Chapter 1: Preparations

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“Anything that can benefit me and my Empire, shall be done. No matter how cruel, vicious, and destructive it may be.”

Emperor Adrianus III of Arcadia, Speech of Rovactus

Year 329

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--POV: Clarrisa Chamberlayne—

--Place: Unknown / Time: 14:02—

Looking out the carriage window, I recall all the effort I put to reach this point.

“haah…” Another sigh today, is this a sign of depression?

“Mistress, is something wrong?” My maid looks at me with a worried expression, oh…how I wish to be this ignorant.

“It’s nothing” I lied, it’s actually everything. It took me so long to convince my father to help me in the summoning I want to do. If this thing succeeds, “our house will gain way more than it can lose”, or at least that’s what I told my father. That is if it succeeds.

The marquis thought about it, and after excessive consideration. He gave me access to the family’s treasury. I needed a lot of funds to get this summoning to work, as well as using some of my father’s connections  to obtain the necessary artefacts, some that are either too dangerous, and banned from the open market, or simply too rare to get through normal means.

With all the equipment that is worth more than half the national budget, we make our way to a desolate place that is at the north west of our territory, in a rural valley between two mountains, with the closest village being over 60 kilometres away. With this, the secrecy of our project is safe, the only downside being….

*BUMP* *BUMP*

The damn road is rocky and bumpy, I have to endure the carriage that shakes every 10 minutes whenever we come across a particularly large bump. Even though it doesn’t hurt me in any way, due to my strong and honed body that has gone through hellish training, it is still irritating.

“haah…” I rest my head on the palm of my right hand, my elbow on the armrest, and cross my left leg over my right as I contemplate and strategize my future actions.

*KNOCK* *KNOCK*

“Enter” I order the personage who interrupted my thoughts.

“Yes, my lady” This guy again, he has been staring at my body before and during the whole trip, thinks he is sneaky. He peeks at my legs as he jumps off the horse and enter the carriage, the audacity to do this on front of me, this hired mercenary captain whose name I don’t remember.

“What is it?” I really want to get this guy out of my hair, while being beautiful may be advantageous for a noble like me, excessive beauty like I have causes unnecessary troubles.

“There appears to be a pack of wolves hiding in the forest 200 metres ahead of us” He states in a matter-of-factly tone, this damn country bumpkin who grew up in the slums, no manners or etiquette as far as the eye can see, he even makes eye contact with me.

I have already felt the monsters since 2 kilometres away, yet he reports it this late? “I see, well I’m counting on you to take care of it” I flash a smile, as I always must, as a fragile noble lady of course. This useless bum was hired by my father to protect me, even though both he and I are aware that I can erase this hopeless bunch of so-called “mages” and “warriors” with a wave of my hand.

While it would be irritable if word got out I left the capital without proper escorts, it is pretty clear he is trying to keep an eye on me, and hear what’s going on. He didn’t send his loyal guards, so it wouldn’t be too obvious he is watching….so he sends mercs? Heh.

“O-of course” He stutters as he takes one final sneaky glance at my cleavage. Did my smile make him shy? He is red as hell.

*Bang* He closes the door, a bit abruptly due to the wind caused by the speed of the carriage.

Exactly what I needed, some mutts to make my stressful day even better.