On the black foundations, pure white marble columns surrounded the area. Groups of male and female slaves moved back and forth in the long corridors, gathering at the flowing courtyard in the center of the palace.
Water, mixed with ice cubes, slowly flowed through specially crafted channels, bringing a rare coolness to the scorching heat of Volantis. Neatly trimmed shrubs divided the entire courtyard like a maze. Flowers bloomed, and the scent of melons and fruits could be clearly smelled even outside the massive palace.
At the center of the courtyard, several gem-embedded reclining chairs were placed. Men in toga-like robes lay in groups of two or three on the chairs. Female slaves, dressed lightly, raised their faces adorned with flowers and hearts, offering fresh fruits and light green Volantis wine to their masters' lips.
"Doran, your plan has failed." A man with an exaggerated beard took a sip of the green wine handed to him by the slave. "The pigs and bastards of the Bontaro family are dead. The coward ran to your father and cried. If it weren't for your father being willing to lose face, this would have likely turned out badly."
Doran Megaya picked up a roasted sacred golden beetle from the back of a kneeling male slave, dipped it in some chili, and threw it into his mouth, chewing loudly. "That's their stupidity. I told them to test the Vaelarys boy, but I never told them to steal property. Heh, is the old wizard's stuff so easy to steal?"
"The tiger has been silent for too long." The man who spoke was tall and thin, with a mustache as thin and sharp as a sword. "When the old wizard was alive, we were suppressed by those spineless cowards from the Elephant Party's. Now that the old wizard is dead, what is the boy doing?"
He sat up, took a large gulp of the green wine, and kicked the wine-serving slave over. "Go fetch the Vaelarys silver wine, you bitch. The silver wine packs more punch."
The slave who was kicked did not dare to raise her head, crawling out on all fours.
"The boy is selling his father's land," the man's expression twisted into a snarl. "Doran, what do you think he's trying to do? That land is the old wizard's legacy."
"I don't know." Doran Megaya casually picked through the food, grabbed a fried worm that was golden and crispy, and cut it open to reveal meat paste mixed with chili sauce inside.
"Anyway, I'll buy as much as he sells. Too bad the Elephant Party's little brats are causing trouble. Otherwise, all that land would be ours."
"Is it only the land?" A voice came from an old man who had been silently drinking wine.
"Lord Berisio, what do you mean?" The bearded man quickly sat up and turned his face toward the head of the Megaya family, the Tiger Party's governing official.
"Doran, doesn't your contract exclude the farmers on the land and the workers in the workshops?" Berisio's simple question stirred a great turmoil in Doran's heart.
"Generally speaking, the inclusion of slaves with land estates is an accepted rule," Doran replied.
"But the old wizard had no rules." Berisio said lightly. "The farmers on his land, the workers in his workshops, the miners in his mines, and the soldiers in his army were all different from Volantis' traditions. Those…" The old official paused. "They weren't slaves, but hired workers, so their contracts are still in the boy's hands."
"This…" Doran thought for a moment. "Lord Berisio, but the land is already ours. The yield from these lands far exceeds ours. It's already more than worth the cost."
"Without the old wizard's skilled farmers, workers, or his techniques, how can you guarantee the yield for the coming years?" Berisio could hardly contain his frustration. "Are you jumping into a hole just because it's there?" He scowled. "Did you use high prices to compete with the Elephant Party's brats?"
"Yes." Doran's face flushed with embarrassment. "But the land is still important. More than half of the Vaelarys family estates are in Elephant Party territory. We can use this to infiltrate their voting districts."
"We're not at war with the Elephant Party's brats right now," Berisio put a hand to his forehead. "Or do you think we can win their votes?"
A silence followed.
"Forget it." Berisio, seeing no one respond, continued on his own. "Doran, you can continue to acquire the land of the Vaelarys family. Since the boy is selling it, it's not a bad thing to buy it back. At the very least, it can earn a favor from the family."
"I understand, Lord Berisio." Doran, encouraged by the fact that his actions hadn't been completely rejected, perked up. "My intention was also to gain favor with the Vaelarys family."
"But..." The bearded man suddenly thought of something. "The coward of the Bontaro family seems to want to do something... Should we..."
Berisio narrowed his eyes. "These matters have nothing to do with us." He paused for a moment.
"Ignore them."
"Are you saying that after the Vaelarys boy buried the old wizard, he will start to sell the family estates?" Madam Klifna Vessamah, the female official of the Elephant Party, had gathered the party's members and was discussing the Vaelarys family's sale of their estates.
