Roland, to his own surprise, advanced without even knowing it. He tried to activate his tattoo, his arm glowing with a soft light as the beast's power flowed through him.
Fishbone and Goblin cheered for him, slapping his back and congratulating him.
"How did you do it?!" Goblin was the first to ask, his eyes glimmering with admiration, "Can you teach me?"
Roland shook his head, he was still dazed from the sudden advancement, "I don't know. I just..."
He was sure the fear of turning feral had prevented him from advancing, but how did it suddenly happen?
He glanced at Lucian, who was surrounded by the feral soldiers, all docile and well-behaved around him.
Maybe witnessing how his life wouldn't end if he lost control of his beast, gave him the courage to overcome his fear.
"Boss," Roland addressed Lucian, walking towards him, the crowd of ferals parting to let him pass.
His knees sank to the ground before his boss, his head bowing low in respect, "I'm honored to serve under you, Boss. My life is yours."
A smile appeared on Lucian's lips, "Who is the best Boss?"
Roland chuckled, "You, Boss."
"Who?!" Lucian asked louder.
"Lucian Arclight!" Roland shouted, a bit awkwardly, "The best boss in the world!"
"Who else?!"
"Nobody!" the rest shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the desert, "Lucian Arclight! The best boss in the world!"
Lucian raised his fist in the air, the soldiers following his lead. "FOR GLORY!"
"FOR GLORY!" The shout was repeated, louder than before.
"Today, we celebrate our brotherhood and our victory over our fears!" Lucian announced, more like an excited youth than a boss, "Today, we march towards a future where we are the masters of our own destiny! FOR GLORY!"
"FOR GLORY!" the soldiers roared, their spirits high.
"To Roland!" Lucian raised his fist again.
"Roland! Roland! Roland!" they chanted his name, the feral soldiers doing the same.
Infected by Lucian's energy, they pumped their fists in the air, so whatever he said, they repeated without a second thought.
No matter how childish their boss sometimes acted, he built that right for himself.
Wealth and influence gave him a lot of freedom to do as he pleased, be it drawing stick figures of his Vices during meetings, building sandcastles with the feral soldiers because he thought they needed to learn how to build instead of destroying things.
...or coming up with ridiculous demands such as "The Glory should have a theme song" and "the theme song should be catchy, one that I can hum to myself all day".
They would hire composers and poets to make it happen, no questions asked.
Their boss didn't even have to poach for employees anymore, people were knocking on the Glory's doors themselves, even for less pay, for a chance to rise in the ranks and become a Vice.
Lucian didn't flaunt expensive mansions, jewellery, or fancy clothes. He flaunted his Vices and how he could make even a beggar rich beyond their wildest dreams.
Roland felt tears prick his eyes, bowing his head lower. The five people under his command joined him, bowing their heads. There were around fifty more that he commanded, but they were not present at the moment.
From the biggest doubter to the most faithful follower (Roland believed that he was more loyal than Jax). He had witnessed a child beggar who tried to engage in a conversation with him to learn the local language and customs, and now, that same boy had grown into a man who could make grown men cry and bow to his will.
With their spirits and morale high, they resumed their training, and the remaining soldiers got their turn to fight against Lucian.
───────────────────────
Fishbone's wife had joined their group at lunch, and the guy became a lot more proactive, sending orders left and right to look like a busy man in front of her.
Her stomach was showing signs of pregnancy, and Lucian couldn't help but stare at it for a second too long.
It was an odd feeling, to be an almost father. He wondered how his child within Celine was doing. He tried to push the thought of her out of his mind. She didn't deserve to be in his thoughts.
Fishbone's wife felt his gaze and looked up. Seeing the panting Lucian surrounded by five fallen men, her cheeks turning red.
Jax obscured her line of sight, "Enjoying the show?"
Fishbone's wife quickly waved her hand in denial, "No, no. I was just...I was..."
"Any problems?" Fishbone asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to his side, "Stay away from her, Jax."
Jax leaned over his shoulder, "Our boss hates disloyal people. If your wife's feelings will cause you to make poor decisions, you might have to be removed," he whispered, loud enough for his wife to hear, but too quiet for anyone else.
"Haha, very funny," Fishbone responded dryly, his arm tightening around his wife, who looked a little pale, "If things go south, I'd have her out of the picture before she becomes a problem. Nothing will come between me and Glory."
His wife hid her face in his chest, her hands clenching his shirt. It was a warning to her too, she realized. She had to make sure her emotions didn't get the best of her.
Jax's smile widened as he walked away, leaving the couple behind. He moved toward Lord Ashtor, who was coming up with plans for sea trades and shipping routes, the map spread in front of him.
"We will have to smuggle a few soldiers to the north," Lord Ashtor said as Jax stood beside him, "The pirates are going to be a problem. They have been hunting merchant guild's ships lately, and they are getting bolder. If we don't find a way to deal with them, our shipments will be at risk."
"How many men do you think we need?" Jax asked.
"Fifty, maybe sixty. Enough to deal with a pirate ship or two," Lord Ashtor answered, "That's if we don't stumble upon the deep zone reavers."
"The fish heads with glowing hair?"
"Yes, those. Even the Royal Navy has problems with them."
╔═══ Author's note ════╗
Do you enjoy these adventure parts?
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