Ruinous Return

Chapter 65

Lyn heaved a sigh of relief as she finally arrived at the mountains surrounding the Valley of the Volcano. She had spent the past two days propelling herself along the riverbank with an earth elementalism spell. And wherever she had traveled a stone wall had been raised behind her. The only places that she skipped were the two main bridges that facilitated trade – she made sure to set up a gatehouse and a gap for a fortified gate. Eventually, she thought, I'll have forces spread out this far to monitor traffic to and from Trisk. For the time being, the gaps were unfilled. Those traveling from the Duchy of Ishtok into the kingdom of Trisk would be startled by the new fortification but ultimately, at this moment, they were harmless walls.

She crossed the river to the Valagonia side at the foot of the sheer mountain walls, and using earth elementalism spells created a huge fortification – just like what she had crafted at the Northern entrance to the Valley of the Volcano. One huge benefit to this two-day journey is that she had been exercising her mana core extensively. At the start, she could only do a three mile stretch before exhausting her mana. Now, she could do up to eight miles in one burst. She grinned with delight, I have so much mana now, she thought. That, and her mana channels were the widest they could possibly be, so channeling that amount of mana into enormous spells caused no pain or discomfort. A vast difference to when she first arrived a bit over a month prior.

Time flies when you're busy. She chuckled to herself as she crafted an enormous water-gate fortification. Thanks to metal being a sub-type under earth elementalism, she was also able to fashion a slatted, metal gate that stretched from the top of the wall down to the bottom of the river. She raised the stone at the bottom of the river to allow the gate to slot in, preventing divers from infiltrating.

Lastly, she carved verses in Elenthir. An inscription, as she poured mana into the action. That way, anyone who meets the mana requirements can open and close the gates as needed. No mechanism for opening or closing meant that none would be able to open the gate to invaders, and the way the spell was worded would ensure only those truly loyal would be able to enter or exit. The Ari have enough mana by nature to activate this.

She used another earth elementalism spell to create a tunnel alongside the river, passing all the way to the interior of the Valley of the Volcano. She crafted yet another fortification on this side, just like what was on the Northern entrance, and then tracked the river to its source under the mountains, carving a new channel and a small lake on the interior of the Valley. And now, she thought. We can build up a small navy. Plus, the Ari can come right up the river.

A group of Duskari patrolling the area ran over to see what was going on, but once they saw Lyn, they bowed. "My Lady," the one in the lead stated as he stood up. "Do you require our assistance?"

"Yes. Send your raven back to Lynhold. The Ari and Sloren are on their way to join us. Additionally, we will need guards." The Duskari nodded and one of the archers whispered to the raven on his shoulder. It nodded and flew off towards Lynhold. "Right," Lyn said. "I want your squadron to man the exterior fortification for now."

The squad nodded and followed her back down the tunnel. She had carved a pathway alongside the river, so one could pass under the mountains on either the shallow Ari longships, or on the stone road. As they emerged on the other side, Lyn split off to the North. Time to make some Sloren pasture lands. It would be a relatively easy task compared to the monumental terraforming projects she had just completed, and within a few hours she had segmented out and split off several portions of the grasslands between the Valley and the Slor Mountains with chest-high stone walls. That should do it.

Pulling out Cataclysm, she drew an arrow, aimed at the top of the mountain, and let loose. Teleporting to the arrow, she chained one more shot and arrived just above the stronghold on the pathway that led to the top of Shiverburn Summit. She walked down into Lynhold.

As she entered the stronghold, a Duskari she had not seen before ran up to her. "My Lady!" he shouted as he skidded to a halt and knelt. "My Lady, we have a report from your Diplomat."

Lyn nodded, "Summon the council. We have much to discuss." The man nodded and ran off. Lyn shrugged her shoulders and let out a sigh. Just a little more work. Then you can take a breather.

Fucking hell, James thought as he pored over documents at his desk. Reports from the Duchies of Pictal and Sonash. The whole fucking mountain range? He leaned back in the chair and contemplated the map on the wall. There's no way I could beat her. That's what James feared more than anything. He had witnessed her simply swing her weapon and carve a rift that could sunder an entire cohort of soldiers. He had always been the strongest hero. The Paragon had the most power of the hero cores.

And yet…in the past, Lyn had done enough to surpass him. He hated to admit it to himself, but it was true. She had gone beyond his Paragon core and turned her Scout core into the strongest on Ghomar barring the Demonic Dragon's own. And now…she had that core. James couldn't fight the Destroyer on his own; and the other heroes would not be a match either. Even if he was able to get them all together again, they wouldn't stand a chance. What am I going to do? He put his elbows on the desk and held his head in his hands.

The Dukes and Duchesses of the regions composing the outer provinces of Khrelardia were under control and had sworn fealty to him. If he bent the knee to Lyn, then odds are, they would rebel against him, try to depose him, and then turn on each other as they vied for the throne. Every noble family had a claim of some sort, despite how distant their bloodline was from the original ruler who founded the nation. It would be their perfect excuse to try and seize power.

I can't beat her. And if I submit…he looked out the window and over the capital. Then they won't see me as the Paragon hero anymore. The whole point of the hero cores was to imbue people to fight against the Destroyer. If he capitulated and became a vassal of hers, he would be seen as a traitor to the people. The Paragon that defected to the side of evil.

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But…was Lyn really evil? The declaration she had made weeks ago and his conversation with her in that dungeon were all contradictory to the idea of her being evil. Taking over the world sounded bad on the surface, but her intent for the end goal sounded like a righteous and just cause.

How can the Destroyer not be evil though? he asked himself. The whole entire point of Aelor splitting himself into the hero cores was to fight against the Destroyer, since he couldn't raise a hand himself. James gripped his sword and focused on his mana core, seeking the voice of the shattered deity within.

