Daniel knows nothing about treatises being broken or alliances being shaken. He knows nothing about the various powers in the kingdom and the struggles for more power. He's lounging in his prison carriage as the long journey carries him towards a fortress at the edge of the civilized world, according to the denizens of this world. The guards have been fairly respectful to him, since they were told enough to know that he's not a hardened monster, he's just an unlucky fish out of water. They even told him that they had to take a detour because they heard from one of the villages they passed through that one of the allied kingdoms on their route, Bromlund is being embargoed by the Empire for laundering money and double-selling arms and armor and trading on credit. While transporting Daniel isn't a commercial endeavor and SHOULD be irrelevant to the embargo searches and seizures, Daniel is a 'summoned hero'; an asset in a certain sense. The fewer people who actually analyze who he is, the better.
Fortunately for Daniel, he has no magical power, so as long as he plays dumb, if he is captured, he'll be utterly useless to any other territory.
Going around the embargoed kingdom means an extra week and a half of travel, but the guards are taking caution seriously. Rikuto was specific that Daniel needs to make it to the fortress alive and well.
Fortunately, Daniel has a small window with metal bars over it to observe the world he's in. It's more colorful than Earth. The trees have a lot of bright colors, similar to Japanese sakura cherry trees. The trees themselves have varying colored leaves, not just blossoms in bloom. Daniel hasn't figured out the seasons of this world, yet, but it does seem to be fairly stable most of the year, compared to most of Earth, which generally had broad swings across the seasons. But, he's pretty sure it's not fall. If anything, it's closer to spring, since it has felt warmer the last few weeks.
In addition to colorful foliage, there is a broad swath of varying races in this world, truly making it fantastical compared to Earth. Many of them share traits with humans, indicating potential shared ancestors, but as expected in a fantasy world, there are animalistic humans with varying parts that appear similar to non-human creatures, such as the bovine people like the ones Daniel mentioned in the castle's town. There are the cute androgynous feline race; the gatonines. They are petite, with cat pupils, cat ears, claws, and tails, and though they don't have very many behaviors associated with terrestrial cats, they do purr when they're in a good mood, which is a surprisingly comforting sound. There are canine peoples, whose features lean more canine than human, where the gatonines lean more human than feline. There are a race of lobster-like crab people that are among the most alien, sharing size with large humans, but virtually nothing else. They are amphibious, but are employed most often in naval and marina work.
There are industrial territories that have a lot more of the other races, who have unique talents and abilities a lot of the times, and Daniel awes at the constructions they pass by; towering monoliths of buildings made of stone -made possible by magic, no doubt-. There is a crystal statue of a pantheon, as far as he can tell, with varying gods or goddesses, or some other important cultural figures. Like the peoples considered 'allied races', the pantheon is varying in sizes and races.
They pull off of the road after leaving a town ringing with the sounds of forging weapons. They make a simple camp, since they're trying to keep a low profile. They let Daniel out to relieve himself, and they don't even bother to handcuff him. He has no drive to escape, though he does survey their surroundings. The smell of smoke is still heavy on Daniel's clothes, as well as the guards' armor, and they wash their hands and faces in the stream they're parked near.
Daniel asks as they clean up and prepare camp, "You guys have any idea what I can expect at Fort Twilight?"
The guards share some glances, and then the sergeant replies, "Not really. It's a valley barrier. The mountains do most of the work at holding the demons back. A handful of fortresses are manned on the border. You'll probably see skirmishes, but the funnel of the valley seems to be sapping the advantage of numbers. The main garrison is further east from Twilight, where they can respond to any invasions at other points."
Daniel connects the dots. "I see. So, Twilight is almost like bait, then, huh?"
The guard shrugs uneasily. "That's probably not entirely wrong, unfortunately. It's an easily defensible position, but it's not easy to get through the mountains any other way."
"Obviously, please forgive my ignorance, but could the demons not tunnel through the mountains? As long as the two sides have been at stalemate, I'd think that'd be easier than trying to press the attack on a valley fortress."
