"Rowan! I personally delivered your letter for you and brought back a reply!!"
At the back door stood Dante Ghostwalker, an old friend of Rowan who can teleport around the kingdom. He is the one who delivers urgent mail for important groups of people.
Rowan had sent the letter by normal speed which should have taken a week or more to get to Green Port, but Rowan guessed that Dante found the letter as he was doing his work and delivered it himself instead. He even brought back a reply.
Dante wore a black cloak and mask with all black clothes, even in the blazing sun, a figure of dramatic and dark contrast against the bright farmhouse.
Rowan sighed, but a smile touched his lips. "Dante! What did I tell you about dramatic entrances and wearing that ridiculous outfit on a hot day?"
Dante, his masked face entirely unreadable, simply shrugged, his cloak swirling slightly as he walked forward, a single, sealed scroll held out in a black-gloved hand. His voice, muffled slightly by the mask, was a low, resonant baritone.
"Its about style, old friend. The outfit is for professionalism, for looking cool." He walked into the house.
"I intercepted your slow mail on its way to the coast. It's bad form to let a Commander's request be handled by the Imperial postal system's pace. Selene was docking just as I arrived. I delivered, and she replied instantly."
He dropped the scroll onto a table with a soft *thud*. "I need to go. Urgent matters call. See ya next time."
Before Rowan could respond, Dante gave a dramatic salute. His form blurred and then vanished with a faint crackle of black electricity belonging to displacement magic.
This friend of his has always been dramatic, coming and going as he pleased. He had felt the guy's presence before he even fully arrived on the farm. The farm was protected by anti teleportation magic but Rowan could feel hsi friends aura so he let him in.
The guy didn't even say hi to the kids. Rowan shook his head and let it be. This guy was quite busy, always hopping from place to place, delivering letters and earning big coins.
"Who was that uncle, daddy?" asked Lilly, staring at the spot where Dante disappeared from.
"Thats daddy's good friend, your Uncle Dante. He is a very busy postman. You'll see him around." Rowan explained.
He then picked up the scroll from the table. The seal was unbroken, and the parchment smelled faintly of sea salt and dried seaweed. It was definitely from Selene's ship which reeked of the same scent.
It was addressed to him in Selene Amon's unmistakably messy handwriting.
He broke the seal and unrolled the parchment. It read
Rowan,
I received your desperate plea for help, and your flattery is transparent, Commander. I am indeed the best rapier master in these lands. Maybe on this continent (maybe not. I haven't fought the others yet).
A long-term favor, you say? Tutoring your daughter, Lilliana? And a stable supply of your legendary fresh meals? This broke treasure hunter cannot refuse!
The sea has not yielded plenty of gold lately. I have missed an honest, home-cooked meal for months.
I have one more salvage operation to complete in the Azure Straits, which will take about two more weeks. It involves a very large kraken and a sunken galleon.
Therefore, I will arrive at the Blacksun farm's front gate precisely three weeks from now. I expect a welcome dinner that is worthy of a woman like me, and a perfectly clean and quiet room. No spiders, Rowan. I hate spiders.
I look forward to meeting your little warrior. And yes, tell Shiori I miss her too.
By the way, when did you get a kid? You married? Does that mean I lost the bet that you wouldn't get married before I strike it rich?
With salty biscuits,
Selene
...
That was it. Rowan let out a loud laugh that startled the children.
"Well, Lilly," he announced, rolling up the scroll. "It seems your new rapier tutor is booked, and she will be here in three weeks."
Lilly leaped out of her chair, her wooden rapier, which she had propped against the table, clattering to the floor. "The tutor is coming here? To teach me?"
"She is," Rowan confirmed, his eyes alight with pride for his daughter. "She is a former comrade of mine, a Lieutenant, and she will teach you everything you need to know about finesse and speed.
I mentioned her before. She is Shiori's original partner."
Darius looked impressed. "Another soldier, Father? Was she as strong as Mother?"
"Stronger in her own way," Rowan replied, thinking back to Selene's ruthless precision.
"She didn't rely on brute force. She relied on absolute control and impossible speed. She could turn a squadron of knights into a row of pincushions before they realized they were under attack."
The children, even Alexia and Alex, looked deeply impressed.
