Hektor, Jero, and the rest of the crew gathered around Kashi while the captain spilled the beans.

"W-we're working with the Mayor of Ker-“ the captain started to say, but Kashi tightened his grip.

Kashi’s pulled the captain close and said, "I already know that. Tell me something I don't know."

Sweat flooded the bandit's face as he felt the cold grasp of the grim reaper. Faced with his impending mortality, the captain instantly capitulated. "The loot is kept in a storehouse at the harbor," he mumbled with tears streaming down his face. "Please spare—"

"You're hiding something," Kashi interrupted with a hard glare. "Spill it."

The bandit paled, and he stammered as he pleaded, "I-I can't! Please! He'll kill me!"

The daeben’s aura grew thick and oppressive. His grip tightened, and the bandit captain found it hard to breathe, as Kashi threatened in a low voice, "And what do you think I will do?"

The bandit captain recognized the fatality in the daeben’s eyes. Those were the eyes of a man who had no problems with killing to obtain what he wanted. The way the captain saw it, it was better to live through the day first. As a result, he surrendered and said, "O-okay, I'll talk!"

Kashi released the captain’s collar and said, "Speak."

Captain clasped his sore throat as he gasped for air. He cast a wary glance at the daeben as he reported, "We were supposed to launch a surprise attack on the capital in a few days."

Kashi raised a brow in interest. "You’re not in league with the drakul?"

"No,” the captain refuted with a firm shake of his head. “Damn reptiles occupied Riven during the war and haven’t let anyone in since."

Kashi nodded, and began to fish for the vital information, "How is this attack supposed to be carried out? I imagine you cannot openly side with the army."

"Y-you're right," the poor man blubbered. "The bandits were to raid Riven by sea, while he led the adventurers to attack from land."

Kashi’s brows furrowed. "I sense a but."

The captain trembled under the daeben’s intense glare. "P-promise you won't kill me."

Kashi snorted in response. "If you don't start talking, that is exactly what I will do."

Tears poured down the man's face, but he knew he could not stop talking. Every moment his mouth moved was one second he was still alive. "Riven can’t be attacked by sea."

Kashi's brows furrowed. "Explain."

"None of you 'Summoned' have explored that region, so you don't know, but Riven sits on the steepest of cliffs. It is impossible to scale," the captain revealed.

"What about its harbor?” Kashi questioned. “I doubt the capital does not have one."

"Its only harbor is carved into the mountain which is sealed during emergencies."

Kashi rubbed his eyes as he said with an exasperated sigh, "Let me guess…"

"The reptiles have kept it sealed for the last decade,” the captain confirmed. “Opening it from the inside will be difficult. Utterly impossible from the outside."

"I see," Kashi said, smiling. "You never planned to assist Absalon did you?"

"Why should we?” the captain questioned, “ Looting the army's corpses would have been much more fruitful."

Kashi shrugged, evidently not surprised by the comment. "As expected of a coward. It was a good plan though, I'll give you that much."

The captain trembled and tentatively asked, "So what now? Will you kill me? I can prove useful? I know this area very we—” Thunk! An arrow struck the ground next to him causing him to shriek in terror

"Do not speak of death so calmly,” Kashi said, then slung his bow over his shoulder and turned to Jero. "Do with him as you see fit."

Jero walked over to the bandit, holding his dagger in a death grip. He held down the bandit and raised his blade to strike.

"P-please!" Captain begged as he looked at his reflection in the steel blade. His face degenerated into an unsightly mess from snot, spit, and tears. "Don't kill me! Please!"

Jero sneered as he brought the blade to the man’s throat. "How many people did you slaughter for your greed!"

"Hiii!"

"My wife was among those you assholes killed," Jero revealed in a low, threatening voice, his words, slow and deliberate. "She begged too. You showed her no mercy."

The captain frantically wept and pleaded as the blade’s edge drew blood from his neck. "P-P-Please! I'll change! I won't do it again!"

Jero snorted, then raised the blade and struck down.

Stab!

