章 61: Contention
The logistics of the Order are indeed a sight to be seen.
In just two days, the MH Shells went from one-off creations to standard issue equipment to all of our troops, who are now all equipped with a Masterkey shotgun on their rifles. Additionally, the Legionaries are now also issued a pouch to allow them to carry five MH Shells each.
"I still can't believe this," Alan mutters as another batch of MH Shells is carried out of a modified Printer made to work with the Altar, which has been moved from its dedicated room.
"It's nothing much..." I make a wry smile as I receive the praise of the Chief Fabricator. It might sound like false modesty to an outside observer, but it isn't. The MH Shells can't ever hope to hold a candle to what the Wolfheart Family unleashed in their ultimately futile efforts to subdue Beelzebub, so they don't deserve so much praise.
But still, it's a valuable addition to the regular troops. The Shells might not be strong enough to kill an ancient demon, but they are perfect to clear out large swathes of weak enemies or to do severe damage to the elites that we might face in the future.
"So, how are the other projects going?" I ask the black-haired man with a raised eyebrow. The latest prototype of the Starmetal containment box exploded yesterday, and the massive spillage of the essence of frost left a somewhat noticeable icy scar on the ground.
*At least nobody was hurt, so I shouldn't complain too much.*
Alan makes a wry smile, "Well, to be honest, we might need more time than we previously thought. As you are already aware, the latest incident set us back quite a bit on the Starmetal containment project. The incident revealed that our entire basis for the prototype was wrong in the first place, so we are pretty much back to square one. The Portal Gun project is also dead in the water. We cannot figure out a way to make your formula usable with more common materials."
I can't blame him; purple Magicite isn't exactly common. I think even the Enforcers might have trouble with acquiring it in meaningful quantities, so a standard issue Portal Gun is just a pipe dream, at least for now.
"All right, then I won't keep you busy any longer," I say to the Fabricator, who lowers his head before rushing back to his workshop where a mountain of work awaits him. The introduction of the MH Shells did slow our research, but it was evident that we would be unable to finish those projects before the attack.
*I would've liked it if we at least succeeded in making some stationary teleporting station. Right now, I have to handle all the logistics between the Shard and this place...*
Speaking of the Shard, the recruitment campaign is still in progress even with the best efforts of our preachers. I might have underestimated the skepticism of the natives, but the few reports I glanced over say that the number of people turning up at the sermons is slowly increasing.
It might be because my message is spreading.
Or because of the promises of free food.
Either way, I can only hope that at least some people are genuinely interested in what the cultists have to say. Otherwise, taking this Shard might be a bit more bothersome than I first anticipated.
I sink into the ground, along with another crate of MH Shells.
The crate is immediately handled by Legionaries that were waiting near my point of arrival, and it is soon carried away into the ammunition depot. I then head towards the commanding tent, where Terrence is already making plans to attack the gangs.
"Ah, Prometheus!" he says while barely raising his head from the stack of documents on his desk. He looks like he hasn't slept since this campaign started, and the worryingly large amount of empty plastic cups bearing traces of coffee thrown all over the place let me guess that I maybe wasn't that far from the truth.
I pretend not to notice the mess while returning his smile, "So, how are things going?"
He stays silent for a few moments before answering, "The preparations are going smoothly, and as far as we know our enemies are completely unaware of what we are doing."
Lugging the machine guns around while remaining completely undetected is not a mean feat.
Terrence already explained his plan to me: He has set up hidden machine gun nests all over the area, and the Legionaries stationed there are only awaiting an order to open fire on the group of gang members that are often passing through these critical areas. This should alert them, and it's very likely that they'll send a strike force to deal with the hidden attackers.
And this is when the Order will reveal its might to the inhabitants of the Shard.
The elites of the gang owning the Shard, bar some awful luck, shouldn't pose a threat to any member of the Order. And if they bring out someone that can handle machine gun fire then, as much as I don't want to, I'll come into play.
I don't think I'll be able to do much, but the shotgun loaded with MH Shells on my back is certainly going to help if I ever get into a hairy situation.
But let's hope I won't have to intervene, I quite like not resetting the timeline for hours to avoid one attack.
"I'll be off then, so-"
A sudden commotion interrupts me, and Terrence perks up with a frown. From the looks of things, this wasn't supposed to happen so I activate my armor and pull out my Field Pistol.
