Published at 31st of July 2026 7:44 am

Chapter 166: Monetary doubts

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The week and a half before the auction is tediously busy. I hardly have time to have the occasional walk with Terry or watch him spar. I dont think it gets to the point of being distracted from schoolwork, but I do find my free time completely vanishing besides the occasional aforementioned.

My extra time is spent mostly making extra coin to win the bid on the ocean stone, which includes doing Viscount Monroes training. The latter is exhausting and requires constantly doing breathing and other control exercises while paying attention to various minute aspects of my surroundings. Which, I of course do anyways, but some of her tasks are absurd.

For instance, one exercise has me close my eyes in a semi-public space and notice each new person going through it. Beyond simple, yes. But then Im supposed to determine what colour outfit they have on by the sound of their movements. Insane! The craziest part, though, is that Im starting to do it. Or, at least my success rate has steadily climbed to about twice as good as chance. However, the Viscount requires that I be able to perform the feat ten times in a row before introducing me to a new game.

Its frustrating because while its not like I dont see how expanding my sensory abilities will help me, its just that I dont see how that particular trick will help. Its not like Ill be able to hear the colour of cards each player has (she laughed at the notion). No, as far as I can tell, the trick is just about connecting movement to moods to colour or something. Although I wouldnt be surprised if its just an impossible task meant to punish me for winning so much in my fit of pique.

I just got three in a row. I seem to be getting better. Im not even deducing it. Its simply a direct impression I get in which Im right more often than I should be. Its a very strange feeling. Eerie, even.

Fortunately, her other tasks are less ridiculous, and I make rapid progress with them. Enough, at least, that she finally agrees to get me an invite after one of our practice games during the next week, even though I only manage to do the colour trick five times in a row. She says something about my rational brain getting in the way too much and instinctively trying to induce what should be perceived directly, but that the effort seems to have improved me to the level that she hoped. Though she does warn I wont be able to sweep aside the opposition as before.

I dont talk to Allan much in the meantime. I dont know why; I just feel like I dont want him to know about trying to give Terry such an expensive gift. Perhaps its embarrassment. Perhaps I think hell talk me out of it. Perhaps hell get his hopes up that my interest in Terry might somehow be a solution to Anar, or, even worse, is a sign that I might be willing to forsake my god. It would be tedious to go through that hope. It wouldnt be the first time Ive had to in the past month.

I dont know; perhaps I should talk to him about this. However, because I dont know, I feel itll just be simpler not to. Or at least wait until after I get the armour to at least simplify his possible reactions.

With that in mind, time passes, and Monroes game arrives.

Its Unlday and a day before the auction, but I fear it might run late into the night, and the auction is rather early in the morning. Not pre-dawn, of course, but early enough that I cant go back to sleep after my morning spell session. The game is only one table, but there are four players in reserve, including me.

I learn a lot just by watching, though mainly how difficult itll be playing this group. Then, after an hour and a half, the second person leaves the table and its my turn.

It is a brutal slugfest, with some players backed by major boons, while others are mages who self-boost at a much higher level than me. Theyre all older than me, too. Only two squires, though, and no knights. Apparently, most knight aspirants get stuck at a lower level of play due to the supposed conflict between the game and their path. Maybe its just a prestige thing. Either way, I suppose I should count myself fortunate for it.

I manage to stay in, though find myself tiring quickly from tracking the subtlest tells and discerning whats real and whats a bluff. Not only can everyone control their heartrate and breathing to a precise and reliable degree, but also other minute movements that I struggle to emulate. The mid level ones can sweat or dilate their pupils on command. The most advanced can alter the scent of their sweat somehow to indicate different emotions. To distinguish sweat made in fear from that of excitement. Its rather absurd.

Still, I manage to eke out sizable wins. Absurdly, Monroes colour trick directly helps. Fear sweat seems to have a different colour to it when done genuinely. Its utterly bizarre. I dont even know what I mean by that, but it seems to work, so I keep up with it.

Eventually its down to me and three other players. One is halfway through their starting coin, while the other two have won about fifteen large gold each. I have won about five. Others have already left with greater wins or losses. I was hoping to win more, but it seems that wont be happening. Ive already lost two large gold since the last player dropped, and its clear that these two are simply too good for me. Frankly, a couple of others were too, but they got eliminated in an early fight between the top players. It seemed like there was a grudge involved, but of course, that could just be a fabricated impression.

Regardless, I have no chance of success, and frankly should have quit sooner, but hoped I might be able to win some off the weakest remaining player. Still, no reason to delay things, so I thank everyone for the game and walk away five large gold richer. The rest of their players take my leaving as a sign that the game is done and leave too. First the weaker player realizes his position and follows me out, then the other two decide theres no reason to risk losing their sizable wins.

All in all, from this game and my various revenue sources and expenses, I now have a bit over forty large gold, though ten is still held up in investments. My short term investments gave the expected return (barely anything, but the accuracy of my divinations for shortest term investing is encouraging), while my other forms of revenue (clients, minor gambling and herb selling) and expenses (Servants and client alchemist) have remained steady.

