Chapter 146: A Problem Without a Sword
Morning came quietly to Blackwood.
For once, Kael did not wake to the sound of construction.
He woke to shouting.
Not alarmed, shouting.
The kind that came from people arguing over something they desperately wanted.
Kael dressed quickly and stepped outside.
Lily was already waiting in the courtyard.
"What happened?"
She sighed.
"The merchants."
Kael looked toward the gate.
"What about them?"
"They’re arguing with the villagers."
Kael walked toward the entrance.
The noise grew louder with every step.
"I paid the agreed price!"
"You changed the weight!"
"I did no such thing!"
"You think we don’t know what you’re doing?"
Kael reached the marketplace.
Several merchants stood around a wooden stall while farmers argued with them.
Orrin Belmore stood between both sides.
When he noticed Kael, he immediately stepped forward.
"My lord."
Kael looked around.
"Explain."
Orrin sighed.
"Two merchants purchased grain from the northern villages."
Kael waited.
"The farmers believe they were underpaid."
One farmer stepped forward.
"They offered us silver based on one measure, then changed the measurement after the grain was loaded."
The merchant immediately objected.
"That is false!"
Kael raised his hand.
"Enough."
Everyone became silent.
Kael looked toward the merchant.
"Bring me the scale."
The merchant hesitated.
"Now."
The man retrieved it.
Kael examined it.
Then looked toward Walter.
"Is this the measure your village uses?"
Walter shook his head.
"No."
Kael looked back at the merchant.
"What measure did you use?"
The merchant said nothing.
Orrin’s expression darkened.
Kael understood.
This wasn’t a monster.
There was no sword to draw.
No army to command.
No battlefield to conquer.
It was simply dishonesty.
And yet...
It could become just as dangerous.
Kael ordered both sides into the manor.
The dispute took nearly two hours to settle.
The merchants were forced to pay the proper amount.
The farmers received what they were owed.
No one was imprisoned.
But Kael issued a warning.
"Blackwood will not tolerate merchants cheating its people."
The merchants bowed reluctantly.
Kael then turned toward the farmers.
"And neither will I tolerate farmers cheating merchants."
Walter nodded.
"Fair enough."
Kael dismissed them.
When everyone had left, Lily remained.
"You looked angry."
"I was."
"Because they cheated?"
Kael shook his head.
"Because we don’t have a proper system for handling this."
Lily understood.
"You’re thinking about the guild again."
Kael looked toward the marketplace.
"Not only the guild."
He walked toward the window.
"If Blackwood keeps growing, we’ll have hundreds of people trading here."
"Maybe thousands."
"Exactly."
He looked at the papers covering his desk.
"Who decides what’s fair?"
Lily answered quietly.
"The lord."
Kael shook his head.
"That won’t work."
"Why?"
"Because I can’t personally settle every dispute."
He pointed toward the marketplace.
"Imagine Blackwood has ten thousand people."
Lily’s eyes widened slightly.
"Ten thousand?"
"One day."
He continued.
"Ten disputes become a hundred."
"A hundred become a thousand."
"And suddenly I’m spending my days deciding whether a farmer sold six sacks of grain or seven."
Lily laughed.
"That would be terrible."
Kael smiled.
"Exactly."
Later that afternoon, Kael visited Darius.
The Black Dragon was training in the field.
Fifty soldiers moved through formations under Darius’ command.
"Again!"
The soldiers moved.
"Faster!"
Their shields locked.
Spears extended.
The formation turned.
Kael watched quietly.
Darius noticed him but did not stop the training.
"Break!"
The soldiers lowered their weapons.
Darius walked toward Kael.
"My lord."
"How are they?"
"Improving."
"Any weaknesses?"
Darius looked toward the soldiers.
"Experience."
Kael nodded.
"They need real missions."
"Eventually."
Darius folded his arms.
"But not because I want to throw them into danger."
He pointed toward the training field.
"They need to understand what happens when their formation breaks."
Kael watched the soldiers.
"What about the villages?"
Darius’ expression became serious.
"The monster activity concerns me."
"More than usual?"
"Yes."
Kael waited.
"Monsters normally avoid populated areas unless driven from their territory."
Darius looked toward the western forest.
"But they’re coming closer."
"How much closer?"
"Close enough that I want scouts watching the forest every day."
Kael nodded.
"Do it."
Darius hesitated.
"There’s another matter."
"What?"
"We’ve had several travelers asking the soldiers whether Blackwood hires warriors."
Kael looked at him.
"Warriors?"
"People looking for work."
Kael’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"How many?"
"More than a dozen."
The idea returned.
The notebook.
The five days.
The guild.
Kael pushed it aside again.
"Not yet."
Darius gave him a curious look.
"You’ve said that twice now."
Kael smiled.
"Because it’s still true."
That evening, Kael returned to his chamber.
He opened the notebook again.
This time, he didn’t simply read the old ideas.
He began adding to them.
Mission Registration.
Reward Verification.
Merchant Contracts.
Village Requests.
Monster Reports.
He paused.
Then wrote:
Mission Difficulty Assessment.
That was important.
A village couldn’t simply claim a monster was weak when it was actually dangerous.
Someone needed to inspect the request.
Someone needed to determine the appropriate reward.
Kael wrote another line.
False Reports — Penalty.
He leaned back.
Then smiled.
"Now we’re getting somewhere."
A knock came.
Lily entered carrying a tray of food.
"You promised you wouldn’t do this again."
Kael looked at the notebook.
"I know."
"You spent five days in here last time."
"This is different."
"You said that last time too."
Kael laughed.
She placed the food on the table.
"Eat."
Kael looked at the meal.
"Thank you."
Lily sat across from him.
"What are you working on?"
Kael turned the notebook toward her.
She read the first few lines.
Her expression changed.
"You’ve added more."
"Yes."
She picked up the quill.
"Then you’re missing something."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"People."
Kael looked confused.
"We already have people."
"No."
She pointed at the page.
"Guild officials."
Kael stared at the page.
Lily continued.
"Who checks the missions?"
"Who ranks the adventurers?"
"Who handles the money?"
"Who keeps records?"
"Who investigates false reports?"
Kael slowly smiled.
"You’ve been thinking about this."
"I helped create it."
Kael laughed.
"Fair point."
She took the quill.
"Then let’s fix it."
And once again...
The chamber became filled with papers.
Two minds working late into the night.
But this time...
Kael wasn’t merely imagining an institution.
He was beginning to design one.