B4 Chapter 24: Empire of Laws

Tiberius strode through the castle, his gaze forward. Behind him trailed a flock of his empire's other most important figures---Legatus Gaius to his right, Guildmaster Hyde to his left, as well as Duke Redcliffe and a collection of other capable individuals and mercantile group leaders.

When he'd been Legatus, he sometimes lamented the amount of administrative work laid upon his shoulders. Often it seemed as though the position was that of a clerk who only occasionally oversaw battles rather than the other way around.

Now, he almost wished for a return to the paperwork. At least it gave him a reprieve from the meetings he found himself embroiled in every single day. Worse, most were with politicians, merchants, people who had never been soldiers.

He knew how to manage them, of course, given his time in the Senate back home. But it was a far less pleasant matter. There was something lost there. A shared experience and sense of purpose that others simply did not feel without having fought for their home.

It was one of the reasons he'd been grateful to come to this world---it had given him more opportunity to be that soldier, that leader of men upon the battlefield.

He paused at the door to the throne room, allowing his posse a moment to gather. At his nod, a pair of Legionnaires pushed the grand doors open.

A collection of nobles stood at his entrance. The group was far smaller than it had been even a year ago. Those who had attempted to take advantage of Tiberius or plot betrayal were no more. At least, most of them. Tiberius rather suspected that even some of these had tested those waters, though more cleverly and without leaving an obvious trail.

The group took a knee at the emperor's approach. Tiberius's eyes flicked across the group, noting those who knelt too quickly or too slowly. It took a significant effort to suppress his contempt for the nobles. But he managed. Though he was technically one himself and becoming more of one each day, he still held no love for the schemers.

Tiberius swept into the room and ascended the throne, his party splitting to take positions around the room. As he sat, so too did the rest of the people in attendance.

He gestured for Lucius to step forward. "Lucius. You have a report regarding the western territories?"

His aide stepped forward and dipped his head respectfully. "Yes, emperor. We have received word that contact has been made with the dwarves in the Spire's Peak mountains. We have sent a diplomat to speak with them. The results were positive, and hostilities have ceased."

A round of soft muttering filled the room at the declaration. Surprise from the humans gathered, most of whom had never seen a dwarf. Shock from the merchants who had tried to make contact before. Confusion from the leader of the Adventurer's Guild, who likely knew better than most the temperament of that short race.

"Good," Tiberius said simply, as though this were a given. "We will send additional parties to speak with them and negotiate the terms of our alliance."

Of course, this was not news to Tiberius. He'd heard the report earlier and in far more detail. Which was why Lucius didn't elaborate further or explain that such an alliance might not be as easy to establish as he presented. All these people needed to know was that their emperor had managed to broker a deal with yet another hidden and ancient power, one that could potentially bring a torrent of masterwork-quality weapons and ores flooding into the empire. He already saw some of the merchants salivating.

Tiberius couldn't help but feel a little annoyed, however, that his initial diplomat was out of the picture. After completing his task, Marcus had apparently taken off deeper into the mountains, supposedly on a "divine mission" from Apollo.

He didn't send anyone after the man. After seeing what the gods could do, Tiberius was more than a little hesitant to cross them unnecessarily. Still, he would have very much liked to get the information from the bard himself. Who knew what kinds of details he'd left out of his report?

Regardless, there was little he could do about it right now. If the bard wanted to venture into unknown territory, then he would allow it for now. Though he rather doubted that anyone who lived beneath the earth would find reason to worship a sun they'd hardly seen. The very concept seemed preposterous. Far more likely that Marcus simply wanted to shirk his responsibilities once again---both to Tiberius and to his family.

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His eyes flicked to the pair of women standing near the back of the room. Their children were nowhere to be seen, likely being cared for by nannies at the moment. More than once, he'd reconsidered his decision to let them stay, especially considering their relation to the previous ruler. But the twins had made themselves quite useful. They were a constant source of information regarding the other nobles that filled the room---their histories, their weaknesses, their abilities. They had even brought plots to Tiberius's attention more than once. They'd proven themselves valuable assets and capable ones as well.

Between that and Marcus's affection for the pair, Tiberius was content to keep them around. Their presence was a reminder of his mercy and fairness. They were the last remnants of the northern nobility and royal line that helped keep all of the former nobles in check, both as a threat and potentially the only chance to return their kingdom to glory.