"Waaaah!" Captain cried as he shielded his eyes from the gruesome fate. A few seconds passed before he realized he was still among the living. The captain looked to his left and heaved a momentous sigh of relief when he saw the dagger dug into the hard earth.

Jero had apparently spared him. The captain inwardly smirked as he realized these people were one of those holier than thou groups who liked to hold themselves to a higher standard to the villains they fought. Oh, how he would use these fools.

Jero, oblivious to the captain’s thoughts, withdrew his blade and released him. He sneered at the man and said, "There is no value in taking the life of a coward. Mytra will be satisfied with your disgrace."

The captain grinned and said, “Thank—” Vwhoop! The captain’s words froze in his throat as he suddenly found himself looking down at his headless body, from which blood spraying like a fountain. "...you?"

"Fuck you," Hektor spat, nose scrunched in disgust as he hoisted his bloodied ax on his shoulder.

Kashi sighed and patted Hektor’s back. "Hope that made you feel better."

Hektor snorted as he looked at the headless corpse, "Not really."

"Haha, let's see if we can make you feel better then," Kashi proposed with a small smile.

Hektor looked at Kashi with interest. "W’at you gat in mind?"

Kashi smiled as he began to retrieve the loot left behind by the Geruk frogs. "He did say something about a storehouse…”

Hektor’s eyes shone, and he immediately dashed off to the heart of the fortress to seek out this storehouse. It only took a few minutes for him to successfully locate the correct building, upon which he called the others. When everybody had gathered, Hektor smashed open the doors of the storehouse then stepped back, gaping in disbelief at the building’s contents. "Holy..."

Kashi's right fist rapidly clenched and unclenched as he too admired the treasure trove. "Hello~."

All seven men stared, transfixed by what they saw. No one dared to move as if frightful it would all turn out to be a dream.

Lunette and Shadow returned from their retreat and joined them at this opportune moment.

Lunette noticed the gathering and asked out of curiosity as she approached, "What are you guys staring at?" the young woman asked as she turned to the direction of their stares. "Oh, my..." she exclaimed. Never in her life had she seen so much gold in one place before.

Chests stacked upon chests were filled with coins, jewelry, weapons, maps, paintings, and many other items. The loot just seemed to have no end. Charmed by the treasures, Lunette walked in and reached for an emerald earring.

"Abababa!" The men yelled with sweat pouring down their faces.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Lunette playfully put on the earrings and smiled at her reflection on a glass shield.

Paris was the first to react. He stared at the pile and mumbled in disbelief, "It's real."

Jero muttered, "It's not disappearing."

Iason was less articulate. "It's... Wooohooo!"

Lunette paled as the men ran past her, crazed with joy and dove into the treasure.

Paris grabbed a scepter and donned a gold crown with a fur mantle. Then jumped onto the highest stacked chest and proclaimed, "Ah, I knew I was born royalty. Now, all you commoners, bow before my perfection."

Iason kicked the bottom chest and chuckled as Paris crashed to the floor.

"Look what I found!" Kashi called as he rolled several barrels towards the crew from an adjacent warehouse

"Is that what I think it is?" Jero asked, eyes widening.

"Only one way to find out," Kashi replied. The men grabbed goblets of different makes and shook with anticipation, as the daeben pried open the barrel.

"Sweet Mera," Jero muttered as he stared at the red liquid. He filled his goblet and gulped down the mixture in one go. "I don't believe it. Honey Mead!"

"What?" The rest cried as they clamored for a taste. They soon cried out in joy and took many more swigs of the drink.

Iason walked over to Shadow and wrapped his arm around the youth's neck. "Don't be standing here by your lonesome."

"No, I'm fi-" Shadow started to say, but let out an embarrassing yell when Iason suddenly lifted him. Shadow weakly protested, "Let me down!"

"Sure!" Iason agreed and tossed the young man into a full barrel.

"Why you!" Shadow cried as he hopped out the barrel and chased the lumbering man.

