Chapter 16: A Whipped Man

Frederick Hendrickson, High Citizen of the Empire and head of The Department of Internal Affairs stared dumbfounded at his secretary.

“Please repeat that. I think I misheard you.”

Alfred nodded his head and gave the report again.

“Three hours ago, around 6:43 pm, the largest magical surge since the Dwarven Wars was recorded inside a small forest located in the Free Lands. The mana signature’s forensics read mostly fire, though it has a fair share of water and wood also. Logistics are still running the numbers, but it appears as if the Entity of fire briefly broke-through before quickly being smothered by the entity of water. We have yet to trace the wood signature, and it doesn’t appear to match anything in our database. We are moving to secure witness testimonies, but we have run into a few… complications.”

Fredrick rubbed his forehead, a fearsome headache brewing. Unfortunately, he had not heard the report wrong. Even though it was incomplete, he could already feel the overtime hours looming in the near future. His wife would not be happy.

“Tell me, Alfred. Are these complications arising from the lack of personnel in the area or from the Free Land nobility?”

God help him if it was the latter…

“We have run into complications dealing with the nobility in the area. The forest is jointly owned by four of the ten noble houses and they are claiming that this is an internal affair. We are in the process of obtaining a warrant, but the nobility's lobbyists have begun to move…”

Frederickson’s fist came down on the table with a smack causing the wood to crack and splinter. He froze looking at the pit he’d put in his desk. His new desk. His face growing redder and redder. His wife would not be happy. He clenched his fist. Pulling mana through his trapezoid and circulating it throughout his body. The buzz helping to settle his nerves. Barely.

“Bloody ashes! Potentially the greatest threat to the Empire since the bloody dwarves got themselves offed, and they claim it’s an internal affair! Are they mad!”

Fredrick took another second to calm himself. His mana now touching other spelled organs. He had to be careful now. Mana could keep you centered, but if he flipped out now there wouldn’t be anything left of his desk. Or much of his office for that matter.

“Alfred, what kind of damage are we looking at?”

The fact of the matter was unless he could find an incentive for the Senate to move, their warrant would be delayed for weeks or even months. A situation like this needed to have had teams on the ground preferably minutes after the event occurred! With the nobility all riled up though, he’d be lucky to get teams down on the ground by the end of this week!

The unfortunate reality was that the Senate preferred a hands-off approach when it came to the Free Lands and if there was one thing the Free Land nobility had perfected after their integration with the Empire,

It was lobbying.

Fredrick grimaced. This would require a subtle hand. He needed something that would get those mildewing old senators moving.

“Sir, there appears to be remarkably little damage. Our agents have been unable to find any destruction outside of the forest premise and the nobility has forbidden access to the interior. We could sneak agents in, but the illegal nature of the venture would make any evidence inside rather moot unless it was grotesquely out of line. The lack of damage is one of the big reasons we have been unable to brute force our way into the area.”

Fredrick lifted an eyebrow at that. The fire entity comes breaking through and there was no damage? He doubted that. Beyond the mana requirements for the entity, there also was a certain amount of life that had to be consumed. Regardless of what the nobility was claiming, someone had burned to death in that forest. Not that knowing that helped him at all.

Bringing that before the Senate would grant him a warrant. In three months’ time, though. No, those old codgers didn’t care about a few deaths, especially Free Land deaths. Oh, eventually they’d move. They had to at least pretend that they cared about the Free Lands, but not until they’d filled their pockets with the nobility’s bribes first.

No, he needed something else.

“That’s good to know Alfred, but not really what I was asking about. With a mana blast that big, there’s bound to be some breaks. How many do you think we’re looking at?”

Alfred paused. Brows furrowed.

“Sir, without more teams on the ground we lack the reconnaissance to determine—”

Fredrick waved him off. That wasn’t what he wanted either.

“I don’t need a definite number. Give me an estimate.”

Alfred’s brow creased as he flipped through some of the documents in his hand.

“The location is rather rural with a mostly older population surrounding the center of the blast. However, a few miles away there is a middle and high school. If we look at the age demographics and compare that to the threshold for a break to occur…”

Alfred pulled out a calculator and snapped some numbers in. Glancing back and forth from his calculator and his pad.

“…Sir, we should run this by logistics, but my calculations estimate there could be anywhere between three hundred and a thousand breaks.”

