章 9: Courtly Duties (Edit in map image on release)
The only reason I even knew Reynauld's daily schedule was because he kept some rather vague records of his day to day life. It was a rather simple shcedule, have breakfast before going on a walk. Complete the more benign duties such as managing the finances, ensuring the effeciency of the development of towns and villages, and send messengers to the barons and local lords regarding construction and expected (more like demanded) assistance in such matters, all done before lunch. After which Reynauld would either attend to more pressing matters should the situations call for it.
If not it was likely Reynauld would engage in actions such as working out and sparring with his friend Perraut (the Marshal). There were also frequent visits and interactions with the peasants, and occasions where "Grand Hunts", a contest of who could hunt the biggest game, which were mainly held in villages carryied a rather substantial reward in the eyes of the common folk, and in so doing attracted hunters from neighbouring villages. This lead to a rather interesting culture as villages would attempt to raise hunters to win the contest as it was common for the winner to donate a large portion of their proceedings into the villages development. As a result there was a rather noticeable increase in the number and quality of hunters across the duchy.
So my surprise wasn't unwarranted when instead of the Steward walking in it like the writings on daily activities would suggest, it was instead the Marshal. Noticing my questioning gaze Perraut stood in front of my throne and asked a question, "My friend do you remember the task you had sent me to complete?"
This was a rather fortuitous opportunity to attempt to learn just what kind of actions "I've" taken, so I responded in a lower more solem tone. "Unfortunately I had just recently battled a terrible illness, such matters are rather hard to think about. If you could regail me with your task and the reasoning behind it you may be able to lighten the load weighing on my mind."
(Map for following paragraph)
Perraut's face drooped in worry upon hearing my words and spoke in a softer tone. "Of course my friend, anything to help ease your burden. You had sent me and the majority of our men disguised as common folk to rally support in the sorounding duchies of Treger and Kernev to pledge loyalty. While at the same time creating discontent with the catholics and the lords ruling over them citing the oppressive taxes and tithes placed over them. A main contributor to doing so being how their living conditions are worse than our peasants despite you taxing them less."
Perraut's face scrunched up in what seemed to be anger as he continued. "The reason that you have shared with me from your grand plan is to remove the nobles which have placed incredibly predatory tariffs on trade with Leon due to fear in outgrowing their local economy. In order to remove this you have decided to have the rival dukes ousted in a peasant uprising, and by leveraging your incredible reputation with the peasants, citing the benefits Brittany has experienced from your rule, and leveraging the King's positive view of your person place two of several heavily indebted courtiers as proxies on the throne to be manipulated and act in our interests. That by in so doing allows you to practically rule 3 duchies and manage all the resources that it comes with such large amoubts of land. To strengthen your hold over the proxies the servants would be replaced due to reportedly "participating" in the uprising. The replacements hand picked among our most loyal to provide them the illusion of them ruling the land while you unknowingly manage the realm."
"But I seem to be getting ahead of myself," Perraut said as he seemed to realize something. "My and my mens efforts had gone swimmingly. We turned a small portion of the peasantry into dissenters, however due to the small time we had to complete the task assigned we had several of our men don armour to make a show of dragging us through various visited villages to rile them up. When we left to avoid the soldiers sent out to investigate the "rouge soldiers" we had heard several of the peasantry hurling insults at the investigators when we passed by several villages disguised as merchants to return back to Leon.
Perraut's face glowed with immense respect, happiness and even a hint of reverance as he took a breath before saying. "But it is to be expected of the one who had the king think themselves indebted to you when they where in no danger whatsoever!" Perraut seemed thoughtful for a moment before snapping back to reality and became much mire serious. "Is the one whose treatment had left you in such a state been dealt with?"
Remembering how the physician had stiffened up when thanking him for his service I responded. "They have been dealt with appropriately. Though I must-" I immediately stopped myself from saying any platitudes should it herald Perraut's death, "say that I am glad your efforts had gone so well, though I owe it to you in helping ease the burden on my mind."
"Of, of course my friend, I'll invite the steward and call the guards back in when I leave, may your recovery be swift and mind as swift as always." As Perraut left I was hit with the gravity of the situation. No wonder a spymaster or some sort of director was mentioned, Reynauld was the mastermind.
