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"What in the world!" Lord Peraux screamed to the skies as he leads the knights towards the city. "How did they overpower us that quickly!? Bastards! Devils!"
The knights who were adjacent the lord worried over his words, losing trust in their lord, who once did they see as capable and stern, now cowardly and stupid. And at every horse's gallop, every pebble on the ground turned over, the lord became more and more irritable at that thought of losing, so easily, mind one, to a village as small as a hundred people. He screamed obscene words to the sky, but it seemed not even the sun wanted to hear his babble and the skies had quickly darkened grey as clouds formed.
And soon enough, the fortress, the city of Unchean. That wall of brick and stone and that gate's arch. The lord rejoiced upon seeing it. "Men!" He shouted. "Go at slow speed! We are to enter without panic!"
As the lord's words passed down the line of knights on horses, they slowed yet their mind wished them to go faster. The lord's face had turned opposite his previous emotions and had put on a smile whilst wipping off the sweat on his face.
As they got closer and closer, the lord realized something quite queer. It was not an instant realization, that the knights whoms't were supposed to be guarding the gate, were not there. And more over, he so no man yonder the gate. As if the city was closed.
"Halt!" He put his hand to the air to signal stop to the line before him.
A man, the shadow from the gate making it hard to see his face. Walked, ever so slow and galliantly towards the middle of the gate.
Peraux squinted to see who that manly silhouete was. "You!" He shouted at him whilst pointing. "Where are the people!? Where are the knights!?"
A pause, a silence where only breath was heard.
A sweat rolled down his neck.
The silhouete took a couple paces nearer.
Blonde hair and ocean blue eyes, a sinister smile and a gun to his hand. Hierd stood indifferent to the crowd.
Peraux's heart dropped.
Stumbling his horse backwards. "You! What have you done to Unchean!?"
"We've... Taken care of things, lord Peraux."
"Taken care?" He repeated. "Taken care!? You... You, you didn't...?" His eyes spiraled in anger, and in this anger, he had arched his back with his hands clenched hard to control himself.
"Get down that horse!" Hierd shouted, his squad appearing behind him. "For this day onwards, this city is ours!"
Silence, Peraux, kept that arched position.
Laughter, Peraux began to slowly reclimb to his original posture. "You think you can take Unchean!?" He looked behind. "Men! Charge!"
"..."
Lord Peraux's men were not moving, neither were they acting upon the lord's words. Hierd smirked. "Pathetic, Lord Peraux! You think your men will endure your stupidity any longer? When even they've seen the bigger picture?"
"What? What do you mean, bigger pic-"
"Lord, their forces surround us at the forest." Eugene had went towards the lord. Telling him the news with a grim face.
Either he would fearlessly charge towards Hierd, or he would surrender, both options with outweighing cons. And to the Lord, whose head had seemingly paused in time and his hands lost of all blood, he didn't care if he would die, just that the one who had done in his death, shall-
"Die!" Hierd fired his luger at the lord; to the head!
He stood there, looking at the body of the lord who had just fallen down. Whoms't he had just swiftly killed without difficulty. The eyes were fully opened, and somehow, it meant something, but that meaning was lost to Hierd at the moment.
"Your lord has died!" He screamed. "Unless you lay down your weapons and submit to me, you too will become like your, dead, lord." He put it bluntly.
They had came down from their horses, slowly, and seeing this, Heduc's and Jeane's squad intervened in constraining them. Hierd went to the back of the line of knights, they, from the veil of their iron helmets, had eyes frightened and equally; angered. And that when at times that eyes were met, the knights looked away as if a tiger stared straight at them and they were seeming weakly and servant-like.
The soldiers who followed the knights rode on the truck they were given, and Alrife was it's driver. Hierd went up to the truck's driver window. "Where's the rest of the army?"
"Captain, they are running towards Unchean, as the truck could only have had carried a maximum of two and a half squads."
Hearing this, shuffles were heard inside the truck and from the back, came out Naturvege, Friedrick, Verdel, and Gelmund! They greeted the captain.
"Good Afternoon, captain!" Exclaimed Naturvege. "So, I gather, we won?"
"Yes, Naturvege, yes we did."
"Well, wasn't that easy?" Replied Friedrick in jovial jest.
"Please go inside the city, I am sure you are needed there." He said with a smile.
They walked away, conversing with one another with smiles. Hierd continued back on his previous conversation with Alrife.
"I see, thank you. Then please have them come back to your truck and drive inside the city."
"Yes, captain."
As Alrife got out of his truck went into the tree line, Hierd went back to the gate. With a face that was full of accomplishment and a smile as high up as it could go. "I have now control of a city, a fortress, now I'll be doing something with the naval military, the education, and the... Auferstehen..."
He grumbled, "Auferstehen... That 'invasion' lasted less than a day, thankfully, so I should focus on bringing the Venit Ille villagers to the city. And then after that, resume the education stuff. Oh wait!" He looked to the knights, of which there were so little now at the gate. "I have new soldiers, I just need to 'transmogri-whatever- to my agenda. Hopefully they follow it."