Fredrick sucked in a breath. He was tempted to ask Alfred to double-check his math, but in all the years Fredrick had worked with him, he had never known him to miscalculate. If he said there were between three-hundred and a thousand breaks that meant that either his data was wrong or there really were that many breaks.

He had what he needed to move the Senate.

“Alfred, bear with me for a second here. Let’s for the sake of argument say that there were two-thousand breaks that suddenly popped up out of nowhere in the Free Lands. Does the Free Lands have the logistics to deal with that many young and vulnerable breaks?”

Alfred’s face morphed from confusion to understanding in a second. A small smile tugging at the edges of his mouth.

“Why no, sir. That many breaks at once would definitely overstrain the underdeveloped Free Land’s hospitals.”

Fredrick could see that Alfred knew where he was going with this, but he indulged him in not calling him out. Letting him have his big moment and even providing him with the appropriate verbal cues. This was precisely why Alfred was the greatest Secretary in the Empire. Anyone who said otherwise clearly didn’t know the man.

“And if these poor, valuable breaks were to be unable to be treated, what would happen?”

“Sir, if that were to occur then there could be those who were left crippled or even killed because they could not obtain prompt treatment. It would be a great loss for the Empire to lose such promising seeds.”

Fredrick smiled. Oh yes. It was all coming together now. Now he just needed to contact the appropriate branches that would also be interested in taking in some new spell casters.

“We have them. Call up the Department of Education and get me the highest rank military officer you can find. I’m sure they’ll see the benefit of this proposal. I can guarantee that we’ll have our warrant by tomorrow morning.”

Alfred hesitated for a moment. Fredricks waited. Alfred would tell him if it was important.

“Sir, I don’t mean to doubt your proposal, but will that really be enough to move the Senate?”

Fredrick nodded, acknowledging that Alfred had a point. But as good a secretary as Alfred was, he didn’t understand the thought process of High Citizens.

“Even a thousand breaks isn’t much for the Empire in the grand scheme of things. Depending on what origins people have broken through, the vast majority could prove largely useless. However, it doesn’t really matter. The cost to cause a break has been steadily increasing ever since the Emperor slew the Demon Lord. The idea that the Free Lands would be blessed with free breaks will be intolerable to those penny-pinching fools. By providing aid to the Free Lands, it opens up the doors to poach their new surplus of talent. The reason the Senate doesn’t touch the Free Lands is that its more beneficial to let its problems fester. This case is different though.”

“Ah, I see, sir. I’m sorry I doubted you. I’ll take my leave now.”

Alfred left the room, leaving Fredrick to his thoughts.

Everything he had said was true. The Senate would move with this carrot on a stick. They liked their excuses.

But it wasn’t the whole truth.

The fact of the matter was, the Free Lands existed to be poached. The Senate hardly needed a reason to move. They did like their excuses though. Going through it like this would make the matter look better. All those new breaks would be snapped up by the highest bidder. Such was the difference in what it meant to be a citizen of the Free Lands, vs a Citizen of the Empire.

Sure, when the Free Lands had first been swallowed by the Empire, the only difference between the two had been that the Empire was watched over by the senate, while the Free Lands were governed by the nobility. With senate oversight of course.

But over the years, the rights and privileges of the Free Lands had slowly been stripped away by their own leaders. The Senate didn’t care, and the nobles had deep pockets. Slowly but surely, pushing the Free Land people into a modern form of indentured servitude.

The Senate didn’t care, as it could skim off the most talented citizens of the Free Lands, all the while importing cheap goods. You didn’t have to pay a Free Land’s citizen overtime after all. Or hazard pay. Even the minimum wage was lower!

Fredrick understood the practice, but on principal didn’t like it.

Also, his wife was one of those ‘skimmed talents’ and it was best for his health if he didn’t give the nobility any compliments. The number of times he had to hear his wife rant about them was more than enough to instill a deep-seated dislike for them. Many a time in the past year he had found himself left hanging when they were brought up. The very thought of all those times he’d been left blue sent a small shiver of rage up his spine. Those slimy—!

He took a breath to calm himself. Now wasn’t the time to get worked up.

Even if the Senate accepted his proposal, it would be good to get a little dirt on the nobility to make the rusted, slow cogs of bureaucracy run smoothly. Or as smoothly as these things could go.

His motivation was, of course, non-personal. He was a man of logic and deliberation after all.

However, that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy it.

*knock, knock, cli-clack*

Alfred’s head peaked out from the door.