The eldest guard nods in agreement. "I'm sure both sides have thought of that. But, to tunnel through that much rock to move even a vanguard force through would take a lot of time. The mountains are also resistant to magic in large areas due to some element no one's ever seen."
"There's an element that blocks magic?"
The guards nod. "So they say, anyway. Because it creates such a large dead zone around itself, in regards to magic, it's impossible to pinpoint the material itself, buried in the rock. Much of the rock itself is as hard or harder than our best tools, which means the demons likely won't have an easier time than us."
"Huh... How very peculiar." Daniel ponders a material that can actively negate magic. It shouldn't be magnets, because Wenlianna was pretty easily able to procure some, implying that it can be obtained by magic, and she didn't mention anything about it having such an effect. Regardless, for it to have such a large area of effect as to prevent its identification, it would likely either be emitting something, such as a negative mana, or have some sort of reaction that absorbs mana from the surroundings, similar to how "poison" materials work in nuclear power to absorb the neutrons so that fission can't occur -or at least, drastically reduce the process-.
Definitely glad I never mentioned my nuclear power background to Rikuto...
Daniel did promise not to forge any weapons, but that was before he was going to have to defend himself at the end of the world. He has no desire to shift the balance of power one way or the other, but he has no intention to simply roll over and die. It won't be easy, but if the base will leave him alone, his idle hands will welcome the devil's tune.
******************
It's been two weeks, and King Regent Rikuto's entourage arrives, less the two Princesses, who are remaining in the castle for their safety. As the alliance between the Stalvaltan Grand Duchy and the Kingdom has faltered, it is not completely hostile. In fact, Rikuto is relying on Aramellianna being a sort of wild card in the nobility. He has been briefed that no fewer than twelve of the upper houses of nobility have petitioned alliances with the Grand Duchy, and a not-insignificant number of lesser houses and knights have pledged allegiance to the Grand Duchy should the worst come to pass. Rikuto is a little thankful Aramellianna backed off when she had the castle at metaphorical gunpoint. He knows she wasn't bluffing, and he knows he's VERY lucky she didn't exercise her authority to remove him from leadership. Given that he ignorantly violated some semi-abstract clauses in the founding charters and treatises of the Kingdom, he opened the can of worms for the nobility to shear itself in half; those hoping to curry favor with the Kingdom in hopes that Aramellianna will be treated as a traitor and the Grand Duchy dissolved, and those allying themselves with the Grand Duchy for a much broader scope of reasons; loyalty to the kingdom's laws, the relative strength of the Grand Duchy singlehandedly being capable -especially with backing- of capsizing the kingdom entirely, and even simply a dislike of Rikuto for one reason or another.. And, as far as a civil war, the Grand Duchy would likely come out of the fight on its feet.
More worrisome, however, is the fact that external powers have offered support to both sides, indicating word has spread far. It's suddenly making it an extremely fortunate knee-jerk response that Aramellianna dispatched troops to retrieve Daniel the moment she heard where he was being sent. If he really can make weapons, they may need them sooner, rather than later. Nothing's changed yet, other than paperwork. Regardless, hungry eyes are now gazing upon the Kingdom and its powder keg, looking for the fuse.
The advantage is; both Rikuto and Aramellianna, assuming she cooperates, can pretty easily filter out the nobles that are truly treacherous based on their reasoning for which side they choose.
And, adding hope to the notion of continued peace, a fanfare greeting meets the King. Aramellianna isn't above being sarcastic, from what Rikuto has gathered during their many meetings, but she does value decorum and etiquette. Even her storming the castle with her elite commandos -peacefully- was done with grace and the law on her side. Of course, the Kingdom could have retaliated against being 'invaded', but she was making a point of exactly how dangerous believing nobles at their word is. They're not all allies with each other OR the Kingdom. They only play the part when the advantage is on their side. Rikuto knew he couldn't trust everyone at face value, but it's also difficult to walk the line without getting stabbed in the back by one side or the other. Aramellianna inadvertently chummed the water.
And, she meets him out front of her estate, flanked by her guards and children, minus Wenlianna. Wenlianna is notoriously court-shy, and she tries to keep out of affairs of nobility as much as possible. She's likely keeping herself distracted on a project.
