Chapter 38: Chapter 41 – Declaration of War

Agate Adventurer’s Headquarters, before Theseus climbed Heaven.

“Theseus! Hey Theseus!” Alvaro barged into the Researcher’s Division noisily. Located in a grand central library, various researchers looked over at the boisterous outlander with disdain.

“Shh!” A grumpy old lady angrily whispered in a not so quiet volume.

“Oh, sorry,” the embarrassed Alvaro rubbed the back of his neck and kept walking towards Theseus, who was reading peacefully in the corner of the Researcher’s Division.

Theseus, stifling back his laughter at the scene caused by Alvaro, motioned for him to take a seat at his table.

“Listen, Theseus. When we joined the Adventurer’s Guild together all those years ago, I thought we would go on more adventurers together than we have. I want to go on one last adventure.” Alvaro proposed.

“What do you have in mind?” Theseus laughed but continued reading. Every so often, Alvaro would appear with a new project to rope Theseus in. Every time Theseus agreed, and they were bound to get into trouble with the guild in the aftermath. Alvaro was a troublemaker who often tried to show off to his longest friend, but ultimately, Alvaro successfully completed his missions, even at the cost of breaking the rules of the guild.

“I’m considering retiring this time, so let’s conquer Heaven!” Alvaro smiled and grinned.

“Which Floor?” Theseus questioned earnestly. Climbing Heaven was a rite of passage for veteran adventurers. Most adventurers used the climbing of Heaven as their final mission. In fact, Theseus had been quietly preparing to climb Heaven and researched it thoroughly for the fateful day Alvaro would inevitably try to climb it.

“We’re going to the Third Floor. As you may know, the First Floor Realm recommendation is the Mortal Realm, the Second Floor is for Sages, the Third can be cleared Sages and low Royalty, and the Fourth Floor’s recommendation is for high Royalty and Deities. As for the Fifth Floor, I don’t think that even an Authority could beat it!” Alvaro explained.

“It seems you’ve actually put a lot of thought into something for once.” Theseus marveled. Alvaro generally left the thinking to Theseus. When they worked together, Alvaro acted as the brawns, and Theseus acted as the mastermind.

“Well, if we do well enough, maybe we could even climb the Fourth Floor.” Alvaro winked.

“That’s statistically foolish, Alvaro. Even with a team of veterans, lives will be lost.” Theseus scolded.

“So, you’re saying it’s possible?” Alvaro grinned.

“Yes, it is, but it’s beyond stupid. As veteran adventurers, it’s already impressive to clear the Third Floor. Most at our level would be proud to beat the Second Floor, much less the third…” Theseus ranted.

“Whatever. Are you in, or are you out?” Alvaro pulled a written contract from his storage ring and pushed it across the table. Theseus skimmed it briefly.

“Seven members… Minimal pay… and what? What in the world is this plan?” Theseus scoffed at Alvaro. The original schematics for climbing Heaven were nearly unreadable. Navigation wise, they would even lose people on the First Floor with this incomprehensible plan!

“I devised it myself.” Alvaro boasted.

“This is nothing to boast about. With a plan this ridiculous, you might even lose a member on the First Floor! It’d be miraculous to conquer the Second Floor, much less the third.” Theseus couldn’t believe how bad Alvaro’s plan was.

“First of all, you’re challenging probably double, no, even triple the amount of Heavenly Trials you would need to. Second of all, what’s up with this pay? Who in their right mind would join a terrible party like this?” Theseus lectured expressionlessly. Alvaro grinned. Theseus fell right into his trap.

“I’m funding it myself, and I haven’t asked anyone else to join yet. That’s why I came to you first. Please revise the contract!” Alvaro slammed his head into the table with an excessive bow. Other researchers turned their heads to Alvaro and rolled their eyes. Although the Research Division was used to having rough adventurers around, Alvaro was amongst the worst offenders in terms of disruption.

“Hmm, it depends. Getting the Guild to sponsor this endeavor will be quite the hassle. Who are you considering for this party?” Theseus scanned the contract again; he felt a headache coming on.

“For tank, the older veteran, Ju Long. He’s spent years as a Rank A Adventurer and is almost 60.

