Chương 81: Chapter 78.5: Laying the Groundwork

"Secure the frontier kingdoms or become as lost as they will be..." The first time Geld saw the words in the water he didn't think anything of it. He had often seen things which weren't real. As long as he told himself they weren't real, along with the momentary double-checking with an impartial observer, such as his assistant, Meg, he got through in life just fine. By the time he saw the words for the tenth time, he had to admit, this particular delusion was stubborn!

The fact was, though, he couldn't entertain delusions. Not now. Not when he had a veritable mountain of paperwork to do. He had been signing important trade deals all throughout the Western Continent. With Frank and Warhol's little international peace-making alliance, many territories were closer than ever while breaking down old walls. This meant, for him, a great business opportunity. And yet, he saw the words everywhere he went. He saw the words in his dreams. Even in his mind's eye when daydreaming.

'That's it! I've had enough!' he spat one evening. He would confirm.

"Meg? Could you come here for a moment?" he asked his assistant who was busy catalouging trade papers.

"Of course, milord." Meg dropped what she was doing and came over.

"What can I help you with, sire?"

"It is silly. My old friend delusion is acting up. Can you confirm for me?"

"Of course! Just point where!"

"Into that mirror. I am seeing the words... well, the words themselves aren't relevant, I suppose. Let me know if you see any words or anything out of the usual reflections and such..." Meg stood in front of the mirror and looked. A gasp soon followed as she stumbled back from the mirror. Paleness and horror spread through him. Meg saw something. Had he not seen a delusion after all?

"What do you see? Tell me!" Geld urged. She turned to him and said, "I saw the words, 'Secure the Frontier Kingdoms or become as lost as they will be...' What does that mean?" Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"I wish I could tell you, Meg." A concerned look came over his face.

"If you, too, can see those words, then it means we are in desperate straits..." He and Meg spent the majority of the night thereafter talking about the Frontier Kingdoms. Their economies, their military means, but mostly their natural resources. What was unique about these places? What was unique about them was hard to say. Not many people, let alone geopolitical entities, wanted anything to do with the frontier realms.

Uncouth, heathen, violent, the only time the more righteous realms intervened in their going-ons was when some upstart under-king attempted to form unauthorized trade relations with the Androic Kingdom, which they were apt to do. By morning, he and Meg had talked just about every aspect of the Frontier Kingdoms. Each tried to pontificate on what the mirror could have meant by 'securing.' As in, militarily occupying the kingdoms? Geld didn't think that was possible. Certainly not with his petty security force!

And so, the question remained: how? The possible answer came to him in the stupidest way possible. He was staring idly at a bookshelf filled with old trade orders when it came to him — 'Secure by trade! Of course!' How could he have been so dense? Trade! Obviously! Now came the next question — through what mercantile means could a territory be secured? Did the mirror words imply he should gain a monopoly on the region's vast supply of coal? Or timber? Neither was uncommon as far as resources went.

Geld doubted the mirror meant such petty things. Mentally, and verbally, with Meg's help, did they list out all of the resources known in the frontier kingdoms. Geld knew they had stumbled upon the resource implied by the mirror when the breathe escaped from between his lips turned cold. Disturbing, but something which he ignored.

"... timber, clams, coal, hide, ore..." Ore. Rust Ore...

"Rust Ore," he told Meg.

"It must be that. I doubt anything else would be worth 'securing,' yes?" Meg nodded along.

"No, you are right. Rust Ore. That will make your task, should you take up the insane demands of a mirror, all the harder. But you aren't actually going to go along with what a hoodwinked trinket mentions, are you?" Geld sighed deeply as a sign of his inner conflict. He wanted to let Meg know that this wasn't a decision he made lightly.

"I shouldn't, Meg. It would be absurd to follow the advice of a mirror. That is the thing... it's not just the mirror. I have seen those words everywhere of late. In the water, my dreams. This is more than some befuddled item, the mirror's words are not from some bored mage who wanted to mess with me." he put his hand on his chin and ruminated.

"I think I have to do something. Do something to secure the Rust Ore..." Meg sighed. Then a smile crested her face.

"You would be moving against the consensus of the continental powers. None of them have ever seemed keen on letting Rust Ore to stray far from their control." Geld plopped down in his seat.

"No. Not keen at all." He continued to rub his chin.

"This is a problem that will take at least a jug of ale to solve."