Chương 44: War Preparations

Ch 44: War Preparations The whole sales team was gathered at the food court, our table nearly full as we discussed the part of the plan that could be talked about in public.

"How is the hiring process going?" I was sitting next to the only empty seat, the place Sahirah used to claim during lunch prior to the whole adoption scheme.

"There have been problemsss," said Kip.

"They are afraid you might use them asss disposable soldierssss," finished Kap. The two scaled brothers were sitting right across from me, wearing newly acquired golden chains around their necks, accessories they had bought in the city with the thousands of credits of commission they had made with recent sales.

"And why exactly are they afraid? Don't I have an impeccable reputation in this school?" My question was enough to get Zira to cover her mouth to hide her laughter. Niko and Lili, who both sat near the brothers across from me on the table, however, didn't even try to suppress their laughter.

"You? Impeccable reputation?" said Lili.

"The Driari see you as insane. They know the flying ship is here because of Sahirah and you. They want nothing to do with it."

"Sorry, my friend," Niko joined the conversation.

"The senior alphas are afraid of Sahirah's mana, and the only Zufi who might take the deal are the ones under me who trust my leadership." I sighed. Then I surveyed them both, noticing the accessories covering their bodies. To begin with, Lili was wearing silver earrings now, her school uniform gone and replaced by a shirt and skirt made of the smoothest fabric I'd ever seen on Navar. Also, I couldn't help but notice a strange pendant hanging from her neck.

It was made out of polished bone, and not something I would think a Driari might wear. Was that something Niko bought her as a gift?

"What about you, Zira?" I asked.

"Does our golden goose of an elf have good news?" Her eyes widened a bit as her ears lowered, proving that she was still a bit shy even among friends.

"It's just like Lili said, the Driari think you are insane." I sighed again, assuming she had already admitted her failure, just like everyone else. Still, Zira kept going.

"But some of the Grey staff are willing to quit their jobs at the school and work with us selling copies of the system in the city," she uttered those words in a low voice.

"They are expensive, but I think you can afford it, and Principal Zorik would certainly be furious to lose his staff to you." Now we were talking. But unfortunately, if they'd already mentioned working as sales representatives in the city, it meant I couldn't use them as soldiers in the upcoming adoption-cancellation plan. And believe me, I would need several more hands than just the original sales team this time to capture both Principal Dickhead and Lord Krosak in the same day.

And for this reason, I would spend the night creating a couple of nasty spells to arm a private army, but the problem still persisted that my fellow Riftstorm students seemed reluctant to take this risk, no matter how many credits I offered them.

"If no one in the school has the guts to associate with us just because of the floating ship near the archmage's tower, that's fine," I said.

"I'm sure Fernik can hire as many hands as I want if I ask him nicely." Still, I wanted to give it one more shot since another trip to the city wasn't ideal for my tight schedule. But how could I convince a bunch of students to face a significant amount of risk for a stranger like me if offering credits alone wasn't working? Perhaps what they needed was a little glimpse of what they could get to awaken their greed and convince the boldest among them to join our little private army.

Because just offering an abstract amount of credits was absolutely not the same as showing them what they could get with it.

"How much did the golden chains around your necks cost?" I asked the brothers, a devious idea suddenly flashing inside my head.

"Five thousand creditssss," they replied in unison. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. That wasn't a small amount for a bunch of students who just a while ago were living with a one hundred credits allowance. Niko, Zira, and Lili stared at the brothers, partially judging them about such superfluous purchases and partially envious of their golden chains.

"What about the accessories you are wearing, Lili?" She panicked at the question.

"Me?" She surveyed each one of us with her gaze, and only then sighed and finally revealed the price.

"The price of the earrings and the clothes combined was fifteen thousand credits." She stole a glance at Niko, and added, "The pendant was a gift. I didn't ask the price." Now it was her turn to get judged, and even the brothers stared at her for a while, judging the way she spent her hard earned credits. With a glance at my furry friend, I decided to skip him and spare him the public embarrassment, knowing the only thing he had spent his credits on had been the bone pendant Lili was wearing.

"What about you, Zira, how have you spent your share of the sales commission?" Regardless of my spur-of-the-moment idea to flaunt their wealth as a means to convince the other students to work for me, I was curious. What Zira had done with her share of the large sales commission was a genuinely intriguing question. Mainly because that girl had earned herself nearly seventy thousand credits, getting more credits than even Niko, who was the only Zufi of our group and didn't have to compete for sales with anyone.

