"I suppose I do," said General Nasrith, his serpentine eyes glinting with amusement. He then turned to address them all again. "Tal'Qamar will remember your willingness to cooperate. Now, let us discuss the topic of your Boons and their effects. We will start with the [Cultist]."
Hudson was a bit startled to be singled out first, but he didn't hesitate to begin explaining. "[Cerebon's Boon] gives people an increase to their physical stats, passive regeneration, and it also increases the malleability of their flesh."
General Nasrith raised an eyebrow at the last point. "Malleability of the flesh? Elaborate."
"Ah, yes," Hudson said, trying to remember how his grimoire explained it. "Cerebon is the God of Flesh and Transformation. A person with more malleable flesh will be easier for me to affect with my [Permanent Flesh Manipulation]. If they earn enough favor from Cerebon, they'll also gain some minor shapeshifting ability."
General Nasrith nodded, his gaze contemplative as he processed Hudson's explanation. "I've been informed of the flesh sculpting services you sell to the city's wealthy. Is it safe to assume you could use your Skill to augment the abilities of my soldiers?"
"To an extent," Hudson replied hesitantly. Raising a hand for the General to see, he quickly used his abilities on himself. His nails sharpened into talons and his skin hardened until it resembled an ogre's. "I can do things like this, but the more drastic the alteration, the more difficult it will be for me to perform. It also takes a significant amount of time when done on others and is stressful on the body. Once I increase in Level, I should be able to offer better alterations."
Truthfully, the augmentations that he could currently offer wouldn't be all that helpful to people who already had a high level in a combat class. A human with a Strength stat in the 40s was already strong enough to dent metal with a punch and 40 Vitality would allow them to shrug off blows that would be lethal to most people. Slightly harder skin or sharp nails were unlikely to be a significant advantage to them, but Hudson was confident that he could offer something more impressive in the future.
"That is satisfactory for the moment," General Nasrith said after a moment of contemplation. "We can discuss the specifics at a later time."
Hudson nodded and felt a sense of relief wash over him when the General turned his attention elsewhere. Being the center of Nasrith's attention was not a good feeling.
"Let's proceed with the [Monk] next," Nasrith announced, turning his gaze to Kinta. The rest of the meeting continued in the same vein as everyone explained their Boons and what their gods could offer to the city.
Kinta's [Boon of the Serene Guide] gave a boost to Spirit while also increasing mental fortitude.
Farida's [Silvaris' Boon] improved a person's Vitality and offered some protection against the harsh elements of nature. It also gives people an intuitive understanding of the best path to safety.
According to Borak, [Boon of Gendal] could manifest in many different ways depending on the worshiper and it was useless to attempt to describe them all.
Kassan's [Ghisara's Boon] increased Agility and made them more perceptive in general.
By the time everyone was done, Hudson felt mentally exhausted. They had spent a significant amount of time discussing how their Boons could be best utilized while also going over what their gods required from their worshipers. Hudson was lucky as Cerebon was satisfied with ritualistic body modification, which could come in the form of earrings or tattoos in the most minor of forms.
By the time they were done, Hudson had learned more about the faiths of his new colleagues than he ever thought he would.
"One more thing," said General Nasrith, just as everyone was preparing to leave. "You will each be assigned a soldier who will act as a liaison between you and High Command. They will handle all communication between us as well as provide you protection in these tumultuous times. I insist on this, both for your safety and so that there are no… unfortunate misunderstandings."
His eyes scanned their faces as he took in their reactions. "I trust there won't be any issues?"
Hudson and everyone else understood the unspoken reality. These soldiers were there to keep them in check and ensure their loyalty.
"No issue, General," Hudson replied in a neutral tone. It would make some things harder for him if he had a watchdog following him everywhere, but he understood that all good things came with a price.
Besides, this would offer him a new source of information to learn about the new guys in charge.
A round of affirmations followed Hudson's response as everyone seemed to reach the same conclusion.
"Excellent," General Nasrith said, sounding pleased. "Then allow me to introduce them."
With a gesture from the General, the five elite soldiers who had swept the room earlier and remained silent throughout the meeting stepped forward. They were a mix of races and each of them was rather imposing.
General Nasrith directed a burly human man to Farida and a thin human woman to Kinta. To Kassan he assigned a stone-faced naga man and Borak was given a massive ogre who seemed to dwarf even his charge.
Lastly, Hudson was assigned a lizardkin man with vibrant green scales. He was the smallest among the elite soldiers, yet he exuded a feeling of danger that raised the hair on Hudson's neck.
"This is your liaison, Rizok," said Nasrith, introducing the lizardkin. "He will be your point of contact with High Command."
Rizok gave Hudson a curt nod but didn't otherwise react. Hudson wasn't sure how to respond so he just returned the gesture and waited for Nasrith to end the meeting.
Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long. "We have discussed everything that needs to be addressed at this time. You will receive your orders once I have consolidated my administrative hold over the city. You are dismissed."
With that, Hudson gave one last glance to his new colleagues as his 'liaison' hurried to escort him out of the palace. There were still many uncertainties that still needed to be addressed, but there was one thing that was absolutely clear to him.
Destiny had offered Hudson the opportunity of a lifetime, and he intended to grasp it with everything that he had.