Outside the window, the midday sun blazed over the gardens of Bagnia Royal Palace, while Chris reviewed documents in his cool, quiet office.
A knock sounded just then, and the expressionless clerk pushed the door open.
"Your Majesty, Commander-in-Chief Isaac is here to see you."
"Show him in."
Soon, Isaac stood before Chris, bringing with him an urgent and peculiar matter.
"Send the second batch ahead of schedule?"
Chris put down his fountain pen and leaned back in his chair, feigning uncertainty as he posed the question.
"Judging by the travel time, the first thousand atoners should only just have landed on Casarina Island. They might not even have fully entered combat yet."
"Precisely, Your Majesty."
Isaac nodded, confusion written all over his face beneath his prominent brow ridge.
"Ambassador Alvarez's request was unusually urgent. He even sounded somewhat embarrassed."
Chris laughed. He was having trouble keeping up the act.
"Tell him Bagnia can mobilize the second batch of mercenaries ahead of schedule. We can even have them aboard and departing within two weeks... no, one week. But on the condition that the total fee stipulated in the contract is raised by twenty percent."
A flicker of shock crossed Isaac's face.
"Your Majesty, isn't that a little improper? If we're unwilling, we can simply refuse. Why..."
"Why take advantage of their predicament?"
Chris finished the sentence for him and gently shook his head.
"Isaac, don't rush to question me. Just tell him that. If he refuses, so be it; we'll follow the contract. If he insists on rushing things, ask him why."
Chris rose and walked to the enormous floor-to-ceiling window, turning his back to Isaac so the latter could not see his expression.
"Alvarez probably won't tell you what happened. Then you can ask him another question: how exactly