"What's this all about? Are we getting attacked?" I ask Terrence as he dashes towards his rifle resting next to him.
"I don't think so. Otherwise, the alarm would be ringing. But I think we should check it out anyway!" he says as we rush outside of the tent.
To my relief, the camp isn't a smoldering crater, so whatever is causing a ruckus outside the walls not be too dangerous.
"What's happening?" I ask one of the Legionaries who looks perplexed.
"Prometheus!" he lowers his head before continuing, "I don't know, from what I can tell someone is shouting outside."
I thank the Legionary and head towards the walls, where some cultists are looking down with a mixed expression.
The somewhat familiar voice finally reaches my ears as I look over the fortifications. I see the figure of Roshia, Elora and three other unknown people surrounding a group of bound long-eared natives.
"Great Prometheus, we have brought you those sinners for them to be judged by your divine grace!" Roshia shouts.
What.The.Fuck.
I don't remember starting an inquisition, although that might explain why nobody has approached us.
Fanatical inquisitors tend to be bad for public relations, especially when considering that we arrived a few days ago. I need to handle this quickly and tactfully. Otherwise, we will lose all the goodwill we have accumulated.
"Let them in," I say to a Legionary. The massive reinforced steel doors open just enough to let Roshia and her ragtag group of unofficial inquisitors, along with the captured 'sinners' into the camp under the watchful eyes of the Order.
I doubt this is a trap, but it never hurts to be careful.
However, this is an excellent opportunity to increase my standing, so I jump down from the fortifications...
Holy shit does it fucking hurt!
Screaming in pain isn't very godly, so I Rewind before my foolish attempt at a superhero landing and teleport down like a reasonable person.
"Follow me," I say while making my best impression of an overbearing being. I think I succeeded since Roshia nods enthusiastically while tugging on the cord binding the group of sinners behind her. Terrence and a group of four Legionaries also come with me.
They look unhurt, so at least we won't have to deal with the issues this would bring. If Roshia and her group had hurt anyone, then there would be riots in front of our fortifications, and Taanyth would try to kick us out.
Nevertheless, I guide Roshia and her group to an isolated large tent located at the back of the camp. The tent contains a large round table along with some chairs, so I sit down and prompt her to do so. She forces her captives to sit on the floor. I wince when I see that.
Now I hope these people have committed heinous crimes or we'll have a PR nightmare on our hands.
"So," I say after activating my robes for a brief instant, "Why are these people here, and why did you hunt them down?"
"I realized something after you saved me, I realized that you were our only hope of survival and that the gods haven't abandoned us," Roshia says.
I suppress a sigh. In a sense, I'm glad that the propaganda worked but her level of fanaticism is already nearing Terrence's, and it only has been a few days. I'm also worried about her reaction. She got roped into my cult, and the first thing she did was to create an inquisition.
Now I'm a bit worried, what if small groups start to form because of me, and they all have a different interpretation of the Codex? This would create a constant stream of religious conflicts. I don't want to deal with that, so I have to nip this in the bud before it becomes an even bigger problem.
"But even after listening to the truth and enjoying the free food you so generously distribute, they still doubt and speak ill of you behind closed doors," Roshia says before shooting a meaningful glance towards the scared captives. "And, as if it wasn't enough, they are also abusing your generosity and taking way more food than they need to sell it back to other people who are unaware of you."
Oh, I see. This isn't good; their profiteering takes away potential followers from the Order. However, we don't have the manpower to police the entire Tunnels, so maybe using Roshia's group for that purpose might not be a bad idea.
Terrence, who is sitting next to me, and I exchange a meaningful glance. I think we are thinking the same thing, but we need to discuss it first before going any further. I have not idea how to handle Roshia properly, and what guidelines should I give her?
I can't be too lax, or people will keep doing whatever they want, and they will never take us seriously. But being too harsh will lower our standing and anger the local government.
So we have to find a right balance, at least until we are officially in control. Then we'll be able to implement our policies properly without causing a ruckus.
"Wait here. I'll be back in a minute." I say to Roshia before turning towards Terrence, "We need to talk." I then leave the tent with the Commander in tow.
"So, how should we handle the situation, any insights?" I ask once we are a reasonable distance away from the tent.
"I think we should use her for our benefits, if what she said is true then those thieves are lowering our number of potential recruits," Terrence says while scratching the scar on his left cheek. "Furthermore, it gives us a good excuse to keep an eye on the area without raising suspicion. The locals are bound to be more trusting with their owns rather than us, at least for now."
