Chapter 7: Journey to North and 8th admiral

Written by Y.H

AN: previous chapter have no title, sorry I forgot to add it, the title was Rumor.

Disclaimer: I do not own overlord or any related element you may or may not see. Those belong to their respective owner

Thought

[Spell]

"Speak"

On the road up to northern part of holy kingdom one could see a figure clad in brown cloak with leather bag on the figure shoulder, the figure have black hair with brown eyes with pale skin, not dead pale there is still live in those skin, and famine face The figure continue walking the dirt road, time seem fly fast for the figure as when she realize it the sun is already setting and some of the star is already showing through the darken sky.

"Damn, here I thought I could reach the border before sunset" the figure say with clear female voice and if you look hard enough you will notice the curve on her cloak. "Well time to set up camp" she says as she pull up some blankets and gather some wood around her to make campfire, in no time there is campfire on side of road with the figure sitting on some rock she found lying around.

She set up some pots over the fire, filled it with water and some vegetable and in no time a simple soup is serve. Before she get to eat she notice another figure wearing royal blue cloak and lantern walk on the road some distance away from her. From the distance she could see the figure have big leather bag on it back with stick sticking from it bag on top with a small lantern hanging from it. The figure seem undisturbed or just ignore her altogether as the figure continue walking, she could make out intricate woven of gold clouds and ships on the cloak when she close enough to it.

So being the nice traveler she is she shout to the figure "hey stranger its dangerous walking alone on this kind of night, why you not just rest here with me" now most people will scoff her for being naïve and all but if there one thing she learn from her travel is that fellow traveler is just friend as long as they are not bandit. So offering to share her fire with other traveler is ok in her book.

The figure stop and looking toward her for a while before walking toward her from the road. When it arrive she could see a face , behind that cloak, she is have healthy white skin tone with heart shape face with full red lip and white hair that frame her face and ruby red eyes she also wear round glasses and seemingly have definite female face. Seeing this she only smile at fellow traveler "greeting stranger what bring you here tonight?"

"Well, I here traveling around collecting trinket and what not" the voice is definitely female and she never ever hear that kind of accent, the stranger sit opposite of her and put down her massive leather bag and grab some bread and cheese from one of her bag pocket "how about you, what reason did you have to sleep out here?"

"Me? I just a normal traveler, getting around the kingdoms and seeing the world for all its worth" the stranger just hum before eating her bread and cheese while she drink her soup, silence past as the duo eat in silence with just crackle of fire to accompany them. After finishing her soup and storing her bowl and lift her stove off the fire she finally ask "so who you're name? I never see that design before on all my time traveling"

"No surprise considering this is custom order and my name is Luther, collector and scholar at your service" the know name Luther bow a little before asking the same question to her.

"My name Lisa, traveler extraordinary at you service" Lisa bow at the end before she and Luther sit around the campfire for half an hour enjoying the peace and quiet at the moment. This bring some memories back to Lisa to time before she start her journey, before she had to leave her home and family.

Lisa shock her head before she could lose to memories lane, there reason why she chose this kind of lifestyle and she don't need time for hesitation, so with that she try to talk with Luther "I never heard of anything about you, traveling scholar is usually poor or have backup by the academy's but I never encounter one rich enough to order personal cloak"

Luther only smile "ah, you see I was a librarian before this one working for a noble of consider wealth of both gold and books"

"So what change your mind? It must be pretty easy life there"

"Well, I discover this book, it was journal from a traveler that record every site, phenomena and cultures as he travel around the world, and that kind of hook me up" Luther said sheepishly at the thought "how about you, what you reason to travel around Lisa"

"Well, eh, it's complicated" Luther for her part seem to just nod

"Fine by me, you don't need to tell me if you don't want to" Lisa could only smile sadly at that before yawn escape her, soon Luther too yawn feeling the entire day journey began to catch up to her "why not we retire for the night and we continue on the morning" Lisa only nod before pulling her some blanket and lay it on near the fire before lay on top of it.

Luther doing the same with some blanket she get from inside her overstuff bag and lay on the side, in no time Lisa already heard her snoring that cause her to almost laugh 'fast sleeper aren't they' with last chuckle Lisa doze off to sleep.

Not long after that the sound of sleep and cackle of fire is the only sound around for 2 hours to the night before Luther get up. The fire create shadow that cover part of her face but it do little help conceal her now glowing blood red eyes on the dark, Luther only smile before taking out a scroll and activate it spell.

After checking the spell work and satisfy with the result she back to her previous position and sleep off to the next day. The spell inside the scroll is a mid-level tracking and status spell that allow it user to impart a magical mark on someone and track she/he location and also knowing the status of she/he being mark. Connect it with simple observation crystal or mirror and you could track her/him everywhere, it was weak spell that it could be remove easily but with the human level it and capabilities it will be no problem.

