Chapter 6: Chapter 6 Hobo
"Are they following me yet?" Arno said as he was walking down a long corridor that was decorated to the bream with different colours and shapes that were pleasant to the eyes.
[No, your Majesty.] But Arno did not have the time and capability to admire the work of art that was on the wall.
[Take a left in about four steps from now, your Majesty.] As he had just been called to attend a Royal-Level Safety Breach meeting which was not a small thing in the slightest. From Arno's memories, news of this event would need to be given to every member of the Von Moore family as well as the Federation.
But to give a good perspective on how important these types of meetings are. All the most influential people in the Barony, not even the city, are going to be there. The movers and the shakers of the Barony that have the power to decided whether anybody lives or dies in the Barony is going to be there.
And to make it worse, one or all of them(expect Arno) might die depending on how this meeting goes.
However despite the gravity of the situation, all Arno could think about was…
"'Your Majesty', seriously?" He asked as he followed Guide's instructions to the tee."I mean I get, the whole 'Milord' and 'Sir' thing you were doing before, but 'Your Majesty', C'mon that's a bit much?"
[ I am only addressing you with the title that suits a man of your stature, Your Majesty.]
"But 'Your Majesty' though? I will even take Your Highness, not 'Your Majesty'." Arno was not used to this type of reverence. The only time he came close to it was when he was supposed to act like a Nigerian Chieftain for an infiltration mission, of course he did not like that he had to get his hands dirty and worse yet, he couldn't speak any Nigerian language to save his life.
[After 5 steps take a right.]
[ And yes, Your Majesty is very suiting.]
" Can I get a second option?" But what really made him uncomfortable was the reverence that was shown to him, even if he promised the other party cheaper minerals. The unnecessary ass-kissing had a lasting effect on his psyche.
Ass-kissers are dangerous.
As he almost blew his cover from all the sweet-talking, which eventually caused him to be scared of people being too nice or formal with him.
[ I could call you Tenshi-sama(the son of heaven). If you would like, Your Majesty.] But Guide did not care about his plight, and only wished to fulfil his duty.
[ We have arrived.]
"No need, Your Majesty will be fine." Arno thought to himself as he released a huge sigh, while staring at a huge door with Von Moore Household guards at both sides.
"Whose wife must I f#ck for someone to open the door?" Arno asked as he looked at the guards, who as stoic as ever opened the door without missing a heartbeat.
"So it was your wife, tell her she needs to work on her pleasuring. Less teeth next time would be appreciated." He said as he stared at one of the guards before walking into a room whose walls were covered by Household guards standing guard waiting for any order given to them.
And in the centre of these men stood a table made out of marble. Which was surrounded by a mixed match of people sitting on chairs or miniature thrones as their intricate designs and interesting colours made it hard for anyone to call them chairs. But the reason why they were called miniature was because of the throne in the middle like Jesus' last supper with his disciples.
With its grandeur appearance and size. It made it hard to consider the others in the same light as the throne. That was currently being sat on by a man who looked like somebody forced their grandfather to come to the meeting as he seemed like he would wither away at any moment.
"Your Highness, I am glad you have graced us with your presence." A familiar voice distracted Arno from the scene he was seeing. As the old man talked with the other on the seats. Two women and four men.
"Vas, why is this old hobo on my throne?" Arno asked Vas who stood up to greet him, thus grabbing the attention of the people at the table.
"Your Highness, it would seem that you are quite lively today." Another voice that was accompanied by a chuckle, this one coming from the old man, was heard by Arno.
" Vas, who is permitted to sit on the royal throne?" Arno asked without even taking the time to look into the direction of the second voice.
"Uhhm, Your Highness and Court Chaplain Hagar would be permitted to sit on the throne." Vas said, not sure the reason why his Lord would ask such an obvious question.
Seeing that he was being ignored caused the Court Chaplain to clench his fist, but a quick nudge from the person sitting next to him caused him to let go and resume his happy-go-lucky demeanour.
"In fact, I was permitted by you to sit on the royal throne because of my aching back." He said with a smile.
"And usually?" But Arno ignored him like he was a passerby ignoring a hobo, who was begging for money. Arno just carried on staring at Vas, waiting for the answer.
"Ahem" Vas nervously cleared his throat and said, " Usually, members of the royal noble family would sit on the royal throne."
"So when has the Hagar family been a royal noble family?"
~Silence~
After what Arno asked, the silence was loud, even Vas could not say a thing as the implications of anything said after that would be catastrophic. As the Hagar were a viscount family that served under the Von Moore noble royal family. Hardly worthy of royal status awarded to all core members of the Federation. The mere suggestion of them having one, would be laughable or start a civil war.
"Or does the Hagar family wish to have a royal status?"
And immediately after hearing that question, the Von Moore household guards drew out their swords and began to treat Court Chaplain Furum in a similar manner as they did Elm.
With his face pressed against the table, while a sword was against his neck. Startling the rest of the members of the council. Who said nothing out of fear that they would receive the same treatment.
