A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

Chapter 664 Back Home - Part 4

Skullic shrugged. "Why not? I'd do it for the woman I liked. I'm just asking if you're aware of the risk."

"General... That's insanely bad advice. Imagine if I listened to that logic?" Oliver said.

"Well, you're going to do it anyway," Skullic said, leaning on his chair. "Perhaps not because you like either woman – and why is that, I wonder? – but for the sake of a misplaced loyalty, you'll be ending up in the same position. Your retainers will praise you, but again you'll be taking a jab at the High King."

"I'll do it then," Oliver said, smiling a menacing smile. Both he and Ingolsol had seized the opportunity and soon it was phrased as a jab towards the High King. That man needed all the jabs that they could possibly deliver.

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Skullic shook his head. "Now see, that's a worse habit than me doing it for the sake of a woman. But I digress, do what you will. You understand the dangers. It will not affect my house."

"Thank you, General," Oliver said honestly. "You've treated me fairly. I appreciate that."

"It would be shortsighted to use and disregard men. I wouldn't be a very good General if I lacked that basic foresight," Skullic said. "Go then, and make sure you get your food from Mary. I will not have you wasting the efforts of that woman. Do not forget that it would be pertinent for you to arrange a meeting with the Asabel girl, before you move for the Blackthorn."

...

...

After feeding himself on the warm meat and potatoes that Mary had delivered him, he set out in search of his retainers.

Verdant, as ever, was the easiest to find. Oliver met him at the doors of the Central Castle on his way out. The priest had been waiting for him there it seemed, after guessing where he'd gotten to.@@@@

The priest looked doubtful, but it was enough to get him to finally relent and hurry in the direction of the Yellow Castle, as he'd said he would.

It was hard to tell just how the priest had informed them, but soon enough, Jorah, Kaya and Karesh were sprinting towards the Central Castle as though they were late for something.

"My Lord!" Jorah said, his hands on his knees. "Apologies for making you wait."

All three of them were rather sweaty. Too sweaty to have come from a short run.

"Were you training?" Oliver guessed.

They seemed stunned to have been seen through instantly, but they didn't deny it. Jorah nodded meekly. "We took your advice to heart. We've been putting more effort in, with the thought of the goblins in mind. With a goal to work for, and true combat... I'm not sure – it just seems as though I can progress more clearly now."

Oliver nodded his understanding. "Good. On that note, I've cleared it with General Skullic. You can follow me on the next mission, if you're ready enough for it. But be warned, if I don't think you're strong enough to keep yourselves alive, I'll have to leave you behind."

The instantaneous excitement was quickly tempered by his warning, but the three of them nodded anyway. "Don't you worry, my Lord! Your missions will be far easier in future with the three of us in hand."

"And a hundred men," Oliver said, with a small smile on his lips. He knew that it would catch them off guard, and just as he'd expected, the three of them were stunned.

"Sorry, my Lord," Jorah said cautiously. "Do you mean that we are fighting alongside a hundred men? Or..?"

He carefully posed the question, guessing correctly that if it wasn't the latter then Oliver wouldn't have bothered to mention it at all. Still, it seemed too outlandish to merely take on as an assumption.

"Indeed, Skullic gave me that as a reward," Oliver said, enjoying their reaction. They were good men, he knew. Honest men. It was pleasant to see them display their emotions so clearly.