Chapter 18: Chapter 6.01 – Ruler of The Living and Dead

Raderius

I've done it. The Avantine families four cities Geb, Jewal, Iroknead and Gavlin alongside the entire county of Marktos are mine to rule. Admittedly, ruling a powerful county simultaneously with the County of Violeta, as well as engaging in diplomatic correspondence with the other Dukes and the King has been a burden. The King is understanding of the chaos that Avantine has suffered and has allowed me two years before I must make the journey to swear fealty to him. This is more than enough time to enact my reforms and demonstrate to my new liege the path that the Kingdom of Milos should take.

The first matter of business is to enable freedom for the people. Every waking moment in which i'm engaged in statesmanship becomes devoted to creating a proper education system and the construction of schools throughout the duchy, including ones accessible to those who live in villages. These educational academies, funded by the taxes of the citizenry, begin at age five and end at age twelve. Their curriculum designed to providing the basic tools for a child to pursue any number of dreams. Long term change will take two generations at least, but I've laid the foundation for Avantines greatness.

Additionally, I've begun to stimulate economic and cultural activity, trade with the other duchies has become open for the first time in nearly twenty years. Mutually boosting the Kingdom. The policy of treating the rest of the Kingdom like its a rival to Avantine has ended. Mutual growth is the goal.

Museums, theatres and art galleries have begun to spring up with competitions and other creative endeavors being privately funded by merchants that have accepted loans from my treasury.

Crime is actively being reduced, with fewer angry and desperate villagers out there now unshackled from the immense tax burdens of the past. A balanced budget that seeks to only be spent on what will enrichen the citizenry, with a smaller focus on military upkeep has freed the people from oppression. After all, no living military can compare to me.

The military of Avantine has been drastically reduced in strength with every magic knight above grade three perishing, as well as many of the grade threes and lower. This has worked in my favor, as when the time comes, the dead work for free.

Confident in my magical abilities, I once more seek to enhance my physical capability. Hiring a sword tutor from the capital so that I'm no longer relegated to just a spear. Additionally, I ask the most renowned blacksmith in the duchy, a Dwarf by the name of Ivan to forge me a enchanted masterpiece with five empty rune slots.

I've also begun putting quell to parchment as I write a tome. A tome of necromancy to use as a focal point for my magic. However, my affinity no matter how I use it for good has to strong of a will of darkness. It rejected and destroyed the parchment I used. That's when I had a brilliant idea. The convicts who are going through the death penalty. Their skin shall be used for my black book of necromancy! I smiled at this efficient use of resources, making sure that even if I can't yet raise them, their death will be of productive value. Truly, I'm to be praised.

The last order of business was to discover who I could entrust the County of Violeta to. It was much to my shock to discover that most of the barons within Marktos are of good character. It was as if Avantine oppressed everyone equally and indirectly brought out their better selves. It was a long contest, but eventually I named Simon Katz, a baron of a small village to become the new Count of Violeta. This significantly lowered my personal burden.

A year later and the citizenry have placed their trust into me. Lilly has had her family name restored and the County of Silos is now the County of Neiros. The other Dukes I have yet to meet, but from what I understand from my own messengers, their messengers have delivered a positive impression, this is in no small part due to my willingness to engage in trade.

Now, the next phase of my plan. To truly create prosperity and allow every man, woman and child the freedom to be who they want to be I will need to leverage my magic. The dead will serve the living, a term of one hundred years, working fields, paving roads. They will handle work that free's the citizens to pursue any lifestyle they desire. If the people desire for nothing more than their simple lives, they may keep it and continue their good work alongside the undead. If they want to become merchants, knights, soldiers, mages, they are also free to pursue it. A utopia.

The spell i'm about to cast is to complex for the connotations of being a mere 'spell.' I dub it a ritual for the complexities required to perform the casting can be described as nothing less. An entire year of my undead working in the background while I refined the finer points of the ritual was required to perform this casting. But now, its ready.

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'Per me et ego te summonimus
Per virtutem et sapientiam, ego te besech
Fieri tenetur ad me
Servite me
Reliqua autem cibus tuus et facti sunt oblivisci generatione altera
Servite dominum tuum, et Dominus Mortuus!'

The land shook. The dead rose. Hundreds of thousands, all at once, enough to match the living population of Avantine. Terror threatened to envelop the citizenry.

This was anticipated.

I casted my next ritual

'Spectatores mortis, labia tua movere ad me.
Libera voluntatem Dei onto mea.
Vide ne noceat, sed communicare.
Per virtutem domini tui et ego præcipio tibi
Servite me in hac societate
Obliviscatur tua voluntas tua, ut libera mea'

The undead across the dukedom opened their mouths and delivered my message.

"Citizens of Avantine, do not be afraid. Your Duke is in control. The undead before you are in servitude to you, they shall obey your commands. Use them to enrichen your villages, use them to farm and feed your villages, use them to protect yourselves, use them to build roads that will connect you all to each other. Use them to build buildings that will house your great works. Use them to pursue your own goals and freedom. You may be afraid, but this power exists to serve you. If you reject my gift, do not despair. The undead will simply wait until you embrace them. If you fear for the violation of their souls, do not despair. This servitude is temporary. The dead will serve the living and the living will prosper. This I promise you. I will bring heaven onto Milos and you will all be at peace. Now, decide what your future holds for you and rejoice at your freedom!"

I looked through the eyes of one undead after another, many villagers backed away, some ordered their undead to leave. Yet, just as many were already utilizing them. Having them finish projects that the villages expected were to take years would now take months. The light of ambition, it shone in the eyes of my people as they got to work. Those lacking that light will see the error of their ways when their neighbors prosper. They will call back the undead assigned to them and they to shall be great.

Meanwhile, the nobility knew of the unspoken threat the undead carried. Serve your people well, or join the dead in slaving for them.

In one night I've changed Avantine. I've accomplished one of my failings at Remire. To prove to all that death magic could be of use to the people, not harm them. It was done by force, but I no longer care. I don't care of the opinion of the other Dukes or even the King, once news spreads out if given a chance I will pledge loyalty to the crown regardless. If anything as I gaze at my people and see the results of my careful preparations and the joy among a newly freed populace I have become utterly convinced of one absolute truth.

The ends justify the means.

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