Chương 473: Jon and Kareem
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*The Mansion of the Governor of Stros M'kai*
"Master Krilon, please refrain from wedding people without any notice. You are our savior and all but the inner politics is in chaos now." Said Malik, the City Captain and the Governor's current second in command.
"I was only helping." Jon raised his shoulders.
"And the thing with the previous Vizier, how do you expect us to explain this to Sentinel?"
"I don't."
"So you save our city, Murder the Vizier and Wed the Governor for just… I don't think I can process this anymore."
The one-sided argument where Captain Malik kept nagging Jon for answers was not progressing at all as Jon kept a full-on indifferent attitude.
"... I think I should thank you, Master Krilon." After a deep breath, the young Governor spoke.
"My Lord!" Malik didn't seem to understand his lord either.
Kareem raised his hand and looked closely at Jon.
"You seem to be experienced in politics, Master Krilon." Kareem remarked.
"Am I?"
"Yes, you knew I am a Crown, you got rid of my Forebear Vizier because you thought if I kept him alive or killed him, I'll face Forebear opposition and you have plans that you don't want the opposition to disturb."
"Well! In times of chaos, things happen like Vizier falling from the city wall while putting his all to protect the city." Jon feigned ignorance.
"That's merciless, Master Krilon. You expect the Forebears to believe that?"
"You don't need to explain anything to the Forebears, they already suspect you. Your Lordship should focus on the public, make the rumors run around. There is no cat too big to be pat."
"First time I hear that saying."
"I just came up with it."
"Oh! I see. You really are good politics." Kareem smiled.
Jon raised his shoulders not confirming or denying but then he smiled.
"I think you should focus on your wedding at the moment." Jon said.
Kareem's face froze and he became speechless.
"Was it alright to put the Governor in such a situation?" Asked Isha, who was also attending the meeting.
"It was tempting at that moment but you still can't say it is not a good thing." Jon said.
"How so? The wedding of a Governor should be blessed by the highest authority." Isha retorted.
"How… Are you questioning my authority?" Jon looked at her with a serious face.
"I was talking about the King of Sentinel or a Religious Sect."
"Oh! So that had to happen. Come on! If we let those guys wed this poor guy, they would have made it political as shit. At least he married the same way I did."
"And how is that?"
"After valiantly defending his city from evil, leading his people to victory then kicking a marriage off right after."
"I was actually going to do the ceremony after the victory and go with the proper procedure." Kareem said with a disheartened face.
"Believe me, I knew. That's why I had to skip the whole thing. I heard you Redguards can have weddings that last for a week." Jon said.
"So that was your aim all along!" Captain Malik shouted.
"Duh!"
"I see." Kareem massaged his temples while thinking, "So all you wanted was for me to skip the ceremony."
"Just merge it with the victory celebration. And make it a day." Jon demanded.
"What is your aim?"
"You, your Chargers and some ships." Jon said raising three fingers to Kareem.
"You're kidding, right? The city just almost faced annihilation and you want our support in an expedition." Captain Malik said.
"You can take another extra day but remember…" Jon turned to Kareem, "We are running short on time. Not all parts of Hammerfell will be as lucky as Stros M'kai, Governor. You can clear your island from Necromancers but more will come if you don't sail to the mainland with me. I am not short on manpower but I need Redguard manpower and…"
Jon tried to pick the next words more carefully while pointing at Kareem.
"A figurehead?" Kareem asked.
"Didn't want to use that word but yes, I need someone to appear as the savior of the day."
Jon was blunt and didn't hide the fact that he has a big ulterior motive.
"You are not honest, outsider. You saved us for your personal gain. While we want to feel thankful and lucky, your demands need more explanation." Kareem didn't budge in front of Jon.
Jon rested back on his seat and looked at Kareem with a smile hidden behind his solemness.
"There are circles of powers in this world, Political circles, Cultist circles, Daedric circles. What is attacking Hammerfell is one of those circles." Jon said.
"We are aware of the Worm Cult if that's what you are referring to." Kareem retorted.
"Well, in our case, the Worm Cult is a part of a bigger circle."
"What are you talking about?"
Jon sighed and decided to reveal some parts of the story to Kareem and his aids. He spoke about the involvement of the Daedric Princes Clavicus Vile, Peryite and Malacath as well as the Worm King Mannimarco in some sort of a plan. Each Daedra had an agent but were all rid off except one who is currently with the Worm Cult and doing this for the aim of reincarnating the Worm King in his body. Jon also claimed that he chased the agents of the Daedric Princes across Morrowind, Cyrodiil, Hammerfell, Elsweyr, and Valenwood all the way back to Hammerfell in Stros M'kai only to find the Worm Cult up and running in a plan to power the reincarnation of their God.
As Jon's identity was no secret among the Daedric Princes supporting Mannimarco and the last Agent, he will be faced with direct assaults the moment they discover his whereabouts in the mainland. That is why he needed a proxy for his campaign or rather, a figurehead to take the credit and gather the support of the Redguards. Also, if he can hide from the Daedric Princes as much as he could, this will be a major win.
"I see." Kareem muttered and looked at Jon with a pale face, "To be honest, I find it hard to believe anything you just said but in times like these, things are particularly hard to understand."
Jon looked at Kareem who went in a state of deep thinking.
