A couple of days had passed since Ixion's little excursion, and he'd seldom left his room. Only to eat. Nor had anyone seen him recently.
He hadn't even called any women!
That's not to say he was completely idle for those four days.
Ixion had been spectating the results of his reckless spending.
First, the Praxian Caravan…
With the payload Ixion had given them, they started their departure five days early. It didn't take long for their choice to be proven correct.
Word spread quickly of what the Catatran King had done and how much gold he'd thrown away. There was even a rumor that it was unmarked!
Naturally, bandit brigades and solo thieves began their attempts to steal this gold away for themselves.
While that was bad in and of itself, Cecilia had also sent one of the royal assassins after them!
Thankfully, Zabaniyah canceled that order, but the target on Cha Hon and her posse's backs was huge.
As for how Ixion impacted the treasury…
When all was said and done, it wasn't too large a loss to rebound from…
Well, in their current circumstances, maybe they'd never earn it back, but it wasn't an amount that emptied their coffers and killed commerce.
That's not to say it was a welcome loss.
The entire palace was in disarray, and Laura was spearheading the council to form a plan to stave off the effects.
In the end, they found their stopgap.
There was already barely enough to pay the knights with what they had, but by cutting all of their pay, they could ration a serviceable amount.
Though the backlash for such an action was quite obvious…
'Ah, how smart and glorious I am.'
Avarice and acquisitiveness were the leading causes of rebellions, and Ixion had planted the seed perfectly.
Well, that wasn't to say tyranny, famine, and other factors weren't involved, but more so, it was often the one who wanted to claim power would be merely taking advantage of the situation. Not having an actual care for the people hurt.
As for who that person was in this case…
'Marlowe…'
Duke Marlowe of Nikkos was the man Ixion had spent the last few days shadowing. In his soul form, of course.
And that sly man had not betrayed his expectations at all!
Those thoughts of rebellion locked away in his skull were starting to see the light of day.
His actions were fairly subtle and tame at first, holding council with a select few he trusted most. Sending encrypted letters to other nobles to prod their psyche.
But as Marlowe saw how easy it was to gain support, he grew much bolder in his operations.
'I think it's time I announce a vacation soon…'
Ixion did have plans to visit Leyran or Praxis anyway.
As for why he'd announce such a thing, and why it held any meaning, it was so he could control the day of rebellion…
Taking over a monarchy wasn't something that simply happened because the people willed it.
There was much planning and preparation to do in advance for what to do during and after.
Plus, the man they were rebelling against was one who could single-handedly kill them all…
Meaning, they'd need to find someone who could match Ixion's strength before they even had a thought of anyone else sitting on that throne.
In any case, by announcing he'd be departing the kingdom in a year and a half, he could control the time of their rebellion by way of giving them an ideal opportunity.
So, even if they finished their preparations early, they'd still wait for Ixion to leave. He would also give enough time for solid plans to take shape.
Sadly for the people…
'Such a rebellion is merely a means to my end.'
Those fools!
'They're helping me!'
Ixion's laugh died down, and his smirk faded as he lay in bed, staring up toward the heavens blocked by marble.
'Oh, the strides we take in ambivalence on the march toward better days.'
Too bad…
'Those better days will never come.'