novel bin Chapter 1103: Chapter 1102: Making Predictions
Chapter 1103: Chapter 1102: Making Predictions
Chapter 1103: Chapter 1102: Making Predictions
It was hard to continue playing chess when a dozen some odd Death Jackals filtered into the room a minute after Hera was sent away, each of these warriors kneeling before their Sultana and awaiting orders as more of their number joined with each passing second.
Lady Kio was determined to try and keep playing the game set before us, but when she noticed that Leone - the opponent that I had been facing and now the one that she had been facing - had gotten up to observe the gathering happening nearby, she growled and did the same, getting up and strutting over to her wife as she looked over the various Death Jackals with an impassive gaze.
The rest of us joined Leone as we watched the Death Jackals filter on into this room, the gathering growing by the second until we had reached two dozen warriors easily, and by that point the Sultana stepped forwards and began to issue orders, commanding their attention and causing each of them to become completely and utterly still so as to not make any noice whatsoever.
"The Fingers have now decided to partner up and contract themselves to Fiends to achieve a new goal. A bastardized goal of prosperous change riding on the back of hard work and research done by the scholars of our country. They wish to take their new Fiendish partners magics and begin converting portions of the country into something new.
They wish to turn the desert we live in and make it into one singular oasis, to turn the golden sands into lush green grass and crystal clear water. It sounds wonderful and ideal; no more harsh heat, no more scorching sun or burning sands. No more need to rely on other countries for food, no need to place an immense burden on those living beside the existing oasis's. It's a goal we could all get behind, as long as it was actually feasible.
Sadly, we learned that it wasn't a few years ago. Mana conversion or mana swapping on that scale would destroy the little life this desert provides, and no matter how much we tried it would never go from gold to green. However, these imbeciles believe they can manage to do what we failed to do, with the aid of the Fiends."
Pausing, the Sultana raked her gaze over the assembled warriors, taking in their expressions and body language as she began to roam around the room silently, her feet gliding across the tile and carrying her wherever she desired as she moved amongst her personal warriors, allowing her to study them even closer than before.
"Fiendish magics might make it possible, but the cost of such an endeavor is one no one is capable of affording. No country in this world could afford to convert an entire landmass into a new biome without severe casualties, be it from people or other living things. Monsters and animals would be eradicated as their primary mana type was wrenched away, and the mortal body would need to adapt to this new atmosphere before we could even begin to imagine surviving, let alone thriving...
So I have called for you all to comb the Sultanate and hunt down any and all Fiends that you can find. Search and destroy with the utmost imperative starting now. Fiends are the primary targets, but locating the Fingers is your secondary objective. There are no restraints; do what you must to eliminate the Fiends, but if you locate the Fingers send word immediately back to Muqai Al-Maedin so that others might join you. This is for our future, after all..."
Returning to stand in front of them, the Sultana clasped her hands behind her back and stared at them all before nodding, resulting in them all rising and giving her a warrior's salute as they placed a fist over their heart before rushing from the hall to do as she asked, leaving us alone after that short speech.
"Well, now that that's done... I must admit I am rather hungry."
"Ah, yes... that was an interesting fight you had been locked into. Tell me about it again; I might remember this 'Caliph' if I hear the story again."
Recounting the fight to the Sultana once more - this time in more detail - was making me feel
a bit irritated again as I went over the various flaws in my fight, from how I had arrogantly decided to face him one on one to how I had restrained myself from fighting at my fullest because I was worried of exposing my cards too soon.
My tale was followed by the others as they finished painting the picture of what had happened in Bascra, and it helped us all realize what had happened and how we could improve, though that was what I was itching to go do right now instead of sitting still.
A part of me obviously wanted to remain here and just work through the theoreticals some
more and come up with more ideas to put into practice, but more of me wanted to go out and find that prick to settle the score, mainly because I had just been riled up again by the memory
of that fight...
By the time that the meal had arrived we were diverted from the topic anyways as all of the
pups swarmed into the room and rushed their parents, no longer shy or wary of us as they just ignored us completely, much to Lady Kio's 'annoyance' as she spent a few minutes placating
the youngest pups.
It made me a little homesick seeing the youngest of Anput's siblings, the adorable faces of Alessandra and Lakshmi flickering into my mind as I wondered how they were doing back in the Empire with Mother and their Mom's...
Probably a lot less frustrated than I was right now and far happier in that temperate climate, that's for sure.