Chapter 120 - Summoning Armies & Faust's Devilish ideas

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It was outside of the Administrative Palace of Sol, after Vlad and Nius together with the rest put a stop to the silver masked assassins, that on the highest building of Kaysang, the Wisdom Palace, a figure of a man shrouded in dark smoke, like a veil could be seen.

At the top of the spires of the Wisdom Palace at the height of 210 meters, this person, who had long silver hair, opened his dark blue eyes and with a sinister smile on his face, he said.

"Hmph. They can't even handle some threatening words, pathetic. This means they are insecure in their power. I could take Cranfon and assault them, putting an end to all this charade. However, that guy doesn't want to collaborate with my plans at all. It is as if he has something against me."

"I also doubt that little guy will even give me what I want. Tsk, what is the thing that would even make that old monster want something from those weaklings that he can't take himself? Can't he just come himself and destroy this kingdom, flatten it to the ground and search around?"

"Well, none of my business. I've already spent too much time polishing my skills in these backwater places. After returning home, I will have to ask the old master for guidance in awakening the devil fruit to its fullest potential and start taking the big contracts."

Looking in a direction from the tall spires of the Wisdom Palace, while the wind blew his long white hair and his dark coat and silver suit. His eyes turned sharp, and with a wicked smile, he continued by saying to himself.

"There are also new targets for me that I might try to kill after awakening my devil fruit. At least if those scheming old men who look down on everyone offer me some decent reward. Hehe, I'm still not at the level of those four  "Sea Emperors" as for Red Hair, he is good. However, it is worth a test. Assassination is not a brutal fight but a swift end."

Shaking his head, his wicked smile turned a bit softer, he looked down off the ground before turning back to the skies, and with dark smoke beginning to spread around Wincester, he did a big jump on the sky, and as the smoke enveloped his body, he only said.

"[Shadow Step], [Sky Gazer]"

With this, he disappeared from where he was and appeared in another location in the sky, as if a black hole opened in the sky, allowing him access.

After that, he did another big jump, and with the dark smoke veiling him, he disappeared as if a portal was created and appeared closer to Dawn District and at a lower altitude compared to the high one he initially had to climb.

Doing more jumps which led to his disappearance and appearance until his fall got simpler to deal with.

His fall made a significant impact and spread out the dark smoke on his body like it was a great force.

After a while, he walked like a casual person on the streets of Dawn District and moved toward an abandoned district zone. Wincester entered a house that looked like most of the buildings in this zone, degraded and desolate.

However, while inside, the interior of this building was luxurious and maintained, clean and ordered, as if the facade was to make this place unremarkable.

"Gather the men available inside my office. I want to give you some news and update you on the operations inside Kaysang. Also, someone spread the news to the guys patrolling in the districts, Noble, Royal, Dawn alike and those on missions in the kingdom to get to the Headquarters in one or two days." said Wincester to one of his men, while he began walking to the basement of the building.

"Yes, Lord Allestar. As you command." replied the assassin while bowing his head to Wincester, who left without bothering with him.

As Wincester was summoning every assassin in the entire Kaysang Kingdom, in the desolate facade building, on the top floor Cranfon Oliver who noticed with his Observation Haki, Wincester arrival, thought to himself quietly while reading a book belonging to this kingdom literature.

'That bastard is scheming something again. Hmph, at least it's not my responsibility for the failure of this last part of the mission. Still, I have to keep an eye on everything happening, and if I spot Opheltius or that royal kid in all this conflict, get him and extract the inheritance wanted by the old master.'

'Should I interfere if that Galleot guy could actually kill Wincester?'

As he was thinking while turning the pages of his book, his gaze turned cold, and he continued on that thought.

'That would betray the union, but should I care? I joined Dark Union with only a target in mind, revenge. It's been 17 years that I've been here, and there must be a reason why master doesn't allow me to come back. Either he knows my reason for joining his organization or has other reasons for doing this.'

'But is that really it? Interacting with Wincester for such a long time makes me believe that is the former. He knows I want to kill the d'Anjou family head and exterminate those cursed bastards for doing what they have done. Now he most likely wants to stop me.'

