/n/jackal-among-snakes-1520/c-496
chapter-495

“Here’s my plan, Anneliese.” He sat on their bed, while she laid down with her head atop his legs, watching the ceiling. They were growing numb, but the moment was too serene for him to mind. “I think the youth are the future.”

“That tends to be the way of things,” she answered back tiredly.

“I’m serious. The youth of Mundi going to be the key that we need to convince the senators to lend us aid in extracting the magma from Vysenn.”

Anneliese looked intrigued, and Argrave took that as his signal to continue.

“Where dwarves are shorter, their lives are a little longer. Living to one hundred isn’t uncommon, even without the aid of magic talent. Dwarven society greatly values philosophy, intelligence, experience, and wisdom. Having someone like Alexius, the current Head of Senate, be someone so young is quite the unusual circumstance. And by ‘so young,’ the guy is fifty years old.”

“Then it sounds like youth is quite the opposite of what we need to focus on,” Anneliese noted.

“I think you’ll change your mind soon enough.” Argrave ran his hand through her hair. “I’ll give you that the senate is mostly wizened elders. Most dwarves work until they die. But there’s a large consequence to their aged workforce. Namely, younger people have some difficulty in earning their place in this society. Anestis left Mundi searching for dwarven metal. I imagine if he had a steady job, none of this would’ve happened… but alas, he didn’t. And he’s not a lone wolf.”

Anneliese was starting to put the pieces together, he could tell, but Argrave kept going nonetheless.

“There’s a huge bulk of young dwarves who work at the very bottom rung of craftsman and artificer guilds in apprenticeships, earning the wisdom that their people value very slowly. And an even huger bulk have no work to do at all. The city of Mundi was meant to be populated over a long period of time. There are stretches of the city that are partially built and unclaimed, yet with things as they are the senate finds no need to expand when there’s no demand for land or food. There’s a lot of discontentment that we can use to get our way.”

Anneliese nodded, impressed. “So you intend to call upon this class of people to pressure the senate?”

“Just so,” Argrave nodded. “We have all of the variables for rapid political unity. We have a common enemy—Gerechtigkeit. We have a demographic that wants change—the youth of their society. And we have a foreign element bringing new ideas—us. With it, we can form a faction within their nation that can push for their help in Vysenn.” He tapped her nose. “The unfortunate tragedy of the scenario is that democracy is slow-moving. Say what you will about monarchies, but decisions can be made rapidly and enacted much the same. If you ignore all the bad stuff about dictatorships, they’re not bad.”

“In times like these, I am reminded of where you are from,” Anneliese mused. “But there is one key part of this that you neglect. You need another group that might operate in your stead. Even if by some miracle you manage to convince the dwarven youth that you are one of them, to the rest of the populace, you will be seen as what you are—a busybody, sticking your nose in politics where it does not belong. And this faction of yours would die.”

“There’s always a fly in the ointment.” Argrave peered into her eyes. “Got ideas?”

“No. But I am certain that I will have them, when the time comes.” Anneliese looked deep in concentration. In times like these, alone with her, he was reminded why he fell in love with this woman.