Enlightened Empire

Chapter 362: Gathering Allies

Compared to the loneliness of several days ago, now Corco’s little retreat within Rapra Castle was much more lively. Now, people from all walks of life had come together in this place. They sat, ate, and drank, as they discussed their various views on life and humanity, as well as the future of the world.

At this moment, Corco watched a particularly heated disagreement between some of his guests.

“No, should the warriors really deserve the same rights as everyone!? Why!?” Ekoko, a balding man in gray silken robes shouted and pointed his finger at the other people in the group. “We have been under their thumb for generations, since ancient times! All these years, we have suffered under their rule, and they have reaped countless benefits! Why should they not suffer for once? Why should they note feel the consequences of their actions!?”

Although his words were harsh, Corco could understand Ekoko’s emotions, since he knew his background. This man wasn’t only a commoner, he was also the largest owner of gambling halls and taverns in Saniya. In the past, he had operated his gambling houses illegally, but after the city had been cleaned up, he had adhered to all laws, and obediently paid his taxes.

Or rather, Corco’s people hadn’t found him in violation of any laws, at least so far, which was the only reason he was allowed in here. Well, that, and the fact that the king wanted to see every group in his kingdom represented during these talks. He really didn’t want to overlook anyone’s needs by accident.

Anyways, as a former gangster, Ekoko would have suffered more under the warriors than most. Surely, every time the local warriors needed some money, they would have come to the gambling houses and blackmailed their owners, since there was no way the commoners could fight back against the superior warrior class.

Now that he had the chance, he surely wanted to take revenge for past humiliations. However, calmer minds in the group refuted him before Corco had to.

“And what is the difference between a warrior and a commoner? That they’re good at fighting people? Really, we’re all the same when it comes down to it. They’re just rules made up by the strong to suppress the weak. So what’s the point in segregating people in the future? We’d just make the same mistakes again.” Atau argued opposite of him.

“I think both honorable masters here are missing the point. We are trying to reconcile Yaku tradition with a modern, more perfect world. Our answer to this question cannot be to divide people by class again, with the only difference that another group now stands on top, thereby oppressing their previous oppressors,” ex-priest Watachay said.

“Not to mention, the warriors are hardly in control of anything in the first place. They may have legal power over the commoners, but they also have none of the commoner freedoms,” Tama suddenly appeared and added from the side, which caused Ekoko’s neck to shrink.

“They are de facto slaves to their lords,” Tama continued. “Their own rights are even more limited than those of the commoners. They only really have the ‘right’ to obey their lord’s orders. So they deserve liberation just as much as the craftsmen or merchants of Medala do. No, what we need to achieve is a complete elimination of the old class structure. Only then can we truly unite the people of Medala into a powerful whole, for the future of the empire.”

No one would have expected that, while the city outside was plunged in chaos, the people in the castle were in an almost jubilant atmosphere.

With great satisfaction, Corco watched this conversation, as well as many similar ones all around him. Although all the people he had assembled over the last few days came from different places and backgrounds, each with their own biases and prejudices, together, they would often come to similar conclusions as his own. At least, once they had enough time and debated with an open mind, they would often come close enough.

Most of the time, the king didn’t even have to do anything and could just watch. Only sometimes would he have to push the talks into the right direction or intervene before two people got too heated and started beating each other up.

The harmony in his little retreat was a very encouraging sign for the king’s future plans. All these conversations showed him that cooperation between the classes was truly possible, so long as everyone had a common goal. Although he would have loved to keep sitting and listening, Fadelio entered from the front door and walked towards Corco.

“King Corco, a new guest has arrived,” he said after a bow.

“Oh? Who is it this time?”

Over the past days, people from almost every class in Medala had arrived here to contribute to the discussions. Even some classless people like the traveling folk who were working on Corco’s cartography project had appeared. Every time someone new showed up, the king got excited, since any new arrival would offer a unique perspective on his current kingdom, and unique ideas on what needed to be fixed. Not to mention that they would only further legitimize the choices he had made.

“Advisor Guachimine Villca has come to Saniya to give the regards of his brother, Lord Uchu Villca,” Fadelio explained. “His messengers just reached the castle. They have stated that the advisor is still busy with matters in the city, but he would arrive in the castle within two hours. Would it maybe inappropriate to let him enter the retreat straight away?”

In response to Fadelio’s question, Corco looked around the lively atmosphere in the room. Although he didn’t think highly of the Yaku class system, the Villca clan was still one of the lord families of Medala. Treating them the same as everyone else would be more than a bit inappropriate. Not to mention, he planned to win them over as allies.

“Yeah, that would be rude to anyone, let alone a lord,” Corco said thus. “I’ll entertain him in whatever salon is most ready to entertain guests.”

“Understood.” Fadelio stood to the side and vaguely pointed towards the door. “In that case, please follow me, King Corco. We will need to prepare for the advisor’s entrance.”

