A swift strike landed on Fritz’s sword.
He held on against Mary’s strength as best as he could, but alas, his body wasn’t made for it. Even when his sword met it at the best angle to resist it possible, the attrition of the past three minutes of fighting took its toll on his muscles.
In a split second, his hand gave in and his rapier flew to the floor.
“You’re good,” Mary said, sheathing her sword back into her scabbard. “You’re very good at using every trick there is in the book. You know how to wield a sword and use it to its fullest potential, but you have none of the strength to back it up.”
“I knew that assessment already,” Fritz replied, panting. “Can we do a sixteenth round this morning?”
Mary groaned.
“I have a job to do, you know? I also still need to do the daily drills for my knights,” she crossed her arms. “You got yourself in this trouble. Own up to it.”
“I know,” Fritz laughed, going to the floor to pick up his rapier. “I guess, without my special skills backing me up, I’m kinda weak.”
He looked at his rapier, the glint of it from its sharp surface reflecting his face, sweat trickling down his head. His hold on the sword trembled a bit. Once again, as always, he pushed himself to his utter limits.
“You’re lucky the duel states that you can use your magic,” Mary replied. “Still, you have to remember that Prince Karstahl is a Tier III caster-class mage. While he can’t use soul arts and thus, sword arts like me, he can certainly use spells to boost himself and attack you.”
“He uses fire magic too, no?” Fritz asked, going for the table on the other side of the training hall. “I’m still thinking about counters to that.”
“Well, you better do, otherwise you’ll be burned meat at the end of the day.”
He checked his bag on top of the table, which contained vials of blue-colored elixirs. He took one of them, and promptly drank its contents, feeling its soothing effect. Every time he trained and needed to regenerate, he used the elixirs, as it would help speed up fixing his torn muscles and recover some of his lost stamina.
He felt its magic coursing through his body, stitching back his muscles and slightly numbing the pain. With a confident smile, he turned to Mary.
“Thankfully, I have my notes before the incident,” Fritz sat on the table. “I think I have an ace on my sleeve, I just need to test the spell a bit more.”
“That grimoire of yours isn’t even finished,” Mary crossed her arms. “It’s surprising you can even use it. I remember that the way you write your formulas was atrocious.”
She’s not wrong, my damned notes look like someone pretentious wrote it. He cursed the old Fritz for a second. Then again, it’s not so different from my old self back in the Empire.
“I’m still chewing on it nicely. Actually, what about the books I requested about shadow magic?”
“We’ve looked into it, but the items about it are difficult to acquire. Cecilia has a lot of books for light magic, because while it’s an extremely rare affinity like shadow magic, it's well-documented, so she can use her affinity well,” she sighed. “Unfortunately, you’re going to run into the same problem you’ve always run into since you were a child. Your class is simply too obscure.”
“Well, thank goddess for my notes then, I’d be running on fumes without it,” Fritz looked up at the ceiling. “There aren't a lot of people with shadow magic, and they’re all too secretive. Awful.”
“There’s Empress Irina of Levonia,” Mary said. “But I doubt you can ask anything from her, much less even get an audience with her. The last time Cecilia talked to her during a diplomatic meeting, it was less than stellar.”
“When was that?”
“Back when you were knocked down, she had to visit Levonia after they threatened our merchants,” she shrugged. “It is what it is, that’s just how they act. Those domineering fools have always been this way.”
Fritz’s left hand briefly curled into a fist, hate once again bubbling inside of him. It almost boiled over, as he was reminded of his time in the Empire, before he placed a lid on it, and hid his hand on his back. He turned back to Mary with a slight smile.
“Oh well, I can’t ask her in that case,” he grabbed his bag. “I’m on my own then.”
When Mary stared at him, she stiffened a bit, feeling the murderous aura that came from Fritz. Of course, Fritz barely noticed it, so he merely passed by her and went for the door.
“Thanks for helping me out again, Dame Mary,” Fritz said, waving with his left hand. “I’ll work on my spellcasting for now. I hope you have a good day today.”
“You too,” Mary replied, placing her hand on her chest. When Fritz finally exited and closed the door, a small, painfully silent mutter came from the knight. “I guess his memories still aren't…”
She stopped, her gaze turning downward, shame clear on her face.
“I’m sorry, Cecilia.”
+++
‘Royal Grain Corporation.’Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
He looked away from the insignia and name of the corporation carved in the building’s entrance.
Fritz soon entered the building, which was one of the branches of the so-called ‘RGC’ in Glantzstadt. The details he gleaned from the corporation were still limited, but essentially, Cecilia seemed to hate the normal style of serfs farming the land of their lords, which was standard practice everywhere.
As part of her reforms, which only affected the lands directly under her control, Cecilia removed the rights of her vassals to have authority over their serfs and seized their manorial lands. Then she freed all of the serfs in her land, and then she created the Royal Grain Corporation which would act as the ‘temporary owner’ of most of her lands.
The freed farmers then in turn became tenant farmers under the Royal Grain Corporation, and many at this point eventually bought the land they farmed on when they became self-sufficient. Somehow, their crop yields grew nearly twice at this point, though the land seizures caused some backlash.
No wonder people around the court hate me. Fritz laughed inside. I was one of the main masterminds of this project. Sure it increased the productivity in her lands, but we both screwed a lot of her vassals to do it.
