Chapter 18: Expedition
Kaleb's breath got caught in his throat as he was caught off guard.
"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked, confusion lacing his tone.
Count Ranika rose from his seat, moving with an almost deliberate grace as he circled his desk. The tension in the room thickened with each step he took, his eyes never leaving Kaleb.
"There is an issue at the northeast border that needs my attention," he explained, his expression growing serious with each word.
"Reports suggest that the magic beasts living in the forest are acting strangely, we suspect there is more to it"
Kaleb's brows furrowed, "How does any of that concern me though?"
Now stood directly in front of Kaleb, Count Ranika's imposing presence made the air feel even heavier.
"Because" he continued, "Although I have quite a number of capable knights at my disposal, the area I have been assigned to is quite large and would require more manpower"
"Okay, that still doesn't explain why I'm here"
Count Ranika's eyes gleamed with a mix of amusement and menace.
"You're here because to alleviate this shortage I plan on hiring mercenaries and adventurers, which is where you come into the equation"
"What? You want me to be their errand boy?" Kaleb replied, his face twisted in disbelief.
The Count's smirk widened. "I'm offering you a chance to gain your freedom even faster."
Kaleb's eyes narrowed. "Meaning what exactly"
"Meaning that you will go with them on the expedition," Count Ranika explained, "And for every beast you kill, I will consider it an equal amount of gold bers to its worth. If I calculate how much you have left to pay If you can rack up six thousand, seven hundred gold ber.
Kalb's breath hitched as the Count continued "Kill enough, then not only but your friends will be free"
His instinct screamed at him not to trust the offer as the Count's words were laced with manipulation, with hope being dangled before him.
But the idea of freedom was too tempting for him to dismiss. He furrowed his brow, as he considered the risks.
"And what about the girls?" Kaleb asked, his voice tight with tension. "With me gone, how can I be guaranteed that they will be safe "
The Count's smile widened. "You won't have to worry much, because they'll be going too," he said, waving a dismissive hand. "I'd rather risk slaves than the lives of my valuable employees"
Kaleb was enraged by the callousness in his tone and was filled with the urge to lash out.
The room seemed to shrink around him, as the Count's words echoed in his ears, amplifying the rising fury that coiled tightly in his gut.
"Good. You'll leave in a week. I suggest you prepare." he said, waving a hand dismissively.
Still enraged Kaleb spun on his heel and stormed out of the study, his fury barely contained.
As the door slammed shut behind Kaleb the Count eased back into his chair with an air of indifference barely glancing at Laura, his focus quickly returning to the documents spread before him.
Laura's lips were pressed into a thin line with her eyes flickering with unspoken frustration.
With a reluctant sigh, the Count leaned back, lifting an eyebrow.
"What is it?"
She hesitated, her gaze hardening before she spoke. "I know it is not my place to ask such things sir" she began, "But why are you sending him to the battlefield?"
"If you know it is not your place, why do you still ask?"
"I apologize my lord" she replied, bowing her head.
The Count rose from his seat once more, approaching the large window behind him.
He paused, gazing out over the estate, his back turned to Laura and his hands clasped behind him.
He stood there silently for a moment, letting the tension stretch like a silent wall between them filling the room with an oppressive stillness.
Then with a voice cold enough to chill the room, he broke the silence.
"Yes Laura, he is not anything
but a slave" the Count replied, still staring out at the grounds. "But even slaves serve a purpose"
Her breath got caught in her throat as a realization dawned on her. The Count's carefully chosen words, his cold demeanor.
He wasn't sending Kaleb to the battlefield to give him a chance at freedom, to test his strength, or to see if he could rise above his station. No, it was far more sinister than that.
He was sending Kaleb there to die!
"I see," she finally said, her voice steady, though inside, anger simmered beneath the surface. "If that's your decision, my lord, then I have nothing more to say."
Without waiting for a reply, Laura turned on her heel, heading for the door.
As Kaleb made his way out of the Count's study, their conversation weighed heavily on him. Magic beasts... Adventurers... The words echoed in his head, foreign and unsettling.
"What the hell even is a magic beast?" he asked himself. "I expect the mercenaries, but what on earth is an adventurer?"
"The more I think about it, the more questions surface."
His steps slowed as he spotted Rayna working nearby, her back turned to him. Unsure of what to say he hesitates. But after a moment, he calls out "Rayna"
She paused briefly before continuing her work, without so much as a glance in his direction.
