Luceran walked over, his steps slow. He approached Borrin, whose face was screwed up in a grimace of pain. Without a word, Luceran's hand went to the Commander's bruised shoulder, casting a flicker of Light Element healing magic. The raw pain eased, though the damage remained.
"That was well fought, Commander," Luceran said quietly, his pride clear in his eyes. "That shield saved your life, but it won't take another hit like that." He pointed to the deep dent in Borrin's shield. "We are not done. Dissect it. We leave nothing behind. Every scrap of this beast is a lesson and a resource."
The soldiers, though drained, got back to work immediately. Every beast on this mountain was a resource, and they knew it. They spent the next hour working with grim focus, the metallic smell of blood heavy in the thin mountain air. They meticulously stripped the incredibly tough, silver-hued feathers, knowing their value. Dred and a few others cleared the debris while Pelz, his breath still ragged, focused on the Alpha's chest. He had to use all his strength, sawing for several agonizing minutes to break through the creature's thick sternum.
Then, he let out a loud, excited shout that echoed off the sheer cliffs.
"Your Highness! Commander! A Beast Core! And it's a Wind Attribute one!"
Pelz held up the core. It's a smooth, translucent sphere pulsing with a powerful, unmistakable green glow. The mages gasped; the warriors stared with raw, exhausted hunger. The core was the size of a fist, clearly belonging to a monster at the Peak of Bone Tempering. It was a massive prize.
Vena immediately surged forward, her eyes wide and glittering with intense desire. "That core is meant for Cassandra! She is already at the Peak of Mana Core! This elemental purity will force her into Mana Engraving!" Vena's voice was high and frantic. "That's a realm jump in power! That's a new addition of someone at the Mana Engraving level for the army instantly!"
"Stop talking nonsense, Mage!" Borrin's voice was a low, dangerous rumble that cut Vena off. He strode forward, his imposing figure radiating threat. "A realm jump is nice, but the raw power of this core is enormous! It's Peak Bone Tempering energy! It can take Dred or Pelz directly to Bone Tempering realm now! We are walking into a mountain of monsters, and the soldiers need guaranteed strength to survive the next hit! Who cares about Mana Engraving if our entire line breaks first?"
Dred stepped up, his face scarred and resolute. "The energy goes to the people who earned it with their own blood! We took the hits, Commander! We need this raw power! The energy content is what matters! We need that physical power to climb the rest of this mountain alive!"
"Your argument is illogical, Lieutenants!" Cassandra finally interjected, her usual calm replaced by a cold, desperate intensity. "The physical gain is temporary and merely developmental! Mine is strategic! If I break through to Mana Engraving, I will be able to cast far more powerful spells! That's the difference between protecting three men and protecting the entire company! Sacrificing this purity for a small increase in muscle mass is not wise!"
"Not wise my ass!" Pelz shouted, gripping the core tighter. "We risked our lives, and the core is ours!"
The confrontation was brutal. It was the fundamental rift between Luceran's two factions: Magic Efficiency and Strategic Power versus Physical Loyalty and Immediate Survival. All eyes turned to Luceran. If he handled this wrong, he wouldn't just lose a core; he'd lose the trust of half his army or the mages.
Luceran stood still, letting the silence draw out after Pelz's desperate shout. His eyes, the same color as the core, were cold and assessing. He let the tension coil tight before he spoke, his voice cutting the air with the authority of command.
"The debate is over."
He didn't need to shout. He merely asserted his position.
"The Beast Core will go to Cassandra."
A collective protest rose from the warriors, but Luceran cut it off with a sharp, lethal glare that held the coldness of a true prince.
"Silence. Borrin, Dred, Pelz. Your bravery is not in question, and your blood paid for that core. But we do not fight over a single resource; we utilize all of them for maximum strategic gain. The Wind Core is pure Elemental Energy. To split it among physical warriors is a waste. Cassandra will absorb it. She gains the power of Mana Engraving, instantly adding another firepower for the rest of this journey."
He paused, then pointed a finger not at the core, but at the enormous, bloody carcass they were dissecting.
"However, Pelz, Dred, Borrin, and every soldier who took a blow today will take exclusive claim of the Silver Eagle hide and its bones." Luceran's expression softened slightly, acknowledging their sacrifice. "The hide is thick, nearly impenetrable. You will use that material to craft your next set of Bone Tempering armor. It will be superior to anything you can buy in Ironmarch, as it is almost at the 3rd stage beast. That armor will give you the physical defense you need to survive on the ground. The mages will not touch it. That is your superior, permanent reward for fighting, and your insurance for the next battle."
