State of Affairs

Walking through the camp to Surnova's tent felt like walking through the desert all manner of creatures waiting for even a single misstep to devour me alive from beneath the sands.

Really these nobles are so annoying.

With a good bit of bloodlust the scorpions ran off but still, they don't even know me, and yet they already designated me as a threat.

I guess they grew up like that being the fourth, fifth, and so on sons of noble families constantly battling for everything they have, a hardy bunch they are but way too unfriendly to make it, after all, anyone who gets to the top never gets there alone.

"Prince Surnova, it's me, Agashi Durlivan."

"Come in." A light voice flowed out from the tent.

Stepping in I found that the tent was now completely different the table had been cleared and a map placed on it as well as several pieces placed upon it, names in a foreign language displayed all over it.

"I assume you can't read, right?" Surnova said lightly, "This is a map of Dra as well as the surrounding territories, I have recently updated the new borders between counties within this countship, as the fifteenth prince and having no right to inherit I have been given the title of Earl, the entirety of the previously known Dra kingdom has become my Earldom."

Looking at the map it was clear that different forms of lines meant different things, the choppy lines meant the difference in counties and the thick lines meant the borders from one territory to another starting at Earldoms.

"Because I am a royal and I got this land through the rite of princes I have no one above me who can order me except for the king which means that you too only have to listen to myself and the king." Surnova said calmly, "Though, I brought you here because I want you to be my friend, not just my subordinate, so if you think that I am out of line then tell me afterword, or if you believe that I am making a bad plan or decision, do tell me."

"Then, I will be your friend, Surnova, so just call me Aga, you would be my first." I said with a big smile suddenly realizing how strange that sounds, "Ah, I mean my first friend!"

"I see, then, call me Nova, my mother once called me that, so as my friend you may call me so as well in private." Surnova said continuing without pause, "And you too, are my first friend."

"To a long friendship then!" I half-shouted putting my fist out only to get looked at strangely, "Ah this is something from where I grew up! You bump fists, it's a way of recognizing one another's strengths as well as weakness and accepting them as an equal anyway, as a friend, it's how they acknowledge one another!" Of course, I've never done it, but I've seen it especially at the dojo, so I'm pretty sure that's what it means.

Then again this is a different world so I'll just make it mean whatever I think it means.

"I see, then, to a long friendship!" Surnova said with a big smile rasping knuckles, "Ah, this is your territory by the way." Suddenly he pointed to a part of the Dra territory out on the south edge of the Earldom facing away from the rest of the Carrien Empire.

Durlivan, now that I see it I can understand its importance as a piece to the fallen Dra kingdom, its position is up on a mountain with two layers, the upper layer is where the soldiers are trained and held, the lower half towards the summit of the mountains is all that crazily designed cityscape where one can't even tell whether they are going up or down.

This city overlooks a large area of grassland protected by mountains preventing large armies from passing through, only one other entrance and it being from the opposite side of the city facing towards the capital.

This naturally defended area is used as a natural fortress capable of holding out against an army more than triple the defender's size as they would be forced through a choke point under the city or made to go around harassed by the cities soldiers all the way without being capable of any meaningful retaliation.

"That's quite a territory, but I still hate the layout of the city it's terribly inefficient and trade is nigh impossible since caravans can't come through due to the roadwork being so awful, not to mention the grassland that is being completely unused, unfarmed and undeveloped, seriously what was the Dra kingdom doing??" I couldn't help but feel exasperated due to the state of affairs after thinking about it.

"Indeed, I thought so too, I investigated it and the Duke Loktre had been siphoning large sums of money from the royal family and was then investing in the slave trade causing Durlivan which is a strategic gem to corrode to such an extent as all sorts of criminals made it their base as it is bordering three great nations, or at least was, now it only borders two, however, the damage is already done with criminals taking up residence in the grassland and mountains, a criminal highway." Surnova said angrily his voice quivering with rage at the thought, "I have given you Durlivan because I believe that you can make it shine as it should, it would go to waste in the hands of anyone else."

"I see, it will be a lot of work, and there will be a lot of death most likely, I may also end up being named as an evil person, or one without morals, even so, will you still believe in me and be my friend?" I asked curiously, for the plan that is forming in my head to clean out Durlivan it would have a large body count attached.

"I will. The people you kill are all evil people and without morals so I am sure no one will call you a monster for doing such things anyway." Surnova spoke his next words cautiously, "You will be disrupting one of the major hubs of underworld traffic between the three great nations by clearing out Durlivan, you are also the one who is said to have killed Duke Loktre the one many underworld syndicates had dealings with, so be very careful as I and you as well, cannot chase into the lands of the other two great nations no matter the crime."

"I understand, I will annihilate the syndicates and bring prosperity to Durlivan, within a year," I said confidently, it will be a rocky road though.

Hum. Perhaps some underhanded means will be necessary but he did say he'd be fine with it.

Eh, not my problem. Not for now.

"I see, what about the neighbors of my lands?" I asked next, "Friend or foe?"

"Whatever you see fit, they will most likely have more troops than you and better trained since the mercenaries from this campaign are finding homes with them, if they wish to they can ask for the right to declare a territory war meaning that they will claim you to be incompetent and invade you and try to take your lands, however, a territory can only be declared on by a ruler on a target once in their life, after that they are not allowed to declare a territory war on the same person for the rest of that generation." Surnova's words made me feel a little mischievous as a plan formed in my head.

"I see, then, I know what I wish to do now." I said excitedly, "I have a plan that will likely be complete within the year or maybe go over just a bit, but lastly, do you have any enemies inside here that I could take care of with a territory war later on?"

"Not particularly, these are all abandoned sons so they are alone like starving wolves just trying to survive, neither morally bad nor objectively just, I trust them as much as I do a hungry wolf, but I do not have any of them as an enemy either," Surnova said after some thought.

"I see." Hungry wolves, is it?

Perfect.

"Then, Nova, I believe I should be going back, Shion is waiting for me," I said with a bow.

When I looked up I found Surnova looked at me wide-eyed, "I didn't know you were such a fast talker, go ahead and meet her then."

"Thank you? I will see you tomorrow morning then, Nova." I turned and left after that with much on my mind.