Making heads and tails out of the series of letters was indeed a troublesome work, but with help from Rosalia - who had stayed, against Alicia’s expectations - and two and a half day’s worth of effort some resolution could finally be put together. First was establishing a chronological order to the letters which was deceptively difficult due to not all of them bearing a date combined with the fact that the letters had been held up and came much later than they should have. Though most of them had at the minimum a four to five days of space in between them. Before unpacking all of the contents of letters, one thing had to be established firsthand, the contentious ownership of the forest of Velauhart. Though technically unchartered hitherto Alicia’s de facto control over the land, it was a more or less a contested territory between multiple parties, The Kingdom and the Empire included among the more powerful claimants due to their physical proximity. Though even nations that don’t even border the territory had a claim to it, most notably the Oracular order - claiming it a holy land fit only for pilgrimage. Even petty kingdoms and city states had something to say about their legitimacy to its ownership; simply put, it was pie and everyone wanted a piece of it. With many powers placing a practical bounty to however that could actually hold the land, promising both the land, wealth, fame, whatever they could desire, drawing in many young, bold or the desperate to their unmarked graves. However none truly succeeded in occupying the territory for long due to the extremely hostile and equally dangerous fauna. It is difficult to say whether or not Alicia settled the land since she technically is part of the hostile fauna. Yet, this is where the lernean hydra of convolutions start.
Since Alicia is native to Forest, - by this world’s standards - and it being claimed by the Kingdom, through technicality she can be regarded as a citizen of Pyrinia. This unshakable, indisputable fact of her nativity becomes the linchpin that holds everything that comes after together. This minor but significant detail allows the monarch of Pyrinia, King Diederik to pull off some creative interpretations of the law. First of the letters was basically acknowledgement of her success in establishing a community along with compensations such as making her a freeholder with land. While what was written was significant it was that which went unwritten that was important. The letter was a recognition of her being a citizen of the Kingdom by the very King himself and set a crucial precedent both of which were important requirements for the next set of actions. Next up was her safe recovery of a high standing - Margrave - member of the nobility - Rosalia - with close ties to the Royalty itself. The position of Margrave was equivalent to a Marquis, but with a small difference. The adage of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer ringed true in most courts. The king or any monarch in general only assigned the most distant territories, - ones that are most vulnerable - away from their eyes to their most trusted and loyal individuals. Be it direct through direct ownership or giving it to family and close allies and keeping uncertain actors and potential enemies under close scrutiny of the Royal court. While at surface level it might seem as though they are being banished to some backwater county, for those who could read in between the lines, it was the greatest show of faith. And Alicia having found and rescued a member - inadvertently - of a house held that high by the King earned her another reward. This time they found it fit to raise her to the rank of a Baroness, a process made simple and straightforward since she at this point had already become a freeholder.
Then came the conflict with the Empire, with the aftermath of the Imperial army being successfully driven back, revealing the corruption within the Kingdom. First on the chopping block were the noble houses who failed to hold up their duties and let the Empire’s army practically waltz in with minimal effort, they were stripped of their titles and pretty much all else. They and all who associated with them kept their heads on their shoulders, though their political careers were put to an end. Difficult life was ahead of them, but there was life. They had believed that the Imperial army would be undoubtedly successful in seizing Viveria, perhaps that would have been true if not for Alicia’s involvement. In order to prevent their escape after the end of the battle over Viveria, the Kingdom itself was put into a strict lockdown and information quarantine. She had thought the kingdom went back to business as usual far too quickly, though had questions about why the Merchants from Albertini had been held up for so long. And here was the answer, this would also explain why she had suddenly become a nobility within the Kingdom almost out of nowhere, they had to put everything on hold until they were done with the “housecleaning.” For rest that colluded with the Empire itself in a high treason, it was off with their heads, centuries long dynasties ended. Alicia this time credited with providing immediate assistance to Viveria through various acts and personally joining the battle, and somehow being credited with exposing the treason, again received a reward this time skipping a title and making her a Countess.
