Chapter 14: Chapter 14 – Preparations

Rumors spread in the surrounding territories. The Scourge Bandits, a notorious bandit organization with hundreds of members, was wiped out by a mysterious tamer. For a Suzerain Lord or their Captains, this was an easy feat, but for the masses who weren’t even the D Rank Mortal Realm, this was a huge deal!

A couple Suzerain Lords sent spies to assess the situation. This so called, ‘Oceanus’ was becoming a haven for those who sought refuge from the Suzerain Lords. Over a month passed since the supposed incident. The village apparently responsible, Oceanus Village, was a no name town with a population less than 100.

“What do you think Lord Virgo?” Captain Aries asked.

“I think our tamer friend finally made his move.” Lord Virgo pondered the consequences of the power vacuum.

“What’s your intentions?” Aries asked, worried for Theseus.

“I think we wait and watch. Your buddy caused a huge incident in the borderlands. The border between us, Lord Jezebel, and Lord Achilles has been peaceful because of the Scourge Bandits allowing us to pool our resources elsewhere, but now, we have been forced to act. We will wait for Jezebel’s reaction as well as our spy’s reports.”

“As you command, Lord Virgo.” Aries said coldly with hatred in his eyes.

***

Oceanus was bustling with energy. After the incident with the Scourge Bandits, surrounding villages came to see if the rumors were true. Was there really a place that represented freedom from the Scourge Bandits and Suzerain Lords? Traders, wanderers, and refugees flocked to Oceanus, and construction was widespread. A new breath of life was breathed into Oceanus Village, and it was all thanks to Theseus.

“Elder Gerald, how goes the construction?” Theseus asked Gerald on one calm evening.

“Thanks to you, our population and trade are soaring! I think we have almost 300 permanent residents, and we get dozens of visitors every day!” The Elder was beside himself. Because the Suzerain Lords left the borderlands alone, and now that the Scourge Bandits were gone, the whole region prospered without oppression.

“It’s time we start with the wall plan. It won’t be long now until the Suzerain Lords come to visit.” Theseus mysteriously warned. They needed protection, and Theseus knew the Suzerain Lords were much harder to deal with than the Scourge Bandits. A wall would help an assault, but the Captains and Lords were as strong as Leo, if not stronger. Theseus knew for a fact that Aries and Lord Virgo were both in the lower Royalty Realm. If Virgo showed up now, Theseus would have to do whatever they demanded.

For that reason, Theseus continued to personally train and teach his two students diligently. Two months had passed since Theseus arrived in Oceanus, but for only having been trained for around a two months, Gemini was a quick learner. It wasn’t because Gemini was talented; the kid worked harder than anyone Theseus had ever seen.

In just two months, Gemini reached the D Rank Mortal Realm. This was a barrier most people never crossed in their entire lives. There was a high cost for this though. Gemini overworked himself tirelessly, and the knowledge Theseus imparted allowed Gemini to always have something new to learn.

Theseus and Leo had not advanced because they were both nearing bottlenecks. Theseus predicted that Leo would stay at the notorious peak S Sage bottleneck of 9,999 Aura. His personal prediction would be that the Spirit Cultivation technique would stop working as soon as he crossed the threshold of the C Rank Sage Realm. From now on, he had to get more creative to advance his aura or use strategy to outsmart the Suzerain Lords.

Just then, a commotion broke out in the town square.

“Make way, we are from the territory of Lord Jezebel!” A messenger rode a fish into the town square, accompanied by menacing looking guards. Elder Gerald and Theseus came out to see the disruptive visitors.

“Under the Treaty of the Suzerain Lords, this town is an unregistered entity! Submit to Lord Jezebel or another Suzerain Lord before the week is up, or you will be subject to invasion! That is all.” The messenger grinned suspiciously and left the village.

“Finish the wall plan, Elder.” Theseus grunted out and left the square.

He was running out of time.

At the end of the week, the half-finished wooden walls were completed, and Theseus awaited an attack, but no one came. It was clear Oceanus was more towards Lord Virgo’s territory, so Theseus deduced Lord Jezebel couldn’t actually invade Oceanus without declaring war on Lord Virgo. Unless Lord Virgo came himself, Theseus thought he was in the clear. The power vacuum was starting to show its effect on the region. Soldiers from all three neighboring territories occasionally appeared and made similar declarations.

“On behalf of Lord Virgo, you must submit within the month!”

“Lord Achilles extends his hand to join his glorious territory, oh citizens of Oceanus!”

Theseus ignored them all. Unless a Captain or Suzerain Lord came personally, these threats were empty.

“I need to become stronger.” Theseus thought. Entering seclusion, Theseus sought to complete the limits of the Spirit Cultivation skill and reach the C Rank Sage Realm. Theseus told Leo and Gemini not to bother him. Months passed by unknowingly, and Theseus’s third year in Hell started.

“Master there are people here to see you!” Gemini didn’t want to disturb Theseus, but he had no choice.

