement frames sitting in your hangar. As for when I plan to sell? Well, I want to wait until the price peaks before I part with them.¡±
Marcille nodded, though he could sense her disappointment. Still, her curiosity won out as she changed the subject. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be a lot of interest. If nothing else, the novelty of the wing shape will draw buyers. Though the name¡¡±
William grimaced. Naming shard-lines after magical beasts was the norm here - particularly flight-capable creatures. His decision to buck tradition by naming his line after a ¡®pirate¡¯ ship had raised more than a few eyebrows.
It was considered bad luck apparently. That, combined with the peculiar shape of the wings, front mounted propellers and lack of manufacturing history meant that, under normal circumstances, he might well have struggled to give the design away had he meant to proliferate it.
Which would have been ideal as it would have meant a lot less eyes on his work.
Unfortunately, in this regard, he was a victim of his own success. The ¡®market¡¯ was flush with mithril and with the brewing civil war, people were desperate for just about any frame they could get their hands on ¨C regardless of its pedigree.
Hence the interest in his slowly growing ¡®stockpile¡¯.
¡°Olivia¡¯s skill with the paintwork is undeniable though,¡± Clarice said quickly, sending her twin a dirty look. ¡°I dare say that alone might draw some buyers. It certainly gives the craft a rather striking appearance.¡±
William once more resisted the urge to frown as he regarded the paintwork in question. He¡¯d wanted to use camouflage initially, but the cultural expectations for shard-frames leaned heavily on bold, identifiable iconography. Like knights.
Something his sister well understood ¨C and so did he, grudgingly. To that end, she¡¯d been allowed to go with a rather bold red, silver, and blue kraken themed paint job that looked, to his Earth-born sensibilities, more like the handiwork of graffiti artists inspired by questionable anime tropes than a proper military design.
¡°It¡¯s good branding,¡± Marcille said. ¡°Still, if you want to push demand higher, why not display one at the academy? Right now, you¡¯re just getting lowball offers because no one knows what these new designs are worth. At the very least, they seem to be the equal of the Royal Drake line.¡±
William laughed softly, shaking his head. ¡°Perhaps in time.¡±
Though in his head he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he was being damned with faint praise here. The Drake was fine, but as a standardized design in a world of bespoke machines, it lagged behind in many key areas. As proven by his team¡¯s continual loss streak against the other houses proved.
Of course, that was the Corsair-M they were observing up above. Same shape as the regular corsair. Same weight. Less guns. Less powerful guns. And a significantly less powerful engine.
Nothing like the beasts currently sitting in the Jellyfish¡¯s hangar bays ¨C even if they held the same outward appearance.
A ruse he wasn¡¯t too worried about being discovered. The technology behind his designs was so advanced compared to local standards that even if a spy managed to open up a completed shard, they¡¯d have no idea what they were looking at. At best, they might assume the engine was a device intended to enhance mithril core aether output or was some kind of offensive mechanism. A theory supported by the ¡®napalm¡¯ that was being stockpiled nearby.
He made a mental note to make sure the machine Olivia was working on was returned to the others before the day was through. The last thing he needed was for something to be overlooked and for it to be delivered to the Jellyfish without an engine.
Of course, if that did happen, it wouldn¡¯t take him long to notice once he began performing his nightly final checks.
Checks that were most definitely needed.
Despite Piper¡¯s team of geased alchemists improving steadily in the installation process for the engines and new guns, his final checks were still finding errors in about half of the finished designs that made it onto the Jellyfish. Luckily, his magic allowed him to correct those faults during his visits without too much trouble, but even with his "cheats," the process was proving rather exhausting.
Here''s hoping it¡¯ll be worth it in the end, he thought as one of his corsairs was ¡®shot down¡¯ overhead.
---------------------
Jonah had once dreamed of becoming a shard pilot. What child hadn¡¯t? The idea of soaring through the skies as a mage-knight, wielding magic and steel, was the ultimate fantasy for any kid.
But for most, that was all it ever would be ¨C a fantasy. Even if someone had the spark of magic required to become a knight, they were far more likely to end up as a mage-smith instead. A respectable life, no doubt, but it lacked the thrill and glory of piloting a shard. And even for those lucky enough to train as mage-knights and make it to the academy, there was no guarantee they¡¯d ever take the skies. Most would end up as defenders or saboteurs. A feat to be sure, but it wasn¡¯t¡ being a pilot.
For commoners, becoming that was supposed to be impossible.
Yet here he was, standing on the ground, watching as his sister soared through the air. Her metal steed roared with blue-green aether as she darted and weaved in mock combat with the lord¡¯s academy-trained comrades.
She was doing it - actually doing it. She might not earn the formal title of ¡®knight¡¯, once she graduated Lady Xela¡¯s program, but she would be paid a sergeant¡¯s wage while piloting a shard.
Compared to that, what did the title matter?
Admittedly, Jonah had felt a twinge of disappointment when he learned that, as a man, he was disqualified from even applying for said program. But he wasn¡¯t surprised. Besides, at the end of the day, it didn¡¯t matter. His sister¡¯s success was enough for him. Watching her live the dream was worth it. For that alone, the lord had Jonah¡¯s unwavering loyalty¡ªand that of almost the entire county.
¡°Pass me that paintbrush.¡±
Jonah snapped out of his reverie, handing the brush to the lord¡¯s little sister.
As he did, he couldn¡¯t help but marvel as she added another sweeping red-and-blue tentacle to the shard¡¯s hull. Her artistry was impressive¡ªthe tentacles looked so lifelike that he half-expected them to slither off the metal and wrap around him.
He shivered at the notion. He knew it was a silly thought, but with mages, well, who knew?
He glanced at her as she worked. It was strange to think that this girl, who looked so much like his young cousins, could wield lightning and fire. Yet here she was, paint on her nose while she eavesdropped on her older brother and his suitors.
Jonah¡¯s amusement only grew as he watched her huff at the conversation happening a few meters away. Despite the gap between nobles and common folk, it was comforting to see that some things were universal.
The lord, for example, was deep in negotiation with his prospective wives - discussing who got which days and what land would go to which child. The weary tone in his voice was all too familiar to the commoner, as Jonah himself had been in a similar discussion just days ago with his own suitors.
Granted, his disputes had been over sheep and chickens rather than airships and estates, but the principle was the same.
Still, as he listened, he found himself wishing the lord well - not just as a fellow man burdened with familial negotiations, but as someone who had turned the dreams of the common folk into a reality. The man had given Jonah¡¯s sister, and countless other commoners, a chance to achieve the impossible.
To that end, he only hoped the lord would survive the storm brewing on the horizon.
And it would be a storm, given that rumors of war with the northern heathens were spreading like wildfire. No one seemed to know the exact cause, only that the Queen¡¯s rules had been defied and retribution was coming.
¡Jonah didn¡¯t like to think about it. War was unpredictable, and while he might not see combat himself, no one was truly safe when conflict erupted.
¡°Pass the brush¡ªthe blue one this time,¡± the lord¡¯s sister called, pulling him from his thoughts once more.
He handed it to her, trying not to let his worries linger. Hopefully, if war did come, it would be swift. Hopefully now his own sister could contribute to the end of that war. If nothing else, he hoped she¡¯d be safer in the cockpit of a shard than stuck playing garrison duty in some castle.
¡°The red one this time.¡±
Hopefully, whatever conflict came, it would be over quickly ¨C lest others seek to take advantage.
---------------
Kanna Velinsky, pirate queen and a woman riding the high tide of satisfaction, slipped out of her bed with the fluid ease of someone accustomed to navigating chaos. The humid air of her cabin clung to her sun-bronzed skin, her robe barely sticking to her shapely form as a result of the thin sheen of sweat from the previous few hours¡¯ activities. Around her, the deep, steady breaths of her four lovers filled the room, each tangled in the rumpled sheets like a tableau of passion spent. The moonlight spilling through the porthole painted them in shades of silver, their dusky limbs a stark contrast against the faded white linen.
Smirking, Kanna padded across the cabin floor, the wood cool beneath her bare feet, each step a practiced silence honed from years of repeating them. Her fingers brushed the polished brass handle of the door, her voice dropping to a whisper as she cracked it open just enough to see who had just knocked.
¡°What is it?¡± she murmured, her tone sharp and commanding despite its quietness.
Her second-in-command stood rigid on the other side, her gaze immediately flicking past Kanna to the bed where the curves and angles of the captain¡¯s lovers lay bathed in the moonlight, but she quickly snapped her attention back to the human woman. To her credit, she said nothing about the tableau, though the faint flicker of envy in her eyes was hard to miss.
¡°There¡¯s been a message from the command ship overhead,¡± the muscle bound woman whispered, leaning in slightly. ¡°It¡¯s time, ma¡¯am.¡±
Kanna clicked her teeth in irritation, the sharp sound slicing through the quiet. ¡°Of course, it is,¡± she muttered under her breath. ¡°Give me a few minutes. I¡¯ll be ready.¡±
The door shut with a soft thud as Kanna leaned back against it, exhaling slowly. They¡¯d been idling for days, pirates of varying ilks reduced to glaring at one another across the railings of their ships like wolves circling for dominance. With nothing to do but wait - and now, just when she¡¯d coaxed her delectable elven ¡®liaison¡¯ into her bed, the call to action had finally come.
Her gaze returned to the bed, where the dark-skinned elf in question rolled onto her side, the soft curve of her body highlighted by the gentle spill of moonlight. Across from her, the woman¡¯s husband stirred, his angular features relaxing as he let out a sigh that seemed designed to lure Kanna back to their tangled sheets. As did the sight of his member, still slick with her juices. A feature shared by the plush kissable lips of all three of his wives.
She groaned softly, rubbing her temple.
Later. Maybe.
If the battle went well, there¡¯d be plenty of time to celebrate. If it didn¡¯t? Kanna smirked at the thought. She was already wanted for kidnapping, so what were a few more numbers added to that tally?
¡Assuming she could escape the watchers overhead.
Her mood darkened as her eyes found the porthole, and the distant shapes of ships hovering against the starry backdrop of the skies.
Whatever colors they might have been wearing, they weren¡¯t pirates¡¯ vessels, not truly. The slapdash red-and-black paint was a thin disguise. No pirate fleet - no matter how ambitious - boasted sixteen ships. Red Mary, the most infamous pirate captain in the known world waters, had only five airships under her command.
And, last Kanna had heard, the woman was on the other side of the continent.
Kanna¡¯s lips thinned as her gaze settled on the sharp silhouette of a Lunite Courser as it swung overhead, its sleek design and angular profile impossible to mistake.
Her thoughts wandered to the possibility of things going poorly. She didn¡¯t like her odds of outrunning a Lunite Courser if it came to it, especially with a ship loaded down with plunder - and ¡®passengers¡¯.
Meh, she¡¯d make her decision when the time came.
¡°Anaria,¡± she said as she leaned down to shake the dark elf awake. ¡°I think it¡¯s time you filled me in on why exactly your employers need my ship.¡±
The generous pay had been enough to lure her out here, but she¡¯d been promised the specifics of the coming operation when the fleet was ready to make the final approach, and one way or another she intended to get them now.
Chapter Fifty Seven
¡°They¡¯re moving, ma¡¯am,¡± the Majesty¡¯s Orb-Officer announced, her voice steady and professional. ¡°The Eyeglass confirms it.¡±
¡°Finally,¡± Tyana exhaled, her relief mingling with anticipation as she straightened in her command chair. ¡°Direction?¡±
¡°Straight for us.¡±
¡°Of course they are.¡± The elven woman¡¯s tone held a trace of irritation, but her orders were sharp and precise. ¡°Tell Eyeglass to maintain distance and report any changes in their heading or speed. Then prepare the home fleet for deployment. I want all crew at ready stations immediately.¡±
She leaned back into her chair, her gaze sweeping across the bustling bridge as it erupted into a hive of activity. Officers called out commands, runners darted between stations, and the rhythmic hum of machinery filled the air as aether shifted in different directions through the pipes ¨C it was a symphony of controlled chaos. More to the point, Tyana knew this scene was playing out across the capital¡¯s fleet, each ship coming alive with purpose as the Orb-Officer transmitted her commands to each ship in turn.
Satisfied for the moment, she turned her attention to the horizon, her eyes narrowing as if trying to pierce through the distant haze to the unseen enemy that lurked beyond.
The past two weeks had been a test of both patience and resolve for all of them. For Tyana, Princess of Lindholm and admiral of its mighty fleet, the wait had been nothing short of excruciating.
Pirate fleets weren¡¯t unusual. Pirate fleets with accompanying airship elements were.
Not least of all because it meant they weren¡¯t pirates. Not with twelve airships. No, this was just another ploy by either the Lunites or Solites.
The only question that came up when they noticed it was who said ploy was aimed at?
Which was why they¡¯d waited, allowing the enemy to gather. Certainly, most of her command staff were of the opinion that the fleet¡¯s eventual destination was Lindholm itself, but neither Tyana or her mother were eager to make that theory a self-fulfilling prophecy by striking first.
There was, after all, every chance that the fleet¡¯s true target was either a Solite or Lunite city ¨C and that it was simply gathering where it was to bypass either side¡¯s usual coastal defenses. As for pretending to be pirates? Well, it would hardly be the first time either side of the old Empire had chosen to cloak their atrocities behind the actions of ¡®rogue elements¡¯.
The gassing of Halmeshare leaps to mind, she thought.
An act of horror supposedly performed by a band of outlaws who stumbled across an old imperial weapons lab. Never mind that said massacre neatly paved the way for a Solite advance into Northern Penbelle.
And now it seems it¡¯s our turn to suffer the predations of ¡®bandits¡¯, she thought. Either as a prelude to an invasion or some other ploy.
Part of her now lamented not striking first, while the fleet was still gathering its waterborne elements, but it was a passing thing. Her and her mother¡¯s logic was sound. Had the fleet actually been intended for a destination on the old continent, then the threat would be dealt with without having to expend resources they might well need in the future.
After all, isn¡¯t that the peak of strategy? To eliminate the enemy without fighting? She thought.
She didn¡¯t know where she¡¯d heard the phrase before, some half forgotten Imperial text from her mother¡¯s library no doubt - but it seemed fitting in this case.
Now though, Tyana intended to meet them in the open water and crush them before they even glimpsed the capital¡¯s spires.
And yet, that was exactly what troubled her.
Twelve ships, she thought grimly.
It wasn¡¯t a small number - not by any stretch. Yet it was still dwarfed by the number of ships she had on hand. Even with parts of the Royal Fleet engaged in routine patrols, the capital fleet outnumbered the enemy nearly three times. Their superiority in firepower was unquestionable. A decisive victory for Lindholm was all-but assured.
And the enemy had to know that.
Likewise, the water-based fleet accompanying the airships gnawed at her curiosity. Those ships weren¡¯t built for direct combat in the skies. Their only conceivable purpose was as troop transports, though if this was an invasion force, it likewise was too small.
And again, with too small a screen of airships, the capital fleet would have ample time to crush its opposing flight capable vessels before turning around and sinking the water-based ships with impunity. After all, even if her own fleet would intercept the enemy half-way between their current location and here, that was still hours of sailing time.
Her jaw tightened as her thoughts churned. There was too much she didn¡¯t know here.
¡°Inform the Royal vassals of the ongoing threat,¡± she ordered, her tone sharp. ¡°Order them to prepare for deployment over the capital. They¡¯ll form the strategic reserve.¡±
¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± an officer asked hesitantly, ¡°do you think we¡¯ll need them?¡±
¡°No,¡± she replied, her voice cool. ¡°Which is why I want them ready. Someone¡¯s playing a game here, and I don¡¯t like it. Should the other shoe drop, I intend to be prepared.¡±
The officer saluted and hurried off, leaving Tyana to her thoughts. They flitted, briefly, to one particular vassal.
Perhaps it would be worth speaking with him after this battle was won?
If nothing else, she was curious as to what he¡¯d done with the Jellyfish. It would also be interesting to meet the man who once upon a time had been a candidate for her hand in marriage. Her mother had been quite enthusiastic about the topic given his ¡®genius¡¯.