Prompted thus, Corco looked down on his own appearance. While his more casual clothes were suitable for the current circumstances, they certainly weren’t good enough to meet with a potential ally in the war against Mayu.

“That’s right,” he agreed, stood up, and followed Fadelio out of the room.

When they had left, he added, “By the way, have you ordered all the stuff we’ll need for the solstice festival?”

“If you mean the normal festival preparations, then that’s been done days ago.” Now that no outsiders were around anymore, Fadelio’s tone was a lot less servile. “If you’re referring to your special project, then I have ordered all of it, in double the numbers you wanted, to make we have spares with something goes wrong. We’ve hid the orders among all the other countless things we’ll need for the festival, so no one will notice anything strange. Also, the fences have already arrived. You can take a look later and see if they’re appropriate for what you had in mind.”

“Thanks for that. What would I do without you?” Corco joked.

“More paperwork, I assume,” Fadelio replied in a dry tone that made the king laugh.

Thus, Corco left the charged atmosphere of his retreat and got ready to greet the most important one among his prospective allies.

Two hours later, Guachimine Villca entered Rapra castle’s small salon, exactly on time for his appointment. Compared to the past, the clever political advisor who had been nicknamed ‘rat’ by his enemies was looking a lot more steady these days.

Before, he would hide behind his brothers with a bent posture, while wearing overly simple and humble clothing. Now, his posture was appropriate for the son of one of Medala’s great houses, and he had replaced those simple robes with something more suitable to his standing as the brains behind House Villca’s recent ascension.

Still, he showed the same restraint and superficial politeness that he had always had. As soon as he entered the room, he bowed his head and greeted his king.

“King Corcopaca, this servant is overjoyed at the invitation from House Pluritac and humbled to be a guest in the famous Rapra Castle.”

“Your new robes suit you well, Guachimine,” Corco greeted him back in a familiar tone to ease the atmosphere.

Guachimine wore red robes, but it wasn’t the ostentatious red of the warriors. Instead, he wore a more muted, darker red with loose sleeves and bronze accents, a color and style more suitable for an official.

“Thank you, king.” Guachimine raised his head and smiled lightly, seemingly relieved at the king’s casual tone. “My brother tells me that I ought to look the part for negotiations, or no one will take me seriously.”

“By the way, you’re free to sit down.” Corco motioned to the seat in front of him. “And I’d have to agree with your brother. Humility and understatement can only carry you so far.”

The advisor followed Corco’s advice and took a seat, but he refuted him where it mattered.

“Excuse my rudeness, but that is something you should be currently experiencing yourself, King Corco.”

Well, you might be rude, but you’re not wrong, Corco thought. After all these years, those lords and uncles and cousins finally no longer underestimating me, and now they’re panicking at how strong we’ve become. Though maybe, they’ll still be shocked when they see our real strength.

Although it was a topic of great interest for Corco, he wouldn’t just talk to Guachimine about it, at least not before he had discerned that House Villca was an ally, rather than an enemy. Thus, the king switched topics.

“So I hear you’ve spent some time in the city before coming here,” he said in a conversational tone that didn’t sound like an interrogation, even though it was. “Didn’t you already arrive in Saniya yesterday? At least that’s what my people tell me.”

Despite the hidden accusations, Guachimine remained calm.

“Yes, I felt like I needed to experience the atmosphere in the city first. After all, much has changed since the last time I visited Saniya,” he replied.

“So, what do you think?”

For a second, the younger Villca had to think, as he tried to study Corco’s calm smile.

“It seems like you are in real trouble this time, King,” Villca said in the end, with a saddened look on his face. “Just from one look at the streets, it appears like king’s forces have already lost the war with Governor Mayu before it has properly begun. They already control the streets of your own city, so what can you do to fight back? Not to mention, I followed an invitation from the league of lords this morning and had a long talk with their representative. Their offer was quite tempting, and their victory seems quite assured.”

Just like Guachimine had, Corco remained calm, despite the harsh words. After all, Guachimine Villca wasn’t someone who would come to gloat, or to provoke him for no reason. Since he had come here, it meant that he hadn’t made his decision yet.

“But you still came here?” he thus asked.

“Well, as king may know, I am not someone who is easily swayed. At the very least, I would like to hear from both sides before I come to a conclusion.” Guachimine replied as Corco had predicted.

“To be honest, I’m a bit surprised that your house hasn’t joined that silly league of legends already.” Corco faked a sigh. “What with our spotty history and all.”

Guachimine’s late father, Lord Iqtana Villca, had been one of Corco’s biggest opponents during the succession war. In the end, he had died due to Fadelio’s actions. During Corco’s takeover of the south, he had also fought with the various Villca sons, through various assassination attempts. In the end, they had made peace and begun to cooperate, but Corco would be surprised if the brothers didn’t have any resentment left from their past together.

“Well, I also do not tend to hold grudges, as you may well know,” Guachimine replied. That much was true as well. If Uchu was here, Corco would have expected a much harsher treatment. “And House Villca’s circumstances are a bit unique, to say the least,” the advisor continued.

