Hands clasped behind his back, a tall man with white hair gazes through a window. With posture reminiscent of an [Emperor] and clothes that hold quality and enchantnts surpassing anything the elves can possibly make.
This man is the [Grand Chancellor] of Odin, a mortal being who serves the great god. Over three hundred years old, the man looks as though he is in his mid-fifties, his third tier class drastically increasing his vitality, allowing him to age significantly slower.
The city he stares at is called Aesir, nad after God Odin's own ho. Turning away from the city, he walks towards his seat, a throne made more for [Kings] than a religious leader. His piercing gray eyes scan the room, ignoring the several high level [Assassins] hidden within his chambers. He sits on his throne, eyes focusing on the double doors with expectation.
The doors open and a [Archpriest] enters his chambers. The man, short, with curly long hair, bows forward.
You called chancellor?
The chancellor focuses his eyes on the priest, reading all there is to know about the man.
[Archpriest] Jacob, tell how are the new [Heroes] coming? I have heard we summoned four and lost three of our [Archmages].
The man looks up, his eyes avoiding eye contact with the chancellor. Correct, we were unprepared for the sheer cost in summoning multiple heroes. We had lost three of our twelve [Archmages] in the process of summoning them.
He stops choosing his words carefully, We did not expect the [Archmages] to die or anyone to die for that matter. Several enemy [Assassins] had attempted to enter the summoning chamber, to kill off the newly summoned [Heroes], but they were easily taken out beforehand. It was, for this reason, we did not feel the need to hire house Carpe Diem from the neighboring Kingdom.
The chancellor nods, rembering house Carpe Diem, a powerful house solely known for having a bloodline which gives the skill [Resurrection]... Unfortunately, a rival house had sent [Assassins] which had slaughtered many of the mbers. Now, due to the low amount of people who have the skill, their services are exceptionally expensive.
Raise your head [Archpriest], it is no fault of yours. The dastardly backstabbing gods of Olympus had interfered with the summoning process, drastically increasing the mana cost for the spells. He shakes his head, a sad smile on his face. We were expected to summon seven, but I guess we should be thankful for just four. Tell , how are the new arrivals?
The priest nods, his confidence returned, fear of being punished forgotten. Yes, the [Heroes], two won and two n, are well. They do indeed have the [Hero] class as we have checked using [Advanced Analyze] but one of them the priest goes silent.
Speak freely.
The one nad Franky his reactions are very different from the others. While the other three are crying, yelling, confused, asking questions as would be expected of soone forced from their world, he alone just looks around warily, seemingly untrusting of everything. I do not believe we will be able to manipulate him easily. I believe it would be best to collar him.
A frown forms on the chancellor's face, We cannot. The [Hero] class will allow them to level any other classes at extre speeds. If they are to be useful to the gods, then they must beco extrely powerful. And there lies the problem. Their strength will eventually exceed the capabilities of the collar. We cannot directly control them, only manipulate them.
The chancellor bends forward, looking the [Archpriest] in the eye, Do not do anything that would make them distrust us. I fear the wars between Grandon and Donason will escalate quickly and their services will be required.
The priest, confused, looks questionably at the chancellor, But they have always been at war, constantly taking and giving territory. Why would this affect us?
The chancellor clasps his hand, his elevated position giving any who look at him to feel a state of awe.
The two countries had always had equal military strength. Neither side has fully engaged for fear of weakening themselves too much but my [Spies] have told of so important information. It seems Grandon had lost their [General].
He was killed? the priest asks skeptically. [Generals] tend to be one of the hardest people to assassinate, especially when surrounded by powerful soldiers.
The chancellor shakes his head, No, he abandoned his kingdom. [General] Rathos, a man whose impressive [Skills] focusing on countering movent and defense, had taken his daughter and disappeared. I had tried to locate him, to invite him to our kingdom, but he had eluded my [Spies] exceptionally well.
