"I vote for conquouring, because f.u.c.k the NNE"

"Yeah... I figured you would say that"

Mars remembered how Velvet's people had been hunted down by the NNE and captured to be sold as slaves, even her mother had been killed in the invasion

'that reminds me there was that request to destroy the NNE...'

"...Are your hatred for the NNE still there?"

"Of course it is, but following you is more important than that"

"I see..."

Mars thought for a moment before he asked

"Would it appease your anger if I found the ones that are responsible for the invasion and offered their heads?"

"Hmm... A bit I think? Why do you ask?"

"Well I am going to the NNE anyways might as well do something while I am there"

"In that case I wish you luck Mars"

The two of them chatted a bit more before Mars eventually left and flew back home, where the twins had already showed up with their luggage and was chatting with the girls, Mars joined them and chatted for a while before he retired and went to bed...

The next morning the day had come, Mars woke up and stretched for the last time in this bedroom before he put on the clothes he had laid out the night before, then he walked quietly into the living room so he didn't wake up the still sleeping girls and then he sat down on one of the couches and began to meditate, as time pa.s.sed Mars picked up more and more movement around him as he contemplated the nature of energy until he suddenly opened his eyes and saw that both the girls but also the twins were gathered with their luggage

"Well then... Let's get going"

Mars grabbed his backpack that he had finished packing the day before (it was a size larger than the one he had returned with), besides the backpack there was also two broadswords on his back and he held two bags in his hands, the group made their way up towards the roof where they found five sky carriages was landed along with VIctoria that sat and watched them with cat like curiosity

"Morning Victoria, are you ready to leave?"

"Yeah... Let's go"

Mars and the others loaded their luggage into two of the sky carriages before they squeezed into a single carriage, leaving two carriages unused and then a few moments after they all had found their places the carriage they were sitting in lifted off the ground, Mars looked out of the window and watched as the city of Green river grew more and more distant until they pa.s.sed the barrier and the city transformed into forest

'And bye bye Green river... oh well, nothing lasts forever'

Mars gave a sigh before he leaned back in his seat and felt a hand grasp his and looked to Chloe that sat at his side before he gave her hand a rea.s.suring squeeze and spoke

"It will be fine, worst case I'll just conquer the NNE, like a proper one man army"

Chloe gave a smile and spoke

"I know... I am just anxious to leave my home"

Mars gave her hand another squeeze before he felt his other hand being grabbed and looked to his left where 78 sat with a smile on her face

"ehehe"

Mars gave a smile and leaned back before he closed his eyes and began to meditate, while he had reached a threshold in the making of his mandate he was nowhere near done with forming it, right now he could only display a fraction of its power (that said the power he now wielded was near the power of the whole NNE)

After 3 days of flying (with small breaks in between) the three sky carriages reached the former king's city, the center of this province of the NNE, Mars and the others stretched after they got out of the carriage. The three sky carriages attached attention from the citizens of the former King's city, especially since there were so many different races among the pa.s.sengers of the sky carriages that carried the crests of Green river, soon a group of guards arrived

"Wait right there!"

Mars gave a sigh as he watched the guards close in on them but the next thing the guards said surprised him greatly

"We have come to receive you Mars"

Mars looked around to make sure that there was no other Mars that they could have called out to before he pointed to himself and tilted his head slightly before he asked

"Me?"

"Yes Mars, we are here to receive you"

"I see... Well in that case help the ladies with their luggage"

"Yes, at once!"

The guards eagerly walked over and helped the girls with their luggage and soon the the sky carriages were unloaded and took off again, meanwhile Mars asked one of the guards

"So where to?"

"The castle.... That is unless you want to stop somewhere else along the way Mars?"

Mars gave a nod and spoke

"Then I'll have to trouble you to show us the way to the castle"

The guard gave a smile and spoke

"It's no trouble at all"

Mars was getting more and more suspicious, he had an idea of who was waiting for him at the castle but how they knew he would be arriving today was a mystery to him

'....Well not really, the elders must have told them... But why?'

Even though Mars was thoroughly confused he kept a poker face and followed after the guards that escorted them though the busy streets, soon they arrived at the castle where Vanessa stood in front of the gate seemingly there to welcome them, Mars gave a slight frown, while he was familiar with her having fought together in the golem war and all they didn't get along that well. Vanessa however gave a smile when she saw Mars and walked towards him as she spoke

"Welcome to the former king's city Mars, it's been awhile"

Mars also showed a wide smile and spoke

"Yeah not since you tried to sell off my friends"

Vanessa's smile stiffened slightly before she gave a slightly nervous laugh and then continued

"We are truly sorry for that incident... I hope you can forgive us for that"

"Well that depends on the people you tried to sell... But you're right let's put that matter behind us, I am here today to talk business"

Vanessa showed a big smile when Mars spoke the word 'business' as she knew of his frightening capital

"In that case please follow after me, I'll show you to my father's office"

Mars walked into the castle after Vanessa and soon they reached one of the innermost rooms where Vannesa knocked on the door but she didn't wait for a response before she opened the door and walked in, Mars gave a slight frown and followed after her, inside the room sat James Ichma the de facto ruler of the Ichma province (former Destra) of the NNE, inside the room also sat two generals that were in a heated argument

"---As I said, they are only a tribe!"

"And as I said proper recon should not be overlooked, do you want a repeat of what happened in the Mother forest!?"

James gave a sigh and raised his hand to indicate that the generals should stop before he looked over at Mars and his daughter Vanessa and stood up with a smile on his face

"You must be Mars, welcome to my castle"

Mars glanced over at the two generals and showed a smile on his face

"If you're busy I can come back another day"

"No that won't be a problem"

"Humph"

one of the generals looked displeased with Mars' percenace and when he saw the girls, all of them being non human his frown grew deeper but he remained silent, James showed a slightly awkward smile as he spoke

"So what can I help you with Mars?"

"Well I'll be blunt... I am here to buy a city or town, or at least that was my intention a moment ago... why don't we make a bet instead?"

"A bet?"

Mars gave a smile, a wide one at that before he pulled a crystal card out of his pocket and handed it to James

"This will be my bet"

James cheeked the card and trembled for a moment but quickly recovered his bearing and spoke with a slightly shaking voice

"Surely this is a little overboard isn't it? What could I possibly offer in return?"

"A city"

"...Is that truly fine?"

Mars gave a shrug before he spoke

"It's all I got on me at the moment, if you feel it's insufficient I'll be back in half a years time with double the amount"

"...Double... No this is quite enough, so what is the bet going to be about?"

"Well you present me with a defended city on the edge of the NNE's territory and I'll conquer it within a day, if I can I'll get the city and become it will become a free citystate under the NNE, if I can't you get the crystal card... What do you say?"