Enlightened Empire

Not long after Brym and Inti entered Gold Manor, two of the only overweight warriors in Medala came face-to-face with each other. However, there was none of the merriment one would expect in a meeting between two kindred souls. Instead, the giant hall was scarily empty. Unlike the opulent outside of the manor, the inside seemed almost deserted. Only a single table had been erected in the center of the giant hall, surrounded by three reclining chairs for the master of the house and his two guests.

Maybe he's trying to act poor so I won't ask for too much?

It was an obvious ploy from Lord Ichilia to improve his position during the upcoming negotiations, as were the two dozen or so warriors who lined the edges of the room. They stood there weapons at the ready, all in heavy armor and with stiff posture.

Feigning strength, are we? Or maybe you're trying to intimidate me, Brym thought, and observed the young lord to his opposite.

Despite rumors of his legendary weight, Loreius Ichilia was only somewhat portly. Instead, he seemed a bit haggard, especially in his face. Despite the best attempts to mask his flaws with makeup, Brym could still see the dark shadows under his eyes.

Apparently, the last few months haven't been easy on you, Lord Ichilia. I hope these talks will be more harmonious, or you might collapse on me. So let's first restore a more amicable atmosphere by breaking this shallow show of strength, shall we?

"Lord Ichilia, are we under arrest?" Despite his words, Brym leaned back calmly and with confidence. In comparison, the portly master of Huaylas already looked sweaty and uncomfortable, and all the guards in the world couldn't help him.

"Of- of course not," he managed to stammer out. "The men are only here to show respect to our valued guest."

Well, no reason to put too much pressure on our host, Brym thought when he saw such a big reaction from Loreius. I'm here to sell, not to blackmail. And he won't be any good to me if he can't form coherent sentences.

"Yes, although I do not like to be watched while eating, the amenities have been more than adequate. For that, Lord Ichilia deserves thanks," Brym said. At the same time, he took a bacon-wrapped fruit and chucked it into his mouth. Although the room was mostly empty, with only a simple, three-sided reclining table in the center, the table was still loaded with all kinds of delicacies.

"Indeed, Minister Brymstock is a kindred spirit, as expected," Loreius said and laid back down on his recliner, now finally visibly relaxed. "We have done our best to offer a feast palatable to one who has lived in Rapra Castle."

So the fear from before was faked, huh? Who said this guy isn't all that smart?

Rather than uncover the truth, Brym focused more on another aspect which surprised him.

"Oh, have the dishes of the south spread this high up north?"

"Of course, everyone has heard of the great, opulent feasts prepared by the servants of the southern king for the lords of the south. Even in Huaylas, we have done our best to copy the style, and to iterate on modern Sachay dishes." He stretched forward and picked a golden-brown piece of dough from a precious porcelain plate. "Like this new creation. Frying dough in cooking oil is a technique we have learned from Saniya's banquets. However, we have added our own twists to the dish."

Intrigued, the foodie Brym picked up one of the dough pieces himself and bit into it. Immediately, a strong, fishy taste exploded in his mouth.

"Sardines and olives?" the foodie commented, and threw the rest of the warm dough pocket into his maw. "Not bad."

Although he personally preferred the original made with powdered sugar, and even moreso the variant made with honey and whipped cream, he wouldn't say as much to his host. He wasn't here to critique the food after all, he was here to sell his product. For that, he had to make the buyer happy first.

"Yes, the southern king's chefs have been a great inspiration for us," Loreius fawned again. "And this humble lord also needs to give his thanks to Minister Brymstock for the precious plates, which have doubled the taste through their presence alone."

I already noticed without you drawing more attention to it, I'm not slow in the head.

All the foods on the table had been served on the expensive Chutwa glaze which Brym had only just gifted House Ichilia upon his arrival. Over the past few years, trade routes from Saniya to Chutwa had been established. Since then, more and more of this precious porcelain had been imported into the south, and then traveled further north for sale. However, demand still far outstripped supply, so even the wealthiest noble family in the west was happy to receive them as gifts. Of course, Brym knew more about their true origin, so he felt a bit awkward, being praised like that.

