Chapter 40
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It is true when they say that something as simple as a nice garden can work wonders for your nerves.
The scenery that opened in front of our protagonist was exactly that.
A beautiful garden.
Flowers lined a small path from a metal gate to the front door. The path was lined entirely with black and white flowers. The changing pattern of black to white and back to black created a very symmetrical picture that instantly calmed you down.
The perfect shapes of the flowers and the pattern flowed naturally into the dark gray path made of stone slabs.
Beyond the path, the garden was more on the wild side.
It did not look chaotic or disheveled but rather "natural". As if nature had taken the reins and created a perfect scene right from paradise. The trees were some 10 feet from the path and were laden with fruits. The leaves were bright orange and a nice brown, a clear indicator for the colder days to come.
The trees were placed in a field of grass and bushes. A few tall hedges were placed between the trees and reached an adults chest in hight.
Our protagonist was smitten by the scene. She did not know but ever since she first saw the wonderful scene of the emerald grass and flowers littered with the ruby shards of her "egg", she had taken a natural liking to everything that is related to nature. Flowers, grass, trees, and hedges all held an innate beauty in her eyes.
She felt...connected.
Madelyn was waiting a few steps away from the doorway. She had been the first one to step through and was waiting for her master to do so as well. She had placed herself so she could catch her in case she should experience discomfort.
She personally did not think that her master would have trouble with the doorway as her constitution and mental strength should be higher than a normal human.
But who knew? While she did not believe that something would happen she had to at least be prepared in case it did.
As she expected the girl simply stepped through the door and paused to appreciate the scene in front of her.
Her eyes were scouring the garden and lingered especially long on the symmetrical pattern on the path in front of her.
The metal gate placed before her, was embedded into the hedges on its side. The small support pillars were made of a dark green steel that was almost black. The only thing giving away its original green color were the occasional flashes of green reflected through the light hitting its surface.
As Madelyn noticed that there was no problem with her master, she went and opened the small gate. It barely reached her hips in hight and was more an accessory for the garden than a form of defense.
The gate swung open once her hand touched its cleanly polished surface and presented the completely unobstructed view on the path in front.
The path was not linear. The path winded its way through the garden until it reached the front door after some thirty meters.
Upon noticing Madelyn's gaze, our protagonist awoke from her fascinated thoughts and stepped on the few stairs below the doorway. The steps were made of a light red material interspaced with black dots on its surface. Moving down she walked up to the gate and Madelyn lead the way to the house.
They did not speak while they walked to the front door.
A somewhat common silence settled on them. They had both been quite stressed in the last hour.
One was overwhelmed by information and new experiences and one was still in conflict with herself.
The minute in which they slowly walked through the garden and silently appreciated the serene nature, with the occasional chirping of birds was more than appreciated.
But all good things end. Once they neared the front door, it was opened and the servant from before stepped out of the house. What followed her was an armada of the white-clothed females.
They had taken off their previously baggy clothes and were now dressed in various outfits.
Right now they did not wear exclusively white clothes and dressed in black, blue, green and red.
But they all wore a white transparent veil and something akin to a white scarf strapped over their shoulders to their hips.
Some of them still wore completely white but had still taken off the baggy clothes and exchanged them with more fitting clothes.
"Welcome back!!!"
Madelyn was happily greeted by all the women who poured out of the door. At the same time, they were curiously looking at the girl following their boss. While they all thought that she was very cute they were more interested to know who the small girl was.
There were very few people who their boss allowed inside her private residence.
Madelyn was smiling at all the women and girls in front of her,
"I'm back. It is nice to see that you're all in a happy mood. I have brought a guest so go prepare tea and something to eat. We will have a small party in the backyard once the sun is setting. So go! We have a lot to prepare!"
Madelyn was very happy to see all her "servants". For her, a better word would be family and friends.
The servant part was simply the way they presented the social structure of the organization to the outsiders and foreigners.
The group broke into giggles and cheers. Some were enthusiastically talking about how it has been a long time since they had a party. Some were now even more curious about the little girl. it was clear that the reason for the party was the little girl following their boss.
The way their boss carried herself was vastly different than she normally did. Normally she would radiate an aura of strength and authority even with her friends from the outside. A normal reaction due to her experiences in life and her cultivation. Even in front of them, she would normally have some aura of strength. Nothing oppressive a simple byproduct of cultivation.
In front of the little girl, there was nothing. She seemed..meek! Tame even!
It greatly surprised them all but it only further intensified their curiosity.
They had to know who she was!
Our protagonist was slightly confused. All those females were throwing her curious looks and she had yet to process what happened. She was unsure as to why she was so interesting to these people.
She may be smart and all but human interaction and social capabilities are not included in the heightened intelligence starter pack.
That's the job of her A.I. A prompt answer from the voice in her head cleared her confusion. It also advised her to prepare herself for the party later. It knew that its host would be stormed with curious women dying to know all about her. It also did not help that she's a cute eye-candy.
Women love cute stuff, at least most do and cuddling such a cute little girl was becoming more attractive by the second.
Madelyn broke the stand-off. On one side the hungry horde ready to pounce on the cute soft lamb and on the other side the sweating lamb all to clear on what was going on inside the hordes heads.
Clapping her hands the girls instantly scurried off to prepare the party and the refreshments for their boss.
Some went to get ingredients for a cake, barbecue, and other food. Some went to get alcohol and other drinks. Some went to get chairs and tables. Some organized some music and entertainment.
The word "small" was ignored and a full-blown party was set into motion.
While the girls were busy preparing the party, Madelyn had taken the girl into her private chambers.
They were currently sitting each on one side of a small tea table, comfortably waiting.
After a few minutes, two young women appeared. They were carrying small trays with teacups and a pot of tea. Some cookies were placed on a small plate and a tiny jar with honey with a small spoon was prepared for the girl.
They assumed that she would like her tea to be a bit sweeter.
