Valkyrie's Shadow

Chapter 15

The official led them over to one of the presumptuously fashioned buildings nearby, between the outer gate and the field. A Death Knight stood beside the open door, but he was too preoccupied with his thoughts to pay it any mind. What he had witnessed on their approach to the city and what it might mean left him confused and apprehensive.

Inside, it looked every bit the manor that its exterior had suggested. They were led to the hall, where rows of long tables had been arranged to face the head of the chamber. He surmised that the manor hall had been chosen for its proximity to the gatehouse and the fact that it could comfortably seat several dozen people for whatever these orientations were.

“Please make yourselves comfortable,” their guide said. “Someone will be with you soon.”

They took their seats, and it wasn’t long before the sound of footsteps could be heard echoing through the servants’ entrance. A woman appeared in time with the steps, with a youthful air that made her seem of an age with Alessia.

Aside from the colour of their hair, however, they were distinctly different. Though conservatively fashioned and arranged, her elegant dress of pastel shades only served to enhance the ample lines of her womanly figure. She made no attempts to openly flaunt herself as she seemed to float across the dais to take her place behind the large desk before them, which somehow made all the more enticing.

The soft and refined features of her face lit up in a warm smile; her eyes shimmered in amber hues. Amidst the aura of warmth and hospitality she exuded, Marcus could hear many of the men sigh wistfully at the vision of demure beauty.

She stood silently behind the desk for a few moments, after which the smile turned awkward. She stole glances towards where she had appeared from. A dozen seconds passed before she looked directly towards the servants’ entrance. Her lips moved with words that Marcus could not hear.

A few moments later, a shadow loomed in the doorway and a monstrous creature slithered into the hall. A large body – resembling that of an elderly man – entered first, with heavy strands of greyish hair flowing down over his shoulders. He wore a shirt and coat vaguely resembling that of the customs officer at the border, but this uniform was in the brown and grey of the E-Rantel’s militia. Below the hem of his coat, a serpent’s body extended from where a Human’s hips should have been.

A Naga.

With the clattering of chairs and armour plates, half of the Paladins stood up from their seats in alarm. Sea Naga inhabited the inland sea to the east of the Theocracy. Their land-dwelling relatives uncommonly appeared along wilderness borders. None of them were good. Raids by Naga and their allies on fishing villages and attacks on border patrols happened often enough. Seeing a familiar and dangerous enemy, the Paladins responded to its appearance by fortifying themselves against an impending magical assault.

In addition to being physically powerful, Naga were commonly seen casting arcane magic of the Third Tier – sometimes the Fourth. Having Fireball or Ice Storm cast multiple times into their side of the hall would be extremely problematic. Despite understanding the rough sequence of events, Marcus shifted to an antimagic stance. His instincts screamed at him to dash forward and get the young woman away to safety.

The Naga slowly made his way to take his place beside the woman, his pale scales gleaming in the light as he took several seconds to bring in the rest of his length and coil it below his torso. When he finally finished, the woman’s head was barely above his elbow. Despite being mere inches from the hideous and deadly being, the woman’s posture and gentle demeanour did not alter in the slightest.

“Welcome to the city of E-Rantel,” she said in dulcet tones. “My name is Florine, an administrative consultant for the Sorcerous Kingdom.”

Florine placed her left hand lightly on the small of the Naga’s back, gesturing to him with her right.

“This is Ryurarius Spenia Ai Indarun, who is in training to become an official for Customs and Immigration.”

Marcus’ eyelid twitched. How could she stand to touch the disgusting creature? If Alessia were in this woman’s place, there would probably be multiple stab wounds.

“This…Reeeee…”

“Ryurarius,” Florine smiled.

“Yes,” Lorenzo nodded thankfully. “That. You are training him? How did this come about?”

“My duty here is in helping to establish the new orientation protocols for the city and the nation,” Florine told him, “and ensuring that our staff receives proper training. I’m well versed in the laws and customs of the Sorcerous Kingdom and its inhabitants, as well as those of the other nations in the region. Ryurarius will be one of the officials who will assume this post once an acceptable standard is achieved.”

“Alone?” The captain frowned, “Is that safe?”

“The sentry is just over at the entrance, so Ryurarius will be able to call for assistance if ever he feels threatened.”

“That’s, uh…right. I see.”

Lorenzo glanced over at the other Paladins, and they sat back down.

“As for how we met,” Florine continued, “it was while I was assisting with the organization of the territories to the north of the city. The local patrols informed me of his presence when he left the Great Forest of Tob. After a brief discussion, he told me that he was looking for work.”

“I see,” Lorenzo nodded to himself sagely, stroking his moustache. “So this Naga just popped out of the forest and asked you for work.”

