Refuge in Audacity (Original/Isekai Chapter 14)
Maristella Brokkr POV
"Father, why are we," I couldn't stop the yawn that left my mouth into my hand. "Why are we up so early?" The sun wasn't even out yet. The sky was only turning lighter at the moment.
After arriving at the capital, father booked up a room in a hotel at the edge of inner wall, that surrounded the royal castle. Father and I were sitting in the balcony, as Steven was serving us some tea.
"Oh you should be seeing it soon enough." Came father's cryptic answer, with his secret holding smirk.
I didn't roll my eyes as that would be unladylike, but I knew pursuing the question further was pointless with father keeping mum. Something I began to notice were a few balconies near us also had their occupants out, sitting and waiting. Same for a small shop of two I can see. A few people standing in windows in building next to us. It was awfully early for so many people to be up. Or is it just that people in the capital are just morning risers?
After a bit of nothing happening, I saw a three figures coming from the streets of the castle city, and stand next to the inner wall. A knight, a maid and...someone wearing the humorously impractical armor. It looked so large and heavy that at best you can move in it.
"And it is starting," said father.
"What?"
The heavy armor guy started running along the wall, with the knight behind him, and the maid by his side holding some papers for him to read. They trio kept running till they disappeared from view.
"What was that?" I finally asked, as that weird event ended.
Some people still kept watch, but doing other activities in the mean time. The shops that opened started getting customers, who bought food or snacks, and stayed around chatting or waiting in silence.
"That was his Highness going about his morning exercise. It is something he been doing daily, that the businesses near the wall made it a point open early and put up chairs for those who wanted to watch him." Father explained then sipped his tea.
The inner wall is ridiculously long. The reason why was because the royal castle was so large it was it's own city within the capital, with the normal wall around the castle as a whole, and the inner one separating where the royal crown dwelled and everyone else did.
"So...it's something that he does as a publicity stunt?"
"That's how it became, but probably not how he intended it. Also keeping a 'publicity stunt' daily for close to a year is a bit difficult." Father chuckled.
A year? He ran, everyday, in that armor, along the inner wall for a year? Or well, close to it? His physical stats must be really something.
"How many times does he circle the wall? And why the heavy armor?" I wondered.
"On average, about ten times. The armor is one he had made to put pressure and resistance on himself." Said father.
So, he's a musclehead then? All about that protein, gains and swoleness? Heh. Actually wait.
"Okay, and his escort? I get the knight is there as a bodyguard, but why the maid, and what was she holding?" I asked.
"She's holding up logic puzzles, hypothetical ruling problems, and math equations for him to read and mentally solve. He discusses those mental problems with his teachers after his morning exercise to see how well he did."
...Okay. So he's min-maxing. Guess I was wrong about him being a musclehead.
"I see, so his Highness's morning are intense?"
"Oh no, he's whole day is intense."
I raised an eyebrow at that. I was skeptical.
For the rest of the day, my father and I would shadow Prince Aidan in whatever place was public enough, for us to be in to see him. Like the training courtyard, etc.
It took him three hours to finish his morning run. Afterwards, he was supposedly going through lessons on ruling, history, and solve more hypothetical word problems. By two in the after noon, he would have lunch, a break to do anything for half an hour, more reading history or kingdom reports, or sitting on council meetings depending on the day.
Then more reports, till evening, or depending on the day sword training, followed by magic training till nine at night.
"So now his day is done." I said from one of the wallwalks, as I watched the prince get up from his last spar, just standing and taking some deep breath.
...You know, watching his red hair and muscled sweat covered body, reminded me for an old portrait of my father, from his adventuring days. Really gave off that whole knight after a hard battle look, and about to bride carry the princess to her room.
...Do I have a thing for redheads? I mean, I do like looking in the mirror while masturbating, but I thought that's because I had a twin fetish. Sadly, I don't have a twin though.
His Highness walked into the castle proper, with a catgirl maid at his side handing him a towel. He has a catgirl maid? Clearly all rumors about him being a rampant pervert are true.
"I would say after warm shower, he would head to bed and sleep by midnight." Father said absentmindedly, as he moved to leave for our hotel logging.
"It takes him three hours to fall asleep?" I blinked in surprise at that info. "Does he have insomnia?"
"...Something like that, yes."
"Father, why did you pause?" I asked curious.
"I didn't," he blatantly lied. "Do you understand I had us shadow the prince for today?"
"Yes, this is what one of his Highness's work days is like, and I should try to increase my workload on those day." I answered. I guess working only five hours a day on my work days isn't enough to git gud.
"Oh no, this is what his everyday is like."
...I call bullshit.
"Father, I find it difficult to believe that anyone could keep such an intense schedule, all day everyday, for weeks on end." I said diplomatically.
