Negotiating with Lord Icefall took hours, but in the end, it was worth it. Since I couldn’t agree to anything related to the potential marriage between our two Houses, we focused on the other terms of the provisional alliance.
In the end, Lord Icefall agreed to a military and economic alliance with my House. In simple terms, we would help House Icefall gain control of the Icefall Region. We would also help them negotiate trade deals with the other Houses. In exchange, they would give us five percent of the mythril deposit’s monthly output.
House Sturm would also get a portion of Gloom Mist Forest. The forest wasn’t House Icefall’s to give, since no one actually owned it, but they wouldn’t dispute my House’s claim.
I wanted to claim all of the forest, but House Icefall refused. There were a lot of magic beasts in Gloom Mist Forest, and if House Sturm claimed the entire forest, those magic beasts would become ours. However, Lord Icefall was fine with us claiming most of the forest. While Gloom Mist Forest was large, it paled in comparison to the rest of the Icefall Region.
Sturm Hill Hall suited my House’s needs for now, but as we grew our presence in the Icefall Region, we would need to expand. I had plans, and having a good chunk of Gloom Mist Forest as our territory would give us the space and resources we needed to see those plans come to fruition.
However, that was for later. The mythril was the biggest benefit this alliance brought to my House in the short term.
While all of this was stretching my limited authority as the exiled heir(?) of House Sturm, I doubted that my parents would be that upset about it. Five percent of a mythril deposit of that size was substantial. While it wouldn’t be enough to help us recover from our gradual fall, it would keep us from falling further. We would be treading water rather than drowning.
Presenting this agreement to them might be enough to earn their forgiveness, or at least curb their anger over my activities. Hell, if I spun it right, I could use it as justification for becoming an adventurer. After all, if I hadn’t become one, we might not have gotten this opportunity.
As for the potential marriage between House Sturm and House Icefall, I would leave that for my parents to decide.
We wrote down the terms of our agreement, signed them, and made copies for everyone. I wanted something physical I could give my parents, so they didn’t need to rely just on my word.
Afterwards, Guildmaster Sinclair invited me to the Icefall Adventurers Guild. To prevent the Black Wolf Gang from catching wind of our plans, she wanted to clean house and get rid of the spies infesting her guild. Since I had enmity with the spies in question, she gave me the opportunity to participate.
Loudmouth and Fatty weren’t the only spies that the Black Wolf Gang had in the Icefall Adventurers Guild. I would get to kill them, while Guildmaster Sinclair would handle the rest.
I, of course, agreed. Honestly, I was a little touched by her kindness and consideration towards me regarding this matter. Plus, I would get paid for it since House Icefall still had an open bounty on the Black Wolf Gang.
Actually killing Loudmouth and Fatty was disappointing and a little anticlimactic. When I had first arrived in the Icefall Region, they had been something of a threat to me. Now, given my current cultivation level, they were barely worth the effort it took to kill them.
Guildmaster Sinclair called a guild wide meeting, in order to get everyone in the same place, before she made her move. Without warning, she attacked three of the adventurers there, killing them with ease. Meanwhile, I handled Loudmouth and Fatty.
I killed Fatty first, since he was the stronger of the two. After that, I dispatched Loudmouth. Neither of them saw it coming. One moment they were staring at Guildmaster Sinclair in shock, the next they were both lying on the ground with their throats slit. I killed them with my magical daggers, since I didn’t want to sully Crimson Fang with their blood.
The other adventurers were shocked, but after Guildmaster Sinclair explained the situation to them, they grew angry. A few had even muttered about how they always suspected that Loudmouth and Fatty were up to no good. It turned out that several adventurers who had worked jobs with Loudmouth and Fatty had suffered injuries due to the pairs’ carelessness. One person even almost died. However, looking back on it, they wondered if it hadn’t been deliberate instead.
After that, my disciples and I headed back to Sturm Hill Hall. Since we would be heading out to attack besiege the Black Wolf Gang, I thought it would be a good idea to stock up on talismans. I hadn’t made any in the month since we returned from Rosewood City, since it was a low priority for me and I hadn’t had time to spare. As a result, my stockpile was pretty low at the moment.
First, I created two Clear Eyes Talismans for each of my disciples. I also started making a lot of Protection Talismans.
Thanks to my increased cultivation level, my talismans were now more powerful than before. While my Protection Talismans wouldn’t stop a blow equivalent to the Second Circle in power, they could now stop multiple blows equal to the ninth thread of the First Circle. They could stop at least two, and maybe three, attacks. However, that was the limit.
