Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king-Chapter 1033: Carrion raven(2)

Lucius cleared his throat as he expanded on that point.

"We established contact with the man, Lord Vasten, nearly eighteen months ago. The cloth of his loyalty was remarkably simple to dismantle. We fed him bribes to settle his taste and occasionally gift-wrapped ’bandit kings’ for his patrols to capture, allowing him to send glowing reports of his ’achievements’ back to the capital, gaining recognition for a work not done. It is a symbiotic farce.He is a fraud, but he is in our pocket. So you know...he is our fraud."

He adjusted his sleeve, his expression colder now. "Our active cells continue their work unimpeded. We periodically sacrifice pre-positioned ruffians, expendable men we’ve groomed for the gallows, to keep the Oizenian patrols occupied in sectors far removed from our true points of interest. Long -term, our assets are secure. We dictate where they look, and more importantly, where they do not."

Alpheo looked at Lucius, a genuine flicker of respect cutting through his exhaustion.

Damn, he is good.

"When this war concludes, Lucius, I intend to see your budget doubled," Alpheo declared, his mind thinking about expanding his agent’s line. "The horizon of our ambitions has shifted. We have crossed the Zauern; we can no longer afford to be blind beyond it. It is of the highest strategic importance that we establish deep-cover agents within Habadia and seed sleeper cells throughout the Kakunian countryside. "

"I shall begin the recruitment as soon as the coin and the flesh are available," Lucius replied with a slight bow.

At that a heavy silence followed, the kind that usually precedes the most delicate part of a briefing. Alpheo broke it first. "And the latest task?"

"The progress is... satisfactory," Lucius said, his voice dropping an octave. "We have narrowed our focus to the garrison commander of Pardum. We haven’t made the formal approach yet, but the trap is set. We’ve unearthed certain ’inclinations’ he keeps buried beneath his uniform. He has a particular appetite for the brothels in the lower docks, specifically, he has a preference for young boys. He believes himself discreet, but not enough to hide from our agents."

Lucius leaned in slightly. "We have secured the testimonies of the boys he frequents. We even have confirmation of a distinct birthmark on his left thigh, provided by those who have been close enough to see it. When we present him with the choice, total ruin or a quiet, profitable blind eye toward our ’dealings’, he will fold. He will just think us some gambler that bribed the brother’s owner for dirt on the man.

Your plans for that corridor will encounter no resistance from the local watch.We will be able to smuggle whatever and whoever we desire..."

Alpheo nodded slowly. The plan was a desperate gamble. He knew he couldn’t win this war by simply hunkering down behind the Bastion’s stone teeth. That was a one-trick pony; once the coalition realized the front door was barred, they would simply look for a window next time.

Asag plan would probably be the next invasion framework of the enemy: fomenting a bloody revolt in the newly conquered territories of Herculia so that the main coalition force could stabilize Yarzat’s eastern frontier.

Alpheo knew his hold on the region was precarious. Five years of Yarzat rule was a blink of an eye compared to centuries of local lineage. If the coalition marched ten thousand men into Herculia, promising the local nobles their old titles back in exchange for betrayal, Alpheo’s authority would vanish like mist. The main houses fed with trading rights remained loyal for now but when faced with a choice between a ledger and a burning manor, even the most loyal lord’s heart would begin to shake.

Still , they had everything to win with that bet and really very few to lose with it, so trying really wouldn’t be a problem.It wasn’t like they would be pressed for time during that campaign.

"Have you managed to wrap your mind around the newest addition to the plan?" Alpheo asked, his voice low, the words barely carrying over the crackle of the hearth.

Lucius adjusted his papers, a flicker of something resembling amusement crossing his pale features. "It wasn’t much of a task, though I do have a suggestion to keep that golden-haired cunt in a favorable mood. Our ’Bull’ has developed quite the fascination with Marcus. Whether he intends to bed him or simply keep him close for the pleasure of his company and a cup of wine, the attraction is unmistakable. "

He looked at Alpheo with a piercing, analytical gaze. "I believe it would serve our interests to appoint Marcus as the primary conduit between Yarzat and Merelao’s camp. You have a great deal riding on that man’s vanity, don’t you?"

A sharp grimace tightened Alpheo’s features. He didn’t like using his people as bait, even if they were soldiers. "Not as much as you might think. Still....Marcus is a professional; I trust him to handle a madman without losing his head . More importantly, are our lines of communication with Merelao secure?’’

