"Fates can be more destructive than armies, we really don't want to tick one of those off if we can possibly help it. Unless as you said, we have a chance and a good reason."

"I mean, if the good reason were your safety I'm pretty sure I'd go at it even if I had no chance."

"Let's try not to test that, yeah?"

Sadde's crystal rings. The networked one, not the individual ones he has for Nils and that mermaid.

He picks it up. "Hello."

"Sadde, this is Graz Lakin with Empire Imports, we had a chat on Friday, I just wanted to let you know the status of our quality testing. We have tentatively positive results on all counts. Now, the board wants us to wait and see some more, but I think I can bring them around to the idea that if there's a golden opportunity sitting right in front of you, you'd be a fool not to grab it."

"Why I happen to fully agree with this assessment."

"Right, which is why you and Clara get along so well, I think. Bit reckless, that one. At any rate, the arrangement we're interested in is supplying the tier-2 materials you've already provided at scale for distribution, the market there's big enough that you can't actually saturate it and just make some money. Tier-3 materials are mostly the same but we'll want samples to test on first, again, and it'll take some time to contract with the Tridents for more convoy escorts out of Windvale. Tier-3 is valuable enough to be a big target for professional pirates, you see. There are legal issues with tier-4 materials, the extremely rare stuff, still investigating if that can happen."

"What are the legal issues?"

"Various. Including tax, liability, agricultural, and royal. I can have a packet prepared for your lawyer if you like."

"That sounds lovely."

"Right. Busy day for us, Monday, I have to go soon. Want me to have Clara call you later with more info, or just wait until it's time to work out a bigger order from you?"

"If there's more information worth having, I'd like her to call me with it."

"Great, will do. Have fun with the four mil you already have."

"Will do!" Click.

"So that sounded like good-ish news."

"Yeah, it did. We're gonna be rich and become reigning monarchs of this branch of the Golden Empire and eradicate involuntary death," he singsongs.

"Sounds appealing - does your Empress even know you're here, though?"

"Unless the Imperial Factotum—the vankire who turned me, back during the old administration—happens to think of me while the mindreading Emperor is around, it's unlikely she'll know I exist."

"And you think she'll just let us be the local extension of this empire."

"Yeah. She founded the Empire like last year and doesn't exactly have a lot of staff."

"...So much for the images of history and grandeur I came up with when thinking about an immortal empress."

He giggles. "It's a bit odd to think about it like that, yeah, but before that we had evil despots whose only law was 'eat humans discreetly' and who liked collecting witches in pieces in their basement. The new regime is much better."

"And she's a just revolutionary too. Now I'm picturing someone brandishing a torch and broadsword."

"I don't think there are any broadswords as sharp as a vankire's teeth, and I understand there were matches rather than torches involved."

"I'll just as soon not meet that mind-reading husband though. Precognition being able to see me is already a bit much."