"Thank you very much.", Madelyn thanked the two and they were about to leave.
"Thank you as well.", the girl followed suit and thanked the two women.
They turned around and slightly bowed to the girl, before leaving the room with resplendent smiles on their faces.
"I told you she'd be a cute one.", one of the women whispered while keeping her voice down.
Madelyn had heard it and had to suppress a small giggle. She was sure that the "cute girl" would be less than amused by being called cute.
Now that they had their tea they could start.
"I presume that Nomiki has introduced you to the city and some basic information but I will just tell you what I deem necessary. I might repeat some parts but they will be important.
First off, our location would be important.
This town or city is called [Rias]. It has been established on top of a small village that had previously been here. The location was chosen due to its close proximity to the Forest of Beasts and the surrounding kingdoms.
The town is placed on the outskirts of the kingdom of [Fiores]. It's a human country and rotten to the core. Normally they would have control of this city but due to my presence and its close proximity to the forest and the ensuing beast tides, they don't care about the city.
They willingly gave the organization of merchants and myself the rights to the city as long as we pay a small tribute. They thought this city was doomed but we invested and made it into what it is now.
We expected a much longer timeframe but we were surprised. Trading and the adventurers guild flourished.
And my hospital was one of its main attractions at the start. It is still one of the most important buildings here but now we have an extensive adventurers guild, a merchant guild, and various smaller guilds.
My hospital and apothecary can be described as the Kickstarter for our little prototype of a town.
Back then we had little resources and manpower. We made do with it but could have used some more. We financed ourselves by selling the local products of the forest to the neighboring kingdoms and I sold my expertise as a doctor to the rich and wealthy in those kingdoms.
Now people and merchants have to buy IN this town and have to come here if they want me or the hospital's service.
Once they come here they need a place to stay, might want to adventure a bit or go shopping.
That's how we started the town. Now we're at some thousands of inhabitants and have expanded our business. The representative of the adventurers guild offered a deal for guarded caravans into the neighboring kingdoms and we accepted.
But I'm drifting away from the general information.
I said that Fiores is rotten. The regent and officials have fallen into depravity and as far as I know, a rebellion is only a matter of time.
We will ignore all of that. In all honesty, we have supported the rebels for a long time now. They are made up of those officials who escaped framing and assassination and we are sure that they will be the better partner of cooperation.
Aside from that this city is surrounded by 3 kingdoms. We do not consider ourselves citizens of Fiores and are proud to be part of Rias. The other kingdoms surrounding this city are the kingdom of the elves to the east, the kingdom of [Asran Edhil].
It is named after its founder and first regent.
They are a very peaceful country but slightly introverted. They don't trade with everyone but once you earned their trust your profit is sure to rise massively. We trade herbs, various plants, and metals with them. In exchange, we get alcohol, medicine, and lesser magic artifacts. Some enchantments from time to time.
To the north, the [Union] has built its kingdom or republic. The Union is home to dwarves, gnomes, ents, dark elves and lizardmen. There are a lot of other races living there but it would be a lot to name them all.
They had to face discrimination in the growing human society and finally had enough. Roughly 120 years ago they founded their own kingdom and established a flourishing republic based on trade.
These races all have certain abilities and skills they excel in. Combining them with other races they have had an insane advance in science and magic in the last decades.
To the west, we have a giant mountain range that is like an extension from the Forest of Beasts. The mountain range is either more dangerous or harmless. The general population of monsters and beasts is almost 5 times smaller but some stronger beasts have taken residence there.
Behind this mountain range, the demon country is located. They call their nation by the name of [Mifodris]. Translated it would mean Bloodshed. The nation was home to warring clans and tribes for at least a few thousands of years before one clan gave birth to a naturally gifted demon who united 7 clans and dominated all other clans.
In a month-long conference between all clans, they organized a social structure for peaceful cooperation.
All over the Nation, fighting arenas were established for people to prove their strength and fight. Grieviances and simple arguments can be carried out here. To make sure that all is in order the clans build the [Overseer]. This organization is unbound and uncontrolled. The clans have no influence and the overseer are subject to the High Priest.
The High Priest is the representative of their Demon Lord. This Lord was a demon that was able to shed the shackles of mortality and transcended. It is said that he returned and is now watching over his former birthplace. The legend says that he was the one who guided their founder and regent so he could unite the nation.
This Demon Lord announces the High Priest every 25 years and till now he has always chosen a fair and just person and till now there has been no justified complaint about the High Priest or the Overseer.
Aside from these aspects, the "Demon" Country or Nation is actually very similar to other nations. They do trade with other countries and with us in particular but they are mostly ostracized due to the vast difference in anatomy and culture.
The rumors about them stealing little children to grill and eat them are simply rumors spread by some of the minor churches some hundreds of years ago. They persevered and have over time taken root in the minds of the common populace.
The rather scary appearance of the so-called Demons doesn't really help them much.
The mountain range dividing the borders is another hurdle that keeps them somewhat apart from the other countries.
The individual trade with us, on the other hand, is going very well. By using an underground tunnel system for half the way in our direction we were able to establish a somewhat rudimentary trade route and have since begun with the first interaction.
Till now we are still in discussion of a more defined trade agreement but it is looking good so far."
Madelyn took a moment to drink a few sips of her tea and regulate her breathing. She was still nervous. One might expect her to be calm given her strength, experience, and age but she found it hard to adapt to her current situation. She had to constantly think about how the not even a month old girl in front of her dictated her very being.
She knew that the girl had to be around that age since she knew that a Protoss has a very fast initial growth rate which will later depend on the child's intelligence, talent, affinity, and resources.
She was giving the girl some curious glances throughout her flood of information.
To her joy, the girl was fully focused on her words. She had feared that, despite her apparent intelligence, the girl would have childish traits like zoning out when being talked to, being unable to sit for prolonged time etc.
"Any questions for now?", Madely thought that it would be better for her to clarify anything the girl did not understand as soon as possible.
