Valkyrie's Shadow

The Tiger and the Dragon: Act 3, Chapter 11

The Tiger and the Dragon: Act 3, Chapter 11

Chapter 11

10th Day, Upper Wind Month, 1 CE, 1900 Hours

“Keep our infantry in the river off of the capital for now. The general staff wants us to focus reconnaissance on the north side of the Oriculon for the next few days.”

“What of our cavalry, my lady?” Saiko asked.

“They’re fine on their current patrol routes,” Ludmila answered. “What we need right now is information and we need to gain as much of it as we can before the Beastmen start sniffing around.”

“Did you not say that the Beastmen beyond the borders of the duchy will not intrude on these lands due to the lack of food?”

“I did,” Ludmila nodded. “But, in this case, I’m referring to any regular interactions between all of these clans. The Human countries of this region are accustomed to Demihumans existing in primitive, disparate tribes that have few relationships beyond competitive ones. Our adversary is a ‘country’ and is sending migrants to settle these lands, meaning that some attempt at creating trade networks and establishing permanent territorial governments should occur eventually. They may not come for food, but they may start doing something like selling food to the overpopulated areas here. Since this occupation has lasted a while, it may already be happening.”

It was a good thing that her friends had pointed that particular detail out, as she had overlooked it entirely. Though it shouldn’t have been a strange notion if one took a step back and examined things, the state of the region and the relationship between Human countries and their tribal Demihuman neighbours jumbled up what was normal and abnormal.

While accompanying the Sixth Legion on their southern campaign, she didn’t identify a single Demihuman Merchant. The Empire did see the occasional Demihuman Merchant from Karnassus, so, presumably, the lack of them in the imperial frontier was because of the Slane Theocracy’s active suppression of their populations. That influence did not extend to the Beastman country bordering the Draconic Kingdom, however, so it was reasonable to expect behaviours characteristic of civilised society in whatever analogues they existed in.

Not long ago, she considered the Slane Theocracy’s efforts to keep the region safe for the development of humanity an essential thing. Now, she wondered whether it had done more harm than good. The resulting segregation of races resulted in a state where mutually beneficial relations could never be achieved.

His Majesty’s decision to extend his benevolence over not just humanity, but all peoples of the world only made more sense the more of the world that Ludmila saw. It couldn’t happen immediately, but the harmonious state that the Sorcerer King desired could be achieved once the damage being dealt to the region’s civilisations was stopped and His Majesty’s order facilitated mutual understanding and prosperity.

“In that case,” Saiko asked, “what should be done if we encounter a Merchant or some other civilian operating within our zone of control?”

“That’s a good question,” she crossed her arms and pursed her lips. “As far as I know, it’s a near-universal norm of civilised conduct to allow Merchants right of passage regardless of their race or country of origin. In the Sorcerous Kingdom, arbitrarily attacking non-hostile Merchants and other civilians lawfully going about their business would be a major breach of our policies and legislation. In the Draconic Kingdom…well, I’ll consult with Queen Oriculus on the matter. It’s her country. Is there anything else to address before I head into the city?”

The Elder Liches gathered around her exchanged looks between themselves. They were doing well so far, so she was hoping that they would eventually become confident enough in their duties to voice independent thoughts and opinions. Unlike the Elder Liches of the Sorcerous Kingdom’s administration, who always seemed to have something to say about everything, the Elder Liches of the Royal Army were generally quiet and obedient.

A minute passed in silence before she spoke again.

“In that case, Saiko and I are heading to the palace. If you have any thoughts or concerns while you conduct your duties, I’m just a Message spell away. Don’t hesitate to ask me about anything you’re unsure about.”

Her sergeants saluted as she activated her hairpin and rose into the air. Saiko fell into formation on her right.

“Out of curiosity,” Ludmila said. “Do the sergeants confer between themselves?”

“Occasionally.”

“What about?”

“Most of the time,” Saiko told her, “it has to do with the coordination of our forces. There are also mana checks and status updates between themselves and the general staff.”

“Is there any non-routine discourse?”

The Elder Lich fell silent as they levelled out five hundred metres over the ground and headed straight towards the city.

“Was there some concern that you had about your sergeants, my lady?”

