Chapter 78: Entering the Great Forest of Arendel

Chapter 78: Entering the Great Forest of Arendel



Vincent scanned the numbers of the elves that surrounded them. There were 15 archers and 10 warriors. So those are elves huh? With long ears and beautiful faces. All of them were fully equipped with bows, arrows, swords, and shields. Even if he and his team were equipped with advanced weaponry, there is no guarantee that they'd make it out of there alive.

The best choice right now is to show that they mean no harm and to de-escalate the situation.

"Everyone, lower your weapons," Vincent ordered.

His team hesitated, glancing at one another.

"But Sir..." Alpha 5 started.

"Do it," Vincent reiterated firmly. "We need to show them we mean no harm." Reluctantly, the team lowered their weapons, stepping back slightly to create a less threatening stance. Vincent stepped forward, his hands raised in a gesture of peace.

"I would like to introduce myself. My name is Vincent Stryder, I'm the Founder of the Shadow Paramilitary Operations. We are like a mercenary. The flame dragon that you are seeing lifelessly on the ground, we are the ones that did that."

"That's a lie!" Captain Aeron stepped forward, his expression stern and accusatory. "It was the metallic beast from above that killed the dragon. It is still flying overhead, watching us."

Vincent remained calm, lowering his hands slightly. "The metallic beast you speak of is our aircraft. It's ours."

Captain Aeron's eyes narrowed. "Prove it."

Vincent nodded and activated his radio. "Ghost Rider, this is Shadow Actual. I want you to fire a single round of 105 shells not far from our position. Fire for effect."

"Copy that, Shadow Actual. One round of 105 shells incoming. Over."

Moments later, a loud thud echoed through the forest as the AC-130 fired a single round. The shell landed a safe distance away, exploding with a powerful force that shook the ground and sent a shockwave through the area.

King Thandor's eyes narrowed as he assessed Vincent's words.

Princess Elara stepped forward, her gaze unwavering. "Your actions saved many lives today. We are grateful, but we must understand your true intentions. Why have you come to our land?"

Vincent took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. "We were actually heading towards the Dwarven Kingdom until we saw the Flame Dragon destroying a city which is named Ferm. And we chased after it to stop the destruction."

King Thandor looked at Elara, then back at Vincent. "So you just decided to kill the Flame Dragon after you saw it destroy a city. What were you again?"

"A mercenary with a noble cause?" King Thandor raised an eyebrow. "What country do you hail from?"

"We are not from any country," Vincent explained. "We operate independently, offering our services to those in need, wherever they may be."

King Thandor seemed to ponder this for a moment. "An independent force. Interesting. Your actions today have proven your strength, but your intentions remain to be seen."

Princess Elara nodded. "You must understand, our land has been through much turmoil. Trust is not easily given."

Vincent nodded. "I understand. We can leave if you like if we are not welcome here."

King Thandor interrupted, his expression softening slightly. "No, you misunderstand. We are not rejecting your presence. We merely seek to understand your true intentions and capabilities."

Princess Elara stepped closer, her eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of skepticism. "You mentioned you were heading to the Dwarven Kingdom. What business do you have there?" Vincent glanced at his team before replying. "We seek to establish alliances and offer our services to those in need. The Dwarven Kingdom has been on our list due to their advanced metallurgy and engineering. We believe we can collaborate for mutual benefit."

King Thandor nodded thoughtfully.

"Your intentions seem genuine. Well, that is enough questions for now. If you are the ones who brought down the Flame Dragon, then we owe you a debt of gratitude," King Thandor said, his tone shifting from suspicion to appreciation. "As a gesture of our thanks, we would like to invite you to a dinner celebration tonight. It will be an opportunity for us to get to know each other better."

Vincent inclined his head respectfully. "We would be honored."