Aramellianna greets Rikuto politely, "Your Majesty. Was your trip brief?"
RIkuto returns the greeting just as politely. "Your Grace. It was, thank you. I've come as you requested to speak on behalf of restoring the Kingdom's stability."
"Indeed you have. Rather foolish, if you ask me."
"Maybe. But, I'm not foolish enough to believe I haven't already lost. May we discuss this further indoors?"
She nods civilly. "Yes. Your troops may water and rest your horses there. Karstrak will guide them. You and your delegates may come inside. This way."
Stalvaltan guards form lines the entire length of the walk to the dining hall, where the Grand Duchess provides a meal. The Royal Guard and the Stalvaltan Guard alternate in the room, keeping equal footing between the two factions. It's a little tense and awkward, but the daughters are calm and respectful -the least involved in the military matters themselves-. It's highly likely Aramellianna told them to stay calm and composed.
Rikuto notices the missing member, and he verifies, "Excuse me, your Grace; should we wait on..."
"Wenlianna? No. She'll arrive at her leisure, if at all. Please ignore her tardiness if she arrives. I've taken to not interrupting her work, and I've yet to regret it."
Rikuto acknowledges with a nod, and he tastes the food. It's plenty good, and he and his delegates take to their meals peacefully.
After dinner, Aramellianna clears the room of servants, and she waits for them to leave. The youngest two daughters also depart with her permission, as it's the eldest sisters that will likely inherit the Grand Duchy, and the youngest two are still children.
"Now then, your Majesty. Our formal audience will be tomorrow, of course, after you've received the courtesy of a night's rest. However, I wanted to ask you informally what your thoughts are on the rumors you've been hearing about my household."
Rikuto wears a diplomatic smile. They're not at war yet. She's testing him.
"As I'm sure is the case for those you've heard of the Castle, the noble houses are taking sides. I have it on good authority that many of the Duchys, Earldoms, and Counties are favoring your side, other than your obvious rivals. Probably of more caution to us is the fact that almost ALL of the knights and untitled Lords and landowners are taking your side."
She smirks cryptically. She states plainly, "Duchess."
Yanidere, the second eldest daughter of the Grand Duchess, and the eldest present, states confidently, "Yes, your Grace. Your Majesty, we have it on good authority, that a majority of the Duchys, Earldoms, and Counties are favoring the Castle, other than the houses pledged to the Stalvaltan house since before the Kingdom's founding. Additionally, all Baronys and Viscounties seem to be siding with the Castle, and many of the untitled Lords and landowners are holding pledge to the Kingdom and are staying neutral."
Rikuto looks at Tulaxxas, the Prime Minister. Tulaxxas, in turn, pages through his notes. They're both not much older than Yanidere, and though both have their fields of expertise, Aramellianna is once again flexing her extensive experience. She didn't just claim rights to the Grand Duchy when the Grand Duke passed away. She became the true Grand Duchess by learning all of the duties and responsibilities of the ruler of the Grand Duchy.
Rikuto remarks with a rather calm tone, "Having heard from an apparent opposing side, it would seem our apparent allies are hedging their bets."
Aramellianna's smile widens, though she still says nothing. Yanidere folds her hands together on the table, saying confidently, "Your Majesty, as formal pledges are sent in writing, it may be in both of our interests to compare those who've made formal pledges, and those who have offered verbal support."
The Prime Minister whispers to Rikuto, who nods once he understands. Rikuto replies, "I understand the temptation, Duchess Yanidere. However, I fear this would waver the trust of those who have pledged formally for retaliation in any case of the aftermath."
The second eldest daughter present, Yormolett, raises her hand. Aramellianna nods her head at her. "Speak."
The young teen girl says politely, "Thank you, Your Grace. Your Majesty, formal pledges were once intended to hopefully defuse a costly war through a sort of measurement of forces. If the outcome is obvious, one side or the other is more likely to back off."
Aramellianna nods simply in agreement, and she speaks this time. "It is the verbal pledges that we should concern ourselves with." She turns cold, saying quietly, "Guards, leave the room."
The Stalvaltan Guards pivot as one, but they wait on the Royal Guard.