"I'm with you so far, but what orders should we give her? I don't want to be too harsh, or we'll make an enemy out of the locals." I ask.
"In my opinion, the ones who are disrespecting you should be executed," Terrence replies.
I sigh and Rewind to before I went out of the tent, that way I can keep my image of an all-knowing being without actually knowing anything. And it isn't like Terrence was of any help in the first place. I can't trust him when it comes to public relations.
As usual, the decision is mine to make. I think it would be a good idea to make Roshia's group the official police force of our Order. That way I can force the centralization of this inquisitorial force, and I will be able to stop them before they become too extreme. It would also save us manpower, and that what we desperately need right now.
Now I need to deal with the people Roshia brought back. I can't execute them or punish them too harshly, but I need to make them understand that their actions will not be tolerated. However, dealing with Roshia comes first.
"You did a good job, and your efforts were noticed. In light of the situation, I would like to make your group the official police force of the Order. If you accept, you will receive standard issue equipment, and you will be tasked with dealing with situations similar to this one." I declare, and Roshia is nodding so fast that I'm afraid that her slender neck will snap under the sudden pressure.
"Of course, it would be a great honor!" she says in an excited voice.
"Great, now your little group will be called..." I stop and Rewind the same second again and again.
Shit, I can't come up with a good name. I need to keep up with the general theme of the Order, but nothing comes up no matter how hard I think about it.
The Burning Peacekeepers? No, it sounds too cheesy. What about the Blazing Inquisition?
This one might be good, it keeps up with the religious theme of the Order, and it sounds pretty cool.
And sounding cool is essential.
"As of today, you will be the leader of the Blazing Inquisition!" I shout as I activate my robes for a few seconds to add to the dramatic effect. "You role will be to act as a peacekeeping force in my territory. You will deal with criminals in the following ways..."
I then spend the next ten minutes explaining to Roshia how I want them to deal with troublemakers. The newly created Blazing Inquisition will quietly discourage people from stealing food and spreading wrong information about me and the Order, and they will also try to convince people to join us. Of course, I told her to not outright beat people to death for disagreeing and to act reasonably, so I'm sure everything will be fine.
After all, even fanatics have their limits.
"For now you will be issued uniforms from the Legion, you will receive your own at a later date," I say to Roshia, and also to Terrence. Each branch of the Order has the same uniform, a red robe that can easily protect its wearer from bullets. But their only difference resides in the logo embroidered near the heart and the shoulders.
The Fabricators have two crossed wrenches over a gear, and the Legion have a sword covered in flames. I don't know what Terrence will come up for the Inquisition, but I'm sure it'll be good enough.
My drawing abilities are limited to stick figures, so I'm not even going to try making a logo.
"Terrence, please handle the standard administrative tasks, and tell someone to train them to handle their new weapons," I say to the Commander.
My gaze then turns towards the captives, "As for you lot, I'll be merciful this time. But If I hear something like that again, then...", I make them cower in terror with a blast of my robe's aura. "I think you can understand what will happen to you. Now scram!"
The restraints on the captives are cut, and they are escorted out of the camp. In the meantime, Terrence, along with the Legionaries that came with him, accompany Roshia and her group to make them take their Oath.
I'm now alone in the tent, and I take a deep breath before slouching in my chair.
Things could've gone way worse than they did, and I'm glad that this ordeal is over. I gained a lot today: The new Inquisition, if it is managed well, might be what this recruitment campaign needs to be a success.
Or it could be a complete disaster.
*I need to stay positive, being gloomy all the time will achieve nothing.*
But it's easier said than done. After all, it's hard to stay positive when the world really, really, wants you dead.
Memories of my past encounters suddenly flash before my eyes, and I do my best to suppress the tremors coursing through my limbs while the voice in my head goes into a frenzy.
I Rewind until the voice, and I calm down. I pull out my phone and stare at the innocuous device. Who would have thought that something so mundane could achieve such groundbreaking results?
The Rewinder is the only reason I'm still alive. However, I don't have any idea why it works, and this could be a problem. One of my worst fears is facing someone who can somehow counter the mysterious app. If it's possible, then I will not be able to do anything, and nothing short of an actual miracle would be able to save me.
And I might die for real.
I'm good at thinking positive thoughts, aren't I?
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Onch
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