Valkyrie's Shadow

Chapter 21

“That Gushmond is pretty good,” Liane said.

“She regains her balance very quickly,” Florine agreed.

After a rather uneventful tour of the First-Class District’s residential areas, they returned to the Mithril Market Inn late in the afternoon.

As soon as Lady Frianne and Miss Erex boarded the carriage they had taken to the market district and disappeared from view, Liane nearly disappeared herself. Their inquisitive friend led them off on their first foray into the central markets, wandering around the sprawl of stalls and storefronts near their accommodations. With it being their first full day in the city, they had mostly wandered about curiously with few purchases made. Of the attainted, they saw little, though it may have been due to the increased presence of First Legion patrols with the coming of evening.

They returned to their suite near midnight, settling down for a late meal. It was more for enjoyment due to their Rings of Sustenance, and they would most likely lounge about rather than retire to their beds.

“She’s too wary of us,” Ludmila said. “Miss Erex was far more pleasant to interact with.”

“It can’t be helped,” Clara idly pushed a roasted wedge of potato around her plate. “Even if we say that we’re here for personal reasons, the fact that we’re from the Sorcerous Kingdom overshadows everything else. Given her official position and station as a duke’s daughter, she probably feels obliged to act as a representative of both the Court Council and the Imperial Dynasty.”

“That is a given,” Ludmila replied, “but she should be more open with us. We’re not monsters waiting to eat her the moment she lets down her guard. If she keeps on like this never mind having bags under her eyes, she’s going to collapse.”

They had purposely broken through Lady Frianne’s defences multiple times to demonstrate that they harboured no ill intentions. However, no matter what aspects of themselves they presented; no matter their overtures expressing a desire for her to relax and enjoy her time together with them, Lady Frianne remained distant and guarded.

Miss Erex, however, was more than happy to chat amicably with them, eager to exchange information and learn more about the Sorcerous Kingdom.

“Well, it’s her loss,” Liane said as she tinkered with one of her purchases. “Dimoiya got to take home my copy of Dreams of Red first.”

“You weren’t supposed to let her take it,” Florine frowned. “You were supposed to help me edit!”

“I did! That’s the fifth draft – it’s in that form because it’s basically done and you’re looking for feedback, right? You worry like this every time you’re about to release a new volume, Miss Dreamer. Besides, it’s a powerful weapon in that girl’s hands.”

Ludmila enjoyed the story as much as anyone else, but she couldn’t see how it could be employed as a weapon. She was mildly surprised upon learning that Florine was the mysterious author of the story, then promptly wrangled into becoming one of the editors for the work. Clara had been as well, and Ilyshn’ish, somehow.

“I hope we get it back,” Florine moped. “Dimoiya seems to know what she’s doing, but things can still happen.”

“Well, I believe in her,” Lianne said. “We need to give our future imperial ambassador as much clout as possible.”

“If she gets raised to Countess,” Ludmila said. “She’ll have as much clout as she needs.”

Not that she needed any. The Empire was a place where it was believed that people were the product of their own merits. Just as they believed that the impoverished deserved everything that happened to them, a Countess that served as the head of an embassy must surely be there because she was eminently qualified for the position.

“That’s not the concern here,” Clara told her. “We’re working together with Lady Frianne to ensure that Dimoiya secures the position. The fact that the Empire does not yet have a diplomatic mission to the Sorcerous Kingdom means that no one of sufficient quality desires this duty. This also means that the first person who qualifies has a good chance of being selected, and Lady Frianne is trying to make sure that it isn’t some problematic individual.”

“Then make an official endorsement,” Ludmila said. “You heard Lady Frianne: no one in the Empire dares to challenge the will of their suzerain.”

“That will only hurt Dimoiya,” Clara said. “Even the Emperor will only make appointments based on sufficient personal merit. If she becomes an ambassador due to an endorsement by the Sorcerous Kingdom, she will be considered the pet of a foreign power. She needs to be the Empire’s Ambassador to the Sorcerous Kingdom – someone who is seen as presenting its interests on their behalf.”

“And how does giving her a book do anything to help?”

