Chapter 7

Ray brushed his fingers over the table, leaning low to inspect its surface for dust and stains marring the reflected torchlight. While preparations could be made with some forewarning, an army camp usually wasn’t the place to entertain a Noble. He had done what he could and could only hope that the reception was seen as providing an authentic ‘flavour’ to the experience rather than used to place him in a disadvantageous position for his lack of proper hospitality.

Joachim Ward’s reports never mentioned how Lady Zahradnik was accommodated in her time so far. His information was delivered in a way characteristic of the Imperial Army, which was dominated by taciturn men of stern demeanour. Reports focused on facts and figures revolving around results. There was no time or paper wasted on what were considered frivolous details and what might be seen as embellishment was frowned severely upon.

He could imagine how she went from place to place, however. According to his sources, Lady Zahradnik had arrived at Karlsheim but was intercepted by the Fifth Legion. Baron Ward whisked her out of the city before people from the Sixth Legion had located her and they headed west along the imperial highway to the town of Kurze with an Undead ‘cavalry squad’ in tow. There, they stayed overnight at the Count’s manor, departing the following morning to arrive at Baron Ward’s manor in the evening. It was there that Joachim Ward attached himself to the Baroness, who reportedly said next to nothing about his assignment to her.

After that, she headed west past Orenstead and around the mountains, heading south to the fortress garrison at the southernmost point of the Katze Marches where the Fourth and Fifth Divisions were stationed. It was there that she started her work, incorporating Death-series servitors to the Third Division of the Fifth Legion, which was responsible for that area of the southern border. She took one of their companies north along the mountains for an orientation with their new supplementary forces. They then headed east to Orensted before she parted ways with them, heading to Karlsheim to pick up the next Undead squad and start the familiarisation process with the next Division.

The Imperial Army used administrative villages as waypoints for their patrols, so it stood to reason that she stayed at the manors of the local lords during her time in the southern frontier thus far. Even if she did not specifically request it, they would still offer her their hospitality. Given the dour nature of Frontier Nobles, however, Ray couldn’t imagine that it was very entertaining for someone who had previously spent over a week in Arwintar for personal leisure.

Bennet came up to the table, waiting quietly as Ray continued to examine his preparations.

“What do you think?”

“About our ‘guest’, sir?” Bennet asked, “Or the preparations you’ve made for her?”

Ray looked up from the table to bestow a frown upon the Cleric.

“Baroness Zahradnik.”

“I couldn’t detect anything wrong with her,” Bennet said. “She doesn’t show any sign of being a Vampire or any other sort of Undead that might pass for a Human; neither does she emit an Undead reaction. There isn’t anything strange about her behaviour that suggests mind control or other types of compulsion.”

“Did Testania take a look at her?”

“He didn’t detect any illusions. The scouts I brought along said that there’s little to note about her personal strength. Our mages haven’t noticed anything significant on the magical front. By all appearances, she appears to be the young scion of an aristocratic house with the mannerisms to match.”

When correlated with the information he already possessed, it appeared that there wouldn’t be much to expect from the former Noble of Re-Estize. It was frustratingly ironic that the corrupt and incompetent wastrels of that rotting nation now basked undeservedly in the benefits of the Sorcerous Kingdom’s stupendous power.

“How are the men receiving her?”

“As well as one would expect of a thousand young men on the edge of nowhere suddenly finding an attractive young noblewoman in their midst.”

Ray narrowed his eyes. He would need to assign an escort detail to her whenever she came to visit. The last thing he needed was some overeager young idiot ruining everything for him.

“Did she come with any Undead?”

“She didn’t, thank the gods. By all reports, she appeared on her own.”

He furrowed his brow at the irregular detail.

“‘On her own’…as in alone?” Ray asked, “Not even with footmen from Baron Ward?”

“No escort,” Bennet answered. “Not even a horse.”

She walked?

Ray couldn’t imagine Baron Ward allowing her to go anywhere without an escort. If she hadn’t even secured a mount, she must have snuck out somehow.

Though Ray’s raids had driven the Demihuman tribes into the mouth of the wilderness valley, a woman walking alone in the frontier was still a heedless risk. Was she some sort of reckless idiot? An empty-headed girl who wanted to spend her time in an army camp surrounded by knights in shining armour?

Or maybe there was something else going on. Considering the growing tension between the Fifth and Sixth Legions, Lord Ward might have been instructed to detain her for as long as humanly possible. Either way, she was a catastrophe waiting to happen if left to her own devices.

