Adrian had promised Caius that he would let his son go, but every fibre of his being yearned to end the spineless half-orc's worthless life. Watching the cowardly bastard run away the moment he was released from Kuro's grip, leaving behind the body of the father who fought for him, made Adrian sick.
"Weak," he hissed under his breath.
Caius had indulged the boy in the final years of life, bending his will to guarantee the boy's future. And in the end, the younger Caius hadn't even stayed to collect his father's body. The thought gnawed at Adrian: how could a man as mighty as Caius have allowed such a weak successor?
But a promise was a promise. Adrian had never broken his word. He had let the boy live, which, in his mind, was more than enough. Helping him find a place in the world wasn't part of the deal.
Death had left disarray following the demise of Caius; the Shadowborn mercenary corps, once held high with pride by the hardened warriors in its ranks, became like a headless serpent—a scattering, wrangling mass with no head.
"Vengeance for the old commander! Kill Adrian!" somebody shouted from the crowd.
"Don't be a moron!" another voice replied. "It was a fair duel!"
"What's fair about that? He is not our boss!"
"Think about it—if you wanted revenge, would you still be standing here?"
The whispers grew louder, at times tinged with doubt and tension. Every man there had seen the duel and knew Adrian's strength. Still, many others, for whom loyalty went to Caius, nursed a grudge and uncertainty.
Adrian stood at the front of the crowd, arms crossed, listening to mumbling voices. He could sense the fear and the anxiety emanating from the interiors. If he could gain control over the Shadowborn, he had to act fast to eliminate the doubt.
Taking a deep breath, Adrian roared, "Where is Eros? On your feet!"
No more arguing could take place since a tall warrior stepped up. He was Eros, one of Caius's most trusted lieutenants, influential and respected, standing just below Tyro in the rank of command. If any person, other than Tyro, could rally the men behind Adrian, it would be him.
"I'm here," Eros said, his voice steady but cautious.
Adrian went ahead, stopping his gaze on Eros. "Tell me, Eros, by the standards of the corps, who leads the Shadowborn Mercenaries now?"
The question seemed to quiver in the air. Eros's jaw set as the silence dragged out. Finally, he mumbled, "It is you."
Adrian sat forward slightly, his voice booming. "I did not hear you. Say it so every man here can hear you!"
"It's you," repeated Eros, his voice firmer this time, though still tinged with reluctance.
"Tomorrow," Adrian said, his voice stern and unyielding, "every man here will return to this warehouse. You have until then to choose where your allegiance lies. If it's with me, be here. If not, you're no Shadowborn anymore. But if you do come back, then remember that I don't hold grudges—what happened here ends here, we start fresh tomorrow and are comrades once more."
"Yes!" the whole mass of Shadowborn mercenaries exclaimed with renewed vigour that resonated through their voices.
Adrian smiled in response. "Good. Eros, spread the word. Make sure everyone knows where to be tomorrow. And don't forget—this is your only opportunity." He led the group out of the warehouse, with a crowd of witnesses gathered outside. Among the neutral mercenaries, the townsmen, and those who had remained in the middle when the first battle had begun were waiting silently for Adrian to inform them of his intentions.
Then, into the dead silence, a voice called from behind: "Mr. Adrian!"
The shout was repeated by others. "Boss Adrian! Leader Adrian!"
Adrian raised his hand to quiet the cheering. "Enough! Go home. Tomorrow we start again here. If you think of me as your leader, you'll be here. If you don't, then do not come back and show your face."
He watched as the crowd thinned out, making way for Adrian and his men. In the distance, he could see Leo, Milan, and Zig approaching. When he spotted his friends, Adrian was relieved.
"Boss Adrian! What's happening?" Leo went ahead of everybody with an expression that showed his concern.
Before Leo could utter another word, Adrian thumped him on the head. "You little coward! Do you even know how close I came to dying in there? Where were you?"
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Leo winced and massaged his head.
"You left me to deal with all this on my own!" Adrian exclaimed, though he had no anger in the words.
Milan and Zig exchanged a knowing glance and wisely decided to say nothing.
Adrian exhaled a deep sigh and smiled faintly. "We win. Caius is dead, and Shadowborn is ours."
It was like a thunderbolt had struck Leo. "Really? Meaning...
"It is over," Adrian said, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, you moron. Tomorrow we will recreate it. But for now, let's party."
Adrian and his men travelled their way through Revernus's streets until they reached the tavern.
They filed into the building, laughter and camaraderie flowing from all. Drinks were drunk, food was eaten, and for the first time in years, the air was filled with joy. "To a new beginning!" exclaimed Adrian, lifting his mug high.
"To Adrian!" the men yelled back, their response echoing off the walls.
Adrian grinned, though a part of him continued to withdraw himself. Responsibility was something that pressed seriously upon his shoulders, and the road ahead wouldn't be easy for him. He allowed himself this little momentary triumph for now. Tomorrow, the Shadowborn Mercenary Corps will assemble again. Tonight, they revelled.