He gave a final, decisive look that admitted no further argument. "The objective is not to distribute the reward evenly. The objective is to strengthen the point of greatest need. Cassandra provides the power needed in the sky. Borrin and the soldiers will now have the superior defense needed on the ground. Is that clear? We move as one army. Now, heal the wounded and finish the looting. We leave at the break of dawn."
The tense atmosphere broke. Borrin gave a stiff, respectful nod, his eyes showing clear acceptance of the balanced decision. "Yes, Your Highness. It is clear." The soldiers, though disappointed about the core, instantly began examining the hide with new appreciation. Luceran had acted not as a boy, but as a fair, calculating commander who used his mind to turn one monster into two vital assets.
In Primordia, there are tensions between warriors and mages. In a political force, important figures like Luceran, who is a prince, usually split their force in two. Physical troops consist of knights and archers; Arcane troops consist of mages and summoners.
There are many instances where their forces' factions have tense relationships because of power differences and also their struggle for resources between those two parties. Usually, despite being in the same banner or faction, they fight internally for resources and influence. And it is already happening in Luceran's case.
'I'll have to think of a merit system for this kind of thing in the future to lessen or prevent a brutal conflict within my force.' Luceran thought.
This time, since it is only the first time, the Commander and lieutenants could accept it, knowing that Luceran has huge impact and gave them a lot of resources. But as time goes by and the factions grow bigger and becoming more independent, there will be real struggle for resources. To make it fair and lessening the potential conflict, Luceran has to make a merit system to balance things.
The tension did not vanish when Luceran finished speaking; it merely froze. The soldiers obeyed the Prince, moving toward the carcass to work on the hide, but their movements lacked the usual efficiency. Luceran knew a hasty decision could fracture the foundation of his force.
He found Commander Borrin overseeing the extraction of the massive Silver Eagle's femur. Borrin's face, usually rough and open, was unreadable, focused solely on the bloody work.
"A moment, Commander," Luceran said quietly.
Borrin straightened, giving a stiff nod. "Your Highness."
"You are still thinking of Pelz's face, aren't you?" Luceran stated.
"They risked their lives," Borrin replied, his gaze direct. "They want to feel the power they paid for. The core was instant power. The blood price, paid now."
Luceran rested a hand on the Eagle's hide. "I know the value of blood, Borrin. But look at the math. If I give that core to Pelz, he jumps one realm, becoming an Early Bone Tempering warrior. If Cassandra succeeds, she jumps two—from Peak Mana Core to Mana Engraving."
He paused. "Mana Engraving is not just more damage. It is the ability to etch a permanent Mana Rune into her core. It's the difference between three weak shields and one permanent, flawless defense for the whole company. That is strategic survival, Commander. It protects your frontline, permanently."
"Your men earned a superior, permanent defense that the mages cannot touch," Luceran continued. "I honored their ownership of the physical kill. But the division of spoils must be dictated by maximum strategic return for the army's survival."
Borrin finally gave a slight nod. "I understand the logic. But the mages must deliver. They must make this sacrifice worth the steel we took for them."
"They will," Luceran promised. "But you are right. This is not sustainable. My force grows. We need a Merit System that honors both blood and efficiency to prevent this internal squabbling."
Luceran then walked over to Cassandra, who sat near a rock face with the luminous core. Vena and Prar stood guard.
"The core is yours, Cassandra. The entire army is now dependent on your immediate breakthrough."
Cassandra, her calm shattered by pressure, looked up. "I will not fail, Your Highness. I will reach Mana Engraving."
"You will. But you will remember the cost of this purity." Luceran's gaze swept over the bloody warriors. "They only understand shields that break and spells that save them."
Luceran crouched down, his voice low and firm. "When you break through, you will focus your first Wind Mana Rune on Speed."
Cassandra's eyes widened. "Speed? Not a damaging or defensive spell?"
"No. The wind is movement, Cassandra. Speed rune will let you cast buffs on the frontline. It's the difference between Borrin's men being trapped by a collapsing cliff and them gaining the unnatural speed needed to dodge enemy attack. It gives them the mobility they need for survival, not offense. You will dedicate your new power to buffing and protecting the frontline. You must measure your worth in lives saved, Cassandra."
He gave her a final look of warning. "Your new power is not for individual glory. It is a debt owed to the blood of the soldiers who earned that core. Do not forget it."
He walked away, leaving Cassandra to stare at the luminous core, her ambition now mixed with a heavy sense of responsibility. Vena watched, her face tensed, knowing that from now on, the mages have to compete with the soldiers for resources.