Chapter 7

Nemel walked off towards the southern end of the city, the small basket of meat pies swaying lightly in her grip. The agents who had tailed them all morning appeared to stay behind to watch for Dame Verilyn’s reappearance, though she couldn’t be absolutely sure that all of them had.

Her worries over the possibility mounted until she stopped at the entrance of an alley to cast Reinforce Armour and Shield Wall. Though the crowded streets of Oestestadt strongly deterred such attempts, attacks in broad daylight were not unheard of in imperial cities.

“Miss Gran?”

Nemel jumped at a voice drifting out from the alley. Her head snapped over to look towards its source in a panic. It took her a moment to recognize who had spoken.

“…Fendros?”

The woman brightened at the sound of her name. She came forward, lifting her skirts as her heels tapped over the hardened soil.

“It really is you! I thought you looked familiar, but I couldn’t be sure with that scary uniform. I’m so relieved…I mean, it’s good to see you again, Miss Gran.”

“Just Nemel is fine.”

“I-I can’t,” Fendros looked down. “This isn’t the Academy…”

Nemel glanced over her old classmate. She was dressed to impress: her silken locks of golden hair flowed softly over her shoulders and it looked like she had recently visited a salon. The barest trace of an expensive fragrance lingered in the air. Fendros was one of the prettiest girls in her second-year class – which was saying a lot as the majority of their class was composed of Nobles – and now she was out in full battle gear.

An uneasy feeling grew in the pit of Nemel’s stomach as she took in Fendros’ appearance.

This isn’t something she can afford…

Nemel struggled to maintain her neutral smile. Fendros’ pastel-blue dress was tailored in the latest winter fashions. Its raised skirts revealed shoes and stockings that were well beyond her usual means. A part of Nemel wanted to reach out and hug her old classmate, but the aristocratic training instilled into her dictated that she couldn’t.

Fendros was one of the attainted.

“Did your father put you up to this?” Nemel asked.

“…yes.”

Unable to contain herself at the meek answer, Nemel sighed.

Of the attainted, many prudently took their skills and what remained of their wealth out of the Empire, moving out of the country to create new lives for themselves and their families. Others worked desperately to regain the favour of the Emperor or at least try to ensure that their children had every advantage that remained to them to secure their futures. Then there were those who clung to the past, acting as if nothing had changed or things would return to normal somehow.

While not as foolish as Mister Furt, Fendros’ father was still in the category of attainted who clung to the vestiges of their former status. He had probably expended a large fraction of his remaining fortune in a desperate gamble to curry favour with the Sorcerous Kingdom by throwing his daughter at ‘Frost 19’.

Fendros fearfully looked up at Nemel’s frustrated expression.

“I-it’s not that bad,” she brushed a lock of golden hair back from her forehead. “I’ve managed to affiliate myself with someone along the way…”

“Who?”

At her question, Fendros fell silent.

“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me,” Nemel said.

Fendros’ mouth worked silently. Her mask started to crumble, revealing a mixture of hope and doubt.

“Help me? I…but you’re with one of the factions from the army, aren’t you? Do you mean to say that you’re proposing an alliance?”

That was normally what it would mean. Factions often banded together, forming blocs that vied with one another for influence. Fendros’ poorly-composed reaction showed just how tenuous she thought her position was.

“They didn’t promise you anything at all, did they?”

“No,” Fendros shook her head. “But that’s how it works most of the time, yes? Even without any stated agreements, it’s a chance for me to prove my worth. I had to take it, Miss Gran.”

Anger simmered within Nemel as her picture of Fendros’ circumstances grew clear. Fendros was a Noble in both pedigree and education, so certain things were essentially impossible to resist. Her father had sunk a fortune in his foolishly short-sighted gamble, causing Fendros to drop out of the Academy to enact his wishes out of familial obligation.

Fendros was clever and resourceful, doing what she could to make the best of her unasked-for situation. Her beauty was such that she could easily exert her influence as a mistress, but, unfortunately, her target wasn’t even Human.

Nemel reached out with her free hand, grasping Fendros’ shoulder. After everything that had happened, she was sick of what went on in the Empire. A new land awaited where she had the chance to create a far better place. To succeed, however, she needed help.

“I’m not talking about an alliance,” Nemel told her. “When I said ‘help you’ I meant you. Personally. You’re wasted on this stupidity.”

“My lord fath–I mean, my father’s ambitions aside, manoeuvring like this is normal, yes? Why do you think it’s stupid?”

“Because the Sorcerous Kingdom is too powerful and they don’t care. ‘Frost 19’ is here to perform a certain set of duties and not even the entire Empire can sway them. Everything else is simply a side thing that they may or may not find interesting.”

“Then we should be targeting those side things to earn their favour…”

She didn’t get it. Well, no, she was technically correct but the ‘side thing’ was probably beyond her imagination. Hand still on Fendros’ shoulder, Nemel pushed her deeper into the alley.

“Miss Gran, what–”

“「Silence」.”

Fendros’ eyes widened. Her hand fumbled around at her belt.