"Give me some time." Kareem said, "I'll prepare a celebration for the city and send my raiders to clean up the rest of the Necromancers. I think we will need your help. After all, we can't leave this city if the Necromancers aren't rooted out from its surroundings."
"And from its inside as well." Jon said.
"... You are right." Kareem stood up and left the meeting room alongside his aids.
Before he exits, he turned around and asked Jon.
"If you want to act covertly with me as the figurehead, what role will you play?"
"Your young and talented Court Wizard. Someone who has never appeared in the scene before and spent his early youth devoted to the Arcane Arts." Jon said.
"Ahahaha!" Kareem couldn't help but laugh, "You indeed have a reply for everything."
Kareem went away laughing with a head full of thoughts and Jon returned to thinking as well.
"You never considered having this plan before." Isha said.
"Yes." He replied.
"What changed?"
"A lot. I never thought I would meet a distant relative of a Hero. A bloodline so close to the chaotic motions of PSJJJJ, of Fate."
"I don't get a word."
"Neither do I. Fate is not a thing you understand but being involved with it brings you insight… I need to see Boethiah." Jon stood up from his seat and walked out of the meeting room.
They were invited to stay in the historical Governor Palace of Port Hunding. Jon didn't turn that offer down and got his group a nice place to stay for the night.
It was the second day after they arrived in Stros M'kai and they were still thinking of how to root out the cult. Jon and Isha walked into the guest house where the rest of the group were resting.
Miranda was healing the wounds Jax suffered, Mirren was babysitting Boethiah who decided to take a ride on him and for some reason, Nefertiti joined her to play.
"You guys look like you're having fun." Isha said as she decided to bully Mirren with the little girls.
"How are your wounds? Ready for another battle?" Jon checked on Jax.
Jax was touched as he replied.
"Yes, Master."
"Good, I was having some trouble thinking straight so I think we should have a proper spar before the night's over."
Jax felt like the bright palace became so dark, heartless and cold.
"He will be needing mental consolation." Miranda said.
"There are female Minotaurs on the mainland, until then, you have to spar out your mental issues like a proper man." Jon said and patted Jax.
He left the poor Minotaur and headed to the two girls playing with Mirren's hair.
"Babysitting looks painful." Jon said.
"I think your cat is acting like a brat because she's seeing someone with her age acting like a brat as well." Mirren said displaying his tough side.
"Good, I'll be reliving you from your duties then." Jon said while picking up the two girls.
"Nefertiti, did you follow the Necromancers to their hideout?" Jon asked Nefertiti.
"Yes, Hooman. A big island in that direction." She pointed to the west.
"The Isle of N'Gasta. Thought as much. I guess the Hunding Chargers and their Governor will use ships either way." Jon said.
The Isle of N'Gasta is a cursed place that used to be inhabited by the Sload Necromancer N'Gasta. Sloads are a race of Beastfolk that comes from the coral kingdoms of Thras in the Eltheric Ocean, the easiest way to describe them is the "Slug-Folk". A vile and evil race.
Jon didn't think the Sloads are involved in this Labour but he had to confirm from Boethiah.
"There are Sloads in the Worm Cult but that has nothing to do with the current affairs of Stros M'kai." She said.
"Then?"
"Nothing really is threatening Stros M'kai at the moment. Right now, you are the strongest living organism in this ecosystem. You should assist the Redguard to clean the isle from Necromancers while the young Governor has his time celebrating and legalizing his marriage."
Jon and Boethiah held this conversation in the balcony of the palace. Jon was looking down at the gardens and she was sitting on a chair eating from some sweets that were spared to her by Nefertiti.
Jon nodded but his head was still thinking of many scenarios of how can this go wrong.
"So, once we head to the sea, where should we land?" He asked.
"Aranea didn't tell you?"
"Nope, she stayed back in Saintsport with your merry little cult."
"The Soul Snare is making long-distance divinations a bit hard but as far as we can tell from the voices, our friend Zain headed out to Hegathe, the westernmost city in Hammerfell."
"So we go after him?" He asked.
"Of course not. Let's go to a completely different place. He must be plotting destruction and death so jumping in his turf like that is plain stupidity. Going to the east will secure your Governor more allies to march with him west." She said.
"... Sometimes, I forget you are still a child." Jon said with a sigh.
"... Sometimes, I do too."
"Boethiah sounds like a mouthful." Jon said.
"Hm?" She tilted her head.
"I'll be calling you Beth from now on."
"... You're giving me a name! Does that mean you will teach me?"
"I'll decide after the Labour. Right now, I'm deciding whether or not I should kidnap Kareem's gardener."
As Jon said, it was indeed true that the garden of this palace was something to behold. Not like that crippled garden from the Blue Palace of Solitude.
It was a peaceful night under the damning pale sky affected by the Soul Snare.
The next morning, Jon headed off with the commander of the Chargers to wipe out the Necromancers in the Isle of N'Gasta. The expedition was successful and Jon torched the Necromancers ablaze while taking the Anchorite of the Worm Cell as a prisoner and gaining invaluable information from interrogating him. Names, locations, plans. It confirmed the divination Beth came up with regarding the movements of the Worm Cult.
A day later, the wedding of Kareem and Faten was legalized and the whole Warband of Stros M'kai was gathered in the palace to hear the decision of the Governor of Stros M'kai.
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