Valkyrie's Shadow

Chapter 5

“It looks like someone got here before us.”

“It looks like a whole lotta people got here before us,” Liane sourly retorted. “Hey, isn’t that Zu Chiru?”

Liane grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her in the general direction of Zu Chiru. Ludmila rolled her eyes before leading her friends over to meet him. The Quagoa Merchant was at a nearby stand, gesticulating with a claw as he interacted with a Human and two Gao over a pile of animal hides.

『I’m surprised Zu Chiru was the first one to come out.』

『Why is that?』

『Well, look at him. He’s small and fluffy and this place is full of giant cats and dogs.』

『He’s a Mole Beastman, not a mole. Plus, it shouldn’t be all that surprising. Quagoa fur is as strong as plate armour and they mostly live underground. They wouldn’t have a natural fear of Rol’en’gorek’s Beastmen.』

“Why do you stare at Zu Chiru?”

“Zu Chiru did not,” the Quagoa Merchant answered. “Zu Chiru rolled halfway here.”

“He’s used to being treated as a living ball,” Ilyshn’ish said. “Batting him around is quite cathartic.”

Ludmila wasn’t sure if she wanted to explore the implications of the Frost Dragon’s statement. She wasn’t given the chance to with her friends crowding in on Zu Chiru.

“Whatcha find?” Liane asked.

“This market is strange,” Zu Chiru answered. “Many different stalls, but not proportional to clan inventories.”

“Ah, that’s because they’re trying to showcase all the different things they have,” Liane said. “There’s only so much space in the market, yeah?”

Zu Chiru scratched his chest, his rodent-like nose pointing into the air as he studied his surroundings.

“But is that not misleading?”

“Not if people understand what’s going on,” Liane replied. “You having some kinda problem?”

“No, no problem,” Zu Chiru turned his attention back to the stall. “Just finished dealing with these three. They had many hides to trade.”

The Quagoa Merchant produced a vellum scroll as he spoke and offered it to Liane. Ludmila looked over Liane’s shoulder as she unfurled it, furrowing her brow as she examined the details of the trade. It was partially written in Draconic, but the trade itself was scribed according to Merchant Guild standards.

“This is a lot of hides,” Liane said. “Where did you get all the grain to trade for this?”

“Zu Chiru kept some contracts. Price was good; thought might be useful elsewhere.”

“Hmm…so the hides are going to the tribes in the Sorcerous Kingdom?”

“Yes. They say there is great shortage of hides now. Does Wagner Clan know why?”

“Sorta. The reason is kinda weird and you don’t have to worry about it.”

『What hide shortage is he referring to?』

『The one caused by the mystery meat.』

『Mystery meat?』

『Yeah, you know, the emergency provisions that the Royal Court can somehow always come up with. Like those fish with no bones or organs.』

『Ah…』

She knew about what Liane was referring to, but she hadn’t considered the wider implications. During her visit to the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Ludmila discovered that many similar phenomena occurred. Normally, when one hunted or foraged for resources – say, felled a deer – various ‘products’ resulted. Not only was there meat, but also fat, blood, bone, antler, cartilage, internal organs, and so on. Those in turn could go to artisans such as cooks, tanners, jewellers, smiths, and alchemists. řÄƝő𝖇Ěʂ

In the Great Tomb of Nazarick, however, a ‘resource’ was only ever one thing. For instance, a berry bush growing in a ‘node’ in the realm of Lady Aura and Lord Mare only produced berries. Its flowers and leaves couldn’t be harvested to make tea or medicine, nor could its branches be burned as fuel. A tree grown for the purpose of being harvested for lumber was only that. Its sap couldn’t be collected to make syrup nor its resin turned into pitch. Leaves, bark, and roots effectively didn’t exist the moment the tree was cut down. It simply became ‘wood’, which in turn was processed into wood products which Nazarick’s denizens had ‘recipes’ for.

The ‘mystery meat’ that Liane referred to followed the same ‘logic’. It was meat generated by something and thus only served as meat. The other materials that normally came with hunting and butchering an animal didn’t exist. In hindsight, it made sense that anyone who became dependent on the Sorcerous Kingdom’s emergency provisions ended up suffering from shortfalls related to their strange and arbitrary form.

Perhaps strangest of all was that Nazarick’s denizens didn’t recognise it as strange. If anything, it was the fact that things weren’t the case outside of Nazarick that was strange to them. Not that it prevented them from taking advantage of how things worked on the ‘outside’. Indeed, many of the experiments that Lord Mare and Lady Aura were conducting in Warden’s Vale were related to just that.

