Politics.
D damn it, Jadis hated politics.
After returning from her jaunt out into the hills, Jadis had of course told her companions everything about her encounter with General Egilhard. As native residents of Oros, they had far more experience and context when it came to the vaguely unsettling military man, thus Jadis wanted all of their input. She’d also wanted their open and honest opinions, so she’d waited to discuss her full concerns until after both Noll and Sabina had left the guild hall. Some things couldn’t be said in front of the smith, who was as of yet uninitiated to Jadis’ origins, and even more so such things needed to be kept from Noll. Jadis hadn’t forgotten about his declaration to be an informant, even if he was doing her the solid favor of giving her some practical combat training.
Once they were alone to talk openly, Thea had revealed her own encounter with Egilhard. Even if she was light on the details, Jadis could easily discern just how uncomfortable the general had made her while pressing her for private information. Thea wasn’t exactly hard to read when it came to discomfort. Everything she did say just cemented Jadis’ opinion of the man as a scummy fuck who was best avoided.
Aila had pointed out that Jadis had, in fact, seen the man once before. Back when Jadis had stormed into Magistrate Vraekae’s war room after she’d assigned even more guards to follow her around, there had been a few high-ranking military officials in the room as well. General Egilhard had been one of them. Jadis had to admit that she didn’t remember him except in the vaguest sense. He’d not left much of an impression at the time, though she had been rather focused on Vraekae.
Aila only remembered him because she’d seen him a few times before in the past, if distantly. General Egilhard was the highest-ranking member of the imperial army in Weigrun, second only to the Magistrate in terms of authority. Practically every imperial soldier in the whole sub-continent ultimately reported to him, barring a few exceptions like the Magistrate’s personal forces and the city guards. He was a respected career soldier who had decades of experience under his belt. Even if he wasn’t liked by his troops, he had more than enough victories to his name to warrant loyalty.
Kerr had been more colorful in her description of the general. Most of them were creatively derogatory, but the most saliant of her descriptions had regarded his distaste for mercenaries, particularly independent ones. To his mind, mercenary companies were half-baked armies whose members lacked the conviction of true imperial soldiers. As to independents, they were no better than shiftless brigands.
When Jadis had asked Kerr how she knew so much about the general’s opinions, she’d explained that in most military engagements, it was common for the Empire to use mercenary companies as reinforcements or for flanking maneuvers, while independents often acted as skirmishers or scouts. Egilhard never used mercenaries for either purpose and had always been openly vocal in his disdain for irregulars. As she had been an independent mercenary for years, leaders like Egilhard were just as prominent on Kerr’s radar as the ones who actively sought out mercenaries for jobs.
Out of all of them, however, Eir had given Jadis the most information on the man. While she was limited in her knowledge of military affairs and had never met the general personally, Eir was from a noble lineage. It was a branch one in her words, but still a noble family, and Vraekae was legitimately her cousin. Even a dedicated priestess like her had training when it came to politics; it came with being a member of an aristocratic family.
General Egilhard had been sent to Weigrun several years before the demonic invasion. Weigrun had, at least at the time, had only a small standing army and virtually no issues beyond the local wildlife. An odd assignment for a highly decorated veteran with a history of military success. Eir didn’t know why he’d been sent, but she’d heard rumors that he’d required time away from the front lines and active duty to convalesce from some serious injury that he didn’t want others to know about.
Of course, Eir had explained, that was a clear and obvious lie. A man in his position would have access to all the best healers the temples had to offer. If the rumor said his post was for injury recovery, that meant he’d pissed someone off that was higher rank than him but they didn’t want the details to be known and had thus purposefully sowed the seeds of a false rumor for the masses to chew on. And considering he was a general from an old and influential noble family, whoever he’d upset was of very high rank.
He'd also been at odds with Vraekae the moment she’d been assigned the governance of Weigrun at the start of the demonic invasion. Her assignment had come from Second Prince Kestil directly. If she had not been put into her position of power over the sub-continent, Egilhard would have been the senior ranking officer and all authority would have been his. Resentment was inevitable. Even if not for the reason that Egilhard wanted the power and privilege that Vraekae possessed, then it was the simple fact that the two were on completely opposite sides of the political spectrum.
Not that the Alfhilderunn Empire had politics in the same fashion as Jadis was used to back on Earth. Instead of political parties, the lines were drawn between who supported which person who was in line for succession to the throne. There were two heirs, First Prince Hraustrekr, and Second Prince Kestil. Hraustrekr was the crown heir and was almost certainly going to take the throne when his father, Emperor Somerulf, passed away. However, if enough of the nobility threw their support behind Kestil, he could be crowned instead of his older brother if for no other reason than to prevent a civil war. And considering how many nobles supported the younger prince, Vraekae among them, that outcome was not wholly unlikely.
Then of course there was the possibility of assassination, military coup, divine mandates, or even the Emperor simply changing his mind…
“Have I ever told you how much I hate politics?” Jay muttered as she squeezed Aila a little tighter to her chest. “Like, I really hate politics.”
“It hasn’t come up,” Aila said with a smile in her voice. “But the fact doesn’t surprise me. I can’t imagine you in a ball gown, trying to eat those tiny sandwiches aristocrats favor while talking about affairs of state with the nobility.”
“Are you saying I wouldn’t look good in a dress? I can assure you that I would look great in a dress, Blue. Just, no fucking corsets.”
Aila laughed at Jadis’ comments and snuggled deeper into her embrace. The two were outside in the courtyard behind the guildhall, wrapped up in each other’s arms. Well, Jadis covered a lot more area than Aila could by default, but it was more the thought that counted. It was a cold night, the air frosty enough that they could see their breath as they spoke, but holding Aila was plenty of warmth for Jadis.
