Chapter 88: Alliance and Betrayal (2)
Chapter 88: Alliance and Betrayal (2)
“I’m surprised that you know how those other-worlders think.”
“Whether it’s the mercenaries or the other-worlders, aren’t they the same?”
Iron grinned at hearing Richard Burton’s praise.
In fact, it was not entirely unexpected that the other-worlders would just up and abandon the Center even after being intertwined with the nobles just so they could transfer to the East.
Discounts!
Privileges!
Opportunities!
The people who were crazy about these words were none other than the other-worlders. Among them would be people who think that this was just a game and those who were crazy for growth and strength. The beta-testers rolled around and ran like dogs just so they could get rewards back then and just because they came here with their original bodies did not mean that they would suddenly change and be indifferent to these rewards.
And there was also the Lion Family.
Iron recalled the first conversation that he had with Lioner after talking with Richard Burton.
―You want me to come to the East?
“Yes.”
―Why should I do that?
Lioner had no need to listen to him since they weren’t in a situation where they had to bet their all to protect the place that they live in just like in the Winter Mountains.
Iron smiled as if he had expected this answer before speaking.
“The dimensional crack this time would be enormous.”
―And so?
“I remember you being all sad and whiny that you did not get to fight with the witch back then?”
Lioner’s mouth turned shut when he heard Iron’s words.
The Great Witch showed great power to the extent that Crimson and Two Moons who fought against her were still pushed back. And Lioner regretted the fact that he couldn’t fight against her at all.
―Are you trying to provoke me? That trick is too superficial.
“Then, how about this? Shall we have a bet?”
―A bet…
Lioner looked like he was tangled when he heard Iron’s words.
“It’s already beneficial for the Lion Family to participate here in the East but it seems like the family head couldn’t be swayed with just that. So, we’ll make a bet.”
―Do you even have something that you can bet on?
“If I lose, then I’ll do what the family head wants.”
Lioner cackled like crazy after hearing Iron’s words.
―Fufufufufu. Is this the second round of our bet in the Winter Mountains?
“That’s right.”
―Good! Let’s have some fun somewhere else then.
“Ah! Just so you know, the board would probably get a bit bigger.”
―That would be for the best.
Iron smiled as he turned off the crystal ball after hearing Lioner’s agreement.
After their conversation was over, he thought that everything ended well just like he intended. But the madman suddenly joined hands with the Eastern Wizard Tower.
Iron was puzzled when the crazy family of his unexpectedly joined hands with the Eastern Wizard Tower. However, all he could do was move busily once the North started to move and team up with the West. After confirming that the Lion Family had joined hands with the Eastern Wizard Tower, the Northeast forged an alliance with the Central Wizard Tower.
Although Lioner’s unexpected move had made him busy, the results were far better than what he had expected. Thanks to Lioner’s actions, their compensation and rewards were spread far and wide all throughout the Empire which ended up attracting a lot more mercenaries and other-worlders. Even the Godly Sword Family joined the fray. Lioner only wanted to enjoy this entertaining situation in moderation, but it seemed like he had lit a fire.
And because of this, elite troops gathered at the East and arrived one after the other. Their numbers were far more than their initial expectations.
“It’s time for you to slowly solidify the East’s position.”
“Tomorrow, the Eastern Command will have to announce our neutrality.”
Richard Burton nodded as he answered Iron.
The Eastern Command maintaining its neutrality was a good tactic to confirm that another force would not be added to the mix. At the same time, it would make them focus on the various forces that had been intertwined here in the East.
This would ensure that they would follow the words of the Eastern Army to some extent. Of course, doing so would mean that they would be abandoning the Sea Orb and the Ghost Island. But the East did not regret this decision. After all, they already received the promise of tremendous support from the Merchant Association and the other forces in the East.
