Valkyrie's Shadow-Chapter 8Before the Storm: Act 10,

Chapter 8

『If Clara is ‘venerable’, what does that make Ludmila?』

『They associate wisdom and experience with age. That makes Clara the eldest among us.』

Clara’s eyes went from Liane to Ludmila, and then back to Elder Cha’ac. She wasn’t sure where to start with her rebuttals or if it was worth the energy at all. Judging by what she had learned about Rol’en’gorek so far, denials might even affect her standing in the eyes of the Beastmen.

She went to the space the Beastmen had made at the table for them, folding her legs under her as she seated herself on an overly warm rug.

“Baroness Zahradnik provided a rough idea of what you need,” she said. “If I understand it correctly, you are concerned about how recent and future changes will impact the state of your society.”

“In the broadest of terms, yes,” Elder Cha’ac replied. “Our main concern at the moment is the effect of the teachings of Master Leeds and his followers. It has barely been half a year, yet so much has already changed.”

“Blaming everything on the Humans is unfair,” Lady Xoc said from somewhere over her shoulder. “They aren’t responsible for the floods or the Jorgulan invasion and we were already doing new things before that. We aren’t a traditional clan to begin with…at least not since the city grew over us.”

“I believe I understand the position of your elders,” Clara said, “but what is your position on the matter, Lady Xoc?”

“My priority lies with the survival of my people,” the Ocelo Lord replied. “I respect the opinion of Cha’ac and the other elders who are worried about the same thing, but we just don’t have the time or resources. The lives of millions are at stake and I won’t impede our efforts to save as many as we can.”

“Your response is misleading,” Elder Cha’ac growled in protest. “It implies that we do not care how many perish so long as our concerns are addressed!”

Clara shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Being caught between quarreling Beastmen was intimidating, to say the least.

“I believe it’s been established that no one here desires such an outcome,” Ludmila said. “Additionally, I recommended Countess Corelyn because she is best equipped to advise you on the aspects of governance that will be necessary for your people given Rol’en’gorek’s apparent course. She is not here to take anyone’s side.”

“Nor do I believe it necessary,” Clara said. “Forgive me for saying so, but I’ve sensed a feeling of powerlessness here, be it from Lady Xoc or the members of her court. Much of this seems to stem from the unprecedented circumstances you find yourselves in. What I have to share will not in itself extricate you from those circumstances, but it should empower you with the means to better navigate the way ahead.”

The Beastmen rearranged themselves so more people could fit around the long table. Those who could not stood behind the people seated across from her, staring intently with their cat-like eyes. Clara organised her thoughts as the gathering settled down.

“To begin with,” Clara said, “I would like to better grasp the mechanisms that drive Rol’en’gorek’s political and economic realities.”

“What do you mean by that?” Lady Xoc asked.

“Perhaps I should provide an example from Human society,” Clara said. “A Human Lord divides their territory between their subjects and the resulting agreements are bound by legal contract. Simply put, the contract grants enough land for the subject and their family to survive on in normal circumstances in addition to a portion of production that goes to the Lord. In exchange, the Lord is obliged to maintain security, infrastructure, and the rule of law. Does this sound familiar to you?”

“It does,” Lady Xoc said. “That’s how the warrior clans work. Well, there are some differences. A portion of ‘production’ is offered for what you mentioned, but it’s tribes doing it, not individual families.”

“I suspect this is due to a difference in primary industries,” Clara said. “Humans in this region live sedentary lives because they grow crops, thus specific parcels of land can be allocated to each household. The tribes here use seasonal ranges for their herds which likely cover the sum of a tribe’s territory.”

“I haven’t really thought about why things are like that,” Lady Xoc said, “just that they are.”

“That’s not a problem,” Clara said. “What’s important is that we have points of common understanding to build a foundation with. You mentioned that a portion of a tribe’s production is contributed to the warrior clans. How exactly are those contributions utilised?”

“They feed the warriors…”

Clara waited for several moments, but nothing more appeared to be forthcoming. She turned her attention to Elder Cha’ac, but he had nothing to add.

“In that case,” Clara said, “does Clan Pa’chan employ a similar system?”

“Yes,” Lady Xoc replied.