He stepped closer and tried again "Come on Rayna, I just want to…."
She ignored him, brushing past without a word. Her silence sharper than anything she could have said.
'I had almost forgotten about our fight after a day of training and the talk with the count' he reflected on as he watched her walk away.
'If I don't do something, they'll just slip further away from me. But the harder I try the the further they go.'
After a few minutes of pondering, he let out a deep sigh. "I'll think about it after a good night's sleep."
He made his way down the steps, but the reality of his situation hit him, "That's right!" he exclaimed. "They chased me out" he asked himself of where to go before making a decision.
A familiar feeling bubbled up. 'Where do I go now?' He wondered. 'The stables might be my best option. It's quiet, and no one really goes there unless they have to.
'It's open and always smells, but It's better than nothing.
With a firm resolve, he headed toward the stables, determined to make the best of the situation. He made his way inside, the smell of horses and hay filling his nose.
Walking over to a corner, he began to stack the hay into a makeshift bed, pulling a worn-out cloth he found nearby to drape over it.
He lay down to sleep with exhaustion washing over him.
The rough hay pricked at his skin, as he stared up at the ceiling.
As he drifted off, the uncertainty of what lay ahead gnawed at him. But for now, all he could do was rest.
For the next six days, Kaleb found himself falling into a steady routine. Keeping him focused and driven.
Each morning, he woke up in the stables, the scent of hay and the soft rustling of horses surrounding him.
He would start by finishing the work assigned to him before midday. From midday he dedicated himself to training his body, pushing through the burn as he honed his strength.
Once he had fatigued his muscles to the point of collapsing he turned his attention to swordsmanship.
Each swing of the blade was a step toward gaining the strength to protect himself and those he cared for.
At the end of the day, as the sun was about to set, he immersed himself in mana training, but it bore no fruit as his body could not handle the strain.
After a week of preparation, the day had finally arrived. Kaleb packed what little he had and made his way to the field where beside the estate where he had been training.
A massive gathering of soldiers buzzed with anticipation and tension. "Damn, that's a lot of people" he mumbled as he approached.
Kaleb picked William out from among the many soldiers, bracing himself for the barrage of insults that were to come his way.
"Gather up!" William called out, assembling the group, his voice sharp and commanding.
Kaleb made his way through the crowd when suddenly, William's voice cut through the clamor.
His piercing gaze locked onto him, and his scowl deepening at the sight of him.
William begrudgingly looked away, irritated, but the reality of the Count's orders forced him into compliance.
Straightening his demeanor and shifting to one of command, he surveyed the gathered group.
"Listen up!" he barked, his voice rising above the murmurs
.
As William prepared to give further instructions, a hush fell over the crowd, only to be broken by the booming voice of Count Ranika.
"Brave soldiers!" the Count began, "Today, we stand on the brink of a great endeavor! Together, we shall work to rid our lands of the great threats that lurk at our borders!"
Kaleb watched, uninterested by the Count's words.
"The northeast border has become a breeding ground, plagued by scourge we call magic beasts. They are not mere animals; they are cunning and vicious, a blight upon our home."
"But we are not here to cower in fear are we?" he asked the crowd.
"No!" his knights responded loudly. "That is right! We are here to confront them, to eliminate this threat once and for all. Let it be known that we are not mere prey to be feasted upon by the vile creatures that aim to destroy us, we are the vanguards of our land, the defenders of our honor! And today, we shall show those magic beasts the true meaning of our resolve!"
Kaleb noticed a tension ripple through the crowd as the count spoke.
Soldiers exchanged wary glances with the mercenaries and adventurers, their eyes filled with a mixture of disdain, almost to the same level they showed him.
A few muttered under their breath, eyes narrowing as they observed the unfamiliar faces among them.
It was an unspoken animosity that hung heavily in the air, like a storm cloud ready to burst.
The Count's voice rose, filled with fervor. "Every one of you has a part to play. Whether you wear the crest of my house or the garb of a mercenary, you are all united under one banner. And together, we will forge a path through the chaos and emerge victorious!"
He pointed a finger at the horizon, as if daring the beasts lurking beyond to show themselves.
"We will march forward with valor and conviction! And after your victory in this battle, your bravery will be the tale sung by bards for generations to come. Let your names echo in the annals of history!"
"Together, we will defend our territory, eradicate the beasts, and restore peace! Onward to victory!"
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone