The entire 23rd Legion couldnt accompany Trajan to Florentia, as there wasnt enough room for them, the crews of the ships, and the thousands of people they needed to evacuate. Or at least, they couldnt all go at once, but Trajan didnt plan on being in Florentia long enough to ferry everyone upriver.
Five thousand soldiers would go in the first wave and fortify the city. The ships would then return to Ariminium with as many citizens of Florentia as could be packed into them, and ...
2019-04-01 14:55:52 +0000 UTC
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5 more chapters are now available in the $20 tier, with the name-in-credits reward moving up to the new $25 tier!
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The lands east of the Bulls Horns had been won in the last war with the Talfar Kingdom, but they werent particularly extensive. They sat in a small vale between the Border Mountains and the Tyrrhenian River where the plain widened slightly, only to contract again further to the east. The land the Bulls Horns had been built upon was still the narrowest part of...
2019-04-01 14:55:01 +0000 UTC
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Don't forget that there will be some changes coming to my Patreon page next Monday! Additional chapters will be added to the $20 tier, increasing the amount of chapters available from 15 to 20, while getting your name in the credits of each chapter will be pushed back to the new $25 tier.
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Trajan read and re-read the letter Constantine had sent him. The others around him waited for an explanation, or at least for the Prince to allow the competition to continue, but the Prince w...
2019-03-29 15:01:00 +0000 UTC
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It was clear to everyone that both Ateia and Leon had held back quite a bit in their fight, though their competitive sides were beginning to show through when Trajan stopped them from escalating the fight. Neither fought with anything close to the ferocity and ruthlessness they wouldve in a real battle, and neither did they use killing intent. Still, despite the lack of clear resolution, both knights walked out of the sandpit with a much higher level of respect for the other.
As a sid...
2019-03-27 15:01:00 +0000 UTC
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Leon didnt know what to expect when he, Alix, and Anzu walked into Trajans training chamber, but since the Prince had hinted at having something special in mind, he was a little cautious and apprehensive. He most certainly didnt expect to see about a dozen other knights hed become acquainted with over the last year in Trajans retinue, the three Legates that led the Legions stationed at the Horns, and several of the Tribunes within those Legions. He paused a moment as he stepped into...
2019-03-25 15:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Three tons of Silverleaf, enough military equipment to field half a battalion, four million three hundred and seventy thousand silver coins, almost fifty crates of wine and glassware, and twenty-six smugglers captured, Trajan listed, reading from the report Leon had given him that morning.
After capturing the smugglers cave, Leon had a messenger dispatched back to the Bulls Horns to report their success and pass along Leons request for additional soldiers to help with the clea...
2019-03-22 15:01:00 +0000 UTC
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After taking a few dozen steps into the cave, Leon felt like he passed through a thin curtain and the darkness instantly receded.
Looks like there were more enchantments at the entrance than just those blocking my magic sense
he muttered.
He tried to project his magic sense again, but once more his magic was instantly scattered as it exited his body.
I guess were doing this the old-fashioned way, one of the fifth-tier knights behind him said after trying the exac...
2019-03-20 15:00:03 +0000 UTC
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If you haven't already, please visit Royal Road and leave a rating or review! I would generally prefer reviews as they count for more on the RR rankings, but no pressure ;)
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Staring out at the dark coast, Leon immediately understood why it had been strongly recommended that he seek the assistance of the locals: the entire coastline was taken up by rocky hills and black cliffs with a f...
2019-03-18 15:01:03 +0000 UTC
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If you missed it, I posted the promised map of Ariminium!
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The Legion captured more than a dozen smugglers in Ariminium alone due to Merovechs information. It took all of about three days for Minerva to get enough intelligence from them in turn for the ball to enter Leons court.
said about a mile or so down the coast from this fishing village, Minerva explained to Leon, ...
2019-03-15 15:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Welp, this thing is only marginally better than my previous maps, but it at least gets the point across. I hope. Don't take the scale too seriously, I'm not a skilled enough cartographer to take that into account =/
So, without further ado, here's the map!
There's an attached copy you can download at the bottom of the page in case you can't see this picture for some reason.
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<...