"The geography favors us," Lucius replied smoothly. "The route requires us to pass through the territories of a few minor lords, but they are predictable creatures. We’ve already vetted the checkpoints. The guards are lazy, and they don’t bother requisitioning carriages that bear the right sigils and a heavy enough purse. A few bronzii pressed into the right palms, and our messengers could carry a siege engine through their gates without a second glance."

Alpheo nodded, though the tension in his shoulders didn’t fade. "How long until the gears can actually start turning?"

"You can give the toothpick to that hedgehog as soon as week’s end," Lucius said, a grim metaphor for the opening gambit of their sabotage. "The cells are in place. The bribes have been tasted. The air is ready for the spark."

"Proceed with it, then," Alpheo ordered, his voice hardening into a finality that brooked no debate. "I have already set aside the necessary weaponry and armor in the auxiliary caches.If we are to make a big enough fire we have to set aside the wood..’’ He declared making the decision with a easy enough mind, not knowing, however, all the chaos that this seemingly side-like choice would bring.

Much to the hidden relief of Lucius, Alpheo finally began to skim the thick parchment of the reports, the quiet scratching of paper filling the room. The Carrion Raven stood as still as a statue, his hands folded behind his back, waiting with the preternatural patience of a man who lived his life in the gaps between heartbeats. He waited for more question

He did not expect a soft, almost human one.

"Did I push too much work onto your shoulders in these latest weeks, Lucius?" Alpheo asked, his tone deceptively warm.

Lucius stiffened. He recognized that tone; it was the same one Alpheo had used years ago when he fished Lucius in the lightless abyss of where he was now.It was a voice that offered comfort, but always demanded a price in return.

"It is the burden I agreed to carry," Lucius replied briefly, before a rare spark of dry humor touched his eyes. "And in truth, it was a holiday compared to the tasks you set for others. Hells, you treat Marcus with far more cruelty than you do me. You might ask me to find the filth beneath a lord’s fingernails, but you sent him to quarter and decapitate the corpse of an Emperor. And now? You are sending him to the little Kakunian madman. Let us be honest, whether Marcus ends up being bedded or subjected to a three-hour monologue on a sofa is a coin flip. If the world didn’t know better, they’d think you held a personal vendetta against your Secret Department."

Alpheo didn’t smile. He didn’t even look up from the report. "How is your family acclimating to the court? Truly?"

Lucius noted the pivot in subject with a mental mark. "Reasonably well. My wife has had the distinct honor of spending several afternoons with the Princess. Though," he paused, his expression clouding, "I’ve noticed a change in the way she looks at me when I return home. It seems some of the Princess’s ladies-in-waiting have a penchant for gossip. They’ve whispered enough about the ’Raven’ that she finally understands exactly what kind of blood stains my line of work. As for my daughter..." he shrugged, "she spends her days complaining about the arithmetic tutors and her evenings performing surgeries on her dolls."

"Would you like her to become a lady-in-waiting for Rosalind?" Alpheo asked, finally setting the papers down. "My daughter will need companions close to her own age. ’’

Lucius’s eyes softened for a fraction of a second. "You won’t hear me complaining about such an offer."

The Prince leaned back, his chair creaking. "Tell me... do you truly wish to retire? To leave the shadows behind for good?"

The question came uncalled for and for moment Lucius didn’t deign to give an answer. Instead, he looked at Alpheo with a piercing gaze. "What would I have been today, Alpheo, if ten years ago I had simply said ’no’ to your offer? If I had stayed there where you found me, with my tavern and my wife?"

Alpheo let out a long, heavy sigh. Two immovable objects stared at each other. For a long moment, Alpheo said nothing, making Lucius think of the worst, which, to be honest, no one knew if that would have actually happened.

"Seven Years’’ He declared ’’In seven years I will give you your exit. It is long enough for this war to settle and just long enough for me to find an orphan with a sharp mind and no heart whom you can educate to take your place. Once the successor is ready, you will retire. You will have your lands, your titles, and a family tied inextricably to the Royals. I’d say that’s a fair trade for barel a quarter of a life spent in the dark, wouldn’t you?"

Lucius’s eyes went wide. For a man who dealt in certainties, the prospect of a finish line was staggering. The cynicism that usually defined his face crumbled, replaced by a genuine, boyish smile that Alpheo hadn’t seen in nearly a decade.

"A life in the sun....." He said in a craving voice ’’You don’t know how much I wish for that.’’