Organizing the Council Meeting
Vlad quickly settled down and only greeted Robert, Gif, Vem, and Ramoth for a bit before he changed his clothes to casual ones and later began his journey back to Sol while also taking Nius along with him since he was eager to converse with him about the war plans.
"Look, gramps, I know you are powerful, but people like us who awakened their haki and reached a new status can't take off an entire battlefield on their own. There are limitations to our own spirit, and also, we can only be in one place." said Vlad while they were about half the path of the forbidden forest toward the outskirts of the capital.
"What are you saying, kid? Are you looking down on my 200 guards? Do you think you are great for building an army of 6.000 people in 3 years?" asked Nius while following along Vlad and also looking around himself and observing this new environment that he couldn't even remember as being the former dump that the Forsaken District was.
The farms at the city's outskirts, along with their maintained greenery, made him feel as if he was back in the countryside and not at the capital. Yet, he couldn't fully enjoy himself because Vlad updated him on how long it took him to actually build this army.
"It took me, in reality, about 2 years since soon I will be 17. Let's count it like 2 years for the sake of argument. Also, don't think that these youngsters are your average country bumpkins who never experienced hardship."
Nius looked a bit skeptical at Vlad, which the latter felt it and continued saying to him calmly.
No, old man, I used all my knowledge of training the human body from my past and this age and established an efficient training regime after studying the human muscles using my Devil Powers and only after they survived a year of this training. I selected the one meeting my standards."
"Haven't you entered my private room? The first thing you should see is my extensive library of books I've read."
"No. However, I ask you, kid. Do you think the warfare you've experienced is the same as what you experienced? I don't want to make a fool of yourself, but we have guns, cannons, and other crazy stuff that you can't even pull your head to comprehend." said Nius to Vlad as they moved toward
"I've seen them, gramps. I can't say I know them in detail, but I know the basics. Also, I have an expert in metallurgy and weaponry who I consult when it comes to building and buying the best technology that is available on the market."
Vlad arrived at the gates of Sol, entered inside while looking at the guards stationed to keep order at the gate, along with some patrolling ones.
Nius could see a bustling atmosphere along with stone-paved roads. The people looked so different from his memories, they looked to be filled with life, with the desire to see a better day.
Their clothes also were simple yet clean, but he could also see some men and ladies were wearing stylish clothes, which meant to Nius that this district, or what looked in his eyes, a city, was doing fine economically.
"Kid, how have you done it? Are those people really the peasants, immigrants, slaves, criminals, and the other questionable guys that would come from the other kingdoms and neighboring villages?"
Hearing this question while moving toward the Administrative Palace, he said to the impressed old general in a sarcastic tone.
"You guys don't know how precious these people are and also your strategic location in the South Blue. I just removed all those bastards drying this place to its death and also didn't bother myself with handling the money and left my administrator and advisors formulate plans to increase the growth rate of Sol."
"Ohh, indeed, I've heard from Povio when he visited me that you encircled yourself with brilliant people of humble origins."
"Brilliant? Hmph, there's still a long way to reach that status, but you could say so. Comparable to the fools lurking in the nobility, it really makes me think, were those guys even taught something, like a school or university?"
"In my time, you were mostly schooled by your parents or tutored by learned scholars. However, this new generation of noble brats most likely didn't even bother with this and lazed around."
"Most of those entitled brats are just parasites. No worry, I will take care of them." said Vlad a bit coldly while continuing his journey while Nius could only sigh to himself.
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Continuing their journey without stopping, Nius could only praise in his mind the job Vlad, and his councilors did with Sol, especially after his curiosity was picked by the shadow of the University and where Vlad just gave him a grin.
Then, as they talked about something small, the old man could see the Administrative Building, a quite sizable building of 3 stories high matched a viscount or count mansion.
"You like the exterior of the building?"
"It's quite pleasant to the eye, but wasn't the construction of this building quite wasteful on your budget and resources?"
"Ahem, I try to think of this investment as a small gift to the people working under me and me. However, it's not like I live in the building. This is to have a more centralized form of governance over the city and the neighboring villages on Sol's side. Let's get inside, you'll understand what I mean when you see the people."
After he said that, Vlad entered inside the administrative building and was met with people holding paperwork, packages, and so on, moving around the hall of the building. There were also many citizens of the city standing in a waiting line.