"Yes, Madam." Hamal of the Exlaniga family pointed at the map in the council hall. He was the brother of Vagad, the Exlaniga family's official, and a candidate for the next official. "Regardless of what the Vaelarys boy intends to do, his family's land is fertile. Even without the attached farmers and workers on the estate, we can still make use of it for several years. Even without the old wizard's methods, the yield of the land would still be considerable after a few years. At worst, purchasing the land would be a favor to our members."
"Councilor Hamal, but I heard that you've lost to the Tiger Party's men in many land bids?" A tall man with blue facial hair raised a question. "If the Exlaniga family is short on money, we can pay on their behalf. Although the Vaelarys family hasn't held a seat for a long time, they've always been our supporters. We can't afford to lose such a powerful ally."
"Yes, yes, at least their silver-blooded army is truly formidable." The general of the Tigercloaks couldn't sit still. "With their family, we won't have to worry about the Tigercloaks under the Tiger Party control."
"Enough." Madam Klifna thought for a moment. "Do you know what the Vaelarys boy's purpose is in selling the family's estates?"
Everyone fell silent.
Only Hamal seemed to have an idea. "I can roughly guess. The sale of the Vaelarys family's land didn't start with Draezell's inheritance. Even when the old wizard was still alive, they had already begun selling off slowly. This suggests it wasn't some impulsive decision by Dragonzell Vaelarys. And when they were selling, the Vaelarys family was already well-prepared, even with plans we might not know about."
"What about the freemen?" Madam Klifna raised the key issue.
Volantis' democratic politics was straightforward—every freeman who owned land could participate in the elections for officials and had their own votes. These freemen were practically dependent on the large families of landowners. They were not entirely "free." Long-established ruling families like Megaya, Exlaniga, and Vessamah had voting blocs that could total tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of votes. And if Dragonzell Vaelarys wanted to run for the Senate, the freemen dependent on his family would have no fewer than 10,000 votes.
"Aside from the contract-bound freemen and craftsmen, the rest will likely change ownership with the land." Hamal said. "Madam, please rest assured, the Vaelarys family's vassals who have contracted with me have guaranteed that there will be no significant loss of votes."
"Well done." Madam Klifna nodded. "Keep an eye on the Vaelarys family. If the Silver-Blooded Army is also being handed over..."
"We must secure it at any cost, along with the Vaelarys family's silk workshops." The general of the Tigercloaks spoke loudly.
"As for the Tiger Party, just keep watching them." Madam Klifna lightly tapped the clearly divided regions of the two parties on the map. "Don't worry about funding. The Vessamah family will invest gold and silver worth three million Gold Suns in total to acquire the land and property being sold by the Vaelarys family. You are free to outbid the Tiger Party."
"The Hordhan family will contribute seven hundred thousand Gold Suns." The tall man with the blue beard raised his hand. "Lord Hamal, we cannot let our votes slip away to the Tiger Party."
The Elephant Party was still wary of the Tiger Party, which had once possessed a powerful military force, even though they had been in decline for a long time.
"The Margolwin family will invest one million two hundred thousand Gold Suns." The general of the Tigercloaks also raised his hand. "Lord Hamal, we cannot let the Silver-Blooded Army fall into the hands of the Tiger Party."
The Elephant Party members quickly reached a consensus. Regardless of what Draezell Vaelarys intended to do, at least the Vaelarys family's assets could not fall into the hands of the Tiger Party, especially their formidable military strength.
---
In the underground laboratory of the Vaelarys residence.
Draezell stripped off all his clothes and took a Valyrian steel dagger decorated with pure silver from the hands of a red-robed priest.
The Priest's face was covered with fire tattoos, his eyes and face adorned with red patterns, yet his eyes were filled with fervor.
Another red-robed priest emerged from the shadows.
This priest was older, with a face full of wrinkles, also tattooed with burning flames and roaring dragons. His long white beard hung down to his chest, decorated with fire-shaped ornaments. His violet-blue eyes were similarly filled with fervor and devotion.
Draezell recognized him.
Ben Throro, the high priest of the Red God's temple in Volantis, was also a frequent visitor and magician associated with Cleorius.
"Begin," Ben Throro nodded at the young red-robed priest.
Without hesitation, the priest drove the dagger into his chest.
Draezell extended his hand, and the priest blood seemed to follow a guiding force, flowing across the floor of the laboratory along the ritualistic symbols in all directions.
Then...
Flames.
They ignited.