“As Lianne said, it’s a powerful weapon. One that appears harmless, yet opens many doors. Those who receive her will not be doing so out of political interest, so she’s unlikely to be seen as making moves in their games of power. Yet, it is exposure nonetheless. She will use it to be seen by the right people, and that recognition will help her get to where she needs to be.”

Ludmila looked around the table. Liane and Florine did not appear to disagree with the explanation. She eyed the youngest member of their group suspiciously.

“Don’t tell me you planned everything this far in advance, Florine.”

Florine seemed taken aback at the very idea. Her amber eyes grew wide with her denial.

“What? No! It’s just a coincidence. I had no idea my stupid story would become so absurdly popular.”

“It’s not a stupid story,” Ludmila said. “You had some strange ideas about Ludwig early on, but it has become much more authentic now.”

“Yes, well, I have you to thank for that. At any rate, how long does everyone think it will take for Dimoiya to show up in E-Rantel?”

“Lady Frianne picked her out,” Clara said, “so that should mean she has the endorsement of the Imperial Dynasty. She was surprised that we moved so quickly, but it should also give them the confidence that the appointment will work out.”

‘Quickly’ was a gross understatement. Ambassadors and High Nobles were not made five minutes after picking someone up in a carriage. Anyone would be shocked witless with how fast Clara could close in for the figurative kill.

“Are we sure that it will work?” Ludmila asked, “We don’t have any guarantee that the Royal Court will accept the appointment so easily.”

“Lady Frianne wouldn’t have put forward an incompetent official,” Clara answered. “On our end, it is a matter of legitimacy and prestige. Every embassy in E-Rantel is a symbol of international recognition. His Majesty’s court will not refuse as the existence of foreign embassies reflects positively on the dignity of our sovereign and his state. This, in turn, helps to project our policies over the region.”

Their late dinner moved on to dessert, though they moved to the suite’s living room. The market crossroads was still brightly lit, but not many people remained at the late hour. Members of the First Legion could be seen slowly moving through the area, inspecting the promenade after its busy day.

Ludmila frowned as she watched Liane sit down on the floor and continue to tinker.

“Is that a magic item?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I hope you’re not trying to take it apart.”

“Why?”

“The last I heard of someone tampering with a magical device from the Empire, they exploded.”

Liane’s hands stopped.

“As in they exploded or the item exploded?”

“The item,” Ludmila replied. “It had some sort of secondary enchantment to prevent people from figuring out how to make them. The explosion destroyed half of a warehouse.”

Rose came over and snatched the magic item away from Liane. Liane reached out to pick up her Infinite Haversack lying nearby, pulling out the binder from the previous day. Florine came over and sat down beside her and they started flipping through the pages with intense expressions.

“I don’t see why you’re in such a hurry to have children,” Ludmila said. “Things aren’t the same as before.”

“Because it’s normal?” Liane murmured, “Most people have kids around this age.”

“We aren’t ‘most people’. As you already realize, illness and injury are no longer a factor. Even the dead can be restored to life. There is simply no need to have children so early any longer.”

“We still have much to learn about everything,” Clara added. “Not to mention we’re busy. It might have been a good time to visit the Empire, but finding a consort merely marks the beginning of family life. We have so much to do ahead of us that I don’t think it’s wise to divide our attention between professional duties and maternal ones.”

Liane shifted back to lean on the couch behind her. She eyed the binder near her feet and sighed.

“There won’t be an end to ‘busy’,” she told them. “Everything we do just gets bigger and bigger. We’ve distinguished ourselves in the eyes of the Royal Court and that means they expect more. The world is changing, Clara, and we’re right at the forefront of that change. Ludmila said that things aren’t the same as before: that includes the type of life Nobles usually lead. We’ll be constantly trying to fix things or make things work or get called to do stuff. Before you know it, we’ll all be as old as Countess Jezne.”

“Except for Ludmila,” Florine noted.

“Right.”

“Do you think Lady Shalltear will let you grow old?”

Her friends turned to look at her.

“You…you mean she’s going to turn us into Vampires?” Florine asked.

“I don’t know,” Ludmila answered. “But it is something you should keep in mind. Lady Shalltear will not so easily allow valuable vassals to grow old and die. To be frank, she enjoys the company of beautiful young women, so I doubt you’ll reach twenty before immortality is offered to you.”