Rikuto thinks for a moment before agreeing. "Royal Guard, join the Stalvaltan Guard outside."
The captain of the Royal Guard replies a little hesitantly, "If that is your command, your Majesty."
"It is."
He bows his head respectfully, ordering the Royal Guards to turn and the two sets of guards march as one out of the room.
Once the room is cleared, the last guard out closes the doors.
Aramellianna whispers softly, "Wenlianna."
The door on the opposite end rumbles, and the shy Magic Artisan stumbles in. "Y-You knew I was there?"
"Of course. You're late for dinner. Did you bring what I requested?"
"Y-Yes, your Grace. But, I haven't worked out all of the problems yet."
"As long as it gives us a few minutes. Activate it." The Grand Duchess gestures at the table, and Rikuto and Tulaxxas watch as the Artisan sheepishly trots to the table on Aramellianna's side, placing a book-sized device on the table. She makes some adjustments, and then turns it on. It glows, and she says, "Okay. It glows while it's working, Mother. I'll take my-..."
"Sit down, Duchess."
Wenlianna squeaks, but she takes a seat obediently.
Aramellianna smiles at Rikuto cryptically, and she states with a cold tone, "We should also be deflecting offers for aid from outside of the Kingdom."
Rikuto cocks his head. "Your Grace? Were I to follow such advice..."
"I know how it sounds. I'm going to give you the exact same advice when Wenlianna's device is turned off. Hold your glass to your ear."
Rikuto glances at Tulaxxas, but they both obey, and their eyes widen simultaneously. There is a terribly raucous buzz coming from the glass. It's not destructive, but Rikuto's gaze is drawn to the windows.
"Not just glass, your Majesty. Wenlianna has bought us some true alone time. SO, in that matter, if we are to reveal that our kingdom is fractured, we are looking at full invasion. You may do what you want with this information, but either of us choosing sides with the kingdoms around us, including requesting aid from the Empire, will result in us selling out our own territories for a petty victory. I don't want civil war, and I don't think you do either. But, more importantly, I know you don't want invasion or annexation any more than I do. We'll likely have to fend them off anyways."
Rikuto ponders the information. "I see... You're definitely not wrong. Our sources indicate there are already external factions reaching out to various territories within the Kingdom. Seems word has already left our borders."
"I do apologize for my extreme measures, but... This presents an... opportunity of sorts."
Rikuto nods in understanding, and he sighs. "I had hoped we were on the same page. I was prepared to remain silent, but... If we can use this situation to root out the corruption within our borders,..."
"We'll be in a better place than we were before. I couldn't agree more." The Grand Duchess toasts her drink, taking a sip. Wenlianna murmurs, "Mother, I..."
"Seems we are running out of time. What I will now speak is the truth. When the device loses power, I will repeat what I said. I recommend you naively agree." She then switches subjects, "As for Duke Zorenwein and his son, we have confirmed that Daniel was the target of an assassination attempt by the law through the calls for execution regarding the incident with Princess Erimaya."
This shocks Rikuto. She just told him that she intended to continue to speak truth, but threw in final instructions for him. He remarks with surprise, "It was true? He intended to kill Daniel? Why?"
Wenlianna retorts a little sourly, "Because, Princess Erimaya was Zorenwein the Second's fiance. AFTER your in-laws to be made Heralesse yours instead of his."
Again, Rikuto is thrown for a loop. He has to process the burst of information he's receiving. However, Aramellianna nods in agreement. "It was all political, of course, and when we arrived, they were demanding recompense, were they not?"
Rikuto confirms. "Yes, he was still protesting the actions of Daniel, even after the agreed upon compromise."
Yanidere states a little bluntly, "They -at least, Lord Zorenwein Senior- was hoping the Crown would offer Heralesse in order to maintain the alliance with their house."
That part, unfortunately, makes sense. But, it's not something Rikuto would even begin to offer. He's not personally attached to Heralesse, since he's not sure how she feels about him, but he'd never even consider simply trading her as a ticket to keeping allies.
Rikuto narrows his eyes, though. "Eri..."
This cryptic statement causes Aramellianna to cock her head.