“You didn’t clean them out, did you?” Liane asked.

“We can procure much more through our trade channels,” the Human Merchant answered. “I would be more than happy to take your orders right now.”

“We’ll mention it to Master Leeds,” Liane said. “Speaking of which, it looks like he’s comin’ back out.”

『I should take care of some other things while you three negotiate.』

『What ‘other things’?』

『I left a ship full of my subjects at the port, for one. There’s also Count Zorlu and Count Carillo.』

『What are you going to tell ‘em?』

『What else can I tell them? They’ll come up here on their own, eventually.』

『What are you going to tell ‘em?』

Ludmila frowned down at Liane. Liane frowned up at Ludmila.

『Well, at least get us back to that platform. I don’t feel like getting trampled any more than necessary.』

With a long sigh, Ludmila made her way through the crowded market. It wasn’t as if she was knocking down Beastmen left and right to clear a path for them. Master Leeds and his aides lowered their heads as they rejoined them on the observation platform.

“Do you have any further questions for us, Master Leeds?” Clara asked.

“A few, my lady,” the Guildmaster answered, “but we should naturally arrive at them over the course of our discussion.”

“Very well,” Clara said. “Let us continue. Lady Xoc will be hosting a banquet this evening and I hope we’ll make some favourable progress before then.”

Master Leeds’ gaze went to Ludmila as she turned to leave.

“Will you not all be joining us?” He asked.

“We’ve left our ships and their occupants unattended for several hours now,” Clara answered. “Those occupants came to observe and interact with the people of Rol’en’gorek, so Baroness Zahradnik is going to bring those who are ready to disembark.”

“Are there any objections to this?” Ludmila asked.

“Not at all,” the Guildmaster answered. “Everyone’s welcome.”

Ilyshn’ish fell into step beside her as she made her way out of the market square.

『Are you sure you don’t want to attend the negotiations?』

『This place has been all about economic activity for months. I was hoping you’d pursue something other than that.』

『To be honest, I came here with distinct economic objectives in mind, but Master Leeds does nothing but annoy me with his one-sided presentation.』

『It does seem like something you wouldn’t fancy. The way things are going around here, however, makes it look like the locals have accepted the change that Master Leeds champions as necessary.』

『I can’t say whether it is or isn’t without learning more about what’s going on. All I’ve heard is that the grazing cycle of Rol’en’gorek’s herds has been disrupted, leading to a disruption in the Beastmen’s food supply.』

『The flooding only affects the lowlands. It seems that the traditional way of dealing with food shortages is sending extra mouths away. Conveniently, it just so happens that there are escalating border conflicts to send those extra mouths to.』

That was one solution for food shortages that Humans didn’t resort to. It generally didn’t cross their minds that they could eat their neighbours or die trying. Instead, they just fought amongst themselves for resources.

Would it be strange to consider that as a Human disadvantage?

It likely was. While Humans or other species whose societies had similar values might claim what they considered the moral high ground, the reality was that Rol’en’gorek’s approach consolidated its excess population and pointed it at its competitors. Success meant access to more land and resources through migration or military expansion. Failure meant fewer mouths to feed, which in turn reduced the chance of chaos breaking out at home.

Of course, that only worked if the target wasn’t overwhelmingly more powerful. Or did it? Other races didn’t necessarily have anything remotely resembling Human values. For all she knew, powerful countries elsewhere might simply consider it a natural sequence of events or even a source of sustenance to be harnessed.

『My concern is that this appeal to necessity is facilitating the unfiltered adoption of technology, industry, and customs. What works in the Draconic Kingdom for Humans isn’t necessarily good for the Beastmen of Rol’en’gorek.』

『I believe the elders of Ocelo Pa’chan voiced the same concerns just before you arrived.』

『I don’t think I’ve seen any of these elders…』

『They were the group present in Xoc’s court when your party was introduced. They’re usually out and about advising community members, mediating conflicts, and maintaining the lore and traditions of the clan.』

『Where can I find them now?』

『There are always a few of them loitering around the court.』

With her friends focused on trade, it would be prudent to provide a more balanced perspective by speaking with the clan elders. Unfortunately, convincing the Royal Court that her findings were in any way relevant to their assignment might be difficult. As far as the king’s cabinet was concerned, Rol’en’gorek was first and foremost an opportunity for economic gain. They cared little, if at all, for outsiders, so allowing the Guilds to reshape Rol’en’gorenk to their liking was merely an expedient way to achieve the Sorcerous Kingdom’s objectives in the eyes of the Royal Court.

