By Merit and Deed
Lansius
Early in the morning, sharing a carriage with Audrey, Mother Arryn, and baby Gilly, Lansius and the castle guards rode out from Canardia Castle without fanfare, later meeting a large escort of a hundred riders outside the city to avoid drawing attention. They spent the fair morning ride chatting about the people of Midlandia, since none of them were native to the region. As the conversation moved along, Mother Arryn mentioned the ivory airship she had watched during the send-off the previous day.
The flying vessel had left her utterly fascinated. She had shown no fear at all, only eagerness, and admitted she would gladly board one if given the chance. Hearing that, Lansius offered to take her and Tanya to Korelia aboard an airship before winter arrived.
Mother Arryn was more surprised to learn that Lansius and Audrey would not winter in Canardia but intended to move to Korelia each winter. She accepted the offer easily, thinking it would be a good chance to judge for herself whether travel by air would suit her better than a carriage.
From there, their discussion drifted naturally to Lansius’ many inventions, including the washing machine. Mother Arryn had visited the washing complex with the castle maids and had seen the contraption firsthand. It had already become routine for the maids to go there almost every morning to wash the clothes. The water-powered turning barrels took much of the heavy work away from them, letting many of the younger maids breathe a little easier.
"It allows many of them to learn," Arryn remarked to Audrey, speaking of the maids, while Gilly remained asleep in her arms.
"To learn?" Lansius asked, not expecting such a comment.
"Yes. Someone has set a mentor to teach letters and numbers to anyone willing. And the maids flock there while waiting for the clothes to be cleaned."
Lansius was the one who had set it up, yet even he hadn’t expected many to use it, especially people like the castle maids who already had a steady job. "Do they really sit down and study? I mean, I never made it compulsory."
"I don’t think you need to force it. While a few would rather sit and chat, many are gladdened by the opportunity and make good use of it," Arryn reassured him.
Lansius nodded, though it was clear from his face that he was still in disbelief.
Audrey took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Isn’t it good that they’re motivated?"
"Of course," Lansius replied. "It’s just that I didn’t expect them to be so hardworking."
Perhaps in a perfect world. But idleness is the natural state of things. So why are they so driven? What makes it so?
Audrey kept his hand in hers, giving him that silent comfort. "You shouldn’t make small of the chance to study with a teacher. Everyone wants to better themselves. Not every maids' daughters wish to remain maids forever. Some dream of opening shops in the city and becoming masters of their own lives."
Lansius nodded again, pondering the drive to improve.
Unlike the modern era, where study was compulsory and often treated as a burden, here, the chance to study was a luxury. People understood how rare such an opportunity was to better themselves. It was the simplest path to rise from backbreaking labor to lighter work. As the old saying went, it was easier to lift a quill than to lift a plow.
Maybe it was because they worked from such an early age so reality dawned on them sooner. They knew too well how hard life was for the uneducated.
Meanwhile, people in the modern world live far more sheltered lives. Even the unskilled could work part-time and still make enough to survive. Here, the stakes were harsher.
Mother Arryn, seeing he had finished, added her own thought while gently rocking the sleeping Gilly. "However, the place is getting crowded like a market, and it’s hard to learn when there’s too much noise. Maybe if you can spare a simple divider wall to separate the study place from the rest, it will be much better for the people who are learning."
"I’ll certainly remember to pass that along to whoever is in charge of it," Lansius answered with an easy smile.
From his side, Audrey informed him, "That will be Tanya."
Lansius’ eyes widened. "Really?"
“The staff saw it fit for her to start having responsibilities. It carries almost no risk, unlike managing a manor or barony.” Seeing that he was about to protest, she quickly added, "Rest assured, she doesn’t need to go there in person. Not when there is any risk." She let the matter rest there, knowing he would understand. Only a few knew about the assassins, and they wished to keep it contained rather than stir panic.
"Isn’t this too fast?" Lansius voiced his concern. "She has barely learned to read documents."
"It is a good way to make her continue learning. Ingrid and Omin said so."
Lansius tilted his head, yet it did make some sense. It could be seen as a form of apprenticeship, learning by doing, with mentors close by to guide and correct her as needed. Whatever the case, Tanya and her mentors would soon be tested. Because of its popularity, the guilds were planning to build another washing complex along the stream, expected to be operational next year. He would soon learn how much planning or change they proposed, and whether it would serve the House’s best interest.
The carriage rocked slightly over the bumps in the road, and Lansius glanced toward the glass windows, covered with thin silken curtains on the inside to make it difficult for anyone outside to see who rode within. The second and third carriages behind them, used by Claire, Margo, Carla, along with the physician, scribe, and clerks, were also equipped similarly to deter and confuse would-be attackers.