“It may just be me,” Ludmila said. “His Majesty’s servitors can silently communicate with one another. I can only imagine what sort of chatter goes on between everyone so I suppose it feels as if I’m being left out.”

“We are generally not ones for ‘chatter’,” Saiko replied, “but I suppose it does happen.”

Ludmila flipped around and flew backwards, facing the Elder Lich as they crossed over the city wall.

“Really, now,” she smiled, “what about? It isn’t some secret, I hope.”

“Not particularly. For the past two days, it has revolved around improvements to squad performance and adjusting our expectations to match the bonuses that your influence confers upon us.”

“See? That’s just the sort of thing I like talking about, yet it only crosses my desk after everyone’s done having fun with it.”

Since they were operating on relatively large battlefields, opportunities to observe what individual squads were doing were limited. Even then, she only had a general idea of what they were up to until they started doing it. They had brought force enough to crush countries in their entirety, but it was still important to refine their tactical and strategic processes as well as expand their understanding of the world.

“As we do not have Commander-class communication abilities, including you in these discussions would be problematic. The mana expenditure from the constant use of Message spells would be prohibitive.”

“Muu…”

“You are not a Lizardman.”

“How do you know about that?” Ludmila frowned.

Saiko silently stared back at her.

“Well, at least report to the general staff so they can note things as they develop for me to look at. I have Olga and Raul now, so I’ve basically doubled my personnel.”

“They have not displayed any Class Skills or Abilities as Commanders yet,” Saiko noted.

“They’re still apprentices,” Ludmila replied. “As far as we’ve observed, the capabilities of apprentice-type Job Classes only offer rudimentary skillsets in the associated vocation. They’ve been training all winter, though, so don’t underestimate what they’re capable of.”

“What are they capable of?”

“That’s part of what we’re here to find out. They’ve at least grasped a wide breadth of mundane tactics, strategy and simple logistics. I need to get them started on Skill and Ability development soon. Much of what I’ve come up with is theoretical, to be honest. It draws from what I’ve been able to study and make sense out of.”

As far as she knew, the method of instruction for Commanders was akin to other types of apprenticeships. One learned theory, and then applied it in practice. It was even the same with far more capable Commanders like Gunnar and the Goblin General, as well as the Imperial Military Academy, which was steeped in generations of formalised martial tradition.

A part of her suspected that the ‘basic’ feeling their military education gave off was due to the limited knowledge of educational techniques in the region, but it was the only thing that they had. Lady Shalltear and even Grand Marshal Cocytus were limited in their knowledge of military operations. This was somewhat understandable since they were unfathomably strong and could personally tackle any issues that required martial strength, but that didn’t help with the Royal Army’s development.

They angled down towards the royal palace and Ludmila watched the city pass below. With how crowded it was, she couldn’t imagine what it was like when it had twice as many hiding behind its walls. Gangs of boys and men worked to clear away the damage left behind by the Beastman rampage and it looked like every fifth building was being torn down. Women of all ages waited in lines that wound around the city blocks, waiting to purchase food and other necessities from shops and warehouses guarded by burly security personnel.

This was in stark contrast to the palace quarter, where barely anyone could be seen. While it appeared that the citizens were being kept out, the sheer disrepair of the quarter suggested that, rather than any sort of segregation occurring, something else was keeping them from using the area. Occasionally, wagons filled with corpses trundled through the streets on the way to unloading their grisly cargo in one of the quarter’s expansive gardens.

“Have there been any reports of Undead rising in the aftermath of the attack?” Ludmila asked.

“If it has occurred,” Saiko replied, “reports have not reached us. Your query is in line with our curiosity over a lack of negative energy-related phenomena in the wake of these events.”

“That’s good to hear,” Ludmila said. “The last thing we need is a request for domestic security tying up our troops.”

“Indeed.”

At least a part of the reason why no ‘negative energy phenomena’ had manifested was due to her. As with the Sixth Legion’s decisive battle in the highlands, Ludmila could sense that she was absorbing the negative energy produced as a consequence of her forces’ actions. Once her infantry company grew accustomed to the routine of clearing out sections of the city, they were swift and efficient about it, completing the bulk of their task in under two hours.

