Chapter 53: Briefing

He gave a small nod in acknowledgment of their greetings and walked directly to the main seat in the office.

"Here boss," Darfin hurriedly vacated his spot and grabbed another chair next to Goren on the opposite side of the desk.

Zaos leisurely took his seat before addressing the elves.

"Have a seat. I want you both to recount your experiences during my absence," Zaos slouched on the cushioned chair as he spoke.

"Yes, boss." Both elves responded as they took their seats.

The first to speak up was the stoic Goren.

"Boss, during your absence the Rogue's division had slowly grown due to the increased prestige of our Crimson Rogue's Legion. Multiple thieves, bandits, and fugitives from different areas sought refuge in our division. With this increased manpower, we have managed to spread our influence over most of the common folks of the mercenary city.

"We now control most of the inns and taverns in the settlement," Goren announced with a plain expression, although his eyes betrayed some excitement.

Zaos nodded with a smile, "Very good," He said in praise.

Not wanting to be left behind, Darfin hurriedly chimed in.

"Our Crimson division has also increased in size after recruiting and subduing a few gangs in the settlement. We managed to take control of more than half of the market district and have established control over most of the merchants in the settlement." Darfin announced proudly.

Zaos raised his brows in surprise, "More than half of the market district? Were you not confronted by the other forces, especially the Raven Guild?" He asked.

It was worth noting that the market district of the mercenary city was a highly sought-after territory by all the forces in the settlement. It had never had an official ruler since the balance between the forces was stable, both the minor forces and major forces had a near equal amount of power. That balance was only recently destroyed by the Crimson Rogue's Legion.

"The other forces were unhappy to see it happen but since most of the underworld was allied with us, the mercenary guilds including the Raven Guild, raised no direct opposition. However, they have been utilizing hidden methods to stall our progress." Darfin answered with a hint of disdain in his voice.

Zaos sneered, "Now that I returned, the other forces can either surrender or be destroyed. The mercenary city will belong to the Crimson Rogue's Legion."

Influenced by their boss's confidence, both vice leaders fervently nodded in agreement.

Zaos then asked, "How's the situation outside the mercenary city?"

Immediately after the question was asked the expressions of the two vice leaders changed drastically.

[Hmm? Did something happen?] Noticing the shift in the atmosphere, Zaos' interest was piqued.

"Boss, the war in the light elf territory has slowly spread throughout the world. Even our Ever-night Continent has been affected," The tough earth elf Darfin explained.

[Wha–] The news came as a shock to Zaos as he hadn't anticipated the rapid progression of the war in a little over five months.

"How far into our region has the war gotten? And what forces are we up against?" Zaos asked. He abandoned his slouching position and leaned forward with a serious expression.

"Leader, the war hasn't escalated too much as of present. The guardian clans are currently battling the light mystics at the border," Goren answered.

Each clan in the tribes was assigned different tasks by the rulers of the tribe, the empyrean elders. The guardian clans were responsible for protecting the territory of the dark elf tribe in the Ever-night Continent so it came as no surprise that they had already engaged the enemy at the border of the dark elf tribe's territory.

[The guardian clans should be able to hold the enemy back for a while but judging by the intensity of the war this time, they might not be enough… ] Zaos had a slight frown on his face. He could tell that the war this time was similar to the old wars that plagued the world of Krulon, a full-scale warfare that encompassed all of civilization on the planet.

[Good thing I advanced before it began… ] Zaos sighed before addressing the elves in front of him.

"We speed up the process of our conquest, once that's done we will fortify the defense of the settlement. This is just the beginning of this war," Zaos ordered in a serious tone.

His words caused shivers to run down the spines of his subordinate who quickly had a shift in their expressions.

"Understood boss," Both elves responded with grave tones.

"If any force resists our conquest and you can't handle them yourself, make sure to inform me immediately! We can't have anyone slowing down our progress any longer," Zaos continued with a serious expression.

"Yes, boss!" His subordinate's expressions mirrored his own.

Zaos stood up and addressed the elves as he walked to the door.

"I'll leave the matter in your hands, let's get this done before the end of the month," Zaos said before exiting the room.

Once he left, Goren and Darfin began discussing plans to speed up their conquest of the mercenary city. Although they felt excited, the implications of a looming large-scale war dampened their enthusiasm.

Zaos on the other hand made his way out of the black market and into the market district. It was already late into the morning so the streets were bustling with activity, however, compared to before, the lively atmosphere of the market had diminished.

Zaos made his way into the deeper corners of the district, he only stopped when he arrived at a depilated wooden building.

Hung on the door of the building was an open sign and from the windows, one could discern the visage of an elf moving about.

After a brief look around, Zaos went into the building. As soon as he stepped into the building, he locked eyes with an old elf with a slightly hunched figure.

The old elf was stunned for a few seconds before promptly greeting Zaos in a familiar yet respectful tone.

"Welcome… Zaos," The old elf smiled faintly.

"Mr Ronik. I have come to update you on my progress and I wish to ask you a few questions," Zaos nodded at Ronik, the old elf.

"You don't have to address me as Mr; Ronik is fine. Also, you could have sent someone to come fetch me, there was no need for you to come out yourself," Ronik gave an awkward smile to the kid he had once helped.

In the elven society, ranks were highly respected. A lower-ranked elf had lower standings in society than a higher-ranked elf no matter the age. Since Ronik wasn't a high elf, he was unsure of how he should relate with the evolved Zaos.

"Come have a seat," Ronik said as he quickly fetched a chair.

Zaos didn't stop him, instead, he shook his head internally.

[The weak and the strong truly can't interact. He is already intimidated by my presence even though he had prior relations with me… ] With a soft sigh, Zaos sat on the seat Ronik arranged for him.