49 Requests (1/2)

The sixth floor, the highest in the city hall, was where Lys's official office was. Though nowadays, the lord didn't show up much, preferring to work from the comfort of his home. Li figured it was because of the duchess's presence and the ongoing celebration. The lord had to make a show of how official and hardworking he was.

The office spanned the length of almost the entire floor. Double doors of varnished and rune-enchanted wood stood tall and strong, glimmering with a faint white energy that warded away any peeping magic.

Two knights stood at either end of the doors, halberds crossed across the door.

When Li came up to them, they withdrew the halberds, their shoulder pauldrons clanking as they drew the halberds to their chests with swift, mechanical motions drilled over thousands of times.

These were the cream of the crop among the knights of Lys – grizzled veterans who were chosen not only for their combat prowess, but their fierce sense of duty to the crown.

Even amid celebration, they kept their helmet visors down and their postures as stiff as boards.

Li gave them a nod before opening the double doors.

The inside was more a meeting room than an office. At the center of the room was a round table. It wasn't overbearingly large, seating five people. Each seat, however, had its own unique design, and Li realized that these were meant for each of the rulers of the four cardinal cities and the duchess.

There was a chair encrusted with jewels for Montagne, one etched with vine patterns for Duvin, another with waves carved into its armrests for Trieste, a plain old chair with am embroidery of a dove stitched to its back cushion for Lys, and then a veritable throne plated in gold and topped with a gleaming sun for the royal capitol.

But that was not where Li was to sit today. Behind the table, at the back of the office, was a desk. Where the chair for Lys at the round table was humble, the desk oozed with luxury to a tacky extent, layered over with shining silver and gold with its corners capped with diadems.

Behind, reclining on a massive chair, was Lord Lys, his round and rather expansive figure filling up the whole breadth of the chair. When he saw Li, he huffed as he stood up.

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Li analyzed him. A short but wide man whose width decidedly did not come from muscle. Big bones, perhaps, with plenty of fat drooping from them. Worthy of his title as a lord, he dressed to impress with a platinum white doublet lined with golden buttons and velvety red breeches that strained to keep his belly in check.

Surprisingly, though, the man's jaw still managed to maintain some sharpness despite his weight. His eyes were blue but dull, not at all like the frosty and striking shades of the duchess. His hair was a mop of thinning white strands that would probably have looked better shaven off completely, but balding men like Lys tended to keep a hold on their waning hair in desperate denial for quite a while.

Overall, by the way he smiled, dressed, and the way he tried to maintain a dignified trot against his sizable mass, Li got the impression that Lys was a fairly approachable man that was nice because his wealth and dignity as a noble did not give him any reason to be particularly bitter at the world.

”Gracious greetings to you, easterner!” said Lys as he came up to Li. He motioned to his desk. ”Come, please sit.”

The two sat, and Li dove into business. ”Your receptionist told you what I came here for, right?”

Lys nodded. ”Of course.” He flicked his chubby hand like he was swatting away a fly. ”Bah, pay no heed to all that bureaucratic drivel. You are free to do as you wish with your harvests.”

Li raised a brow. ”That's it? No paperwork? No arguing?”

”Call it a sign of diplomatic friendship. Which reminds me, how are you enjoying this wondrous land?”