Chapter 82
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"What I want is..."
The people surrounding Lars all waited with bated breaths, captivated by his booming rebuke and now dying to find out just what the middle-aged pseudo-Mythical mage would demand!
Especially as it might impact their livelihoods - or even their lives if he declared hostility with the palace!
So they dared not breath, waiting with rapt attention to find out what would happen next.
And Lars spoke his piece sharply.
"...For you to take care of these children, safe and unharmed, return them to their families, and guarantee the safety of not just them but their relatives as well!"
Duke Leanne and Gurdev were stunned and frowning in confusion, while the surrounding crowds stood there shocked with mouths hanging wide open.
Was that all???
So much drama just for such a simple demand??!
The people nearby could not understand the implications of his demands, but the ravishing woman and her administrator of the city did.
'...What a cunning man. What a dastardly, wily and cunning man!' Leanne bit her lip in consternation as she quickly worked through the ramifications of just what he had demanded.
'These children... Their existence is a black mark on the reputation of this city, living proof of the crimes that occurred... Not just that, by slowly questioning them, especially the older ones, slowly but surely the perpetrators will be unveiled... And then from there, those crime lords would not hold any loyalty to their employers - they would then immediately rat on the true dark hands behind the curtains - the noble families!'
'The children will then obviously become targets of their captors and the ones behind their kidnapping in the first place... Which will reveal a trail... Does he really plan to pull through on this himself... Or...'
'Perhaps his plan is to use a borrowed knife to kill the dragon!'
As their hearts pounded even more fiercely and their scalps turned numb from the impact of this short conversation, both the Duke and the Minister looked at each other at exactly the same time. And they saw a troubled, anxious image in each others faces!
The more Leanne and Gurdev though about it, the more grave that seemingly simple request turned out to be! Sinister! Wickedly scheming, yet infinitely upright in his open and above-board plot!
Magnificent! Outstanding! Preposterously effective!
They wished they could clap their hands in awe of his one request that would slowly reveal the rotten underbelly of the city - and force the Kingdom of the Sands to either take responsibility...
And cut off the snake's head of the true demonic lords hiding in the shadows!
The man himself would not need to make a single move, except to oversee that the Kingdom and city government kept their part of the "easy" promise - to protect and guard over the lives of the children and their families!
Not realising that the lip she was biting was already bleeding, Leanne's mind continued to spin endlessly as she agonised over what to do next. She looked at Gurdev and they quickly had a complicit understanding without even needing words - they had no choice but accept and then quickly get in touch with the capitol for even greater support!
For after all, wouldn't traces of Silvan's involvement be revealed as well...?
The only comfort Leanne and Gurdev had in all these was two things.
Firstly, they themselves had never, ever, not even in the slightest bit been involved in the shady dealings of the city!
Secondly... And it was this point that hooked them in so simply but so surely...
If they played their cards right... They could launch a hostile takeover of all the power, authority, influence and assets of their enemies in one fell swoop!
The two government representatives could not help but to have fervent gazes of fanaticism as they stared in awe of this man... No, this GOD of Scheming!
Brilliant! Too f***ing brilliant! Too amazing and so frickin' awesome that they were tempted to fall to their knees and disciple themselves to this man who had in one sharp stroke managed to derail the entire politics of the city all in a single conversation!
And on top of all that... Who in their right minds would believe that a wandering warrior would appear out of the blue, one at the near-Mythical stage and just be a "nobody", "random passerby" or "part-time hero"???
No! It was certain that this man was not alone; he surely had a great backing!
'One that we must make sure to carefully and slowly suss out...'
"Sir... No, God... Erm, ahem, I mean, Mikael..." Leanne began speaking, then realised that she had mixed up her internal monologue with reality and tried to pass it off as a play of the ears.
"Hmm...?! What is there you wish to say! I shall bear no discussions - answer clearly now, or I SWEAR - I Mikael Tumijo shall be enemies with Gorun city forever!" Lars, thinking that he had not obtained the buy-in from the woman and her aide yet, put his foot on the pedal and used his last bargaining chip.
Unbeknownst to the beauty and her tall, dark and not very handsome minister, Lars was sweating, worried that the palace would not accept - and strand him with the throng of children!!!
