Transcendence?

***Norfolk, Sarn-Valley***

It has been a few months since the assassination attempt. It got strangely quiet afterwards. There were no further attacks. Unfortunately I didn't get any useful information from those poor souls. They were hired by a person who hid his identity. So no clue about my enemies.

My new residence was completed too. It actually became a small fortress in the end. There had to be enough room for my guards and the staff after all. And I wanted enough space for myself too.

So much work was done and I am still just about to start. The travelling merchants are starting to bring information about the world to this forsaken place.

Since I put taxes on the roads and the port I have a good and stable income too. The wealthy regions behind the mountain-range can't afford to travel around it to ship their goods in another port.

They are dealing mostly with metals and wood. So having something heavy like that transported over great distances becomes more and more problematic with each kilometre.

Then there are those rumours around the world. It looks like a war is about to happen soon. That's disturbing me because this world has been without wars for over seventy years now.

There are reports that some merchant fleets disappeared close to the Phenex Empire. On the other hand it's hard to believe that a big nation would sink a merchant fleet without a word. It's more likely that they got into a storm and were lost on the Great Sea.

And the Nation of Mist started to voice their unhappiness with Norfolk's increased usage of the shipping routes around the main continent. Though they still hold the monopoly over the high sea, Norfolk is starting to ship their goods by themselves while keeping close to the coastlines.

Last but not least I got really bad news from Mislow. Some ambassadors were judged guilty for violating a religious belief and executed on the spot while talking to the Jamaian Union. The king of Mislow was enraged and blamed Jamaian for it, he threw some Jamaian consuls into the prison.

The Jamaian Union retaliated in kind and started some small raids at the border. Both nations are arming up now. It's just a question of time before the situation could explode into a full blown war.

All this caused quite some unrest within Mislow and some of the bigger noble families started to move. It's said that some houses fell into disregard with the king. Others were wiped out by their competitors. It would be funny if my loved family belonged to the casualties.

Unfortunately there is no exact information because of the closed borders.

“There is someone requesting to see you.” Sarah, my secretary looks around the corner. She has brown hair and brown eyes. Her expression is a little frightened and she always tries to hide behind something. I want to know what I did to cause such a behaviour from her side.

“Send him in.” Then I stash away the reports which I was working on. A few seconds later I see a very familiar face.

“Kane!” I jump up and hug my only friend. “It took you quite some time to pay me a visit! You just wrote some letters so far.”

Kane pats me on the shoulders while smiling. “What are you talking about? I just didn't bother to visit because there was no Gate in this collection of barracks!”

I blink my eyes. “Sarah, since when do we have a Gate?” Gates aren't cheap! And the qualified personnel to keep them going isn't cheap either!

Sarah lenses around the corner. “Rostock deemed it necessary in order to lure people with high qualifications to the town. He said that those high and mighty wizards would never come here by carriage or ship.”

Kane shrugs his shoulders. “That point at least is right. Your little city is two weeks from the next Gate! Did you expect me to travel for four weeks, just to make a little house visit?”

“Grah. Well. I admit that Rostock has a point, but Gates are not cheap you know?” I scratch my cheek while thinking about the situation.

“He wrote an entire essay for you in order to explain his reasons and forecasts for the profitability of the Gate. He said that it may not earn as much money as it costs. But the prestige of having a Gate alone would bring many needed people to the city. Didn't you read the report at all?” Sarah points to a big fat folder of papers on my desk?

I grab it and start to skip through the document. “Ah... that... I thought it was a report on our annual income and ignored it.”

Sarah shakes her head and leaves the room.

Kane starts to grin at me. “You are the same genius as ever. At least your secretary knows how to keep an eye on things.”

“Yeah. Well, how are you and your family doing anyway? I heard that there are troubles all around the world.” I take something to drink from my personal bar and offer it to Kane.

“The world is becoming a little darker but we are doing fine. Mislow is a black hole when it comes to information. Luckily my family isn't really tied down by too much responsibilities. We always firmly believed in being able to pack up and leave old things behind.” Kane shrugs his shoulders.

