chsdbacks Chapter 80 March Forth!
Chapter 80 March Forth!
The morning at the wall somehow felt even more beautiful than the ones Callane was used to.
Even though her estate, where she spent most of her days, was located quite far away from any major cities or roads, making it a small piece of paradise all for herself and her staff.
Still, with the bulk of her army now located some distance north where the war games were to play out, there was hardly anything in the area to disturb the surprisingly huge noise made by nature.
The birds chirped as they frolicked amongst the trees of the nearby primordial forest. All sorts of animals uttered their cries, be it to scare off the predators or to call for a mate to extend their line with.
Heck!
Even the path leading up to the gate was only a path in name, with the ruts in the ground left by the prison carts that brought Theodore over for his exile long since messed up by the passing of various animals and now getting invaded by all sorts of the nearby plants.
Still, for how clear the air was, for how pristine the sky above their heads could be, for how relaxing the sounds of nature all around were...
Callane just couldn't keep herself calm.
'I'm going there with the escort of powerful, trusty warriors,' she thought as she looked down at her hand, only to see it slightly shaking. 'So how did Theo feel when he was about to be thrown through the gate, all alone, with no one to support him?'
Gritting her teeth, Callane shook her head while forcefully wiping the memory of Theo's face from before her eyes.
Right now, with only a few moments separating her and her team from crossing over, it wasn't a good time for her to get emotional.
That time would come when she would reunite with Theo... or, if Lady Fate wouldn't have it, when she would find his final resting spot.
The briefing continued a little longer, even though everyone had long since known all that would be said in its course.
This wasn't a gathering of soldiers who would only now be learning of the fate awaiting them on their next mission. This was but a brief reminder for everyone of what exactly they had signed up for... A briefing concluded when the man pulled out a hefty sack made from quality leather, only to then press the blade of his knife against its side and then pull down, tearing the expensive sack open and allowing heavy golden coins to pour out from it and directly to the ground.
"Upon the completion of this mission, each of you will be awarded a total of three hundred imperial pieces, so that you shall never need to work a single day in your life again and then still be able to leave a considerable fortune for your children!"
When it came to this mission, Callane pulled all her stops, dipping deep into her own personal funds while almost nearly exhausting the treasury of the several companies Theodore set up in the past and then left in her care when he made the choice that led to the current situation.
And with a total of ten mercenaries accompanying Callane to the other side, all the additional fees the Abyss Guild charged and then all the costs that mounted up after that... When excluding the cost of raising the actual army that was there merely to screen this operation, just Callane's mission alone came at a cost of nearly five thousand imperial coins!
Or, in terms an average person could actually understand, an average yearly budget of the biggest trading cities in the rich area of the trade sea spent on their army and navy combined!
And now, with the briefing over, it was finally time to see what this mind-boggling amount of money would be worth.
"Gather up!"
The officer screamed out as he organized the mercenaries... Even though, when faced with those elites, his presence wasn't absolutely necessary.
With those men, there was no need to push, kick, scream, and swear to get them moving and organized. Those men knew better than anyone else that when it came to this mission, discipline and cooperation were the only things that could let them survive and return to enjoy the spoils of their hard and dangerous work!
Soon, even Callane stood up and joined the long line, placing her hand down on the shoulder of the last mercenary in the row before taking a breath and then nodding her head to the officer.
"May the Gods of Fortune bless you all," he screamed out before doing the unthinkable and... lowering his head in a sign of respect. "And with that said, march forth!"