A Modern Guy in the Lesbian Vampires' Court 3 (Patreon)

A Modern Guy in the Lesbian Vampires' Court 3 - or ‘My business as the treasurer is surely a troublesome one among those ‘supposed’ world-conquerors’ (Castlevania Animated Series, Vampire!SI)

How do you kill an Empire?

The question didn’t have a singular answer as it was tied to specific cases. Some may think that cutting the head may be enough, but nobility, landed gentry and even the church had the means to produce a replacement with ease.

No, each empire has their own weaknesses. Some small and insignificant, while others were riddled by a rotten foundation that was born to be slammed down with the right amount of ‘power’.

Power that doesn’t come from might. Power that doesn’t come from words. Power that comes from…

Faith.

It was too early for Martin Luther. The man hadn’t been born yet, so he couldn’t be used for the plan I had in mind. An early Reformation, one that I would have full control about, and one that could be directed at a fashionably good pace.

First, I created the layout of the plan. I couldn’t just rely on the common expectation of this being a simple setting. I had to get the right tools for this task, all the while continuing to siphon a steady amount of supply to both Striga and Morana as they took care of Carinthia.

Their progress was impressive, or perhaps ‘as impressive as I had expected from them’. A key difference from what I know of these two is that they are not facing an endless horde of humans. It’s just a lord and his small army compared to what we could muster with our quality troops.

Despite the sunlight being a dreadful foe, the armors worn by the troops and the doctrine Styria relied upon that focused on the ‘use’ of the night as an opportunity for rapid and destructive blitz made this war an easy hurdle to deal with.

So, I could focus on my ‘pet project’ while that was happening without getting any surprises from that other matter. The process itself started with the production of numerous writing machines and the education of some well-paid peasants to learn how to do it. These were people quite loyal to Styria and that were paid to just do a simple job: learn the functions of the machine, and copy the letters in the book that they were meant to be ‘republished’.

The covers had been altered, but what the peasants were not aware of was that they were copying altered versions of the bible currently available to the Holy Roman Empire and most of Europe.

Versions that were framed and rebuilt from this common version, one that was retrieved from the Byzantine Empire before it collapsed and gifted to Styria in ancient times, and one that scholars had shaped from their understanding on the matter.

In less than three months of putting these people to work, we had less than a hundred bibles but… technically speaking, more than enough to start the Reformation if we played our cards correctly.

Of course, I wasn’t going to start shit unless I had permission to do so. Hence why I took part in that specific meeting with the council available at the time with the papers reporting this plus… a bigger stack detailing two new additions to the modernization of services.

First, plumbing had been refined as the new techniques adopted in the forgeries and the creation of steel through some trials and errors in the process had produced the more resilient material. Cannons were getting redefined each day on paper and through some mild experimentation, we were getting better siege weapons.

Second was in regard to production. Manufacturing was taking a while to fully develop, but a proto-industry can be developed to slowly incorporate artisans in nationally-owned companies that allowed quality and quantity to be maximized with just a slight increase in the expenses for a more streamlined production rate.

All was meant to be good and well… until I realized that Carmilla was going to skip the meeting for ‘more important businesses’. And it was at that moment that I realized how much of a mess this council was.

I mean, it worked when everyone was around, but the moment that the group was somewhat split and Carmilla ditched… Well, this was just unpleasant and it delayed my plans by a considerable amount of time.

“Awww, and here I thought you would have been happy to spend some more time with me, John.”

Oh right, it was now Lenore and I. Again.

“I am more disappointed that I got some Empire-crushing plans ruined by this. Or rather, delayed.”

“...How do you turn this sort of sad display in one of pure confusion?”

“It’s part of my charm, I suppose,” I remarked calmly. “So… curious?”

“Obviously~. Can I learn more of your plotting?”

I offered her to sit closer as we spent the rest of the meeting chatting about this plan. Lenore was… caught off-guard once more by what I was trying to accomplish with this.

She stressed how she would have to handle the assignment of sending her agents to get the ‘right priests’ to spread the bibles around. But considering how disillusioned most of Northern Germany was with the steady decline of the HRE and the Papal States employing the sale of indulgences, it was fair to say that the fertile ground was there to grow a mighty Peasant Revolt.

