Units kept coming out, they were roughly put together, but they worked well in their individual units.
How many people did they bring?
"What do you think now Gudriksson?"
"Either they have brought their entire guild, or the Willful Institute pissed off someone that shouldn't be pissed off. Look at their gear, look at the way they move. They’re mercenaries through and through. But their gear is some of the best to be found in the Fourth Realm. The way they work together. They are individuals but it is clear that they have trained together and a deep connection to their guild. They're loyal, and angry."
Coming up from the lowest rungs of society, Gudriksson wasn't as blind or arrogant as many of the older sects had become.
This is why I took him to be the head of my armed forces. He's too blunt to care about plans in the background, but smart enough to understand them.
"We should go and greet them. I think that things just changed."
***
Blaze had just returned to his office in the Fourth Realm.
"You're still working, I haven't seen you in weeks," Elise pouted.
"There is always more to be done, especially in these times."
"The fighting has you worried."
"We just sent ten thousand people over to the Grey Peak Sect. In the next few hours, our guild will, officially, be at war with the Willful Institute."
"We have been for a while though," Elise said.
"Yes, though it was in secret. Now we will become one of their targets. Even if they never learn of everything else that we've done."
"We can't regret what is going to happen now. We can just deal with the results," Elise said, rubbing his shoulders.
He patted her hands and she leaned forward, draping her arms over him and hugging him from behind.
There was a knock at the door.
Elise stood up and moved to the side.
"Come in," Blaze said.
The door opened revealing Emilia.
"There is someone here from the Grey Peak Sect, want to talk to you about cooperation."yy$▪︎0
"Looks like they must've figured it out already." Blaze said.
"I have a meeting over at the academy, I'll see you later," Elise said.
Blaze stood and kissed her.
"Alright, see you for dinner. Emilia, bring the representative up to see me."
Blaze sat down and read some of the reports, trying to get something extra done.
Three information books later, he was nursing a headache as there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," Blaze said, standing and showing no signs of fatigue.
A man with a braided beard with metal rings in it stood at the door. He was wearing a heavy armored vest and braided hair hung down his back.
"Guild Leader Blaze, thank you for meeting with me!" The man laughed and walked over to Blaze and shook his hand. "My name is Ragnar Haddsson. I wanted to talk to you about cooperating together."
"Ah, so you are here about the Third Realm?" Blaze said.
"Third Realm?" Ragnar frowned.
"Your Grey Peak Sect and my Adventurer's Guild are working together in the Third Realm. My guild is sending people to support your Grey Peak Sect branch to deal with Meokar city controlled by the Willful Institute."
"Ah, news travels slowly through the realms," Haddsson said with an awkward laugh.
Seems I was wrong, they didn't connect the dots. Oh well, they will now. Be hard to not to.
"Forgive my ignorance." Haddsson said. "And let me thank you on behalf of the Grey Peak Sect for assisting us."
"It is a small matter. We have an issue with the Willful Institute anyway. Looking at the other sects in the area I believe that it would be best if the Grey Peak Sect took over the control of Meokar."
"You have no interest in the city?"
"No, we will take some treasures, but they killed some of our people. We will only be happy when there is no Willful Institute presence remaining in the city."
"The Willful Institute is arrogant in their ways, killing grand elites of the Adventurer's Guild!"
"They weren't elites. They were just regular adventurers. If you attack one of our members, you attack us all. I am glad that we were able to find an ally like the Grey Peak Sect.
"Thank you, Guild Leader Blaze."
"Did you have some other matters to discuss?"
"My Grey Peak Sect has run into an issue with a mine in the Fourth Realm. We found a new vein in one of our territories, but it is far from our cities. Traders and workers need to travel far before reaching the mining town. We are expanding the mine rapidly and need to position more people at the mine, which gives us less forces to protect the convoys. Bandits have started to appear in the area. We could deal with it, but then it would pull strength away from our cities. We are not sure if the attacks are truly bandits or other forces. We would like to contract out the protection of the convoys to the Adventurer's Guild."
"I think that we will be able to assist with this and get information on the bandits so you can decide what you want done with them," Blaze said. "We might need to bring in some people from other allied guilds to meet your needs, would that work?"
"If they have your recommendation we would be only too happy to hire them."
"Very well, I will need some more information but I look forward to our continued cooperation," Blaze reached out his hand.
"To our continued cooperation!" Haddsson smiled and shook Blaze's hand.
***
Jasper and Niemm walked into the war room with two other special team members.
Mister Yi and Zukal should be setting up their own command center shortly. I wonder what the plan is.
"Vice Guild leader Jasper," Branch Leader Storgaard, left the conversations she had been in to greet him personally.
The other group leaders had awkward expressions on their faces. Though, they showed sneers and disdain towards the small guild leader that had shown them up, bringing his entire guild to fight.
"Your support is as welcome as coal in a snow storm," Storgaard's attitude had a major change since she had first met Jasper.