I gave a few to my disciples, but I stockpiled the rest. Given what we were about to do, I figured it would be a good idea to have enough talismans for both House Icefall’s forces, and whatever the Icefall Adventurers Guild could bring to bear.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have any Ghostfire Ink left, so I couldn’t make any more Ghostfire Sealing Talismans. While I did have some Spiritblood Ink left, I refrained from using it. It was expensive, and I didn’t want to waste any. I wanted to save the ink for something else.
By nightfall, I managed to make a few dozen talismans. That wasn’t bad, for a first batch, and I planned to make more the next day. However, fate makes fools of us all.
The next morning, a messenger from Lord Icefall arrived at Sturm Hill Hall, asking me to head to Icefall City’s central square.
The Black Wolf Gang was making its move.
----------------------------------------
I arrived at Icefall City’s central square to find it a hive of activity. Despite the early hour, the place was packed with people. There were dozens of soldiers wearing House Icefall’s uniform, and just as many adventurers. They were all getting ready to move out. Most of them were wizards, though I noticed a few mortals.
There were also priests and priestesses from the Church of the Sun giving blessings to people and handing out healing potions, including Priest Sinclair.
Despite the clear sky and beautiful warm weather, there was a sense of urgency and tension in the air. Everyone here knew that something was about to go down.
I found Lord Icefall and Guildmaster Sinclair inside the Icefall Adventurers Guild, standing over one of the mess hall’s tables. They were barking out orders to the ring of subordinates that surrounded them. I made a beeline right for them, with my disciples in tow.
After I received the message from Lord Icefall, my disciples and I readied ourselves and headed out in the House Sturm carriage. I made sure to bring the Protection Talismans with us. Since I had a feeling that we were heading into a fight, I gave my disciples the option to sit this one out.
Well, Leroy couldn’t. He was still my bodyguard after all, and he had to go with me. It was a different matter for Lorelei and Corie. They refused to stay behind. While their choice worried me, I respected their decision. Forcing them to stay at Sturm Hill Hall would only generate resentment. Besides, I had a feeling that if I tried to make them stay, they would sneak out to follow us anyway.
“Lord Gabriel,” Lord Icefall said when I drew close. “Thank you for joining us.”
He wore rough and simple clothing rather than the noble’s garb I usually saw him in.
“What’s going on?” I asked, though I had a pretty good idea.
“The Black Wolf Gang is making its move,” he said, gesturing to the table in front of him.
The map he showed me earlier that day was laid out on the table. The white dots representing the Black Wolf Gang were all concentrated together and heading north, away from the Iron Crag Hills. It looked like they had abandoned their base. They marched to a place to the south and west of Icefall City.
I glared at the heavens for a brief moment. I thought I would have at least another day to make preparations, but it looked like I wasn’t going to get that.
“Why?” I asked, looking . “Where are they going?”
“They’re heading in the direction of the mythril deposit,” Lord Icefall said. “They must have found out its location.”
“How?” Guildmaster Sinclair growled, glaring at the map. “I thought you were keeping an eye on them.”
“I was. However, remember that the spell can only track those that were at the Iron Crag Hills when they opened the Nullicite box. My guess is that one of the untagged scouting parties found the deposit and rushed back to report their findings.”
I studied the map and the number of white dots. While I didn’t stop to get a head count, it looked like House Icefall and the Icefall Adventurers Guild had the advantage in numbers.
However, the map didn’t show the power level of the Black Wolf Gang. They were all wizards, I knew that much. Most of them would be First Circle wizards, and I knew that they had Second Circle wizards. The question was, how many Second Circle wizards? And more importantly, did they have any Third Circle wizards? We had Lord Icefall and Guildmaster Sinclair. Who did they have?
They also had a large number of Inferno Wolf familiars, which needed to be taken into account.
“Does the spell track magic beasts as well?” I asked. “Or just wizards?”
Lord Icefall shook his head.
“Just wizards,” he said, sounding frustrated.
Scratch that. It looked like the Black Wolf Gang had the advantage in numbers. Our side had familiars in the form of spirits and magic beasts, but based on what I saw when they attacked the caravan, the Black Wolf Gang would have a lot of Inferno Wolves. Plus, I remembered that they had constructs.
I relayed this information to everyone there.
“It doesn’t matter,” Lord Icefall said, shaking his head. “We can’t let them take the mythril deposit. I have a few people guarding it, but not enough to deal with a force that size.”
Guildmaster Sinclair narrowed her eyes.
“If they’re making such a brazen move like this,” she said. “Then that means they’re confident in their ability to take the deposit and hold it.” She looked up at Lord Icefall. “They know how powerful we are. It wasn’t like we were keeping our strength a secret.”