What a nightmare!!! Caring for and providing for the needs of even one child was already such a great task - what more six hundred of them!
Little did he know that his simple request had been extrapolated so far and so wide to have country-shaking results!
Little did Lars know that his fictional identity would become the firebrand to spark off a conflict between the crown and the many noble factions as well as the dark side of the underworld!
And little did Lars know that his innocent request...
Would be the beginning of the end for the Duke Silvan that he hated so much!
But these are all a story for another time.
Lars stood still, heart pounding as he hoped that his bluff would not be called. He had not much gas left in the tank - he wondered if he could really take them on at this time!
But to his relief, his counterparts' eyes that were burning with passion soon began to light up in excitement (which he did not understand) as they hurriedly began to nod and agree with his request!
"Yes, yes yes yes yes! God--I mean, Sir Mikael, please, it is an honour that you would entrust us as such. But... We truly hope for your help and support in protecting them. Why don't you stay in the palace and we can accommodate you while we get the children comfortable...? I'm sure they're all cold and hungry right now."
Lars nodded and breathed out a sigh.
Looked like his plan worked!
...Little did he know...
It worked a little bit too effectively.
* * * * *
The head steward of the palace was summoned and quickly took charge of the many children. Food and drink were not a problem and neither was space. However, there were not enough clothes of the right size for the kids.
As such, a makeshift solution was decided upon - they tore down curtains of the older and unused rooms; halls and passageways that were once full of opulent parties of luxury and decadence.
Then quickly cut out long sections of cloth and then used them to wrap up the kids in something like a simple toga.
'Better than nothing, I guess...' Lars thought when he found out what they had done to take care of the kids.
He had not agreed to make the palace his abode, but he did agree to linger on together with the Duke and Prime Minister.
Leanne apologised that her daughter was not around, as she had left for a 3 month training session and would only be back in a week's time. Her absence was a relief to her widow mother; at least she was safe in the capitol, one less thing to worry about during the high-stakes devil invasion!
Gurdev withdrew as he had numerous matters to attend to in overseeing the city did not collapse overnight, while he released Selina and Sharon, who requested to be excused as they had other matters to attend to.
But Lars demanded that Charley Charlemagne be made to stay.
"This boy shall be my messenger and representative." Lars pointed at Charley and spoke matter-of-factly.
Charley collapsed, unconscious, much to the shock and bemusement of Leanne.
"....." Lars sweated, confused at the over the top and sudden reaction, before remembering that the boy only knew him as an apex powerhouse who could snuff him out with a sneeze. If he were in Charley's shoes, he too would have a near heart attack at being appointed as the agent of a high and mighty godlike being out of the blue!
Of course he would faint!
Continuing to sweat, Lars spoke, "Erm... Maybe the boy is just tired... Could you like, someone, bring him to rest...?" He smiled sheepishly, though once more it looked like a stern and displeased grimace, prompting the stewards to hurry to bring the boy away to his resting chambers.
While he was being taken away, Lars made sure to leave a simple alarm spell on the boy - just because he was in the palace didn't mean it was safe...
"Ahem, Sir Mikael, once more I express our city's gratitude to your altruism in coming to our aid... You are truly our hero!" Leanne looked at the man with eyes that glittered with passion and a face slightly flushed due to her excitement at the man's brilliant plan.
But Lars felt uncomfortable as her eyes and face looked more like a woman in love!
Creeped out, Lars backed away uncomfortably even as she leaned in nearer.
'We're in public right now! What are you doing, woman!!! Kizorik!!! Help!!!' Lars cried out mentally even as he kept a stern face but was sweating profusely.
'Heh heh heh kid... She's not bad right...? She can be your sugar mommy! She looks filthy rich, with a frickin' palace and all!' Looked like the penguin was not in a mood to be helpful... Not helpful at all!
"Hmmph! It is nothing to me. Leanne, I believe it is time for me to leave. Thank you for your hospitality, but I have my own arrangements." He spoke firmly and turned his body away abruptly so he could stop seeing the infatuated looks she was giving him.
Duke Leanne's eyes widened in surprise, then she anxiously said, "Oh! No, no... But then, how will I contact you again? I owe you a reward, you see... And, also, so that if you need any help, you can always reach out to the palace..."
