A daunting silence took over the storehouse.
The only sound to be heard was the cackling and splintering of fires.
Ixion laughed at the sight, then added:
"So, willing to accept my help?"
The valiant fallen noble sheathed her dagger, then replied:
"What if we refuse?"
Puffing out his chest, Ixion replied:
"Then I'll provide help by force!"
With a look of indignation, Reina sighed and rubbed her temples, probably wondering what sin she committed in her past life.
"It seems I have no choice then. Though there will be stipulations."
Ixion grew a playful, shocked expression.
"Stipulations? Pray tell! What does thou will of me?!"
Reina's glare intensified as she said:
"One: no more talking like that—"
Ixion cut her off:
"Nope."
After a grimace, Reina continued:
"Two, call me Emily, even in private. Three, you are not to take independent action unless allowed. Four, you will listen and operate through me alone. Meaning, stay away from the others — you aren't even allowed to ask their names. Five, you will not mock our cause. Six, stop causing trouble wherever you go and calling attention to yourself. Seven—"
Ixion rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Ah, I got it, I got it. No need to continue. I, the great Veritas, will lower myself to follow this esteemed fallen noble, Reina Artoris!"
Reina shook in agitation, then calmed down and finished.
"Seven… stop calling yourself 'great'."
Ixion's head drifted back and forth until it settled down, and he said:
"Deal-ish?"
Reina sighed, then asked:
"What does that mean?"
To that, Ixion shrugged.
***
Ixion barely contained his laughter as he continued to tease the rebel woman; the woman who didn't even make him swear the oath. Showing she didn't trust him at all.
For the rest of the day, Ixion watched Reina's pitiful affairs, which she called a rebellion.
Her doings for the day amounted to rationing the little food and water they had between them and devising plans to secure more.
'Not the most efficient rebellion I've witnessed.'
Of course, being valiant as she was, her methods were nearly entirely ethical — she did not rely on theft.
So her procurement methods weren't the most effective, nor was what they would acquire particularly desirable… but the people seemed happy to follow along.
Despite Ixion following Reina all day, she had scarcely spoken to him. She only ever ordered him to keep quiet and follow.
It seemed she was testing just how willing he would be to follow her orders.
'I wonder where I fit in.'
'But seriously… this is one pitiable rebellion.'
The members were all weak and barely clinging to life.
The entire focus was on finding resources rather than dethroning Ixion. Either that, or Reina was showing 'Veritas' a false version of the Oathsworn.
Well...
Ixion was certain that was the case.
This abandoned warehouse was simply one of many hideouts the Oathsworn operated in…
There was no way she'd let the enigmatic Veritas in on her true operation. She was spreading her influence — even among the patrolmen. Building something large enough that even King Ixion couldn't ignore it.
She was the glue holding any semblance of order in the slums, for she was the sole heir of Artoris and the only one with even a slight chance of successful regicide.
Well, other than Hope and Despair, who had both fled, leaving their problem behind in Catatran.