Yet, as we were stressing over the handling of internal affairs to prevent such a revolt to reach Styria, we kind of started to lean more on each other. I wasn’t paying attention to this, I was quite sure that Lenore was just too deep in the chatting to realize herself but… as the conversation ended, we both realized it. And I was given confirmation that she had not been paying attention to this when a tiny blush spread on her face.

“Th-That’s shameless of you, John.”

“Oh please, we were both leaning on each other to read better,” I dismissed curtly.

There was a brief pause, then… Lenore gave me a questioning look.

“You have been integrating humans in your economic efforts. Are you aware that this is bringing you a bad reputation?”

Through Carmilla calling me weak and ‘Lenore-like’ due to my genuine lack of interest in engaging over bigoted policies? Yes. I was aware of it. And I didn’t care much about it.

“That I am, yes.”

“And that… people are joking about your masculinity.”

Childish.

“Considering I have no shame in my size, I doubt that those rumors have any foundation beyond being speculative and aimed to just poke at me.”

Lenore was frowning.

“And?”

I sighed, knowing what she wanted to ask me but was too prideful for.

“I am too useful to be killed without reason. Some may call me weak, soft, or whatever they want to call me to soothe their ego. But I am the one that is currently holding a large portion of the economy and they haven’t realized that just yet,” I remarked calmly. “As much as these ‘people’ could jab at my reputation, I am too entrenched, I am too valuable. Not enough to get away with slights, of course, but I feel confident that my chances of survival are pretty high.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Lenore argued softly. “Don’t you think it’s… weak, to give trust to humans? They have hunted us for eons.”

“Only because we were monsters to them. We were unpredictable, unknown- and it was around the time men of ‘God’ would wander around to spread Christianity. And look where it got them. Misery,” I answered quietly. “Their God? He left them to their device for it is fine within the notion of free will. Of course, wolves reign over sheeps. Ruling and devouring as they made the poor people poorer and the rich people fatter. The Pope? He is no one to God but a displeasure.”

“You are quite well-versed on those topics,” The redhead hummed in agreement. “So, how would you handle them?”

“With a strong but caring hand. Speak softly and yet carry a big stick. Diplomacy and Deterrence.”

“What about war?” She pushed and I sighed.

“War has ravaged all known continents for centuries,” I answered dryly. “I think it’s time that someone brings a lasting peace akin to the one enforced by the Romans of old but… still, retain the tools to wage war for defense.”

Lenore leaned back on the chair, a strangely flat look on her face as she gauged my words silently.

“And that’s what I referred to when I answered that question a while back. That ruthless gaze that comes forth when you are focusing.”

“...it’s not ruthless,” Lenore remarked, pouting cutely despite trying to appear tough. “And you are a scoundrel.”

“Oh no, I am a scoundrel. A deviant. What a cruel thing I am?”

Her mood slightly improved at this and…

“By the way, in regard of that conversation, the dove has been secured to her master:”

…Oh, she is talking about Lisa. It took me a moment to realize she was speaking cryptically because the guards protecting the council chamber were mostly loyal to Carmilla.

“I am glad to hear that. How did he react to it?”

“He may start a feud with those that hurt his pet,” Lenore answered mirthfully. “Nothing too extensive but-”

“We may have to intervene?”

“It’s possible,” She confirmed, smiling gracefully. “Which means we may have to cooperate in the future quite frequently to prevent a big bloodshed.”

“A most reasonable topic, my fair lady. Say, how would you feel about… Uhm.”

“Struggling with refined speech, good sir?”

“Only because of the sight of your beaming smile, oh fair lady.”

“Shameless even,” She huffed in delight. “So… are you free after the meeting?”

“I wouldn’t mind engaging in a stroll. But yeah, I have a few things to show you.”

“Interesting things?”

“Have you heard of Machiavelli’s the Prince?”

“Only by reputation. Have you managed to get a copy?” Lenore asked and I nodded.

“A few, actually. Most I will have mass-produced and sold around Europe, but I am keeping a copy or two.”

She beamed at that and I guess that’s how I started to settle an alliance with Lenore in regard to the matters within the Council.

It was going to be very important with the Dracula situation.

—------d-d-d-d—------

AN

Blep.