Valkyrie's Shadow

Chapter 28

“Your Majesty, what you said back there – you made it sound as if I could have beaten five Elder Liches.”

As Captain Iškur led them back outdoors, Ludmila fell into her usual habit of reviewing recent events and exchanges. Several things bothered her: one of which was the idea that she had been propped up to a ridiculous degree by His Majesty.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“But…they were all stronger than I was – a few of them very much so. You even said that it was a situation that would make even an Adamantite-rank Adventurer despair.”

“At first glance,” His Majesty said, “it certainly would. All things being equal, one Elder Lich would have been a problem, never mind five. Things were far from equal, however. Despite their long existence, you clearly had more practical combat experience. Not only was there a gap in experience, but one in equipment, as well.”

They turned a corner, and the Sorcerer King glanced into each of the side rooms as they passed by.

“When they decided to treat you as a threat,” he went on, “their only move was to create distance. There were no defensive magics employed – they were simply ganging up on you under the notion that raw force would be sufficient. If they pressed their apparent advantage and pursued you into a battleground of your choosing, your victory would be nearly assured. You were effectively fighting five naked Elder Liches, and pure arcane casters have roughly a third of the physical capabilities of an equivalent ‘warrior’. It would not have been much different than dispatching a Skeleton Warrior once you got in close, and arcane casters usually have poor detection ability. All you needed to do was sneak up and give them a good whack.”

“Just to be sure, Your Majesty,” Captain Iškur piped up, “I don’t have to worry about defending myself in the Sorcerous Kingdom, do I?”

“Instances of violent crime are next to nonexistent in both the city and the territories,” the Sorcerer King told him. “The Royal Army is currently in the process of securing the Katze Plains, as well. Once they reach Lagaš, you’ll be able to arrange for suitable security. That being said, you do have plans to travel abroad. It would be prudent to ensure you have a proper lineup of defensive spells and magic equipment.”

Ahead of them, a dim glow started to fill the corridor. They left the building, stepping out under the radiance of the High Emperor’s staff.

“Did you check these statues before going in, Lady Zahradnik?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Lagaš was not just the capital of the Katze Plains – it appears to have been the capital of an Empire. This statue is that of High Emperor Archeleos III. The other five are members of royalty from various races – each a Pentarch of the city. Going by the dates on their plaques, they were famous figures from this Empire’s early past.”

“So it was an Empire where Humans, Elves, Demihumans and Heteromorphs lived together?”

“They still had their respective habitats, but yes. Which leaves me very confused.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I’ve been making assumptions under the premise that this was a Human nation, much like the Human nations nearby. Humans did live here, but they weren’t the only citizens of this Empire – in this part of it, at least. When I surmised that the nation here was similar to the Sorcerous Kingdom, I had no idea that even this detail would be similar.”

“I suppose the idea might be strange to someone who has lived in relative isolation as a subject of Re-Estize,” His Majesty said. “But at the same time, there are nations in this region of the world where Humans exist alongside other races. The Karnassus City State Alliance is one such place, as is the Argland Confederation. I hear that the Holy Kingdom of Roble has friendly relations with aquatic Demihumans, as well.”

The Argland Confederation had rulers who were powerful in their own right, so it could be explained as the strong imposing their will on the weak. Aquatic Demihumans did not compete with Humans for the same habitat, so there would be room for amicable relations in Roble. She had no idea what happened in Karnassus to make it so that Humans were not simply eaten off of the streets.

Captain Iškur led them several hundred metres to the base of the hill where the dome stood. From there, he led them up some stairs to the columned entrance of another building. A partially-defaced emblem was carved into the stone over the entrance.

“The Merchant Guild?”

“It appears to match the emblem used by the branches in Re-Estize and the Empire,” the Sorcerer King nodded. “Ours as well, of course. Considering that we found trade currency earlier, the presence of the Merchant Guild shouldn’t be a surprise.”

They made their way into the building, crossing behind a dust-covered stone counter and stopping at the door to a vault in the back. Ludmila frowned at its rusted surface as His Majesty walked up to inspect it.

“Adventurers talk about the excitement that comes with discovering long lost treasures,” she said, “but this just makes me feel like a thief.”

The Sorcerer King, who was rubbing his skeletal hands together, seemed to flinch at her words.

“Ah, ehm. Well, it doesn’t appear to be enchanted. Has anyone tried to force this open, Captain Iškur?”

“Nothing we could summon or dominate could break in. The two Death Knights didn’t want to risk their equipment and they couldn’t punch through. None of our spells could do anything to it, either.”

Ludmila eyed the rusted vault door again.

“This is just steel, isn’t it?”

“It may just be steel,” His Majesty said, “but what we discussed about hardness and durability still applies to it. With sufficient artifice, it becomes quite difficult to damage without the appropriate equipment or attacks.”

“Shall I open it, Lord Ainz?”

“Umu. Be careful of any traps.”

They backed away as Lady Shalltear stepped forward. She reached out and turned the handle, which abruptly snapped off. Her liege frowned down at the broken piece of steel before tossing it aside and unequipping her gauntlets.