“That said! Don't you want to get out of here for a while? Let's go for a little fun! That's what you have the Gate for!” Kane leaves the room while signalling me to follow. “On top of that you ran away at the day of our graduation. We couldn't have a proper party at all. Let's use the Gate, I already know the perfect location.”

I ponder over it for a moment. “Sure, Why not?”

***Jamaian Union, Atten, Slave Market***

“And why exactly are we here?” I look around the slave market with disgust while I follow Kane. Two of my burly guards are behind us while towering over almost everyone else. There were already multiple attempts to buy my guards from me. This world is making it to the top of my list of most despicable places to be born into.

There are people from everywhere in all ages here. All of them are displayed like cattle with slave collars around their neck. Slave traders are screaming their offers and various rich looking people are inspecting the 'goods'.

As soon as I have a nuke, I will throw it onto this place to clean the world of it.

“To search a wife and various attendants for you of course, hahaha.” Kane continues to lead the way. After we ate and drank in a fine restaurant at the Arcane Academy, he led me here. I could have thought of a better place to end the day.

“I hope you are joking. I don't need something like that.” I answer with disdain in my voice.

“Then what will you do at the great Ball of Fellmar. The Jarl will have all nobles of Norfolk to attend. You are a part of them now. It would be bad if you went there without courtship.” Kane starts to walk faster as a big building comes into view.

Ah, I totally forgot about that. “I hope he won't invite me.”

Kane shakes his head. “All nobles of Norfolk are invited by default. And even some from foreign countries to form alliances. It would be very strange if he wouldn't invite you. On top comes that this special slave market isn't held very often. There are just really high class 'goods' there. Including people with noble blood who lost their status.”

“You sound like someone with experience.” I look onto Kane with different eyes now. You never learn enough about people. We have reached the building now. The entrance is guarded by two bulky men.

“Hah. Well. I have experience. And I know that you despise this trade. But please acknowledge that I am better than most people who buy here. My employees are paid and can leave as soon as they have worked off their debt. So I consider it more like hiring personnel.” Kane waves his hand at a guard of the big building. “Two masks please!” A bag of money leaves his hands.

“I am sure that their 'payment' is very moderate.” I mumble to myself while the bouncer hands two white masks with creepy smiling faces to me and Kane. My guards get black masks with angry faces.

“Of course it's moderate! I want to earn money!” Kane advances into the building while I follow him.

“Are you sure it's okay for me to be here?” I am actually a little concerned for my safety.

“Because of the problems between Jamaian and Mislow? Nah... You underestimate the power of the Academy! And you are an acknowledged noble of Norfolk now. Jamaian has no trouble with Norfolk.” Kane shakes his head and enters a big room with many chairs and tables. There is a podium at the other end.

Then he takes a seat at one of the tables which is close to the podium. There are other people with masks in the room. The clothing of everyone looks very neat and expensive. My outfit is very cheap and plain compared to theirs. It's something I got accustomed to since I lived in Norfolk. The cold weather makes anything fancy impractical.

Kane starts to speak after I join him. He is reading a card which was lying in the centre of the table. “There are thirty people on the menu! Look there is a merchant from the Nation of Mist on the list. I think I will take that one. If he gives me a valuable advice I may let him go earlier.”

I just shake my head while Kane continues to look through the list. How did I get into this.

“Look hehehe. There are three noble women from Mislow here. Seems like they got captured during the border actions. Are you sure you don't want to buy a mistress or two?” Kane points at the list.

I shake my head. “No, thank you. Why should I want someone in my house who has every reason to stab a knife into me at the first opportune moment?”

“Well. Your loss. Two of them are a little too young for you anyway. Seven, thirteen and twenty two.” Kane places the list in the centre of the table again.

“I will burn this place to cinders after you are done.” They really abducted some children from an enemy nation?

“~Don't do that. It would take a while before I could make some profit here again.~” Kane pleads to me with his hands in a praying position.

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