I also found a surprising amount of coin in my most recent Anar victims house, but for some reason I feel uncomfortable using it to buy Terrys gift, so I give it to my cult for quality of life items.

All this coin does make me stop to think. Ive told myself that Ive been accumulating coin for the mission, but I know that a large portion of it is just because of how it makes me feel. The sense of worth acquiring large sums brings to me. But I suppose that rush is already wearing. Not much. I still feel exalted when I win whole large golds or, even better, earn them somehow. But it has decayed just enough that I cant help but feel confronted by the fact that I dont even know how Im going to use the coin that I have.

Buy Terry some armour, of course, but hopefully Ill have some left after, or still be able to acquire more coin if I dont. Ive always assumed that gaining coin would just be inherently good for the mission, which it likely will be, but I now have enough that I should think about my exact strategy for it rather than just using it as needs arise.

The obvious thing would be to stockpile weapons. Converting my coin into enchanted heavy crossbows, I could easily buy thirty of them plus ammo. Such an armoury could have extended the resistance for months. At the very least, we would have killed many more high value targets. We wouldnt have been forced to use such impotent indirect means. Thirty such crossbow, used with the same tactics, could have tipped the entire conflict in our favour.

But of course, acquiring such an arsenal isnt just about coin. I cant just extrapolate the price of one of them. Buying one is one thing, but buying dozens? I might not even be able to find that many, and, worse, it could draw attention to me.

Besides, an arsenal might be useful when the next rebellion comes, but it wont help my mission any in the short term. It wont gain me influence. In the empire, one can buy titles with accompanying land for enough coin. How much varies by the territory youre seeking, but its usually more than Ill likely be able to make gambling. A couple hundred large gold for a barony? How much to upgrade my supposed rank to viscount? Such a thing would make getting a better post after graduation much easier.

So, using money to make more money seems the way to go; I just need to do so in a way that also increases my influence. Allan has a merchant company. Perhaps I should make one for myself. Besides the coin, merchant companies can hire guards.

All nobles are allowed to recruit house guards, but the numbers are limited. The exact limits are somewhat nebulous, except in certain, or rather most, cases. One can, in theory, recruit any number of soldiers so long as they remain in your territory. Indeed, territories come with a minimum number of soldiers that must be maintained. But suddenly recruiting a large number say a few thousand in peacetime might earn you suspicion of plotting a rebellion.

Likewise, one cant send a few hundred armed agents across the empire for no reason, even if youre a high ranking noble. Each rank of noble is allowed a certain number of honour guard for themselves and their family members when they travel from their main territory. Likewise, they are allowed to maintain a handful of house guards in their minor territories, such as townhouses in the capital. Beyond that, they can send out small groups of agents on various tasks.

A baron, while the second lowest rank, can still have a sizable force, especially one with a historically martial territory like the Monhals do. Unfortunately, all of the forces belonging to my parents are currently tied up in our main territory. If I could have gone to them beforehand, I would have no doubt been given a few guards to accompany me on my visit to the capital. But alas, I didnt even know who they were until after I arrived here.

Creating a merchant company would help with multiple problems. Not only would I get coin from it, but a company would have its own limit for hiring guards dependent on its size. I could use it as a pretence for hiring and arming non-Arkothans, especially Caethlians, whom I could then use against the empire if rebellion ever broke out. It wouldnt be much, but it would be a way to leverage my coin towards my goal while keeping my fortune intact. Even if I dont use the guards to fight, just having a legitimate merchant I can direct will be useful.

Greg, of course, will be useful if fighting ever breaks out, but he is still partially bound to the Talhals, not to mention being nearly fanatically devoted to the idea of the empire. No, I need someone under my direct command. Someone without strange ideologies that I can trust.

I inhale sharply through my teeth. Im getting ahead of myself. I might have enough coin to form a company now, but Im about to spend it all on a major magic item. Ill almost certainly enact these plans later, but Ill need to accumulate more coin first.

It does raise a point against my plan to buy the Ocean Stone. When I decided to buy it, I had no real idea of what I should spend my coin on, at least not a precise notion. But having a concrete idea of what I could do with it makes the notion of spending so much coin on someone else seem extremely foolish. I mean, it was always foolish, and I always knew that, but I was willing to live with it. But knowing what I would do with the coin if I didnt buy the armour makes it seem recklessly irresponsible.

I stare out the window of my carriage, changing my view to change my thoughts, wrestling with my not wanting to abandon buying the armour I suppose it wouldnt be a complete waste to buy it. Regardless of the markup, the armour is a major magic item, and Terry isnt Arkothan. Giving it to him would thwart the Empresss goal of keeping it in the Empire. Certes, he is graduating from the academy and so would have an opportunity to serve in the imperial army, but theres a chance that he wont. Spending the coin on it wont just be frittering away coin to express favour to a lover, but possibly denying an asset to my enemy too. Thats not even considering the possibility that I could convince Terry to fight for Caethlon while wearing the armour if were still together when rebelion sparks. Itd be a massive boon to the cause.

Im rationalizing, I know, but its good enough. Besides, the thrill I get spending so much coin well, its hard to push aside. So, the next day I meet the Hierarch as planned, and proceed to the event.

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