The morning coldness bit at Kai’s skin, but it couldn’t cool away the fire that simmered in his gut.

After he came back from the square, he was notified that the bandits were tied up and the slaves were helped. They were also in the process of getting them back to their families. But it wasn’t what gave him a weird knot in his stomach, it was about what lay in the future. It was about what he saw inside the mine.

He sighed.

I should do something about it instead of worrying.

He raised a hand, casting the spell to activate [Hawk eyes], and pushing mana through his veins. The familiar sensation of the enhanced vision washed over him, transforming the bustling city square below into a detailed tableau.

He looked at the central figure— the makeshift pillory erected for the captured bandits. People walked by, occasionally glancing at the bandits and a small crowd circled them.

Even from this far away, he could see the raw hatred that was on their faces— noses scrunched, shouting curses at the bandits.

A half-eaten cabbage arced through the air, splattering harmlessly against a bandit’s arm. It was the only food that flew and next, a well-aimed rock found its mark, eliciting a yelp of pain.

A single guard stood near the pillar, his face twisted in a smirk rather than concern. He looked like a bored spectator rather than a protector, content to make sure the ‘entertainment’ didn’t turn fatal.

He was there to make sure the bandits didn't have any serious injuries. Although he was giving them punishment, he had to still apply the kingdom's law and send them to the cells.

It was a strange thing. Despite it being thousands of years in the past, the kingdom had strict laws and regulations that were meant to be followed by all nobles and commoners alike. No wonder it had been able to become an empire in the future.

The foundations were always there.

His hawk eye flickered, zooming in on a rough calendar that was drawn into the wooden post of the pillory.

Seven deep gouges marked the days, a countdown to the bandits’ release— or rather, their transfer to the cold, impersonal confines of the jail.

He lowered his hands, the light blue light disappearing. It looked like the people were all enjoying the punishment given to the bandits. And again, who could blame them?

His brow remained furrowed. His thoughts started shifting between the day that the bandits would be imprisoned and–

"Admiring the birds, Lord Arzan?" a gentle voice inquired from beside him. Claire stood nearby, a tray of untouched breakfast balanced on a silver platter.

His thoughts were interrupted, but he quickly remembered that he was the one requested for breakfast on the terrace.

Kai offered a wry smile. "Not exactly, Claire. Just keeping an eye on things."

"Ah," she replied, her voice laced with a hint of curiosity. "The bandits, then? With the distance, they must appear quite small from here."

He chuckled, appreciating her subtle way of inquiring without overstepping. "Something like that. It's a spell that allows me to see clearly from afar."

Claire's eyes widened and twinkled in a way they would whenever he would show her a new spell. It seemed like she treated them like how children treated magic tricks.

“That sounds like a great spell to keep a watch over the city," she said, her eyes shifting to a more earnest level. "You've done well for us. There was quite a celebration on my street last night. Many miners were there, men who lost their jobs because of those brigands."

Kai nodded, a frown crossing his features. "I appreciate that, Claire. But the truth is, this isn't entirely over yet."

He gestured towards the square, his gaze hardening slightly. "The mines… they still remained closed. The monsters we encountered down there pose a serious threat. Until we deal with them, miners cannot return to work. So, you see. I haven’t quite solved it all yet."

Claire's smile faltered for a moment, but she straightened her back. “Then you'll deal with them, Lord Arzan," she declared, her voice firm. "You always do."

Claire's faith in him made him smile.

It was good to know that he had everyone’s support inside the castle. It was better than whatever Arzan had and if things continued like this, he might just be able to do his own things without worrying.

"But how can you be so confident?" he asked, a genuine curiosity lacing his voice. "This isn't just a band of bandits. These monsters down in the mine… they're dangerous."

She set the tray down on a nearby table, and the clatter of fine silver was heard. She turned to face him, her gaze steady and unwavering. "Because, Lord Arzan," she explained, "You haven't disappointed us since you started to work on the castle. You've found ways to protect Veralt, to solve whatever problem that was there. So, I believe you would deal with things again. I go out in the streets and a lot of people think similar.”

He smiled. It was a genuine reassurance, but something tugged on his mind. "That's a heavy burden to bear, Claire.”

"Perhaps…" She lowered her eyes for a moment, thinking about it. "But then again, you always seem to manage just fine. So, Lord Arzan…" she said, unsure of her own thoughts.

Kai nodded. The responsibility came with stakes, even for him, personally. But he was willing to accept it. “I’ll see what I can do." He glanced at the pristine breakfast. “I would need some fuel before I think about tackling those monsters."

Claire slightly bowed, knowing the conversation was over and excused herself after putting the food on the table.

A cold wind flew and hit him in his neck as he sighed.

Kai’s mind flooded again with all the problems. Some were unavoidable, and some needed instant solutions. Either way, breakfast comes first.

He bit into the piece of bread, the cold air nipping at his cheeks as he watched the birds cautiously stepping on a snow-laden branch in unison.

***

Francis’s administration office was packed with Killian, Kai and of course, Francis.

Spread across the polished table was a series of carefully drawn sketches and detailed notes. More specifically, Francis’s report on the Vermala larvae they had encountered in the mine.

Kai had told him to prepare one and fortunately, it seemed like these monsters would sometimes appear around areas with high mana density and were a pain for a lot of Mages, so there was sufficient research on them.

