After our midnight conversation with the Mayor, we knew what to expect when we officially arrived today. We swiftly returned under cover of darkness to contemplate the information we had discovered. My guards dashed over the water while I glided on above them. This time with the water to slow them down a little, I won the race back to the boat. While they could and did push off the water to run, they could not do it as fast as they could on the land.
The night’s revelations summarised that Baron Corus had begun to expand his territory west much as we had attempted to expand ours east. However, he was being much more heavy-handed in his approach. He had sailed west expecting Wester Levante to be ripe for the plucking. He had been unpleasantly surprised to find that despite our relatively recent ennoblement, we had sufficient funds to purchase significant plots of land, the rest of the island. We had not attempted to buy the town, sticking to the far cheaper land surrounding it, before trying to buy up any spare plots within it. We wondered whether he had noticed our efforts even further afield.
Cornered by the Baron through the purchase of his debt, the Mayor had found himself in an untenable position and was forced into capitulating. We were unsure what exactly to do, but hopefully, some solution would provide itself when we met the man. I was not keen to meet him without a plan, but at least we wouldn’t be caught unaware by him, and hopefully, we had some leverage he was unaware of.
On the one hand, we really could not afford to be in physical conflict with our closest noble neighbour, but at the same time, we couldn’t allow this to stand. We had plans for the Wester Isles, and we could not allow him to impede them or us. The question was how we could resolve this conflict of interests without it developing into a physical altercation.
It was tempting to ask Namir or Arawn to deal with him directly, to make the problem disappear. However, that was a slippery slope to start sliding down so soon in our lordship, with no guarantee of success. We did not yet know how strong a baron we were dealing with or how strong his retainers were. Mine were ridiculously strong, but maybe they were not alone in their strength.
Each house had its secret methods of levelling its scions passed down through the generations, and while we knew I was accelerating above and beyond them, I was still at the beginning of my journey. At the end of the day, I was only a child. We also feared he had the backing of one of the factions with the synchronicity of their arrival and his sudden interest in our local real estate. We would need to take it up with the envoys when we returned to Wester Ponente, as unfun as that may be. We had attempted to be as obtuse as possible, but with them possibly infringing on our autonomy, we might need to be a little blunter in our negotiations.
. . .
The following day, we sailed into port with the first light to find the town slowly waking. A few brave souls in their boats set forth in the early morning to get a full day of fishing in and making the most of the day on the open ocean before the sunset again. We slipped slowly up to the largest dock available, our movement deceptively quiet and quickly tied up once we were alongside.
As a first test run of our new ship and possible crew, it had been a resounding success so far. Hopefully, this success would continue on dry land with or without our crew. They could not help us here other than with the sheer intimidation of their presence. There was another large vessel tied up. The distinctive crest of a ship sailing into the setting sun told us it belonged to Baron Corus. At least our liberated Libeccian vessel was significantly larger than the Baron’s vessel, which was in our favour.
“Welcome back, Lord Silversea.” A man bowed ingratiatingly as we stepped onto the dock. “I don’t believe we’ve officially met before. My name is Canus .” The port tax man was unbelievingly the first to greet us as we arrived on Wester Levante at the crack of dawn.
“Good morning, Canus,” I said, looking down from my grandfather’s shoulders. It was hard enough to gain respect due to my age, doubly so when I was always looking up to everyone I spoke to. The solution was a lacquered and gilded palanquin on Arawn’s shoulders. It was a little ostentatious, but it worked and was particularly effective for first impressions and working on the other islands. A little hard to look down on a little lord when you were looking up at them. Grandfather seemed to enjoy the consternation of everyone having to look up at me. With his stats, I doubted he even noticed my weight on his shoulders, and he seemed to take perverse delight in standing so that my conversational opponents found themselves looking up into the sun as well.
On our island of Wester Ponente, it felt a little over the top as I had known everyone since I opened my eyes, and everyone had known me since I started crawling out the front door. Still, it came out for special occasions like public performances or the Silversea games. Any other attempt to try to get Arawn to carry me anywhere swiftly resulted in him walking through doorways too low for me to duck or every other branch in town.
