13 Chapter 13: A Party

The Earl walked off of the stage and joined the rest of the party and quickly began socializing. After tending to a few conversations with individuals of higher ranks, Earl Gray walked over to Alice and Alicia who are sitting at a table with no one else talking about various subjects.

"So, I take it you are trying to figure out why an earl would invite so many lowborns, right?" Julianna asked as she leaned against the wall Liam is leaned against, which is not far from where Alice and Alicia are sitting. Liam nodded.

"I can think of various reasons, but I am unsure as to whether or not he would actually do this for those reasons, I lack vital information about his character." Liam said.

"Well, given by what I know about him, he is likely hoping to garner the support of valuable assets. Individuals who have great wealth, strength, or power. Things of that sort. But don't let that make you think his kindness is fake, it's as real as the gold and platinum I made for you." Julianna said.

"That is one of the things I figured would be his line of reasoning, but I was unsure until now." Liam said.

"What are you guys talking about?" Braydon asked.

"The purpose of this event." Liam said blandly.

"I see. Well, in my eyes it is just a social gathering. But it would make sense that there would be more than meets the eye. I'm rather hopeless when it comes to spotting those kinds of things, so Alice is the one that would point it out for me." Braydon said lightly.

"With the help of Julianna, I have deduced that the reason is the earl would like to form connections with individuals who can be considered powerful. Whether it is in strength, wealth, or political power. Then again, that is not uncommon for such gatherings." Liam said.

"Ah, I see. That would make sense. Gathering those connections that you can call upon can be useful if you get stuck in a tight spot." Braydon said.

"Or if you wish to increase your influence." Liam added.

"That would be the two primary functions of having connections in high places." Julianna said.

"That makes sense." Braydon said as Alicia stood from the table and began walking over to their group.

"Well, I suppose I should use this event to the fullest, even if it tires me." Liam said as Alicia arrived at the group.

"So, Braydon, what are you going to do about Kenna~?" Alicia asked as Liam walked away.

"I would prefer not to think about that at the moment." Braydon said.

"Oh, who's this Kenna girl~?" Julianna asked as she looked at Alicia and hopped into the conversation.

"A girl with a major crush on Braydon." Alicia said as she giggled slightly.

"Oh~? I've been looking for gossip to talk about, but there isn't really much in the manor since nothing ever happens." Julianna said.

"Can you two stop? I won't be going out with this girl. She's twelve." Braydon said with a sigh.

"Oh~? But aren't you eleven now? There's nothing morally wrong with dating inside your age group~." Alicia said with a giggle.

"I almost forgot that he used to be in his teens. Well, I guess that is an awkward position for you then." Julianna said with a gentle tone.

"Aww, come one, you're supposed to help me make him feel uncomfortable~." Alicia said with a joking whiney tone.

"Well, I can see where his conflict is coming from and it seems like he needs some help figuring out what to do." Julianna said.

"Well, I did already say that-" Braydon started, but suddenly a piece of paper appeared in front of his face. He caught it as gravity began to take affect on it once more.

'Come here.' It read.

'Saved by the bell...' Braydon thought. "Sorry, Alice needs me for something." Braydon said.

"Alright, talk to you later." Julianna said. Alicia nodded.

"I do hope to speak with you later as well. Ah, also, don't take my jokes to seriously, I am just being a bit mean." Alicia said.

"That doesn't make you sound any better!" Julianna said with a slightly raised tone. Braydon chuckled as he walked away.

Liam wrapped his arm around Yue's waist as he approached her. "Hello, I am Liam Torrson, a pleasure to meet you." He said to the man Yue was speaking with as he put out his opposite hand. The man seemed a bit surprised for a moment.

The man shook Liam's hand as he regained his composure. "A pleasure. I am Baron George Martoli." He said with a smile as he greeted Liam. The man has green eyes and tan skin. He is slightly overweight and has round features. His hair is brown and short. "I take it you are one of the merchants invited to this event." He said.

"Something like that." Liam said. "More importantly, I would like to know how things fare for you in recent times." Liam said as he shifted the topic.

"Well, my territory has been doing well, the farmers in the area are about as fruitful as usual, but I have noticed that more merchants are coming to my territory." George said.

"That is rather splendid. To have a good flow of merchants is to have a good flow of money. After all, merchants still have to pay taxes and fees." Liam responded.

"Yes, speaking of taxes, I have been thinking of temporarily raising mine, just so I can earn enough to found a library and hire a public tutor for the villagers." He said.

"I do not recommend that, after all, if your taxes are low, that is why there are so many merchants coming to your territory. Us merchants look for the routes that will cost us the least to travel, so if your territory were to have an expensive toll or tax, we would likely avoid it. Of course, that would also mean if your tax is low, we are far more likely to travel through your territory, assuming the tax of the surrounding territories isn't overly high either." Liam explained.

"I see. Yes, that does make sense. Hmm, perhaps I could convince a few individuals to lower their taxes to increase the flow, of course, I would have to be selective about the territories I choose..." George said as he began to go deep into thought.

"You know a lot about that, Liam." Yue said.

"Of course, it is my profession after all." Liam said.

"I suppose that is true." Yue said. 'I guess he is playing the role of a merchant. But then again, I suppose that would actually assist us in our current goal.' Yue thought as she glanced at her ring.

"Of course, if you are adamant about raising your tax, allow word to get around that your taxes are low, then, after a while raise them. The primary issue is that this strategy could make your realm look unstable and seem like a bad location for trade." Liam said. "At the end of the day, it is short-term gain versus long-term gain." Liam added.

"Yes, I do see what you are saying. I have much to ponder, thank you for your insights, Mr. Torrson." George said. Liam nodded and George walked away.

"It seems you easily claimed me." Yue said lightly with a smile.

"Was he flirting with you?" Liam asked.

"He was certainly trying, but the moment you arrived, he seemed to have choked on his words." Yue said with a giggle.

"Well, I suppose many men would want a woman like you. You are... Exotic, to them." Liam said.

"Did you say that because I'm Asian?" Yue asked.

"Yes, yes I did. But not only that, you are a beautiful woman and you have a unique look to you, or, at least you are different from the average woman here." Liam said.

"Ahh, I see. So I am likely to draw attention for that reason. I was wondering what Julianna meant the other day." Yue said.

"I'm going to have to ask Julianna what that conversation was about later." Liam said. Suddenly, Julianna felt chills run down her spine.

The rest of the night went well, and eventually, everyone retired for the night. Some stayed at the estate while others went to an inn.