That night, Jared summoned Ella to the temporary shelter he had set up on the Sanare Planet. Ella was the training instructor of the Aggresio Guard, which was in charge of maintaining order on Sanare, and she was also set to take over command in case of emergencies, standing in for Rakis. Of course, Ella was not Jared's sworn retainer; she was more like a hired mercenary. Thus, her loyalty to Jared fluctuated between a mere 80 percent, maintaining a perfectly business-like partnership.
In the reception room, Ella faced Jared, her captivating gaze locking onto him as she began to speak. "Just the two of us at night? This feels rather strange. Oh, more importantly, congratulations on discovering the Holy Grail! What a joyous occasion indeed!"
"That must be a fresh experience for you, Ella. You have a faith more sincere than anyone else," Jared remarked.
"Indeed. To me, Lord Radius is both the beginning and the end of life. My deep-seated hatred for the Dark Cult stems from this too."
"Care for a glass of wine?"
"I couldn't refuse! A private meeting with His Grace, especially with good wine, is not something I can easily turn down." Ella politely accepted the wine from Jared. Now that he held the title of Duke, their previous camaraderie as peers seemed to be just a remnant of the past.
Before getting into the main topic, Jared asked the question that had been on his mind. "What will become of your relationship with Chloe?"
"September is just around the corner, isn't it?"
"In three days."
Jared nodded in understanding. In three days, it would be September 1, 1415 of the Nas continent's calendar, the beginning of the final phase of the year.
"The official contract will expire then. We've already reached a mutual understanding on this. Contract ended, and we will both go our separate ways."
"You are free to drink as you wish; I will not mind," Jared gestured to the wine bottle in front of them. Ella promptly took it, filling her glass before downing a generous sip, her expression lightening as she continued, "She was a good student. I felt like she understood at least three things for every one I taught her. Honestly, I was quite greedy. Having a Gray Elf as a student who was special and talented made me long for her success."
"But why?"
"I felt my limits. A good mentor knows when their student has surpassed them. A foolish mentor, on the other hand, usually denies this and seeks to dominate their student instead."
"Wise words." Ella's statement implied that Chloe was indeed thriving.
"Chloe has already surpassed what I can teach her. Moreover, I must tell you something important. A better mentor has appeared for her."
"This may sound embarrassing, but is that mentor you?"
"Yes. Since Chloe began receiving private lessons from you, her skills have skyrocketed. It was a vertical leap! It makes me a bit ashamed for the year I spent teaching her, given how dazzling Chloe's growth has been."
"Ella, you've noticed the changes in Chloe."
"I'm certainly prioritizing money, but I don't believe everything can be measured with money. Before I was a mercenary, I was a warrior. I can make appropriate judgments on that basis."
"Hmm..."
"At that moment, I made up my mind. It was time to let Chloe go. If a better teacher is available, then allowing her to receive new lessons is a good parting gift."
"My heart feels heavy. I can sense your feelings toward your student."
"In the end, that's the conclusion. Chloe is now free. The choice will be hers. She's already beyond my influence."
Ella drained two glasses of wine in quick succession. While pretending to be fine, the pain in her heart from sending away a good student was undeniable. Yet, she remained rational, quick to gather herself, and continued with calmness, "Feel free to suggest settling in a territory or whatever else… there’s no need to worry about my feelings."
"Understood. I won't bring up Chloe anymore. There's no need to dwell on past matters that have become history."
"That's right. I appreciate your coolness, Duke. The past is best kept buried deep in memories."
With a regretful sip of her empty glass, Ella watched as Jared brought out a finer bottle of wine. He filled their glasses appropriately, then smoothly shifted the topic. "The reason I called you here tonight is different. There's something secretive we need to discuss."
"Not involving any other retainers, just us?"
"It seems there will be an attack from the Umbra Cult soon. While I cannot predict the exact scale, I believe there is over a 90 percent chance of it happening."
Jared spoke with resolute certainty. Kluze was precisely that type. He waited for the right moment, which should be filled with blessings, celebration, joy, and happiness, only to turn it into a time of death, despair, sorrow, and frustration. Currently, Jared was sending official delegations to surrounding countries to celebrate the transformation of the Sanare Planet into a holy site. A stream of congratulations was pouring in from nations that had adopted the Radius Church as their state religion. This news surely reached Kluze's ears.
