The Dreamer's Fall

Chapter 38 - Undeserved Gifts

Before night fell, Fenric had stopped by to update Arthur on the war plans. It appeared that the armies of the northeastern and southeastern lords would link up along the way before entering Bern.

Once the combined army entered Bern, it would rush to the city of Rothwel, where the imperial army's remnants were besieged, routing the Bernish and Agelian troops outside the walls.

After that battle, the southeastern lords would push into east Bern while the northeastern lords traveled south, hugging Elrinth Forest and laying siege to four cities before finally reaching Piltash.

The more prepared northwestern and southwestern Ollerin lords would enter Bern further west and attack the city of Mitford before splitting up and handling the rest of the Bernish cities, including the capital, with the help of the imperial army.

Out of the four cities Arthur would have to take before reaching Piltash, only one could be considered comparable to Munn's population. The city was called Nosin and shared a river with the Bernish capital, Wiskirk.

The river that connected the two cities also flowed through Agelia before reaching the ocean. So Nosin would be a nuisance to siege if the northwestern and southwestern lords couldn't properly control the river. Arthur figured it would likely be the most prolonged siege of the war for his army, and he wasn't looking forward to it.

After his army took Piltash, Arthur would be left behind with his personal guards and Fenric's Chosen to hold the city. The rest of the army would push west to take the final southern city before marching north to take part in the siege of the Bernish capital.

Initially, only some levies would be left with Arthur in Piltash, but due to his deal with Fenric, he talked Baron Iken into leaving Fenric's Chosen under Arthur's command. Baron Iken probably didn't mind since, by that time, Bern would be on its last leg, and it would save them money to get rid of Fenric's Chosen a few months earlier than intended.

Regardless, he appreciated Fenric stepping up to request it without being told to. Arthur intended to demand Baron Iken let Fenric's Chosen serve under him at a later point in the war, so it saved him the effort. His decision to enter The Cat's Cradle's basement was already paying its dividends through this.

Once Fenric left, Arthur decided to cultivate before going to bed. The following four days were far less eventful than the previous three. For the most part, Arthur stayed in his tent, scribbling away at his research journal as he slowly but surely plotted out the necessary framework for his AI.

Fenric occasionally stopped by with updates, and Arthur had him confirm with Baron Iken that his personal guards would be provided for as Revan house guards while the war persisted. So that was one less thing he had to worry about.

Levin also stopped by after a couple of days and dropped off some books along with a handwritten syllabus containing countless pages of notes and Levin's personal insights. Arthur was touched by the gesture and regretted not being able to convince the man to follow him.

It wasn't entirely hopeless, though. Levin confirmed that once the war was through, they would pick up lessons again. He was already paid in full after all, so Arthur intended to write to him once the war ended and convince him to come to Helagaust.

The day before the army began its march, Arthur boarded his carriage with Jeren and Foster before entering the city of Munn. He needed to pick up his hidden blade and trinitite mail today, so his destination was naturally Thoran's smithy.

The sky was heavily overcast as Arthur's carriage came to a halt, and a cool, moist breeze welcomed him the moment he stepped out. The sparsely populated avenue spoke volumes about Munn's opinion on the day's weather. However, Arthur was of a different mind. He'd take a torrential downpour over Revan's scorching heat any day.