“Sir, I have the Department of Education on the line. I also talked to a Lieutenant who said he would arrange something with someone higher up. Sir, there was also…”

Alfred hesitated at that. Grimacing.

“…there was also a call originating from the Free Lands. A ‘Jonathan Quinton’. One of the aides sent it up saying he thought it was important. Shall I have the aid disciplined?”

Fredrick paused. His post was such that the more mundane day-to-day matters almost never made it to his desk. He called people. People didn’t call him.

Unless it was the Senate of course. Those old codgers liked to yank on his leash every now and then just to show they could. Curse them.

Or his wife. Bless her.

His aids should have known that, though. The fact that one of them had sent him up a call anyway spoke to either the call being extraordinarily important or the aid being extraordinarily incompetent.

It was intriguing.

“…I’ll take both of them.”

“Sir, do you wish to speak to Mr. Quinton or do the Department of Education first?”

Fredrick hesitated again. To keep the head of a department on the line to talk to some nobody out in the Free Lands was a huge breach in protocol. Even if his gut told him that it was important…

He looked at the cacked spot on his desk. Running his fingers along the shattered wood. His mind wandering to… had it already been a year? When he had met the love of his life… that had also been caused by a ‘mistake’. A most egregious breach of etiquette to be sure! Why his aunts still gossiped about how ‘unbecoming’ and downright ‘improper’ it was!

His mouth twitched up. Screw it. He’d follow his gut again.

“I’ll talk to Mr. Quinton first.”

Alfred didn’t say anything about the huge civility breach. God blessed secretary that he was. Merely pausing to allow Fredrick a chance to change his mind if he desired.

“Very well Sir, I’ll send his call through.”

Fredrick composed himself. Correcting his posture and straightening the contents of his desk. He didn’t usually take calls. But here he was, about to talk to someone he didn’t have any information on. No folder with their life’s accolades laid out. It was strange, this ‘not knowing’.

In all honesty, he was feeling a little nervous.

He had always been more of a ‘live combat’ kind of guy. He’d take spells and bullets over phone calls any day. If the ‘him from ten years ago could see where he was now, happily married and sitting behind a desk, there was no doubt that he would have busted out laughing.

Well, past self was a bit of an idiot, all things considered.

He waited for the phone to ring as Alfred stepped back into the room. Handing him a folder. The top read Jonathon Quinton. Alfred truly was a blessing he didn’t deserve.

*Ring, ring, ring, cli-ck*

“This is Frederick Hendrickson, Head of the Department of Internal affairs. I was told you had a matter of some importance to speak to me about.”

“Ah, good to finally reach you, Mr. Hendrickson. I figure you’re a busy man and so I’ll get right to the point. I would like to make a deal with you. I will exchange information on what happened at the Wooden Mansion this evening for a Potion of Greater Health.”

Fredrick felt a little stunned. That was a little bit too on-point. And straight out unreasonable.

Information was what he needed right now, and if the man had asked for credits there wouldn’t have been a problem. But a Health potion, let alone a Greater one, wasn’t something you could just hand out. One had to apply for one of those and even then, money and favors would need to be exchanged. What this man was asking for was absurd.

He needed to know more.

He flipped open the folder and activated the spell in his eye. It was a fairly mundane spell. It allowed him to analyze something in a moment to the same extent as if he’d spent minutes examining it. He felt the mana swirl around in his eye before clicking into the matrix that was carved there.

The spell of course had its limits. He gained only the insights that he could have made with a bit more time to examine the situation. On the battlefield, it made it so he could make lightning-quick decisions in an instant. Saving the life of him and his comrades many a time.

Now he used it on some of the longer documents that were just too boring to read. Considering the headache, the spell gave him a minor inconvenience in comparison.

“Jonathon Quinton, you are a doctor? No… an extraordinary doctor. You received your education in the Empire which should have included the administrating and creation process of potions. You know just how rare and costly these potions are. I cannot merely hand one over for a mere bit of information. Please be reasonable. I am not above offering citizenship or scholarships. I see here that you have three children. I’d be willing to give Citizenship for the rest of your family if your information proves useful.”

Fredrick wanted information on what had occurred in the forest, but he wasn’t going to beg for it. Especially when he could probably get the same information from half a dozen other people without being extorted. Indeed, unless Mr. Quinton had some fairly unique information, even talk of Citizenship was premature. Fredrick was merely giving him the benefit of the doubt since the man had managed to work his way up the bureaucratic maze to reach him. That and if this guy had half the credentials that this report claimed, he was by no means an idiot.

