I wake in the middle of the day lying down in grass, cramped because I didn't remove my armor. I eat, stretch, and then clean up which overall takes me hours mostly spent removing to then reequip my gear.

My reserve is full but the issue is that it only contains around twenty-five portions which underlines my fragile health. The issue is less my reduced access than it is that no amount of stockpiling will allow me to overpower a Duchess.

It makes me feel unsafe, restrained, despite the fact Edusa has shown no indication she looks on me unfavorably. I take deep breaths to get a grip on myself and make my way to the camp with my umbrella over my head.

See, it's great. It does feel more relaxing. I spot the runaways' encampment down in the valley next to the shallow river, they're not far from the army. I find Rowland and Nahl sitting on the ground at the entrance playing dice with a squad of soldiers with bright laughing expressions.

It gives me pause to see the spawn of Nobility not only having chosen to be here but having so much fun with common people. In a way, he may be closer to low born than I am.

“Jessica!” Nahl exclaims. “'Afternoon.”

“Hey.” I mumble.

“Come have a seat! They're scamming us but we can't figure out how.” Rowland throws with his sight fixed on the dice.

“They're cheating?” I ask casually because the pot is only a handful of coppers, it would have enough to feed me for a long time back then but it isn't enough to get angry over.

“Preposterous, we would never!” A soldier denies with a toothy smile that undermines his statement. The fact he's missing a few front teeth is also making it difficult to trust him.

“I'm not sure, we keep losing.” Nahl shakes his head, appearing at a loss yet refusing to accuse others of cheating.

“Mind if I try?” I ask the soldiers.

“Of course not, have at it Dame Freepath.” The man replies. “I'm Friedrich by the way.”

“Hm.” I hum.

I crouch and grab the five dice to make them roll on my palm. Each of the six faces is engraved with an image representing Emperor, King, Queen, Exemplar, Heir, and Templar.

I discreetly use a scanning construct to look for runes concealed at the center but, unsurprisingly, find none. I sneakily direct a thin strand of unstructured flow a single centimeter into the ground through my feet and direct the silver energy towards the small circle of stones where the dice are thrown.

“Oh, what are the rules?” I ask.

“Bust, pair, double pair, three of a kind, straight, full house, four of a kind, five of a kind.” Friedrich answers.

“How much do you want to bet?” I question.

“I wouldn't dare to take your coin, Dame Freepath!” Friedrich protests.

“How about this, if I win I'll take their losses back but double the pot if I lose?” I propose.

“How many rounds?” The soldier instantly asks.

“However many you wish.” I reply with a shrug.

“Best of three?” He offers.

“Deal.” I reply.

I offhandedly throw the dice without using my energy because I have no intention to cheat if he doesn't. The dice roll and bounce on the rocks to land with two Exemplars face up.

“Middle-low pair.” Friedrich says. “Not too bad.” He shakes his head as he grabs the dice.

I spread out the thin layer of silver energy in the circle. He throws them offhandedly but, unlike others, I can see a silver construct near the Templar face opposite the Heir.

It's quite impressive the man managed to put it together so casually. I accelerate my perception and trigger a small kinetic impact from the ground to break his triple Heir before the dice completely stop rolling.

“Oooh, a pair.” I coo. “Not great.” I note.

“That's... yea...” Friedrich mutters with a baffled expression.

“Again?” I ask.

“Of course, my luck has to turn now!” He exclaims.

I snatch the dices and launch them only to land with all different faces. At first I think I got a straight but then I notice the missing Heir and sigh because it means I've got a bust.

“Busted!” Friedrich calls out with a grin.

“Damn!” Rowland swears.

“I've got the Emperor high, let's see you do better.” I taunt.

He smirks and snags the dice. When he throws, I don't bother altering his throw because the best outcome would be a draw so I might as well let him win. He rolls a pair of Templars which is just barely better than my roll. He's overdoing it, playing innocent.

“Pair, well done.” I tell him with a corner smile that makes him frown.

“I throw my own after him and this time get a bit of a lucky break by turning up triple Queens. Friedrich's scowl deepens but I find the expression exaggerated, deceptive.