While she was speaking, she was already thinking about how to rope the mighty mage over to their side in the inevitable clash against the Nobles' faction!
'If we can just get him on our side... Then we won't be at the disadvantage at all!' She shook with exhilaration at the thought...
...Making Lars misunderstand even more!
Seriously uncomfortable as he didn't dig the idea of a woman almost 25 years his senior (regardless of her beauty and good figure), Lars cleared his throat and thought quickly of how to excuse himself.
"I will be entering secluded practice for awhile to recover from the earlier battle. However, you may contact me through my representative Charley or Lars my... Disciple. Oh, yes, there IS one thing I would like to check..."
The still beautiful woman in her late 30's nodded enthusiastically, saying, "Yes, yes; whatever it is, I'd be more than happy to help. What is it...?"
"Well... There IS something... But I understand that the city will be short of funds in these coming months. As such, it would be too boorish of me to demand a monetary reward at this time..."
"No no! We would never think so poorly of you, Sir Mikael! All you need to do is ask..."
"Ah. Yes, that is very kind of you to say so, nevertheless, I will not impose on the city and harm the residents' well-being in my greed. However, I too am in need of money. So... Is there any way to earn a large sum of money in a short span of time...?"
With the Duke's favour, Lars was pretty much rest assured of getting a free trip through the portal to Raccoon city and onwards to the All-Heaven Divine Empire. However, he prioritised strength for the time being, and he should always be on the lookout for an opportunity to amass great power in a short time!
Duke Leanne tilted her pretty head, causing her silken black curls to flow down beautifully, an enchanting sight even to Lars who drew the line at women much older than him. Then she thought about it for a moment before giving him a radiant smile.
Compared to when they had first spoke and now, she seemed to have no guile and showed him her most charming and relaxed side, giving him the feel like he were in the presence of a goddess of Nature and Beauty!
Then she put a finger on her cherry lips and her face lit up as she recalled the upcoming event - one that she had put far from her mind for many, many years.
"Well if it's only to earn lots of money, there IS one option... Which is..." She paused momentarily before continuing with a serious tone.
"...The Battle Through the Heavens..."
"...To ascend the Tower of God!"
"The Tower of God...?" Lars felt a deep resonance in his soul as he heard the words.
'Lars!!! OMG!!! Say yes! SAY YES!!!' Kizorik urged him agitatedly and desperately, shocking the boy, then realising that Lars was someone who needed things to be explained to him, the penguin spoke like a bullet train.
'The Tower of God... How could it be here...??? Lars, do you know how much a single entry ticket to the Tower of God costs...?'
'In Abyss Points...? No, of course I don't. How much does it cost...?'
Kizorik paused for dramatic effect and fixed a dead serious gaze on Lars as he spoke.
'To enter the Tower of God is not a guarantee, but it is a chance... A once in a lifetime, once in a cosmos, once in a hundred trillion opportunity to ascend directly to the heavens in one fell swoop!'
'Because..... An entry ticket costs 5 TRILLION AP!!!'
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"What I want is..."
The people surrounding Lars all waited with bated breaths, captivated by his booming rebuke and now dying to find out just what the middle-aged pseudo-Mythical mage would demand!
Especially as it might impact their livelihoods - or even their lives if he declared hostility with the palace!
So they dared not breath, waiting with rapt attention to find out what would happen next.
And Lars spoke his piece sharply.
"...For you to take care of these children, safe and unharmed, return them to their families, and guarantee the safety of not just them but their relatives as well!"
Duke Leanne and Gurdev were stunned and frowning in confusion, while the surrounding crowds stood there shocked with mouths hanging wide open.
Was that all???
So much drama just for such a simple demand??!
The people nearby could not understand the implications of his demands, but the ravishing woman and her administrator of the city did.
'...What a cunning man. What a dastardly, wily and cunning man!' Leanne bit her lip in consternation as she quickly worked through the ramifications of just what he had demanded.
'These children... Their existence is a black mark on the reputation of this city, living proof of the crimes that occurred... Not just that, by slowly questioning them, especially the older ones, slowly but surely the perpetrators will be unveiled... And then from there, those crime lords would not hold any loyalty to their employers - they would then immediately rat on the true dark hands behind the curtains - the noble families!'
