World Sphere - 59 - Loriel

Chapter 59: Loriel

Loriel was born into wealth and privilege. Her childhood was filled with false friends and an endless education. Her mother had a substantial inheritance and was forced into an arranged marriage with a Bricio. Her father was a minor noble in the Bricio family with no future, so marrying the wealthy daughter of the Miaden family benefited him, and he adopted her last name. Her mother had been in love with someone else, who suddenly stopped seeing her. She learned much later that he had been threatened away from pursuing her.

She rarely saw her father growing up, but she was close to her mother. Though she had no siblings, she had playmates arranged by her father. She spent a lot of time with her mother, who was open and honest about the political dynamics in Skyholme. It was a climb for wealth and power, and the Bricios were winning. She told Loriel that her father was unfaithful, and in retaliation, her mother never shared his bed again after Loriel was born, which accounted for her lack of siblings. Her father wasn’t malevolent; he was just deceitful and callous.

Her mother got her a playmate when she was ten—a runt Wolfsguard that was destined to be killed. She named the pup Bylura, and the wolfkin grew up quickly. Bylura was not only a runt but also seemed to lack the strong loyalty gene that made the Wolfsguard so obedient through a bonding ceremony. She was loyal in her own way but not entirely obedient, a rebel. If anyone had known this, Bylura would have been killed immediately. So instead of being a servant, Bylura became a surrogate friend for her.

Loriel awakened just before her 13th birthday. Even though her awakening was earlier than most, she was a disappointment to her father. She had a very small aether pool and no noteworthy abilities. It was her intellect and reasoning ability that were her strengths. She entered the academy at age 13, much earlier than most, and she quickly excelled. The lack of a strong ability meant she wouldn’t be selected for one of the 23 succession seats or given a dungeon essence to unlock a new ability.

By her third year at the academy, she had learned four tier 1 spells and one tier 2 spell, maximizing her current aether matrix. It was challenging to level the spells since she had so little aether to practice with.

From her time in the academy, she was immersed in the politics on Skyholme. From her perspective the Miaden name was hollow. Many of her family members were married to Bricios, and their partners controlled the relationship. Not quite enslaved, but definitely shackled. She didn’t want this life, and her mother shielded her from her father’s attempts to arrange a marriage for her.

In her fourth year of the academy, her mother disappeared. Her father said she had fled to the lowlands with her lover. Loriel knew her mother’s lover and he still worked in the city.

This meant her father had most likely been responsible for her disappearance, or someone else within the Bricio family had orchestrated it on his behalf. She was now vulnerable.

Her father didn’t know that her mother had left her entire estate to Loriel. The documents were ironclad, and she immediately made her father destitute. He retained her mother’s estate on the capital island because he forged documents saying her mother had ‘gifted’ it to him at their wedding. The magistrate who had drawn up the paperwork had died a few years ago, so the document was deemed legitimate, and there was nothing she could do.

Loriel moved quickly to remove everything not tied down on the estate, though. Her father now had a large tax bill and no assets. The Bricios helped him by having him remarry a recently widowed minor Bricio noble with some wealth of her own. She had effectively cut all ties to her father, allowing her to make her own way.

Loriel’s assets were extensive, and she drew up multiple documents to make sure her father never got his hands on any of her wealth. He did start to maneuver to get Loriel married off to another Bricio, but his influence on her was minimal now that she was 17, and an adult under the law.

She was constantly on guard, and it took a toll on her. She needed friends and allies, so she started targeting other people like her. Outcasts and pariahs of their respective families. Slowly her influence grew, and she developed a circle of friends in her remaining academy years. She graduated with a focus on commerce and administration at age 20 near the top of her class.

She immediately focused on growing her wealth. She couldn’t extend her influence in the political system dominated by the Bricios, but wealth could buy influence. In a short two years, she had nearly doubled her holdings and was worth just north of a quarter-million gold. Most of her wealth was tied to long term investments, which kept growing her wealth.

