"So, you need a breakdown of the cities," Rosie said. "Beware that what I know is limited, and mostly from indirect sources. I know that Horizon has connections with some of the cities, so I did my best to stay away from them."
"Limited knowledge is better than no knowledge," I said. "The best I have is a pile of rejected applications from research institutes —" I started, only to notice Rosie reacting to that reference more than I expected. "Spill," I said.
"Not all of your applications might have reached the research institutes," she admitted.
"I see," I said as I looked at her, feeling frustrated. I wanted to feel angry, but unfortunately, the mention of a possible connection with Horizon was enough to answer my unasked question. She blocked them to keep me hidden from them, probably due to a mixture of protective instinct and distrust rolled together.
Moreover, I actually believed her argument about Horizon having connections with the cities. The peace wards didn't just spontaneously appear.
"I haven't blocked all of them. Mostly, I have just intercepted them to change the name and some of the details, enough to make it difficult to identify," she clarified quickly.
I sighed. "That, I can understand. It's not like they would have bothered to hire anyone without Intelligence in the first place. I had been stubborn back then." A supernatural stubbornness, related to the constant brainwashing magical effect, but who cared about such details. "But, let's focus on the present: our approaching envoys. Harold already gave me a breakdown of Asterion, about how they operate based on some kind of knight culture. Do you have anything to add?"
"They will be the ones most interested in the metal you produce, not anything else," she said.
"Sounds good," I said.
"Unfortunately, they will probably try to get it as some kind of tribute rather than doing actual trade, not to mention demanding to bring some of the blacksmiths back with them."
"Would it be too naive to assume a good salary is on the table," I asked.
She snorted. "Good one," she said. "They are not exactly famous for being kind to their production classes, not that they have many other than their farmers. They are lucky enough to have multiple dungeons that drop a lot of currency, and several known System stores. But, mana alloys will be attractive for them. For repairs if nothing else."
"So, beat the spoiled kids they send to meet with us and hope that they send adults next time instead of a subjugation force."
"That's true," Rosie said. "Luckily, none of the parties actually sent any ascended."
"How certain are you?" I asked.
"Very. True ascended have a subtle presence around them, one that I would have caught unless they managed to get their hands on some pretty rare artifacts," she said. "It's as certain as we can hope for in our situation."
"So, we're lucky," I said.
"More than you think, but not the way you think," she said.
"The guards you have let go," she said. "I managed to eavesdrop on the Asterion envoys. It seems that they have managed to capture some of those guards and interrogate them."
"Their reports revealed nothing more than a ragtag group of farmers led by an upstart blacksmith, the kind of force that would have been squashed under just a couple of boss monsters, not repelled by an army of them. So, they are pretty convinced that you have a hidden force of elites you had never revealed to those guards, which you released as bait."
I nodded, not knowing what to think. It was a weird feeling to benefit somewhat from one of my greatest failures. Of course, that didn't make it a good move. Rosie didn't say it openly, but the underlying message was clear.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
I wouldn't have been dealing with the other cities so soon if I handled that situation better. Compared to that, not dealing with ascended elites was a consolation prize at best.
"How about the other cities," I asked. "You mentioned something mixed about Drakka."
"They are more of a military dictatorship above anything else. They are near the sea, which means they are dealing with stronger beasts regularly," she said. "That led to a more structured command culture, but lacking flexibility," she said. "Imagine a fifteen-year-old idea of ancient Rome."
"Sounds unappealing," I said.
"Because it is," she said. "The only good thing is the distinction between combat and production classes is relatively more even. Unfortunately, both are treated as plebs by anyone lucky enough to have Charisma, who therefore get an automatic promotion to Commander."
"A city full of Thomas clones?"
"Not that incompetent," she said. "Their proximity to the sea is a bigger problem than you realize. The area near the ocean is truly vicious, so anyone that incompetent doesn't last long."
"Why do they stay that close to the sea?"
"Because there are multiple hard-to-access System stores near the shores, enough to make the sacrifices worth it. Both combat and production classes are subject to conscription to escort their trade caravans."
"Hence the military discipline," I said.
"Exactly," she replied.
"How about Vessalia?"
"They don't have many System shops or high-quality dungeons near them. However, they are lucky enough to be situated at a crossroads between three leylines."
"Leylines? What are those?"
Rosie shook her head. "Sometimes, it's hard to keep track of what you know and what you don't. Leylines are some kind of natural mana veins, carrying a lot of mana. With unrestricted access to three of them, Vessalia might be the only location that truly has an excess of mana."
"So, they will want the Meditation skill stones."
"Almost certainly. They are not exactly Rare, but the amount we can produce here is truly significant."
"They are isolationists," she said. "Lack of dangerous dungeons and excess of natural mana means their wards are strong enough to hold most of the threats behind. However, as a consequence, anyone not a mage is second-class."
"How will they react to me?" I asked.
She let out a frustrated growl. "I have absolutely no idea," she said. "There's an equal chance that they will respect you as a fellow spellcaster or treat you dismissively like some kind of abomination. What I know about them is very limited."
"That only leaves Tristelion and the unknown party, then," I said.
"Yes," she said. "Tristelion is the city I know the most about, mostly because it was my strategy to expand there until …" she added, pausing as she gestured toward the mountain, "everything happened at once ruining it."
"The political landscape. Technically, the city has a lord, but it's by far the weakest one."
"Does every city have a lord?"
"Yes," she said. "It has something to do with some kind of special ruler class, but I don't know much about it," she said. "I tried to learn more, but failed spectacularly. They are pretty secretive about the details. Which is why Tristelion still has one, even though the true power rests with a large number of guilds, each controlling different aspects of the city. It's chaotic, with an ever-changing web of alliances, but…"
"That chaos creates opportunities for growth," I guessed. "Especially if one could monopolize a profitable dungeon, and some elite members like an exceptional fire mage."
"True," Rosie admitted with a shrug. "Maria is pretty much a diamond in terms of available recruits. Rare class, strong combat ability, and a cooperative personality. She's the kind of talent impossible to find without being attached to one of the forces."
I couldn't blame her. Knowing the details, the situation of Maria was pretty unique. I just hoped that her trip was going well.
"Any drawbacks about Tristelion?"
"It's the only city where you have to worry about being shanked while walking in the streets," she said. "It has a lot of accessible dungeons, even the high-level ones, but not a lot of System shops, which creates a lot of dangerous fighters willing to throw down for market access."
"Have you ever been in a System shop?" I asked.
"No, they keep them tightly locked," she said. "It's impossible to access without taking far bigger risks than I had been willing to. I don't even know how they look."
"Frustrating," I said. "The world is changing around us, but we're still trying to squirrel away the tiniest benefits like rodents preparing for winter."
"Tell me what you really think," Rosie laughed.
"Sorry, I can get emotional about it," I replied. "But, shouldn't you have a better idea about what to expect from Tristelion, with all the contacts you have?"
"Unfortunately, it's hard to know. The envoys are carrying the colors of the city lord, but it's certain that they are answering to one or two guild alliances. The trick is knowing which one."
"Lovely," I said. "And, we have no idea about the identity of the last team?"
"Not the slightest. Luckily, they will arrive last, so we'll have time to check. But, we have wasted enough time. Let's move to the tent."
"Don't you have any complaints about it?" I asked.
"No, it's better to keep them away from the town. You'll fight better if there's no collateral to worry about."
"What a resounding vote of confidence for a diplomatic meeting," I responded.
She just smiled ruefully.