'The children will then obviously become targets of their captors and the ones behind their kidnapping in the first place... Which will reveal a trail... Does he really plan to pull through on this himself... Or...'
'Perhaps his plan is to use a borrowed knife to kill the dragon!'
As their hearts pounded even more fiercely and their scalps turned numb from the impact of this short conversation, both the Duke and the Minister looked at each other at exactly the same time. And they saw a troubled, anxious image in each others faces!
The more Leanne and Gurdev though about it, the more grave that seemingly simple request turned out to be! Sinister! Wickedly scheming, yet infinitely upright in his open and above-board plot!
Magnificent! Outstanding! Preposterously effective!
They wished they could clap their hands in awe of his one request that would slowly reveal the rotten underbelly of the city - and force the Kingdom of the Sands to either take responsibility...
And cut off the snake's head of the true demonic lords hiding in the shadows!
The man himself would not need to make a single move, except to oversee that the Kingdom and city government kept their part of the "easy" promise - to protect and guard over the lives of the children and their families!
Not realising that the lip she was biting was already bleeding, Leanne's mind continued to spin endlessly as she agonised over what to do next. She looked at Gurdev and they quickly had a complicit understanding without even needing words - they had no choice but accept and then quickly get in touch with the capitol for even greater support!
For after all, wouldn't traces of Silvan's involvement be revealed as well...?
The only comfort Leanne and Gurdev had in all these was two things.
Firstly, they themselves had never, ever, not even in the slightest bit been involved in the shady dealings of the city!
Secondly... And it was this point that hooked them in so simply but so surely...
If they played their cards right... They could launch a hostile takeover of all the power, authority, influence and assets of their enemies in one fell swoop!
The two government representatives could not help but to have fervent gazes of fanaticism as they stared in awe of this man... No, this GOD of Scheming!
Brilliant! Too f***ing brilliant! Too amazing and so frickin' awesome that they were tempted to fall to their knees and disciple themselves to this man who had in one sharp stroke managed to derail the entire politics of the city all in a single conversation!
And on top of all that... Who in their right minds would believe that a wandering warrior would appear out of the blue, one at the near-Mythical stage and just be a "nobody", "random passerby" or "part-time hero"???
No! It was certain that this man was not alone; he surely had a great backing!
'One that we must make sure to carefully and slowly suss out...'
"Sir... No, God... Erm, ahem, I mean, Mikael..." Leanne began speaking, then realised that she had mixed up her internal monologue with reality and tried to pass it off as a play of the ears.
"Hmm...?! What is there you wish to say! I shall bear no discussions - answer clearly now, or I SWEAR - I Mikael Tumijo shall be enemies with Gorun city forever!" Lars, thinking that he had not obtained the buy-in from the woman and her aide yet, put his foot on the pedal and used his last bargaining chip.
Unbeknownst to the beauty and her tall, dark and not very handsome minister, Lars was sweating, worried that the palace would not accept - and strand him with the throng of children!!!
What a nightmare!!! Caring for and providing for the needs of even one child was already such a great task - what more six hundred of them!
Little did he know that his simple request had been extrapolated so far and so wide to have country-shaking results!
Little did Lars know that his fictional identity would become the firebrand to spark off a conflict between the crown and the many noble factions as well as the dark side of the underworld!
And little did Lars know that his innocent request...
Would be the beginning of the end for the Duke Silvan that he hated so much!
But these are all a story for another time.
Lars stood still, heart pounding as he hoped that his bluff would not be called. He had not much gas left in the tank - he wondered if he could really take them on at this time!
But to his relief, his counterparts' eyes that were burning with passion soon began to light up in excitement (which he did not understand) as they hurriedly began to nod and agree with his request!
"Yes, yes yes yes yes! God--I mean, Sir Mikael, please, it is an honour that you would entrust us as such. But... We truly hope for your help and support in protecting them. Why don't you stay in the palace and we can accommodate you while we get the children comfortable...? I'm sure they're all cold and hungry right now."
Lars nodded and breathed out a sigh.
Looked like his plan worked!
...Little did he know...
It worked a little bit too effectively.
* * * * *
The head steward of the palace was summoned and quickly took charge of the many children. Food and drink were not a problem and neither was space. However, there were not enough clothes of the right size for the kids.