Tyana¡¯s own interest had been a great deal cooler. Oh, she¡¯d been fascinated and overjoyed by the man¡¯s innovations. ¡®Kraken-Slayer-Powder¡¯ was¡ otherworldly in its potential applications. Especially when combined with similar principles from the Spell-Bolt he¡¯d created.
As the admiral of the fleet, Tyana was very interested in William Ashfield. Tyana the woman however, was ambivalent. As she always was when it came to the fairer sex. Oh, she liked a saucy lad as much as any naval woman, but her true consort was at the end of the day her career and fleet.
Marriage¡ just didn¡¯t hold much appeal.
Which was why she¡¯d been more than a little relieved when the topic of her upcoming nuptials suddenly disappeared entirely from conversation but a few months ago. With the same holding true for her sisters.
That, more than anything, had made her curious. Not enough to seek the man out herself, and risk the possibility of the topic of marriage reviving itself, but curious enough that she could¡ meet him coincidentally.
Under a different guise, that of a woman staking out a possible asset to the fleet rather than a husband, she could admit to being very interested in meeting William Redwater.
¡°Radios operational?¡± she asked softly, though she already knew the answer.
The Radio-Officer stood to her right - a new and temporary role - responded with a crisp salute.
Though it felt stilted.
¡Off.
¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±
Likely because the woman behind her was no true navy woman. The role of radio-officer, for now, was being filled by vetted palace staff, trained in absolute secrecy.
Eventually, once the system was fully unveiled, their duties would be absorbed into the Orb-Officer¡¯s responsibilities. For now, however, their work remained a closely guarded secret. Looking over at the non-descript woman, Tyana allowed herself a moment of disdain. These women were undoubtedly part of her mother¡¯s extensive intelligence network.
Spies, she thought with distaste. And I invited them onboard.
And it was entirely possible this woman wasn¡¯t even of noble lineage. As effective as the Royal Guard were, their numbers were limited, necessitating her mother¡¯s web of informants be made up of both ¡®regular¡¯ mages and even commoners.
¡°Do you intend to use the radios in the coming fight, ma¡¯am?¡± the officer asked.
¡°No,¡± Tyana replied with perhaps a bit more briskness than was strictly necessary. ¡°I¡¯d prefer to save the unveiling of that capability for a real battle. Still, better to be prepared.¡±
The officer nodded silently and returned to her post with another salute.
¡°All stations reporting ready,¡± the Orb-Officer ¨C an actual officer - called out. ¡°Eyeglass reports enemy fleet maintains its course.¡±
Tyana nodded firmly. ¡°Set heading for intercept. All fleet elements, full speed ahead.¡±
As the ship surged forward, and her orders rippled through the fleet like a wave, she tried to ignore the uneasy weight in her stomach. The nagging sense that something wasn¡¯t quite right persisted.
But there was little else she could do now except keep her eyes open and her mind sharp.
It was all anyone could do.
-------------------------
"Don¡¯t like this. Don¡¯t like this one bit," Kanna, pirate queen of the southern shores, muttered miserably from her position on the forecastle, her sharp eyes fixed on the Lindholmian airship that had been trailing them for days now.
¡The Lunites had made no attempts to chase it off either. Not that they¡¯d succeed. Even from this distance, she could tell the picket ship wasn¡¯t a scrapper. It was built for speed.
And spying.
Which meant the enemy knew they were coming ¨C and if they were hoping to perform a repeat of the last two invasion attempts, were going to be doing so via an oversea intercept.
Her second-in-command, ever the pragmatist, snorted. "So you keep telling me. And yet you still took the gold."
"Under duress," Kanna grumbled, her grip tightening on the railing.
It wasn¡¯t as if she¡¯d had much choice in the matter. Not after twelve airships dropped out of the clouds, their massive hulls bristling with weaponry and all too ready to sink anyone fool enough to run.
"Relax," the other woman scoffed. "Airships¡¯ll focus on other airships. And while they¡¯re busy with each other, we slip through the cracks, hit the capital, stir up as much shit as possible, and we¡¯re gone. With all the loot we can carry and a bunch of reward money in the hold to boot. Easy."
Kanna rolled her eyes. Easy was not how she¡¯d describe things. Still, the plan wasn¡¯t bad per se.
In her limited experience, airship combat was an entirely different beast to true-blue naval combat. Mostly because it took place in the sky. Being able to fight in three dimensions changed things considerably. For one thing, formations could now overlap their fields of fire a lot more easily without worrying about another ship getting in the way.
Sure, firing up and down got a little more complicated, what with the need to tilt the ship, but that was what harnesses were for. To that end, airships didn¡¯t spread out the way sea fleets did. They didn¡¯t form lines. They formed arrows. Giant floating arrows that were designed to punch through the center of the enemy formation before moving on to either side for a defeat in detail.
Like two schools of fish attempting to shear off parts of the other¡¯s formation, she thought.
Or at least, that was the general idea. Kana was sure there were a lot more specifics and variations on the theme than that, but on those occasions in which she¡¯d been speaking to women who happened to crew airships, she¡¯d been less interested in their vocation and more the contents of their undergarments.
Point was, airships were at their most effective when grouped together. Like a clenched fist. Which theoretically meant the enemy admiral wouldn¡¯t be splitting off ships to hunt down dozens of smaller water-based ships until the main threat from the Lunite airship fleet was dealt with.
And even if she did dispatch a few ships, they¡¯d only be able to pick off one group at a time. The majority would be safe.
In theory.
Kanna didn¡¯t much care for theory. She cared even less for the idea of being caught alone by an airship with no support around to hide behind. A few heavy rounds from above, and being the best sailor in the world wouldn¡¯t save you.
She sighed, leaning on the railing.
Fucking airships.
"Got protection, too," her second added, gesturing skyward. "Lunites have us covered."
Kanna grimaced, her eyes narrowing at the low-hovering fleet above. The Lunite airships were maintaining a mere hundred meters of altitude above the water.
Which, again, made no sense.
Sure, outwardly, it looked like they were shielding the pirates¡¯ wooden vessels from the incoming fleet, but that was a stupid move even by her reckoning. Altitude mattered in a fight. Ignoring cannons and shit, it was why a water-based ship was little more than a sitting duck to an airship.
It was easier to drop shit from on high than throw shit upwards. Likewise, it was easier to lob shit further when you were already high up.
In short, an airship wanted to be as high up as its aether chambers allowed for.
Yet that wasn¡¯t what the Lunites were doing.
So what the fuck is the plan here?
----------------------------------
While one could, and was expected to be able to, launch a shard in as little as five minutes, the onloading of an airship was a significantly more laborious process. Didn¡¯t help that while most airships existed at a near constant state of semi-readiness, the Jellyfish was not most airships.
Watching as Corsair-M¡¯s were wheeled up ramp to join the ¡®empty¡¯ frames already occupying the Jellyfish¡¯s hangar space. Beyond, Bonnlyn waited anxiously while Olzenya tried to drag her away. Beyond, Verity and Marline were talking.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Xela asked.
¡°If we¡¯re going to sortie, I want the Jellyfish as ready as we can make him,¡± William answered dispassionately. ¡°That means bringing the full complement.¡±
¡°People are going to ask questions. Like, why we felt the need to sortie with a hanger full of ¡®useless¡¯ frames.¡±
William laughed. Going into combat with carrier space full of empty frames when the market was desperate for them? Yes, that would raise some eyebrows.
¡°No one is going to ask questions because no one is going to find out. You can¡¯t see into the hangars from the outside.¡±
¡Though they might run into trouble if any of the local airfields requested berthing aboard his ¡®carrier¡¯ to give them an elevated take-off position. He considered it unlikely though. Any incoming attack would be visible from miles out, which would give allied shards ample time to climb to their max altitude even if they were launched from an airfield rather than an airship.
¡°The crew will know they¡¯re still onboard. Someone will talk. Someone already has talked,¡± Xela prompted.
¡°Should that happen, we¡¯ll deal with it after the fact.¡±
Rumors from a crew member telling tales were both easier to deny and would take longer to circulate. By which point¡
Well, it might be time for the ruse to come to an end anyway, he thought with muted anticipation.
The current word was that, at long last, Lady Summerfield¡¯s hair had started to grey. Which, while not exactly significant for a human, was of great significance to an elf ¨C given that they tended to be ethereal and ageless¡ right up until they weren¡¯t.
As if some kind of magic was falling away ¨C and it likely was ¨C an elf could go from looking like they were in the prime of their life to essentially a shriveled husk in little more than six months.
Apparently, it was a rather grim process all round. To the extent that the most terrifying thing a soldier could come across on the battlefield was to see an enemy combatant remove their helmet to reveal grey hair. It meant they were facing a foe who not only had no plans to see tomorrow, but also nearly a hundred and eighty years of combat experience as a warrior and a mage to call upon.
Though he highly doubted that was the route Lady Summerfield planned to take, given her continued comatose state. Still, a final confirmation that her days could now be numbered in months meant that each of the claimants to her seat would now be preparing for war in earnest.
For his part, William wasn¡¯t too concerned. His pilot candidates had been under Xela¡¯s tutelage for just under eight months now. As far as he could remember, in the earliest days of World War Two, the RAF could have a trained pilot in as little as six ¨C though it was considered far from ideal.
To that end, ideal or not, as far as he was concerned, any time beyond this moment was a gift unasked for in terms of preparing his people.
Once the war finally started he¡¯d be able to unveil his new creations in such a way that they could neither be hidden nor his contributions easily swept under the rug. Nor could he be sidelined politically once he had the backing of the new rulers of the Summerfield duchy.
With those feats, combined, in one fell swoop, he¡¯d be able to create for himself a third power bloc to challenge both the North and the Crown.
And with Yelena no longer able to simply demand his aid in disarming the North, he¡¯d be able to request concessions that would otherwise be¡ unthinkable to any ruling monarch.
And if she refused? Well, he¡¯d have access to near enough an entire duchy¡¯s worth of production power to craft a response that would convince Yelena of the validity of his point of view.
At that point, even if he were revealed to be Harrowed, his success in the Summerfield succession crisis would render it moot.
¡°Make sure the instructors are present too,¡± he added. ¡°They¡¯ll be acting as our squadron leaders in the event¡ anything happens.¡±
Which it wouldn¡¯t. The message they¡¯d received said the Royal Fleet had departed to deal with a small taskforce out in the ocean. Some kind of pirate fleet that had lucked its way into an abnormally high number of airships. A number was high enough that a majority of the capital defense fleet was needed to deal with it in a ¡®risk free and decisive manner¡¯.
So as a precaution, she was calling in support from the Crown¡¯s vassal territories to garrison the Capital in the Royal Fleet¡¯s absence.
An understandable move, if a little annoying, he thought.
Honestly, all this fretting was likely for nothing. They¡¯d fly to the capital, float around for a few hours, get the all clear, and return home.
Turning, he watched as a few crates of cannonballs ¨C of the non-enchanted variety - were wheeled up the Jellyfish¡¯s ramp and resisted the urge to wince. He¡¯d been meaning to upgrade the ship¡¯s armament to something more¡ modern for a while now, but hadn¡¯t been able to free up the production capacity while his workshops were still focused on churning out both corsairs, engines, bullets and¡ smaller caliber guns.
A process greatly slowed by the fact that the final assembly of all those things needed to be performed by him.
Again, he had to remind himself that the time for secrecy was coming to an end.
¡°Already done,¡± Xela said. ¡°Though you should know the twins have sent a request to use our airship as a berth once the vassal fleet gathers over the capital.¡±
William frowned. ¡°Think I can reject them without looking like an ass?¡±
Xela¡¯s smirk was all the answer he needed to that question.
He sighed. ¡°Fine. Permission granted. Just¡ see if you can¡¯t make sure the Basilisk either stays on the deck or gets stored with the M-Class. Under absolutely no circumstances are either of them to be let near the C-Corsairs without an escort. I don¡¯t want them getting ¡®curious¡¯ and popping a panel open.¡±
Xela laughed. ¡°Easiest way to do that is to invite them up to your cabin and pop one of your own panels.¡±
¡°I¡ you know what, that¡¯s not a terrible idea.¡±
If nothing else, it¡¯d make the waiting around a lot more enjoyable than it might be otherwise.
¡°What? No! I was joking!¡± His second in command shouted after him as he set off in the direction of the Jellyfish¡¯s gantry.
------------------------------
The pirate queen was no closer to getting an answer hours later when the Lindholmian fleet had turned from indistinct flecks in the sky into looming behemoths of metal and aether. Shards buzzed around the larger ships like flies on cattle. And unlike the Lunites, they held the high ground - if such a term could be applied to the sky.
It would have actually been a little amusing if her own life wasn¡¯t a stake in the fight to come, to see how the Lindholmian fleet seemed to hesitate at the sight of the Lunites hovering so low. It was a momentary thing, barely more than the time it took for them to rearrange their formation, but Kanna imagined she saw it all the same.
Then they dove ¨C like a hawk onto a grounded pigeon ¨C the fleet started to descend.
Not descending, they¡¯re just closing the range, Kanna realized.
From this distance, Kanna could already predict where they¡¯d stop - around three hundred meters up. Two hundred meters was the effective range for enchanted cannon fire against steel hulled craft after all.
In other words, the enemy fleet was descending just low enough to rain fire down on their foes with impunity.
Not that that was her main focus. No, that was on the six ships that broke off from the Lindhomian formation, descending faster than the others, they peeled away from the coming airship clash as they headed straight for the pirate fleet.
¡°Six!? You sent six!?¡± she cursed at the distant fleet. ¡°Was your brother buggered by a pirate or something!?¡±
One or two would have been eminently survivable, but six ships would cut through the fifty sea-based vessels with ease. Even if they were spread out. There were hours of sailing ahead after all ¨C and for every moment of it, those six would be picking ships off, one by one.
Cursing herself for a fool for being roped into this, she clenched her fists as the Lunites finally began to make their own move ¨C and promptly scattered.
Like a flower opening, the Lunite formation turned in all different directions, clearly intending to loop and turn around.
"Fuck," she spat, the wind whipping the curse from her lips. "This is a trap. They''re using us as bait!"
A cold dread washed over her. She could almost feel the same panic rippling through the entire pirate fleet ¨C and ironically, through the Lindholmians as well. There was a moment of stunned hesitation, then the inevitable pursuit.
Not of the Lunites. The elven vessels, sleek and deadly, were built for speed and boarding actions. Most would have a crew of less than thirty ¨C but of those, all would be mages. By contrast, a Lindholmian vessel would have a crew of maybe eighty or more. And unlike their sleek elven cousins, the often human-womanned craft weren¡¯t sleek at all. Built like bricks, they were designed for ranged slugging matches, where they could get the most of its cannons and plebian crew.
No, the Lindholmian fleet wouldn¡¯t be catching a Lunite one that didn¡¯t want to fight. But the pirates those Lunites had been escorting? Not so fast.
Still, at least with the immediate threat of Lunite retribution finally gone, Kanna could finally do what she¡¯d been wanting to do for the past week.
"Hard to starboard!" she roared, her voice barely audible above the crashing waves. Her first mate echoed the command, relaying it to the crew. "If we''re not headed for the capital, they might not pursue."
It was a vain hope. This many pirates in one place? The Lindholmians would be fools not to seize the opportunity to clean house. Though, perhaps they might hesitate? Preoccupied with whatever the Lunites were planning? After all, they¡¯d gathered this fleet for a reason, even if they seemed content to abandon it.
Kanna chewed on her lip, her mind racing.
Sea spray hit her face as the ship turned hard, but she ignored it with long practice as she wondered what all this was in aid of? Why bring them all out here? Why risk bringing a fleet over open water, where they were vulnerable? The gold that had lured them out here had not been cheap either. Kanna wouldn¡¯t have come for anything less than an exorbitant fee and she doubted her peers were any cheaper.
All that gold would be sinking to the depths soon enough ¨C along with the fleet that carried it.
So why?
Then it hit her.
A distraction.
Or rather, a distraction within a distraction. Just as the pirates were a distraction for the fleeing Lunite fleet, that fleet was a distraction for something else.