“Will m’lord be landing any goods today?” He squinted up toward me. “I cannot help but sense a veritable windfall within.” The man looked eager to step on the Alzeena and start calculating due taxes.
“No, Canus,” I replied, much to the man’s disappointment. “Our goods will be offloaded on Wester Ponente. We are only here to meet the Mayor and catch up on our correspondence.” I gestured at the homing pigeons we had brought to carry the mail back towards us once we had left.
“Ah,” He sighed sadly, visibly restraining himself from boarding our boat now that his excuse had been removed. “In that case, there is a message I’ve been asked to pass along.” He said, flourishing a finely embossed envelope. “From a Baron Corus, who is currently inspecting his outlying holdings. I believe he is currently staying at the Old End Tavern. If you want to respond in person, I could deliver a message for you.” He offered unctuously. The End of the World, Tavern had been replaced by our Compass Edge Inn hence the new name of Old End, much to the disgruntlement of the family that had formerly owned it. However, considering our distance from the Compass Kingdom civilisations, it was still a fine establishment.
I looked at the envelope Arawn had intercepted when tax man Canus attempted to hand it to me. He seemed to scan the envelope before a dagger appeared to slice it open, and then he passed up the missive inside for me to read.
Lord Silversea,
I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to you as Baron Corus of the Azimuth Archipelago, seeking an opportunity to discuss an urgent matter that requires your attention.
It has come to my attention that there are certain disputes regarding the ownership and acquisition of lands near and on Wester Levante. As a man of influence and power, it is imperative for us to meet and address these matters directly.
I propose a meeting between us at your earliest convenience to engage in a constructive dialogue and find a mutually beneficial resolution. It is in both our interests to prevent unnecessary conflict and ensure the prosperity of our respective interests in the region.
Furthermore, I wish to welcome the Silversea name to the halls of nobility and trust that you, being a person of discernment, will see the value in resolving this matter diplomatically rather than resorting to unnecessary confrontations.
Please respond to this message at your earliest convenience, indicating your availability and preferred location for the meeting. I look forward to a productive discussion that will contribute to the well-being of our shared interests.
Yours sincerely,
Baron Corus
While the wording seemed flowery enough to read between the lines, it was clear that if the property’s resolution was not handled diplomatically and immediately, it could end in a conflict between our two houses. It shouldn’t have been a surprise that people could and would fight over land, but it was still a shock to my modern sensibilities. Still, I did not dwell on it too long; Canus was still waiting.
“We can see him at his earliest convenience.” I responded with the Royal’ we’. Possibly a little nosistic, but seeing as we were making power plays with our words perfectly acceptable. “We are off to see the Mayor first and deliver our birds,” I added, letting him know where we would be once he had delivered our verbal response.
The man scarpered quickly, nearly running in his rush to deliver our message though I doubted the Lord would be up at this ungodly hour.
“Come on,” Arawn muttered as he lurched into motion, my palanquin rocking back as he started to stride off toward the town centre.
Stolen story; please report.
A few of the sailors on board the other Lord’s boat stirred to see us walking past, but we did not catch up with tax man Canus who seemed to have disappeared out of sight as soon as I took my eyes off him. We had only just reached the Mayor’s house and were putting down the birds when Canus came running back. Out of breath, despite the short distance he had run.
“Baron Corus would happily host you immediately and invites you to join him in breaking his fast.” He hastened to tell us as soon as he controlled his breathing. I smiled at Namir, who was walking alongside us. Gathering intel last night had been well worth the interrupted sleep seeing as he was this insistent on meeting us as soon as we set foot off the Alzena.
“With such a swift and speedy response, it would be rude of us not to accept such an invite,” I replied officially. We had left one island to avoid the envoys only to find ourselves entrapped into meeting another noble the next island over. Dancing with the devil, I hoped we had accounted for all the details.
We had an invite to breakfast. The hungry crew did not take long to head off for the tavern, eager to sample something other than rations, even though we had only been at sea for the day and barely touched them yet. As the Baron’s guests, etiquette demanded that he pay for our food. I was tempted to call for the entire crew to disembark and enjoy a large meal but unsure of what pressure he would bring to bear I did not wish to antagonise him any more than our house’s existence already had.
