I reincarnated in game

43 Unrest

Judi knew Hugh well enough to know that he would fill her in on the details of what had happened back in the alley when he was ready to do so.  As such, she simply fell into step beside him on their return to the inn.  Kenneth was up and waiting for them on their arrival.  He could see that their expressions were somber.  He looked at them questioningly.

In a very subdued voice, Hugh stated, “You don’t have to worry anymore.  Our mission is complete.  We will meet with James this evening for a full report.”  He paused a moment; he realized that he wasn’t really hungry … he just needed a little time to reflect and gather his thoughts.  He turned to his two companions and said, “You guys go ahead and have some breakfast; I am just going back to our room for a bit.  See you later.”

Back in the room, and alone with his thoughts, Hugh reflected on the morning’s events.  He no longer had to fear his nemesis; it felt as if a tremendous burden had been lifted from his shoulders … during his introspection, Hugh noticed he was now at Level Twenty-five.  His number of attribute points had risen as well.   

When Hugh and the other two went down for their evening meal, there appeared to be an excited buzz in conversation, both at the tables and by the staff of the inn.  On their way to be seated, they could hear snippets of gossip.  The topic of conversation appeared to be that two of the bishop’s entourage had found him murdered in the alley behind the inn that very morning!  The locals were surprised at how much the unrest had spread for the dissidents to actually murder the bishop! 

It wasn’t only the locals who were concerned about the unrest, and more particularly, the assassination of someone so high in the Curia.  The king knew that if word of the rioting and murder reached the ears of the Crystals in Sisilia, on First Level, they would be putting pressure on the top clerics of the Curia and the primary Chamber of Commerce on Second Level to quell the disturbance.

In the beginning, the land of Olivet was a vast country on a single plane in the heavens.  About a thousand years ago, the divine and the devil power released during the battle between Adrastos, god of light, and Calista, master of demons, hit the land causing it to split into four plates.  Some of the plates rose while others sank; that was what made Olivet the stepwise land it was today.

The higher the land was in the sky, the more influence it had in the hierarchy.  The smallest plate of land had risen to the highest level.  It became First Level.  Only one city existed at this lofty height; Sisilia.  This level was reputed to be the closest to the gods with all kinds of abundant magic elements.  The elite, all Crystals, occupied this majestic level.  They were the apex of religion, government and finance.  However, because the mundane tasks of managing the running of the land of Olivet was beneath them, they had delegated that responsibility to the rich and powerful citizens of Second Level.

Second Level was mainly an alliance, organized by the three large cities of Etna, Xaar and Manfar, with contributions and input from the surrounding cities and towns.  Its business was prosperous and its citizens were extremely rich or powerful people of all races.  The highest levels of the Curia resided here, operating out of Etna.  The chief officers for the government were based in Xaar; Manfar was where the primary Chamber of Commerce was headquartered.  Together, each of these entities were responsible for setting up branches of their operations in the countries and cities of the Third and Fourth Levels.  The government determined the levels of taxation that needed to be collected.  The members of the Curia were designated as the collectors; the Chamber of Commerce was responsible for the financial management. Taxes collected on each level were paid to the primary office in Manfar who were then responsible for submitting the tribute to Sisilia.  Keeping the Crystals of First Level happy and content was the driving force behind the policies and directives devised and enforced on Second Level as well as being filtered down to the two subordinate levels. 

The Crystals of Sisilia were not happy.  News of rioting in Aldo had reached them.  Two days ago, a bishop of the Curia had been assassinated.  It seemed that the poor were rebelling against the level of taxation.  They were targeting the church because they were the ones collecting the tribute; that much was obvious because of the attack on the bishop.  So far, it appeared the unrest was localized.  There was concern that it might spark turbulence elsewhere on Third Level; in Stuhr, Cowson and even Sdel.  Fourth Level would also be fertile grounds for turmoil; neither of those two levels enjoyed the affluence of Second Level.  If the anarchy spread, it would mean less tribute would be forthcoming to keep them in the style that they were accustomed to. 

A message was drafted to the Kingsley Chamber of Commerce in Manfar.  It would be delivered the next morning, in person, by a trusted Crystal, due to the urgency of the situation.

