Chapter 23: Count’s Trouble

Chapter 23: Count’s Trouble In one of the general’s rooms in the headquarters of the military, Roger was in his chair and in front of him on the opposite end of the table, three young individuals were standing in attention listening to Roger speak. In the middle was a young woman, fifteen years of age, a full silver body armor adorned on her body and a double-edged sword on her waist, grey hair and blue eyes. She was the leader of the unit under Roger, Adriana. Beside her on the left was a young man of about six feet, black eyes and a bald head. He was wearing a full body steel armor and a huge shield was on his back, about the same size of his body, he was Zane, and the other was a young woman in a green robe and her face was covered with a mask, exposing only her brown eyes, she was Jane, a wind wizard of the unit and both of them similar in age to Adriana. "It’s a very important mission that I am entrusting you with! And it’s really important for our military’s reputation that we find and deliver the item that the count is in need of!" "Yes general!" the three of them responded in unison. "But what is it that we have to find general?" Adriana asked. "The count’s daughter is about to be twelve, and it’s time for her awakening, but she has a very rare condition, mana over congestion." Roger kept on speaking. "Since she has an ice element mana, too much mana has accumulated in her circle, which is freezing her heart and risking her life. So much that if she awakens now, the cold mana will freeze her heart and kill her on the spot!" "So, what she need is the noon bloom. A flower found in the forest of corruption, which has a very condensed fire mana, which can counter the ice mana and help her awaken without her life being in danger!" Roger said. "But sir, won’t such a flower be found in the depths of the forest. Even if we want, we can’t even enter the middle zones!" Zane said. "We generals have been searching in the middle zones but the outer zones are still left to explore, because we thought it wouldn’t be there. but even after searching for a long time, we still haven’t been able to find it. Now...the count is about to post this mission on the adventurer’s guild. If they find it before us, it will drag our reputation down the drain, since he had asked us first." "All the units under the generals are now ordered to search in the outer zones and we’ll continue our search in the middle zone. So, I want my team to be the one to find the item. Since the Marshal has promised a very special reward to the team who finds it." All three of them were shocked hearing about a reward from the Marshall, who was the leader of the military and a heroic figure of the city, who was the torch bearer of the independence fight of Gemburn. "So, give it your all! I want my team to come out on top. I want to look at that bastard Vale’s defeated face. Understood!?" "Yes general!" the three of them roared. "Okay! You’re dismissed!" The three of them saluted with their fists as they tapped it on their chest and walked out of the room. "We can’t go in blindly! Find any available information about the noon bloom. The better we know, the more chances we have of finding it. Search in the Military library Jane and I’ll try the city library." Adriana said. "What about me?" Zane asked, confused. "Can you read, you muscle head?" Jane asked. "No!" "Then why ask!? Just follow me!" Jane turned left towards the library as Zane followed behind her scratching his head in embarrassment. Adriana chuckled at Zane’s innocence. He was a muscle head who had been training since a young age under Roger. He was an orphan and Roger took him under his tutelage seeing his physical prowess. But the only downside was that he had a child like brain and being a fighter mage, didn’t know a single spell. He only fought with mana and raw power. Leaving those two, she started moving outside the headquarters, towards the city library. The military headquarters was a u shaped building and there was another u shaped building parallel to it. It was the mansion of the count. Inside in one of the rooms, a young girl was sleeping in a capsule like golden bed with two mana stones placed on both the ends, which was supplying fire mana inside. The young girl was the daughter of the count, Mary. The left side of her hand and neck region had turned white from the ice cold mana, she was releasing visible fog from her mouth with every breath like in the winter. The count was sitting beside her on a chair and some distance away from him was a man in his forties, having a large cut in the middle of his face, from one end of the face, passing over the nose towards the other end. He had jet black beard and long black hairs. He was well built and muscular which were stretching the clothes he was wearing. This was the Marshall, the leader of the military. "I’m desperate Sylvan! Her awakening is getting near. I don’t want to take any risk. I have full trust in you and have seen how tirelessly you’ve been searching for it. But what if we aren’t able to find the flower till the end. Who will I blame then?" The count said in a helpless tone. "I understand lord Clive. It’s just that we were very near, we could have found it in a few days! To post this mission on the adventurer’s guild now is a bit...." "I’m not asking you to stop! I’d be the happiest if you can bring the noon bloom to me. I’m just increasing the workforce that can help in finding it." The count kept going. "She is my only daughter! My desperation is reaching its end. I don’t care who or how someone brings it. I just want it to be in my hands, and I’ll pay any price for that." "I understand! I promise you the military will be the one to bring the flower on your table and very soon!" Sylvan said with confidence. "Take some rest lord Clive. You need to look after your health so as to look after lady Mary!" The count nodded as Sylvan bowed and left the room. He clenched his fists in anger just as he was outside. "He won’t listen?" a wizard in a blue robe and long blonde hair asked as he saw the Marshal in anger. "No! How’s the progress Vale? I want us to be the one to find it no matter what!" "We will don’t worry. All the units under the generals are engaged in this mission now! we will find it soon." Vale said. "We have to! I can’t afford to lose from that bastard guild leader." Sylvan said, gritting his teeth in anger.