While her experience with negative energy was limited, it appeared that the folklore and ‘common sense’ regarding its formation were at least partially correct. Widespread belief pinned the cause of negative energy as the result of certain events and what living beings – regardless of race or culture – considered conditions conducive to ‘undeath’.

The most common source was the accumulation of corpses in areas such as cemeteries, mausoleums, mass graves and battlefields. This was evidenced by the fact that weak Undead commonly manifested in those places, which was a constant thorn in the side of city budgets. Remains that were not attended to properly were said to be a greater source of negative energy.

As far as Ludmila could observe, the true cause was vague: she could sense the negative energy suffusing her surroundings, but there wasn’t anything obvious like clouds of the stuff wafting out from burial sites like the malevolent miasma that some described it as. Much to the probable disappointment of those who obsessed over necromancy, the generation of negative energy from those sources was so gradual that she couldn’t sense its formation – only the cumulative result.

The second most common cause attributed to the appearance of negative energy was death as a result of wars or disasters. As an officer of the Royal Army, this was immediately relevant to her work. Militaries in the texts that she studied often factored the phenomena into strategic planning. Warfare of all types, be it a pitched battle or a minor raid, was linked to the generation of negative energy.

Purposely choosing battle sites that could afford to be infused with negative energy – such the Katze Plains, which was used in the ‘wars’ between Re-Estize and Baharuth – limiting collateral damage and ensuring that the rank-and-file didn’t lose discipline and run rampant over enemy population centres were all examples of measures made to limit the propagation of negative energy.

When it came to the Draconic Kingdom, the apparent fact that Ludmila only absorbed negative energy she was ‘responsible for’ meant that everything generated by the Beastmen as they slaughtered the Human population stuck around. To her senses, it appeared as a wispy layer that clung to the city like vestiges of morning mist collecting at the bottoms of bowls and ravines.

Also of particular note was the fact that her counteroffensive actually resulted in less negative energy than what the Beastmen had produced in their massacre of the citizens, despite the overwhelming violence of the former. Either the number of dead – over two hundred thousand caused by the Beastmen versus the forty thousand slain by her forces – or the way that they died was what resulted in the difference.

That being said, she wasn’t sure if the assault on the capital had produced enough to trigger Undead genesis. Understanding where that threshold lay was a priority for her, as the lengthy occupation could very well have generated more negative energy in other parts of the Draconic Kingdom.

Ludmila slowed as they crossed over a group of temple staff attending to a pyre. She turned to address Saiko.

“Go on ahead and report to headquarters, I’m going to speak with those Priests below.”

She landed behind a hedgerow before dropping her concealment. After swapping into her civilian garb, she walked around to greet them.

“Good evening.”

The half dozen men and women attending the pyre jumped at her voice. It seemed that Beastmen weren’t the only ones plagued by poor situational awareness in the Draconic Kingdom.

One of the men – who had raised a symbol of the Water God in her direction – peered at her suspiciously.

“Is there some reason why everyone is so jumpy?” Ludmila asked.

“‘Some reason’?” The man’s reply was incredulous, “Have you not seen all the Undead?”

Ludmila looked to her left, and then to her right. Then she leaned slightly to the side to look past the nervous Priests.

“Have any Undead manifested as a result of all the corpses? You have quite the tremendous backlog of rites to perform.”

“No,” the man said. “They haven’t, but those are the least of our problems. You Nobles have barred the gates to keep people from seeing what’s going on out there, but I have it on good authority that that army of darkness is still lurking about. It’s even said that they’re holding our beloved Queen hostage!”

“You’d think that ‘us Nobles’ would be a bit more distraught if that was the case,” Ludmila raised an eyebrow.

“Hmph, spare me your games. We have work to do, so you will have to excuse us.”

With that, they turned back to resume their prayers. Ludmila walked off with an ear to the wind, analysing the exchange as she listened for other groups performing funerary rites in the area.

Was the Priest’s conduct indicative of the relationship between the Temples and the aristocracy? She couldn’t imagine that it was friction with the administration as a whole. From what she had seen and heard, Queen Oriculus was practically untouchable when it came to negative public sentiment.

A thread of familiar prayers drew her to another group of Priests several estates away. She tread more than a bit forcefully as she made her way up the manor lane in hopes that they wouldn’t start at her appearance as the previous ones had. One of them turned to regard her as she approached the rows of bodies neatly arranged over the grounds. Ludmila lowered her head in a curtsey.

