90 The Clandestine decision meeting
In the decorated room of a palace-like mansion, 6 people sat around a long table, the air inside the room emitting seriousness.
The walls and pillars of the room were made out of black marble, a voice inhibition barrier device is placed in the middle of the table.
One of the people with a slender build, ruffled hair, and a slouched back spoke,
"Today we will commence the 58th Clandestine decision meeting. I Organizer will call the names," he scratched the back of his head as he began calling names,
"The Diplomat" he called,
"Present" a man with an old and scrawny build and a long nose raised his hand,
"The Senior Sword" he called,
"Here," said an old man with white hair and wrinkles emphasizing his age, but his posture of sitting so balanced and proper a high-ranking swordsman would have a hard time maintaining it.
After nodding once the Organizer turned his face towards another person with a strong build, a body with arms full of scars, and a sign of madness in her eyes,
'Her name is no joke…' the slouched man sighed as he spoke the name, seeing directly in the person's eyes through his glasses,
"The Berserk Aloisa,"
"Here, you took awfully long speaking," the Berserk Aloisa said with a playful grin,
Seeing her grin, Organizer gulped moving forward to the next name.
"The Map changer" he called, and the person with a thin presence sitting at one end of the table spoke in a low but clear voice,
"Yes"
'I don't like this name a bit…' The Map changer thought and moved his face straight towards the other end of the table along with his gaze everyone's gaze moved towards the direction.
A man with an old yet muscular body with a bit of visible belly fat, his presence calm and accepting.
Seeing towards him, the Organizer spoke in a clear voice,
"The Crowned Monk,"
"Blessed to meet you all after a year," the Crowned Monk answered, sitting the slouched back man says,
"With this everyone's presence except the Devotee is assured, and we can move the discussion to the agenda" as he sit, he moved one of his legs up on the chair putting it on the chair and putting his right arm on it he thought,
'I might be the nearest to normal human… in this organization' even though he was the only one sitting weirdly,
"The Salvo Kingdom is going to summon a hero after 2 months. They have invited me for witnessing the summoning and also asked for a huge amount of donations… as they wrote in the letter. Summoning the hero is for world peace and we should provide for it too," the Crowned monk sighed as he said this,
"Ahh… in 5 years, anytime I visit the king there, he is always killing my ears with tales of past heroes," the Diplomat said with a bitter smile,
"I am against this hero summoning!!" the Berserk Aloisa said as she smashes her hands hard on the table,
"I don't see what's your problem with it is? We had this discussion more than 15 times already… hero who can kill awaken demon kings is our best shot against Evil God" the organizer said with a tap of his finger on the table,
"I don't agree with it!! relying on the hero is pathetic!!" the Berserk Aloisa shouted,
"It is because of your thick head you think that! Always wanting a fight," the organizer scoffed,
"Well, the moment the hero is indeed summoned, Salvo would gain the diplomatic upper hand," the diplomat said with a finger on his chin,
"I am with this summoning," the Senior Sword said,
Everyone looked at him with shocked eyes.
"Senior!? Why are you siding with Organizer now!?" the Berserk asked with an irritated face, and Senior sword replied within an instance,
"My disciple challenged me for a sword match… and he… he wounded me," everyone's eyes were widened,
'His disciple wounded… him!?' everyone's head was occupied with this thought a silence set inside the room and the Map changer finally broke the silence,
"How did it happen?" he asked as he knew that even the best disciple of Senior Sword was years away from even grazing him,
The Senior Sword, with a sad face, started speaking,
"A month back my top disciple who was acting as adventurer returned and challenged me to battle… I felt something wrong in him, even so as a teacher I was bound to accept…" saying till here he coughed and continued,
"His attacks were more impactful, his movements faster… retaining my sword style and some mysterious darkness covering his sword he managed to harm my arm… I had once seen that darkness before… at that war,"
Everyone knew which war he was referring to and felt a chill down the spine. Only Berserk Aloisa shouted,
"You killed that bastard, right!?"