A long silence filled the air of the lounge. Ludmila had, of course, already shared this possibility with Clara. She didn’t exactly seem surprised and was more excited at the prospect of spending eternity together with Ludmila than worried about the realities of that same eternity.

“Is that what happened to you?”

“No,” Ludmila shook her head at Liane’s question. “What happened to me was entirely unexpected, but Lady Shalltear’s willingness to offer immortality to us came up in discussion before that.”

“Will we still be Human?”

“I have no idea,” Ludmila said. “I only know that there are many…options.”

“If we don’t remain Human,” Liane said, “that effectively gives us until twenty to have kids. Or less. That should make finding consorts even more important.”

“Not necessarily.”

Liane turned her attention to Clara.

“What do you mean?”

“It more likely means that we have an eternity to find the right consort,” Clara said. “I know for a fact that we all desire partners of proven talent and capability to father our children. Following Ludmila’s logic, the Sorcerous Kingdom will offer such individuals immortality as well.”

“Y’know, this discussion is getting really weird.”

“We left ‘normal’ behind when we became Nobles of the Sorcerous Kingdom.”

“So we work really hard, become immortal, then wait for some guy to work really hard and become immortal too. Then we have kids. But, since we’re immortal, we can have a bazillion kids.”

“Do you want kids that much?”

“Just saying…”

Liane crawled forward to shut the binder and put it away.

“So does that mean we’ll all end up as one big family?” Florine asked, “Our preferences overlap heavily – especially between Liane, Clara and me.”

“Probably not in that sense,” Ludmila said. “Lady Shalltear mentioned it being a process where they needed to figure out what species would best fit us. Our liege’s personal preferences for us will factor into this decision, as well.”

“Okay, I think it’s clear to all of us that Lady Shalltear is like that what it comes to women like us,” Liane said, “but the way things are going it feels like we’re going to end up in her personal harem. I can tell you right now that Ludmila and I aren’t gonna look great in those Vampire Bride outfits.”

“I don’t think she’ll be dressing us up as Vampire Brides,” Ludmila frowned at the mental image. “But it’s safe to assume that we will be serving Lady Shalltear in whatever capacity she desires of us. Such things are not outside the realm of expectation when serving in the court of a powerful liege, yes?”

This was especially true with a large gap in social standing. Though it was not inevitable, daughters of minor houses like themselves were keenly aware of the possibility. From a purely objective standpoint, however, the benefits of joining Lady Shalltear’s court far outweighed everything else.

“Lady Shalltear did not choose us to specifically be her playthings,” Ludmila told them. “We were chosen because we are valued for our capabilities. Though she will partake of us for her pleasure, we’re not going to be cloistered away in some secluded harem: the vast majority of our time will be spent doing what we do best. Lady Shalltear’s duties to His Majesty stand far above all else in her estimation; our duty is to assist her in those duties.”

Liane’s fingers drummed over the plush rug in the wake of her words. Everything was an expectation that she probably held, but hearing it from someone who had already been Lady Shalltear’s vassal for half a year likely made the future that lay before her far more real. Florine shared a long look with Liane.

“It’s what you wanted the most, isn’t it?” Florine said, “You can be together with us forever, and being able to see all of one’s hard work come to fruition is something that every Noble desires.”

“You don’t have any problems with this?”

“Not knowing what lies in store is a bit frightening,” Florine replied, “but that’s always how it is. All things considered, I don’t think it’s a terrible arrangement.”

“Tell me that after you get turned into a real boob Demon,” Liane muttered.

Though she said so, most of Liane’s resistance seemed to have dissipated. She drew her knees up to her chin, hugging them tightly while she stared at nothing in particular.

“We still have dinner,” she said.

“Dinner?” Ludmila furrowed her brow.

“I contacted Lord Anoch’s sister – the one that I’m acquainted with. She was all up for it.”

“When in the world did you manage to do that?”

“While we were in the First-Class District today. I had my footman hop off to deliver a message – she happened to be in the city for an unrelated visit, so I thought ‘why not?’”

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