"I… I see."
Tumko spoke in a low voice after verifying that Eren was speaking the truth. He had tried to hide the disappointment in his voice. But even he knew that his efforts were in vain.
"Can I…"
Tumko asked Eren upon which the latter nodded his head before responding.
"Sure. Look after your team members after dispersing the isolation barrier. Then let's find a place to talk."
Eren started walking in a certain direction as he spoke-- The smoke of the Sativa Stick creating a trail behind him. His team members followed him without saying a word. Tumko took a long breath as he felt that a huge boulder had been lifted off of his shoulder.
'Only when you are strong can you afford to be benevolent.'
Eren thought to himself and chuckled. He felt like there should be a halo on his head for not resorting to purge Tumko's team right then and there.
The isolation barrier's array core was in Tumko's control. He did what Eren asked him to do and dispersed the isolation barrier before tending to his team members.
Eren created a place for a campfire not too far from where he was previously. He placed two large tree trunks on either side of the campfire, which would serve as seating arrangements for both teams. He then waited for Tumko to finish patching up his team members while having casual talks with Alephee and Kirin.
"You would have devoured him for his Ability if it was the Ace-ranked-you. Is that pragmatism I'm seeing?"
Alephee asked as she watched Eren making kebabs for all of them on a campfire.
Alephee and Kirin were sitting on the wooden log while Kaal was standing behind them with his hands behind his back. Eren was tending to the fire. Tumko and his team were yet to join them.
Eren chuckled before answering.
"Pragmatism born through prioritization of self-interests. I was never a mindless bull, to begin with. You know it better than anybody."
"Mindless pull?"
Kirin asked in Edinburgh's tongue all of a sudden when she heard Eren's words. Eren and Alephee both looked at Kirin with blank expressions when she said that, letting her know that she had misinterpreted something.
"Mindless BULL, Kirin darling. A bull with two horns."
Eren corrected her and manifested his two Oni horns. Kirin chuckled when she saw Eren snorting his nose like a bull with the Oni horns. She also understood her mistake and nodded at him.
Eren retracted his horns and looked at Alephee before saying.
"I need a multi-front approach, Alephee. So I need multiple capable teams for that. What we fought just now might be what we are looking for."
Kirin liked the tempting aroma of the kebabs Eren was cooking for her. He had all the spices in his storage and all the skills he needed to turn these campfire-friendly meals into an authentic gourmet experience.
Alephee cradled her face into both her open palms as she watched Eren work on his kebabs. "What are those plans?" she asked, looking at the dancing flames.
Eren narrowed his eyes before answering.
"I have Echidna's Authority in my possession now. I can do a lot more in Monster Canyon than even the most elitist of guilds could ever dream of.
All its rare resources are waiting for me to claim them. I need a team for this reason."
Eren applied some herbs and sauce to his kebabs. He took his time to continue.
"Then I need a team to take part in the war directly and indirectly. It would allow me to influence the war the way I want to. I have some plans. I don't know if they'll work out or not. But I want to give them a shot anyway."
Eren said and took a long breath. He felt that the chilly air around him had received the warmth of the campfire. The aroma of cooked meat was exciting his smell buds. He enjoyed these sensations before continuing.
"Finally, I need a team that would serve as the face of the guild. I want it to hog the limelight while my other two teams do their work in silence."
Alephee wasn't surprised that Eren had given a lot of thought to this topic. Since her soul was occupying a homunculus vessel, she couldn't read his thoughts like she was used to. So she needed to know his plans in the usual way.
"And which team will you be a part of personally, Lord Husband?"
Kirin asked with curious expressions. She couldn't understand Eren's plans completely. So she decided to just follow him.
Eren picked up something with his soul sense and knew that Tumko and his entire team were approaching him. He smiled while looking in Tumko's direction before responding to Kirin's query.
"Neither. These teams will do what I ask of them while I work on Sage Eliza's task.
Optimal allotment of tasks– in simple words.
I am not arrogant enough to think that I can do everything by myself. This is the reason I established the guild in the first place. So that it can serve as my proxy at multiple places.
I was under the impression that Edinburgh was running out of things it could offer me now that I have entered Adept rank. After some time, I was planning to go to the Asikha empire to investigate a few things, while my guild and my city prospered here.
But this war changes everything. It provides me with the smokescreen I need to deal with my enemies directly. I don't have to create a lobby in the royal court anymore.
They say that there's a chance that the war might break out sooner or later. Hehe. When the time comes, I'll be the first to alight the flames of war and fan them myself.
This war will be a blessing for me. And for that old hag as well. I guess she hasn't run out of luck just yet."
