Commerce Emperor: A Progression Fantasy Epic by Maxime J. Durand & Void Herald

Author:Maxime J. Durand & Void Herald [Durand, Maxime J. & Herald, Void]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aethon Books
Published: 2024-03-06T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 10

The Dagger

The count’s funeral would take place next week.

His corpse wasn’t even cold yet before all of the region’s vermin crawled out of the woodwork. Distant cousins, well-born opportunists, crooked nobles like Ser Hugdan’s father, everyone with a small drop of Brynslow blood—and many people without—immediately started pushing their claims on his estate.

“Count Brynslow explicitly named Alaire his heir,” I pointed out to Therese in annoyance after we examined the pretenders’ written complaints. Since Alaire herself was busy organizing her grandfather’s funeral rites, it fell on us to act as her gatekeepers. “What is there to discuss?”

Therese answered with a sigh, “Much, I’m afraid. Bastards do not stand to inherit anything in Archfrost under normal circumstances. Alaire’s claim is strong, but it can be contested.”

What did it matter that Alaire was born out of wedlock? Her mother had been Count Brynslow’s daughter, and no one could contest that. “What if I support her as a Hero and Lord Protector of Snowdrift?” I questioned Therese. “Would it help?”

“It will help give her more legitimacy, but you are neither a duke nor a prince of the realm.” Therese wrote down a letter and sealed it with the Brynslow seal. “Only one person can silence all pretenders.”

The king, I guess; or in Archfrost’s case, crown prince Roland. Our Knight.

Our salvation came in the form of a certain teleporting nun. Eris came back one day after the count’s death to relay the Fatebinder’s answer to our call for help in the Blight situation and quickly agreed to transport messages back to the capital. She returned a few hours later with more information.

“I leave for three days, and a disaster happens,” Eris mused. “Robin, you truly are a magnet for trouble.”

“Story of my life,” I replied. Eris meant it as a joke, but it stung nonetheless. The whole mess could have been avoided had I noticed Florence’s treachery early on.

“How did His Majesty answer?” Therese asked.

“Prince Roland agreed to legitimize Alaire,” Eris explained. “In fact, he intends to attend the count’s funeral and do so personally.”

Therese and I immediately exchanged a worried glance. Archfrost’s crown prince, in Snowdrift? A city poisoned by a Blight and infested with hidden cultists, for all we knew?

This couldn’t end well.

“Can’t he send a decree?” I asked, trying to salvage this disaster. “Or a messenger?”

“I asked him the same question.” Eris chuckled. “That poor boy answered that nothing else will settle the matter and that, I kid you not, ‘a Knight afraid of evildoers is no Knight at all.’ He said that with such a serious and dignified expression that I couldn’t feel mad at him.”

“His Majesty is worried,” Therese guessed. “Scouts informed us that the beastmen are gathering a large army north of Stonegarde. Between the Blight and the count’s death, the royal army can’t afford any trouble in the rear.”

I was starting to see the political picture. A decree was a piece of paper, and the prince was still too young to rule in his own name. The current regent was deeply unpopular, so bold nobles might contest the decision.

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