That or the Empire’s standardized testing needed to be significantly revised.

“I am well aware of the cost of a Greater Health Potion Mr. Hendrickson. I have helped administer some on behalf of my noble clientele. I didn’t open this exchange with an unreasonable request due to greed, but necessity. I have with me the only two witnesses of what occurred this evening, and one of them will never speak again without the Greater Health Potion, and the other has made the claim that she will speak to no one if the other does not recover.”

Fredrick grimaced. He would have much preferred dealing with greed. Greed could be reasoned with. It was rational and civilized in a way. Compassion on the other hand was wild, untamable, and most importantly, could not be bargained with.

He did feel a smidgen of compassion for the man. Anyone who had been on the battlefield could understand the desire for a health potion. He felt his impression of Mr. Quinton rise just a bit. Knowing that he was dealing with an idealist instead of an opportunist. Still, his impression changed nothing.

“Mr. Quinton, I am sorry for the trouble you are in, but I cannot help you without knowing how valuable the information is. We are aware of the situation down there but—”

“Mr. Hendrickson, my field of study only included the treatment of mana-caused illnesses, so I am not an expert. However, even with my inexperience, I am confident that you are not fully aware of the situation here. Our hospital has received one hundred patients with bad to severe breakage symptoms. We are not the only hospital in the area. I may not have studied mana dispersion theory, but I am well versed in what a breakage output looks like and have done a few figures. If the same holds true for the other hospitals, I believe that the events tonight have led to four-thousand breaks. About two-hundred being severe. There hasn’t been that many breaks caused by a single event since the Demon Lord was put down.”

Fredrick gulped. Giving a glance at Alfred who had been standing nearby listening, but after hearing the figures he had quickly called up the logistics department. Frantically whispering back and forth. Seeing Fredrick’s gaze, he nodded.

“Sir, if Mr. Quinton’s numbers are correct, there is a possibility that there could be up to five-thousand breaks. We are rerunning the numbers and examining the data again to see if there was a possible miscalculation in our analysis. The mana we calculated shouldn’t even come close to that figure.”

This… this changed things. For their calculations to be so off. He needed to get agents on the ground stat.

“Mr. Quinton, if what you say is true, then I would be willing to negotiate for a health potion. I would first need to verify that your figures are correct and that your information is valuable, but if they are…”

Fredrick would give the man a lesser health potion regardless, if just for that last tidbit of information. He recognized it for what it was. A juicy piece of information with a fishhook right through it. He didn’t care though; he’d take whatever advantage he could get, fishhook or no. The senate would go mad over those numbers.

“Mr. Hendrickson, my request is time-sensitive. I do not know how long it will take you to verify my numbers, but in a show of good faith, I will tell you the information I have. Trusting that you will deal honorably with me after I have lost my leverage.”

Fredrick froze… he had not expected that. The more he talked with Mr. Quinton the warier he became. The man had skillfully led the conversation right where he wanted it. He was at an advantage in this discussion, having already given their side valuable information for free. For them, it was as good as admitting that the situation was out of their control. For Mr. Quinton to give in and to trust in his goodwill… no. Fredrick activated his eyes again, the spell providing clarity and insight.

Mr. Quinton wasn’t taking a gamble at all. He had already analyzed Fredrick and took him to be a man of his word. Also, for a man so well versed in intrigue, it would be simple to present the information in a light that make it more valuable. Or to leave out key facts that he could use later if this conversation proved unfruitful.

But he couldn’t say ‘No’ to a show of good faith now. The information probably was valuable. He doubted the man was stupid enough to go through all this trouble if it wasn’t. So, he needed access to the information without the worry of it being filtered. The solution was simple.

He needed to cut Mr. Quinton out of the dialogue.

“Mr. Quinton, I promise on my honor as a High Citizen of the Empire to deal with you fairly for this information. If it is as valuable as you claim, I’m sure we can come to a fair compromise.”

There was a pause over the phone. Fredrick waited.

“…Thank you, Mr. Fredrick. I—”

“However, I insist that you allow me to talk to the witnesses directly. I don’t like receiving information from a secondhand source.”

Which was a complete lie. When you worked in an intelligence agency you took whatever info you could get whether it was from the mouth of the widow down the street or from the perpetrator themselves. You took it and milked it for all it was worth because sometimes that was all you could get.