Her great-grandfather noticed her drive and capability and called to meet her. He was the sitting member of the Triumvirate for the Miaden family. She had only met him twice in passing at parties, so she was very anxious. Her greatest fear was that he would force her to marry. Now that she was an adult, he was the only one who could do that. If he did, she planned to flee Skyholme to avoid a fate similar to her mother.

He wasn’t what she had imagined. He was old and seemed tired during their meeting. He spoke while she listened. “Loriel you are one of my most tenacious granddaughters. You have fough through hardship and earned everything you have.” Loriel was expecting the family patriarch to tell her it was time to hand over all her wealth, but that is not what followed.

“I am naming you 23rd in the line of succession,” he said with a small smile as her jaw dropped. He was giving her immediate political power. “Don’t get too excited, young woman. It makes you a target now. The Bricios will certainly come for you.” She immediately sobered.

“Thank you,” she bowed to him.

“You were not born with gifts, but I can give you one to help you.” He raised a vial of sparkling liquid in his hand. Dungeon runes covered the bottle, indicating what was inside. She took it with trembling hands and tried to recall the runes.

“It is a tier two ability, enduring self-tenacity.” Her eyes widened in surprise as she had studied hundreds of essences at the academy. Any tier 2 ability was precious, and this one more so. It would give her the ability to resist all forms of influence up to tier 2 entirely. Tier 3 manipulations would fade quickly. Even tier 4 influence would fade given enough time.

He smiled. “I have held this precious dungeon essence for a very long time, looking for someone worthy to consume it and fix Skyholme.” His smile faded. “You might not be the one, but I am old, my successor might not be loyal to our Miaden family,” he said gravely.

“I will do my best for our family and the islands,” she replied as she uncorked the vial and drank.

“Good,” he said after her euphoria ebbed. “I am giving you one of my personal Wolfsguard. Don’t look surprised. He will not be bonded to you, but will obey any command you give him. His name is Gammon.”

The thickly muscled Wolfsguard stepped away from the walls. Loriel was shocked until she realized her mind tended to filter out the ever-present Wolfsguard around her. The Citadel was packed with the neutral Blackguard Wolfsguard, so she was accustomed to their quiet presence.

She was twenty-one years old and had a title now and wealth. How was she going to find allies and bring them to her cause? After two weeks of being named the 23rd heir, she began to feel the pressure. The Bricios were pushing one of their young men on her. Abaddon Bricio. He was an excellent warrior and was already moving up in the Navy Academy. When she checked into his true background, she was disgusted.

Abaddon was a bully, rapist, and vindictive. Unfortunately, being the 23rd heir had raised her value too high for the Bricio’s to ignore, and she had extensive holdings. Thus, she needed to find someone to marry who was free from influence. She had to get creative.

She started watching the pre-academy Annuals. She was looking for a smart, capable warrior not yet in anyone’s pocket. A puppet husband who could sire a few children and not interfere with her operations.

Of course, she was not the only one looking for warriors. Many wealthy nobles were looking to offer their patronage to a promising warrior. This patronage could only be officially offered at the end of their first year of the academy, as per Skyholme law. That didn’t mean the patrons couldn’t lay the groundwork or make future offers.  

As she sat in the stands, she watched many young men on field 32 who caught her attention. She researched the ones she liked, and only one stood out: Storme Hardlight. Storme fought with a staff, which likely deterred many from pursuing him. However, he had registered two tier-one spells: mend flesh and cleanliness.

At only 15 years old, he had mastered two spells on his own. She had relied on numerous mages to teach her the few spells she had learned over the years, making Storme a prodigy in her mind with potential.

He was also incredibly handsome and charismatic. As he advanced in the pre-academy Annuals, Loriel became increasingly certain that he would be perfect for her needs. He was young, which meant he was impressionable. She could train him to be both an ally and a potential emergency husband if the pressure on her intensified.

Abaddon had sent her a request to attend the Annual Triumvirate Gala with him at the Skyhold Citadel. It was the celebration organized by the Triumvirate, and she would have to bring someone. She thought she cleverly maneuvered Abaddon into imposing conditions on attending together that she could control—betting on the outcome of one of the matches. She thought Storme was about to hit a wall with a skilled opponent she was familiar with, so she planned to bet against him—Abaddon accepted too quickly.