The captain made a noise as Marcus elbowed him under the table. He couldn’t tell if Lorenzo was being sarcastic or not.

“Well, he didn’t ask to work for me specifically,” Florine said. “I just happened to be someone in the area who could assist him. As for why…well, many residents of the Great Forest of Tob were His Majesty’s subjects before the founding of the Sorcerous Kingdom. You could say he’s my senior of sorts? After some consideration, I suggested that he find gainful employment in the city and pointed out this posting. Ryurarius is quite intelligent, so I don’t doubt he’ll be able to slip into his role faster than the other trainees.”

Marcus tried to imagine having a Naga as a neighbour in some city apartment. He felt a headache coming on.

“He lives in the city?” A man’s incredulous voice said it all.

“Well, he does work here…” Florine replied. “I’m not sure where else he would be expected to live. If you’re wondering about his accommodations, the Demihuman Quarter in the city was expressly raised for people whose residential requirements are unfulfilled by Human dwellings.”

The young woman paused for several moments. She continued when no one voiced any further questions on the matter.

“Now, Countess Corelyn has informed me that most of your number will be attending to duties in her demesne. As you’ll sometimes be required to make trips to E-Rantel on various tasks, however, please ensure you commit the following points to memory. They’re general guidelines for conduct in the city, as well as for lands primarily managed by Humans.”

“What about lands not managed by Humans?” A voice was raised from the opposite corner.

“They’re still subject to the Crown Laws,” Florine replied, “but local bylaws may also exist to facilitate the needs of different peoples.”

“May I ask that you provide us with some examples?”

“Of course,” Florine said. “Here, we’ve adopted the laws of Re-Estize as a foundational template for our nation, so you’ll almost certainly see many similarities to what you may have experienced in the Theocracy or other Human lands abroad. All citizens are equal under the eyes of the law, and you should recognize many familiar ones extended to include all of His Majesty’s subjects and territories. As nobles have administrative rights over their territories and decide how the land and its resources are utilized, nonhuman populations with territory granted to them are, too, entitled to govern their lands with their own methods of governance.

“Entering these territories to hunt game or forage without permission from the local government is considered poaching, just the same as it would be on Human lands. Also, please understand that even if these local populations do not take advantage of various resources, proper channels must still be used to establish industries on their territory. Damage to land – even if it appears unoccupied – is considered damage to habitat and thus legally falls under property damage.”

“Are there any cases where the land laws are drastically different?” A Paladin somewhere near the centre asked.

“Within this duchy, no,” Florine answered. “A handful of people that work for the Sorcerous Kingdom have been granted broad hunting rights in the wilderness of the Great Forest of Tob and the Azerlisia Mountains. Be aware that the laws of the Sorcerous Kingdom are only extended to visitors entering legally. Those found entering illegally or performing activities like smuggling are subject to local justice and do not enjoy the protection provided by the law.”

“...what does local justice entail?” The question came from somewhere in the back.

“Well, if a smuggler was caught in Human lands, they would be subject to the death penalty and hung. In other territories, you will still be subject to the death penalty, but you might be eaten instead of hung. Either way, the offender still faces capital punishment. Illegal immigrants are usually deported after an investigation. Any criminal acts accompanying their entry will, of course, result in the associated penalties. The remains of the dead are collected to be stored and utilized at a later date.”

The words rolled out so smoothly that one might have thought she was just describing laws in any other place. Florine paused once again, her gentle smile exuding its same sense of warmth and comfort.

“What…what if the judgement was made in error?” A Paladin on the other side of the room asked, “Being eaten leaves little opportunity for appeal.”

“One may, of course, formally submit an appeal. The local leadership will be obliged to wait for the verdict of the judiciary and an official will be dispatched. The hearing, however, will be conducted with domination magic.”

“What! But anything can be forced on the subject with domination magic – false confessions, incriminating knowledge, artificial behaviours…any evidence collected under such conditions would surely be dismissed as unacceptable in the courts of other nations.”

Marcus and the other Paladins at his table nodded at the man’s statement. The use of magical compulsion was generally treated as an act of barbarism in Human nations for good reason. Florine did not falter, however, and delivered her explanation in the same gentle tones as before.

“The officials taking confessions through mind control have no reason to compel you to offer false testimony. In fact, doing so would be considered so abhorrent that they would submit themselves to be destroyed for failing in their duty to His Majesty.”

“I-is this some sort of cult?” The Paladin to his right frowned, “Having fanatics as officials seems a bit…”

“In this case,” Florine replied, “I’m referring to the Undead servitors created by His Majesty. As Paladins of the Theocracy, you should be well-versed in matters of magic?”

“We are.”

