Chapter 24: 24 People from the Empire
It would be one month before the dead line of being a +C-Class level threat but since the last time Mark was never able to bridge that gap. Sure he now seems to be a veteran Special ops level of physique which could only be counted to –C- Class. He could reach C-Class with the guns he made and weapons he wore. But crossing the threshold seemed very far, Mark has been considering injecting the enhancement serum already but that would be for last minute stuff.
He did ask about the Ancient battle Spirit contract but it was not entirely what Mark had hoped. He did think of getting to contract the Spirit in the Avatar universe but that was categorized as an aspect of Order which was more older and could not be called upon by a mere Ancient Spirit Contract. He also has to convince the spirit into submission which meant he could not call anything willy-nilly.
The term was so vague that Mark was not sure who he could call upon, he sat there in meditation in a stool within a training grounds. The people around has been training in the back ground but it didn't bother him much. There were also women who also had proven to be quite talented for some martial arts. Mostly taichi and the gentle ones which Mark wrote down and stored into a library guarded by Old man Hans.
Mark learned of who the old man was back then, he was a questing knight before searching for the grail but had to quit due to losing an arm saving a handmaiden of the Lady. Who somehow fell in love to the other knight who did nothing during a battle against a skaven raid. Quite a unfortunate story indeed and it led to Hans being downtrodden as well as alcoholic. At least he's healthier now and Mark taught him a one handed saber fighting style.
A quite suicidal one but was perfect to the old man, it was an all offence way of fighting which was Mark mostly derived in wuxia novels. Not sure if it would work but Mark sure hell would like to see it the Old man could develop the style. He sometimes talked of various warriors (from other anime or fantasy stories) that gained popularity in their style.
He did talk mostly about anime characters but he made it believable that some even went to train themselves into increasing their arm strength to carry a large 8 inch wide, 1.7 meters long sword while wearing a heavy set of armor because of his story about how a child that was raised in war became a strong knight that he was able to help his best friend gain nobility. He didn't get much to the dark part as most of his listeners were teenagers.
It was cruel for him to manipulate them into becoming his loyal subjects but it was necessary for him to survive. He can't say it was for the greater good as Mark knew it was mostly selfish reasons, he did see some of the younger women who Mark did find attractive showing longing for him but he knew it wouldn't work out.
He is currently an ageless human which would be noticed in another few decades. Sure he could have some flings here and there and hypnotize them into forgetting but that was something Mark didn't want to do. A hypocritical view indeed being him already hypnotizing them into his loyal thralls but he needs to have some bottom-line or else he would change into something he wouldn't like.
Change is something he couldn't avoid but at least he should change on his own terms not because he let himself go in vices and sins. That would make him very vulnerable to Slaanesh, the Chaos god he didn't want beef with right now. He'll at least getting a relationship if he could find ways to increase the lifespan of his partners. Why is Mark thinking of this already? He wants a Harem of course, which man would not want one.
Deep inside men has a deep craving need for competing with one another to show who is better and what better to prove it but to follow what their balls tells them to do. Get lots of powerful beautiful women to become loyal and harmonious in his harem. Which is something totally impossible to do but the Men's balls said otherwise, who needs to think when your balls do the decision making?
There were lots of hot women that Mark was attracted to but he shook his head feeling lost in his thinking again. He must solve this dilemma of his first and think of who to summon to increase his chance of completing the mission without using the serum. He could buy strong ancient weapons but who would sell such stuff to a small country side noble like him.
He did get lots of challenges and now his town now has at least one thousand and five hundred residents. Three hundred plus of which were the original ones while the others were on the outer part of town. It was peaceful most of the time but now there was a tradition of ringing a bell outside the town plaza to call for a challenge.
He also put rules of putting up a fee to deter most brain dead fools who dared ring the bell for fun. There was at least a minimum amount of money involved so to make people think it over. No lethal attacks are allowed, once broken it would be considered a win for the other party. Should his students lose then the challenger also wins a sum of money for every challenge won.
Betting stations were also put up by some of the people he allowed to live in the town. Most were the spies of other lords who saw a business opportunity, while some were just merchants wanting to earn a few more coins. The townsfolk saw this as a way of training their skill so some stay nearby to accept challengers. He also had different types of fighting allowed like one versus a group of students if they feel confident enough.
There was also a rule that the challenger is limited to two fights a day and can continue after two days of rest. This made the economy boom here but Mark still limited the permanent residents, most people were given one month maximum in staying here and that includes the wandering merchants.
Mark did earn some from the taxes but he didn't receive it as he had that used for hiring some wandering sell-swords to become the outer town guard. The inner part were patrolled by mostly the original residents, which made most people behave seeing some of them were 7 feet tall men with burly physique carrying swords taller than other people.
Mark did have them spar the Minotaur from time to time and three of them could fight the beast to a standstill. Though an enhanced Minotaur, it was a minotaur nonetheless, which put these men in equal standing with Gors in physical strength alone. They were at least better because Mark taught them martial arts.
They could even be compared to foot squires in lethality when armed, some knights even lost to them in the barehanded battles but Mark knew the Knights were better in sword fighting as they have done that their whole life. Mark smiled as he thought of that, also shook his head again seeing he lost his thought process.
"Milord?" Mark heard someone from behind him and turned seeing Old man Hans standing there respectfully.
"What is it Hans?" Mark knew there must be something urgent for him to bother him like this.
"There is someone who wishes to see you milord." Hans said with a bit of seriousness in his voice.
"Did they speak of who they were or where they come from?" Mark was confused as there were no visitors before that made the old man look serious.
"They said they came from the Empire milord." said Hans.
"Hmm, is that so? What would people from the Empire even come to a small place like this?" Mark mused as he stood up and walked to a nearby weight rack. He has been exercising daily that it became muscle reflex for him to go to the training equipment to finish his daily quota.
"I don't know milord but they have a Wizard with them milord." Old hans said.
"A wizard? What are his robe's color?" Mark asked
"It was Red milord. The priest that argued with you before were also with them milord. They are following behind a nobleman from the empire." Hans said which surprised Mark.
"Priest? You mean that idiot clamoring about Sigmar's will in killing all things related to Chaos?" Mark said as a frown was seen on his face.
"And it shall be so, that is why you must surrender those beastmen for execution." an annoying voice sounded out as a group of people forced their way into the training grounds led by a man who looked like the scheming type but with no real power. Mark's frown deepened at the sight and said in anger.
"Men! Throw them out!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone