Having left the tent of the aged man tent, they distanced themselves from the army before Velkir started to create their own "tent" with the use of magic.
Rather than a tent though, it could be described as a small house in the middle of the forest. Though it lacked color, the design of the walls made it look quite oppressive to anyone that saw the house.
Entering the house which was big enough to host every 7 of them, which takes into account the height of Sartan, the inside was quite spacious.
Of course, Skull Claw could also fit inside it if she squished through the door, but Danzel decided to let her stay as a guard outside.
Much to Skull Claw´s dissatisfaction and whining, after giving her a direct command, she seated on the ground while staring aimlessly through the distance.
Compared to the detailed work of the outside walls, the inside was plainly empty except for some stone blocks going around in a circle.
"Everyone take a seat." Velkir said as he went into the middle of that circle.
Raising his staff, a bright yet short-lived purple light appeared. The mana that Danzel could barely detect spread around the house before creating a barrier of some sort.
While the Lich continued casting magic of unknown effect, the others took a seat on the stone blocks.
"..."
Waiting in silence for their leader to finish, there was an awkward silence between them. But that soon changed when Velkir lowered his staff.
"Although some know why we are here, for those who don´t I can answer your question." Velkir said as he gazed at Agares and Danzel in particular.
Staying silent, for a moment Agares asked the same question that Danzel had in mind.
"How trustworthy are our...clients?"
"Those guys aren't trustworthy in the slightest. When we fight alongside them don't trust you back with them. They are the kind of guys that will backstab a magic caster like me to get my secrets." Velkir said with a cold tone.
Leaving Agares in surprise, Danzel stepped in.
"If that's the case, then why are we helping them?"
Briefly gazing at Danzel, Velkir shook his head.
"Sadly, things aren't as simple as they look. To achieve my goal, we have to participate in the war with those bootlickers."
"..."
This time the one to ask questions was neither Agares nor Danzel, but the High Troll Sartan.
"When will our next fight be, Death Caller." Sartan said with a harsh voice.
Nodding towards Sartan, Velkir stepped back of the middle and started moving his mana towards the ground.
In the next instance, the flat stone floor started to shift and raise up until it created something similar to a map with multiple spheres in specific places.
"It will be today, Sartan." Snaping his finger, tennis size balls of dead mana appeared on top of all except one single sphere.
"The one without your mana is our location, no?" Azrael asked as he observed the map on the floor.
"As expected of you, Azrael. That this map represents the forest is correct." Velkir said while pointing his staff to one of the spheres with his mana.
"Those spheres, in particular, will be our target, they are retreating troops of the Arcana Kingdom who heard of our appearance." Velkir said while shaking his head.
"Since a snake of those dynasty bastards revealed our existences, we will have to deal with the remaining running insects." Velkir voice was filled with hate.
"Anyway, the retreating troops hold their planned supplies, be it their nutrition, weapons, spoils of war, and their troops, our single job is to eliminate them."
As soon as Velkir finished his sentence, an aura of bloodlust was spread in the house.
"Hahaha~! Good! I still haven´t had enough for those guys anyway." Sartan said while standing up and being the one who released the bloodthirsty aura.
Shiro who was in Agares embrace tighten her grip on her grandpa's cloth out of anxiety because of the High Trolls aura. But the imposing feeling soon disappeared with a gentle aura wrapping around her.
"Draw back your aura." Agares said while giving the High Troll a threatening glare.
Seeing that, Sartan scoffed before ignoring the grandpa and focusing back on Velkir.
"Tell me where I need to go Death Caller!"
"Sartan, you will take that sphere over there. They are a part of the retreating army so you might find some minor resistance."
"No need to say more! I will go slaughter them all!" Sartan said while walking out of the house with his already blood-stained halberd.
"By the way, which location will the Dynasty take care of?" Azrael said with a frown on his face.
"None, at least they won´t take part in this whole operation today. Their higher are still deciding where to place us in their army. Some of those idiots are under the impression that their army will be invisible as long as we are there. But once the Arcana troops go out of the forest, then even we will be put at risk."
As if something did not align with what Velkir just said, Azrael looked away from the map and stared with his crimson eyes at the Lich.
"If that´s the case...where did you get a hold of this information?" Azrael said with a frown on his face.
"I just happend to hear the information from somewhere nearby." Velkir said with his eyes smiling like an innocent grandpa selling his bountiful harvest in the fields
Danzel who heard Velkir´s answer was dumbfounded.
`This guy! He stole his ally's secret information while giving such a shameless expression! Velkir doesn´t trust Dynasty guys a single bit!´ Danzel yelled internally.
Azrael had also a dumbfounded expression on his face, showing that he wasn´t the only one that believe that Velkir was talking a load of bullsh*t.