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Ludmila leaned over the railing of the lift as it lowered them to the river port. More people were milling about on the ship’s main deck than before and some had even joined Chief Esses and Chief Gan Zu on the wharf. The two chiefs were chatting with a few of the dockworkers as she came up behind them.

“I hope you’re not interfering with their work,” Ludmila said.

The Demihumans in front of her started in unison.

“O-Of course not,” Chief Gan Zu said. “I was just curious if these people were related to Gnolls in some way…”

Ludmila’s gaze went to the group of dockworkers, who consisted of three Lup and two Gao. While they possessed a set of superficial similarities, those on their own didn’t prove any relation.

“…and?”

“It turns out that they don’t even know what a Gnoll is,” the Orc Chief chuckled nervously. “The world is more vast than I could have ever imagined.”

“The Beastmen in the central parts of the jungle aren’t exposed to any races but their own,” Ludmila said. “You may have better luck asking those dwelling in their borderlands.”

“Are we going somewhere?”

“Yes, but not that far,” Ludmila replied. “Since trade negotiations are well underway, I thought it would be a good opportunity to bring our people ashore. Have the mystics finished examining all of the passengers?”

Chief Esses turned an eye to Csersch, who nodded in response.

“We detected no new symptoms,” the Lizardman Druid said. “I can’t promise it will remain that way, though. Not only does moving from place to place carry the risk of exposing one to new illnesses, but this jungle is filled with things that can easily transmit diseases to the soft-skinned.”

“Do Orcs count as ‘soft-skinned’?” Chief Gan Zu asked.

“In this case, yes,” Csersch answered. “Your thick hides and layers of fat and muscle may protect you from physical blows, but biting and burrowing insects can still get through.”

“We’ll issue a general advisory to the people,” Ludmila said. “I’m sure everyone will take it seriously after what happened yesterday.”

While no Beastmen greeted them upon their entry into the jungle, plenty of other things did. Within half a day of sailing across the border, over a dozen different ailments plagued the ship’s passengers. It took the rest of the day for the Demihuman mystics to bring things under control and barely anyone wanted to go outside after that.

“I need to check on a few things onboard,” Ludmila said. “Please gather your elders in the meantime.”

“Just the elders?” Chief Esses asked.

“Anyone who wishes to come along may do so,” Ludmila answered. “Our hosts are preparing a feast for us this evening. We should at least have each side’s leadership meet with one another before then.”

She scaled the ship’s gangway and scanned through the people loitering on the main deck. Not finding who she was looking for, she descended into the barge’s bowels, where she found the delegation’s remaining aristocrats seated around a table in the lounge. Count Carillo gave her a single look before releasing a resigned sigh.

“So you were the only survivor. I suppose that’s to be expected.”

“The others are conducting negotiations as planned,” Ludmila replied. “I came to inform you of a surprising discovery. It appears that the Pa’chan Clan has over a hundred Humans from the Draconic Kingdom living in one of their clanhold’s quarters.”

Count Carillo and Count Zorlu rose to their feet with incredulous looks.

“How can this be?” Count Zorlu said, “The Beastmen never take prisoners. Victims of their raids are brutally butchered and consumed with no survivors.”

“That may be the truth as you know it,” Ludmila said, “but we saw what we saw.”

“For how long have they been here?” Count Carillo asked, “What is their condition? How are they being treated?”

“According to both Lady Xoc and the Humans we’ve spoken with,” Ludmila answered, “They were citizens of Rivergarden during the occupation. I don’t know the exact date, but they sold themselves into slavery not long before the Sorcerous Kingdom started its campaign to reclaim the Draconic Kingdom.”

“That’s quite the timing,” Count Carillo said.

“They signed themselves into slavery?” Count Zorlu furrowed his brow, “Why would they do such a thing?”

“It was at the prompting of a foreign visitor,” Ludmila replied. “A Nar from the Beastman Confederacy, if accounts are to be believed.”

“The Beastman Confederacy? As in the Beastman Confederacy?”

“My knowledge of the wider world is limited,” Ludmila said, “so I only know of one place that claims the name. At any rate, the Beastman occupiers were running low on food and this visitor proposed to save the Humans by having Lady Xoc take them back with her as slaves.”

