The knights were imposing—gleaming armor and a heavy presence that put Licerio slightly on edge.
Licerio and his mother stood before the envoy and knelt, waiting to hear the king's decree.
"By order of his majesty, I have come without delay to convey his will. His Majesty is pleased after reading your report and commends your integrity and loyalty to the kingdom in uncovering a hidden corruption that could have threatened its stability. His Majesty hereby exempts Baron Bareo from paying taxes for the next three years and for five years on the iron mine. In addition, a royal gift is granted, to the value of six hundred gold crowns, along with a sealed royal pardon."
Licerio drew a sharp breath at the generosity of the rewards. Money always slipped through his fingers and was hard to save; that royal gift had just handed him nearly two years of his territory's net earnings in a single stroke.
Moreover, the tax exemption on the lands and the iron mine would bring in an enormous amount of money over the years ahead. Licerio smiled, barely containing his relief; he had been severely constrained financially across all his projects.
"I will honor his majesty's will and make certain his wishes are carried out," he said as he received the edict. "Esteemed envoy and royal knights—you have traveled far, and I would be honored to welcome you into my home so that you may rest."
"Thank you, Baron. Since you offer, we will stay a few days before departing."
Licerio quickly organized the steward and several servants to guide the guests and show them the manor and their rooms.
As the envoy passed by Licerio, he leaned close and murmured something in his ear, then moved on. Licerio watched his back as he walked away, wondering what was coming.
That night, in a room lit dimly by a pair of candles, two men sat across from each other with a bottle of wine and two glasses on the table between them.
One was Licerio; the other was the envoy, Adrián, who had earlier asked to meet in private. Licerio took the bottle and filled the envoy's glass, then his own. Each picked up his glass and took a sip.
"Ah — as smooth as always. Perfect for conversation," Adrián remarked.
"Thank you. It's one of the finest wines we make here."
"I come to the east so rarely, and it means going so long without this wine," he sighed. "In the capital it's nothing but that southern and western variety—stronger and unpleasant."
"Since you appreciate it so much, I'll send you off with a few bottles as a gift before you leave."
Adrián swirled his glass, brought it to his nose, and inhaled. Then he lowered it, exhaled, and laughed.
"Then I won't refuse, baron. I'll gladly accept the bottles."
Both men drank and drifted through easy conversation—a range of topics, the occasional joke.
Some time later, Adrián took a last sip of wine and fixed his gaze on Licerio. He set his glass on the table and straightened his back.
"I think it's time to stop chatting, Baron. Let us discuss his majesty's will."
Licerio looked at the man and finished what was left in his glass before setting it down and sitting up straight.
"If his majesty has something to discuss in private, it must be about the iron mine or the corruption."
"His majesty has no need of your information on the corruption. It's the iron mine that interests him. His majesty sees your potential and your loyalty in exposing the corruption within the kingdom, and he is prepared to offer you a generous reduction on the price he will ask."
"What a great honor—I hope you will convey my gratitude to his majesty. How much of a reduction?"
"His majesty will only ask for your iron at fifteen percent below the market price."
"What is the usual rate his majesty asks?" Licerio asked, frowning slightly.
"Twenty to thirty percent, depending on his will. I can assure you he will never ask you to sell iron at a loss."
"Is there any way to reduce his demand further?"
"Don't get ahead of yourself, young man," Adrián cut him off. "His majesty has already pardoned you once. The neighboring kingdom managed to reach inside our borders and monopolize an entire iron mine without warning any of the nearby nobles." Adrián gave him a quiet, sideways look before continuing. "His majesty appreciated your… economy of detail in the report. A man who knows what to include and what to leave out tends to live longer."
Licerio stood abruptly before catching himself. "I have overstepped."
"It's nothing, Baron. His majesty is not angry about this—please, be at ease."
"Even so, I hope you will convey my apologies to his majesty and make clear my good intentions."
"I will do my best, Baron. Finally, his majesty is prepared to send one of his aides to your barony to assist you in managing the iron mine. I trust you understand his majesty's concerns regarding the mine. One case of smuggling is already enough."
Licerio was about to push back and refuse the king's will, but the steady look Adrián gave him made clear it was not negotiable. This must be one of the consequences he had alluded to earlier.
"Since the baron has no further proposals or requests—" Adrián stood, "—I will take my leave. Good night, Baron."
The envoy left the room, and Licerio sat alone, still looking at the door. A few moments later he sighed, sank back into the chair, refilled his glass, and worked through it slowly, lost in thought.
Adrián and the knights stayed a couple of days before departing. During that time, Licerio spoke easily enough with Adrián, while the knights remained cold, seeming to resist any attempt at ordinary conversation.
After their departure, Licerio organized his plans and chose a few that could be put into motion. With more money and fewer expenses, a great deal became possible.
The most pressing matter now was dismantling the guilds and building a school to train capable people. This would also bring him a great deal of goodwill and loyalty from the people of his territory—a school for commoners, teaching a wide range of trades that the guilds had kept locked away, would mean a great deal to them.
It sounded simple enough when he said it: he was the baron, and they were commoners. But the wealth and influence the guilds held was considerable, and they would not sit idle while he dismantled them. The worst case was that guilds from other territories would protest and come to their aid, making the process far more difficult.
With the start of a new day, Licerio went to visit Marlleo before setting out, asking after his condition. Three days prior, he had begun opening his eyes slightly—sometimes with pupils, sometimes without, which had frightened the doctor badly enough that the man had tried to refuse any further treatment and threatened to quit.
Licerio had been forced to raise his pay and post two men-at-arms in the room to stop the doctor from following through on his nonsense. That had also changed his visits from every three days to every day—or every two if he was too pressed for time.
The encouraging news was that Marlleo's condition was improving; there were moments now where his body reacted to external stimuli. The doctor estimated that if he continued improving at the current rate, he would wake within a month or two. What mattered would be assessing his state once he did.
Before leaving, he went to say goodbye to his father. For this trip, it would be only Licerio and López, riding out together to visit the various villages of his territory and meet with the constables and scribes to inform them of his upcoming project: the construction of public schools, funded entirely by him, the baron.
The journey was quite long, with half the time spent simply traveling—there were many small villages spread across the territory, and he had to visit every one.
At nightfall, they arrived at the village where they had planned to spend the night, a village near Rosea. He had already sent a secretary ahead to arrange a room for him and López.
That night, while both slept, someone pounded frantically at the door.
"My lord! My lord! Wake up—Knight Marlleo has taken a turn for the worse. My lord!"