Once again, the Ocelo Lord didn’t care to elaborate. It was like discussing things with Ludmila in many ways.

“Am I correct in assuming that the contributions collected from your people go towards the training and livelihoods of those who help maintain security in your territory?”

“Yes, that’s right. We’ll be sending warbands to help fight the Jorgulans once they’re ready, as well.”

“How do you fund the other functions of your government?” Clara asked, “The various infrastructure projects we’ve seen around the clanhold, for instance.”

“People pay to use them,” Lady Xoc answered. “Merchants pay fees to use the harbour and the trading outposts.”

“What about the locks and shipyards we saw under construction?”

“Master Leeds said that our harbour fees will cover the cost of building and operating the locks. The shipyards will be run by the Shipwright’s Guild.”

“How many guilds have been established here?”

“There’s one for every trade,” Lady Xoc replied. “They’re all pretty small right now, but there’s no shortage of people applying for apprenticeships. At this rate, most of the citizens will be artisans within two generations.”

“Except that won’t happen,” Ludmila said.

The attention of the gathering abruptly shifted in response to the statement. Lady Xoc’s eyes went wide, her ears and tail rising in unison.

“It won’t?” She asked.

“It won’t,” Ludmila answered.

“What she means to say is that the Guilds limit their membership to what they deem necessary to support the population,” Clara said. “In Human terms, a city only needs about one Blacksmith for every thousand citizens, a tailor for every three hundred-fifty, and a carpenter for every four hundred. There are many other trades with their associated guilds, of course, but only one in twenty individuals would be part of a craft guild in an urban population. Any more than that and there isn’t enough work to go around for each artisan.”

“Master Leeds never said anything about that…”

“He may have had multiple reasons for his omissionl,” Clara said. “He may even not have considered it at all. Rol’en’gorek is so expansive that the full establishment of the Guilds throughout your confederation is not something he will see within his lifetime.”

“Even if he did think about disclosing that particular bit to you,” Liane said, “I doubt he would have. The Guilds have nothing to gain and everything to lose by saying so.”

“Gain?” Lady Xoc flicked her ear, “Lose? Why would he hide something so important?”

“I fear to ask,” Elder Cha’ac said, “but what would happen in the event of the ‘full establishment’ of the Guilds in Rol’en’gorek?”

“I can’t say for certain,” Clara said. “The result varies from country to country: even between small territories. What I can say is that guilds are institutions whose mandate is to protect the interests of their members.”

“Protect them against what?” Lady Xoc asked, “Some people might not like certain things that the Guilds are doing, but no one is hostile towards them.”

“Limiting apprenticeships is one example,” Clara answered. “Another is advocating for or against legislation that impacts the livelihoods of their members. For the most part, however, the Guilds protect themselves by mandating a framework of rules and regulations that their members are expected to conduct themselves by.”

Lady Xoc raised a paw to scratch the back of her neck.

“They protect themselves using the rules that they place on…themselves?”

“It is strength through order,” Clara said. “This should not be so different from how the warrior clans of your confederation conduct themselves. Instead of martial might, however, the Guilds wield economic and political influence as their primary weapons. Controlling who can become an artisan and holding those who do to their rules also means that they control the vast majority of urban industry. Given the role of cities in Rol’en’gorek, this probably means little to you, but the Guilds are very much transforming the world around them according to their ideals.”

“Then we must stop this transformation before the Guilds dare to bare their fangs at us,” Elder Cha’ac said.

“Hey now,” Liane said. “It’s too early to jump to conclusions. We’ve only just sat down.”

“What more do we need to hear when these people clearly plot to undermine our society?”

“Because it isn’t so clear,” Clara said. “The main strength of the Merchant Guild is that it is an institution that has been refined over countless centuries. It’s highly probable that Master Leeds and his people are simply doing what they believe they should be doing without the intent of visiting any ills upon Rol’en’gorek. What is overwhelming you right now are the systems developed by the Merchant Guild, as you currently have nothing of your own to effectively counterbalance them.”

