Chương 117: Wincester's News
After getting to the casino command office, Vlad, who had his mask released, stared at Sofiya, who felt awkward.
"What? Do you have something to reproach me about my approach?"
Still staring at her with a serious expression, making Sofiya feel even more awkward, he opened his mouth and also made a slight smile.
"No, you did fine Sofi. However, I want to remind you, you still haven't awakened your haki, and all bullets of simple origins could prove deadly to you."
"I am fine. Those guys wouldn't have the guts in them to shoot me, knowing well that their master was in a dangerous situation. If worse had to come I could, shoot the guy in his head and immediately take cover using the poker table."
"Ohh, you even had a plan in your mind? Still, it's good that I was there to de-escalate the situation. There's no need to kill people that could become our allies in the face of this Civil War."
Sofiya nodded her head, and walking to the luxurious couch, she asked Vlad who moved to the command chair.
"How was the meeting with the marine Commodore? Did he ask what we thought about?"
"Kirin is good. I've proposed a plan for his future. I proposed the status of Governor of Valent, so in a way, he will look over the entire region of Valent in my place."
"Hoh, and he accepted? Wait, but wouldn't that conflict with the Valent Region nobles?"
"They will still have rights to their fief, just that the Governor status is higher status, also isn't an inherited status and title, like for example a Duke who would be similar to the Governor."
"Once I end the nobles who have been a thorn in my side, I will restructure the nobility system, take their privileges and make a just system for every citizen of the future Atlas."
Hearing Vlad explain the changes he had in mind for the feudal system made her impressed by his shrewdness and intelligence. Still, she heard another piece of news that made her easy-going expression go frigid cold.
"While I was having the discussions and even wrote the contract, there were two mice of Dark Union who wanted to take Kirin and me out in a quite interesting fashion."
"The Dark Union is in Valent? Ahh, this is bad, if those guys find out that you are in Valent, they will start targeting Sol and our allies. Did you take them out?" asked Sofiya while looking at Vlad, who was taking a vial from his coat.
"There's only been two of them, or so I hope. Because of that we have to move home, so prepare your shopping bags because we will go in 10 minutes."
As Sofiya, who clearly knew about the Dark Union danger lurking around Sol and the rest of the noble houses still loyal to the Royal Family, she didn't complain a thing and began organizing the bags she brought from the city.
While she was doing her thing, Peter came inside with a briefcase and said to Vlad, sitting in his command chair.
"Lord, I've also brought all the money my lady has won at the poker match. You have in this briefcase 45.000.000 𝔅."
Vlad looked at Peter, who was holding and placing this black briefcase on the desk, and later at Sofiya, who still was arranging the bags.
When she heard about the sum of money, Sofiya said to Peter as if that sum of money wasn't something spectacular.
"Peter, you shouldn't even waste your time bringing that amount of money to me. Just keep it to yourself and invest in the Casino, built something that would make anyone want to spend their money here."
"No, my lady. This is your money, I take no credit for your win. In fact, it was a spectacular match where you played those nobles with your fingers."
Taking a break from her business, Sofiya giggled a bit, and while giving Peter a warm smile, she said to him.
"Fine, Peter. I'll take home only 15.000.000 𝔅, you take the rest and if you don't want to invest using that money, do some charity in Vlad's name or mines. The better our two images in front of the people, the easier it would be to turn this kingdom up the notch and strengthen the credibility of the Royal House."
Peter didn't take long to agree with this plan, especially when this briefcase money belonged to Sofiya, and so he began to take out 30.000.000 𝔅 of the briefcase and walking to a deposit box he began putting money there.
"My lord, the problem with Kirin has been solved? He should be our ally, correct?"
Vlad was reading some documents concerning the casino and was writing some other sheet papers with instructions for the Casino expansion and certain ideas.
"Indeed, if there's any problem that doesn't require my help, I've written down Kirin's dial number, consult with him on advertisement strategies and what could draw more people to Valent and Kaysang in general."
"I understand, my lord. Don't worry, I understand what I need to do and what my role is in Valent." said Peter as he finished moving the money in the deposit box.
Vlad also was finished quickly with writing his instructions down and finally got up from the chair and moved to Sofiya's bags.
"Peter, I've written down what are my ideas for the casino and Valent in general, contemplate on them, and if you have any ideas, call me."
Saying that while taking a vast majority of Sofiya's bags, he added to Sofiya.
"Everything is done, my love? Don't forget to take the box from the tailoring lady."
Sofiya, who had the box Vlad was referring to in her arms, give him a small smile and staring at Peter, who was waiting like a butler for them.
She gave him a wink while saying.