William Kingsley was a very wealthy man because he knew how to make money; better yet, he knew how to manage money.  His career reached its pinnacle when he was appointed president of the Chamber of Commerce.  He and his wife, together with their only son, Tom, who was now twenty years old, lived in one of the most impressive mansions in Manfar.  They enjoyed every luxury afforded to the rich and famous; they wanted for nothing.  There was only one drawback to being named to the lead position; you became the target of the other members of the Chamber who wanted the power and prestige that came with the presidency.  They were a very competitive group; some were willing to stoop to less than honourable tactics to achieve their goals.  When you were in the top spot, you always had to keep on your toes and be one step ahead of those aspiring to displace you.

This morning, William was in his office when his assistant knocked on the door to announce a visitor.  He rose in respect when he saw a lower level Crystal enter with a rolled up document in his hand.  Messages from First Level were always received with a certain level of trepidation; it was never good news when they were delivered by one of the Crystals instead of a common messenger.   

He nodded, then reached to accept the document from the visitor’s extended hand.  He motioned for the man to sit in one of the comfortable chairs in front of his ornate desk; the man preferred to remain standing. 

William opened the document.

It read, “President Kingsley, we are troubled by the rumours of unrest in the Country of Aldo on Third Level.  We understand that a bishop has been assassinated.  This cannot be allowed to continue.

You are commanded to work with the Curia to resolve this matter on an urgent basis; we will not tolerate a reduction in the level of tribute.

Our brother will await your verbal response.”  It was signed by the Council of Sisilia.

William looked up from the document in his hand.  “Tell your councilmen that I am on it!” he said.  

After his guest had departed, William informed his assistant to cancel his meetings for the rest of the day; he needed to go to Etna on an urgent matter.  He checked the time; if he hurried, he would be able to catch the next coach and be there in an hour.

This new directive from First Level was the last thing that William needed at this time!  He had recently become aware that someone within the Chamber was working hard to undermine his position in a bid to take over the top job.  The member he suspected was behind the movement would not be above threatening his family, particularly his son, Tom, who would be a top candidate for the presidency on his death.  Tom was a bit of a playboy who tended to indulge himself, like many others who came from privileged families.  He was charming and cheerful when it suited his purpose.  As a trained warrior, he could lead his men into a battle; he would spare no mercy to those who opposed him.

A plan started to form in his mind.  This could be an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone!    

It was mid-day by the time he arrived in Etna.  He went quickly to the office of his counterpart in the Curia and watched as his colleague, a man by the name of Keith, read the message from First Level.

Keith looked at William, “When I heard of Bishop Paul’s murder three days ago, I wondered whether there would be any repercussions.  I wasn’t expecting the pressure to come from First Level; it looks like they are concerned the dissension will impact the amount of tribute collected for their coffers … I guess it becomes more compelling when the upset gets you in your bank balance!” 

“Speaking as a banker,” William said, “I couldn’t agree more!”

After exchanging a few pleasantries, William enlightened Keith on his proposed plan.  “We need to send a delegation from each of the Chamber of Commerce and the Curia to pressure the King of Aldo to step up his efforts to quell the disturbance in that country.  My son, Tom, is a trained warrior who can deal with dissidents.  Being familiar with the intent and purpose of the Chambers, he can also appreciate the negative impact that would result if the revolution spreads any further.  I propose he goes to Aldo as my lead ambassador and representative for the financial interests of Olivet.  I will identify two additional delegates from the Chambers.  If you can designate three of your clerics to accompany him, to represent the interests of the Curia, I will be happy to make arrangements for their travel and accommodation on Third Level.”

“OK,” Keith replied.  “I will have our delegation over to your office in the morning.”  He stood, recognizing the need for his friend to be on his way.  He reached out and shook William’s hand.  “It’s good seeing you again, even if it was only for a short while,” he said.

“Likewise,” replied William.  He then rushed to catch the return coach to Manfar.  It would be near supper time when he got home.  He would have to send a message to Tom to ask him to come to his office first thing in the morning; he would need to stress the urgency of being prompt so Tom would get up early instead of sleeping in.      

William would need to brief his son on his upcoming mission.  He would make sure that Tom was given a generous amount of gold coins to allow him to stay on Third Level where he would be out of harm’s way if there was a move to usurp his presidency here on Second Level.  He would simply tell Tom his mission was to represent the interests of Kingsley Chamber of Commerce when he met with King Archibald in Aldo.  As far as his son would know, the prime directive was to ensure a speedy resolution to the upheaval so there would be no interruption of the tribute payments. 

In William’s mind, the prime directive was to ensure his son’s safety!