“I realized this as well,” Lord Icefall said. He grinned at his cousin. “Having second thoughts?”
“Fuck no,” Guildmaster Sinclair said. “I’m just saying that they’ll have something prepared to deal with us.”
“That’s a risk that we’ll have to take.”
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
I coughed, interrupting their little banter session.
“While it might not secure our victory, I do have something that will even the odds.”
I gestured for Lorelei and Corie to step forward. The two of them each carried a large wooden box. When Guildmaster Sinclair caught sight of her daughter, her expression turned unsightly. I guessed that she hadn’t noticed Lorelei’s presence until now.
“What are you doing here?” She looked at me. “What is she doing here?”
“I’m here to help, Mama,” Lorelei said.
“Are you insane?” Guildmaster Sinclair asked me, ignoring her daughter. “This won’t be like the escort mission, where Lorelei was protected. This will be a battle, where she will be thrust into the middle of danger. What the hell is wrong with you?”
Lorelei slammed the wooden box she carried onto the table, the sound ringing out like a gunshot. She almost hit the map, but Lord Icefall rescued it in time.
“Don’t yell at Lord Gabriel,” she said, glaring up at her mother. “This wasn’t his decision. It was mine. I chose to come here. I volunteered for it.”
Guildmaster Sinclair stared at her daughter in shock. Everyone looked away, pretending to ignore the scene before them.
“Baby-…” she started to say.
“I’m not a child,” Lorelei said, interrupting her. “Don’t treat me like one, Mama. This is what you trained me for. I’m your daughter, not some pampered brat. With or without your blessing, I’m going to fight. And I certainly don’t need your permission.”
Guildmaster Sinclair narrowed her eye.
“I can have you locked up so you can’t go,” she said.
“You can try,” Lorelei said.
Tension crackled in the air as the mother and daughter pair glared at each other. Guildmaster Sinclair’s aura flared out, and she used it to pressure her daughter. To Lorelei’s credit, she held her ground. It wasn’t easy, I could tell from the way her body shook, but she didn’t budge an inch.
“All right,” Guildmaster Sinclair said, relenting. “You want to fight? Fine.” She pointed a finger at Lorelei. “But if you find yourself in over your head, I want you to run. No heroics. Understood?”
“Yes, Mama,” Lorelei said, smiling up at her.
While it was clear that Guildmaster Sinclair had reservations about the whole situation, she didn’t voice them. Instead, she glared at me.
“Keep my daughter safe,” she said. “Or I will kill you, drag your soul up from the afterlife, and kill you again.”
She would need to be a lot more powerful than she currently was if she wanted to do that.
“Noted,” I said, in a dry voice.
I gestured for Corie to put her box on the table as well, which she did without slamming it down, and then I opened both boxes. They were filled with the Protection Talismans that I managed to make today.
“What are these?” Lord Icefall asked with a frown.
“These are Protection Talismans,” I explained. “Limited use magic items that can protect people from attacks below the Second Circle.” I picked one of the Protection Talismans up. “These are a new and improved version. The old ones could protect against a single attack equivalent to the ninth thread of the First Circle. These ones can defend against two attacks, maybe three, at that level. They can protect against multiple attacks weaker than that.”
“Huh, I heard about these,” Guildmaster Sinclair said, picking one of the talismans up. “My people kept bugging me about these, saying they were lifesavers. They wanted me to ask and see if you were interested in making more.” She glanced at me. “Apparently, you made quite the impression with these during the trip to Rosewood City.”
“Yes, my people told me about them as well,” Lord Icefall said. “I’ve never heard of a magic item like this before. Is this something House Sturm developed?”
I gave Lord Icefall a mysterious smile.
“You could say that, yes.”
He frowned at my vague answer, but didn’t press it.
“Anyway,” I said. “I made these for the upcoming battle with the Black Wolf Gang.” I grimaced. “I had hoped to have more time, so there aren’t as many as I would like. I’m giving each of you a box. You can distribute them among your subordinates as you see fit.”
Lord Icefall and Guildmaster Sinclair blinked at me.
“You’re giving them away?” Guildmaster Sinclair asked. “Just like that?”
“Yes,” I said. “Consider this part of my contribution to the alliance. Most of the Black Wolf Gang wizards are in the First Circle. These talismans should help protect our people from their spells, at least for a time. They will also be useful against the Black Wolf Gang’s Inferno Wolves.”
Lord Icefall stared at the talismans, before giving me a nod.
“Thank you, Lord Gabriel,” he said. “I won’t forget this.”
He better fucking not. When my parents arrived, I would be sure to tell them about this. That should give them an edge during the negotiations.
