[Chapter 2: Sinking Into Despair]

It was a peaceful day in the Black Lagoon office, given that they were closed for the weekend. As per usual, when not in the Swimming City or out and about, the odd duo of demonologist and vampire sat at the table, their bickering about the arcane, the different realms and whatever else came to mind being commonplace, all while a charcuterie board full of odd and wonderful foods, made for them by the shrimp chefs, sat in the middle of the table.

Keno popped another blood grape in her mouth, much like a normal grape, except the juices were replaced with sweet-tasting blood to suit her vampiric taste. "No, listen. If losing someone's soul makes them turn into undead then higher class undead wouldn't make sense!" said Jericho. "Think about it, you are an amalgamation of souls; the more you consume, the stronger you become!"

Keno wiped her face with a handkerchief, spreading blood all over it, "You listen to me! It is the wild magic that is giving me my strength as a vampire and if I wasn't affected by it like a normal vampire, then I wouldn't have a soul!" They kept rambling on and on, a past-time they've come to rather enjoy. Keno swiped a cracker, stacking it high with various magical foods as her co-worker yelled at her.

Suddenly, the door opened, the bell signalling their arrival as it had with the hundreds of others that had visited since the graveyard incident a couple days ago. Everything froze as the two of them realised that Keno had her vampiric features revealed; literally, it froze due to time being stopped by Jericho with the appropriately named Tier 10 spell, [Time Stop].

They turned to see a sharply dressed young man in the doorway. "Who the hell would have the nerve to come in here on our day off?! Do they not know who we are?!" yelled the irritated Jericho.

Keno meanwhile focused on the crest that was visible on the letter the man was holding, "They do, but not very well. Look at the letter, symbol of the Baharuth Empire. Think the Bloody Emperor is finally trying to add us as a card to his deck."

Indeed there it was, the emblem of the empire, two golden lions on either side of a crest consisting of two diagonal black squares, a cross pattern and a striped quarter taking up the rest of the space, above it rested a crown. "Ah, so the young emperor is making his move? Lucius said to be on the lookout for it. Seems like Fluder is doing his job as well." He turned to her, took an odd piece of cloth that seemed to be perpetually moist and forcefully cleaned her face from all the blood she got on it.

"I'm not a child!" she protested.

"Yea, yea. You have the etiquette of one! Sit still so I can actually clean you up or I'll throw you out into the sun, with no fancy umbrella!"

Finally satisfied, the cloth burst into flames and disintegrated into atoms. Keno put on her ring and tried to get back into the position she was in when time was initially frozen, so as to not arouse suspicion.

Time began ticking once more and now it was time to act as if Lucius didn't orchestrate this exact scenario over last night's dinner. "Sir, can you not see the sign outside that says the shop is closed? I'll have you know I don't appreciate interruptions on my day off."

The man bowed deeply, "I apologise, Master Agares and Lady Invern, however I am a mere messenger on strict orders to hand this to you. This is from the emperor himself." He extended his hand with the letter.

"Emperor or not, I have my days off." Jericho grumbled while slicing open the wax seal on the letter. The letter read as you'd expect of a politely written command by royalty, "The honourable and gracious Emperor Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix invites Sir Pyke and the representatives of the Black Lagoon Mercenary Company to an audience in Arwintar, accommodations to be provided directly in the Imperial Palace itself."

Jericho scoffed, "Ha! To believe I would abandon my station to visit royalty! Preposterous! Two of our associates who are also direct subordinates of Lord Pyke shall answer the emperor's call. If you have a way to contact him magically, tell him they will be there within the week. Otherwise, begone." The man bowed and left the building as he had no way to contact the empire magically.

Keno took off her ring and looked at Jericho, "So who are we sending?" she asked.

"Hmm, I think the plan was for Winston and Lucy to take this one."

"Isn't Lillith supposed to be the Minister of Foreign Affairs? Why is Lucius going instead?"

"Lucius is the best at all matters political, Lillith is great, don't get me wrong, but she'd probably seduce the emperor within minutes and that's not the plan. We want the empire to attack Re-Estize with all they have, so Renner has a chance to call us in and make it seem necessary. It would have all gone as expected and planned, but someone had to go ahead and be sent to the Holy Kingdom after trying to stab you."

"Oh. That. Yea… Point taken. Still, can't believe Renner is basically selling out her country…"

"Well, people often aren't as they seem to be, Lakyus, Renner and so on. Point is, blonde bitches are crazy and I am staying away from them."

"Hey! That's not true! I'm blonde as well!"

Jericho pointed at her hair and muttered a spell, turning it into an ashen colour, "Nope, not anymore." He quickly ducked as a congealed spear of blood was thrown at him. Normally he'd go along with this and indulge her, but not this time. "[Flaming Prison]." A cage of fire surrounded Keno, in a way so it didn't hurt her.

"Sit still for a bit, I've got to send a [Message] to Lucius."

"When I get out of here I swear you'll regret this, Jericho!" He cast a silencing spell on her and messaged his brother, {Lucyyy~! The invitation came in, time to do your part.}

{Right on queue it seems. Alright, I'll take Winston and travel with a carriage from E-Rantel. Keep not burning down the city and the world will be ours in no time. Soon that city will be ours and the real fun begins.}

{The real work as well, but I presume you'll enjoy. }

{I was made for it, Jericho, of course I'll enjoy it. Talk to you later, there's a job to be done after all.}

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A magnificent carriage was speeding through the plains, pulled by two kelpies in disguise, appearing as magnificent black sleipnirs. Sleipnirs themselves were insanely expensive, being 8-legged horses that could travel and carry much more than their usual counterparts. The carriage was in different shades of blue and green, made from an odd stone-like material. Engraved in gold were sea shells, beasts from the depths and, of course, the symbol that became synonymous with the infamous Pyke and his company, a harpoon behind which was a glowing, blue eye.

Inside sat two individuals, a young man, that could still be called a boy, with fiery red hair, sipping on a dark, fizzy drink. Opposite of him was a man dressed in white and gold clothing of the highest calibre, elegantly drinking red wine. "So what's the plan, Lucy? We go there and piss him off?" asked Winston.

"In layman's terms, yes. Just follow my lead. As long as Fluder has done what was asked of him, and I'm sure he has, we will be able to control them like puppets whose strings we've yet to cut."

"Anything specific I need to say or do?"

"Be honest, brutally so. We both know there's nothing those involved in politics hate more than honesty and truth, it is anathema to the profession."

"Do we at least get to enjoy the city for a bit? I heard Arwintar is actually very nice."

"But you've also heard and read of the slavery and barbarism that occurs there. It's advanced, as far as civilizations here go, and the emperor is undoubtedly smart for a lower race, yet such practises still exist. We stab at the weaknesses in the foundations of his empire verbally and he will fall into the pit of despair we have set for him soon enough."

"You really are evil, you know that?"

"I'm a politician."

"Whatever, close enough. Do we at least get to visit the arena? I heard the martial lord there is supposed to be stronger than even that Gazef guy father met."

Lucius pulled out a little booklet, "Let's see, I suppose we can come one day before the audience with the emperor. He in fact should be there, it'd be a fun little surprise. You do have your World Item with you, yes? You never know if something like that is going to pop up, such as the [Downfall of Castle and Country] the Theocracy had."

"I do, don't worry. I may not be as brilliant a ranged combatant as Jericho, but I'm pretty damn good, even by standards of the Old World." The World Item Winston was granted was a pair of pistols that seemed to be made especially for him. One of pure silver, the word "Casull" engraved on it. It seemed to radiate holy power and was even larger than his usual revolver, being around 6 kilograms of weight. The other gun was jetblack, the words "Jesus Christ. Heaven Now." engraved in silver. It was massive, unwieldy by the standards of anyone but a giant, 40 centimetres in length and 16 kilograms of weight. The words "Hand Cannon" didn't do it justice.

