.^^ Plateau Front Entrance ^^

— Josef —

When the door whipped open, I expected her growl to grow into a full snapping at whoever was at the door, but instead she was silent, so I turned to see her on one knee, the king standing at the door with an eyebrow raised.

"Hmm? What do you need?" I frowned at him, annoyed by his mere presence.

He turned the raised eyebrow to me, this time. "Watch the tone, please... and I came to warn you that the lord's will be challenging you quite often, I suppose, and bringing fighters from all over to Duel you. Some will even be a challenge."

"I already knew that. Anything else?" I turned back to my little make-shift griddle, and flipped the Pancake over.

"If you knew that, why are you resting?" He frowned.

"Because I'm not worried, and I don't care. I have to accept a duel to lose it, and I don't plan on accepting any duels I'm not confident in winning. If that's all, then I'm sure you have things you need to do. Good day, Majesty." I pulled the pancake off the griddle, and bit into it, chewing slowly.

"Have I done something to offend you that I'm unaware of? Or are you just not a morning person?" He hummed.

"Both. Your general attitude and demeanor annoy me. Your aura irritates me. Your way of speaking reminds me of my younger brother, whom I detested with a burning passion, which does not help your case. And no, I don't like to be bothered in the morning, and especially when eating. If you have anything to say, say it quickly. My patience wears thinner the longer you're near me." I shook my head, not looking at him.

"Hmm... you'll have to get over that. As the Red Duke, your duties involve managing the kingdom's finances as a member of the Council of Kings." He chuckled.

"And I was not informed of that... why?" I poured more batter on the pan, not sparing him a glance, testing how long he'd stay before leaving me be.

"I would have, but you seemed more intent on railing at me for insulting your opponent than listening to me." He responded drily.

"No, you seemed more intent on discovering my secrets than actually informing me of anything at all. And I didn't Rail at you,-for Vanya or otherwise,- because if I had, you'd have known why I was lecturing. And the fact that you still don't know why I snapped at you is another reason I don't like you." I snorted, and flipped my last pancake, tossing the first to come off to Vanya.

"I'm a King, I don't have to listen to other people." He chuckled arrogantly.

"We both know you're too smart to be arrogant. Play your part somewhere else, or be honest with me." I shook my head, refusing to rise to his bait.

He sat down on one of the chairs, closing the door behind him. "And by what right do you demand honesty?"

"I didn't demand honesty. I gave you an ultimatum. Leave, or speak plainly. There's no one here to act like a fool for, there's no soldiers here to impress with crass humor. Just two very tired and cranky warriors, at least one of whom is capable of being your intellectual rival." I ignored him for a few minutes, eating the last of the pancakes, and then put away the cooking tools, standing up and stretching slowly.

Immediately, Vanya whistled slowly, and the king cleared his throat.

I looked down, and sighed, remembering I hadn't dressed fully yet. "Ah. Sorry." I pulled my pants and boots on, then pulled on my armor with a shrug of my shoulders.

The king chuckled softly. "Well, I suppose I've no choice other than to be casual to you, now I've seen you naked."

"HA, if that's all that needed to happen!" I laughed.

"So... yes, the Red Duke is a Bishop of the Council of Kings, whose job is to make sure no other country interferes with our economy, and should they do so, to correct the balance, and direct the efforts to regain our footholds in the world economy." He explained.

"I see. That's why you didn't want Kerrigan in the position. He didn't seem fit to tie his own shoes, much less balance a nation's economy." I smirked at the thought, and sat down on the bed, next to Vanya, who still hadn't bothered dressing. I wasn't going to suggest that she do so, as we were in her rooms, after all, and there was nothing necessarily indecent about her being undressed as soon as she got out of bed.

She laughed. "Indeed. He usually had a few of his smarter servants handle that. His shoes, I mean."

"So... Wait, a Bishop? As in a Chess Piece, or a religious position?" I frowned, processing that, and slowly examining the other people I knew about, to decide who were the other pieces.

He shook his head vehemently. "No, not religious. Only two pieces of the Council are religious at all, and that's because they also happen to be the richest land-owners in their Duchies. There is a clear separation of power, in this kingdom. The gods are important, Sure, but their followers are only people, and as such are vulnerable to all sorts of vices that could corrupt the entire system with something even worse than base greed... with Zealotry being Chief amongst them.."

I nodded. "Well, at least you're doing that right."

He frowned at me. "You think you could do better than me, as king?"

"I'm quite positive I'd abandon the position within ten days, but in those ten days, I would make changes that would reverberate through your society for millennia to come. Starting with culling your corrupt noble stock and replacing then with proper leaders, who could actually do the jobs assigned to them. And with my Skill, which makes all my underlings entirely incorruptible, they would stay that way." I snorted rudely.

He stared at me for a moment. "You have a Skill... which makes all your subjects incorruptible?!?" He asked seriously.

"Yes. Why, you want it?" I asked dryly.