Then, what about the Merchant Association and the other forces that supported the Eastern Command? Of course, the same would be true for them. In fact, the discounts were just some sort of pun for them. They wouldn’t even suffer a big loss since there would be countless other-worlders and forces that would gather in the East. There were even signs that the previously stagnant Eastern Commercial District was showing liveliness once again. And because of that they could afford to manage the risk which would prove to be beneficial for everyone.
Would the risk of the huge dimensional crack and the damage that it would cause be covered with just this? For the merchants this was still a huge business but the risks still remained. Then, was Richard Burton the only one who benefited from this? That wasn’t the case either.
‘I already got everything that I can get from here.’
Iron bid his farewell to Richard Burton before going to Crimson’s accommodations.
Richard Burton immediately introduced a Magic Tools Workshop, a small Wizard Tower and other workshops to Iron after he talked to the Lion Family. And they were currently in the process of moving to the Northeast after promising Iron. In addition, work was already underway in Baiden River’s downstream area under the orders of the Eastern Commander. In other words, everything that the Northeastern Command needed had been gained.
So, what was their plan for Ghost Island?
For the Northeast, it was just an additional entertainment to earn some pocket money. It would be good for them to win but even if they did not, they would not be disappointed at all.
“It really went as you said.”
“My luck is good.”
Crimson smiled broadly when Iron spoke humbly.
“Haha! Jayden has already noticed and is already starting to jabber. He’s telling me that only the Northeast has benefited.”
“That’s not true. The trading route will also be overhauling the North so they would also benefit in the long run.”
“That’s what I said but he said that he won’t benefit as much as we do.”
Iron smiled at Crimson’s words.
“Well then! Shall we get ready to move?”
“I’ll join Ghost from now on.”
“Go on.”
The Ghosts arrived in the East as soon as Crimson’s permission was given. And Iron had immediately joined them as they began to earnestly move to attack the Ghost Island.
When the large forces and alliances that gathered in the East began to move to attack the Ghost Island, the small forces that had gathered in the East including the mercenaries and small adventurer’s guilds also started to move.
But one of the most eye-catching forces suddenly appeared. It was also a guild but the members were composed of the other-worlders. Although they were other-worlders that had been pushed out of the Center, they were still a guild that took a lead in dealing with dimensional cracks before. It was still the most notable guild even after being compared to the top-ranked guilds in the Center that had gathered here in the East in dreams of flying high.
“You want me to be in a guild with Kin Jwontae?”
“That Kin Jwongtae?”
“Wow… That bastard has a guild too?”
“I thought that he was only moving alone but… there’s really a guild that accepted King Jwontae?”
The guild that Kim Jungtae, whose name was always mispronounced by the people, was…
[ White Whale ]
A white whale was drawn on their flag while a pattern with the name of their guild was embedded on a crest that was attached to the members’ chests. What was surprising was the fact that the guild where Kim Jungtae belonged, also has several other-worlders’ guilds incorporated in it. It seemed like the other-worlders were using their brains to try and fight on the same ground as the huge forces of this world.
With their precedence, the mercenary guild also started to unite together. A huge mercenary unit was created around the Royal Blood Mercenaries, a mercenary group created by gathering those with noble bloodlines from the Center.
While the alliances heading towards the Ghost Island were starting to get completed one by one, Richard Burton made an announcement.
“Our Eastern Army will not attack the Ghost Island. We will remain in a neutral position as we help in the attack of the Ghost Island. In the future, each force will be the ones in charge of the assault towards the island.”
By the end of Richard Burton’s speech, an official announcement was posted at the main gate of the Eastern Command that listed the coalition and alliances of the major forces participating in this battle.
Northeastern Command ― Central Wizard Tower
Northern Command ― Western Command
Lion Family ― Eastern Wizard Tower
Godly Sword Family ― Southern Wizard Tower
Royal Blood ― Mercenary Unit
White Whale ― Other-worlders’ Coalition
From this point on, these six alliances would fight and attack the Ghost Island. And only the final winner would get the sweetest fruit.
All of these alliances started to gather at the Eastern Port as they began to prepare to leave for Ghost Island. Eastern Command also began to gather all of their available ships for their disposal.