Count Zorlu crossed his arms, the furrow on his brow deepening even further.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” he said. “Why would this visitor want to save Humans at the expense of other Beastmen?”

“There must at least be some merit to the suggestion,” Count Carillo added.

“To begin with,” Ludmila told them, “it isn’t guaranteed that someone will use race to determine things, even if it is their own. Humans have plenty of disagreements and conflicts with one another despite being of a single race. As for merit, the slaves are members of various guilds and their families. They’ve been sharing the knowledge of their respective crafts as well as introducing a number of concepts that are novel to the Beastmen.”

“I’m not so sure how I feel about that,” Count Zorlu said. “The Beastmen are a problem enough with just teeth, claws, and rocks.”

“They’re no longer a ‘problem’ for the Draconic Kingdom,” Ludmila noted.

“Perhaps not,” the Marshal replied, “but they have other neighbours. I cannot imagine they would be pleased to learn of any advancements gained by the Beastmen due to our people. We may even be considered an accessory to their actions.”

Emmad Zorlu’s stance was understandable considering he was a scion of Eastwatch. However, it wasn’t the best outlook to openly display considering their current objectives in Rol’en’gorek.

“I’m wary of this…collaboration for other reasons,” Ludmila said. “As I mentioned, these Human slaves are members of the Guilds. They seem more than happy to spread the knowledge of their craft and the systems that they favour. Knowledge without understanding is often disastrous for all parties involved.”

“So you’re worried about the Beastmen?” Count Carillo arched an eyebrow.

“Their circumstances may differ, but the realities involved are not dissimilar to what the various tribes absorbed by the Sorcerous Kingdom now face.”

“Well, I can’t say for sure what the Draconic Kingdom’s stance on this will be,” the shorter nobleman said. “We must first inform our Queen of what has happened here. Are you able to facilitate correspondence with Oriculon?”

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Ludmila said. “Based on the distance, delivering a letter should take a day at worst.”

“Then we should get to writing one,” Count Carillo said.

How would Queen Oriculus respond to the news? Her current posture was one of reconciliation with the Draconic Kingdom’s long-time nemesis, so Ludmila wasn’t particularly worried about undesirable reactions. What bothered her was the fact that both the Beastmen and Master Leeds’ people still believed that the Draconic Kingdom had been overrun by the Undead. She and her friends still hadn’t figured out how to untangle that particular act of deception yet.

And here I thought it was such a good idea…

It was, given what they knew at the time. Unfortunately, that didn’t extricate the Sorcerous Kingdom from its role in exterminating millions of Beastmen using an army of the Undead.

Count Carillo and Count Zorlu disappeared into their quarters, leaving Nemel Gran alone at their table. The imperial scion shifted slightly under Ludmila’s gaze.

“You’re coming with us,” Ludmila said.

“I-I am?”

“I brought you to meet the people here, and so we shall.”

“I still don’t understand the reasoning behind that, my lady,” Nemel said. “I’m not anything special: I’m just a silly girl from the imperial heartland.”

“I happen to value the perspective of someone from the imperial heartland,” Ludmila told her. “You also help govern an area that many different races call home, so the experience should be useful.”

Considering the Empire’s expansionary trajectory, knowing how those raised in Baharuth culture perceived and reacted to the societies of races outside the Human sphere of influence was particularly valuable. It would be some time before General Ray’s Sixth Army Group – which had learned some harsh lessons on its initial foray into what they considered the frontier – reformed itself into a proper expeditionary force. In that time, Ludmila sought a way to sway the Empire from its traditional methods of expansion to something more amenable to the Sorcerous Kingdom’s domestic policies.

As Nemel went to prepare herself for the outing, Ludmila checked on the Nar cub in Florine and Liane’s quarters. She frowned as he opened one eye to watch her from where he was curled up on the bed, but didn’t otherwise react.

How has Florine been raising him?

Her friend had fully taken over the care of the cub partway through her assignment in the Abelion Hills, so Ludmila figured she had found a suitable environment to raise him in. However, as the young of a predatory species went, he seemed uncharacteristically docile.

“I’m ready, my lady.”

Ludmila turned to find Nemel adorned for travel in inclement weather. Considering the hot and humid environment of Rol’en’gorek, it didn’t look very comfortable.

“Don’t you think you’re a bit overdressed for the occasion?” Ludmila asked.

