Return of the Fallen Volume 12 Chapter 72
Sitting in a corner of this bar, many mouths chattered around as wild tales and rumors were spouted nonstop. Laughter was aplenty and drinks flowed nonstop. A few fights broke out here and there but they were quickly quelled by others trying to not break the fine atmosphere.
While still lost in thought a woman with a large bust leaned forward showing off her cleavage in an attempt to draw Kazuki’s attention. Kazuki was still in his own mind though so he paid the luscious breasts no mind.
This pissed the woman off and slammed a fist on the table shattering it into tiny pieces.
“Hey! Can you not hear me talking here!? This place and for sitting around with your thumb up your ass! Buy a drink, buy some food, or get out!”
Kazuki snapped out of it as several eyes fell on him. He chuckled inwardly before tossing the woman a small Divine crystal.
“A drink if you don’t mind.”
The woman snatched the crystal out of the air before storing it in her ring.
“Hmph, which drink?”
“Surprise me.”
The woman eyed Kazuki up and down but with his drink already paid for, she no longer cared that he denied her looks. With a wave of her hand, the shattered pieces of the table reversed and it was repaired instantly.
“And here I thought you were a bum. Whatever you asked for it. Surprise I give you a damn surprise.”
The woman mumbled all of this but in a room full of Demigods and Gods they could all hear what she was saying. Kazuki was surprised she was so bold. Normally the strong would easily take offense. This woman should know that but still, she openly walked around with an attitude. Kazuki quickly realized why though. As she walked away, barely half a second later someone bumped into her and spilled part of their drink on her blouse.
The bar became quiet once more as eyes fell on the two.
‘”DO YOU NOT HAVE EYES YOU PIECE OF SHIT!”
After that, a fist came quickly as she knocked the guy directly out of the bar with one swing.
“Next time watch where your walking.”
After that, the entire bar broke out into laughter.
(It looks like this woman is well-known and has the strength to back up that attitude.)
(Kazuki why did you stop here? Forget about your drink, you still have much work to do. Going forward, just building forces and ships will not win you your future, we must come up with a concrete plan.)
(The plan is to get you your missing piece Arc or am I missing something here?)
(That is the true plan but a man who does not plan for contingencies is a fool. What happens if the shadow finds you before your forces are built up adequately, what happens if Sephra somehow finds out that you are still alive before you are fully ready? Finding my missing piece is of grave importance, yes but we may need a backup in case things do not go accordingly.)
(You say all of this as if you already have a plan. If so I’m more than happy to hear you out…Well?)
(Brat if I had something would I be bringing it up only now? Forget it, let’s just go out with not a single thought and end up as ash in the wind.)
(Alright alright I get it. I’ll have this drink and go back home. Codex how far along are my soldiers?)
(They’re almost there Kazuki. Only a few thousand more and everyone will be at least at the Demigod stage. You will have slightly more than 40,000 Demigods under your control and nearly a hundred Gods under your command.)
Kazuki found the number of Gods under his control to be disappointing.
(I’ll need to acquire more Gods. I’ve already bought all the slaves I could in this city and most of the ingredients and items I need for my production line of ships. After going back home I’ll gather everything and head to a new city that has more slaves. It’s best not to stick in one place for too long anyway.)
(Sounds good. The more slaves we have the more we become a real threat to those that would see our demise. Moving like this though, it’s not exactly keeping a low profile. Buying up all the materials and slaves, that will actually do the opposite of what you wish. no?)
(I know but it’s something that must be done. When we were at the slave merchants, they had many Gods that were reserved for VIPS. These Gods are rare and powerful. If I am to have access to them, I’ll need to become one of these VIPS. Someone with a reputation, someone that holds sway. In order to become that someone, First I’ll need to flaunt money, secondly I’ll need to do something big in these collective Realms. Someitnhg that grabs the attention of others so they know I have the authority or rather so they know that if they don’t pay me heed, it could cost them greatly. And I’m not talking about money.)
(Right and how does this allow you to escape the shadows radar? If you go around publicizing yourself, you won’t just pull in the eyes of slave merchants but also those with real power. The crescent knights could easily be among the eyes that fall onto your back. If one of them recognizes you somehow, you could be placing a large target on your back you know. The shadow is possessing the leader of the Crescent Knights remember. In one fell swoop he not only framed you making it seem like you killed all of those Gods back in Satruss but he also took control over Verius’s body, thereby gaining authority and reputation instantly. If you come to light to those with real power and the shadow points in your general direction, it won’t just be the Crescent Knights after you. it could potentially be anyone with a banner.)
(I already know all of this.)
(Well if you know already and you’re still saying this, it means you somehow have a way to become famous while still keeping a low profile yet not keeping a low profile by accomplishing or doing something that grabs attention. Is this not convoluted and above all an unnecessary risk?)
Kazuki didn’t deny it.
(Yes to both of those things. Yes it’s convoluted and yes it is definitely risky but you wanted a backup plan didn’t you… This may just well be our best option if other things fall apart. We don’t know how long it will take to find your missing piece yet the shadow will not be sitting idly by. As he advances, I need to not be the one chasing his tail. I’ll just have to be extremely careful not to expose too much about myself while also being out in the open. I know it’s risky but there are reasons I have to take this risk.)
Arc and even Codex were lost. Neither knew why Kauzki needed to be in such a rush to build power. From their perspective, so long as he hides well enough, he could build a massive army in the darkness and spring it on his enemies when they least expect it. What he was trying to do with this hiding yet openly attracting attention to them made no sense.
(Kazuki I’ll have to agree with Arc here. All of this seems unnecessary. Let us just move in the background. If you do things from the darkness, surely you can win without putting yourself or others in danger. Slow and steady may just win us everything with no chance of our enemies ever knowing what hit them. Can you at least give us a clue? What is your line of thinking here?)
Kazuki understood why Codex was worried and he should have a clear answer but in the end…
(I don’t know.)
This caught both Arc and Codex off guard.
(Brat stop playing, what do you mean you don’t know? This is the big one, everything going forward deals with all of our futures. You expect us to just go with it when you yourself don’t know. Speak clearly dammit.)
Kazuki sighed.
(I am speaking clearly. I really don’t know I just have this feeling. I have to make this move or the shadow will make a move first. After fighting him, I could tell he was not an average enemy. He already had a plan for when he got crushed. The Crescent Knigths showing up, and me crushing his mind stone, he managed to frame me and take all blame off himself so easily and I just fell for it. More than that, It was simply something I did not see coming.)
Kazuki would never claim himself to be a genius but his mind was nowhere near slow. He had come across many intelligent enemies, many beings that he could not beat with brute force alone. Each time he managed to figure a way out. Those that looked down upon him, those that thought they knew every possibility. In the end, it was Kauzki that destroyed them, in the end, it was Kazuki that came up with something and who walked away with his life still intact.
This time though it was his opponent that got the edge over him and did so in a way Kauzki was sure he could have ever thought of.
Arc and Codex found this unsatisfying. The answer was left too open-ended.
(Kauzki, this can’t be the real reason. You have a feeling about the shadow? Really?)
(I don’t tend to agree with the book very often but damn the book is right. We can not place our plans on the off chance the shadow is doing something here or there. He may be looking for you but so long as we stay hidden, and you don’t use Mind-soul energy, in what Realm could he ever locate you?)
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