Rakshas: Tales of the Summoned Lord

A week had passed since Allen's last summon, and the time had come to call another meeting to assess their progress and plan their next steps. As everyone gathered, Allen addressed the group, his gaze firm but thoughtful.

"Let's start with you, Hilter. Any updates from Instructor Claude, he's still in retreat?" Allen asked, his tone calm but expectant.

Hilter shook his head, his brow furrowed in thought. "No news yet, Lord Allen. But his wife sent a high-quality sword as a gift for you, from Claude himself. She said he's still focused on his training, and he asked that you be patient."

Allen nodded, taking the sword from Hilter and examining it briefly. It was indeed a finely crafted weapon. "I'll keep that in mind. And what about my resignation from the academy?" he asked next.

Hilter spoke up again, "It's been accepted by the headmaster's office. There were no issues. They also extended an offer to buy supplies directly from their inventory—armors, spears, swords, javelins, anything we need for the battle ahead."

"Good. We'll take them up on that offer," Allen said with a slight nod. "Now, Mara, what's the situation with our finances?"

Mara straightened slightly, a bit more confident as she responded. "We've had some success with our deals and smuggling operations, Lord Allen. We've secured around 10,000 gold kross so far. It's far from what we'll need, but we've made good progress. Additionally, the sale of the estate is almost finalized. It should be sold in the next two to three days. We've also secured a loan that's likely to go through in about a week."

Allen nodded, his mind already calculating. "Alright. So, we can begin preparations for the journey now." The rest should fall into place shortly.

Allen leaned forward slightly in his chair, eyes sharp as he addressed Stroud directly. "Stroud, did you send out the recruitment notices to the mercenaries and adventurers?"

Stroud, standing at attention, nodded. "Yes, Milord. The notices have been sent. I'm currently compiling a database of all the applicants. I should have a full report ready for you in the next three to four days."

"Good," Allen said with a nod, satisfied for the moment. "What about the slaves? Have you made any progress on that front, Loran?"

Loran hesitated briefly before answering. "I'm still negotiating, my Lord. There have been a few complications, but I expect news soon. However, Elara, who works under Master Whittaker, has been instrumental. She's helped broker a deal with the Greg Merchant Group, where both she and her teacher serve. It should be finalized shortly."

Allen's eyes flickered with interest at the mention of Elara's involvement. "Elara, the herbologist under Master Whittaker? Yes I remember her, she has done good. And this deal… it's good news, I hope?"

"Yes, Lord Allen. It's promising," Stroud confirmed. "The deal is solid, and once it's completed, we should have the slaves we need at a fair price."

"Excellent, We need a steady supply of manpower for construction and security. Allen replied, leaning back in his chair. "Keep me updated. I want everything to move quickly now. We need those forces assembled and ready."

Before wasting any time, Allen turned to his next point. "And about the summoning ability... there's something I need to share with all of you."

The room fell silent as Allen paused, allowing everyone to focus on him. The change in his tone suggested something significant was about to be revealed.

"As you are all aware, I've made some breakthroughs in my abilities," he continued, his voice steady but filled with weight. "And after a week of observation I have come to a conclusion that now, I can now summon a bronze rank every three days. "

"If I allow the Mark of Styles to progress further, I can summon an iron rank in a week. For silver, it's roughly a month, and for gold... I estimate about three months."

The implications of his words were immediate. Everyone in the room froze for a moment, their minds racing as they absorbed what Allen had just said. It was unprecedented.

Serena was the first to speak, her voice tinged with awe. "This means... we'll have a steady influx of powerful individuals. The possibilities are endless. We could be building an army at an incredible rate."

Stroud, usually calm and collected, had his fingers tapping rapidly against the table. "If you keep breaking through... the speed at which you summon will only increase. That would give us an even larger force in a fraction of the time. But—" He hesitated, eyeing Allen carefully, "—does this put a strain on you, Milord? Summoning so often, that's a lot of energy."

Allen's expression remained focused. "No, it does not. But the real question is how we handle the power we'll soon have. We can't allow ourselves to become overconfident."

Seraphina who had been quietly observing behind Hilter, spoke up. "This also means we'll need more resources. Each summoned being is a person with needs—food, equipment, housing, training. We won't just be fighting battles; we'll be organizing and maintaining a force."

"Exactly," Allen replied, his eyes scanning the room. "But with this new ability, our options have expanded. We'll need to plan our strategy carefully, but I believe this will give us the edge we need. For now, let's focus on preparing for the journey, finishing the estate sale, and getting the loan secured. Once we're ready, we'll move forward and deal with the rest as it comes."

Everyone nodded, the weight of Allen's words settling in. There was excitement in the air, but also a clear understanding of the responsibility they now carried. The scale of what they were about to undertake was immense, and their leader had just unveiled the game-changing power that would drive them forward.

"Now lets talk about our plans for the future regarding our return." Allen turned and motioned for Hilter.