'Are those Celestials that powerful that even master wouldn't allow me to kill them? Yet, there have been cases like mine where seniors would assassinate those world nobles, and at most, they would receive master's punishment, continuing on with their jobs. No, wait. I remember a case when I just joined, there's one guy who killed the direct descendant of Ming House.'

'After coming to the base, he was said to disappear, never to be seen ever setting foot on the Headquarters.'

'Could that be my fate if I kill those Celestials? I will not be able to take revenge for Cassandra? NO!? I have to, at any cost!?''

Meanwhile, apart from Cranfon Oliver and Allestar Wincester having their own plans for the future, Vlad walked back to his house in the Forbidden Forest, followed by most of the council members with the expectation of Aldenis, Faust, Kavos, and Johan.

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Aldenis and Kavos remained in the administrative building to prepare the supplies needed for the troops and gesticulate their weapons and ammo.

The old man was doing the job with an icy expression as if, in doing his job to perfection, he could also be part of the revenge that Vlad was preparing.

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Faust and Johan walked together toward the Workshop, and not long after entering, the people walking by the Forge could swear they heard the most heated Johan in the past 20 years.

"GUYS, START THE FIRES FOR THE FORGES!? WE WILL WORK ON THE PROJECT UNTIL WE FINISH IT TOMORROW. PREPARE THE OIL BATHS FOR THE HEAT TREATMENT ON THE PLATES. YOU, THE ONE LAZING AROUND, GO SORT THE METAL BARS FOR THE PROCESSING!"

Faust, who also arrived in the workshop, was still affected by the assassins' intrusion, watched as 60 workers got to their positions from their resting place, and felt the heat increasing as the guys began placing wood and coal inside the forge.

The steam was so powerful that it rose on the forge, which made his cogwheels spin, look blankly at the workshop, and even move toward the heat.

He didn't even feel the temperature and walked like a zombie until Johan noticed this fool and grabbed him fast from harm's way. He slapped the back of his head and roared.

"YOU RETARDED KID, DO YOU WANT TO SUICIDE? IF YOU WERE TO STEP FOR SOME MORE STEPS, YOU WOULD BE GONE!?"

"Argh, you motherfucker. Why have you hit me!?" *Sniff* *Sniff* "Why do I smell burnt chicken? AHHH, DAMNED DID I GO BLANK AGAIN?? WHY DOES THIS SHIT HAPPEN TO ME, IS SOMETHING GOING ON WITH MY HEAD?"

"How the heck should I know what's going on with your head? Go check on Prince Vlad. He seems like a doctor."

"No, no. No need. I know well what doctor he is. Right, my idea. Where's your office? I have to write something down." said Faust while looking impatiently at Johan, who gave Faust a weird stare while looking at his slightly burnt blonde hair.

"Straight ahead, and then you do left at the last path, and you should see my bedroom. That's my office, go do whatever you want. You have sheet papers on my desk, just don't mess my room up, or I'll turn you bald using a torch."

"Yeah, sure, fuck off, Johan. Go finish Lord Patrick cannon. I really want to see how powerful it is since I almost drowned when I had that idea. Tsk, I maybe should stay confined to my room and never go out, or I will really hurt myself with those events."

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As Faust said that, following Johan's instructions, he got to his bedroom, and he stared dumbfounded at how small it was. For someone of Johan's status, it was tiny. It only had one bed, a small desk, and a bathroom.

No longer bothering himself with the room, Faust quickly got to the desk, took a quill and the inkwell and a sheet of paper, and began drawing something he got stuck in his head.

It was the outline of a ship that had a chimney like a fireplace that released smoke, then after finishing that draw, he took another paper that he began drawing something.

[ I can build an machinery that uses the concept of steam from Johan's forge. Using the coal from the wood or the mines, I can build a heat chamber where the burning coal would create steam. To use this steam, I will build another chamber where it could be held inside and build an machinery that can move using this steam.]

Like he was possessed, he began drawing a concept of his idea on the paper next to his writing, with unshaken strokes, cold and emotionless movements, like that thing was already in his mind created and he just had to tinker it and refine it.

