Thomas had no memories of the incident, except for the fact that his body had been hijacked by an unknown force.
While this was happening, he had been powerless, floating in the void. He couldn't see, feel or do anything, but he could tell his body had been through hell and back just now. He hoped that he hadn't caused too much trouble.
Meanwhile, Derrick was ecstatic, to where it confused Thomas. After all, he had just woken up in a small crater, stained with immense quantities of blood.
When he saw his discomfort, Derrick laughed and patted his shoulder.
"You don't have to worry... The only thing that happened was you beating up your General and sending her to the infirmary..."
Thomas's face paled in an instant, with large beads of sweat appearing all over it.
What had he done!?
Their general was someone terrifying, and he couldn't fathom what she would do in reprisal...
The smirk that had formed on Derrick's face disappeared, instead making place to a warm smile.
"Hahaha, I'm messing with you! Well, that did happen, but her life isn't in danger. Plus, I think she knows that you weren't in control. It's also why you'll be important in the future. Your training will become hellish from now on, without the option of slacking off, but first, let's go see her condition. You did quite a number on her"
Thomas was gingerly walking, still reeling from the news. Even though Derrick had tried reassuring him, he still did a horrible thing... He hoped that he hadn't done irreparable harm.
After a few minutes, they arrived at Lacha's house, where a large contingent of soldiers were now stationed.
When they saw Thomas, their eyes expressed fear and caution. They weren't sure of what had happened, but the one thing they knew for certain was that this guy had a monster deep inside him.
Without stopping, they cut through the crowd and entered the small house.
In the bedroom laid Eloise, wrapped up in bandages. She was asleep and Lacha was by her side, monitoring the situation. She hadn't been able to heal all the injuries due to her novice healing skill, but it had still prevented any injuries from being permanent.
"I see you've done a good job, Lacha. Thank you"
With a small pat on her back, Derrick stayed at her side and made her feel at ease. She strangely felt safe by his side, making her realize that her feelings had grown much more than she had thought.
As for Thomas, he was now hanging in a corner of the room, appalled at what he had done. His general had been more than simply beaten, she had been wrecked mercilessly!
Lacha saw his anguish and proceeded to calm him as well. She had been shocked when seeing Eloise in such a state until she had been told about the events.
Her reaction had been stupor, followed by curiosity. How could someone hide such power and be unaware of it?
Anyway, it didn't concern her, as her only task concerned healing her. It wouldn't change anything if she pestered them with questions.
Seeing that the situation was under control, Derrick decided to convene a gathering with the new villagers and Akata's populace. He had to make sure they would blend in effortlessly, or he risked factions appearing, causing issues to ultimately arise in the future.
***
The large assembly of people was impressive.
Everyone began to mingle while asking questions as to where they came from and their story. They all soon realized that they had one thing in common : they were all refugees who had fled their homelands.
Skeptics of Derrick's behavior and actions had asked about Akata's living conditions, and they were surprised when they were answered with scorn.
"How dare you doubt his Highness? I admit that he came in brazenly and without warning, but he has treated us with respect! He's giving us work, food and lodging. Also, our children will have the chance to freely go to school! If that isn't benevolence, I don't know what is. Such privileges are unheard of, even in Empires"
The folks from the Yamato village couldn't believe it, and neither could Moira and Julio. There was a school here?! Where the hell did they get a Scholar who would agree to come here?
Before they could inquire some more, Derrick appeared at the center stage of the town square, followed by a dwarf, a grizzled old man, a properly dressed man and Lacha, which had introduced herself when they arrived.
The passionate stories and talks instantly died down, waiting for the address of their new ruler.
For Derrick, such a scene would have been inconceivable a few months ago, but here he was, with his plans well underway.
Before he started his speech, he asked the system for an update regarding the progression of the village.
[Akata Village]
[Level : 2]
[Population : 2197]
[Soldiers : 160]
[Funds : 0 gold]
[Tax : 0%]
[Institutions : Forge, Military Quarters (50% completed), School (In progress)]
[Mood : 80/20]
The mood had fallen, but it was to be expected.
In fact, it was quite a bit better than his predictions, making his already jovial mood even better. His financials were still down the drain, but he had gotten what he wanted in the end. There was also the fact that there had been no gold at all in Yamato, a surprise that made him curse infinitely.
As for the huge influx of people, it boded extremely well. His army had benefitted from the addition of a Berserker, and he had obtained a workforce strong enough to enact multiple projects at once.
The future was bright, if he didn't slip up, of course.
After getting back his bearings and gazing at those below, the necromancer made his voice heard.
"Welcome, citizens of Yamato, to your new home! After a long and tiring journey where some even lost close friends, I can finally tell you that your new lives can begin. Ones where you won't be persecuted, and ones where your purpose isn't as shallow as simply surviving with scraps. Behind me is the wind of change you've all been waiting for. Let me present them to you!"
While turning and pointing, he continued.
"This is our master Blacksmith, Fomamli. As you can see, he is a dwarf. I know, I know... Some of you are on edge when seeing other races, but in this town, we respect each and every individual, no matter their background. If you see an incident of blatant abuse, feel free to report it to the higher ups. Closing that topic, you'll be able to order custom-made products at our forge, if you have the materials of course. We are planning to sell some in the future as well, but that's a discussion for another day. Next is Jack, the supervisor of our construction teams. He leads the groups that will be responsible for building your houses. Since most of you are able-bodied and ready to work, you'll either be assigned to farming or construction. Now, this fine gentleman is the Scholar who will be teaching your kids, William. The School isn't opened yet, but it should be in the near future"
Now that he had arrived at Lacha, a smirk suddenly appeared on Derrick's face.
A nefarious idea had just crossed his mind, and Lacha felt a shiver run through her body. While taking a more domineering tone, he took her in his embrace and resumed, surprising her.
"This is my first wife, Lady Lacha. When I'm not around, she is in charge of Akata's affairs. She is also a healer, meaning that if you have any sort of ailments, feel free to contact her"
His smirk grew wider, and what he said next made all of Yamato's villagers gasp, including Lacha.
"Also, my second wife, Lady Moira, is in attendance! She is new to this place, so please show her the same respect"