"Three weeks," Lilly breathed, snatching up her wooden sword and immediately executing a rapid series of thrusts in the middle of the kitchen. "I have to practice every day!"
"You certainly do," Rowan chuckled. "Now, sit down and finish your pork. A master swordsman needs proper fuel."
In the confines of her inn room, Elara Voss placed the Whisperstone on the desk once more. A whole trip had passed, and the residual effects of the truth wine had long faded, leaving behind a sense of frustration.
She centered her intent, and the metallic, gravely voice of General Stonehard immediately resonated.
"Report, Thorne. How did it go?"
"General, we came to a deal on ten tons of wheat and 30 ginseng that might be more potent and than mandrakes and without the danger." Elara replied, her voice firm, concealing the profound unease she felt.
She paused, choosing her words with meticulous care. "However, there has been an operational breach. I was compromised by Blacksun."
A sudden, sharp silence fell over the connection, a silence far more dangerous than the General's anger.
Then, Director Seraphina's smooth, chilling voice cut through the air. "Compromised, Agent Voss? Elaborate. How? And to what extent?"
Elara swallowed, delivering the truth without apology. "Blacksun used a mana infused wine as a delivery mechanism for a high grade truth berry compound. It was subtle and effective.
He identified me as an MID agent and confirmed the purpose of the Phoenix Trading Group as an intelligence gathering operation. He knows everything I disclosed under the serum's influence."
The connection crackled with raw tension, indicating an intense, silent communication between the two high-ranking officials. General Stonehard's voice, when it returned, was dangerously low.
"You let him use a truth serum on you, Agent. This is a severe lapse in protocol. Why was this not reported immediately, and why are you not currently in full retreat?"
"I could not retreat, General, because Commander Blacksun is allowing me to remain," Elara stated, her back stiffening in professional defense. "He played the long game. He used the serum to confirm my truthfulness about the Crown's desperate need for his product. He is not hostile, but he is leveraging the situation."
She delivered the key update, the reason she risked this call. "He accepted the revised, extortionate price, and the trade deal stands. But his terms for my continued presence are precise and non-negotiable."
"State them."
"He knows I am an agent, and he knows I am observing his family. He has permitted me…only me, not the Phoenix Group staff, to continue observing him and his family without the use of any magic or magical tools.
I am to act as a discreet observer and legitimate buyer. Any violation of these terms, he stated, would be met with swift and extreme violence. He also clearly threatened the use of his sword, Demon Splitter, if we ever cross him."
Another silence followed, this one laced with calculation. Rowan Blacksun had turned her cover into his own surveillance tool, effectively granting himself control over the information stream.
Director Seraphina spoke again, a hint of grudging respect in her tone. "I underestimated the man. The reports said that all tactics on the battlefield were made by his lieutenant, Selene Amon. That's why I assumed he was not good at strategizing. I guess that's why we are told to never assume.
A direct confrontation is unacceptable, given the current climate and stakes. We wouldn't win against the man anyway."
"Agent Voss," General Stonehard concluded, his voice now crisp and decisive. "You have been compromised, but you secured the most critical supply of Ginseng and maintained the trade line. Your mission parameters are now revised. You are to maintain the Lyra Thorne persona, uphold the trade agreements, and act as the eyes and ears for the Agency.
Do not, under any circumstances, use magic or a magical tool on Blacksun's property. Report any significant events, especially those concerning his children or the Bloodsworth security detail. Understood?"
"Understood, General," Elara confirmed, her gaze fixed on the quiet, ordinary stone.
The connection severed, leaving Elara alone in the room, holding her breath. She had been caught, extorted, and was now an admitted spy under the direct supervision of her target.
This is going to be far more difficult than anything I've ever done, she thought, a cold knot forming in her stomach. But she had her orders. The Blacksun farm, and its extraordinary inhabitants, were now her lonely post.
...
Inside a cold meeting room deep within the Imperial Military Intelligence Department's headquarters in the Capital, General Stonehard and Director Seraphina stood before a large, shimmering tactical map that currently displayed the Blacksun farm.
General Stonehard, a man whose face seemed permanently carved from granite, ran a massive hand over his short, gray hair. Seraphina, sleek and composed in a dark, tailored suit, watched the inactive map with a slight frown.