With a small ‘hmph!’ noise, she pierced the door with a jab of her fingers. After creating another handhold, she floated into the air and pulled. The building shuddered as the entire vault detached itself from the wall. Dust and stone fragments rained down from the ceiling as what appeared to be the whole back quarter of the Merchant Guild advanced towards them.

“Just how sturdy did they make this thing…” His Majesty muttered. “Cut it open, Shalltear.”

Lady Shalltear’s fingernails sliced into the vault door, carving open a hole roughly two metres in diameter. She tossed the detached portion away to join the broken handle. A loud clang sounded when it struck the wall, and everyone winced.

“A-apologies for making such an undignified racket, Lord Ainz!”

“I think we’re well past the point of ‘undignified’ he–”

“「Turn Undead」!”

Captain Iškur ran screaming out of the building, and Lady Shalltear gestured towards the makeshift entrance with a smile. After His Majesty entered the vault, she produced a file and started tending to her nails.

“How long is Captain Iškur going to be running away for?” Ludmila asked.

“Who knows?” Lady Shalltear answered lightly.

Inside, they found His Majesty stepping over the fallen drawers and boxes within. A banging noise sounded from the rear of the vault, and Ludmila stepped ahead to see what it was. At the end of the furthest row of rusted shelves, several dozen assorted Undead were trying to force their way through the steel wall.

“What are they doing?”

“Trying to run away from Shalltear,” His Majesty told her, “but she’s in the way of the entrance. Turn Undead was used to make Captain Iškur run away, but it’s an area effect Skill.”

“Does that mean every Undead in the area will come back to attack her once the effect expires?”

“…maybe.”

After Ludmila and Lady Shalltear destroyed the thousands of Undead that swarmed into the Merchant Guild, they returned to the vault. They found His Majesty with a number of heavily-decayed containers strewn over the floor around him.

“This mist is quite annoying,” he said. “I thought that this vault might have stayed nice and dry, but moisture managed to seep in and all of the documents have rotted away.”

“Did anything else survive?”

“There is a row of metal safes in the back,” His Majesty replied, “but they were all opened and emptied. Since it appears that attempts to evacuate were made, I assume that anything of value easily transported was taken as well. I suppose we should target any magically sealed vaults rather than mundane ones…speaking of which, where is the captain?”

“He hasn’t returned yet, Your Majesty.”

They went back outside to wait below the entrance of the Merchant Guild. After Lady Shalltear stopped apologising profusely for inconveniencing the Sorcerer King, he came over to speak to Ludmila.

“While the captain is still away,” he said, “there is something I would like to ask you about, Lady Zahradnik.”

“Of course,” Ludmila replied. “I am at your service.”

“Back with the rest of those Elder Liches,” he said, “you identified one that had acted ‘against my will’. Is that the Justic–erm, the Skill that you regained use of recently?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

He regarded her silently, and Ludmila tried her best not to think about how close he was.

“Have you explored the applications of this Skill and the Class that provides it?” The Sorcerer King asked, “What is it that leads you to believe that it allows you to identify individuals that act against my will? Could it not be, say, something that identifies those who go against codified law, legislation and policy?”

“I’ve studied what I could recognize from the Class in depth,” Ludmila replied. “It does not specifically identify criminals. There have been cases of individuals performing criminal acts that are not identified as such with my Skill. One such case involved an exercise in Völkchenheim County: I did not know it was an exercise until the culprit was apprehended, and I was unable to recognize that he was the culprit through this Skill despite the fact that he performed multiple criminal acts.”

“And this has happened with genuine criminals? What do you see, exactly?”

“It has,” Ludmila nodded. “As for what I sense…it’s hard to describe. Perhaps the best way to put it would be how aligned they are with your will, conveyed in various sensations and feelings. All of the cases with genuine criminals that do not register strongly with the Skill are those to whom a fair and just ruler may hand out purely corrective sentences. For instance, a loyal subject that does not know they are committing a crime, and would not have done so had they known. In this case, ensuring that appropriate compensation is made is sufficient.”

“I admit that is what I would do, but still…that Skill sounds very precise. What did that Elder Lich look like to you?”

“That he did something wrong – something you wouldn’t have wanted him to.”

“That reading is also true…interesting. I wonder how it works…Rangers can detect and track their quarry, while pets can sense the intent of their controller…something that incorporates both? But you’re not my pet…”

The Sorcerer King continued muttering to himself in thought, using words and terms that Ludmila had no idea about.

“Out of curiosity,” His Majesty looked over at her again, “how does Shalltear register to this Skill?”

“Wah–! L-Lord Ainz…”

Lady Shalltear started to tremble, her crimson gaze going back and forth between the Sorcerer King and Ludmila.

“My lady is out of alignment,” Ludmila said.

“Hoh…”

His Majesty turned to regard Lady Shalltear. Her liege’s face went through a series of complicated expressions, and her legs collapsed under her.

“No…Lord Ainz, I…” she whimpered.

“That being said,” Ludmila continued, “no free-minded individual can be in perfect alignment with another. I imagine that if I could use the Skill on myself, the reading would probably be more pronounced than that of my lady.”

“Indeed,” the Sorcerer King said. “That Shalltear registers as such to this Skill gladdens my heart.”