"...For now, I'd only like to know the basic information about the surrounding territories. This town is ruled by you and those merchants. What about the surrounding land? Any nobles, lords etc?"
Taking a last sip from her tea Madelyn waited for the girl to take a bite from the cookies and nearly laughed aloud when her face warped into bliss from the sweet taste of chocolate and vanilla.
"Ahmm. You are right. The surrounding parts are divided between three different nobles.
They are two older men and one woman and these parts are more of a dumb for exiled nobles than a real territory.
The surrounding area is, as I said, often overrun by beasts and has to deal with rather infertile soil and poor rain.
All these factors make this part of the kingdom rather undesirable. It is part of the reason why we were able to acquire it as easy as we did.
Anyway. The nobles are [Earl Mirat], [Countess Menar], and the [Margrave von Holms].
Earl Mirat and Countess Menar are very easy neighbors. We trade with them and have a non-aggression pact with them. From time to time we have common projects and have no trouble with each other.
The sole problem in this corner of the kingdom is Margrave von Holms. Normally the crown "banishes" nobles who have fallen from grace and have angered them here.
The Margrave is different.
The Margrave is one of the few who really deserves the title of "rotten piece of shit". He is the definition of a Fioren Noble and is deep into the slavery business.
He was not banished near Rias but wanted to be sent here. Once he arrived he hired former bandits and mercenaries for his private army and fortified the borders of his fief. His citizens are forced into labor and HIS economy is booming. The citizens are not compensated with money but with food and other products. While that is no problem in and of itself he build a slavery system and frequently has his army scour his land for beautiful girls and strong men to sell to other parts of the kingdom.
He is smart and calculative as evident from his decision to be sent into this rathole. He is the perfect mix of calculative and intelligent as well as brutal and decisive.
The Earl is the opposite. He cares for his citizen and makes sure to keep them safe. He furthermore invests into schools and builds orphanages.
The Countess is a lesser version of the Earl. She does her job and keeps the population safe but doesn't concern herself with the basic problems and keeps to herself. She is still upset about the story that caused her to be banished to this place."
As it seems, Madelyn has reached the end of her short overview of the region and is waiting for further questions.
The girl is currently nibbling on one of the chocolate cookies and lost in her thoughts. She is trying to compare the situation of the region with some of the memories in her inheritance.
During Madelyn's short speech, she gave her A.I the task to search for information related to whatever Madelyn said.
The answer is quite concerning. That Margrave von Holms is a threat considering his habit of abducting women and men. She was sure that he probably tried to send some of his bandits into the other territories to "procure" more goods. She would bet that some conflicts ensued and will happen.
"Are there any armed conflicts with that Margrave?", the question was rather important. Armed conflicts would mean that the situation is on the border of escalating. And it gives rise to another question.
"And what about conflicts between nobles? As far as I know, the territory belongs to the crown and she basically lends it to the nobles. Does she interfere with these conflicts or does she just spectate?"
"She doesn't interfere. At least as long as no personal interest is threatened. Here in such a backwater place, the crown could not care less about what happens. Even if we started a full-blown war between our fiefs the capital would not care. I for my part think that the Margrave is actually supported by the crown and is intent on taking over Rias and the surrounding areas.
Simply taking it from the lords would cause some unrest among the other nobles so they use the Margrave.
But thankfully we had a talk with the Countess and the Earl about that theory and the Countess would be more than happy to kill the crown's dogs to alleviate her ang*Knock*Knock*
*Knock*Knock*
Turning their heads they both looked at the door.
Madelyn was scrunching her brows. She was sure that the others new that she had an important guest. They knew that she should not be interrupted.
"Please excuse me.", offering an apology to her, now, master, she told the person on the other side to enter.
As the door opened they saw Mina with a rather distressed face.
"What's the matter?", Madelyn could see that whatever happened was important enough for Mina to lose her cool.
"Please excuse my intrusion, Milady. We have received a letter from the Earl as well as the Countess! They report of strange sightings near the borders of the forest. As far as their scouts can assess the situation we are faced with a soon to come beast tide!"
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
It is true when they say that something as simple as a nice garden can work wonders for your nerves.
The scenery that opened in front of our protagonist was exactly that.
A beautiful garden.
Flowers lined a small path from a metal gate to the front door. The path was lined entirely with black and white flowers. The changing pattern of black to white and back to black created a very symmetrical picture that instantly calmed you down.
The perfect shapes of the flowers and the pattern flowed naturally into the dark gray path made of stone slabs.
Beyond the path, the garden was more on the wild side.
It did not look chaotic or disheveled but rather "natural". As if nature had taken the reins and created a perfect scene right from paradise. The trees were some 10 feet from the path and were laden with fruits. The leaves were bright orange and a nice brown, a clear indicator for the colder days to come.
The trees were placed in a field of grass and bushes. A few tall hedges were placed between the trees and reached an adults chest in hight.
Our protagonist was smitten by the scene. She did not know but ever since she first saw the wonderful scene of the emerald grass and flowers littered with the ruby shards of her "egg", she had taken a natural liking to everything that is related to nature. Flowers, grass, trees, and hedges all held an innate beauty in her eyes.
She felt...connected.
Madelyn was waiting a few steps away from the doorway. She had been the first one to step through and was waiting for her master to do so as well. She had placed herself so she could catch her in case she should experience discomfort.
She personally did not think that her master would have trouble with the doorway as her constitution and mental strength should be higher than a normal human.
But who knew? While she did not believe that something would happen she had to at least be prepared in case it did.
As she expected the girl simply stepped through the door and paused to appreciate the scene in front of her.
Her eyes were scouring the garden and lingered especially long on the symmetrical pattern on the path in front of her.
The metal gate placed before her, was embedded into the hedges on its side. The small support pillars were made of a dark green steel that was almost black. The only thing giving away its original green color were the occasional flashes of green reflected through the light hitting its surface.