Her becoming Countess this quickly would normally be unprecedented but two things played a huge factor here. From the higher echelon of society, only those that would object to the King’s action of ennobling her were the Aristocratic faction. Royalist faction, while raising an eyebrow, wouldn’t need much persuasion, especially when the king himself was making these acts. The Centralists’ faction were so small that they didn’t really have the influence to say anything, whether they liked it or not. The non aligned part of the nobility were already the bottom rungs of the aristocratic ladder that they didn’t even care about. It didn’t help that most of the nobles that were being executed for high treason had some ties with the Aristocratic faction, which was enough of an excuse for the King to also purge some political enemies. Though the Royalty wasn’t making any more moves, anyone with some insight into the whole ordeal could tell that the King of Pyrinia held the whole aristocratic faction by their veins. Besides, elites of the Aristocratic faction that were in the game long enough knew that when the axe started swinging, they needed to keep their heads low. The second reason was the recent… purge.
Stripping a large portion of nobles of their titles and executing the rest left a rather sizable gap of nobles to be filled. Numerous heads of houses were promoted to make up for that gap and many nobles that felt ‘stuck’ finally had a chance to move up in this round of elevations. It was in their best intention to stay on the King’s good side, not questioning why someone that was practically unheard of before being ennobled was part of it. And so while not targeting her directly, Alicia was nonetheless swept up in it anyway to her current position of being a Countess in Pyrinia. Right in the middle of the Aristocratic ladder and suspiciously coincidentally the highest rank someone can achieve without being directly related to the Royalty. Interestingly, the very last letter was releasing her of her noble obligations as though one would free a vassal while allowing her to retain her land and title in the kingdom in the form of a regalia and pledging to uphold the sovereignty of her land.
Now while all of these were surface level discernment of the contents of the letter but the real crux was figuring out the intention behind these actions. First of all, why give Alicia this much recompense and then free her of duties. It was simply to establish a more cordial relationship but most importantly do it without tying her down or making it seem like they are trying to control her, this was as much as the King could do, and he was bending every law available under him so much that the laws were making a contortionist show. Second and perhaps their primary goal, was to be the first to make a move to win her over. Alicia was native to the Forest, while this meant that she could be regarded as a Kingdom’s citizen due to their claims, the same could be said for the Empire or the Oracular order. And that she had two duchies worth of territory in Velauhart under her. She was a wildcard, being able to be swayed to any side with reasonable legitimacy. While that was fine for the most cases, it would be absolutely disastrous if potential enemies of the Kingdom made a move first and succeeded. And lastly, to announce her presence to the world at large itself. Likely due to caution or even fear. All of the letters had been not only sent to various nobility of the Kingdom but also to its close allies and vassals. Which meant that she was under the spotlight. If she made any… interesting moves, the world itself would be listening in. A precaution perhaps, for the Kingdom to defend itself against her. For if she turned against them, all the world would know, and with all they have done for her so far, it would be reasonable to interpret it as betrayal. Though the Kingdom itself may not survive such an event, Alicia couldn’t trample Pyrinia without making multiple enemies. A strange, one-sided suicide pact that predicted an apocalyptic forecast far far in the future.
‘So I still don’t know if I’m noble or not… fantastic. Also… did they just give me the land that I already settled back to me?’
Fortunately for them Alicia was far more concerned with improving living qualities around her immediate surroundings.
‘What the hell was happening out there while I was figuring out how to make showers work with just hydrostatic pressure. No no no this isn’t right… I refuse to become a noble.’
And overcoming her own personal hell. While almost anyone would jump for joy for becoming part of the nobility, it was quite the opposite for Alicia. Whatever the case, she had been made into a governor with a land. Which meant, responsibilities, something that she dreaded.
‘Everyone dreams of becoming a president or a dictator and whatnot with all the power that comes with it but nobody actually wants to run a country!’
And with the wording of the letters, she was basically on her own.
After some time spent in denial of reality she started to prepare herself for true governing. She could avoid reality all she wanted in denial, but she could never avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. Alicia was already governing the Velauhart before, now it was just official. And what better way to learn to be a mediaeval ruler than to learn from one. Or atleast the second best option of learning from the daughter of said ruler. While she was at a loss over how best to ‘delegate’ - or circumnavigate - her administrative work to others. Her Araneae familiars were the default choice, but considering their nature, it would be the last option. She was struggling because right now, it seemed like the only viable option. Bringing up well educated and capable officials for matters of statesmanship was the obvious choice, the obstacle being time, as she needed these competent individuals now. Hoping to stumble onto some catalytic inspiration, Alicia was quizzing Rosalia about various miscellaneous stories about laws and the associated punishments. Being too absorbed in her thoughts she had absent mindedly let the conversation steer off to a path unfrequented.
