Return of the war god

Chapter 5

“Sir, you called for me?” A suited man approached the silently sitting Arthur.

“Yes, do you recall the McHenry pharmaceuticals’ CEO? The one who’s daughter was rescued by our crew during one of our missions?”

“Yes sir, I believe his daughter was one of those in the relief team.”

“Call him, I want to have a meeting with him now.”

“Roger sir.”

Even if he wasn’t on the battlefront, the war god was not someone those who knew of him dared to trifle with. Especially if it was someone who owed him a favor.

Not long after, a man in his fifties arrived in his condo, his head lowered as he approached Arthur who sat quietly in his garden, nursing a cup of tea.

“Cap-Captain…I didn’t think I’d get to see you again.” Liam McHenry stated, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

“Oh, quite the way to greet your benefactor, CEO?” Arthur stated, shooting him a sidelong glance.

Muttering an apology, Liam lowered his head.

McHenry Pharmaceuticals was the biggest and the most successful in the entire region. Liam saw the war as an opportunity to garner more support and so he sent his daughter alongside a few of his subordinates to the warfront to partake in relief activities.

He knew it was a risk, but not only was it one he had to take to put his company far ahead of the competitors, their nation was already winning the war so it wasn’t as risky, or so he thought.

His team arrived at their destination safely and completed their mission, but due to the tactics of the enemy, their return route was cut off.

Seeing as returning was impossible via normal means, the war god and his crew were contacted for help.

It was a desperate act, but after seeing his daughter and subordinates safe and sound, and hearing just what the man called the war god did on the battlefield, Liam felt nothing but awe and respect for him.

“You told me that should I require help from you, that you would see to it no matter what. I hope you have not forgotten your promise, Mr McHenry?” Arthur set the mug on the table, turning to face the standing Liam.

“Of course not. I would never.”

“Then take a seat.”

Liam sat, cautiously watching the man called the Ares of today.

“I need you to offer a partnership deal to the Gallagher family tomorrow, make it the best you can offer but feel free to milk them dry.” Arthur ended with a smirk, startling Liam.

“Is that all, Captain? I’ll do that for you for free, sir. This doesn’t need to count as what I owe you.” Liam stated with a smile.

Sipping from his tea, Arthur replied, “Do as you wish, but remember, make sure you contact Alexander Gallagher tomorrow. I won’t tolerate any delays or failure.”

“Yes sir.”

“You can go now, we’re done here.”

With a nod, Arthur rose and left the garden quickly, following the guard who escorted him to meet with Arthur.

As soon as Liam left, one of his subordinates approached Arthur, saying, “Sir, the car is ready.”

“Very well,” Arthur replied, glancing at his ringing phone as he rose.

“Luna?”

“Yes it’s me. I’m glad you didn’t change your number from the one on your physician’s business card.” Luna replied softly.

Though he had somewhere to be, he believed he could spare a few minutes for Luna, especially since they hadn’t discussed after his revelation.

She asked how he had been and just how he was able to find where she was and get to her. Leaving a lot out from his narrative, he reminded her of his time in the military and about a few friends who supposedly helped him.

He continued to catch up with her even as his driver drove him to his destination, only hanging up as he arrived.

The smile Arthur wore from his call with Luna vanished as he stepped out of the car to the abandoned villa which once housed he and his family.

To the side of the house were several marked headstones, courtesy of a few of his father’s loyal followers.

Thunder rumbled across the clouds and Arthur tugged his black trenchcoat closer to himself, only glancing up afterwards to notice the few drops of rain that cued in the storm.

“It’s a bad day for rain.” Arthur muttered as his subordinate shielded him with his umbrella.

As he stood there the memories flooded his mind. His father was a feared and powerful general in the country. After several achievements, he chose to retire and settled with his family, the Rhyfels.

But his very existence was a threat to many and what better time would there be to bring a man down than when he had let his guard down.

According to the intel provided to him after extensive investigation, the perpetrators were none other than four of the seven main houses.

At first they framed Arthur’s father, and while that damaged his reputation, that was enough to bring the revered general down, but they weren’t done either.

Their sabotage to the Rhyfel family had grown so much that they had lost all of their branches in a single night.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, they had falsified evidence proving his father to be colluding with the enemy and he was brought before the country’s ruler.

While the leader wished to be as lenient as possible, he was forced to put the entire Rhyfel family under probation.

But Arthur’s father didn’t want his family’s morale to remain low, so he gathered them for a celebration of Arthur’s birthday and that was when their enemies struck.

They hired mercenaries and attacked the family home, robbing them of everything they had before arranging for their deaths, framing it as the work of the enemies who the Rhyfels allegedly worked with.

“If only you were more ruthless, father. If only you cared more about crushing the enemies that opposed you rather than my birthday, just maybe you’d all be alive now.” Arthur said through clenched jaws.

If it was a few years ago he would have cried, but after going through the bloodied battles he went through, he had no tears left to cry.

But that didn’t mean he wasn’t extremely hurt. Arthur was angry, sad and in all sorts of pain.

He cursed his father’s unnecessary kindness. He cursed the four families who had the audacity to drag his family down and he cursed the so-called leaders who stood by and watched the Rhyfel family fall.

Arthur walked to the graves and knelt before them. “I promise you, father, I will not be as merciful as you were. I will not rest until they all burn.”

“My condolences, sir.” His subordinate behind him stated.

Though he had served on the field with Arthur for years, he had only seen a few expressions from the man called the war god.

He had never seen Arthur that angry before and he felt nothing but pity towards the ones who would be on the receiving end of the emotion.

“You have the list, yes?”

“Yes sir. The Burton family, one of the perpetrators, will be hosting an exhibit and banquet this evening, intel has it that some of the Rhyfel family’s artworks will be there.”

“Ah, yes, mother really was an art enthusiast back then.” Arthur muttered to himself.

He glanced at the translucent system window beside him, noticing that his mission had expanded in detail.

[Destroy the Burton family.]

“I hope their pianist can play requiems, because this will be a funeral for the living.”