They had gathered a fleet whose main purpose was to transport these six allied teams and was a fleet that was composed of only the elites of the elite troops in the East while leaving the rest of the army in the port. This decision was a bit out of shape for the Empire’s strongest naval fleet but none of the soldiers in the Eastern Army were dissatisfied with the Commander’s decision. This was because they noticed that the pirates’ movements were unusual. Even the groups that sympathized with them were moving suspiciously around the port.
The first and main task of the Eastern Army was to protect Command. They did not hesitate to abandon their honor of preventing the dimensional crack in lieu of protecting Maricca Port, the Empire’s best port.
“As expected… what a fussy and strict commander.”
A blue-haired man stared as the commander entered the emergency work system that was guarded tightly after sending out the main fleet.
“The odds are… less than 30%?”
The blue-haired man couldn’t help but click his tongue after predicting their chances against Richard Burton.
Despite all of the mermaids dedicated to their cause, it was still too much for them to deal with someone at the level of the commander. Still, they felt that it was a wall that they could never climb over in the past but there wasn’t that much difference now.
“What a pity. I wanted to break Eastern Command by myself but…”
Now that their main fleet was sent out it was their golden opportunity to take down the Eastern Command and bring confusion to Maricca Port but unfortunately the commander was not an easy opponent.
Since it was already revealed that the mermaid race was the force behind the dimensional crack, the commander had decided to remain and protect the port until the very end.
“I have no choice but to trust him.”
The man thought of the guy who was lying in wait to put Maricca Port in confusion and chaos.
“Hoo… Then, shall we go to my own battlefield then?”
The blue-haired man disappeared into droplets of water after leaving those words.
At that moment, the commander’s eyes widened when he saw something while he was inspecting his soldiers from afar.
“Commander?”
“Shh!”
The commander immediately placed his finger on his lips as he focused when one of the officers tilted their head in confusion and asked after him.
Although it disappeared in an instant, it was still the first energy that he had felt.
“Found you!”
The Eastern Commander increased his mana.
“John! Switch to the war system!”
As soon as Richard Burton spoke, a gigantic blue magic circle appeared above them. As soon as the circle was completed, sea waves began to flock towards it as if they had been waiting for a long time.
“That… Over there!”
“Is this the power of the mermaid race?”
Richard Burton calmly watched as he completed his magic while the officer next to him spoke in surprise. Then, a huge ice spear pierced through the center of the wave and the blue magic circle.
“Ho…”
“So that’s a Magic Master…”
It was a power that could only be reached and expressed by someone at the level of a Magic Master.
Richard Burton shouted to his entire army after freezing the huge wave entirely with his mana.
“From this point on, we are in a war against our enemies! All troops, stop the enemies from entering Maricca Port!”
“Yes, sir!”
The shocked officers immediately saluted as they went to their positions.
At the same time, the loud sound of a horn trumpet rang loudly as the remaining ships in the port began to move.
Pirate ships began to appear with their tattered pirate flags from afar as if they had been waiting for this moment.
“Waaaaaaaah!”
Richard Burton looked solemnly at the criminals that were coming from all over the port as he muttered to himself.
“A diversion tactic?”
He looked at the sea coldly as the inside and outside of the port was attacked. He could see something blatantly competing with himself as it spread its murderous intent.
“Oh. Have I been caught in a trap?”
Richard Burton rose in the air. He knew that there would be confusion once he left the Command. But with the power of his subordinates, he believed that they would be able to stop their enemies. He also believed in the mercenaries, other-worlders and the soldiers that remained in the port.
“Is this some sort of prelude to the dimensional crack?”
Richard Burton muttered to himself as he stared at the sea that the troops that left for the Ghost Island had traveled on.
For these people who left for the most dangerous play, he needed to win in this outpost and add to their victory. And to do so, Richard Burton vowed to destroy the mermaids even if he had to squeeze out all of the magic in his body.