Under the light of several false suns, Zhen Liu was sitting across the way from a trio of soldiers whose uniform beared an insignia that resembled a rooster crowing against a rising sun. Written on the periter of the rising sun was the na, "Cortez", written in Scorch Talk.
If Zhen Liu had to take a guess about such garish symbology, Cortez was probably the na of the local powerhouse here in Papaya Town. He did rember Lythero ntioning sothing about there being a local hegemon.
’Alright, let’s turn on the charm and see if I can get these guys to tell sothing good,’ Zhen Liu told himself while staring directly at the trio of soldiers. Evidently, they were still a little freaked out about the whole situation and couldn’t help but to keep a weary eye leveled in Zhen Liu’s direction.
Which wasn’t the wrong action to take, but still a little hurtful.
Not really.
^So, I think you three can probably sense that trying to take a swing at or running away without my say so will probably end badly for you,^ Zhen Liu said while unsubtly releasing his aura towards the direction of the scouts. ^Which is why I am simply going to ask you so questions, give you a ssage and send you on your rry way back to your superiors. Sound good?^
From Zhen Liu’s perspective, he was trying to make himself sound reasonable yet still able to pop soone’s head off in a mont’s notice.
From the perspective of the soldiers, they couldn’t help but think they were talking to a literal demon from the old scriptures. Then again, that might’ve been due to the shadow being casted by Zhen Liu at this mont was unnaturally cold in comparison to the surrounding superheated environnt.
Needless to say they were more than willing to take whatever steps were necessary to save their little lives.
^Whatever you say,^ one of the soldiers verbally agreed. ^Mister...^
^Oh, my na is one of those nas that if you hear it, there’s a chance I might just have to kill you. So for the ti being, you can call Dealmaker,’ Zhen Liu answered while giving his most brilliant smile.
^Now then, let’s start from the top. Who do you fellows work for and why are you harassing my friend, Lythero here?^
While Zhen Liu was fairly certain he was going to get that much useful information out of these rank-and -file warriors, he could still use them to fill up so of the general gaps in his knowledge.
...One series of questions later...
’Do you think I exerted too much pressure on them?,’ Zhen Liu asked a little after watching the last of the scouts leave the mirage’s boundary. ’I think one of them was on the verge of tears.’
[h, I’m sure they’re fine,] Blazejudicator dismissed in a nonchalant tone of voice. [That said, you went with Dealmaker this ti, Executor? Really?]
’It was either that or phisto, and I’m pretty sure that latter one may co with historical baggage in connection to a prior Kaijin Lord. Call it a feeling.’
[Fair enough.]
’Now then, let’s prepare for the arrival of these Grandmasters, yes?’
...Now back to the outside...
Outside of the mirage barrier, the private army of the Cortez Company were still waiting on the return of the trio of scouts that they just sent in.
At this point in ti, about twenty minutes had passed with not even a hint of what was going on inside. Needless to say, this got the leaders a touch worried.
^Should we send another group of scouts in or continue waiting, Leader?,^ the vice-leader asked.
^I say we just send in the whole army at this point,^ the head of security suggested.
^Both of you, calm down and- wait,^ Kendana paused before being able to complete his sentence. ^They’re coming back.^
Shortly after this statent was made, the aforntioned scouting party returned from beyond the mirage barrier.
At a glance, the scouting party appeared to be strangely unhard. But if one were to take a closer look at the way the warriors carried themselves, one would notice that their confidence, their fighting spirit, was more or less shaken to the point of almost breaking.
Needless to say, the leaders of the Cortez Trading Company was confused and a little worried at this sight.
^Why do the three of you look like you’ve been through hell and back?,^ Leon asked. ^You’ve been gone for twenty minutes.^
The trio of soldiers were strangely silent as they stood there for a minute, staring at the vice-leader before finally answering in incredibly shaky tones of voice.
^There...there is soone in there keeping watch over the ba-Lythero,^one of the soldier managed to answer after a couple of monts.