"We made promises and the Adventurer's Guild put our entire reputation on those promises."
Jasper's smile widened slightly as the other leader's faces darkened.
"Well said," Storgaard laughed lightly. "I'd like to discuss tactics with you if possible. There are still more people coming through the totem. It seems that you have endless warriors at your command." She guided him over the large planning table which was a large formation connected to the alarm arrays, all of the Willful Institute' moves were clearly outlined on the table.
"We asked the guild members that wanted to participate in the attack to gather in the Third Realm. We were surprised by the number of volunteers. We had to limit it to just ten thousand."
If we didn't hold those idiots back, then we could've had ten times that number. Do they want the guild to go broke from paying their transportation fees!
"Just ten thousand," Storgaard coughed and blinked.
"More than that and it could be hard to establish command and control. We also have the strongest members to make sure that the younger members who overestimate their strength, don't make a deadly decision."
"That makes a lot of sense, with your forces and that of the Grey Peak Sect we'll be able to beat the Willful Institute back easily."
"You only want to beat them back?" Jasper asked.
"Once we do that, then we can regroup our forces," Storgaard shot a look at the different elders in the room. "And we can lead an attack on the Institute and make them listen to our demands."
"Oh, well, we're here to eliminate the Willful Institute from Meokar completely."
"That won’t be a simple task. They have close to thirty thousand people in their vanguard and another five thousand guarding their city."
"We know, how about this, we will work together to defend your city and bleed the Willful
Institute; then, if you wish to join us or not, we will attack Meokar."
"You are thinking of yourselves too much! You are just a guild from the Third Realm! You want to take down a sect city, impossible!" A bearded man said, flinging his sleeves.
"Who said that our headquarters in the Third Realm?"
"You don't even have a headquarters here! You made a lot of noise about bringing ten thousand people over; will we find that your branches are empty when we knock on their doors in the Third Realm?" Another elder added in a huff.
Did you get annoyed with a 'smaller' power showing off in front of you. Why are these sects always thinking of how great they are?
Jasper shook his head and let out a sigh.
"Can you even face our great sects, a simple guild like yours?" The bearded Elder said, the other elders showed the same looks of disdain.
"You," Storgaard made to step forward but Jasper reached out and stopped her.
"I guess I should re-introduce my guild," Jasper's voice was deep as he tapped into the power of his body and his mana. His aura was deep and heavy while formations made it impossible for one to understand his power. They could all feel like the scholarly-like man had turned into some powerful demon in front of them.
"The Adventurers' Guild has branches from the First Realm to the Fourth Realm, with over seven hundred thousand members. We are headquartered in Vuzgal city, located in the Fourth Realm. We are part of the Seven Shields and Two Swords Fighter's Alliance. We are a subsidiary guild of the Fighter's Association. In the army I brought, a third could enter the Sixth Realm, another third the Fifth Realm and the remaining members are from the Fourth Realm."
"Vuzgal? That is the holy land of fighters and crafters?"
"What is the Seven Shields and Two Sword Alliance?"
"Its an alliance between fighters guilds that are subordinates of the Fighter's Association. They came to an agreement to support one another, so that their people wouldn't join the Fighter's Association with anger in their hearts. Some people call them the roots of the Fighter's Association!"
"So many experts? I thought that they were from the Third Realm. Even for a group from the Fourth Realm, isn't that excessive?"
"Never mind a city in the Third Realm, couldn't they attack a city in the Fourth Realm?"
"I wondered why their guild leader isn't here! The Vuzgal fighting competition is going on!"
"What are you talking about, do you think that their guild leader would come down to the Third Realm to deal with something like this. Having the vice-guild leader here shows their determination enough."
Jasper's aura withdrew and he appeared like a simple scholarly man once again as he heard others talking and turned to Storgaard.
"Elder, why do I feel like they are stronger than our own sect?"
"It seems like that might be true. We are just a medium power in the Third Realm."
"Didn't you say that no powerful forces would want to be involved and that we should only bring a small force so that when the real battle comes we can increase our rewards?"
"Silence! Do you think that I could predict such a power would appear?"
"So, Branch Leader Storgaard, what is your plan?"
Chapter: A small force?
"Lieutenant Colonel, everyone is ready," An Alvan soldier in Adventurer’s gear said.
"Good, how are things on the side of the sects?"
"They are waiting to see how things turn out. The Grey Peak Sect should be in the fight. We might need to push them further, if we want their help to take the city." Mister Yi said.
Zukal turned from the tower he had claimed as his command post and looked out across the snowy mountains.
"Whether they join us or not is up to them. With our force if we are not able to take the city then I will resign in dishonor."
"You're that confident?"
"Mister Yi, I would leave nothing up to chance," Zukal's face spread into a frigid sneer. "And Colonel Domonos is coming down himself with a full combat company as reserve. With all we know about Meokar, they have few secrets that they can keep. We have been able to build counters for most of their main attacks and to bypass their defenses."