“Let's see you beat my three of a kind.” I provoke.

“You shouldn't taunt Luck, it'll turn on you like the last roll!” Friedrich counters.

He throws. I slow time down and assert control over the ring. I reinforce or diminish kinetic impacts to utterly wreck his roll to the point where he ends up with a Bust. Friedrich stares at the dancing dice which bounced in seemingly random directions and then at me.

“You did something.” He accuses with outrage.

“I didn't do a thing to the dice.” I reply with an innocent smile.

“Freepath out-cheated me!” He exclaims with a look of utter shock.

“So you were cheating!” Nahl exclaims angrily.

“Of course I was. “Friedrich rolls his eyes before turning to me a bit sheepishly. “Don't tell my sergeant, he'll put me on guard duty for the next year.”

“Sure, I don't much mind.” I tell him with a shrug. “What was that construct you used?”

“Something I got from a friend who got it from a friend, it's a kind of water construct. There's a heavy liquid inside the dice that you can move to alter the result but you can't tell because it all weighs the same and doesn't favor any sides.” He explains.

“Oh, smart.” Rowland compliments.

“Really.” I add.

“He cheated!” Nahl protests with a baffled expression at our reactions.

“Don't play dice with soldiers or sailors, you'll be cheated. Everyone knows that, Nahl.” Rowland tells him with a small laugh.

I smile and hang my umbrella on my shoulder to pat Nahl's back. He groans and leaves with an expression of disgust. I share a shrug with Rowland before heading off behind him.

The number of soldiers in the camp makes it stressful to move through. I counteract that by distracting myself through spinning my umbrella. We soon arrive at a large tent guarded by dozens of guards with somber faces.

They don't question us but the cautious looks they throw underline how serious they are about their task. Upon entrance, we find Edusa having a snack and drinking tea with Idali.

The Duchess pops up to her feet as soon as she spots us as if she was doing something wrong while the blonde's head snaps to the side to pretend the two hadn't been locking eyes.

“Ah, there you are.” Edusa greets a bit too quickly to pretend they had been waiting for us.

“Let's get this done, I have things to do.” I speak with an abrupt tone, feeling a bit annoyed at these two.

There's the anxiety of feeling exposed but also some jealousy at them being together, not to mention that they're apparently not together despite seeming interested.

“We've received news that a large battle is underway in the east so I must return to Altenburg soon.” Edusa says while holding her hand out to invite us to make ourselves comfortable.

“What happened and how does that affect you?” I ask.

“The Rykz finally launched an assault on the Phalanxes, it affects me because the result of the battle will have repercussions on Mirus as the main supplier of the Empire.” She explains. “Whatever the result of the battle, that Kingdom will be in turmoil which is the best time to make a move and initiate true contact with Sykus.”

“That's good because Lance wishes to move as early and quickly as possible. Rowland.” I say, turning to him.

“That's accurate, but there are quite a few details to pick on that Dame Freepath skipped over, Duchess.” He speaks up with an awkward smile. “I'm meant to give you this letter.” Rowland holds out a folded piece of white paper sealed with wax.

“She probably wants you to act quickly so you can take Meiridin when you hear of Cenwalh's demise, or act when we do.” I comment. “I would rather discuss Sykus himself.”

Edusa ignores me and opens the letter to skim it without revealing the contents. It suddenly occurs to me that Leomi could easily have left instructions on there to capture me, or rather delay me since she wouldn't be here to enjoy my captivity.

Damn you Leomi. She's worsening your paranoia. I open and close my fist while sending energy coursing through my body to prepare to spring out at the first sign of danger. I tense as I hear Nahl move behind me.

Yet the former Templar moves to my left side and stands tall in front of me as if to be a shield. I blink in confusion at the fact he turned his back on me before realizing he noticed I grew tense and moved to support me rather than attack.

I feel my cheeks grow hot because it's quite the show of trust for him to do this, and impressive to have noticed my discomfort. I glance to Rowland and find him with his hands crossed in front of his crotch.

