Enlightened Empire

For once, things had gone according to plan for Corco. Even though he had been worried at first, the entire festival had started swimmingly. Without any complaints or any interruptions, the lords of the south-western estates had mingled inside Rapra Castle’s inner garden. Even his cousin Mayu had played nice, clearly intent on accepting Corco’s olive branch. In a measure to restart their relations, Mayu had framed of Corco’s achievements in the context of Sachay’s progress, which would serve to make the young king popular among the lords, more than he had been already.

Every time the lords marveled at the cups made from crystal glass and enjoyed the cocktails Corco had fixed up for them, it brought a genuine smile to the king’s face. In fact, over the past few months he had set aside some extra time and effort just to get the bitters right and was happy to see it become such a rousing success. Even so, the cocktails and crystal glasses were only appetizers for what was to come.

Better yet, the arrival of the siblings from the Verdant Isles marked a major milestone in his reign. Here they were, even though Corco hadn’t expected them to answer his invitation. If things had gone on like this, he would have been able to fulfill all of today’s goals without any troubles. Even uniting the south in one fell swoop would have been entirely possible. Everything had started on such a nice note, but of course, the good times never last.

The arrogant stance of the pirate in Corco’s front spoke of this meaning louder than real words ever could. Corco had hoped that with the appearance of the first of the Villca heirs, he would be able to establish a link with the east as well, just like he had managed with the west. However, now it seemed as if all of his plans had fallen flat. Weary of the intruder, Atau had positioned himself in front of his cousin, his massive mace ready to strike.

"No one without an invitation will be let inside!" the captain shouted.

"But I have my invitation right here." With an eerie nonchalance, the bandit who had introduced himself as Uchu Villca held up a piece of paper in between his fingers. "The invitation is even signed by the king himself. I assume that would be the small fat man behind you, warrior?"

"What did you just call your king, bastard? And you’re faking the king’s invitation too? You’re really itching to get your head smashed in, huh?" With a wide grin, the captain stepped up to swat away the annoying fly. Before things could escalate further, Corco was forced to step in.

"Wait!" he said. "A king’s invitation, fake or not, should not be taken lightly. So let’s see what he has to say in his defense. You can still smash his head in late."

"I’d like to see him try," Uchu returned.

"...maybe it’s time to stop showing off. You’re in my castle, surrounded by my guards. Most people here in this yard are accomplished cultivators. Do you think you’re immortal or something?"

Rather than answer the king’s question, the audacious bandit only stared back, up and down, to judge the man before him. Ready to face the inflated ego, Corco began to step up towards his newest guest. Only two steps however and he could feel his shoulder getting held back by Atau. The warrior was unwilling to see his cousin in danger and so put himself in between the two parties once more.

"So you’re supposed to be the king then, huh?" Uchu said at last, a dismissive sneer plastered all over his face.

"Am I not to young master Villca’s tastes?" Corco replied in a dry tone.

"Aren’t you the guy who beat the invincible hero to death, according to the songs? I thought you wouldn’t be this fat and short then. And I didn’t recognize you without that crown of yours."

Annoyed enough to play politician, Corco put on a fake smile to hide his anger.

"Okay. I don’t look much like a king and you don’t look much like a noble son with the terrible teeth and cheap clothes. Now that we’re done insulting each other you might want to tell me what the fuck you’re doing here, apart from ruining my banquet of course? Depending on your answer I might even allow you to leave with your head."

A strange smile formed on the bandit’s face, one which somehow made Corco uneasy, as if a terrifying beast hid behind the casual attitude.

"I’m here to take part in that banquet. I’m a guest like anyone else. Doesn’t matter if I’m not wearing your fancy clothes either. I’m more nobleman than any of these fattened seals," he said with a gesture towards the southern lords who had started to form a crowd behind Corco.

"How dare this scrawny bastard!" Up until now the lords had been patient in their observation, but now that they themselves were attacked, all of them had lost their calm at once. Stirred up by the bandit’s little prod, it seemed as if the high-honorable lords of Sachay were about to pick up pitchforks and torches for a good, old-fashioned lynch mob.