"Aaah..." she hesitated a little. I tried to find a clue in her clothes, but there was nothing. Our golden goose of an elf was wearing no chains, no expensive clothes, and even her vegetarian meal seemed nothing special compared to what she used to eat before.

"I..." She finally spilled the beans, "I invested everything in a business in the city! I'm a store owner now!" Now she became the indisputable focal point of the table, everyone staring at her with wide eyes.

"A store owner?" I asked.

"What are you going to sell?" Was she planning on becoming my competitor or something? Her ears dropped lower, her gaze fixed on her own feet.

"I thought I could sell many more copies of your system if I had a place of my own in the city. There are Grey salesmen who travel from city to city, and the demand for translation is essentially infinite... I know I should have asked you and Sahirah first... but you're so busy with your problems that I decided to wait a little before telling you." That business strategy... It was nothing but genius.

Golden goose of an elf indeed, that would be her nickname forever, perhaps an honorable title in the system that would be exclusive to her. I suddenly rose from my chair, and placed a gentle hand over her shoulder to calm her anxiety.

"When Sahirah and I solve our current problems," I said, "I promise you'll have more copies of the system than you'll have time to sell in your new store." Everyone was looking at her now, obviously regretting the way they had spent their own shares of the commission so frivolously when compared to Zira.

"As for the rest of you," I said, "You'll be of help too, so please stand up, and let me flaunt your wealth a little for my own benefit." They didn't know exactly what I was planning, but they still followed my lead, already used to my unusual shameless requests that more often than not came out of nowhere and caused them a lot of trouble. With them all standing side by side, I simply grabbed my food tray, and climbed onto the table in the same way I had done a few months ago.

I started to slam the tray, forcing everyone in the food court to stare at me.

"What is the human thinking? I would be afraid of drawing attention if I were in his shoes," commented a Driari. The Zufi and the Granar also offered their own comments, mostly warning me that Principal Dickhead might arrest me for good if I kept being disruptive. I ignored all voices. And when they finally stopped, my sales pitch began.

"Listen," I said, "I know you are all afraid to work for me because I might put you in a lot of trouble, but I swear, the trouble is worth it." I pointed at Kip and Kap who stood beneath me.

"The Granar brothers," I said, "They started out selling Mimic detection spheres for 250 credits, but look at them now. Each of them wearing a five-thousand-credit gold chain, and that's just the beginning." I smiled at the crowd.

"And Lili," I said, "She joined us later, and her clothes are now worth more than all of your allowances combined. Doesn't that make you feel like you're missing out?" Several conversations started across the food court simultaneously, but I kept going.

"Zira over there," I said, pointing at our golden goose of an elf.

"She is now a proud business owner, with her very own store in the city, and she could quit this school today if she wanted to." Now I truly saw shock spreading through the crowd. I didn't waste the momentum, and finally announced my proposal.

"It's going to be risky. I have a few powerful enemies. And I know the first role you'll get in our company is a dumpster fire, not the sales representative position you want." I stretched my arms.

"But if you agree to work for me during the tough times in a tough role, you have my word you will get paid a fair compensation, and I'll offer you a path to greatness in the years to come." I smiled and finished my hiring pitch.

"If you want to join us, just have a word with one of the sales representatives." When I climbed down the table, I could already see that flame of ambition burning in several faces. Some scaled. Others covered in fur. And plenty with pointy ears. When a few of them voiced their interest, I had no doubt they would accept my terms, becoming my private soldiers for the battle ahead. More surprising still was the sales team themselves, all of them staring at me with warm eyes.

Yeah, they most definitely respected me at this point, and I was pretty sure that if I asked them to fight a war on my behalf, they might actually say yes to it. That was a scary realization. It made me feel responsible for them, a certain weight pressing down on my shoulders and a voice whispering in my head that I must be very careful with my next steps. Still, I was confident. And when Principal Dickhead suddenly burst into the food court, my eyes met his across the room instantly.

"What kind of crazy disruption are you causing in my school this time, human?" he asked.

"Your school?" I turned around, gesturing for the whole sales team to follow me as I made my exit, avoiding conflict for now.

"Are you really sure about that?" We left his sight immediately after. With the problem of the private army partially solved, now it was time for me to create the nasty spells they would carry, and the even nastier sequence of runes reserved for Lord Krosak and Principal Dickhead. Though, of course, my version wouldn't have anything to do with enslavement.

For now, all I could hope was that Lord Krosak underestimated us just a bit, just enough to miss the fact that I didn't plan to return with a reply to his offer, and instead I was getting ready for war.