Chapter 38 - 038 : Tea Party

"You want to open a place for children to learn?"

For Crusch this concept just work for noble, because the noble family always hire a tutor for teaching their children from the early age.

"Yes, children is the future of kingdom, when they're mȧturė they will be a great ȧsset for the kingdom"

"Your idea is very good, and you're very admirable to have a plan like this, but are you already thought it through? This is not a small scale project. We need a lot of manpower as a teacher, we need a lot of money too. I can help you to certain extent but, there is a limit to my capability" as a matriarch of Karsten family, she is very supportive to the idea, because like what Arthur said, this will be a greatest ȧsset for kingdom.

"For money, you didn't need to worry, i will use my share of profit from agreement with Anastasia as a fund for this project, we need a participation with you because with Emilia popularity.. the parents of children will think, we will use their children as a sacrifice or train them to be a member of witch cult" Arthur replied with a pain smile at the last part "but this will be different if we add your name there, the house of Karsten is very loyal to the kingdom from the start, and it's prove in many occasions trough the history. Ofcourse, if this is not enough, i will search Reinhard after this and make Felt join this alliance because the name of sword saint can make them feel more comfortable with him as a part of this"

"I think you make business with me so you can support your plan to make a grand city.. so it come out for another purpose, so you prioritize make a school rather than make a city under Emilia name?"

"Why do you think like that, Anastasia?"

"Like what Crusch has said before, make your plan realize is not an easy thing to do and will burn a lot of money" being mentioned by Anastasia, Crusch nod as confirmation to her "and you also announce, you will make a grand city. I didn't heard any information about you gathering a worker for making a city, and just hiring the workers already become a huge burden for you"

"If that's what you worried about, then you didn't need to mind it too much. I think you will receive a huge surprise if you send someone to Emilia's territory, but i just want to say, i already prepare for this project . All i need now is some minor construction necessities, so i hope you can give me a loan"

"Hmmm... if you have so much confidence i will give you a favor.. i will sell everything you need at cost, but when you're success and i satisfied with the results, i hope you can give me a land to open a headquarter there, deal?" Rather than asking to Emilia, Anastasia direct her offer to Arthur, because she already know, Emilia will just following his decision

"It's not bad offer, but the size of land is depend on how much we receive help from you and how much we get benefit from it"

"Alright, it's deal then" replied Anastasia with smile and clapping her hand

"So this is the end to our conversation?" Crusch ask this because she feel leave behind in the conversation

"Ofcourse no, in this city project, i need the help from you too, Crusch "

"Oh? I will hear it" Crusch feel curious, because she is not have big trading company like Anastasia and also she can't dispatch trop for helping him clear the land from any danger because she need every one of her soldier in the near future.

"When we complete the city project, we can't just leave it empty, so when that time is come, i hope you to help me to gather a people from slum area move to our city, ofcourse we will not take everyone, we will reject the one with criminal history, we wilm reject the one who is give up to get a better life, and we reject the one who can't life with other race"

"As the head of my family i also need the benefit for my family, what we will get from this?"

"I didn't have anything that can make your family feel interest.. i think" replied Arthur with a forceful smile

"No you have, if we help you, then you are owing a favor to us"

"I'm very embarrassed when you value me that high, alright if you need my help in the future i will help you, with premise if there is no danger around Emilia"

"Then our gathering is over, right? I'm sorry, it's not like I didn't like to be here, but like what I said, time is money, so i need to leave now, Arthur you can send someone to deliver list item you need to me. Crusch, thanks for your hospitality, and for you.. let's talk again if i have time" Anastasia leaving after she bid her goodbye to everyone here.

"She is good child.." Emilia watching her back until her shadow can't be seen again

"I think she will hate it if you said it in front of her"

"Then i will never said it, Thank you for your reminder, Crusch"

"Well, our talk is over now, so what are you going to do after this?" Crusch ask Arthur who seem like still have something to talk with her

"For the time being this talk isn't have any connection with Anastasia, i just want to know, when you will start the expedition for slain the white whale?"

"How you know about this?"

"There is no other reason for sword demon, Wilhelm Van Astrea, join your camp if you didn't promise him about this expedition"

"Our preparation is nearly over, i think it won't take a long time before i can start the expedition"

"I just want to say, i want to participate in this expedition...but maybe Wilhelm is already have some clue, there is a huge chance witch cult have some connections with white whale"

"I will call him first"

Crusch think, if someone like Arthur can join the expedition then it will be a very large boost to their battle power, but if it was like how he said, there is connection between witch cult and white whale then as Emilia's knight, ofcourse he will never leave her side.

"You're need something, Crusch-sama?"

"I want to confirm something, are you know there is a connection between the witch cult and white whale?"