The RGC also didn’t simply own the land. It also became the main buyer and seller of grain and produce in Orellia, both buying from former tenant farmers who quickly bought their land and from the fiefs of other nobles outside of Cecilia’s domain. Due to the food shortages across the Kingdom and the continent, the RGC was now making a lot of money selling excess food at high prices.
To sell this food, the RGC created a fairly good logistics network that surpassed the networks of merchant empires like his family possessed. Recently, they had expanded their operations to buying and selling other goods, including magical items to capitalize on these expanded shipping capabilities.
Diversification, as Cecilia explained to him.
He talked a bit with the receptionist, asking where they sold their more high-value potions and elixirs before being led by one of their clerks to the second floor. Fritz’s eyes glowed in excitement as he looked at the available items kept behind glass panels, leaning forward a bit.
He mainly eyed a type of potion that had a light pink hue on its liquid content. It was called the ‘Strength Booster of Rovopol’, a special potion designed in the Levonian Empire that could boost a person’s attributes greatly for at least ten minutes. He remembered using it once during an emergency back then.
The Prince is a Tier III caster-class mage. Fritz leaned back, crossing his arms. While it will be difficult to counter him head-on, if I can boost my attributes temporarily to something comparable to a person in tier II, with my skills, I can match him well.
Unfortunately, the cost was ludicrous. It was twenty Orellian Marks per vial, for an item that would only work for a few minutes. Like most potions and elixirs, it was prohibitively expensive for any common man or even a lower noble. As a point of comparison, even his monthly salary was only sixty marks.
Thankfully, I’m the Royal Messenger—the architect of this corporation. I can negotiate.
He looked at the clerk beside him.
“Hey, I have a question,” Fritz grinned. “Would it be possible to gain a significant discount on this item?”
“A discount?” the young man’s eyes widened. “I’m not exactly sure, Mr. Rolentz.”
“Then I’ll ask the manager of this branch directly,” Fritz crossed his arms. “I would appreciate it if you can bring him here.”
“I’ll call him then, Mr. Rolentz, please wait here,” the clerk replied, bowing his head, before leaving Fritz.
He began to admire the various luxury items displayed before him. It certainly was impressive what the RGC acquired, considering it was only a company originally meant to do business with agriculture.
Fritz looked at one of the splash potions, which was priced at six marks. It seemed to be designed to create a massive inferno when thrown. Usually, these would only be sold by artisanal alchemists to whichever wealthy customers they had, and it would cost at least twice or thrice due to rarity.
It doesn’t make sense since I remember Orellia doesn’t have the most robust alchemical industry. But I see that she must have been subsidizing her alchemists by giving them a huge customer: this company. That must have lowered the prices.
Fritz sometimes struggled to understand her actions, but she certainly was a smart cookie in many ways when he analyzed her further. That only made her more useful to his schemes.
Soon, Fritz met the manager of the branch. The man was old, already in his late sixties, but he recognized Fritz immediately when he arrived. Naturally, Fritz gave him a friendly, businesslike smile.
“Mr. Krauss, long time no see.”
“Mr. Rolentz,” the old man greeted. “I see that the Royal Messenger saw it fit to check the Glantzstadt Branch of the company, eh? I wonder why.”
“Indeed,” Fritz pointed his hand at the potion he wanted. “I need this. Considering the favors I have with you, Mr. Krauss, I’d like to use one of them.”
“You want a discount? How much would you like?” Mr. Krauss asked. “Though, I wonder, why are you asking for this? Can’t the Queen just grant you extra money?”
“I’d like an fifty percent discount, for three of them, please” Fritz then groaned. “And Mr. Krauss, I’m not that close to her. This money is coming out of my pay. It’d be too shameful to go to her and ask for this when I’ll use that potion to beat her little brother. It’s quite awkward, don’t you think?”
“I have heard about that,” he frowned. “Tsk, tsk, how did you even end up in trouble with the prince?”
“He tried to punch me first, but I dodged him, then I punched him, now we have to do a duel,” Fritz laughed. “I assume the news must be everywhere by now, no?”
Mr. Krauss slid the glass panel, grabbing three potions.
“Indeed. The once fallen Royal Messenger, being challenged to an official duel by the prince…certainly must have given a stir in the court. I swear, you youngsters these days and your brashness,” he handed the potions to Fritz. “Here, fifty percent discount, just for you old friend.”
Fritz grabbed the potion, admiring it for a bit, before handing thirty marks to Mr. Krauss. The old man briefly counted it, before giving Fritz a satisfied nod.
“Thanks for the help, Mr. Krauss,” Fritz said. “I appreciate this, and please, keep the news about me buying this locked in here.”
“No worries,” Mr. Krauss smiled. “You and the Queen gave me this great position, I owe what I have to you. Our lips are sealed.”
“That’s good news.”
“Now, go and beat him up,” the old man grinned. “I’m sure the Kingdom’s sole shadow mage isn’t going to be defeated by that spoiled brat. I await the news of the Queen’s terror confirming his reputation again.”
Fritz nodded.
“I’ll try my best then.”
Everyone’s expectations are kinda starting to choke me now. Fritz kept his smile. But whatever, I did say I’ll live up to the reputation of the Royal Messenger.
He soon left Glantzstadt, ready to continue the rest of his training.