For damage, I want the duo famous Astrid and Hama. Hama is a Rank S Adventurer and Astrid is A Rank, and they’re bout about 40, which is around our age!

I also want the skeevy scout Berringer. He’s a mean dude, but he’s damn good at scouting as well as an A Rank Adventurer as well. Berringer is our age as well.

Besides taking you for fun, I also want to bring Lydia.” He winked. The last two picks were obviously personal.

Lydia was a B Rank Adventurer, but more importantly, she and Alvaro were an off and on thing. Lydia was a little younger than Alvaro, in her thirties, but she was approaching the realm of a true veteran of the guild. For her age, she looked great and didn’t look an age over twenty.

Theseus on the other hand shouldn’t really have to be in the party, as a C Rank Adventurer, and there were much better candidates, and Lydia could’ve also been replaced with a better support. Theseus was thirty-nine at the time, and other than Lydia, he would be the youngest in the party.

“You still like her after all this time?” Theseus laughed. Alvaro flirted with her for years, but the two never got together for real.

“Hey, anything can happen in Heaven.” Alvaro laughed loudly and winked, referring to Theseus’s crush on the famous adventurer, Astrid of the Red Flame party. The angry old lady staring bullets into Theseus.

“Stop that!” Theseus giggled. People were starting to stare angrily at Theseus for allowing a brute like Alvaro into their sacred, quiet, domain. Alvaro laughed, causing further disruption.

“Ahem, well actually, I like these picks quite a bit. All of them are veterans who have not attempted to climb Heaven yet, so they will join the party even with this pathetic pay. Nonetheless, I will do my best to get the guild to sponsor the expedition.” Theseus agreed.

“Hey! I have to pay out of my own pocket; don’t call the pay pathetic!” Alvaro growled.

“Shut up. Firstly, I’ll have to you a new copy of the contract by the end of the day. As your new guide and navigator, I can’t allow such a mess of a contract to stand.” Theseus lectured.

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“Less than a day? It took me weeks to come up with this preliminary plan! How can you do it so quickly?” Alvaro asked at a loss.

“I was wondering when you would ask to climb Heaven. I already have the plans ready to go. Finally, a good project.” Theseus winked back and pulled out gigantic stacks of plans and papers from his storage ring.

“Woah!” Alvaro gawked at the extremely high stack of papers and books.

“I’ve been doing research on this since we became adventurers twenty years ago.” Theseus admitted.

“I’m glad you’re just as excited as I am.” Alvaro smiled and got up to leave. Walking away, he waved without looking back.

“Finally, a good adventure.” Theseus smiled. If they followed his plan up to the Third Floor, they would be a rare party that came back with zero casualties. Even if they went to the Fourth Floor, if they followed his plan to the dot, no one would die.

Alvaro grinned as he walked away, confident in Theseus’s plan.

***

“Hey, Theseus, what are you thinking about? You look like you’re day dreaming?” Aries snapped in front of Theseus’s face, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“I was just thinking about adventuring.” Theseus smiled, thinking about his good memory with Alvaro. Thinking back, if Alvaro had just listened to his plan, no one would have died, even if they continued climbing the Fourth Floor. His plans got completely derailed due to Ju Long’s death, all those years ago.

“Well stop it. It’s no time to day dream. I just got word from the other Captains; Lord Scorpius and Lord Taurus are at a stalemate and have stopped fighting altogether!” Aries exclaimed. Theseus snapped out of his thoughts.

“Then, Lord Darkin has made his move. Send a messenger to Lord Darkin. Ask him to meet us on the border of Lord Scorpius’s territory. We will formally declare war face to face. I hope I can persuade him with my words.” Theseus explained.

“Persuade Lord Darkin? Are you out of your mind?” Aries scoffed. Before, Aries didn’t really believe Theseus would attempt to act or talk his way out of the war, but he was really going for it.

“Maybe I am, but if I can change the future, even slightly, we will have a chance.” Theseus said, resolute.

“Change the future? Did you talk with some bunk prophet? Is that why you’re changing the war plans last minute?” Aries scolded.

“I’ve been studying Lord Darkin’s history and habits for months now. I’m confident I can sow some seeds of doubt in his mind. Unlike the other former Suzerain Lords, Lord Darkin is not too corrupted in his Shade Core nor traumatized in a similar sphere Shade wise. Lord Darkin is a broken not on the outside, but on the inside.” Theseus deduced.

