บท 43: Taking the initiative (1)
A somber mood descended everyone in the room. The simple draft passed from hand to hand until it got back to the man seated at the head of the table. Despite it not having the gold and luster associated with the title, the seat the man sat on was as much a throne as the golden staircase he called a seat at the throne room.
The king wore a smaller yet golden crown. This was what he normally wore for everyday occasions. It had become so usual for him to have it that he'd feel awkward not having it. There was a bigger much more dazzling, and heavier crown.
Now for the description. Bear in mind that for all that I write, add some bit of color and beauty in your mind as you imagine it, I'll try to be as descriptive as I can.
They were in the chamber where the King's council met. The throne was made of mahogany wood overlayed with gold on its edges, adding to its luster. It was then painted with beautiful artwork.
Next was the table. Beautiful mahogany sculptured rather than made from carpentry. What was dazzling about this table was that it was the map of the entire region. It had a small divide at its center, indicating the vastness of the sea. This then allowed it to extend on both continents, showing both maps.
On either side, there were elegant chairs placed. The people sat in order of seniority and status. Lady Maara sat on the right-hand side of her father, showing her place as heir to the throne. Barda hadn't warranted a seat, and he stood among others on the other side of the king.
Lady Maara normally wouldn't worry herself with matter status since she's always had it, but at this moment, she thoroughly enjoyed where she was. Looking at Barda, and seeing where she was, she dialed her regality to the max. Barda smiled at the show being out in front of him. He had to admit, she was brilliant.
"Who discovered this?" The king asked after everyone had read the document.
"It was I, Sire," Barda said stepping forward. He even lowered his head for a bow. He had observed the others behave similarly, and had seen the king nod at every bow, showing that they did matter. Hence Barda thought it best to do as the Romans do.
The king took a moment to look at the young man in front of his eyes. He had heard quite a lot about him, and now finally seeing him, he had to size him up. His gait, straight back and bulging muscles, not to mention the confidence he saw in those eyes as he looked back at him, the king had to admit, he was impressed.
"What is your name?"
"I am Barda, Barda King of the Dark Flames Adventurer Team."
"Ah, the Gold-ranked adventurer?" The king muttered. Barda bowed in response. To the people in the room, they couldn't believe the king knew of the man in front of them, but why wouldn't he?
Barda had made a name for himself, making noises loud enough to be heard even by the high and mighty. His contributions were beyond comparison... Right, getting back on track.
"How did you find it?" The king asked. To verify the contents of the document as correct, they had also to verify the source. Barda then proceeded to explain how things happened. How he penetrated the defenses of the enemies without being discovered.
The truth seemed too magnificent even for Barda. It had been that easy for him, yet he had to exaggerate some parts to make it more believable. It is said that when you are strong, keep away from weak people or else you'll end up living a weak life. Barda had to dial down his power as he described his infiltration.
After his part was done, he had described how he had managed to grab a bunch of document as he was finding a perch, which was mostly true, he just omitted how awesome it had been, scanning documents passively and finding the right document the right kind of material.
After his tale was done, the king dismissed him.
"No matter, there is little that can be done about this," His words. "Now, about the new shields, how ready are we to get that base off the map?"
"Production is going on well and the vanguard are fully armed. We await your orders, Sire."
"In that case, We attack at Dawn!"
A lot more was said in that meeting, but the words had been uttered, the command had been issued. Most commanders and adventurers' minds blocked after that, as they planned their next few actions.
In attendance were the King, the Princess and the King's High council in the city of Tristan. Then there were the guests in the war-council, the commanders of adventurer teams and other dignitaries in the war effort.
They had come here for one reason, to hear those words. Since that first raid by the Dark Flames, this had been a long time coming. This was especially so since the Dark Flames had given up the new steel design, and the mass production that followed after. Now was the time to show the enemies what was coming to them.
The Dark Flames had taken a big hit in the course of the war effort. In just a few short days, they had had their commander captured and wounded, a few vice-commanders in very bad shape. They had also lost 5% of the vanguard force during the initial raid. Team spirits were not that high.
That night, Barda, Batoo, Kia and a few other adventurers were warming themselves by the fire outside, having finished their preparations for the eventful day. Both Barda and Batoo would be atop the walls and some fortresses. Kia was among the logistics, concerned with gearing everyone and doing basic repairs.
As they chatted, a silhouette of a tall strong-built woman came at them. Seeing who she was, Batoo and Kia immediately excused themselves. As they left, the commander said: "Get me the other vice-commanders."
"Should you be walking around?"
"I was" taken not incapacitated!" Lady Ellen mumbled angrily. She didn't want her outburst to be loud. Deep in her heart, she still felt a lingering pain and shame for being captured, but she had had to put that behind her. At least with Barda around, he could more than makeup for her deficiencies.
"Okay, you're the boss," Barda said, feeling what she might be going through. As they chatted, Nada the tyrant bear, Sten the dead shot, Gil the swordsman, and Phoenix the right hand of the commander gathered.
"Tomorrow morning we will be joining the army at the front," Lady Ellen began as she eyed her vice-commanders. They had been organizing and preparing themselves for a while as they waited to hear from the commander, who hadn't said a peep all day.
"We all know our places in the division, lead your men well and hold the name of the Dark Flames Adventurer Team in high esteem!"
"What news does Commander Dana send us now?" A brilliant looking young man who sat on a throne in a ship asked.
"Sire, she reports that she had secured the beach for the landing party, and set up a fortress."
"Good, good, I suppose she was the right pick after all," This jab was directed at one of the elders present in the room who had vehemently opposed the placement of the commander as the leader of the shock troops.
In fact, for such an important war, the elder could not understand what the king was thinking delegating it to his son. Yeah, he may be the future king and all, but he was still very green in matters warfare. Was the king that confident in victory he could afford to use the Tristan city as a training ground for his son?
"She, however, reports that there is a formidable archer that had joined Tristan's side, stating that he's Gold-ranked,"
"Gold-ranked, huh? There was a time that used to mean something," the prince muttered, "no matter, he must be good to be mentioned in the report."
"She states that he can shoot arrows from more than 3 miles out. His shots are accurate and decisive. Moreover, he is a blacksmith who has invented a new kind of steel. It is harder and better than ours, she fears they may gain an advantage," the scribe said, "She had requested for the assistance of Sir Masked Twin Blades in assassinating him."
"Quite a capable leader she is My Lord, not able to handle her issues, she resorts to delegating," Hearing the request, the elder couldn't help himself. Had it been the king, he wouldn't have dared breathe such nonsense, but the boy was not king yet.
Ignoring the words of the elder, the prince turned to a masked man with 2 blades hanging on either side of his waist, "Sir Masked, you will move to aid the shock troops. Report to the commander, but bring me this archer's head!"
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