“Good, I was just finished preparing.” Theseus was now the C Rank, and he devised an ace up his sleeve as well. During his seclusion, the village was not idle. New buildings and roads were erected throughout the village, and it looked like there were about a thousand ghosts living in the town.

“Good work.” Theseus muttered to himself seeing the progress. Leo, who came in and out to visit Theseus consistently, became a town mascot.

“Look, it’s Leo!” Village kids pointed and went to ride the leopard. This surprised Theseus. He was half-afraid Leo would kill a child on accident. The naïve, childlike beast had its own violent side as Theseus learned during the Scourge Bandit Battle. Leo welcomed the small children happily. Theseus was glad Leo found more friends; he was afraid his seclusion would make Leo sad.

Theseus ignored the kids riding Leo after a minute and went to the newly constructed gates, where the village sign had once been. A small army was outside the gates, wearing Lord Virgo’s territory attire, which had a symbol that resembled an M on their chests.

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“Thank the gods you’re here! There’s a strong Captain here.” Elder Gerald exclaimed nervously, seeing Theseus.

“Take me to them.” Theseus stated flatly.

“Are you two in charge around here?” The Captain asked arrogantly.

“Perhaps… State your business.” Theseus told the Captain.

“As you’re probably aware, your settlement here is in violation of the Suzerain Treaty. All towns must register with a Suzerain Lord, or it shall be invaded and enslaved. Our sources tell us Lord Jezebel, Lord Achilles, and Lord Virgo have already informed you of this, correct?”

“What Lord are you with by the way?” Theseus ignored what the Captain said and got to the point.

“Hmph, how rude. We are messengers from the great Suzerain Lord Virgo. Submit to our territory, or you will be subject to invasion.” The Captain made his intentions clear. Theseus and the Captain locked eyes throughout with unspoken anger.

“What would it entail to register our town with Lord Virgo?” Theseus asked. Avoid conflict would be best. Even after his seclusion, he was as strong as the previous leader of the Scourge Bandits. If he compared himself to Leo or a Captain, he would lose. Provoking the Suzerain Lords was akin to suicide.

“Taxes, slaves, and authority.” The Captain stated firmly. Theseus stayed silent.

“We require you pay 25% of all transactions, give us 25% of your children and able-bodied adults, and we will have complete rule over your town. Our soldiers will be able to take and use whomever as they please, including your women.” The Captain expanded, not hearing a response.

“That is unacceptable. Make it a 10% tax, no slavery, and partial rule. What’s your name, Captain?” Theseus shot back.

The Captain laughed.

“These are non-negotiable terms.” The Captain’s face turned grim. “Call me Centos, by the way. If you submit to me personally, I will treat you fairly. This is your last chance.”

“We cannot accept these terms.” Theseus stated plainly.

“Then, it is war.” The Captain, Centos, turned away.

“We will be back shortly.” Centos said grimly.

“Goodbye, Centos. I look forward to it.” Theseus smiled smugly and walked back into the gates as the soldiers left.

“Why didn’t you accept those terms?” The Elder Gerald cried out from the inside of Oceanus.

“They want to control us, take our people, and our land. It is unacceptable.”

Theseus knew the Elder was right, but the Suzerain Lords were too imposing. Even though he didn’t want to poke the bear looming in his yard, he had no choice.

“We can’t compete with the Suzerain Lords! They will surely kill us. Even though you’re strong, esteemed sir, the Lords are leagues stronger than the bandits.” Gerald protested.

“Don’t worry, I have a plan.” Theseus said with a shine in his eyes. For some reason, the mad look on Theseus’s face put Gerald into an even worse mood.

Inside his small house, Theseus sat thinking. He knew his bad habit of taking crazy risks was getting to Alvaro levels of stupidity, and Lord Virgo would surely not hold back. From the intelligence he gathered, Theseus knew that the  next step was coming, a siege.

By blocking trade routes and forcing the inhabitants of Oceanus Village to stay put in the village, they would have to submit to the Lords for food. Theseus wanted to buy enough time to grow stronger to face the Lords directly, but it was futile. According to Aries during their time together, Lord Virgo was at the F Rank Royalty Realm. If Theseus could rope in Aries, who was also at this realm, they stood a chance to form their own territory. Theseus had already sent a secret message to Aries, but he wondered if it was worth it.

For Leo, Gemini, Gerald, and the other villagers who put their hope in him, Theseus wanted to continue to grow a stable and safe home, but under the thumbs of the Suzerain Lords, it would not last. Especially in the borderlands, becoming taxed and enslaved would just encourage groups like the Scourge Bandits to form and alleviate Suzerain control.

If only he could make his own bandit group, maybe they’d leave Oceanus alone, yet that would defeat the whole point of finding the perfect home for himself and Leo. Being a bandit was only a small step up from being a dictator.

While he brainstormed backup plans, he knew this time, his dangerous ideas wouldn’t just affect him alone but also his friends and the villagers as well. Racking his brain, Theseus desperately tried to think of a way out of this mess.

The next day, a letter arrived at Theseus’s door.

“I’m in. – Aries”

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