Truth.

The one word is what James heard in the dissonant whispers of cascading and enveloping waves of light within him. What truth?

The core was silent.

Right. Cryptic as ever. The voice had been gently nudging him with a word or two in times of doubt. If he really focused, he could sometimes get a word out of the shattered deity's consciousness. But the advice only pointed him in a direction.

He jolted upright in his chair, That's what it means! The core was telling him that what he had thought, that the Destroyer was evil, that was the truth! Who cares if it's Lyn who has taken the mantle? James stood up and went to the doors, calling for his Master of the Hunt. As he waited, impatiently, he cracked a smile. The Destroyer is evil. She's building power within the Valley of the Volcano. I cannot strike her, not with Valagonia's threat ever present. He went to the map on the wall. Cecily is quelling uprisings in Komorra and Rist. This is my best chance. I can do it quickly and quietly.

James knew he had to kill the Destroyer. It's what the Paragon was meant to do. It's what his sword was made to do. But he couldn't take her on right now. He was not nearly strong enough. He doubted his trump-card move to dash at lightspeed and strike her would kill in a single blow, especially since she knew he had that up his sleeve. No, he would have to conquer some dungeons. He had to obtain mana cores.

His Master of the Hunt ran down the hall and bowed at the doorway, "You wished to see me, King Marshall?"

James turned to the man, "Put out a bounty. Ten Gold Eagles for each verified sighting of a dungeon entrance, or a monster."

The court tracker nodded, "I'll tell your Seneschal to draw them up."

"And then get your scouts out there. Any dungeon they find, immediately report back."

The man left the room, and James shut the door as he walked over to the window. I'm going to gain power. Enough to defeat her. Enough to consume the Destroyer core myself…and end the threat once and for all. He grinned and chuckled. He would gain power, crush Cecily, free Valagonia from her tyranny, and then unite the world under his banner to end the Destroyer. Not just trap it in the Valley of the Volcano…No, he would fully crush it under his righteous might.

This time, he wouldn't be stealing the glory from the deceased. This time, he was going to earn the mantle he was given. This time…he was going to become the perfect protagonist from the fantasy novels he voraciously read and imagined himself as when he was back on Earth

I'm going to be the hero that saves the world.

"Rashanna has reported successful contact with the kingdom of Trisk. She has been invited to stay as their honored guest to discuss your four strictures. According to Melody – her raven – it is a promising start," Finala, Keeper of Ravens, stated.

Lyn smiled. Perfect, she thought. I'll get Trisk under my banner first, and I can implement my changes and hammer out any problems that arise before I work on the other kingdoms. She nodded, "Any other raven reports of note?"

"Yes, My Lady," Finala replied. "A report from The Dragon's Maw. Fort Watch has entered a siege."

"I can speak more to that," Spymaster Velenna interrupted. "The mercenary company known as Kory's Killers has elected a new leader named Lionel, since the disappearance of the Berserker hero – who has not been seen for quite some time. He declared Fort Watch an independent city, and forces from Valagonia are attempting to take control. Right now, the mercenaries are being starved out."

Lyn tented her hands as she sat on her throne, and glanced at Marshal Remora, "I have a mind to capture that Fort for our own uses. A staging post outside of our defenses that we can fall back from if needed. What are your thoughts on this?"

Remora stood up, "I have begun preparations for such a task. We do not have the manpower to break a siege or take over the Fort. Let alone man the fort itself."

I can't fix a manpower issue, Lyn thought. Breaking a siege was something she could do on her own. At this point, she was sure she could coat an entire battlefield in lava and simply destroy an army. Taking the Fort would be equally as easy…but holding it was the issue. I can't be everywhere at once. "We need more troops. The Ari are coming up The Rill and will form the foundation of our navy. I already have an eye on an Admiral who will serve under you, Marshal Remora. The Sloren are also on their way, and that will give us cavalry." Lyn leaned back and tapped the armrest with her clawed hand, "What we need is infantry. But I don't want to throw levies together."

"A thought, your grace," Vael interrupted. "What of mandatory service? Requiring every able-bodied person to serve in your ranks for a set period of time?"

Lyn nodded, "I had considered it. Right now…" she looked at Chancellor Vehenna, "Could we afford to spare that many citizens?"

She stood, "We have a populace of under fifteen thousand, My Lady. Around three-fourths are unskilled laborers, mostly Newen. Right now, they are providing for our food stores and continuing to keep us well supplied with foraging, hunting, and gathering."

"How many could be spared to form an infantry core?" Lyn asked.

The Chancellor walked over to the Marshal, and they talked in hushed tones for a few moments before Vehenna replied, "We have around twelve thousand Newen, My Lady. We can pull half of that number and maintain our food production rate."

"Will this account for the Sloren and Ari who are joining us in the coming weeks?" Lyn asked.

"Yes, My Lady. I had already accounted for that."

Lyn nodded, "Very well. We will first ask for volunteers to fill the ranks. I will not press people into service at this time." I need to have a dedicated military core, skilled professionals, if I am going to implement a mandatory service at the age of majority. The ones that volunteered would be able to form that core that she needed. It's going to take years to set these policies in stone. "And what about our empty positions on the council?"

Vehenna nodded, "We are still seeking appropriate persons to fill the roles of your Court Scholar and Physician. The search for a Steward is still on-"

"I have found someone suitable for the time being," Lyn said. "Thane Mol, Sloren leader of the Thunder Hold will be taking up that role upon his arrival. Continue your report."

"Yes, My Lady. We are still looking for a Seneschal and Architect."

Lyn nodded curtly, "Any other business?"

Finala stood up, "My Lady, your raven is ready."

Lyn smiled and stood, "Very well. I adjourn this council meeting. Come, take me to my new messenger."