But it wasn’t like Mr. Quinton, a Free Land doctor could call him out on it.

“…You are aware that one of the witnesses is in no state to talk to you.”

“Yes, but I also recall you telling me there was a second witness. I see no reason why they cannot present their findings.”

“…Very well. You asked for it. Mel, come over here! The phones for you!”

Mr. Quinton gave Alfred the look, but he needn’t have bothered. He was already flipping through folders and calling logistics. Soon Fredrick would have a nice little folder with Mel’s name on it. All the information he’d need to draw out the tru—

“Hello? This is Mel Quinton speaking?”

Fredrick froze at the young girl’s voice. His eyes drifting down to the folder in front of him. His eyes scanning it again. Mel, Mel, Mel…

And there she was. Mr. Quinton’s second daughter.

Who was only thirteen years old!

Why that little…!

“Hello!? Who is this? You’re being terribly rude! I know you’re on the phone! I can hear your breathing!”

Fredrick felt like he was choking on something. Not only had he been played by the doctor, but, he’d just been reprimanded by a teenager! He couldn’t even argue back! What kind of Branch head argues with a thirteen-year-old!?

“Ah, I apologize, Mel. I was told by your father that you had some inform—”

“You’re supposed to introduce yourself, mister! I said my name, so now you have to say yours. How else am I supposed to know who I’m speaking to! Didn’t you ever learn how to talk on the phone?”

Fredrick’s face was heating up, he noticed that Alfred was suspiciously looking in the other direction. Lightly coughing into one hand. Oi! Alfred! Was the world ending? Even his god blessed secretary was laughing at him!

“My name is Fredrick Hendrickson, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance… Mel. I was wondering if you could tell me about what happened in the forest. Your father said you were there when the fire entity emerged?”

He kept his cool though. He wasn’t going to be fazed by a discussion with a teenager. He’d served on the frontline of multiple conflicts! This was nothing—

“Yeah, I was there. And Mr. Fredrick, I’m sorry I yelled at you. I’ve—hic—I’ve just had a really rough day. I’m sorry I took it out on you. I just don’t know what to do, Sel just won’t wake up and I don’t know what to do… hick.”

The angry voice of before was gone and instead came over a voice that sounded very tired, and on the verge of tears. Fredrick’s mind froze over.

He also had no idea what to do.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I didn’t listen to Sel. I’m sorry that I almost ran her over. I’m sorry—hick—for the goblin that I chopped up. He looked so—hick—hurt. But I didn’t even care. Because he was trying to hurt Sel, but now I feel really really bad about it and… and...”

Fredrick felt like a total dirtbag for what he was going to do next, the girl obviously needed a good night's rest. But there had definitely been something in that last blubbered spiel that he couldn’t ignore.

“Mel, I’m sorry you’ve had such a rough day, but this is really important. I need you to calm down and tell me more about… the goblins.”

Fredrick had a really bad feeling about this.

“W-well, it all started this morning when Sel told me that she’d been chased by goblins on her way home, but actually, now that I think about it, I guess it started Sunday. S-she called me and asked some weird questions about goblins, but I didn’t even r-realize at the time b-because I’m so stupid.”

Over the next hour and a half, Fredrick learned many troubling things as he tried to keep the conversation going in the right direction.

The first was that not only was he talking to a traumatized teenager who’d had a rough day, he was also talking to a very tired teenager. Several times he had to remind Mel where she was in her story as she’d get off on tangents and other times repeat herself.

Several times over the phone he heard Mr. Quinton try and get the phone back, but each time Mel would vehemently refuse before getting back to her story. Fredrick had tried to encourage her to give up the phone too. He would have had better luck persuading a brick wall.

By that point, he would have been more than willing to deal with Mr. Quinton. He’d take a wily old doctor over a crying teen girl any day!

Still, although the narrative was broken and difficult to follow, Fredrick found himself grudgingly admiring the girl across the phone. One who had broken rules and challenged monsters to help a friend in need.

Still, as she finished, it became increasingly obvious that he’d been played by the doctor. Mel’s story certainly raised some very worrying points, but there were still holes in the story. Holes that could be conveniently filled by the other key witness. All he had to do was shell over a potion of Greater Health…

“Thank you, Mel. That’s enough I believe. If you hand the phone to your father, we will finish up our negotiations.”

She’d had a rough time of it, and Fredrick felt bad keeping her up any longer. He wasn’t going to get any more information out of her in this state.