"He's been doing so nine months thus far. In fact the only time he rests is on his trips across Ereon. Even then he tends to have something to read to keep his mind engaged." I felt a tightness in my chest, and my lips curled down despite myself trying to appear elegant and ladylike. Father stopped and turned, ignoring my ugly expression. "I am not saying that you should change your life to be like that of the prince's. Honestly, even I think that's excessive."
"Doesn't he ever rest?" Surely Mr. Oh-Look-At-Me-I'm-The-Perfect-Hard-Working-Prince would get burned out like any person, right? I found myself cutting off father, before looking down in shame and apologizing. Father just chuckled and patted my head.
"He has his own method of...resting. So he is able to recover physically and mentally from his taxing schedule. But I didn't bring you hear to make you feel inadequate, starlight. I wanted you to see what giving your all to something is like. To truly live by putting your all in everything you do everyday, be it work or play." He took out a piece of paper from his inner breast pocket.
"Did you know that among the hypothetical governing problems, we tend to throw in actual real problems, just to see what Prince Aidan's input is, and if he could come up with a solution I and others on the council didn't consider?" He chuckled to himself. "His Highness knows we do this, but doesn't call us out on it."
"Really? How come?"
"When I asked him, he said 'I'm already the Crowned Prince, I don't need additional praise or glory, as long as the kingdom is running well'." Father chuckled as he seemed to remember something funny. "'Besides, it just means by the time I'm king, you would have done most of the hard work, and I can have a more relaxing time ruling'. I suppose that's one way of looking at it." Father focused on me. "Well, I'm head back to Silverklad tomorrow," that was land our home, the Brokkr Castle was in. "If you wish to stay here for a while, and verify my words on his Highness's schedule you are free to do so. I paid the hotel for food and board for a week, after which Steven would take you back to Beak, to resume your duties." He handed me the paper. "I had the situation of your barony among Aidan's word problems, and this is his solutions. I removed the answers, but left you some of his notes as hints, on what to do."
I looked at the paper, then back at father, my chest was beating with a whirlwind of irritation, shame, anger, gratitude and relief.
"Thank you, father. I won't waste the help you have given me." I bowed my head.
"Of course not, you're my cutsy little star angel after all." He said in that babying voice.
"Daaaad," I felt my cheeks heat up. Why does he have to be so embarrassing at times?
I didn't stay in the capital for the week to see if the prince actually kept up his ridiculous schedule or not. I stayed three days, mostly for some shopping, and news gathering. And for those three days, from what I could see, Aidan does go about his days like I saw that first day.
Fine then, if prince hot red, can min-max his days to gain the most stats, I can do the same. Actually even better, I'll specialize, and be terrifying in one area in particular. I'll also try not to neglect everything else, but I do want one thing to be better at than anyone else.
Now what stat can help me the most in governing territory and operating a company?
"It's not the same bandits, the originals were never beaten."
"Just because you can understand why someone became evil, doesn't mean you can excuse them."
These were the two hints left on the report Aidan wrote.
I went back and started acting like a detective looking at the situation in my barony with a much closer eye.
Three families.
The Silks. A merchant family that makes clothes from imported textile.
The Knyfes. A family that for generations signed up their members into the army, a family of soldiers.
And finally the Tusks. A merchant family that bought and sold ingredients for potions, and had a small potion shop on the side.
I had to gather information, and understand how the current situation came about. I visited each family one a random day of the week, half-surprise half-forewarned, and had a nice chat with a member of the family before the family head rushed to meet me. From those visits, and questioning the people in the land, I began to have a picture of what's going one.
From what I understood the Knyfes were contracted to aid and serve the Tusks, as bodyguards, and hunt reagents for them, in return a segment of their products. A generation ago, the head of the Silk family saved the head of the Knyfes, and the Kynfes head swore a life debt to pay them back. The Silk Head asked for a rare reagent to make a new color for their cloth that doesn't wear off.
The Knyfe Head found and granted that reagent to the Silk Head, except the Tusks whom the Knyfes were contracted to, wanted that same reagent for their potions. While the Tusks did need that item for their new products, they were also being assholes at the Silks, due to the Silks gaining a good trade deal the Tusks wanted a beforehand.
Thus the Knyfe Head's bound by duty answered and took it back from the Silks, to give to the Tusks. Even with the Knyfe Head's apology, the Silk Head's was angry at this take back attitude, and started to smear the Kyfnes for their dishonorable act.
The Knyfe family at the time was close to being granted Knighthood, the first step of nobility, was thus held back from the title. The Knyfes were rightfully angry by this, and when asked the Tusks for assistance, they acted like it wasn't there problem. Thus causing a feud between the Silks and, the Tusks & the Knyfes who were contracted to aid them--Apparently contracts between families were serious business, with a heavy penalty for breaking them--something they do now with gritted teeth.