“I-I know you’re in the army now, but–”

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Nemel released Fendros’ shoulder. “This is so that no one else can hear what I’m about to say. You’re right about there being something that Dame Verilyn might want you for, but you’re wrong about where it will lead you.”

The other woman’s panicked breathing slowed. She slipped her dagger back into its sheath, peering at Nemel suspiciously. By offering her a name, Nemel had tempted her with the possibility of learning more valuable information.

“What do you mean by that?”

“A faction in the Imperial Army might have sent me at first,” Nemel told her, “but I work for Dame Verilyn now. To be precise, I’ve become her vassal.”

“You’ve gone over to the Sorcerous Kingdom?” Fendros frowned, “But how? And why would you want to do that? It’s a nation of mon–”

“I’m going to slap you if you finish that sentence.”

Fendros clamped her mouth shut.

“I became a vassal for the same reasons anyone becomes a vassal,” Nemel said. “Dame Verilyn has land and she’s looking for people to help manage it. I’ve been granted some land in a river valley – a barony’s worth. Furthermore, Dame Verilyn has appointed me as Seneschal of her territory.”

“Seneschal…so that means…”

“That’s right. You were a Noble, Fendros: I’m offering you a chance to do what you were raised to do.”

“…this isn’t some sort of cruel trick, is it?” Fendros asked, “Everyone likes making fun of the attainted.”

“Do you think I would do that?”

Waves of golden hair went back and forth as Fendros shook her head. Her lips started to tremble. Tears welled up in her eyes and she quietly started to sob.

“We…we can be Nobles again…”

“I never stopped being a Noble, Fendros.”

“Oh, that’s–” Fendros sniffed, “I mean, Liz is here too. You remember her from our class, right? She’s working for Count Granberg, so I teamed up with her. Is there a place for Liz as well? Her grades at the Academy were just as good as mine…”

“It’s just me and you so far, so I don’t see why not. Dame Verilyn’s territory is far larger than a regular barony and there’s a lot of work to do. Hmm…wasn’t there a third in your group back at the Academy?”

“Ida is still at the Academy,” Fendros nodded. “I can Message her about it if you want, Miss Gran. Her family is almost out of money so they couldn’t even do this much.”

“Just how many people did they send after ‘Frost 19’?”

“The Imperial Dynasty is keeping their hands off but every other major faction is here, plus many of the smaller groups. I heard that there’s another official from the Sorcerous Kingdom due to arrive in this area at the end of the month, so everyone has positioned a sizable portion of their resources in the region.”

Nemel shook her head wordlessly. If this other official was anything like Dame Verilyn…the Empire’s factions were playing a game that the other side had no need nor inclination to. Just how much wealth and influence would be squandered by the end of everything?

“You can let Ida know about it so she doesn’t get caught up in anything rash while her parents flail around,” Nemel said. “I think things will work out, but we still need to receive approval from my new liege. We’ll see what happens after that.”

“Yes, Miss Gran,” Fendros nodded. “What should we do for the time being?”

“Go and get Elise, then change into something normal. We can probably sell all the expensive stuff you were sent here with for a good price in one of the cities on the strand. The money will come in handy when we go over to the Sorcerous Kingdom.”

“The money belongs to our families though…”

“Yes, and they dressed you up and tossed you out here to be eaten. You can treat it as a better investment and provide them with returns once we get things going. Oh, you’ll probably want to keep them in the dark about this so they don’t try anything dumb.”

“Right. I guess I should find Liz, then. Will you be waiting here?”

Nemel hefted the basket in her hand.

“I have to go to the plaza in the southern quarter,” she said. “You should find us there easily enough.”

“We’ll be there,” Fendros lowered her head. “Thank you so much, Miss Gran.”

Fendros disappeared back into the alley. Nemel made her way to the southern plaza, wondering if she had gotten ahead of herself. In the end, she decided that it was worth the attempt. A difficult reality that Nemel preferred not to dwell upon awaited young women from attainted houses. Fendros, Elise and Ida didn’t deserve to suffer for the mistakes of their parents.

They were brought up as proper Nobles and had an Academy education. They also weren’t stupid. Since they were a part of her class, they were enrolled in the magic stream too. That part might not matter too much since the Sorcerous Kingdom was a nation ruled by an unfathomably powerful magic caster that probably knew everything there was to know, but Nemel believed that they could at least serve in the basic roles that magic casters tended to fill.

Dame Verilyn – in her Human form – was already at Zu Chiru’s stand by the time she arrived.

“Officer Gran,” she said, “you took longer than expected. Were you ambushed along the way?”

“That might not be wrong…”

“My, how terrible. Was it the men who followed you here? Which one should I kill? Perhaps all three?”

Nemel’s eyes widened in shock.

“K-kill?”

“As you are my vassal, you are under my protection, yes? There are many convoluted things about Human society, but this part is simple to understand. Displaying dominance is something that naturally comes with having territory.”

A vision of Oestestadt being transformed into a pile of rime-coated rubble by Dame Verilyn formed in Nemel’s imagination. She quickly waved it away.

“I-it’s alright! Good, even. I’m a bit happy that it happened.”