“And those systems aren’t necessarily bad,” Liane added. “The Guilds use them because they work. If Lady Xoc is sincere in her intentions, then she doesn’t have the luxury to pick and choose what to use based on how they appeal to your cultural sensibilities. As far as I’ve seen, the Guilds stand the best chance of expanding your economic reach and logistical throughput to the greatest extent in the shortest amount of time, which is exactly what you need right now.”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

“Are you of the same opinion, Countess Clara?”

“I am,” Clara nodded. “Unless there’s something substantial that we’re unaware of, facilitating the expansion of the Merchant Guild is the most effective method that Rol’en’gorek has at its disposal to save itself with.”

“Then we are in no better a situation than when we started this conversation,” Elder Cha’ac growled. “By trying to save our people, we will lose who we are.”

“Honestly, the challenges you face concerning the Merchant Guild are not dissimilar to those in Human society,” Clara said. “I would even go so far as to say you are ahead of most because you recognise the influence that the Guilds may have on your people and seek solutions to undesirable outcomes.”

“Truly?”

“Yes,” Clara smiled slightly. “Most Human Lords don’t even register Merchants as a threat. They hold no territory, possess no personal military prowess, and occupy the lowest rung of society as far as our aristocratic establishment is concerned. The Guilds are generally content to function under those biases as it generally allows them free rein in whatever they’re doing.”

“That’s pretty much how the warrior clans treat Merchants,” Lady Xoc said. “They’re convenient people who move stuff around without needing direct involvement from the clans.”

“We never knew they were so treacherous,” Elder Cha’ac said.

“Once again,” Clara told the elder, “it would be wrong to attribute their actions to purposeful malice. Most people in general base their decisions on what they believe to be the correct choice given their circumstances. What should be considered is the impact that any group of people has on society, whether it is desirable or not, and how to go about addressing it.”

It was a fine line to tread…at least for her. Most Nobles had few issues using heavy-handed methods to deal with what they considered undesirable behaviours. According to the mandates of her faith, however, a Merchant acting as a Merchant should was not a sin. Rather than that, it was considered virtuous behaviour. Ludmila was the same: the reason why she had declared war on the Guilds was because they were defying her authority as a Noble by attempting to force their regulations on her territory.

“If we may know,” Elder Cha’ac said, “how does the Sorcerous Kingdom address the issues created by the Guilds?”

“By harnessing its capabilities to further our policy goals,” Clara said. “In a situation where the Guilds have already established themselves, they provide the vast majority of vocational education and represent nearly all of the industry and commerce in urban centres. This is not something that can be replaced on a whim. Instead, we intend to remake the Guilds into an institution that serves our national interests.”

“But surely they would resist such a move?” Elder Cha’ac said, “Master Leeds and his people do not heed our concerns at all. At best, they dismiss them as primitive and irrelevant.”

“You never told me about this,” Lady Xoc said.

“It’s not something they’ve directly stated,” the Ocelo Elder replied, “but you can sense it in their words and actions. You instructed us to cooperate with them, so we have set aside our discontent for the greater good.”

“We’ve noticed this, as well,” Clara said. “Master Leeds seems to consider the role of the Merchant Guild in Rol’en’gorek is to ‘civilise’ your people. I can’t imagine it’s a pleasant attitude to suffer.”

“Whether we suffer it or not makes no difference,” Elder Cha’ac said. “Master Leeds does as he will either way.”

“That particular problem stems from the fact that you appear to be individuals challenging an institution,” Clara said. “One that is far larger and more comprehensive than you realise. The kind of power that the Guilds hold only answers to challenges to that power.”

“How do we gain this power you speak of?”

“By creating it,” Clara answered. “You already have institutions representing the interests of your people, but they don’t exist in a form that the Guilds recognise. Merchants are trained to interpret the world with a transactional mindset. Systems of honour and those that promote communal well-being like those employed in Rol’en’gorek hold little in the way of material value: or even detract from it: and thus tend to be overlooked or disregarded outright.”

“We have no desire to be ‘transactional’,” the Ocelo elder said. “This mindset, as you put it, is the root of all of our issues with the Guilds. It may be useful when it comes to trade, but the deteriorating state of the city and its inhabitants over the generations warns us of the folly of applying this type of thinking to everything.”

