Spirit Taming

Chapter 349: Alliance Made

"You're back!" everyone had been sitting at a table in their room. Ralph had been released from the whalers and was still tired so he was resting on a nearby bed. The boy's room had become the go to meeting place which had worked out in this situation.

"I'm glad Ralph and Grace are back too. Now I can keep telling Ralph how I get to crush our next opponents and he has to rest." Clark saw Ralph smirk before waving his hands as if Clark's words meant nothing. It was that attitude that made Ralph someone that might be able to push Clark in the future.

Especially since Ralph had properly shown he was more than just dedicated to the causes that Clark was going to stand for.

"My wounds weren't bad at all. Maria and the healers were able to help me faster than they could help Ralph. I am just glad we won…' Grace glanced at Ralph while becoming quiet. From her expression it was clear that she was unhappy that she was unable to help more in the battle.

"It should have helped you learn a lot. Ralph was more experienced than you and the two of you had never worked together. But I knew Ralph would manage somehow." Clark was sure to praise the battle while also drawing a focus on the efforts put in. He did see that Grace's eyes still flashed with unhappiness but she would have to work on that herself.

Clark could do nothing for the way that she felt about everything.

"So, should we tell you what happened with us, or do you want to go first?" Isa was ready to go in to full business mode.

"I'm going first. It has to do with the healers." Maria drew all the attention to herself since she wanted to get her matter out of the way.

"The white robe healers showed up to check on Ralph and Grace. They also brought a set of letters with offers to join them as a member or as a joint businesses. They want to know how to make their healers have the same or better abilities like mine even though I am still young by comparison." Maria seemed to have grasped her pride in this matter.

"I already sent a contract for business partner. We can work with them to grow better healing beasts that do not require the use of glow sting jellyfish. It will all come down to their beliefs in us. However, rumors already spread of what we can do after showing off our beasts.

Especially since you have many rumors about dragon taming, an invisible beast, and even a strange doll some people think might be a totem or item that boosts strength." Isa looked at Clark knowing full well that he had intended these things.

"The whalers also sent us the maps with three dungeons where they harvest materials and tame glow sting jellyfish along with a strip of white fabric made with unique mana so that we can enter them. They are guarded so that they aren't abused.

I think they did that because they really want what we have for their healers." Maria was even more proud to announce this since it meant that she might be able to get Lit a friend that could truly focus fully on healing. That way they could save energy and help more people.

"Alright, and that is that for the healing stuff. Reese and I managed to find the second years and they were already arguing over some letter that showed up. We just had to push them a little and they said they would follow our lead and make temporary alliances. They were a bit bratty." The second years had managed to bump in to Brad and Reese which helped the group out.

"Ella and her brother handled things for us. Ella has already managed to exert a little force over her third year group. Apparently, they were calling her weak until she showed off her beasts and made them fear for their lives." Isa smiled but slowly lost the smile while thinking about how the other third years had acted around Ella. it made her wonder if it was too risky to anger Ella in the future.

But this was just how Ella had to operate to make them understand she was not some weak researcher without any potential.

"Those fourth years will be the worst. Ella's brother has to handle the snobbiest and the richest bastards. Even that guy that tried to get Jerold and Brad, right?" Ralph wanted to jump up and go hunt the guy down. He was much more defensive of his team now than ever.

"They will have to work with Nebula or they will lose. The other teams made it this far because they have been able to push themselves, but they also lost points.

Third years were able to make a comeback because of Ella, the second years won by a single point last round, and the fourth years survived with their last four members last round." Since Reese had managed to finish things more quickly than the others, he had listened in on gossip to get the full situations of their other years.

"That makes us the team to be watched, we won the most so far?" Grace felt a little on edge saying this. It was as if she had tempted fate by saying it out loud.

"That's good for business. We might have to be ready for more though. Many merchants are preparing to lock down their shops just in case. Especially since a few mercenaries showed up trying to buy things here and there." Isa had her own connections. These small groups of mercenaries would naturally come looking for money during this time. Yet, it was odd that they showed up at the same time.

"Thanks for looking around. It's good to know that whoever is causing trouble may have thrown some gold around to bring in even more trouble. But mercenaries should be easy for Nebula to handle. Their guards are stronger than they look. I managed to speak with two today for a few minutes and they were pretty decent." Clark had been able to feel their strength.

Many guards intentionally showed some power to let others double check their actions. It was natural for them to do.

"So that just leaves us with what you have." Everyone nodded along with what Maria had said.

"Well, I happened to meet the first year team captain. She's the daughter of the nebula city lord. She's our age and has a beast that can't fight. It's definitely not her only beast but it is an ice wyrm. I looked at our business side and gave her some dragon lilies that grow in my taming space.

That way her ice wyrm can grow faster." Maria frowned hearing that Clark had given away flowers to a high class girl.

"This seemed to also help her accept that we would help each other out. That way we will be able to better work with the Nebula team and hopefully not lose a single point before we have to face one another. But it should also keep us from dying." Clark slowly looked at everyone, "We will be killing Ethereal academy students.

They aren't real students, they want to kill us and others, and finally, they will be in a maddened state."

"I will not be holding back." Jerold finally spoke, but his fingernails were cutting in to his palm as he clenched his fists. He remembered the bloody scene and the fear he felt every single time he closed his eyes. It had left a very harsh lasting impression.

"Good, because they will be out to kill all of us even if it means they die. Watch out for suicidal attacks. Nebula knows all this too. And because Jerold had his experience, Illia was able to send that information directly to her mother. That means Nebula will be prepared for beasts to go wild outside the walls and potentially inside the walls."

Seeing that Clark had been thorough and used the situation to the best possible advantage, everyone was able to breathe more calmly. But there was still the slightly sharp glare from Maria that Clark needed to handle.

While the others started to leave for their own meditation and preparations, Clark managed to catch Maria's hand for a moment. "I haven't eaten much, care to take a walk downstairs and get a snack with me?"

"Hmmm, and why should I?" The tone was one note but Clark knew he had to make it up to Maria or he would lose his life for his previous actions.

"Well, I need to get you something special after you worked so hard to show off. Think of it as a reward for being the first ever battle healer that can fight with a beast no others have seen. You, Lit, and your midnight eel should celebrate a little." This seems to loosen Maria up before she finally let a small smile escape and followed Clark toward the inn's dining area.