[December 1st Week Day 2 — Afternoon — Baron Ishikawa's Office]
The recent incident involving Accel and the guards has passed and now Baron Ishikawa will be discussing another important topic. As Accel waited for Baron Ishikawa to arrive at his office, he sat on the couch and was surprised by a tight hug from behind. It was from Lady Sakura, the only daughter of Baron Ishikawa, also known as Ishikawa Sakura Midori.
Accel and Lady Sakura became friends last year. Before that, Accel used to work as a humble servant for the Ishikawa Family. His job was to watch over and protect Lady Sakura. They are the same age and grade level, but they have different studies and sections. After a long talk with Lady Sakura, her father, Baron Ishikawa, entered his office and Accel greeted him formally.
After the formal greeting, Baron Ishikawa allowed Accel to talk casually because they were in a private setting. They both sat down, and Baron Ishikawa explained to Accel about the Nobles Gathering that would be held on his territory. He also mentioned that some of the attendees are his friends, while others are primarily from the Freedom Faction, attempting to form connections and friendships. However, he hinted that their intentions might not be genuine.
"According to attendees of Baron Ishikawa's event, they heard that an unofficial alliance was formed under the leadership of Knight Accel Winchester, and Baron Ishikawa Haruto Kazuyoshi was included. This sparked curiosity and led to a small group discussion about organizing a Nobles Gathering. The agenda was not only to make connections and build friendships, but also to discuss the alliance."
Accel has a concern that when forming an unofficial alliance, it might draw the attention of nobles. This could spark curiosity among humble servants and barons. The middle-rank nobility, such as viscounts, counts, or margraves, didn't seem to care about it since it's just a small group of members creating an unofficial alliance and they have no interest in it.
Subsequently, Accel decided to join the Nobles Gathering with the intention of informing the attendees about the alliance. Baron Ishikawa also mentioned that more than 5 noble family households and less than 10 would be joining the gathering. Basically, 5 to 10 noble family households are expected to attend. Before leaving the office, Baron Ishikawa discussed the security and safety for the gathering. Accel assured Baron Ishikawa that he would handle that issue.
Accel drafted a letter using the MagiTech features to request assistance from his 95th Frostfire Platoon in guarding an important gathering with nobles from the Freedom Fraction. He acknowledged that they were on vacation due to their recent accomplishments but offered additional merits points and rewards for their help. He also apologized for disturbing their vacation.
Shortly after sending the letter through the MagiTech features, Accel received a confirmation from his 95th Frostfire Platoon that they would assist with the safety and security of the gathering. They mentioned that they would not accept the merits points, but they would accept the rewards if that was his choice. Accel, who commands the 95th Frostfire Platoon, immediately departed for Rivershire City.
Prior to the upcoming event, we will provide information regarding the current known territories of the Mindala Northern Fortress. They are as follows:
1. Vega Village
2. Willowbrook Village (Welt's Hometown)
3. Ironspire City
4. Silvercliff Village
5. Stormridge Town
6. Clearwater Village
7. Brighthaven City
8. Nightshade Village
9. Stonegate Village
10. Ashford Village
11. Rivershire City
12. Meadowville Village
These from 1 to 10 known territories are governed by nobles from the Freedom Fractions. These nobles will be attending the gathering, either in person or by sending representatives.
Due to the long distance between their territories, people typically use the teleportation gate located in the center of either 10 villages or 5 towns, or opt for flying magical carriages instead of using regular magical carriages.
The teleportation gate was sponsored by the "Sanctuary of the Luminescent Faith" to allow ordinary people to use it freely.
On the other hand, the Flying Magical Carriages are managed and constructed by the "Council of Military Engineers" from the Military Fraction. There is a fee for using these carriages.
For ordinary people, the average fee is VP100 (1000 pesos) per person. If they are members of National Associations, Guilds, or Organizations, they will receive a discount of less than 25%. Nobles receive a 50% discount, and soldiers or knights receive a discount of 65% to 90%.
[Council of Military Engineers: A body of military engineers responsible for overseeing the construction and maintenance of military infrastructure. They focused on engineering project management, fortification design, technological innovation, and logistics planning.]
After the explanation, Baron Ishikawa, Knighted Accel, and everyone else from the Ishikawa Mansion started preparations. The teleportation gate will be ready soon for the arrival of Accel's 95th Frostfire Platoon. As the preparations were ongoing, Baron Ishikawa received a message that one of his attendees, Sir Harlan Verinus Azura (Knighted), who governs the Vega Village, will soon arrive using a Flying Magical Carriage.
The nobles who are heading towards the Rivershire City are Lady Felice Rina Mae Cordelia (Knighted), Lord Darius Octavius Serrano (Baron), Sir Valerian Delora (Knighted), and Lord Esteban Emiliano Velasco (Baronet). They are the allies and attendees of Baron Ishikawa from the past till the present.
[At night — Baron Ishikawa's Office]
Sir Harlan Azura, Lady Felice Cordelia, Lord Darius Serrano, Sir Valerian Delora, and Lord Esteban Velasco arrived at Baron Ishikawa's office to discuss something very important. However, before beginning their conversation, they wanted to question Baron Ishikawa for not informing them about the alliance. The alliance had been leaked through a rumor, but they didn't believe it until Baron Ishikawa confirmed the truth. It didn't feel like betrayal, but given their close relationship of several years, they were disappointed that Baron Ishikawa hadn't told them.
[A few Hours Ago — Somewhere Near the Outer of Misty Forest]
Thirty minutes away from the teleportation gate, the 95th Frostfire Platoon, under the command of Noble Squire Accel, was heading towards the teleportation gate. Unbeknownst to them, another Platoon had spotted them and out of curiosity, started following them. It was the 95th Ironshield Platoon, under the command of Knight Amelia Rose Brown, which was on its way back to the Unified Merit Commission to collect rewards.
Knight Amelia spotted the 95th Frostfire Platoon, but Noble Squire Accel was not present or in command of the Platoon. This piqued her curiosity, and she decided to follow them. However, her presence also raised the possibility of Grand Knight Charlotte being present.
[End of Chapter 31! Upcoming Chapter 32: DRAKENSHIRE Alliance and the Grand Knight Sudden Appearance!]