Authors’ note: This chapter is taken from the journal of Prince Avalon of House Artorius.
Well, this Rummy character sure had made a proper mess in his wake. The city of Carnwennan was in shambles, dozens of noble Houses extinguished or ruined, and Gods know how many lives- highborn or otherwise- were reaped as a result of this madness. I would wager that it would take a generation or two for Carnwennan to recover, if it ever recovers.
I am still piecing together what had happened based on what the scouts and knights had found, but this much is clear- he is no common commoner. It takes a certain arrogance and competence to plan and execute destruction of this scale.The decisive (and irreversible) nature of his action implies that he was never content living his lot and will never be content living his lot as the Gods intended. This man was prepared from the very beginning to defy the Pantheon and the natural order of this world, collateral damage be damned.
In a way, both factions within the Pantheon were wrong about Rummy of Carnwennan. The dove faction, led by Artorius II, believed that he could be brought into the fold with proper diplomacy and sufficient compensation. The hawk faction, led by Artorious XIII, believed that he would be cowed by the sheer sight of Imperial Legions. The fact that he was content living in the Wilds suggests that there’s nothing we could offer him to buy his loyalty. And the very idea that he would meekly surrender instead of turning his wonder-weapons against the Imperial Legions seems wishfully naive.
No, the only realistic path forward is a combination of both. Soft diplomacy backed by the hard threat of my Legions is the only solution to this problem. Even then, I expect terrible casualty rates even just marching to the Wilderness. And should he call my bluff and force me to siege his home in the Western Wilderness…
Truly, what a headache the Pantheon had gifted me…
I hear a gentle knock on my door. Ah, I’d lost track of time. I had almost forgotten about the noon meeting.
“Please enter.”
The shabby door opens and 4 men walk in with a soldier’s posture. Archmage Schuma, Paladin Pullusi, Scoutmaster Turt, and Forgemaster Carth marched into my office and saluted.
“At ease.” I casually waved as I finished signing off one last document. ”Gentlemen, I look forward to your reports. Scoutmaster Turt, why don’t you start first?”
Scoutmaster Turt, a shifty and lith man of 45 winters, stiffly steps forward and offers another salute. Then begins. “Your Grace, my men had completed the lockdown of the city as you ordered. Also, we had struck down several carrier pigeons since entering the city last night.”
“Good work, Scoutmaster.” I intoned. “Anything noteworthy in the intercepted messages?”
“Yes. I believe one of the messages specifically warned the recipient of our arrival.”
Smart man, that Rummy. Smarter than any common man had the right to be, I’d freely admit. But not smart enough. “Scoutmaster Turt, find me the messenger.”
“At once, your Grace.” Scoutmaster Turt stiffly saluted and exited the office.
I cleared my throat before continuing on the next agenda item. “Ser Pallusi, I trust you had a fruitful conversation with Legate Fabius, Centurion Keith, and Decanus Vinnick?”
Ser Pallusi handed me a scroll and replied. “Yes, your Grace. Although Legate Fabius of the 626th Legion only knew of Rummy in passing, Centurion Keith and Decanus Vinnick knew him on a personal level and had attempted to recruit him into their Cohort multiple times.”
I stroke my chin in thought as I read his service record. “I see. Did they recall the reason for turning down the recruitment offer?”
“Yes, your Grace. They both thought that he was too independent for Legion life. Decanus Vinnick mentioned that Rummy would seldom drink and relax on his days off, opting to hunt and harvest in the Wilderness instead. It was clear that he had a life plan of his own and never considered their offers seriously.”
Unfortunately, that confirms my worst fears. There is no realistic avenue of diplomacy- he was resolved to execute his plan from the very beginning, risking his life and limb multiple times to secure the needed resources without incurring any debt. He could’ve sold his talents to any lord with a decent mind, but for reasons unknown, he refused the opportunity. I had hoped against hope that I could occupy this city, clean it up, and invite Rummy and his family to negotiate a peaceful settlement, but that faint hope is now dead and buried.