Nius, who saw this line as a weird fact, asked Vlad for this oddity.
"Don't ask me. I was as shocked as you were when I heard you could have such a simplified system of collecting taxes."
"Taxes?" asked Nius while staring dumbfounded at the people waiting in line.
"Yes, their annual income tax. About 5% of their income comes back to the administrative body. Sigh, I had a migraine when Kavos and Aldenis explained this system. Think of it like this. People would pay the tax according to how much their earn in a year, and this tax should be 5%."
Walking toward the upper levels of the building, Nius asked him while admiring the architecture of the building.
"Little Vlad, I don't know about those things. I'm just a military old man who has lived his entire life training and looking after the kingdom."
"I know. You just looked curious to understand what the citizens were doing."
As he said that, they arrived at the third level that had guarded access. The guard was the 3 scarred men that the close guards of Aldenis.
The guards looked at the newcomer, and when they noticed that it was Vlad who was accompanied by Nius, they quickly bowed down and said with some surprise.
"Your Highness. Welcome home. Should I go tell the other lords that you've come?"
"Good to see you, Pablo. If Aldenis isn't at the command room, do so. Right, also where he is?" asked Vlad looking at the scarred guards in a casual way.
"He should be accompanying lord Kavos on a site inspection. The Opera House brought much interest in Lord Aldenis mind."
"I see. Well, if the command room is empty, can you at least bring me some wine and two glasses?" said Vlad after hearing where Aldenis and Kavos were.
One of the scarred guards, except Pablo, who looked respectfully at Vlad, walked down toward the lower levels of the building while Vlad signaled Pablo to follow him inside the room.
As the three moved the command room, Nius, when entering inside, could see a spacious room that could house a noble party easily.
Meanwhile, Vlad, who looked for a bit at Nius admiring the building, moved toward a circular table that housed a luxurious chair at a slightly elevated level compared to the rest of the chairs.
Moving toward that, he took a seat on it, and taking his dial snail, he began forming numbers.
Then as the person picking the call responded, he could hear a cough, similar to someone who took a lot of smoke in his face.
"Who is calling me at this time?" responded a young voice familiar to Vlad.
"Faust, if you stopped blowing yourself up in one of your projects, come to the Council House."
"My Lord!? *Cough* No problem, my engine project failed *Cough* again. I better release some of the steam on my head. *Cough*" said Faust, while coughing up by only saying some words.
Vlad nodded his head, and closed the call, and looked at Nius while saying to him.
"While I check that kid's lungs, I should also check yours since you probably still kept smoking, right?"
"Yes, what about it? I feel just fine."
"We shall see, but later. This meeting will be so annoying for me. It's been such a long time since I had such a meeting with so many leaders."
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Nius could only stare at Vlad from a chair as he began getting busy calling and talking to people with names he had never heard until it came to a name and voice that sounded a bit familiar aside from the sound of the seafaring.
"Who the fuck knows my number?"
"Calm down, old man. If you talk like this with people, they will think you are some peasant."
"Shut it, Lagos. Can't you see that I was disturbed from my daily drills with the sea pups?"
"Old Patrick is me, Vlad. I will convey a meeting tonight with all the leaders. You should also attend since you are the admiral of the Kaysang Navy."
"Ohh, it's you stinky brat. It's finally time for my old bones to shine? Still, do you really need me to attend those boring meetings? Sigh, you even brought those annoying nobles into those meetings."
Then Nius came to Vlad's seat and said to the dial. "You pissed pants better show your mutt in this meeting. Heh, you sound quite badass for a retired seadog."
"What guts? Hey kid, did you brought another one of those beggars inside the Council House? Hmm, wait a minute, that voice. Only one idiot has that tone and voice. It's him?"
"Surprisingly, it is I, your father, Patrick, you seadog. So you better get your ass to Sagletius and settled down that old debt."
"Hmph, I'm not indebted to no one, you gambling fool. But if you really want me to see your mutt, I shall be there. Kid, do you still have anything to say before I end the call?" ended the old man while throwing jabs at Nius, like it brought enjoyment to his aged face.
"Place your boys on standby and ready to act. This time is the real war."
"Hoh, that's more like it, little Prince. This is what I signed up for, not teaching some little brats the ways of the sea. We'll see ourselves there, however, put those arrogant nobles in their place, so I don't kick their faces."