The chancellor goes silent, frowning, Rathos was the kingdoms most powerful and highest level [General], his loss will be an extrely powerful blow to Grandons military strength.
The priest shakes his head, What reason would Rathos leave? I can only imagine that he was treated with utmost respect by his peers and his [King].
And that, dear Bernard, is only half true.
The chancellor quickly flicks his hand, pointing at a stand of wine. Imdiately two beings wreathed in shadow appear, they open a bottle and pour the liquid into a glass cup. Grabbing the cup, they disappear and reappear next to the two robed n, handing them the glass of bright red liquid.
The two shadows disappear.
Thank you, the priest voices out, looking at the glass.
To understand the situation, you must first understand the underlying problem which is Rathos origin. he starts, swishing the liquid in his hand, mind focusing on all the information he has available to him.
The chancellor smiles, eyes looking at his reflection off of the wine glass, enjoying it.
Then he slowly brings the glass to his lips, taking a small sip, Rathos... was a loved and respected man of humble origin. He was a re [rcenary] when he was younger. Eventually, he gained the class [rcenary Captain] after the old one died to a goblin ambush. Smart and Intelligent, the Red Wyverns, his rcenary group, prospered imnsely under his leadership, eventually being hired by the [King] of Grandon for an entire year. During that year, Rathos fell in love with a noblewoman by the na of Nafisa, a person who had supported orphanages all across the kingdom. He married her and left his rcenary group, joining the [King]'s army. Several years later, Rathos leveled and obtained the class [General] after a truly impressive victory against a force far larger than his own.
The chancellor looks to his hand, admiring the red liquid, It was on that sa week that his wife Nafisa had given birth to a young baby girl but his wife did not survive the birth. Apparently, all of the [Healers] and [Priestesses] were being used in the war effort.
Rathos, angry, took to the war with great fervor, blaming himself for being so weak. For needing to use so many resources. For needing [Healers] to keep the [Soldiers] alive. Within months, Rathos gained levels and skills rapidly. Even our [Tacticians] and [Generals] say that if we go to war, defeating Rathos would be a costly task as his defenses are exceptional.
He gained the trust and love from the [Soldiers] and respect from the [Nobles]... unfortunately his [King] despised and feared the man. Rathos had too much power, too much respect, so much so that the [King] feared being overthrown.
So [King] Stranos, a man who had beco king through butchering his brothers, found out about Rathos friend and long term [Cavalry Knight]. The [Cavalry Knight] had disobeyed orders from a [Tactician] to slaughter a village near Donason. [King] Stranos had called the knight to the throne and publicly executed him under the guise of treason.
The priest, looks towards his empty glass, not realizing that he had drunk the wine.
So tell , Bernard, what do you think happened?
The priest Bernard, looks at the glass, watching his own reflection, [King] Stranos ordered the [Tactician] to attack and kill the village.
The chancellor nods, smiling at Bernard while taking another sip of his wine, Precisely, that [Calvary Knight] was a strong supporter of Rathos, one of his most outspoken and loyal friends. In his jealousy, [King] Stranos had wanted to weaken Rathos political strength. From there, I believe Rathos most likely found out and took action. I can only imagine that he feared for his daughters life and had thus run away.
The chancellor takes his glass and gulps down the wine, Which is why I believe that once Donason finds out, they will escalate this war. Grandon will be forced back and will ask for help from the neighboring kingdoms. To counter that, Donason will ask for help from their own allies.
The glass in the chancellors hand shatters, causing Bernard to jump.
A massive war is coming, Bernard, we will need those [Heroes] if we are to survive unscathed.
Bernard looks at the [Grand chancellor], the voice of Odin. His eyes watch as the cuts on the chancellors hands quickly heal I will prepare the [Heroes] for training as soon as possible.
The priest quickly bows again and runs out of the chambers, taking the empty glass of wine with him.