Time fly fast and in no time morning come to the two traveler.

After they pack their stuff and they walk north again. During the time they make small talk during travel, Lisa learn from Luther than she once a librarian on some fancy noble manor for quite some time before her journey on the wild. Luther have unhealthy obsession with gold as Lisa found out when she brought out her family heirloom, a gold dagger with big ruby on the handle a blue diamond on the cross guard that shape like a roaring lion.

Luther practically melt at the sight and hold it close to her face for almost 3 hours during their sun time and only give it back during lunch, when asked why she so obsessed with it she answer she have tendency toward something precious and to be quite a greedy person even to her, and not to just toward money but knowledge as well.

I guess her obsession toward knowledge is strong as with her and gold, no wonder she have so much book on exotic matter Lisa thought as she and Luther travel quietly up north. For couple of days this continue until they reach the border.

Border of holy kingdom and re-Eztize kingdom

The border checkpoint is just a small frontier town with guard checkpoint and some militia encampment for outpost and security from demi human and monster from the wild that sometime sneak in. nevertheless the entire town have peaceful atmosphere around it.

In one of the both to pass, the guard is having a little bit of problem, that problem is in form of blue cloak person in front of him "so miss, care to explain why our mages start screaming heresy toward you?"

"In my defense I only stating my opinion toward them, and show them some of my collection"

"And this collection of yours consist of valuable, magic enchanted, rare item that make our mages to scream at it?"

"In my defense they do not know what they doing, it's like watching children play with fire, giant, destructive fire"

"It still did not justified you to beat them with a silver cane miss"

"That actually a normal iron cane that I polish until it shiny"

"Still not answering the question miss"

This banter already going on for some time, they arrive at town earlier and decide to buy out some supply, while Lisa at it Luther go to local market to search for 'collectable' and few goodies of information. Lisa and Luther already travel for 2 weeks and they already know each other quite well, friend on the road is explain them and the fact that Lisa trying to go toward Re-Eztize capital for some 'business' help that.

Lisa learn that while Luther is easy to approach she hide many secrets, one of them being that she is outrageously good salesmen, Lisa already forget how may time she got half the price when buying something with Luther. They is on the town for coupe hours before head up toward the checkpoint with fully supply Lisa and few more books and trinket on Luther bag if what she hear from her is correct. There also the fact that she always have some scroll by her side, she see some kind of symbol on it when ask Luther say that the scroll is her new experiment on scroll bound spell, she only understand that tidbit before her brain block the rest of Luther explanation that she have no idea on any of it.

Right now Lisa wait outside the both on the Re-Eztize side and waiting, it already 2 hour since Luther get pulled and still no sign of her getting out there already a sizable queue behind Luther and from the look of it they are annoy on what take them so long. She could only smile sheepishly at it, they don't know that she with Luther but they still shot her annoy look toward her.

The door finally open and out Luther with her usual smile escort by very tired guard and pissed off mage from the look of it. She wave at her before heading toward her, the mage want to come to her but the guard hold him, before they back toward the both he shot her a look that convey he very tired and very annoy at her.

"Luther, what exactly are you doing in there? I spend two hours here" say Lisa a bit annoy at her

Luther only shrug "they ask I answer"

Lisa raise an eyebrow "but that doesn't explain why took you so long"

"They ask I answer"

"On what matter precisely?"

"About my stuff and opinion"

"*sigh* Luther you do realize that a single wrong word could cause you to arrested on spreading heresy" Lisa pitch her nose bridge on it, sometime Luther could be very dense "and you show the your collection?"

"Yep"

"Dint you say you going to murder everything that touches your collection"

"I dint, I say I going to tear them limb from limb if they touch my collection"

"But, you, *sigh* just lets go" with that Lisa all but dragged Luther by her hood, Lisa learn that Luther could work you up wall if she want it, words and psychology is her best weapon as she seem the type that couldn't even hold up a weapon. There even the case which the bandit back then where she told them to change their way of lives and live an honest living. It honestly baffle her how well she with words and charm.

"B-but there still shop here, even a library let go toward there"

"No, we late and draw too much attention toward ourselves so suck it off" she said sternly while walk as fast as she can out the town, toward north. The civilian look at them weirdly, two traveler one dragging the other by their hood and the one being dragged complaining about cant visit the library and 'their delicious, delicious book'

When they far enough from town she stop and drop Luther "oof, you don't need to do that, I could walk on my own you know" while Luther getting up Lisa could only shake her head on her, it has been two weeks since both of them meet that night and it still amaze Lisa how quickly she insert herself to her lifestyle, maybe it because both of them are traveler with secret to hide? Or something else.

She shaking her head, no need to overthinking it again "come on bookworm, we still have few days ahead of us to the capital" Lisa say before walk north

"I hate that nickname, brownie" she say back while adjusting her bag and walk faster to catch her on.

"And I don't like that one, so we even"

"In your dream, pale brown"

"Okay, now that just sad"

"Not sad enough to stop me black mud"

It continue for a while, while Lisa found this argument to be very annoying she can't help but feel a sense of nostalgia from her past and for couple of years since she set on her journey, it do not bring sadness to her instead she feel happy, for the first time in years.

(9Liiiiiiiineeeeee break0)

Herkat

Mirai currently enjoying some peace and quiet in her new office on new building she buy with money from her trade. Last week was a bit hectic what with her trap successful and she manage to rope down a big corrupted merchant and drain it from everything he have (including life) and now she officially on merchant rank on the guild and now her stores is all over the small city, many merchants is offering deal on her trade and she is all for it.

Iliana is getting some promotion too, Mirai not that blind on the she manage to stall the thieves until she arrive with the city guards, they manage to escape but one of them get caught by one of the five R recruit. A little threat and few gold here and she get the Intel she want, couple of bribe and voila the merchant arrested and she get all the asset. It so easy to do it, she dint even cast a spell to do it.

The girl right now enjoying my old one as I have ten shops on the same city right now, heh a little bit of charity for her service Mirai still nowhere enough to dominate the kingdom economy but at least she doing some very good progress on the city of Herkat, the merchants and general population is blind of what I'm doing but the older merchants, the patriarchs of merchant guild is well aware and some did try to stop me but with promise of good trade deal and few gold bars here and there they eventually back off, some even vouch for me on the coming promotion. But some more, headstrong patricians dint took it well and it look like they going to be hindrance for time being.

The new office she got is really comfortable with the fire place, bookshelf with some wine on her new black wood desk and new incense apparently store on cases above the fire place better send few of those back to the fleets, admirals know what Richard is doing with them and don't forget about her chair, her new, shining, velvet super comfy chair and better send these back too, am sure Listmen going to like it there are no rule on the fleets hierarchy about bribing other members to do your biding or simply to 'cover up' some mishap, but none dare to do it to commodore rank and higher except for themselves.

She already send few 'bribes' to Listmen, just to make sure her report isn't too… critical to grand admiral eyes. She convince that the other admirals and few commodore do this too, except for Luna. She never know why Luna dint take the easy part as that like, cut more time for her to spend on lazing around, then again she probably doesn't do it considering Listmen watchful eyes and ears to always be on her.

*sigh* this plan is going smoothly, in no time this city will fall and then the next one and the next one and the next one, damm I became capitalist or what, then again most of admiral do have greed problem she already establish a trade route to next settlement of Herkat and set up some shops on nearby villages with lower price deal to make them popular. Her trade network expanded and she have little doubt that she going to need some 'intrigue' and agents to advance further.

And that where the five R-recruits going to play. Mirai dint know if Listmen predicted this or not but she going to abuse her ability of having these agents to her heart delight.

On her desk there some papers detailing some contract she yet to agreed and contract that she try to find loophole in it, so far she find the contract to be quite generous with their loophole, then again this people never have to deal with forge 'deep dealer' of the 8th fleet, the last female member of the admiral and their youngest sibling. Mirai smile at the thought of her 'family', she and the rest of admirals is created by Tridentred and thought she have absolute no blood relation to each other (seriously one of them is literal slime monster) she and the rest of admirals see Tridentred as their father and such they are family.

From oldest to youngest Ricardo, Listmen, Richard, Luna, Cole, Crux, Mirai, Bubbly and lastly Forge. They mostly dint care who older than who but it help when they need to disguise themselves or work together.

Mirai pick one of Contract she signed, it detailed the trade she, Merchant of Mirai (she have no ability to name thing) will have trade route upon Merchant guild HQ in the capital where the rest of Patriarchs reside. Most town and city have Merchant guild branch like Herkat and the highest rank you can get here is Merchant while to get to rank patriarch one must have store or branch on multiple settlement and have trade route directly to the capital.

Mirai already have it but she also know that once she get to rank Patriarch the crown will take notice and she ultimately must play political game that she have no interest on doing it, luckily that where Luna come to play. Luna already made few connection to both the crown official, the nobility and the Patriarchs so it will be easy for Luna to cover Mirai part on the political stage of the kingdom and use her 'trade network' as mean to accelerate her own mission and cover story for a lot of shady thing she made.

Mirai chuckle as she put the paper down and pick another one up, this one contain information on the neighboring kingdoms and new event that take place since she set up shop a month ago. There have been disturbing rumor coming from the north border of the kingdom, right where the grand admiral currently traveling but so far nothing on another 'player' as grand admiral called them.

