Chapter 18: The city of Tristan
"So, this is the gold adventurer?" Most of those present knew that the Dark Flames Adventurer team would be also attending, and seeing Barda was one of the highlights of the meeting. They looked at the new arrivals with interest, but they were by far more curious about who Barda was.
By now, several people had already been tasked with finding out who Barda was, and many were shocked that there was nothing that could be found on Barda beyond a few months prior. It was shocking that someone could cause such an uproar and remain so mysterious. They would cough blood if they learned that Barda had been trying to maintain a low profile all this while.
"You are finally here," Bromia said as he approached the group, "We are waiting for the clients to arrive, I believe you know everyone else."
There were 4 different groups in the room, not counting the Dark Flames group. Each of these was a famous adventurer team standing at the pinnacle of Fulah City adventurer teams. Their deeds were known far and wide and recognized by everyone.
This was why Phoenix had reacted the way she did. She knew their adventurer team was still decades away from even snapping at the heels of the powers present, which made her feel small. If it wasn't for them having a gold adventurer, they wouldn't have been allowed through the door.
The other adventurer teams were The Eagle Protectors, The Light Squad, the Howling Wind, and The Coven Adventurer Teams. Of all these, The Coven was the one with the highest status, ranked first place in most Adventurer Association's branches. They even held a higher status than the Heavenly Gates Adventurer team.
It was said that the leaders of the Coven and Light Squad Adventurer teams were both royalty, and the teams were supported by city-states. With such powerful backgrounds, they were revered in all city-states.
The Eagle Protectors was unlike the other adventurer teams. They did not have a flashy background nor a rich history spanning many generations, what they had was a record of a win after win after win until they riched the very top. Their proud traditions and their reach made them an obvious titan among other adventurer teams.
The Howling wind was the most mysterious. Unlike the others, they neither had a proud tradition nor a background, but they had reached the top of their trade nonetheless. Enough to command respect in most city-states, they were also known as the most secretive.
Little was known of their ranks, even their commander's identity was unknown. They wore black robes and armor and they were said to have the power to disappear in thin air like a howling wind, hence the name. They also never poached anyone and they never accepted an adventurer as a recruit, preferring to do their internal testing. They coached anyone who fit their requirements in their special schools. However, anyone who wished to leave or betray them would be put to death instantly.
Each of the adventurer teams present, save for Dark Flames, commanded thousands of adventurers and had multiple residences in many city-states. The teams not only boasted of having the numbers, but they also were proud of the quality of their elites, who were the cream of the crop.
Interestingly, the Commander of the Eagle Protectors was present. To ordinary adventurers, meeting such personages was miraculous. The people present would not be considered small, but meeting such a personage was a rare thing indeed.
This even applied to Lady Ellen. The commander was her role model, he had done what she was attempting to do, built an adventurer team from the bottom to the top. In front of her people, she had to maintain her cool, no one wanted a star-struck commander. He, along with the others, acknowledged the new arrivals, but they were all waiting for someone else, the client.
When the door opened next, anyone who didn't know who the potential clients were was stunned. Even Phoenix could barely hold herself. How often does one get to interact with royalty?
There was not a single person, save for Barda, who didn't recognize the clients. These were none other than the Tristans, the family that ruled over Tristan city. They were 5 people, but everyone was staring at the only woman among those than entered.
Looking at her, even Barda had to admit that she was someone special, not to mention supremely gorgeous. From head to toe, everything about her was polished and in the right place, one could mistake her for a doll. She was the picture of elegance, the kind that made one just want to bow. Moreover, she had the air of royalty. The kind not taught but ingrained from childhood from a lifetime of barking orders.
What Barda didn't know was that she was the crown princess. The favored child of Tristan, the queen-in-waiting, the Queen-to-be, the heir to the throne, I am running out of ways to stress just how high her position was.
Tristan city-state was a super city-state. City-states were by nature independent entities with their government and way of running things. They couldn't be called kingdoms on account of their size and reach, but they were not just some town or city in a kingdom either.
They were the home for anyone looking to make a fresh start, those running away from the kingdoms and so on. They remained unconquered, growing to become kingdoms.
More importantly, Tristan was a seaport with more than 4 natural harbors. They controlled all the trade in the Green Sea. The green sea was an extension of the open sans ocean. Like the red sea on some long-forgotten planet, the green sea spanned across several cities and kingdom, yet Tristan called the shots on all that trading.
Tristan stood proud as the largest city-state, well on their way to becoming a fully-fledged kingdom. It was a well-known fact that Tristan city was twice as big and influential as its closest competitor. They were leaps and bounds above anyone else. They were the definition of peerlessness.
To have such a delegation appear here, while shocking, it wasn't that hard to figure out what they wanted. Anyone who knew anything about Tristan city also knew that they had offended the Gumina Kingdom.
The Gumina Kingdom was known far and wide for their ruthlessness. They were still a young kingdom, with the current King being the 3rd since the inception of the kingdom. They may have been young, but they were extremely aggressive. Their growth had been extremely fast. This was not facilitated by an abundance of materials and resources, but greed, ferociousness, and military might.
Since the kingdom was on the other side of the sea, Tristan refused to submit to them when they approached, and why would they? Tristan themselves were not easy to deal with, nor would they give up without a fight.
It soon became clear that that was the Gumina Kingdom's intention all along. They wanted to get in the eastern continent, but to do so they needed a foothold first. They also knew that if they took down a smaller city, others would not be moved, but taking down such a grand city would sure send a message.
Tristan city had a standing army, but against the forces that were coming to attack, they had to get more help, and what better help would they find if not from the adventurers.
Barda was able to pick up all this during negotiations. He didn't have the qualifications to participate, so he was just there for show. A reason for others not to look down on the Dark Flames team.
During his test, the princess was in the city, and she too had heard about the bet. She was the one who took the initiative to contact Bromia and have him add Dark Flames adventurer team to the group that was meeting. She felt that she couldn't go back after coming from a city that had the first gold adventurer in god knows how long. Seeing Barda present, she could feel some sort of assurance.
Despite that, she hadn't shown any partiality. The talks went smoothly. The adventurers were top-notch, the city was wealthy enough to provide sufficient motivation. It was decided that in 2 days, they would set off for Tristan city.
2 days later, a very magnificent gathering formed outside the city gates. 50,000 adventurers stood proud and ready for the match. The Dark Flames adventurer team had the least number of fighters, but they had Barda, so they didn't lose too much in magnificence despite their less than 1,000 members, and this was inclusive of all the adventurer teams under them.
As the morning breeze was blowing over the horizon, the princess of Tristan started the match with 50,000 adventurers in tow. She wondered if she had gathered enough people as she made her way back home.
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