Thus, Brym refrained from commenting and simply smiled as he pretended to chew. However, Loreius was undeterred in his enthusiasm.

"Minister, this humble master of these lands is truly happy to present such a feast to his guests." As soon as he had spoken the words, Loreius looked to the side with a horribly acted sadness on his face. "Alas, this unfortunate one is truly dismayed that such days of opulence will soon be coming to an end."

Is that the best you can do? Act pitiful because you'll have to slightly shrink the size of your feasts in the future?

Although Brym was unimpressed by the methods of Loreius, he knew where the lord was going with his blunt segue. Since their planned direction was the same, the merchant was still happy to play along with the act.

"How could that be?" he asked in pretend shock. "After all, Huaylas is the great paddy field of Medala. If even House Ichilia runs out of food, would the rest of us not have to starve to death?"

"This used to be the case, of course. Yet those days are long gone." Again, one of the richest lords of Medala pretended to be pitiful. "After all, most lords in the north now make use of the southern kingdom's miraculous fertilizer, yet House Ichilia's past arrogance has denied itself these boons of cooperation."

You can really talk, huh? Big brother Corco surely would have a fun time with you. Or he'd scream to keep it simple, depending on his mood.

While suppressing a laugh at the thought, Brym replied: "Since House Ichilia is now being led by a wise lord like Lord Ichilia, there is of course no reason to deny the lord's request. No less if there is so much money to be made on such trade."

There was no reason to deny the request, or to bother with Lord Ichilia's fake manners and transparent flattery. After all, they were only going through the motions here. Most likely, Loreius had made a detailed plan for today's negotiations long ago, just like Brym. And just like Brym, he seemed to have come to the conclusion that smooth cooperation was the best way to go.

Who said that this Lord Ichilia is arrogant and overestimates himself? He seems quite clever to me.

Though of course, that didn't mean that both of them would agree on every matter. It was time for Brym to guide the talks in an even more beneficial direction.

"However, since the southern kingdom will do such a favor for House Ichilia, it would only be fair if House Ichilia were to do something for the kingdom in return as well," he argued.

First things first, Brym had to emphasize that this wasn't an equal exchange, or a 'cooperation', like Loreius had hinted. The Ichilias were in trouble, and they were the ones asking for the southern kingdom's mercy and support. Brym would never allow this young lord to strengthen his position through cheap word play. However, Loreius tried his best to defend his equal position.

"This lord believes that House Ichilia has already given a favor to the southern kingdom. There should be no debts between our houses."

"Is that so? You would not be referring to the incident in the Moonlight Ziggurat, would you?"

Over the course of his journey, Brym had finally heard the full story of Naoka's escape, from Naoka himself no less. Though that didn't mean the minister would agree with Loreius' assertions.

Why are you framing it like a major favor, when it was just a simple sign of goodwill to restore relations?

"Of course," Loreius said and acted all magnanimous. "Without grandfather's help in the Ziggurat, not only would your agent have perished, but even an Elder of the southern kingdom would have been implicated. This patriarch believes such a favor should not go unrewarded."

You started a war against us, you bastard. You think saving a single life not only makes up for that, but even exceeds it?

Of course, Brym couldn't say that. He wasn't here to start another war. Thus, he could only hint at Lord Ichilia's hypocrisy.

"Indeed, Elder Acquilinus provided us with great support. However, the southern kingdom's support during Lord Ichilia's retreat at the end of the southern war should not be forgotten either."

"Support? This Lord believes his retreat at the right time, together with three thousand fully equipped warriors, helped the southern kingdom conquer Antila far more quickly than it would have otherwise."

So you're still arguing, huh? Alright, I'll be more direct then.

"One thousand, not three," Brym corrected first, before he righted his posture, ready to deliver some truths. "Lord Ichilia, the southern kingdom was aware that most of the retreating army was made up of hastily dressed up commoners. However, despite this knowledge, the southern kingdom recused itself from informing King Pachacutec, who at the time was our ally. Had the king of the center known of Lord Ichilia's deception, who knows if Huaylas would still be standing today. Thus, this minister believes that we do not owe anything to House Ichilia. Instead, it is Lord Ichilia's house which has an obligation to restore relations."