As Madelyn noticed that there was no problem with her master, she went and opened the small gate. It barely reached her hips in hight and was more an accessory for the garden than a form of defense.
The gate swung open once her hand touched its cleanly polished surface and presented the completely unobstructed view on the path in front.
The path was not linear. The path winded its way through the garden until it reached the front door after some thirty meters.
Upon noticing Madelyn's gaze, our protagonist awoke from her fascinated thoughts and stepped on the few stairs below the doorway. The steps were made of a light red material interspaced with black dots on its surface. Moving down she walked up to the gate and Madelyn lead the way to the house.
They did not speak while they walked to the front door.
A somewhat common silence settled on them. They had both been quite stressed in the last hour.
One was overwhelmed by information and new experiences and one was still in conflict with herself.
The minute in which they slowly walked through the garden and silently appreciated the serene nature, with the occasional chirping of birds was more than appreciated.
But all good things end. Once they neared the front door, it was opened and the servant from before stepped out of the house. What followed her was an armada of the white-clothed females.
They had taken off their previously baggy clothes and were now dressed in various outfits.
Right now they did not wear exclusively white clothes and dressed in black, blue, green and red.
But they all wore a white transparent veil and something akin to a white scarf strapped over their shoulders to their hips.
Some of them still wore completely white but had still taken off the baggy clothes and exchanged them with more fitting clothes.
"Welcome back!!!"
Madelyn was happily greeted by all the women who poured out of the door. At the same time, they were curiously looking at the girl following their boss. While they all thought that she was very cute they were more interested to know who the small girl was.
There were very few people who their boss allowed inside her private residence.
Madelyn was smiling at all the women and girls in front of her,
"I'm back. It is nice to see that you're all in a happy mood. I have brought a guest so go prepare tea and something to eat. We will have a small party in the backyard once the sun is setting. So go! We have a lot to prepare!"
Madelyn was very happy to see all her "servants". For her, a better word would be family and friends.
The servant part was simply the way they presented the social structure of the organization to the outsiders and foreigners.
The group broke into giggles and cheers. Some were enthusiastically talking about how it has been a long time since they had a party. Some were now even more curious about the little girl. it was clear that the reason for the party was the little girl following their boss.
The way their boss carried herself was vastly different than she normally did. Normally she would radiate an aura of strength and authority even with her friends from the outside. A normal reaction due to her experiences in life and her cultivation. Even in front of them, she would normally have some aura of strength. Nothing oppressive a simple byproduct of cultivation.
In front of the little girl, there was nothing. She seemed..meek! Tame even!
It greatly surprised them all but it only further intensified their curiosity.
They had to know who she was!
Our protagonist was slightly confused. All those females were throwing her curious looks and she had yet to process what happened. She was unsure as to why she was so interesting to these people.
She may be smart and all but human interaction and social capabilities are not included in the heightened intelligence starter pack.
That's the job of her A.I. A prompt answer from the voice in her head cleared her confusion. It also advised her to prepare herself for the party later. It knew that its host would be stormed with curious women dying to know all about her. It also did not help that she's a cute eye-candy.
Women love cute stuff, at least most do and cuddling such a cute little girl was becoming more attractive by the second.
Madelyn broke the stand-off. On one side the hungry horde ready to pounce on the cute soft lamb and on the other side the sweating lamb all to clear on what was going on inside the hordes heads.
Clapping her hands the girls instantly scurried off to prepare the party and the refreshments for their boss.
Some went to get ingredients for a cake, barbecue, and other food. Some went to get alcohol and other drinks. Some went to get chairs and tables. Some organized some music and entertainment.
The word "small" was ignored and a full-blown party was set into motion.
While the girls were busy preparing the party, Madelyn had taken the girl into her private chambers.
They were currently sitting each on one side of a small tea table, comfortably waiting.
After a few minutes, two young women appeared. They were carrying small trays with teacups and a pot of tea. Some cookies were placed on a small plate and a tiny jar with honey with a small spoon was prepared for the girl.
They assumed that she would like her tea to be a bit sweeter.
"Thank you very much.", Madelyn thanked the two and they were about to leave.
"Thank you as well.", the girl followed suit and thanked the two women.
They turned around and slightly bowed to the girl, before leaving the room with resplendent smiles on their faces.
"I told you she'd be a cute one.", one of the women whispered while keeping her voice down.
Madelyn had heard it and had to suppress a small giggle. She was sure that the "cute girl" would be less than amused by being called cute.
Now that they had their tea they could start.
"I presume that Nomiki has introduced you to the city and some basic information but I will just tell you what I deem necessary. I might repeat some parts but they will be important.
First off, our location would be important.
This town or city is called [Rias]. It has been established on top of a small village that had previously been here. The location was chosen due to its close proximity to the Forest of Beasts and the surrounding kingdoms.
The town is placed on the outskirts of the kingdom of [Fiores]. It's a human country and rotten to the core. Normally they would have control of this city but due to my presence and its close proximity to the forest and the ensuing beast tides, they don't care about the city.
They willingly gave the organization of merchants and myself the rights to the city as long as we pay a small tribute. They thought this city was doomed but we invested and made it into what it is now.
We expected a much longer timeframe but we were surprised. Trading and the adventurers guild flourished.
And my hospital was one of its main attractions at the start. It is still one of the most important buildings here but now we have an extensive adventurers guild, a merchant guild, and various smaller guilds.
My hospital and apothecary can be described as the Kickstarter for our little prototype of a town.
Back then we had little resources and manpower. We made do with it but could have used some more. We financed ourselves by selling the local products of the forest to the neighboring kingdoms and I sold my expertise as a doctor to the rich and wealthy in those kingdoms.
Now people and merchants have to buy IN this town and have to come here if they want me or the hospital's service.
Once they come here they need a place to stay, might want to adventure a bit or go shopping.