"Peter, thanks for your care and also for teaching me to play that game. I really had fun playing around with that group of nobles. While we are away, don't forget to treat people like how you would want others to treat you."
"Yes, my lady. With the money you've left, I will make sure I look after those that at least want a better life."
She smiled at him and moved toward the door while Vlad, who was having his hands full, bid his farewell to Peter.
"Peter, my friend. Take care of yourself, and I hope that you will also bring a partner with you when I meet you again. Because we will meet once again, but this time I will be waiting at the throne room."
"Yes, my lord, I will try. I will not embarrass you, my prince. Take care on your journey back home."
Vlad nodded his head, and with Sofiya, who opened the door and still keeping it open for him to make his way, they said their farewell to the staff members who saw Vlad's face.
After they left the casino, they began whispering around each other, especially the woman staff.
"Could that handsome young man be the notorious Blood? He isn't like the stories circulating around the city which told that he was hiding a hideous behind his mask."
"Indeed, but what if he isn't him?"
"Well, maybe you are right. We can just spread the story that Blood, in fact, is a nice-looking guy. This will make the ladies around the lounge and restaurant fantasies even more."
As those woman staff members of the casino were gossiping, Peter looked from the windows of his office outside the casino. He could see that Vlad and Sofiya were already moving out from the Casino area and going toward the harbor.
After 15 minutes of walking and discussing what they would do once home, they arrived at the harbor that was still full to the brims. Walking between and passing the people moving around the harbor
The opportunistic thieves and criminals of the city who were lazing around the harbor noticed Vlad and Sofiya passing while their hands were full.
"Ohh, fresh prey. Look at that couple. Those two seem like some noble pups. Let's target them, they are easy money." said one of the guys wearing some rugs and having the appearance of a bandit and thief.
There were another four young bandits that nodded their heads and said with an agreeing tone.
"Boss, can we take that bitch that is walking with that noble idiot and play with her a bit? Just look at her body. Such a nice body is wasted by that little shit."
"Too risky, but we can try to abduct her, and we all will have time to play with her." said the leader of this bandit group while getting up from where he was seated and beginning to walk toward Vlad while flickering a knife that had an opening and closing mechanism.
As those bandits were getting closer to where Vlad and Sofiya were heading, they couldn't take their eyes off Sofiya's backside.
Just like they were focusing on Sofiya, Vlad, who felt something with his Haki, suddenly used [Enhancement] that created a small gust of wind to blow around himself and Sofiya.
"What is wrong, dear? Don't tell me, the Dark Union is on our lead?" asked Sofiya in a quiet tone.
Walking forward toward the location, he anchored the lightship, he replied to Sofiya in a calm tone.
"No, from their gait, they don't seem trained assassins. They must be the bandits of this city, thinking of us as an easy to pray noble couple."
"Ohh, don't tell me they are staring at my backside? Tsk, so annoying when men react like this. Can't they give me a break? Even in Sol and the other allied cities, people are eyeing me like I'm some prey."
"That means you are too beautiful for them, and they can't hold their impulses down. However you do you, I know you can protect yourself.
"Walk slower, Vlad, also this box from my hands. I'll see what these morons want from us."
When the bandits noticed the couple walking slower, they spurt into action and, taking their knives in their hands, they got to the couple's side and following the bandit leader who tried to grab Sofiya by her arm, he noticed something wrong.
Sofiya, who got the box she was holding in Vlad's hands, quickly picked her pistol from the holder she had strapped on her leg and said in a frigid cold while pointing the pistol muzzle at them.
"Stop right there, you bandits. If you approach a step more, you'll get blasted."
The bandit leader was surprised when he saw how fast Sofiya moved and took the pistol from her bare leg holder.
"Wait, wait, noble lady. This is a misunderstanding."
Sofiya, who had her target on the bandit leader, did a cold smirk, and in her delicate fingers on the trigger, she asked sarcastically.
"But what about the knives in your hands? What use do you have for them in a harbor and even moving toward my lover and me in such an aggressive manner?"
The bandit leader couldn't think of a good answer, but he noticed two other guys approaching Vlad slowly and instantly cried out.
"Get the guy hostage. We'll deal with the bitch later."
Hearing those commands from their leader, they jumped instantly on Vlad, trying to grab him and pin him down, however, this young man, who seemed to be drowned in bags full of clothes and who still could see what was going on, released a cold laugh.
"Pathetic. You 5 are so unlucky. Now piss off. We don't have time to play with you."
As Vlad said that, from his forehead, a mass of blood began being ejected out and quickly morph into a sword that began levitating and moving toward the two bandits trying to apprehend him.
The bandits were shocked by this scene, and when seeing the crimson sword move toward them, they screamed in panic, making most people stop what they were doing and watch this scene.
