NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 237 Roles
After being left to their own devices by their superiors, the group of subordinates all followed Iris back to Esme so that they could hold a small meeting of their own. In Esme, the group of subordinates gathered with Iris and found a quiet and secluded spot to hold their meeting. There, Iris manipulated the earth and formed chairs and a table out of the ground.
Iris, as the group leader, took the initiative to start the discussion. "Alright, everyone, thank you for indulging my request for us to meet up. Our mission is to gather information on the multiple races and their respective kingdoms. This includes their political structure, alliances, and potential threats to our creators. We'll need to be thorough and discreet in our approach."
Eager to contribute, Eryndor spoke up. "Yes, since our main objective is information collection, I think it would be best if we worked together. Although our respective groups are assigned to different kingdoms, we might come across information another group might require to fulfill their mission."
Eir, the leader of Valna's group, nodded in agreement. "I agree. I also believe that our focus on gathering intelligence should be to identify if there are any potential threats in each kingdom. We need to know their military capabilities and any possible security measures in place that could pose a challenge to us. Additionally, we should keep an eye out for any underground organizations or covert activities that might affect our mission. We might even be able to use them for gathering information if all works out."
Casandra, the leader of Azalea and Dahlia's group, added, "Yes, that sounds reasonable. Rather than building an information network from scratch, it’d save us time to simply take over one if it exists and start from there. From the memories Lord Zero showed us, this society is medieval, so there will be a nobility system most likely in the dwarven and human society."
Andrea, the reaper in Casandra’s group, also added, “Yes, and we’ll most likely have to embed ourselves with them once we understand the power structure. Lord Zero will also craft an artifact sealing all our powers except for one ability each. So we should discuss what combination of abilities would function the best for our mission.”
Ash, the Hades vampire, said, “For myself, I think my ability to hypnotize mortals will be the most useful ability to pick. I suggest that Andrea takes her intangibility and Casandra her ability to manipulate spirits. With this combo, I believe we’ll easily be able to gather information and manipulate the scene with a trace of our involvement.”
Iris listened attentively to the suggestions and nodded in agreement. She considered the suggestions and the limitations of their group composition, and she agreed with Lyrisa's proposal. "Yes, your abilities are well-suited for the roles you've mentioned. My teleportation should allow us to quickly move between locations, and plant mimicry will aid in discreet information gathering and blending into the surroundings."
Lyrisa nodded in agreement with Iris, and Eryndor followed suit. "I'm comfortable with taking on the plant mimicry ability. I’m the best when it comes to seamlessly blending in with the environment and gathering information unnoticed," Eryndor confirmed.
Eir, the Dark Valkyrie, listened to the decisions made by the other groups and considered their own situation. "Mist, your animal manipulation will be an asset for our mission. We can gather information from animals and potentially use them as our eyes and ears. As for myself, my Death Magic can provide us with the means to deal with multiple situations that may rise up."
Mist, the Chaos Valkyrie, nodded in agreement. "Agreed, Eir. I believe our combination of animal manipulation and Death Magic should work. Regardless, I have a question."
“What's the question?” asked Eir.
“Am I right to assume from the way you’ve been talking now we’ll be aiding each other’s missions rather than just sharing information among each group? Is that allowed by Lord Zero?” asked Mist.
“From what I know of Lord Zero, so long as he doesn’t exclusively forbid us from performing a certain act, then it doesn’t matter to him how we accomplish the mission. So cooperation among each group will be fine. We should support each other's missions and work together whenever possible. Our collective success will contribute to the overall success of our mission,” answered Iris.
“Then since he hasn’t forbidden us from killing, we can assume that we can do so as we please. Is that right?” Ash, eager to clarify the boundaries, posed a question regarding the act of killing. Casandra responded with a measured tone, "While Lord Zero hasn't explicitly forbidden us from taking lives, I believe it's important for us to exercise restraint in that regard. Our mission is focused on information gathering and remaining covert. The abilities we have chosen should enable us to accomplish our objectives without resorting to unnecessary violence."
Iris nodded in agreement with Casandra's response. "Indeed, Casandra is right. We should prioritize non-lethal means and avoid drawing unnecessary attention to ourselves. Our abilities and strategic approach should provide us with ample opportunities to gather information discreetly. However, if we find ourselves in a situation where we must defend ourselves, we should do so with caution and restraint."
Eir, the Dark Valkyrie, added, "True, our primary objective is intelligence gathering, not causing harm. Let us remember the importance of balance and understanding the consequences of our actions. Besides, our strength and abilities will mostly be sealed, making us as weak as our targets. So unless any of you are skilled at the art of assassination, I also agree that avoiding that scenario is for the best."
“I know that was meant as more of a joke, but it actually so happens I have those skills. So how about leaving any target that requires killing to me? At the very least, I can remove them without a trace,” said Andrea.
The group collectively agreed with the sentiments expressed by team leaders Iris, Casandra, and Eir. They understood the need to prioritize information gathering while minimizing unnecessary harm. They were determined to approach their mission with discretion, utilizing their chosen abilities to gather valuable intelligence without compromising their cover.
After carefully considering Andrea's proposal, the group agreed to leave the task of eliminating targets to Andrea; however, they emphasized that taking a life should be an absolute last resort. They would only burden her with such responsibility if it became necessary to ensure the success and safety of the mission.
Iris spoke up to clarify the group's position. "Andrea, we appreciate your willingness to undertake such tasks. However, let me make it clear that we should exhaust all other options before resorting to lethal measures. We should prioritize non-lethal means like Ash’s hypnosis whenever possible.”
Eir nodded in agreement and added, "Indeed, we should be cautious and prudent in our actions. I hope that circumstances will rarely necessitate taking a life. Our strength and abilities will be sealed, making us vulnerable as well. Let's focus on our main mission and avoid such trouble."
Casandra chimed in, emphasizing the importance of a discreet and subtle approach. "Well, then since the other two have spoken, then it looks like we’ve reached an understanding on the matter. Am I to assume then that this meeting is adjourned because I have a few preparations I need to attend to before we’re shipped out?"
With the group in agreement, they concluded their meeting, understanding the boundaries and the importance of prioritizing non-lethal means whenever possible. Casandra's remark signaled the end of the discussion, and the group members dispersed to attend to their individual preparations before their departure.
Iris nodded in acknowledgment of Casandra's need to prepare. "Yes, it seems we have reached a consensus. This meeting is adjourned. Let's all make the necessary preparations and reconvene when we are ready to begin our mission. Remember to stay focused and exercise caution in all our actions." The group members rose from their earth-formed seats and returned to their respective duties.