As such, a makeshift solution was decided upon - they tore down curtains of the older and unused rooms; halls and passageways that were once full of opulent parties of luxury and decadence.
Then quickly cut out long sections of cloth and then used them to wrap up the kids in something like a simple toga.
'Better than nothing, I guess...' Lars thought when he found out what they had done to take care of the kids.
He had not agreed to make the palace his abode, but he did agree to linger on together with the Duke and Prime Minister.
Leanne apologised that her daughter was not around, as she had left for a 3 month training session and would only be back in a week's time. Her absence was a relief to her widow mother; at least she was safe in the capitol, one less thing to worry about during the high-stakes devil invasion!
Gurdev withdrew as he had numerous matters to attend to in overseeing the city did not collapse overnight, while he released Selina and Sharon, who requested to be excused as they had other matters to attend to.
But Lars demanded that Charley Charlemagne be made to stay.
"This boy shall be my messenger and representative." Lars pointed at Charley and spoke matter-of-factly.
Charley collapsed, unconscious, much to the shock and bemusement of Leanne.
"....." Lars sweated, confused at the over the top and sudden reaction, before remembering that the boy only knew him as an apex powerhouse who could snuff him out with a sneeze. If he were in Charley's shoes, he too would have a near heart attack at being appointed as the agent of a high and mighty godlike being out of the blue!
Of course he would faint!
Continuing to sweat, Lars spoke, "Erm... Maybe the boy is just tired... Could you like, someone, bring him to rest...?" He smiled sheepishly, though once more it looked like a stern and displeased grimace, prompting the stewards to hurry to bring the boy away to his resting chambers.
While he was being taken away, Lars made sure to leave a simple alarm spell on the boy - just because he was in the palace didn't mean it was safe...
"Ahem, Sir Mikael, once more I express our city's gratitude to your altruism in coming to our aid... You are truly our hero!" Leanne looked at the man with eyes that glittered with passion and a face slightly flushed due to her excitement at the man's brilliant plan.
But Lars felt uncomfortable as her eyes and face looked more like a woman in love!
Creeped out, Lars backed away uncomfortably even as she leaned in nearer.
'We're in public right now! What are you doing, woman!!! Kizorik!!! Help!!!' Lars cried out mentally even as he kept a stern face but was sweating profusely.
'Heh heh heh kid... She's not bad right...? She can be your sugar mommy! She looks filthy rich, with a frickin' palace and all!' Looked like the penguin was not in a mood to be helpful... Not helpful at all!
"Hmmph! It is nothing to me. Leanne, I believe it is time for me to leave. Thank you for your hospitality, but I have my own arrangements." He spoke firmly and turned his body away abruptly so he could stop seeing the infatuated looks she was giving him.
Duke Leanne's eyes widened in surprise, then she anxiously said, "Oh! No, no... But then, how will I contact you again? I owe you a reward, you see... And, also, so that if you need any help, you can always reach out to the palace..."
While she was speaking, she was already thinking about how to rope the mighty mage over to their side in the inevitable clash against the Nobles' faction!
'If we can just get him on our side... Then we won't be at the disadvantage at all!' She shook with exhilaration at the thought...
...Making Lars misunderstand even more!
Seriously uncomfortable as he didn't dig the idea of a woman almost 25 years his senior (regardless of her beauty and good figure), Lars cleared his throat and thought quickly of how to excuse himself.
"I will be entering secluded practice for awhile to recover from the earlier battle. However, you may contact me through my representative Charley or Lars my... Disciple. Oh, yes, there IS one thing I would like to check..."
The still beautiful woman in her late 30's nodded enthusiastically, saying, "Yes, yes; whatever it is, I'd be more than happy to help. What is it...?"
"Well... There IS something... But I understand that the city will be short of funds in these coming months. As such, it would be too boorish of me to demand a monetary reward at this time..."
"No no! We would never think so poorly of you, Sir Mikael! All you need to do is ask..."
"Ah. Yes, that is very kind of you to say so, nevertheless, I will not impose on the city and harm the residents' well-being in my greed. However, I too am in need of money. So... Is there any way to earn a large sum of money in a short span of time...?"
With the Duke's favour, Lars was pretty much rest assured of getting a free trip through the portal to Raccoon city and onwards to the All-Heaven Divine Empire. However, he prioritised strength for the time being, and he should always be on the lookout for an opportunity to amass great power in a short time!