Still, the sharp intelligence he saw in their eyes made him ever wary of their own plots.

His attention returned to the rest of the room. If only half of these men were as capable. Then, he wouldn't have had nearly so much trouble. But alas. Perhaps the next generation would find themselves having to earn their merits more than their predecessors.

"Guildmaster Hyde," Tiberius continued. "I hear you have updates about your people as well."

The man nodded. "Indeed, emperor. There is significant interest in becoming Legionnaires among some adventurers. Mostly the younger ones or those who have stalled in their progress... and women. The effort is being led by Rowena Broadstone."

Tiberius hid his displeasure. The woman had not ceased hounding anyone who would listen about the idea of female Legionnaires. When he'd barred her from his presence, she'd simply begun to work on the guildmaster and whatever Legionnaire aides she could reach. It seemed as though she'd stepped up her efforts recently.

He still had absolutely no intention of allowing such an inane proposal to go through. But the high-level adventurer's stubbornness would have been impressive if it weren't so problematic.

"I have made my stance on women Legionnaires and auxiliaries clear," Tiberius said. "However, adventurers who wish to serve their empire through their efforts are welcome. Any males of level twenty or above will be assured leadership positions within the auxiliaries upon joining."

Tiberius felt the slight dissatisfaction of the Legionnaires present at the declaration. However, this was different than simply letting some pampered noble lead men. Any adventurer of that level was battle-hardened and thoroughly tested. They had to be, in order to reach such heights. And while they weren't soldiers exactly, they would be able to command significant respect through experience alone, even after their levels were reset. They would prove themselves.

Of course, they would still be humbled during training. But that was another matter.

Guildmaster Hyde nodded, having already been briefed on the plan. It was a bit of a compromise, and the high-level requirement assured that the man wouldn't lose too many of his younger adventurers to the promise of a Legionnaire's power. Tiberius suspected they wouldn't receive too many recruits this way. But the ones they did get would be quite valuable assets indeed.

There were a few more matters they covered during the meeting. Minor disputes and grievances between nobles and governors of the empire's territories made up the brunt of them, though there were a few more positive developments as well. The merchants were apparently quite satisfied with the newfound ease and speed of trade throughout the empire and were clamoring for more roads to be built, especially to neighboring lands.

They would, of course, do just that. Even if it meant conquering those neighbors first. Though so far, Tiberius had managed to keep the prospect of another war at bay, and the resulting stability was proving a great boon to their lands. Still, he had not leveled in quite a long time. That feeling of stagnation itched at him more than he wanted to admit.

Eventually, after a report on the increased crop yield that Ceres’s elven priests had helped to accomplish, Tiberius allowed silence to settle over the room. All eyes turned to him in anticipation.

"The final matter to address," he announced, "is the results of the provincial elections. The final results have been collected, tallied, and will now be announced to all present."

At his nod, Lucius handed him a rolled piece of parchment. He unfurled it and began to read.

"Redcliffe province---Duke Mark of house Redcliffe. Lorraine province---Duke Klein of house Lorraine..."

Voting had been a bit of a problem. Normally, only citizens could vote; however, there hadn’t been generations of citizens who had settled down to vote, so Tiberius had to bend some rules.

The list went on and on. Most of it was a formality, as most of the elected representatives of the provinces were those already leading them. However, there were a few upsets, particularly in cases where the previous leader had been deposed or otherwise removed. Additionally, there were quite a number of elected representatives who didn't come from noble houses at all.

Tiberius had worked to ensure that was the case, hoping that it would temper the political machinations of everyone involved. Or they would realize they needed him for political protection, and he would have an unassailable voting bloc. Either way, he won.

As he finished reading off the list, the room filled with a buzz of conversation. A mixture of pride, disappointment, and heatedness as those present learned whether they had successfully gained more power. Or whether they would be outside of such meetings in the future.

Tiberius stood, causing those assembled to fall silent. The few that didn't soon found themselves the subject of his scrutiny---a rather unenviable position, as his men had once said. Then, he spoke.

"These are the results of the first senate election of the Roman Empire," he announced. "In addition to these senators, the Legati Gaius, Sylendor, and Quintus shall also be granted the position of senator. As such, I declare the Senate established."