It was nice to just sit back and be alone with her girlfriend. Yes, her other two selves were doing things inside while in the company of her other companions, but there were many advantages to having a partitioned mind and focusing on alone time with her freckled lover while not ignoring the rest of her friends was one of them. It was just a shame they were talking about something as odious as politics as opposed to something more pleasant. Like waste disposal. Or algebra.
“It’s just something I think you’re going to have to get used to,” Aila sighed into the crook of Jay’s neck. “Fame brings all kinds of attention, including the kind you might not want.”
“Mm,” Jay hummed as she ran her fingers through Aila’s long red hair. “What do they want out of me, though? Egilhard and Vraekae, I mean. They both clearly want me on their side, but what’s the point? What do they get out of it other than, you know, me being strong? My ability to trample demons doesn’t really seem like it’s worth the fuss in the grand scheme of things. I’m sure it’s got plenty to do with my race, but again, what do they get out of it? Bragging rights?”
“That could be part of it,” Aila nodded. “If the sole survivor of a long-lost race comes forward publicly as supportive of one heir or another, it could have major sway with the people, particularly those who focus their worship on the deity you represent. You know how much Eir idolized you before she even got to know you. I can guarantee she’s not the only priestess out there who would feel just the same, simply because you are a Nephilim.”
“So if I get out there and say ‘hey, Kestil is the prince for me, I’d prefer him to his dumb older brother,’ then a bunch of priests and worshipers of Lyssandria would follow suit? Just because I said so?”
“Basically, yes,” Aila agreed after a second of contemplation. “None of the Seraphim have spoken in favor of one prince or the other when it comes to succession. But if one or more of them were to say something, it’d be assumed that they were speaking on behalf of Valtar. Most people would follow their lead unless someone of high religious rank strongly opposed those Seraphim, like an Oracle. I’m fairly certain it would be the same for you, so long as people truly believe that you are a Nephilim, and not a trick.
“You don’t have to even come out and say anything, though. Just standing on one side or another would make an impact on the decisions people make. Most of the people around here in Far Felsen are mercenaries and soldiers, so you’re seeing practical-minded people who are more focused on the war than anything else. But I guarantee you that if you were to go to the capital, your existence alone would stir up a furor with the common citizens, much less the priesthood.”
Jadis could see how that kind of influence would be attractive to people like Vraekae and Egilhard. In a cold war of succession, any little advantage that could be taken would be, she was sure. And if Egilhard could convince her to join up with the military and follow his lead, then she’d be a valuable card to play, one she was sure he wouldn’t hesitate to trade in to garner favor with Prince Hraustrekr.
Not that Vraekae was any different, Jadis was sure. She and the Magistrate had gotten on good terms as of late, relatively speaking, which did not mean the icy elf wasn’t looking to use Jadis in any way she could for her political advantage. She just hadn’t asked Jadis to actually do anything yet, not really. She’d convinced her to found a mercenary company, apparently with the intent of giving her a higher chance of staying safe while still allowing her to pursue her adventurous lifestyle. Other than that, she hadn’t asked anything else of her.
Was it a long con? Maybe. Vraekae was an elf, after all. She could afford to cultivate plans that wouldn’t see fruition for decades. In that regard, Egilhard had said something of value. It was important to think about what would happen after the demonic invasion was done. There would be an end to it, no doubt. That was the whole problem with the continual cycle that D had sent her to disrupt in one way or another. The threat of demons would end, for a time, but it wouldn’t be resolved. In the meantime, life would continue. Jadis’ life would continue. And so would everyone else’s.
That’s what General Egilhard was really getting at, she realized. Jadis didn’t know how much longer the Emperor was going to live for, but neither did anyone else. But what the smart people were doing was preparing for the eventuality. Egilhard had apparently chosen to side with the crown heir, the man he thought would be his winning horse and take him back into a position of favor. Vraekae had done the same by showing her support of Prince Kestil. Jadis didn’t necessarily need to choose either side, but she did need to think about what was coming in the future. If she openly snubbed one prince and that turned out to be the one who ascended to the throne, her actions could have serious repercussions. And not just for herself, but for the lives of the people closest to her.
“Ugh,” Jay groaned, leaning her head back against the wall she was sitting against. “Can’t I just kill demons and level up and fuck my beautiful girlfriend without politics getting involved?”
“Apparently not,” Aila snorted in a decidedly unladylike way.
“Fine…” Jay sighed long and loudly. “But I’m done thinking about this shit for now. It’s getting hard to concentrate anyway. Kerr is getting frisky and Eir is totally enabling her right now.”
“Fair enough,” Aila said while wiggling her hips on top of Jay’s growing erection. “It’s gotten pretty cold out here and I could use some warming up.”
Seeking to please her lover, Jay gave her a kiss that soon saw her much larger tongue invading Aila’s smaller mouth. She loved the way the smaller woman sucked on her…
Before Jay and Aila got too carried away, the arcanist pulled back from the kiss to make a breathless announcement.
“I almost forgot to tell you, with all this other nonsense,” she said as Jay planted kisses along her jaw. “My uncles are going to be in town in a few days. I’m pretty sure Volker and Specht will be there too. We should have dinner with them, like we promised.”
“Sounds good to me,” Jadis agreed as she stood, taking Aila with her. “But I really don’t want to think about your uncles right now, Blue.”
“Fair enough,” Aila repeated herself before locking her heels behind the small of Jadis’ back. “I’ve got other things on my mind right now, too.”
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