- “-…And for sodomites irregardless of faith, wealth, status or martial achievements, for the crime against nature of seeking unnatural relationships and seeking unusual satisfaction through eclectic means both are to be sentenced to public execution through impalement-”
- “Hold on, sodomite, what does that mean?”
The young lady was quite uncomfortable disclosing further details, as she approached the topic from a factual angle.
- “That is… Well, a man who has been revealed to have been in a lustful act with another man… is a sodomite.”
The words finally clicked in her head now.
- “Oh… ooooh! ‘So that’s why she was squirming when I asked her about it…’ I see… so executing through impalement?”
- “Yes through the lower orifice and being forced to swallow a red hot sword, as flames and fire are considered to purify and purge sin. Originally the impalement instrument was a silver sword, but due to economic reasons both weapons were substituted with a stock weapon. Rusty, chipped, dull, those kinds. The silver sword had to be reforged with fire… as no one really wished to own the tarnished weapon…”
- “And this practice is common across most countries?”
- “Depending on the culture the execution variegated, but impalement is common, yes.”
‘Damn, I would not want to be gay in the middle ages… Wait a minute…’
- “Uhm… so what about, women?”
- “Women? Hum… historically the culprits would be stripped, tarred and feathered and paraded along the street where the public are free to throw stones at them. Though recently it has been replaced with a less severe one, especially for those of higher status who have found a relationship with their servants. Their families can keep the issue under wraps or bribe certain officials to keep them quiet. The cases for the commoners are less predictable if not overlooked on an occasion, but the most severe penitence they would get would be perhaps ten to twenty lashes with a flog?”
‘What so men get executed by swallowing a sword while having another shoved up their ass, and women get… public humiliation and beatings… I mean, depending on your kink, the flog might even be a turn on… Double standards much? This is how I know it’s reality, because it sucks, true fantasy wouldn’t have this…’
‘Besides if you’re from a privileged family you can be a lesbian as you want to be and they’ll fork out the hush money, and give a slap on the wrist probably. Speaking of noble houses…’
- “Say… of those noble houses stripped of their ranks, what happens to their families?”
- “Nothing good. If the heirs, most often boys haven’t also been executed through proxy, can still find a respectable life among the commoners, if they can adapt.”
- “And for girls?”
- “Assuming they haven’t already been married off beforehand, any engagements will likely be broken off, those already in wedlock will lose all their standing. In the best case scenario, they might be taken in by other relatives still in good standing, which is unlikely. Or become a maidservant in some other noble houses.”
‘That seems to be a trend…’
- “Uh, huh so what kind of life is ahead of them, if they are out of wedlock but haven't been taken in by anyone?”
- “Daughters of fallen nobility don’t fare well anywhere… I can think of a few outcomes, none too savoury. First and foremost, illegal slavery.”
- “Illegal? Why so?”
- “Well, approved slave traders that sell directly to merchants and lower nobility have have little interest in them, since their customers are looking for either brawn for protection and labor or companionship besides just looks, both of which are rare to be found from them. Most that do frequent slave traders dislike them for one reason or another, suppose it is in bad taste. So illegal slave traders that often work with deviants, brother owners, bandits and the like is the remaining option. There, anything can happen.”
Despite the grim image Rosalia painted, within Alicia’s head the gears were spinning and she saw a glint of hope - for herself.
‘A well educated young girls that already has a background in governance that basically no-one wants in a legal context, yet largely available illegally due to recent political purges…?’
Thanks in part to her recent rise in status came a not insignificant amount of monetary bonus.
- ‘Hey, Charlie, I need you to forward a task for Devil’s Crown goons for me.’
Thanks for the chapter!
Well done on the explanation, the king's actions make sense now. Its a pretty good move for someone without any real leverage over her.
Ah nobilities favorite move: “Random bullshit, go!”, always useful.
Additionally, i love the image where she looks unimpressed.
@Auratic
I don't understand why everyone is dissatisfied. IMAO you didn't read the last chapters carefully. I don't know what the commentator below smoked, but the author smoked what he needed. The power of the King rests on the strongests of his kingdom, and not on him (except if the King is the strongest person in the kingdom) and the King cannot do what he wants on such a scale as to give someone a lands or the title of Count, he will be simply destroyed by the highest aristocracy. He was lucky that the turmoils movements is in his "house" and he acted so frivolously (I'm sure that the King hinted that everyone who wants to challenge his decision can go to the Forest and challenge it).