The party continued well into the night. Iason toyed with everyone and regularly fought with Hektor every few minutes. Even Kira wasn't spared from the old man’s antics.

A few hours later, Kashi, exhausted by Iason’s antics exited the building and walked to the pier to cool off. He sat down on the dock and let the water lap against his legs. Sighing, he closed his eyes and rested on the wooden walkway.

A soft voice interrupted his journey to the world of dreams. "Done already?"

Kashi cracked open his right eye and saw Lunette standing over him with her usual smile. "Ian's scary when he's drunk," Kashi weakly replied.

"So you abandoned Kira?” Lunette playfully rebuked with a chuckle. “That's not too brave is it?"

"She's a tough girl,” Kashi replied. “I'm sure she can handle it."

As if on cue, a loud yelp suddenly rang out from the storehouse.

Lunette’s smile widened. "You were saying?"

Kashi closed his eyes as a gentle breeze blew across the pier. "She'll be fine."

Lunette took a seat next to the daeben and gazed at his peaceful expression. She found it hard to believe this was the same man responsible for the destroyed fort. "Say, can I ask something?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"When did you decide to add us to your plan?"

"Before we met."

Lunette’s eyelids jumped. "Huh?!"

Kashi clarified, "Well, to be precise, at Lew Creek."

"How?"

"That was where I learned your ability,” he explained. “Decided you would be of use then."

Lunette honestly felt those words should have annoyed her. They really should have. But Kashi’s voice carried neither superficial pride nor conceit. Just pure honesty. "And the frogs?"

"Those actually came after I already formulated a plan around you,” Kashi stated. “I considered them normal monsters until Jero told me just how fearsome they were."

This admission confused the songstress. "Wait. So what if you never found me?"

"I knew I would. But I had a failsafe just in case. Was too risky though, and I really did not want to use it yet,” Kashi explained.

Lunette shook her head and said with a loud sigh, "You're insane."

Kashi chuckled. "So you've said." He removed his legs from the water and placed it on the pier. His breathing evened out as he fell into sleep.'

Iason walked out of the storehouse with a large tankard in hand. He looked to the pier where Lunette watched over the sleeping daeben and muttered with a slight smile, "Now, ain't that a sight."

Jade’s Room

Residential Sector.

5:24 am, Thursday, 30 th April 2043.

Jade glared at her computer's screen as she tapped on her mouse. "Come on, come on, come on!" Her frustration was caused by the abysmal pace of the download. It had been a few weeks since the download first started, and so far, she was privy only to things most people knew.

"Do it, don't do it,” Jade debated as she stared at the screen like it would suddenly display her answer. Jade could attempt to create another backdoor, but that would increase the possibility of discovery. On the flip side, it would double the rate of download. Jade’s father had taught her that hackers should be patient. But he also said soon after that most were impatient by nature.

After staring at the screen for what felt like hours, Jade cracked her knuckles and set to work creating a new backdoor. "I hope this doesn't come around to bite me in the ass."

Elsewhere on the compound, a certain blonde, blue-eyed man received a notification on his laptop. "Impressive," he remarked as he pressed a button, deleting the warning from the system.

Norcha,

12:42 am, 18 th Peniel 1091.

The afternoon sun glared harshly at Kashi who yawned as he walked into the fort through its shattered walls on his way back from looting the remains of the Geruk frogs that had perished during the charge.

Kashi circled around the fort, inspecting the damage to the buildings and the facilities that survived the battle. The walls had been damaged a bit worse than he initially expected, but he didn’t mind much as they could still be repaired. He was also relieved to find that the buildings that had been squashed by the Geruk frogs comprised mostly of living quarters. The workshops were, by some stroke of good luck, situated near the eastern wall.

Kashi’s main problem was the matter of ownership. He had tried to claim the fort earlier but received a notification that only guilds could be owners of certain properties. Not only was Kashi not in a guild, but he could not create one because of the exile.

Due to the war, there were very few developed cities in each country. And the Guild Registration & Management Agencies were always located in the big cities. Kashi would be unable to form a guild unless he waited for a newly developed city to be built or he snuck into Kerta, both of which required time he did not have.

