Page 82 of The Fifth Life of Alicia
“Of course. He agreed because the ones who will be trained will be the captains and vice-captains of the orders of the various knightages—they’ll come here and participate in the regular training, so the Stein Knightage won’t be inconvenienced at all. They will then take their knowledge back to their households to train their own orders. In turn for this assistance, the households will be obligated to send knights to the smaller villages in their fiefdoms to help them defend themselves. For the newer nobles who don’t have any knights or are too rural to need them, training will also be given to the guard troops in each town or village.”
I pressed the paper to my face to hide my smile. She was terrifyingly competent—was this even a strategy I could have come up with if I’d put the effort in? I’d known for a long time that the victims of these monster attacks weren’t adequately compensated and suffered needless hardships, and if I’d truly wanted to, I could have made the time to do something about it.
But I hadn’t.
It was my shortcoming. The one area I’d failed in since taking up the mantle of the Grand Duke of Stein.
Yet here… She had a perfect solution. One that would not only help the victims but also lend a hand to protecting the most vulnerable in the first place.
They would be able to protectthemselves.
“The distribution of funds makes sense. I assume the residents of the village of Baldor are your test subjects?” I handed her back the sheets.
“I don’t like referring to them as test subjects, per se, but it would be nice to see it in practice. It would also lessen the burden on the residents of the village they evacuated to.” Alicia hesitated. “There’s also something else I’d like to do.”
“Which is?”
“A covert investigation into the temples in Stein.”
She had me there.
“And the reasoning?” I asked.
“The temple has an obligation to assist citizens in times of need, but nowhere in the records of the attacks does it show that’s happened in the last eight years. They receive adequate funding from the treasury and donations from nobles, so it shouldn’t be trouble to house evacuees. Why aren’t they?”
An excellent question. One I have never asked. “You believe the corruption from the past nobles extended to the temple,” I said slowly. “And they’ve been pocketing funds designed to help others.”
“The priests are servants of Khimos. It’s their duty to provide assistance to those who are less fortunate, yet they don’t seem to be doing so. They’ve been leaving the most vulnerable as just that. Vulnerable.”
I ran my gaze over her pretty face. Her expression was hesitant—almost as if she was afraid that she was asking too much of me. “Then I will arrange for it. An information guild should be the best option. I’ll contact Illusion.”
She gasped. “Illusion? How do you know about them?”
I wasn’t going to tell her that just yet.
I smiled. “I know everything, my darling fiancée. I also know they have undercover priests, so it won’t be difficult to get on the inside here in Stein.”
“Wow,” she mumbled, then cleared her throat. “Ahem. Thank you for humouring me.”
“It’s not humouring you. What you’re saying makes sense. If the temples aren’t serving the people, then there’s no need for them. It’s my duty—and now yours, too—to ensure that the people of Stein live happy and safe lives.” I stood and walked around the desk. “There’s a council meeting in four days. I will make the attendance of the houses in your report obligatory, and you will present your plan to them.”
“Me?” she squeaked. “In four days?”
“Yes, you. It’s your policy, and it would do good to reassure Stein that the new lady of their land is an intelligent and competent woman.”
Her cheeks pinkened, and she looked away.
So, she could look cute.
Like a kitten.
Most other times, she was more like a tiger.
“Well, I… Um.” Alicia scratched her neck. “As you wish.”
“Good. Shall we leave?” I offered my hand. “Do you need some time to get ready to go into town?”
It took her a moment, but she laid her hand in mine and allowed me to guide her to her feet. “Yes, if that’s all right. It’s my first time venturing out, and I should look more put together than this.”