When the new Tusk Head tried to amend this situation by marrying one of their daughter to the Knyfes, the Silks had the same idea with the hope that once the contract between Tusks and Knyfes was over, they could be their new benefactors. The Knyfe Head was going to go with the Tusks proposal, but their son went and married the Silk Head's daughter. Thus began the three way fight between the three families in earnest that lasted to this day.
God, this whole situation was a clusterfuck.
I've been looking at it the wrong way, thinking that if I just appease them they would calm down. The bandits were hired by one of the three families, I wasn't sure which, but the fact that the water shortage began once the bandit attacks started, means there is a connection.
When I reviewed the files on the bandits that were captured or killed, I began to see that there weren't the ones from the region around here. After new interrogations, I found out that the original bandits here, were hiring bandits from other areas to do the job for them. This way, whichever family that was paying them for their attacks on the barony, would keep paying them.
Wow, entrepreneurial bandits. Who would have thunk it?
But why change the water flow from the nearby river--I still haven't found that blockade--to make the wells to dry out? I didn't have enough money to hired an Earth Mage team, and protect them from the bandits, to make a new water channel. I needed to find the water blockage and remove it.
I found my answer soon enough, when the Silks began sells water to the people, and the Tusks accusing them to have been the ones drying up the wells and stealing the water. The Silks replied that they are innocents and the Tusks wanted everyone to die of thirst. The people rather than side with either, were angry at both, due to having suffered from their feud, even if they aren't sure on the details of whose responsible.
So the Silks are the ones at fault, the masterminds behind the current state of things, right?
As I thought about this situation however, the second hint from the crowned prince came to mind.
"Just because you can understand why someone became evil, doesn't mean you can excuse them."
I didn't want to consider it but...The Knyfes were the victims in all of this. They were the ones who were screwed the most from the petty fights between the Tusks and the Silks. Yet, the more I think about it, the more it becomes obvious who could be behind all this.
It's after looking at the local map, and seeing the land the river passes through, that clinched it. The river went through the Knyfe's land. They are the ones responsible for the drought. It's likely they will use the people's anger at the situation, and direct it at the two other families that cause them dishonor and harm.
The Knyfes were the one screwed over the most, but they are the ones who cause the most problems to this barony. My barony. I needed to have them punished. To make them pay for their crimes.
His Highness suggested exiling the ones responsible, and punishing the rest. Or just plainly killing the family causing the most harm.
I thought back to the Almonds. I did not want to go that route. To use blackmail, exile or death as punishment. Yet, the ones responsible have to be stopped. I just didn't want to punish a whole family for the actions of the few.
...Why not do that?
Find which family members were against their family's actions and aid them. Replace the family heads, and punish the current ones for their actions. Hell, even two out of three ain't bad, as long as one of those two is the Knyfe Family's Head.
It took a few months to arrange everything. Meanwhile I bought and distributed the water to the people from my own money.
I've been aiding the third son of the Tusks Family gather support to replace his father, and finally make peace with the other families. Same for the second son of the Silks.
The Knyfes annoyingly were a problem, as the head family were all harboring a hatred for the other two families, even if they hid it well. But I did find help from the son of the Knyfe Head son and Silk Head daughter, that eloped to marry on their own a while ago.
That boy, Jesse Knyfe, was a good person that wanted to stop the feud between the three families, and said he would swear a fealty oath to me, if I succeed. Welp, guess I better make good on my promise to help.
Jesse managed to find someone who held the same views as him within the Knyfe family but they were a second cousin from the head family. I would need the family head to step down for them to be eligible to lead.
Up until now, I was having the people in those families succeed on their own, with some aid from me.
But now it looks like I'll need to step in and do something myself.
It was easy getting a meeting the Knyfe Family head. The next part however...
"I'm honored by your visit, Lady Maristella." The Knyfe Head bowed his head as he sat down. I quietly drank my tea while thinking on my words. "What brings you to my humble home? Please tell me, how many I serve you, m'lady?"
I quietly kept drinking the tea. Just staring at the man, who stared to look confused, then unnerved even if he hid it.
"Mr. Knyfe," I finally started. "It must have been frustrating, that the petty squabble between two merchant families have caused you so much." I caught his surprised gazed, with mine lanced with only a hint of pity.
"Thank you for your kind words you ladyship. I am glad that you can see our hardship--"
"However," I narrowed my eyes, my voice sharping. "No matter beginnings that push one to villainy, it doesn't excuse it."
"...What, I don't--"
"So I'll make this simple for you. It ends today. This feud between between the three of you." I kept myself firm and resolved, holding my pose with all the skill of Aristocratic Decorum. "You will answer for the crimes you committed against the people of Beak, along with the heads of the Tusks and Silks for the collateral damage they caused. You will step down and name Murphy Knyfe as your replacement. If you do not, then I'm sorry, I wouldn't be able to make your punishment any lighter."