The defensive posture shows he's clued in on the situation and ready to act as well. Edusa is utterly oblivious to these events but Idali is throwing me a curious look. I do my best to relax.

“So?” I ask Edusa once she's done.

“My Liege wishes us to quickly forge contacts with Sykus and his people.” She says.

“And the rest?” I question.

“Does not concern you.” Edusa replies instantly.

“So, Meiridin.” I say with a nod, needing no confirmation.

“What are your plans?” The Duchess asks, turning her eyes up from the letter.

“To deal with Sykus.” I reply calmly. “Take him and his officers out because they're wanted by the Order.”

“...” Edusa blanks for a little while. “Explain.”

“You can buy the support of those who follow him or take him out and take over.” I tell her. “The latter option will get you more than the former without cost because I'll be dealing with him.”

“I could tell as much, why?” She asks without a blink of an eye as we discuss the fate of another.

Rowland seems utterly unfazed as well but Nahl is awkwardly shifting his weight. He's uncomfortable about this but I suppose he can't oppose our scheme considering the man's status as an outlaw.

“Because he's dealt with Noble houses, I don't trust him. It'll be best if you don't have to worry about his connections either.” I tell her, trying to convince her because her opposition would add difficulty to my task.

“I agree but it adds initial complications, quite a few in fact. The man is reputably careful about his moves or he would have already been caught. His people have many bases and he moves between them with a large escort.” Edusa explains. “There is also the problem of taking over, there is no way to tell whether his people will follow once he's gone.”

“The officers won't but the rest? They want a better life and I assume you're ready to offer them exactly that.” I argue. “They won't have to hide anymore.”

“I also need his pull towards the townspeople to draw smiths to my demesne.” Edusa counters. “It's unlikely his rebels will have many qualified among them.”

“What you need are the rebels to speak on your behalf, they'll convince others to follow.” I tell her. “I don't need to tell you how to do this, you're listening which means you know all this.”

“I'm listening because that is what I do before making decisions.” Edusa utters flatly while pushing her chest out. “I'd like to hear why you're so intent on this course of action.”

“I'm no adviser or subject of yours. Make whatever choice you wish but prepare to hear news of Sykus' end.” I coldly declare.

“We can't work as allies if you're not going to try to convince me.” Edusa says, looking angry.

“You're no ally of mine, Duchess.” I utter between grit teeth. “And I'm not here for you to pick my brains.”

“Jess...” Idali calls out as she stands. “Let's just sit and talk this out.”

“No.” Liz growls. I notice a slight tremble to the blonde's left leg, causing my sister to tense. I decide to cool this before this goes into an ego thing for her. “Sykus is an obstacle to mine so I'll deal with him, one way or another. My reasons are my own.”

Guards barge in. Rowland and Nahl snap to my sides in a split-second. By the time my gaze flicks back to the front, Idali has taken position in front of Edusa with a difficult expression.

“Leave us.” Edusa snaps. “All of you.” She adds more quietly while glaring at me.

I hold her gaze with a flat face, making myself seem almost bored because it seems to be getting on her nerves and it's best to destabilize your adversary if things turn violent.

“My Liege told me to take your plans into account, she didn't mention you would impose them on my Duchy!” Edusa blows once everyone filtered out.

“Impose?” I ask with a chuckle. “Everyone imposes their actions on others, you don't have a right to dictate what people do, much less what I do.”

“...” Edusa takes a deep breath through her nose. To her credit, she doesn't seem truly angered by my irreverence and that makes me feel a bit guilty for antagonizing her. “Why is it so important that Sykus dies?” She presses. “It creates more problems than it potentially solves.”

“Dies?” I blink. “Well, yes, that's likely but not the goal.” I tell her. “He's the kind of schemer that would insert himself in events I intend to cause and others I predict. The fact he has a link to Nobility that isn't known is enough for me to destroy his power base and turn him irrelevant.” I explain. “Whether I do so by throwing him to the Order or kill him matters little to me.”

“Mh.” Edusa falls quiet and thinks for a long while. “That's a good point, I don't know if he's still working for other Noble houses but I don't wish outsiders to influence Caeviel either at a later date.”