2019-03-14 21:05:54 +0000 UTC
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If you missed it, I made a post yesterday detailing some important upcoming changes to this Patreon campaign in the next few months. Check out the full post here, but the tl;dr is that there's going to be a new patron tier with more chapters, and current reward tiers are going to gradually increase over the next several months until they're double what they currently are!
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Merovech fe...
2019-03-13 15:00:03 +0000 UTC
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So, remember how last year I gradually increased the amount of chapters you all get for your pledges over the course of several months? Well I figure its about time to get back into doing that. But first, I'm going to be adding a new $25 tier, and this will be the bragging rights 'doing it just to support the author' tier that gets your name in the credits, while the $20 tier will just have more chapters. Just to be clear, I'll outline what the new tiers will look like on April 1st (which as ...
2019-03-12 23:51:13 +0000 UTC
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Leaving a rating or review on Royal Road is always appreciated =D
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As Leon walked up the stairs from the Silverleaf warehouse, it occurred to him that the villa had probably already been searched by those who had found the warehouse to begin with. He, of course, had to search it again to fulfill Trajans orders, but the first thing he did was to find the knight in charge of the clean...
2019-03-11 15:01:01 +0000 UTC
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Trajans office was suddenly filled with a bright red light as the Prince opened the box. Within, Leon could see a thin plate of polished black onyx about six inches square, and set in the center of the plate was a brilliant red ruby about the size of his eye. The ruby glittered with magic power, and beneath the surface seemed to flow a red liquid that Leon was almost certain was only a trick of the light. Still, it was impossible to deny how magical the ruby was, especially as the room was ...
2019-03-08 16:01:01 +0000 UTC
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and this is the only object seized from the Bluefire Guild that matched the description you gave us, Your Highness, the young fourth-tier knight said to Prince Trajan.
This is it, Im sure of it, the Prince replied, looking down at the simple black box in front of him. The box wasnt that large, only as big as a decent-sized book, but Trajan knew that it contained the single most valuable item that the Bluefire Guild possessed. Thank you, youre dismissed, Trajan said ...
2019-03-06 16:00:03 +0000 UTC
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and then
he just laid there! With a look
of utter confusion! Alain recalled in between bouts of boisterous laughter.
That horse was a nightmare, Leon said defensively. He wouldnt do anything I told him to!
Yeah, buddy, it was entirely the horses fault! Charles said with a wry smile.
It had been three weeks since the Bluefire riots, and Leon and Alix had spent most of that time training. However, when they had time, they spent much...
2019-03-04 16:01:00 +0000 UTC
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About twenty miles east of the Bulls Horns lay Briga, the western-most fortress of the Talfar Kingdom. It wasnt nearly so large as the Horns, as in the vast plains of Talfar such fortifications were an easily bypassed waste of resources. That being said, it was still a formidable locationbuilt on a hill, two layers of walls, six gatehouses, and numerous isolated baileys.
Due to the location, most of the fortress was made of black trap rocks taken from the Border Mountains, giving ...
2019-03-01 16:01:01 +0000 UTC
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Leon and Alix decided to go to a restaurant in the fortress as there werent many in Ariminium that would allow Anzu to enter. The specific place they settled on was a well-known place that had everything from noodles to burgers and even served as a bar after sunset.
It was relatively early when the two walked in, with Anzu sticking to Leons heels as much as he was able. Most of the tables were clear and the bar area only had a few patrons, but Leon barely gave the few people who wer...
2019-02-27 16:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Leon woke up about an hour after sparring with Alix. He was still laying down next to Anzu, and when he realized that he had fallen asleep he quickly got to his feet and shambled into the bathroom. He wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed, but he couldnt do so when he was still covered in the dust, dirt, and blood that had accumulated over the day.
He counted himself fortunate, at least, that as a fifth-tier mage, his body had much less cause to sweat, even in the conditions h...
2019-02-25 16:01:00 +0000 UTC
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You know, I wasnt really expecting to find you still alive, given how wrecked this district is, Trajan drily quipped as he, Leon, Alix, and Anzu stepped into the main office of the Bluefire Guild where the guilds master was waiting for them.
Leon could see that the office was supposed to be sumptuously decorated, but the marble floor tiles were cracked and broken, tapestries had been torn from the wall, painted murals were defaced, and most of the expensive-looking furniture had...