That's how we started the town. Now we're at some thousands of inhabitants and have expanded our business. The representative of the adventurers guild offered a deal for guarded caravans into the neighboring kingdoms and we accepted.
But I'm drifting away from the general information.
I said that Fiores is rotten. The regent and officials have fallen into depravity and as far as I know, a rebellion is only a matter of time.
We will ignore all of that. In all honesty, we have supported the rebels for a long time now. They are made up of those officials who escaped framing and assassination and we are sure that they will be the better partner of cooperation.
Aside from that this city is surrounded by 3 kingdoms. We do not consider ourselves citizens of Fiores and are proud to be part of Rias. The other kingdoms surrounding this city are the kingdom of the elves to the east, the kingdom of [Asran Edhil].
It is named after its founder and first regent.
They are a very peaceful country but slightly introverted. They don't trade with everyone but once you earned their trust your profit is sure to rise massively. We trade herbs, various plants, and metals with them. In exchange, we get alcohol, medicine, and lesser magic artifacts. Some enchantments from time to time.
To the north, the [Union] has built its kingdom or republic. The Union is home to dwarves, gnomes, ents, dark elves and lizardmen. There are a lot of other races living there but it would be a lot to name them all.
They had to face discrimination in the growing human society and finally had enough. Roughly 120 years ago they founded their own kingdom and established a flourishing republic based on trade.
These races all have certain abilities and skills they excel in. Combining them with other races they have had an insane advance in science and magic in the last decades.
To the west, we have a giant mountain range that is like an extension from the Forest of Beasts. The mountain range is either more dangerous or harmless. The general population of monsters and beasts is almost 5 times smaller but some stronger beasts have taken residence there.
Behind this mountain range, the demon country is located. They call their nation by the name of [Mifodris]. Translated it would mean Bloodshed. The nation was home to warring clans and tribes for at least a few thousands of years before one clan gave birth to a naturally gifted demon who united 7 clans and dominated all other clans.
In a month-long conference between all clans, they organized a social structure for peaceful cooperation.
All over the Nation, fighting arenas were established for people to prove their strength and fight. Grieviances and simple arguments can be carried out here. To make sure that all is in order the clans build the [Overseer]. This organization is unbound and uncontrolled. The clans have no influence and the overseer are subject to the High Priest.
The High Priest is the representative of their Demon Lord. This Lord was a demon that was able to shed the shackles of mortality and transcended. It is said that he returned and is now watching over his former birthplace. The legend says that he was the one who guided their founder and regent so he could unite the nation.
This Demon Lord announces the High Priest every 25 years and till now he has always chosen a fair and just person and till now there has been no justified complaint about the High Priest or the Overseer.
Aside from these aspects, the "Demon" Country or Nation is actually very similar to other nations. They do trade with other countries and with us in particular but they are mostly ostracized due to the vast difference in anatomy and culture.
The rumors about them stealing little children to grill and eat them are simply rumors spread by some of the minor churches some hundreds of years ago. They persevered and have over time taken root in the minds of the common populace.
The rather scary appearance of the so-called Demons doesn't really help them much.
The mountain range dividing the borders is another hurdle that keeps them somewhat apart from the other countries.
The individual trade with us, on the other hand, is going very well. By using an underground tunnel system for half the way in our direction we were able to establish a somewhat rudimentary trade route and have since begun with the first interaction.
Till now we are still in discussion of a more defined trade agreement but it is looking good so far."
Madelyn took a moment to drink a few sips of her tea and regulate her breathing. She was still nervous. One might expect her to be calm given her strength, experience, and age but she found it hard to adapt to her current situation. She had to constantly think about how the not even a month old girl in front of her dictated her very being.
She knew that the girl had to be around that age since she knew that a Protoss has a very fast initial growth rate which will later depend on the child's intelligence, talent, affinity, and resources.
She was giving the girl some curious glances throughout her flood of information.
To her joy, the girl was fully focused on her words. She had feared that, despite her apparent intelligence, the girl would have childish traits like zoning out when being talked to, being unable to sit for prolonged time etc.
"Any questions for now?", Madely thought that it would be better for her to clarify anything the girl did not understand as soon as possible.
"...For now, I'd only like to know the basic information about the surrounding territories. This town is ruled by you and those merchants. What about the surrounding land? Any nobles, lords etc?"
Taking a last sip from her tea Madelyn waited for the girl to take a bite from the cookies and nearly laughed aloud when her face warped into bliss from the sweet taste of chocolate and vanilla.
"Ahmm. You are right. The surrounding parts are divided between three different nobles.
They are two older men and one woman and these parts are more of a dumb for exiled nobles than a real territory.
The surrounding area is, as I said, often overrun by beasts and has to deal with rather infertile soil and poor rain.
All these factors make this part of the kingdom rather undesirable. It is part of the reason why we were able to acquire it as easy as we did.
Anyway. The nobles are [Earl Mirat], [Countess Menar], and the [Margrave von Holms].
Earl Mirat and Countess Menar are very easy neighbors. We trade with them and have a non-aggression pact with them. From time to time we have common projects and have no trouble with each other.
The sole problem in this corner of the kingdom is Margrave von Holms. Normally the crown "banishes" nobles who have fallen from grace and have angered them here.
The Margrave is different.
The Margrave is one of the few who really deserves the title of "rotten piece of shit". He is the definition of a Fioren Noble and is deep into the slavery business.
He was not banished near Rias but wanted to be sent here. Once he arrived he hired former bandits and mercenaries for his private army and fortified the borders of his fief. His citizens are forced into labor and HIS economy is booming. The citizens are not compensated with money but with food and other products. While that is no problem in and of itself he build a slavery system and frequently has his army scour his land for beautiful girls and strong men to sell to other parts of the kingdom.
He is smart and calculative as evident from his decision to be sent into this rathole. He is the perfect mix of calculative and intelligent as well as brutal and decisive.