“I don’t think anyone could be overdressed for this place,” Nemel answered. “Didn’t you see that wasp that attacked Nob? It was as long as my leg and nearly carried him away! Even the flies are the size of a fist around here.”

“Only a handful of insects are that large,” Ludmila said.

“Even a handful is too much,” Nemel replied. “I’ve prepared spells and brought wands for self-defence, as well.”

The imperial scion parted her mantle to display a set of wands holstered on each hip.

“Are those for the bugs or the Beastmen?” Ludmila asked.

“Yes, my lady.”

Ludmila shook her head as they ascended to the main deck. The Goblins scattered around the ship immediately noted their appearance and gathered around Nemel.

“Go?” Nob asked.

“Go!” Another Goblin said.

“Go!”

“Go!”

“Go!”

The sound of spears clashing against shields filled the air as the Goblins danced around them. One could have easily mistaken the activity as the prelude to a raid instead of a – presumably – friendly visit.

“Are they allowed to come?” Nemel asked.

“Of course,” Ludmila answered. “Just make sure they behave themselves.”

“I’ll try, my lady.”

Ludmila watched in bemusement as Nemel marched her column of Goblins down the gangplank to the wharf. The nearby Beastmen didn’t seem to know what to make of the scene.

“Is everyone here?” Ludmila asked as she joined her subjects on the wharf.

“We went to gather the elders,” Chief Esses answered, “but it turned out everyone wanted to go.”

“There should be enough space for everyone,” Ludmila answered, “though it may take a while to get everyone to the top.”

The lift could accommodate Nemel and her Goblins easily enough, but the other groups required several trips to make it to the top. Ludmila idly watched the Beastmen working the treadwheels, wondering how strenuous the task of operating the lift was.

“What should we expect from this meeting with Clan Pa’chan’s elders?” Chief Gan Zu asked.

“I was actually hoping you might have a better idea,” Ludmila answered. “They were completely silent in our introductions to Lady Xoc.”

“Are their elders even the same as ours?”

“‘Elder’ refers to the wealth of knowledge and experience one possesses and the value such an individual has to society,” Ludmila replied. “I can’t imagine their elders are fundamentally much different from yours or anyone else’s.”

The Orc Chief crossed his arms and wrinkled his porcine snout in thought.

“What you say may be true,” Chief Esses said from beside him, “but our elders have never had discussions with the elders of other races. With those of other Lizardman tribes, yes, but never anyone beyond that.”

“Is that true of the Gan Zu Tribe, as well?” Ludmila asked.

“The answer is not so simple. Our elders and those of other Abelion tribes count powerful warriors and hunters amongst their number. As we raid and are raided, I can’t say that those elders don’t come into contact with the elders of other tribes. In fact, it’s quite likely given the position of honour they hold.”

“But that contact is never peaceful.”

“Generally not.”@@novelbin@@

“In that case,” Ludmila said, “consider the relationship between the Winterscale and Gan Zu. Establishing something similar with the Pa’chan would be ideal.”

“Are they also to be your subjects?” Chief Esses asked.

“No,” Ludmila answered. “They’re simply prospective trade partners for now, but I’d still like for everyone to get along.”

A small crowd of curious onlookers formed in the nearby courtyards and between the buildings by the time the lift finished its work. Humans, apparently, were no longer a novel sight in the clanhold. Ludmila eyed the Lizardmen and Orcs as they reacted warily to the attention.

“How do you feel?” She asked.

“Like I should attack them before they attack me first,” Chief Gan Zu answered.

“I want to go home,” said Chief Esses.

At least it isn’t solely Humans who feel that way.

The tension in the air slowly faded as they left the crowd behind. It immediately returned when two burly Ocelo stepped forward to bar their way to the topmost terrace.

“What is your business here?” One of them demanded, “This is not a place for trade.”

“There is far more to life than trade,” Ludmila replied. “We’re here to speak with your elders.”

“We’ve heard nothing about this.”

“That’s because nothing’s been said about it,” Ludmila said. “And under the Guildmaster’s guidance, I doubt anything of the sort would have ever been scheduled.”

Several moments passed in silence before one of the guards turned to ascend the stairs. Several minutes later, he returned.

“The elders will see you,” he said. “But be warned: our warriors will be watching you and your people closely.”

“As you should,” Ludmila said.

She allowed herself a slight smile as she stepped between the two Beastmen. It had been a long time since a guard hadn’t instantly capitulated to her while she represented the Sorcerous Kingdom.