Chapter 26
The retreat which seemed to be the best choice of words for it continued. Constant streams of mana seemed to fluctuate. Miss Green was looking serious as the time passed the amount of mana moving increased instead of decreasing. I stayed to the side knowing that something big happened I did not know what but the expression on my teacher's face spoke volumes. Her expression kept getting worse and worse as we rode through the night slowing the pace for the animals. We stopped once to give the animals a break and that was it.
I just bonded with my cubs enjoying my time with them they were really starting to attach to me as I fed them. I smiled down at them. This was the first time I had ever had a pet I wish I had one in my previous incarnation. Now I will have more pets in the future Freya and Stacy came to mind and my smile turned more sadistic.
After hours of travel into the next day, the coachmen said the animals needed a rest of a couple of hours. We got out and made a fire to eat as the animals ate and rested. We just ate as more and more mana moved I was amazed by the sheer amount but It came to a slow trickle then stopped. We rested for half an hour more before we went back to our carriage to finish the journey.
"Sally, I think things are going to change," She simply stated, "The beast you killed were on neutral ground and had a fight the loser was to become the next King candidate to the mountains. The beasts are pissed. To make it worse the cubs you took are Specter Tigers and the cubs of one of the neutral faction leading figures, A gathering was going on when you killed their weak aunt and kidnapped their cubs. Then that same Human killed what was essentially the mountains Next King just after an honorable battle. This is equivalent to declaring war. The beast who is on the side of not going to war with humans has no ground to walk on. The fucked up part is they just don't care anymore we are already retreating all students as fast as we can with teleportation enchantments and fleeing Adventurers are being recalled and the kingdom is preparing for war. The King said they will not throw a good seed after bad refusing to give you up. The Beasts only want to kill you regardless of your side of the story. Both sides have been wanting a war and now you have become the excuse they need." She sighed and looked to have aged in the last ten minutes. "The mountains are massive and go through four other kingdoms making it massive we do not have much information on their war power but this will be a war that you started without even knowing whats going on."
"Miss Green I have several questions to that," I start, "Miss Green I wasn't that deep Why were those beasts there? Second Why were we in such a hostile territory if the beasts and the kingdom are so close to war? Third Why do the Beasts and the Kingdom want to go to war in the first place? Fourth, Why are we training killing what I would essentially call their citizens without that causing war?"
She sighed, "First You were deeper than you think you were a fucking normal person week and a half in Sally you walk and run faster than most It took me more mana than Id like to reach you that quick and that was with the help of enchantments. Second and Forth can be answered at the same time, Mutual training we both lose people they can train and gain experience. We gain more experienced Adventurers who have been in battles and they weed out the weak ones and the ones who survive become stronger. It is beneficial to both parties we sharpen Good sticks and toss out the trash to put a simpler analogy to it. The third point though is more complicated. They have a lot of territory in our kingdom with the resources that go with that. They refuse to let us go mine it or even trade for them It weakens the Kingdom whereas they don't need those resources and live on an even stricter Strong eat weak system. It is more than that but their politics are even more complicated than ours. For decades they want more territory and we want more territory and resources. Both sides are looking at each other and yes it would be difficult for humans to live there in the mountains but we could make mining towns. They look at us and see the resources and things they could use too. Both of us fear each other's power but will not back down from a fight. The Marquis behind your back defended you with a zeal I didn't think would happen. But I think he sees the same as the academy and that you will be stronger than yourself now in the future.
"This will be a war that you will not be apart of in the near future but things are just kicking off and no one wants to show the other side their cards. I haven't even gotten close to all the details and just a basic overview of what you set off. But no one can stop the train they wanted their cubs back to... The King said it was spoils of the strong to take from the weak further inflaming the war. I do not know where this will go but It will be massive."
She started looking out the window deep in thought as we bumped along as Mana messages came in once and awhile. We were getting close to the city and I looked at my System.
--
Name: Sally
Age: 11
Titles: Ex-Slave, Apprentice of Jack the Torturer, Martial Genius, Apprentice Wizard, War Starter
Race: Beastkin - Phantom Snow Tiger
Level: 2
XP: 575/10000
System Points: 21800
Mana: 133/133
Strength: 25
Agility: 75
Vitality: 37
Toughness: 33
Charisma: 22
Intellect: 73
Wisdom: 74
Luck: 16
Points to Spend: 0
Shop - New Items Available;
Inventory - 3 Slots Available;
Lotto - No spins;
--
I looked into the records and it seems my Kill made me one thousand experience. I wonder If the experience scales? I don't know but ten times the experience for the next level is a bit much. I planned on looking into the Inventory function when I realize I should not do this in front of someone in case I am shocked or something that makes them suspicious.
"Is Freya and her group okay?" I ask to take my mind off the fact that I want to look at the inventory. I also can't believe how stupid I was for looking at it in front of someone else. I took control of my emotions schooling them into place.
"Yes a lot of the students came back alive almost a normal training faction there was only about thirty deaths cause of idiot encounters. No matter how much we weed out the weak we always find more." The amount of couldn't give a shitness amazed me. In my old world the sky would have fallen. A lot of those kids probably are nobles since Commoners have a harder entry than us.
"Are the nobles not going to be pissed?" This is information that was actually important to me as it showed the attitudes of nobles and how I should look at it in the future.
"They will not be happy but be happy at the same time. They are unhappy because they wasted resources on them but they are happy since they now know they were not worthy I don't think that's all but sorta like that. They want their Noble names to continue without someone of strength they cant so they must have a strong heir if they can't they lose all foundation." She explained to me and it reminded me of the Marquis Ironstrand. He wanted me to be the foundation for their family since his other children I haven't met yet are not reaching his expectations. So they basically know that their bet was lost.
"So no foundation no noble title?" I question, "Even if they have a lot of businesses?"
"Nobles in our country can not purchase a strong person to be that foundation. Foundations are made by the strong why would they bow to someone below them unless they are an idiot very rare. one of the few exceptions would be you if you grow to be a strong person to hold up the Ironstrand that are having an heir problem you make sense since they noticed you early and tie you to their name early. Most Noble houses would rather not skip a generation though. This rarely works and surprised of the Marquis such a powerful man coming into this problem, to be honest, I think though that you are a backup plan as he currently has three kids younger then Freya now that he is bringing up." That surprised me he must have had them before I left but such a big manor I am still surprised I never knew about it. In fact, I don't remember our last exchange. He has a portion of my Tailoring business with Stacy but he hasn't sent anything lately.
I lost myself in the thought of it as we took another break for the animals. More carriages seemed to be on the road now and after the short break we continued. I need to put my hand in politics. I have not been making the proper connections I only have the Marquis as a Back and need to advance politically. Being able to tell the movers and shakers to do stuff was more useful than one of the people moved by said people just how to start was my question.
The city was on the horizon we would get back just before nightfall. Things looked extremely busy but Ignored that as I was lost in thought. I decided I was close enough and sent a message to Stacy That I would be home tonight and to cook some food. I trusted that she would and looked forward to something other than roasted or jerked meat. The time it took for us to get into the city was a bit longer than I thought but we made it to the Academy quickly after our entrance.
Stacy was ready as I left the carriage with three black and blue striped cubs. I smiled at Stacy as she practically jumped me. Miss Green had I weird smile on her face as I thanked her and left back to my teacher's apartment. I got the Cubs settled into the stable and the smallest pen with all the equipment needed. I fed them before I ate with an Overly excited Stacy she looked at me with a lust that was next to begging. I decided there and then to leave her in it let her stew in her juices at least for one night. I was fucking Tired too and she can wait.
I ate as she told me how the business went while I was gone and told me how the equipment that she was wearing was on-trend at the Slave Masters guild and my hand stopped before my mouth.
"What?" I asked simply she was startled with my reaction. Apparently one of the Noble houses is now backing Tango and selling them to the Guild and were making good money. My fury rose I was so angry I didn't know where to lash out. I looked at her with some look that scared her.
"Stacy if what you said was a lie I will punish you till you wish you were dead then keep punishing you. Only If you tell me now is it a lie will you be saved." Something primal sounded I was snarling my mind and vision has been coated in a red.
"Mistress, I would never Lie to you I swear every word is true." She was completely serious and I heard a Trace of fear.
I stopped looked at her one last time before I walked to a corner and Meditated. I went to thoughtlessness for over an hour before I got up My fury was evident but not as in the moment as before. That FUCKER I finally got the ammo though I will enslave the fuck and do what I need to. I was still angry I was really fucking angry. I wanted to unleash this but I will not do it right now Stacy is in a transition phase to a true slave to her desires me at this moment will destroy that.
"I am tired and angry I will sleep and so will you, I will start to deal with this tomorrow," I state, My emotions were boiling and I would meditate more than sleep I knew tonight.