¡°They knew the Lindholmians would choose to intercept them over water,¡± she muttered. ¡°They knew they''d send a fleet out. But to what end?¡±
Was there another fleet out here somewhere? If so, how was it staying undetected?
Kanna scanned the horizon, the wind whipping her hair across her face. Somewhere beyond the churning waves, the Lunites were enacting their true plan, whatever it might be.
She only hoped she lived long enough to find out what exactly it was ¨C and get her revenge on whoever chose to make her an unwitting part of it.
------------------------------------------
"Think the fight''s going ok?" Tailor asked, leaning against the railing of the lighthouse balcony. Below, the sea stretched out into the darkness, the rhythmic crash of waves against the rocks a constant lullaby.
"Whether it is or it isn''t, we''ll be the last to know," Sally responded with a wry smile, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon.
Tailor snorted in amusement. Sally wasn''t wrong. Guardswomen like them, were at the bottom of the information chain. News, especially about battles raging far away, might reach them about a second before it became common knowledge across the capital. Sometimes it reached them afterwards.
After all, being stationed out in the bay, the lighthouse wasn¡¯t exactly easy to reach even for the most fervent gossips.
No, there was a decent chance the first news Tailor would get of the distant battle was when she knocked off for the evening.
Still, she could live with that. As long as she got her silver each week, she wasn''t one to complain. Sure, being a guardswoman wasn''t the most glamorous job in the world given that, in a world of mages who could conjure fireballs with a thought and pierce their enemies with automatic bolt-bow fire, what use was an ordinary woman with a sword?
At least the sailors aboard airships had served some purpose in a fight by crewing the ship¡¯s aether-cannons.
For troops garrisoned on the ground though, their options were a lot more limited without a mithril core to tap into. Not non-existent - a few ballistae were mounted on the parapet below the lighthouse, but everyone knew they were mostly for show given that any attack ship¡¯s aether-cannons could easily outrange them even without an altitude advantage.
No, the most Tailor could likely do if an enemy airship happened to fly overhead was hurl insults at it. Creative insults, mind, but still just words at the end of the day.
Well, that and I could shine a light on it, she mused.
Which would ostensibly give defending ships an advantage by illuminating their targets ¨C but at the end of the day that meant Tailors¡¯s contributions to any given fight relied entirely on-
"There¡¯s something in the water," Sally interrupted her friend¡¯s thoughts, her voice sharp. ¡°Lights.¡±
Tailor followed her gaze and saw that sure enough, there were lights moving through the gloom. Now, that in and of itself, wasn''t entirely unusual. The sea was teeming with biolumin- glowy creatures.
Kelpie leapt to mind as the most immediate example.
These aren¡¯t no kelpie though, she thought.
Glowies tended to be blues, greens, reds or purples. And they were¡ softer. These¡ These lights reminded her of the lighthouse above her.
On another night, she might have dismissed it, perhaps making a note in the logbook of the sighting. But tonight, with the tension of the ongoing battle hanging heavy in the air, her instincts screamed danger.
"Get the searchlight on it," she instructed, her voice tight with urgency. "Quickly."
She listened as Sally moved to obey, but a sudden gurgle cut through the night. Tailor reached for her blade, her heart pounding, only to be struck by a wave of warmth spreading across her chest.
She instinctively brought her hand up ¨C it came away wet with blood. She tried to shout - to do something! - but no words came out.
Her legs gave way, and she stumbled. Then she fell. The stone beneath her wasn¡¯t cold. It was warm. Like her chest.
Through blurred vision, she saw Sally crumpled on the ground nearby, shadowy figures standing over her.
"Sentries are down," one of them said in a gruff accent that Tailor vaguely recognized from the docks. "Signal the fleet."
Tailor watched with a strange sense of detachment as one of the figures moved to the lighthouse and began flashing the shutters strangely.
She needed to¡ stop that¡
She needed to¡ do something¡
Her body refused to cooperate. So she could only lie there as her vision darkened by the moment.
Her last thoughts were of her family, and a silent apology for failing to protect them.
-------------------------------------------
Yotul¡¯s tribe hollered as the Blood-Oath surged to the surface, water cascading off his barnacle-encrusted hull. Moonlight pierced through the magically reinforced windows of the bridge, flooding the space with cool warmth. The glass, a masterpiece of craftsmanship, was the result of days of work by skilled mages layering enchantments to withstand the crushing weight of the ocean¡¯s depths.
When submerged, these windows were the only means of seeing outside, and even now, above the waves, they remained the sole vantage point ¨C and they gave her a perfect view of the enemy¡¯s home.
A city, of a size she was stunned to believe could actually exist, lay sprawled out before her. Even at night, it wasn¡¯t hard to see with so many lanterns lit and the moon shining overhead.
More important than that though, were the many airships present, most still tethered to the city¡¯s massive skydocks.
Like guard dogs left chained to their post when the wolves came roaming ¨C they were practically defenseless. Yet the tethered ships refused to move ¨C even as those few that were in the air finally started to turn. Already one was burning towards her craft.
That was fine. There weren¡¯t enough of them. Not to stop the nine other underships that Yotul knew were rising behind her.
The capital fleet still had them outnumbered ¨C but what use were numbers when half of them were sleeping?
The orc grinned as down below, the lighthouse¡¯s spotlights spun as one, not to illuminate her craft, but that of the incoming defenders. She could practically hear the confusion and panic of the crews aboard.
¡°Seems that the slaver wasn¡¯t all talk,¡± she muttered to herself.
She¡¯d promised that the fleet wouldn¡¯t be spotted as it maneuvered into the bay and she was as good as her word.
In this, at least. Yotul doubted any of the other promises that had been made would be worth the air used to utter them.
That was fine. Neither were Yotul¡¯s.
They were here for their shared enemy and nothing more.
"Make ready for air combat!" the captain bellowed into the ship¡¯s internal comm system. The command echoed through the corridors, sparking a flurry of activity among the crew.
The ship¡¯s transformation into an undership had been an arduous process, months of reinforcement both mundane and magical were invested to make the vessel seaworthy. But while those modifications had allowed it to dive into the depths, they were less than ideal for aerial combat. Every gun port and every hatched had needed to be fused shut, the metal molded seamlessly through magic until no trace of a seam remained.
But what magic could seal, it could also unseal - and quickly.
All it took was a single thought: hole. The same arcane techniques used to shape metal were now used to create holes. Gun-holes. And unlike the precise work required to shape a cannon or blade, this task required no finesse, only raw intention.
Yotul knew from experience, both as a defender and an attacker, that Saboteurs often used similar techniques to breach walls and bulkheads when boarding ships ¨C which was why she knew the method had limits.
The larger or more complex the hole, the greater the drain on the user¡¯s magical reserves. A breach larger than a few meters in diameter was almost unthinkable without a few minutes of uninterrupted thought.
Not something often found during a boarding action, she thought wryly as the controlled chaos around her continued.
And not easily found here either, as their ship continued to climb up towards the hated invaders. Fortunately, a few dozen gunports were quite easy with the entire tribe¡¯s spellcasters at work.
Metal fell away in sheets, revealing the madness of the outside world to those beyond the bridge. She wondered if they too salivated like she did at the thought of vengeance. If they too thought of burned villages and empty caves.
Were it not for the fact that she had more immediate targets in mind, she¡¯d have been tempted to order her ship¡¯s many cannons to aim at the city below ¨C to give the people sleeping within a taste of the terror her people had endured for generations.
No, that would come in time. For now, she had a better target in mind.
She could still hear the soft tinkle of metal plating falling as the last of the gun ports unsealed themselves, revealing the ship¡¯s hidden arsenal. Likewise, she heard and felt the first clangs of rounds slamming into the armored hull before exploding into fireballs or cascading webs of lightning as the first of the defenders¡¯ shots rang out through the night.
The armor held though. For now.
¡°Cannons ready,¡± came the report from her second at last.
¡°Port guns concentrate fire on the supports of the closest sky-dock at two eighty five degrees. Starboard guns concentrate on the one at seventy five,¡± the captain ordered, her tone icy with resolve as the bridge crew set about relaying her orders. ¡°Fire on my mark.¡±
For a moment, it seemed the entire world held its breath as they drew abreast of the first first skydock ¨C the four ships tethered to it by steel umbilical gantries still lifeless and unmoving.
In a few minutes, she knew that would change as the crews within reached ready stations.
Minutes she wouldn¡¯t give them.
¡°Fire.¡±
The Blood-Oaths forty guns fired as one ¨C sending enchanted metal lancing through the air on flutes of aether. Near enough in timing so as to be indistinguishable, four of the other underships in their formation fired too.
Each shot, enchanted through decades of mages multiplying spells on top of one another over and over, struck the support posts of both airdocks before exploding into cascades of ice, fire and lightning.
Smoke and aether filled the night sky, but the beams of the light-houses in the bay managed to pierce through it.
The first skydock held, either enchantment or good engineering allowing it to survive its first volley.
The second did not ¨C as Yotul watched with rising joy as the great concrete structure started to crack and then crumble.
Like a child¡¯s snow castle, it came away in clumps before it started to sag and fall, stonework dropping down into the city below as the massive structure fell ¨C dragging with it the four airships that had been tethered there. Like fish caught on a line, they were dragged down to the ground and smashed upon it, one of the vessel¡¯s bows splitting like dry firewood as the component parts of the ship were spread across the rubble.
Rubble that was comprised of not just the skydock, but had also once been houses, stores, restaurants and warehouses.
All gone in a single breath.
Yotul stared, something shifting in her stomach. Some part of her absently wondered just how many people had been in those buildings. Not just marines and sailors¡ but men and children.
Then smoke and dust obscured the view entirely ¨C becoming so dense that not even the lighthouse¡¯s beams could pierce them.
Not that they tried to.
They¡¯d already moved onto new targets. Like the second of the five skydocks that had yet to fall.
Licking her suddenly dry lips, Yotul got ready to give the order to fire again.
Every skydock they downed now was four less ships the taskforce of ten wouldn¡¯t have to deal with in open combat.
Chapter Fifty Eight
Yelena had not been sleeping when the first alarm bells had been rung. For while she trusted her oldest child implicitly, rare was the mother that could sleep well knowing her child was headed into battle. It didn¡¯t help that the Queen shared her daughter¡¯s misgivings regarding the peculiarity of the opposing fleet¡¯s presence, but she also held no greater insight as to what surprises their mystery foe might have in store.
Well, now we have our answer, she thought bitterly as she watched through a viewing orb as another skydock fell onto her city. She felt it fall, the vibrations from the collapse of the massive structure reaching her even in the palace¡¯s basement command center.
In the background, she watched as what defenders remained airborne traded shots with the attacking fleet, but with the defenders having been reduced to just four vessels in less than an hour and now facing nearly twice their number, the defense was haphazard at best.
Still, the command center was a hive of activity as her people tried to organize reinforcements from vassals further afield from the capital or direct those that remained in the fight.
All while her city burned.
Yelena¡¯s armored gauntlets creaked as she gripped the wood of her command table at that thought.
Someone would pay for this. Pay dearly.
Even if she didn¡¯t survive the night, the Royal Fleet had been informed of the attack and was returning home with all the haste it could muster. And while it might not arrive in time to thwart whatever goal their enemy hoped to achieve here, it would be well positioned and motivated to take revenge on whoever organized it.
And while Yelena was tempted to say that it was the Blackstones, this kind of subterfuge simply wasn¡¯t their style. The audacity of it perhaps - and even the method, if this was a city full of orcs ¨C but Eleanor Blackstone would gain little from an attack like this beyond uniting the rest of the country against her.
Plus, the tactics aren¡¯t right for a Northern fleet, Yelena thought, her lips set into a grim line as she considered the reports coming in.
¡°Marmaduke reports that it¡¯s lost contact with the core-room,¡± an Orb-Operator reported in rapid fire cadence. ¡°Last report was two minutes ago. Core-Defender reported no less than three attackers. Captain is now reporting Marmaduke is losing pressure in all aether-bulkheads. Propellors non-functional. Core presumed missing. Captain reports that she¡¯s likely to go down over the docks. Captain is ordering an all-hands evacuation to parachute and glider muster stations. She¡ she intends to go down with the ship.¡±
Yelena wasn¡¯t too surprised to hear that. Better to go down with the ship than return home as the woman on whom¡¯s watch the family¡¯s core was lost.
Unfortunately for the captain of the Marmaduke, Yelena didn¡¯t have time for that.
¡°Tell the silly bint to get out of there,¡± Yelena ordered in a clipped manner. ¡°Our capital¡¯s under attack and I need every mage I can get my hands on ¨C even if she has to fight on foot from on top of the burning corpse of her family¡¯s ship.¡±
Nodding her head, the comm¡¯s specialist hurriedly moved to convey her sovereign¡¯s wishes. Satisfied her orders were being obeyed, Yelena once more turned her attention to her viewing-orb in time to see a series of glow-bolts stitching their way across the night sky. Then once again as dozens of shards clashed overhead. Once upon a time they¡¯d barely been visible in the night, but with the flames of the city below and moon out in full force above, it wasn¡¯t hard to see the small dots as they darted across the skies above the capital.
It wasn¡¯t hard to see who was winning.
And it wasn¡¯t the women of Lindholm.
Whoever the attackers were, for they were no mere pirates, were good. Damn good. Initial estimates were that the ¡®underships¡¯ had launched about twenty or so shards in the opening moments of their attack.
Those twenty shards had wasted no time in decimating any shards hastily launched from the surprised vassal fleet, and had since moved on to using their altitude advantage to massacre any of the shards sent up by the capital¡¯s airfields.
Sure, technically even with the royal fleet gone and the vassal fleet unprepared to launch their own shard complement, the three airbases dotted around the capital theoretically had enough shards to outnumber the twenty or so enemy flyers nearly twice over ¨C but that advantage was useless when the enemy pilots were shooting down her people the moment they left the airfields.
There was a reason why the first order given upon seeing an approaching enemy get within an hour¡¯s travel time of the city was for those airfield based shards to climb to max altitude and remain on standby.
Except, they¡¯d never gotten that chance - because the enemy literally appeared right on top of them.
Rising from the sea, she thought. How absurd.
Perhaps if she placed any stock into the myths of Al¡¯Hundra¡¯s divinity she¡¯d have thought this the recently deceased god-kraken¡¯s revenge.
¡°Ignoring our issues with the first, do we have any indications of a second wave incoming?¡± she asked.
Was this the vanguard of an entire undership invasion fleet? As absurd as it would be for any of her enemies produce that many vessels of this type without her knowledge.
Then again, they built this many without you knowing, her mind niggled away at her. And you still don¡¯t even know who they are.
Nearby, one of her commanders shook her head. ¡°If there were, I¡¯m afraid we wouldn¡¯t know until they breached the surface your majesty. With the loss of our lighthouses, we¡¯re effectively blind as to any happenings in the water.¡±
Another woman, the markings of the city guard on her uniform spoke up. ¡°In addition to those troops fighting fires in the city itself, we¡¯ve dispatched garrisons to retake the lighthouses, but initial reports show the defenders there are dug in tight. Our own fortifications are working against us there.¡±
Yelena wanted to scream and ask why then if her lighthouses were so fortified had they fallen so easily? She didn¡¯t though because she already knew the answer.
They¡¯d been as taken by surprise as the rest of the capital.
So instead of screaming like she wanted, she kept her tone as calm as possible. ¡°Have our people on the ground had any luck identifying the origins of our attackers?¡±
In other words, are they dark elves or light elves?
The woman shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ve yet to claim a body in any shape to be identified.¡±
Of course not, Yelena thought grimly.
They might have identified the ships, but they were a mix of different vessels with clearly different origins. A majority were Lunites, but there were also two Solite Lineships and Two Lindholmian Galleons.
Someone had invested a lot into this attack ¨C and, as much as it pained her, it was paying off.
A burning wreck floated past the tower holding the viewing orb connected to the one she was watching, a somber testament to the ferocity of the battle. The Honorable had been struck amidships by three nearly flawless incendiary javelins launched by enemy shards in the opening moments of the battle. At least one of these projectiles had pierced the steel hull, setting the wooden framework beneath ablaze. The crew had been left with no choice but to abandon the ship as the fire raged uncontrollably.
