Chapter 103 103: trusted advisors

Words : 795 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

short chapter not the one I promised for the 25 comments ----------------------------- If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know. Leave a comment; support is always appreciated. I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see. ------------------------------- Nachhexen 22,2490 IC POV new graduate from Altdrof "So this is the city of Reinsfeld... quite the progress, don't you think, for what was just a small village a couple of years ago?" I remarked, glancing at my classmates. Everyone leaned out of the carriage windows, taking in the sight of a city still in the making. It lacked the walls to be considered a true city, but it was clearly well on its way there. I had managed to earn the recommendations and grades needed to serve under Graf Albrecht. I hadn't quite bested the top of the class, but this posting was still an excellent opportunity. Father could no longer pull strings to get all of us into Altdorf's administration, so this was a good start. The Graf was a wealthy man thanks to trade, his name known in the Imperial courts. Merxheim, one of his cities, had been the cause of no small amount of trouble for the merchants of Schilderheim. Now it was time to serve him and, with luck, secure a good administrative position where I could settle. The trip from the port of Schilderheim to Reinsfeld was short, marked by the many militia encampments along the road. The number of men stationed to keep the route safe surprised me; they made certain nothing bad would happen. Our arrival was met with silence. The peasants were probably out in the fields working. The carriages stopped at the entrance to the castle, which stood atop a hill. Around sixty graduates disembarked and began moving toward the interior. The castle bustled with workers cleaning and tidying, as if it had been left unused for a long time. "Strange, isn't it?" I said to one of my companions. "A bit... what noble leaves his castle in such a state that it needs this much cleaning now?" he replied. "As long as he pays what he promised..." another muttered. The guards led us to the great hall. As we moved down the corridors, we heard loud laughter from inside. The doors opened, revealing the Graf seated among a group of dwarfs, all laughing as they drank from enormous tankards of beer. "My lord, the graduates from the University of Altdorf have arrived," a guard announced. The young Graf's smile faded into a sharp, piercing gaze. "So you've finally arrived..." he said, rising to his feet. He studied us carefully as we entered, raising an eyebrow now and then at the attire of some. "These are the umgi who will be working for us," one of the dwarfs remarked. "That's right, Thorek. These are some of the finest Altdorf graduates in administration, accounting, and imperial tax law. The idea is for them to help you manage my cities more efficiently. With their support, Reinsfeld will prosper. Here you have the master treasurer, the master tax collector, the master of the port, the master of agriculture, the master architect, and the master auditor. They will be your new supervisors and will handle the paperwork for finances," the Graf explained with a smile. The dwarfs nodded. One lit his pipe and looked us over calmly. "I warn you: if any of you insult our dawi friends, I will not hesitate to have the headsman's axe sharpened," the Graf said grimly. We swallowed hard. "Oi, dawongi, don't be so harsh with these pups. We know they won't mean to offend us—they just might not yet know how to address the dawi respectfully," said a white-bearded dwarf, the treasurer. "Thank you, Harrik, I appreciate that. Right, you'll split into groups of ten and go with your new supervisors. For what I'm paying you, I expect exemplary work," the Graf concluded. We quickly divided into groups and received our first assignment: hire another ten civil servants from among the townsfolk who could read and write. It wouldn't be easy—very few in the city had that skill. On top of that, I was to oversee all monetary movements on the Graf's behalf and audit my fellow graduates to ensure spending was efficient and transparent. Corruption here wasn't punished with fines—if someone was caught diverting funds, they'd have their hands cut off and be thrown into the beastman-infested forest. ----------------------------- If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know. Leave a comment; support is always appreciated. I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see. -------------------------------

Chapter 103 103: trusted advisors

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