Chapter 79: The Chaos Faction

Subject: Knight Lucrue Location: Arlcada Territories - Count Kylant's Settlement

"Are you sure we should let her go, my lord? She knows too many of our secrets," Luc asked in a hesitant tone.

The mage had already vanished into the treeline, but it would be an easy task to hunt her back down.

Lucrue considered saying nothing, but this would help him understand Fragmata's mind better. If he knew her better, he could serve her better.

"I like that girl, Luc. I like her a whole lot. She has more secrets for me to uncover, but I will do it without harming our budding relationship. I'll be leaving you and the others to take care of matters here in the settlement while I help her out a little more..."

She's going to help that mage even more?! Is this jealousy or curiosity I feel? Both, I think.

"What is it you need us to do? Right now, the late Count's former workers are wondering where they will sleep now that their homes are all gone. They are wondering what they will eat now that they have no work to do. They dare not ask us with their lips, but their eyes can say a lot."

"We will house them and we will feed them. I need you and the others to set the groundwork for rebuilding this settlement. The Count's mansion has been cleaned I take it?"

Lucrue nodded.

"They will sleep there. Set up temporary bunks and tell them they need not worry about dirtying the place. Eventually, that will be our barracks, but right now, the workers come first. I will purchase food and have it sent to the settlement, so be on lookout for that. I trust you and the others will know how to distribute it?"

"They are being sheltered and fed... What is your intention? We owe Arlcada nothing. We can let the spinners finally take this place and transport the workers to the city and let them fend for themselves."

"Oh, I'm well aware that we owe the city nothing but the very hardships we can't realistically inflict. That is why we will be taking this settlement from them. Legally."

That was a word Luc didn't often hear coming from his master's lips. At least, not in this context. His insides were a flutter.

"You know how there's that whole 'Knight's Domain' business?" she continued.

He followed, but not entirely.

"The land stewardship laws? Those are only for assuming control of land for the good of... Oh! That's what we're doing here... Weird, I just realized it. Feels strange to be helping out, and considering that we didn't mean to... I completely overlooked it."

She grinned childishly.

"Very weird, right? I swear on my life I didn't plan it this way."

Fragma was referring to an old set of laws giving a Hexaline Knight the authority to seize land ravaged by war or otherwise destroyed past the point of being valuable. It also covered land at risk of being destroyed, beyond a shadow of a doubt. There were numerous stipulations, but circumstances like these were actually precisely the time Knight's Domain came into play.

Most other knights wouldn't even bother. Ignore the problem or destroy the land in a fit of pride befitted their collective government masters.

Displaced and starving refugee workers qualified as a present emergency that was a burden to Shroud. Fragma didn't want them to die, so she was already planning on feeding and housing them. She would have done that just to spite the Count she had indirectly killed to get to this point.

The spinner infestation so close to the the settlement qualified as an enduring threat to the territory as a whole. Rebuilding the settlement with stronger walls, and no doubt the plans she had to train local defenders would be a boon to the city, acting as a bulwark against future spinner incursions.

"We will stay here for a time, protecting the survivors, rebuilding the settlement, and so on. If the Paragon complains, I will tell him that we're also staying to explore the likelihood that the unexpected spinner attack was brought on by the heretics the poor, late Count tried to warn us about with his dying breath. I'll bring him to tears with my tragic performance."

Sure you will, Lucrue thought sarcastically to himself. The Paragon knows your personality. That's why he's so afraid of you.

Hexknight Fragmata had a sick sense of humor most of the time, but this blade was never held to the throats of the defenseless. Sure, no one was innocent in her eyes, a percept Knights of Judgement often shared, but she kept her eyes focused keenly on the scales of justice.

"It will still exhaust more coin than we have to spare on a personal project. They would rather see the settlement fall and the citizens sold into slavery than bear that expense in your name."

"Noble as it is?" she sarcastically asked.

"Noble as it is," he chuckled.

All of these things lessened the burden on the city, but it needn't all be bad news. This would be a base of operations in the area. The city was safer for most, but risky for people with enemies. Fragmata had enemies for days, all lining up to take a crack at her or the current Channeler's administration.

That was how things went. Before a new Channeler could ascend the steps to the highest position in The Shrouded Theocracy, they first needed to kill the reigning Channeler's six Paragons. Their Paragon knew she would probably kill anyone trying to kill him, and then kill whomever hired them, and so on. It was just how she did things.

"Worry not, I have some favors I can call in. There was that obsessive fellow... Do you remember his name?"

Lucrue had an idea...

"An impossible request, my lord."

"I'll give you a hint. He's obsessed with maps. Like... really, pretentiously obsessed. Okay, not pretentiously, but I can't really think of a better word for it right now."

"Not what I meant, my lord."

He did know whom she spoke of.

"Fine, but there's no one but me here to hear you 'disrespect a Hexknight' or whatever. Gillis was his name! Ah, that Gilly Gil sure was boring until I learned his secret... What he plans to do with those non-humans... He'll help us out if I give him refuge in our new settlement from time to time. Also because he thinks I'll try to extort him or something equally offensive if he refuses. We won't ask for much, though."

Yes, how could Luc forget about Hexknight Gillis and his "factories". Reluctant or not, he belonged in the company of a person like Fragma.

"There are some lesser names who can also contribute, invest, or whatever, but that Inistra girl gave me another idea. The Guild! We give them a piece of the carcass and it fulfils two purposes. One, we get their funding. Two, we get to learn more about them."

How was Inistra involved with The Guild? Actually... it made sense. Unrestrained power like hers was a signature of that group. Still didn't explain why she was out hunting spinners instead of blightbeasts, though.

"What do they get out of it?"

"There are three festerfonts in the area. They get a forward supply base and an in with someone who can protect them against any Shroud spies."

"Assuming they trust you not to be one of those spies."

"Yes, assuming they make the mistake of trusting anyone. I'll have to put on my best face."

Luc had been taking mental notes on everything so he could communicate it with the others. They needed to make heavy progress in their lord's absence, so she would trust them again.

They'd utterly failed her combat test. Even though she wouldn't say it, knights were expected to be stronger than this... And Luc was the weakest of the bunch.

"Oh, one last thing, my dear knight."

Here it was. The knife to his heart, figuratively speaking.

"Yes?"

"Life in Shroud is changing. It's plain to see. This settlement project might just be my plan to remind the others what life in Shroud is really about."

"What is life in Shroud really about?"

"Who knows. But I heard a little rumour that there's an interesting little Hexknight with plans to change things. We met some time back. She was smart enough not to try and manipulate me when we had our little chat. She told me a few things she wanted when I told her what I want. Maybe we could see about having a little fun for her?”

"It's one thing I'm sure you could manage," he laughed back.

He watched his lord leave down a path to the deep wilderness, already making plans for the future of their new settlement.