“I hope the evening finds you well, Priest.”

The Priest seemed surprised at her greeting, staring at her for a moment before raising a hand.

“Blessings of the Six be upon you,” he said. “You’ll have to forgive my astonishment, but we weren’t aware that any of our faithful amongst the nobility had survived aside from Mistress Salacia.”

“She may have the look of a Noble,” a Priest in the vibrant colours of the Fire God said, “but her manner of garb is strange. Who are you?”

“Baroness Ludmila Zahradnik, chief of staff of the relief force sent to the Draconic Kingdom by the Sorcerous Kingdom.”

As one, the remaining Priests ceased their prayers and turned to regard her.

“I don’t see a presiding Cleric,” Ludmila said.

“…they were lost in the attack. The Archbishop and all of the senior staff were long gone by the time it happened and our remaining Clerics went out to defend the people when the city was breached.”

“I see,” Ludmila looked down at the grass, making a ritual gesture, “may Surshana grant them His eternal peace.”

A moment of silence passed between them before Ludmila’s curiosity over a portion of the Priest’s statement prompted her to speak again.

“You mentioned that the Archbishop and the senior temple staff were ‘long gone’ by the time the city was breached. What happened to them?”

“They were assassinated,” a woman in the subdued colours of the Earth God spat.

“Assassinated?” Ludmila furrowed a brow, “When we arrived and dealt with the invaders, we did not encounter any Beastmen capable of entering a city filled with people to successfully assassinate key figures.”

“It happened early in the siege,” the Priest sighed. “The capital has rarely been attacked, but we know how other cities have suffered in the past. These filthy Demihumans have savage practices. Their warriors seek out ‘worthy prey’ and go to great lengths for the prestige of defeating the strongest. They scale the walls at night and stalk the streets, searching for likely targets.”

Ludmila rubbed her chin with a finger.

“In that case, who are your strongest surviving Priests?”

“We’re all only capable of First-tier magic,” came the glum reply. “Just Acolytes and the least-advanced members of the junior staff. If contagion takes root in the city from the malaise cast by these corpses, we will have no countermeasures for it.”

“Is it the same with the other faiths? What about the Pharmacist Guild?”

“It’s all the same. There isn’t a single Second-tier caster left in the entire city. No Clerics; no Priests; no Alchemists…”

“I see,” Ludmila sighed. “We noted the same thing in Seagate, but I wasn’t certain of the cause.”

The Priest of the Fire God’s gaze sharpened at her words.

“Seagate…?” He said, “Does that mean…”

“We broke the siege of Seagate last night,” Ludmila nodded. “On both sides of the river. I was the one that requested that the capital remain closed. The same instructions have been issued to Seagate. The Beastmen have depopulated the nearby territories and sending people out at this juncture may attract more from beyond. We’ll be using their ignorance of recent events to our advantage.”

His face brightened at her explanation. The other Priests looked at one another excitedly.

“This is excellent news!” The man said, “But how long until the people can leave to work the fields and fish the waters again? Starvation still looms over us all.”

“I will be consulting with Her Majesty on that this evening,” Ludmila replied. “At any rate, the reason why I came to you is that I was wondering how things have been going in the city with all of the death lingering here. I understand that the Temples are working as quickly as possible, but I must still be mindful of any security concerns.”

“Nothing has happened yet, my lady,” the Earth Priestess said. “But it will take us weeks to see to the dead. The palace quarter will not have a very pleasant fragrance in a few days.”

“You should be able to move them out of the city by then,” Ludmila smirked. “Thank you for your time – I need to deliver my report to the palace.”

“Bring the Fire God’s wrath upon these vile animals,” one of the Priests raised a fist. “Purge them from our lands!”

Ludmila nodded politely before going on her way. After leaving the estate, she concealed her presence and flew back to the royal palace. The Death Knight – one of her footmen – guarding the parapet of the northwest tower saluted when she arrived.

“How have things been since I’ve been gone?” Ludmila asked.

Her footman stuck up a thumb. Ludmila scanned the tower briefly before descending past the living quarters and into the war room. Wiluvien came out from behind the central table and curtsied before her.

