The Dreamer's Fall

Chapter 22 - The Cost of Rebellion

Arthur was sufficiently impressed with how Fenric and his lieutenants dispatched the abyssals. If their performance indicated their mercenary group aptitude, 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?"