15 CHAPTER 15
I, dressed as 'Mantis' and acting as Kuesu's bodyguard, Kalifa, Kuesu and the Minister were in the ample living room of the house, with a table with the best snacks and tea avaiable between us and him.
"Oh my, I would never expected that Your Excellency, Lord Edwin, would make a visit to my humble residence; I fear I may not be able to greet you with a proper receveing" she said with an elegant bow
"Let's not mind formalities, Lady Kuesu, I'm here in an unofficial way after all; I came here to make a deal with you and other nobles: I want to hire the adventurers under your personal contracts for the war" he said, a piercing gaze toward Kuesu's eyes
He was a lanky and lean mean, on his early thirty with well-kept short blonde hair and intense blue-green eyes; he was dressed with a sober but high quality outfit, mostly a white shirt under a high quality silk jacket and pants and shoes made probably from equally expensive materials; the only thing that would make him stand out and recognize him as a member of the Royals was a ring with the Royal crest stamped on it.
Kuesu didn't seem to be fazed by his gaze and, after taking a small sip from a tea cup, she spoke again.
"I think I find a bit hard to understand your request: the Royal Army has an immense force of over sixty thousand soldiers sent for this war, against the barely twenty five thousands of the Elf Kingdom; why would you need even the adventurers? Also isn't forbidden to adventurers to join wars, unless they are ready to pay really heavy fines? Like that half-elf S-rank, if I remember" replied calmy her with a well practiced act
There were few seconds of intense silence between her and him, like a silent battle of gazes before he threw a quick glance to me and Kalifa before looking again at Kuesu.
"That's formally true for adventurers who are only tied at the Adventurer Guild, but the ones who have personal contracts with influent figures can join any kind of conflict if their employers decide so, unless they wish to see their contracts terminated; if you accept to send your private forces to aid the army in the war, I would make a good word for Her Majesty about a status raising and compensate for future losses during the war" he said, his tone of voice completely devoid of any emotions.
"Hmm, it sure seems a nice prospective receiving an higher court rank in such short time and sure it would boost my image and wealth, but there is something that worry me: you said you contacted other nobles to ask them their personal adventurers, but to how many did you promise such high reward? How many of them accepted to risk their private forces in such war?" asked kuesu, a sly smile and gaze toward him.
This time even Edwin made a small smile, crossing his hands in front of his face
"You are really perspective, Lady Kuesu; it's true, not many nobles are willing to put at risk the precious pawns that they took time to harvest…but all of them are Counts or higher nobles, you are the only Baroness that hold a B-rank and more than ten C-rank and various lower-rank adventurers under your foot and it must be quite fetchy to pay all of them with only your Baroness's incomes…albeit I heard about your interesting project of the building of new villages in your lands, due the high number of people migrated in them for the low taxes"
He would be mostly right, if it wasn't that Aisha and Koneko, with the latter having also reached C-rank, weren't paid and Petrov was merely a puppet that just with a bigger,cleaner house and two maids to 'serve' him,some high quality equipments and a threat or two from 'Mantis' to always remember his position, he abided to everything we told him like a disciplined dog…
Kuesu must have had my same thought because her smile slightly grew bigger.
"My incomes are steady and growing, Lord Edwin, and I thank you for your concern; however my doubt remain: if even higher Lords and Ladies with such positions seemed more than uncertain to accept this 'informal' request how could I, a mere Baroness, take such an heavy weight on my poor shoulders? I already feel them so stiff" she said, touching a shoulder in a melodramatic way to emphatize it
It was a nice way to turn over the prospective…as I would expect from this noble lady-like character.
This time Edwin seemed to lose his smile and his face stiffened, meaning that Kuesu's guess was right.
"I think that the Royal Treasury and the shows of your loyalty toward during the hour of the Kingdom's need will give you lots of rewards after the war, Lady Kuesu; if you accept, I will make sure of that" he told in a slow tone, like he was having an hard time to say it.
Kuesu remained silent for a few moments, before giving her answer
"I would need some funds to proper equip my 'precious' subordinates for the war, and I would be glad if Lord Edwin would be so magnanimous to give me some insurance about the promised reward" she said, while Kalifa handed a scrool, a bottle of ink and a feather pen.