"I see, them if that´s the case...I will be taking those two spots, while my sister will take that one." Azrael pointed at three particularly close spheres.
"Hey! Don´t go and decide what others will do without their opinion! Boss! I will also take two care of two spots!" Vanessa said with an unyielding tone.
"No, don´t hear my sister´s nonsense, Master Velkir. We two will take care of those three spots." Azrael said while his crimson eyes were dyed with his mana, turning them into a pair of two crimson suns.
"Come sister! Let´s talk outside, I don´t want Master Velkir to withness your stubbornness."
"What! Hey! Come back! Azrael! Come back~" Vanessa tried to object to her´s brother claims but seeing him leave she gritted her teeth before chasing after him with frustration.
Seeing all the family drama going on, Agares who was holding little Shiro rose from his seat before pointing at 2 spheres on the floor map.
"Per our agreement, I will take care of those 2 spots..."
Without waiting for an answer from Velkir, everyone else left except the two undead.
Staring at the map, Danzel wasn´t sure what sphere to pick.
Although he was strong, he wasn´t strong enough to face an army like Sartan.
`Although I might be able to deal with an army of 2nd-tier combatants...if they are some of the 3rd-tier in the mix, then even I...´
Staring silently at Danzel, Velkir secretly nodded his head.
`At least he knows his limits.´
"Don´t worry, I got quite the fitting job for you" Velkir said while pointing at a sphere.
"This is...?" Danzel stared blankly towards the sphere on the ground.
"Out of all the retreating troops, I already informed myself on this one in particular. They are holding a part of the spoils of war with them. Be it numbers, individual strength, and weapons, those on in particular are the weakest." Velkir said while making the map on the floor disappear.
"But they have over 25 of the 3rd-tier combatants and around 150 of the 1st-tier with a mix on 2nd-tier. Against those numbers, you don´t stand a chance." Velkir said with an ice-cold tone.
"If that´s the case, then..." Before Danzel could object to Velkir´s absurd request, he stopped him.
"Follow me outside Danzel."
"..."
Following him, he saw Velkir stand beside Skull Claw with a look of interest.
"Hmm, you are quite lucky to have raised such an undead. Sadly it´s too weak for any practical use. Maybe after some modifications she could..."
Seeing that Danzel followed him, Velkir started explaining.
"If I am not:t wrong Danzel, you once helped the arcana kingdom to supply them runed weapons armor, no?"
"That's indeed the case, but it wasn't out of my free will. I was practically forced to make them runed items." Danzel said while shrugging his shoulders.
He wasn't really surprised for Velkir to know such information.
"Then you must know about the mutants of Arcana, right?" Velour asked while still inspecting Skull Claw's body.
'The mutants of arcana?' Danzel thought confused.
Although he knew that the armors that he carved runes back then were a bit bigger than the average human, he didn't suspect much of it.
"No, that's the first time hearing about...those mutants. I generally was locked up and had only interaction with the items I had to carve. For example, I didn't know that back the crystal that I carved runes on to would belong to you."
"So they let you stay ignorant, huh?" Velour said while shaking his head.
"Well, in short, does mutants can be compared to a chimera in some sense. But unlike replacing parts of a being and putting them together to another being like it's done to a chimera, the mutant's body itself changes."
"It can be compared to fusing two races to create a new one. For something that a mortal though, it's not bad."
"But, for such research to progress, there is a need to be as many samples as possible."
Turning to look at Danzel, Velkir raises his staff up high.
In the next moment, the skull that was in the dark crystal lightened up in a dark light.
"The spot that I will be tasking you out to take out is one that holds a part of the spoils of war against the Dynast."
Soon after, the ground around them seemed like it turned into a dark most that almost seemed alive.
"The spoils of war in particular though, are neither weapons nor armor of fallen soldier. Instead, they are those who got caught and made into prisoners who are planned to be sent as test subjects or to become their future mutant soldier."
The dark most from the ground suddenly rose, before several figures wearing dark plated armor with a helmet covering a hollow skull. Carrying in their hands was a long sword of similar length to Danzel's sword.
"To prevent that from happening, I will be giving you some of my undead to your command. How you use them is for you to decide."
Starting at the 50 skeletons that were giving a weak aura of a 3rd-tier, Danzel gripped his sword much tighter.
"Your mission will be to save those prisoners-!" As Velkir started speaking, all the 50 newly made undead had simultaneously their hollow eyes filled with a gray ethereal flame full of hatred of the living.
"-if saving them is impossible, then kill them all! Leave none to survive!"
Danzel ethereal dark green eyes flared much brighter than any of that 50 undead. While his dead mana escaped through around his body, creating a much threatening aura from all the other newly made undead.
"It shall be done." He said with a cold voice.