“…What do you mean, ‘negotiations’?”

This time the voice that came over the phone was wary and slightly cold. Had her father not told her why she was on the phone with him?

“…You said your last name was Hendrickson? Isn’t that a High Citizen name? Why would you want to make a deal with dad?”

Fredrick guessed there was no harm in telling her. She’d probably be pleased to know that her testimony had helped her friend out.

“Your father and I were negotiating for a health potion. The information you gave was very informative, so I believe we’ll—”

He didn’t get a chance to finish, however.

“You’re the worst.”

Fredricks paused. What?

“Pardon?”

“I said you’re the worst. You’re telling me that this entire time I’ve been giving you information so that you’d give Sel a health potion! So, what would you have done if the info wasn’t good enough! Would you have just let Sel die!!”

“That’s…”

It was easy to talk about letting someone go when he sat in his office, looking at the figures. Greater Health potions weren’t cheap. There were thousands of patients every year who could have benefited from one, but it was simply impossible to meet that demand. But when talking to someone who needed one…

“And you said ‘negotiate’, you still don’t plan to give one over, do you! I just told you everything and now!!! I’m so stupid! I should have made you promise first! Or… or done something! You—!!”

Fredrick grimaced. He shouldn’t have slipped up like that. He’d gotten rusty.

“Mel, calm down. Just hand the phone over to your fath—”

“If S-Sel d-dies… If Sel dies I will hunt you down and stab you. Just l-like I stabbed that s-stupid goblin!”

*ka-chink, beep…*

Did she just… hang up on him?

He could honestly say this was a first.

“Alfred, call them back.”

Alfred walked over and started messing with the phone. While Fredrick sat there feeling like a sleazy dirtbag.

“Sir, the phone.”

“Ah, thank you, Alfred.”

Grabbing the proffered phone, he put it once more to his ear.

“Mr. Quinton?”

“Yes, this is Mr. Quinton. You certainly handled that poorly. Now she’s mad at me too.”

“I apologize for that. Mr. Quinton, and about the Greater health potion… I’ll contact you tomorrow to let you know my decision.”

“…Very well. If that is all Mr. Hendrickson, I still have a few patients that I need to treat before going to bed. I hope you have a good night.”

“And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry Mr. Quinton.”

Once again there was that pause. He hated to be the bearer of bad news but he’d had to say it.

“…I accept your apology. Though you should know that for me and my daughter, it is worth very little.”

*ka-chinkk, beep…”

Sigh. That could have gone a lot better.

“Alfred, call up the logistics team. Tell them to start over with their numbers with the assumption that there were goblins on the site.”

Alfred hesitated. His face showing conflict.

“Sir, the logistics team has been working for almost two hours on the previous data. To scrap it all for the testimony of a thirteen-year-old girl who seemed quite unstable sounds… unwise.”

“Alfred, if that girl was acting, I’d hire her right here on the spot thirteen or not. I’ve interrogated a few people and that girl couldn’t have lied right then if she’d tried. She was just so… raw. Besides, even if we had reason to doubt her testimony, I’d still make the same call. Things just aren’t adding up.

It just doesn’t make sense for our numbers to be so off! There’s a big difference between one-thousand breaks and five-thousand. Additionally, these things are usually caused when something big dies, but the area doesn’t have any dragons or mountain golems. So, what could have caused it? We’re missing something big. But if add that there were goblins in the area…”

Goblins didn’t require much mana to form. Barely twice the amount that could be found freely floating in the atmosphere. It was one of the reasons that despite their weakness, before mana levels dropped, no country had managed to rid itself of the pests.

But though they didn’t require much mana, they needed that small amount for a long time. That meant that something had been leaking massive amounts of mana in the area for an extended period of time and nobody had detected it. That... was worrying.

“I’m sorry for doubting you, sir. I will call the logistics team right away.”

Fredrick waved the man off. He was, as usual, too formal but correcting him was an endeavor he’d given up years ago.

Unfortunately, the empty room left him with only his thoughts to keep him company. The silence was condemning.

He’d never even considered handing over a Greater Health Potion. When it had been proposed he had figured his opponent was just opening with a high value and eventually he’d work his way down to a more reasonable figure. What kind of information was a priceless potion worth? Especially when it was probably only a matter of time until he got his hands on it anyway.

But if what the girl had said was true, the information could very well steer the Empire clear from disaster. What was a small potion in comparison to the fate of the Empire? He had promised to deal with them fairly, hadn’t he?

