Chapter 15 The First Lesson (2/2)

*The Eldovian Era, Year 1692*

The doors crashed open and reverberated against the walls as Francois Kildare entered the main study with his youngest brother strolling in unperturbed behind him. His guests had left to the elder sibling's apologetic sincerities and the younger's indifference.

”You were supposed to arrive just after noon,” Francois snapped, turning to glare at his youngest brother.

Phillip shrugged, ”I did. Thought I'd spend some time getting to know the city for the day”.

”Varkevia is one of over forty trade cities in the empire, and over a hundred outposts of the Kildare Trade Association, getting to know one city is not worth your time,” Francois stated.

”I think it is,” Phillip replied, ”After all, how can we know what the people here want if we do not know them?”

Phillip relaxed onto the day bed to the side and Francois glared over at him.

”So you're serious about the family business then?” asked Francois.

Phillip scoffed, ”Do I have a choice?”

”No,” Francois replied, ”Though considering you were galivanting at that knight school for the last three years I think you're far behind what is expected of you”.

Francois picked up a document and handed it to Phillip, ”Here, what do you think of this?”

Phillip took the sheet of paper and scanned it quickly, ”This is the trade deal with the elves?”

Francois nodded, his expression softening. He may have been disappointed in his brother's earlier conduct, but Phillip was still his brother. If anything, Francois was reluctant to squash the free-spirit that had brought such light to their household in their early years when their father was rarely present.

”Why trade with them for food? We have no lack of fertile crops in the area, nobody has starved to death in years, a feat I remember the Emperor is well-known for,” Phillip stated.

”It's not just food,” Francois replied, ”Volotun Fruits are ripe with magical essenses, eating them has many extraordinary benefits”.

”Such as?” asked Phillip. He had never heard of Volotun Fruits.

”It can heal incurable diseases, make the lame and insane well again, even regrow limbs in the right circumstances. And, in rare instances, it can awaken latent Magician Genes,” Francois stated, ”The Emperor is very eager to get his hands on them for the advancement of the people”.

Phillip's eyes widened as his brother's list grew, ”And the changes are permanent?”

Francois nodded, ”Very much so. It's already been tested at Jarrica”.

Jarrica, the coal mine. It was a well-known prison mine, and there were talks of what went on there. Of inhumane experiments on those of ”lesser” status.

Phillip frowned, ”Are you sure its safe? And what do they even want in return?”

”That's pretty simple actually, they want to be able to use our Magicians,” Francois stated, ”After all, their people can only produced Earth and Nature based Magicians, Magicians of the other elements don't appear there”.

”Why?” asked Phillip.

”Sorry?” asked Francois.

”Why do they want our magicians? I mean, its reasonable to assume that we want this Volotun fruit to do the miraculous, but the Elves have been a stable society since before the Lithian Era*, why do they want access to the other elemental magicians now?” asked Phillip.

Francois paused at this, as if it was not a thought he'd had before, then shook his head, ”It's not for us to question. This is a mutually beneficial deal, and I have full authority to negotiate and sign off on it. You're here so you can watch and learn”.

”But-”

”You're already on thin ice with dad, Phillip, please don't push it,” Francois begged.

Phillip had never seen his brother beg. His brother was domineering and unmoveable, the perfect heir to the Duke's title. And yet...there was more to his position than met the eyes. More to this family and its business. There was a reason Phillip had run, he was just too cowardly to acknowledge it. Now...it seemed he would no longer have a choice in the matter.