Duke Leanne tilted her pretty head, causing her silken black curls to flow down beautifully, an enchanting sight even to Lars who drew the line at women much older than him. Then she thought about it for a moment before giving him a radiant smile.
Compared to when they had first spoke and now, she seemed to have no guile and showed him her most charming and relaxed side, giving him the feel like he were in the presence of a goddess of Nature and Beauty!
Then she put a finger on her cherry lips and her face lit up as she recalled the upcoming event - one that she had put far from her mind for many, many years.
"Well if it's only to earn lots of money, there IS one option... Which is..." She paused momentarily before continuing with a serious tone.
"...The Battle Through the Heavens..."
"...To ascend the Tower of God!"
"The Tower of God...?" Lars felt a deep resonance in his soul as he heard the words.
'Lars!!! OMG!!! Say yes! SAY YES!!!' Kizorik urged him agitatedly and desperately, shocking the boy, then realising that Lars was someone who needed things to be explained to him, the penguin spoke like a bullet train.
'The Tower of God... How could it be here...??? Lars, do you know how much a single entry ticket to the Tower of God costs...?'
'In Abyss Points...? No, of course I don't. How much does it cost...?'
Kizorik paused for dramatic effect and fixed a dead serious gaze on Lars as he spoke.
'To enter the Tower of God is not a guarantee, but it is a chance... A once in a lifetime, once in a cosmos, once in a hundred trillion opportunity to ascend directly to the heavens in one fell swoop!'
'Because..... An entry ticket costs 5 TRILLION AP!!!'
"What I want is..."The people surrounding Lars all waited with bated breaths, captivated by his booming rebuke and now dying to find out just what the middle-aged pseudo-Mythical mage would demand!Especially as it might impact their livelihoods - or even their lives if he declared hostility with the palace!So they dared not breath, waiting with rapt attention to find out what would happen next.And Lars spoke his piece sharply."...For you to take care of these children, safe and unharmed, return them to their families, and guarantee the safety of not just them but their relatives as well!"Duke Leanne and Gurdev were stunned and frowning in confusion, while the surrounding crowds stood there shocked with mouths hanging wide open.Was that all???So much drama just for such a simple demand??!The people nearby could not understand the implications of his demands, but the ravishing woman and her administrator of the city did.'...What a cunning man. What a dastardly, wily and cunning man!' Leanne bit her lip in consternation as she quickly worked through the ramifications of just what he had demanded.'These children... Their existence is a black mark on the reputation of this city, living proof of the crimes that occurred... Not just that, by slowly questioning them, especially the older ones, slowly but surely the perpetrators will be unveiled... And then from there, those crime lords would not hold any loyalty to their employers - they would then immediately rat on the true dark hands behind the curtains - the noble families!''The children will then obviously become targets of their captors and the ones behind their kidnapping in the first place... Which will reveal a trail... Does he really plan to pull through on this himself... Or...''Perhaps his plan is to use a borrowed knife to kill the dragon!'As their hearts pounded even more fiercely and their scalps turned numb from the impact of this short conversation, both the Duke and the Minister looked at each other at exactly the same time. And they saw a troubled, anxious image in each others faces!The more Leanne and Gurdev though about it, the more grave that seemingly simple request turned out to be! Sinister! Wickedly scheming, yet infinitely upright in his open and above-board plot!Magnificent! Outstanding! Preposterously effective!They wished they could clap their hands in awe of his one request that would slowly reveal the rotten underbelly of the city - and force the Kingdom of the Sands to either take responsibility...And cut off the snake's head of the true demonic lords hiding in the shadows!The man himself would not need to make a single move, except to oversee that the Kingdom and city government kept their part of the "easy" promise - to protect and guard over the lives of the children and their families!Not realising that the lip she was biting was already bleeding, Leanne's mind continued to spin endlessly as she agonised over what to do next. She looked at Gurdev and they quickly had a complicit understanding without even needing words - they had no choice but accept and then quickly get in touch with the capitol for even greater support!For after all, wouldn't traces of Silvan's involvement be revealed as well...?The only comfort Leanne and Gurdev had in all these was two things.Firstly, they themselves had never, ever, not even in the slightest bit been involved