And that was the root of the problem. All he had given was his word.

It was like verbally promising someone you’d hand over the deed to your house while the other said paid you in cash and happened to live halfway across the country! Getting a Greater Health potion involved dozens of forms, signing of documents, and approval from multiple people! You just don’t do that over the phone!

The problem was, he had no reason to give them the health potion. Just like both Mr. Quinton and the girl had said, they had given up all leverage. He could walk away with the information and there was nothing the other side could do to stop him.

The thought reminded him of some of the stories his wife had told him. About Free Land Nobility.

That they took without giving. While the people below were helpless to confront the injustices of those above.

Was he really going to become like that? A man without principle?

“Ah, confound it all!”

He grabbed the phone and dialed a number, patiently waiting for the other side to pick up.

“Hey George, it’s been a while. I have a bit of a favor I need to ask. I heard you were interested in some land up north of the capital? It’s government-owned but I’m sure we could arrange something…”

This wouldn’t be the only phone call of the night. Old friends would be called up on favors. Political Rivals would have concessions made. Senators would be promised support. And all the while Money would flow like mad to keep the entire thing running.

But darn it, he was going to keep his promise. No matter how much dirty scheming he had to do to get it done.

Because if his wife ever heard even the smallest whisper of a rumor that he’d taken advantage of a Free Land girl, having an angry teenage girl come after him would be the least of his problems.

It was three in the morning when he finally got home. There had been so many calls he’d had to make, and he felt dirty after some of those conversations.

I never thought I’d stoop down to those old geezer’s level, but after tonight I’m not sure if I can keep telling myself that.

There had also been the talk with the very angry Department of Education. Luckily, the man had left the conversation much appeased after hearing him out, but still, that man could bellow. His right ear was still ringing from the man’s opening remarks about his mother. For a man in charge of the education and enlightenment of the youth of the Empire, he sure had some vocabulary that was better left outside of the schoolbooks.

As he tiredly opened the door, he was still thinking about all the forms he would need to fill out before tomorrow. He’d mostly resolved everything today, but there were a few more things he needed to finish before the Senate came into session.

Which is why, it came as a complete surprise when something small came darting out of the house and smashed into him sending him flying back to plow a deep furrow in his lawn.

“Freddy! You promised you’d be back for our six-month anniversary! I waited up so long, but you never came! I even called your phone several times, but you never answered! Was the Senate bothering you again? I thought I’d already spoken to them about that. Ah well, as old as they are, they must be getting quite forgetful! Just tell me the old man’s name and I’ll—well it’s probably best left unsaid what I’ll do. You gotta have deniability after all. Just give me the name and I’ll take it from there. I can’t have someone monopolizing my husband… other than me of course.”

Fredrick looked at the small figure that was lying on top of him. Dirt raining down on them from the destroyed lawn. The angry pout on her face brought a smile to his. She was so cute when she was jealous!

“Darling, you didn’t need to wait up for me! Something came up at the office and I only barely finished up. I was so busy that I didn’t even notice your calls. I’m sorry that I missed our anniversary. How can I make it up to you?”

She smiled at him and gave him a quick peck on the lips. Then she purred out,

“Well, I can think of a few things you could do to make it up to me.”

She went for another kiss, but Fredrick moved his hand to stop her. It wasn’t like he didn’t want to, but,

“Sweety, perhaps we could take this inside? This might not be the most appropriate of locations.”

“Ah!”

Her face turned scarlet as she bolted off of him. Only just realizing that they were making out in the middle of their yard. It was three in the morning, so nobody was about, but it was cute to see her get all embarrassed.

Fredrick got up brushing the dirt off of himself. He took a second to examine the pit in their yard where it looked like a meteor had struck. The gash across their lawn was about fifteen feet long and at its deepest was about four feet deep. He frowned; he’d need to call someone to get this fixed. Couldn’t have the neighbors gossiping about his wife again.

His wife was still looking flustered, hoovering around him but hesitating to touch him. Her face still a scarlet hue.

“W-well, then, um, I guess it was the Senate that held you up again?”

It was so cute how she tried to change the subject! Her scarlet cheeks gave her a mesmerizing look in the early morning air. She was beautiful!

“No. This time it wasn’t the Senate. Just some trouble in the free lands, though nothing too important!”

It was too late, however, he’d said it. He quickly activated the spell in his eye to see if there was any way to salvage this situation, however the response he got back:

Damn, you done screwed up son!