Forcibly stopping my train of thought I called out to Perraut just as he reached the doors. "Perraut I would appreciate it if you could deliver to my study the previous reports of the operation for review. It would be catastrophic to our plans if I were to forget a key detail." Perraut turned around as he said, "I will naturally deliver them myself, it is good to see your carefulness even in such a state hasn't wained."
As he started walking out again I scrambled to find a way to thank Perraut without getting him killed. "May your mood be as perpetual as our friendship." Thinking Perraut hadn't heard me I was actually a little sad as the man had quite the friendly aura around him, and was rather nice to talk to. Upon exiting the throne room Perraut leaned back into view and gave a wave, to which I will say with no small amount of shame, had me smiling a not so tiny amount.
As the absent guards walked in, not that I had known as when I had arrived there weren't any, I noted their positions, armarments and impressive height. Two where on either side of me, two facing inward by the door, two facing outwards by the door and an additional sixteen that where stationed two each slightly infront, but next to the four pillars on either side of the room. Even without seeing whatever training they had undergone I could tell they were heavily disciplined. Each of their steps were measured and steady.
They seemed tall and powerful, but kept that power and ferocity contained. Their swords were rather large and the massive steel power shields spoke of their strength. I wondered just how such people could lift no more wield something heavier than the weight of everything on their person combined. From just a single glance alone I could tell these weren't guards, but a highly elite and desired protection force. They could no doubt be called knights, but didn't emenate the feeling of surperiority or smugness that high class individuals held around them. These men where dangerous, a last line of defence to protect me, and I had no doubt in my mind of their capability.
Leaning to the right of where one of my guards where, I gestured for them to lean in and as they did I asked a rather important question. "I have recently recovered from a terrible illness, would you be able to remind me of the signals used?"
The guard stiffened for a second, stood straight as a log, and left their arm and wrist hanging as they connected their right thumb and pointer fingure together while leaving the rest hanging as they held it the symbol while making eye contact with everyone in the room through their visor. As they leaned back in to talk to me they said in a rather bland voice that had no emotion. "Sir, the lean you did paired with raising and putting down your right hand ordered the immediate execution of whoever came through that door." As I sat in my throne staring blankly at the open doors to the throne room as I watched at what I assumed to be the steward walked through them. I sighed as I looked back at the guard and said, "Provide me a list of all signs and their meaning when I return for the evening. It goes without saying, but do not follow up on any orders via body movements unless it is soley verbal. Am I understood?"
The nod by the guard and subsequent flashing of a hand sign I didn't see answered that. As the steward walked inside the thrones room he was flanked by a group of four servants who were carrying what I now knew to be one of the largest tables known to man. Even the rather large opening the double doors to the throne room had provided wasn't enough space to accomodate its size. The servants strained faces and waining efforts told me everything as they had to maneuver to the side before pushing the table into the throne rome. Moving with gusto they where forced to move around the steward as he stood in the centre of the hall staring at me as the behemoth of a work surface was carefully slotted down in front of him. The servants stood there as they hung themselves panting.
The steward, with a face blank enough to be drawn on, still not saying a word turned to face one of the servants and as he made eye contact a split second of mild irritation bloomed. The servant gulped before they absutely booked it with speed worthy of the Olympics they soon returned not 10 seconds later with a chair before collapsing onto the carpet below. The steward raised there left hand and moved it to the left as a sign of dismissal. Two of the servant approached their fallen comrade before hoisting them up and leaving amongst the one unburdened.
I chuckled inwardly at the sight but was outwardly serious as I evaluated the man in front of me. He was in his early twenties and despite the chair underneath him was standing there, staring at me. "It seems something has changed, I do not know what, but I hope to be notified should it interfere with my work." As he continued standing I responded, "I find your efforts produce rather worthwhile results. However, I belive review is in order." The image and general feeling I got off the man was was professional. They didn't seem to care about "the change" that took place, only if it should effect their work. I could work with this.
The man sat down shuffling and moving paper over before sayiby. "Very well my duke, what do you wish to go over."
"I am finding myself fuzzy on the details, perhaps a cursory glance couldjog my memory?"
The steward sighed as he began digging out several papers and what I assumed to be documents from the various compartments in his metre and a half hardwood behemoth. He took a paper in his hand and started speaking while waving one of the guards over, habding them the paper. "As of this moment construction is being made to improve the roads across the duchy from both funds provided by you my duke and the donations from the peasants to promote trade. And in so doing help our economy recover to its previous state when the tariffs imposed by the duchies of Treger and Kernev are lifted."