"YES!" He barked, frowning at me. "Do you not realize how that could affect my country?!? The positive change would be inconceivable!!!"

"Mm... I suppose you're right, but I don't think it works for people who are already corrupt, so you'd still have to cull the herd. And it might only work for those directly subordinate to you." I hummed.

"That's fine! Just that would still do untold good!!!" He shook his head fervently.

"Alright, I suppose... here." I gripped his shoulder, and initiated the Gift.

'Error:... he's higher rank than you. You can't make him a subordinate.'

'I'm not, I'm Gifting him something. I don't need another subordinate.'

'Doesn't work like that. Sorry. Also, that's a Buff. You can't give it straight to people, but you can enchant an object and whoever holds it would have its effects.'

'Ah... Okay.' "Seems I can't Gift someone higher ranking than me... but I can enchant an item." I took his sword casually, and used my finger to slowly draw runes on his blade, upgrading the sword to SS+ while I was at it.

'Successful RuneCraft. Yay.' She grumbled.

'No sass!' I frowned at her, and sheathed the blade, handing it to him. "There... try it out." I nodded.

He breathed deeply, and shook his head. "Not yet... I'll try it when I can see them... maybe a meeting, to introduce the new Red Duke... Yes, that'll do. Come." He turned and began walking towards the door.

"You're rather impatient. That will show, if you don't calm yourself down before you meet with your subjects. How about a game of chess?" I suggested, looking at a chess board in the corner of the room.

Vanya chuckled and laid down on the bed, smirking when I tensed at the thought of the naked woman behind me... on a bed. "Relax, I'm not going to pounce on you and take your innocence, little Fae..." she murmured in what I assumed she thought to be an assuring tone, but it came out more of a threat. A very sexy threat.

The king paused at the door, and sighed. "You're right... and a game of chess would not be amiss at all."

—

Needless to say, I destroyed him in fifteen moves, which was at least triple what I usually won in, earning him a little credit in my book.

"Now, have you calmed down a little?" I asked him, and reordered the pieces, now taking the time and looking at the one I'd been curious about, which was shaped like a Bishop, with my crest carved into it.

He sighed. "Yes, a little... and if you're still confused, this set is magical, it changes as the council changes. Thousands of these chess sets exist."

I nodded, and then touched each piece, one at a time, placing a Rune on the bottom. 'I'd like these to reflect their opinion of the throne...'

Each one grew either hot or cold, when pointed at the pieces of either side, and the king in particular, and I nodded, making notes of each of their reactions. "And who is the white pieces? If the black are this kingdom?"

He had watched me enchant the pieces, and made his own notes, but now he chuckled. "They represent the lands to the north, a nation of barbarians and tribes of wild elves. They raid the border towns every month or so."

"And their lands, too dry and cold to grow anything on? No mines? No way of making money and buying food other than stealing?" I frowned.

"No, their lands are actually quite plentiful, and they have their own mines, which they send their criminals and any men they kidnap into. Their culture is simply built around war." He shrugged.

"Ah... and the women, I suspect they're treated with none of the dignity they deserve?" I frowned.

"On the contrary. One of the only reasons we've never launched a full-scale war against them is that they're actually a matriarchal society, and they don't attack people who don't have any martial prowess. Also, they raid our prisons, taking back prisoners to work in the mines, and that is actually rather good for us, so we send to the border towns all those who serve life sentences, such as murderers and rapists. A very clean way of getting rid of them for good." He smirked, and began another game by moving forward a pawn that looked like a foot soldier, a living one.

I hummed, stewing that information over in my head, then glanced at Vanya, finding her staring at me.

"Yes, if you're wondering, that is where I came from." She said simply.

"Ah... would you be interested in conquering it with me?" I asked casually, and tipped over the king piece, submitting defeat on the second move.

The real king raised his eyebrows at me, then Vanya, who was staring at me in shock. "Why... would you do that?" He asked slowly.

"Because I'm bored, and any mines of theirs that are empty I can fill with anthracite, and the criminals can mine it for me. Also, I'm bored, and a matriarchal society sounds interesting. Also also, I've never conquered a country before, and that sounds fun. Also also also, I'd like to stop the border raids and gain this country a raiding force of powerful soldiers who've been doing this their entire lives." I shrugged.

Vanya chuckled. "The average warrior is A- Ranked, and the Queen is SS, like us. That won't go as well as you think."

"Ooh, a challenge!" I grinned.

The king laughed, and nodded. "If you were to halt the raids, and set up trade with our country, supplies and crops in exchange for the prisoners to work the mines, that would have a positive effect on both our economies-"

Vanya interrupted. "They'd never go for it. War is the absolute heart of our culture. Our pulses are the drums of war, and you would never convince them to stop fighting."

"Oh they'd still get to go to war. Against all kinds of people. Mostly pirates." I nodded.

The king grinned savagely. "And that'd be a good way to get rid of mercenaries who've become a little too savage... hire them as pirates, send them towards the raiding fleet... that would indeed be equitable."

