Chapter 221: Blood, soul and will [2/2]
"Because you fear nothing, and because you disregard everything but the destruction of the undead. My Lord, I assumed that someone like you would not care about the nuances of creating rogues, since your focus would be on creating an army," Vincent explained.
Though he wasn't wrong, I felt like I was being used. To put it bluntly, he was using me as a breakwall. Since no one would turn him into a Reaper, he chose to risk becoming a rogue just to be the first for his family.
'And when the authorities come for him, he will hide under my protection. That bastard reminds me of Phillip for some reason.'
Not that it mattered to me, if it helped then I would protect them. But if he ended up hurting me more. Then I would just kill them all myself.
"If you know so much about me, then you must know your position at this moment."
"Yes, my lord. I and my family must prove that we can be of use to you. Should we fail to give you a justifiable reason. Not only would you abandon us, but you would most likely be the one to kill us instead."
"You are right, but are you sure that I would need you? Surely there are less risky options than me?"
"That may be true, my lord, but I am a capitalist. I believe in mutual cooperation. Socialists are the ones who rot a society. To me, nothing is more tangible than the fact that our mutual desire to exploit each other will ensure our cooperation."
Again, Vincent's attitude paralleled my own. Our trust was not in each other, but in each other's greed. As long as our needs or desires were met, there was no need to stab our partner in the back.
This led to tense and ever-changing relationships. But such relationships were also the purest form of capitalism, able to weather any storm.
"And how do you intend to demonstrate this purpose?"
Vincent then handed me an envelope he had pulled out from somewhere. I took the envelope and scanned the cover. A title was embossed in thick letters.
[Analysis of the Savior's Forces for the 7/29/23 Seeker War].
I opened the envelope and flipped through one of the documents. As I scanned the files, my eyes widened in surprise.
"How did you get this?"
"This is the first of my gifts. As a family with extensive knowledge of Reapers, we have our ways."
The file I was holding listed the {Fates} of the abilities of every Reaper that belonged to the Saviors. This included the Phantoms. The findings were all supported by eyewitness accounts and battlefield debriefings.
As official government records, the likelihood that they were fake was abysmally low. Possession of these would ensure that I would not be taken by surprise. However, there was another folder in the envelope.
When I looked at it, the title once again caught my attention.
[Mercenaries and Adventurers Hired by Savior].
"Are these fuckers serious? They already outnumber me 200 to 1, and they want to hire even more reapers? This document is over fifty pages thick!"
"After eyewitness accounts of your fighting prowess in the receiving area began to circulate, Savior began to hire more and more reinforcements. They still do not know what your main {Fate} is. They do not have access to your data like we do."
"Won't someone just sell that information to them?"
ժіѕϲө*ⅴ$ε?я+-
"Yes, my lord. They probably already know. Even though you asked for the war to be kept secret. The truth is already out, and more and more people are waiting for the outcome. It has already become an underground event that surpasses the Super Bowl and the NBA in popularity."
"Fuck."
At least the document in my hands evened out the odds a bit. Just because they knew some of my abilities didn't mean they knew all of them.
"Please also note, my lord. The traitors of the LLG are among those who serve as advisors to the Savior."
"But those bastards didn't even get to see me fight. What purpose would their reports serve?"
"You are absolutely right. There is no need for them, but that only shows how terrified Savior is of you, my lord."
"What are the chances that Lilly already knows this?"
"100% my lord. With the Untamed and the Weeping Mary, the chances of this matter being hidden from them are impossible."
"Weeping Mary?" come to think of it, Aki called Bella something similar.
"Ah, sorry, I meant Lady Isabella Taurus."
Ignoring Bella's strange nickname, I had an even bigger problem on my hands.
"Shit, now I had to figure out a way to stop them from coming."
"While I can't do anything about that problem, I can do something about the other one."
"What? How do you know I have another problem?"
"By anticipating your tendencies, my lord. After announcing your intentions to the world with the LLG, you created a Formless Army. Since your use of firearms is well known, the next problem would be how to supply your army with firearms, correct?"
Was I that easy to read? Well, I prided myself on being simple. I guess after I announced that even my production guilds would go to war, it should be obvious how I would arm them.
While I was bitter about being read like a book, facts were facts. This must be why that fat bastard didn't even panic when I shot him. His expertise in dealing with the random whims of the Specters allowed him to serve his master better.
'He has the air of a butler. That must be why he reminds me of Phillip.'
Before I could even answer, Vincent pulled out a phone and spoke up clearly.
"Bring them in."
At that moment, over ten guys started rolling in with large crates. After they were placed in front of me, the crates were all opened with crowbars.
The familiar smell of metal and gun oil wafted through my nostrils. I examined the crates and found that there was an impressive cache of guns. Rifles, machine guns, pistols, and bullets. Lots and lots of bullets.
"My lord. Allow me to present you with my second gift. Due to the nature of my profession, whatever you need, I can get it for you. As a sign of my sincerity, this first batch is for free."