“I-it does?”

Lady Shalltear looked up at His Majesty in confusion. He seemed to smile, extending a hand to help her to her feet.

“Umu,” he nodded. “I do not desire for you to be someone who arbitrarily acts to fulfil my wishes, and I certainly don’t want anyone imitating me to the degree that our wills are identical. That would actually be rather disturbing. The Baroness’ Skill provides her with a single metric that is merely one out of many that must be analysed to derive a reasonable assessment. It is not as simple as ‘innocent’ or ‘guilty’ at a glance, am I correct?”

“It is as Your Majesty says,” Ludmila nodded. “Acting with due diligence is always the best course, where possible.”

The Sorcerer King appeared satisfied at her response. He scanned the empty streets, but Captain Iškur was still nowhere to be seen. His Majesty turned back to her, arms crossed, and presented a new, though not unrelated topic.

“Albedo seeks to create a commissariat under the executive arm of our government,” he said. “One that will provide oversight for all branches of the Sorcerous Kingdom’s government. I have presented this proposal to several others, including members of the Royal Court. The reception has been mixed…what are your thoughts on the effect that this organisation might have on our nation?”

“It would depend on the amount of oversight they were allowed,” Ludmila replied. “Financial and Judicial auditing, as well as ensuring that none of the nation’s policies are being violated I can see as being a welcome thing, but if these commissaries have enough power, their oversight may interfere with the nation’s operations. It may sound strange, given my recent history, but I feel that agents with a certain degree of oversight can be a danger to Your Majesty’s order.”

“Even if they possessed the Skills and Abilities conferred to you by this Class?”

“Skills and Abilities are tools,” she said, “much like any other. Barring curses or other magical strangeness, it is generally the user that is the problem. Power has a way of revealing the true character of an individual. This is a major reason why authority figures are looked upon with wariness, mistrust or just outright reviled. People look to one whose character is laid bare for all to see and compare them to the powerless, impoverished and downtrodden. When they do, they will find that, save for a few exceptions, these authority figures are lacking in some way compared to the common person. Since the power that they wield influences the lives of many, their character becomes especially pronounced to any who would seek to measure its quality.”

“That does seem to be the perception of the majority,” the Sorcerer King said.

“It is,” Ludmila agreed. “In truth, however, those that they think are ‘better’ will, in turn, have their true character revealed if granted enough power. The powerless, impoverished and downtrodden must behave to survive, so it often seems that they are far better than they actually are.”

His Majesty seemed to regard her with some surprise.

“This is an unexpectedly cynical view,” he said. “From how you speak of your demesne and its people, I felt that you were the sort that saw potential in everyone.”

“I do,” Ludmila smirked, “but potential is simply what it is. It does not take a great deal of power to see how people change. Put a sword in a man’s hand; whisper an intangible promise in his ear, and they can potentially go in any direction. Culture, law and other social constructs are the framework in which experiences that shape the character of each person occur. If this commissariat is to be established, then those with oversight must similarly have oversight and guidance that is even more austere. Even then, I still believe that purposely raising a commissary with my Skills and Abilities is too dangerous.”

“You don’t think it would help ensure that things stay on track?”

“It surely would, if employed in good faith. However…Lady Shalltear.”

“Hm?”

“If I told you that the executive council of the Argland Confederation stood in direct defiance of His Majesty’s Will, what would you do?”

“I would destroy their country, of course!”

Lady Shalltear’s ‘alignment’ shifted severely as she gave her incensed reply. The Sorcerer King stared at her.

“…Shalltear.”

“Yes, Lord Ainz?” Lady Shalltear’s voice held an edge of anticipation.

“Before you fly off and destroy any country, check with me first.”

“Oh.”

Her liege’s smile transformed into a frown. She cast her crimson gaze down to the cracked pavement.

“I understand what you are trying to say, Lady Zahradnik,” the Sorcerer King said, “but do you think that this can happen so easily?”

“Any group of people functions with a certain degree of trust,” Ludmila replied. “This is not a strictly bad thing, but certain weaknesses are accepted alongside the strength it provides. The inner circle of Your Majesty’s vassals appears to have trust not only in their liege, but in one another. Those who earn the genuine trust of your closest vassals and your Undead servitors are assumed to be performing their duties in good faith. A single bad actor may unravel incalculable amounts of economic and political investment. Executing the traitor after the fact will not fix the problem that they caused.”

“Nothing is simple, it seems,” His Majesty sighed. “At least one of my ministers has voiced similar concerns. I will have to consult with the Royal Court over the proper implementation of this organisation, if it is to be created at all. Now, I have one last question about this Skill of yours…”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“What happens when you use it on me?”

Ludmila blinked several times, then exchanged looks with Lady Shalltear. Her liege appeared similarly stupefied. Under His Majesty’s expectant gaze, however, she eventually did as he asked. In hindsight, what she saw shouldn’t have been a surprise.

“I see the reality that every ruler must face,” she said.

“And what does that mean?”

“You are out of alignment with yourself,” Ludmila answered. “But that is to be expected: a sovereign is rarely allowed to wholly be themselves.”

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