Rikuto looks directly at her, "How difficult was it for you to get this information from them?"
She is a little confused, but she replies, "There are houses that specialize in information extraction, but ours is proud of reliability over speed. To my knowledge, it was no more or less difficult than typical. Nobles tend to break rather easily. I sincerely doubt I could withstand... questioning."
Rikuto shakes his head, looking at Wenlianna's device. The glow is wavering, and he listens to his glass. It's still rumbling, so he states quietly, "What if... Erimaya's fall wasn't an accident?"
"The guards and maid were all questioned, were they not?"
"They were, but, what if...?" The rumbling fades and the device dies. Wenlianna hums nervously, and he nods to acknowledge her caution. He said enough, so he sets the glass down, and Aramellianna's own nod confirms that she understood what she needs to inquire about next with her prisoners. He states at a normal volume, "I'm sure we can hammer out details tomorrow, of course, your Grace. However, your wisdom is clearly not to be underestimated."
She smiles and nods politely. "I appreciate that, your Majesty. It shames me to admit, but it seems at present, I am the most... experienced active ruler in the Kingdom's former allies. And, that said, I urge you to heed one more piece of advice; we should also be deflecting offers for aid from outside of the Kingdom. Revealing our current state of affairs might tempt the less reserved of our neighbors."
Rikuto hums in thought. "I see... I hadn't thought of that. You're right. Do you suggest we deny the fracture of the Founding Charters, then, your Grace?"
"That, or to assure our neighbors that it's simply a renegotiation. After all, we are still allies, are we not?" She says it with a snake-like tone, and Tulaxxas glances uneasily at Rikuto. Rikuto nods as if he's completely naive, "Yes, I believe we can still rely on each other very much. Thank you for the advice, your Grace. I'll be sure to be careful with what information gets out."
"Of course, your Majesty. Ruling a kingdom is far more than sitting in a chair, after all."
"I couldn't agree more."
Their silent vow to destroy their true enemies doesn't slip past either of them. Rikuto knows that it would be very easy for Aramellianna to simply conquer the castle and become the ruling body of the kingdom, quickly reuniting everyone under law. She also has the resolve to eliminate anyone that protests by whatever means necessary. Rikuto has three choices; try to challenge her on her level, follow her lead, or get out of her way entirely. He's an outsider in this world, and he's doing his best. But, he doesn't have the connections she has yet. She could likely undermine half the kingdom before their meeting in the morning.
Suddenly, shouting comes from outside the room, "Your Grace! Your Grace! It's urgent! Please! It's about the Artisan!"
Aramellianna looks at Wenlianna, and she flinches. "Me? I don't have anything unstable running right now, Mother."
Yanidere murmurs, "Wenlianna, it's 'Your Grace' in a..."
The Grand Duchess cuts her off, calling out, "Guards, you may all reenter. Bring the messenger with you."
The Royal Guards and the Stalvaltan Guards file back in with the same alternating pattern. It's very ceremonial, in spite of the potential tension in the room.
The messenger is a lightly-geared soldier of the Stalvaltan guard, wearing an appropriate messenger's pauldron and shoulder bag, each with the crest of the Stalvaltan household; a reptilian-looking creature native of this world wearing armor; similar to a wyvern or dragon, and it holds a sword in its claw, breathing all four of the elements on the blade. Rikuto is still learning, but it's a mythical creature called a 'Feldrok' or 'Soulwyrm', which is said to be even more powerful than the dragons. It has a broad, semi-spiky looking tail and triangular horns, going by the black emblem of the creature on the Stalvaltan sigil.
"What message do you bring? As you can see, Wenlianna is here."
He clears his throat. "Your Grace, your Majesty..." He glances at Rikuto, but Aramellianna insists, "Speak. I allow it."
He bows his head briefly. "It's about the Artisan retrieval mission, your Grace."
This shocks everyone present, and Wenlianna sits up. "D-Daniel?"
The messenger nods.
"You found him?"
He hesitates, and he pulls the message from his bag, handing it to the Captain of the Stalvaltan Guard. He opens the message as everyone waits. He asks the messenger, "Is this message accurate?"