^Okay...,^ Kendana registered while nodding, a growing unease developing in his stomach. ^What did he do?^
^He just...asked us questions,^ another of the soldiers answered
^I see...wait, what?^
^He just...asked us questions,^the third soldier repeated. ^He just stopped us from leaving and asked us a series of questions. That’s it.^
^Okay...,^ Rama nodded while getting the distinct feeling sothing was deeply wrong. ^Then why do all three of you look like you’ve been through a war zone?^
^Because of his aura,^ the first soldier answered again. ^while asking us a bunch of questions he just-^
^AAAAAAAHHHHHH!^
^What the fuck?!^
Before the first soldier could even finish his statent, the third soldier suddenly began to scream while clutching his head.
^Ah...ah...^
Joining his companion, the second soldier suddenly started uncontrollably crying.
Needless to say, this sudden display of an emotional breakdown made everyone present feel incredibly uncomfortable.
A feeling that was about to get exponentially worst after the soldiers explained what the fuck they went through.
^Soldier, you’re the only one who appears to be not having a ntal breakdown. Explain,^ Kendana ordered while keeping a gaze directed towards the mirage.
The aforentioned soldier took a deep breath before doing just that.
^The man who questioned us was a young man that seed to be about the sa age as Lythero but was...unfathomably powerful,^ the soldier explained. ^He just sat there, asking us questions about us, our organization, very broad things but the whole ti, he was was releasing this aura that was like...that was like...^
^It was like an endless abyss at the edge of a massive cliff,^ the crying soldier eventually managed to say between sobs. ^No bottom, no hope, no light, only an endless abyss of monsters.^
^Monsters! Yes, monsters!,^ the screaming soldier agreed. ^I tried to get a read on the man, on what stage of cultivation he could possibly be, but all I could sense was the feeling that was being stared down by a horde of incomprehensible monsters that knew I was staring back at them! I felt as if I just breathed in a way that bothered them, they would lash out and tear to shreds! AAAAHHHH!^
When the scouting party initially returned unscathed, several of the soldiers present assud that they had retreated and were just trying to cover their asses.
The sheer raw emotions presented to them now, banished any doubts that there was soone...sothing...dangerous in there. So much so that they began to wonder if it was truly worth their lives to be here for it.
Especially after this next bit of information was shared with the leaders.
^Was that all he did?,^ Kendana asked. ^Ask you a series of questions?^
^No, Boss Cortez, that wasn’t all he did,^ the calm yet shaky soldier answered. ^He asked us to deliver a ssage.^
^A ssage?^
^He asked to repeat this ssage, verbatim,^ the soldier answered before taking a breath and repeating exactly what the man behind mirage told him to say.
...
To the leaders of the Cortez Trading company, and their quaint little army, my...moniker is...Dealmaker.
Through a series of circumstances and happenstance, I have beco the unexpected patron to one Lythero Rajani and it has co to my understanding that you lot, the local hegemon, have a vested interest in making sure that he stayed a weak little Acolyte and under your watchful gaze.
Please note that this task is...no longer necessary.
Shortly after he breaks through, I will make sure to convince him to not direct his ire to you and your company, since it’s plain to that you’re simply following the orders of soone higher up the totem pole. However, this is incredibly dependent on what you lot decide to do next, to which I can see three choices.
Option 1: Retreat and pretend this mont never happened. You can all go back to your normal routine, sans one vagabond turned swordsman. Taking comfort in the fact that you chose to not ss with forces beyond your asure.
Option 2: Send in your champions, your leaders, what have you, to negotiate or fight on your behalf. Whether it ends diplomatically or violently is entirely up to you.
Option 3: You co rushing in with your army of soldiers, your squadron of elites and all led by your strongest of champions...and I present Papaya Town with a brand new fruit tree grove that’s been freshly fertilized with all of your corpses.
Either way, the choice is yours.
I’ll be waiting.
...
^Huh...^
Evidently, the content of this ssage was so shocking, that the Cortez Company as a whole was just...stunned silent.
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