“Let’s talk after this is all over, Lord Gabriel,” Guildmaster Sinclair said. “I’m interested in buying these Protection Talismans from you and selling them through the guild. Maybe we can work out a deal.”
I grinned at that and nodded.
After that, we prepared to head out towards the mythril deposit.
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It took us most of the day to reach the mythril deposit. We arrived by late afternoon. We rushed there at the fastest pace we could maintain, because Lord Icefall wanted to rescue the people he had stationed there. The mythril deposit was a little closer to the Iron Crag Hills than Icefall City, and the Black Wolf Gang had a head start on us, so we needed to move fast if we wanted to beat them there.
The other reason why Lord Icefall wanted to reach the mythril deposit first was because he had built an outpost there. It was a simple stone tower protected by a magic circle, but if we managed to get there first, it would allow us to fight the Black Wolf Gang from a fortified position.
Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on our side. According to the map, the Black Wolf Gang managed to reach the mythril deposit a half hour before we did and attacked the outpost. We could hear the sounds of battle long before we saw it with our eyes.
Our people were tired from the day-long march. My disciples and I had it better than most, because of our cultivation, but I could tell that the others weren’t faring as well. On the plus side, the Black Wolf Gang had also marched all day long. They also didn’t know that we knew about their attack, so we had the element of surprise.
Soon, the House Icefall outpost was within range of my divine sense. It still held, but I could tell that it wouldn’t be long before it fell. The only reason why it had lasted as long as it had was because of the magic circle protecting it. That, and because the Black Wolf Gang was tired. They took it easy, and didn’t attack the outpost with all of their might.
From what I could tell, the Black Wolf Gang had fewer First Circle wizards than us, but their Inferno Wolves more than made up for it. They also had Alpha Inferno Wolves, which would be fun to deal with. Not only that, but they also had more Second Circle wizards than us. They had eleven, while we had ten, including Leroy. We had Lord Icefall and Guildmaster Sinclair, so that shouldn’t have been a big deal, since they only had one person at the Third Circle; the man who I assumed was the leader of the Black Wolf Gang.
However, when I saw who it was, I knew we were in trouble. Rather, I saw what he was. He wasn’t human. He was a magic beast. Like spirit beasts back on Spirit Earth, after they reached a certain level of power, magic beasts could reach human-level intelligence and take on a human form. The level of power required differed, depending on the magic beast in question.
The chances of this happening were small, but it was common enough that Solarian law took this phenomenon into account.
At the lower level, they were considered mere animals and could be treated as such. Those at human-level intelligence, but who hadn’t achieved a human form yet, could become citizens of the Solarian Empire after passing a series of tests. Those that could take a human form could just join the Solarian Empire.
Even so, many looked down on them for their origins and prejudice against intelligent magic beasts was common. Because of this, most of them chose to hide the fact that they were magic beasts. Still, those that joined the Solarian Empire had the same rights and protections as everyone else.
Those that refused to join had no legal protection, and thus could be hunted down. A bit fucked up, in my opinion, but that was how things were.
The leader of the Black Wolf Gang was a high-ranked Third Circle magic beast. He hid it using some kind of spell, but my divine sense was too powerful. I couldn’t tell what kind of magic beast he was, since he was in human form, but I could sense his power through his aura.
This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all. Magic beasts were tougher and stronger than wizards. While their ability to cast spells was limited, this was only the case for animalistic magic beasts. Those with human-level intelligence had no problem learning how to use spells. As a general rule, a magic beast with human-level intelligence was more powerful than a wizard at the same power level.
Lord Icefall and Guildmaster Sinclair were both at the lower end of the Third Circle in terms of power; third thread and second thread respectively. Together, the two of them could take on the leader of the Black Wolf Gang, but it would be a tough fight.
If Lady Icefall had come with us, the odds would have been more even. However, she had remained behind in Icefall City to hold down the fort.
I headed towards Lord Icefall and Guildmaster Sinclair. While they weren’t quite at the front of our small army, they weren’t that far behind.
“We’re in trouble,” I said when I reached them.
“Yes,” Lord Icefall said, a tight expression on his face. “The Black Wolf Gang beat us to the outpost. If we don’t hurry, my people will fall.”
I shook my head.
“No, it’s not that,” I said. “The leader of the Black Wolf Gang is a high-ranked Third Circle magic beast who can take on human form.”
The two of them stared at me in disbelief.
“How do you know this?” Guildmaster Sinclair asked, eyeing me with suspicion.
“It doesn’t matter how I know,” I said. “I just do. He is a high-ranked Third Circle magic beast. If you underestimate him, both of you will die and he will slaughter the rest of us.” I shook my head. “Unfortunately, I don’t know what kind of magic beast he is.”