"I didn't have a concrete proof, but from my investigation over the years, i find out there is a huge chance they have a connection"

"So Arthur can't help in our expedition..huh.." Crusch think it was a huge loss for them

"The man in front of me is Arthur Spencer, Emilia's knight. He is very strong, strong enough to make the current sword saint draw his sword but still can't stop him"

Wilhelm appraise Arthur carefully, because if what his lord said is right then it will be a huge loss for them if he can't participate in expedition.

"I will not said i have a proof to backing up what i want to said now, but i just want to ask first, you already noticed it right, a dangerous movement around Roswaal territory?"

"Yes, we noticed it, it's start the moment he support Emilia as a royal candidates"

"In near time i didn't know, maybe the day after tomorrow or the day after it, a fog will appear in Liphas Highway"

"Are you sure?"

"I think you will get the answer if you stationed someone there and make a report back as soon as possible when the fog is appear, and the next day after the fog is appear, i recommend you to start the expedition because the white whale will appear at night time, i didn't know when exactly it will appear but i was sure it will appear"

"I can't see you're lying"

Crusch staring at Arthur intently and make such comments afterwards

"You can't depend too much to it, when lies is mix with a slight truth, then you can't find it where the lied is start, even if you can feel there is a lie in the words i said"

".... i will remember it" after a brief if silent Crusch replied and take what Arthur said as a good advice

"When your expedition team is fighting the white whale, i will be in another battlefield, so I'm sorry i can't participate" after stop talking a moment then he laid his sword on top of the table "but i will lend it to you, Wilhelm is very skilled swordsman but he didn't have good sword, i can lend it to him"

"I think as a knight you can't hand yours sword easily to other people" Wilhelm didn't accept it nor he reject it

"Unfortunately i was demoted from a knight to a guardian, so i didn't need to follow a knight code, well it's not like I following it in the first place. I will also deliver a good armor for you, Crusch. If we lose you in this battle it will be a huge setback for my plan and will affect Emilia benefit"

"Wilhelm, you can accept it, he will definitely leave it here even if you didn't accept it" Crusch talk with a smile on her face "i will also waiting for your presents for me"

"Thank you for lending me a very good sword, i will not disappoint you" Wilhelm bow and accept the sword, the moment he look at the sword, he know this is not an ordinary sword but when he held it in his hand he know more about his previous appraise is very shallow

"That's sword name is Kusanagi Sword, i didn't know which one is better, but i know this sword is on par with Cecilus Segmunt Murasame sword and Masayume Sword"

"You talk as if you know him well, Arthur" even if Crusch said it in a calm tone, inside her heart she is wondering what Arthur said is truth or not, after Arthur comment about her blessing, she decided to didn't use it if she talk with Arthur.

"Cecilius Segmunt, Vollachia blue thunder, he is a very fast person, his swordsmanship is also better than mine, if we battle in a pure swordplay i will lose, but if we goes all out... i can't said i will surely win but i will not lose either"

"You surely very confident, the other people is number one ranked Nine God General of the Vollachia Empire"

"Well, enough about that, this is will be a very important thing so i hope you will write it" Arthur pauses a moment and waiting for Crusch to take a note for what he will said "White Whale is a single beast, no matter what happen you must remember it. When it's life is in danger , the white whale will split itself into three. The mass and mana quantity on it body will also split into three, there is no way to identify wich one is the real one but there will be a high chance it will healed itself when the other two is attacking your troops"

"Are you... have an experience in fighting with the white whale?" Crusch ask with disbelief and shock all over her face.

The reason why the white whale is still rampaging until now is not just because how strong it was, but there is too little information about the beast, except for the fact that your existence will be erased cleanly from everyone memories there is nothing they knew.

"I already said what i want, you can take this note to battlefield and prove it yourself, i will leave Rem and that foolish brat on your care, when the time come i hope you can bring Anastasia to this expedition, her mercenary is not just a paper tiger, the more people you have the more high chance you will come out victory. We are a political enemies, but we doesn't want to inherit a broken kingdom. So we need to cooperate in this case, we will announce our victory to the people as a way to prove our capability to make this kingdom turn to better, see you again Crusch, Wilhelm. Next time we will met when you're come out victorious from the battle with the white whale" and with his farewell speech is over Arthur and Emilia vanishes from there.

Wilhelm who first time seeing it try to find them but Crusch stop him

"You didn't need to search him, it's likely he can move on a very high speed or he can move to any place he want without anything can stop him or hinder him, i more believe to the later because there is no sound, wind or even mana from him. Maybe with this he can bypass Reinhard and appear right in front of Priscilla without she can make any move to stop him. A very dependable ally but very scary enemy" Crusch said all of this but the confidence smile on her face never fade away, the pride of warrior.