"Hm…
This is annoying…" Levas was watching the droids fighting through waves after waves of beasts throughout the new lands under the control of Esmond.
Sending him away with Hari, Esmond tasked the two with cleaning up certain regions where roads and small rest stops would be built.
Due to the sheer size of land which was most left to be monitored by the Guild had always been neglected, Esmond decided to send out a huge fighting force of 50,000 droids to deal with the troubles.
Levas found the droids to be very thorough while also deadly quick, leading to the large build-up of beast carcases every day, but in the end it all meant more food for them.
Hari couldn't care what was on his master's mind and was overjoyed at the training he received day in and out from the droids.
Plus, the meals were nothing like he'd experienced before so it was quite the enjoyable trip without needing to do much.
.
Levas was currently watching part of the droids sweep through the hordes of beasts within one of the dens they were clearing out.
Some of the droids were laughing and chatting freely while battling the beasts and some had already started skinning them in the den to attract more beasts with the blood.
They all were connected to the Spatial Ark Star World, so the droids had access to the Inventory and quickly stored everything they had cut and skinned.
"The clansmen are really efficient, aren't they Master?" Hari asked Levas as the two continued to watch the droids in action.
"Scarily… efficient…" Levas had to stop and rethink his words just as he noticed the droids were casual throwing around beasts' carcases with precision point accuracy for them to be caught by another droid.
Entranced by what was happening before his eyes, Levas felt quite the shock and surprise when Rand, the Commander of the droids snuck up on him unintentionally.
"Sir, this area has been nearly cleared, should we begin the fencing?" Rand asked for Levas opinion mainly because of Levas understanding of beasts.
The droids of course quickly built-up data related to the various beasts they fought with that could be said to be far more in depth, but one thing the droids couldn't process was his sixth sense for trouble.
It was invaluable and something the droids appreciated quite a bit when they were building the fence that would run on the sides of the roads to keep the beast from harming merchants and citizens who would use the roads.
Construction droids were similar to the M-PD-01s, but their models were made for construction, as they could control drone swarms and also make adjustments on the fly.
They had a great range of abilities that even allowed them to work as blacksmiths with their own portable smitheries stored within the Inventory that they had access to.
.
"Go ahead, but make sure there are enough people on guard." Levas wanted the clansmen to be sure of their surroundings because when they first set out a few days back as ordered by Esmond, they were constantly attacked by beasts.
They realised it had to do something with the installation of the fence.
Because the materials of the fence were imprinted with beast repellent spells that would be powered through the underground electrical pipes and infrastructure being installed.
Inscribed onto the materials needed to build the fence, there were self-repairing spells but because of the spells level and intricacy, it wouldn't repair major damaged.
"The amount of work remaining is no small matter…
Master… why were you sent for this job?" Hari tried to put the pieces together how his master had been sent to do something that wasn't necessarily the job of a merchant.
Seeing his Master oversee so many people, Hari found it difficult to understand unless it were people within their own merchant business, but even so, Levas never had many people working for him.
.
"*Sigh* its because of the Lord…"
Levas didn't want to curse Esmond too loudly that the droids could hear and report back to him but seeing how Esmond behaved around people close to him, he didn't think too much of it either.
"The main reason we were sent to do this… *sigh* was because we'll be heading over to the Landport town and set up our first shop…" Levas sounded highly annoyed that he'd finally been restricted to an area but deep down he felt it was best for him and especially Hari.
Just the short time Hari had spent training with the clansmen had improved Hari skills.
Levas felt like a terrible Master that'd neglected his student, leaving Hari education to another.
Thankfully Esmond offered him a decent deal which required Levas to gain a foothold within the Landport town.
Once he was ready, Esmond would send him tasks and people, but first he needed to reach the Landport, clearing the beast infestations along the way.
"That fucking bastard… urgh… I want something to drink!" Levas shouted while walking over to the campsite that was constructed from Caspule Pills that quickly established the various structures.
Deciding to rest while the droids work and Hari studied up on the books that were given to him by Esmond, Levas sat back in the small cabin home while being handed a glass of scotch by the housekeeper droid.
'Fuck… my… life…'
.
Back at Vileta, Esmond was currently rustling around the ice cubes in his glass while the nobles within the reception room fiddled with their hands.
The nobles were those that had surrendered to Esmonds forces and decided to join the Sicarius Clan with the other option being their death.
Currently Esmond had all of the nobles brought over to Vileta so he could get a sense of the people.
To his surprise, they all seemed to have had some issue or problem with the Empire or church that led to their expulsion to a corner of the Empire no one visited.
If there was someone beside Julius who was expelled to the deep north of the Trika Empire, it was understandable, but to find that all the nobles up to a Count rank had been exiled over the years under the current Emperor.
"Wow!... I never thought I would meet the Byrde Lord of the Bearclaws!
And the Bloody Baxter!!
What an unbelievable first day!!" Angela said, giddy like a child meeting his hero or idol.
Convinced by Isabelle who pushed for equal rights and to get women working as freely as men without any issues, Angela decided to get a job.
She was reluctant to leave her twin children at home for a job while one was sick.
Because of the herbs available in the Medicinal Garden and the Spatial Ark Star World had acquired the Pure Light Mana Element, Isabelle healed the child.
A nursery and childcare facilities were being built around the town next and within the region under the Clans control.
Setting up a nursery at the Clan Headquarters for the time being, Isabelle sent Angela to be Esmonds personal secretary.
Her training was being taken care of by Isabelle but since it was on going, Angela still hadn't learnt when it was her time to speak or not.
Esmond couldn't care less and rather found Angelas company to be soothing and calming throughout the day he'd had so far.
.
Earlier Hugh, the Guildmaster, had rushed over screaming at the top of his lungs that we made a declaration under the Sicarius Clan name to expand our control.
Esmond had convinced him that the nobles were the ones to send it out and showed him a copy of the letters as evidence.
Hugh had every right to barge in and explode at Esmond since it sounded like the Sicarius Clan had boldly attacked and seized the land based on the natural protections offered by the Guild and his own strength.
Once Hugh read over the copy of the letters, he decided to tell Esmond that the Guild was close to breaking all ties.
No matter what, Hugh couldn't allow that to happen since everything Esmond brought and offered the Guild was far better than anything the Guild Headquarters ever offered his branch.
Hugh spoke truthfully and revealed his plans for Esmond to continue expanding his influence and eventually establish Vileta as a protected town under the Clans control.
But with the huge increase of land size that came into the control of the Clan, those plans had to go out the window.
However, Hugh didn't know his plans had sparked life into various ideas Esmond thought about trying to force his control over the Deep North Region.
.
Esmond had noticed some of the noble ladies were a little comfortable once they noticed Angelas attendance in the room but hearing her talk about the very nobles that were seat and had surrendered to her boss, it seemed like she was trying to make them look like a joke.
Intervening before they mistook Angela as an asshole, Esmond spoke up after taking a sip of his drink.
"She means well…" Esmond said while smiling at the nobles.
'You're wearing your mask… dickhead.' Carter informed Esmond of the slip up who then promptly removed his mask while smiling.
"Sorry for keeping myself hidden and quiet for so long…
Like Baroness Angela Mercer here, you've all been exiled for various reasons to the Deep North of the Trika Empire which doesn't even a true name…
Only the locals call it the 'Vaadans', a land concealed by the mountains, leaving a narrow pass that leaves those who dare to walk the path teetering between life and death…
While I don't plan to make this place in accessible to the world as it has been… I do wish to continue keeping the legend alive and make 'Vaadan' impregnable…
So… do tell me… why you went against your Empire?"