“Welcome back, my lady.”

“Has anything interesting happened?”

“Not as such,” Wiluvien replied. “The Katze force has scouted out the area up to the Seylan River. We’re about halfway to Bent Fang Bay from the capital with our efforts here.”

“Did I miss anything on my sweep?”

Wiluvien shook her head.

“No, my lady. The entire area seems emptied of Humans so far.”

They went over to the table and Ludmila examined the updated information on the war map. A smattering of Beastman positions had been added roughly ten kilometres north of the capital. The south appeared to be empty. Her eyes travelled up the nearby tributary.

“What about the fortress down there?”

“I sent a Shadow Demon to check,” Wiluvien replied. “It should be back sometime tonight.”

The area south of the capital was a highly defensible position, but, even so, they lacked the troops to cover it. They were mostly scouting the area just in case there was a tribe hidden somewhere that could suddenly appear at an inconvenient time.

“How about the areas to the east?” Ludmila asked.

“The Wraiths we sent in that direction are delivering findings that are consistent with our first look around. There’s a clear shift in the way that the tribes are organised past where the Forst River joins the Oriculon. Everything east of there so far has the look of being…well-managed.”

“I’m half-afraid to ask what Rivergarden looks like.”

“There are people in the city,” Wiluvien looked down at the map. “Humans. We only performed aerial reconnaissance so the details of what’s going on down there are unknown. At the least, the city is being kept in good order.”

“What about the city’s defences?”

“Beastmen are manning them. If it wasn’t for the fact that Humans are freely going in and out, one would think that they turned the city into a prison.”

Ludmila’s hand roamed around until she found the reports for Rivergarden. A frown crossed her lips as she went over the ratio of Humans to Beastmen.

“My initial assessments about consumption rates could be wrong,” she said, “but these numbers don’t match up. Add caravans and shipping routes to the things to watch out for.”

“Do…do you believe they might be exporting Humans, my lady?”

“It’s a possibility. Another is that they’ve decided that their initial cull was too severe and they’re trying to grow the Human population…speaking of livestock, what about herd animals?”

Wiluvien looked across the table at Saiko. The Elder Lich glanced up from writing its report.

“Our focus has been on identifying elements from intelligent races,” Saiko said. “If you would like, we can change our reconnaissance parameters. By doing so, however, our efforts will be significantly slowed.”

“Include all economic elements to our reconnaissance of the east,” Ludmila ordered. “We won’t start there for a while yet, so I’d like to know as much about what’s going on there as we can without informing them of our presence. We’ll similarly amend the orders for the Katze Force once we’re done with Blighthold.”

In the northwest, Beastman tribes were forming in response to the Undead army creeping through the Deadmarch. According to Saiko, the first reactions were noted the previous evening, about an hour to midnight. Several minor skirmishes had broken out far ahead of the advancing front where they had set pickets to…well, it wasn’t exactly screening in the conventional sense, but it had still exposed the Beastman scouts and prompted them to report to their respective tribes.

“Did the Beastmen in the northwest move back again?”

“They did, my lady,” Wiluvien said. “It’s the fourth time they’ve pulled back ahead of our forces.”

She set down the report for Rivergarden and reached out to pick up the one for Blighthold. Between the beginning of the Beastman response and the latest update, the numbers at the front had gone from a few hundred to two thousand to four thousand. Now everything in the area was moving to join them.

“I suppose they settled on making their stand at this river because it’s defensible…”

“That appears to be the case, my lady,” Wiluvien said. “This river runs relatively short and steep, cutting a series of deep ravines on its way to the sea. We have several major bottlenecks to contend with and the Beastmen will have the advantage of the high ground.”

“Hmm…”

She flipped through the report until she found the tactical map for what appeared to be their first battleground. As her Maid had noted, the river would be a problematic crossing for the bulk of their forces. Skeletons and Zombies would simply tumble down the ravine to their deaths and a series of defiles close to the sea were the only places where they could safely descend. There was a bridge for the road going to the Theocracy as well, but it probably couldn’t handle the weight of thousands of Undead crossing at once.

“Since our forces have bunched up like this,” Ludmila said, “I assume the Beastmen are under the assumption that they can lure the Undead?”