“Oh, those nobles! They think they’re so—argh! I thought if I left the Free Lands they’d stop bothering us but no they just keep coming back! Why I oughta—”

Fredrick also felt a broiling rage at the nobility building up inside of him! Once again, they had ruined a perfect night with his wife! Knowing her, she wouldn’t be up for anything else tonight. And with how cute and beautiful she’d looked earlier…

Curse them! I’ll double, NO, triple charge them the next time they come looking for permits! How dare they! How DARE they! I’m going to take them for all they’ve got tomorrow with the Senate! That’ll show them—!

Wait. This situation might not be as bleak as it appeared.

“Honey, on the contrary, the nobles aren’t coming to see us, I’ll be going to see them. If you heard what I had planned for them in the Senate tomorrow…”

Her face brightened up at that as she walked over and hugged his arm, eyes sparkling as they walked towards the door. Heh.

“Don’t leave me hanging! What do you mean by ‘plans’, you aren’t going to pick a fight are you? There’s no need to pick a big fight over me, I’d much rather we just both left the other alone…”

Fredrick very much doubted that. If his wife’s grin reaching ear to ear was any indication, then she was lying through her teeth.

“Don’t worry sweety, this time they weren’t coming for you. You see there was a mana surge in the Free lands and…”

His wife listened attentively while he grabbed some food from the fridge, he was starving!

She was furious when he told her about how the nobles were blocking the investigation, and she cackled madly when he told her about how he was going to handle them in front of the Senate tomorrow, and,

“I also talked to a really interesting girl in the Free Lands. She kind of reminded me of you.”

“Really?”

Her eyes narrowed and he realized his mistake.

“Not in that way dearest. She’s thirteen years old, you don’t have anything to worry about. She simply told me a remarkable tale about the adventures she’d had tonight. Some of them were craz—err—amazing enough that they reminded me of some of your exploits.”

“Hmm, good that you caught yourself there. Well, tell me about her! She sounds interesting!”

So once again he started regaling her with more of the events of the night. Worriedly looking at the clock. It seemed like his plan to distract her from the nobility was a little too effective.

He told the tale much more clearly than it had first been orated to him, neglecting to mention the Greater Health potion. His wife might get upset at that part.

Her eyes shone throughout the tale as she gave slight gasps at the appropriate interval and clapping with delight when the tale was finished. It seemed like Mel had a new fangirl.

“She sounds amazing! Swooping in to save her best friend at the last moment! So cool! I can’t wait to meet her!”

*cough* What?

“Uhm, honey, what do you mean, ‘can’t wait to meet her’?”

“Well, you’ll be heading to the Free Lands, right? You never can stay away from the action. So, I figured I’d just tag along! I’d been meaning to visit some friends down there, but the thought of being away from you for so long was simply unbearable! But now that you’re going it's simply perfect!”

“But honey, you know the Senate wants you to stay in the capital while negotiations are going—”

Her eyes turned up. Her lips taking on the most beautiful pout. Fredrick felt his heart shudder within him. Protesting at the abuse. His mind went blank.

“Are you saying you don’t want me to come? Didn’t you say you wanted to make it up to me? The Senate doesn’t have to know!” She leaned in close to his ear. “It could be our little secret?”

KO!

“…Very well. I’ll see if I can arrange something in the Senate tomorrow. I’ll have quite the leverage after I present my findings. I should manage to get us some time off in a week or two.”

She sauntered closer planting a kiss on his cheek.

“Hehe, my Husband is the best!”

He wondered when he’d have to break the news to her that Mel hated his guts. Or that he had almost done something just as bad as the nobles she hated so much.

He couldn’t bear to do it now though when she was looking so happy. Yes, it could definitely wait. No need to ruin this precious moment. There would be time later for him to confess his wrongdoings. For now, he would just enjoy this quiet moment with his wife after a long day.

Besides, it was his patriotic duty to keep his wife happy! When your wife could level a city, it became a national interest to keep her pleased. Not that he ever intended to do anything to the contrary. Her smile was more than enough reward for him!

“Oh, honey! I forgot to ask what you thought of your new desk! I plotted with Alfred so that it would be a surprise! I know it’s unusual to give a six-month anniversary gift, but I just couldn’t help it! I asked him what kind of desk you preferred so that—honey? Is something wrong? You don’t look too good? Did I get the wrong kind?”