“I wonder how many times Priest Ward has lost track of the Baroness,” Ray muttered. “She could have been interacting with her agents or other factions at any time and we have no idea who they are.”

“That shouldn't be a worry here, sir,” Bennet said. “There are far too many eyes on her now.”

“We’ll have to assign a group to watch over her regardless,” Ray told him. “She’s essentially a foreign dignitary from the Empire’s suzerain. If anything happens to her, there will be hell to pay.”

He sent an officer to retrieve Lady Zahradnik, firmly entrenching his initial objectives in his mind. Though her careless eagerness was problematic in certain ways, it also meant that she was likely easy to please and easy to impress.

The Sorcerous Kingdom’s liaison officer arrived shortly after Bennet’s report, accompanied by one of the squads on security duty. He sighed internally as a cursory examination confirmed his developing suspicions.

She was adorned in an immaculate equestrian outfit with a forest green coat. Instead of a helmet, she wore a silvery circlet. An exquisite blue crystal hairpin fashioned into a single feather held up her long, chestnut hair. Rather than a woman equipped for war, she was one fashionably adorned for a refreshing ride through some pastoral idyll.

The stylish, militant look plainly expressed her desire for an attractive appearance while at the same time attempting to convey a sense of martial gravity. Perhaps if she were an Adventurer, it might have been seen as reasonable as they tended to wear outfits that advertised themselves. The fact that his scouts couldn’t sense any strength from her, however, only revealed her for what she was: a pretty face maintaining the pretence of power and importance.

Ray fixed his face into a welcoming smile, performing a respectful bow.

“Welcome to my encampment, my lady,” he said, “I’m General Ray.”

“Thank you for your welcome, General Ray. Baroness Ludmila Zahradnik.”

“I hope my men have made your visit enjoyable while I was out on the field.”

“Yes, they’ve all been very friendly, thank you,” the young noblewoman smiled. “You have many brave and energetic soldiers serving under you, Your Excellency.”

At the least, she displayed signs of training that probably made her effective in her tasks with the Second Legion. Nothing slipped past her polite mask and cordial words as she carried herself in a manner that was attractive to the vast majority of men in the Imperial Army.

Her actions thus far, however, betrayed much of her true nature. It was characteristic of many foolish Nobles who put on their masks, thinking that doing so concealed everything else about them. She would be easy to read as long as he stayed apprised of her activities.

“Well, please have a seat, my lady,” he swept his arm out to the chair prepared for her. “Dinner will be served soon. It will be modest fare compared to what a manor may provide, but I still hope it’s to your taste.”

They settled down to have dinner, with Ray introducing each course with a suitable degree of eloquence. Most of it was some combination of the supplies delivered to the camp and efforts at foraging and hunting by the battalion’s Rangers. It was a good, hearty meal by the Wyvernmark’s standards, but it couldn’t compare to the high cuisine of Arwintar. He gauged Lady Zahradnik’s reactions carefully, trying to discern her preferences.

“I suppose you’re well-accustomed to this fare by now,” he said. “Everyone along the border must have offered something similar.”

“There were slight differences from place to place,” she replied, “but yes. Overall, it’s quite distinct from the cuisine in Arwintar or the northwest.”

Did that count as a good thing, or a bad thing? Ray examined and reexamined her response, trying to get a feel for the tactics that she had brought to the table.

The scouts might not have detected a significant amount of raw strength from her, but it didn’t mean that she didn’t excel in some other way. Re-Estize’s Nobles were militarily abhorrent and somewhat passable in an administrative sense but were most well known for their flavour of politics and intrigue. That they could pursue their craft even while their nation crumbled around their heads was mind-boggling, but stupidity did not make Skills and Abilities any less potent when employed.

For the time being, she appeared to be getting a feel for Ray and his men, probing points that she thought might be sensitive and looking for cracks to exploit. It would be something like gaining an edge in negotiations by establishing a superior position through every means necessary – even the suggestion of not offering suitable hospitality during every portion of her stay. Every detail was potentially a piece of her arsenal. How she would ultimately use each piece and what he could prepare in defence would be crucial for the subtle plays for power that continually occurred between them.

“My lady,” Ray said, “since you’ve now arrived to carry out your duties, might I ask what your plans are for the Sixth Legion? From the reports that I’ve received of the Fifth Legion’s jurisdiction, the Undead forces from the Sorcerous Kingdom are now being incorporated…but we have had no such forces assigned to aid us.”