"Your…Highness…" Furum tried to say while five household held him down. " Surely you jest,... I have long cut my ties with the Hagar family… and even… then…you know I would never do such a thing as try to take your place. Let alone the Von Moore noble royal family."
In all honesty, with Furum being a Grade-Silver Sorcerer he could easily free himself from these household guards who were late-stage Squires at best. However that would be him admitting that he and his family planned to commit the highest form of treason in the Federation. Which would have him and his family tortured for months, if not years before they would be executed. A thought that did not sit well with him.
"Mhmm…" Arno hummed as he walked closer to the old man to see him eye to eye and said, "Oh of course I jest. The Hagar are loyal, not as loyal as our household dogs. But loyal nonetheless."
And of course Arno did not forget to tap on one of the guards when he said 'household dogs'. As he then proceeded to walk to an empty miniature throne that was near a window. Which was closed by the household guards.
"Release him" Arno said as he slouched on the miniature throne.
To which the household guards proceed to let go of Furum. And go back to their posts like nothing happened.
But to the people at the table something did happen. A show of force that's what happened. While most of the people in the room thought of Lord Arno as a screw up, however even a screw up would get mad if you tried to kill him. And what they saw just then was him telling them that even a member of the Church, a silver rank sorcerer, is not safe if they are responsible for the assassination attempt. Then and there a chill ran at the back of their spine.
But at the back of Arno's head was…
"Why did you say he looks like a hobo?!"
[Me calling him a hobo for sitting on your throne is me being lenient, I should have called him a threat. So that Hanzo's Shadows could deal with him.]
" I just call a member of the church a hobo!, Fu#k!! they won't send a Ghost squad for such a thing, right?" Arno thought to himself while having a very disinterested face, as if he was bored.
…
After that the household guards let go of Furum, he then proceeded to fix his robes that had been dishevelled and sat down on the throne. And waited for the meeting to proceed.
"Now that everyone in the Carter council has graced us with their presence," A woman whose red entari had intricate roc designs that spoke of her high standing while not diminishing her sex appeal in the slightest as the entari seemed to be slightly tighter in the right place, stood up and said. " I would like to formally inform all those in attendance that the city has had a Royal-Level Safety Breach and that all council/staff personnel are now under investigation until this issue can be resolved. But until then I would like to give Steward Vas the chance to explain the happenings of that night."
No one was shocked when they heard they were under investigation as it was standard procedure, especially with Arno's earlier stunt showing the severity of the situation. So after the woman made her statement no one said anything to protest. Allowing her to sit down and look at Vas, waiting for his statement detailing the events that caused a Royal-Level Safety Breach to be announced.
" Thank you Chancellor Sicilar, now ladies and gentlemen of the council I have reason to believe that an attempt on Lord Arno's life was made yesterday night through means of poison…"
"Poison?!, and you did not sense it?" Asked a buff man with no yelek* or cepken* on, just a salvar. Nothing else.
"No, I did not, unfortunately. But thankful through means I have not been able to discern, Lord Arno survived the ordeal." Vas said with a smirk on his face, pleased that his Lord may live another day.
" Wait, that would mean his Highness survived a poison concocted by a Bronze Alchemist at the very least. Are you sure this was poison and not some new alcoholic beverage his Highness couldn't handle?" Furum asked, seeming to find it hard to believe that any Bronze-level Alchemist would do something so stupid as make poison for anyone in this city.
"I am certain, I had Heins investigate the contents of His Highness' drink. And they can confirm that it was poisoned." Vas said while giving out copies of papers containing the safety breach as well as the findings of Heins,
However he did not do this because he needed to, but mostly to stop the council from constantly debriefing him. Their continuous questions were getting tiresome.
"You mobilised Heins without my authorization?"
However, tiresome or not, they would not stop as the buff man asked another question. But this time something in the air did not feel right. Vas began to smell something he was quite familiar with, better yet they all began to smell something they were familiar with.
"Seriously bloodlust, are you not showing your cards too early?" Vas thought to himself as he watched the room tense up thanks to his foolish colleague.
"Of course I did, this is a Royal-Level Safety Breach, is it not Marshal Gurd?" Vas gave a reply without being perturbed at all by Gurd's display of power. Which to him was nothing more than a tantrum you would expect from a child.
But Gurd not seeing the outcome he wanted caused him to enhance his pressure to the point that it felt like Vas was carrying ten men on his shoulder, causing the miniature throne to shake as the pressure began to affect it as well.
" Yes Steward Vas it is, but you mobilised Heins before his Highness announced the Royal-Level Safety Breach. Meaning you should have came to me for authorization before mobilising Heins, as it is protocol."
"Wait I did not announce anything, what the f#ck is going on." Is what Arno wanted to say out loud, but he knew that it would not be in his best interest.
"And risk letting the culprit cleaning up the evidence, no thank you." Vas said still unphased as his eye began to glow bronze too and the same weight was applied on Gurd. "Or would it have benefitted you if they did?"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!?!" Gurd roared as he stood up with a bronze sickle-shaped sword called a khopesh that materialised in his hand. Ready to strike down Vas at that very moment.