"No one moves!" Just as Lord Queru Huaman got himself ready to either tackle or quarter Uchu, the king spoke up again. His loud voice carried over the crowd and managed to suppress the stirring, at least for the moment. "Who dares speak judgment or start a fight on my land!"

With the words of authority spoken, no one was willing to charge forward and insult the new King of the South any longer. However, the lords still stared at the bandit like a pack of hyenas around a fresh carcass, so the onus was still on Corco to clean up the bandit’s mess and give everyone a satisfying conclusion to this mess. Thus, the king began to question the bandit.

"You say you’re a guest, but I’m sure I didn’t write an invitation for any ’Uchu Villca’. Plus, even if you were here on invitation, it’s probably best to wipe that smug smile off your face before one of the surrounding lords loses his temper and challenges you to a duel. You really wouldn’t want that, I can guarantee you."

"I wouldn’t mind, for sure. That’s how I got my invitation after all. To be fair, it really isn’t mine, not really. It used to belong to my little bro, Khune Villca. That is, before I took it from him. All done through a duel, just like you rich folk like it." Still unfazed by the vicious stares around him, the bandit sneered again, in defiance of laws and traditions.

"Bullcrap!" Atau shouted, to mirror the thoughts of everyone around. "A common bandit, fight in an honorable duel? How would some common bastard ever even meet the young master of Cashan?"

"Ahaha, that one’s easy. This young master just saw the pretender Khune travel down my river a couple days back. I’ll stop anyone who dares travel through my land without paying his taxes, just like all of you people. Turns out, the one I stopped was the pretender, one of those fake offshoots of my father’s, the ones who got all the bad parts of the great Hero Villca and only left the good bits for me to inherit."

"In any case, since the pretender was on his way to meet the king, I was shocked to hear of the king’s banquet, and that the true heir to Cashan wasn’t invited at all. After all, father always did tell me that I was the first born son. So since I wasn’t invited, I invited myself, truly a man of action like father. I beat the pretender in one of those stargazing duels you people love so much, took his invitation and sent him on his way."

This sounded more and more like trouble. In fact, winning a proper, sanctioned duel between lords would be just about the only legitimate way to take another man’s invitation... which meant that bandit chief Uchu had every right to be here. If the bandit wasn’t lying, that was. Even though Corco wasn’t willing to accuse the bandit of trickery without proof, it was a hard thought to discount. However, to his own good fortune, Corco didn’t have to accuse anyone. Instead, his cousin did all the work for him.

"You, winning against a proper noble warrior? I’ve met Khune Villca before and he was very much his father’s son. I’d never believe that some unwashed bastard could ever beat a proper man in a fight." The mace released a heavy thud on the earthen ground to support Atau’s claim. "Or maybe the bandit’s idea of a duel is a swift club to the back of the head. Who knows how many men it took you to win that ’duel’ of yours."

"Ah, you’re not trying to fib me out of my place here, are you?" Uchu asked in the same light tone he had held this entire time.

"For now, it’s your word against my cousin’s. And I’m not inclined to believe in a bandit’s word without any proof." Although he still held the same calm smile as before, Corco was happy that his cousin had given him an excuse to catch the bandit, rather than being forced to invite Uchu into his home. However, hellbent on destroying Corco’s nice banquet, Uchu made things difficult once again.

"So it’s proof you want? How about a witness?" he said as he pointed behind himself. Since the man had already been surrounded by guards and lords by the time Corco had arrived in his front, the king hadn’t noticed that the bandit hadn’t come alone. In fact, he had brought a proper attendant with him. Brought into the spot light at last, the short man stepped forward to make himself known.

"Official Atau, we meet once again," he said. For a moment, Atau only stared back, frozen in shock, before he was able to give his reply.

"...Guachimine Villca. How did the fourth son of House Villca find himself in the employ of a common bandit?"