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The only way I could complete this impossible task is to force him into a militarily untenable position, and negotiate generously from a position of strength. This combination of hard and soft power is the only feasible solution left to me at this point.
“Thank you very much for your work, Ser Pallusi.” I intone. “Archmage Schuma, how dangerous are the wonder-weapons he had created?”
My long-time adjutant gives me a grim look. “Dangerous enough to threaten the Era of Knights, your Grace.” I hear audible gasps at his conclusion. Before my Paladin could indignantly respond, I hold my hand up to stop him.
”Please elaborate.”
“Yes, your Grace. According to witnesses and survivors, both Rummy and Lady Natalia unleashed a weapon capable of firing hundreds of arrowheads in mere seconds. The wounds suffered by the dead and the survivors agree with those claims. I’d examined hundreds of these wounds this morning, and it didn’t matter if there was armor or not. Every single hit resulted in full penetration.”
He pulls out a bag of arrowheads out of his storage ring and puts them on my table. I take the one that was the least damaged and examine it. It certainly looks strange for an arrowhead- its lack of sharp edges is baffling.
“Where are the shafts?” I absent-mindedly ask as I feel the deformed head of another one.
“There are none, your Grace.” He grimly implied. “It would appear that there was no need for it. These arrowheads were fast enough that their flight needn’t be stabilized.”
I could feel a headache coming on. “What are you implying, Archmage?”
“Even if a Knight deploys <
“PREPOSTEROUS!” Ser Palllusi bellowed in rage.”The honor and legacy of the Paladins will not be sullied by such slander!”
The Archmage coolly ignores the outburst and continues. “And even if it couldn’t, the sheer volume of the weapon would overwhelm even the sturdiest of Paladins. And this is just one of the weapons he developed”
“There’s more?!?”
“I’m afraid so, your Grace. The people I interviewed yesterday all mentioned explosions near the forge-smithies that were robbed. It might be fire magic, but the precision of the explosions appears to be too high for somebody of his magical talent and education. We need to be wary of the possibility.”
He also added. “Your Grace, I recommend that you personally speak to Decannus Vinnick. When I asked him about his battle with Rummy, he was evasive about the answers. I believe he may have additional insight into Rummy than what the legion leadership believed.”
I rub my temple with increasing frustration. This divine quest has no shortage of twists and turns.
“Thank you, Archmage Schuma. I believe I shall.” I then turn to a short stocky man of 58 winters.
“Forgemaster Carthy, could we replicate any of this?” I ask, hoping against hope that he would say yes.
My ever-honest forgemaster shook his head. “I’m afraid not, your Grace. Maybe if I have a working sample on hand and several moons… perhaps I could glean some insight. From what I could tell from the recovered arrowheads, he is no ordinary forge-smith.”
“How so?”
“It’s hard to tell with the extensive damages, but I know for a fact that every single arrowhead is identical in shape.”
Ser Pallusi scoffs. “So what? Isn’t that just a mark of a recognized forge-smithy? How is that evidence of his so-called extraordinary talent?”
It’s quite unfortunate that my Paladin thinks only with his muscles or his pride. Having a subordinate who doesn’t think or hesitates on a battlefield is a blessing, but one with severe downsides out of it. Forgemaster Carthy chuckles a bit before replying. “Ser Pallusi, he is doing this as an adept forge-smith with no apprentices. That is simply not normal.”
Well, I suppose the Pantheon was not exaggerating when they say that this man could save us from the dragon threat. What he has accomplished by himself is already worthy of praise and respect. Imagine what he could do with my full support…
The meeting went on for an hour more before I dismissed the 3 men. The unenviable task of rebuilding this city now falls to them. In the meantime, I must incorporate the 626th into the fold and acquire any intelligence they have about the Wilds. The more time I waste in Carnwennan, the more likely that our presence will be det-
Somebody knocks at my door.
“Enter.”
Scoutmaster Turt enters the office with a portly man bound in chains. “Your Grace, I found the man who tried to send a warning pigeon. His name is Mike of Carnwennan, and he is a tavernkeep.”
Excellent. I finally have a more intimate source of intel. This is the break I was looking for…