It was a move made behind closed doors, a political play that used their names as the main attraction without even giving them a heads-up.
The shock was evident on their faces for a brief moment before their years of training allowed them to fix their expressions. They were standing in the middle of a spotlight they didn’t ask for.
"..."
If the Saintess refused a holy mission in public, the people would lose faith, and the cardinals would probably held them accountable for that in the worst way possible.
Kael muttered under his breath as all eyes in the ball were on them. He kept a stiff smile on his face for the crowd, but his teeth were clenched so hard his jaw ached.
Elianna didn’t say anything, her face remained calm and the same. She stood tall, her white dress shimmering under the chandeliers. But deep inside; she was pretty annoyed as well.
After Erui, The King, announced their plan to expand the kingdom’s territory by conquering [The Cursed Forest]—the ball continued.
This time, the nobles and people in power started talking about the upcoming plan by their leader. They were excited and expectant. They didn’t see a dangerous forest; they saw maps with new lines drawn on them.
To them, with the Emperor’s and Radiant Church’s help; they already succeeded. The presence of the Saintess made the mission seem like a guaranteed victory blessed by the gods themselves.
One of the older nobleman said, swirling his expensive wine in a crystal glass. He leaned against a pillar, looking quite satisfied.
Then another one agreed with him, letting out a small chuckle.
"Unless a Demon King was secretly living there."
The first noble added that too with a joking tone, raising his eyebrows.
The balance of the world was well-documented. They all know the locations of each Demon Kings, from the frozen wastes to the scorched deserts.
... ... ...
They just came for that in the first place, and none of them want to stay in the party for any longer. The air in the castle felt suffocating.
"..."
And then, after a while—
She broke the silence and said that. Her voice was cold and steady. She wasn’t going to give the cardinals the satisfaction of seeing her break. If they wanted a mission, she would give them one, but she would do it on her own terms.
"We got it."
*****
And during all this time, Pwyll, Bernia, and everyone else that he brought back with him had settled properly in his territory.
They usually didn’t get along in the outside world. Their histories were full of war and hatred.
Verc’s strength was known by everyone. They know that if they anger him—he will use that strength against them. He didn’t need to give long speeches about unity. He just needed to exist.
Before, they were just living and letting each day pass, trying to survive. The orcs were always fighting, they have no proper settlement so they can’t rest. They were always on the move, looking for the next meal or the next battle. The gnolls were lacking in power, so they were often targeted by the stronger monsters in the forest. They lived in fear of being wiped out by a passing predator.
And now, with the new members in the territory—their life improved even more. The "mess" of different races had become a functioning machine!
They were natural workaholics, and seeing the gnolls trying to build things with basic knowledge fired up their professional pride. Verc made four rooms for each couple on that floor for them so they could stay close to their workshops.
That’s also thanks to the book and blueprints Verc bought back in the city. Right now, they were making better armor for the guards and better tools for the workers.
They stayed mostly near the edges of the clearing where the sun hit the ground. They know a lot about plants and farming, so Verc assigned them to agriculture development.
He bought a lot of seeds and necessities for farming as well back in the city. Now, rows of green sprouts were starting to peek out of the dark earth.
Then, the two kobolds joined the hunting group that goes out in the forest every morning and comes back at night. Before, the orcs would just run out and smash whatever they saw. It was effective, but messy.
Onto the three humans; Bernia started teaching everyone that wants to learn how to read and write. She was nervous at first, wondering if an orc would eat her if she corrected their spelling, but she soon found that they were surprisingly diligent students.
Pwyll, he was a gladiator and a prince of a huge barbarian tribe. His fighting prowess was nothing to snort at; in fact, even though all the orcs are stronger than him physically—he was able to defeat them all in a duel with nothing but techniques!
"Strength is a tool, not the whole house."
Pwyll would always say, standing over a huffing orc.
But still, his skill was real, and so—Verc assigned him as an instructor and a guard.
Lastly, Nara—the five years old little girl.
And so—Verc assigned the little girl to his newly made library at the first floor. It was a quiet place, perfect for a child. He also leaves Onyx to her when he trains and meditates.
"You have to be quiet, Onyx. People are studying."
Not like anyone is stupid enough to try that—stealing or breaking things—especially in Verc’s castle. The mere thought of Verc’s face if he found out was enough to keep everyone on their best behavior.
It was a place that shouldn’t exist. According to the maps in the Halveron Kingdom, this was a place of death and madness.
"..."
’It’s becoming quite lively.’
As he looked at the diverse groups working together below, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
"Hmm, I wonder what I should do next..."