For a while he stayed silent, then raised his hand, shouting "Guards!" Members of the Knyfes rushed into the room weapons ready, and the one present unsheathed their swords.
"Listen here you little rich brat. If you think, I will simple let you--"
"Steven."
I only need the one word, and my father's attendant moved. 1 second and change passed, and before the Knyfe Head could react, all his soldiers and personal guards were taken out.
Before he was Prime Minister, my father served in the army and for a while was General of the Air Forces. Steven was his squire, and after my father handed down the position to Duchess Verena Westwind, he followed him to be his personal aid.
Steven was a commoner, he was granted any titles and he never wanted any. He simple served my father out of loyalty and I honestly think he might even think of him as a parent. The thing was, Steven might have never been a knight, but he was trained by one of the strongest. Thus it was only natural for him to take out a dozen or so soldiers that never reached knighthood.
"This, this, what?" The Knyfe Head stood in panic, unsure of what happened. All his children and relatives, were knocked out without him haven't even seen how it happened. "Magic, is this magic--"
"What did you think was going to happen?" I asked, getting his back. "Even if you held me hostage, or killed me, do you think you would have survived afterwards? My father is the Prime Minister, and family is pretty important to him. He would have come here, and raised this land to the ground looking for me, and if he couldn't find me, he would even ask for help. His Highness, does favor him, do you think you could have survived the glare of the Master of the Demon Queen? Even if nothing is found, in my father's wrath, you and the other two all would have suffered for being part of my demise."
"I, I, I wasn't--"
"The feud ends today. You will step down and relinquish your position to Murphy Knyfe, and take your punishment of exile and mandatory service at the border, without a fuss." He was looking at me paled and wide-eyed, but I couldn't show mercy. "You will show me where the bandits are hiding, and they will be caught and punished for their crime. Natrually once news of the real events of the feud between you and the Tusks and Silk come out, the people of Beak will likely cry for your blood. Be glad that I do not wish for anymore bloodshed to be spilled."
His teeth were clicking in fear, but he bowed his head accepting his fate. Jesse and his group along with my knight sqaud entered and arrested the criminal members of the Knyfes.
"To Sir Murphy Knyfes, in my capacity as the Baroness of Beak, I grant you the title of Knight. May you serve this land, and Ereon faithfully and justly."
It was the last thing the former Knyfe Head saw and heard, before he was taken away his face red and stuttering.
Murphy bowed and accepted his title. The gave him the deed with his new noble rank, and the Knyfe Head signed away everything of the family to him.
"You have granted my family mercy, and freed us for the hatred that collared it. I swear to be your sword and shield, till death takes me, your ladyship, Maristella Françoise Pamolai Brokkr." Jesse bowed and gave his oath, but I couldn't focus on anything he was saying because...
"Yes, yes, I accept and all but...What the hell are you wearing?" I asked my eyes wide and my mouth nearly falling.
"It's umm, a long story" he blushed while his cousin held back a snicker. "My mother prefers to try out her new designs on me, rather than a mannequin. And I rushed here as fast as I could in the middle of her modelling session." Said Jesse Knyfe, in an extraordinary french maid outfit.
"Huh... She has good taste."
And that's how the case of the Three Family Feud of Beak was resolved. With the new Knyfe Head and his relative-slash-retainers laughing their asses off, and my new personal knight blushing up a storm.
Personal Info:
Name: Maristella Françoise Pamolai Brokkr
Titles: Lady of House Brokkr, Baroness Maristella, Young Spider, Iron Baroness, Eagle-Gaze Maristella
Age: 14
Condition: Satisfied and Amused
Stats:
Strength: 11
Durability: 18
Dexterity: 15
Speed: 9
Mental Calculation: 173
Memory Capacity: 89
Aether Control: 35
Mana Capacity: 22
Skills:
Aristocratic Decorum:
Diplomatic Discourse:
Environmental Magic:
-Fire Magic:
Land Management:
Company Administration:
Traits:
Communication Matters: Unlockable Trait granted at Diplomatic Discourse LV. 6; What is the point of a dialogue if it's not for two people to exchange ideas. What is the point of a conversation if it's not for understanding to be met. What is the point of negotiation if it's not for an agreement to be reached. You can see the twists and cracks in a bias debate and are able to mend them for understanding to reach both parties, without miscommunication to taint them.
Data Connection: Unlockable Trait acquired upon reaching Mental Calculation 150. You make mental connections between two ideas near instantly. You can draw on your current knowledge much quicker and much easier, to find practical solutions for physical problems. The more knowledge you have the more solutions you can generate.