“His Majesty’s servitors are powerful and intelligent, but they are still magical creations and prioritize their duties above all else. They will carry out His Majesty’s will to the best of their ability, which brings me to my next point.”

Florine looked around the room. Her gaze stopped at their guide, who was standing by at the back of the hall.

“If I’m not mistaken, it shouldn’t be your shift until later?”

“Yes, my lady,” he replied. “Other guy’s still out of it from what happened the other day.”

“That’s understandable,” a note of sympathy entered her voice, “I hope he recovers soon…anyway, on the subject of weapons in the city: you may carry weapons if you wish, but as with any other city, bringing polearms and other large weapons around with you in the streets is an impediment to others and potentially a hazard. Please store them somewhere safe. Sidearms are, of course, permitted. You may draw your weapons in self-defence or for other reasonable uses, such as releasing ropes with a blade or training between yourselves in private spaces. Drawing your weapon with the apparent intent to harm anyone under the protection of His Majesty’s laws is a capital offence. The incident which resulted in the implementation of this orientation was witnessed by the man who is currently away, and he’s been rather traumatized by it as you can – or rather, can’t see.”

“You say ‘apparent intent to harm’,” Marcus said, “but how is this judged? What may look dangerous to a novice might be considered perfectly safe for an experienced combatant.”

“The Death Knights around the city are quite adept at defending others. They can intercede against attacks even when most would think it impossible to do so. Rest assured, they will only act when they perceive an imminent threat. They will also respond to calls for assistance.”

Understanding how strong Death Knights were, Marcus had no reason to believe that they could not do what she had described.

“Now, on to the next point,” Florine seemed to never lose her verbal measure. “While it is common practice in other nations, the exchange of vails and douceurs with those wielding the authority of the administration is prohibited.”

“You’re saying we can’t tip, or offer gifts?” Marcus frowned at the odd restriction.

“Only with whom I stated, yes. This includes all officials on duty, regardless of demesne: militia, customs officials, office staff, postal workers and Adventurers, to name a few.”

“Adventurers?” The voice of another Paladin rose from behind him.

“Yes, the Adventurer Guild has been nationalized recently, as there is no need for them in their former capacity. I believe this happened in the Theocracy quite some time ago?”

“Yes, that’s right,” someone else said.

“Government workers are more than fairly compensated, so they do not depend on tips and the like. Vails and douceurs to government officials will be construed as attempts at bribery, and fall under corruption laws.”

“What about the aristocracy?” Marcus asked.

“That depends,” Florine turned her attention to him. “If you’re making an exchange as part of a house’s private business or as a diplomatic custom, it’s permitted. If they’re being used in an attempt to influence policy or administrative processes, it obviously qualifies as bribery. Following identical lines, tipping members of a household retinue is also permitted. You’ll only be warned once by the recipient if they decide you’ve stepped beyond the bounds of the law: incarceration will follow if you persist.”

“This seems a place where many lines may be blurred,” Lorenzo said, “how is the abuse of this allowance prevented?”

“Nobles are responsible for their retainers,” Florine told them. “Nobles who run afoul of the Crown Laws do not remain nobles for long. Unlike other nations, the Sorcerous Kingdom has both the will and the resources to ensure that rule of law is upheld. If you are uncertain how your actions may be interpreted, it would be best to err on the side of caution. Now, please allow Ryurarius to provide you with a brief rundown of the remaining key points.”

The air went still at her sudden announcement, and everyone stared at the Naga. Ryurarius sat frozen for a moment before looking down at Florine with an uncertain expression on his face. The young woman only looked back up at him with a wink and a bright smile, giving him a confident thumbs-up. She was so endearing that Marcus wished that he was Ryu–no, wait...

“This one will continue now,” the Naga frowned down at the desk before raising his gaze to address them. “Many peoples live under His Majesty’s dominion, and there are representatives of several who may be found living in the city. I have heard that our dear guests have come from a place in the south where those who are not Human are received with hostility, so I will underline that you are expected to temper this conduct while in the Sorcerous Kingdom. Performing hostile actions against our citizens and guests in accordance with the customs of your homeland will not serve as an excuse.”

“B-but what if they do something to us?” Alessia’s voice came from a corner.

“This is, of course, illegal in the same way,” Ryurarius replied. “Also, keep in mind that acts of provocation and various forms of indirect harassment are a simple matter to investigate with domination magic. Those who have lived under His Majesty’s reign for some time have learned how to conduct themselves in a civil manner that is acceptable to the general population – it would do you well to emulate these forms where they can be applied.”

“You expect us to act like Demihumans?” Her voice rose in pitch.

“It is not reasonable to find common ground?” Ryurarius tilted his head, “Humans comprise the majority of the citizenry, but more and more different peoples arrive in the city weekly. Surely you don’t expect all races to adopt Human customs?”

