"I told you there was something wrong with that priest, yet you didn't listen. We followed you here Mousillon as a show of strength to the Beaumanior family not as your goons," The wizard was still weak from the tranq dart but his eyes blazed in fury, he never thought that he would get knocked out immediately without even a chance to conjure a flame wall to protect them.
Sure he was angry at Mark for showing them no respect but he knew that they were the one who broke traditions first. Him laying there realized that this was not in the Empire anymore, they could no longer rely on the titles and name of the Van Daleen family here. Even the Baron of the Westerland needs to tread carefully here in Brettonia.
That was why they were sent to re-forge bonds again with the Beaumanior Family of Mousillon. Yet hearing of a small town capturing beastment and keeping them as slaves made the young lord go over wanting to gain a beatman head to brag to his friends.
The wizard was of lowborn descent but being a wizard earned him enough respect even from the Baron himself. The priest joined them when he heard word of their purpose going into Mousillon which he found weird as most Sigmarite Priest were mostly just preaching trying to prove their deity is true and denies the Ulrican Priest claim that their god is false.
But this one wanted to go to a small town near Castle Rachard in Mousillon saying that there was a heretic here. Which was quite normal at first when they heard of it, as the priest said he didn't have enough strength and gravitas to influence the said local noble who kept beastmen as slaves.
The wizard didn't bother much about it until they have arrived at the said small town that was bustling with visitors. He now felt something was wrong but seeing the face of the third young master made him sigh as he was blinded at the prospects of having killed a Minotaur. He always focused on studying magic thus he was not quite astute in seeing all details all around him.
And when they were made to wait by some peasant did indeed make them feel a little indignant at first but he held it in. But when they faced the disregard of the local noble which also made him a little angry but before he could react they were knock out immediately by darts. He never knew what kind of poison could knock them out instantly but he knew this was something that would only be known by great alchemist.
"How would I know they would react like that? Maybe they don't know who I really am!" The noble said in panic which he then restarted his annoying tirade of saying his titles and all of his false greatness. The wizard sighed seeing this, he felt he should have at least stayed a year more in Altdorf to study more but he had no funds to support his studies and experiments so he went to Marienburg to gain some coins to further his studies.
The guards also felt awful as they knew they would be punished when they return as they were not able to protect the son of their lord. Looking at his pathetic display of shouting his titles like it would work made them grimace. They should have not followed this trash in this stupid venture. Listening to a pathetic priest was really a wrong move but they were just soldiers so they should just follow orders.
"You all offended the Sunset Fist himself?" A hoarse voice sounded out beside the group making the noble man quiet down. They looked simultaneously towards a disheveled man who was eating on a metal plate.
"Sunset Fist?" asked the wizard.
"Really? You went to this town not knowing the Sunset fist? The warrior who fought a Minotaur barehanded and subdues it by himself? The one who led the small amount of peasants here to fight a warherd of beastmen? Who is also the teacher of the townsfolk of this small town that were now comparable to foot squires in battle?" the man was still munching on a piece of white bread which was noted by the wizard.
"Are you a prisoner here?" the wizard asked, the noble and the guards just listened as they knew they were not as articulate as the wizard. But deep down they were all surprised as they never heard the priest say this but was told that the local lord was an enslaver as well as a believer of the ruinous powers.
"Yeah, I lost a bet and couldn't pay the fees so I'm here until I worked enough to get myself out." The prisoner said, not bothered at all that he was still in prison.
"You speak as if you would be released, doesn't the local lord here engage in slavery?' The wizard remembered the priest saying this.
"Those beastmen? Phew, they were made straight by the Sunset Fist himself, they were poor those beast. I really pity them when I saw them being used as punching bags by the Lord himself. Them being slaves working for labor is a sort of rest for them. They were all docile as sheep now even in town wandering in loose chains." The man laughed remembering the poor beastmen who looked more civil than most people now.
"You seem nonchalant being imprisoned here?" The wizard was confused as well as the guards and noble.
"Well it is my third time here, just need to work for a bit and earn enough to pay my debts." The man smiled as he drank from a cup.
"Are all prisoners like you in here?" asked the wizard.