Dame Verilyn cast a dubious look at her.

“Well, I won’t question your…tastes. Just let me know if something undesirable occurs.”

How did it end up like that? More importantly, would Dame Verilyn really kill someone because they laid their hands on one of her vassals? She supposed that it was a simple matter for someone so powerful.

Nemel reheated the meat pies and handed them out to Zu Chiru and his apprentices. She had regained her appetite after speaking with Fendros, so she finished off her obsttorte before starting her work at the stand. About an hour later, Fendros and Elise showed up in clothes more suited for city streets. Upon spotting her, Elise rushed up to the stand, her bob of brown hair bouncing with her steps.

“Miss Gran,” The tall young woman said tearfully, “thank you so much!”

“Liz…” Fendros frowned behind her, “we’re in public.”

“Acquaintances of yours?” Dame Verilyn looked over from the centre table.

“They were my classmates from the Imperial Magic Academy,” Nemel said. “This–”

A customer came up behind Dame Verilyn, and she turned with a smile to speak with them. Fendros and Elise slipped in behind the sales counter with Nemel, then jumped back when they noticed the Quagoa under the counter.

“Hiiiieeee!” The tall woman lifted a leg.

“Hiiiieeee!” The Quagoa apprentice covered his head.

Nemel reached out and drew Elise away from the table, just in case she tried to stomp on him.

“W-what is that!”

“He’s a Quagoa,” Nemel told them. “This Merchant stand is owned and operated by Zu Chiru and his apprentices…or disciples? They speak a bit strangely sometimes but they’re nice people.”

Elise gazed over at Dame Verilyn. A small crowd had gathered around her.

“I thought the gorgeous girl speaking to the customers was the owner.”

“She’s, uh…something like an assistant. It shouldn’t be a surprise that someone like her is doing the marketing, yes?”

Her two former classmates cast jealous gazes in Dame Verilyn’s direction. Nemel wondered if she looked like that when she had first met the Dragon Knight.

“Officer Gran,” Zu Chiru’s voice came from behind her. “Who are these young ladies?”

“Ah, Master Chiru,” Nemel stepped to the side. “They’re former classmates from the Academy.”

“The what?”

“T-they’re acquaintances. This is Fendros…well, I suppose it would be better to address her as ‘Rei’. This is Elise, who goes by ‘Liz’.”

Nemel silently stood by as they exchanged greetings, eyeing Fendros and Elise’s awkward behaviour. At least they hadn’t tried to put Magic Arrows into his face.

“Zu Chiru would like to know why they are standing behind Zu Chiru’s stand.”

“Um…they wanted to come with us,” Nemel said. “I was hoping that you wouldn’t mind.”

“Do Humans normally do this?” Zu Chiru asked.

“Sometimes…?” Nemel answered, “Do you think they could work for you while we go around the Empire?”

Zu Chiru peered at Fendros and Elise, then raised his head and tiptoed to look out across the market plaza. A clawed hand reached up to idly scratch his chest.

“Zu Chiru still cannot tell with Humans. Are they considered attractive amongst your people?”

“Oh yes,” Nemel nodded. “Rei was one of the prettiest girls in the class and Liz is up there too. All young noblewomen are trained to entertain men and women both.”

“If you say so…” Zu Chiru eyed them again. “What else can Liz and Rei do?”

Nemel exchanged glances with her former classmates. Every family had unique aspects to its education, so she wasn’t exactly sure what they had been taught aside from what was normally expected of an aristocratic house’s daughters. They were from regular Noble stock, so their social graces, eye for value, and sense for politics and intrigue were probably polished far beyond Nemel’s.

Fendros’ gaze went back and forth between Nemel and Zu Chiru.

“We originally came here to, well, you know. Attracting clients to this stand is nothing by comparison.”

“We can work together with the girl that’s already here,” Elise added, “to make the stand even more attractive. We’re both arcane apprentices too, so…”

“…do we have any spells for this?”

Several sets of spells were mandatory for students in the Academy’s magic stream. There were basic defensive magics – including simple attack spells like Magic Arrow – and utility spells to assist with their studies. Beyond that, they were instructed to settle on their careers before committing resources into learning specialised magics.

Thinking about their circumstances caused anger to slowly rise within Nemel again. Even as attainted, they had desperately studied for the slim chance of an honest future in the Empire. That future had been cast aside by their families for a foolish fancy.

“Before all this happened,” Fendros said, “I was starting to learn Illusion and Divination-school spells. There are the Conjuration spells that I was using to make ends meet, too.”

“Same here,” Elise said. “I guess we could summon salt? Half of the industries in every city use it, so it shouldn’t be difficult to sell.”

The conversation turned business-like as they discussed what could be added to Zu Chiru’s inventory. Thirty minutes later, they came to a tentative agreement over their employment at the stand. Nemel smiled, imagining a little bit of weight being lifted from Fendros and Elise’s shoulders as a semblance of control returned to their tumultuous reality.

Perhaps Dame Verilyn wasn’t as gentle and kind as Nemel originally thought she was, but it seemed that they could at least live decent lives as the Frost Dragon’s subjects.