Chapter 346: [Bonus Chapter] Forcing Their Hands


    Bloom said what he needed to say to them and stood his ce motionless for a few moments.


    Yet this silence didn''tst long before one of the mayor said in rude way:


    "You don''t expect us to follow you after this useless speech. Our towns are in danger! We won''t help, we will retreat."


    "Good," Bloom didn''t seem to be surprised by that scared mayor''s words, "but I have to warn you... Warn you all... After Ie back from this war, and believe me when I say I will return victorious, I will reward my allies and punish my enemies."


    "What does that even supposed to mean?" one mayor asked in a burst of rage. "Are you threatening us? A mere useless yer like you thinks himself high and mighty!"


    "You won''t be the first town mayor I kill in this game," yet Bloom didn''t show any sign of weakness or even retreat. He advanced a couple of steps to stand just in front of that mayor, "and you won''t be thest."


    The mayor had a change in face all of sudden. The unbelievable words of Bloom and his sudden advance towards him gave him a scare.


    He turned his eyes to the king who simply nodded, acknowledging the words of Bloom just now.


    "What did you all think?" it was the turn of the king to step in and wrap things up, "I will ally myself with a yer? Any yer? Humph, you are indeed naive if you thought that low of me."


    He put his hand over Bloom''s shoulder and gently pushed him to the side. "I never ally myself with losers. We all were close friends before, enjoyed happy parties and good meals. Why should we part ways like that? And for what?"


    The faces of the mayors around changed and whispers started to spread among them.


    "This is our towns we are speaking about here," the mayor who was the center of the focus said to the king directly in his face.


    "C''mon, it''s not like the first time we all faced such a dilemma, right?" the king smiled before he retreated a couple of steps away from that troubled mayor and started to take small steps around the others.


    "In fact what I can see is that my own town is the only one under siege, while yours are perfectly safe."


    "Not for long," another mayor had the courage to speak up, "they... threatened toe and raise my town to the ground if I helped you."


    "And if you don''t..." the king took a dagger out of his belt and started to admire it, "then when Ie back victorious with my friend here, we will make sure that no one of those who deserted us live to see another day. Their towns will be ransacked and their treasures will be plundered. Their people will be brought here and work for me for eternity..."


    The king had a fake expression of realization while his eyes shone slightly as he added, "in fact... I believe this would be for the best. I want you all to leave me and let me fight this war alone. At least I won''t say no to such a big meal."


    As he said these words, all the mayors without exception took a step back. Their faces told Bloom how frightened they were from these simple words of the king.


    Even they didn''t show the same fear when they spoke about the earlier threats, or when they spoke with him.


    He stole a side nce towards the king who was standing calmly there ying with his dagger like he said nothing. He admired such a man, and wanted to be as intimidating and domineering as him.


    "I''ll leave enough troops here to defend the town," the king finally turned his back before suddenly turning on himself and throwing the dagger.


    The dagger flew fast in between the mayor group before it was pinned in the wall of a nearby building.


    This simple move made the mayors'' bodies tremble involuntarily before he took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands of what seemed to be blood there.


    "Go and bring me my dagger," he said without care towards one of his guards, "and inform Agnus to stay back and defend the town until I return. Tell others to get ready, we are going to war."


    "Wait!"


    Just as he was about to leave with Bloom, one of the mayors screamed in a low pitched tone. He was so frightened that even his sound seemed ridiculous when he spoke.


    "Anything?" the king turned to that mayor and asked as if he didn''t care about what this mayor was about to say.


    "I... I..."


    "What?" the king urged him to say, "I don''t have much time to waste... here."


    Bloom watched the face of that mayor twitch in hesitation. Yet the king was ruthless enough to turn his back to him and walk.


    "Wait, I... I want to join as well," the mayor shouted yet the king didn''t even pause. "I mean it, I''ll bring all my warriors with me."


    "Leave one tenth to defend your town," the king slowly said, "and lead the others to the za now. In half an hour we will be gone. Anyone whoester than this won''t catch up... He will be considered a traitor in my eyes."


    Bloom inwardly smiled while walking side by side with the king. In the next few minutes, a lot of people came running from all directions after them.


    And Bloom was quite sure they weren''t all the king''s men.


    "You were right back there," the king faintly smiled as they both entered the za.


    "Were you testing me back there?" Bloom wasn''t stupid and knew why the mayor acted in such decent way at first.


    "I alone can make them yield," the king said, "but I wanted to be sure I didn''t select my future partner wrongly."


    Bloom smiled and said nothing before they appeared at the za. The vast ce who looked chaotic when Bloom came here for the second time started to show order.


    "Let''s go to the Swor town," the king said but Bloom stopped him.


    "Change of ns," he said, "we will go directly to the fort from here."


    The king mistook this for the unexpected dy from before. He nodded and then started to ry his orders.


    In the next few minutes, many mayors came to join them as well. The king didn''t take the burden to introduce them to Bloom, and thetter wasn''t interested in knowing such weak legged mayors at all.


    "Some didn''t show up yet," as a quarter of an hour passed, the entire za was filled with armed warriors with unified gears. The streets on all sides were filled with the same looking warriors, giving Bloom the confidence in crushing any army drawing towards his fort.