Chapter 3: Nobles

Moriah watched as another contingent of troops went into the HH Heartfelt. A growing city was being built around the ship and the city planners and task masters that accompanied her host were already hard at work. Chopping, building, and planning a sprawling city with the beginnings of a sewage system already up. Several manors were constructed to host herself and the leaders of the respective armies. The rest were camping outside as the ship that brought them here as Aegis stated it was off limits. It would take at least a year for its mana reactors to charge enough to open an interstellar gate back home. The quality of mana and essence is this world were… inferior. Moriah wondered how this would affect the people of Nia to cultivate and regain any energy.

Moriah eyes narrowed in suspicion as the group finally emerged looking haggard but invigorated. Aegis Kan was up to something, but it was not her place to try and find out what he was doing. As long as he did not compromise the army and completed his mission while allowing her to fight in battles she would not care. Most of the army were commoners anyway.

A knock came her door, and she waved a hand as one of her servants opened and received the report sent to her. Carefully taking the document Moriah began to smile and she read further and further. A town had been discovered far outside of the valley and they would be using some simple mind magic to learn the language of the local people. The Watchers were thorough whenever it came to their investigations and Moriah appreciated their diligence. She would put in a word with mother to see that after the conquering they would be handsomely rewarded.

***

Alex swung his sword and the rest of his squad followed suit. Yet his mind was nowhere near exercise as he thought about the aspect he received. Aspect: Champion, a rare one compared to the aspects most of the soldiers received yet one that Alex felt he didn’t deserve. He was no champion. He glanced in the direction of Rouge whose spearwomen huddled together like a tortoise pulling itself within its shell. If there was one thing different from the original troops that were the first members of the Young Lords army it was their specialization. The Young Lord allowed each of them to specialize with certain weapons and styles that they picked up in their training throughout the years. The same reason the young men and women behind Alex all held large blades like his own. The squad members that chose him and not the other way around. Alex couldn’t see what they saw within him that made them want to follow him, but his swings became firmer as resolve settled within him. He’d be damn if he’d let these men and women become disappointed in him. Maybe… maybe he could truly become a champion or even a hero of the Empire.

***

Bella Nightingale gazed around the table that hosted some of the greatest families within the western nobility. Judd Lance sat nearest her as her partner in crime in organizing this little gathering to go on Aegis expedition. Her gaze went from noble to noble and family to family. Ryon Grand, Koama Lionheart, Ezekiel Manick, Frenda Lord, Danif Framra, just to name a few. All ten of the greater families of the western nobility were present, however.

Today they were meeting to discuss and plot as each brought only 150 household troops. They would be discussing whether they wanted to stay with the expedition or move on their own raiding small villages and towns and bringing them underneath their individual houses banner or the banner of the western nobility. They would discuss how they would divvy up resources liberated from the native hands and whether or not they should work with Aegis Kan as he clearly did not want to work with them. Why else would he not take some of their siblings into account when creating an army. Or even those of the minor noble houses.

Bella opened her dainty lips to speak. “The first thing on the agenda and before we move on to any further plans is that we need to decided right now whether we will stay here and use this valley as a base of operations while working with Aegis, or to set out upon our lonesome and carve a chuck of this continent off for our respective families.

Before we go farther, I would like to list out two major problems although there are a host of smaller ones. First our significant lack of troops and second our lack or extra personnel. Both of which Aegis has. I would also like to mention I invited Princess Moriah to discuss but the invitation was declined.”

Bella took a breath and waited for the various members of their little cabal to digest the information. Koama Lionheart was the first to speak. The young Magi Human had a mane of red hair with sharp red eyes to match. She stood taller than even the baseline magi human and would appear to be a giant to the common man with her broad shoulders and wide hips.

“What does it matter. We know these minor worlds hold less strength than our own and I’m more than confident my soldiers can take three to four times their number without faltering. That includes minimal to no losses.”

Ryon Grand eyes shifted around the room as he was the next to speak. He was slim for a magi human and his snake like eyes never once settled on someone.

“I believe we have a third option. Setting out but using this area as a base of operations. That way our backs are always covered and if we happen to get into a bit of trouble, we cannot handle we have an easy place to retreat too.”

“Bold of you to assume we can come and leave whenever and however we please. I have done much research on our lording noble Aegis Kan. I do not believe he is one that will take something of that manner sitting down.” Frenda Lord spoke up next. She was wearing a purple dress that reveal a bit of her long dark legs. A beauty even for magi humans and Frenda used that to her advantage.

“I think you overestimate our troops Koama. Even if they’re all magi humans fighting three or four times the number is a daunting task.” Ittane Corba spoke up as she gazed at her rival.

The red mane turned to the direction of the voice with a scowl upon her face.

“The Lionheart troops do not falter in the face of adversary. Whoever comes, whoever stays. Their rotting corpse will be all that is left to returned to their families.”

