A New Home

While Fino guided the group to their new home, Leonardo circled around them and erased all traces of their passage. He also made sure no one else followed, lest he needlessly endanger the crew. They did just beat up several guards.

There was no lack of opportunists in the world, but it seemed as though he worried in vain. Having dressed to Satan's code, nobody dared follow them in the dark, and the urchins made it safely to the cove by the beach.

Despite being home to a few tens of thousands of people, Malta as a whole was a pretty savage land. There were barely a few settlements around the shorelines, with a few sparse roads connecting the closest ones to Valetta. The core of the island remained mostly unexplored, with a lush tropical forest covering every inch of land.

As such, even though there were less than 10 km from the shanty town to the cove, nobody really bothered to create paths or explore. Hunting wasn't really productive on the island, either. Most of the animals were small critters and birds, so fishing was a more viable path.

The cove was barren and lacked any traces of civilization, but it would soon be converted into the perfect home. Generally enclosed on all sides, it would function as a decent shelter from rain and wind, and it didn't flood over easily.

The humidity might have been a problem, but Leonardo intended to open a few ventilation shafts. With the abundance of limestone available, he planned to construct a tower in the middle of the cove. It would both serve to reinforce the roof akin to a pillar, and also serve as their headquarters.

When the walls were mined, the area would expand even further, becoming spacious enough to host over a hundred people.

"Welcome home."

Separating the cacti wall by the cave entrance, he led the group inside without additional fanfare.

A campfire burned dimly in the enclosure, illuminating most of the cave. They spotted a hooded girl with a white fox mask. She dozed off beside a tantalizing pot of rabbit stew.

"I already explained the first rule. Now I shall elaborate on the next, so steer your mind away from the food and pay attention.

"The second rule is discipline. Especially in the first month when you will undergo rigorous training. I will accept no complaints, no tears, no rebellious thoughts. I want you to give your utmost and follow orders.

"The fox is my first follower. Her words are my orders.

"Marred Fingers here will eventually be in charge of the ledger, noting your contributions and failures alike. He will be in charge of issuing benefits, so best keep your disdain hidden.

"Sana is already well known among you, so she won't be wearing a mask, nor will she need to. From this moment on, she is in charge of order. Whoever breaks the rules will have to deal with her."

The princess, unlike the masked 'marred fingers' Fino who was told in advance, knew absolutely nothing about her new role. Yet, she proved her upbringing wasn't for naught and nodded solemnly in acknowledgment.

"She's the smartest among you. So, following the boot camp, she will be in charge of recruitment and training as well."

Noticing that their patience waned already, he knew it was best to leave the speech for later and had Yuki pass on bowls and cutlery, letting them eat.

"Tonight you eat my food. Tomorrow, I will teach you how to sustain the group by yourselves.

"This is not a charity, so don't expect mercy.

"If you want soft blankets, you either steal, buy or make them yourselves.

"If you want a feather pillow, you'd best learn how to hunt birds.

"Not everyone will manage to be a good thief, nor a good hunter, but that is alright."

Intending to base their production system half on commie ideals and half on the basis of how the workshop operated at the monastery, Leonardo would note their contribution points and offer incentives to the best among them.

The lazier ones will be pulled along for a month then get sacked. If they continued to do nothing, after three months they would likely be kicked out. The only exception might be for those with great handicaps, provided Leo took pity on them. That said, he intended to have everyone contribute in some way.

"Some among you speak many languages. Some are eloquent, while others are physically potent. Fret not, I will unveil your gifts and give you a path. You need merely have the courage to pursue it."

"That is all for tonight. Eat, wash your cutleries then go to bed."

Waving Yuki and Fino closer to him, he watched the group as they ravished the food and smiled.

"Oh, and lest I forget… God forbid you defecate within a hundred paces of the cave. I'll skin your butt if you do."

Unsure if they heard his threat or not, he paid it no further heed and walked off with Sana, White Fox and Marred Fingers.

"I'll fetch some additional tools tonight. From tomorrow morning until the week thereafter, we'll focus on construction. I want the headquarters tower readied first, along with the bathing area and toilets. Lastly, we can get started on individual rooms around the periphery."

"This will give us time to observe their discipline and weed out the laziest among them. Some might quit now, which is fine. We'll escort them out of the woods at night and cut them off."

"In week two, we'll commence general training. I'll assess what they excel in, be it physical or mental faculties…"

"On week three we'll split them into groups and begin thief related training. The best ones will get to do some live practice in week 4."

Tossing a parchment over to Sana, he commanded as he departed from the cove.

"Read them the guidelines twice before they go to sleep, then wake them tomorrow at dawn and do it again. I want them to know the rules better than they know their names."

"Good luck."