The king is a genius and went to all the tricks and violations of the laws solely in order to improve relations with the MC. I think the King did not give the title of Duchess or Marquise, not because he could not, but because he was afraid to offend the "Goddess / MC" (the magic that the god-level MC used and the King was 100% informed about this) and declare that the King is a relative of God, IMAO a direct insult, but the King looks sane and doesn't do it.
1. The King made it clear that the MC forest is a disputed territory for all adjacent countries.
2. The king renounced any claim to the forest in favor of the MC without any conditions.
3. The king does not know the title of MC and gave her the highest possible and freed her from any duties associated with the title (well, suddenly lucky and she will accept it, they don't hit you in the head for asking/suggesting). I'm sure that if an MC sends a letter or a message to the King that she is the Queen of the Forest/Goddess of the Forest/Keeper of the Forest, he will immediately apologize and make some kind of contract with her.
4. She was simply informed of her Title (King's attitude and intentions towards MC), but it is up to the MC to accept it or not.
I am sure that other countries will try to repeat the same thing (especially when they find out that one "man" can destroy an army with a wave of his hand).
MC has already accepted the fact that she will have to become an official ruler and in the near future (I hope) will declare herself the Keeper of the Forest, and the territory of the forest reserved.
I REALLY expect some idiot to decide to testing the opposite (attack the forest/take a high elf as a slave/try to poach the MC minion/kidnap the MC children for further manipulation with the MC, but the children do not even realize this and run away from the kidnappers, causing CHAOS in lands wherever they "play" and kidnappers beg the MC to take them back home). I'm waiting for our lolly spider sneak into the bedroom or office of the King, for a visit and give him a spider to communicate with the MC. I especially look forward to the King's reaction to this, when he realizes that guards and guard spells are worthless if the MC decides to eliminate him.
I apologize if I spoiled the plot, but in my defense I will say that these are very obvious developments in the storyline.
TFTC.. Good move by the king, a bit bad for alicia tho, she didn't take advantage of the fact that the forest is uninhabited BECAUSE it is dangerous, she just made herself a bigger target by tying herself with a kingdom, if a contested territory becomes occupied by an enemy, former enemies would band together not out of trust but for the reason that they can kick out whoever was in there. If she refused and made it her own then she can be considered a neutral third party and others would be more than willing to form a better relationship since no one wants to spend anything conquering a dangerous territory that already has occupants, it would be a waste of resources, it would be better to open up trade and curry a bunch of favors so they have more advantage over the resources they can trade. the kingdom won't have any leverage on her either if she does, since, the kingdom is practically indebted to her, with those, even if they forced her to accept, it will be their reputation that will be taking a hit since it would display that they were forceful in their methods even to their supposed allies.
I also find her actions a bit hasty when she accepted while not telling the others(elves, trolls) since they are tribes of their own.
@LoafOfBread i agree about accepting this was a mistake, even if it was kinda bruteforced by kingdom.
As for elves&trolls, they pretty much will accept it. Some may not like it, most probably will not care. Anyway nothing much they can say about it, when Alicia is real owner of this land and their current lifestyles are only possible thanks to her (like elves can finally revive their long forgotten culture&arts, instead of only thinking how to survive in those deadly woods).
@Indream Yeah, that said, although it is a mistake, and I have some gripes about it, I kind of like it. She didn't think through on the political side of things because she IS an engineer, not a politician. Too many fantasy stories where the mc is a student with average grades and skills then showing that they have the knowledge on making a nuke step by step. Bit refreshing that the mc is knowledgable only on their scope.
@LoafOfBread that true, about those mc turning expert on every subject. Although in this situation, i don't think you need to be politician to see that they try to play her like fiddle and that accepting it will probably bring more problems, than positives.
@Indream On our side sure, we are a third party after all, and I think she does know, what i meant is that she doesn't know how to respond to them
@LoafOfBread
Trolls consider MC God and worship her (they do not care what God decides), Elves worship the Spirit of water, which serves as MC. None of the forest dwellers would even come up with the idiotic thought of challenging the decision of the patron god (MC).