“It may seem distasteful to you because the Guilds are a few steps ahead. This has allowed them to set precedents and shape the narrative surrounding your current circumstances as heavily in their favour as possible. As a result, you have been prevented from exploring effective methods of countering their machinations.”

“Yet you say they do not act out of purposeful malice…”

Clara did her best not to swallow as she eyed the Beastmen across from her. Nearly all of them bore expressions that she couldn’t imagine were anything but filled with hostility.

“As I mentioned earlier,” she said. “The Guilds look out for the interests of their members first and foremost. Historically, their main opposition to doing that is local government and so the systems of the Guilds have developed over centuries to overcome that obstacle. With those systems comes a culture that their members are raised to believe is not only the most efficient and productive way of doing things, but also morally correct.”

“Somehow, you’ve made things sound even worse than we already thought they were,” Elder Cha’ac muttered.

“There are few that I’ve observed that don’t get themselves in this sort of situation,” Clara said. “People are the product of their experiences and knowledge and few have the opportunity to look beyond the world they exist in. Due to this, guild members can ironically be very well-travelled, yet remarkably bigoted.”

“There is truth in your words,” the Ocelo elder said. “Yet, in the light of this truth, the only ‘power’ we have that they would heed is violence. If we employ that, coexistence seems unlikely.”

『Florine, are the tribes you’ve worked with also like this?』

『In the Great Forest of Tob, yes. The tribes in the Abelion Hills have had limited exchanges with Dark Dwarf Merchants for as long as anyone can remember, but the Dark Dwarves don’t care about influence or political power amongst the tribes. Honestly, this discussion is making me feel more than a bit guilty about what we’ve been doing.』

She was all too aware of what Florine was talking about. Shortly after inheriting their titles, the Royal Court recognised Clara and her friends for their talents and they were appointed to various duties around the Sorcerous Kingdom. Among those duties was figuring out how to incorporate the various non-Human populations into the Kingdom. At first, their approach was not unlike that of Master Leeds: a one-sided conversion to the ways championed by the Guilds, which in turn facilitated the transfer of resources to E-Rantel.

It wasn’t until much later that they understood how flawed their methods were, and how dangerous thoughtless integration could be. Though they went into their work with the potential differences between societies and races in mind, their understanding of those differences was shallow at best. The sheer power of the Sorcerous Kingdom could keep the people in line for a time, but the differences in moral and material values inextricably tied to each race’s realities would eventually come to a head if improperly addressed.

“Is something the matter, Countess Clara?”

Clara looked up from her thoughts to find Elder Cha’ac and a few other Beastmen leaning forward to stare at her, whiskers twitching. She leaned back slightly in reaction, thankfully managing to keep herself from leaping away in fright.

“I was just considering how to best implement solutions to the problems your people presently face and will face in the future,” Clara forced a calm tone. “But I fear to prescribe anything precise with how little I know about Rol’en’gorek.”

The Beastmen leaned back in their seats, exchanging still-unreadable looks.

“Your thoughtfulness is most appreciated,” Elder Cha’ac said. “We have had our fill of people telling us what to do as of late. What else do you wish to know about us?”

Clara’s gaze went past the Beastmen to the blocky pyramids surrounding the court. Their existence was highly incongruous with what she had so far seen of the jungle society, representing an effort required by things that didn’t seem to exist in Rol’en’gorek at present.

“If I were to ask about one thing at this point,” she said, “it would be why your institutions haven’t evolved in line with the growth of your society.”

“Our institutions?”

“That’s right. You have mystics who see to the physical well-being of your people while a group of ‘elders’ function as judges, advisors, and community leaders. As expansive as your warrior caste is, it is at its core a collection of warbands tied to their respective tribes. In everything else, decisions are left to the individual.”

“…is that a bad thing?”

“In my experience,” Clara said, “if there is no organised effort to shape and maintain a society, then it is defenceless against both internal and external influences: even those without malice or purpose. Rol’en’gorek is particularly vulnerable to the Guilds because they champion a set of values that are either outside the consideration of or outright inconceivable for the ruling clans. Their activities are effectively ‘invisible’ even when what they do happens in plain sight. I believe Clan Pa’chan is fortunate in the sense that it re-established itself in an environment where it was exposed to the urban realities that the Guild also operates within. This has made you aware of the effects of their actions…at least in the ways that are recognisable to you.”

