My (Monster?) Hero Life

Chapter 259: Heavy Is The Crown (1)

"It will take around three days. We'll get as many craftsmen on the job as soon as possible." The manager replied with a sincere voice.

Kace nodded in satisfaction. Although he did not know how long Sophia would need to prepare the army to move out, he felt like a few days would be more than enough. In fact, it would probably end up as her waiting on him again. 'I still need to meet up with the ruler and convince her to lend some troops as well.' 

Kace thought about the issue and realised that convincing her might take a few days alone, so he did not really have to worry on this front. 'If all goes well then maybe Sophia won't be able to blame me for the delay.' Now that he was done with his shopping spree, he felt like it was time he allowed the shop to return to normality. 

Despite the fact that he was spending so much, it was clear that the staff did not really welcome his or the Tu'Thrag's tribe presence. The tribe gathered around him like a sea of darkness once they were finished getting their measurements done. Once the final one joined them, Kace turned on his heels and marched out of the store.

As soon as they were gone, the manager felt like a dark cloud had lifted from his store. 'I wonder who he is?' The manager still shivered at the thought of the oppressive aura that Kace had unleashed on them. 'He shouldn't be someone simple. I'll have two make a note of it and make sure he's treated with the utmost respect if he ever shops here again. I can't have the customers getting knocked out again. It's bad for our image.'

The manager sincerely hoped that Kace would never return after he received his order. 'Come to think of it. He bought a lot of potions first didn't he? Maybe I should assign the staff up there to being his personal liaison.' While Kace was blissfully unaware, his reputation in the city was beginning to spread out.

When the dark mass that was his tribe spilt out onto the crowded streets, many people turned to stare at them. After all, it was not every day that so many foreigners could be seen in their city. Most of these citizens would have turned their noses up at them, but once they registered that they had exited from an elite establishment, their views changed.

This was especially so for the nearby merchants. They knew what kind of prices the store charged, with a group that size, they were virtually an untapped treasure if they could convince them to spend some of their wealth at their own establishments. Kace nonchalantly ignored the profit seekers. He could not afford to continue his current rate of spending. Not when he did not know the actual value of things. 

'I may be considered rich at the moment, but that can all change too quickly. Until I get a better grasp of my financial situation, I should refrain from anymore spending.' Kace thought about what his most recent final bill might come to. 'I guess I should be grateful that they did not even ask for a deposit. Though, I probably scared them too much for them to even consider it.'

A dark grin spread across his face at that moment. 'Who knows, maybe they'll even give me a discount.' The goblins around him that noticed the look he was making drew back from the sight. It gave them the same eerie chill that they felt when he first evolved. It was just a reminder that he was not someone that they could easily mess with. Not that they would ever want to anyway.

Although Kace moved through the streets with his entourage like a man on a mission, he had no idea where he was going. He was looking around, trying to spot the most extensive building that could serve as the ruler's household. However, the layout of the city made this extremely difficult to accomplish. 

"Excuse me, My Lord," Shadow uttered in a whisper by his side. Making sure that none of the others could hear him. "If you're looking for the palace, it's over that way. The army has also been stationed in some of the barracks there."

Shadow pointed in a direction off to their left. He dealt with the situation delicately, as he did not want the tribe to figure out that Kace did not know what he was doing. This was because a leader should be assertive and show no hesitation. If Kace stumbled with just finding his way around, then others might lose confidence in his abilities. 

It was still at the point that it could be considered that Kace just wanted to look around a bit before heading to the palace. This was why Shadow chose now to intervene. Kace nodded his head in thanks without saying a word. He realised what Shadow was trying to accomplish. It would only spoil his efforts if he openly displayed his gratitude.

With a subtle change in their course, Kace led the group towards the direction that Shadow had pointed out. The tribe became restless when they realised where they were headed. All of the drama and excitement in the store had caused them to work up a fare appetite. On the other hand, Kace began to prepare himself to meet up with the city's ruler. 

He did not doubt that he would gain an audience with her since she had personally invited him. However, convincing her to throw her military forces behind them might be a tall order. 'If we want to succeed in capturing the north, then we need her help. The natives provide too much of advantage in the terrain to just let them be idle. With their help, we should be able to deter any ambushes along the way.'

Kace sighed internally as he thought about becoming embroiled in politics again. 'It's just something I'll have to get used to. I really need to shore up my own network to prevent being taken advantage of'