She quickly learned that Abaddon owned Storme’s opponent and told him to throw the fight. She kicked herself for not realizing these tourneys were a shame. She then did the same with Storme, offering a substantial amount of platinum to ensure he lost. It would also link the young man to her and allow her to slowly bring him into her influence by being his patron.

That is where her plan began to unravel, as she had not researched him thoroughly enough. At least Storme took her coin and lost, so she could avoid attending the Gala with Abaddon. But Storme already had informal patrons in the form of Callem Dregalla and Master Reader Wynna. Both were rumored to possess substantial wealth—though not as much as hers, it was sufficient for him not to need her.

She decided to slowly claim Storme as hers anyway. He called in the requested favor. He wanted to purchase land in Aegis City for a restaurant. Every noble knew the little white wolf girl belonged to her, so seeing Bylura with Storme would signify him as Loriel’s in their eyes. Bylura would aid him in selecting and purchasing the land publicly. She researched his potential funds, guessed his price point, and planned to offer him a deal he couldn’t turn down on a property outside his means. He was young enough, he should jump at her generosity.

Then, to her utter shock, he selected a half-destroyed warehouse by the skyship docks! The docks were certainly not an ideal place for a restaurant. Since they were frequently attacked when the Sadians assaulted the cities, smart business owners moved to the trade or noble districts—at least those who could afford it.

He continued to resist her attempts to financially indebt himself to her. Callem and Wynna seemed to have planned to invest heavily in his project, so he didn’t need her wealth. She established Bylura to keep an eye on Storme during his first year at the academy, and she had sent Storme one of her closest friends, Isla Bricio, to assist him while also uncovering his weaknesses.

Isla found herself in a situation similar to Loriel's, lacking significant abilities and facing rejection from her father. While Loriel took her under her wing, Isla had too much pride to accept handouts. She aspired to work and become a successful architect.

Storme gratefully accepted Isla into his service, and Loriel felt she finally had her hooks into Storme. However, this was not the case, as Storme began spending Callem and Wynna’s platinum without restraint. How was she supposed to step in and offer her financial support such patrons backing him? 

The notes Bylura sent her from observing Storme at the academy puzzled her. Storme had an indentured half-elf, a real beauty, according to Bylura, named Aelyn. An inquiry revealed that another boy, Gareth, the one who had won the pre-academy tournament, was the one who had purchased the half-elf for Callem Dregalla. That was the assumption, but Bylura clearly noticed the indentured ring on Storme’s hand, not Callem’s.

That soured Loriel somewhat on Storme. She was opposed to the indentured system of the islands, which the Bricios made more and more restrictive each year. Who knows what the poor half-elf was being exposed to but Storme? It also foiled her backup plan of having Isla seduce Storme.

Bylura also reported various other intriguing facts about her target. Storme was, in fact, an excellent cook, and the other students raved about his food. He had two blonde twins doting on him day and night. Although they were average-looking, they were very fit. Another young woman named Mia also seemed to be part of Storme’s circle. So far, she had uncovered at least four women.

Bylura informed him that he had a younger sister with a monstrous guard dog that was unfriendly. Maybe the sister was a way to Storme since he seemed to dote on her.

Bylura also said Storme’s spells were already highly advanced. His cleanliness spell had lots of evolutions as did his mend flesh. This meant he either had a large aether pool to level them quickly while he was young, or he had some type of aether pool restorative ability.

Bylura also heard rumors that Storme had learned both the privacy spell and the alarm spells. He would be sought after just for his mend flesh spell by others, but with three other utility spells as well, he was a  treasure. She needed to get him.

When she heard the Hen’s Hollow academy was going to be matched with the upper city academy in Solaris, she decided to go and watch in person. The matches were fun to watch with Bylura at her side, giving her tons of information about the fighters from Hen’s Hollow.