The messenger confirms. "As it was written by the Lieutenant himself, Captain."
The Captain hands the message to Aramellianna, stating, "You may wish to read it yourself, your Grace."
She sighs, reading the message briefly as Yanidere and Wenlianna lean over her arms to read it as well.
Yanidere gasps first, but Aramellianna's confidence falters. She hands it back to the Captain, having him pass it to Rikuto.
The Captain walks the message to Rikuto, and Rikuto reads it over.
"[Status report; Artisan Retrieval and Escort,
Can't make formal. Situation dire. Half of squad lost. Capital of Kingdom Bromlund falling to revolution. Anarchy spreading. Haven't located Artisan. Bromlund on lockdown. Forced retreat.
Apologies. I accept full responsibility.
Lieutenant Vestrich,
Artisan Retrieval]"
The room is silent for a long time. Wenlianna is the first to speak, asking softly, "Wh-... What does this mean? Will we have to wait... until he reaches the fortress?"
Aramellianna looks at her, but she doesn't reply right away. Rikuto remarks softly, "Revolution... Bromlund is our neighbor, are they not?"
With a nod, Tullaxxas explains, "Yes, your Majesty. We've had some reports of unrest due to the increased taxes Bromlund implemented, but nothing that seemed out of the ordinary."
Rikuto thinks for a moment. He does recall hearing that Bromlund, and other territories allied to the Empire have raised taxes in order to feed the war effort. Unfortunately, this worked rather opposite of Rikuto's strategy. He increased trade materials being produced, but ones that are consumable for the kingdom as well to become self-sufficient. In return, he had taxes reduced, especially those on import and export, which served to draw travelling trade routes to pass through their territory, boosting the number of taxable transactions by a greater factor than the losses of the reduced tax revenues. As the liquid capital of the Kingdom has increased, Rikuto has been able to provide a lot more of a principal payment to the Empire. He's learned -both through theory and practice- that the Empire is much more friendly to those providing war aid, to the point that the Empress has opened formal and informal communication channels with Rikuto. Naturally, this inspires the other kingdoms to try to win back any lost or perceived available favor with the Empire, who will undoubtedly share abundant wealth if and when the war comes to a victorious end.
That one of the kingdoms trying to solve the issue quickly raised taxes expresses a level of apathy for their own populace, as well as a massive disconnect and inexperience worse even than Rikuto's. In turn, they're under rapid collapse as the economy implodes. The revolution is likely a result of the rapid inflation of food prices as merchants and farmers try to recoup losses and be able to afford their own taxes.
Wenlianna asks nervously, "D-Do you think... this was part of the conspiracy?"
Rikuto replies, forgetting about the situation they were discussing prior -the fact that they're not technically allies-. "I don't think so. It's too convenient for that, unfortunately."
Aramellianna nods in agreement, adding, "It also implies a level of influence Duke Zorenwein doesn't have. Our men know the difference between a riot and a full revolution. If he used such a term, it was not lightly."
Rikuto murmurs, "Which means, if Daniel's transport crossed into Bromlund prior to the eruption..."
"They could be anywhere. And..." The Grand Duchess trails off, sighing in disappointment.
"What are you saying?" asks Wenlianna. "I'm not a soldier. Please tell me what you mean." She glances between Rikuto and Aramellianna for an answer.
The Grand Duchess finally replies, "Daniel may already be lost."
Wenlianna gasps. However, it's the youngest present daughter of the Grand Duchess who raises her hand again. The Grand Duchess asks, her tone more of defeat and disgust than her confidence from before. "What is it, Yormolett?"
"Thank you, Your Grace. What if... What if we all offered military support? At least to restore order. Could we not enlist their troops formally in the search?"
Rikuto confirms with a nod, "This could work to our favor. I've been hoping to gain access to the gulf Bromlund controls, as it's closest to our territory."
NEVER missing an opportune moment, it seems, to flex her position, Aramellianna murmurs coyly, "Oh? I hadn't thought of that. I do wonder what could be gained from Bromlund..."
Wenlianna murmurs after a quiet pause, "But... What about Daniel?"
**************