"No, even though I know he deserves that I couldn't kill him… as I have taken care of him since birth… I told him to go away while he hurls words of Evil God and path to true strength… that is why I believe we need Hero!! My student was not someone to go astray… Evil God have the power to influence hearts and change people… I believe only a hero can resist it fully, someone who prioritizes saving people over his strength and gain, we need a hero,"
"I think there won't be a need for voting this time," the Crowned Monk said with a serious expression,
'After all, out of us 7, 6 are already agreeing with it now,'
"Now about matters with Natara…. The crimes and order are greatly being damaged by various organizations, a whole trade town named Epnir is undertaken by a strange organization who wouldn't let any lord stay within it, and the same organization attacks and kills various church individuals too," the Crowned monk said with a troubled look,
"I believe rather than helping them, our first step should be strengthening border towns… in these conditions, getting a strange organization inside our kingdom would be the last thing we want,"
"Ohhh, the Map changer is the one scared of helping other kingdoms and infiltration… weren't you the one due to whom only two of three kingdoms remain on this continent now?" the Diplomat stared straight into the map changer's eyes now,
"What is your point here?" the Map changer asked in a cold voice,
"Now, now don't accidentally assassinate me…" the Diplomat was speaking but before he could continue a dagger appeared between his legs and stabbed into the foam of his chair,
"I was joking you crazy old man!! Also if you going to kill me stab my neck rather than there… I won't die a eunuch at this age!!" seeing this reaction with a smirk, the map changer replied,
"We are just 2 years apart and It was just an accident my hand slipped…"
'He hasn't changed a bit!!' the Diplomat thought as he continued,
'This is my mansion… that was my chair foam… no one apologized to me… is it because I am weak!?' the organizer thought as he chewed his thumb,
"My point is you should help Natara with this organization… think about it the fights that will happen there won't affect our kingdom a bit if it is taken care of within Natara none of our towns or Church will be in danger of infiltration and damage would also not happen in our kingdom, we will gain two things from helping them
First, we would have given a big favor to them, which we can use later in a political situation
Second, the problem will be solved before it reaches us. We could either wait for sickness to approach or kill it right at the source," saying this diplomat raised two fingers,
Although others could have rebutted by saying that Diplomat just want benefit for Natara as he is a citizen of Natara but they knew his loyalty is strong to both Natara and Crowned Monk, the points he raised made perfect sense,
"Time for voting, those in favor raise their hands" and instantly one by one everyone raised their hands,
"I don't want trouble from Natara. My estate is at the border," the Organizer said with a frown as he raised his hand,
"My friend has a sword school near Epnir town," Senior sword raised his arm,
"I don't care either way, but whatever!" saying this Berserk put her hand up half-heartedly,
"I believe in this Crowned Monk" the Diplomat raised his hand,
"I agree with Diplomat for this once, even though I still feel like assassinating him," the Map Changer said, and Diplomat shouted instantly,
"Don't make that joke!! You bastard, I won't be able to sleep if you make that joke!!" Diplomat shakes a bit as he imagines the capabilities of the Map changer,
"So the decision is done… I will attend hero summoning and will accept Natara Kingdom's request for help… once again I thank you all from the depths of my heart if not for you all I wouldn't have been able to keep it together for even 5 years with those corrupted ministers and vassals…" the Crowned Monk said with a voice full of gratitude,
And seeing it, all the other members said in sync,
"Don't worry, it is our pleasure!!"
"The maid and butler will arrive with lunch in a while so we can talk about anything till then," the Organizer said as he put his leg on the ground from the chair.
"Well, I would like to give some good news to you all then. Remember my middle nephew Arthurus… the one who Diplomat deemed fit for taking over the throne but he used to put up an act,"
"Yes, I do… who could forget someone praised by this Diplomat that much," the Organizer said with a yawn at the end,
"I remember seeing him when I infiltrated Palace in the past," the Map changer said and Diplomat rebutted,
"Don't speak of it as casually as morning walk!!"
"Yes, the same Arthurus. Last year he went for a quest in an emerged dungeon in Pleura town, and since he returned, he had been acting freely, no longer acting anymore. He even offered various sorts of help,"
"That seems nice. I am happy for that kid," the Map Changer said as he picks up the glass of water.
"Yes, he talked about how there were various kinds of slimes only and a slime boss that shoots a laser creates sharks and exploding spikes… he said he met an interesting kid there who was strong in both magic and sword, and guess what…"
'Too many things match for it to be a coincidence' the Map changer thought, and seeing everyone silence Crowned monk spoke,
"He made him his Sworn Brother!!"
As soon as he heard this the Map changer throw up the water he was drinking right on the face of the Diplomat.
"This is going too far… even if you are stronger!! You fool!!" the Diplomat keeps complaining as berserk laughs loudly, and Senior Sword also tried holding back a laugh.
'You threw up on the table we were supposed to eat on…' frowned the Organizer,
Ignoring the complaints of the Diplomat, The Map changer's mind was occupied with one thought.
'Ryu, you crazy kid!!'