Now, nearly an hour on, the flaming shell still drifted aimlessly, destined to drop from the skies when either the aether-ballasts ruptured or the the absence of a mage onboard rendered the core inert.
Either way, she could only pray it wouldn¡¯t happen over the city. The one silver lining was that the raging fire would deny the enemy any chance to salvage the core before the royal navy arrived. After the battle, House Hawkthorne could reclaim it safely.
¡°Academy is requesting permission to join the fight again,¡± another orb-operator announced.
¡°No!¡± Yelena snapped. ¡°I won¡¯t have students thrown into this slaughter for negligible gain. Do you think they¡¯ll fare any better than our own pilots?¡±
She refused to sacrifice Lindholm¡¯s future for a fleeting advantage in the present.
But, as if the fates were mocking her resolve, the situation shifted abruptly.
¡°The enemy is circling back around,¡± came the urgent warning.
Everyone watched in grim silence as the enemy fleet, seemingly satisfied with the destruction of the vassal forces, began to regroup into two distinct formations¡ªone larger, one smaller.
¡°Heading?¡± Yelena demanded.
¡°Us and the Academy,¡± came the reply.
¡°Of course,¡± she muttered under her breath.
She¡¯d suspected as much. Despite the palace and academy being prime targets, the enemy had done little more than take a few cursory shots at the hangars of each in the opening moments of the fight. Now, admittedly, both sites posed minimal immediate threat compared to the sky-docks and their ships, but as the battle had drawn on the lack of bombardment of either site only became more and more curious.
Now though, the strategy was clear¡ªthey intended to storm both locations.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
And while conventional wisdom dictated that softening a structure first with a few cannonballs might make it easier to breach, the reality was that navigating rubble-strewn corridors and collapsed rooms would only complicate such efforts.
Especially if one was both searching for something and wanted it intact.
They¡¯re after the Kraken Slayer, she thought. If any records of its creation existed, an outside force would assume that they¡¯d be housed at the palace or the academy.
True, the enemy might also have been interested in her or the political hostages housed at the academy, but such motivations didn¡¯t align with the scale of the assault. Lindholm wouldn¡¯t capitulate because a handful of noble heirs or even the queen were taken.
No, it would instead galvanize them, uniting the nation against the aggressors.
To that end, the enemy would be after something far more significant¡ªsomething worth this level of risk and investment.
Like a way to mass-produce enchanted shells for a nation whose stockpile had long since run dry, she thought. Like a way to salvage cores off their own coastlines.
¡Still, their attack presented a rare opportunity. If the enemy was so desperate to claim the Kraken Slayer, she¡¯d make sure they got it - on her terms and in her time.
¡°To the labs,¡± Yelena ordered, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. Her personal guard, both visible and shrouded in cloaking magic, immediately fell into formation around her.
The command center¡¯s personnel saluted sharply, their movements precise, a display of discipline amidst the chaos. Yelena paused at the threshold, her sharp gaze flicking to the admiral.
¡°Any reinforcements likely to arrive in the next few hours?¡± she asked, her tone steely.
The admiral¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line, her weathered face showing the strain of the battle. ¡°A vassal ship managed to avoid the initial strike by being late to the sortie,¡± she replied. ¡°A cruiser. It¡¯s a carrier-hybrid though.¡±
¡°Still sortieing?¡± Yelena¡¯s brow furrowed, her voice dipping into suspicion. ¡°It¡¯s been hours since my daughter gave the order for the royal vassals to assemble. Even our farthest vassals would have reached us by now.¡±
A cold, gnawing thought twisted through her gut, like a knife being driven deeper with every passing second. Was this latecomer party to¡ whatever was happening here in the capital?
¡°The ship in question was undergoing refits and wasn¡¯t combat-ready,¡± the admiral explained, her tone flat. ¡°The young lord captaining it claims she¡¯s operational now, but¡¡± She trailed off, her skepticism evident. The notion of a hastily refitted airship under an inexperienced commander inspired little confidence.
Yelena, however, allowed a sly smile to creep across her face. ¡°Would that ship happen to be the Jellyfish? From House Redwater?¡±
The admiral¡¯s brow furrowed in surprise. ¡°Yes. How did you-¡±
¡°The name, house and ship are each known to me,¡± Yelena replied, her voice calm, though her sharp eyes betrayed a deeper calculation.
The admiral gave a brisk nod. ¡°The Jellyfish is en route. It should arrive within the hour.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Yelena said, her tone shifting to one of quiet authority. ¡°A portion of my guard will remain here to protect the bunker. Maintain command of the defense until¡ well, until there¡¯s nothing left to command or no one left to be commanded.¡±
To her credit, the woman didn¡¯t flinch as she nodded, giving off a final salute, before she returned to the tactical display board.
Yelena turned, her stride purposeful as she resumed her march toward the labs, mage-lamps casting long shadows over polished stone walls. For the first time in hours, a flicker of hope pierced through the haze of doubt clouding her mind.
Here¡¯s hoping whatever William was working on with his coven of alchemists will prove as surprising to the enemy as it surely will to me, she mused.
It was a slim hope, though. Genius, even of the harrowed kind, rarely turned the tide of war alone. What could one experimental ship possibly achieve against an entire fleet?
Still, speculation was a luxury she couldn¡¯t afford to linger on for long. She had her own battles to prepare for.
¡°My bolt-bow,¡± Yelena ordered, her voice steady.
The weight of her family¡¯s ancestral weapon - modernized over generations - settled into her hand. Its intricate brasswork gleamed faintly, and its reinforced frame whirred softly as she adjusted her grip. She strode forward, flanked by a platoon of the continent¡¯s most formidable warriors, their armor glinting like obsidian in the dim light.
If tonight was her night to fall, well, she¡¯d go down spitting death and defiance.
---------------
Mary felt the ship roll beneath her feet as she stared at the endless rows of shards before her and the other cadets, the sleek, polished aluminum craft shimmering faintly under the hangar lights. Shards that, by all rights, should have been little more than empty frames, bereft of cores.
Yet here they were, loaded into the Jellyfish¡¯s side-launch modules, being loaded and tended by¡ alchemists. In minutes, the lord claimed those shards would be poised and ready to fly.
Despite the lack of a core.
Clearly he believed it, because with a single command, each of the shards in those bays would be flung be flung out into the night sky.
Of course, any returning shard would need to execute a running landing using the Jellyfish¡¯s new peculiar looking ¡®flat top¡¯- a maneuver Mary had practiced countless times but still feared. Anya was still laid up in the infirmary. Word was that a more skilled healer was on their way, but Mary couldn¡¯t help but worry that it was simply a kind lie.
Still, whether a healer came or not, Mary couldn¡¯t forget the deafening crash of Anya¡¯s shard slamming into the airship¡¯s side. The memory lingered, as sharp and unforgiving as the wings of the shards themselves.
¡Mary couldn¡¯t shake the image of Anya¡¯s mangled foot when she¡¯d been pulled from the wreckage. The jagged, unnatural shape haunted her. And now, here they were, heading into real battle. Not a drill, not a simulation - real combat. In comparison, landing the shard safely felt like the least of her worries.
She¡¯d once been proud to call herself a pilot. Still was, deep down. But somehow, the gravity of what that meant hadn¡¯t fully sunk in. Even now, as the tension thickened around her, it felt like a half-formed dream, something distant and surreal.
¡°What are you waiting for, cadets? A written invitation?¡± Instructor Greygrass barked, her gravelly voice cutting through the noise of the hangar. The scar on her chin caught the light as she fixed the crowd of plebian cadets with a withering glare. ¡°You¡¯ve been given your instructors. Your shards are assigned. Do not make me look incompetent in front of your lord!¡±
Mary¡¯s gaze flicked toward the main platform, where Lord Redwater stood, his impromptu speech over. His team stood behind him, looking just as uncertain as the cadets ahead. Beside him, Lady Tern stood, her sharp eyes scanning the scene. Unlike the others, she didn¡¯t seem confused - just deeply unhappy as she spoke in rapid-fire bursts to the distracted lord.
The scene wasn¡¯t unusual. Most instructors carried a perpetual air of dissatisfaction, and while the royal navy¡¯s trainers were a touch more optimistic than the dour dark elves, that wasn¡¯t saying much.
¡°Move, cadet, or I¡¯ll launch you from the shard bay without a shard!¡± Greygrass roared, her tone sharp as iron.
Case in point, Mary though as she glanced around and realized that the rest of the¡ squadron had already dispersed, making their way over to their assigned bays and shards.
Mary followed suit, as she jogged over to clamber up into her assigned shard, the familiar motion oddly jarring. The cockpit smelled faintly of oil and ozone, and she was a little surprised by how much this ¡®new designed¡¯ resembled the Corsair-M they¡¯d been practicing with.
Though she didn¡¯t know why that would surprise her.
Shaking her head to clear those unneeded thoughts, she began her pre-flight checks, her hands steady despite the knot in her stomach. When it came time to request core activation though, she hesitated.
She¡¯d partially turned back, to request it from the instructor there¡ but there was no one behind her. No second seat. Merely cockpit glass.
Then she remembered. The lord had said this new design didn¡¯t need a mage to activate it. That it wasn¡¯t limited to eight minutes of flight time¡ but thirty.
Some part of her still didn¡¯t quite believe it. How could a shard even function without a mage? Cores needed mages to produce aether - everyone knew that. But here it was, this sleek, enigmatic shard, defying everything she understood.
Mostly because she wasn¡¯t being given the opportunity. She wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it. They were being thrown into battle in shards they barely understood that defied comprehension.
Deeps, she didn¡¯t even know how to turn this thing¡ª
¡°Flip the switch there,¡± a calm voice interrupted her spiraling thoughts. ¡°Turn it for a second, then let go.¡±
Mary nearly jumped out of her seat. The lord was right next to her - right there - his face far too close for comfort for a girl who¡¯d never even spoken to a boy.
She wasn¡¯t used to boys, especially not noble ones. Too tall. Too plain. Destined for a lady-marriage with her gangly frame, marred by a scattering of acne. At least, according to her mothers.
¡What was worse, was that they weren¡¯t even being deliberately unkind. Merely realistic.
She¡¯d secretly hoped that becoming a pilot might change her luck in that department - maybe even help her find someone decent once she got away from a village that was now full of them. A trip to the city had been on her mind for a while now; she¡¯d been saving her coin for it.
But that was a distant dream.
And now there was a boy here - a noble boy - standing right next to her.
Fae above, she could feel his breath on her cheek.
¡°Cadet?¡±
Right, the switch! She snapped back to the task at hand, frantically searching for the spot he¡¯d indicated. Her fingers finally found the small, unassuming lever. She flicked it on, and a deafening roar erupted beneath her, making her jump as though the machine had bitten her. She let go instinctively, her heart hammering in time with the growl of the¡ thing below.
Did I break it? she thought.
The old Corsair-M always started with a soft hum, like the comforting purr of her family¡¯s tabby cat. This sound, though- it was jarring, more like the deep, guttural groaning old Davy made after the Bevin¡¯s horse had kicked him in the ribs.
She still had nightmares about that horrible wheezing.
She turned to the lord, panic in her eyes, but he remained unfazed.
¡°Good,¡± he said, his tone steady, as if nothing had happened. ¡°Now, I know I mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. The design was made to mimic the Corsair-M you¡¯re used to- same flight profile, same control layout, same weight distribution. But there are differences.¡±
Mary nodded, trying to focus on his words and not his lips as he continued.
¡°For one thing, this engine¡¯s a lot more powerful. Be ready for some kick. And by kick, I mean it might try to flip you.¡±
Flip her? Her stomach churned as her mind flashed to that one time-
¡°Yeah, you get it,¡± he said, as if reading her thoughts. ¡°We added that ¡®defective thruster valve¡¯ on the underside of the M for that reason. To imitate this. You¡¯ll feel it on the right wing; it works like that valve, so keep your balance.¡±
So that¡¯s why-
¡°Got it?¡±
A little annoyed at her thoughts being constantly interrupted, instinct nontheless took over, as Mary snapped to attention.
¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±
The words slipped out before Mary could stop herself, and the realization hit her like a bolt of lightning. She¡¯d just called the lord¡ªa boy, a man¡ªma¡¯am. Her cheeks burned, and for a moment, she wished the shard would swallow her whole.
But instead of taking offense, the young lord laughed. A light, easy chuckle, as if her blunder had made his day. Without another word, he hopped off the ladder and strode to the next shard, where another cadet sat, looking just as bewildered as Mary had moments ago.
The roar of her ¡®core¡¯ was no longer alone though. Across the launch bays, dozens of craft had come to life, their cores growling in unison. Mary glanced around, noticing instructors and alchemists perched on ladders beside her fellow cadets, offering the same hurried guidance she¡¯d just received.
She also noticed that the air suddenly smelled acrid, like burning metal and scorched oil. It wasn¡¯t entirely unpleasant, but it was sharp and foreign.
Are the alchemists the reason these shards can fly without mages? she wondered. Alchemists were different from traditional mages, or so she¡¯d heard. They created things, mixed potions, and dabbled in flames and fumes. Maybe that¡¯s why everything smells like it¡¯s on fire.
She shook her head, pushing the thoughts aside. No time to dwell on what she didn¡¯t understand. Her hands found the familiar controls, and a sense of calm settled over her as she ran her fingers over them. The layout felt right. Comfortable.
I can do this, she told herself. I¡¯ve flown the Corsair plenty of times, and this is just another Corsair.
A voice crackled through the comms. ¡°Launch in twenty minutes. All units will deploy at max altitude. Expect enemy contact within thirty minutes.¡±
There was so much she didn¡¯t know, so many unanswered questions. But this much was clear: someone had attacked her home, and she now had the means to fight back.
Mary gripped the controls tighter.
I won¡¯t let my Lord down. I won¡¯t let Lindholm down.
¡Now, if only she could slow the wild thrum of her heart, though she took some small solace in the way it seemed to be echoed by the machine beneath her.
Chapter Fifty Nine
Marinna grinned fiercely, her flight goggles reflecting the flames below as she banked her airship over the smoldering wreckage of an enemy vessel. The ship in question was still afloat, even as it burned, the mithril core within still performing its function. Though it was only a matter of time until the aether ballasts or pipes within burst, at which point the blazing inferno would drop down to the city below, further adding to the confusion and fires already present.
The veteran pilot had seen such scenes before, but they never lost their grim majesty. She wasn¡¯t driven by cruelty, not really, but by the satisfaction of flawless execution. Every maneuver, every shot from her aether-cannons, had culminated in this night¡¯s grim symphony of destruction.
She took a deep breath, savoring the acrid scent of scorched metal and coal-tainted air as her gloved fingers danced over the brass controls of her craft as she changed course again, swooping over the bow of the ¡®undership¡¯ she was escorting.
It was an ugly beast. All-patchwork welds and hasty mage-smithing. So much so that it was hard to believe that it and others like it had been responsible for tonight¡¯s victory.
She wasn¡¯t alone in her initial skepticism about the Underships. The very concept of descending beneath the ocean¡¯s surface in an airship ¨C practically kraken bait - had felt like tempting fate.
And as for emerging at sea level, directly into a live combat zone?
The tactical disadvantages were glaring.
Altitude was life after all - every shard pilot and airship captain knew that. Whether you soared across the skies in a nimble fighter craft or commanded the bulk of an airship, altitude was both your sanctuary and your weapon.
A fact she¡¯d spent the last two hours driving home to any colonial beatnick that was foolish enough to try and tangle with her sisters in the sky. After clearing up the initial fleet launches in short order, she and her colleagues had turned on any foe that dared to launch from the beleaguered airfields that dotted the city¡¯s outskirts ¨C reducing them to shrapnel within moments before sending their mangled remains tumbling back to the ground in showers of sparks and aether.
It had been a slaughter ¨C and not because the enemy pilots were entirely incompetent. What few had managed to survive long enough to engage in something that might have been called a fight by the charitable had been decent enough.
