Capítulo 232: Samuel the Slaughter
After Will's morning meetings were over, Micheal entered again with another letter. Based on Michael's facial expressions, Will knew something was not right.
"Micheal, what is it?"
"My lord, this letter was sent by a child?" Micheal said.
"Oh, it's another confession to Camille?" Will laughed.
"No. This letter was delivered by a commoner child, with no household affiliation. Surely the guards would not have let this child through, and the child was too small to climb the outer walls. So then how did the child get by your extensive security?" Micheal asked nervously.
"Quick give me the letter. Did you see where the child ran off to?" Will asked suspiciously.
"No, sire," Micheal said ashamed.
"Send someone to bring the guards here," Will said before reading the letter.
The letter was from Samuel, he asked Will to petition the king on his behalf. If his sentence was extinguished, Samuel pledged to devote himself to a life of servitude under Will.
The letter described his alleged biography and the reason he killed Duke vont Khan and his family. After reading the letter, Will could understand his anger, but not the murders.
Finally, the letter wrote that Samuel was hiding out in Tirana. The Thieves and Assassin Guilds were protecting him. But he'd come out of hiding if Will asked.
Will crumbled the letter and threw it into the fireplace. Samuel was an infamous, nationally renowned assassin who killed a ducal house. More impressive was the Duke was of a higher rank them him.
Even worse, thanks to his massacre, every noble in the kingdom worried he come after them next.
The illusion of peace from the Congress of Tirana was replaced by abject fear of copycat assassins. That's why King Roland had to come down so hard on Samuel, to set an example.
After telling Elizabeth he was leaving, Will opened a spatial gate to the palace in Tirana.
"Greetings Lord Chamberlin," Will said after colliding with Bryson.
"The king's been expecting you any day now?" he said leading Will to the king's office.
After being announced, Will saw the king hard at work. King Roland was buried under a stack of paperwork.
"Your classmate is giving me a headache," the king said.
"I can imagine," Will said sympathetically.
"Bryson, let Uncle Francis know Will's here. And bring us a new pot of tea," the king ordered.
"Until uncle gets here, tell me about your thoughts on Samuel," the king asked.
"I want him as a servant. I have to go to the Great Eastern Empire, and I could use his help," Will said.
"You want to hire a ducal house serial killer as a servant? Should Uncle Francis be worried?" the king asked seriously.
"No, I quite enjoy father-in-law. I'll have Samuel take an oath of death," Will said.
"Why not put him under my thumb? He could swear the oath to me," the king asked.
"By now you no doubt know his background, his Assassin Guild record, and his achievements in the army. I'm sure you gathered Samuel has an oppositional defiant behavior. He generally is uncooperative, defiant, and hostile toward authority figures.
He is slow to make friends and generally distrusts everyone. When I received his letter, I did not think it was real at first. He'd never willingly swear an oath to you," Will said.
"Why are you going to the Great Eastern Empire?" the king asked changing the conversation. He knew Will was right about Samuel, the reports collaborated with his statement.
"My brother failed to get a dragon core, I need the core to save my master," Will said.
"What did I miss?" Duke Francis said walking into the room.
"Will wants to take Samuel as a servant before he leaves for the Great Eastern Empire to get a dragon core?" King Roland deadpanned.
"Surely you're joking," Duke Francis laughed.
"His majesty is being serious," Will said.
"You seriously want to accept a ducal killer as a servant, should I be worried?" Duke Francis asked.
"That's what I asked," the king smiled.
"No, and Samuel shall swear an oath of death to me," Will said.
"You want a mass murderer to swear an oath of death? The Goddess Nyx is more likely to recruit him than let him swear fealty to you?" the Duke said.
"If he says no, then I'll promise to kill him," Will said.
"You'll swear to on your honor. That you'll keep your rabid dog chained or put him down," the king asked.
"I swear, and I swear to loan him to the crown when asked," Will said.
"I accept, now how do you plan to catch your new pet," the king asked.
"Lord Chamberlin, please announce I wish to challenge Samuel to a duel outside the palace. All nobles who wish may attend and should arrive by the 13th bell. The duel shall start at half-past," Will said.
"Do it," the king said after Bryson looked to him for permission.
"You plan to beat him and reassure the nobility at the same time. Ingenious," complimented Duke Francis.
"That gives us two hours, to discuss our coin shortage problem. What do you suggest cousin," Roland asked?
"This morning at my senior clerk and administrators meeting, I told my senior clerks to offer 25 coppers per kilogram of Albanian coppers. That would roughly equal between 145 to 155 Albanian coppers.
That should increase our supply of copper. At the same time, I asked my banks to loan you more copper and increase the savings APR.
This way the ministry receives the much-needed copper, and the bank increased copper deposits. That feedback loop should work well in the short term.
In the long term, I encouraged your majesty to enact a new Coinage Act, to change the composition of the currency and add three new coins: 10 cent piece, 25 cent piece, and half silver," Will advised, not realizing how popular his short-term proposal would become. People would line up around the bank to turn in their old worthless Albanian coins.
"When shall the first shipment of copper arrive?" the Duke asked.
"Before the duel, I suspect," Will said.
"Do you think you can win," the Duke asked nervously, he'd been stuck as a Master Knight for fall too long.
"Of course, I bested him at the Knight Academy, and that was before I got Nisha. Also, have you already forgotten my feats outside Gadreel and Korce?" Will feigned insult.