The name of the World Item was [Hell's Choir], two handguns made specifically for big damage, to both those weak to the holy and its polar opposite. The Casull would be the bane of any unholy being that got so much as grazed by the shot, as the holy energy would spread throughout the wound. The same went for those of the holy variety when facing the Jackal, as the other one was called. It was a rather simple item, tools to kill and not much else. But simple doesn't mean ineffective.

"Be careful with those things, I don't want to explain to Jericho and Keno why we have a repair bill from the Imperial Arena for a quarter of the wall, and collateral for civilian casualties."

"Who do you think I am? I was made to be a great gunslinger and you think I'll switch to high explosive rounds against someone in a public setting?! I know I was made to be younger than most of you but trust me a little bit!"

"You were made to be a Prime Minister." Lucius sighed, "Forgive me, I know you are reasonable, but I have to stop Jericho from burning down cities and corrupting angels, Lily from destroying half the Swimming City during a bloody training session and Trise from creating horrible biological weapons."

"It'll be fine, Vacuus is there and Lord-Father knows nobody will try to mess with him. Well, maybe Lily will, but at that point anything goes."

"Anyway, we should be approaching the first city soon, so put on a narcissistic face."

"I just follow your lead, as always?"

"As always. After all, I've never led us astray."

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Soon the carriage stopped, the people waiting to enter the border city and guards alike gawking at the magnificent beasts that rode without the direction of a coachman and the decorated, yet not gaudy, carriage. It stopped in the VIP lane, meant for official guests of the state, envoys and so on. The captain of the guard went ahead and knocked on the door to validate their right to pass this way.

The men left the carriage, Lucius impatiently tapping his cane on the ground, "For what reason are you stopping us? Have you not heard from the messenger yet!?" he said, seemingly outraged.

The captain was rather taken aback by the rudeness, but didn't let it show. He had dealt with plenty of stuck up, foreign noble assholes who thought they could do anything, this was simply par for the course. "No sir. Please hand over the permit or invitation."

Winston did so as he scoffed, "Ha, even the Re-Estize guards knew better than this. What kind of horrid country are we getting ourselves into when we outrun the messengers? To think our visit would start off like this..."

"Indeed brother. I doubt they can even afford our services. But perhaps it isn't a matter of the messenger, but that of the bureaucracy? To have one running worse than that of the Re-Estize court is simply shameful. Perhaps the corruption here too covers the entire royal sphere of influence? Let us hope we can conclude our business quickly." he said, putting his hand to his head and shaking it.

The guard was of course noting all of this in his mind and began sweating bullets, recognizing the letter as official and remembering that the title of Bloody Emperor wasn't handed to his monarch lightly. "M-my apologies, esteemed guests. P-please enjoy your stay in the city of Suviter of the glorious Baharuth Empire."

Winston snatched the letter out from the hand of the guard captain, heading back to the carriage and slamming the door behind Lucius. "You think the emperor will hear of this?"

"Within a day or two. Information of our arrival will spread like wildfire, that's why we had to pull this stunt here, not at Arwintar as you suggested. Sure, it'd get us more publicity and shame the emperor more if we did it at the capital, but they probably wouldn't fall for it."

"I get it. So what do you say we cause another commotion? We can cast some of our emotional manipulation magic and cause a little bit of a brawl, with you as the victim. I'm sure a noble or two will be in the high end inn. A few choice words, a splash of mana and there goes the reputation of the noble, some of the emperor and yet another card in our deck."

Lucius smirked, "You're not the Prime Minister for nothing." He did a faux bow, prompting a chuckle from his brother.

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The check-in process was smooth, a wink from Winston enough to get the young and bashful receptionist to relent and give them the suite that was reserved for those of noble rank. Now it was evening, prime time for people to get hammered and get into bar fights that compromise their reputation. And so, the two brothers headed down stairs to the bar and lounge area, scanning for a potential noble target.

They sat at a table meant for 6 six people, showing that they are important enough to command such power in an esteemed inn. Winston scanned the area after ordering drinks and food for himself, Lucius doing the same thing. "Anyone that is potential prey?" Winston asked.

Lucius smirked, "Your left. Noble of high rank. Strong ties to the military and a legendary general Carvain." Indeed, there sat a man clad in what seemed to be the finest silks of blue and red. Scars visible on his hands, an impressive beard on his face and with the evident build of a warrior.

"Name and weaknesses? Our hanzos and shadow demons gathered everything you need, right?"

"Yes. All the nobility of Re-Estize, Baharuth, the Holy Kingdom, the Theocracy, the Draconic kingdom, even to the bloody councillors of the Karnasus City-State Alliance. Nearest of kin, what they hate and what they love, I've got everything. Speaking of that guy, it's Count Masir Kerav Dilam Bijor. Really hates elves."

Winston didn't try to hide the wide grin on his face as his brother pointed to his ears, which resembled those of the forest dwelling race. "How do we draw him over?"

"We do what you always do in these situations, buy him a very expensive and highly alcoholic drink." Lucius waved over to the waitress, ordering the strongest drink they had, an old wine vintage, along with a note inviting the man over. As expected, it worked, Bijor coming over once he received the drink.

"Gentlemen, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked, an overly familiar smile on his face. Lucius and Winston put on an act as well, masking their distaste at talking to a disgusting noble.

"We saw your esteemed personage sitting all alone and we believed someone such as yourself should spend time with equally noteworthy men, Lord….?" said Lucius.

"Count Masir Kerav Dilam Bijor, a pleasure. Please, just call me Masir." he said, shaking the hand of both ministers.

"I am Lucius Neron, representative of the Black Lagoon company. This is my adoptive brother, Winston Winchester, a fellow representative."

"A pleasure, Sir Masir."

"I have heard of you gentlemen. Your company's creator made quite the stir in the court, I can tell you that much, hahahaha!" They all laughed, appearing merely as a happy band of merry men, while Lucius schemed to ruin this mortal.

"Indeed, haha. Our Lord can be eccentric, but he is as eccentric as he is powerful. His services however appear to be in high demand if the emperor himself is requesting us." said Winston.

"Why has he not come himself, not answering a call from the emperor could be considered rather dangerous and disrespectful."

" 'Tis to ease the emperor. We would not want a repeat of the, by now, famed "Bloody Court" of Re-Estize, would we?" asked Lucius.

The count took a sip of his drink, grimacing as the strong alcohol burnt his throat, "No, we would not. Anyway, what do you make of the glorious Empire? I understand it is probably your first day, given that I haven't heard of your arrival, but it certainly does make an impression compared to Re-Estize, does it not?"

Winston chuckled, "That it does. The architectural style speaks to me much more than the gaudy golds and wood of the kingdom. I am rather excited to see the capital itself! Albeit there are some elements that I find rather… distasteful."

"Oh? Such as?"

"The elven slavery. Prominent here, is it not? A drastic shift from Re-Estize, even with the malfunctions of their government."

Bijor scoffed, "You're too soft and young, lad. Sir Winston, I know how it may seem, but these elves are no better than animals. We keep them locked up, better our country and do as the four Gods would instruct us to do. I'm sure Sir Lucius understands."

This was the part that would make or break the encounter. Lucius activated one of his skills earned from his incredibly high charisma and few choice class levels, [Silver Tongue: Agitation]. Lucius had most of his class levels put into ones such as fencing and general mastery of the sword, however a few levels in classes such as [Devil's Advocate] awarded him substantial verbal prowess, that in game would translate to better trade deals with NPCs and on the auction house.. He took off his top hat, revealing his long, pointed ears. "Can't say I appreciate it either~" The words reverberated in the noble's head thanks to the skill, amplifying up his emotional response to its limit.