"Hopefully..."
They made their way to the then lord's manor.
Hierd had called for every Unchean official to come to the manor. Lord Peraux's large office was the meeting place and it was quite comfortable. There was the chief of the adventurer's guild, the merchant's and craft's guild. And Unchean's research division's leader. As well as the lord's previous captain, but now, the new lord; Lord Hierd, does not wish for someone like Eugene nor that woman captain in the brig back at Venit Ille. And the meeting's most influential of people, the lord's son; Adelheid Von Winter.
He looked indifferent to his father's death. Rather, he looked joyous that he died, however, from the point of view of Hierd, how could he know? He just sat there with seemingly 'worried' eyes. Hierd remarked that he looked like a stereotypical prince but brown hair instead of blond. And a fit figure. He was the more normal-looking people in the room.
The Adventurers Guild's chief was quite the menacing man, his posture was straight and his height, towering. He had quite a number of scars scattered all around his arms and some on his face. However, the merchants guild's chief was quite the opposite. The man was quite thin and his height was some inches off the adventurers guild's chief. His skin was pale white and his eyes was a dark-ish green. He was quite pleasing to look at compared to the almost barbaric look of the man across.
"Everyone, thank you for coming to my call." The four squad leaders were behind him, Naturvege and Friedrick (Hadi's representative as chief) were at the sides. And a whole two squads were guarding the room. Inside and outside.
They nodded.
"I will talk about the future here, though I do not wish to do any harm to the people, I neither wish to do any stupid things, I however, will be asking of them to live in isolation."
They looked confused. Having the balls so, Adelheid questioned; "What do you mean, Isolation?"
"No man will come out, no man will come in." He put it bluntly.
"Lord!" Both the Merchant's and Adventurer's guild chiefs rose up. "We two guilds are designed to operate as a gateway outside the city. Without the access to even go outside, the guilds are as good as useless!"
"I know this, and I wish to entertain that Adventurers and Merchants are free to leave in and out of the city, however, they both cannot say anything about Unchean's current condition. I know that my ruling here is known already, as it is too wide an operation I have done. However, my soldiers and their weaponry, their items, my technology, are not yet fully known. I wish to keep it that way."
They both sat down, slowly so.
"The craft's guild will operate under another banner."
The chief of such guild rose up, yet it looked like he got up on his seat and stood on it. "A dwarf?" Hierd commented as the said dwarf stared at him.
"Lord, the craft's guild is an organisation, this branch being deconsecrated and put upon a different banner is... Impossible. Not without breaking multiple laws he have in-laid in our organisation's pen and paper."
Hierd had paused a little to think, then; "Not like that, sir...?"
"I am Pomlik, lord."
"Pomlik, it won't be making a new organisation, more of 'doing something different.'"
"What do you mean by that, lord?"
"What currently do you do in the guild?"
"The craft's guild is specialized in making items for adventurers, merchants, and all who come for our service." He took a breath before adding; "We make swords, shields, jewlery, carts, anything that needs some creating."
"I see, but~" He got his luger and put it on the table. The viewers looked in awe and confusion. "This, my people, is a luger." He held the luger in one hand, avoiding to point it at anyone and avoiding putting his hand on the trigger.
"With the pull of this, lever. A small 'dart' of sorts made of brass and gunpowder, shoots out, like thunder. You know this as a smaller version, of a cannon."
They gasped, more so Pomlik. "Lord, that weapon. That can control anything and anyone! The power of a cannon in the size of your hand!"
"We have also ones that can go automatic and ones that are done..." He had trouble putting the 'bolt-action' in simpler terms. "As one by one."
The dwarf's eyes brightened, whilst the lord's and the other guilds were intrigued.
"I assume, lord, that we are to make these technologies?"
"No."
"No?" His eyes saddned.
"You are to make the things that make it fire. It is crucial, and dentrimental without."
He nodded and had sat back down once more.
"I know you all have questions upon these things called guns, but I shall say this; no citizen will wield these weapons of destruction, only soldiers and other trained personnel. And with out other vehicles, like the ones you saw in our invading. They are called trucks, if you wish to know." That indeed they wanted. "And are capable of transporting soldiers in fast pace from one point to another."
"My lord," The Merchant guild's chief raised his hand. "Those trucks, they are, as I saw them enter the manor, amazing inventions that can transform the whole of the merchant business to one simpler and faster than ever before. May I inquire, can the Merchant's guild use them?"
"These trucks are for military purposes, however, it is not to say that they can be used just for military practice. I know their importance far outreaches the veil of the military and can be used for transportation and everything else in between. However, as the merchant's guild is an organisation not directly in my hands, I'm afraid I am not able to entertain your wish, sir...?"
"I am Felliz, my lord." He got up and bowed. "And do hope that one day we of the merchant's guild will be able to get ahold of your trucks." He sat back down with a content face.
