Kaijin Fighter: So I Have to Make Monsters, So What?-Chapter 1476: Mercenary Noble

[Alright, place your bets,] Razorstella prompted her fellow Mysticlassic Kaijin. [Do you think that Alice will be escorted to the same entrance to the underground that we found, or an entirely different one?]

[I’m going with the former,] Screamira answered first. [Humans are lazy creatures of habit. Even if that entrance has a risk of getting exposed, it makes logistical crap like moving a fuckton of people easier than finding multiple entrances.]

[I’m going with the latter,] Springerdermain retorted. [Smoking Mirror comes across as one of those psychotic, neurotic motherfuckers who think themselves tougher than tough, smarter than smart, and has the unfortunate fortune of actually being able to back that confidence up with actual power and intelligence. That asshole probably has map network connected to every entrance in the underworld that we don’t know about.]

[Even split, interesting...] Razorstella noted. [Well, we won’t know for certain until they actually show up.]

[That said,] Screamira piped up. [Ya think they’ll be mad that Alice showed up with even more dudes than before?]

[Probably?]

...Kaijin comments, over...

"We are in the right place, right? Like, this isn’t a trap?" Antonio asked with understandable paranoia. "Because that dude gave off major shady vibes when he gave you that invitation."

"Yes, I’m sure this is the right place," Alice assured her panicky cat-like compatriot. "Besides, if this was a trap, this would be a terrible place for an ambush."

"Because we’re out in the open?" Harriet asked, as she was unused to such circumstances.

"Because of all the people present," Olstenna answered.

When Tezca (Smoking Mirror) extended his invitation to Alice to act as an instructor in military tactics, he had presented the warrior woman a small piece of paper that specified the time and place for their meeting.

Well, to be more precise, when and where she would be meeting with Tezca’s subordinates.

At the time this was all drafted, Tezca initially said that he would be meeting with her personally but was stopped by a subordinate who mentioned that they had some appointments to keep in regard to liquidating certain pieces of loot that they got their hands on recently.

Not a lot of details were shared in this exchange, but Alice and company could guess what kind of loot they were liquidating, especially after Zhen Liu had picked up some pieces from the Carve Dreams Auction house.

Regardless, once this matter was brought up, Tezca had tasked an entirely different subordinate of his to take care of the meeting.

^Don’t you worry, Miss Addison. My subordinate here will be the utmost gentleman when he leads you to our humble little headquarters," Tezca assured Alice. "Once you arrive, we can establish whether or not you’re a good fit for reforming my troops, or whether or not they need an instructor of a different mindset. Either way, I look forward to the meeting, my dear Shadow Sparks."

"Alright, I have to ask, why did you come up with that for the name of a mercenary group?" Harriet asked. "Shadow Sparks sound more like a dance troupe."

"Hey, it was a heat-of-the-moment situation," Alice defended herself. "It’s not like you would’ve come up with anything better. I know what you name your stuffed animals."

"Hey, you leave Mister Snufflepuff out of this."

"Girls, he’s here," Olstenna interrupted before they got caught having a conversation that decidedly didn’t sound mercenary-like in the slightest.

^Apologies for the delay. I hope you weren’t waiting for too long.^

^Not at all.^

Immediately, the group noticed that his subordinate was proudly wearing the insignia of the House of the Golden Sabertooth on their armband like it was a fashion statement.

At the sight of this insignia, the group mentally sighed that it was a good thing that Lythero didn’t come along for this. The man had been rather...trigger-happy as of late.

Once Zhen Liu managed to fix his swords, he would probably learn to chill out with his revenge plot, but for the time being, they were more than happy to try and keep him as far away as possible from anyone related to the Golden Sabertooth House or the Silver Jungle Dragons.

^Now before I can escort you to our base, I have two questions that need to be addressed before we can continue this possible mark of business.^

^Okay...^ Alice answered while clenching a fist out of sight, ready to release a burst of Caligos aether the moment it’s needed.