"You're a filthy elf!" he yelled, slamming the table and spilling all the drinks that were left in the glasses. He pointed at Lucius, "Dogs like you should be in chains, not drinking at the table!" Everyone turned to look at the man who was making such a ruckus, only to find the count that governed the area to be there. As it would in Re-Estize, the rumour mill began spinning. Elves weren't unable to be in the country, but they were generally treated as second-class citizens.

"Such a superior race and yet your Gods are dead~ Truly, you are as blunt as they come~" The taunting combined with the skill proved too much as the man reached for the decorated mace that was hanging from his belt. He attempted to use his other hand to grab Lucius by his collar, only to catch thin air.

Winston was thoroughly enjoying the show, but knew it was about to end, the goal was accomplished and his brother was nothing if not pragmatic. Lucius took out his cane, smacking the hand away with it and causing it to turn in a way it was never supposed to as the snap of a tendon and crunch of bone filled the inn. All was silent except for the cries of pain emanating from the throat of the noble.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! You subhuman filth!" he bellowed, swinging his mace in a sluggish manner, his body too overwhelmed by pain. This time the cane came for the elbow, breaking the bone and twisting the arm in yet another inhuman manner, prompting a wince from the audience who was watching in silent awe as the highest authority they've ever seen, save for the emperor himself, was being beaten like a stray dog.

Lucius unleashed a jab at the solar plexus of the man, hitting him directly, knocking the wind out of him and the man to his knees. "You are lucky I am not my father, or you would have been dead before you even knew what hit you." With this closing remark Lucius hit the man's chin in an uppercut-like motion, the tip of the cane brutally bludgeoning him once again, the snapping of his jaw and falling out of his teeth earning him a bit of empathy from the onlookers as he was knocked unconscious by the pain. In truth he would have liked to rid his father's world of another insect, however a dreadful reputation was something they were trying to avoid for now..

Winston promptly put a bag of Re-Estize gold they had accumulated via both legitimate business and stealing from nobles. "Apologies for the disturbance, ladies and gentlemen. This night is on us, here's the gold to pay for it. Shall we, Lucius?"

"Yes, the faster we get our business in this country over with, the better." They marched back to their rooms, satisfied that everything went as planned, the emperor undoubtedly having to execute a man to save face. The next couple days would be the long journey to Arwintar with both their carriage and schemes making solid progress.

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The entrance to Arwintar was smooth, as expected, given that the entire guard regiment scrambled to service them as soon as they came to the gate. A guide was prepared for them, a young noble boy, presumably sent there with the idea that they won't be harsh on a mere child, whether out of genuine compassion or simply in order to appear magnanimous as most politicians would.

The grand palace of Arwintar was so white it seemed to glitter like platinum thanks to the sun. It was made of 3 dome-like layers with many spires surrounding it. Around the palace were multiple universities and areas of study, including the famed Magical Academy where Fluder currently worked. It was certainly more tasteful than the palace of Re-Estize, grander and more advanced in its architecture. Their magical appliances were also very advanced, elevating the arcane as the Theocracy did with divine magic. This gave them yet another edge against the kingdom, which saw magic as parlour tricks to entertain guests or heal a noble's ailments.

The people walked through the streets with eyes glimmering with hope and a spring in their step. As violent and brutal as the coup d'etat of the Bloody Emperor was, it resulted in the Golden Age of the empire, and it could be felt. Excitement practically radiated off of these people. The only ones who complained were adventurers, who were slowly replaced by the military, having to become workers instead. Workers were not bound by guild rules, being much closer to mercenaries than adventurers.

Baharuth itself was rather advanced, with the roads all being paved in the capital and areas such as the Grand Arena, Central Market and Temple to the Four Great Gods being known throughout the nearby nations as marvellous pieces of art.

Then there was the famed standing army of the empire, the imperial legions. 80000 soldiers, all armed with proper longswords, full plate and trained to be on par with silver-ranked adventurers. This military might let the emperor employ the strategy of starving out Re-Estize, as the kingdom had to respond with a much larger levy whenever faced with the imperial legions during the time of harvest. In a few years, Jircniv would surely have made the push and captured E-Rantel.

When they arrived at the gates of the palace they were greeted by two guards in gold-bronze armour that shimmered with the distinct glow of magic. These were the royal guards, the most powerful and skilled of the legionaries, equivalent to gold adventurers. Above them were only the four imperial knights, who were ranked as adamantite.

They were led in by one of the men, following in silence, the only thing that was heard was the tapping of Lucius' cane on the polished marble floor. On the walls, as expected of an imperial palace, paintings of the royal lineage and grand battles were found. Nothing caught the eye of the two brothers, rather underwhelmed by the displays of wealth that said nothing about the monarch's character, besides their yearning for a feeling of superiority and vanity.

Finally, they made it to the throne room and were announced by the young boy, "Announcing Lord Winston Winchester and Lord Lucius Neron!" he said, withdrawing swiftly after. Lucius and Winston moved forward, bowing to Jircniv, who sat on a white throne, cushioned with red and purple pillows. The young man was certainly handsome, but still seemed to pale in comparison to the two men who just entered.

On his left side stood two people clad in enchanted adamantite full plate armour. First was a tall and broad man, holding what seemed to be two tower shields. His eyes were squinted, almost closed, his hair grey, but his muscles taut and strong. This was Unassailable Nazami Enec, with tanned skin and short, grey hair. His style was one of trampling enemies or tiring them out with his unbreakable defence.

Further to the left stood a beautiful blonde woman, at least at first glance. Half her face was covered by her hair, almost like a veil of the finest silk, yet behind it lay her greatest shame. Once, when she was still an adventurer, she was cursed by a monster's dying breath, leading to half her face spewing puss and looking as if it was rotting. Her noble family disowned her and she was abandoned, only to have them executed when she was recruited by the emperor on the condition he tries to find a cure, but never fully swearing loyalty. This was "Heavy Explosion" Leinas Rockbruise.

To the emperor's right stood a rather dashing young man, Nimble Arch Dale Anoch, a noble of high rank, a count to be precise. Skilled with the blade and swift as the wind, he was not only an adamantite swordsman, but a good commander if his push came to shove. He had kindled something of a friendship with the paranoid Jircniv, both being talented men in their youth. His hair was short and dark, with pale skin, the epitome of a pretty noble youth, if not for the enchanted rapier on his hip.

Finally stood another man, Baziwood "Lightning Bolt" Peshmel. A blonde ponytail and a square jawline, typical of those seen in the martial professions. His build was similar to that of Nazami, tall and broad, a bastard sword resting on his hip. Once a mere commoner talented with the sword, Jircniv elevated him to his current position. He was a bit rough around the political edges, acting like a cool, but embarrassing, uncle to the emperor.

These were the four imperial knights. While not as strong as Gazef individually, or even in a group, they were still a force to be reckoned with. Of course a country can't run off of physical muscle alone, which is why next in the line was Loune Vermillion, an outstanding secretary. A simple young man with a bowl-cut, yet unmatched in matters of imperial bureaucracy by anyone, but the emperor himself. Next to him stood Fluder.

Lucius took to the introductions, activating his skills and causing the emperor to be less than his usual charismatic self, "Greetings, Sir El Nix." Immediately frowns appeared on most of the faces in the throne room, mostly the nobles who stood on the side.

Hoh… Bold of you to call me "Sir." Don't you find that rather disrespectful? I assume you have heard of my reputation." said Jircniv.

"Indeed I have, and I'm sure mine has spread from your spies in the Holy Kingdom's court to here. Shall I remind your grace of what happens when nobles or royalty threaten me?" Jircniv flinched at the statement, wondering how information about his spies got leaked. It was a rookie mistake caused by an emotional reaction, something Jircniv would have normally suppressed, if not for the additional, subtle fear that crept up his back when the man spoke.