"I am to introduce other weapons of even more destruction in the future. But, as things stand, I wish for more soldiers than now, so..." He looked to Eugene. "You will be stripped of your title."
"Hah? What!?" He exclaimed. "Lord, please rethink this!"
"There is nothing more to rethink, do you wish to hold this meeting in contempt? Be thrown to jail like your knights? Or do you wish to leave now with your position turned over?"
A tear had left his eye. "Then I shall, but... I wish to inquire what has happened to my beloved."
"The one being held in Venit Ille's brig?"
"Yes..."
"She is alright, and she will be brought here, you needn't worry."
He went without another word and with it, he left his sword on that chair.
After some seconds of his leaving, Hierd continued. "I will assume all military and naval excerises. The knights who are being held in prison will now be under my command and I will train them, with my subordinates, to master how to use the technologies I have in my hands."
"Naval?" Questioned Adelheid. "Will you oversee the making of new ships?"
"Yes. I will personnally bring over, from my country, ships made of iron and can hail fire from hundreds of hundreds of lands away."
Everyone's face lit up in wonder. "What is this ship, lord?"
"I shall not spoil it..." The room had a rather child-like silent, 'Awww.'
Proceeding, Hierd said; "I shall see the citizens later. And from now till that later I say, I want the knights to be handled over to their families, and to those who have died, send them an apology, and a burial." He had his eyes pointed to Adelheid the whole time.
Taking the hint, "I shall, lord."
Hierd itched to know the adventurers guild's chief's name, yet the man had no intention to give it out in idle. So he took the first stance. "I have yet to hear of your name." His eyes looked at him.
"Oh!" He jolted then proceeded to stand up. "I am Gerald, lord." He bowed down. "I am sorry I have yet to say my name."
"That is quite okay, Gerald."
"I have a question, lord." He sit back down.
"What may it be?"
"Will the adventurer's guild be able to use your technology? You said that soldiers and 'trained' personnel are able to. So can they?"
"I have no words to say of that as of yet as I have no understanding of how the guilds work at the moment. I wish to analzye to possibility, however, if time comes to be. Your inquiry that your adventurers are to wield military guns may happen, but of course, at a price."
"I see, lord, thank you."
Hierd picked up back his luger and placed it on his holster.
"Well then, its been long enough, I gather? I have other business to attend to." Gathering that there would be some things that are unknown and they wish to know of, "If you have questions, whether it be of the military I have or other business of the sorts, chief Naturvege and representing, Hadi, will be the one to take over such questions."
"How are they under your command? They are village chiefs, right?" Adelheid was perplexed. "Well..." He got up from his seat. "What if they weren't after all?"
He and his squad leaders had walked towards the front door, Heduc, opening it for him.
The meeting he had just left was left to look at themselves. And sooner enough, their hands arisen to the two chiefs there.
( * )
The rest of Venit Ille's troops had just come to the gates, and Hierd had said that they are to stay at the military baracks until futher notice from Hierd or their squad leaders. He had sent for all the trucks to come back to Venit ille with two Ridge village squads. As they shall gather the prisoners. And will as well gather some of the villagers there.
And as time was soon growing older, Hierd had told the squad leaders to gather the citizens to the front of the manor. As he will give his words to the terrified civilians, and the concerned mothers, and curious fathers.
From street to street, left and right, the four squad leaders and their squads scoured the city, shouting and knocking on the doors of the houses until all had came out. "Your presence in our lord's words is needed!" They'd yell, or that; "Wake yourselves! As our lord will announce to the city!" And if they weren't getting out of their houses, pound on the doors with; "If you are not to come out, we will report you to our lord!"
They imployed all methods they could muster to get them out and towards the manor. And the lord, Hierd, was waiting, standing with his squad behind him, overlooking the front of the manor. The crowd was growing bigger and bigger as time grew. And before long, the whole two thousand or so citizens were crowding the streets, waiting for their new lord, Hierd Die Grace, to speak.
He took a breath, it was his biggest moments as of yet, and in his previous life, speaking to such a large audience would've certainly knocked him out of the corporeal realm and into the next. But, this time, he shouldn't and he wouldn't.
With his heart beating faster than ever, "People! I am your new lord, Hierd Die Grace!" His shout reached to the heavens.
"I know you have yet to hear of me, that I know indeed! But I am no lord like your other! For I am better than he will ever be! But, I tell this in grave, I am sorry to the ones who were lost in the battle! And I will repay, with my heart, what had happened to the ones who had lossed their loved ones! There is no saying that I understand the future, neither what I want the future to be, but! My citizens, within my rule as your new lord of Unchean, I will guarantee that crime be over! That education become not a noble's privilage, and that I will save you from whatever come what may!"
The crowd was silent still, however, one man had shouted; "Glory to the new lord!"
"Glory to the new lord!" Another said; then a whole group; "Glory to the new lord!"
From men to men, men to women, child to elder; they had all consequently shouted;
"GLORY TO THE NEW LORD!"
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