At least half-life standards, she thought as she glanced over at a small chip in her craft¡¯s paint where one of those craft had in fact managed to clip her with a fire-bolt before being savaged by Marinna¡¯s wingmate.
Now, either the enemy were out of shards, or they were biding their time for reinforcements. It mattered little either way. Marinna and the fleet would be long gone by the time the latter showed up. Already, she could see figures descending from airships hovering over both the ¡®palace¡¯ and the ¡®academy¡¯.
Dark Elf Stormtroopers. Elites who would make short work of any enemy opposition and swiftly claim whatever it was they¡¯d traveled all this way for.
Though what that objective was, Marinna couldn¡¯t say - and didn¡¯t particularly care. It wasn¡¯t her concern. Her mission was simple; keep the skies clear for the commandos¡¯ insertion and extraction. Yet as she hovered at altitude, watching streaks of vibrant spellfire whip out from the palace grounds at the descending mage-commandos, frustration gnawed at her at her inability to perform her role to the fullest.
¡°Wing Two still not resupplied yet?¡± she muttered under her breath.
Casting a glance toward The Merciful, its massive bulk cutting an imposing silhouette against the star-dappled night sky, she clicked her tongue irritably at the ongoing presence of the ¡°Maintain Operations¡± lights above her launch bay.
By all appearances, the enemy had exhausted their flight assets, but Marinna knew better than to assume the skies were hers. The Lunite Empire hadn¡¯t thrived for centuries by embracing complacency. Fleet doctrine demanded unbroken aerial coverage, with shards cycling back to their carriers for resupply in carefully calculated shifts.
Any lapse in cover, no matter how brief, was a risk the Empire wasn¡¯t willing to take.
Unfortunately, that left her hovering here with guns that were near empty after the last two hours spent savaging enemy shards, which meant she couldn¡¯t afford to waste any striking ground assets until she¡¯d been resupplied, lest she end up being caught without ammo against a real threat.
¡°Probably Ahmada and her damned Firebolt,¡± she muttered.
The Firebolt, damn thing was a hangar prince, its once-proud legacy as a frontline shard reduced to that of a second-line burden. Sure, its bolt-cannons packed a punch, but their feed mechanisms jammed often enough to be a nightmare in protracted battles or even while resupplying.
Ahmada swore by it, claiming its quirks were manageable, but Marinna suspected the woman loved the shard more for its rarity than its reliability ¨C given the interest it tended to generate from young men with an above average interest in shards.
She paused, her muttering cut short by a distant sound.
A low, ominous droning, barely audible against the sound of cannon fire and the rushing wind. Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the murky skies, searching for any sign of a new threat. The fires below offered some visibility, their flickering glow casting long, dancing shadows across the fractured cityscape, but little beyond that. The world beyond the city limits was filled with little more than darkness.
Worse still, she knew the flames below meant that the fleet and her own shard would be all too visible for an outside force looming in the darkness. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t risk repositioning to the outskirts of the city to take advantage of that self-same darkness. Abandoning her current post would leave the ships offloading commandos below dangerously exposed.
And still, as her thoughts raced, the droning grew louder.
Something was closing in.
Marinna¡¯s pulse quickened, her grip tightening on the controls ever further. She wasn¡¯t unwomaned by the unknown, but her nerves stood on a razor¡¯s edge, ready for anything.
Unbidden, a memory surfaced. As a child, she¡¯d once thrown a rock at a wasp¡¯s nest, spurred on by a mix of bravado and a desperate desire to impress a watching servant boy as much as her friends with her ¡®bravery¡¯. Unfortunately for her younger self, the rock struck true. However, instead of the admiration of her friends and the attention of a cute boy for her bravado, she earned for herself a swarm of ticker-nats.
Fortunately, they¡¯d been near a lake at the time, and as such, she, the boy, her friends, and a number of her mother¡¯s dinner guests for that particular outing, managed to escape said swarm by leaping into a nearby lake.
Naturally, her mother had been rather unimpressed with the whole ordeal.
With that said, as great as the punishment after had been, she never forgot the sound of all those insects bearing down on her. The terror as they swarmed about her like a singular living being.
The sound of that enraged swarm? It had been a lot like this.
She shook her head, ignoring the way the hairs on the back of her neck raised as the droning swelled, the low hum turning into a layered, resonant thrum that set her teeth on edge. It wasn¡¯t just sound now - it was vibration, a palpable pulse in the air, rattling her shard¡¯s cockpit.
Glancing over at her wingmates, she was relieved to see that she wasn¡¯t alone in noticing the oncoming threat ¨C whatever it was.
¡®Climb¡¯ the raised flag on her squadron leader¡¯s shard indicated.
¡°Thank the Fae,¡± Marinna muttered, her voice low and tight.
Sure, they¡¯d be leaving the commandos a little more exposed, but they¡¯d also be better positioned to engage whatever it was that was making that noise.
She adjusted the shard¡¯s altitude slightly, her stomach sinking slightly as the craft entered an incline. Her eyes flicked to the skies overhead, but no threat presented itself just yet. Merely the clouds and the stars beyond.
¡°Wait, is that-¡±
Then it happened.
From the skies above, she had but a moment to see it as something flashes and nearly a dozen peculiarly shaped shards illuminated themselves against the darkness as their wing mounted guns flung hot death at the enemy below them.
Enemies that included her.
¡°Fuck,¡± she barely had time to hiss, yanking hard on the controls, but it was too late.
She watched, the world seemingly coming to a half for just a moment, as one of those lines of fire lanced towards her ¨C and then the air was filled with the shriek of tearing metal as a rapid staccato of bangs erupted all around her, vibrating through the frame. Each one sent brutal shocks through the elf and her and the controls as the world tilted violently.
Controls aren¡¯t responding, she thought as she wrestled with the now limp control stick. I need to-
Something slammed into her chest, a brutal, numbing force that stole the air from her lungs. She gasped, her fingers scrabbling weakly at her harness as her vision blurred. She was dimly aware of the world spinning, but it all seemed so distant now, muffled by the roaring in her ears.
And then¡ nothing.
Darkness claimed her, swift and merciless.
-------------
This new variant of the Corsair was a beast, and Xela was barely holding it together. It was absurdly fast, almost like it wanted to break free of her control, and the guns - stone, the guns- were something else entirely. The first time she squeezed the trigger, the violent kick from them had rattled her entire frame, sending a jolt of adrenaline through her.
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They were loud. Louder than even this new false core.
She continued to hold down the trigger though, watching as a streak of tracers tore through the night, cutting a blazing line straight into the target she¡¯d been aiming for ¨C silhouetted against the city behind it. The enemy craft buckled under the assault as it spun out of control, aether bleeding from it as it tumbled toward the city below.
There were no attempts by it to stabilize as it tumbled. No signs of an ejection either.
Xela blinked, her breathing heavy in the tight confines of the cockpit. It seemed she¡¯d just gotten the first ¡®kill¡¯ of the engagement in more ways than once.
Around her, the rest of the twenty-shard formation had not been idle, filling the sky with blazing lines of tracer fire as they picked their own targets from the formation below. To Xela¡¯s eyes, it was as if the heavens themselves had opened up to unleash fury upon the enemy fleet, caught off guard as they were beneath the concealing veil of cloud cover.
Xela¡¯s eyes flicked across the chaotic scene, catching sight of plumes of aether as enemy ballasts exploded in brilliant flashes. Of course, it lasted for just a moment before the enemy scattered, the location of their new foe established as they broke off.
The moment of surprise had passed, and Xela knew any kills from this point forward wouldn¡¯t come so easily. The enemy had been caught off guard initially, silhouetted against the burning city as her formation dove through the clouds to strike from above.
Now though, they¡¯d be getting ready to strike back. Getting ready for Xela¡¯s formation to break off and pursue, at which point the enemy shard¡¯s superior agility and experience would allow them to quickly reverse said pursuit.
They¡¯d downed what? Four craft in that initial attack? That meant there were still about nine left based on her rough count in that split second before she¡¯d fired.
Based on what they¡¯d already done to the city¡¯s defenses, Xela would wager that was more than enough to tear apart her formation of green pilots ¨C no matter what wonder machines they were piloting.
Fortunately, her people had come on from a very steep angle, this new corsair having a much higher max altitude ceiling than she was accustomed to. A feat that had likely played a role in why the enemy had been so caught off guard.
¡°Remember kids, don¡¯t get lured into a dogfight. Do as we trained. Dive. Fire. Pull off. We have the energy advantage. Use it.¡±
Around her, some of the craft that looked like they were on the verge of pursuing their foes down to the deck, pulled back. The wood elf smiled.
Radio. Oh, what she wouldn¡¯t have given to have had this when she was still in the navy.
¡°Corsair-5, I repeat, pull off. They¡¯re luring you,¡± she stressed.
Once upon a time, she¡¯d have been powerless to do anything but watch as a green pilot from her squadron fell into an enemy trap, outmaneuvered and cut down in the chaos. Now, with the comms system in place, she could intervene - at least to some extent.
¡°Aye, ma¡¯am,¡± came the shaky reply, the pilot¡¯s voice laced with the tension of her first battle but obedient.
Xela breathed a sigh of relief as her five plane squadron continued to climb, leaving their pursuers on the deck.
Of course, she knew the new communication system wasn¡¯t being utilized to the fullest. How could it be when it had been sprung on the Instructors turned squadron leaders barely a few hours ago? And the cadets themselves less than an hour ago?
Theoretically, they could have been using the radio to allow each pilot to call targets and coordinate their attacks - but that wasn¡¯t the kind of system that could be implemented in less than an hour. Instead, it had been limited to instructors only, to allow them to direct the fight better.
Of course, the moment she had that thought, she saw it - a break in the formation. Now hers. Someone from squadron one or three. One of the planes there had drifted out, nerves or bloodlust getting to the rookie pilot within, as rather than break off to climb, she continued her pursuit of her target, guns blazing away recklessly as the enemy craft danced around her crosshair. The girl¡¯s squadron leader either hadn¡¯t noticed or was too preoccupied with their own target to use their comms.
Xela wanted to bark a warning, to snap the pilot back into position as she saw, rising through the smoke another craft - but she couldn¡¯t. Cursing, she started fiddling with the unfamiliar radio system as she desperately tried to recall how to tune into another squadron¡¯s channel.
She wasn¡¯t fast enough though.
Like the veterans they were, the first shard had seamlessly lured the pursuing corsair into the perfect position for one of her wingmates to take a shot. A shot the second shard did not miss.
The strike was almost surgical in its precision, barely a half a second squeeze of the trigger, the enemy pilot no doubt conscious of her flagging ammo reserves. Still, the half dozen bolts she unleashed was more than enough as they struck the corsair at the base of the wing.
Xela wondered idly if the enemy pilot was as surprised as the wood elf herself when rather than receiving a burst of aether from her target in response, the shard instead burst into flames in a brilliant flash of light.
Indeed, they must have been given the speed with which they broke off, no doubt fearing the now blazing craft was a result of some kind of new spell.
It wasn¡¯t though. The pilot inside wasn¡¯t capable of such.
But the alchemical concoction that held her craft aloft was.
Contained explosions, Xela absently recalled.
She hadn¡¯t fully grasped how that might be a problem at the time. At least, not specifically. She could see it now though, as the craft burned merrily as it darted across the skies. Her hands tightened on the controls, as she held her breath, waiting for the faint, hopeful plume of a parachute.
None came.
As the plane began to dip, she realized she¡¯d just watched one of her students die.
The weight of it settled heavily on her chest.
¡She¡¯d had the tools to prevent this, to warn them, to guide them - but the damned system, and the chaos of William springing it on her at the last moment, had tied her hands.
Her jaw clenched as she forced her focus back on the battle. Regret couldn¡¯t help that young woman now.
She¡¯d need to have a talk with William after this though. Changes needed to be made.
¡°Ma¡¯am, should we-¡± one of her cadets began, their voice hesitant, no doubt having just seen the same thing Xela had.
¡°Keep climbing,¡± Xela snapped, her tone sharp as a blade. ¡°Do not get suckered into a turn fight. And don¡¯t use the radio for anything less than emergencies!¡±
¡°I¡¯m being shot at, ma¡¯am!¡± another voice squawked. ¡°Permission to break formation!?¡±
Xela glanced out at her cockpit glass to where, sure enough, at the rear of the formation an enemy shard had turned its nose upwards and was taking potshots at them.
¡°Something just sparked!¡± Sela continued, the rising pitch of her voice betraying her nerves.
Xela clenched her jaw, suppressing the urge to bark back. Instead, she spoke as calmly as she could, ¡°Move that stick an inch in the wrong direction, and I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll do more than catch a few sparks up your ass, cadet.¡±
The enemy¡¯s tactics were painfully obvious. They weren¡¯t just trying to bring Sela down outright. No, they were trying to rattle her, force her into a sudden maneuver that would bleed her speed and allow them to catch up. They only needed her to hesitate, to panic and bank too hard, just enough for them to close the gap and get within the optimal range of their weapons.
¡°Maintain your climb - don¡¯t slow down! At this range, their guns will be lucky to do more than scratch your paintwork.¡±
Of course, even as she said the words, Xela knew she wasn¡¯t being entirely honest. If the enemy did ¡®get lucky¡¯ at this distance, there was every chance they could clip the corsair''s elevator, props or flaps - crippling the craft¡¯s ability to maneuver.
It was unlikely, but possible.
The enemy¡¯s shots served a dual purpose: keep her pilots on edge, while increasing the odds of a critical hit.
¡°Sela, listen to me,¡± she said firmly, forcing a calm tone into her voice. ¡°Keep your nose up, stay on course, and don¡¯t let them box you in. You¡¯re faster if you keep climbing. They can¡¯t keep this up forever.¡±
The Corsair had the energy advantage, having just come out of a dive, and a more powerful engine. It would out climb a craft that had been sitting on the deck. And that craft was taking greater and greater risks the longer it kept its nose up. The more speed it burned maintaining that position, the more it turned itself into a sitting duck for other corsairs in the area.
A beat of silence passed before Sela¡¯s voice came through, still shaky but resolute. ¡°Aye, ma¡¯am.¡±
Sure enough, barely a second later, the enemy fire stopped. They were out of range ¨C or their attacker had either stalled out or run out of ammo.
Hopefully the latter.
Still, with the altitude advantage firmly secured once more, they were effectively untouchable by anything beneath them. The enemy would have to claw their way up, losing precious speed and energy in the process. Meanwhile, her formation could dictate the terms of engagement, picking their targets at will. The enemy, by contrast, would be forced to take whatever engagement came at them.
William had called it ¡®boom and zoom¡¯. In Xela¡¯s experience, the navy referred to it as ¡®eagle striking¡¯.
Different names, same principle: dive in fast, unleash a volley, and use your momentum to climb back out of weapon range before they could retaliate. It wasn¡¯t an intricate strategy, and that simplicity made it all the more effective.
She glanced at her instruments, ensuring her shard was primed for the next pass. ¡°Alright, Wing One,¡± she called through the comms, her tone cool and commanding. ¡°Turn around and line up for another run. Now that the enemy knows we¡¯re here, we¡¯re going to go sequentially. Squadron-One will be acting as bait. Once the enemy locks onto them, we¡¯ll have a clear window to take them out. Remember, we¡¯re here to clear a path for the bomber wave, either by cutting down their numbers or draining their ammo. Remember to keep your speed up and your heads steady. You¡¯ve got this.¡±
The formation shifted smoothly, each shard banking into position with practiced precision. Xela smiled faintly. It wasn¡¯t perfect yet, but it was damn close for a group of rookies.
Her thoughts briefly flickered to the second wave that had likely already been launched from the Jellyfish¡¯s hangars. She knew what payloads they¡¯d be carrying. Even seen them in action, in a way, via the medium of William¡¯s dreams.
She could only hope they would be half as effective in reality as they were there.
Because I have a feeling we¡¯re going to need it, she thought as she stared down at the two disparate fleets hovering over both the palace and academy, their cannons occasionally roaring as they rained fire down on the defenders below.
