47 Counselling 2 (2/2)
”Alright, but what does that have to do with knights?”
”The rebellious nobles built their forces in plain sight by knighting soldiers in huge numbers. As a result, the knights supported the nobles who'd knighted them rather than the kingdom. After the war, there was a huge debate on whether or not to allow knights to serve the noble houses or not. In the end, it wasn't outlawed, but the remaining nobles made the decision to stop knighting personal knights. These days, it's no longer seen as an act of rebellion to knight someone into your house, but it's still viewed with suspicion unless the king has specifically given his blessing, and even then it's usually only reserved for second sons or other non-inheriting members of the family.”
”So Alistair essentially just told the king he'd be creating his own faction? Why?” Craig asked with a confused look.
”For that very reason,” Alistair spoke up. ”The king is not the only one who's aware that I've begun to make moves. There are many in the kingdom who are dissatisfied with the current conditions and will willingly flock to the banners of anyone who challenges the status quo. But there's a deeper reason behind my choosing of Lucy's young apprentice.”
”And what's that? Eh, Alistair? Because it had better not be to rope me into your crazy schemes,” Lucy snapped.
”No, I did think of you when I chose Kystfyr over his companion, Jun Shinzir. But the reason was not because he was your apprentice, but rather because he'd managed to become your apprentice.” ”What the hell do you mean by that?”
”The biggest card we have is the otherworlders. They are the ultimate wild card. An enormous group of semi-immortals who serve no one but themselves. However, the kingdom has made no moves to recruit the otherworlders, in fact, there are many who agree with Lucy's views. The otherworlders are seen as a threat, here to steal jobs and positions from honest, hardworking Novanalbans. There are also many reports of otherworlders stealing from, assaulting, and even killing Novanalbans. Thus, it's obvious why they are not regarded as highly as many might like.”
”The reason you chose my apprentice, Alistair. Now,” Lucy uttered through gritted teeth.
”I was just getting to that,” Alistair responded, taking a swig from the mug in front of him before continuing. ”The otherworlders are not being properly utilized as a combat force. Yes they're weak right now, but that's swiftly changing. Since the kingdom is unwilling to use the otherworlders, I will. However, this is not something that can be done haphazardly. I need to both entice the otherworlders to gather under my banner, and also convince the native Novanalbans that the otherworlders they will be fighting alongside with are trustworthy. I needed someone they could trust. In that regard, I could think of no better candidate for this task than the man who'd convinced Lucy Morningstar to take him on as her student. Kystfyr proved himself in the Battle of Lichfrost. His actions directly saved many of the men from the 7th Scout Division, and he's someone that both Novanalbans and otherworlders alike respect. I chose him to act as the bridge between Novanalbans and otherworlders, whether he knows it or not.”
The table went silent upon hearing this, as the council pondered Alistair's words. Even Lucy, who was usually so quick with a retort or a venomous remark, had a look of contemplation upon her face. At last, Flen looked up.
”Do you really think it will work? Is it really necessary to go through all of this just to recruit the otherworlders to your side? To risk angering the king, and potentially placing your head upon the executioners block?” he asked, staring deeply into the eyes of his old friend.
”Yes,” Alistair said simply. ”There is a great trial coming, not just for Novanalba, but for all of Nasvencia. The gods saw fit to send us the otherworlders for a reason, and yet they're still concerned over our fate. If the oncoming tribulation is of such difficulty that the result is uncertain even with an army of immortal fighters on our side, then what chance do we have without them? And even worse, what chance do we have if we turn that army into enemies?”
The table went silent once more. Where last time, the silence had been pensive, as the council had pondered Alistair's actions. This time, the silence was cloying, hanging heavily over them as they struggled to come to terms with the scenario Alistair had just outlined. It was Lucy who finally broke the silence, looking Alistair in the eye for the first time since they'd faced off a few minutes earlier.
”Do you really believe we have a chance, Alistair?” she asked. Gone was the anger and the fury from her voice, all that remained was an apprehensive look, as she stared towards the old militia captain. As if begging him to laugh and tell them all that it was just a joke, and that everything would be alright.
Hearing the sincerity in Lucy's voice, Alistair paused for a moment, searching for the best words to use.
”I believe we have a chance. Not necessarily a good one, but a chance. The Ironfrost Horde is coming, In order to succeed, we need to be ready. I won't say anything stupid or sentimental like, 'don't worry'. But I have laid far more plans in action than you think. Korin Wavesun and I have spent the better part of two days feverishly creating an outline of all that needs to be done in order to prepare. Your student's role in all this is actually fairly minimal, Morningstar. I am certainly not going to place all my eggs in one basket, especially one as unreliable as an otherworlder.”
Flen sighed deeply, the wrinkles on his brow appearing more pronounced than they had only a short half hour ago.
”I hope you know what you're doing, Alistair.”
Looking his friend in the eye, Alistair smiled.