In his little speech, Brym had mentioned all the fallacies hidden within Loreius' words so far, except the largest: House Ichilia's direct involvement in the last war. Still, if this lord continued to be stubborn, Brym wouldn't mind being even less polite. Luckily, it didn't come to that, or negotiations may have broken down. Instead, Loreius sank back into his seat, and once more pretended to look weak and defeated.

"In that case, what can House Ichilia do for Minister Brymstock?"

As soon as the insistence on an equal relationship was broken, Brym fully sat up from his recliner and pulled out one of his bonds, which he then proceeded to enthusiastically introduce to Lord Ichilia. All the while, he continued to observe the young lord's expression.

He doesn't seem to be put off by the idea. That's good.

"House Ichilia can consider purchasing some bonds," the lord finally said. "However, is it possible to use these notes for the purchase of fertilizer and other goods from the southern kingdom?"

"Of course," Brym shot back immediately. "However, as part of your favor, we would like Lord Ichilia to abstain from using the bonds for a while. Otherwise, there would be no point to buying them, and using money directly would be just as good."

"Indeed. Since the summer solstice has just passed, any fertilizer would be coming too late for this year's summer harvest. Thus, purchasing the bonds now and using them in half a year's time at the earliest seems like a workable solution. What would Minister Brymstock think about a million Sila for a start?"

At the mention of a mountain of silver, Brym had to control himself so he wouldn't jump out of his seat and hug Loreius, his new benefactor.

Calm, young master Fastgrade. Don't show them you're excited, or they'll try to lower the price. Always look like you're about to lose your job.

As he recalled his big brother's teachings, Brym ate another dough pocket and drank some wine to calm himself down. At the same time, he pretended to think deeply about Lord Ichilia's offer. Only then did he reply.

"Very well, although it is a sub-optimal solution, this is a result I can sell to the King of the South. I might receive a scolding, but I should be able to escape more severe punishment this time."

"In that case, this Lord wishes for us to achieve a long-standing cooperation between our lands, for mutual peace and prosperity." A happy looking Loreius stood up to shake Brym's hand.

Right. You only want peace because your King Pachacutec wants to swallow you whole. Not to mention the nutcase scholars to your north. You look quite desperate for allies.

However, there was no reason for Brym to say any of that. All he had to do was shake that hand and conclude their cooperation. Yet just as he was about to stand up, he looked to the side, towards the third person in the room.

Inti had been sitting between the two of them throughout their meal. In all that time, she hadn't said a word, and she hadn't eaten or drunk anything either. At the start of the talks, Brym had expected her to jump in and interrupt the harmonious atmosphere, but she had remained silent throughout, so much so that Brym had almost forgotten about her by the end. But now that he looked at her stiff posture and clenched fists again, he realized that she had been suffering all evening. Most likely, she had been dying to mention her own purpose for coming to Huaylas, yet had held herself back until now.

This girl is sacrificing herself for the kingdom, Brym realized.

Most likely, she would mention her concerns as soon as the deal was concluded, once she could no longer damage negotiations with her selfish demands. However, by that time, she would also have lost all leverage over Loreius Ichilia. Whether or not her purpose could be achieved by then remained to be seen. What an unnecessary sacrifice this was.

As Brym watched the young woman sit there stiff as a board, giving up her own interests and her family affection in the name of the country, Brym remembered his own past, and his own family affairs, which so closely mirrored Inti's.

Dammit, fine. I'll be the idiot then.

Against his better judgment, Brym pulled back his hand before he reached.

"There is only one final issue to take care of before we can conclude our business," he said.

At the sudden change, Loreius furrowed his brow only for a moment, before he calmly replied: "And what would that be?"

Once more, Brym glanced over at Inti, before he stupidly asked the question which could topple everything he had worked for all evening.

"Lord Ichilia, where is Mellana di Pluritac?"