When he left the house, with a well written,full of cavils, contracts signed both by him and Kuesu, I commented.
"So we are at war, and this time that Jenna will be my enemy, uh?" was all I could say due me being distracted by a new System's notify
*Quests: Woken Match*
*Participate in the war's main battles*
*Kill the Woken*
*Win the war (optional)*
*Reward: 500000 Points, Absortion of defeated Woken's Soul*
*Optional Reward: 500000 Points; x1 Gacha Coupon 5* Star Soul Equipments*
Even the System is pushing me toward this big event…; my level was currently 90 and Jinbe's levels was now more than half the way to complete it, granting me constant raise in the bonus stats and in the Fishermen-Karare moves's power, but I still was unsure that my strenght alone wouldn't be enough to face on 1v1 Jenna Samson…but luckily, I was never some idiots shounen protagonists that woulf headbutt against far stronger enemies just by relying on the power of friendship and other bullshits.
"How long it will take to receive that funds and gather all our minions?" I asked, looking at Kalifa
She fixed her glasses with an hand and looked fast at some documents in her hand before answering
"I will arrange it in few days, Mr Kuro"
"Good, I will need also a weapons; I will search for something on my Shop but provide me with the best chain mail of Mythril you can find and tell Aisha and Petrov to arrange the command's chain for this mission; we need to be prepared for everything" I explained while making both Kuesu and Kalifa leaving the study.
I then spent all day there, bringing me lunch and dinner inside without almost never leaving the room…
--
*Wuuthrad, 25000 Points; legendary axe of one of Skyrim heroes,Ysgramor, and that inflict extra damages to all elf-related beings; the ancient tecnique used to forge it, make it reside the furious spirit of its original wielder when enough elf blood is spilled*
*Akame (5* Star Summons), 125000 Points: Main characters of Akame ga Kill, incredible skilled assassin known as 'Akame of the Demon Sword' and weilder of the lethal Teigu blade 'One-Cut Killer Murasame', a katana known for being coated in an immensely deadly poison that could kill those cut by it within seconds, as the poison itself has no antidote and as trump card he can incredibly strengthen the user for a short period of time.*
These two purchases practically depleted all the points I had gathered until now but it was worth it to have such tramp card against them, especially the lethal Akame; I was a bit dubious about her price, given that I considered Soi Fon stronger, but apparently being a main character meant that it would cost me far extra Points… I slighlty suspected it was due the legendary passive skill owned by 99% of MC, the 'Plot-armor no Jutsu'.
Her arrived was particualry welcomed by Koneko, who found a new glutton comrade, and Ikumi who appreciated meat-loving people; Kalifa, Lili and Kuesu weren't particularry amused…
"Her and Koneko's bottoless stomaches are gonna make the supplies expenses skyrcocket" Kalifa
"She is even more vulgar than the amazoness brute when eating" Kuesu
"Another girl with a chest bigger than mine-I mean…she already stole my dishes three times!" Lili
Now me and my group formed by Akame, Soi Fon, Aisha,Koneko and Kalifa were running inside a big forest inside the lands of the Elf Kingdom, heading toward an elves's outpost that was apparently located in the deep of this place and was considered an important logistic center from which elves sent orders and keep in contact the various scattered troops.
The elfes, with now the S-rank adventurer aiding them, were able to stall the Silva Kingdom's army on the front but even that half-elf woman couldn't be on the entire battlefield and the numerical advantage of the Royal Army couldn't be ignored.
Obviously there were a differences of quality between an average human soldier, who more or less reached the standard of a E-rank adventurer, and an average elf soldier, who was able to use bow and dagger and possessed keen eyes and ears; however thanks to Kuesu and other three nobles who had sent their private adventurers for a total of over an hundred and on at least of a D-rank, the small skirmishes were slowly siding on us.
"Boy, it's useless to try a night ambush; elfes are sharp as the knife they use so the only way now is a good old brawl" said Aisha, who was pretty excited by the recent fights with elfes troops.
"Lord Kuro-sama, leave to me the task of removing them; I'm the best suited for this" said Soi Fon, her Zanpakuto sheated that already claimed the lives of hundreds elves.