However, despite his age, Vas was not going to allow someone to strike him down that easily as he also stood up and materialised a bronze thin, light sharp-pointed sword called a rapier. Waiting for Gurd to make the first move. To which Gurd did.
"ENOUGH, YOU ARE IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS HIGHNESS, IF YOU CONTINUE TO CONDUCT YOURSELF IN THIS MANNER I CAN GUARANTEE THE CONSEQUENCES WILL BE FAR FROM PLEASANT."
But before Gurd could even land an attack on Vas, they began to feel as if a hundred men where weighing him down. Which, despite his tolerance to others pressures, caused a lot of discomfort to him. Momentarily stopping him from striking his enemy down, however thankfully for him his prey seemed to be facing the same dilemma. As Vas' feet seemed to be entrapped into the ground.
"She has gotten stronger." Gurd thought to himself after seeing such a display of power.
As Chancellor Sicilar eyes was glowing a bronze light as well, seeming dead set on to stop them from disgracing themselves in front of their lord. Or at least that's what the story was.
Which caused Gurd to dispel his khopesh as well as his aura and take a more "civilised" stance.
"My apologies for the rude display, Your Highness." Gurd said, as he faced Arno and took a slight bow to a man who seemed to be half asleep as his eyes were closed while the whole ordeal was happening. But he still needed to apologise especially with the Household guards and Chancellor Sicilar ready to slit his throat if he didn't.
"I lost my composure to a Sand fox and for that I apologise." But they shouldn't expect him to start acknowledging an Unitsoek.
"My apologies as well your Highness, I should have never let my emotions and personal grievances cloud my judgement."
And Vas seeing the situation, did the same. While not bringing himself to do such petty things like sneak jabs at his opponent. Just the thought of acting in the same manner as a Despoile made him want to bathe immediately. Especially acting like his colleague.
~Snore~
While the foolish would have expected Arno to pardon them or at least say something, they would quickly wake up to the reality that so many in the court have come to accept and others have exploited.
Lord Arno did not care.
Whether the peasants were dying from hunger, whether the infrastructure was crumbling everyday or whether the risk of demons was a possibility. He did not care.
What he cared about was 'good booze and good company', even if it was at the detriment of the people of the Frontier. They were literally having a Royal-Level Safety Breach meeting and he was sleeping while two of his retainers/potential suspects materialised their weapons, and were about to duke it out.
"Without a care in the world." They all thought to themselves.
"Chancellor Sicilar please show a bit of mercy towards them." The second woman said, who when compared to Sicilar wore clothes that were quite basic. Just a simple robe that all sorcerers would wear. No embroidery, and no interesting colour schemes. Just a simple robe. But the same could be said about her.
"We are all still pretty shaken by this recent development, and I believe his Highness understands this which is why he left us to discuss the problem. While only acting as if he is asleep."
"F#ck, she caught me." Arno thought to himself, but that was far from the truth. The second woman only said that to stop Sicilar from having a reason to start a killing spree in the name of upholding Federation laws.
"B#tch."
Which prompted Sicilar to cus under her breathe, as she then sighed and said.
"I suppose I can understand where they are coming from…" Sicilar said, as even she was stressed and clearly did not wanted to stay in this room any longer.
With the Household guards ready to slit her throat at any moment. She hoped she could direct their blades against somebody else while collecting some brownie points from the Lord or even possibly the Federation. But that 'b#tch' had gotten in her way, again.
So she had to back down for now, however that does not mean she could not milk this situation for more than what it is worth.
"...however this unacceptable behaviour can not go unpunished." As she ever so slightly increased the pressure the two men felt. " You are to give me a detailed report as to why both of you acted so disgracefully in front of our lord, and make a donation to the treasury as a way to ask for forgiveness. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!"
" Yes Chancellor." They agreed in unison. While of course still keeping their heads down, even if they knew they were being scammed. It was better to be alive and broke, then it was to be dead and rich.
"Hpmh, good." Sicilar immediately dispelled her pressure and began to read the Heins findings, but her reading time was disturbed by that 'b#tch'.
"Thank you for your mercy Chancellor." The 'b#t- Valerie said with a smile towards Sicilar " I just hope you are just as merciful with Spymaster Victis. Whose job is to know about these things before they happen."
" Ah, so that's who you are after." Sicilar thought to herself as she or better yet everyone (except Arno) began to stare at a man who had his arms folded and had said nothing throughout the meeting. " You are not even trying to hide it, what are you after b#tch?"
…..
Yelek : typically a sleeveless and collarless garment and usually has small pockets on the sides
Cepken : This short jacket, called a cepken, is an example of a wardrobe staple for Ottoman women of different classes and ethnicities in the eighteenth century
Khopesh : is an Egyptian sickle-shaped sword that developed from battle axes.
Another one. Author Starsign. We the best fanfics.
Okay that I will admit that was corny, but i'm trying over here you think good jokes just fall off the sky. But I guess I could create better jokes if I had some incentive.
What? This is not a bribe. It's you assisting a starving writer.
So how about it? Support my p.a.t.r.e.o.n and join the cohort.
Total War : Shogun in another world/ 5 chapters ahead👹👺
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