The sword still didn't stop and moved downward, similar to a strike, going for one of their hand.
With blood being splashed on the ground, the two bandits dropped on the ground and screamed in pain.
"Arghhh, my hand. What was that flying sword? Who is this guy!?"
The bandit leader saw his guys having their hand sliced and began shaking in his feet.
Not being dumb enough to fight this monster who looked like the wielder of supreme power belonging to stories in books, he turned to flee in panic, abandoning his people.
Sofiya, who saw this, with a cold expression on her face, she pulled the trigger while her muzzle was targeting the bandit leader's leg.
"Argh, please don't kill me!?" screamed the bandit leader while dropping on the ground and trying to reach the people who stopped to look at this scene.
Meanwhile, Sofiya, whose face seemed to come from caverns' frigid depths, turned her frosty emerald eyes on the other two bandits and said to them.
"Scarm and take these parasites with you. Keep this event as a reminder to not target people who you think are weak and vulnerable."
Those two guys gulped, wetting their dry throats, and as soon Sofiya ended saying that, they moved to take the two who had their hand sliced and moved to the bandit leader taking him along too.
"AHHH, CURSES!? I WILL REMEMBER THIS HUMILIATION, YOU DAMNED NOBLES!? DON'T THINK YOU WILL BE SAFE AFTER STEPPING INSIDE VALENT FOR THE NEXT TIME. REMEMBER, I AM SHALOM!?" screamed the bandit leader while his able men were carrying him out of this harbor.
While he was saying this, Vlad looked frosty at those guys, and with the levitating sword around him suddenly, it began moving. He prepared to strike those guys and end them, but Sofiya noticed his cold stare.
"Don't dirty your hands, dear. Those guys aren't worth to be added to your conscience."
Hearing her comment, in the face of all the people staring at this scene, Vlad had the sword get back inside his head as if he stabbed himself intentionally in his forehead, but there was no mark after the crimson sword disappeared from their sight.
The couple continued their walk back to their ship while leaving the people to gossip.
"Have you seen that? Why do I feel that what this guy just did, looks exactly like the stories coming from Sagletius about the one called Blood."
"No way, that person is far too secretive to even roam around the kingdom. He only stays in Sagletius."
"It could be that we are all wrong." added another citizen while looking at Vlad's and Sofiya's backs, who began disappearing.
The news of what happened at the harbor spread out, and it even reached Kirin's desk, who was busy with how he should figure out how those Dark Union guys infiltrated.
He was still on high alert and was even skeptical about most marine recruits, but when Vebros came to report to him about the Harbor incident, he smiled for a bit and had the captain go back to his station.
"Maybe, I should clean out the city of those little rats that kept pocking me with their petty crimes. If my city is clean of those rats, then it will be harder for the Dark Union to infiltrate inside my city."
"Tsk, I'll have to write an action order. Good that I don't need the authorization of the HQ to do small-scale actions like moving my fleet out of the sea to blockade the kingdom."
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Vlad and Sofiya got back to their ships and getting to the captain's cabin, he placed all of the clothing bags on the large bed and seeing Sofiya move around carefully with the box containing her mother dress, he said to her.
"I'll go prepare the sails and my blood turbine. We should be back to Sagletius in 15-20 minutes."
"I understand, Vlad. I will remain inside the cabin and think a bit alone. Sorry if I sound a bit cold to you."
Hearing her, he nodded his head and got out of the cabin, swiftly after that jumping on the sails and unfurling them before having a stop on the top of the captain's cabin. While there, he began constructing the blood turbine that took about one minute to get done since it required quite the concentration for all the components to bind together and work as a whole mechanism.
It didn't take long for the ship to sail off out of the harbor, and while jumping back on the steering wheel, he began moving the ship toward Sagletius and along the way, also thinking of the things he should start accelerating inside Sol.
However, he wasn't the only one contemplating future events.
Inside the Wisdom Palace, on the royal throne, Duke Lacilet Vestios rubbed his temples while looking at 5 nobles who were wearing elegant clothes.
"How long has it been since I've received the target confirmation from Dark Union assassins?"
"It was about 1 hour and maybe 30 minutes since you got called by them." replied one of the middle-aged nobles who were looking at Lacilet.
The blonde Duke, still rubbing his temples, said without targeting the nobles.
"Those two incompetent shits that took my mission failed and got eliminated by Kirin. But how? That bastard couldn't even guess that his coffee would be targeted with the most potent poison that could even have a small size Sea King go out cold. This is the most expensive poison in the world, costing me about 100.000.000 𝔅 to get it from New World."
"Argh, damned assassins. I need to talk with Allestar. Someone get me the dial snails. I have to make a call."
