Seeing the knight in his Armor and holding the white flag Damien was contemplating whether he should go alone or with escorts after all he couldn't be sure that there was not trap 🪤 in play it's well known stratagem of beheading the snake head by eliminating the central or core command of a force it basically became incapacitated in an instant if there is no-one to take commander immediately it was even used by him a few times when he was contracted to take down street gangs .
But that's idea 💡 quickly faded away 'If he wishes to live freely in this world and keep climbing higher taking risk is necessary but that doesn't mean jumping mindlessly in dangerous situations so for this occasion he has three things he can rely on first his race as vampire which make hard to kill if the attack doesn't involve holy power or lightning he can rely on his strong vitality and speed to whistand the attack and flee if the opponent if far stronger 💪 than him seconde his shadow art he can quickly phase with the surrounding shadows thus any physical attacks is meaningless against him in this form and finally Crowley is present so as long no third grade life form show up his safety is guaranteed as for the case of someone at level showing up he can just accept as really poor luck on his side so he turned towards Crowley and said: ' I will go meet him alone fetch a white flag '.
Crowley hearing it fastly rebuked:' young master it could be a trap it's better if I go or someone else go we can't risk your safety'.
Damien cut him saying :' there is no need to stress about it you should have some trust in me after all if I hide from a parly under a white flag with someone of equal strength how can I ask my soldiers to risk their life for me in the futur ' just as he finished speaking a legionnaire brought a pole with white flag more with that he guided his horse 🐎 towards the golden armoured knight a few moments he was just some meters away from him.
The golden was the first one to speak as it was custom for the one who initiated the parly under the white flag to start the conversation.
He said :' goodday honoured baron Damien of the Pendragon family I am jean Batiste a knight from the rising phoenix 🐦🔥 order headed by third rank paladin Carl the Ironside and those man and women up there are my companions first the old man who looks upset and angry 💢 is my mentor captain Isaac Vonbak a second rank knight or a sliver knight and the young man next to him is my junior brother apprentice unde him named Robin he is also a first grad knight like me as for the other the smiling 😁 old man wearing a green rob and green hat is look a second rank mage from the white lotus 🪷 academy of mages his name is Jack wisly they are led by third rank mage adept Linda the red lotus 🪷 as for the other two the young man is called Ben and the young woman ♀️ is called Steph both are first grade Mages ' as for why jean kept mentioning the grade of each of his companions and backgrounds is to put some pressure on the man facing him and to dessuade him from making any rash decision that could endanger their life .
After that he stopped for a moment letting Damien to respond by saying:' I am baron Damien ruler of this barony I welcome you to my land but I would like to ask you what are you doing here in my mountain 🏔️?'.
then a frown could be seen on jean forehead it's that's his background didn't even cause a ripple in the young baron but after all he is a member from that family even if he is an exiled one he answers :' an ancestor of from our order found years ago a map to an inheritance of an extinct knight order but when he visited the location he concluded it will take fifty years for the portal of that inheritance so that opportunity has fallen to us and for this I would like to ask you baron to let us join your expedition as for the loot we just want a few specific herbs and pills 💊 for enhancing strength or breaking through major realms or what each of us stumble up on or get rewarded in this inheritance depending on each person contribution in exchange 💱 we are ready to share everything we know about this inheritance and keep the involvement of the baron it this excavation trip a secret we can even sign a first grad contract under the eye of the truth'.
Hearing this Damien start thinking 🤔 from what this jean is saying they seem to have some intelligence over this inheritance land which could help him and his army to avoid casualties and easily take it over as for what they take he will need to discuss it in detail like how much and who get the first pick .
Then he said:' I can agree to all your conditions but we will do a few changes first we should discuss which herbs you want seconde if their is more than one we will divide equaly or at least give the other party a share third incase any of us get something that other party need we may exchange for it with something of equal value if you accept this conditions we can sign the contract now what do you say'.
Jean taught for a while about the proposal given by the baron it was to a certain extent fair but disclosing which herb 🌿 they want would make in a difficult position if the one who find belonge to baron entourage he could demand more than it's worth knowing that they need it but at same time it may help to avoid future dispute and betrayal that happens in this kind of environment:'i accept your proposal I just want to add that if the one who found the herbs we want belongs to your we will exchange for it with a treasure of the same value as for what they are the first one is a thousand year-old blood ginseng the second a two petal Clover 🍀 and finaly an ice lotus 🪷 and I will add if we find more than one they belong to you plus the usual condition in this situation of no harming the other party and helping eachother'.
Damien :' I accept bring the contract forward to sign'.
With this flick of hand jean got a pouch and using his energy a contract was materialised so it must be a space artifact on him an ancient looking manuscript he called forward the sport of the eye 👁️ of the truth then on it was written all the conditions aggred upon between him and our baron then they signed .
Damien then said :'now the we gonna be partners please call me just Damien and could call for you friends to join us as I we go back to where my army 🪖 in order to start the march toward the inheritance door 🚪 '.
Jean answering the baron :' we will do as you say baron '.
With each one of them went towards his party when Jean reached his companions his mentor asked about what happened and he narrated with details what happened and what they wrote in the contract in order to avoid any misunderstanding and or misshap on their part .
Then his master said :' well done Jean I couldn't have gotten us better conditions and I would like to remind everyone here they will be no treasure killing as that man next is probably near becoming a third grade life form neither one of us want to be his enemy is that clear'.
The second grade mage next to him added:' I am of the same opinion so not let greed cloud ☁️ your judgement and plus I feel that baron is also a first grade life form but I can't pinpoint which path he follows so either he has a treasure that can hide his spirit or blood or soul fluctuations or he follows a high level path plus so either way he isn't to be underestimated he maybe the shame of the Pendragon but nonetheless he still has their blood flowing in his vein so do not do something that will bring on you and your loved one am I clear'.
Then he added :' you all know why we are here that is your priority isn't this expedition get us the three pelt clover 🍀, the cultivation Manuel for the knights of steel and finaly from what that senior left the knight off steel were well known for their realm breaking pill 💊 so get as much of you can and if you found the recipe any one of these wel get you unlimited support until you reach seconde grade am i cleare'.
Everyone nodded 🙂↕️ specially Jean who had a conversation with Damien from it he could tell that the rumours are false so either he is one of those hidding dragons and crouching tigres or je is just médiocre by the standard of the Pendragon family either way he will not cross 🤞 him.
Soon they started going to were the army is when they arrived they were awed how the soldiers were highly disciplined then a centurion came he presented himself and told that the lord and his follwers were awaiting them then he guided them to a hastily constructed hut 🛖 in which Damien and his high level commanders where waiting when the entred they saluted him and Jean presented everyone in his party after that Damien did same with Crowley,Clark and larve the shaman goblin 👺.
While some of them where surprised to find a goblin 👺 among his Entourage he could tell from their reaction it was nothing more than something they are not used specially the mages even the mage called Steph didn't seem to care that it's goblin near her as for the knight off surprise in their eyes he could fell that they thought that it's beneath them to associate with a goblin but that's it so descrimination against creature against creature like goblin isn't universal is more like it depended on the view of each individual or they just didn't think he posed in threat to them after all goblins were notoriously belielved to be inferior when facing opponents of the same rank.
After that Damien said :' from now on we belong to same group and our faith is unterwind so if we want to succeed in our endeavours we should cooperate fully so we will start first larve please share with everyone the intelligence that you have gathered in this few days '.