in the shady dealings of the city!Secondly... And it was this point that hooked them in so simply but so surely...If they played their cards right... They could launch a hostile takeover of all the power, authority, influence and assets of their enemies in one fell swoop!The two government representatives could not help but to have fervent gazes of fanaticism as they stared in awe of this man... No, this GOD of Scheming!Brilliant! Too f***ing brilliant! Too amazing and so frickin' awesome that they were tempted to fall to their knees and disciple themselves to this man who had in one sharp stroke managed to derail the entire politics of the city all in a single conversation!And on top of all that... Who in their right minds would believe that a wandering warrior would appear out of the blue, one at the near-Mythical stage and just be a "nobody", "random passerby" or "part-time hero"???No! It was certain that this man was not alone; he surely had a great backing!'One that we must make sure to carefully and slowly suss out...'"Sir... No, God... Erm, ahem, I mean, Mikael..." Leanne began speaking, then realised that she had mixed up her internal monologue with reality and tried to pass it off as a play of the ears."Hmm...?! What is there you wish to say! I shall bear no discussions - answer clearly now, or I SWEAR - I Mikael Tumijo shall be enemies with Gorun city forever!" Lars, thinking that he had not obtained the buy-in from the woman and her aide yet, put his foot on the pedal and used his last bargaining chip.Unbeknownst to the beauty and her tall, dark and not very handsome minister, Lars was sweating, worried that the palace would not accept - and strand him with the throng of children!!!What a nightmare!!! Caring for and providing for the needs of even one child was already such a great task - what more six hundred of them!Little did he know that his simple request had been extrapolated so far and so wide to have country-shaking results!Little did Lars know that his fictional identity would become the firebrand to spark off a conflict between the crown and the many noble factions as well as the dark side of the underworld!And little did Lars know that his innocent request...Would be the beginning of the end for the Duke Silvan that he hated so much!But these are all a story for another time.Lars stood still, heart pounding as he hoped that his bluff would not be called. He had not much gas left in the tank - he wondered if he could really take them on at this time!But to his relief, his counterparts' eyes that were burning with passion soon began to light up in excitement which he did not understand as they hurriedly began to nod and agree with his request!"Yes, yes yes yes yes! God--I mean, Sir Mikael, please, it is an honour that you would entrust us as such. But... We truly hope for your help and support in protecting them. Why don't you stay in the palace and we can accommodate you while we get the children comfortable...? I'm sure they're all cold and hungry right now."Lars nodded and breathed out a sigh.Looked like his plan worked!...Little did he know...It worked a little bit too effectively.* * * * *The head steward of the palace was summoned and quickly took charge of the many children. Food and drink were not a problem and neither was space. However, there were not enough clothes of the right size for the kids.As such, a makeshift solution was decided upon - they tore down curtains of the older and unused rooms; halls and passageways that were once full of opulent parties of luxury and decadence.Then quickly cut out long sections of cloth and then used them to wrap up the kids in something like a simple toga.'Better than nothing, I guess...' Lars thought when he found out what they had done to take care of the kids.He had not agreed to make the palace his abode, but he did agree to linger on together with the Duke and Prime Minister.Leanne apologised that her daughter was not around, as she had left for a 3 month training session and would only be back in a week's time. Her absence was a relief to her widow mother; at least she was safe in the capitol, one less thing to worry about during the high-stakes devil invasion!Gurdev withdrew as he had numerous matters to attend to in overseeing the city did not collapse overnight, while he released Selina and Sharon, who requested to be excused as they had other matters to attend to.But Lars demanded that Charley Charlemagne be made to stay."This boy shall be my messenger and representative." Lars pointed at Charley and spoke matter-of-factly.Charley collapsed, unconscious, much to the shock and bemusement of Leanne."