That wasn¡¯t her problem though. For the moment, that was the protective screen of shards that stood between the second wave and those ships.
Shards that needed to be gone before the second wave arrived.
Slowly, she pushed her insane reality defying corsair into a dive, the roar of its fake-core somehow more¡ comforting than it had been when she¡¯d first started the great metal beast up.
Around her, the rest of the now nineteen shards that made up one half of the Jellyfish¡¯s flight complement dived too.
She also knew that now the enemy knew they were coming, there¡¯d be a lot more casualties on their side with this second clash.
The best she could do was make them pay for it.
--------------------------
Willaim frowned as the woman on the other end of the orb repeated her command.
¡°I¡¯m sorry ma¡¯am, I must have misheard you,¡± he said slowly, his voice only slightly higher than normal to compensate for the ambient noise generated by the controlled chaos of the bridge. ¡°You¡¯re saying you don¡¯t want me to move to support the palace¡¯s defense, but the academy?¡±
¡°You¡¯d be correct, Count Redwater,¡± the admiral on the other end said. ¡°Her Majesty claims that while your support would be appreciated, it is also unneeded at this time. She has it well in hand. To that end, she¡¯d rather you focus your efforts on safeguarding the future of Lindholm from these¡ aggressors.¡±
William¡¯s nose twitched as he tried to read into that. Was that Yelena¡¯s way of saying that the recipe for gunpowder was actually being held at the academy rather than the palace? Or was the tactical situation at the palace not as bad as it seemed?¡±
He didn¡¯t know.
What he did know was that this new request wasn¡¯t¡ undesirable.
After all, both Griffith and the twins were both located at the academy. At least, he hoped they were. He was very aware that it was entirely possible all three women had been part of the initial doomed defense of the capital.
Though he hoped that wasn¡¯t the case.
¡°So be it,¡± he said. ¡°The Jellyfish will focus her efforts on defending the Academy rather than the palace, ma¡¯am.¡±
¡°Excellent. Good hunting to you, Lord Redwater,¡± the woman said crisply, before departing from the orb¡¯s cone of vision, no doubt busy with a myriad other tasks.
Taking a breath, he turned around, coming face to face with the complicated emotions playing across the features of three of his teammates ¨C Bonnlyn being downstairs preparing to launch as part of the second wave in one of the Jellyfish¡¯s two remaining aether-driven craft. Of the three he could see now, confusion was most definitely the most predominant emotion. As had been the case from the moment they¡¯d launched the first corsairs.
It didn¡¯t help that none of them really had any duties to see to. Theoretically, they did, but those duties had been effectively superseded by the many other mages he had aboard. Even the role of captain, which Olzenya was slated to take up, had swiftly been robbed from her the moment it became clear that the capital was under an actual attack.
To that end, the ship was now being commanded by one of Marline¡¯s aunts, while the other two served as both the ship¡¯s saboteur and defender.
And while there was nothing saying that Marline, Olzenya and Verity couldn¡¯t also take up those roles, they seemed to have universally ignored that option in favor of following him about like a gaggle of lost ducklings.
¡°Well,¡± he said slowly. ¡°It seems we have a few minutes before I¡¯ll be needed elsewhere for the dashing rescue of my fiancees, and I take it you all have questions?¡±
They did, though it was hard to answer any specifically when they all spoke at the same time.
Chapter Sixty
Neither Clarice nor her twin sister had been able to simply stand idly by while their homeland was under siege. Not as nobles, sworn to protect their people, and certainly not as proud, red-blooded Linholmians.
For Clarice¡¯s part, every fiber of her being had screamed for action when the first skydock came down, yet the Queen¡¯s decree was unyielding. The students of the academy were not to make use of their private shards to join the air battle. They were to hunker down like rats and simply¡ let the chaos unfold.
Perhaps, in retrospect, that had been the correct decision ¨C as they watched shard after shard launch from the airfields ringing the city, only for them to be brought down by the foe before they could even begin to account for themselves.
The women piloting those craft had been fully trained pilots, ones who¡¯d likely graduated from the very academy grounds on which she now stood. And while their mass produced drakes weren¡¯t likely to be of a similar quality to the bespoke rides that many of the students here possessed, Clarice couldn¡¯t see that marginal difference in quality resulting in any kind of improved outcome for any student foolish enough to ignore her majesty¡¯s orders and take to the skies.
Still, it hadn¡¯t taken long for an opportunity for action to present itself as the first of the enemy airships moved to loom over the grounds of the academy itself and start disgorging enemy mages.
Clarice didn¡¯t know how many the half-fleet had dropped. A platoon? Two? Significantly less troops than currently manned the academy garrison at any rate.
Though one would be hard pressed to see that now, she thought as screams rang out following the telltale whoomph of a fireball being launched from beyond the small checkpoint they¡¯d made just inside one of the passages leading to the airfield.
"A fresh bow, ma¡¯am,¡± barked a nearby guardswoman, snapping Clarice out of her musings.
The cadet¡¯s hands moved automatically moved to hand off a fresh, bolt-bow, even as they accepted the one that was now almost entirely depleted of aether. The guardswoman gave a small grunt, checking the magazine was full ¨C to Clarice¡¯s slight irritation ¨C before storming off back to the barricades. Leaving the cadet and her small collection of bolt-bows and their ammunition behind in the small nook she¡¯d been told quite expressly not to move from.
For her part, as she set about repriming the weapon by refilling its aether reserves and replacing the magazine, Clarice was still a little surprised to see the academy¡¯s plebian staff making use of bolt-bows. Normally they strode about with swords, spears or crossbows.
Plebian weapons.
Of course, now that she could see the system in action, she understood why the academy had trained its guards this way. In hindsight, it was obvious. If the academy were ever attacked, its surplus of partially trained noble born mages were far too valuable to risk on the front lines. With that said, it would be a waste to leave all that magical potential entirely idle.
To that end, the Instructors had asked for volunteers willing to essentially act as walking pressure tanks for the academy guardswomen doing the actual fighting. The bolt-bows needed refilling every two minutes or so, which meant women from the squad she¡¯d been ¡®attached¡¯ to were constantly cycling back to her for refills of aether and ammo.
It was actually rather tiring, truth be told. Yes, a mage had access to a theoretically unlimited amount of raw aether, but in practice that wasn¡¯t entirely true. The closest sensation to producing aether that Clarice could think of was in tensing a muscle. And while that tensing that particular muscle wasn¡¯t particularly strenuous in the short term, after nearly an hour of constant use, she was beginning to feel it ¡®cramping¡¯.
Part of that came down to just how busy the checkpoint she¡¯d been assigned to was.
Glancing around the pillar she was hidden behind, she could see the hangars just beyond the barricaded gates, where an intense firefight was still ongoing.
Of course, there were ongoing firefights all across ¨C and in some cases, within ¨C the academy grounds, but those taking place on the airfield seemed particularly heated.
The reason for that was simply because the academy absolutely refused to allow the enemy to access the many shards stationed in its exterior hangars ¨C or more precisely, mithril cores that powered them. The Queen''s decree might have forbidden a sortie from those shards for now, but there was every chance that might change in the near future.
With a steadying breath, she returned her focus to the task at hand, her hands never faltering as she readied another weapon for the next guardswoman to arrive at her position, the woman¡¯s once gleaming white armor now marred by soot and scrapes. The hiss of pressurizing aether filled the air in a rhythmic reminder of her purpose in this battle.
Of course, that wasn¡¯t the only sound filling the air, beyond the cannon fire of the airships above or the hissing of bolt-bows nearby. No, there was a new sound, one that was the cause for Clarice¡¯s belief that the ¡®no sortie¡¯ order might well soon be lifted.
Clarice¡¯s gaze shifted past the airship looming in the skies beyond the gates, its massive shadow a stark contrast to the fires raging in the distance. Beyond it, she could see the shard battle still unfolding. One of the shards briefly came into view, illuminated by the fiery glow of a burning ship as it dipped low, skimming dangerously close to the chaos.
Recognition struck instantly. Even through the dark, smoke and chaos. She¡¯d would have recognized that profile anyway. It was too¡ strange for her not to.
¡°Empty frames my ass,¡± she muttered.
Well, now she knew why he¡¯d not been selling his new design.
Rather than allow the Jellyfish to serve as a launch platform for Royal Navy shards - craft that would otherwise be left on airfields when a fleet left port ¨C it was clear now that his intention had always been to create his own airfleet to garrison his carrier.
Which¡ she honestly didn¡¯t know why she¡¯d not thought that a possibility? Xela had relayed at length the story of William¡¯s arrival at Redwater and his response to the mere perception of people under his command having ¡®divided loyalties¡¯.
Why would a man like that not want his ship crewed entirely by his own people if he had the means?
Of course, the rub was in the means.
How the hell had he gotten access to this much mithril? There¡ must have been enough flying around out there to produce an entirely new airship if need be.
Perhaps even two.
Yet rather than hold onto it, in case anything happened to the Jellyfish, the madman had apparently had all that mithril shaved down into shard-cores instead.
¡Which, would certainly have a lot of traditionalist nobles asking questions, no matter the result of this fight ¨C given the irreversible nature of that change. After all, for every half dozen dozen shards in existence there was one less airship ¨C and that one less airship meant one less noble house in existence.
That could exist.
And I pray to god he¡¯s not using the plebian pilots, because that means we¡¯re about to start seeing them drop out the sky any minute, she thought hurriedly. And why do they make such a godawful roaring sound when they-
The distinct sound of a fireball exploding in the distance yanked her back to the present. A chorus of screams followed, cutting through the droning hum she¡¯d just been momentarily distracted by. Clarice¡¯s nose wrinkled as the acrid stench of burning flesh reached her.
Movement caught her eye - a guard, the rough-voiced woman from before, being dragged back by a colleague. Blood streaked the ground where her limp body was being pulled across the stones. It was clear what the woman¡¯s destination was, but she paused as a glance toward the healing station further back, behind another checkpoint, showed a long line of moaning and injured women.
A situation Clarice didn¡¯t doubt was the case at any of the other dozen healing stations that had been set up across the academy grounds.
"You a healer?" the injured woman¡¯s voice rasped as she caught Clarice¡¯s eye. ¡°Taking a class on it maybe?¡±
Clarice shook her head, her throat tight.
"Shit, alright. Get her back to the healing station," the guardswoman ordered, her voice sharp despite her injury. "Then get back here.¡±
With that, she was gone, bolt-bow unshouldered as she headed back towards the barricade.
Clarice watched her go, before turning to the wounded and burned woman in front of her. It was clear being dragged had done her no favors, and while the elven girl was no healer, she did know first aid.
It wasn¡¯t magic healing, but it might allow the guardswoman to live long enough to get some. Or at least, that was what her aunts always said.
Setting her jaw, she knelt beside the injured woman and began tending to her wounds. Her hands moved swiftly, tearing off a strip of her shirt to make a bandage while checking for signs of deeper damage. She worked in silence, her ears attuned to the battle raging around them.
Another explosion rocked the academy, this time from the main building. The ground trembled beneath her knees, and the distant shouting of orders and screams of pain blended into a chaotic symphony, but she ignored it.
She knew most of the fighting was actually towards the library ¨C for some reason the enemy were focused there. By contrast, the attack on the hangars seemed almost like an afterthought.
But that doesn¡¯t mean we aren¡¯t holding on here by the skin of their teeth either, she thought as a dozen shards of ice flew overhead to shatter against a nearby pillar.
Sure, the academy guards had likely given the enemy a nasty surprise by showing up with bolt-bows, but that was all they¡¯d done. At the end of the day, the plebian women weren¡¯t mages. And while the Instructors were stiffening the lines where they could, they were thin on the ground given that a decent number of the more combat focused staff had sortied using their shards at the outset of the fighting.
And they likely weren¡¯t coming back.
Clarice pressed her lips together as her thoughts went to her sister. She had no idea where she was. They¡¯d been split up when they volunteered to help.
She could only hope her younger sibling was wise enough to keep her head down.
-------------------
Marcille knew this was a terrible idea. The eastern hangar wing was lost. Most of the other defenders had already pulled back to the western one to make their stand there ¨C before presumably falling back to the main control building.
Marcille knew that was the smart choice. These pirates ¨C or whatever they were ¨C were seasoned killers. Despite being outnumbered nearly two to one, they¡¯d torn right through the squad of guardswomen she¡¯d been accompanying to guard the hangars.
Yet rather than run like she was supposed to when those brave women went down¡ she¡¯d instead made her way here.
To the Whitemorrow hangar.
Where the basilisk sat. And now she was sitting in the pilot seat, staring at a very much unopened hangar door.
¡°You know this is likely to get us both killed, right?¡± A voice asked from behind her.
¡°I offered to drop you off at that checkpoint we went past. You could have limped from there,¡± Marcille pointed out as she continued going through the pre-flight checks.
¡°Oh, I¡¯m not complaining,¡± the orc said, wincing slightly as she clutched her side. ¡°I owe these bitches payback for what they did to my squad. I just¡ wanted you to make sure you knew what the odds were.¡±
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Marcille frowned.
She didn¡¯t intend to die here ¨C and yet, she couldn¡¯t dismiss the other woman¡¯s words out of hand. Before tonight, death had always seemed such a distant nebulous concept.
She could die here tonight. Likely would.
All for a shard?
Some part of her couldn¡¯t claim that was wrong ¨C and yet another part of her rebelled against the idea of her life being that cheap.
Or so easily ended.
¡°I-¡±
¡°Shhh.¡±
Marcille clamped her mouth shut instantly at the other woman¡¯s sharp whisper. The guardswoman had crouched low behind the ball turret¡¯s lower armor, her hand signaling silence. For her part, Marcille followed suit, ducking down as her gaze flicked to the Basilisk¡¯s side-mounted rearview mirror.
There was movement at the hangar¡¯s side entrance.
Both women watched as a squad of invaders breached into the room, their pitch black armor and gambeson fully visible for the first time in the hangar¡¯s mage-lights as they moved forward with eerie synchronicity. Bolt-bows scanned every inch of the structure¡¯s interior as the group of mages moved forward as one.
And in that moment, Marcille knew for a fact they were elves.
Oh sure, she¡¯d suspected before, given the amount of magic the invaders had been throwing around, but seeing them clear the hangar only confirmed it.
It was in the way they moved. Fluid, precise, without a single wasted motion. Aunt Sara moved in the same way.
While other elves were often content to gain a certain level of competency in a given vocation before moving onto other pursuits, others chose to use their long lives to hone but one.
¡And Marcille was about to try and get the drop on them.
What had she been thinking?
Her breath threatened to hitch as the group of enemy elves continued to spread out, checking every corner with chilling efficiency, their faceless steel helms constantly on a swivel. The guardswoman¡ªwhose name Marcille frustratingly realized she didn¡¯t know¡ªcrouched even lower, as did Marcille herself.
Marcille caught the orc guard¡¯s glance and shook her head sharply.
¡®Wait,¡¯ she mouthed.
The enemy team was closing in. One was approaching the Basilisk, likely to check for its core or confirm it was inactive. Others moved toward the hangar¡¯s main doors, having sensed the latent magic laced into the structure and likely seeking to ensure they weren¡¯t a threat.
Any second now, she thought.
The approaching elf paused, bolt-bow raised as she seemed to see something in the Basilisk¡¯s rear turret.
¡Which was when the enchantments Marcille had spent her last two spell slots imbuing into the hangar doors hinges went off.
The sound echoed through the cavernous space as the massive doors groaned and fell outward, exposing the hangar interior to the chaos outside, as every bolt-bow and open palm immediately pivoted toward the noise.
And for a split second, no one was looking at the Basilisk.
¡°Now,¡± Marcille grunted, hand thrumming with magic as she slammed her hand down on the Basilisk¡¯s core activation plate.
The craft hissed to life as the dual-cores flooded the interior of the machine with high pressure aether.
Activating the pneumatic gun controls of the rear mounted gun pod.
The guardswoman within didn¡¯t waste a moment. Her finger were already squeezing the trigger ¨C and while the first rounds out of the barrel fired sluggishly, the Basilisk¡¯s systems still warming up, the next few weren¡¯t. As the twin cores surged to full power, the rounds tore through the air with deadly force, ripping into the nearest elf before sweeping across the room.
