The Dreamer's Fall

Chapter 32 - Old Wounds

After Arthur's stunning declaration, he made sure to have his guards introduce themselves and inform him of their cultivation levels before they left so he could better use them in the future. Jeren, unsurprisingly, had the highest cultivation level at the fifth circle, while the rest were evenly split between the third and fourth circles.

Now alone, Arthur decided to review his notes on capturing spirits while waiting for Senna to bring him breakfast.

"You really gonna give them spells?" Kyren curiously asked as he floated around the room.

Arthur looked up from his research journal and glanced around the drawing room to ensure they were alone. "It benefits me if they become more powerful."

"It also makes them a threat to you." Kyren warned.

"Not if I employ a system that benefits them and relies on my safety to function properly. As of right now, they're hungry for spells, and once they're full, I'll find another way to tie them to me or simply replace the ones who have a weak sense of loyalty.

"The merit system should filter out the bad eggs anyway, and once I complete my necromancy spell, I won't need guards to protect me."

Kyren clicked his tongue. "Speaking of bad eggs, baldy's gonna be a problem."

Arthur couldn't help but laugh at Kyren's simple yet effective nicknaming skills. "It's too early to tell whether Bannon will cause problems. It's beneficial to have someone around who's not afraid to speak their mind, but If he becomes a cancer amongst them, then I'll just cut him out."

After Arthur spoke his thoughts on the matter, he returned to notes until Senna arrived with breakfast and a guest.

"I saw your men carrying out a body earlier. I hope all is well?" Fenric asked after exchanging greetings.

"Just some minor troubles, nothing to be concerned about. It's good that you stopped by since I have a shameless request to make. Once my arm heals, I was hoping that you might teach me some basics about fighting as a battlemage.

"My battle against that abyssal was too close, and it made me realize how much I lacked in terms of my combat ability. I'm not asking to learn your spells. I'm not that shameless, but I hope you can take some time to teach me a thing or two while on the campaign."

"What the shit, kid?" Kyren gasped, looking appalled. "Am I invisible or something? If you want to learn how to fight, why are you asking pointy-mustache instead of me?"

As always, Kyren's ability to pick out a person's most distinguishing feature was as strong as his lack of self-awareness. Arthur intended to use Kyren in the future, but he felt having an instructor he could physically interact with was better for a beginner than an ethereal one.

"That may be a problem." Fenric paused and appeared to think to himself for a moment. "I imagine you don't want eyes on you while we train?"

Kyren floated over to Fenric and peeked inside his head as Arthur was forced to watch the strange scene. "He's only a sixth circle. I'm stronger than this guy, so you should obediently learn from me instead."

Arthur ignored Kyren and nodded to Fenric. "That's correct."

"It's not a problem while we remain within the empire's borders, but once we enter Bern, it would be dangerous to leave the camp. If we ran into a large unit of enemy scouts, then I'm not confident in our chances of escape."

"Ah!" Arthur realized he had made a lapse in judgment. It still hadn't hit him yet that he was about to experience the brutal horrors of medieval warfare with the added destruction of fantasy magic.