"Please start with your presentation."

Hilter stepped forward, rolling open a large map on the table. His voice was firm and authoritative.

"Gentlemen, the Styles Family's downfall stemmed from a severe lack of manpower. If we can rectify that, we can reclaim our former strength and more." He pointed to various locations on the map.

"First, the magical beast horde that attacks during winter has always been a problem. However, if we have enough people to fortify our defenses, it could instead become a source of wealth. The hides, meat, and magical cores of these creatures are highly valuable commodities."

There were murmurs of agreement around the table.

"As for the mountain barbarians," Hilter continued, "The family have always been on the defensive, only responding when they attack. That needs to change. If we gain the resources to launch expeditions into their territory, we can eliminate them as a threat. Kill those who resist and capture the rest for labor in developing our land."

Seraphina frowned slightly but said nothing, while Stroud smirked at the ruthless plan.

"Next, the garrison troops present a tricky situation. With six years of civil war, the former Farlier Empire is in chaos. We can't afford to wipe them out completely. Instead, we should raise an elite army by destroying bandit groups along our journey. Once strong enough, we can crush the rebellious garrisons and assimilate them as citizens. This will allow us to replenish our manpower while avoiding unnecessary bloodshed."

Hilter paused before turning his attention to the next concern.

"The territorial dispute with Viscount Kenmays is not a real issue. Given our strength, he will either return the mines willingly or be annihilated."

He then pointed at another part of the map.

"The real problem is Duke Loggins. His greed has been draining noble families under his rule. If we become strong enough, we should crush him. If not, we bide our time and strike when the opportunity presents itself."

Hilter moved to another section of the map. "The political situation is complex. The empire has fractured into three kingdoms and seven duchies.

The Lormo Duchy has sided with Redbrook City.

The Redlis Kingdom, controlled by the First Prince, holds seven of the empire's twenty-nine provinces, making it the dominant force in the region.

The central duchies—Farkel, Forund, Handra, and Shabaj—are in conflict with Redlis.

The Leslie Kingdom, ruled by the Third Prince, is weaker but still holds the capital and remains the legitimate heir to the empire.

The Iblia Kingdom, led by the Second Prince, controls the northeastern territories—including the Northern Highlands where the Styles Family's land is located."

Allen absorbed this information, eyes narrowing.

"The Second Prince is weak and has no major military victories, but he still holds power because of his allies," Hilter continued. "Among them, Duke Fisablen and Duke Loggins are the most dangerous."

"Loggins again," Allen muttered.

"Indeed," Hilter nodded. "The Second Prince's expansionist policies have made the region unstable. Loggins is secretly stirring conflict to weaken local nobles, including Viscount Kenmays. This instability presents an opportunity for us."

He then emphasized, "If we build a strong military, we can unify the Northlands under the Styles Family. However, bringing valuable resources with us would make us vulnerable to bandit attacks. Raising an armed convoy is the best option. Bandits should not be avoided but eliminated and used to train our forces. Those unfit for battle will be forced into labor to develop the land."

After Hilter concluded, Loran stood up and pointed at Port Talbot on the map.

"The Turkeya Kingdom controls the archipelago and openly permits the slave trade. Port Talbot is the largest slave-trading hub on Aryana."

Allen leaned forward. "I've heard rumors, but I've never been there myself."

Loran smirked. "I have. It's lawless and dangerous, but also a gold mine for those who know how to navigate it. I have contacts there—former acquaintances who now work as guards. I plan to reach out to them for information."

Allen considered this. "So after we buy an initial batch from the Greg Merchant Group, we should also make additional purchases from Port Talbot?"

"Exactly," Loran confirmed. "If we're serious about raising an army, we need a constant influx of manpower."

Serena spoke up. "Master I have a suggestion. We should recruit old students from various academies to help form our armed force. Many trained swordsmen and warriors might be willing to join if we offer the right incentives."

Hilter approved. "That's a good idea. Serena, Stroud—you two will be responsible for finding Silver-ranked individuals with good attitudes. Offer them 50 gold Kross if they wish to leave after reaching the Northlands. If they stay, they'll be knighted and granted land."

Serena and Stroud exchanged nods.

Hilter added, "Additionally, we need herbalists, blacksmiths, and other skilled professionals for long-term development. Find as many as you can."

With the meeting concluded, the team dispersed.

Loran, Serena, and Stroud began their recruitment efforts.

Mara focused on negotiating with merchants to secure supplies.

Allen finalized the purchase of used military equipment, ensuring they had enough weapons and armor for a full army.

A few days later, a letter arrived from Loran:

700 strong young slaves and 2,800 of their family members were on their way to the Lormo Duchy's Armatrin Harbor, awaiting Allen's arrival.

Sitting alone in his study, Allen exhaled deeply.

Everything was in motion.

There was no turning back.

It was time to return home… and reclaim the Styles Family's dominion.