"I also haven't been treated with any respect since I have come to this country, why would I reciprocate? Indeed, that noble was rather rude, although I do not see him gathered here today?"

Jircniv motioned to Vermillion with his hand, the secretary then brought an urn to Lucius. From it emanated the distinct smell of blood. Lucius lifted the cover only to discover the head of the noble. "I trust this is not an attempt to offend me? Barbaric practises such as this are rather backwards."

"From what we have heard, your Lord would have appreciated such a gift."

"Indeed, you may be correct, but I am not my father. It was a spat fuelled by alcohol and atmosphere. Perhaps the reputation of this country is as unfounded as it seems…" Lucius put down the urn. Jircniv meanwhile was beginning to simmer with rage as the skills took hold on his psyche, 'You are just a representative to a company! How dare you! I'm the emperor!'

"Now… Where were we? Ah, yes. Introductions. I am Lucius Neron, representative of the Black Lagoon company and Minister of the Interior of the Swimming City."

Winston stepped forward, "And I am Winston Winchester, representative of the Black Lagoon company and Prime Minister of the Swimming City."

"What is this "Swimming City" you speak of? I have heard of no such place, and I considered myself rather knowledgeable of the regional cities." asked Jircniv.

" 'Tis a city-state our father rules beneath the tides of the seas. We are part of its ruling council." answered Winston.

"In that case shouldn't it be the minister of foreign affairs here instead of you, Sir Lucius?"

"Under normal circumstances? Undoubtedly. But given what we have heard of your nation, and so far have experienced, we had decided that sending a woman as charming as our sister as part of the delegation would not have been the wisest idea."

"Care to elaborate on that?" said Jircniv, in a low voice, daring the man to disrespect him further and give him an excuse for execution.

"Oh, surely your recently deceased spy, Marquis Blumrush, in the Re-Estize court had informed you of the many rumours concerning the less than courteous tendencies of your excellency and these nobles." answered Winston. Jircniv's plan to recruit them permanently was falling apart in front of his eyes, and they seemed to know all about his intelligence operations!

Much of this outrage came from the skills the two delegates were applying to their speech, much like they did with the former count. Usually, this wouldn't work as Jircniv always wore a necklace that protected him from such magics, but Fluder, under orders from Jericho, tactically misplaced it.

"Moving on. Honoured guests, the plan is for you to be granted accommodations here in the palace and resume negotiations in two days, once you acclimate yourself to the capital. I trust this is satisfactory?" Normally Jircniv would have gotten this over with immediately, but sweetening a deal with good treatment was negotiation 101, a plan made harder by the former noble.

"Of course/Naturally." the two brothers answered in tandem. Thus they dispersed to their quarters for the night, leaving the emperor to call for his concubines as stress relief following the meeting…

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Winston was making his way to the shadier part of the capital. As much as the place was a clean and bustling metropolis by the standards of this world, it still had its underbelly, including the Eight Fingers and workers. Lucius was out scheduling a show match against the Martial Lord of the arena, who was supposed to be on par with, if not stronger than Gazef. That however would be starting in a few hours, for now it was his job to seek out these workers and assess if there are any interesting individuals among them. In truth, the young lad also wanted to explore a foreign land.

He passed many sites that to him were both alien and disgusting, namely the slave auctions. Both elves and humans were being sold, although the prices on the former would be considered extortionate compared to the humans. The elves were in good physical condition, except for their mutilated ears that were cut in half instead of being their naturally long and pointed shape.

Elves were in high demand for the highest levels of brothels and by nobles who wanted exotic house care to abuse. They were imported from the Theocracy, which as of now was completely isolationist due to a certain incident, raising the prices of elves, that were already through the roof, firmly into the stratosphere. That didn't stop the ultra rich from buying them and Winston found the practice to be extraordinarily vile.

The human slaves were mostly those who sold themselves or were sold as debt collateral. Much of the former nobility, purged by Jircniv and stripped of their rank for incompetence or insubordination, often ended up in such avenues if illegal dealings with groups such as the Eight Fingers turned south.

His fiery red hair and expensive clothing turned many heads, male and female, throughout the streets, but he went unbothered by all. Eventually the guards became less numerous, the streets dirtier and the buildings less well-kept. This was the signal that his destination was near. He was looking for the Singing Apple Pavilion, a hotspot for worker teams of all shapes and sizes, and apparently a place with quite good food if you could stomach the company.

And there it was, in a side street that lacked any sort of monitoring or guards. It was a rather inconspicuous wooden structure that you'd expect of a middle to low quality inn. He opened the door and found that the place was empty, with not even a barkeeper, except for a group of misfits that seemed to be a cleric, warrior, ranger and caster.

He sat at the bar, next to the loudly chatting group. The one with two scimitars, a mace and a dagger, stood behind the counter, replacing the bartender that would usually be there. He had short blonde hair with a streak of red. His armour was nothing exceptional, leather with a bit of chainmail, prioritising agility and flexibility over raw absorptive power.

The cleric was tall and stout, with short blonde hair and a well-groomed beard. He looked like what you would imagine a shaved bearman to be like, towering over his warrior counterpart. Partial plate and heavy, padded leather armour adorned his body. Next to him lay a morning star of steel. While his other companions had the odour of alcohol hanging over them, he had none.

Next was a petite, blonde girl that seemed looking at him intently. Winston looked at his anti-divination ring, seeing that it emitted a faint flow, which signalled that it was indeed activated. It seems this was that Arche girl Fluder briefly mentioned when he was telling Jericho of those who were considered useful in the empire. She possessed the same talent as the Tri-Arts caster, being able to see the magical ability of people. Apparently she was around 16 or 17, just abnormally short for her age. Just like her other two companions, her eyes were of a light blue colour. Her gear was the shoddiest of the group, worn down and lacking in the quality of craftsmanship. Her light, brown robes and reinforced, wooden staff were suitable for perhaps a copper magic caster, not someone like her, who could cast spells of the 3rd Tier.

Lastly, and most surprisingly, was a purple-haired half-elf. Interesting, given their lack of social status. Undoubtedly she must have been a valuable asset to the team, as any with elven heritage were usually particularly skilled in the ranger profession. Judging by the bow holstered on her back, she must have given in to the call of her other half and embraced the bow and arrow as her choice weapon. Light, leather armour designed to let her dodge attacks and reposition easily was worn by her. Just like the rest of the team, none of her gear was enchanted.

Upon noticing the potential new client, the worker team's warrior moved towards him, "Here for a drink or to hire someone?" Winston looked at him with an appraising eye, the man seemed to be around on par with a level 15, or lower, warrior.

"Drink. I'm just simply wondering about the worker lifestyle."

"Thinking of getting into it? I'm Hekkeran by the way, leader of Foresight." He poured him a mug of beer, and extended his hand.

"Winston, of the Black Lagoon Company." He grabbed the beer and shook Hekkeran's hand, being careful to not crush it with his, by this world's standards, immense strength. As expected of a man in his profession, his hands were rough and calloused, marks of his experience, much how the burn scars are the pride of any blacksmith.

"Haven't heard of that one, and I've been in this business for quite a long time. New around here or just visiting? You certainly don't look like the typical worker."

Winston took a sip of his beer, deciding not to drink any more as it tasted like piss to him, "Summoned by the emperor with my brother. He's seeking my Lord's services after the stir he caused in Re-Estize. He's not a big fan of those and since neither is the emperor, well, here I am. Who would have thought that spilling a bit of noble blood would lead to another audience with a royal?"

Arche chimed in, "Excuse me, I'm Arche. You mentioned what happened in the Re-Estize court and noble blood, right? Wait, is your Lord that Pyke guy who killed all those nobles?"

