Chapter 15 #2
Ulric continued. “I would like your help in eliminating these threats. Whoever is behind this has strength and means, and I am not so prideful as to admit that my enemy has me outmatched. Second, I know you have the Queen's ear. Perhaps you could put in a word for her to lend us aid.”
“What kind of aid?”
“Funds for increased patrols and improved equipment to manage these larger threats.”
That big preamble was all to set up an ask for money. No doubt some of those funds would end up in Lord Ulric’s coffers. Probably a good bit of them, actually.
“You haven't had any issues since, though,” I said. “Maybe the threat has passed.”
“I believe in being prepared.”
If I had actually taken a carriage all the way from Grubiit to get here, I would have been pissed.
Dragging me to Minsic to scam the kingdom out of some tax money was a shit move.
Barely minutes into it, I was ready for this dinner to be over, but I wanted to get a look at the vault.
Worse, we were on the opposite side of his house from his study, and I couldn't think of an unsuspicious reason to suggest moving the conversation there, especially with dinner courses still coming and going.
I needed to stretch this out, if I could.
“I don't have any influence on kingdom finances, I'm afraid,” I said.
“I've been led to believe that you are quite close with the Queen.”
“Whether or not that's true, why would I do what you ask?”
“You would have a new ally in the kingdom.”
I was tired, so tired. I had done this dance many times before. Having to lead at the right times. Knowing when to step back and follow. The doublespeak. The posturing.
“Lord Ulric, offering to be my ally implies that you would be the opposite if I decline.”
“I wouldn't put it in those words. A group of paladins has offered to help Minsic, and they believe you were the problem. I told them that it couldn't possibly be true. I told them surely Byron of Zaglis was a hero and would help us if I asked.”
“Do not accept this disrespect, viceroy. You are above him in every way.”
I agreed.
“Give me the names of the paladins, and tell me where to find them,” I said.
Ulric raised an eyebrow, his salesman smile slipping for the first time. “I know you're a big deal in the adventuring world, but you are punching above your standing, young man.”
“Because you have more power than I.”
“In simple terms, that is correct,” Ulric replied. “Speaking that way is too gauche for my taste, however.”
“Well, you don't mean more powerful by stats and levels because I have you beat there. Wealth? I win. Women? Me again. Politically? You think you definitely have the upper hand, but I promise you don't.”
“Adventurers do not scare me,” he said.
I released the Restraint I had on Abyssal Gaze.
A tinge of green spread across Ulric’s face as he gripped his chair to steady himself. His sense of awe for me had come on so strongly as to be nauseating. He swallowed and did his best to collect himself.
With 85 dexterity, I could get behind Ulric faster than his weak eyes could track, so I did.
He jolted, but my hand on his shoulder was enough to keep him from turning.
“Flexing your biceps like this is primitive,” he said.
“You're shaking.”
“You won't hurt me. Your life would be over if you did.”
“Break him. He is to become an example.”
I triggered Darkness, filling the room with impenetrable black that only I was immune to. Lord Ulric jerked again.
Releasing his shoulder, I stepped away from his chair to leave him alone in his personal void.
“You had me come all the way here to shake me down. Then you insult and threaten me. If this is how you operate, I'm amazed you lived this long.”
Ulric twisted in his chair. He couldn't muster the bravery to stand.
“Pathetic.”
“The Queen wouldn't stand for you killing nobles,” he said, sounding as if he was also convincing himself. “Not even you can get away with murder. You would be in hiding the rest of your life.”
“You have only talked about consequences that come after killing you,” I said. “Maybe try some arguments that motivate me to keep you alive. Be solution-oriented.”
“My guards would come as soon as I called them.”
I poked the side of Ulric's head. He startled so hard he fell out of his chair.
“I don't like to go in circles,” I continued. “Here are your options: Keep talking nonsense and see if you survive the beating I give you. I would try not to kill you, but who knows how that goes. Or, you tell me where your valuables are, and I'll forget how you spoke down to me tonight.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but I wrapped his head in silk before he could.
“These words are your answer.”
The silk went limp and fell away.
“My family’s jewelry is upstairs,” Ulric said. “You can have it all.”
I tapped his skull again. “Another insult. I'm not some neighborhood burglar. Try again.”
Ulric whimpered and fought the urge to hyperventilate. His face was gone already.
“Gems and gold. I can give you gems and gold. Just don't kill me. Please don't kill me.”
“Where?” I asked.
“I have a safe in my study.”
“Show me.” I disabled Darkness, and Ulric needed a moment to realize I stood behind him. He gasped when he finally found me.
The nobleman scrambled to his feet. I followed.
“Sir?” one of the guards outside the sitting room asked. “Are you okay?”
“Y-y-y-yes. Perfectly all right.”
We passed through a dining room and into a library. A heavy iron door stood in the corner between bookshelves.
Ulric’s hands shook so badly that he needed three tries to get the combination right. He spun the handle and pulled the door open.
A sizable room was on the other side, perhaps twice as large as a walk-in closet. It had shelves and shelves of rolled parchment, each labeled with tags.
“I'm not interested in a bunch of fucking paper,” I said.
“In the back! The drawers in the back. You can have it all.”
“Stop fucking with me.”
“I'm not! I promise!”
I wrapped Ulric's whole body in silk as if making him a cocoon. This would be easier if he couldn't see what I was doing.
I put in a loud performance searching the drawers in the back and pretended to take inventory of what I was stealing.
“100 platinum pieces… sapphires… emeralds…”
Blueprints for the Minsic Merchant Guild.
I used Silkmancer to pull Ulric to the ground and dragged him around to disguise the sound of paper going down my pants.
“What are these? Diamonds?” I asked. “Oh, you can't see.”
When I pulled the silk from Ulric's eyes, he saw me leaning over him with a pink gem between my fingers.
“Dhhhhmmmnd.”
I hadn't uncovered his mouth.
Leaning on Ulric's desk while he watched me from the floor, I started tossing coins and gems on the ground, one at a time.
“You're going to be really tempted to turn this into a grudge,” I said.
“Your best move, though, is to never bother me or my interests ever again.
I don't give a shit about your city. You can have it.
Since I know how hard it is for men like you to manage wounded pride, I'm only taking half.
You're not ruined. You can pick up and continue your life. Nod if you understand.”
Ulric nodded.
“Good.” I finished dumping what was roughly half of the coins and the gems on the floor and kept the rest. “I've been accused of murdering dozens upon dozens of nobles. If you can be a good sport about this, you won't be one of them.”
I covered his eyes again and made my exit. I wanted to get my book and get the fuck out of Minsic.