"Desmond!" It was time. Oscar gathered up his things. Desmond entered the main hut and saluted. He had a cleaner look since the first time they met.

"You called for me, Boss?" Desmond asked, puffing his chest. The past month of training and rewards had done their job of honing Desmond's demeanor, power, and loyalty. Oscar no longer feared having to worry about betrayal.

"Gather everyone up. It's time to expand." Oscar stood firmly with a stern smile. He had copied the same sort of demeanor Celestina and the Pavilion Master had, facing straight with his shoulders broad and feet planted straight like an arrow. "We're going to take over the outer region. I expect enthusiasm from everyone."

"Yes, Boss! I will take my leave." Desmond hurried out of the tent, flashing a wide smile to Oscar and Avril.

"The envoys of the Four Lords will come in ten months. We need to consolidate our power beforehand." Oscar scanned the entire map of the Burning Valley in his hands. There was a lot of ground to cover before they could be ready. Adam and Sevon's preparations were also underway.

"Oscar, where will we strike first? There are many territories bordering ours." Erden saw the map through Oscar's eyes. In total, there were five different territories. Each was around the same size as his own.

"Arthur can choose," Oscar gave the map to Avril. Avril scanned the map, turned it over several times, and pointed at the territory below, right on the continent's edge. There was no use in understanding her thought process for selecting. Oscar nodded and waited for Desmond to report.

"Boss, they're ready for you. Shall I get a podium?" Desmond entered, wielding his ruler sword on his shoulder. His eagerness was blatant to see.

"No need. Let's address the Company." Oscar went outside to see the current Azure Sea Company, fifty-strong in total. The recruitment went well, even attracting the attention of a lone Middle Knight Exalt. Altogether, his forces comprised five Middle Knight Exalts, excluding him and Erden, seven Lower Knight Exalts, fifteen Elite Exalts, and twenty-three Apprentice Exalts.

Everyone stared at him with respect and awe, with a hint of fear. He trained them well but also exhibited his brutality. Unsurprisingly, they all looked at Avril with admiration and smiles. Oscar cracked his shoulders in annoyance. Why was he getting the short end of the treatment? All Avril did was provide elixirs and medical aid.

"It's a good day, everyone. I have some exciting news." Oscar used Ein to project his voice. Normally, it was not needed for a small gathering like this, but he wanted to instill his presence in everyone. His voice echoed through the walled grounds and made others tremble. "Today, we are going to take over another territory."

His words had an immediate effect on the troops. Already, they were whispering and chattering about what was going on. Desmond was about to step forward when Oscar stopped him. Oscar shouted again, this time with forceful intent. "If you have any problems, say them now!"

Seeing everyone quiet from his shout, Oscar moved on, "The best way to win would be with no casualties and their leader surrendering like what happened here–" Desmond rubbed his hair, looking away. "-but the worst case can always happen. Don't be worried. Follow me, and we'll be victorious. We are the Azure Sea Company."

"Yes, Boss!" Everyone shouted.

"Good. As a reward to everyone for making it this far, I have all of these armaments I have crafted for you." Oscar carried over a crate of armaments, each tagged with a person's name. He had crafted these over time for each person. "With these armaments, I hope you continue contributing to the Company."

"Thank you, Boss. You heard the man! We'll be setting out." Desmond rallied the troops. Oscar's decision to recruit Desmond was a good call. The natural leadership qualities and closeness to the troop made Desmond a good bridge for Oscar to connect to the others.

"Half of us will remain here while the other half will accompany me. Now be ready in thirty minutes!" Oscar clenched his fists. Sweat beaded down his cheek as he exhaled slowly to calm his nerves. Public speaking was not bad, but telling the people to get ready to throw away their lives was nerve-wracking. How on earth did Celestina do it back then?

A hand suddenly clasped his shoulder. Turning to his side, he saw it was Avril who patted him. Her golden eyes stared at him, communicating that it was alright. Reassured, Oscar mounted Erden and rode over to the gate. Avril walked by his side, not wanting to draw suspicion by riding together.

"Everyone. The journey is only a single day away." Oscar rode side to side, addressing the twenty-five people gathered for the assault force. "I will do my best to keep your lives intact, but you must also do the same to adhere to what you learned and fight hard and well. We are stronger."

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"We are stronger!" The twenty-five shouted, wielding their fresh new armaments—confidence blasting from their eyes. Fabricators were rare in the outer region and very expensive to buy from them. His people gained a new wind by giving them armaments for free, courtesy of his large stockpile of ores.

Oscar departed with his entourage of former marauders. He held great confidence in himself, Avril, and Erden, all trained by Adam, Sevon, and Tort. Glancing at his hands, Oscar clenched them firmly. So far, he only had a single grade-three spell, the Golden Drill, which suited him perfectly, an upgrade to his Silver Lance. Sevon didn't have a large stock of spells to teach.