2019-02-22 16:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Leon stared at the massive steel gate between the battalion and the Bluefire Guild. Its heavy enchantments had prevented anyone from making so much as a dent in the thing, and Trajan was growing visibly impatient. Everyone could see the occasional shadow in the windows of the guild hall behind the gate, making it obvious that the mages inside were watching and waiting for the attack to begin.
About twenty minutes before, the final battalion of soldiers arrived, and Trajan briefed the Le...
2019-02-20 16:01:00 +0000 UTC
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With a tremendous crash, Trajan slammed his hammer into the last of the mages that continued to resist his advance on the bridge. Before him lay one last barricade between himself and the teams hed sent ahead, which Avremar and his Legate had already set about destroying.
Behind him, four thousand Legion soldiers waited patiently. They had suffered no casualties, partly because of their spectacular armor and shields, and partly because Trajan had gone out in front of everyone and draw...
2019-02-18 16:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Well, we've reached another Patreon goal, and that means 3 bonus chapters tomorrow!
2019-02-12 20:58:51 +0000 UTC
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Most of the nobles in Leons cycle from the Knight Academy had been spread out among the Central and Western Territories, along with the most outstanding commoners. The rest of the commoners were sent to the Northern, Southern, and Eastern Territories.
The majority of the Snow Lions had gone east, and a few went north. More than twenty-five of the thirty-six third-tier nobles, however, had prestigious posts in the Central Territories. Due to the status of their families, going somewher...
2019-02-04 16:03:01 +0000 UTC
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Gaius first destination was the Princes bedroom. If he wanted to save those girls in Petrus bedroom, then hed need something of the Princes first. Octavius often had trouble sleeping, so he kept strong Somnos Incense by his bed. There were a few servants scurrying about, but Gaius was able to slip in undetected and take a few sticks.
Once the incense was in hand, it was off to Petrus small wing of the palace complex. There, Gaius thought he would have a harder time moving ar...
2019-02-01 16:01:12 +0000 UTC
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The meeting was over, and Octavius had succeeded in formally gaining the support of almost every high noble who showed up. Even Gratian eventually voiced his support despite some initial reluctance. The only person who didnt was the Duchess of Vesontio, who left the meeting as soon as it was over having not said a single word throughout the entire affair.
Still, the amount of support Octavius received was overwhelming, and his face broke out into an enormous smile as he and his follow...
2019-01-30 16:01:01 +0000 UTC
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If you can spare a second or two, please visit Royal Road and leave a rating or review!
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Roland didnt stay the night at Fort 127, choosing to leave as soon as his meeting with the Consul was over, much to the chagrin of the guide who was denied the rest he greatly desired.
Watching the Paladin depart with his magic senses, Clovis smiled and glanced at his assistant. Good wor...
2019-01-28 16:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Who would ever want to live in these dreary Northern Territories
? Roland thought as he rode his horse along the last dirt path on his journey. The sky was overcast, the ground was rocky and broken, and what few forests hed seen were thin and hardly inviting.
It had been more than a month since hed left the capital, and he felt like hed been riding all over the Northern Territories looking for the Consul of the North. First, hed gone to Cyrenaica, a large fortress ...
2019-01-25 16:01:00 +0000 UTC
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So, youre all right with this? Lucilius asked Aquillius in the latters office.
Aquillius leaned back in his chair and gazed out of the window behind his desk. After a few seconds, he responded,
Yes, its for the best that Sir Leon not stay with us. Id have to punish him somehow for going against orders. Its easier for everyone for him to simply not be with us.
A shame. I think he mightve been a great diplomat, given a decade or two of experience.
...
2019-01-23 16:00:02 +0000 UTC
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With the wide grin of a man who had just gotten what hed wanted, Trajan clasped Leons hand. The latter was now his knight, even if there was still a great deal of paperwork to deal with before it became official.
Your family has always stood for justice and righteousness in this Kingdom, Trajan said to Leon. Im hoping you strive to live up to that reputation.
Leon was quiet for a second or two, but he responded with, Ill do my best, Your Highness
Good...
2019-01-21 16:01:01 +0000 UTC
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