The Earl is the opposite. He cares for his citizen and makes sure to keep them safe. He furthermore invests into schools and builds orphanages.
The Countess is a lesser version of the Earl. She does her job and keeps the population safe but doesn't concern herself with the basic problems and keeps to herself. She is still upset about the story that caused her to be banished to this place."
As it seems, Madelyn has reached the end of her short overview of the region and is waiting for further questions.
The girl is currently nibbling on one of the chocolate cookies and lost in her thoughts. She is trying to compare the situation of the region with some of the memories in her inheritance.
During Madelyn's short speech, she gave her A.I the task to search for information related to whatever Madelyn said.
The answer is quite concerning. That Margrave von Holms is a threat considering his habit of abducting women and men. She was sure that he probably tried to send some of his bandits into the other territories to "procure" more goods. She would bet that some conflicts ensued and will happen.
"Are there any armed conflicts with that Margrave?", the question was rather important. Armed conflicts would mean that the situation is on the border of escalating. And it gives rise to another question.
"And what about conflicts between nobles? As far as I know, the territory belongs to the crown and she basically lends it to the nobles. Does she interfere with these conflicts or does she just spectate?"
"She doesn't interfere. At least as long as no personal interest is threatened. Here in such a backwater place, the crown could not care less about what happens. Even if we started a full-blown war between our fiefs the capital would not care. I for my part think that the Margrave is actually supported by the crown and is intent on taking over Rias and the surrounding areas.
Simply taking it from the lords would cause some unrest among the other nobles so they use the Margrave.
But thankfully we had a talk with the Countess and the Earl about that theory and the Countess would be more than happy to kill the crown's dogs to alleviate her ang*Knock*Knock*
*Knock*Knock*
Turning their heads they both looked at the door.
Madelyn was scrunching her brows. She was sure that the others new that she had an important guest. They knew that she should not be interrupted.
"Please excuse me.", offering an apology to her, now, master, she told the person on the other side to enter.
As the door opened they saw Mina with a rather distressed face.
"What's the matter?", Madelyn could see that whatever happened was important enough for Mina to lose her cool.
"Please excuse my intrusion, Milady. We have received a letter from the Earl as well as the Countess! They report of strange sightings near the borders of the forest. As far as their scouts can assess the situation we are faced with a soon to come beast tide!"
It is true when they say that something as simple as a nice garden can work wonders for your nerves.The scenery that opened in front of our protagonist was exactly that.A beautiful garden.Flowers lined a small path from a metal gate to the front door. The path was lined entirely with black and white flowers. The changing pattern of black to white and back to black created a very symmetrical picture that instantly calmed you down.The perfect shapes of the flowers and the pattern flowed naturally into the dark gray path made of stone slabs.Beyond the path, the garden was more on the wild side.It did not look chaotic or disheveled but rather "natural". As if nature had taken the reins and created a perfect scene right from paradise. The trees were some 10 feet from the path and were laden with fruits. The leaves were bright orange and a nice brown, a clear indicator for the colder days to come.The trees were placed in a field of grass and bushes. A few tall hedges were placed between the trees and reached an adults chest in hight.Our protagonist was smitten by the scene. She did not know but ever since she first saw the wonderful scene of the emerald grass and flowers littered with the ruby shards of her "egg", she had taken a natural liking to everything that is related to nature. Flowers, grass, trees, and hedges all held an innate beauty in her eyes.She felt...connected.Madelyn was waiting a few steps away from the doorway. She had been the first one to step through and was waiting for her master to do so as well. She had placed herself so she could catch her in case she should experience discomfort.She personally did not think that her master would have trouble with the doorway as her constitution and mental strength should be higher than a normal human.But who knew? While she did not believe that something would happen she had to at least be prepared in case it did.As she expected the girl simply stepped through the door and paused to appreciate the scene in front of her.Her eyes were scouring the garden and lingered especially long on the symmetrical pattern on the path in front of her.The metal gate placed before her, was embedded into the hedges on its side. The small support pillars were made of a dark green steel that was almost black. The only thing giving away its original green color were the occasional flashes of green reflected through the light hitting its surface.As Madelyn noticed that there was no problem with her master, she went and opened the small gate. It barely reached her hips in hight and was more an accessory for the garden than a form of defense.The gate swung open once her hand touched its cleanly polished surface and presented the completely unobstructed view on the path in front.The path was not linear. The path winded its way through the garden until it reached the front door after some thirty meters.Upon noticing Madelyn's gaze, our protagonist awoke from her fascinated thoughts and stepped on the few stairs below the doorway. The steps were made of a light red material interspaced with black dots on its surface. Moving down she walked up to the gate and Madelyn lead the way to the house.They did not speak while they walked to the front door.A somewhat common silence settled on them. They had both been quite stressed in the last hour.One was overwhelmed by information and new experiences and one was still in conflict with herself.The minute in which they slowly walked through the garden and silently appreciated the serene nature, with the occasional chirping of birds was more than appreciated.But all good things end. Once they neared the front door, it was opened and the servant from before stepped out of the house. What followed her was an armada of the white-clothed females.They had taken off their previously baggy clothes and were now dressed in various outfits.Right now they did not wear exclusively white clothes and dressed in black, blue, green and red.But they all wore a white transparent veil and something akin to a white scarf strapped over their shoulders to their hips.Some of them still wore completely white but had still taken off the baggy clothes and exchanged them with more fitting clothes."Welcome back!!!"Madelyn was happily greeted by all the women who poured out of the door. At the same time, they were curiously looking at the girl following their boss. While they all thought that she was very cute they were more interested to know who the small girl was.There were very few people who their boss allowed inside her private residence.Madelyn was smiling at all the women and girls in front of her,"I'm back. It is nice to see that you're all in a happy mood. I have brought a guest so go prepare tea and something to eat. We will have a small party in the backyard once the sun is setting. So go! We have a lot to prepare!"Madelyn was very happy to see