Winston nodded, "That is Lord Pyke to you. Yes, that is indeed my lord. Still don't know what the emperor wants from us. We didn't have the greatest welcome and my brother confronted him about it which caused the negotiations to be postponed for two days. I guess honesty is just not something that's appreciated in the court."

"Mouthing off to the emperor? Takes some guts. Respect. I'm Imina by the way." interjected the half-elf.

"Well, last time royalty messed with my brother he broke the bones of all the guards in the area. Our company provides equal service to all, as long as they have the coin we request. I can respect El Nix for purging nobility, but being a stuck up asshole won't fly."

Arche looked down demurely, "Yea…"

"Oh. No offence, just historically nobles just aren't great. Sorry if you're from one of those purged families. He seems to be a decent ruler, as long as you're human; don't even get me started on the slave trade, disgusting and barbaric. How is Re-Estize more developed on that front than this place?"

"Well, not everyone is as tolerant as the Golden Princess. I'm Roberdyck." said the man of faith.

"Elven slavery is one thing and there are religious reasons for it, which I don't agree with, but they still hold influence. But to sell your own family to pay off debts? Jesus, I was thinking of setting some of the people free, but I don't want to bring more attention to myself, you know?"

"I get that. Are you really rich enough to pay for that, even if you could? I mean, I know your clothing is nice, but come on." said Imina.

"Oh, you wouldn't even know. Anyway, enough 'bout me. Tell me how it is to be a worker, my line of business is similar, after all."

"Your company is a mercenary one?"

"We prefer the term "general utility contractor." We take up any job, since we have someone to take care of for everything. This includes monster extermination and so on. We cover what adventurers do, but things like healing are still available to us, without the restriction of the church. My brother who runs our office in E-Rantel put on quite the show when the church confronted him about healing a commoner for 1 copper coin."

This peaked the attention of the cleric, "Your brother must be a righteous man. I initially became a worker because I wanted to get away from the guild rules and actually be able to heal people without the church interfering. Is there space for new employees? Perhaps I could join, if or when I retire." his deep voice resounded.

"Not for now. And my brother quite literally rules the hells. He may seem nice, but he could just as well scorch the entire continent if left unchecked. Now come on, tell me about being a worker." Winston urged on.

"Well, we don't abide by any guild guidelines, or even laws really. We're one step from bandits as far as most are concerned. If the gold is right, the gold is right, you know? A lady gotta pay for her drinks somehow." said Imina, ending her sentence with a hiccup.

"It's not a bad gig, but we don't have any of the bonuses offered by the guild either. If you want information, you've gotta get it yourself. Our preparation costs are also through the roof, since our clients don't often give us very good directions. It's just "go to a ruin somewhere here and bring me shiny things," ya know? So then we have to ask ourselves what we need, antivenom for spiders, holy items for undead?" said Hekkeran, dramatically shrugging his shoulders and sighing deeply.

Roberdyck nodded, "Indeed. The only thing saving us are the high payments and the deals you can catch on the market where other adventurers and workers set up shop. You should go and take a look, although you don't seem like a fighter to me."

Winston chuckled, "You'd be surprised. I'm confident I could take every worker team at once and come out without a scratch."

"Quite a bit of bravado, care for a match then?" asked Hekkeran.

"Maybe later. I'll be fighting the Martial Lord in a few hours at the arena if you want to come watch. I'm sure my brother can get you VIP tickets." answered Winston.

"You fight the Martial Lord!?" they all shouted at once, even the quiet Arche.

"Yea. Wait, I'll get you the tickets." he said, putting two fingers to his temple and casting [Message]. The bizarre feeling of reaching out with an ethereal tendril into empty space ended as quickly as it began, finding its target. {Lucius, how's it going?} asked Winston.

{Well. The match is scheduled for 2 hours from now. Do not be late and shame our Lord. But if you'd be so kind as to make the match entertaining at first. The merchant I dealt with to have this set up, Osk, seemed to possess something resembling intelligence for a human and may prove useful in the future. We need to build good will, so don't kill his combatant instantly, hmm?}

{Fine, fine. I'll fight with the katana Lily gave me from her collection.}

{And?}

{And I'll tone down my strength to a reasonable level before doing a dramatic finish where my dominance is thoroughly established.}

{Perfect.}

{Why does it feel like you're my babysitter instead of my brother?}

{Because you, Trise and Lily are absentminded and way too free spirited. Your organisation skills may be better than even mine, but by our Lord-Father do you sometimes let yourself go when having fun or socialising.}

{You're just too stuck up, Lucy! Oh! Speaking of socialising, I seem to have found an important worker team! They're like, maybe, mythril by this world's adventurer categories.}

{Wonderful, gather as much information as possible and be at the arena in one hour and forty-five minutes. Any other reason why you called me?}

{Could you get these four workers VIP tickets to the fight? It'll be good advertising among the underworld and all that.}

{I know you just want to have your new friends see you fight, don't try to trick me. Fine. I'll see what can be done.}

The connection cut off and Winston returned back to reality, "Alright, it's done. So what do you say, wanna come?"

The team all looked at each other before nodding. "If you're offering, we're taking you up on it." said Hekkeran. But before any more conversation could take place, the door to the inn was thrown open. In came a man in what looked like an odd version of samurai armour from the Oldest World. Unlike the garb of the traditional Japanese swordsman, it was lighter, made mostly of cloth and leather, with few pieces of black plate, trimmed with gold, as shoulder guards.

On his hip rested a katana, the black sheath contrasting with the white that dominated most of his clothing. His light blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, sharp blue eyes staring at Winston before scoffing and moving forward. His skin was unblemished and without scars, proving that he was either an amateur, so good he never got hurt or had access to really high tier healing.

Behind him trailed three abused elfs, dressed in nothing but a mouldy potato sack and with their ears cut half-way through. A low growl came from Imina and killing intent began to leak from Winston. "Who is that guy?" whispered Winston.

The one to answer was Imina, "Erya Uzruth. Apparently from the Theocracy. Lowest scum possible, I just wish I had a chance to kill him!"

"Well, why won't you then? He doesn't seem very strong…"

"Are you crazy!?" whisper-shouted Roberdyck, "He's supposed to be on par with Gazef Stronoff!"

"My point still stands, and I assure you he isn't as strong as Gazef."

The sound of flesh hitting flesh resounded through the almost empty inn. "You useless animal!" shouted Erya, an elf at his feet and rubbing her red cheek. Winston stood up and took out "Jackal", walking forward towards the swordsman.

Hekkeran grabbed him by the shoulder, surprised when the young man didn't turn even slightly due to the warrior's grip. "You want to get yourself killed? There's no way a kid like you can kill him! Much less in close combat!" Winston pushed Hekkeran's hand off of his shoulder, the sound of muffled apologies and pleas from the elves still ringing in his ear.

"If you believe I'm going to fight the Martial Lord then you should expect this to be easy. Trust me, none of the Swimming City would lose to trash like him."

He walked forward, both guns now in his hands, locked, loaded and ready to purge this insect from his father's future domain. Erya turned to him, a smug grin on his face, a mix of sadism and lust swirling in his eyes, "Oh? And who are you, kid?" He laughed at the man, "Feeling a little sympathy for these dogs?" Erya kicked the purple haired elf in the ribs, cracking several and knocking her to the floor.

Winston silently pointed his guns at him, the others becoming rather confused by this action, the foreign instruments' function yet unknown to them. "What do you think you're doing? Beating me is impossible for you, no matter how pretty your little toys are. I'll let you off the hook if you hand them over."

"I'll give you one chance to let those slaves go, or you die. Your choice." Erya snarled at the provocation,

"You could certainly try, but it's your funeral!" Workers generally didn't kill each other, or even fight, but Erya was notoriously hot-headed and prideful, the only reason he never fought with other teams was because of how strong he was and thanks to that they gave him a wide berth. In a moment's notice Erya was lunging at Winston with [Shukuchi Kai], moving along the ground as if he was gliding. He didn't bother to use any more martial arts against this amateur, his speed was already impressive enough without them.