"They will behave this time."
*Gotcha*
As Vlad ended this call, he turned to Nius, who had a pleasant smile on his face, and asked him while preparing the other call.
"You haven't expected him to still be alive, right?"
"Hmph, that old seadog was retired for his own good. When that fool blasted the entire navy of Briss Kingdom, he also killed the prince of Briss in the process.
The amount of pressure on Opheltius' shoulders at that time was enormous that he could only exile Patrick to a safe zone to protect him from who knows what crazy idea King Brisson had in mind."
"I know, old man, the geezer, explained to me some of the details. Heck, you don't know about it, but later grandpa found out from his spies that Briss and Sorbet tried to form an alliance by marrying the Brissian prince with the Princess of Sorbet.
In a sense, Patrick did well to blow that alliance even if most likely if he knew about that guy being there, he would instead choose to capture him."
"Indeed, you really know about your schemes, young Vlad."
"Hmph, I had plenty of time to develop those skills, especially when I had to fight a monster more dangerous than what you could think in a situation where everyone is equal before the cold steel of swords."
Then he began contacting the nobles while using his colder tone, resembling more to the tone he would use when speaking in his Blood persona.
As he called them, with respectful and even fearful tones, the response came along, confirming their participation in this council meeting.
Ending his calls, he said to himself, but also reminding himself.
"I called the three counts and two viscounts and three barons. If those guys agree to assist my war effort, my army should be about 13.000-15.000 strong people. Still, I have an ace card on my sleeve that would for sure make them agree to come with all their army, so the number jumps to 17.000."
Nius, who was drinking the wine from the glass after Pablo came back with everything Vlad asked, taking his leave carefully while Vlad's eyes seemed cold as he talked with the nobles on the dial snail.
"This is surprisingly a good number. The Royal Army at its peak had 15.000 guards. But with the economic problems, Opheltius had to lay off many of them, only leaving me with 5.000 soldiers."
"Hmph, if you asked me, I would make all the nobles bow their heads to me by using my power, showing my absolute power before them and taking their power. No worries this time, this will not fail."
Then more minutes passed, yet Vlad was still sending invitations that yet again reached a familiar voice and name to Nius.
It was a sweet mature voice belonging to a woman that could be heard in the entire room.
"Hello, this is Malson Felicia. Who could you be?"
Nodding his head at getting the number right from Aldenis, Vlad, using a composed tone that sounded even more mature, said to the woman.
"Lady Felicia, you know my name as Blood. I would like to invite you to a meeting taking place at Sol, Administrative Palace, at 7 PM."
Felicia, who was inside her pink palace, specifically in her private chambers, looked at the window with a composed expression and thought to herself while Vlad ended saying that.
'It's finally about time I met this Blood guy in the flesh.'
'Especially when the situation inside my district is quite precarious, especially after I got the information from the palace that Lacilet is preparing for an invasion.'
'He would for sure target us the guilds once the blood starts flowing.'
Making her mind Felicia, said in the transmitter with a charming voice.
"My Lord, it would be a pleasure joining a meeting hosted by you. But with the situation now in Sagletius, it would be a bit hard for me to not be recognized. Would that affect you, my lord?"
On the other side of the line, Vlad maintained a composed tone as he confirmed to her.
"My esteemed lady, your presence would be welcomed in Sol by any citizen alike. While it is true that you should be a bit careful at some vermin moving around canals, I promise you once you step in Sol, you'll only feel welcomed."
Felicia thought to herself when hearing Vlad's comment.
'You know about the movement of those Union guys? Heh, how mysterious are you, unseen criminal? It makes me even more curious about you and who could be behind the mask. Yet you don't have to worry about my safety. It would be a piece of cake to safely take your ships to Sol. '
"My Lord, I would love it if you are the first one to welcome me on the first walk in your humble city." added Felicia while she was fiddling her long jet-black hair.
"With pleasure, my lady. Just call this number so I can take you with me to the meeting place."
After he was done saying that, he told Felicia his dial number before Felicia said with a tender tone her farewell in anticipation of this meeting with him.
Then as he was done with this call that seemed far more important than the rest, he could hear some hurried steps going up, and huffing a bit, then with a young voice saying to the 3 guards outside.
"Make way guys, the meeting awaits me. I also have to talk with His Highness."