After he was done with the concept of this machinery that uses the heat coming from coal, he added another conclusion.

[This project, while I don't know how the function will be or how useful it will be for His Highness, I have the feeling that this heat from Johan's forge will create something unseen in this world. My only hope is that prince Vlad could allow the funds necessary to build this machinery.

Last observation…

Until the first prototype, I can't add any modifications. However, if I forget in the future, I have to remember that it's a moving mechanism while I made it first using a chain that pulls down. It can be modified using the movements of the windmills and watermills.]

Ending to write that, he felt a splitting headache assaulting him, and with that, he also felt himself falling deeper into sleep.

"I need to get to bed at least."

Holding his head and also barely holding himself on his feet, he dropped on Johan's bed and started snoring like he was an old man who had respiratory problems.

Minutes passed, and Johan, who was sweating a lot, and was shirtless already, noticed Faust sleeping, snoring in his bed, and cursing.

"Lazy fucker, this is what you are doing when we are on the brim of war? Sleep?"

Yet, as he said that and walked to his desk to take a ruler from a corner of the desk, he noticed the pages of paper Faust filled down, from start to finish, and also with models of a new invention he had never seen.

Taking the paper where Faust had drawn using uppercase letters, [STEAM ENGINE], Johan started reading it a bit. Finally, after he only read half a page, he stared with a shocked face at Faust, who was snoring like an old man, and said to himself.

"If this thing really works as the kid dreams, it could. This thing will change my life and others for the better. I have to bring this to His Highness's attention if this kid doesn't manage to convince him. But after the war. It would be suicidal to annoy him with my and the kid's requests for funds when he is in that state."

Placing the paper on the desk and taking the rest of them and placing it in a safe spot in his room, under the desk, he moved back to the workshop while holding the ruler in hand, along the way he said to himself while thinking of what happened at the meeting and how Vlad reacted after listening to Wincester's threats.

"Those noble bastards and assassins have really pissed a monster. While the young prince is quite enjoyable to be around, a cultured person who likes to surround himself with smart people, when you step on his foot and spit on him, even trying to kill his entourage and spit blatantly in his face."

Shaking his head, he continued. "Those guys really succeeded in angering prince Vlad for him to react like this after the end of the event."

"Well, let's get back to the canon. This cannon, if it works, should be equivalent to using 10 or even more. Right, I also need to check the wheels of the cannon. Sigh, I really envy that kid to have all these crazy ideas that actually work."

"In the end, both of us are lucky to have a just ruler who is interested in new information and technological innovation. If not for his funds, what would be of my little shop, where only I worked, most likely it would be a place where I make some nails or horseshoes."

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In another place, in the Forbidden Forest, inside a large room of the orphanage where one could see the heads of the little kids creeping from the parts of the building.

"Tsk, why did you choose to move this strategic place in a place full of stinking kids?" said Patrick while he sensed and also saw some curious heads of kids around 6 to 10 years old peeking at their meeting.

"This is the only spacious place close to my home. The nobles will stay here. There are two free rooms in the orphanage. They will remain in one room, while Lady Felicia will stay in the other room. Then it's your turn with Nius and the other 4 who you brought. You either go with old Tius, or you split up, the guards sleep with Robert and Aerius, while you two old men go with grandpa."

"Any problems? My nobles? My lady? Lords?" asked Vlad while staring at the group of people spread out inside the reception room of the orphanage.

The nobles understood the danger they were in, and with the lower-ranked nobles' slightly dissatisfied looks, Count Rohan and Count Arden replied to Vlad, who was seated on a chair in the center of the room while the rest were on their feet.

"If these are your orders, Your Highness, we 5 will comply. We will also start summoning our retainers to Sol."

"Good. TOMAS GET DOWN HERE!" said Vlad with a high tone, and not long a young man appeared while other 4 brats who were around 6-10 went head first on the floor, and when they noticed that they were busted, they started shaking.

"Sigh, Elisabeth, can you get the little kids from the reception room? Isn't it time for sleep?"

A voice came toward the reception room that sounded a bit tired, of a young woman that was saying to Vlad.

"I'm trying, my lord, but with your arrival, the little guys who didn't have much interaction with you are curious to see and meet you."