Yet he still could not outrun a bullet.

Winston used a simple skill, [Skill: Silencer], to quiet down the shot and pulled the trigger of the massive, ebony gun, the recoil being minimal despite the calibre of the weapon. The massive cartridge was discharged, soaring through the air in less than a second. 'Wait. Oh fuck. Did I switch ammunition type? Oh fuck. OH FUCK!' The bullet collided with Uzruth's jaw, breaking it and the explosive tip being activated.

BOOM

The entire area went up in flames as a massive explosion engulfed half the inn. Winston flung himself in front of the slaves, shielding them with his body, his clothing and natural resistances blocking the heat and shockwave. The swordsman's head turned into a shower of gore, blood evaporating in the heat, brain matter and sinew being thrown across the room, his lifeless, charred corpse, now missing a head, fell with a resounding thud. The boards cracked and the building began to fall apart, but Winston was faster on the draw, taking out a scroll.

"[Extinguish]!" A simple Tier 8 spell used to combat high-level fire status effects was unleashed, the inferno subsiding as its oxygen supply was cut off. He quickly turned to the cowering slaves that were huddled up behind him. Thankfully, his silencing skill also applied to the explosion, minimising the sound to only the cracking of the wood and furniture. For those further away it must have sounded like a particularly violent brawl, but in truth, an entire wall of the inn and a good part of the ceiling were now splinters.

"Are you alright?" he asked the elves, concern evident in his voice. They all nodded, scared out of their wits, but acting on the instinctive obedience that was instilled in them via decades of slavery. "Good. And you four didn't see anything, yes?" Foresight was standing at the far back of the room, behind stack tables they used to try and minimise the shockwave from the explosion.

"What do you mean we didn't see anything?! What is that weapon?! You blew half the damn inn up!" yelled Hekkeran.

"Listen, we can either agree you didn't see anything or you'll be engaged in something much larger than yourselves. Let's just call this a workplace accident."

Hekkeran was about to say something, but Imina hit him with her elbow, "Let it go. With that thing he can kill us no problem and he did us a favour anyway! I, for one, am glad he got rid of that bastard… We'll forget everything, but what about the slaves?"

Winston turned to the slaves once again, handing them a few slips of paper, "Take this and don't lose it." A moment later a hole in reality opened up behind Winston and out came a massive titan, wielding a scythe fit for the Gods. Foresight immediately got into defensive positions, but Winston put his hand up before they could begin barking battle orders.

Vacuus looked over the area and sighed deeply, "Brother, what have you done this time? I really should scold you, but I have to take care of the city. What do you need?"

"Brother?!" shouted out all of Foresight simultaneously.

A nervous chuckle came from Winston, "Well, um, you see… A guy came in and hit his slaves and I may or may not have forgotten to swap from explosive munitions in [Hell's Choir] to normal ones…"

"So not only do you use such a valuable weapon, want to leave witnesses, but you also cause this much damage? If you didn't have an important job to do then I would make father ground you for at least a month. I presume you want us to take in the slaves?"

"Yea, we need some humanoid races to show diversity and all that!"

Vacuus put his scythe on his shoulder, "If there's one thing you're good at it's making the best out of bad situations. Fine, have them come with me. We needed someone to take care of Zesshi and I presume they have experience as maids, yes? You however will be the one to manage their salaries, off-days and so on."

"But that's Lucy's job!"

"No complaining or I kill your new friends over there, given that leaving witnesses is less than advisable. Call it payback for having to make-up an entire cover story." Foresight withered under the stern gaze of the blue giant of a man, Arche noting once again how he had seemingly no magical aura to speak of.

"I'm sure Hekkeran and the rest can come up with something, right?"

The four quickly nodded, fearing that they may be deemed too useless otherwise. "Y-y-yes, we can. We'll just say that some mage from the Imperial college tried to come arrest us after searching for Arche!" Vacuus shrugged, motioning for the elves to follow him, who obeyed without question, crossing through the gate and disappearing.

"Now that that's done, what do you say we go for that fight with the Martial Lord?"

And Foresight did indeed go with him, now confident that his victory was assured…

ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ

Jircniv was having a fine day, still partially stressed and angry about the meeting with the two representatives of the Black Lagoon company, but less so, thanks in no small part to his concubines the night before. Now he was at the arena, firstly to appear to his people and increase his approval among them as a leader who actually cares, secondly to actually enjoy the fights and scout for talent.

This strategy had yet to bear fruit, but he was sure that one day a great hero would be born in this arena, and he would be immediately taken by the Bloody Emperor as another trump card like Fluder. The old man was somewhere out and about researching magic. And now it seemed like a chance for his plan to come to fruition showed itself.

"Ladies and gentlemen! We are proud to announce that a spontaneous match has been scheduled against the Martial Lord!"

A deafening cheer erupted as the people learned they were about to witness the greatest sensation of the empire. Jircniv once had asked Baziwood what would happen if the four took on the Martial Lord, for him to only respond with a laugh, saying that they wouldn't have a chance against that monster. Two chances presented themselves here, first to witness the Martial Lord for the first time and recruit him, or to recruit the one who could defeat him.

Yet something felt off, a concerning feeling making its way up Jircniv's back. It was then when he spotted one of the representatives on the other side of the arena, in one of the VIP boxes. There sat Lucius, clad traditionally in his white suit, a glass of red wine in hand. Around him sat four adventurer types who Jircniv didn't recognize, but presumed they could be one of the local worker or adventurer teams.

Lucius locked eyes with the young emperor and raised his glass in a small greeting, Jircniv merely nodding back to the monster masquerading as man. The last fight had already ended and now the match with the Martial Lord was supposed to begin.

"Please welcome our newest challenger against the Martial Lord!" yelled the MC, his voice amplified by a magic item, projected throughout the grand arena, that was built in a vaguely roman style. "Winston Winchester of the Black Lagoon company!"

Jircniv's eyes went wide, 'Are they mad?! A representative of a company as a combatant? Hmm, this does at least let me gauge their strength, if he really is a combatant like that Lucius monster then this'll prove valuable. And if the Martial Lord can beat him…'

Lucius looked on with amusement as he read the emperor like an open book, 'Like clockwork, child emperor. I have to admit he has a more levelled personality than I would have liked, but it won't matter. He'll send his legions to their doom and raise the curtain revealing my father as the ruler he truly should be. That doesn't make these insects any less irritating, how does Jericho put up with them?'

The gate was lifted, out stepping a youth clad in a long, red trench coat, his fiery hair matching with it perfectly. No cheers went up and the arena was silent, except for the murmuring of the many ladies in the crowd, astonished by his beauty that surpassed even the handsome emperor. In his hand was a katana, so sharp it seemed to refract all the light that hit its cutting edge. Needless to say, it was a katana from YGGDRASIL and was given to him when Lily was forcing everyone to do melee combat training with her a few days after they arrived in this world. The distinct glint of magic came off of all of his equipment, radiating power to all those with a keen eye.

From the other side came a massive war troll, clad in orichalcum plate and armed with an orichalcum reinforced club. This was the Martial Lord. Towering over Winston, being almost eight metres tall, a particularly huge specimen of his species. Muscles bulged out from beneath his armour, and yet his speech was clean and well-defined.

"I am the war troll known as the Martial Lord, Go Gin." he said.

"Winston Winchester, servant of Lord Pyke." Winston replied.

Brief and to the point, as warriors should be. What kind of meaning can words convey that clashing weapons can't? They moved a solid 8 metres away from each other, far enough for Winston to be outside of the initial attack range of the troll.

"Aaaaaaand… Begin!" shouted the MC.

