The day saw Ezra get up with a smile, and he wasn't the only one, for yesterday was splendid for many.
His vassals were given two rooms, one for the boys, another for the girls.
He obtained items that would increase the efficiency and effectiveness of his plans, from maps, to formation scrolls, and herbs for body strengthening.
His vassals picked out weapons of the best quality for themselves.
Then they sifted through multiple refined bloodlines, picking high quality ones as well.
Lastly, he hired B-rank adventurers as mentors for them. They would arrive in two to four days.
Combining the resources he had on hand, the vassals would be groomed into monsters, he couldn't wait.
The best part? It was technically free.
Bolton on the other hand, was having a very bad day.
Kogar sat facing him. He had arrived in Kingsmere forty-five minutes ago.
Both their faces couldn't be any darker as they conversed.
"You mean to tell me you have no actual connection to Cabrira?!" Bolton hollered.
"It's Cabrera-"
"Damn whatever he's called! Do you realize what you've done?!"
Kogar countered…
"What I've done?! I seem to remember that you were the one who gave him a land certificate!"
"He'd be unable to use it if it weren't for your rapacious greed and I would've never done so if you'd told me about the deal beforehand!"
"How shameless! You dare throw the blame at me?! I was but looking to secure the war for-"
"Don't you dare. Others may be oblivious, but you cannot hide your greed for a higher nobility from me!"
Kogar responded with an equal amount of shamelessness…
"And so what? To throw the blame after giving him a buffer zone?! If it hadn't been so, this situation would not be so hopeless!"
Their voices came to a halt.
Both men were fuming like empty kettles, having found themselves to have been made fools by the same person.
'I wondered whose backer they had for them to buy eleven slums. But it was this fool's actions all along!'
'Damn! Taking back the money should've been easy. But this sand monkey when ahead and buffered them!'
Bolton and Kogar: 'What a disaster!'
Bolton would've ripped Kogar apart if it wasn't for the position he held.
A few minutes passed with them staring at one another in silence, calming themselves.
They were not hot-blooded youths, but experienced men.
As such, they quickly got off the topic of whose fault it was and began discussing a solution…
"What do you know about them?"
Kogar sighed.
"Not nearly enough. I know Cabrera through his act of kindness to my son long ago, but nothing much more"
Bolton popped a vein.
"Not nearly enough? You barely know anything! How can you hand over so much wealth to a stranger?!"
"Huh??? Can you hear yourself? I know nothing, yet you, who knows even less than I do, gave him a LAND CERTIFICATE?!"
His words struck hard and Bolton could only clench his fists.
"I had him investigated by a psychic, and nothing came up. Besides, he brought an offer too good to refuse"
"And I'm different? Besides, we were both greedy for the Mithril, so I suggest we stop this farce and think of better things"
Once more, silence descended for a few minutes as Bolton settled down.
"Hoo. You're right-"
"I know I am"
Bolton calmed, huffing away the rising anger, and swiftly changed topics.
"So…what about the Mithril?"
Kogar shrugged.
"What about it?"
"Playing dumb won't help you. Especially after you gave away an astronomical amount without my knowledge"
Kogar rolled his eyes.
"Who doesn't know what you're up to? Too bad though, I've informed the Emperor of its acquisition. Or did you not see the first-place reward on the war contribution list?"
Bolton's brain heated up.
'If it's on the war contributions list, I can't say anything because the Emperor won't penalize him'
He sighed.
'So…I had been foiled from the start...?'
He gave deep breaths. From his angle, his initial plot was near flawless, yet he had been wiped to the floor.
He shook his head.
'I lost. Severely'
"You can go. I'll have you report countermeasures on how we can stop them on their tracks"
Kogar nodded.
"Will do. But there remains a topic to be discussed"
Bolton starred.
"The mine. The Mithril mine was near empty when I found it. Someone was there before us"
Bolton rose in alarm.
"Then of course it's Cabrera's-"
"It's not. It couldn't be. Unless he became Master Knight without me noticing"
"Why so?"
"I checked. Besides, the Roosevelt estate lay less than ten hours away. If I had to guess…" his voice trailed off.
With a hand on his chin, Bolton's brain was sparking.
"Hmm, that is a very dangerous accusation. What do you have to back it up?"
He raised his palms and shrugged, a light smile decorating his lips.
"Nothing, it was but an insight I thought to share, what you do with it is your concern"
Having informed the Emperor about the Mithril, he was on his way to becoming a Count.
It irked him that someone had taken the rest of the Mithril, but he'd rather not fight such a force. That said, he couldn't just leave them alone, so why not use a borrowed knife?
'Now, the barrel's been spilled. I'm sure you won't be able to seat still'
Bolton contemplated and Kogar left, he had other matters to attend to.
'What a mess'
Right then, Kogar turned and dropped something in front of Bolton.
A rolled parchment.
"Ah yes. Here is the amount of Ezra's expenses"
Opening it, Bolton wasn't surprised by the extravagant prices, but of the specific items Ezra had bought.
'Interesting'
With Kogar gone, he ruminates a bit, before pushing it all to the back of his mind.
'I should compile the price list his majesty asked for'
And he went to do that.
-Russell-
Gaga sat on his throne tapping his chin for answers to the predicament of his kingdom.
Abled men were dying in the war, along with the economy.
Russell's atmosphere was filled to the brim with tension, and it wouldn't be surprising for war to break out from within.
Ironically, it was the external war that was saving the situation. Should the current war end, the heirs would begin their battle for the throne, and with them all being masters, Russell would be fractured.
He sighed.
'What a dilemma'
At this time, a man walked in.
Garbed in a red hooded cloak, he moved ever so gracefully, arousing a meek visage, but Gaga was alarmed.
'I didn't hear his footsteps!'
"Who are you?!" he asked, pointing his sword at the stranger.
He bowed then straightened, then spoke in a tone soft but threatening.
"That is not the question. The question is, what is my purpose?"
"Well?"
He emaciated a smile.
"I am the one sent to render aid to those in distress.
His tone lowered.
"I have the solution to your problems"
Gaga raised a brow.
"When did helpers become intruders? How did you bypass my guards?"
"Those guards? They were being inhospitable, so I…took care of them, so to speak"
"I guess we're done-"
His words got stuck in his throat.
It only could, for the man dangled a vial, smaller than his palm, with sparkling blue liquid within.
He shook his head.
"It can't be"
"But oh, it can"
Only now did Gaga see the face of the intruder.
His skin had patches of black all over, while his eyes were fully red, his sclera nonexistent.
Attributes Gaga knew all too well.
"How dare you come in here!"
He lunged from his throne, reaching the man in an instant as he slashed downwards with his blade coated in fire.
*Shin*
Its power was enormous, cutting down a large part of the palace as Gaga stood to see the man floating.
The man clapped, laughing boisterously.
"Hahaha, as expected. Worry not, I come not to fight"
With that, he threw Gaga an item.
"The message has been delivered, so I'll be leaving now. Your hate for our kind is splendid, but does it outweigh your love for the kingdom? We'll see. Use that when you have a change of heart"
With that, the intruder left.
Gaga stared at the item in his hands, a thousand and one thought's swirling.
He squeezed it soon after.
'I should destroy it'
But he softened his palm as he rubbed his head while looking up.
'Dear ancestors, what sort of trial is this? For aid to come in this form. What rotten luck…'
For the first time in a long time, he felt helpless.
Which would he choose? The rock or the hard place?
To collude with humanity's worst enemies and prosper, or uphold his dignity till the end?
He sucked the item into his space ring reluctantly and headed back in.
He was a mess.
Meanwhile, Cabrera took the newest guild members for their first task.