....." Lars sweated, confused at the over the top and sudden reaction, before remembering that the boy only knew him as an apex powerhouse who could snuff him out with a sneeze. If he were in Charley's shoes, he too would have a near heart attack at being appointed as the agent of a high and mighty godlike being out of the blue!Of course he would faint!Continuing to sweat, Lars spoke, "Erm... Maybe the boy is just tired... Could you like, someone, bring him to rest...?" He smiled sheepishly, though once more it looked like a stern and displeased grimace, prompting the stewards to hurry to bring the boy away to his resting chambers.While he was being taken away, Lars made sure to leave a simple alarm spell on the boy - just because he was in the palace didn't mean it was safe..."Ahem, Sir Mikael, once more I express our city's gratitude to your altruism in coming to our aid... You are truly our hero!" Leanne looked at the man with eyes that glittered with passion and a face slightly flushed due to her excitement at the man's brilliant plan.But Lars felt uncomfortable as her eyes and face looked more like a woman in love!Creeped out, Lars backed away uncomfortably even as she leaned in nearer.'We're in public right now! What are you doing, woman!!! Kizorik!!! Help!!!' Lars cried out mentally even as he kept a stern face but was sweating profusely.'Heh heh heh kid... She's not bad right...? She can be your sugar mommy! She looks filthy rich, with a frickin' palace and all!' Looked like the penguin was not in a mood to be helpful... Not helpful at all!"Hmmph! It is nothing to me. Leanne, I believe it is time for me to leave. Thank you for your hospitality, but I have my own arrangements." He spoke firmly and turned his body away abruptly so he could stop seeing the infatuated looks she was giving him.Duke Leanne's eyes widened in surprise, then she anxiously said, "Oh! No, no... But then, how will I contact you again? I owe you a reward, you see... And, also, so that if you need any help, you can always reach out to the palace..."While she was speaking, she was already thinking about how to rope the mighty mage over to their side in the inevitable clash against the Nobles' faction!'If we can just get him on our side... Then we won't be at the disadvantage at all!' She shook with exhilaration at the thought......Making Lars misunderstand even more!Seriously uncomfortable as he didn't dig the idea of a woman almost 25 years his senior regardless of her beauty and good figure, Lars cleared his throat and thought quickly of how to excuse himself."I will be entering secluded practice for awhile to recover from the earlier battle. However, you may contact me through my representative Charley or Lars my... Disciple. Oh, yes, there IS one thing I would like to check..."The still beautiful woman in her late 30's nodded enthusiastically, saying, "Yes, yes; whatever it is, I'd be more than happy to help. What is it...?""Well... There IS something... But I understand that the city will be short of funds in these coming months. As such, it would be too boorish of me to demand a monetary reward at this time...""No no! We would never think so poorly of you, Sir Mikael! All you need to do is ask...""Ah. Yes, that is very kind of you to say so, nevertheless, I will not impose on the city and harm the residents' well-being in my greed. However, I too am in need of money. So... Is there any way to earn a large sum of money in a short span of time...?"With the Duke's favour, Lars was pretty much rest assured of getting a free trip through the portal to Raccoon city and onwards to the All-Heaven Divine Empire. However, he prioritised strength for the time being, and he should always be on the lookout for an opportunity to amass great power in a short time!Duke Leanne tilted her pretty head, causing her silken black curls to flow down beautifully, an enchanting sight even to Lars who drew the line at women much older than him. Then she thought about it for a moment before giving him a radiant smile.Compared to when they had first spoke and now, she seemed to have no guile and showed him her most charming and relaxed side, giving him the feel like he were in the presence of a goddess of Nature and Beauty!Then she put a finger on her cherry lips and her face lit up as she recalled the upcoming event - one that she had put far from her mind for many, many years."Well if it's only to earn lots of money, there IS one option... Which is..." She paused momentarily before continuing with a serious tone."...The Battle Through the Heavens...""...To ascend the Tower of God!""The Tower of God...?" Lars felt a deep resonance in his soul as he heard the words.'Lars!!! OMG!!! Say yes! SAY YES!!!' Kizorik urged him agitatedly and desperately, shocking the boy, then realising that Lars was someone who needed things to be explained to him, the penguin spoke like a bullet train.'The Tower of God... How could it be here...??? Lars, do you know how much a single entry ticket to the Tower of God costs...?''In Abyss Points...? No, of course I don't. How much does it cost...?'Kizorik paused for dramatic effect and fixed a dead serious gaze on Lars as he spoke.'To enter the Tower of God is not a guarantee, but it is a chance... A once in a lifetime, once in a cosmos, once in a hundred trillion opportunity to ascend directly to the heavens in one fell swoop!''Because..... An entry ticket costs 5 TRILLION AP!!!'