There was another reason why Will wasn't worried, the duel would be rigged. However, Will was confident even if Samuel fought his hardest, he was still no match for Nisha and him.
Just then Bryson arrived with a fresh pot of black tea and biscuits. He also handed the king a note.
"10,000,000 coppers were deposited in the Royal Treasury. It seemed Mei took the money out of her elven spatial bag. But asked the crown to pay a 5.5% interest on the loan. She also said the bank increased the APR 27.00%," the King read out loud, handing the note to his uncle.
"How prompt. But I remember you once telling Marquis vont Hanover having an APR that high was foolish," Duke Francis remembered.
"Yes, but my banks' loan repayments more than offset my losses. With an APR that high, smart investors shall save money as opposed to spending it. Thus, reducing the number of coppers in the market.
His majesty should use that time to mint new currency. Once enough new currency is minted, I'll reduce the APR to help cycle that money through the economy," Will informed them.
Across former Albania, merchants and nobles rationed their coins, because Fermion had a circulation problem, not a coin shortage. There were lots of coppers in Fermion, they just hadn't been circulated in Tirana. And because of that, the king ran out of money.
The largest employer in Fermion was not Will, but the crown. The kingdom paid nobles, merchants, and the military. The kingdom had its hands in everything.
The problem came to a head when the treasury ran out of money to pay its soldiers and merchants. The king embarrassingly had to defer salaries and payments, until it received more money.
While the king and duke looked calm, they were nervously awaiting Will's help. While the king and duke had tea, the Deputy Minister of Treasury was issuing delayed payments. By the time of the duel, only 1.3 million coppers remained of the 10 million coppers Mei deposited that morning.
When it came time for the duel, the king and duke learned the deferments made three weeks ago were paid. However, the kingdom still had two weeks of deferrals remaining, and the kingdom continued to operate on credit.
At a quarter past 13th bell, Will walked outside to the duel. King Roland and Duke Francis walked to the balcony overlooking the palace's entrance.
When they arrive hundreds of nobles were already waiting on the other balconies for the duel to begin. Outside the palace gates, commoners looked on hoping to catch the fight.
Both the king and duke were impressed by Will's plan. It looked like half the city came out to watch the duel. And both sides were gambling on the outcome.
Neither the king nor duke gambled on their in-law's life. If they gambled, it would sway the betting to one side.
Outside, Nisha found a tree to rest and observe the duel. Her lack of interest in the duel supplied bettors with more conversation.
"Hey up there! 10,000 gold on me," Will yelled toward the noble oddsmakers.
That elicited laughter from the crowd.
Soon Samuel nervously arrived. The Royal guards were quick to surround him and point their spears at him.
"Your majesty, your guards harm my honor," Will lied but played the part of a chivalrous knight.
"Guards, release the man," the king commanded.
"Guards make a rectangle surrounding the duel, in case he tries to escape. Keep your blades out," said the obstinate Marshal Marquis vont Smith.
"Greetings Samuel, we haven't battled since the Knight Academy midterms," Will bowed and clued him in.
"Yes, it's been a while," Samuel said playing his part as the villain. Playing the part, he did not return Will's bow.
This slight of etiquette was not missed by the nobles. A noble who failed at etiquette was no noble at all. Which gave them more ire to dislike Samuel.
"Thank you for agreeing to the duel. I could not stand your villainy. Your actions besmirched your classmates. Do you confess to the murder of vont Khan Ducal House and terrorism in Rohm?" Will said offering Samuel an indirect method to plead his case and tell his story.
A chance Samuel did not pass up. Samuel knew Will's character too well and played along. He told his story and Duke vont Khan's treachery.
"Your majesty even with Duke vont Khan's reprehensible behavior unfitting a noble. It was wrong for Samuel to avenge his parents the way he did," Will said turning the blame on the deceased Duke vont Khan.
"I agree, Samuel vont Rohan, you are hereby stripped of your nobility," the king realized long ago, what Will was doing and played along.
"Your majesty, if I am victorious, I demand Samuel swear a lifetime of servitude to my house on oath of death," Will said.
"I bear witness," said the king
"I bear witness," said the duke
"I bear witness," repeated the nobles.
"I agree," Samuel accepted the duel's terms. He also knew any demands he made would be rejected.
"With the terms agreed upon. I sanction this duel," the king said signaling the start.
Immediately, Will cast [Earth Wall], unsheathed his sword and proceeded to publicly and ferociously beat Samuel. Even Samuel was a bit surprised by Will's intensity. Will gave the audience a brief exhibition of what a Master Spellsword can do to a Journeyman Assassin.
"Yield!" Will shouted to Samuel's relief.
"I yield," Samuel shouted back.
"Your majesty, I am victorious. Please allow my reward," Will asked eroding his earth walls.
"I, King Roland Godwin Fermion III affirm the results of this duel. Lord Chamberlain summons, the Chief Priestess of Nyx to perform the ceremony," the king ordered.
Of course, since the whole thing was fixed, the Chief Priestess had already been called and was already in attendance. She publicly performed the ceremony. With the farce over, the king sent notice of the sanctioned duel and result across Fermion. No doubt, the rumor mill would collaborate his notice.
Furthermore, copycats were forewarned of committing such acts of violence. If the kingdom didn't kill you, a lifetime of servitude on oath of death awaited them.
For the nobles, their fears were assuaged. Every noble knew the reputation of Will's house was impeccable. They all felt confident of Will's leash on Samuel the Slaughter.
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