“I’m not sure if that’s the case, my lady,” Wiluvien said. “They may just be assuming we’re going to use the easiest place to cross and preemptively moved there. The Elder Liches are adhering to your orders to act as if they are simply being attracted to the closest mass of living beings nearby.”

“Well, just to be certain, keep an eye out for flanking attempts from further upriver. We still have no idea where their real army is – if it’s even around.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Since they kept falling back and adding to their forces, she could only assume that they were doing what was necessary to match the Undead army visibly arrayed against them. The strongest troops in the Katze force were kept far in the back and out of sight. Her Bone Vultures and Wraiths were performing reconnaissance while the lower level Undead shambled their way forward. This suggested that the Beastman ‘army’ confronting them was likely made up of regular tribespeople.

“Where are our extra maps stored?” Ludmila asked.

“The shelf behind us,” Wiluvien answered. “Countess Corelyn has received permission for us to use the Royal Archives as well, so we can start looking for the information that you requested.”

“That can wait until we’re done with this first battle,” Ludmila said as she sifted through the materials on the shelf. “When Lluluvien gets up, have her wake the children and prepare them for tonight.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Ludmila fished up a copy of the map. After a moment’s thought, she took three more.

“Ah – one more thing, my lady,” Wiluvien said, “a Shadow Demon came over from the throne room with a message from Lord Sebas.”

Her maid held out a folded slip of paper. Ludmila received it in her free hand before heading down the stairs. The content was brief: Lady Entoma had requested some Beastmen to sample.

To whom do the Beastman corpses belong, anyway?

They had zombified the ones in the capital, so there was nothing to claim. The upcoming battle, however, would probably result in more than a few bodies. She put the note away and made her way to the throne room.

“Baroness Zahradnik.”

“Captain Scavo,” Ludmila smiled. “I see the palace is still in one piece.”

“That it is, my lady,” the Captain nodded. “How are things out beyond the walls?”

“We haven’t found a single Beastman until about halfway to Rivergarden,” Ludmila replied. “Speaking of which, do you know how quickly Beastmen travel?”

“Surprisingly, not as quickly as you’d think. Maybe around as fast as a low-to-mid Silver-ranked Adventurer over long distances. They can sprint after ya damn fast, though.”

“How quickly they can march across the countryside was what I was interested in. Thank you, Captain…is Her Majesty available?”

“Her Majesty is inside with her cabinet at the moment,” Captain Scavo said. “One moment while I inform her of your arrival.”

The throne room door opened and closed again as the Captain made his way through. It seemed that the Sorcerous Kingdom’s delegation had paused negotiations for some reason.

?Clara??

?Hm? Oh, are you back??

?I am in front of the throne room at the moment. I thought you would be here, but…?

?We split up to do research. I am in the Royal Archives at the moment. Liane went off to hatch some scheme and Florine went with her.?

?Some scheme…I figured the three of you would be well on your way with negotiations by now.?

?Even with the overwhelming amount of stuff we have thrown her way, Queen Oriculus is still in control of her end of things. She is quite an amazing woman.?

?She would have to be to hold her country through all of this.?

?You did not even say anything about it! I lost count of all the potential Skills and Abilities she used during our time at the table. It is like they are all second nature to her. It is not just her powers, either – she exploited every opening possible and everything she says is purposefully calculated. When she weaves everything together, it becomes ridiculous.?

?Finally someone to look up to, hm??

?I do not even know if I can even do half of what she does. Some of her capabilities are definitely Sovereign-class.?

A sigh filtered over from Clara.

?Why did we not have this in Re-Estize, Ludmila? Everywhere we go it seems that the people have some advantage over us or are more advanced in some way.?

?Maybe because some nefarious force decided that we should have the worst of everything. On the bright side, we have the Sorcerous Kingdom now. Things are bound to get better for the region. We are here to make that happen, right??

?…right. Anyway, we have unloaded the barges and we are in the process of moving our cargo to the palace quarter. Queen Oriculus knows that we are offering her an excellent deal, but she is still doing her due diligence. For the time being, we are going ahead with basic aid under the premise that she will eventually establish official relations with the Sorcerous Kingdom. How are things on your end??

Steps sounded from the other side of the door.