Lord Icefall and Guildmaster Sinclair glanced at each other, before looking at me.
“Even if you’re right,” Lord Icefall said. “We still have to fight. We can’t back down.”
“I know,” I said. “I just wanted to warn you, so you aren’t caught off guard when he takes on his true form. Hit him hard and fast. If you can kill him while he’s in his human form, that would be ideal.”
Magic beasts were weaker in their human form. It was convenient for a number of reasons, but they could only access their full power in their true form.
“Thanks for the warning,” Guildmaster Sinclair said.
I could tell from the tone of her voice that she didn’t believe me. There was nothing I could do about that. Either they would kill the leader of the Black Wolf Gang before he took on his true form, or they wouldn’t. I hoped they would. That would make the rest of the battle much easier.
It wasn’t long before the outpost, and the Black Wolf Gang, was in sight. The mythril deposit was located underneath a series of rocky hills, big shocker there, and the outpost stood atop one of those hills. It looked imposing, especially in the light of the late afternoon sun.
The Black Wolf Gang swarmed the hill. I saw their spells collide with the barrier created by the magic circle protecting the outpost. With my divine sense, I could tell that the barrier wouldn’t last for long.
We didn’t have time for any strategy beyond hitting them hard and fast, not if we wanted to save the outpost. If the Black Wolf Gang took it, we would have a harder time taking them out.
Our people lined up, with the Earth wizards in the front. They put on their Protection Talismans, those that had any, and drew their weapons before marching forward. I also made sure that my disciples used their Clear Eyes Talismans.
It wasn’t long before the Black Wolf Gang noticed our approach, and they scrambled to meet us. The ones attacking the outpost redoubled their efforts. The horde of Inferno Wolves rushed towards us, letting out bone-chilling howls.
When we drew close enough, we let out a roar and charged forward. Each side let out a volley of spells. Corie, who was in the back with the other long-range combatants, let loose arrow after arrow with her Multishot Bow. Thankfully, she had prepared and had brought along plenty of arrows. Once she learned how to use the Spirit Arrow technique, she wouldn’t have to worry about that anymore.
Thanks to the Protection Talismans, our side fared better than the Black Wolf Gang during that initial exchange, except for a few unfortunate souls who got hit by Second Circle spells.
Guildmaster Sinclair, who was at the front, let out a yell and stomped her foot. The earth shook and rippled out from her in an expanding wave. When that wave reached the Inferno Wolves rushing towards us, spikes exploded out from the ground, impaling most of the magic beasts. They let out yelps of pain as they died.
Earth Spike Wave, the advanced version of the Earth Spike spell that Lorelei liked to use.
At the same time, Lord Icefall cast his own spell. A ball of frost magic shot out from his palm and flew towards the Black Wolf Gang, who were coming in from behind the Inferno Wolves.
However, before it could reach them, a man leapt towards the ball of frost magic; the leader of the Black Wolf Gang. He swatted the ball of frost magic away with his bare hand. It hit the ground and exploded, turning the area around it into a frozen hellscape. If it had hit the Black Wolf Gang, many of them would’ve frozen to death in an instant. Thankfully, the frost magic hadn’t reached any of our people either.
Before he landed, the Black Wolf Gang leader’s form exploded out, transforming into a black wolf the size of Sturm Hill Hall. Ram-like horns curled out from the giant wolf’s head. When he landed, the ground shook.
A Great Horned Wolf. So that was why they were called the Black Wolf Gang. It looked like their leader had decided to go all out from the get go. Great Horned Wolves didn’t have any elemental affinity, but were insanely strong and durable. This wouldn’t be an easy fight for Lord Icefall and Guildmaster Sinclair.
When the Great Horned Wolf appeared, everyone on the battlefield froze for a brief moment. Our side, the Black Wolf Gang, the Inferno Wolves. Everyone. We all froze in fear at the sight of the massive predator that appeared in our midst.
With a yell, both Lord Icefall and Guildmaster Sinclair attacked the Great Horned Wolf at the same time, breaking the silence. Lord Icefall threw another ball of frost magic at it. Guildmaster Sinclair summoned vines out of the ground to hold the Great Horned Wolf in place.
After that, any semblance of order broke down and things devolved into chaos. While the Third Circle combatants fought it out in the middle of the battlefield, our side focused on the rest of the Black Wolf Gang.
Since there wasn’t anything I could do to help Lord Icefall and Guildmaster Sinclair, I drew Crimson Fang and rushed into battle, flanked by Lorelei and Leroy.