Rastislav
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Arc 8 Chapter X: Of Militarism And Mercantilism
🕑 Added 2024-10-11 21:47:34 +0000 UTCA/n: Fret not my pretties, the excitement shall return soon enough!
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Titus, Maro, and Jukullus all looked quite frustrated as I relayed the abbreviated version of Jackal's report to him, the blatant cooperation between Leyawiin and the Dominion being quite obvious if one took a moment's time to look into the situation on any deeper level.
"We were aware the south was slowly slipping into their grip but this..." Commander Maro shakes his head with a disgusted look on his face.
My eyes narrow "You mean to tell me that you have no one in the city to gather such information?" Either he was incompetent or whoever protected the information of the city was actually worth a mention.
"Do not take me for a fool, Dagoth." The Commander of the Pennitus Occulatus doesn't quite growl but it is a close thing "I have sent multiple agents only to have them disappear the moment they attempt to send a report home. Every single time."
Considering the amount of manpower they need to keep the capital somewhat clean from enemy influence I am not even going to shit on him for that one "And what of insiders?"
"Same issue." His shoulders sag ever so slightly "Whoever they have guarding their interests is greatly skilled in subterfuge, and the Count still pays his taxes and keeps his books clean so we can't just barge in without an actual excuse."
"Sending a full open investigation into the city would cause all manner of chaos no doubt" Minthara interjects, already seeing the issue "Which would then allow the Thalmor to cry and moan about it and make other issues, and then there is the precedent of practically invading a city for everyone to see to worry about."
"Indeed." Titus nods "As you can see, our hands were quite tied for a long while now."
"Well I do believe the situation needs unfucking posthaste." I steeple my fingers in thought "I have some two weeks before the relief train heads to Morrowind and allowing Leyawiin's treachery and whatever is happening in Skingrad to continue would be..." I grimace "Annoying."
"An understatement if there ever was one." Titus notes dryly "Your expression tells me you already have a plan."
"A most cunning plan indeed." I lean in and begin explaining what Minthara and I agreed on last night, Maro's expression growing more and more incredulous with each word.
"Allow me to simplify this." The poor Commander voices tiredly "You wish to... infiltrate an immensely dangerous city, gather evidence on your lonesome, and then use said evidence to occupy the city with a band of adventurers and glory seekers, and worst of all the forces of another Count, who just happened to be nearby?"
"And find out whatever the golden bitch is doing and promptly ruin her day." I raise a finger "Can't forget that part."
"Yes." His professionalism cracks and he audibly sighs "How could I forget the part where you told me you wish to provoke a Daedra."
"Knowing how these things usually go, I have no doubts she is involved in the betrayal in some way." I shrug much to the poor man's growing headache "The ban of her worship in the heartlands has been in place ever since Alessia's Empire, any chance to regain an influence here she would take." And to annoy me of course but they did not need to know that.
"All fair points." Titus allows "And yet I find myself feeling quite dubious about having you infiltrate the city alone."
"Need I remind you I am both archmage and a champion of some skill?" I quirk an eyebrow and he, after a few moments of consideration, makes a shallow nod "Besides" I add "Who said I would be alone?"
"Greetings, meatbags." Akulakhan's voice rings out from the corner of the room, making Jukulus jump up in fright while the two Imperials reached for their swords on instinct.
"I do believe you were informed of my brainchild in Junia's reports, no?" I ask just a bit smugly as the trio glare at me and Minthara shakes her head in amused exasperation.
"Yes" Titus slowly removes his hand from what is obviously Goldbrand "Your prowess in the lost arts of the Dwemer has been marked as notable, but this..."
"My Master's artifice is beyond compare." Akulakhan states the fact "Be in awe, meatbags, for you have been permitted a glance at perfection."
Titus raises an eyebrow as if to say 'awfully sure of yourself, aren't you?' but does not voice it and instead turns back to me "And you are certain you will not be putting yourself, and our plans" Which was the more important part obviously "In danger?"
"Worst case scenario I just escape." I shrug "But I sincerely doubt it will come to that."
The Emperor of Tamriel sighs and twitches a signal for his Chancellor, who swiftly brings a bottle from a nearby shelf and pours him a drink "I am getting too old for this." Titus laments and downs the whole thing.
"I can feel your lifeforce old man." I grin at him and his hand stills "That cozy retirement will have to wait a while longer."
"Tsk."
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As much as I wanted to I wasn't going to be heading out for a while longer. Annoying as the fact was it would take Minthara, who had already left through the southern gate of the city under official orders by the Emperor himself, about two days to go and actually do her work, which meant I had at least a day before I had to head out.
Going to early would be wasting time after all, and it was better not to give too much warning to whatever Thalmor observer was assigned to watch over their investment.
