Chapter 22 - The Cost of Rebellion
Arthur was sufficiently impressed with how Fenric and his lieutenants dispatched the abyssals. If their performance were any indication of their mercenary group aptitude, then he would feel far safer in Helagaust with them around.
Unfortunately, Nithe's brand of feudalism didn't have a knight caste within the ranks of nobility, and the right to grant titles belonged to the emperor of Ollerin alone. So while Arthur could grant them land, they would remain commoners.
Helagaust was a large territory and was likely sparsely populated outside of its central city because of its isolation. So not only could Arthur gain a force to protect him, but he also had the chance to increase Helagaust's population should Fenric's Chosen develop some unused land.
Fenric appeared to understand Arthur's less-than-subtle manner of speaking and replied after a moment's thought.
"The people who make altars such as those are rather dangerous. I can see why this imaginary lord would want protection but developing land is costly. What should I do when my men can't fill their bellies due to the lord's tax?"
"You're so silly, Mr. Fenric. Of course, you wouldn't have to pay a tax while you develop the land." Arthur smiled and held up three fingers. "That lord would probably grant you three whole years of waived taxes so that you could settle in properly."
Fenric sucked air through his teeth and shook his head. "Three years can pass in the blink of an eye. Surely this imaginary lord would offer five, no?"
Arthur rolled his eyes at the used car salesman. "Four years, I hear even imaginary lords have financial troubles to contend with."
Fenric appeared to do some silent calculations before finally nodding. "Very well, I'm sure we can make do with four years. I wonder when we might learn the name of this new land we'll be living in?"
Arthur returned to a more serious tone now that Fenric had agreed to his terms. "You'll know when the war is through. Until then, it's best to keep things vague with your men. You can tell them you've lined up a job for after the war but keep the rest to yourself."
"Captain! We're done!" Mara called out as she ran over with Alan in tow.
In her hand lay a few crystalline spheres. They were small, only an inch or two in diameter, and had a crimson hue to them. Arthur couldn't tell if that was their natural color or if the blood on Mara's hands had stained them red, but he was intrigued.
"Are those the mana cores from the abyssals?" Arthur asked curiously.
"Yup! But we didn't grab the core from the one you and Foster killed. If you want it, go cut it out yourself." Mara snapped back, still seemingly upset about how Arthur looked at her earlier.
Arthur glanced toward Fenric, who nodded in response. "I'll keep their mouths shut, lord."
"Would you mind if I took a look at one?" Arthur asked him, believing Mara would put up a fight if he asked her directly.
However, before Fenric could answer, Mara tossed one over to him. "They're not valuable. We just happen to know someone who turns them into jewelry."
"Thanks." Arthur replied, looking over the small crystalline sphere for a moment before tossing it back to her.
A thought suddenly popped into his mind. "Do mana beasts die when their cores break as well?"
"No, lord. While targeting a mana beast's core is not entirely wrong, breaking it will only cause the beast pain and cripple its mana usage. However, they're still very much a threat without using their mana."
Arthur's mind raced as it felt like he was on the verge of something important. "Then why do abyssals die when their core breaks?"
Fenric shook his head. "I'm not sure. Perhaps their core is what keeps them alive?"
It was like a eureka moment as Arthur considered the possibility that the abyssals weren't actually alive in the same sense as the other organisms on Nithe. Perhaps they were something similar to what he was trying to create with his mana soul spell, an artificial life.
All this time, he had been attempting to fix the mana soul's energy problem by supplying it with mana using the same method humans use to cultivate. He was human after all, so when faced with a problem, he used a human solution to solve it.
However, what if he tried creating a physical core like the abyssals and mana beasts? The thought excited him, and he couldn't wait to return to the manor so he could expand on his new understanding. But first, he needed to wrap this encounter up and find Harkon.
Arthur carefully raised himself from his sitting position and handed Foster the prison cell keys before sending him to unlock the few remaining cells.
Of course, Arthur could've sent Foster to unlock the cells a bit earlier, but since Fenric showed no impetus to leave, he didn't feel the need to rush either.
"I don't suppose you intend to check out those tunnels?" Arthur asked as he looked behind him.
"Not unless you ask it of me, lord." Fenric replied.
"Good. After Foster frees the prisoners, we can leave and let the city guards handle the rest. Can I ask you to report the situation? Without mentioning the fact that I was present in said report, obviously."
Fenric nodded and began explaining the situation regarding Arthur's need for secrecy to Mara and Alan. They had clearly seen Arthur use magic as well, so they needed to be instructed to keep quiet.
There were no sudden surprises as Foster unlocked the last cage. If there were more Agelians at the end of the tunnels, they certainly didn't show themselves, and any hopes of restarting the ritual was ruined when Arthur and the rest left through The Cat's Cradle.
As Arthur stepped outside, he was met with a wall of heat as the midday sun assailed him. He glanced around the empty street for Harkon, but there was no sign of the kid anywhere.
"Are you looking for your carriage, young master?" Foster asked. "Tell me where it is, and I'll run to fetch it."
"I'm looking for Harkon. He was supposed to meet me but wasn't there when I arrived. I thought he might have gotten himself captured, but since he wasn't among the prisoners, I have no idea where he could be."
"Harkon's not very bright. If I had to guess, I'd say he just got lost somewhere along the way. I'm sure he'll return to the manor after a few hours of wandering about."
Looking around for him without any clues was pointless, so Arthur waved to Fenric amongst the crowd of prisoners to let him know he was slipping away. After being acknowledged, he headed down the street with Foster and a grumpy Kyren in tow.
"That reminds me." Arthur shot a glare at Foster. "Stop taking advantage of that poor kid."
"I've been nothing but a saint to my junior! Whatever he told you is baseless slander! I'm innocent, young master, I swear!" Foster continued to plead his innocence all the way to the carriage, but Arthur didn't believe him for a second.
Once back at the manor, Arthur didn't immediately walk inside to rest his aching body. Instead, he walked over to the stable with his two followers.
Half a dozen carriages just as opulent as the one he had ridden in were all neatly parked within an open wooden building just outside the stable. As they approached, a skinny man walked out from behind one of the carriages.
The man sucked his teeth when he noticed them. "Whaddya want?"
Arthur didn't care if people used titles when speaking to him privately, but that was only with people he liked. He didn't even know this skinny man before him, and in his thirteen years as Arthur, only people under Elyria have shown him such disrespect.
"You're speaking to Arthur Revan. Watch your tone." Foster announced, clearly annoyed by the man's attitude.
The skinny man glanced at Arthur and scoffed. "I heard it was just Arthur now."
Rage flashed across Foster's face, but Arthur stopped him from speaking and giggled as he approached the man. "Oh? I wonder who told you that?"
The man shrugged. "Doesn't matter since it's the truth."
Arthur brought his fist to his mouth as if thinking. "It's strange. I wonder why this gossiper left out the part about me obtaining a new surname? Surely they just forgot to mention it. I forget things all the time too! Like, what's the punishment for disrespecting a noble again?"
"A flogging, young master." Foster smiled.
"Ah! That's it! But a flogging is nothing compared to what happens to a commoner who abducts the personal guard of a noble. Isn't that an act of rebellion? Hey Foster, what's the punishment for that one?"
"Impalement. And if the rebellion is especially heinous, then up to three generations of the rebel's family will be impaled alongside them."
Arthur went wide-eyed. "Wow! Can you imagine causing the death of your entire family because you were foolish enough to believe in someone you shouldn't have? I bet the gods would surely look down upon such a man."
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