Judd Lance thumped his foot once and the argument that was preparing to erupt was silenced before it could even begin. The 6th tier man aura erupted suppressing the two ladies who were beginning to rise from their seat.

Eyes narrowed they both returned to sitting.

Bella cleared her throat returning attention to herself.

“I believe we are at an impasse, but we are not in a rush. I’ve just received a report that the first town has been spotted and Princess Moriah’s Watchers will be extracting the language of the people of the region shortly. Not that it will matter as it will only be a matter of time until they’re all speaking Imperial.”

***

Ryna finished sending a prayer to her goddess. The connection to her felt weak almost nonexistent but Ryna did not know if it was because of the distance, they were from Arva or because they were on another world entirely.

She took a deep breath before turning her attention to the leader of their prayer High Priestess Lara gazed upon her warningly. She was at the limit of power and had been purposely suppressing her strength from advancing for years the moment their goddess began to make plans on the Kan dukedom. The aura of tier nine swept over Ryna as she used her ability to send her faith to her goddess. Lara had become increasingly interesting within her and Aegis and Ryna was at a crossroads as magic oaths in the world of Gaia was taken very serious and death was supposedly not the limit of breaking one. Your very soul could be consumed.

“This is fascinating. I’ve never seen such pure faith amongst one so young. Usually something like this is from a High Priest or greater.

This… this Aegis Kan is the cause of this? Oh, how I wish I could get my hands on him. There are many means to extract information. Willingly or unwillingly. It’s too bad the ship blocks my aura from entering. Ryna you must get closer to the boy.”

Ryna grimaced at the words of the High Priestess.

“High Priestess Lara the relationship between Aegis and I is… strained. I believe it would do well for him to have some time away from me. We can focus on our secondary mission of converting more faithful the Bountiful Harvest.”

Lara sent the young lady a sharp glare before returning to her task. She was carving the image of their goddess out of the Purmarble a white pristine type of marble that was bath within divine energy for upwards of ten years allowing their goddess domain to permeate the area it was placed in.

“The Bountiful Harvest is not for the likes of you to proceed over. Focus upon your main mission. As a follower of Arva if you can collect the seed of Aegis your fertility is guaranteed to produce results. We must create a masterwork for our goddess just like the Golden Plains. The church of Rirrypha has stood for onto for two long with the western nobility.”

Ryna gasped at the words of Lara and thought of the implications something like this would cause. The Bountiful Harvest was a form of worshipper to their goddess converted by unpleasant means. Arva was the Goddess of Fertility in all aspects. from producing some of the best grain the continent of Nia had ever seen to the blessing for fertility allowing a population to explode.

The reason the Church of Rirrypha was more popular among the western part of the empire was because of the Golden Plains an expression of her power by healing ruined land and turning them into some of the most fertile ground the Empire has ever seen. The exporting or grains and cattle became a staple since then.

***

I looked down upon the bowing city planner. Jason was a young man recruited from among my family’s lands with aspiring ambitions of creating the greatest city the Empire would ever see. His master had traveled the lands with him as a boy before returning home giving the boy and his master, Master Lorlock insight from the fortresses of the dwarves to the towering city of the gnomes. Jason and his master were determined to surpass everything they saw so that one day people would travel the lands of Nia to see their work just as they had once done.

“I greet the Young Lord.”

“You may rise.”

We were in my newly furnished office with red becoming the main theme of this one as banners of my family’s crest hung from the walls and the red hide of a beast was used to construct the furniture from the chairs to even a soft carpet covering the hard wood floor.

Jason waited to be addressed as it was rude for a commoner to speak before a noble and lashings would be the least of his worries. This new world… I truly didn’t know what to make of it, but I understood one thing if any. Strength rules, whoever has the bigger fist wins.

“You may speak.”

“Young Lord I have finish drafting the plans of a fifteen thousand strong city. I understand our numbers are only over half of that, yet I believe once my lord begins the subjugate the natives of this world the population will begin to drastically increase. My assistants and colleagues have drafted expansions for a twenty-five thousand and fifty thousand strong city once the native population begins to migrate to the Young Lord’s capital.”

I looked at the blueprints Jason presented to me and suddenly inspiration struck me. So far, I only had my troops grant access to aspects, but I’d set to see the effects of it on the common man. Alice and Alex the two blacksmiths were the only ones who weren’t soldiers and received an aspect yet I hadn’t paid it much attention. The list of aspects I’ve discovered mostly have to do with fighting such as Aspect: Soldier, Aspect: Commander, Aspect: Mage and a few others such as the most common aspects of strength speed and vitality. Most of my soldiers have taken Aspect: Soldier an uncommon aspect but one that is necessary for the upcoming battles they will be a part of. What would the various professions receive given the chance to use aspects and how would they operate?