The question was met by silence, and Ryurarius eerie eyes blinked once lazily.

“Your animals, too, are your responsibility,” he continued. “As you have come through from the south, you will have seen a few of His Majesty’s Undead servitors on the bridge and in the harbour town: there are far more of them in the city. Your mounts may also show fearful or startled reactions at several of the predatory races here. This includes Dragons.”

A low murmur rose over the Paladins. Dragons were creatures that grew into vast strength over time, so they were best dispatched sooner rather than later. If they were counted among the Sorcerous Kingdom’s citizens, however, that meant that they were also protected by its laws…what happened if they flew to some distant place to pillage towns and caravans, using the Sorcerous Kingdom as a shield against retribution?

“Are there many Dragons?” Alessia asked.

“There are, mm…”

Ryurarius looked down at Florine.

“There were eighteen of them until recently,” she answered. “I believe a few more have joined us in the last month or so.”

“They arrive and depart regularly,” Ryurarius said, “so you will see them eventually if you stay here. Hmm…ah, yes: if you wish to report what you believe to be criminal activity, you may do so with the Undead officers at the militia posts all around the city. If you have any questions about the administration’s services or are interested in leasing His Majesty’s Undead, the administrative office in the central district is open at all hours of the day, every day. There are few restricted areas – only authorized persons may enter government offices and facilities, including the walls and sewers. On the conduct of temple staff…I believe your superior will address this.”

The Naga’s dry voice seemed to slither from subject to subject, and Marcus had to concentrate on his words to separate everything. The chamber was silent for a while before he realized that Ryurarius was finished. Alessia piped up again.

“Miss Florine said that you were a ‘senior of sorts’,” she noted. “What is the meaning of this?”

“This one once reigned as a sovereign over a modest portion of the forest,” Ryurarius answered with a thin smile. “This one was brought under His Majesty’s dominion before the Humans of these lands, so this should be her meaning?”

Their heads all turned to Florine, who shifted uncomfortably under their gazes.

“...who are you?” Lorenzo asked after a brief silence.

“Florine Kadia Dale Gagnier,” she replied, “Baroness of Gagnier.”

A murmur filled the hall at her answer, and it was stopping himself from goggling at her was all Marcus could do.

This was one of the nobles that their driver had mentioned? Considering how much praise had been heaped upon them, he had expected stern old matrons or bereaved wives unexpectedly inheriting titles and employing their decades of experience to achieve results similar to what had been seen in Corelyn County. A beautiful young woman – no, she was far from being counted as an adult in the Theocracy – was the furthest thought from his mind.

Marcus then realized that everything about her spoke of the fact that she was a Noble – from her appearance and elegant poise to her seamless grasp on administrative topics and overflowing charisma. Except…

“Domina,” Marcus asked curiously, “why did you introduce yourself in the previous manner?”

“Because it shouldn’t have mattered,” Baroness Gagnier replied, “and I decided that introducing myself as a member of the nobility would change how you received the content of this orientation. My authority as a Noble of the Sorcerous Kingdom – my titles, rights and privileges; my influence and wealth – only matter where they’re supposed to matter. I’ve fashioned this orientation to impress upon you, good Paladins, that rule of law reigns in the Sorcerous Kingdom. However, I believe that I’ve done your perception a disservice by expressing it the way that I did earlier. For this, you have my apologies.”

Marcus frowned as she lowered her head apologetically. What did she mean by this?

A subtle shift in her dulcet tones abruptly arrested his attention.

“Since I understand that you are to reside in our nation for an indeterminate period,” her amber gaze swept over the assembly, “allow me to be perfectly clear. While the laws practised here may seem familiar to those of other nations, the Sorcerous Kingdom is unlike any nation you have known.”

Like Marcus, the gazes of the Paladins across the room were riveted to her as she spoke. A faint warning sounded in the corner of his mind, alerting him to the fact that he was being influenced by a Skill or Ability. That warning, however, went unheeded as Baroness Gagnier continued to speak.

“First and foremost, our nation is a Kingdom. Unlike the other nations in the region where various factions, government departments and powerful organizations vie for influence, ours is one where the will of our sovereign is absolute. His Majesty’s will is conveyed through His Majesty’s laws and policies; authority flows down from His Majesty to all individuals invested with their specific duties and powers. When any government official – even a novice militia sentry standing watch over a village square – is occupying their post, they are ultimately acting to carry out His Majesty’s will. Ryurarius is an official of the Sorcerous Kingdom, and while we do possess a degree of patience for those that require time to adjust to the realities of our nation, understand that your current attitude towards him hovers on the edge of being an insult to His Majesty’s administration.”