Go Gin launched forward with blinding speed that none would expect of someone his size. The club came down and dust was blown around the area, covering the two fighters. Shouts permeated the arena, the crowd going wild at the display of strength of the pride of the Empire. Yet even this blinding speed was more than manageable for the visual acuity of a level one hundred gunslinger. His skills with the blade may not have been as sharp as that of his peers who were designed for such combat, but he had a few levels in skills that granted him the ability to use swords. Not to mention Lily's hellish training regime.

He drew his blade and met the club head on, confident in the strength of the metal and his own power. His hands went numb with the impact and the ground beneath him shook. The club was huge, as long as he was and half a metre wide, reinforced with the finest metals money could buy, orichalchum and a drop of adamantite. However even this would not be enough to stop the weapon from being, at least in part, cut by superior craftsmanship. Winston ripped his sword out from the crevice that was made in the weapon and slashed at the leg of his opponent.

The surprising agility of his opponent was once again on display as Go Gin rolled to the side and transitioned into a swing. Winston jumped over the club, bouncing off of it and lunging at his opponent. The katana cut through the troll's shoulder, who then kicked Winston, sending him flying across the arena. Gin grasped his shoulder, the troll's natural regeneration kicking in and closing the wound almost instantly.

Winston reoriented himself mid-air, landing cleanly on his feet and brushing off the dust that had gotten on his immaculate clothing. "Ah, troll regeneration. Almost forgot about it, shame I didn't bring any acid or fire weaponry…" Before Go Gin could lament the lack of his opponents ability to hurt him right as the fight was going to get good, a green flame covered the blade. Similar in colour to what served as Winston's irises, it burnt with such intensity that the sand began to melt into glass beneath him.

"Oops, gotta turn this down a bit." The fire dimmed and the searing heat turned into a more self contained inferno. Sweat began to pour down Go Gin's back, 'Just how hot is that flame?!' he thought to himself. Being burnt was an unpleasant experience for most living creatures, but it was particularly cruel to trolls. Winston moved forward with preternatural speed, Katana in a side grip, ready to slash at his opponent's flank, the armour being cleaved like butter by a hot knife.

"[Martial Art: Reinforce Hide]! [Martial Art: Greater Reinforce Hide]!" he cried out, but harder skin didn't help against the searing blade that cut through the right side of his abdomen, cauterising the wound immediately and stopping his regeneration. The sizzling of blood and flesh covering the blade quickly passed away as the crowd gasped, seeing their champion be hurt for the first time in forever.

Winston turned around and renewed his assault on the damaged side of his opponent, trying to weave between the Martial Lord's guard and perhaps lop off his arm entirely. "[Martial Art: Divine Skill Single Flash]! [Martial Art: Flow Acceleration]!" A bright light went off in front of the young swordsman, but it proved futile as protection against blindness was the premier resistance in YGGDRASIL.

The second martial art however proved effective. It seemed as if time slowed down for all except the troll, but it was merely an illusion as the increase in speed and reflexes accelerated Gin's movements. The club knocked into Winston, who, despite blocking it with his sword, still was sent flying. Once again he balanced himself and landed on his two feet. It was about time to change strategy, such short exchanges didn't make for good entertainment after all.

He took up a different stance, his katana firmly held in front of him. Go Gin responded by taking up a more defensive stance, his damaged side turned away in order to protect it from further damage. Then the exchange began. Club versus katana, orichalcum and adamantite versus prismatic ore, mortal versus God.

Winston batted the club to the side, breaking the troll's guard, only to have him roll with the momentum granted to him and transition into a roundhouse swipe with it. Winston blocked the strike and slid through the sand due to the momentum, quickly recovering and getting back into the action.

Hit after hit the two pushed each other, the Martial Lord slowing down as the exhaustion from consecutively using martial arts began to mount and surpass even his insane levels of stamina. Winston on the other hand found this thoroughly entertaining and finally understood why Lily was always in such a good mood after beating all her non-swordsman siblings.

The exhilaration of a good fight affected not only the combatants, but also the audience. Wild cheers could be heard through all of Arwinter as the two clashed. Lucius himself found some small enjoyment in seeing his younger brother have fun, he might have been a cruel politician, but he was a brother first. Foresight was simply staring at the sight with their mouths hung open and their eyes wide.

"Um, Sir Lucius?" asked Imina. Lucius turned to her and nodded, prompting her to continue her thought, "Just how strong is he?"

"He hasn't shown you anything yet, keep watching…"

Jircniv meanwhile was growing complacent. "If this is all he can do then Fluder can still beat him with ease." he said to the two knights accompanying him, Nimble and Baziwood.

"Indeed, but it is still very impressive. I doubt even Gazef Stronoff could stand up to the Martial Lord. He doesn't even seem to have taken damage yet, the Martial Lord is on the losing side…" said Nimble.

"Eh, shouldn't we worry 'bout that white and gold guy? Apparently he's some kinda monster right? One that even got that Remedios like nothin' " said Baziwood with his usual brashness.

"It's fine, Fluder is still the strongest. After all, magic has no equal when it comes to utility. Let's forget such ideas for now and enjoy the rest of the match…"

Prismatic ore was at the very top of the hierarchy of metals, not to mention that Winston's blade was also enchanted. Orichalcum would never stand up to such a sword and indeed it did not, the club was slowly being chipped away and a loud crack echoed through the arena after a particularly vicious parry by Winston. The Martial Lord jumped back, his speed so great he seemed to glide over the earth.

"Do not disrespect me!" yelled Go Gin.

"Whatever do you mean, Martial Lord?" answered Winston, coughing in between his words as he tried to not choke on the dust flying about.

"You have not shown me a fraction of your power! From one warrior to another, show me true strength! Show me a peak to aspire to!" Go Gin was nothing if not a warrior, seeking challenge after challenge, in order to improve further. Before he was the current Martial Lord, he was a simple troll that searched for battle, making his camping spot at road where he engaged with anyone willing to fight him. News of an intelligent and powerful warrior reached the ears of Osk, the merchant who currently employed him, before Fluder was sent out to kill Go Gin. Osk acquired gear for him, let him train and made him what he was.

But it still wasn't enough. Strength was a path one could not reach the end of until even the Gods fell before you, thus he kept fighting those worthy of his attention. To fight someone without even trying was the greatest offence to a warrior! "I can sense more power from you. I did not start fighting just to be looked down upon!"

Winston sighed as his katana went back into his inventory, "Fine, but I will resurrect you afterwards. And sorry, but I can't show you all my strength. After all, I'd rather not kill everyone here."

Go Gin nodded, silently activating [Martial Art: Strong Blow]. He burst forward with the after effects of [Martial Art: Flow Acceleration] still lingering and giving him a slight edge. But Winston stood still, drawing his prized revolver.

"Don't say I didn't warn you…" He began naming off his skills, "[Skill: Napalm]. [Skill: Necrotic Round]. [Skill: Piercing Round]. [Skill: Grapeshot]." A few seconds before the Martial Lord could close the distance, Winston spun the cylinder of his gun, pulled back the hammer, pointed it at Go Gin's head and pulled the trigger.

A sound louder than a crack of lightning emanated through the arena, shock clearly painted on everyone's faces, except for that of Lucius.

The bullet impacted Go Gin's head, turning it into many smaller bullets, all equally explosive and deadly. Instead of merely the head exploding, as one familiar with the weaponry would expect, the entire body began decaying before almost immediately bursting into a flaming shower of blood and viscera. Not many have seen the insides of a troll, but all of those gathered at the arena were given a prime demonstration. Pieces of metal flew across the area, embedding themselves in walls and sand as they were propelled by the explosives.

