Chapter 99: Needing to Fulfill the Last Part
As Vincent stepped out of the royal hall and into the open air, the tension that had gripped him throughout the encounter with King Thandor slowly began to ease. The weight of the King's suspicions still lingered in his mind, but he had managed to deflect the worst of it. For now, their alliance was intact, though he knew the situation was far from resolved.
He walked briskly back to the square where his team was waiting. The elves had gathered there, standing in disciplined ranks, and Vincent's gaze immediately fell on the crates stacked neatly on the ground. These were the enchanted totems the King had promised as part of their deal
The elves handled the crates with reverence, knowing the power contained within each one.
Alpha 3 and Alpha 5 were standing guard by the convoy, their expressions alert but calm. As Vincent approached, they turned to him, awaiting his instructions. Eamon, who had been pacing nervously nearby, stopped in his tracks and looked at Vincent with a mix of curiosity and concern.
"Everything went well, sir?" Alpha 3 asked.
Vincent nodded, though he kept his voice low. "Yes....now the only thing that we will do here in the Great Forest of Arendel is simply to train their soldiers how to handle those weapons and as for them, they'll teach us how to use enchanting totems in our arsenal. It's going to be three weeks camping with them. After that, we can finish the contract with them and head to the dwarven kingdom, and after there, we will head to your country."
Eamon couldn't directly meet Vincent's eyes, a clear sign of the unease still lingering from the recent tensions between the two groups.
"Alpha 3, Alpha 5, make sure the totems are handled properly. Double-check that everything is secured once it's on the trucks. We can't afford any mishaps with these," Vincent instructed.
Alpha 3 nodded and moved to direct the elves, who were already carefully lifting the crates. Alpha 5 began inspecting the crates as they were placed in the truck, ensuring that each one was properly secured. After that, he ordered the two to transport it to the City of Ferm for safekeeping.
That meant he would be left with Eamon and Alpha 4.
"This will be your space," the guard said, opening the door to reveal a room with a large wooden table, several chairs, and a window that let in the soft light of the forest outside. "If you need anything, I'll be stationed just outside."
"Thank you," Vincent replied, stepping into the room. The guard nodded and left them to their work, closing the door behind him.
Once inside, Vincent and Alpha 4 moved to the table, where they spread out their notes and began discussing their plans. Vincent started by outlining the key objectives for the training sessions.
"We'll begin with the basics-handling, aiming, and firing the weapons. The elves are used to longbows and swords, so we'll need to emphasize the differences and advantages of firearms in certain combat scenarios," Vincent said, pointing to a diagram of the M4 Carbine. Alpha 4 leaned in, nodding as he absorbed the information. "We should also cover maintenance and reloading drills. They need to be as comfortable with these weapons as they are with their own."
"Agreed," Vincent said. "We'll also need to incorporate tactical training. They're already skilled in stealth and precision, but we can enhance that with proper use of cover, movement under fire, and team coordination."
Alpha 4 smirked. "Sounds like we'll be giving them a crash course in modern warfare."
"Pretty much," Vincent replied with a slight grin. "But we need to make sure they grasp the concepts without overwhelming them. We'll start slow, build up their confidence, and gradually introduce more complex tactics."
Of course, Vincent and Alpha 4 knew that they had to talk in an enthusiastic manner as much as possible. They can't let the elves know that they just killed 21 of their compatriots.
After an hour of planning, they had a solid strategy in place. Vincent leaned back in his chair, satisfied with their progress.
"I think we're ready to start. We'll brief the elves tomorrow morning and begin with the first group. Let's make sure everything's prepared by then."
Alpha 4 nodded, standing up. "Understood, sir. I'll get to work on preparing the equipment and setting up the training grounds."