Polymath Redux

Chapter 21: Buying power with money is a legitimate strategy

There are often two kinds of people in the world, those that are crazy and those that are not. Crazy people are both a hassle and a pain; immune to manipulation and scheming. They don't value what they ought to value and always take business at their own pace without giving an ounce of consideration to what's happening around them. So for the sake of any evil puppet masters' sanity, it is better not to associate themselves with the clinically insane.

Then there are sane people; normal people, which are the majority of people and also the oasis of every evil mastermind's crippling addiction to manipulation and scheming. Not only are they plentiful but negotiation with them are always accessible because they understand the same values and language. So while many people may say to watch out for crazy people, the truth is that we should really all be watching out for the sane man; the every man; normal people.

Why?

Because while crazy people are certainly erratic and often times dangerous, that's the extent of it. Once you remove them there is no more problems, but that isn't so with the sane man. You never know just who is silently watching and controlling them from the shadows, and that is what makes them even more frightening and uncanny than any crazy person.

We fear what we don't know, that is just the nature of all sentient beings. So then, in what category do you belong to? Or the better question would be, which type of person is the Baliazoural's Minister of Warfare, Atem Aspidova?

"Mistress, I've been meaning to ask but what exactly are we doing at the Baliazoural capital?"

After successfully infiltrating straight through the heavily guarded front gate of the enemy capital, all tensions that were residing within Yda's body had dispersed. With that she was finally able to remember that she was curious about why they even came to the heart of the enemy's territory. When they had left it had all happened so sporadically that she didn't even get a chance to ask, so now that she has a bit of room she wanted to get it out now.

"We're here on important business."

That was the answer she received before she had left the inn and it was now the answer she received as she arrives at Celes, Baliazoural's Capital. As much as Yda enjoyed the company of a womanly, mother-figure like her mistress, sometimes she was hard to talk to and enigmatic beyond what Yda could handle. Letting out a sigh she accepted that answer, well, it wasn't as though she really had much of a choice in the matter.

She was told by Mordred that all she needed to do was silently act the part of Morgana Daltress' maid. Though in her heart she was actually slightly enjoying the situation; being able to go on a trip and wearing a maid uniform, even if the cost was rushing head into the enemy stronghold.

After leaving their carriage at a nearby inn they checked in. It was likely that this business trip would take a few more days so finding a place to stay until the mission was over was a necessary decision. After preparing everything that was necessary they made their way towards the ministry building; with Grimal silently casting light hypnosis at anyone that looked at them suspiciously they were able to slip past all of the heavy security and made it to the main hallway where the office of the Warfare Minister's was.

Since the hypnosis wasn't permanent, nor did it last all that long, they didn't have much time to do this.

"I'll take it from here on out, so you two stay out here and make sure no one interrupts."

Though she asked both of them, in truth she was really asking that of Grimal since he was the only one with power to do so. They both gave a professional nod towards Morgana and let her on her way. For Yda she had practiced nodding professionally before a mirror for hours trying to perfect it.