Family Business 28 (Patreon)

Family Business
Chapter 28: I Convinced Some

-VB-

I spent my last week in High Silvermere doing exactly what I told my father: meeting nobles and prying their ambitions and insecurities about their children.

Oh, your child is not as smart as you believe they are? Don’t worry. The Jorasmang Academy will help them.

Oh, your child has magic? Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to help them so that they won’t be pressed into armed services if they don’t want to be.

Oh, you have magic? I can help, certainly!

Oh my, you don’t like magic? That’s alright. You and your children can still learn about all kinds of things, from politics to economics, in a different wing of the academy.

Oh. You hate me. Okay, I’ll -. Holy shit, man! Don’t shoot arrows my way! I’m a fucking duke! I can-! Oh, you wanna brawl, huh? Get the fuck ov-!

“Yeah, not everyone could be won over,” I chuckled as Sona nursed my bruised cheek.

Lux looked less than impressed, though it wasn’t pointed at me but a few of the more violent nobles. I knew that pressing charges or using my status to make an example of them wouldn’t do me any favors beyond soothing my own pride, so I took satisfaction in that I laid all of the challengers low with only my fists. No magic, I swear.

Ugh, I was going to be black and blue for weeks, though. Old Man Cudget still had his beat stick, and that shit hurts. I never imagined it would be used against me. The last time I saw him and the stick, he used it to be beat the shit out of thieves.

“Where to next?” the driver asked me.

“Back home, if you will.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Yeah, I was a duke now. People added personages for me because of my status. It felt … weird?

I always knew that I would inherit my father’s title; Garen, Lux and my older brother, was never one for titles, management, or anything else. He was a fighter through and through, and Demacian succession wasn’t primogeniture but appointed. Sure, a warrior had better claim to any title and a magician was normally disinherited as quickly as possible.

But then again, most heirs and wouldbe heirs didn’t build up a city, kill a traitor, earn the favor of the king, and have elder sibling who was uninterested in ruling. In fact, my brother will be happier if he did not spend the last of his days ruling.

Fuck, did he even like girls? Or guys?

I knew that he respected Fiora, but that’s not exactly a sexual intent, was it?

… Oh, right! Garen liked Katarina from Noxus!

Hell, should I extend an offer to Garen to give Katarina plastic surgeries? Just enough that no one would notice. There were a lot of people with similar features.

Hmm.

Actually, I was going to invite him over when I got back to Demacia City for formal business matters and ask him directly.

Hell, Lux might be more than willing to help!

Bah, I still needed to convince the rest of the west. I’ll talk to brother after I complete at least half of my given assignment.

… God, I’m feeling a bit hyper right now. Why was that?

I turned to Sona.

“Sona, what medicine did you use?” I asked her.

[Milk of the Poppy.]

I groaned. “Couldn’t you just heal me?”

She lightly slapped me on the shoulder. [I used very little. I know about its potential addictiveness. I also don’t want you to get a habit of turning to magic for all of your needs. You told me to watch over you for that.]

“But magic is great…”

[Lux, can you slap his other shoulder?]

“Wai- GAH!”

That’s where the Old Cudget hit me.

“So we’re going home after this?” Lux asked me as she sat back down on the coach seat across from me and Sona.

“Yes,” I grumbled. “Well, at least you and Sona will be going back for good. I still have to go and convince…” I frowned. “Count Harrington, Count Rekarris, Marquis Bronzemoon of the Freljord Marches, and … no one else, actually.”

“You’re not including the Baron of Angrimoria?” she asked me.

I raised an eyebrow and gave her a deadpan stare.

“Lux, that’s who we took Jorasmang City from. And the county.”

“Ah. Right.”

The Duke of Angrimoria has been falling and falling in reputation and wealth. Ever since we took Jorasmang, he just kept on getting caught for more and more things. Hell, he supported the anti-magic faction, too, since I was on the other side, but got caught raping servants.

The Crown’s servants.

During a ball held by the crown.

Including Jarvan IV’s more favored maidservant.

The man was now just a count. He was lucky he didn’t get castrated. Hell, he was barely a count; he now ruled three farming villages and a small castle in southern Demacia. There were barons with more wealth and land than him now. He had connections to western Demacia, yes, but people left him behind as soon as they could, whether it be by directly cutting ties or paying off debts.

“As soon as we go home, I spend a week with all of you and then I guess I’ll go talk to Marquis Bronzemoon.”