“Woah, I guess you’re a psychiatrist now? You can’t fix that monster, Theseus.” Aries thought Theseus was foolish for negotiating with the deranged Lord Darkin. Everyone knew that the reason Lord Darkin was so dangerous was because he was worse than the other Lords yet still relatively in his right mind.

“If I can make any change in his mind at all, he might awaken from the depression that drove him into seclusion for decades.” Theseus argued.

“You have control issues… You really can’t get through to someone with as big of an ego as Lord Darkin.” Aries protested.

“Maybe not, but it will weigh heavily on my conscience if I don’t at least try.” Theseus said with determination.

“You still feel regret over killing Lord Achilles and those bandits, don’t you?” Aries asked in wonder. Theseus was too pure a soul for the position he was in. Aries sometimes regretted forcing Theseus into the position of Suzerain Lord for this reason alone.

“I tried to give them both chances, but they didn’t want to change their ways.” Theseus sighed, not disagreeing with Aries.

“Get over it. Murder and death are a fundamental part of your job as Head Elder. The fact that you want to fix everyone is sometimes selfish, brat. You aren’t some savior; you’re just a guy wanting a home.” Aries monologued, knowing Theseus’s true intentions.

“Who’s the psychiatrist now?” Theseus grinned, teasing Aries.

“Whatever. Shut up. Let’s go.” Aries grumbled and left the strategy tent. He was just trying to help, but that brat teased him. What a bitch!

Theseus laughed as Aries stormed out. At the end of the day, Aries wasn’t a vicious Shade; Aries was just a selfish drama queen. Theseus wondered what was worse…

***

Leaving shortly after Aries, Theseus traveled with Leo and his army to the designated spot. Time was running thin, but his progress wasn’t as good as he expected. From his deductions, he was now as strong as a D Rank King. With his current foundations, he could use about nine to ten the capacity of the regular D Rank King, not including his passive skills. This miraculous power was due to the progress of his Captains and Elders as well as his personal efforts. Leo had also finally broken through to the F Rank Royalty Realm, but his foundations were still meager compared to him and Gemini. Therefore, Leo was still quite average compared to Gemini, Aries, Theseus, or even Lord Darkin.

The rest of the Elders fixed their greatest weakness and filled in their foundations, but they didn’t go up a realm nor sub-realm. Gemini also broke through due to his insane training with the Gemini Twins skill, and his foundations were four times as strong as the typical F Rank King. Gemini’s ascension was mindboggling. In a few short years, a Rank F Mortal rose to the F Rank Royalty Realm through sheer hard work and heavy instruction by Theseus. Sleeping less than five hours every night, Gemini learned more in a few years than many had in their whole lives.

In terms of combat potential, Theseus would rank his Elders in this order:

1. Theseus, a Rank D King with nine times the normal foundation,
2. Aries, a Rank D King with twice the normal foundation,
3. Gemini, a Rank F King with four times the normal foundation,
4. Leo, a Rank F King with normal foundations but a powerful physique,
5. Virgo, a Rank F King with typical foundations,
6. Jezebel, a Rank F King with normal foundations, and
7. Capricorn, a Rank F King with close to normal foundations.

With these seven at his side, it was as if Theseus held the power of all Seven Suzerain Lords in his palms. For the final stage of the war, Gemini would face Lord Taurus alone while Aries faced Lord Scorpius alone. Their ultimate goals were not to kill these misled Suzerain Lords but to rope them in against Lord Darkin after witnessing their crazy foundations. Lord Scorpius would be easy, since Aries knew Scorpius personally, but Gemini would face his first real foe.

Lord Taurus was an old man, stuck in his ways, but according to the data Theseus gathered, it was the best idea to send the hard-working prodigy against him. Both Gemini and Aries were given specific lines to help convince these two to their side, but in the end, these minor adjustments to his plan led Theseus to the conclusion that in order to defeat Lord Darkin, he needed these straggling Lord to pledge their loyalty to Oceanus.

Only with the power of nine Suzerain Lord level powers could they stand a chance against Lord Darkin.

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