"Fifth son. I’m first, remember?" Uchu corrected. While Atau returned another poisonous stare, the younger Villca son put down the wooden box he had held in his arms all this time. Now freed to perform a proper greeting, the young man did what was expected of him.

"Official Atau, Lord Uchu has indeed bested second brother Khune in a stargazing brawl. Even more so, this youngster himself was the one to oversee the duel. Thus, there is no reason to doubt Lord Uchu’s legitimacy."

"And you didn’t go back home with young master Khune after he lost his invitation?" With a sneer to rival Uchu’s, the implication of Guachimine’s treachery was as clear as crystal glass. Yet somehow, the young master ignored the silent accusation.

"Of course not. Impressed by the might and wisdom of Lord Uchu, this young master decided to submit to the superior man. And to the only legitimate heir to Cashan."

Throughout the entire exchange, Corco hadn’t said a single word, but now he was forced into action. The king knew what would happen next if he didn’t intervene. Atau would continue to probe and provoke, until Corco could find an excuse to have both men arrested, which would be as good as a death sentence for the disrespectful bandit. This way, the king could sell a favor to all three Villca heirs and even make the trade routes to the east a good bit safer in the process. However, this wasn’t a move Corco could make. With an inaudible sigh, the king stepped up again, once more past his cousin.

"King Corcopaca Pluritac greets young master Uchu Villca." With the customary words spoken and under the groans of the lords around them, the bandit became a young master and the invitation official.

"About time. Nice to meetcha, king. Now then, where’s the booze?" And thus, the bandit stormed through the crowd and towards the tables at the other end of the yard. A quick shake of Corco’s head, framed by his deep scowl, made the furious Atau halt in his tracks. Just like his cousin, the king also wanted to do nothing more than to storm ahead and punish the rude bastard, but for now, they would have to swallow their pride. Attacking a guest in his own home would be bad for Corco’s reputation, which was why Atau had tried to provoke Uchu. However, provoking the guest to create a flimsy excuse for punishment would reflect even worse on Atau. Even though their efforts to unite the south had to be sped up, driven by Pacha’s war efforts, Corco wasn’t willing to sacrifice his cousin’s future in his country for an easy shortcut.

"King Corcopaca," the shaky voice of Guachimine Villca came from behind and interrupted the voiceless conversation between the cousins, "Lord Uchu is very glad to have been accepted as a guest. However, it is unfortunate that Lord Uchu has not received proper etiquette training and thus might seem a bit rude. Please allow this young master to apologize for Lord Uchu’s lack of proper decorum."

"It’s fine," Corco said, not willing to waste too much time on the turn coat. Now that he had done his duty, Guachimine’s eyes lit up before he turned to reclaim his wooden box.

"In that case, Lord Uchu has tasked this young master to hand this present to King Corco, as a humble offer of friendship."

Rather than Corco, it was Atau who took the present. Of course it was only a security measure, to prevent another assassination attempt. Predictably, the experienced captain wasn’t interested in the tributes of a bandit and so replied to the fifth Villca son with nothing but a scoff.

"To this young master’s misfortune, he will have to attend his lord and thus will have to leave King Corco here." With another nervous bow, the fifth son of Villca left as soon as the box had left his hands.

Meanwhile, a confused Atau had put the present onto the ground once more and began to open it. Spell-bound, the collected company around tightened their encirclement as they came closer to see the contents of the mysterious package. While Corco was still deep in thought about the uncomfortable turn his banquet had taken, a gasp from the crowd returned his attention to the present. Worried he turned, and found the box filled with red. Dried stains of blood had covered the entirety of the gift’s insides, and in its center, stood on its neck, was a severed head.

A young man with sharp features and sparse hair stared up into the clouded sky with shock. Even though Corco had never seen the previous owner of the head, he still recognized the typical features. Still, his brain wouldn’t accept the truth right before his eyes, unwilling to face the horrible consequences. In the end, it was Atau’s breathless voice which confirmed Corco’s worst fears.

"It’s Khune Villca. The madman actually killed a Medala noble."