"Nah, you look like ya'll rich people. I don't know what you're in here for but the felons here are not treated gently. See that guy over there…" The man pointed to a cage where there is a scrawny middle aged man was seen shivering and seemed traumatized by something as he kept muttering under his breath. "… He was caught trying to kidnap children in the outskirts of town, two days inside the black room made him like that. Praying he was forgiven for his sins and all of that."
"The people here are judged by the Sunset Fist himself and if evidence is shown to be against you then pray for Ranald you have enough luck to survive the punishments he meted out. Small sins like pick pocketing gets punish less but still the town lord is mostly just. So what you in here for? And why is this guy shouting his titles and all of that? If you did wrong the Sunset fist don't care if you're a noble. A Questing Knight had his fingers cut off before. He tried to harass a maiden here in broad daylight." The man asked which made the noble and guards change expressions.
"We're here because of various reasons." The wizard was feeling uncomfortable hearing that the local lord was the judge and them breaking tradition of paying respects to the local lord made them feel that they would be judged harshly.
"What about those guys over there? Why are they imprisoned here?" A guard asked pointing towards a large cell filled with people of various age.
"Oh them? Their just people who committed small crimes likw pickpocketing, tax evasion, selling shady things and such. They'll be out after a few days in here." The man said.
"How do you think does Lord Sunset Fist think if the ones in trial were people who were disrespectful to him?" the wizard asked. He looked subtly at the third young master of theirs who was still slumped in denial in a corner. Murmuring about how he was a noble and he should not belong in jail like that.
"Disrespectful? I don't know much about that, most people here come to see the rumoured combat prowess of Lord Sunset Fist. It's been eight months since somebody was able to challenge him in combat." The man burped as he felt satisfaction in his meal.
The wizard and the man kept talking of the situation of this town as well as about Mark which made them realize how stupid their actions were. Even if not to the level of a Heroic Champion, the lord of this town was rumored to be close to that level seeing he could teach the people here into becoming lethal warriors of their own.
The noble sat there listening with his guards felt that maybe they were indeed tricked by the priest here into offending the local lord. While they were locked up in the prison cells Mark was now in his study thinking of the broad meaning of an "Ancient Battle Spirit". He had tried of calling the Spirit of Order Vaatu from Avatar or even shouting Bankai thinking that the swords could also be considered as Battle Spirits but to no avail.
Mark was frustrated as he felt that he could reach +C-Class in strength indeed in training but he would fail in this mission if he waited for that to happen. So he opted for external improvements which he could get from the things available in his inventory. He could only see the contracts which could help him, but it seems there were limitation due to specific conditions unknown to Mark.
He stared emptily at the air as he took out two scrolls that looked like rolled up parchment. One was simple looking and was quite new while the other was looking archaic type of scroll only found in ancient sites. This was the only things that he could use and thought of things he could summon to help him.
"I summon thee!!! Genie!!"
"No?"
"Spirit, Spirit huh…. Who should I summon."
"Bankai!!"
"Opensesame!!"
"Only in OHIO!!!"
"Hidden Taijutsu Ougi!!"
"Omae wamou Shindeiru!!"
"Nani!?"
"Avadakedavraaa!!!"
"Summon Vaatu or Raava!!"
"Shenron!!"
"Celebrimbor come here!!"
"F*ck it!! Give me some grass or something!!"
[Acknowledged, host is given Blue Silver Emperor martial spirit.]
"….."
"Huh?"
[….]
"Whut?"
[Ancient Spirit Contract has been used, the martial spirit is now bound to the host.]
"Huh?"
[…]
"… System, what's my overall lethality right now?"
[The Host is now currently in C-Class]
"Is there no backsies?"
[The contract has been consumed by Host, thus the contract is no more. Also no further process was needed as the Martial spirit was not sentient so bonding process was instantly made.]
"Huh… HOW THE FUCK AM I GONNA IMPROVE THEN?! SURE THIS THING IS OP IN SOULD LAND BUT I HAVE NO SUCH THING HERE THAT COULD PROVIDE ME SPIRIT RINGS!!" Mark blew his top as he thought of the way he wasted the contract due to his stupidity, there were some spirits he knew he could summon but was indecisive because it would be hard for Mark to convince them.