Outside, there were only lines of trees on one side and open plains on the other. His riders moved easily alongside, for even with the latest suspension design, the carriage was still far from the horses’ steady canter. There seemed to be no trouble on the road.
Inside, little Gilly squirmed a bit in Arryn’s arms, and she shifted him to make him more comfortable, prompting Audrey to rise and sit beside her. The journey carried on through a peaceful countryside. Harvest was over, and the people were resting from their labor. A few industrious villages were still at work, preparing winter crops, though not all did so, as such decisions were tied closely to local tradition.
Lansius took it as a form of local wisdom. In these parts, planting winter crops was not simply a matter of being idle or industrious, but of deciding whether to gamble with the limited heirloom seeds kept for the coming year. If the winter turned harsh, the crops would die, and the heirloom seed, vital for spring planting, would be lost. Such failure could bring disaster if not managed carefully. Thus, only villages with a plentiful supply of heirloom seeds and a history of mild winters would risk planting winter crops.
Moreover, winter crops required the right seed varieties, and not every village possessed them. Soil and land conditions varied widely even across Midlandia, and each farming community relied on the strains best suited to its own place.
...
After half a day of riding, as planned, they stopped for lunch at one of the manors they had gained from either the conquest or the last rebellion. Lansius and Audrey took the time to tour the building, while Mother Arryn tended to the newly awakened and restless Gilly in the main hall under the watchful eyes of Francisca and the guards.
"It's unfortunate that Lady Ella wouldn't answer the question," Audrey said as they climbed the stairs to the second floor. Around them, the guards kept their distance, allowing them to speak in private.
"Well, she answered diplomatically, and that’s enough for now," Lansius replied.
In yesterday’s meeting, when asked whether she possessed a long-range communication device, Lady Ella replied that even if she had one, it would only be proper to ask Lord Avery directly, not her. This became her usual answer to other sensitive questions as well. It seemed she had been trained in secrecy, which was commendable, except for one detail: her origin. Whoever had trained her didn’t think her background required a layer of secrecy.
For anyone else, the story of the Eleven Houses would have been unimportant, but not for Lansius.
"At least she answered about her House’s history," he muttered.
“Not convincing enough. She wasn’t even sure whether it was eleven men or something else,” Audrey said as they reached the small hall that connected to the corridor leading to the main chamber.
"Well, it happened almost three hundred years ago. It’s already good for a girl her age to even know about it," Lansius said, then turned to her. "Do you even remember your ancestors?"
Audrey tried to recall, but eventually shook her head. "Good point," she acknowledged. "I always thought that if it was important, Father would have told me when I was old enough. Sadly, he never did. He just went missing all of a sudden."
This was the first time Lansius had ever heard about this. "Missing? Not an accident?"
"Nobody ever found the body. I asked Omin, and he confirmed that his father only claimed mine was dead because he found his tools on the side of the road, along with a pool of blood."
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"That isn't conclusive," Lansius muttered without thinking. "Don't you ever think he might still be alive?"
"What are you suggesting?" Her eyes shone with restrained power as she turned to him, asking gently, "Are you saying he didn’t come home and just wandered off while injured?"
"You're right," Lansius replied. "That doesn’t make sense."
She exhaled slowly. "I do hope he’s still alive somewhere. There might have been a strong reason for him to leave. But Omin said that in the last few years his family stayed in Centuria, there were no words or sightings of him. Even his father feared that robbers might have targeted him."
Lansius gave a small nod to acknowledge her point. With Centuria besieged by western nomads, crime had understandably risen sharply, and kidnappings or roadside robberies were all too common. That was why Omin’s family sold their land and moved far away to Lowlandia. It had been a drastic decision, ambitious but also likely born of desperation for a safer life. To them, even Lowlandia must have seemed less dangerous than facing the western nomads. It also explained why Omin and most Centurians harbored a deep hatred for nomads.
He was glad that Omin had changed since then, now showing mostly an indifferent attitude toward them. He still did not trust them, but he could treat them as allies out of necessity.
As the two reached the inner part of the manor, the staff already waiting there broke the paper seal and unlocked the master chamber, allowing them to see that its contents had not been disturbed.
Even without the seal, the thin coat of dust across the room was a clear sign that nobody had entered since the bailiff’s men had finished confiscating the contents. What remained were only the bed, furniture, and linens. Items of value had been sent to Canardia in sealed chests and stored in the vault. Even now, the House had assigned two appraisers to examine them again, in case something of worth had been overlooked.
"Get your staff to clean the chamber," Audrey instructed the manor’s steward, who stood beside the officials now managing the estate.
"My Lady, are you planning to spend the night here?" asked the steward, an older man still in good physical shape.
"No, but it would be a waste to let it rot."
The steward quickly ordered the maids and servants under him to work.
Audrey turned to Lansius and said with a tone of regret, "This is the best room in the manor. What a waste not to use it."
"I have plans for that," he replied, drawing the attention of everyone present. He gazed at the steward and the two officials. "Record that the door to this chamber is to be removed, along with the bed and the wardrobes. You shall furnish the inside with desks and tables for you and the scribes to use as working quarters. I’m sure you’ll appreciate a more spacious and airy place to work instead of a cramped one."
"My Lord is most understanding," the officers said, while the steward appeared to agree, though a touch uneasy.
"Steward, you seem troubled?"
"Apologies, My Lord, I had always expected a noble House would take over the manor."
Lansius offered him a faint smile. "Times are changing. Instead of gambling on a noble who might or might not be competent to run things, we’ll simply hire a professional. If they make a mess of it, you should report to me, and I’ll send a better one. I can’t do that with a noble House—not without a fight," he added with a hint of humor.
The steward and the officials chuckled, and Lansius took it as a gesture of agreement.
"I don’t want my estates to be run by nobles simply because they were born as one. I want able men, no matter their background. If any of my subjects are honest, resourceful, and have the experience, then the door of opportunity is open for them."
The men looked pleased to hear it. "My Lord, what should one have to lead such an estate?"
"A reputable career in the Office of Works or within my Household, with a few years in a leadership role," Lansius answered without hesitation, proof that he had thought this through and not just made it up on the spot.
"And once you work here as a manor administrator and prove that you can organize and maintain the land, keep the people content, and perhaps even raise productivity, then in a few years I might trust you with a larger estate. Then a town. And if one continues to succeed, there will always be smaller cities, and even greater ones, to manage." He gazed at his men and found them listening eagerly.
And thus, Lansius surmised, "Gentlemen, let it be known that the path to advancement is clear. A talented man will go far under my rule. With more than fifty manors and even more towns and cities, the opportunity to better your station is ripe for the taking. And all without needing a speck of noble blood in your veins."
The officials exchanged glances before one dipped his head low, followed by the others. "Praise be the Ancients, we have waited for such an opportunity for a long time, My Lord."
Another added, "Indeed. This is such an ingenious plan. We shall strive to become among your able administrators."
Lansius patted the man’s shoulder. "Avoid unnecessary rivalry, and make sure the people and the realm do not suffer for it. And remember, there are other domains such as Korimor, South Hill, Corinthia, White Lake, Three Hills, and Nicopola, with manors and towns to administer. I will be sure to reward the talents going there even more. But for now, those are reserved for the hardiest officials."
Lansius then turned to the steward, who was clearly not interested in becoming an administrator. "As for you, if your calling is to serve, how about joining one of the Households in Canardia? I’m sure Sir Harold, Dame Danielle, or even Sir Sterling could use an experienced steward such as yourself. But if your heart lies with this land, then I shall not trouble you."
The steward was taken aback. "My Lord, this is such a generous offer. I shall reconsider it."
After that, the discussion grew lighter. Lansius and his escort of a hundred spent only a few hours in the manor. It commanded vast orchards whose fruits were made into jams, and wide meadows, perfect grazing ground for horses. But without the nobility’s warhorses, the fields would remain unused until next year, when they would be turned to raising cattle.
Lansius’ plan was to capture the land, its function, and its influence entirely. Rather than let the manor fall into ruin, as was the norm for confiscated estates the lord did not wish to use, he chose reputable officials to lead the economic activities of each estate. The manor’s vast larder could be used to store grain or other long-lasting goods for emergencies, while the halls could serve for celebrations, workshops, or even as shelter in winter.
In place of the noble, he would station scribes and bailiff men on rotation to handle legal matters. In this way, the villages surrounding the manor would benefit more. They would also maintain law and order, being armed well enough to defend the villages from wolves or criminals, and could call for reinforcements if threatened by bandits.
Even when an administrator failed to perform better than the nobles, Lansius would not lose anything. In fact, he already benefited from not paying for the manor’s upkeep, which would otherwise have drained his coffers due to the lack of economic activity on the manorial lands. He now held no fewer than fifty estates, and the annual cost would have been substantial. Any failing administrator would simply be replaced with a promising one and moved into a post better suited to his abilities.
All he needed was time for his plan to reach fruition.
"Lans, why did you ask them to remove the doors?" Audrey asked, as they stayed in a guest chamber, with Lansius checking the manor’s documents.
"The master chamber is designed to project an aura of command and authority. It might provoke anyone not used to wielding power to abuse it. By removing it, I dismantled the power and turned it into a communal workspace."
Audrey nodded and did not ask further, seeming to understand most of it by instinct.
With more ground to cover, they did not stay for long and soon continued their journey, heading to another manor where they planned to spend the night. On this trip, they avoided towns and cities to escape lengthy formalities, as Lansius wanted the travel to remain swift. Though it would have been useful to personally inspect the cities, he feared he might be distracted, and so he sent Sir Sterling, Karl, or the Chief Bailiff instead to look into matters on his behalf.
After a few hours of riding, they arrived at a different manor. It was an even larger one, nearly rivaling Korelia Castle in size, though lacking its tall walls. Lansius met with the officials and steward, and just as before, offered them the same arrangement. He was certain that word would soon spread among the officers of the realm: Change had come, and with it, rich opportunity for the taking.
Lansius hoped that by opening the door of opportunity wide, he could not only find peace with the intellectuals of the region but finally capture their hearts and minds. Soon, schools and libraries would also be opened in various parts of South Midlandia, and in a few seasons, his House would have a more robust stream of talent to fulfil its many functions. With it, his administrative strength and reach would grow, supporting law and order across his domains.
***
Two nights had passed, and, as planned, Lansius and his family spent the night in the guest chamber of each manor they passed along the way. What was not planned was the speed of their convoy. The trip had been scheduled for three days to account for the slower pace of the carriages, the chance of breakdowns, or other mishaps. However, they were riding smoothly, under good weather and without a single breakdown.
Without skipping any manor, they stopped at each one to let the horses and men rest long enough to regain their strength before pushing forward again. With fast, reliable carriages, good spring suspensions, well-cared-for and well-trained horses, and a fully mounted escort, they covered great distances. The manor they stayed in last was the final leg of their journey to their destination. On their way back, they would take another route through a different chain of manors to be inspected.
Some of the manors they stayed in were small but fortified with walls, while many were larger. Some were built like castles, some were simply spacious, and others resembled great mansions they called chateaus. Yet no matter where they stayed, the guest chamber was never spacious enough, especially with three people and a baby. Somehow, though, it made them live like a true family, without the formalities of being Lord and Lady.
Every day, Lansius slept on the extra bed while Arryn and Audrey shared the main bed with the baby in the middle. The extra bed made the room even more cramped than usual, but they cared little for it, since they were only traveling. It was still far better than sleeping in a tent.
Today, after breakfast and a short ride, the three carriages and the cart finally rolled toward their destination.
A verdant valley lay ahead, with black smoke billowing high into the sky. Short palisade walls stood in the distance with sentries on watch, and riders even reacted and sallied out at their approach. It was as intended, for this was the forge of the Shogunate.
While there had been suggestions to build this forge closer to the hidden miners’ village, Lansius saw little benefit in doing so. The only advantage would have been shared protection from the new SAR training camp or the half-breeds who had begun to settle the Nazo highlands, now numbering nearly two dozen early households. Meanwhile, there were inherent risks from Bengrieve agents or sympathizers among the minters, so it was only natural to avoid involving them in his secret project.
Besides, silver work was not the same as iron work, nor could the two be placed side by side without complications.
The coming horsemen greeted them, surprised by their faster schedule, and the convoy passed the checkpoint without issue. Soon, their view opened into a broad stretch of a small military camp, five villages, and several surrounding hamlets set along the valley floor. A strong stream cut through the center of it, its clear water rushing over stone and gravel, feeding narrow irrigation channels and turning a few waterwheels. The place had its own rhythm. Half of the villages and most of the hamlets produced food, fruits, honey, and wool, enough to keep them largely self-sufficient, while the remaining three had a long and stubborn history of ironworking.
Lansius saw that the ruins of old charcoal kilns scarred the land around them, their stone rings sinking into moss and earth, proof that even while most villagers tended crops or goats, there had always been a strong tradition of ironworking in the valley. Records indicated that the valley had once held iron mines, but most of the veins had long since run dry, leaving only enough ore for a few dedicated villages to keep the craft alive. As the convoy moved along, they passed scattered remains of old bloomery furnaces, where iron had been smelted for generations before the valley transitioned to a stronger blast furnace.
And ahead lay their first stop, the place where his leading masters of iron had reached a breakthrough that could rival even the best the Imperium could offer.
***
*YAY! Chapter 300. ??
First of all, Gratitude for reading! ??
So, can I take a one month break? Lol, just kidding.
Maybe I’ll take a break in June or July, not sure when, but I’ll keep you posted if that happens.
How’s the story going so far? I hope Lansius, Audrey, and Gilly are still fun to read.
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So, happy chapter 300. More Audrey and more ducks to come.??
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