"Hmm. You want my knowledge and experience from fighting directly with the Dark Cult in the past?"
"Indeed. This will undoubtedly be the first major crisis for the holy site, but I see this as a chance to lure in the followers of the Dark Cult and wipe them out."
"Do you know Kluze?"
"Very well. He is the vice leader of the Umbra Cult, a mysterious man with silver hair and a red mask covering his face."
"…How on earth?"
Ella's face displayed utter astonishment. Kluze was an entity known only by digging deep into the Umbra Cult’s inner workings. The only reason Ella had gained any knowledge about Kluze was through torturing one of his subordinates for information before his death. Yet, here Jared was, knowing about Kluze as though this information dropped right into his lap.
Jared answered nonchalantly. "I've been quite interested in the Dark Cult since I was young."
"This isn't something that can be addressed merely by curiosity, is it?"
"The important thing is that I know. This makes our conversation much smoother. Is the process really what matters?"
With a smile, Jared's response radiated confidence, reminding Ella of how he was when they had invaded the tomb of Mahat III. As he said, what mattered was not the past; it was about what to do next.
"Alright. How can I help you?"
"If there is a target that the Umbra Cult would drool over, what would it be?"
"I'm aware that the day-to-day expenses for the cult from their influence is incredibly insufficient. They must be lacking in liquid assets due to hidden reserves being exposed or frozen in times of crisis."
"Gold coins or precious metals. This will undoubtedly be an irresistible bait."
"The larger the scale, the harder it is to resist that bait."
"I would like you to help lure Kluze and his faction with that bait. As always, I will ensure a generous advance payment."
Jared placed a sizable leather pouch on the table and used telekinesis magic to slide it toward Ella. After receiving the pouch, she lifted it slightly to check its weight, the heavy clink of gold coins ringing in her ears.
Ella held no grievances over the amount Jared had offered; she fully understood the reasoning behind it. Among the few beliefs she had that were untouched by money, one was her deep resentment of the Dark Cult.
However… If history held true, over time, Ella's beliefs would change. The moment she believed she couldn't stop the growing influence of the Dark Cult no matter how hard she struggled, she would become a turncoat, willing to work with them for money.
Yet for now, the mere mention of the Dark Cult fired her up with fervor.
"Duke, are you free tonight?"
"Huh?"
Jared tilted his head at the sudden question. Given Ella’s straightforward nature, only one notion crossed his mind. But then Ella smiled, playfully shattering his assumptions.
"I want to discuss tactics. If we're going to lure them in and wipe them out, we need to cast our net wide and tight. If even one small fry gets away, it could come back to haunt us later."
Ella's suppressed fury was palpable as she gritted her teeth, revealing a mirror of Jared's deeper thoughts, feelings of dissatisfaction surfacing from within. Hadn't they famously said that lengthy discussions and detailed strategizing were beneficial and enjoyable?
'Valdes used to say that.'
Recalling Valdes’s sage advice, Jared gestured towards the reception room door with telekinesis. The door creaked shut behind him.
"Tonight is bound to become a hot and intense one."
"Indeed. May our conversation be well-supplied with wine."
"Very well. Let’s talk."
Thus began the lengthy discussion intended for just the two of them.
Two days later, a transport convoy set off toward the Sanare Planet from the northwest of the Krivia territory. Unlike typical transports guarded by local militia, this time the Aggresio Guard was mobilizing. The reason was simple: the list of goods being transported was quite extravagant, and their value was significantly high.
Master Potions, additional clean magic circles to be installed densely in quarantine zones to prevent the spread of plagues, food essential for the rapid recovery of malnourished refugees, especially rice and emergency crops, as well as the gold coins required for building the replacement temple and pure gold needed for altar construction — the list was filled with expensive items, leaving no choice but for the Aggresio Guard to be involved.
Ella was responsible for the operation.
'Even now, it feels sore.'
Ella constantly rubbed her ribs where she had taken a beating during her spar with Jared. Although it did not hinder her from fighting, the bruises in inconvenient places left her feeling quite uncomfortable.
Two days ago, after concluding a strategy meeting with Jared, she had suggested a spar. The reason was simple. If Kluze were to appear during this operation, she wanted to know if Jared was capable of confronting him.
'I had completely underestimated Jared. With his skills now…'
Chapter 91