Chapter 194: Own level
After they discussed some more, they called in Blac, who wore his customary black robe. "Sir Azaroth? You called?" He bowed to the four of them.
"Give me the status report," Azaroth said.
"The warriors are settled. They might not like it, but they accepted that someone powerful just took over. I’ve been putting them through hard training every day to give them something to do instead of just staying there doing nothing.
"Also, there’s a daily workout in the farms around here, particularly those that belong to... you, the Village Head." Blac bowed again. In just some weeks, these teenagers were already the heads of three villages! It truly surprised him.
Stallus nodded. "You’re doing well, Blac. But we need more, and starting from tomorrow we will begin. Gather all the warriors in front of the Village Head’s house. Azaroth wants to have a word with them."
Blac was surprised, but he didn’t let it show. This was the first time something like this would be happening. Have a word with the warriors? What are they up to? But he bowed. "As you wish, Sir Stallus."
He continued when he straightened. "What about our next move? The next village, Rave, is closer to this place. Are we finally going to go after them?"
Azaroth looked at him and said, "No. I’ve looked through the map and the little note you sent me, and I can say that the next village will be a bit difficult. The Initiate-level Awakeners are as powerful as you; that’s what you wrote."
"Yes. They are not like the weaklings that the other villages had. They might be comparable to those of the tax collectors," Blac replied.
Alex sneered. "The tax collectors! We haven’t heard anything about them for a week now after we hit them in a place that must have hurt like hell."
"Then they’re impressive if they are at the tax collectors’ level of Initiate Awakeners. But certainly not powerful. Our enchanted tools should handle them," Catena said.
Blac froze. The enchanted tools. The very objects that granted these four the power that made them arrogant. He wanted them for himself, but little was known about them. So he tested them by asking a question. "Are you sure? Are the enchanted tools that powerful?"
Catena smiled and ate more chips. "Well, they’ve taken us this far, right? Make your own judgment!"
Blac nodded. "Yes, yes. You have taken three villages in a span of weeks." Inside, he gritted his teeth. Cautious bastards!
Stallus knocked lightly on the table. "Let’s talk about Rave. The village is situated among a cradle of small hills, which makes it impossible to access except through the front gate. We will have to concentrate our warriors there."
"They’ll be doing the same as well," Alex input.
"Yes, but with the four of us, we can smash through. It’s a good village and might serve as our headquarters for a while." Stallus looked toward Azaroth. She doubted he hadn’t thought of all this.
Azaroth nodded. "I think Greytown will make its move soon. The Fifth Leader will send its warriors out to stop us here. Either they try to kill us or make us work for them."
"What are you going to do then?" Blac asked.
"We will deal with it when we get there," Azaroth said.
Blac expected as much, and he nodded, but before he could say anything else, Stallus asked something that made him stiffen.
"What?"
She repeated herself. "What is the relationship between you and Greytown? Tell us why people know your name."
He blinked. He knew this day would come. He had no choice but to tell them, not that it would affect him in any way. "Years ago, before I made my way over to the fruit village, I was in Greytown. I was contesting for the position of Fifth Leader with the others then, but unfortunately I lost to the current Fifth Leader. I was one of the popular contestants and the last one alive."
They stared at him in surprise. "But how are you alive when the other contestants are dead?"
"I ran. That’s it. I just ran away from Greytown, and with my ability, it’s hard to catch me, so I made my way over here."
Stallus was the first one to break the silence. "Interesting. I didn’t know you had such an interesting past. I knew you were powerful, but not enough for that level."
"I’m glad you found it interesting, Sir Stallus, but I doubt it’s up to your own level," Blac said.
Stallus looked at him in amusement. "I agree with you." That’s all she said and nothing else. Their past was something she wouldn’t speak about at all.
They talked some more about their next plans for the villages and how to build connections between them so there would be a steady flow of trade and such. With instructions given to Blac, they soon retreated.
Stallus turned to Azaroth. "He might still have ambitions of becoming the Fifth Leader. And he probably thinks he’s using us to do that. And he must want our ’enchanted tools.’"
Azaroth just shrugged and said nothing more as the others began to speculate about what their next plan should be. Azaroth stood up and began to explore the house. It was big, the biggest so far since they’d been sent to this prison world.
The previous Village Head must have loved fur because every room was decorated with different dyed furs. But what he was looking for wasn’t there. No matter where he looked, he found no enchanted tools. But he did find some metals and jewelry.
’What are they using jewelry for in this prison world? Come to think of it, is there anything like currency here? Haven’t found any so far,’ Azaroth thought as he walked through every room of the house, and he even saw the torture room with a barely breathing woman on the bloodied table.
Azaroth walked around some more and nodded to himself. "It’ll do for now."
