NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 87: Meeting of Giants
CG Chapter 87: Meeting of Giants
Once Tom left the shaman's small hut in the south, his journey continued north.
From the depths of the giant forest of Luminara and into the mountain peaks of Vennturia, where the headquarters of Alamut lay.
Passing through the same path he had once walked, Tom couldn't help but notice the increased level of security.
When he first came to Alamut, the guards only patrolled the upper parts of the mountain, but now multiple assassins roamed every corner.
These assassins were there to prevent any unwelcome visitors--not even an animal could pass without them knowing.
Tom continued his climb, and when he finally reached the gates of Alamut, he saw a group of assassins surrounding a few women.
As he approached, Tom recognized the face of a young lady who was no stranger to him. When his eyes fell upon the daggers used as hairpins in the heads of the seven women, his mind raced.
'Huh, she even knew about this place--one of the most secretive places in the world. I guess that means she no longer intends to hide her identity.'
Tom called out, "Assassins, show some respect to our guests."
Hearing his words, the female knight he had met at the party smiled as she walked toward him.
"We meet again, Your Eminence. Mother told us to do whatever it takes to help you."
After she finished, she and the other six knelt before Tom.
"We swear by the sacred name of our mother, the eternal watchful one, and by the forgotten ancient spirits. We, seven sisters, pledge our lives to you. From the highest hills to the depths of hell, our daggers will remain at your service, bound to you, the one true scion of the world."
Tom was happy to receive any assistance he could get. He was well aware that his enemies wouldn't show them any mercy on the battlefield.
At the same time, the loyalty of the Thorn Sisters wasn't something he was entirely sure about.
He knew their loyalty didn't lie with him; it lay with the shaman.
If at any moment she so much as blinks, then those seven daggers would point toward him rather than the kings.
But he wouldn't need to worry until the seven kingdoms fell and the connection of the gods to this world was severed.
After considering all of this, Tom decided to accept them into his ranks. Because what he believed in wasn't their loyalty, but something much more real--he believed in the shared interests and benefits they had.
With everything settled, Tom entered Alamut with the seven female knights behind him.
Once he stepped inside, Tom was greeted by the sight of a giant table with a map of the continent on it, replacing the empty training ground.
Around the table stood many people, some he knew and others he was seeing for the first time.
Among them, the most important one was the crimson-haired middle-aged man.
Folek had his hands together, his eyes fixed on the map, lost in thought. Plan after plan came to his mind, but they all fell too lacking.
When Folek noticed that Tom had finally arrived, he raised his hands to the sky and addressed the people around the table.
"Take pride, my friends, for you stand on the brink of a new era. The seven kingdoms will soon fade into legend, becoming a tale of a bygone time, and from their ashes, a new dynasty shall rise. A dynasty that we can call ours."
Hearing Folek's announcement, Tom thought, 'I am not sure about a new dynasty, but at least the seven kingdoms will fall since they stand in my way.'
One of the men standing around the table bowed to Tom before speaking.
"It's an honor to finally meet you, my lord. I have heard many great things about your achievements in the Palace of Attrio. My only regret is that I wasn't there to witness the expressions of those seven bastards with my own eyes."
The rose-golden-haired man paused before grinning, "Well, I guess I should call them six now."
Tom looked at Folek, waiting for him to introduce the man.
Seeing this, Folek quickly spoke, "This is Duke Helmut Schlotbaron. He and his soldiers will help us in the upcoming war."
Folek then continued to introduce the others.
Some of the new arrivals were Earls, others Marquises from different kingdoms.
Tom hadn't been aware of the huge force that Flameheart had hidden until now, but he guessed that it was only natural that they had nurtured so many.
After all, they had been working in the shadows and laying their plans for thousands of years.
He thought that if the seven kingdoms didn't have the blessings of the gods, then Flameheart's plans might have succeeded long before he arrived in this world.
Unfortunately, even with the assistance of all these noble houses, their power was still far too lacking to face the kingdoms head-on.
Because of this, Tom decided to take another route to achieve his goal.