“That's that then.” I say, preparing to leave.

“My Liege did mention taking Meiridin.” She says, making me pause. “Did you two not discuss it?”

“It came up but she didn't have a plan of action at the time.” I deny. “It seems logical however to go straight to the capital if your timeline shortens. You don't have time to prepare for a slow and careful takeover.”

“Do you have any advice?” Edusa asks rather humbly.

“The walls are old and the gates rather weak but don't try to take either by force, the ballistas could tear an army apart.” I tell her. “They shot at me and, trust me, they're no joke.”

“They missed, though.” She notes. “How's the accuracy?”

“Good enough.” I tell her with a frown. “You can't close in on horse because they'll predict their path, the animals won't be able to turn quickly enough while moving on foot might get you there but the more people you send in the open, the easier it'll be for them to aim.”

“Then how can I take the city? There is a limit to the number of armed soldiers that can sneak inside without getting caught or triggering suspicions.” She complains. I think quickly.

“Either destroy the ballistas first at range and then attack.” I say, somewhat contradicting my previous advice. “Or go in by sea, I seem to recall Hetlan has quite a few barges you can use. If there is a famine then you'll have the perfect excuse to send a fleet of them as long as you conceal the fact you've been getting grain from Mirus.”

“How do you know I've been preparing to do that?” Edusa asks, looking baffled.

“You bought grain from Izla Meria, it only makes sense you would.” I tell her with a shrug.

“It isn't in preparation for famine, but your reasoning is sound.” Edusa says with a bitter laugh. “Hetlan lost most of its fertile lands and much of the industry established there, resulting in a lack of smiths to forge weapons. It'll cost us much to get back on war-footing by summer.” She sighs. “To be perfectly honest, the chaos I've so far exaggerated will become quite real once I reveal how heavily I plan to tax the Noble houses.”

“...” I stare at her for a moment. “You're going to use Sykus' people to take over your own Duchy.” I conclude.

“Yes.” Edusa nods. “I need coin and people shouldn't suffer because the Kingdom's leadership has failed them.”

I suddenly find her bright green eyes quite attractive. Damn, I could have fallen for her in another world. I shake my head and take a seat. I extend my umbrella out to invite her to do the same.

“Do you want me to take out a few Nobles on the way to Mirus?” I ask her.

“... That's quite generous of you but...” Edusa trails off.

“It would be my pleasure.” I tell her with a mean smile.

“You remind me of Elizabeth, I always imagined she would have that kind of smile, but you're taller and less crazed.” The Duchess notes with an absentminded expression. “But, no. I can't ask that of you, Dame Freepath. You've done enough.”

Taller? Taller. Taller?! Taller! Taller!? She has good eyes, I am taller than average. She's insane, I had almost identical boots! I don't know what you're talking about. Wait, did you... No, sister, I exude a grand confident presence. Arheghirhyaarh!

“It would add to my reputation.” I tell her while Liz throws her tantrum. “That's useful to me and it'll allow you to placate the Chamberlain and Queen by telling them how truly terrible I turned out to be.”

“Ha.” Edusa snorts. “But I can't have you taking out my Nobles without responding, there needs to be some sort of event that causes me to stop instead of pursuing.” She pauses. “How about I send you after some I suspect of having done wrong or robbed their people? The scandal would allow me to fail to catch up to you to deal with it while taking back the title.”

“You want me to find proof of wrongdoing?” I ask with a grimace.

“It wouldn't take long.” She argues.

“I'll go after those I pass by but I'm not so free as to spend a week investigating.” I tell her.

“That's alright, you only need to break into their studies to steal records.” Edusa says.

“They record their wrongdoings?” I ask, baffled.

“Of course, it isn't as if they're acting on their own, they have people working for them. They need to track what happens to make sure they're not being stolen from and keep their lies straight.” She explains. “I won't be asking you to go alone.”

“You're not asking me, I'm offering, and I work alone.” I tell her.

“Maybe but I rule this Duchy and want someone I can trust at your side, to aid you in difficulty and hold you back otherwise.” Edusa explains, plainly exposing her motives.