The [Grand chancellor] watches as the door closes. Once the door closes, the chancellor left eye turns completely white, a confident smile forms on his lips.
Odin your plan is coming into fruition. A new age of power will begin, and you will be its leader.
**********************
On a trail heading through dense woods, several wagons and carriages are carrying supplies while an entire battalion of [rcenaries] rides alongside them. On one of the carriages, a man sits, talking to another man on horseback, while a young girl of six years old sleeps soundly in the arms of a woman with fox ears and a tail inside the carriage.
Rathos, are you sure about this? The borderlands are a violent place filled with both [Bandits] and monsters. I dont think it would be a good place to raise your daughter.
Rathos looks at his old friend, a forr [rcenary], now a [rcenary Captain] after many years.
Shaking his head, Rathos scratches his beard, a rather uncomfortably long length. Gen, I told you to call Roth.
Gen, a dashingly good looking man, fit, tall, and sotis intelligent, rolls his eyes at his forr ntor, Right like the na Roth clearly doesnt sound like Rathos. Im sure nobody would ever think that you might be a [General] from Grandon, he says sarcastically.
Rathos eyes turn to Gen, appraising the relatively middle aged young man, Gen, how many tis have I told you to think before you speak, act, or do?
Gens face quickly takes on a brighter shade as he turns away from Rathos, Quite a bit almost every day when you were ntoring .
Rathos mouth twitches upward, rembering how many tis he has had to bail out the young [rcenary] because of his inability to keep his mouth shut.
Alright then, if soone heard about a supposed [Trader] by the na Roth, a na sounding similar to Rathos, do you believe that people would think that an experienced, high level [General], who is on the run, would change his na to sothing so strikingly similar?
Gen raises an eyebrow, That doesn't make sense. They are going to still look into you just because of your na.
*Sigh* Kingdoms have limited [Spies] in their disposal Gen. And these spies have to pick and choose who to follow and who to ignore. I have allowed my beard and hair to grow out. I have dressed in clothing to fit in as a [Trader]. I have taken a na which would not be expected of my stature. And finally, I am heading towards the borderlands.
Rathos eyes look forward, scanning the trees as he watches the birds flutter by.
The borderlands have few kingdoms and lots of low level [Lords] and [Ladies]. The place is poor with levels averaging about ten. Nobody would expect a [General] to be heading in that direction.
Scratching his beard once more, Rathos flicks the reigns on the oxen, telling the animal to walk faster.
In short, a combination of these reasons will confuse the [Spies] long enough to allow to enter the borderlands. From there, I believe I can make myself scarce, which should allow to escape deep into the borderlands and be forgotten.
I...I see Ra-Roth. Heh, I guess I still need more training. Leave it to you to think so many places ahead, Gen shakes his head, I guess that's why youre a [General] while Im just a re [rcenary Captain]. he says jokingly.
Rathos shakes his head as he looks around, watching the 40 sothing odd rcenaries on horses.
Dont sell yourself short, your [rcenaries] are very well trained, albeit very talkative. They are well ard with good steel weapons and leather armor. They all have the riding skill, which I can only imagine because you have so skill they can take advantage of. Rathos explains calmly, appraising the [rcenaries] as he would his [Soldiers], noticing the slight differences and stature.
[rcenaries], compared to [Soldiers], are relatively stronger with a higher diversity of skills. They are also gained at the sa ti as the [Soldier] class. Unfortunately, their weakness is the inability of a second tier class upgrade. [rcenary Captains] are unfortunately the highest class you can get without leveling another class.
Gens mouth opens and closes several tis, not sure how to react to the unexpected praise, especially from a man who has high expectations from just general [Soldiers].
A couple of seconds go by and Gen starts to chuckle, which turns into full-blown muffled laughter.
I-I can't, he says, holding his horse's reins with one hand while the other attempts to cover his mouth. Gens horse, a muscular black mare, continues walking normally, ignoring the rider who is having a hard ti sitting still.
