Chapter 526 — A Deal

After the welcoming banquet ended, Gao Yang did not immediately seek further contact with Victoria or Virodai. Instead he left the guests to rest in the Autumn Palace, or to tour various places under the guidance of the attendants he had arranged. His stated reason was that he hoped the guests might come to understand this land as thoroughly as possible, and rest well over the next few days to recover from the fatigue of such a long journey—and on this perfectly legitimate pretext, he left them to cool their heels for three days.

Victoria did not waste those three days. She did everything in her power to learn all she could about Cecil—from the people's daily manner of living to scattered bits of intelligence about the Cecil military, from goods in the markets to the produce of the surrounding regions. Though the channels open to her were limited, she let no opportunity slip that might help her understand this land.

It was not until the fourth day that word from Gao Yang finally came.

In the study of the lord's manor, Victoria Wilder sat on a single armchair provided especially for guests. With a touch of curiosity she surveyed the place where Gao Yang ordinarily conducted his business, her gaze passing over the packed bookshelves and the decorative suits of armor, finally coming to rest on an enormous map. It hung on one wall between two bookcases, depicting the whole of Ansu—and even a portion of the Gangduo Wasteland, along with the lands of Typhon, the Holy Dragon Duchy, and the Augurey Tribal Kingdom. It was the most exquisite and detailed map Victoria had ever seen in her life: not only were all the mountains and rivers marked with precision, but a great many figures describing distances were annotated upon it as well.

It was nothing unusual for a lord to hang a map in his study, but hanging a map of such precision was another matter. The duchess's gaze settled near the map's center, and came to a stop at a certain point in the eastern region of the Holy Spirit Plains.

She saw a striking red cross marked near the Greatwood Crossing, and beside the red cross a line of annotation: Ansu 736, Harvest Moon, the 43rd day.

That was the date of the last large-scale engagement between the eastern rebel army and the royal forces before winter set in—the time and place matched exactly.

"Seems you're quite interested in my map, girl of the Wilder family?"

Gao Yang's voice came suddenly from beside her, startling Victoria out of her brief reverie. She saw the founding grand duke enter the room and sit down on another armchair beside her.

"Betty, prepare some tea and refreshments and bring them to the study," Gao Yang said, beckoning to the little maid standing by the door. Then he turned back to Victoria. "I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long—a newly founded duchy is always busy with affairs."

"Of course, I can well imagine how busy your days must be," Victoria said, rising slightly to bow to Gao Yang. Though they were both Guardian Dukes, the vast gulf in seniority meant that even on such an informal occasion she had to mind her manners at all times. Then she raised her head again and looked toward the enormous map. "...You have excellent cartographers, and it seems you pay close attention to the situation beyond the southern border as well?"

"The people of Cecil wish to live in peace, but the world outside will hardly be as peaceful as we would like—if one wants to live securely, one must pay close attention to external circumstances," Gao Yang said with a smile. "And aren't you rather concerned with matters here yourself?"

The members of the diplomatic mission had been moving about the city; such open activity could hardly be concealed, and Victoria had no intention of hiding it at all. She merely nodded slightly. "This land is very mysterious to us. Since autumn began, the entire southern border has been as good as shrouded in fog as far as the royal capital is concerned—that is naturally cause for curiosity."

The little maid Betty brought in tea and refreshments and began pouring for the guests. Seizing the opportunity, Victoria steered the conversation straight to the matter that concerned her: "Duke Cecil, what is your view of this civil war in Ansu?"

Gao Yang kept his smile and looked at Victoria, speaking unhurriedly. "I am grieved to see the descendants of old friends come to such a pass. But if you are asking whom I support in this civil war—then I can only say, I support no one."

This was more or less the expected answer. Victoria's expression did not change; she merely continued, "We did not start this war. No one in Silverhold wishes to see Ansu divided. From the moment the eastern border suddenly rebelled, we have been on the back foot throughout."

"Ah, 'he started it'—I hear from Hetty that Rebecca used to tattle exactly like that after getting into fights as a child," Gao Yang said, raising a hand. "Did you know, right up until winter set in, Rebecca was still being disciplined by me for getting into trouble. So you really ought to count yourselves lucky—lucky that Charlie Snow, Anthony, and Evans didn't come back with me, or you'd have more to fret over than just this civil war. Girl of the Wilder family, would you then have to explain to Snow Wilder that it was Anthony Loren and Charlie Morn's child who threw the first punch?"

Every explanation and negotiating script Victoria had prepared in advance was rendered useless.

It had been nearly twenty years since she had last conversed with anyone old enough to be her elder, and in this respect her experience could not even compare with Rebecca's—who got a beating twice a month.

Fortunately, her head was quicker than Rebecca's. After a brief moment of bewilderment she had her words in order again: "...I understand. You and the founders of the kingdom did not build this nation so that we might slaughter one another. This civil war must pain you deeply. But matters have already come to such a pass—a war cannot be stopped simply because one wishes it. We cannot hand the country over to a prince who murdered his father and usurped the throne, and to a grand duke who broke his oath; and the eastern border will hardly compromise so easily either. So the civil war will drag on, and Ansu's strength will bleed away ever more with the fighting. And all of us know—Typhon is waiting right beside us, waiting for the people of Ansu to drain the last drop of their blood."

Gao Yang looked into Victoria's eyes. "Very good—at least you can still recognize that there is a Typhon beside you. So, in order to end this war as quickly as possible—and in a manner that accords with your expectations—what plan have you devised?"

Victoria was silent for a moment, then said what Gao Yang had expected: "The throne cannot remain vacant any longer."

Gao Yang shifted his posture and leaned back against the sofa. "Welsh Morn?"

"...His Majesty Francis once named Edmund his heir and swore an oath before the ancestors, but now that oath must clearly be set aside. Ansu needs a king; it needs to become a whole again. Prince Welsh is at present the only candidate," Victoria paused, watching every flicker of expression on Gao Yang's face, then went on slowly, "We wish to enthrone Welsh Morn as the new king. This is the shared will of the Guardian Dukes of the North and the West."

She watched Gao Yang's expression closely, but it did not change in the slightest. The founding duke merely maintained that faint smile, listening like an outsider; and long after she had finished speaking, he still offered no opinion.

Gao Yang let the atmosphere freeze for a full two minutes before he suddenly broke the silence: "Victoria, how fares that mithril oath in Winterhold?"

The duchess's heart skipped a beat. Though her face still wore its usual expression, the tension in her eyes did not escape Gao Yang's notice.