all her "servants". For her, a better word would be family and friends.The servant part was simply the way they presented the social structure of the organization to the outsiders and foreigners.The group broke into giggles and cheers. Some were enthusiastically talking about how it has been a long time since they had a party. Some were now even more curious about the little girl. it was clear that the reason for the party was the little girl following their boss.The way their boss carried herself was vastly different than she normally did. Normally she would radiate an aura of strength and authority even with her friends from the outside. A normal reaction due to her experiences in life and her cultivation. Even in front of them, she would normally have some aura of strength. Nothing oppressive a simple byproduct of cultivation.In front of the little girl, there was nothing. She seemed..meek! Tame even!It greatly surprised them all but it only further intensified their curiosity.They had to know who she was!Our protagonist was slightly confused. All those females were throwing her curious looks and she had yet to process what happened. She was unsure as to why she was so interesting to these people.She may be smart and all but human interaction and social capabilities are not included in the heightened intelligence starter pack.That's the job of her A.I. A prompt answer from the voice in her head cleared her confusion. It also advised her to prepare herself for the party later. It knew that its host would be stormed with curious women dying to know all about her. It also did not help that she's a cute eye-candy.Women love cute stuff, at least most do and cuddling such a cute little girl was becoming more attractive by the second.Madelyn broke the stand-off. On one side the hungry horde ready to pounce on the cute soft lamb and on the other side the sweating lamb all to clear on what was going on inside the hordes heads.Clapping her hands the girls instantly scurried off to prepare the party and the refreshments for their boss.Some went to get ingredients for a cake, barbecue, and other food. Some went to get alcohol and other drinks. Some went to get chairs and tables. Some organized some music and entertainment.The word "small" was ignored and a full-blown party was set into motion.While the girls were busy preparing the party, Madelyn had taken the girl into her private chambers.They were currently sitting each on one side of a small tea table, comfortably waiting.After a few minutes, two young women appeared. They were carrying small trays with teacups and a pot of tea. Some cookies were placed on a small plate and a tiny jar with honey with a small spoon was prepared for the girl.They assumed that she would like her tea to be a bit sweeter."Thank you very much.", Madelyn thanked the two and they were about to leave."Thank you as well.", the girl followed suit and thanked the two women.They turned around and slightly bowed to the girl, before leaving the room with resplendent smiles on their faces."I told you she'd be a cute one.", one of the women whispered while keeping her voice down.Madelyn had heard it and had to suppress a small giggle. She was sure that the "cute girl" would be less than amused by being called cute.Now that they had their tea they could start."I presume that Nomiki has introduced you to the city and some basic information but I will just tell you what I deem necessary. I might repeat some parts but they will be important.First off, our location would be important.This town or city is called Rias. It has been established on top of a small village that had previously been here. The location was chosen due to its close proximity to the Forest of Beasts and the surrounding kingdoms.The town is placed on the outskirts of the kingdom of Fiores. It's a human country and rotten to the core. Normally they would have control of this city but due to my presence and its close proximity to the forest and the ensuing beast tides, they don't care about the city.They willingly gave the organization of merchants and myself the rights to the city as long as we pay a small tribute. They thought this city was doomed but we invested and made it into what it is now.We expected a much longer timeframe but we were surprised. Trading and the adventurers guild flourished.And my hospital was one of its main attractions at the start. It is still one of the most important buildings here but now we have an extensive adventurers guild, a merchant guild, and various smaller guilds.My hospital and apothecary can be described as the Kickstarter for our little prototype of a town.Back then we had little resources and manpower. We made do with it but could have used some more. We financed ourselves by selling the local products of the forest to the neighboring kingdoms and I sold my expertise as a doctor to the rich and wealthy in those kingdoms.Now people and merchants have to buy IN this town and have to come here if they want me or the hospital's service.Once they come here they need a place to stay, might want to adventure a bit or go shopping.That's how we started the town. Now we're at some thousands of inhabitants and have expanded our business. The representative of the adventurers guild offered a deal for guarded caravans into the neighboring kingdoms and we accepted.But I'm drifting away from the general information.I said that Fiores is rotten. The regent and officials have fallen into depravity and as far as I know, a rebellion is only a matter of time.We will ignore all of that. In all honesty, we have supported the rebels for a long time now. They are made up of those officials who escaped framing and assassination and we are sure that they will be the better partner of cooperation.Aside from that this city is surrounded by 3 kingdoms. We do not consider ourselves citizens of Fiores and are proud to be part of Rias. The other kingdoms surrounding this city are the kingdom of the elves to the east, the kingdom of Asran Edhil.It is named after its founder and first regent.They are a very peaceful country but slightly introverted. They don't trade with everyone but once you earned their trust your profit is sure to rise massively. We trade herbs, various plants, and metals with them. In exchange, we get alcohol, medicine, and lesser magic artifacts. Some enchantments from time to time.To the north, the Union has built its kingdom or republic. The Union is home to dwarves, gnomes, ents, dark elves and lizardmen. There are a lot of other races living there but it would be a lot to name them all.They had to face discrimination in the growing human society and finally had enough. Roughly 120 years ago they founded their own kingdom and established a flourishing republic based on trade.These races all have certain abilities and skills they excel in. Combining them with other races they have had an insane advance in science and magic in the last decades.To the west, we have a giant mountain range that is like an extension from the Forest of Beasts. The mountain range is either more dangerous or harmless. The general population of monsters and beasts is almost 5 times smaller but some stronger beasts have taken residence there.Behind this mountain range, the demon country is located. They call their nation by the name of Mifodris. Translated it would mean Bloodshed. The nation was home to warring clans and tribes for at least a few thousands of years before one clan gave birth to a naturally gifted demon who united 7 clans and dominated all other clans.In a month-long conference between all clans, they organized a social structure for peaceful cooperation.All over the Nation, fighting arenas were established for people to prove their strength and fight. Grieviances and simple