Arriving at the tavern, at least Arawn remembered not to knock me off on the doorframe, and together with Namir, he led us into the building, clearing the door and each step of the way with prejudice. As far as our senses showed it was safe and secure but we it was also worth the caution when dealing with new nobility. It had been drilled into Aleera and I often enough that the fall of our matriarchal house had been humanity and its noble houses rather than the other noble or base races.
. . .
My first impression of Baron Corus was that he was a man of imposing stature and a stern countenance, though my stature meant that everyone I met was imposing. I regretted not meeting the man outside and retaining my height advantage. However, it only took a second for Arawn to lift me up again, my palanquin earning, in my opinion, the weight of its gilding at this moment. I did not care if it made me look childish. It meant that I was no longer looking up at the man. It did not look like he had awaited my arrival at the Old End Tavern in Wester Levante for long. His hair was still damp as if freshly washed, but his attire was impeccable.
As I entered the establishment and was lifted up once more, I locked eyes with Baron Corus as he stepped forward to greet me before pausing as he took in my stature. “Lord Silversea?” He questioned, almost unsure whether or not to continue to address me. He turned to one of his accompanying men, whispering, “I’d heard it was a new house with a young scion, but this is surely ridiculous. Can we trust Canus in this?”
The comment was not made for our ears, but my high levelled skills, decent stats and ridiculous traits that multiplied them made his whispering pointless. We heard every word. However, we did not comment on them and with the unctuous man following close on our heels. Baron Corus soon saw him accompanying us and continued, seemingly undaunted, with what was clearly a prepared welcome. The man had a good poker face.
“Welcome to the Old End Tavern. I trust you had a pleasant journey. I must admit I had not been expecting the fortune to meet you so soon.” He said as he looked up toward me.
First impressions mattered, and attempting to create one of a young prodigious noble with an air of confidence, I responded with a nod. “Thank you, Baron Corus. The journey was uneventful, and I appreciate your early morning hospitality.” There was no need to mention the monster or the treasure. If he ever discovered them, they would hopefully only build my legend higher for me that I would consider them merely uneventful moments on our short journey from Wester Ponente to Wester Levante. For a child, my eloquent words seemed to shock him further, if only for a moment more. Perhaps he had been expecting a response from my guardians rather than me.
Recovered, Baron Corus motioned towards a table in a quieter corner of the tavern and signalled for Lord Silversea to join him. “Please, have a seat. Allow me to offer you a drink.” He seemed to pause, considering what he had just offered. No doubt alcohol was often a social lubricant or tactical poison in politics, but I was so young it could be considered coercion or assault. The compass kingdoms were advanced enough in Ponente to realise that children should not be drinking. I watched him reevaluate his political manoeuvring as my age continued to trip him up.
Smiling, I gave the man an out, “I appreciate the gesture, Baron Corus. Water will suffice for now.” And the next dozen years if I understood the local customs well enough. An odd mix of physical abuse and sensible parenting that was aimed at improving your stats, skills and future chances of staying alive.
As we settled at the table, a wide selection of repasts was served to break our fast at both of our settings. Namir and Arawn elected to stand to either side of my seat, mirroring the two men standing behind his. I elected to stand on mine to raise my eyes to the Baron’s level as he sat. It would have been nice to continue using the palanquin, but that would have only worked if it was deposited on the table.
“Try the bluefin tuna if you would like to be kind to your taste buds, but if you would to level your poison tolerance, I would recommend a bite or two of the blue-spotted puffer fish to accompany it. It has a certain kick to it.” He suggested and challenged in the same sentence.
If there was one benefit to having been brought by a fisherman, it was knowing fish. As suggested, I knew their tastes, textures, and the dangers of eating them raw. The blue spotted puffer fish was much like the Japanese Fugu in that respect. It had to be prepared properly for commoners or those with low stats to attempt to eat the dish without potentially deadly consequences. However, according to Lady Acacia, it had to be equally carefully prepared for completely the opposite reason for the nobility. They wanted the poison included in the bite sizes and carefully moderated to only provide a single dose of poison to the children of the elite. It was a training tool and not an offence he was offering me. At the same time, it was a test of my skills and stats. A gastronome could sense the type and increasing levels of poison from slice to slice. I was no gourmet, but my sensory skills and common sense helped steer me to the pieces with the least venom. Unwilling to give him even an inch in the game of upmanship.