Caught out and surprised, the elves¡¯ sleek movements were no match for the unrelenting firepower of the Basilisk. Marcille stumbled a little as she turned her back on the chaos, the vibrations from the guns thrumming through the frame as she started up the propellers and released the brakes.
A bolt of lightning slammed into the Basilisk¡¯s hull as the craft began to reverse out of the hangar. making Marcille flinch - but the reinforced armor held firm. A normal shard would¡¯ve been torn open by an attack like that, but the Basilisk was no ordinary shard. It wasn¡¯t some nimble fighter. It was the world¡¯s first dedicated anti-ship shard, designed to simply ignore incoming fire.
The guardswoman did not let the attack go unanswered, gun-pod swiveling around to spray down the area the spell came from, the Basilisk¡¯s heavy cannons simply tearing through any intervening equipment the enemy tried to use as cover.
With that said, while they¡¯d reaped a heavy tally on the enemy squad in the opening salvo, they hadn¡¯t gotten all of them. More to the point, they¡¯d spread out instinctively.
A second bolt struck the Basilisk a moment later, just as they hit the runway and started to turn. The air out here was alive with sound ¨C even beyond the hissing of the Basilisk¡¯s rear cannon and the plinking of bolt rounds hitting its outer frame, Marcille could hear the deep droning hum of the shards above as they continued to battle for dominance over the skies. Meanwhile, the airships overhead continued to fire the occasional cannon shot at the academy.
Oh, and the orc was laughing.
¡°Come on! You like that!? You like that!? Well mommy¡¯s got more for you!¡± the woman cackled as she continued to hold down the trigger on the rear gun ¨C only adding to the ongoing cacophony of noise.
Not that Marcille had long to focus on the acoustics, as the Basilisk started to pick up speed. She wanted to be off the ground and in the air before either the survivors of the squad they¡¯d just ambushed got lucky with a spell or some of the other squads attacking the airfield doubled back and brought them down through sheer volume of fire.
Because while the Basilisk¡¯s armored frame was damn tough for a shard, the propellers and cockpit were just as vulnerable as any other light craft.
To that end, while a vertical takeoff would have been standard under normal circumstances, sitting stationary with hostile mages nearby was a death sentence. Instead, Marcille prepared for a frog-leap takeoff - a hybrid maneuver designed to get airborne quickly while maintaining forward momentum. It was as ugly to see in practice as it was bumpy. It was also incredibly risky, but then again, so was everything else about today.
She¡¯d just started powering up the accelerator though when her heart sank. Across from her, almost directly above her intended flight path, an enemy airship was shifting into position to intercept.
Their escape hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed.
Now, while cannons weren¡¯t typically effective against shards, the Basilisk wasn¡¯t currently in flight. It was trundling up the runway - a perfect, slow-moving target.
For a moment, she considered bailing, only for another trio of pings off the wing to remind her of what the likely outcome of that would be.
The invaders, whoever they were, hadn¡¯t seemed inclined towards taking ransoms before ¨C and they most definitely wouldn¡¯t be now. And on foot, they¡¯d be sitting ducks for the commandos surely watching from the hangar.
Well, I tried, she thought faintly, some part of her still disbelieving as she saw the many cannons lining the ship¡¯s starboard side. Sorry, Sis.
Sound and motion fell away ¨C but for that incessant droning sound overhead. If anything, it suddenly seemed louder in that stilled moment.
It was actually a little annoying. She¡¯d die, never quite knowing why the newly arrived shards made that sound. What William had done to them. How he¡¯d had access to that much Mithril. Or the pilots to man them. It had definitely been more than ten minutes since she¡¯d seen them swoop in, and yet they weren¡¯t falling out of the sky ¨C beyond those that were shot out of it - so they weren¡¯t a product of his ¡®plebian pilot program¡¯.
Why did they sometimes burst into flames rather than aether? Why were they so fast?
That and so many other questions flashed through her mind as the droning reached an apex, drowning everything else out.
¡Right before a series of... somethings shot through the smoke above the airship, trailing fire.
Like an aether javelin, she thought faintly ¨C right before nearly a dozen of the things slammed into the enemy airship in a rapid, devastating salvo of flames.
The impact was catastrophic, the explosion lighting up the night and sending the airship lurching like a wounded beast. More followed in quick succession as more corsairs appeared from the smoke, sending salvoes of ¡®fire-javelins¡¯ into the side of the ship.
Not all hit. More than a few were launched too early or off target, sending them careening into the dirt ¨C or in one case the academy itself.
Marcille barely noticed.
Her focus was on the airship that had once seemed so invincible, now lurching to the side as aether billowed from at least one of its aether tanks, while the propellers on its starboard side spun impotently, flames licking at the exterior armor.
The Corsairs, half a dozen at least, moved on, taking to the sky once more, as they sought to outrun what she now realized was a trio of shards impotently attempting to chase the faster craft as they shot into the sky once more. For just a moment, Marcille¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she wondered if those pursuers would instead turn on her craft ¨C only just now getting airborne ¨C but they seemed entirely focused on taking revenge on the escaping corsairs and zoomed overhead.
¡°What the fuck was that?¡± she breathed as, in the distance, another airship was struck by a similar payload as had just struck the one in front of her.
Aether javelins, certainly, with some kind of powerfully enchanted warhead, but why had there been so many of them? Normally, firing a single aether-rocket required rerouting power to pressurize the launch, but those corsairs had unleashed entire salvos in the course of their pass.
And why fire?
Surely that ¨C along with the fact that sometimes the Corsairs she saw burned when struck ¨C had to be related in some-
¡°Hit the accelerator, kid!¡±
The guardswoman¡¯s shout snapped her back to reality as she realized that the window of opportunity for her to make an escape was wide open. The airship that had once blocked her path was now barely able to keep itself airborne as it drifted aimlessly away from the academy.
Marcille didn¡¯t hesitate as she hit the controls and the Basilisk roared forward, all of its aether production turned towards engine power as the ball turret powered down with a whine.
With the enemy shards still locked in their dogfight above ¨C or chasing the recently arrived second group - the path was clear for now. To that end, rather than climb, Marcille aimed for the outskirts of the city and the safety of the darkness beyond. Once there, she¡¯d be able to either climb and rejoin the fight ¨C or rally with the Jellyfish wherever it might be.
As she did, her gaze flitted toward the large explosive sitting in the Basilisk¡¯s belly. A mischievous grin tugged at her lips.
Certainly, she apparently owed William pretty much everything ¨C but she was also determined to show him that he wasn¡¯t the only one with tricks up his sleeve.
The Corsairs had been impressive, certainly, but it had taken them half a squadron to wound that airship ¨C even with their repeating fire-javelins.
The Basilisk had no need for such numbers.
Just a target and a window of opportunity.
-----------------------
¡°Order received,¡± Yotul conveyed to the orcish woman manning the Blood-Oath¡¯s communication orb. ¡°Tell admiral Nerensky we shall move into position immediately.¡±
In Yotul¡¯s experience, the most valuable trait of a freedom fighter was patience. Not courage, or ferocity, though those were both useful too. But patience.
One would assume, that as the mobile threat, it was up to the guerrilla fighter to dictate the pace of the engagement. After all, it was usually they who picked the time and place of a battle, forcing the defender to scramble to repel them.
This was untrue.
It was the defender who picked where and when a fight took place. Unknowingly. For it was the role of the freedom fighter to wait. To wait until the defender made a mistake. They may not know when or where, but with enough time, an opportunity would present itself.
And then they would strike.
The current situation was a prime example.
She had not known what the outcome would be when she¡¯d crossed the ocean to make her deal with the Dark Elves. It was a choice made more as a result of desperation than consideration. A final attempt by what was left of the free orc fleet to strike at their enemy by borrowing the strength of another.
She had known, even then, that there was a decent chance those elves would simply choose to enslave her crew and steal the Blood Oath ¨C and his secrets ¨C before they even heard her proposition.
It had been a gamble. But that was nothing new. Every raid was a gamble. Every step beyond the razorback mountains was a gamble. Every child born under the tyranny of humans and elves was a gamble.
In the end, the greed of the elves had paid off. The Blood Oath had been a prize to be sure, but it paled in comparison to the secret of how to slay Kraken.
A secret that could only be held in one of two places ¨C the Royal Palace or the Academy.
Both places an Elven fleet could not reach without suffering great losses. Both places the Blood Oath could reach.
So an accord was struck. And for the price of one ship, she would have an opportunity to strike the very capital of her oppressors with the force of a dozen.
The gamble had paid off.
And once more she waited. She endured the slights and insults of the elves as they essentially laid siege to her ship. As they paraded her people as slaves before her. As they proposed a plan of attack that had her vessel act as the vanguard.
She had waited. For an opportunity. For a moment when her enemy would make a mistake.
For the enemy of her enemy was most certainly not her friend. Just another enemy.
And here and now, they had made a mistake.
One she intended to capitalize on.
¡°Olga,¡± she said quietly, or at least as quietly as one could while still being heard over the chaos of the bridge.
The arrival of two entire squadrons of shards had not been ideal at all. And while the Blood Oath had fortunately been spared the fate of two of the other underships hovering over the academy, she didn¡¯t doubt those attack craft would soon return with fresh payloads of whatever weapon they had used to such great effect against those ships just moments ago.
The elven admiral was not taking the losses or surprise well and had just ordered the Blood-Oath into a new position via orb. A move that just so happened to position the Blood-Oath over the other ships still conducting the academy raid ¨C almost like a shield.
An order Yotul had just accepted without complaint.
And if the elven admiral wasn¡¯t a tyrant more accustomed to dealing with slaves than free orcs, she might have thought that willingness to obey such an order peculiar.
¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± the former navy woman turned free orc responded.
¡°It occurs to me that our hosts of the last few months are rather distracted right at this moment. Between those peculiar new shards arriving and the ongoing assault of the academy, the ships we are currently performing overwatch for will be operating on a rather skeleton crew.¡±
No shard pilots would be onboard. No elven commandos either, given they had all been deployed to search the academy for the Kraken Slayer recipe. All that would be left would be two or three elven sailors and maybe a dozen plebian crew. Either human or dwarven auxiliaries ¨C or orcish slaves.
Yotul rather hoped it was the latter. It would make what came next easier.
As it occurred to her that there were now no less than two underships running with minimal crew directly beneath her vessel.
While her own ship contained her entire tribe. Which had made for rather cramped conditions these last few months ¨C but she was thankful for it now. She had inside this vessel nearly a hundred veteran warriors and a half dozen mages.
And an opportunity had presented itself.
Her enemy had made a mistake. Not least of all, in not recognizing her as their enemy. Even as they held her people in chains.
And she intended to punish them for that mistake.
¡°Rally the warriors,¡± she said as she casually reached out and accepted a bolt-bow of one of her guards.
The elf ¨C their ¡®liaison¡¯ for the battle ¨C didn¡¯t see the shot coming, focused as she was on watching the battle unfold through the Blood Oath¡¯s windows. The trio of bolts struck home, and the woman collapsed bonelessly against a nearby console.
¡°I think it¡¯s time we replenish the losses we took in our last battle,¡± Yotul announced to the bridge crew ¨C who already knew the plan - as she handed the weapon back, watching dispassionately as the elf¡¯s body was dragged away by another guard. ¡°And I think the vessels below us will serve as suitable payment for bringing our elven friends across the ocean, no?¡±
The cheers she received in return warmed her heart almost as much as the fires in the city beyond.
Had she planned for this?
No.
But that wasn¡¯t what a good freedom fighter did.
They waited.
For the moment when their enemy made a mistake.
¡°Vengeance is done. The enemy have tasted our wrath. And now we retreat, to haunt their dreams.¡± Yotul shouted. ¡°The Blood-Oath is leaving! But he shan¡¯t leave alone!¡±
They¡¯d need to move fast. They would only have so long before those shards returned with their strange fire-javelins.
And Yotul would not make the mistake of failing to recognize that just because they now shared an enemy that they weren¡¯t still enemies.
Chapter Sixty One
¡°Initial reports from squadron leader Inirka of second wave; Two airships struck in initial volley. Damage significant. Fires onboard. Both may be considered combat ineffective. Two shards lost. One chute confirmed. One unconfirmed. Taking over overwatch duties from wave one. Squadron leader Tern confirms her intent to return for refuel and rearmament - with one local element craft,¡± one of the Jellyfish¡¯s radio operators dutifully relayed. ¡°Current heading parallel to Jellyfish. Will reorientate for return once clear of city limits.¡±
Good, William thought as Captain Nornhell acknowledged the report.
Things were going well. Or at least, a given value of it. With that latest report, he was officially down one quarter of his forty strong shard complement. Meanwhile, the enemy shard presence had been reduced to just two craft who were in the process of being harried to their deaths as of the last report.
A win by any stretch.
His corsairs had traded quite well, given the sheer disparity in experience between his pilots and theirs ¨C as well as the somewhat rushed nature of this whole deployment.
He¡¯d certainly not planned for his pilots first experience with the new Corsair-C to be in a live combat environment, but here they were. He had no doubt that would be of little comfort to those families who would soon be having their daughters returned to them in boxes, but he¡¯d long since made peace with that reality when he was five years old.
No, this was a success in otherwise less than ideal conditions.
¡°Please be sure to congratulate Squadron Leader Tern on her success and remind her of the importance of the ¡®local element¡¯s¡¯ safety on the return flight,¡± he said quietly to the woman next to him.
His heart had leapt into his throat when he¡¯d gotten word of a craft bearing remarkable similarities to the Basilisk circling the city. Fortunately, while the Corsair-C had little need of them, the squadron leader¡¯s craft were all equipped with signaling flags.
To that end, it hadn¡¯t taken long for a short ¡®dialogue¡¯ to take place between the two craft ¨C one that had the Basilisk folded into the formation of the now returning Corsair-Cs.
Said woman gave him a quick salute before walking over to the captain¡¯s command throne to relay his orders. Which admittedly seemed a little silly, given that she was all of five feet away.
Alas, given the Jellyfish was currently in a combat environment, it wouldn¡¯t do for the lord to be constantly pestering the captain with orders while she was attempting to direct the ship. Hence the need for a go-between.
A role that had until recently been filled by Olzenya, but the young woman had temporarily been removed from said duty while she¡ processed their most recent discussion. Glancing back, he could see the trio of young women still whispering heatedly amongst themselves.
¡°My apologies,¡± he said quietly as he rejoined them in their corner of the bridge. ¡°You were in the process of saying something before we were interrupted.¡±
¡°Mostly that I fucking knew it,¡± Olzenya said smugly. ¡°I knew there was no way you could constantly be pulling new shit out of your ass without being harrowed.¡±
Well, that was a better reaction than he¡¯d expected really.
¡°Really?¡± He chuckled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you¡ you know, worried? About my mental state? My future plans?¡±
The high elf scoffed. ¡°You say that like it would be something new? I already thought you were nuttier than squirrel shit. This at least gives me a concrete reason as to why.¡±
¡°Indeed, it does go some ways to explaining your more peculiar behaviors,¡± Marline said slowly ¨C as if she hadn¡¯t already known that he was harrowed. ¡°If anything, the thing I¡¯m more curious about is why you¡¯re not¡ well, insane.¡±
He opened his mouth, only for the dark elf to cut him off. ¡°You¡¯re not, at least to my eyes, insane. Nor even Olzenya¡¯s really. You¡¯re eccentric and dramatic to be sure, but you aren¡¯t as a harrowed person should be.¡±
Olzenya looked like she wanted to argue that point, before ultimately sighing. ¡°She¡¯s not wrong. Admittedly, I¡¯ve never seen a harrowed person, but you don¡¯t match the descriptions for them. Not properly at least.¡±
Glancing past the elves, William caught the eye of the thus far silent Verity. Seeing his expression, the orc just shrugged. ¡°I¡ I can¡¯t say I ever suspected anything like Olzenya and Marline say they did. Though to be honest, I don¡¯t really see the big deal. You¡¯ve got magic knowledge in your head.¡±
Despite himself, William nearly laughed at that, even as Marline and Olzenya cringed. He supposed it made sense. All three of them, being noble-born, had grown up with the dangers of harrowing being constantly drilled into their heads. Verity, by contrast, would likely have only gotten similar warnings in passing once she entered the academy.