Killian’s lips pursed and his hand on his chin traced a finger on one of the sketches. “Over fifty of them,” he rumbled, his voice heavy with concern. “That’s a sizable nest. It seemed like there could even be more, but I don't think there's that much space.”

Kai nodded grimly. His eyes too, were on the sketches and the reports that were in front of them. “And that’s not including the queen,” he added, tapping another sketch of a monstrous creature. “It’s the heart of the hive, the source of their power. The queen possesses an organ that acts like a mana reservoir. It not only fuels its own power but also projects an aura that boosts the strength and morale of the surrounding larvae. Until it's dealt with, we won't be able to win.”

Francis threw the cigar that was in his mouth to the side of his desk and leaned forward.

Killian slowly nodded, his eyes drawing in between Kai and Francis. "So we take out the queen, the rest of them crumble?"

Kai cleared his throat. "Not entirely crumble, Killian. They will still be formidable opponents, but considerably weaker without the queen's influence. However, taking it down will be no easy feat."

He paused for a moment and studied the sketch of the queen he had drawn himself from what he recalled from his memories. "In fact, it wouldn’t be easy at all," he said. "But it's the only way. We can't afford a prolonged battle with a swarm of those things at our backs."

Killian nodded. “Also, what are we going to do about her eggs?”

Kai frowned. It was the only reason they were hurrying with the clearing of the nest.

It was common knowledge that the queen of the Vermala hatched its eggs at the end of the months of Frosania. If they didn't hurry, they might just have to deal with double the number of larvae.

Larvae grew fast, so it would only take two to three weeks for the new ones to reach adulthood. If that happened, there was no guarantee they would even be able to exterminate them.

“Once we deal with the queen, we will burn them. That's the only way to make sure the mine is safe.” Kai looked at both of them. "We'll need everything. Potions, traps, whatever advantage we can muster. And we'll need to move quickly before those larvae get any stronger. The longer we delay, the worse."

Killian nodded curtly. "The guards are ready, Lord Arzan. They're well-trained, but…" he hesitated, his brow furrowed. "We can't take many. Maybe ten more than the ones that were with you against the necromancer. Training takes time, and we don't have much of that. Enforcers should be of great help."

Francis cleared his throat, grabbing their attention. "Even with ten more, Lord Arzan," he interjected. "Most of the city guards haven't seen real battle, let alone fought underground. The necromancer fight is good learning, but this is entirely different. This is no walk in the park. We need a plan that minimises casualties, not throws untrained men into a monster pit."

Kai winced, the memory of the fallen soldiers against the necromancer flashing through his mind. He had regretted a few things from the fight with the necromancer, and losing guards was a big part of it. "You're right, Francis," he admitted. He sighed while his hands stroked the growing stubble. "We can't afford another bloodbath. If we don't plan this with proper measurements, the cost will be too high.”

A tense silence settled over the room, the weight of the situation pressing down on them. They needed a solution, and fast. Training more guards was an option, but the urgency of the situation wouldn't allow for a lengthy training session.

They all thought what better could they do? Even Kai fell into deep thought and the only thing that moved was the wind outside the windows.

A few ideas came to his mind, but he rejected them all, one after another. Too risky, too vague, can’t and won’t work in such a short time, guards too untrained to do it— reasons piled up higher than the solutions.

"Mercenaries?" Francis finally spoke, his voice a hesitant question.

Both Kai and Killian looked at him.

Kai was about to speak but Killian snorted. "Finding good ones is a gamble, and even then, loyalty tends to be a luxury they charge extra for."

Francis steepled his fingers, his brow furrowed in thought. "True, but desperate times call for desperate measures. For the right coin, they'll take the job. They might not be loyal, but they'll be skilled."

Kai mulled it over. The risks were undeniable, but they were running out of options. In his previous life, mercenaries were known by a lot of names and there were designated ones like fiend hunters.

They also followed a more structured system with an organisation handling them called the guild. From his research, he knew that wasn't the case here.

So, finding good ones might be a problem.

As he thought more, an idea popped up.

"Francis," he said, a decision forming in his mind. "Reach out to Malden. He should know the mercenary market better than us. See if he can find us a group with a verifiable track record."

Francis' face lit up with a flicker of hope.

"For sure, Lord Arzan. I'll send word first thing in the morning."

"In the meantime," Kai continued, turning his gaze towards the window, it was getting darker— darker than it usually was due to Frosania. "I can be of some use. Potions, of course— healing draughts to keep our men fighting fit. I can brew them and I might have other ideas in mind as well." he rubbed his hands together, deep in thought. "For that, though, I'll need some space. A workshop of sorts."

Francis didn't hesitate. "Consider it done, Lord Arzan. I'll clear out a suitable room immediately. Whatever you need, you'll have it."

Kai nodded. In a way, it was much easier to obtain materials in this period of time.

In his time, resources were extremely rare, especially for alchemy and due to that, alchemists were dime a dozen. Few countries had even gone to war just because of resources to use in alchemy and other magical arts.

Compared to that, everything was in abundance here. It was truly the era before the golden era and he knew he could take full benefit of it.

He started to walk back after completing the meeting.

A monster nest to purge— It was the next on his list.

-

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