Roth, I just, ughhhh, you figured out perfectly. Gen says with a smile, chuckling softly. God, this feels like old tis. doing sothing stupid, you explaining to how much of an idiot I am, except for the praise. That's actually pretty new.
A smile finally forms on Rathos face for the first ti since he left his kingdom, Still an idiot Gen, just a more capable idiot.
*Chuckle*, It's nice to hear you insulting . Makes feel all tingly inside. Gen says rubbing his stomach.
Ughhhh, Rathos groans, rubbing his forehead, rembering the last ti when Gen had said such a thing. The entire company had been forced to abandon the tent because of the sheer amount of gas Gen was creating.
Gen just smiles cheekily at Rathos, enjoying the unhappy expression on the [General]s face.
Rathos, finally smiling, turns back behind him and looks through the window, watching Henrietta, a fox demihuman [Slave], gently hold his daughters head while she sleeps.
Gen, noticing Rathos looking behind, speaks up.
For soone who has despised the slave trade, you have quite a few of them, Gen speaks up, pointing towards the wagons following the carriage, all being ridden by demi-human [Slaves].
I still hate slavery, Rathos quickly answers back, but its not sothing I can do anything about. Its horrible what they do to people he shakes his head as he turns away from his daughter, looking forward again.
Kana.
Rathos quickly straightens, his hands turning to fists as he looks forward, his smile completely gone, So you knew.
Gen bites his lip and nods slowly. When I started working under you, you were always cranky. It always seed like sothing was bothering you so I asked the others and they told to leave you be.
Gen places his hand on the back of his neck, eyes roaming the woods, But that just got more curious.
*Sigh* So instead of not looking into your personal life, I took the boys out to a couple drinks and loosened their tongues a little and they told your story.
Rathos, a powerful high level [General], a man who has taken several lives on the battlefield, starts to cry.
Gen just watches silently, cursing himself for bringing it up, for making one of the people he admires most cry.
But Rathos speaks.
Her mother, a sick demi-human catkin, walked up to with her ten-year-old daughter, her body barely holding together, and she begged. She begged to take her daughter, to care for her
He shakes his head, blinking, tears welling up on his face.
I just beca a new [rcenary captain], I had my own group, my own n and this random woman saw sothing in . She had co up to , offering her daughter and I accepted I don't rember why but I accepted her.
Droplets of tears start to pour down his face as he forces a smile, Kana was the pride of my life seven years she had been with fighting alongside . A prodigy with the sword. I was so proud when she had gained the [rcenary] class. I thought of her as a daughter even though she was a demi-human, she was a daughter to . I loved her, my n respected her, and I thought that nothing can go wrong.
Rathos stops, his eyes turning hard, but tears still continue to form. It was when we were in a town, and I let the rcs relax while I went to the rcenaries guild to get a new job. It was that day that Kana had disappeared.
When I couldn't find her the morning, I had all of the [rcenaries] scour the town, looking for her her body couldn't be found. We had looked for several days, and had found out that a slaving caravan had exited the town the sa night she went missing.
Gen listens aptly to Rathos, watching the old man as he tells his story.
So I took my company and we rode hard, following their trail, eventually finding the caravan as they were camping.
************************************Flash Back******************************************
Rathos, we found the caravan, theyre making camp on the side of the woods about two miles away. No clear sighting of Kana, but they have several tents.
Nodding quickly, Rathos flicks his hand, signaling his [rcenaries] to follow.
With a hard nudge, his horse gallops in the direction his [Scout] had inford him.
A minute later and Rathos finally sees the camp. Several wagons can be seen surrounding large central tents while [Guards] patrol the outskirts. With hard eyes, Rathos gallops into the camp, ignoring the [Guards] as they shout warnings.
With a quick glance, Rathos quickly rides towards the largest tent, dismounting his horse.
