Laos Territory — Lord's Manor, Study
"So," Logos asked calmly,
"How is it?"
"Bad," Bal replied immediately.
"It seems several houses are planning to unite against you before Talon even arrives."
"What about the trains?" Logos asked.
"It is as you predicted," Lucy said.
"While they are still buying rails, coal, and raw materials from us…"
"…they have already begun field-testing their own engines."
She set another report on the desk.
"They are calling it an 'Anti-Logos Coalition.'"
Logos looked unimpressed.
"No points for naming."
Kleber frowned.
"They are actually copying us that quickly?"
"They were always going to," Logos replied.
"The rail system was never difficult to imitate."
"It was only difficult to make practical."
Lucy nodded.
"Several houses have pooled money together."
"Mostly merchant families and weaker nobles."
"They believe if they build enough railways, they can stop relying on Laos."
"What about profits?" Logos asked.
"Even if several contracts disappear, we remain stable," Lucy replied.
Kleber frowned.
"If they stop depending on us…"
"Won't they just attack?"
"Their coalition is nothing more than a safety net," Logos said calmly.
"The moment their rails are finished, they will collapse under the weight of their own egos."
Lucy nodded faintly.
"House Velt hates House Orsik."
"House Caster hates House Varn."
"Several of them are already arguing over freight routes, tariffs, and regional influence."
"They cannot cooperate for long."
Bal folded his arms.
"So the coalition is temporary."
"Yes," Logos replied.
"They are not building a unified response."
"They are building a panic response."
Kleber looked relieved for all of two seconds.
Then frowned again.
"…But what if they still try something?"
Logos looked at him.
"You really think they can march into Laos?"
Kleber thought for a moment.
"If it is Sous or one of the princes?"
"Maybe."
"Other than that?"
He shook his head immediately.
"No chance."
"Exactly," Logos replied.
"Those three are not willing to spend their men on a pyrrhic victory."
Bal looked toward him.
"Are you?"
"A pyrrhic victory is an insult to my intellect."
Kleber looked at him.
"You take insults?"
"What do you take me for?"
Bal let out a short breath through his nose.
"They are afraid of you."
"Yes."
"And they should be."
Lucy looked toward Logos.
"Logos."
"What?"
"You are not supposed to sound pleased about that."
"I cannot help it."
A pause.
"It feels good sometimes."
Bal shook his head slightly.
"That is still not helping."
Logos folded his hands again.
"I know."
A pause.
"But it is still true."
Lucy set another report down.
"There is another issue."
Logos looked toward her.
"Several houses have begun discussing marriage alliances."
Kleber immediately sat up straighter.
Bal groaned.
Lucy continued calmly.
"They are beginning to realize they cannot pressure you."
"So now they are trying to bind themselves to Laos."
Logos blinked once.
"That seems inefficient."
Kleber stared at him.
"How?"
"They could simply sign contracts."
"That is because normal people do not think like you," Kleber replied.
"They think if they marry into your family…"
"…they gain influence over you."
"They would not."
Lucy closed her eyes briefly.
"You are not supposed to say that."
"It is true."
Lucy sighed.
"Several houses are already offering daughters."
"Some nieces."
"One family even offered a widow."
Kleber looked deeply entertained.
"Congratulations."
"You are officially desirable."
"That sounds inconvenient."
Bal rubbed his face.
"Most people do not react to this like it is a military problem."
"It is a political problem," Logos replied.
"That makes it worse."
Lucy looked toward him.
"You cannot solve this by ignoring it."
"Why not?"
"Because eventually someone important will make the offer."
"And refusing carelessly could create problems."
Logos frowned slightly.
"Then I will refuse carefully."
Kleber looked toward Lucy.
"He genuinely thinks that solves it."
"It does not," Lucy replied.
"Well," Kleber said, leaning forward slightly,
"Since we are discussing this…"
Everyone looked toward him.
"I have always wanted to ask."
Bal immediately looked concerned.
"What?"
"Do you think there is anyone who could actually be your equal?"
Logos blinked once.
"There is Sous."
"Yeah," Kleber replied,
"But he is more like a sword fighter you enjoy arguing with."
"When did I say that?"
"It is a comparison."
Kleber waved one hand vaguely.
"I mean in terms of marriage."
The room went quiet.
Logos frowned slightly.
Then—
"No."
Kleber grinned.
"That was fast."
"Because the question is irrational."
