Eren then started cleaning the battlefield.
The dead bodies of all the rankers, including the officer with the expert rank, were devoured by Argo. He progressed further in his ranking status as a result, only stopping at the doorway of the next rank.
No other army personnel came to the site while Eren was crafting the details of the scene for himself. In doing so, the army personnel stationed at the cultist base had saved their own lives without them knowing the danger they were in.
When a doctored battlefield was created as per Eren's wishes, he called out Arjun and Lyon. He also asked for their help in setting up a narrative. They had to get their stories straight after all.
Arjun and Lyon were tongue-tied when they heard from Eren that two Expert ranked army officers along with a bunch of Adept rankers had been "martyred in the line of duty." Only at this point did they realize how much of an iceberg Eren was.
***
The three rankers sat around the same bonfire Eren had lit up previously. They were talking about various things at once.
Eren lectured the two rankers for a while and instructed them what and how much to say in their reports. While releasing a cloud of smoke from his nostrils, he suggested the idea to his two friends.
"This settles my affairs with Edinburgh's army for good. And I am not coming back. You guys should leave the army as well. Leave the army and be done with it.
I am not saying you would be in danger as you battle the forces of Layos in the upcoming war. But there's a high chance someone from our own kingdom will use the war as an excuse to get to you."
Lyon raised his eyebrows at Eren's absurd theory. He was drinking his limited stock of dwarf ale. The dwarf had shared his bottle with the two rankers. Eren had drunk more ale in one gulp than the two of them combined. As a result, Lyon refused to pass the bottle over to Eren again.
"You and your conspiracy theories. Why would they target us? Our work on this mission has been flawless. At least that's what the reports would say."
Eren shook his head in denial and sighed before speaking up.
"It's not about you. It's about me. They would like to obtain more information from you regarding me using any possible way. Arjun has connections. So they won't be able to do these things within the army's legal framework. But all bets would be off when the war starts.
Contrary to what you might think about me, I'm one of the most influential figures in Edinburgh right now. Hehe. You are drinking ale with a low-key celebrity."
Arjun nodded at Eren's statement, completely agreeing with his predictions. He clenched his fists before speaking up.
"It won't be easy for me to leave the army, Eren. I had signed up for the spirit beast program and received a spirit beast in return. Even with my connections, they won't let me go this easily right before the start of the war."
Eren stared at Lyon's bottle for a moment. He created mental pressure with his soul sense to make Lyon pass him the ale. The dwarf looked at the butcher scornfully and mumbled a few cuss words under his breath before passing up the bottle.
Eren drank from the bottle and finished the whole contents in one go. He then continued to smoke his Sativa Stick before providing both his mates with a solution.
"Hmm. I'll call Altashia up and tell her to arrange an exit strategy for you. Something that won't kill you outright. You would want House Argas' shadow protecting you at this point. So be prepared."
Eren knew that altering the crime scene, doctoring the evidence, and setting up a flawless narrative weren't enough anymore. It would protect him and his mates from legal trouble. But the organizations that were targeting him had gotten a hint of what he could do. They would see right through any kind of bullshittery he had cooked up for the masses.
Lyon sighed in a melancholic tone when he saw Eren finishing up his limited stock of dwarf ale.
'Celebrity, my ass. This bastard has his own liquor brand that is making headlines. He probably has tens if not hundreds of White Raven Ales in his storage now. Yet, he indulges in gulping down the free stuff whenever he can.
He hasn't changed at all when it comes to thriftiness.'
Lyon got up from his wooden log serving as his seat and dusted his butt off. He then started pacing around the bonfire before talking about his next set of worries.
"But where will we go after leaving the army? It's not like our enemies will stop coming for us when we do that. In fact, they'll just get bolder since we don't have an institution to back us up."
Arjun and Eren chuckled at each other when they saw the dwarf pacing around with his hands behind his back. They both agreed with each other on the fact that Lyon would speak sense while he was half drunk.
Eren finished his smoke before voicing what Arjun had in his mind all along.
"Both of you are welcome to join my guild. I won't guarantee your safety 100% but it is close to that number. Now that I'm technically out of Edinburgh's army, there's no force holding me or my guild down. It'll only prosper in the future. Especially during these turbulent times.
My journey is only beginning. Hehe. Why not make use of me while I make use of you?"
Eren's words made sense to Lyon and he agreed to do what Eren asked him to do. Arjun was already on board with the plan and was just waiting for Eren's invitation. The three talked some more before leaving the region.
***
As Eren had planned, the killings of two Expert-ranked officers as well as Gilhause's security detail were pinned on the cultists. The three rankers stationed at the distant post had their stories in sync. And lastly, the influence of House Argas made the army authorities close the case on the mission.
The butcher's connections to key figures within the kingdom also played a significant role in assuring his progress was not hindered by the forces that were trying to target him. They could only watch him while gritting their teeth, waiting for the so-called right opportunity to launch another strike at him.
Eren successfully left the army. And his mates were on their way to follow in his footsteps.
The White Raven city and his guild had created a well-functioning mechanism for Eren to receive everything he needed. His manufacturing line along with his connections to the Last Blood Bastion made his products famous outside the kingdom as well. They were now slowly making their presence known throughout the land of Anfang.
It was safe to say that Eren and those who were with him were bound to thrive in the upcoming times. The butcher's progress was slow but deliberate. He did not run after an instant growth. He wasn't completely perfect in his plans. But he was sincere in his efforts. And efforts like these were soon starting to pay him his due dividends.
AN: Volume 04: Thriving Evil is concluded here. VEH punches in 900 chapters with this release. Cheers! ;)
