Jackal Among Snakes

Chapter 655: Revolution Funding

“Are all of you really sure that you want to do this?” Argrave asked, looking between the dead heroes of old.

“I can speak for myself alone, but I know that my time is running out,” Felipe I confirmed with a stoic nod of his head. “Garm could allot us only so much time. It’s bound to run out eventually. At least in this manner, we live on, in a way. Better to give yourself up in service of something greater than to die ingloriously protecting temporary interests. Of course, it’d be best not to die at all… but it’s my fault for doing it the first time, so I can’t complain.”

“We were never really alive to begin with,” Bhaltair reminded them all. “We are all but tools for an epoch beyond our own, of Argrave’s taming.”

As the Archchief of the Burnt Desert nodded in quiet agreement, an elven general chided, “A fitting attitude for a necromancer. But it’s not wrong. This is an excellent capstone to glorious service.” The elven warrior gave a salute. “It’s been an honor serving under you, commander. I never thought I could give honor to a human, besides the honor of dying at my hand. You’ve proven me wrong. Many of you have.”

“Mmhmm. And considering so much rests in your hands, Argrave, some of the more calculating among us think to indebt you to them so you’ll never dare violate that document we drafted together.” Emperor Balzat crossed his arms, scrutinizing some who didn’t meet his gaze. “As for myself, I hope only that you’ll take care of my granddaughter.”

Constant agreement came—a steady deluge of approval, one by one, without exception. These strong-willed men and women had long ago come to terms with what had been done to them, and what would happen to them once their time was up. Argrave questioned if he could so bravely accept an inevitable fate.

“Then it’s settled,” Argrave concluded. “Let’s take the offer to the scary woman. Be ready to pack your bags at a moment’s notice in case she’s unreceptive.”

“The empty shell can already replicate what Traugott could do,” Ghislain said. “He’s rather good at learning. We’ll be ready.”

“I only hope that’s not an ill omen,” Anneliese said with a sigh, then turned her amber eyes to Argrave. “I’m ready.”

Argrave clapped, already looking forward to being free of this place once and for all. “Let’s dance.”

#####

The rebelling lieutenant studied the contrasting pair of lovers as they walked back to her. One with long white hair, the other with short black. One with eyes full of color, the other gray as the Shadowlands. There was a near palpable link between the two of them. The locust-bringer, who bled pain, was bad enough as an opponent… but with this woman alongside him, she could not recklessly attack. It was instinct alone telling her that these two could defeat her, but instinct had brought her far in the vicious Shadowlands.

They came to a stop a fair distance away from her. She waited for them to speak in silence.

“We’re willing to help you with your dream of liberation,” the man named Argrave said. “But there are conditions.”

“Conditions for liberation defeats the purpose,” she spat back in an ugly rage. “Freedom of choice, with only one option. Freedom to walk, with only one path. Freedom to think, with only one subject. Is that what you’re offering?”

unmerry way. You’ve amply proved in fighting me that there are dangerous people here. But!” He raised a finger. “We can offer you a compromise. Namely… we could create a permanent portal to your realm. There, you’d be able to baptize your Shadowlanders, so to speak, whenever you wanted. Same end result, one way or another, but it’s a place

a strategic burden,” she said, considering

how useless he was before real genius.” He gestured to the elven woman at his

the Hopeful learns how liberation works,

“Someone who could ensure that the Hopeful doesn’t manage to learn anything. Someone that could take the odds, stacked against you as they are, and overturn them completely. Well… I have over two dozen of such figures. Two dozen of the best leaders in the

here, in

up to his chin. “Rather like you, the people that I brought with me are the greatest of their generation. They’re reincarnations of the greatest leaders our world has ever seen. Their

site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the

is one thing… strategy is another. We’re dead gods, lest you’ve forgotten. That means we’re among the

people? They were chosen from the annals of all history. Bluntly put… I have no doubt they are your equals, and perhaps your superiors. They can give you

don’t see it.” She crossed her

haven’t caught on by now? If you’re that slow, then you’re definitely going to need the tremendous gift that I’m offering. What you need is a great leader—a destined leader that could fight back against the

do this willingly?” She

“None of them protested.

know what they’re

They saw the Hopeful, and

make of this. “I fail to see what you get out

get by keeping him—protection from your people. Beyond that, I merely want to do a good deed. I find that good deeds tend to be repaid in time. If they’re not, so

logic in her head ate at her gut, telling her that it was fundamentally foolish to let the Manumitter slip out of her grasp. He’d just said that the portal could close at any time, with him

You offered conditions, even aid, despite not needing to. I’ll…” She hesitated, nearly swallowing the words. “I’ll choose to trust you. All of my peers would mock me for that

“See? I knew this could be amicable. I’m pleased to know there is

going to be charitable and assume you’re speaking

#####

mind quite a lot, lately,” Argrave reminisced. All was done on their part—now, the former lieutenant would need to integrate her new volunteer troops. “It does make me wonder what our research team found. If we come back having learned more

nodded. “I… indulged some part of myself I find