Now one might find themselves wondering, why not simply flood the city with agents and have them gather all the proof Titus needs? Three reasons: 1, the city was protected to the point I would have to sacrifice multiple agents of impressive skill to get what I needed. 2 Meridia was there and she'd no doubt add to the casualties. 3 and most important of all, I wanted to give the golden bitch the finger and infiltrating a city seemed fun.
Jackal and his Mephalans would serve me far better by uncovering the apparent clusterfuck of civil unrest going on in Skingrad. The man hypothesized some kind of populist rebellion or one orchestrated to look as such but we were still somewhat reticent to just throw people at our problems so the infiltration would still take some time.
That I could feel very little from the city itself made me cautious to the point of mild paranoia.
My scheming was interrupted as I heard my two subjects knock my study's door "Enter."
Edrassa and Eldor shuffle in and take their seats.
"Have you managed it?" I ask.
"We have." Edrassa nods, mild annoyance tinging her tone "The merchant who agreed to the meeting previously attempted to gouge the price once he realized we worked for you but a few implied threats shut him up."
"Dumbass." Eldor rolls his eyes.
Not incorrect, we would do no business with someone so blatantly avaricious "His lack of wisdom is his own problem so long as it has no negative impact on our work." I point out lazily "How soon can you begin work?"
"Within three days." Eldor, being the more mercantile of the two, answers "It will take some time to move the product and spread rumors among the high spenders so opening it any sooner would be unwise. I have also contracted the town criers to spread the news throughout the city, they charged a premium but their reputation seems to be worth the price."
"Acceptable." I hum.
"My lord." Edrassa begins hesitantly "Is it truly... wise to sell our automatons to the heartlanders?"
A fair question, I raise an eyebrow "You feel my decision is wrong?"
She stills for a moment, her deep seated fear paralyzing her for a moment before she remembered we were long beyond such things and relaxed somewhat "Is it not risky to spread them so widely? A lot of our power comes from the monopoly on the automatons, even if that is somewhat diluted by selling so many to Skyrim."
"Your concerns would be valid." I allow patiently "If not for the fact that our power does not hinge on said monopoly. While the heartlanders may manage to copy the lesser designs I have chosen to be sold it would take them decades at the very least before they could begin production on any scale even close to rivalling our own."
I take a drag of my cigar and go on "And that is without mentioning the fact their quality would obviously be subpar at best and barely functioning at worst. I am the greatest enchanter on Nirn as of right now and am technically considered a Tonal Architect, to even imply that some s'wit from the Synod would be able to copy me would be hilariously funny if it were not so damn personally insulting."
She bows her head "Apologies."
"No need to fret over it" I wave her off "Caution is all well and good but at this point competition will just make us look better in comparison."
"That and having an active role in the economy will make those who buy our unique product far more amicable to our desires." Eldor adds while rubbing his hands "The poor fools will thank you for the convenience and happily sing off their loyalty so that they can get more."
"Which is why I have held back from selling military grade animunculi." I nod at him approvingly "Limited access to such... loyal warriors will be both a sign of prestige and influence, and will in turn bring us both."
I swear the damn goblin had septim marks in his eyes for a moment.
Feeling just about ready to dismiss the duo back to their duties, I suddenly remembered something and my eyes met Edrassa's "Have you finished compiling the forge blueprint? I may or may not have forgotten about it in the recent excitement."
Finally her empty expression shows some excitement as she straightens up "I have compiled all of the separate parts but the full construction will take me a few more weeks to perfect."
"Focus on that." I command easily "Eldor is obviously more interested in running the merchant branch and motivation is half the work."
Most people in her position would have considered this to be a form of demotion but I have long since tempered such idiocy out of my servants and she understood that she was not losing her position or influence just because there was someone better at a particular job.
Her skill at dwemertech was of a respectable low expert level already and demanding a new path from her would have been quite disingenuous seeing as I did put her on her current one myself.
It was still a missed opportunity, obviously, but not to the point of causing any consequential stress or tension.
Eldor did look like he had just won the lottery and found an investment opportunity at the same time, which wasn't wrong if one squinted real hard. I needed more Falmer in high positions anyway, what with me being their de facto King and all they needed the representation even if I was effectively running an autocracy.
An enlightened one yes, but I wasn't quite so cheeky as to call myself anything beside a dictator.
Finally dismissing the two, I cracked open the Aldmeri book on spirituality I got close to a year ago and began to read, my right hand snaking out to my quill and writing down notes for a plan so much more cunning than a mere infiltration.
Morrowind wouldn't know what hit it when I was done.
Comments
Speide Hardy
Thanks for the chapter
Rastislav
He is merely musing on it, running a democratic system would annoy him to near death.
Hyperion
So is Dagoth actually going to start a democracy and/or republic? Cause that would be absolutely awesome.