As the guard with the paper came over a glance revealed it to be a commision to the builders guild stationed in the duchies capital of Kastell-Paol. I didn't linger on the names listed that would actually build the road, but rather the price. It was remakably cheaper than any of the other infrastructure projects of such scale mentioned in the journal. My shock must've shown as the steward followed that up by saying, "You must have forgotten quite a bit my Duke as you had negotiated quite heavily with a builder creating their own guild. To refresh you're memory, in the end you had agreed to provide the necessary resources to create and maintain the guild for 5 years and would be the first to receive offers relating to large infrastructure related matters, such as this one.
In return they would offer their services at a 30% discount, and pledged to complete any commision within 5 years or they would have to give back 10% of the payment back, plus an extra 10% every additional year they took. The sneaky, most fine print part of the contract came from how if the commision was under a certain price, that being what I somehow knew as the price for building a castle, would then be up for negotiation for the time taken. If a time wasn't agreed upon Reynauld would receive a 5% discount, and the time to completion would be the time the dukedom had proposed +6 months. The fine print came in the fact that the previous terms of 10% off every year it takes to complete applied to this. As a last cherry on top Reynauld was also an executive member, which was essentially a council that decided the guilds future, with the position being passed down to their heir.
I could LEGALLY commision the building of something as outrageous as a port and say I want it finished tommorow, and they could do squat. Sure they could just not do buisness, but there's a problem with that, they're a fledgling organization, they don't have any pull, influence or reputation. The members of the guild could leave, but even if I could scam them out of building something for basically free I wouldn't want to. I would want them to grow as a return on investment. A 30% discount is MASSIVE and the only reason Reynauld had gotten it was that he essentially bankrolled its creation, and if the figures and random knowledge I never had was right had spent 20% of the treasury in doing so. Turns out funding the creation of an entire construction company, the actual construction of the building its based out of, the buying of resources to maintain the building ahead of time, hiring of promising apprentices and partly paying their salaries (as apparently it isn't financially wise to take apprentices) is expensive.
The steward piped up as they got sick of watching my eyebrows gradually rise and almost setach off my head. "Now that you are acquainted with our recent financial advances, I believe we should continue with the more mundane duties."
He took a breath before saying, "The manor lords of the realm have grown frustrated with the supposed lack of respect they receive in regards to you making decisions in the realm. Although it is not confirmed I believe they are witholding or lying about their financial situation as for the last 3 harvests the taxes made from them have been growing progressively lower. Which is rather suspicious as nothing has effected harvests negatively, and has even gotten better due to development projects. As such I request an investigation be sent to confirm my allegations."
I suppose this would make sense as Reynauld has written how his popularity among the lower nobility has dramatically decreased after adopting the development policies. "Very well, if they are found doing things such as purposefully witholding taxes detain them, and at the same time coordinate with Perraut to commit a deeper investigation into secret happenings. The lords have grown to bold and if they are found guilty commiting treason their titles will be revoked." It would be advantageous to place those from NOC (Nest of Conspiracy is tedious to type out) in positions such as barons and manor lords to retain influence and power even at the lowest levels. Although I wish I could commit a mass purge and replace everyone in power with members of NOC, it would be too suspicious, and rather deteimental to my reputation if I were to replace such "noble" houses without justification. Especially when I was relying on that reputation to control the duchies of Kernev and Treger
Unfortunately it seems we had reached the end of the interesting part of reports and had instead gotten into the nitty gritty of how many pounds of wheat had been collected via taxes, maintenance of the castle and the apparently excessive amount of property I owned, not sure why the steward made that out to be a bad thing. He continued on explaining the price of the servants, and to no ones surprise the rather exhorbitant honour guard. The steward however seemed to be growing progressively more annoyed as I frequently interrupted them during this "standard" and my "frequently attended" session over such basic concepts I had "understood" for years. To the stewards credit, although I wasn't finacially illiterate in my past life I was breaching into new territory, and wanted to make use of my "recovering from grave illness" excuse as much as I could.
I did however remind myself to read up on finance when I had a chance in the study.
Authors Note: I thought I accidentally deleted this chapter and had a fucking heart attack
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