The first boy to fight was Gareth, Storme’s best friend. He had won the pre-Academy annuals, and his connection to Callem Dregalla shielded him from a host of potential patrons. The boy appeared to be over twenty and was a marvelous physical specimen. She felt a tingle inside as she watched him fight. His masculine nature and confidence were attractive. Maybe she could seduce this boy instead as Storme was being so difficult. With such a monstrous young man at her side, Abaddon would keep his distance.

The next match was Storme’s brother, Bylura informed her. He was a competent fighter and managed to grind out a win as well. How did a small village like Hen’s Hollow produce such good warriors? It had to be the old man, Callem. Loriel knew he had been famous before she was born. She would have to look into Callem’s history further.

Storme’s fight did not go well to start. His opponent used some artificed weapon or an ability to gain a strike on Storme, shattering his hand. Isla grabbed Loriel’s in fear for Storme. Had he won Isla over in the short time they had been together?

Maybe, Loriel’s backup plan was to have Isla seduce Storme was still viable. Isla had mentioned she was impressed with Storme for his maturity and deep pockets. Loriel thought fostering romantic interest between the two would take more time—apparently not by the death grip currently on her hand.

Storme ignored the pain and continued to fight. He appeared furious as he pummeled his red-haired opponent, who eventually hobbled away in fear, conceding the match. Storme picked something off the ground where the mace had fallen… his own finger? Loriel nearly retched. She watched him get healed by the mages, and she almost missed the next match.

Bylura drew her attention to the match as Mia, one of Storme’s girls, was fighting. She was short and not that pretty, Loriel told herself. She was a good fighter, though. Was this Storme’s type? She had gone to the Academia Academy and hadn’t gained any skill in fighting.

She turned to her Wolfsguard, Gammon, and asked him to set up a training program for her. She wanted to learn the staff. He cocked his head in surprise.

Just do it,’ she growled at him. He was a great warrior and much smarter than he appeared by saying so little. But sometimes, his body language revealed what he was thinking. Right now, he was thinking that Loriel was more of a bookworm than a fighter.

The rest of the matches proceeded, and she was not as impressed with the blonde twins. They were excellent with their staves but not nearly as attractive as she was. She caught herself. Was she really considering Storme as a potential partner? No, it was way too early for that. She was almost 21, and he was 15. Although he did look much older.

No. She needed to be objective and think about what Storme’s utility was to her. She turned to Bylura and asked about Aelyn, the fourth woman. Bylura looked around and shook her head negatively. That was disappointing, as she wanted to assess this beauty herself.

As the contests were coming to a close, she decided to meet Storme in person and make him an offer he couldn’t refuse this time. She had Bylura go and fetch him. They would meet in a private room at a small alehouse she owned, giving her control of the environment.

Storme immediately flipped the meeting on her.

He confronted Isla for sharing the building plans with Loriel. This was, in fact, a very minor offense in Skyholme. She recalled that she had been promised a room, so she seized upon that detail to justify her actions.

She decided to try to placate Storme by offering him a more substantial revenue stream for his apartments, her original plan, but at a considerably higher value. She thought that even he wouldn’t be able to resist. However, he turned her down without even hearing her out.

She finally became angry with him and forced him listen to her. She mentally increased the rent from 10 to 20 gold for each apartment before she smugly made the offer. It was an amount he shouldn’t be able to refuse. He turned her down without hesitating, saying, ‘he had other plans for the rooms.’ 

She was thrown off balance by him again and her mind raced. From the plans, she had easily surmised that he planned to buy or build his own skyship. So, in a calm voice, she asked him how he would make the coin for it.

He shrugged and told her he would figure it out. He then mentioned they were now equal in the favors given and received. This made her angry, but she had to admire him. She would need to find another way to win him over. She decided to give him space. Taking Bylura with her, they flew back to her estate. Of course, she still had Isla in place to gather information on Storme. Hopefully, he didn’t dismiss her as well.

On her small skyship, Gammon met her on the deck and tossed her staff with an impassive expression, which she fumbled and dropped. I suppose she asked for this. She picked it up and faced him.