He politely gave me the first choice and then watched closely as I chose my pieces before choosing his own.
Ding! Poison Tolerance (Lv11)
As he slowly masticated his significantly stronger poisoned pieces, I could not help but wonder how strong his level of Poison Tolerance must be. The was no reason to wonder forever. I looked closer. Observing, inspecting and analysing to judge his true abilities, much as he was probably sizing me up in return. Though with a high-level block and enigma skill, I doubted that he was getting much more than he could tell from simply looking at me.
On the other hand, I learned a snapshot of who I was dealing with.
Level: 81
Title: Baron
Metier: Merchant Lord Lv 12
Name: Roderick Corus
Quirks: Healthy, Strong, Enduring, Appealing,
I did not learn as much as I would have hoped or have been able to learn about someone with a lower level than me, but at nearly double my own level, I was happy to see as much as I had been able to. Judging by his quirks, it looked like he had managed some partial cascades before turning ten, but it was neither a full physical nor mental cascade.
And a quick check of my status showed me from one of my other minds told me that . . .
Inspect LV30!
Observe LV 26!
Analyse LV14!
Despite the pleasant setting and congenial conversation, we were clearly playing for higher stakes if my skill levelling accurately represented the battle of wills currently quietly playing out in front of our four witnesses.
Enigma LV2!
If this is what a single meal with a political opponent could do for your skills, it might be worth conflicting with the envoys a little more often in person. I wondered whether Aleera had made similar gains in her skills after all the interactions she had to have had with them by now. I also wondered what he had been able to glean from me when up against a skill gained against literal gods.
I watched his eyes flare as the skill levelled and could only hope, not a lot.
. . .
Hopefully, having made a good first impression, or at least not given him any more ammunition, the conversation turned to the pressing matter at hand. “Lord Silversea, I have called this meeting to discuss the ongoing land disputes surrounding Wester Levante. It is no secret that you and I have differing interests in this matter.
Ah, we had arrived at the meat of the matter after eating only the starter and a short sizing up of one another. Whatever he had learned was not enough to deter him from his course. There was no need to draw this out any longer than necessary. I was bargaining from a position of hidden strength. He knew nothing of me or mine. But the longer our conversation continued, the more likely it might reveal some aspect of my naivety of how this world worked. After all, I had only been in it for a couple of years and hardly at the centre.
“Indeed, Baron Corus. I am aware of our conflicting interests. I believe finding a peaceful resolution that benefits all involved is in our best interest.” I replied equally verbosely. If there was one aspect of etiquette I found hardest to learn; it was probably this. But we had had enough lectures from Lady Acacia that it was still second nature to sleep into the vernacular.
“I am pleased to hear that, Lord Silversea.” Though his words said one thing, his face was saying another. Either he was unhappy about my knowledge or the calm and collected manner in which I was facing this, “However, I must be honest and say that I have already acquired a significant portion of the town and aim to expand my holdings further.” He laid down the first metaphysical gauntlet.
I attempted to maintain a calm demeanour; getting visibly cross would get me nowhere. “Baron Corus, while I understand your ambitions, I must also emphasise the importance of our own. This island is a natural part of our part of the Azimuth Archipelago. Your island is far further into the centre of the archipelago when compared to our far-flung islands. We hardly warrant such foreign investment into what is purely a local matter. I am ready to clear the debts you seem to have bought up in your attempts to claim the local property.” I outlined our financial strengths and informed him that we were perfectly aware of what he was attempting to do.
Baron Corus leaned back in his chair, studying me intently as if he was attempting to divine precisely how deep our foundations were as a family if we could afford to buy out his vested financial interests in the plots of land he had purchased the debts for.
. . . .
Aleera and Merchant Mercurio had made great strides in purchasing the remaining plots of land on all the local islands. But she had neglected any loans that families had taken out privately to expand or develop their properties or businesses. Baron Corus had come prepared despite how much the extent of our holdings may have caught him on the back foot. But Baron Corus was not finished by a long shot.