“You’re worried about the copper mine, I assume?”

Several years back, part of Corco’s economic plan had been to flood the market with cheap copper. To that end, he had worked out a cooperation with House Villca. They already had fairly rich open copper mines on their estate, but the king helped them properly exploit them with modern equipment.

Pumps and better digging tools helped them dig deeper, while a short railway line transported the ore to the nearby river, from where it would be transported to Saniya and refined in the city’s giant foundries.

After Corco’s great copper-flooding plan had been a success, Saniya and Cashan continued to cooperate on that front, with the copper produced in the mines being transported to Saniya for refinement. By now, it was one of House Villca’s biggest income streams.

“It is not the only issue of concern, but it certainly is one of them,” Guachimine admitted.

“At least when it comes to the copper, I’d be glad to continue our cooperation, even if we don’t come to a deal today. Just don’t kill me, or you may lose your best customer,” Corco joked.

In the near future, Saniya would need copper for a whole host of uses. For one, his shipyards had already begun to clad the hulls of his ships with copper sheets, so they would have increased demand for a long time. Not to mention that closer economic ties would make it harder for House Villca to fully stand against him, at least if they wanted to continue selling their copper like they had before.

“Ahaha, House Villca is very glad to hear that.” Guachimine’s laugh sounded surprisingly frank. “However, that is not the only reason we are hesitant.”

“So what else is it? Let me guess, you don’t trust my idiot cousin’s ‘plan’ either?”

It was obvious that Mayu hadn’t come up with this plan himself, and it was also obvious, at least to Corco, that this attempt to take over Saniya was only a small part of a much larger strategy.

Otherwise, why would all those outside forces cooperate with Mayu? Just so a governor could take over and replace the king in power? Of course, Corco wasn’t the only one who was suspicious of the league’s ability to orchestrate such a multi-layered plot. As expected, someone as smart as Guachimine wasn’t fooled either.

“The opacity of the league’s plans, and their plan’s originator, is one factor. But primarily, we are most concerned with Port Ulta’s seeming affiliation with the league. After all, our dear brother Epunamo is still a ‘guest’ there.”

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that.”

Strangely, this may be the biggest reason for House Villca to side with Saniya this time. Epunamo was the eldest brother of House Villca, and the eldest son of their late father Iqtana. Before Uchu had struck a deal with the remaining two brothers and taken power with Corco’s help, Epunamo had been the one in control of Cashan’s court.

Apparently, he had planned to cooperate with the north and the foreigners to fight Corco’s new southern kingdom. However, he was defeated before he could make any of his plans reality.

Once his forces had been driven out of the city, he had escaped across the Anticasa Mountain Pass to Port Ulta, which was controlled by his arcavian allies. Since then, he had been stuck there, looking for a chance to regain the seat his three brothers had taken from him.

Throughout the most recent conflict so far, maybe Mayu’s biggest mistake had been to so openly align himself with Port Ulta. Since Port Ulta was openly siding with the league, it was obvious that they had been promised some benefits. What else but Cashan could they have asked for?

If Epunamo were to succeed in his goals and retake Cashan, the three Villca brothers would be as good as dead, replaced by their eldest brother, who would then surely become a puppet of the arcavian forces in Port Ulta. Of course, this wasn’t something any of the brothers would be happy with.

With this new information, Corco finally understood Guachimine’s hesitation in picking a side. They really wanted to stick with him, but would only do so if they saw a chance for victory. Among Corco’s allies, House Villca was now probably one of the most trustworthy, bizarrely. After all, they needed his soldiers maybe even more than he needed theirs.

“You know, King Corco, when I first entered your city yesterday, I thought that the war was already decided,” the younger Villca said. “Out on the streets, your city no longer looks yours.”

“But?” Corco asked for the punchline.

“But now I am not so sure anymore. You seem too calm, and too in control.”

“That sounds about right.”

For a moment, Corco thought about his next step. Since there was no more reason to worry about House Villca’s loyalty, he thought that it was time to inform them of his plans, and to start winning them over.

“Okay.” He clapped as he jumped out of his seat. “In that case, if you wanna find out why I’m so calm, you may wanna stick around the castle a bit. I’ll show you my hideout these days, and what I’ve been doing. There’s also a bunch of other guests in the castle you may wanna meet. You can send a messenger back home and give your brother your first impressions. And tell him that I’m not holding you hostage or anything, before he does something stupid like joining Mayu on his losing quest.”

Thus, Corco opened the door to leave the room. But before he stepped out, he looked back at Guachimine, who looked slightly taken aback at the king’s confidence.

“Oh also, if you don’t want to be perceived as standing on the wrong side of history, you may want to tell your brother Uchu to come to Saniya for the winter solstice festival. I’d emphasize that to him, if I were you. Since it’s important and all.”

Because by then, you really don’t want to be seen as anything other than my ally.

Of course, he didn’t say that part out loud. There was no reason to spoil the surprise just yet. What would be the fun in that?