She¡¯d not have grown up with the specter of some aunt, uncle or cousin who¡¯d attempted to gain knowledge from the Fae and ended up harrowed leaning over her.
¡°Well, let¡¯s just say that I¡¯m something of an exception to the rule in a few ways. Not as many as I¡¯d quite like, but as you can see, I¡¯m not entirely insane,¡± he laughed.
¡°Quite,¡± Marline said dryly. ¡°Though, as much as I¡¯d like to ask about why that is, I¡¯m more curious as to why you chose to tell us now.¡±
¡°Because people outside our group are going to start accusing me of it now,¡± he said. ¡°The other things I created, I could hide behind the work of others. The only things people know for a fact that I designed and created were the spell-bolt and the flashbang. The Kraken Slayer was something the Crown supposedly created, and I unknowingly contributed to. The Gramophone was something I worked to keep the origins of as mysterious as possible.¡±
He shrugged. ¡°This though? Artificial cores? Aether-less bolt-bows? Aether-less javelins? Explosives that don¡¯t require enchanting or alchemy to achieve? At least, not alchemy as anyone knows it.¡±
He glanced back, to make sure none of the crew were close enough to be listening in. ¡°Nah, I¡¯d say that by tomorrow morning the cat will be entirely out of the bag on just how I keep on pulling this shit off, and there¡¯ll be people who¡¯ll use my status as an excuse to see me locked away.¡±
There existed legal precedent for those undergoing the effects of harrowing to be institutionalized. For those that were nobles, that typically meant their lands were to be passed onto their nearest relative ¨C or heir. For the moment, given his lack of a spouse or heir, that meant his territory would end up going straight back to the crown.
Which would be pretty ideal for Yelena. She¡¯d get access to all the facilities he¡¯d built, his experienced workforce, and she¡¯d have him under lock and key so they could plumb his mind at will.
Basically, the same situation as she would have had if he¡¯d agreed to marry one of her daughters, but with less steps and even more convenience.
She¡¯d do it too, if she could get away with it. For the longest time, the only thing keeping her from simply locking him away to get access to the secrets of the Kraken Slayer had been the threat of the Blackstones being given access to those same secrets as part of his failsafe if he ever went missing.
For access to artificial mithril-cores though? And whatever else she could get out of me from an interrogation chair? She¡¯d make that trade in a heartbeat, he thought.
Which was why he¡¯d kept this all a secret for so long. Until the moment in which he revealed his true capabilities could coincide with him gaining enough notoriety that he couldn¡¯t simply be cast aside.
Originally, he¡¯d planned for that moment to be roughly around the same time he married the twins and secured the Summerfield duchy for them. As a ducal consort, he¡¯d have been all-but untouchable. More to the point, provided the twins weren¡¯t too horrified by the revelation of his harrowed nature, he¡¯d have also had access to an entire duchy¡¯s worth of industry to pull from.
Ah, but for the plans of mice and men, he thought.
Still, this situation wasn¡¯t entirely terrible. It wasn¡¯t ideal, but it wasn¡¯t unworkable. So long as he actually managed to save the capital from this attack, there was no way Yelena would be able to use his harrowed nature as an excuse to censor him.
For him to save the day ¨C mad or not ¨C and then have his assets seized by the crown? That would wreak of blatant opportunism on the part of a government that would likely need the people¡¯s trust more than ever.
Sure, some nobles would likely still argue for him to be locked away anyway, but William couldn¡¯t see Yelena going through with it. Not with a civil war on the horizon and a decent chunk of her vassal fleet now burning merrily in and over her capital city.
No, she¡¯d work with him.
Harrowed or not.
Still, this was the moment for plugging up any gaps in his defense.
¡°To that end,¡± he continued. ¡°In the days to come, people who¡¯ll want to see me¡ removed will likely approach you. They¡¯ll be asking for insights into my character. For you to speak out against my stability.¡±
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Even as he spoke, he knew he¡¯d soon be having to have a similar conversation with the twins. One he would have much preferred to have after he¡¯d just secured a duchy for them.
As it was, his plan was simply to march down to the hangar and give them a heroic and very sane welcome.
Hell, he wouldn¡¯t even chastise them for their part in tonight¡¯s insanity.
No matter how much he wanted to.
¡Hopefully they might also have some idea as to where Griffith is, he thought anxiously.
When they¡¯d spoken over orb, the principal hadn¡¯t been sure of the woman¡¯s location. Hell, she didn¡¯t even know if the dark elven instructor had been part of the initial doom flight up against the enemy fleet or was part of ongoing defense on the ground.
William was praying for the latter. Even if he didn¡¯t have much time to dwell on it.
¡°I swore an oath to aid you for aiding my family and I meant it,¡± Marline said resolutely, before she shrugged. ¡°Besides, you already knew I suspected you were¡ different. As far as I¡¯m concerned, a confirmation like this changes nothing. I know I speak for my family in that too.¡±
Despite himself, William felt his smile grow as the dark elf spoke ¨C even if he¡¯d sort of already known that was going to be her answer.
It was¡ nice to have it confirmed though.
¡°You gave my family a home,¡± Verity spoke next, tone as firm as he¡¯d ever heard her, before turning bashful as his gaze turned toward her ¡°I mean, to be honest, the harrowed thing doesn¡¯t really bother me. Mostly because I don¡¯t really get why it¡¯s a big deal. You¡¯ve got void knowledge, right? And that usually makes people nutty, but you seem fine! Well, more or less.¡±
William¡¯s grin grew as he regarded the orc. ¡°My thanks, Verity, for that ringing endorsement.¡±
The orc flushed and looked away. Which only made him grin more. Not least of all because he already knew Bonnlyn¡¯s answer too. While she was currently out with the bombing team, he knew that if she were here, she¡¯d be talking about how she¡¯d be missing out on the profits from the Gramophone if he got locked up.
Of course, that left him with the one person though who¡¯s support wasn¡¯t guaranteed.
Indeed, as he looked over, Olzenya looked a little conflicted. Sure, he¡¯d offered her the position of captain for the Jellyfish and a plot of land in his territory, but his soon to be opponents would be able to offer a lot more.
And Olzenya had always been a climber; socially, politically and personally.
Seeing that he was watching her now, along with the rest of the team, the elf seemed to come to a decision though as she sighed.
¡°Well, you already know that I think you¡¯re nuttier than squirrel shit - but no one beyond our team will ever hear that from me.¡±
Willaim felt a part of his soul he almost hadn¡¯t known existed seem to unclench itself as the blonde continued.
¡°Not least of all because that would mean I wouldn¡¯t be able to captain the ship that saved the capital. Way I see it, in a month, whoever holds that posting will have to beat the boys off with a stick.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Plus, I''ve already picked out a spot of land I liked on that rocky dirt heap you call a territory. I¡¯d hate to have to go through the hassle of doing that again somewhere else.¡±
She laughed at those words, clearly intending them as a joke, but William was having none of it as he stared at her. ¡°Thank you, Olzenya. Your support, well, it means a lot.¡±
¡°Ah, not so fast.¡± The elf grinned. ¡°I still have one condition. I figure I¡¯m owed that much if it means supporting your insane ass in whatever madness you have planned for the future.¡±
William swallowed ¨C though he could hardly begrudge the young woman wanting to make the best of the situation. He¡¯d literally just thought that she was a climber¡
¡°I get it,¡± she continued, seeing his silence as consent ¨C even as she ignored the glares of her other teammates. ¡°I get why you felt the need to hide stuff. From us. From the world. No idea how long you¡¯ve been walking around with all that void shit in your head, but I¡¯m willing to bet you¡¯ve had it since before we met.¡±
He nodded slowly, not entirely sure where she was going with this.
¡°Well, no more,¡± she said with finality. ¡°We¡¯re a team. That means you include us. Your plans. Goals. Secrets. Everything. If I¡¯m in this with you, I want to know that you¡¯re in this with me.¡±
George hesitated.
William didn¡¯t.
¡°I¡ I can do that,¡± he said slowly, ignoring the dryness in his mouth. ¡°I¡ no, there¡¯ll definitely be stumbling blocks. But I can try.¡±
Olzenya huffed, crossing her arms and looking away. ¡°S¡¯all I ask.¡±
Grinning, Verity looked like she was about to speak, when her eyes widened as she glanced over his shoulder. Turning to see the cause, William found himself face to face with the bridge officer who was acting as his go-between with the captain.
The crewwoman shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Report from Inirka, milord. In response to our attack, it seems the enemy chose to shift an airship into a protective stance above the rest of the fleet.¡±
William nodded, unsurprised. He hadn¡¯t expected them to retreat.
The adversary likely believed they could achieve their objective before his corsairs returned - or perhaps they doubted his ability to repeat the feat he¡¯d just performed. After all, by local reckoning, his fleet had just unleashed a devastating barrage of enchanted ordnance of a scale capable of essentially depleting the reserves of a smaller noble house.
Personally, he was leaning towards the former. Not that it mattered. Even if they attempted to flee now, the returning corsair wave would be able to catch up in time to hunt them down.
Still, it was unfortunate they hadn¡¯t chosen to flee.
With the airships gone and with the opposing shards too entangled in their losing battle with his own, the Academy¡¯s shards could have finally launched without fear of being shredded on take off.
Well, once the enemy commandos have been cleared out of the hangars and off the runway, he thought.
If they could do that though¡ Well, an entire Academy¡¯s worth of fighters would let him tear apart the larger fleet threatening the palace in half the time.
¡°Yes? And?¡± he prompted, his tone clipped.
The crewwoman hesitated, her voice faltering for the first time. ¡°The ¨C uh - enemy vessel that was moving into defensive formation, sir... they¡¯re deploying troops onto the airships they¡¯re shielding via parachute.¡±
William froze. ¡°What?¡±
----------------
Okol loved this feeling. Gliding through the air, her target looming ever larger before her as the wind whistled past her ears.
It was a sensation like no other ¨C and what brought to an end far too soon as she flared the aether-thrusters in her boots and palms. The expulsion of blue-green gas served to just barely slow her descent, such that when she hit the deck of the opposing craft, she still needed to roll to disperse some of her momentum.
Which was fine ¨C that was the plan.
¡°What the hell do you greenskins think you¡¯re-¡±
Whatever else the slaver standing on deck had been about to say was cut off as Okol¡¯s flung axe embedded itself in her chest. The orc didn¡¯t wait for the body to finish falling before she brought her bolt-bow up with one hand to spray down the collection of humans manning the nearest pivot-gun.
Mercenaries, brought on this excursion to further muddy the waters in regards to the fleet¡¯s origins. They died all the same.
Around her, other orcish mages were touching down on the Lunite craft, with similar results as they slaughtered the other two elven sailors standing on deck before turning their weapons on the humans. Not one managed to turn their aether-powered pivot guns in the direction of the orcs before they went down.
And with that, the deck was theirs.
Glancing up, Okol could see the parachutes of the Blood Oath¡¯s non-mage complement of warriors slowly start to drift down towards the deck.
She didn¡¯t wait for them as she sprinted toward the nearest doorway into the interior of the craft.
Speed was the name of the game here. The faster they moved, the less chance the enemy had to realize they were under attack. And a surprised enemy was much more easily slain than a prepared one. As exemplified by the sailors on deck.
¡°What¡¯s going on-¡±
Okol¡¯s slice sent intestines flying across the deck as she reached the pair of guards manning a bulkhead door. To the second mercenary¡¯s credit, they recognized the folly of trying to draw against an enemy so close and instead sought to tackle the orc before she could bring her axe back around. Unfortunately, they failed to recognize the threat of the greenskin¡¯s elbow as it slammed unerringly into the woman¡¯s face. Blinded and stumbling back from the blow, the woman didn¡¯t see the blow that killed her as Okol brought her axe down in the same location she¡¯d just elbowed.
Pulling the axe back, she made ready to advance ¨C to perform her bloody work against the sailors that would be beyond the doorway ¨C only to pause.
Chains.
That was what she saw first, and she cursed herself for it as she noticed the color of the people in those chains.
Pink. Brown. Yellow.
No green.
Humans. Again.
But unlike the armored ones she¡¯d just slain, these were clad in little more than rags as they stared fearfully at her. Those closest were straining against the chains that had shackled them to their posts as they sought to use the aether-cannon they¡¯d just been manning as an impromptu shield.
Slaves hadn¡¯t been unexpected. Given the clandestine nature of this trip, it had been mentioned in the slavers briefing that the gunnery crews would be comprised of slaves who could be¡ silenced once the mission was completed.
The crew of the Blood-Oath had simply assumed those slaves would be orcs.
And some were, she now noticed. One or two. Near the back.
But most were human. Or dwarven.
Maybe.
It was possible they were just short. Okol had never had much need to be able to tell the difference.
This¡ complicated things. The plan had been to take the slaves North with them. As new sisters for the cause.
¡°You,¡± she said, pointing her axe at the nearest one. ¡°Why are you chained up!? The Lunite Khanate does not allow for human slaves.¡±
The young woman who she¡¯d pointed at, widened her eyes, before speaking slowly. ¡°We aren¡¯t slaves. We¡¯re prisoners. Or we were. Ship got taken by Lunite pirates months back. Then a few weeks ago we all got loaded onto these ships. Told we¡¯d get to go free if we just-¡±
Whatever else the woman was about to say as another chained gunner shrieked.
That warning saved Okol¡¯s life, as she dove to the side just in time to avoid an incoming lightning bolt. The crew of a cannon behind her was not so lucky as the blast fried all of five of them ¨C their chains acting to conduct the lethal power of the spell through all their bodies.
The nearest crews flinched back, now torn between hiding from the orc boarder and the elven overseer who¡¯d just emerged from another bulkhead.
For her part, Okol started to chant her own spell from behind a wooden pillar, but mentally cursed as she glanced out and saw her new foe¡¯s lips were also already moving. She¡¯d likely started chanting the moment her first spell had finished ¨C which meant she¡¯d be a second faster than Okol¡¯s own.
Even as the orc started to bring up her bolt-bow to either kill the elf or throw off her aim, she knew she was about to be a second too slow.
And she doubted her foe would miss twice. This pillar would merely provide a bit of extra shrapnel for when the woman¡¯s bolt hit it.
Which was why the orc¡¯s eyes widened almost as much as the elf¡¯s when the knife-ear was stabbed in the stomach by¡ one of those stick things cannon crews used to push in the cannon balls.
The blow didn¡¯t look particularly hard, coming in at a slightly odd angle for the young woman holding the implement, but it was enough to throw off the elf¡¯s chant for just a second.
And that was all Okol needed as she both finished chanting and aimed her bolt-bow.
In moments, the slaver was pierced through the chest not just by a shard of ice the size of her leg, but also two bolts. She dropped, likely dead before she hit the ground.
And Okol was left standing there, breathing heavily as she realized just how close she¡¯d come to death by allowing herself to be distracted by the¡ ship¡¯s unexpected crew complement.
For a moment, her eyes flitted to the human ¨C a girl more than a woman ¨C who¡¯d just saved her life. And for her part, the brunette looked about as surprised as Okol felt. Whether for acting as she had or that she¡¯d lived to survive it, Okol didn¡¯t know.
Grudgingly, the orc nodded at the surprised human ¨C though she didn¡¯t wait to see if it was returned.
Instead, she reached down to grab the keys from the dead elf¡¯s belt, before tossing them to the nearest group of humans.
¡°Unlock yourselves but¡ stay back and down. Others from my tribe will follow behind me and you don¡¯t want them to think you¡¯re¡¡±
She didn¡¯t know what to say.
Human?
Not slaves?
Part of the crew?
¡°...Enemies.¡± she finally settled on.
That done, she didn¡¯t look back as she walked over to the ladder the elf had climbed up and started clambering down. She had a ship to clear. The question of what would happen to the humans, could come later.