Chapitre 16: The Margrave's surprise
All that being said, Margrave Laurence was doubtful of his supposed successor, he was making all the mistakes he had made in his youth and no amount of education was shaping up to change that.
That was not to say he wasn't proud of Elric, he absolutely was. He was shaping up to be an excellent strategist and tactician, his biggest downfall so far had been his knack for 'honourable combat', as all reports had detailed he had on multiple occasions decided to put himself in harm's way to duel the simulated enemy commander.
It was going to get him injured, or worse. He hoped dealing with a small, but persistent band of bandits would give him a bit of a reality check, as 'Honor' had never been appropriate to spare your enemies on the battlefield.
His other two sons had been nothing but a headache, Dustin was turning out to be quite the migraine for the Margrave, he never skipped his studied but his venomous mouth and entitled attitude meant he was likely to live a short life when he insulted the wrong person, his constant plotting and attempts to gain his approval were obviously well orchestrated attempts to earn his retainers approval, and although Laurence could see straight through this, there were a few fools who could not.
His youngest son present in the castle was also proving to be a challenge, Craven in nature, slow-witted, and a gluttonous wastrel. The foolish child had made it his life's mission to skip every single tutoring session, sparring session, trip into town, and generally avoided every possible responsibility he had.
He had hoped having his closest aides educate the boy would work, but he had nearly had to beg & bribe Hektor, and he hated seeing the disappointed look on Akeem's face whenever he had to report on his latest tutoring attempts.
Hence his frustration that after the last man left, Akeem and Jacobs stood at the side, waiting patiently for the Margrave to organise his thoughts.
A knock at the door broke the Margrave out of his internal thoughts as almost as if on cue, Baron Hektor of Sturm walked into his study with a stern, but focused look on his face, and so Laurences mood dropped even further into the abyss.
The three men exchanged surprised glances and then, almost in unison, shared wide grins as they eagerly reported on Cassius.
Jacobs began, recounting his entire encounter with Cassius—from the morning's near ambush to Cassius's skillful control over Horace and Carmen, earning their trust. Jacobs detailed Cassius's early morning accomplishments, including his firm action against a group of guards caught drinking on duty.
This revelation left the Margrave puzzled and frustrated. Was this really about Cassius? And drunk guards in his castle on duty? Has discipline really deteriorated so much?
Laurence urged Jacobs to continue, and Jacobs described Cassius's adept management of the situation, outlining the punishments and the potential consequences if he had pressed the issue. Jacobs hinted at Cassius's 'mercy' towards the men.
Laurence, initially dismayed by Cassius's seeming leniency, struggled to reconcile this with the Cassius he remembered—the boy who couldn't even meet Jacobs's gaze. Jacobs went on to explain that Cassius planned to further discipline the men at first light and for a considerable time thereafter. When asked for specifics, Jacobs admitted he didn't know Cassius's exact plan but mentioned Cassius had suggested the men would 'likely prefer the hangman' after his treatment of them.
Jacobs then dropped a surprising revelation: Cassius intended to form his own personal retinue, initially recruiting Horace and Carmen, with plans to include the reformed guards. Laurence was thoroughly bewildered. How could his son have changed so drastically in such a short period? He sought further clarification.
"Cassius did all that?" Laurence asked, his scepticism evident as he scrutinised Jacobs for any signs of deceit or exaggeration. To his surprise and delight, Jacobs met his gaze unwaveringly and even showed a hint of enthusiasm—a rare sight. Laurence took a moment to compose himself before a rare smile appeared on his lips.
Hektor and Akeem both shared a knowing look and elderly man stepped in on the matter, stating that the boy must simply not have been comfortable in the castle after leaving their manor and his mother in the Capital and was simply lashing out. This insight struck Laurence hard, who was suddenly aware of how poor his performance as a father had been towards Cassius. He had never privately met with him, and had only seen him a few times for dinner since his arrival, causing Cassius to remain distant..
All of this was in contrast to what he had read according to the letters he had received from the household at the capital; They had all stated the boy was quite friendly and outgoing, and took to what little tutoring he had with a great deal of enthusiasm.