?It has been quiet. We have not detected a single Beastman within a day of the capital by road. I was just stopping by to see her about a few things before heading over to the Deadmarch…Captain Scavo is coming back out so I will speak with you later.?

The way to the throne room opened and Ludmila took a step across the threshold.

“The Right Honourable The Baroness of Zahradnik,” Captain Scavo announced.

Ludmila frowned inwardly. While it was technically her title, she was used to it being called Warden’s Vale.

She passed between the columns on the way to the throne, eyeing the changes to the hall. Two long tables had been set up on either side of the way to the throne. On one side sat the members of Queen Oriculus’ cabinet. The other side was empty – presumably because it was for the Sorcerous Kingdom’s delegation. The Queen was seated on her throne, a bare leg exposed to her hip as she crossed her legs. Behind her and to her left was Lady Yorsten. On her right was Lord Sebas, who nodded slightly at her approach.

“Your Majesty,” she lowered herself into a deep curtsey. “We’ve completed our sweep of a one-day area around the capital. Aside from the liberation of Seagate, the area was devoid of Beastmen and Humans on this side of the river.”

“Umu,” the Queen nodded. “Thank you for your hard work. We had hoped that you might be wrong about the Human part, but it is what it is. What are you planning to do next?”

“The tribes northwest of Blighthold have been consolidating their numbers over the past day or so. I believe they’ve chosen a place to confront our forces coming from the Deadmarch.”

She produced one of the spare maps, presenting the rolled-up parchment in her right hand. Lady Yorsten came forward to retrieve it from her and delivered it to Queen Oriculus. The Queen unfurled the map, holding it open in front of her.

“We are familiar with this place…but if the Beastmen are defending this position, will it not be a difficult battle?”

“I estimate that we will lose half of our numbers.”

“H-half?!”

“It may be half of our numbers, but it is less than a hundredth of that group’s strength. Unlike the living, mindless Undead may be utilised as fodder with no domestic repercussions.”

In the corner of her eye, the members of the Queen’s cabinet shifted uncomfortably.

“This may be so in the Sorcerous Kingdom,” Queen Oriculus said, “but even using the Undead is a domestic repercussion in other countries. Our neighbours will likely not receive the news well.”

“That may be so,” Ludmila said, “But we are here now, and we shall not so easily abandon you. Additionally, foreign sentiment over utilisation of the Undead may also not be as bad as you believe it to be. The Baharuth Empire and the Kingdom of the Azerlisian Mountain Dwarves are already leasing Undead from the Sorcerous Kingdom.”

“What?!”

A chair clattered to the floor as someone in the Queen’s Cabinet shot to their feet. Ludmila turned her head to see a voluptuous woman leaning forward over the table, an ivory symbol of Alah Alaf dangling from the silver chain around her neck.

This must be the ‘Mistress Salacia’ that those Priests were referring to…

“Is something the matter, Lady…”

“Soruel, my lady,” Lady Soruel replied. “Salacia Soruel, second daughter of House Soruel.”

?Did you not tell them that the Baharuth Empire and the Azerlisian Dwarves have forged ties with the Sorcerous Kingdom??

?I mentioned that we traded with them…why??

?Well, I just told them about their leasing Undead from us. Sorry.?

?I was going to use that later, but we’ll live.?

“While I know nought of those Dwarves that you mentioned,” Lady Soruel said, “I find it difficult to believe that the Baharuth Empire would embrace the Undead. The Faith of the Four holds sway there and, like any right-minded faith, are staunch opponents of the enemies of all life.”

“…are you not a follower of The Six, Lady Soruel?”

Lady Soruel straightened, raising her chin proudly.

“I am. What of it?”

“The Undead being leased by our allies are summoned beings, not naturally-manifested ones. Slavery is illegal in the Sorcerous Kingdom, besides.”

“I fail to see why that distinction matters,” Lady Soruel sniffed.

Ludmila eyed the woman and wondered about her unexpectedly defiant posture.

“Out of curiosity, Lady Soruel,” she said, “what would you do if an Undead being summoned an Angel?”

“That’s a preposterous notion. Blasphemous, even. Such a thing would never be allowed by the gods.”

Queen Oriculus cleared her throat.