Mirai already send the Intel alongside various other material and sample for forge ships and for Richard weird experiment on the second fleets. Mirai only chuckle as she set the paper down and take a bottle of liquor, unscrew the cap. Before drinking it she could only smile the plan going smoothly, I wonder when something happen with that she down the liquor directly from the bottle.

(9Liiiiiiiineeeeee break0)

The fleets

8th fleet

The 8th fleet of the deth fleets is special, considering this is where most of the items and energy produce and store before distribute to the rest of the fleets. The ships on this fleets all look charred, as like great fire ravage them before, there even few ship that one could see the fire still rage on. This is regular ships on the 8th fleet while the forge ships, the one who produce and create, locate deeper and they look like normal sunken ship making them incredibly easy to see but their magic making them a lot bigger than usual and a lot stronger.

There many cable hanging from forge ship to one another, this 'cable' is made of pure magical energy connecting all forge ships to their command ship, the flagship of the 8th fleet, the Burning Hammer. The flagship look like someone combine/crash 7 galleon ships together and the result is called ship. What with jutting mast from the ship side, different hull mast combine together and hold by either magic, dark muscle or plain old patch work, it was abomination that can't exist, but with magic anything possible. The ship itself look like several times bigger than galleon with 5 main mast on deck and multiple mast and broken hole on the side of hull, with multiple 'end point' on the bow with several large lantern hanging from tip of the ship. The deck one could see various deckhands shambling around doing various task.

Deeper on the ship on a room with no door or window what so ever lay the world forge, a world class item that shape just like anvil made out of gold and decorate with jewel and gems. The item hook above a large pedestal with several burning lich floating around it with intricate magic circle on the air, around them and on their hands. This is where the forge ships get their energy and most of their material from, while the item could make any other item the player desire, the NPC could only use their raw material which is why the 8th fleet created, it was to be massive factory system with the world forge as it heart. The room itself look like plain old wooden room color burned black with several crystal floating around the room and circling around the lich, made out very rare crystal harvest from the deepest mine of dwarfs this crystals use to covert raw magical energy from the item to more stable varied before the lich transport it to the forge ships outside.

On the captain cabin of the ship that surprisingly bare of any burned color and actually look like normal sea captain cabin one admiral seat beyond her desk that various rock and mineral lay strew on the desk. This is Forge, the 8th admiral, name after the world forge (according to what Tridentred told to other member) she have orange hair that braid to her side and wear white and green sailor uniform (you know, the typical old anime school girl uniform) with black coat over her body, she wear black boot with white cloth stocking. She look 17 years old, just like high school girl, if one to ask Tridentred on it he always say 'she the youngest by margin of look and lore and I intent to keep it that way'.

She have orange hair and green eyes with few hair strand on her side of face. She have healthy skin color and overall look like someone normal, but she is anything but normal. She is the youngest of admirals 'family' and nickname 'deep dealer' for her skill on barter and trade to another fleet and admiral, she is a Gunnery Wight, master of ballistic art and the best at fire arm. Thought her heart already stop beating long time ago she still look like she still alive, this because Tridentred made her an angel. Yep, an undead marksman angel, usually when angel died they just turn to dust and disappear but there few angel that refuse dead on whatever reason and rise up as undead. They lost their magic but retain their life-like appearance and ability to fly with their now rotten wings. Forge use her marksmanship to the max and even gain few items that allow her to use magic again.

She right now read or reread the paper that lay before her. "Really, really, you think I can't make this, REALLY" forge shout at the end, the paper she holding detailed request from Mirai "replicating local commodities is piece of cake for us and she dare to question our brand, WHY" with each word she grow more furious before standing.

"I mean what the reason 'oh you know some nobody see through our forgery' yeah, fuck you, paper" with that she tossed it back to her desk and she just collapse to her chair, forge just receive order from grand admiral to increase production of mana crystal and potions. While this is little problem there the fact that the potion the admiral order to produce is incredibly hard to make and must have multiple stage so it can achieve perfect condition, this process alone already eaten up 13 of the forge ships to do it, not to mention the new world energy seem to always seep to 8th fleet magic cable and as such making it unstable.

"The more I think about it, the more I hate it, this world" she just so tired, she the one who do the heavy lifting compare to other. She hear Mirai began her trade network "*chuckle* maybe I just do that instead, open my own shop and just forget about all of this" forge could only sigh before turning her head to window behind her.

It display the 8th fleet in all of it glory, even in night the sky is illuminated by fire and ember on the ship. Seeing this forge couldn't help but smile this is my fleet, such beauty, all to serve the grand admiral her smile widen when she see a seagull, normal seagull pearch on one of the jutting mast "this world is just keep surprise me, no us"

Continue

(AN: I have no idea what hairstyle I just use, but if you want the sample just see eren jager mom hairstyle from attack on titan anime)