The noble that had a square face quickly ran out of the throne room and came back having in his arms about 6 dial snails.
"Good. You thought, well, Baron Tyrell, to bring more of those little parasites who die from only a brief moment around me."
'That's because of the power you don't suppress, Your Grace. Ahh, shit I almost said that outloud.'
"Thank you, Your Grace. If you need anything from me, don't hesitate to tell me."
"Sure, dear Baron, I know you are one of my trustful retainers." replied the blonde duke, while on the side of the throne chair sat those 6 dial snails who trembled a bit when seeing Lacilet.
The Duke used a slender hand to take a snail in his hands and began swiftly forming a dial number and then began waiting until someone could pick up the call.
"Yes, Lacilet, what happened? Did everything go as planned? Did that marine dog got erased from this world?" asked the voice that seemed to belong to the gold masked person Vlad fought, Allestar Wincester.
"That's something I should ask you myself." said Lacilet while from his body released some green miasma that made the nobles scared a bit, taking more steps backward toward the throne room exit.
"Ohh, the two guys I've lent you were the top of the top when it comes to young recruits coming from New World. That Kirin guy couldn't even stand a chance against them, so here's what I ask you, Lacilet.
Who is the person that has a problem with you and that is also strong enough to kill your men?" asked Wincester while behind the snail, his smile turned into a creepy one.
Lacilet began thinking and could only think of a name that made him so annoyed that he killed some nobles in the process of not controlling his powers.
"Blood."
"My, my. So it was indeed true the news I've been hearing that this Blood guy is the one heading the rebelling faction that opposes your rule. Do you want to hear some news, Lacilet? Breaking news for you since we know each other for 17 years, and I am sure Oliver will not tell you anything.
This Blood guy is the guy that controls half of your kingdom."
"WHAT!? BUT HOW!? I only know he holds on that shit district of peasants, Sol or whatever shit name they made for it." asked Lacilet while raising his voice a bit, yet still maintaining his emotions.
"Haha, take it easy, Lacilet. Aren't you the new king of Kaysang? You ask how? The noble houses who never forgot about their old king Opheltius united behind this person called Blood. Or if you want me to tell you my speculations I made from all the news I've heard about this guy. Vermilion Lucius. Does this name tell you something, Vestios?"
"HE CAN'T!? HE DIED THAT DAY!?" roared Lacilet that shook the entire throne room and even starting to release a green mist that began enveloping the throne room, making the nobles get out of the room and close the door shut.
The dial snails began turning paler and sickly, yet there was still the voice of Wincester that resounded in the throne room with a maniacal laugh.
"What is it, Vestios? Are you scared that the Vermilions really don't die, as the legend told in all the stories circulating in this ancient kingdom?"
The duke, whose face grew immensely cold, told Wincester only this.
"Allestar, you better talk with Cranfon and prepare for a big scale operation. I want those peasants and nobles that ally with the peasants to die. All of them."
"Haha, not so fast, Vestios. We, the Dark Union, while respecting our contracts, only operates on money or equal items, such as devil fruits and graded weapons."
"For this contract I will give you 1.000.000.000 𝔅, cash."
"Enticing. I can't agree yet, I still have to talk with Oliver. He's the boss while I'm only his assistant. Calm down, Vestios, until I came back with a call. Also, try to not kill your entire collection of dial snails. It's such a waste."
*Gotcha*
With Wincester ending the call, Lacilet Vestios finally released all his anger, and the entire room was enveloped into a green miasma that began decaying all the dial snails and even some rats that made their way around.
"DAMNED CHEAP BASTARDS, WHO CAN'T THINK OF NEW WAYS TO TAKE MONEY FROM MY TREASURY!? AFTER I END ALL THOSE REBELLIOUS BASTARDS, IT WILL BE YOUR TURN. I WILL KILL YOU ALL!? SO WHAT IF YOU ARE OF THE DARK UNION!? DO YOU THINK I'M AFRAID OF SOME OLD DYING MAN SITTING IN THEIR TOWER INSIDE NEW WORLD!?"
"I, LACILET VESTIOS, FEAR NO ONE!? NO ONE, NOT EVEN THE VERMILIONS WHO CONTROLLED THIS KINGDOM FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, AND GOT WHO KNOW WHAT INHERITANCES FROM THE SUN KING!?
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A/N: Finally, we are starting to slowly end the set-up for this last part of this Volume.
Guess what's Duke Lacilet Vestios's powers, Wincester, and Cranfon's powers. It's really interesting to see what you guys have in mind, compared to what I have in mind.
Also thoughts on the chapter? Right, some foreshadowing about the Dark Union? I'm really good at this, not going to lie.
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