The real improvement was the use of his Reis. Adam's invisible movements to the Prinstyct were because he moved his body with Reis, shooting off little bits to move joints. A body's movements were only visible to Prinstyct if moved directly. Moving it with Ein was also foreseeable, but Reis was not.

Oscar glanced at his troops. How much could a month of training do for them? This would be his and their first test after a grueling training. The option remained to escape after being wiped out, but Oscar didn't want to disappoint them, even if it was a temporary alliance. They had to win.

The trek toward the enemy territory took him through fields of geysers, small vents of erupting lava. The heat got worse as they continued through the area. Oscar purposely chose this path to test everyone. To see how many would remain steady and focused. Smiling at how they kept up, Oscar picked up the pace for them to follow.

After the long journey through the geyser fields, Oscar ordered everyone to rest. Only a fool would attack with fatigue and exhaustion. He wiped off the sweat from his brow and peeked at Avril, who was holding up barely. The uncomfortable squirming revealed her discomfort. Shaking his head with a soft chuckle, Oscar reviewed the map.

"Desmond, have you ever met the people we are going to fight?" Oscar took the time to learn about the enemy.

"I have. They are the Ashwolf Clan. They're a bonafide family rather than a gang of unrelated people like mine. The reason they never expanded to my borders is due to their focus on internal affairs and building up their ranks. Given enough time, they would have invaded us." Desmond frowned. It seemed he had some bad dealings with the Ashwolf Clan. "I fought their clan leader once, and we came to a draw. They aim to produce a Greater Knight Exalt, but the better resources required are in the center region."

"Resources? I can offer them enough of it." Oscar smiled. Sevon had given him many resources as expected from a Greater Marshal Exalt. If the Four Lords hoarded the bulk of the best treasures, he needed a counteroffer. Though, if the people decided to reject his proposals, then…Oscar cracked his knuckles. "I hope they accept."

"They're stubborn to a fault, Boss. I don't think they'll comply so easily, and besides, I wanted a rematch against that old bastard for a while now." Desmond laughed.

Standing up, Oscar scoffed and recounted Erden. "We'll see. Let's continue!"

They traveled for another half day. Noting their location on the map, Oscar judged they must have passed the border by now, and indeed, he noticed the movements in the horizons. Surely, their presence had been noticed, and the Ashwolf clan was preparing. Good. Oscar wanted the entire clan to give witness so there would be no dissent in the future.

Thirty minutes later, Oscar noticed a walled-off town, larger than the other towns in Desmond's territory. It resembled a small city with tall, thick stone walls and semi-high buildings and towers within. Stopping right in front of the entrance, Oscar noticed the guards on top pointing at them and shouting at each other.

"Why do you come to our home, bearing ill will?" A man shouted from atop the wall.

"I do not come to seek your destruction. I am here to gain your allegiance and put you under my sway." Oscar shouted back.

"How is that different from an ill will? You come as conquerors to our borders." The man retorted.

"True. That is true. But I do not wish for bloodshed. I promise I will not put you in chains–" Oscar noticed Avril tightening her shoulders, "-and I will never drain you of everything you own. I only want your allegiance and soldiers to bring a new order."

"And who are you to demand anything of us?" The man asked.

"I come bearing gifts. If you accept, I can give you grade-three armaments and natural resources for advancing to the Greater Knight Exalt realm." Oscar answered. Sevon gave me many natural resources similar to the Golddew Figs for consumption. They could reach their full potential once Avril learned enough to concoct grade-three elixirs. "You know these walls are useless. They're not made of powerful materials. There's not even a formation laid around it. Surrender and swear allegiance or let these walls come down around you."

"Nicely put, a bit harsh," Avril whispered.

"Ah, it's alright. I'm only half serious." Oscar said.

The gate opened, and Exalts exited the city like a stream of water. Desmond's original estimate was around fifty Exalts, but there were seventy here. Oscar stared at Desmond, who looked away, not meeting his gaze. It was fine. The number of Middle Knight Exalts was equal to theirs.

"I am the clan head, Arc Ashwolf," The man in the center of the crowd stepped forward. He had a broad face with sharp eyes—a necklace of fangs wrapped around his neck. "You bring your people to demand services from us. Leave behind everything you have, including the mentioned resources, and I may let you live.

"I told you there's no need for bloodshed," Oscar said. "I am not here to be a tyrant."

"I agree there is no need for blood. Leave everything behind." Arc said.

"I guess negotiations have broken down," Avril said.

"As I said, it isn't much of a negotiation. I'm really bad at convincing others. I also can't exactly say we'll fight the Four Lords immediately. Had to break it to Desmond after smashing his face in." Oscar sighed and lifted his arm into the air. "Azure Sea Company! Fight!"

"Fight!" His forces tightened their stances, sticking close in groups of five.

"Wolves! Bite off their necks." Arc wielded his two axes and summoned his wolf anima. The Ashwolf clan charged, roaring toward them.

The battle between his Azure Sea Company and the Ashwolf clan was underway.