"Kuro, I'm going; I'm faster" said Akame, her Murasame equally blood covered while givong a glance to Soi Fon
"Kuro-senpai, I'm hungry and I miss Ikumi-san's meat dishes" Koneko wasn't particulary interested in the upcoming fight and more focused on the food
"We all go, the faster we clear their base, the earlier we would open a road to the army toward the elfes's main cities" I replied while we were finally at the base of a giant strangely branched tree where various perfectly squared holes could be seen.
It must have been at least one hundred feet tall, fifty wide and from the various long and twisted branches there could be seen small figures aligning upon them.
"They have seen us" commented Aisha, when the sound of one hundred arrows broke the silence and obscured our vision.
"Violett Schirm" I chanted, the magic circles forming around my hands pointed high toward the incoming arrows
From the magic circles a large curtain of acid poison gas was shot, dissolving the arrows and heading toward the large branches to melt them and the elves that were upon.
While we were still covered by the acid fog, I dashed toward the door-trunk of the tree fort and delivered a strong kick on the bark.
"Nanasenmaigawara Mawashigeri!"
The Busoshoku Haki covered-kick completely destroied a big part of the trunk that acted like a gate, taking also advantage of the water inside of it, opening a way inside of it, the shockwave of my hit rumbling for all the tree.
A thirty or so of elves, most of them wielding bows and some magic staffes, pointed their weapons toward us while a male elf supported by two dozens of other swords and spears wielding soldiers spoke to us with a ferocious gaze.
"Human invaders, surrounder immediately! Otherwise prepare to be disposed while you stand!" he shouted, his long and thin rapier pointed at me
"Pretty honourable or arrogant from him giving us a choice like we are at his mercy" said Aisha, her hands trembling due the will of going wild in a fight.
"Honour is for imbeciles, arrogance is for someone who has the right amount of strenght; Soi Fon, Akame kill all of the soldier except that elf leader, we will need him for interrogation and spare the non fighters" I commented, seeing that the elf's level was barely a 47 and his average stats around 100 while also giving instructions.
In the next moment, Soi Fon and Akame dashed at an incredible high speed, immediately aiming to getting rig off the mages and the archers, while Koneko, Kalifa and Aisha took care of the frontlines; Aisha large curved blade, Koneko's senju and punches and Kalifa's use of the Rokushiki
found their good shares of kill count while I took care of the commanders.
He was pretty nimble and precise with his thrusts, but my far superior stats and leveled up passive skills made very easy for me to parry with my dagger and short axe his strikes and counter them, return every time with a new cut on his body
"You! You greedy selfish humans! You started this war, and for what?! Here my call,Spirits of the Forest and aid me!" he was shouting, a mix of magic projectiles of various type flying toward me.
I couldn't even cast some poison magic, because I wasn't sure I could formulate fast enough a poison not too lethal to simply knocking him out and I had to retort on creating an opening and hit him strong enough to incapaciting him.
Luckily, my chance for an opening appeared few moments later; there was a loud explosion and various flames started to gather on the giant tree; this caused the elf commander I was fighting to the burning tree with an horrified expression.
"Soldiers, take out the refuges-!" but before he could continue, I dashed with High Speed and delivered a full charged Armament Haki punch to his solar plexus.
He was caught breathless, his face becoming of a strange purpish colour and let his weapon while falling on his knees and puking on the ground.
He remained in this state for few seconds, while I easily tied him hand and feet with a rope I took out from my Inventory.
"You have finally arrived; you sure took your time, almost all the soldiers are already dead" I commented to a platoon of more than one hundred soldiers leaded by Petrov and three other adventurers.
"I'm sorry for the delay, Mr Mantis but unlike you, Ms Belka and your…colleagues… we are not as fast and we had to open a way for the siege weapons" apologized Petrov, while he gave few orders to the soldiers that started to rush in
"This man is their commander, I'm sure you will take it something from him" I said throwing the tied uncounscious elf man on a small empty carriage
"I-I see, very well; if that's all, I will let you reunite with Lady Kuesu, please bring my regards to her"
Me and my group step back and let the soldiers extinguish the fire from the giant tree and take control of the outpost, while heading back to the gathering point estabilished with the rest of the army to report to the other officials in charge
