CHAPTER 204(Fire and Guilt)

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CHAPTER START---

Sitting on his couch early in the morning Yang leans back and releases a deep sigh. With tired eyes he looks to the seat across from him and sees Welf, the man equally as tired but having a fire in his eyes.

"I'm guessing Thalie isn't coming..." Yang says.

"She said she'd go with whatever we decide, she's spending the day with Mikoto, you know how she gets with that girl."

"Yeah I guess she doesn't care either way," Yang lets a small moment of silence form between them before he continues, "you're serious about this huh, figured you would have slept on it and reconsidered," Yang says.

"I reconsidered a lot, and Hephaestus talked my ear off about it last night. I want to do this, it feels like I should," Welf says.

"You want us to enter a war because of a feeling?" Yang raises a brow at his friend. "I don't even like fighting people, much less a full-blown war.

"I want to enter a war to try to make it right, Rakia still has at least fifty of my swords. Nowhere near as strong as what I can make now, but enough to destroy another forest or two, and they're only one forest away from the Royal Forest, the Elves can't win this," Welf explains.

"And it'll help you feel less guilty, right? Defend the Elves and take your anger out on Rakia in one move?"

"..."

"This isn't our war, you left Rakia when you realized what they were using your weapons for. You aren't a soldier anymore. The Elves value their pride above their lives and won't even accept our help anyway, just forget about it," Yang says.

Welf looks over to him and furrows his brows, "you're asking me to forget the half-million Elves and two forests that fell to my weapons? The fact that I'm already in the history books as the most successful Elf killer in history? The fact that...I can't even look an Elf in the eyes because I just see the hate I have for myself looking back at me."

"And you're asking us to join a war and execute an entire army when we don't have to get involved," Yang counters.

"Hephaestus said once we're all in agreement and use legal means she's fine with it, what's the problem?"

"The problem is I'd be standing on a mountain of corpses, Rakia has a quarter-million soldiers and I very much doubt you plan to let any survive, I'm a dungeon adventurer. Monsters, not people," Yang reminds him.

"They are monsters, they were born and raised to hate anything that isn't human, I'd know, if not for my grandfather I would have been on the battlefield with them."

"And Elves in those forests look down on anything that isn't a pure Elf, why should I ever defend them?"

"Because those Elves aren't trying to kill off an entire race of people? Because I'm asking you to help me? Because this is my adventure, remember the promises we made? You'd get home, Thalie gets her revenge, and I create a legacy that would overshadow the genocide I helped in," Welf points out.

"And trade one genocide for another?"

"Rakia isn't the good side here. They always start wars on Ares's whims. Everyone knows someone has to put them in their place but nobody can get involved, unless the Elves agree to have us help, we can end this."

With a sigh, Yang slumps forward and passes a hand down his face. "That's a lot of blood Welf, you realize what you're asking us to do?"

"I know, but I literally can't do this without you two..."

Yang takes a deep breath and leans back in his seat, a long tense silence falls between both men as he considers all his options.

After a seemingly exceptionally long few minutes he finally speaks "fuck...alright," Yang says. "You march into hell with me over and over so I can enter a warzone for you, but I'm not happy about this."

"Thank you," Welf gives him a grateful smile. "I'll go tell Hephaestus and we'll get the paperwork ready."

"What kind of message are you gonna send?"

"The usual mercenary offer. Technically Orario can only maintain neutrality if we're paid so we need to have a contract with the King, Riveria's dad. It should take about two weeks for it to get to him, until then we can just get ready...not that I think we need anything special for this fight," Welf explains.

"Sounds simple enough, call me when I need to sign anything."

"Actually," Freya's voice causes both men to turn to her as she exits the hallway and sits beside Yang. "Your plan will fail."

"What do you mean?" Welf asks.

Freya leans against Yang as she explains, "well, consider the fact that I'm sure dozens if not hundreds of mercenary groups have already sent similar letters, what makes you so different?"

"We're first-class adventurers," Yang says.

"True, most people won't have that in their groups, but that's only on paper," she gestures over to Welf, "nobody in Orario has really seen this one fight aside from the skirmish against Kulve Taroth. Yang fought in that battle and against adventurers during your jailbreak but for the most part, everyone is simply trusting the accounts of who were there, people are still doubting exactly what you three are capable of, and the fact that your expedition records aren't public isn't helping either," she explains.

"What about Thalie?" Welf asks.

"She's the Champion of War, she gets a free pass. But the two of you don't have any reputation with the general public, you're so far above everyone else that when described it sounds like a lie."

"So you're saying the fact that we never adventure where people can see is a real issue here?" Yang asks.

"Exactly, my familia takes mercenary contracts around the continent so everyone knows Ottar is the King of War. Finn and his group were the front runners in destroying all the dark guilds during Orario's dark ages years ago. Everyone saw the top familias in action and because the fights were public they became world-famous, but the mythic Trifecta. Oh no, only people capable of supposedly going past the first fifty floors even know what they can really do, you're simply too accomplished and ridiculous to the point of sounding fake," she says.

"So we're supposed to go start a fight just to show off?" Welf asks.

"Well, something like that," she gives a devious smile a looks over to Yang. He eyes her warily, "the easiest and most assured solution is to use the reputation of someone everyone trusts and knows...someone like, maybe Ottar?"

"No," he says flatly. "Is this just you trying to get me to accept his challenge?"

"I swear this isn't just that. Everything I said is true, you're accomplished to the point of sounding fictitious, suffering from success," Freya says.

"I think you should do it," Welf says. "Not like you can actually get hurt or lose, and Ottar is the one who asked."

"Well, I wouldn't say he can't get hurt," Freya says. "Ottar may not be as quick to level up as you three but he is an exceptional adventurer, even more so after his most recent level up. I'm thinking it would be a tough fight."

Welf raises a brow at the goddess, realizing she's completely serious. "Huh, Yang doesn't tell you much about his dungeon adventurers huh?"

"No, why?"

"Uh...no reason. But yeah you should accept the challenge Yang," Welf shifts his gaze back over to the man.

"You know, I hate both of you for having me do this crap, I was doing so good avoiding Ottar until now," he shakes his head at the absurdity of this situation. "Fine, I'll go take his crown or whatever."

"Yes," Freya jumps up and is about to rush off to deliver the news before he stops her.

"After, Welf fixes at least the pants of my armor so I don't end up naked, how long Welf?"

"A day or two, so let's say three days," the smith confirms.

"Right, I'll go inform the guild and Ottar right away, we'll have to make this a grand event if you want it to work," Freya says as she exits the apartment.

With their decisions made both men just look at each other for a moment and relax, taking in the absurdity of this all.

"You're finally gonna let everyone know you're the strongest huh, could have done this a level ago," Welf says.

"And you're gonna get me into a war, could have gone without that, ever...I really hate politics"

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