Rebellion: Prince of Dawn

Chapter 4.1: Dormant Talent

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ILIAS PAYNE

Every other day or so for the past week, Camaro had been bringing me to the library and teaching me things I wanted to learn.

Since Jaime and I were the same age, he thought that maybe she would develop an interest in learning with me. But the moment she finished the quota of reading one chapter a day, she was out of the library running around the village. Most of the time, she was back by dusk, her body drenched in sweat and her clothes caked with mud. On rare occasions, she didn't come back at all.

Jaime had no interest in sitting down and learning, but I had that same problem as well. Any kid would. It was supposed to be the teacher's job to teach so this was entirely the colonel's fault.

When Camaro first asked what topics I was interested in, I had to think about it for a while. From my own readings, I found out that Armestis was no longer governed by the feudal system I was familiar with because it died when the Nelbrandt's decided to militarize the entire nation. As much as I read about it, I just couldn't figure out how this new government worked. Without hesitation, I asked Camaro to teach me how the military worked.

The colonel was patient with me, slowly explaining everything from the beginning to make sure I understood how things came to be. All in all, I'd say it took me about four lessons to comprehend everything.

"Now, do you understand the militarization of Armestis?" he asked.

I nodded. "I was confused at first, but everything makes sense now. Thank you for being patient with me."

"You're that confident, huh? Do you mind if I quiz you?"

"Nope, not at all."

"Okay, then." He flipped the board that was filled with notes to its clean side and took away the open book in front of me. "Who initiated the militarization of Armestis and what was their reasoning?"

"It was the Nelbrandts. Specifically King Aethas. After overthrowing King Diablo, King Aethas decided he didn't want to risk his family being overthrown. He then instigated a program that anyone, as long as they were sixteen, could join no matter their race or gender. Anyone who entered was given a handsome pay of twenty-five silver coins a month. This program was for a singular army that would serve the king and him only."

"What happened after this program was introduced?"

"Since most of the noble houses paid less than what the program was offering, many foot soldiers abandoned their lords to serve the king. Because of this, many of the noble houses became obsolete throughout the years."

"What effects did this have on Armestis?"

"The military was met with fierce backlash at first, but Armestis became more peaceful. Since the entire land was under one rule and army, there weren't as many wars being fought amongst its nobles. By the time King Axel came to rule, most of the major houses had fallen and attacks on villages became common because there was no one to protect them. This was when jurisdiction was introduced. King Axel assigned higher-ups of the military with platoons to stay in villages, towns, and cities. This was to make sure that the citizens were protected from monsters and bandits, but also to make sure their jobs were being done and trade was flowing smoothly."

"Very good. What do you think of this, Ilias? Would you rather have the country go back to its original feudal system or stay as it is?"

While having there be one giant army sworn to only follow the king's orders is a bit of a taboo for me, if it keeps the peace then I don't see why we should go back.