Akeem then compared Laurence's own past to Cassius's situation, reminiscing about how Laurence had only changed after his twelfth birthday out of necessity for survival. The nostalgia and regret were palpable among the men, who had been as close as brothers growing up and had met through circumstance. Hektor had been the son of a steward, Jacobs had risen from the town militia to become a skilled swordsman, and together with others in Laurence's retinue, they had helped him survive and thrive until today.
Akeem continued with enthusiasm, reporting on Cassius's tutoring sessions. Explaining that the boy was incredibly knowledgeable and had possessed an inquisitiveness leaving Akeem often at a loss for answers.
It was a rare sight for Akeem, although humble and well-travelled, to praise someone this way. Laurence recalled that Akeem had struggled to educate both he, and his eldest son Elric due to their initial ignorance and dismissal of such lessons.
Finally, Hektor, visibly excited, described his meeting with Cassius.
"When I first met his eyes, I was stunned! If he shared your hair colour and was a few years older, I absolutely could have mistook him for you. His presence was domineering and unshakeable."
"And his audacity! The boy proposed a business venture with me and actually convinced me to give it a try!""
Hektor then elaborated on the new invention, its uses, and how much revenue it could bring to him, and therefore the Stenfall's through the taxes his new revenue would make.
"Although I haven't seen the schematic or blueprint for the design yet, we will be meeting in a day or so with a reputable smith and carpenter to examine their feasibility. His explanation of the device and its relative inexpensiveness has me confident, if not a little sceptical."
"His knowledge, arithmetic, and business knowledge however were completely otherworldly if I'm being frank. The contract he outlined make me feel as if i'm taking advantage of him, but his business acumen, his confidence and my gut are telling me otherwise"
"Taking advantage of him? How so?" Laurence asked, his interest peaked.
"Well," Hektor said with a wry smile, "Unlike most nobles, he asked for a fair 10% commission for six years. Most nobles in his position would demand 20-40% and call it a 'blessing', most nobles I encounter are nightmares and make negotiations difficult. But your son proposed these terms himself and made it clear he wanted my investment for future 'industrial projects'—as he termed it."
"What did he have in mind?"
"He didn't provide specifics, but he hinted at significantly improving our mining and forging operations. Again, no detailed information was given."
Laurence furrowed his brow in thought, he had never let Hektor have any major influence on this industry due to how sensitive it was, and outside of himself, few others could have any say in its management.
Laurence furrowed his brow and entered into a deep thought.
This new Cassius left dozens of questions that could not be immediately answered and so left Laurence at somewhat of a loss.
'I'll have to meet Cassius myself to get these answers, it seems.'
It occurred to Laurence however that he was infact feeling a great deal of pride in his son, who had begun his rise.
'Regardless, I hope these changes are permanent.'
Laurence truly did want the best for his sons, his favourite part of any day was in fact hearing about them when he was not busy with the miles and miles of paperwork and territory that required his constant attention.
....
Elsewhere in the Keep, Cassius was hastily sketching out multiple documents outlining the creation of the Spinning wheel, and its operation. He had dismissed Hoarce and Carmen and told them to make sure they eat and sleep well, and to get an early night.
Just before leaving, curiosity had finally gotten the better of Carmen and he asked Cassius curiously as to what exactly "PT" was.
"It's physical training, Carmen. I can't have my future arms and legs remaining so scrawny and undeveloped in the future now can I?" Cassius answered, the reveal disheartening Carmen, while exciting Horace who quite enjoyed physical labour generally.
"Why are we bringing our full armour… M'Lord?" Carmen asked, hesitant and fearful of what he started to suspect.
"You'll be living, fighting, killing, and sleeping inside of your armour, hence we will be living, fighting, and training in it." Replied Cassius, who thought the answer was pretty obvious.
"I subscribe to the idea that training should be just as, if not more difficult than the battlefield. This way when war unfortunately is upon us, you won't be surprised."
Horace thought the novelty of the idea was incredible and made a great deal of sense, vowing to perform most of his routines and work inside of his heavy mail suit. He then remembered the guards from this afternoon, and roared with laughter as he dragged a defeated looking Carmen out of the room and filled him in on what Cassius had planned for the unprepared men.
"Oh, and as a reward for attending these training sessions, let people you trust know that there will be more meat available for those who have joined us and if they can keep up with us for two weeks, I will see to it that their pay increases as a result."
The two men paused outside of Cassius's room and exchanged a surprised look, things were already starting to look up for them.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone