“Viscount Marion sends his regards for the first batch of wine,” Hien reads out, shuffling slowly through messages on Julius’ desk. “And Mr Sigol from the school has sent a letter too.”
“Is that meant to be in my pile or Walter’s?” Julius asks, burrowed in a cloak with his feet kicked up on the ottoman. There’s a chill in the morning air, fog over the windows and smothering clouds rolling over the forest canopy in the distance. But he wrapped Hien in one of his coats and is now enjoying being warm while the office is brisk from an open window.
Hien neatly cuts the envelope open with a multi-use letter knife Jasmine gifted, and then shuffles around paper for a bit while she reads. “It’s a formal apology and a promise that actions have been taken so it won’t happen again.”
Julius scoffs, leaning around the back of his chair to share a look with Hien. “Bit late for that-” He pauses as he watches Hien drop it straight into the trash, envelope and all. “Did they not want anything else?”
“I’m not sure, the writing was unclear,” Hien says simply. “Should I send Viscount Marion the usual reply?”
Julius looks at Hien, down at the trash, and up at her again. He chuckles, sitting back in his chair. “I’ll send him a proper reply later. Reoccurring clients need more finesse, especially if they’re paying that much.”
“The last one is from Mr Govain,” Hien says. “Shall I open it?”
Julius hums, considering. “No, I’ll deal with it now.”
He rolls up out of his chair, shuts the window with a simple 1st level push and sends out a 2nd that blooms over the office ceiling and gushes down heat to chase away the lingering chill. Julius tosses his cloak over his viewing chair and pats Hien on the head as she passes.
“Come and tell me if it gets cold downstairs, the spell down there will shatter soon,” Julius says, taking the coat after she pulls it off. “And make sure your mum guards the door from inside, I don’t want her wandering around in this weather, especially with the doors closed.”
“She likes being outside to watch people,” Hien reminds him.
“Well then make sure she has a coat on.”
Hien slips out and Julius dumps the coat over his cloak before taking a seat at his desk. He shuffles other opened letters to the side to be done later, and picks up Diedrik’s.
It’s been several weeks after the Govain family left the capital for their territory, and the envelope already has a thickness and heft to it, not just from the weighed seal stamped with brilliantly blue wax. The paper is high quality, slightly water resistant and exceptionally smooth. Julius’ name is on the front in familiar handwriting.
Julius slits it open with a satisfying hiss of the letter knife’s razor-sharp bade against the thick paper, and pulls out what looks like half a thesis. He smiles at that. It’s surprising Diedrik waited this long, regardless of him promising not to over manage.
Diedrik starts with business first; dozens of questions about mana rain sales, some correspondence with Hakim about the alchemy lab testing different variations, and then a joke about someone wanting to buy it off him.
After that is a request for a few alchemy ingredients, and last is a paragraph asking after Julius’ health. Adorable.
Julius opens one of his desk drawers and shuffles through a stack of letter paper.
The Govain lands are a food bowl, known for vast plains and sloping hills, all filled with crops. It’s a massive parcel of land, dotted with small satellite villages that work the fields in their jurisdiction. The Duchess is famous for her weather spells to help grow the food and at times the rain or shine can be extreme.
Julius picks out a glossy envelope and he scrawls a quick rune chain for preservation and waterproof coating to fend off the potentially extreme weather, the runes absorbing nature mana in the air and glowing softly. It might take a month or so to get all the way to Diedrik.
But the Duchess isn’t a known political or military power. All that land and food but nothing but farmers to guard it. There are bandits all up and down the stretches, and that’s not even including the trouble that comes with the eastern forest and all the creatures that might wander out in search of a meal.
The paper he chooses is a bit thicker, like Diedrik’s, but this has tiny dried flowers pressed into it. The petals are full of cold energy to both give the paper a fancy air to it and also to keep away pests.
The Govains have gotten into trouble a few times seeing as their lands are a kingdom unto their own and the monopoly over the food is a threat. Nobles looking to overthrow the current king -many, especially after he stepped aside for the central kingdom’s empress- always turn to the Govains and people keep an eye out for them.
Julius writes Diedrik’s first name and only his first name on the envelope because it’s an often-told rumour that messengers sneak a look at any missives to or from notable people. Julius did not miss the fact that Diedrik didn’t use the Govain crest anywhere on the outside of his mail.
The boy is a bit overly cautious in his dealings but Julius is willing to humour him.
To Diedrik
I have attached the mana rain sales for this month, along with a list of people who have contacted me requesting further information on either your product or you. There is another list of people who wanted to buy mana rain, the rights to sell it or the rights to produce it and anyone who isn’t worth knowing has been crossed out. I have refrained from mentioning anyone who has been harassing my staff for any alchemy secrets, as McPherson has taken care of them. Assume that some will approach you too.
Would you mind telling Hakim that while I work for you, I don’t work for him. I will not be getting him ingredients or alchemy equipment for free, and even when he pays, he is not the priority. That poor intern of his waited outside the shop door for two hours last week while I was in a meeting.
Hakim has also been asking for far more than he needs for ‘variations’ on mana rain but that’s what happens when you hire a researcher instead of only a production lab.