“But it isn’t as if we’re the only clan that rules over a city,” Lady Xoc said. “All of the big warrior clans do and they’ve been around for far longer than us.”

“I can only respond to that by offering my observations of urban centres in Human society, my lady,” Clara replied. “Like the Beastmen of Rol’en’gorek, we rebuilt our civilisation out of the ruin caused by a great calamity in the past: I suspect it’s the very same calamity that befell your people. Like your people, our lords established their rule over rural territories and their values were shaped by the threats that they faced. By the time proper urban centres developed and the Guilds set up shop, the culture of our aristocracy was already well entrenched.”

“I see,” Lady Xoc looked down at the rug that lay between them. “Then how did you fix it?”

“We haven’t.”

“Huh?”

“To this day,” Clara said, “the vast majority of Human Lords lead distinctly rural lifestyles. They purposely separate themselves from urban populations and their attitude towards those who exist outside of the culture of their aristocratic establishment usually ranges from aloof to belligerent. Solving the various problems that have arisen over the generations due to this lapse in proper governance has been one of my tasks in the Sorcerous Kingdom, which is probably why Baroness Zahradnik recommended my involvement in this discussion.”

While she could hardly claim any deep expertise on the matter, she still felt that Ludmila had made the right decision. Addressing the issues that came with the Guilds and urban life in general was far easier when they had yet to become nearly inextricable from one another.

Visit fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm for the best novel reading experi𝒆nce.

“In that case,” Elder Cha’ac said, “what do you have in mind? How do we gain the ‘power’ to defend ourselves against undesirable influences?”

“By expanding on the institutions that maintain your society,” Clara replied. “Each of those institutions must be issued a mandate that defines how they contribute towards the future envisioned for your people. This, of course, also includes how you will respond to change.”

“Our clan has discussed doing such things before,” the Ocelo Elder said, “but I am afraid that the necessary details as to how to achieve what you describe elude us. As busy as we are with our current situation, it’s something we cannot afford to experiment with.”

Clara supposed that was another advantage that the Guilds held when making their entry into ‘new markets’. Most candidates operated at subsistence levels due to one thing or the other and couldn’t spare the resources to adapt to rapid change. Indeed, it was the promise of prosperity that made the Guilds’ proposals so attractive while the cost of prosperity was never mentioned or outright regarded as irrelevant.

“Out of curiosity,” Liane asked, “how many ‘elders’ does Clan Pa’chan have?”

Elder Cha’ac’s gaze shifted from Clara to Liane.

“Thirty-six,” he answered after a moment’s pause.

“Thirty-six?” Liane furrowed her brow, “How many people live in this city?”

“I don’t think anyone knows for certain,” the Ocelo Elder said. “Visitors say that it is the largest city in the Confederation.”

“Roughly a quarter million,” said a voice from behind Clara.

Everyone looked up to find Dame Verilyn standing behind her. How long had she been standing there?

“How’d you get that number?” Liane asked.

“I saw them,” Dame Verilyn answered.

“Uh, okay,” Liane’s attention returned to the gathering. “So you have thirty-six elders for a quarter million people. No wonder you don’t have time for anything.”

“Clan Pa’chan only presided over the area around this clanhold until recently,” Elder Cha’ac said defensively. “We had perhaps a thousand closely-tied members with another ten thousand who were loosely affiliated descendants. Back then, there wasn’t any need for any more elders than we had.”

“Alright, so hire more elders.”

“Hire? One does not hire elders as if they were everyday labourers. Our elders are chosen by the community based on their wisdom, character, and history with the clan.”

“And because the vast majority of city dwellers live highly individualistic lives,” Clara said, “your traditional social infrastructure fell apart and there are no obvious candidates for the role.”

“Precisely so.”

“Fortunately,” Clara said, “you do not need elders to perform most of the work required. Not in the traditional sense, at any rate. What you need: at least to begin with: are civil servants, artists, and warriors. I can see that you already have the warrior part well in hand.”

“We have toll collectors too,” Lady Xoc added.

Clara offered a friendly smile in response to the Ocelo Lord’s hopeful tone. She had a lot of work ahead of her.