Pablo shook his head, seeing this blonde young adult with short hair, blue eyes, and also slight dark spots around his face.
"Faust your face. You haven't cleaned it properly."
"It doesn't matter, Pablo. Lord Vlad doesn't card about such things."
As he said that, the blonde Faust entered inside the council and found Vlad and Nius drinking some wine while talking something casual.
"My Lord, I arrived as fast as I could. If I may."
Vlad saw this blonde guy and nodded his head, making him approach and taking a seat that had a name on it, his own, afferently close to where Vlad was.
"So how are those projects going, Faust? Compared to checking the quality of gold and other odd jobs?"
"My Lord, you don't know how thankful I am for supporting and believing in my ideas."
"As long I have spare money, your new canon technology that is still in Johan's shop leaves me hoping that all your crazy ideas could turn this kingdom."
"Haha, Your Highness, the canon is just a toy I designed using some old theories of the masters and also some of my ideas. In theory, if we use the new gunpowder formula from the guilds, the shells I draw along with my canon, the effectiveness would be increased by a lot compared to the standard canons and technology."
Before Faust could talk more, another voice belonging to a slightly more aged person was heard saying.
"Stop boosting Faust. The canon is still getting built in my workshop. We still need some months to finish the prototype and even try it out."
Entering inside was the Craftsman Johan, that held the role of advisor in the weaponry and other technology that had metallurgy at its core.
Faust stared at this middle-aged man with a rough profile and big hands with a weird complexion while also saying to him.
"Those are genuine working projects, uncle. It is not my problem you lack the skill to build them up."
Johan looked at Faust with a wicked smile, and he walked toward him, or better say, his chair next to Faust. Taking his seat, he also grabbed Faust's shoulder jokingly and said while looking him straight in his eyes.
"Brat, you better don't look down on my skill set. I've worked with so much iron and metals that you can't even calculate that amount."
Yet Faust, who stared at Johan while feeling some discomfort in his shoulder, said to the Craftsman.
"Uncle Johan, I think I can do it. Arghhh, I was joking. Stop putting power in your grip. Ahh, better. Still, uncle, can you also not downplay my projects. You and that old man Aldenis will for sure bite dust when my projects will lead Kaysang forward in the future."
Following this comment, like it becomes a tradition, someone would hear this comment and target back.
"Brat, do you have too many funds, and you don't know how to get them cut?"
"Don't boil the kid, Lord Aldenis. He at least makes some progress." added the voice of a middle-aged person that sounded respectful and refined.
Then from the command room door, two guys walked inside. It was the old administrator and Mayor, Aldenis, and the scholarly Chief Architect Kavos, who both greater Vlad and later Nius who was next to Vlad.
Still, Aldenis, who was an experienced man, said to Nius with respect.
"My Lord, it's good to see you in good health and around His Highness Vlad."
Kavos was a bit confused at Aldenis's extra greeting, but he was soon bound to find out who this old man seated next to Vlad was.
"You should be Aldenis, right? I've heard many things about you from Little Vlad. Or I should say I heard excellent things about all of you inside this room. I'm even more pleased to hear that you guys are of common origin, which makes my belief that this kingdom could reach great lengths even without the interfere of certain parasites."
Faust, who was done quarreling with Johan, looked at Nius and asked with curiosity.
"Old man, who are you."
Vlad just looked at this gathering with a laid-back expression and watched Nius introduce himself.
"Well, kid. I'm now just an old man that still has some desires in his heart to fight certain people until his last breath, but in the past, people knew me as Marshall Galleot Nius."
"You are the famous general from the books I've read. Lord Marshall is a pleasure meeting you." said Faust while holding his surprise for the moment.
Ending the greetings between them, Vlad began asking Aldenis about the army's current situation and other aspects regarding the maps and the enemy noble territory.
"Tsk, this will be quite the long meeting." added Nius to himself while hearing Vlad's talks with Aldenis without interfering.
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A/N: Quite the late chapter, until I fix my writing schedule. If the late chapters were in scrambles, I think this chapter compared to the past two ones, it's up to my standard usual standards, where I really felt this is enough material for a chapter.
You also have the reason why old Patrick has been sent in exile by Opheltius to Picodras.
Hope this chapter and build-up is to your liking because it will be quite the end war that I really don't want to have sudden information pop of from my ass out of nowhere.
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