“I believe our discussion has gone off course,” she said. “We will confirm the truth of the matter with your diplomats. Since you suggest that victory will be obtained in this coming battle, what will your next move be?”

“There is a second Beastman clan besieging the south of Blighthold. Securing the city will come next. At the same time, we will also be moving to break the siege of Highfort.”

The Queen uncrossed her legs, placing her elbows on her knees as she leaned forward.

“Highfort still stands?”

“Beastmen still surround it, so it stands to reason that the defenders still hold the fortress. My hope was that we could relieve your soldiers and have the Undead man the fortress. That way, your armies could help police the reclaimed territories. The Undead may be reliable, but their presence is disruptive to living beings unaccustomed to them and we would like to have your people resume their seasonal activities without further interruptions.”

“We are in agreement,” Queen Oriculus leaned back on her throne. “You have Our permission to reorganise the Draconic Kingdom’s forces as you see fit, Lady Zahradnik. For the purposes you outlined just now, of course. Is there anything else you wish to inform Us of?”

“There is a matter of…housekeeping, Your Majesty.”

Queen Oriculus’ crown shimmered in the magical torchlight as she tilted her head curiously.

“Housekeeping?”

“A few matters. It has been brought to my attention that news of Seagate’s liberation has not been made public.”

“That’s right. Considering the measures that you recommended, We were uncertain whether it would interfere with your plans somehow…”

“As long as Your Majesty does not believe that the information will somehow make its way to the Beastmen, it should be to Your Majesty’s advantage to let the people know. Once again, my general staff is operating out of the Royal Palace. If any questions or concerns arise, they are easily accessible. I believe it will be for the best if we communicate both frankly and openly.”

“Umu,” the Queen nodded. “Then we will do so. Giving Our people a sense that we are making progress against our enemies will help encourage them to adhere to the mandates of the administration. Making everything a Royal Decree might lose its effectiveness after a while.”

Ludmila pondered the latter part of Queen Oriculus’ statement. Was she referring to the people’s willingness to adhere to legal authority, the intangible weight that skilful authority figures cultivated, or a Skill that individuals with Sovereign-type classes influenced their people with?

“You mentioned ‘a few matters’…” the Queen said.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Ludmila replied. “The second notable matter is the management of the deceased as the war progresses and we must see to the aftermath. I’ve spoken with a few of the temple staff performing rites in the palace quarter and they’ve expressed concerns over the sheer number of corpses they must take care of.”

“We have been made aware of this.”

“If the Beastmen continue to react as they have so far,” Ludmila said, “the corpses can be moved out of the western gates by the end of the week. Of course, should the situation change, we will have to reassess the risks.”

“Very well. What else?”

“We also need to determine how the dead should be managed in the areas restored to the Draconic Kingdom’s control.”

“They were eaten, no?”

“I was referring to the fallen Beastmen, Your Majesty. My assumption is that they will be considered a burden for your Temples to manage, as they are not the families and loved ones of your subjects.”

Queen Oriculus glanced towards Lady Soruel, who nodded.

“This should be the case,” Lady Soruel said. “I hesitate to ask what Lady Zahradnik wishes to propose, however.”

“The Sorcerous Kingdom is a nation where many races exist harmoniously alongside one another,” Ludmila said. “But that does not mean they stop eating what they need to eat. The slain may be prepared for consumption in our country rather than tying up the Draconic Kingdom’s resources.”

“Why not?” Queen Oriculus shrugged, “Let the Beastmen be the ones being eaten for a change. Our people will be busy enough restoring the lands to order and productivity, so managing the Beastmen’s leavings is, as you say, a burden.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. The final item is what we should do with foreign Merchants.”

The Queen frowned upon her marble throne.

“Foreign Merchants?”

“It would be Beastman Merchants mainly, but we cannot discount the possibility that Merchants from other countries might appear through the Beastman-occupied territories.”

“Hmm…that is a difficult question to address,” a tiny furrow appeared over Queen Oriculus’ brow. “Carting around parts of my people is one thing, but we will have to deliberate over what should be done with the rest.”

“In that case,” Ludmila said, “that was all that I wished to discuss for the time being. By Your Majesty’s leave, I shall attend to matters in the northwest.”

“Umu,” the Queen nodded. “We await your favourable report.”