Mister Yi was silent.
"The Dragon Battalion and the Adventurer's Guild have not been able to show their true strength before. We will hold back our firearms, but everything else is allowed."
Mister Yi nodded, not as confident as Zukal.
We have been training for so long that people forgot how less than a hundred Alvan soldiers were able to hold back and bleed an army of thousands.
***
In the forests in the Grey Peak Sect's territory, one could hear the sounds of marching and metal as the armored members of the Willful Institute marched to the heart of the Grey Peak Sect's territory.
Grand Elder Mendes looked up from his mount, the low lying fog curled around the Grey Peak Sect's branch city.
It was set in a mountain range the tallest mountain had been turned into their city. It showed flat areas that had been turned into vast gardens to cultivate rare ingredients. Walls ringed the outside of these flat plateaus, creating broken up walls across the mountain. The mountain sprouted out of the middle of a plateau that stretched out to meet other mountains that led down into valleys that fell under the Grey Peak Sect's control.
"Our lead elements have made it out of the forest, half of the force is heading to the southern entrance, we should reach the Eastern entrance in less than an hour," Elder Tsi said beside Mendes.
"That will only leave the Northern entrance into the plains open. The fools built into a mountain, with such a design it saves building time, but then their formations will require much more power. Once we break through their gates then we will flood up through their gardens, spiralling up to the city at the peak. With the plateau two thirds up the mountain our ascent will be hard but not impossible."
"Do you think that they will last longer than our initial attack Grand Elder?"
Mendes tightened his grip on his reins and kicked his mount forward.
"I hope that they do. That way we can make a true display of our power, so that no one else challenges us for several decades. With a new sect under our control we can wipe away our previous losses."
"Should I mention this to the vanguard units? If they accidentally don't listen to orders, or can't let the dishonorable Grey Peak Sect Branch survive?" Elder Tsi lowered his voice, his eyes checking to make sure no one was listening to their conversation.
"It is hard to contain the younger generation. They are prone to bouts of anger that clouds their judgement and leads to mistakes."
The two elders looked at one another.
"Anyway I must check with the vanguard and their progress, Grand Elder."
"Elder."
They seperated and Mendes looked to the trails that led to the plateau.
A sudden flash went off as the mounts shifted uneasily.
Magical traps. Seeing the attacks light up he raised his voice. "Push our blood guard forward."
***
Storgaard stood there, a statue in the snow and wind as she watched the two black snakes that were reaching towards her branch city. Her face was as cold as the rock around her.
Behind her stood her command team, strong men and women with war paint on their faces and braided beards and hair.
Magical traps went off in the entrances to the plateau.
There is an unwritten rule in the realms. If one sect takes over the city, then all the connected region falls under their control. It is a rule that has been passed down by all of the associations. It saves the normal people and stops wars from spreading too far. We didn't have the time to draw in more people. Holding up in the castle is the best move as we can pit our defenses against their unsupported attackers.
The Willful Institute stopped their advance.
"Looks like a few spells have scared them," One of the women behind her said.
Storgaard narrowed her eyes,
the viewing spell allowing her to zoom in on the advancing army.
"Fucking savages," She hissed through gritted teeth as her knuckles popped from holding them so tight.
"Vicious," Gudriksson stood beside her as they watched the Willful Institute driving forward shivering bodies.
"They must have captured people from the valleys, as they advanced, to use them as a shield to activate our traps," Storgaard's eyes were dull, reflecting the cold merciless light of the blind magical traps that activated as the poor shivering serfs were shoved ahead of the Willful Institute's soldiers.
"Even if they fail, then we will have issues with our people, angered that we allowed this to happen. If they win then they will take on the issues. With showing their merciless side the voices will be quiet, scared of being the next victim. It can also serve as a warning to the other sects. Even if they lose, then they will gut the sect's serf population," Gudriksson evaluated coldly.
"Is there any-"
Gudrikksson shook his head.
"Unless we want to use our trump cards, there is nothing that we can do."
Storgaard unclenched her jaw and rested her hand on her sword, returning to the unfeeling valkyrie.
"Tell the Adventurer's Guild, if we can beat back the Willful Institute, then our Bear Legion will support their attack on Meokar and we will give them all the support we can. I will give them an oath if they desire it."
"What about the higher ups?" Gudrikksson asked.
"To pull over an ally like the Adventurer's Guild, do you think that they'll deny this?"
"Permission to join the vanguard."
Storgaard looked at Gudrikksson.
"They are just serfs."
"Yes, but they're our serfs and the Willful Institute is stepping all over our Grey Peak Sect's honor."
Storgaard turned her head back towards the battle.
"If you don't bring me back at least two elder's heads or that worm Mendes' corpse. I'll have you and the Bear Legion clearing forest for three months!"
"My axe was meant to bite into armor and bone, not trees," Gudrikksson's deep voice rolled over the stoney ground.
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