Lucy raised a brow.
"How so?"
Logos folded his hands.
"No one would be my equal."
Kleber blinked.
"…That sounds unbelievably arrogant."
"It is not arrogance."
"It is statistics."
Bal slowly lowered his face into one hand.
"Saints preserve me…"
Logos continued calmly.
"Even among anomalies, my intelligence is abnormal."
"My priorities are highly non-standard."
"My appearance makes most people uncomfortable."
"It would be irrational to expect someone similar."
Lucy watched him for a moment.
"What if you meet someone who is like that?"
Logos thought for a second.
"Then I would probably like them."
Kleber immediately noticed it.
Interesting.
"So there is a chance," he said with a grin,
"I might actually see you nervous around someone."
"There is a chance for anything," Logos replied.
"But it would be rare."
Kleber leaned back again.
"Good enough."
Then—
A knock came at the door.
Lucy looked up.
"Enter."
One of the younger clerks hurried inside carrying a sealed letter.
"My lord."
He bowed quickly.
"This arrived from Angelus territory."
Lucy took the letter first.
Black wax.
Crimson seal.
House Angelus.
She opened it carefully and skimmed the contents.
Kleber leaned forward immediately.
"What is it?"
Lucy handed the paper toward Logos.
"It is an invitation."
Logos took the letter.
"What for?"
Lucy looked at him for a moment.
"Prince Sous is inviting you to a hunting trip."
The room went quiet.
Then—
Kleber's grin became dangerous.
"Oh."
Bal looked between them.
"…Why does that sound like a trap?"
"Because it probably is," Logos replied calmly.
Lucy looked thoughtful.
"No."
She shook her head slightly.
"Not a trap."
"An excuse."
Logos looked toward her.
"For what?"
Lucy smiled faintly.
"To spend time with you."
The room went silent.
Kleber looked like he had just witnessed a battlefield miracle.
Bal stared openly.
Even Desax looked mildly interested.
Logos blinked once.
Then again.
"That seems unlikely."
Kleber immediately stood up.
"Oh, this is incredible."
"What?"
"You genuinely do not see it."
"See what?"
Kleber pointed dramatically toward the letter.
"The Flame of Gab is inviting you alone to spend time together outside of politics, war, negotiations, and strategy."
A pause.
"And you think this is about hunting."
"It is a hunting invitation."
"No," Kleber replied.
"It is courtship with weapons."
Logos looked mildly horrified.
"That is irrational."
Lucy smiled into her teacup.
"No," she said softly.
"I think it is very normal."
Logos looked back down at the letter.
The parchment was thick.
Expensive.
The handwriting was clean.
Direct.
There were no hidden requests.
No military agenda.
No attached trade proposal.
No mention of rail contracts.
No mention of war preparations.
Just a date.
A location.
And Sous's name.
That bothered him more than it should have.
"He could simply want to discuss strategy privately," Logos said.
"He could," Lucy replied.
"He could also be trying to understand you better."
"That would be inefficient."
"No," Lucy said softly.
"It would be personal."
Logos frowned.
"I do not understand why he would want that."
Kleber immediately answered.
"Because you are interesting."
"That is not a reason."
"It absolutely is."
Bal crossed his arms.
"You are one of the most dangerous, intelligent, wealthy, and politically useful people in the kingdom."
A pause.
"You are also his age."
Desax gave a small nod.
"And one of the only people who speaks to him directly."
"He probably finds that refreshing."
Logos looked between them.
Then down at the letter again.
For once—
He seemed uncertain.
Not because he did not know what to do.
But because he did not know how to interpret it.
"…Should I refuse?" he asked.
The room went silent again.
Because that was not really the question.
Lucy smiled faintly.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because if someone offers you sincerity…"
Her eyes softened slightly.
"You should not reject it just because you do not understand it."
Kleber nodded immediately.
"And because if you do not go…"
He grinned.
"I absolutely will."
Logos looked mildly offended.
"He did not invite you."
"Exactly."
"That makes it funnier."
Bal looked toward Logos.
"You should go."
A pause.
"If nothing else…"
His expression shifted slightly.
"…it might be good for you to spend time with someone who is not terrified of you."
That made the room quiet.
Because once again—
There was truth in it.
Logos looked away slightly.
"…He is not afraid of me," he said.
Lucy noticed it immediately.
Interesting.
Because he sounded pleased about that.