arguments can be carried out here. To make sure that all is in order the clans build the Overseer. This organization is unbound and uncontrolled. The clans have no influence and the overseer are subject to the High Priest.The High Priest is the representative of their Demon Lord. This Lord was a demon that was able to shed the shackles of mortality and transcended. It is said that he returned and is now watching over his former birthplace. The legend says that he was the one who guided their founder and regent so he could unite the nation.This Demon Lord announces the High Priest every 25 years and till now he has always chosen a fair and just person and till now there has been no justified complaint about the High Priest or the Overseer.Aside from these aspects, the "Demon" Country or Nation is actually very similar to other nations. They do trade with other countries and with us in particular but they are mostly ostracized due to the vast difference in anatomy and culture.The rumors about them stealing little children to grill and eat them are simply rumors spread by some of the minor churches some hundreds of years ago. They persevered and have over time taken root in the minds of the common populace.The rather scary appearance of the so-called Demons doesn't really help them much.The mountain range dividing the borders is another hurdle that keeps them somewhat apart from the other countries.The individual trade with us, on the other hand, is going very well. By using an underground tunnel system for half the way in our direction we were able to establish a somewhat rudimentary trade route and have since begun with the first interaction.Till now we are still in discussion of a more defined trade agreement but it is looking good so far."Madelyn took a moment to drink a few sips of her tea and regulate her breathing. She was still nervous. One might expect her to be calm given her strength, experience, and age but she found it hard to adapt to her current situation. She had to constantly think about how the not even a month old girl in front of her dictated her very being.She knew that the girl had to be around that age since she knew that a Protoss has a very fast initial growth rate which will later depend on the child's intelligence, talent, affinity, and resources.She was giving the girl some curious glances throughout her flood of information.To her joy, the girl was fully focused on her words. She had feared that, despite her apparent intelligence, the girl would have childish traits like zoning out when being talked to, being unable to sit for prolonged time etc."Any questions for now?", Madely thought that it would be better for her to clarify anything the girl did not understand as soon as possible."...For now, I'd only like to know the basic information about the surrounding territories. This town is ruled by you and those merchants. What about the surrounding land? Any nobles, lords etc?"Taking a last sip from her tea Madelyn waited for the girl to take a bite from the cookies and nearly laughed aloud when her face warped into bliss from the sweet taste of chocolate and vanilla."Ahmm. You are right. The surrounding parts are divided between three different nobles.They are two older men and one woman and these parts are more of a dumb for exiled nobles than a real territory.The surrounding area is, as I said, often overrun by beasts and has to deal with rather infertile soil and poor rain.All these factors make this part of the kingdom rather undesirable. It is part of the reason why we were able to acquire it as easy as we did.Anyway. The nobles are Earl Mirat, Countess Menar, and the Margrave von Holms.Earl Mirat and Countess Menar are very easy neighbors. We trade with them and have a non-aggression pact with them. From time to time we have common projects and have no trouble with each other.The sole problem in this corner of the kingdom is Margrave von Holms. Normally the crown "banishes" nobles who have fallen from grace and have angered them here.The Margrave is different.The Margrave is one of the few who really deserves the title of "rotten piece of shit". He is the definition of a Fioren Noble and is deep into the slavery business.He was not banished near Rias but wanted to be sent here. Once he arrived he hired former bandits and mercenaries for his private army and fortified the borders of his fief. His citizens are forced into labor and HIS economy is booming. The citizens are not compensated with money but with food and other products. While that is no problem in and of itself he build a slavery system and frequently has his army scour his land for beautiful girls and strong men to sell to other parts of the kingdom.He is smart and calculative as evident from his decision to be sent into this rathole. He is the perfect mix of calculative and intelligent as well as brutal and decisive.The Earl is the opposite. He cares for his citizen and makes sure to keep them safe. He furthermore invests into schools and builds orphanages.The Countess is a lesser version of the Earl. She does her job and keeps the population safe but doesn't concern herself with the basic problems and keeps to herself. She is still upset about the story that caused her to be banished to this place."As it seems, Madelyn has reached the end of her short overview of the region and is waiting for further questions.The girl is currently nibbling on one of the chocolate cookies and lost in her thoughts. She is trying to compare the situation of the region with some of the memories in her inheritance.During Madelyn's short speech, she gave her A.I the task to search for information related to whatever Madelyn said.The answer is quite concerning. That Margrave von Holms is a threat considering his habit of abducting women and men. She was sure that he probably tried to send some of his bandits into the other territories to "procure" more goods. She would bet that some conflicts ensued and will happen."Are there any armed conflicts with that Margrave?", the question was rather important. Armed conflicts would mean that the situation is on the border of escalating. And it gives rise to another question."And what about conflicts between nobles? As far as I know, the territory belongs to the crown and she basically lends it to the nobles. Does she interfere with these conflicts or does she just spectate?""She doesn't interfere. At least as long as no personal interest is threatened. Here in such a backwater place, the crown could not care less about what happens. Even if we started a full-blown war between our fiefs the capital would not care. I for my part think that the Margrave is actually supported by the crown and is intent on taking over Rias and the surrounding areas.Simply taking it from the lords would cause some unrest among the other nobles so they use the Margrave.But thankfully we had a talk with the Countess and the Earl about that theory and the Countess would be more than happy to kill the crown's dogs to alleviate her ang*Knock*Knock**Knock*Knock*Turning their heads they both looked at the door.Madelyn was scrunching her brows. She was sure that the others new that she had an important guest. They knew that she should not be interrupted."Please excuse me.", offering an apology to her, now, master, she told the person on the other side to enter.As the door opened they saw Mina with a rather distressed face."What's the matter?", Madelyn could see that whatever happened was important enough for Mina to lose her cool."Please excuse my intrusion, Milady. We have received a letter from the Earl as well as the Countess! They report of strange sightings near the borders of the forest. As far as their scouts can assess the situation we are faced with a soon to come beast tide!"