Not a single cohesive piece of his opponent was left and the arena was still intact, in other words, success. He wiped the non-existent sweat from his forehead, "Phew, thought I'd blow a hole in the arena; no way Vacuus would forgive me for that." He took out a scroll from his inventory, containing a Tier 9 [True Resurrection], the least he could do for a brilliant warrior was to not decrease the strength he worked so hard for by using a lower level resurrection spell.

The arena was still silent as the void, except for one shout that came from the emperor's booth, "What in the name of the Gods was that?!" Jircniv had lost his cool upon seeing the Martial Lord, the second strongest person in the entire empire, get obliterated within seconds of Winston taking out that strange weapon.

The young man turned to Jircniv and looked up at him from the arena floor, "A fraction of my power, your majesty." He then used the scroll, courtesy of a rare ring he was wearing. Suddenly all the pieces of roasted meat began to reform, eventually resembling what you would expect of a charred troll. The flesh regained its greyish-blue colour and Go Gin knew life once more. He breathed in deeply, touched his chest and looked around.

"So that was true power…" he said.

"I'm pretty weak by my father's standards so not really. Anyway, gotta go." Winston teleported out of sight and back to the palace to take a well-deserved shower and wash off all the stains. Sure red suited him, but not the bloody kind.

Left behind was an astonished audience, the only thing breaking the silence was the sudden announcement of the MC,

"And the winner is Winston Winchester!"

ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ

The time for negotiations had come and what better place to negotiate than at the dinner table? Lucius and Winston were on their way to the dining room, discussing the events of the previous day. "So what did you think of my fight?" asked Winston.

"You didn't blow up the arena and impressed the mortals."

"No words of praise?"

"You know those are scarce when it comes to me."

"Well, at least we can soon get out of this country; the slavery doesn't sit well with me."

"And it shouldn't. It is an inefficient system and the torment it creates is far outweighed by the ecstasy of the other mortals. Either way, once we provoke the emperor to attack Re-Estize, and decimate his army, we'll be able to start making actual change. That Renner girl is rather impressive for a mortal, it's a wonder she hasn't taken over the kingdom without our help."

"Why doesn't father just marry her and take the entire kingdom? I'm sure the nobles wouldn't say anything, they're too scared after all."

Lucius sighed, "Remind me to shove the report down your throat next time… Seriously, do you read what I leave on your desk? You're the Prime Minister for fuck's sake!"

"I do, I do… It must have just fallen out of my head. So what's the deal with that crazy girl?"

"Part of our deal is that she'll get to be with her bodyguard that she raised ever since he was a child. She basically groomed him and is obsessed with him, and he doesn't even know what kind of devil hides under her fair visage. She'll rule for a bit and once we get our baselines established, and demihuman integration is successful, she'll swear vassalage. Plan is to change her into a demon, given how much her soul resembles one, and make her an immortal ruler of the Re-Estize area. She may be insane, but inside all genius minds turn the gears of insanity."

"I see. Well, leave talking shit to the emperor to me; I saw some rather distasteful things when I was out and about…"

The dining hall was grand by human standards, but paled in comparison to their usual one in the depths. A purple carpet with golden frills was laid down on the ground. The table shared its colour scheme, the nobles sitting around it, Jircniv at its head, dressed in flowing robes that exposed his chest. To his side sat Fluder and to his left a man with short, dirty blonde hair and a rather impressive moustache, General Carvain.

"Welcome! Sit down, our courses will be served shortly." They did as asked and sat almost directly next to Jircniv on either side of the table. Before any conversation could break out, servants began flooding in, carrying massive plates, stack with food. The aroma of various soups began to fill the atmosphere as their lids were lifted. Exotic birds and animals prepared in various ways and seasoned with herbs and spices imported from distant lands.

All the guests began to sample the various goods, including the emperor, Lucius and Winston. Few minutes of silence followed as everyone observed the reactions of their foreign guests to the almost divine ambrosia that was the work of the imperial head cook. "Have you ever tasted such wondrous foods? I heard the emperor imported them from as far as the Argland Council State." whispered one of the nobles into Lucius' ear.

"I'll admit, it's not bad, but I am rather disappointed…" said Lucius.

"How come?" asked one of the other nobles.

"The cooks of the Black Lagoon company are far superior. Seems that not only is the political climate of the Empire distasteful, but so is the food." scoffed Winston, his voice augmented by the same ability Lucius used a few days prior, irritating all who gathered.

"And what is it you usually dine on then?" asked Jircniv, a polite smile hiding his irritation to all, but masters of the political arts.

"Only the finest ingredients from beasts that could wipe this country from the map. No wonder you don't have such delicacies if the Martial Lord was the best this country could offer." Slowly, but surely the atmosphere was becoming more tense.

It wasn't yet the time to have the emperor enraged so Lucius stirred the conversation towards what they were actually supposed to be discussing, "Your majesty, if I may ask, what is it you would wish of my Lord's company? The reception, while grand, is surely not merely an excuse for pleasantries?"

Jircniv cleared his throat, "Indeed. I would like to hire you as mercenaries for the war that is going to happen between my empire and Re-Estize. I'm sure you understand after seeing my realm that this is for the best of all those I would conquer. The kingdom is a backwards nation that is corrupt to its very core. With the might you and Sir Pyke have displayed we would undoubtedly be able to further the people's well-being by freeing them from such tyranny, wouldn't you agree?"

"A heartfelt speech from a man known as the bloody emperor? We appreciate your purges of nobles, however to call your realm grand is a simple lie. You call the kingdom a regressive nation and yet yours still practices slavery! You think we would lend aid to one such as you? Outdone by a decorative princess in policy making, pathetic!" replied Winston, his skill turned up to a much higher degree.

"You dare! In my palace, when I was so gracious as your host! I believe it is time to show you why disrespecting loyalty is not conducive for one's health! Guards, arrest them!" Yet the guards didn't move according to his command, hesitating as myths of the two outsiders' strength had circulated through the palace. The royal guards were the most loyal in the entire empire, yet not even they would throw their life away at a word with no hesitation. Instead Lucius and Winston stood up and began walking away.

"The Re-Estize kingdom is worth working for much more than you, boy. I recommend you don't start a war, or we might just find ourselves on opposite sides…" taunted Lucius, throwing open the door and leaving entirely satisfied, his plan fulfilled and another piece being in position.

Once the outsiders left, the odd silence that had dominated the room was broken by shouting and obscenities thrown at the two company representatives.

"Who do they think they are?!"

"His battle with the Martial Lord must have been a fluke!"

"They'll fall along with the kingdom!"

Finally, Jircniv spoke up, "SILENCE!" He turned to Carvain, "General, muster all the legions possible, we will march on E-Rantel when the time comes and finally show the kingdom our might! The full might of the imperial legions shall come upon those fools!"

Carvain, equally affected by the skills used by Winston and Lucius, agreed immediately, "Indeed my Lord! I shall muster 7 of our 8 legions! The peasants the kingdom will levy shall stand no chance!"

The discussion went on long into the night, their hunger for war only expanding, their imperialist ideas growing and soon a fire was lit in the court, the fire of conquest. Fluder only looked on as the boy he thought of as his surrogate son was used by his new master's servants like a chess piece. Soon the four imperial knights joined them, discussing how to take down the monster that Lucius was known to be and Winston seemed to be akin to.

Jircniv went to sleep both filled with anger and excitement, anger at the Black Lagoon company for disrespecting him and Re-Estize for still standing in his way, but excitement at the idea of destroying them both. Yet soon he would end up sinking into despair…

(AN: Once more there is not much to say. Soon the chapter releases will slow down significantly as these chapters are already prewritten and all I am doing is editing on a daily basis. It took me approximately 2 months or so to write two full volumes so hopefully chapters will keep coming on a weekly or nearly weekly basis. Anyway, today's recommendation is [The Witch and The Sorcerer] by ZeroSenpai. Go read it and enjoy it. As always, there's more to come and I hope you've enjoyed the story so far!)