She subsided, and then hummed. "I suppose shifting their targets wouldn't be much of an issue... so long as the new warriors are blooded each season and the mines are never empty, all is well."

"Good. And I apologize for asking of you the responsibility of ruling the place, I'm positive you'd be a better choice than me, or I wouldn't ask." I hummed, and examined the pieces on the board, memorizing again the white pieces, the ones that represented the northern kingdom's leaders.

She raised an eyebrow. "Wait, when did you do that? Did that part of the conversation happen in your head?"

"Perhaps. You said they were matriarchal, and that you were born there. They will accept you more readily than they will me. Do you disagree?" I asked, gazing at her and gauging her response.

Vanya thought for a moment, slowly nodding. "Nothing you say is technically wrong... but don't I have to agree to be a queen? Do I get an opinion, or is this an order from my master?" She asked, raising a brow at me challengingly.

"Do as you wish, I suppose, but I would like you to be the queen I first beheld you as, even if you insist that I am your master." I smiled, amused by her defiant tone.

She blushed delicately, and then grinned bawdily, ruining the innocent air. "Flatterer... I approve. And yes, you defeated me in open combat, so I now serve you, indisputably; that is the way I was raised, regardless of whether or not you dissolve the magical ties between us."

"Then you will be queen?" I asked hopefully.

She smiled. "If you wish it."

"Good. Now as for you, King... the nation to the north will no longer be hostile towards you, after I am finished, and will negotiate a trade treaty in return for their services as pirate hunters and warriors. You will not treat them as your own forces, or give them orders, but rather a very large Warrior's Guild. You will pay both them and the treasury for their wages, and they will reserve the right to leave when they want, forfeiting their wages upon their exit. Clear?" I asked.

He laughed softly. "You speak as if you've already won!"

I smirked and gestured at the toppled king piece. "Haven't I?" I asked ominously.

—

"I don't understand what building an orphanage has to do with conquering a country." Vanya said calmly, sitting cross-legged on a piece of shattered rock, which I'd pulled out of the side of the mountain.

I chuckled, hammering away at the rock face and chiseling out the new entrance to the orphanage. "Not everything I do is about my larger goals, you know. Also, I care about the children more than I do about conquering a foreign nation."

One of the orphans, the daughter of a mason, (who was currently directing my efforts with all the authority of a grizzled old foreman, despite my mastery of craftsmanship,) stared at me. "Mister Josef, you're gonna conquer the kingdom?!?" She grinned excitably.

"Not this one, a different one, to the north." I smiled back at her, enjoying her youthful innocence... until I realized she'd been excited about me conquering her home kingdom.

She pouted for a moment, then pointed at the rock face. "Well, either way! Back to work! The entrance isn't going to build itself!"

I laughed and tousled her hair gently. "You know I'm a master Mason, yes? I don't need a Foreman."

She settled her fists in her hips. "That's what all my papa's workers always said, too, but you'll work better if I help." She grinned victoriously.

"Alright, Fine, you can stay." I shook my head, and went back to hammering and chiseling the rocks, tossing them into a gorge nearby.

"Josef? Who is this?" Saccharine appeared from thin air, behind Vanya.

She slowly gazed over her shoulder, and hummed. "Hello. I am Vanya, a warrior that Master Josef conquered." She smirked at me when I frowned because of the double entendre.

"Oh? Curious... I am Saccharine, I help manage the orphanage, when I'm not on Guild Business." He hummed, then snatched up my little task master, laughing victoriously as she squealed in annoyance. "And you!!! You need to let Josef work, little one!!! Did you do your chores yet?"

"I was helping!!!" She protested, pouting at him again.

"Mmhmm. I'm sure. Off you go." Saccharine chuckled, sending her scampering off through the door with a playful swat at her hip.

I waved when she looked over her shoulder, and then got back to work, perfecting the Pseudo-Grecian pillars that I had roughly shaped in front of the entrance. Once they were finished, I worked on the locking mechanism, which was tuned to all the children in the orphanage, and wouldn't let any outsiders in at all.

Should any intruders succeed in getting past the Gates, then the hallway that led back into the mountain behind it was full of traps and such to destroy just about anything with a pulse. The traps started out non-lethal, of course, including sleeping darts and smoke pipes to remove the breathable oxygen in the hall until the Target was unconscious, but should they protect themselves from that, the lethal options were next.

Hidden spikes and columns interposed throughout the roof, walls, and floors, dart shooters, even a few legitimate cannons I'd whipped up secretly. Underlaying it all was a thin rail of metal, which absorbed latent magic from inside the tunnel and sent it up to the crops of anthracite, and the Tree.

"So! I assume that you defeating a warrior in the employ of the Red Duke means you've defeated him, as well?" Saccharine asked.

"You are correct. I am now the Red Duke. Bugger all." I sighed, and Vanya snorted in amusement at my annoyed tone.