That left the daeben with only one option.

"Ow, ow, ow," Iason mumbled, rubbing his head as Kashi and Jero walked up to him.

"Still hungover?" Kashi asked.

"Ha. I think I celebrated too hard there." Iason remarked as he patted Jero's shoulder and roared with laughter. "At least I didn't pass out after only two drinks."

Kashi was surprised to see Jero visibly embarrassed.

"That was... It's been a while since my last drink," Jero mumbled.

"It’s okay. I understand.” Iason patted his shoulder then turned to Kashi "What're you doing up so early anyway?"

"It's past noon," Kashi replied, brow raised.

Iason shrugged. "Same difference."

"I guess.” Kashi did not bother arguing the semantics. “I was thinking of what to do next."

Jero shivered and paled as he felt the onset of a dangerous premonition. "D-Don't tell me you plan on having us attack the capital."

"Spot on,” Kashi replied. He found their terrified expressions priceless. "Don't worry, we won't attack yet. Even I am not that crazy. However, Jero-san..."

"Yes?"

"How would you like to be captain of this fort?"

"C-captain?" Jero’s voice shook, as he stared blankly at the daeben.

"Yes. I have a plan, but I can't carry it out if we lose this fort," Kashi replied.

"Wow!" Iason exclaimed. "Oi, Jero what are you thinking too hard about? That's as good an offer as us lowly villagers are like to get."

"I... I know that!" Jero stated with a hard glare. He sighed loudly, then looked at Kashi with firm conviction. "I will do it."

"Good," Kashi happily remarked as he pulled out a ledger. "All you have to do is sign your name in this book,” Kashi instructed and handed the book to Jero.

Jero signed the book, and a system prompt notified Kashi that the new Captain of Norcha Fort was one Jero Wraithspear.

"To think I would become a captain." Jero looked to the sun, a weary smile on his face. "If only Mytra could have seen this."

"I'm sure she's laughing her fine ass off," Iason said.

Jero let out a short, pained laugh. "She did have a nice ass."

"The finest in the continent."

Kashi silently listened to the men reminisce. He knew nothing of loss, nor would he ever pretend to. There were some things a man should not fake with their teammates.

Jero’s reminiscence did not last long. Ever the action-oriented man, he questioned Kashi, "What is this plan of yours?"

"In due time," Kashi coyly replied. "In the meantime, I would appreciate it if you gathered as many people that would lend their sword as soon as possible."

"This part of your plan?" Iason asked.

"Fundamental part," Kashi revealed. "You can choose to start fixing the walls if you wish. But what we really need are ships. If you need coin, we have more than enough."

"How many people do you need?" Jero asked.

"About fifty. They should be split evenly between the five of you. It'll be easier to coordinate."

"Wait, five? Someone's missing," Iason pointed out.

"Hektor might be an excellent warrior, but he lacks the experience and patience required to lead,” Kashi explained. “He can join any of your companies."

"I see," Jero mused. "I should be able to round up that much. There are hundreds of people along the Delta who will consider themselves indebted to you."

"Thank you," Kashi said as they walked over to the storehouse where the rest of the crew slumbered peacefully, exhausted by the tension that had ebbed away during their celebration.

Kashi placed a hand on the gold, and a notification informed him that there was one-million Syros worth of gold coins in the room. He could not even begin to guess how much all the artifacts would sum up to.

"I don't get it. Why live here if you're as rich as this?" Jero remarked as he looked at the piles of gold.

"No matter how much they steal, they can't sell it without a fence," Kashi replied. "Worse off, in this trying times, the people with enough money to buy these items are probably those they were stolen from in the first place. A thief's income is only as good as his customers."

"If they could not sell them, why not just quit?"

Kashi sighed as he shook his head. "Some steal to live. Others live to steal. Depending on which side a thief is on, he might never stop his trade till he's caught, killed or grows too old."

"You seem to know a lot about this," Iason noted.