"A truth serum, General," Seraphina murmured, her voice laced with a weary incredulity. "The man used a fermented berry wine and a truth root to dismantle our entire operational cover. Our initial assessment of his strategic capabilities was clearly flawed."
"Indeed, Director," Stonehard agreed. "The reports indicated his genius was purely tactical, brute force application on the field. We relied too heavily on the notion that Lieutenant Amon was the brains of his operations.
It seems Blacksun's mind is sharper when he's defending his home than when he was conducting a war for the Crown."
Seraphina let out a slow, deliberate sigh. "The outcome, while messy, is not a total failure. Agent Voss has been exposed but she has not been eliminated. She remains in place, and we have the trade agreement locked down. We still control the intelligence flow, albeit indirectly."
Stonehard nodded, a grudging respect in his eyes. "He left her alive because she posed zero threat to his family. No magic, no fighting skill, just a smart woman doing her job.
Had we sent a combat mage or a skilled assassin, the situation would have ended in bloodshed, and the supply line would have been gone. Elara's lack of physical capability was, ironically, her greatest asset."
"She is now his eyes and ears, General, but she is also ours," Seraphina corrected, calculating smile touching her lips. "The situation is stable, if humiliating. We have a guaranteed, critical food supply and the strange ginseng. Now, we must present this delicate situation to the Royal Family."
Stonehard turned from the map, his expression hardening with the renewed weight of his responsibilities. "The trade terms are a separate issue entirely from resource allocation. They need to decide who gets what. That is the Royal Family's burden to bear."
Seraphina walked over to a small display table, tapping a projection rune that lit up with a small table detailing the resources secured.
"The 10 tons of wheat that is doubly nutritious per month, General," Seraphina continued. "That volume alone is enough to feed over 50 of the Royal Guards or 100 members of the Royal household for a full year. And that is just one month's worth.
So far, he has agreed to this rate for a year. That's enough for the entire royal guard, the royal family and their closest allies for the year."
"The dilemma is clear," Stonehard stated. "Does the Crown hoard this wealth, ensuring the health of the most critical personnel and keeping up appearances for themselves? Or will they share, leveraging the supply to buy political favor and calm a few powerful and anxious noble houses suffering from the drought?"
Seraphina looked thoughtful. "If they share even a fraction, the perceived strength of the Crown would increase. But the risk of more greedy nobles appearing is greater."
"And the ginseng," Stonehard added, pointing a finger at the table. "the Crown has three immediate options."
1. Direct Consumption: A rapid, short term mana boost for the ailing father of the king or critical military personnel.
2. Internal Research: Allocation to the Royal Academy for immediate study on replication or stabilization, though the Royal Alchemists lack the finesse of specialized potioneers.
3. External Collaboration: They could invite a master potioneer. Nexia Lunecroft is the Crown's usual and best choice. She probably has experience with the ginseng given her past with Rowan. Alternatively, they could seek out the services of the renowned Archmage Valerius.
"A difficult choice," Seraphina conceded. "The ginseng's value is too high for simple consumption. I recommend presenting all three options to the King. We have secured the assets; now the Crown must decide how to use it."
Stonehard gave a curt nod. "I will draft the urgent report immediately. The political maneuvering is about to begin. We should prepare for the possibility of a visit from the Royal Guard to Blacksun Farm to oversee the security of the delivery.
Ofcourse they will not set foot onto the farm, maybe they will wait a kilometer or so away from the farm. That's enough distance to show that boy our attitude."
Serphina nodded in agreement, "That will do." She then paused for a second. "We should also let that princess know." she said with a strange look on her face.
The general also paused and then had the expression of someone remembered something they forgot.
"Yeah, I think we should. With the oldest 3 princes and the oldest 2 princesses out doing trade route negotiations with our neighbors, she must come back to the palace to represent the younger generation.
The King and Queen need someone young by their side so the nobles cant say they are not listening to younger generations' needs."
"Those damn court nobles. They always find something to pick about, almost never getting anything done. I hate that I'm counted as a court noble." seethed Seraphina.
"That is why I avoid going to the palace. Every time I hear their voices, I feel like chopping them down. Rowan had once said he would do it himself if they get too annoying.
Alas, they are important cogs in the machine that runs our nation. Sigh. I will inform the princess by her hidden guard."
With the general's words said, the two dispersed, with Seraphina saying she needed to go on vacation after things calmed down.