^When we first met, you only had been accompanied by these two,^ the subordinate pointed to Antonio and Olstenna before directing their attention to Harriet. ^ She is new. Who is she? ^

^Ah, her? She’s our troop’s healer. Can’t have a functioning mercenary group if we’re too busy paying off a quack doctor every few weeks because someone lost an arm or an eye,^ Alice lied as naturally as she breathed.

This lie was so natural sounding that the subordinate didn’t even question the logic, simply nodding in understanding.

^You must be quite a successful band to maintain a healer on your payroll.^

^We make do.^

^Hmmm. Spoken like a true mercenary noble...^ the subordinate muttered before changing his tone and pulling several cloth bands from the back of his pocket. A quick glance was all the group needed to recognize them as aether treasures known as [Blind Bands].

^Seeing as you’re all mercenaries, we can’t exactly trust you with knowing where our base is located. Please, put these on so that I may escort you to our base of operations,^ the subordinate explained. ^Once we have arrived, I swear to remove the blindfolds.^

^Hmm...^

This moment could be considered a trust test for both sides.

If the group wore the blindfolds, it meant that they trusted Tezca’s men to not suddenly stab them in the back after taking them somewhere out of sight.

Alternatively, refusing or immediately breaking the blindfolds would show that Alice and her group didn’t trust Tezca and his men in the slightest.

Now, there were technically more mystical means of keeping parties honest with one another, but said means were usually reserved for those in the upper echelons of power and orthodox organizations.

Underworld groups, like Tezca’s and mercenaries, were much more reliant on trust.

As such, tests like this were quite common and could only be resolved in one way: forward.

^I hope you realize that if me or my boys sense any hint of betrayal, we’re going to skin you alive first.^

^Understandable, I would make the exact same threat in that exact same situation.^

In a matter of seconds, Alice and her companions donned the [Blinding Bands] and were immediately blinded.

^Very good, now, please follow me. Er, hold my hand and form a chain.^

^Figured.^

With their sight closed off, the group had no way of knowing precisely where they were being dragged off to. However, watching above them like demented guardian angels, the Mysticlassic kaijin were tracking their movements and making sure that Smoking MIrror’s men didn’t try shit.

[Alright, looks we’re about to see who is going to win our little wager.]

[Come on, human laziness...]

It took the group a grand total of ten minutes, as the subordinate made it a point to walk in circles a few times and walk through a few dead ends before winding up in front of a glasswork shop that Hurricroak and the Doll Twins had identified earlier.

Unlike last time, though, the Mysticlassic kaijin made sure to sneak into the shop at the exact same time as Alice and her compatriots.

[Hah, told you these guys were going to be lazy about it.]

[Oh, hush.]

Once they were inside, the kaijin watched as Alice, Harriet, Olstenna, and Antonio were led to a room in the very back of the store and stood in front of a plain brick wall.

Well, what was initially a plain brick wall.

A couple of taps later in some key locations that the kaijin committed to memory, and the entire wall gave way to a spiraling staircase that led down into the underground.

However, unlike the last few times they had to deal with such a clandestine hallway, this particular one smelled of ancient catacombs and oil.

That, and the faintest hint of jasmine.

[Should...should we be worried or comforted by the idea that someone had the good sense to try and deodorize the underground?] Razorstella asked Springerdermain and Screamira.

[I’m going to go with...yes.]

Once Alice and her group were escorted into the stairway, the kaijin followed suit in their miniature forms.

The briefest flash of an aether-based defense flared to life in an attempt to repel them but quickly died down as the defenses fizzled out upon contact. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Hmmm?"

The subordinate briefly paused to see what caused the reaction, but stopped once he realized that nothing had happened.

"Hmmm. Maybe it was a rat or something."

When the group was led forward a couple more steps, the subordinate removed the blindfolds.

^We’re now in Rainbowden’s underground. Follow me, ladies and gentlemen, to our headquarters.^