"Heh. Good observation," Kashi said, dismissing the topic. He scanned the treasure for anything that would be of use to him and found out there were far too many. Be it the high-level ore from the mines, or the unique bows, to the equipment. The thieves had really hoarded everything they had amassed in the past ten years.

Kashi decided to identify everything. While immersed in his work, he did not notice the rest of the crew wake up and gather around him. At some point, he involuntarily cursed out loud, hands shaking as he stared at the item in his hand.

Tears of the Goddess [Legendary]

Heroes are not always born with talent. Drink and feel the power rise within you.

Permanently Increases Mana by 500MP

All the money in the world could not compare to this find. While it was possible to purchase potions that temporarily increased MP, it was next to impossible to find any that permanently increased mana. For someone sorely lacking in mana like Kashi, this was a godsend item.

Kashi did not waste a single moment before downing the drink in one fell swoop. It tasted nasty, but most good things did. Next, Kashi pocketed 100,000 Syros and left the remaining 900,000 for Jero and the crew.

Kashi surmised much should be more than enough for the next stage of the plan. The daeben’s course of actions was to pack the items he needed, but could not fit in his inventory into large sacks. Kira, Jero, and Iason assisted the daeben in transporting the bags onto a schooner at the harbor.

When they were done, Kashi rested on the wheel as the men walked up to him.

"Where will you be going now?" Jero asked.

"Ranad. Will spend some time there before returning to Kerta," Kashi answered.

"In that case, we'll escort you," Iason said.

"No, it's fine," Kashi politely refused. "The sooner we start recruiting, the better. I'll be fine on my own."

Jero nodded. "Then we'll see you when you return."

"Till then,” Kashi agreed. “I leave the fort in your hands."

Jero held out his arm and Kashi clasped it tightly. "It was an honor fighting by your side."

"The honor is mine," replied the daeben. He turned to Iason and held out his hand. "As it was an honor fighting by yours."

The giant ignored Kashi’s outstretched hand and squeezed him in a bear hug. "You take care now. We'll see you on the flip side," he said released the daeben and ruffled Kira's fur. "Keep watch over him. He's a crazy one."

Kira barked and placed a paw on his outstretched hand.

The men hopped off the boat as Kashi raised the anchor. Jero waved goodbye, "Till we meet aga-"

"Wait!" Three voices shouted.

Kashi watched, amazed as Lunette, Shadow and Hektor simultaneously jumped onto the deck.

"You weren't thinking of leaving us were you?" Lunette asked. Her eyes were drawn together as she glared at him, arms akimbo. Her pout was - Suzuki would kill him for thinking this - somewhat cute.

"Oh? I thought you were exploring the area," Kashi said.

"I was," Lunette curtly replied. "Until a certain someone turned me into eye candy bait. I can't stay here another day."

"Do you want an apology? That's odd. I would have thought it would be a testament to your beauty."

What the?! Everyone's eyes snapped to him in shock. Who knew he was such a smooth player?

‘How can he say that so calmly?’ Color rose to Lunette’s cheeks, as they heated up.

"What's the matter? I expected a comeback," Kashi said with a blank expression.

Realization dawned on Lunette, and she sighed. This daeben was a complete buffoon. "Nothing at all."

Kashi frowned, irritated by the look in her eyes. "What's with the condescending look?"

She regarded him with pity. "Nothing at all."

Kashi shrugged. It was not like he could unravel the mystery that was the female mind. Instead, he looked at Hektor and asked, "And, why are you coming along?"

"'Cause yer strong,” Hektor honestly answered. “I'm sure I'll 'ave more fun if I stick wid ya." The young man glared at Kashi as if daring him to refuse.

To his surprise, Kashi shrugged and said, "If it's for a reason like that, I'll be a fool to turn you away. Looking forward to working with you."

Hektor snorted. "I ain't calling ya boss."

"Never said you should."

"Just tot I'd lay it' out dere."

Kashi chuckled as he gripped the wheel. "Well, then raise the sails. Let's return."