Then Elisabeth also came down from the stairs and looking at the little guys. She gave a slight cough that the kids turned red and said to her.

"We are sorry, Lady Elisabeth. Bye, bye, big brother Vlad. Good night everyone." said the four kids while sneaking a peek at Vlad, Sofiya, Felicia, and the rest.

The girls waved at the little kids, while Vlad, whose serious face, made a small smile before turning back serious.

After that, he said to Tomas, one of the original orphans he took from the streets. The boy with black hair and dark eyes grew up into a fine young man, who had a strong body from his initial malnourished state, 3 years ago.

"Yes, big brother?"

"Tomas, guide the five nobles to the empty room in the newly expanded building."

Thomas looked at the 5 nobles with his dark eyes and said to them as he moved toward the stairs with a neutral tone.

"Lords, follow me."

After the nobles left with Thomas, Vlad looked at Nius and said to him, while in his mind were all sorts of numbers and ways to arrange the troops for an assault.

"Old Nius, you should also notify your troops and have them gathered inside the forest and encamp close to my establishment."

"I know, kid, that's also something I should say to you. But it seems you are already preparing to do that." said Nius when seeing Vlad take a dial snail and form a number.

After the call was responded to without even bothering to hear the first reply, Vlad said straight to the one he called.

"Brogg, take your brigade with you and settle down at the place I thought you. Reach it by tomorrow night."

"Roger, Your Excellency." but before Vlad or Brog could close the call, the members listening to Vlad's call involuntarily heard the guy say in a tremendous roar.

"ATTENTION!? WE GOT ORDERS FROM THE LORD! PACK YOUR THINGS IMMEDIATELY, WE WILL MARCH TO THE [STATION 001]"

Vlad, hearing that, closed the call for good, no longer bothering to check on Brogg and the situation with 2.000 of his soldiers. After he was done with that call, his fingers sprinted on the telephonic snail back and said to another one who responded.

"Prim, take your rifle battalion. You have time until tomorrow night to arrive with all the boys at Station 001. If you are late, all your battalion will face the standard punishment."

"Ohh, shit. Not that, boss. ATTENTION!? Prepare your things. We'll move to Station 001 at Commander Blood orders. We have time until tomorrow night, so we better start moving. We'll take a small break in between after we pass Kalerna."

*Gotcha*

Vlad ended the call and said to himself as if numbering the amount of soldiers he still had left. "There's only Bolt and his regiment that are around Patrias region. After this, I have to check on the kingdom's maps to see which are the most vulnerable nobles of Lacilet's side and start conquering them before they even send their troops to the fight."

As if remembering something, he said to himself, seeming like possessed by a ghost.

"Right, there's also, Flex and the 2 brothers, along with that interesting kid, Valen. They should reach Sol tomorrow morning if they didn't take a break at Esvir."

"Should I stop those 150 from their return to Sol and give them a mission to attack Count Alderhine territory that has quite the number of soldiers on his side? Sure, I do this, but I don't have much information on this."

Felicia, who was staring at Vlad, talking to himself, looked at Sofiya and asked her.

"He does this, often?"

"Only when it comes to big things. Just leave him be. He will come back to us once he finishes his thoughts or might want to ask something."

Vlad snorted as if hearing this comment, and after one minute, he stared at Felicia and asked her.

"Do you have any information on Alderhine or his territory? Retainers that want to backstab him? Are sons unhappy with their inheritance? An unhappy concubine with her place in his bedsheets? Anything that I could grasp an advantage over them. After Count Ardenhine, the other territory neighboring his own his Viscount Chatoverde."

"Wait, do you really want to send a small part of your army toward Alderhine? Are you crazy? That guy has an army of 4500 soldiers at his disposal." asked Felicia while staring at Vlad as if he was crazy.

"Hmph, this is what you don't know about the feudal system. Those soldiers he has, are technically on paper. He might have a guard of 100-1000 men that stays active protecting him, but 4500? It's cute thinking about this. Now, come, tell me what I want. I got no time to waste on empty talk." said Vlad with a cold and serious tone while looking at Felicia.

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