---
On the morning a week later, Adrian Eternus stood on the deck of the Titanus, watching as Revernus Port gradually faded from view.
"Boss, when will we reach Windrise Island?" Leo asked, poking his head out beside him.
Without looking back, Adrian replied, "It'll take about a week."
"A whole week?"
"Yes, it's quite far."
"I heard Windrise Island is just a desolate place full of black rock wasteland. It's impossible to grow crops, and it's crawling with monsters. We spent over 700 gold coins to buy such a desert island from Leonardo—is it really worth it?"
Adrian glanced at him. "Are you questioning my decision?"
Leo gave an uneasy smile. "I wouldn't dare, but the food we have can only last for about two months. With more than 200 people to feed, we'll need to buy supplies from the mainland. And recently, with the wars in Kruger, food prices are rising... I'm just worried."
"Don't worry about it so much," Adrian replied, his voice calm. "Once we settle on Windrise, I'll handle it. In fact, I have an important task for you."
"What's that?"
"Once we're settled, you'll need to go back to Kruger to recruit settlers. Our mercenaries are skilled fighters, but building an entire settlement on a desert island requires farmers and artisans."
"More recruits? Can we feed that many?"
"I told you, leave that to me. I'll take care of it."
Their conversation ended, but Adrian's brow remained furrowed. Though he sounded confident, doubts lingered in his heart.
After killing the old Caius, Adrian had smoothly taken control of the Shadowborn Mercenary Corps and issued orders to begin developing Windrise Island. The announcement had caused an uproar within the mercenary ranks. Everyone knew Windrise was a harsh place with few resources. Why would they go there?
Despite Adrian's assurances that he had a plan to make the land productive and promised generous rewards to those willing to follow him, about a third of the mercenaries ultimately chose to leave.
Adrian allowed them to go without protest. If they lacked the determination to help develop the land, there was no sense in forcing them to stay. Those who remained were loyal, trusted allies.
Within a week, the entire mercenary corps had mobilised. The mercenaries wrapped up their final task, sold off real estate and goods in Revernus, and managed to raise nearly 20,000 gold coins.
Some of these funds were distributed to the troops as bonuses to boost morale. The rest went toward essential supplies—steel, wood, stone—everything needed to build on Windrise Island. They also stocked up on a large quantity of food, as feeding over 200 people was an enormous expense in itself.
Additionally, Adrian purchased a ship, the Titanus, which they now stood aboard.
After all these preparations, his initial funds of over 20,000 gold coins had dwindled to just four or five thousand.
The Titanus was a two-masted sailing ship with a narrow hull that allowed for quick movement, reaching speeds of nearly 11 knots. It had a displacement of around 2,000 tons and had been outfitted with artillery from the Shadowborn Mercenary Corps.
At this moment, the ship was fully loaded. More than 200 people, along with all their supplies, were packed on board. In other words, all of Adrian's current assets were sailing on this single ship.
In the past, Adrian would have thought it was sheer madness to gamble everything in such a way. Just days before, when Adrian had proposed buying Windrise Island to the halfling merchant Leonardo, the man had looked at him as if he were insane. "A broken wasteland? Only a fool would take on such a burden!" But at a price of 700 gold coins, Leonardo had eagerly sold him the island.
A huge island of over 500 kilometres for only 700 gold coins was absurdly cheap. It was a price that reflected the harshness and hostility of the land.
But Adrian's confidence was rooted in a unique advantage: Merlin's Tower—the foundation for his empire of seven races.
Over the past week, he'd been carefully considering his options. Initially, he'd planned to establish a human citadel on Windrise Island. But the more he learned about the island, the more his plans evolved. He ultimately decided to begin with an elven base instead.
Through the mysterious fragments of knowledge implanted in his mind by the Tower, Adrian had learned of the elven base, marked by the colossal World Tree. The World Tree was said to have incredible powers, including the ability to transform barren land into fertile soil. Even in a place as inhospitable as the depths of the void, the World Tree could create a lush environment—if it could survive there.
Compared to the void, the environment of Windrise Island seemed almost favourable.
With the World Tree to transform the land and the aid of elven structures like the Moonwell and Fountain of Life, Adrian was confident that he could turn Windrise Island into a haven.
However, there was one significant challenge. In both Chlorand and Kruger, the regions closest to Windrise, the elven population was scarce. The nearest communities of elves were in the Northern Mountains and the Ravenous Forest, further east in the Highland Mountains.
But these regions were far away, and elves were famously reluctant to leave their homelands. During his time in Kruger, Adrian had only encountered two elves, one of whom was a slave captured by a hunting group.
Attracting a large number of elves to such a remote, barren place seemed nearly impossible. Fortunately, the elven architectural series, like all race structures, included a special building designed to grow the population: the Refugee Camp.
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