[Slaver]! Get out here NOW! he yells, his [Loud Voice] skill echoing throughout the clearing.
[Guards] quickly converge around the [rcenaries], wary of doing any battle against a well-armored group even though they have nuric superiority.
Tensions rise as a gangly man exits the tent, his disheveled robes speaking loudly on what he had been doing inside.
What is the aning of this, who dares interrupt ! he yells, only then realizing the heavily armored group in front of his tent.
I-um what can I do for you? Is there sothing you need?
Rathos eyes the man, Where is Kana, he snarls, making the [Slaver] flinch.
I I'm not sure who you are talking about.
Rathos arm flicks out, grabbing the gangly man by the robe and lifting him up in the air, A cat demi-human by the na of Kana was captured by your n! I will have her Returned! he yells out once more, startling the [Guards] as they unsheathe their weapons.
The [slaver], panicking, starts tapping Rathos hand, the robe tightening hard around the mans neck.
With a sneer, Rathos drops the man, who takes a deep breath and shakily gets back on his feet.
Waving at the [Guards], the n comply and resheathe their weapons, still wary of the [rcenaries] eyeing them carefully.
The [Slaver] straightens his robe and slowly bows towards Rathos as one would towards a [Noble].
I do apologize for this misunderstanding, we had gained several cat slaves from various towns, so this Kana eludes . Could I trouble you for a better description?
Rathos glares, his hand resting on the palm of his sword, eyeing the [Slaver] with contempt, She has a short, white furry tail and white furry ears. A birthmark on the left side of her neck and dark blue eyes.
The [Slaver] straightens, his eyes moving towards a tent quite a bit farther from his own. I see, we do indeed have that, he pauses, reading the situation, Individual.
Rathos, eyes cold, glares at the [Slaver], promising pain. Where is she? he says slowly, eyes the man as a wolf would prey.
Swallowing hard, the [Slaver] starts to walk towards a tent, Follow I will take you to her.
Angry, Rathos complies, fearing the worst.
Several seconds later, he enters the tent alongside the [Slaver], finding a horrid scene.
This Kana had escaped, taken a sword from one of my [Guards] and butchered several of my n. When we finally apprehended her, the damage she caused was substantial, the [Slaver] explains, not realizing that Rathos isn't even paying attention.
And since many of the [Guards] at my employ were quite upset, I had allowed them to punish the woman in their own way.
Rathos continues to stare that the disfigured corpse of Kana, her body twisted, crotch covered in blood and sen, cuts covering her entire body, eyes gouged out, tail cut off
Unfortunately, she had not weathered the punishnt well, having died from her wounds rather recently, the [Slaver] explains, finally turning and seeing Rathos haunted expression.
Of course we will reimburse you for your loss. We have several fine young won for your liking who still have their virginity. I can guarantee the highest qua-Ghuahahaaaaa, the [Slaver]s eyes widen as he finds Rathos sword impaling him through the neck.
With unprecedented speed, Rathos pulls out his sword, allowing the [Slaver]s corpse to fall on the ground.
Taking one last look at Kana, Rathos exits the tent, his eyes cold and sword bloody.
***********************************End Flashback*************************************
When I exited the tent, I had ordered the entire camp butchered I lost several [rcenaries] that day but we had killed off the camp, freeing the [Slaves], Rathos pauses, staring forwards, watching the leaves swish upon the tees, and buried Kana.
Gens horse just trudges alongside the carriage, his mind whirling over the story.
Rathos turns to Gen, watching the man look at him with pity. I tell you this story Gen because I don't want you to make the sa mistake I did. When you find soone that you love, that you care about, make sure to protect them. Rathos says, his tears finally stopping, but his eyes are still wet.
Gen, silent, nods slowly at his ntor, taking the pain and hardship of the man to heart, finally understanding why such a beloved and respected [General] would leave his kingdom. His eyes turn to the carriage, finding Rathos daughter sleeping peacefully.
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