“That came as a surprise to me as well, Your Excellency,” Lady Zahradnik replied. “My understanding was that the Death-series servitors would be deployed to the Wyvernmark and the larger portion of my assignment here would involve your campaign in the wilderness. I had some expectations that both Legions would, by necessity, be collaborating in the effort – with one army group ensuring that the Wyvernmark stayed secure and the other going on the offensive – but these roles manifested in a rather strange way.”

So it was someone on the Empire’s side. Or was it? It could have just as easily been everything he had surmised and Lady Zahradnik was playing innocent to draw some sort of reaction out of him. Either way, knowing that it happened did not indicate the motives behind the move and the Baroness was expressing the Sixth Legion’s initial expectations from a slightly different angle. It was the verbal equivalent of moving to his side and asking for him to confide in her.

Ray weighed the benefits of going along with her manoeuvring. It was too dangerous to play along until he had some idea of what she wanted.

“Still,” she continued, “it is as you say: I am here to carry out my duties. I’ve seen to the leased Undead forces and will review the Fifth Legion’s progress in their adoption once they’ve had a chance to circulate them through their companies. For the time being, I’d like to observe the Sixth Legion’s operations as an expeditionary force. According to General Gregan, you’ve made the most progress thus far.”

He frowned inwardly as she continued speaking without waiting for his response. Did she just throw off their rhythm to jar him into responding to her prompt? One of the first things that Noble scions learned was that men loved to showcase their expertise and achievements. This could be used to gain insights and information for a trivial cost, so boys were taught to be mindful of what they shared while girls were taught how they could use their charms to draw what they wanted out of men.

“I see,” Ray reached out for his wine. “It’s a shame you hadn’t come earlier when we were sortieing out of the border, my lady. We’ll be breaking camp in the morning and setting up the first of our outposts in the wilderness.”

“Forgive me Your Excellency, but I don’t understand why that might be a problem.”

The goblet stopped halfway to his lips. He set it down again and turned a perplexed look at the Baroness.

“You’re currently staying at Ward Manor, yes?”

“I was last night,” Lady Zahradnik replied, “but I’ll be accompanying your battalion now.”

“Accompanying…do you mean to say that you’ll be following us into the wilderness?”

“Will that be a problem, Your Excellency?”

Would it? It wouldn’t. He had expected his time to be limited as she moved around the Sixth Legion’s camps, but now she would be on hand for an extended period. There would be time to thoroughly gain an understanding of the young noblewoman, her motives and what would best be used to solicit her favour.

“Not at all, my lady,” he smiled. “You are most welcome to join us. I will arrange a detail of strong, reliable men for your bodyguard. Hmm…was Joachim Ward of service to you? If you so desire, I will arrange for him to continue attending to your needs.”

“He was, thank you,” the Baroness replied. “I wouldn’t mind if he continued to assist me.”

“Excellent. Did you have any preferences that we should be aware of, my lady?”

“…preferences?”

“Food; beverage,” Ray waved a hand loosely, “the type of escort you’d like to have. Any special arrangements…”

“I’m here to observe your operations, Your Excellency,” Lady Zahradnik said. “It would hardly do to disrupt them with selfish demands. Please keep any arrangements on my behalf to a suitable minimum.”

Ray nodded, turning his attention to the cooling meal before him. So far, she was taking the classic noblewoman’s approach, which involved adopting an attitude that was accommodating and subservient rather than assertive and confrontational when men of power were present. It also had the effect of leading other parties into postures that they felt comfortable with; a stiletto that worked open gaps through which a noblewoman could observe or manipulate them.

Leading others in this manner also had the effect of hinting at a noblewoman’s intent. Ray had every intention of peeling off her silken glove to reveal the hand it concealed.

“Was your work with the Second Legion similar to this, my lady?”

“Somewhat,” Lady Zahradnik replied. “The camp was outside of Enz, so I alternated between working with General Kabein in the city and the companies out in the field.”

“Did you follow them into The Blister?”

“I did. I was present until the main action was concluded and the army withdrew to resume regular operations.”

“In that case,” Ray said, “Things should be somewhat similar to your work with the Second Legion. In the camp, at any rate. The wilderness here is nowhere near as treacherous as The Blister, but it does have its own dangers. With this valley more suited to cavalry operations, however, you’ll be able to see the Sixth Legion’s finest men at their best.”