I have been well these days, but let’s skip the boring niceties since I’m so looking forward to chasing butterflies for you. Did you need the poison-thread butterfly cocoon for its poison or the thread? There are better substitutes for both like the much more local fog moth’s silk and I can send it to you faster…
Dear Julius
Thank you for the lists. Several of the people have already sent servants to my mother to try and introduce themselves. It’s unfortunate but she’s getting ideas now about handing off some Govain business to me. I don’t need the distraction but she’s very willing to hire as many tutors as I’d like and whatever books I need to study up on this world.
Put whatever Hakim asks for on my tab. If he creates biosimilars, it’s just more patents to sell later.
I had not heard of the fog moth before and I’m not sure if it would work for my situation. There’s not much information on it and my tutors seem confused. Send both anyway.
How much do you know about the bandits around the Govain lands? People refuse to talk about it here and I’m getting annoyed at supplies taking so long to come in…
Dearest most lovable business partner
Speaking of people finding you, I feel the need to give a warning after the encounter I just had; if someone named Ede arrives and tries to extort you, that was not my fault, but she’s a very useful social butterfly and understands business better than most business owners. You’ll want Ede.
Congratulations on Duchess Govain pinning you down as heir – and if it hasn’t happened yet then it will soon. When she finds out you’re 3rd, you’ll never escape.
Be careful with tutors, they’re swapped around through noble families and often brag about their students’ abilities. I heard a rumour about your genius mind recently and if you’re still playing it safe while you amass money then keep a better low profile. One good product can be a fluke as long as you don’t back it up.
Viscount Gauthier Marion has lands nearby and that family is well known for their unnecessarily massive underground library inside their mountain. He’ll have more books than even the Govain can hope to buy if you wanted more information.
There will also be books on the fog moth, a recently discovered species that came out of the Deep Forest, which is why not many people know about it. I have attached the basics of the species but DO NOT open the ingredient package I’ve sent unless you have the proper safety in place. The poisonous fog spreads like wildfire…
…no need for tutors anymore, but I’ve kept them on for my older brother. I’ve decided to raise him into the heir position. He has a calm disposition even under pressure but little else so it will take time. My younger sister is intent on being a wandering magician, and I assume she’ll grow out of it but until then, mother has absconded with her to teach weather spells.
There are interesting magics in these times and Viscount Marion’s library has been a great help. I would have preferred a warning about all the creatures inside it though, seeing as fey tend to bite.
The weather has become torrential and mercurial with my mother’s teachings. The roads are too muddy to pass and the visibility is no more than the length of my arm. Even the bandits have retreated to higher ground, waiting for the weather to calm, trapped.
You will soon hear of me being officially 3rd class.
I have attached a list of ingredients. Would you be able to supply live fog moths…
…rumours about you gathering tutors and scholars just to insult them. Are you still intent on not enrolling in the magical school here in the capital? You might have to, even if only to avoid the wizard towers.
I often meet with the other major merchants in the capital and the wizard towers spread their ingredient requests around, targeting mainly non-magicians, but the one near you was buying alchemy necessary to create homunculi a few years back. Some merchants might still be selling to them, regardless of the law.
I know you’ve been studying magic hard like a good magician child, but you’re still behind on politics and social intelligence. Be careful.
…the wizard tower does still use homunculi, and they were quite upset I knew.
To correct you; I do understand politics and social standing very well, I’m just a bit behind on current events. Ede is assisting me with that…
…not what I meant and you need to be more careful. Wiping out bandits is not the same as taking over a wizard tower regardless of how rural it is. The package is an evil eye bracelet, able to sense bad intentions. Don’t mess with the runework, it took me so long to make…
…made the runework yourself, or is this from those magic theory books you have? I didn’t realise rune chains advanced so much. In the past, runes were considered to be for non-magicians, because why use natural magic when you have your own?
Viscount Marion’s library doesn’t have mentions of the chain diagram you used, send me the books…
…specific on what kind of books?
There’s a rumour about a mana rain biosimilar coming out, and regardless of whether it’s only a rumour or not, it means your sales are being affected…
…any book you find interesting.
I’ve been in contact with Hakim and the other alchemist shop to pass over the production line, and we’ve agreed on dividends. I’m sure they’ve contacted you already to oversee the transfer. Hakim won’t be involved much, I have him doing something else now, and be nice to the intern because they’ll be useful later…
…congratulations on coming out as 4th class. The wizard tower seemed awfully happy to brag about you graduating through them. A postgraduate too, so you must have made them cry.
There’s one of your fancy noble balls soon and while Duchess Govain is of course invited after the huge harvest this season, you might want to hold off. People will swarm you at the ball…
…Will you be there to congratulate me in person?...
…wouldn’t dare miss a networking opportunity. Speaking of, people have been asking after you around here; other merchants but even clients who come in to take a stroll around ‘Diedrik Govain’s favourite merchant shop’. What do you want me to tell them?...
…Tell them you really are my favourite, and then charge them double….
Ok yes I definitely missed something. It's like eating Scones with out tea... Very dry.